At the forefront of the meeting was the amendment to the storage of flammable and combustible materials license for JR Realty Corporation. The corporation representatives clarified the insurance requirements. The board closed the public hearing on this matter after approving the amended license.

Another development from the meeting was the official appointment of April Ina con as the assessing administrator. Ina con expressed her enthusiasm for the role.

The Select Board also engaged in a joint session with the Finance Committee to review and approve the 2024 town meeting warrant. The Finance Committee chairman pointed out the addition of two new articles and minor numerical corrections since their last meeting. The committee recommended articles 1-24 of the warrant and reaffirmed select board recommendations for articles 5, 6, 22, and 23, thus streamlining the approval process.

In an effort to modernize the town’s fiscal management, the assistant Town Manager introduced the ClearGov budget platform. This tool is designed to replace the traditional budget book with a more dynamic and user-friendly online system, providing access to current and archived budget data, various graph styles, and demographic information. The Finance Committee inquired about the source of the demographic data and the platform’s capacity to display historical data, emphasizing due diligence in the adoption of new technologies.

The board also addressed the forthcoming availability of online links to town meeting information. They clarified that the online resource would cover fiscal years 20 to 25 and display actual amounts rather than budgeted figures. One board member requested a printed version.

In terms of community development, the board expressed its support for a federal earmark application for a 40B housing development project, which could have implications for affordable housing in the area. The Office of Community and Economic Development presented their budget request, which received board approval.

Preparation updates for the annual town meeting were shared, along with announcements about future presentations set to take place at the meeting. In a gesture of community support, the board approved a donation to the Council on Aging. Moreover, letters of support for Central Mass EMS were authorized.

The meeting concluded with the board entering an executive session to discuss non-union personnel matters.