The board’s approval of the new ambulance was prompted by the fire chief’s request and the acknowledgment of the high volume of emergency runs that necessitate reliable and updated equipment. The motion to approve the ambulance purchase received unanimous support from the board members. The funding for this significant capital expenditure is set to be included in the town meeting warrant.

The approval includes the funding for the union contracts amounting to $97,100.

The board also tackled the topic of funding for fire hydrant repairs, with a capital budget item of $75,000 in question. After discussion, there was an agreement that the repair costs should be sourced from the general fund rather than the water Enterprise fund, as this was seen as a townwide issue.

Another item on the agenda was the funding of an Actuarial report for the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) study, amounting to $7,200. This study is necessary to comply with accounting principles and was agreed upon as a requirement by the board members. The motion to fund the study was passed unanimously.

The board also moved to establish and fund the Freetown Elementary School maintenance stabilization fund with an initial amount of $60,000. The motion for the establishment and funding of this stabilization fund received unanimous support.

During the discussions, the board members brought up the matter of a 5% pay raise request by the highway supervisor, which was initially met with a counter recommendation of a 2.5% raise by the finance committee. However, after deliberation, the board decided to endorse the requested 5% raise, recognizing the highway supervisor’s value to the town. The motion to recommend this raise was made and passed with full agreement among the board members.

The board also took a cautious stance on Article 21, a petition article, by deciding not to recommend it due to the challenges in understanding its full implications. The motion not to recommend the petition article was passed unanimously.

Other warrant articles that were discussed but ultimately removed from the upcoming town meeting included zoning articles related to the accessory apartment bylaw and a permit for the planning board. These items were deferred to the fall town meeting for further consideration.

Additionally, the board approved the replacement of the fence at Halfway Park and authorized the Town Administrator to sign an agreement with Straight Line Fencing for this project.