Needham Select Board, 8/3/26

• Date: August 3, 2026
• Governing Body: Needham Select Board
• Meeting Type: Special Select Board Meeting
• Attendees:
  • Heidi Frail, Chair
  • Catherine Reid Dowd, Select Board Member (Remote)
  • Joshua Levy, Select Board Member
  • Kevin Keane, Select Board Member
  • Bill [Unlisted Member], Select Board Member
  • Katie King, Town Manager
  • Councilor Chrissy, Town Counsel

The Board discussed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding the intended use of Warner Field for geothermal wells as part of the Pollard Middle School project, pursuant to Article 97 requirements.

• Background: Town Manager Katie King reported that the Conservation Commission (July 23) and Park and Recreation Commission (July 24) provided unanimous local approval for the subsurface use of the field. The MOA was also approved by the Permanent Public Building Committee (PPBC), the School Building Committee, and the School Committee.
• Discussion: Member Joshua Levy inquired whether the Conservation Commission's Article 97 vote impacted their ability to protect groundwater resources. Town Counsel clarified that the vote was strictly regarding land use and that the commission's regulatory authority under the Wetlands Protection Act and local bylaws remains fully preserved.
• Official Action: The Board moved to execute the memorandum of agreement between the Select Board, School Committee, Park and Recreation Commission, Permanent Public Building Committee, and the School Building Committee regarding the use of Warner Field.
• Vote Outcome: The motion passed 5-0 via roll call vote:
  • Catherine Reid Dowd: Yes
  • Bill: Yes
  • Joshua Levy: Yes
  • Kevin Keane: Aye
  • Heidi Frail: Yes

The Board considered the language and placement of a debt exclusion ballot question for the November 3, 2026, state election to fund the Pollard Middle School project.

• Project Status: The MSBA is expected to provide a maximum reimbursement rate and approve the project budget and scope at their August 26 meeting, conditional on local approvals.
• Board Discussion:
  • Chair Heidi Frail emphasized that the vote pertained specifically to the ballot language and placement, not the final project costs or design specifics, which will be publicized prior to the election.
  • Member Joshua Levy expressed opposition, citing "material deficiencies" in the current submission. He noted the plan includes nine fewer classrooms than MSBA standards and a media center that is 3,000 square feet below the standard size. He quoted the MSBA's stance: "The MSBA does not want to see this critical component of education suffer at the expense of larger or grander spaces that are not directly involved in the education of students."
• Official Action: The Board moved to place the debt exclusion override question on the November 3, 2026, state election ballot. The specific language read into the record is:

  "Shall the town of Needham be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 and 1 half, so-called. The amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to provide Architectural Design, Engineering Construction Demolition in Site Work Including Incidental Cause for a New Pollard Middle School on Harris Avenue?"

• Vote Outcome: The motion passed 4-1 via roll call vote:
  • Catherine Reid Dowd: Yes
  • Bill: Yes
  • Joshua Levy: No
  • Kevin Keane: Aye
  • Heidi Frail: Yes

The meeting was adjourned following a unanimous roll call vote (5-0) in favor of the motion.