Opening remarks:
- School Committee liaison to the Select Board Glenn Cote described preparations for the new school year, following the reorganization of the elementary grades, including classroom moves and a reduction in the number of bus routes from 35 to 32.
- Finance Committee liaison to the Select Board Scott Sullivan stated, in anticipation of a later agenda item, that “The Finance Committee does not support funding outside of Prop. 2 1/2 for additional storm water management.”
- Select Board Chair Alissa Nicol noted that the Town would receive approximately $57,000 following the final closure of the Health Insurance Trust, and anticipated that those funds would be transferred to the OPEB trust, pending Town Meeting approval.
- Both Ms. Nicol and Town Manager John Mangiaratti appreciated the participation and support of the community at the NARA amphitheater vigil following the recent tragedy.
- Mr. Mangiaratti further noted the annual September 11 ceremony at 9:55 AM at the public safety facility; that town offices would be closed September 18 for a professional development day; and the upcoming construction of a permanent Town information sign at the Great Road/Main Street intersection. Finally, on behalf of Economic Development Director Patricia Costa, Deputy Town Manager Thom Begin announced a Great Road Stroll event scheduled on Sunday October 18.
Town Hall Renovation Planning Update: Mr. Mangiaratti noted that, due to the size and to constraints on the location of a planned generator unit, the oak tree between the Town Hall and Woodbury Lane would have to be removed. Board members suggested various alternate locations for the generator, all of which had previously been considered and rejected. Preliminary discussions with the Historic District Commission will continue. Board member Dean Charter said that, given that he had planted the tree in 1974, he would be sad to see it go, but agreed that taking it down was probably the best option, and the Board approved the plan.
Department of Public Works (DPW) Building Update: A representative from Weston & Sampson presented an update on the proposed new DPW facility at 14 Forest Road, including a timeline that included a “potential Special Town Meeting” for December 2026. The presentation reviewed the project’s history and included graphics that represent visual and schematic images of the proposed building. The update showed incremental progress with no substantial changes to earlier presentations, and discussion by the Board concerned details of the plan.
Board member Pam Nourse asked about an intern’s presentation at a recent Finance Committee meeting [presenting case studies of similar towns where they spread the DPW functions out to different, smaller facilities] to which Mr. Charter replied with, essentially, the lawyer’s phrase “asked and answered”. Mr. Jarboe and Ms. Nicol especially appreciated the suggestion of a special town meeting, where the details of the project could be presented and discussed.
Sewer Commissioners’ Meeting: The Board, acting in its role as Sewer Commission, considered several related agenda items. The first was apparently a memo (not provided online) that proposed a sewer fee change; the second concerned 13 School Street, a mixed-use (residential and commercial) building currently under construction, and a third concerned the former church at 29 School Street.
Mr. Mangiaratti began the discussion by noting that the Board last updated the sewer privilege fee years ago, and that the schedule was inadequate in its application to mixed use properties. The subsequent discussion, including questions about terminology and about how the fees might apply to current and hypothetical scenarios, suggested that the Board was not yet ready to adopt a general revision to the fee schedule.
The Board then turned to the specific matter of sewer fees as applied to the development of the mixed-use property at 13 School Street. The date for the purchase-and-sale agreement had been delayed several times, and all parties would like to keep the currently scheduled September 10th closing. The agenda item included a letter from the developer, Mr. Alex Mota, questioning the basis for the calculation of sewer fees for the project. With the appropriate fee calculation still uncertain, the Board agreed to take the matter offline, correct the calculation, obtain further input, and hold a virtual meeting in time to make a decision before the September 10 closing.
The Board then heard a request from the purchaser of 29 School Street, a former church building where six apartments are planned, who had received an unexpected $128,000 bill for sewer privilege fees. Board members recognized the possibility of adjustments to that amount, and the matter concluded with an agreement for a memorandum of understanding to be arranged with the Town Manager.
Stormwater Update – Funding and Coalition: In December 2025 the Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) presented a detailed and comprehensive Stormwater Report. That report and earlier work by the WRAC detailed the evolving regulatory environment for stormwater management and outlined potential funding sources and options. At the present meeting Chair Nicol opened the discussion with a brief review of the issues including the regulatory environment and the revolving fund that currently provides stormwater funding, and recommending a feasibility study to address the funding mechanism. A central question is whether the growing costs of maintaining, replacing, and upgrading aging stormwater infrastructure should be part of the town’s general budget (constrained by prop two and half) or raised separately as dedicated stormwater funding.
Town Manager Mangiaratti announced that consultant funding had been secured for work on stormwater and that he would appoint a working group, tentatively including members of the Select Board, WRAC, the Finance Committee, and Town engineering staff. The working group would begin work in the fall to design and scope a funding mechanism feasibility study and report back via the Board or the WRAC as appropriate. Board Member David Martin addressed the comment made by FinCom Vice Chair Sullivan during public comments, saying that FinCom had never taken a vote on a stormwater funding mechanism and that there were a range of opinions within FinCom. Mr. Martin endorsed moving forward with a feasibility study, doing public outreach, and moving towards bringing stormwater funding before the voters at Town Meeting.
FinCom member Greg Jarboe welcomed the suggestion of a working group with FinCom involvement, saying that the Finance Committee hoped to come to a broader systematic framework for funding mechanisms to handle specific needs (not just stormwater), for example when debt exclusions are used vs. expenditure from the general fund. Chair Nicol closed the discussion by endorsing the working group concept as described.
Finally, Town Engineer Evan White proposed that Acton join the Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition (CMRSWC), described as “a collaboration of Massachusetts municipalities that work together to address stormwater management and compliance with the EPA’s MS4 permit requirements. The coalition provides member communities with shared technical resources, regulatory guidance, training materials, and public education tools related to stormwater management.” The document notes that an annual $4000 membership fee has been waived “at this time…” so joining would incur no initial cost. The agreement would expire in the year 2030, and no obligation for future funding was mentioned. The Board unanimously voted to join the coalition.
Briefly noted:
- The Board voted approved a letter of support for a joint resolution calling for a Federal Trade Commission inquiry into anti-competitive practices in the fire truck manufacturing industry (see an August 3, 2026 Letter to the Acton Exchange for further details.)
- The Board approved the deposit of $43,673.98 from federal Investment Tax Credit funds into the Town’s Energy Efficiency Fund (EEF).
- The Agenda item “ Approve Development Agreement for 13 School Street” was postponed.
- A Fourth and Fifth Amendment for Purchase and Sales Agreement for 3 and 13 School Street was approved without discussion. These amendments extend the closing date for the purchase to September 10 to accommodate permitting delays.
Hearings: The Board reviewed a Site Plan Special Permit that would renovate 99 Great Road, the smallest building on Wetherbee Plaza, to create a mixed use building with first floor commercial space and a second floor apartment. Board members reviewed parking, landscaping, and energy use before agreeing to consider a revised draft decision that could potentially appear on the consent agenda.
Described by the applicant as the northernmost point in Acton, the Site Plan Special Permit for 1012 Main Street proposes construction of “essentially a barn” for a landscaping business. After a brief discussion the hearing was continued to September 14.
The purchaser of the “Alpha Cars” building at 178 Great Road appeared online before the Board to request a Class II Auto Dealer License for DSP Cars LLC; the license was approved without discussion.
Tom Beals is the Acton Exchange Select Board beat reporter.
