Opening remarks: Glenn Cote, School Committee liaison to the Select Board, called attention to the School Committee’s January 8 meeting and its discussion of district restructuring. The final vote on elementary school reorganization is scheduled for January 22, and public comments will continue to be reviewed until that date.
Board Chair Dean Charter mentioned Acton 250 events on January 28 and February 26. Board Vice-Chair Alissa Nicol commented on the benefits of the recently enacted Acton Memorial Library legislation and highlighted a planned “seed library” to be hosted at the West Acton Citizens’ Library.
Sustainability progress report
Town Manager John Mangiaratti introduced a presentation by Sustainability Director Andrea Becerra and Environmental Analyst Lauren West, noting that this first formal report was prepared at the urging of a Board member and others in the community. Their Sustainability Update reviewed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sources and reduction estimates, and described other programs such as the Minuteman Bike Share, “Greening the Red House”, and “Outreach & Education”. The report covered both climate change mitigation (reducing Acton’s contribution to global climate change) and climate resilience (preparing for problems that may arise in Acton due to forecasted changes in climate, such as increased flooding and drought).
Board members noted planned contributions of the regional school district to future reports. In response to Board member questions regarding the transportation component of the GHG inventory, Ms. West explained that the GHG fraction assigned to transportation was based on a Massachusetts vehicle census, and that the energy use due to electronic vehicle (EV) charging is, in the current analysis, assigned to the stationary source where charging happened rather than to the transportation category. Similarly, estimates of GHG emissions from waste processing were based on the fraction of the town not served by the transfer station, and therefore also represented an indirect estimate. Public comments were uniformly positive, with residents anticipating progress in tracking waste processing, mitigating road treatment runoff, and improving stormwater handling.
Proposed Zoning Bylaw Changes
Economic Development Director Patricia Costa, with Planning Director Kaila Sauer, presented a detailed list of zoning bylaw updates intended to support Acton businesses, along with an explanatory document providing context for the proposals. The changes included relaxed signage regulations and expanded permissions for various business types in industrial, limited business, and village districts. This presentation marked an introductory step in a process that could ultimately come before Town Meeting.
Board members and residents uniformly appreciated the proposals. Vice-Chair Alissa Nicol remarked, “There’s a perception among the public that Acton is not business friendly…”. Former “Board of Selectmen” (as the Select Board was known at the time) member Greg Jarboe provided historical context for Acton’s anti-business reputation, recalling that “the Select Board of that era would only approve signs if they were made of wood. And that was considered the right thing to do at the time.” He also recalled the origins of the WR Grace litigation. Mr. Jarboe placed the current proposals in the context of the recent Strategic Economic Development Action Plan, and praised Ms. Costa’s efforts to implement aspects of that consultant’s report. Board member Jim Snyder-Grant suggested creating additional introductory and educational material, cautioning that the detailed nature of zoning bylaws can make Town Meeting presentations challenging.
Fiscal Year 2027 budget
The Finance committee joined the Select Board for a presentation of Town Manager John Mangiaratti’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Municipal Operating Budget. Mr. Mangiaratti, together with Assistant Town Manager Thom Begin and Budget Director Eleanor (Ellie) Anderson, gave an introductory presentation reviewing earlier presentations and noting upcoming departmental budget review workshops, before presenting his Recommended Fiscal Year 2027 Municipal Operating Budget. This 179-page document provides a complete overview of the Town’s organizational and financial structure.
Mr. Mangiaratti stated that “the budget summary, the bottom line, [is] three and a quarter percent increase in spending year-over-year.” He reviewed the FY27 Capital plan, as well as familiar items such as the Department of Public Works Facility design, other post employment benefits (OPEB) funding strategy, health insurance budgets, and Fire Department staffing strategy evaluations.
Select Board and Finance Committee members posed detailed questions, along with broader issues they anticipated revisiting at upcoming budget workshops. Finance Committee member Greg Jarboe, recalling the prior year’s process, remarked “…[we] were at loggerheads a year ago. This is an immensely, immensely better process. So, congratulations. We’re not done yet, but boy, we’re at least on the same page. We may not be on the same paragraph, but we’re on the same page.”
Briefly noted:
- After minimal discussion the Board approved an appropriation from the Energy Efficiency Fund for Weatherization Upgrades at Town Hall.
- Mr. Mangiaratti announced an upcoming press release describing application methods for the Childcare Subsidy Program that was approved at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting.
- Ms. Nicol explained her motivation for proposing a draft Town of Acton PFAS-Free Policy in a letter to the Board. The Board considered the wide — and sometimes surprising — range of consumer and commercial products that contain the per- and poly-fluoridated substances (PFAS), as well as the economic trade-offs that might complicate implementation. The Board ultimately agreed that an amended policy may return as a consent item.
Hearings: An application from theHawthorn Realty Company to combine the properties at 471, 465-469 Great Road was continued to March 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM.
The Board approved a Common Victualler License for New York Bagel Factory located at 145 Great Road, Acton.
Tom Beals is the Select Board beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.
