Select Board September 15, 2026

• The National Grid Grant of Location was removed from the agenda.
• The appointment of a local government representative for clean energy siting was postponed.
• The FY28 financial guidelines discussion was moved earlier in the agenda to precede the Fire Station presentation.

• Emphasized the value residents place on open space, referencing previous citizen efforts regarding the North 40 and MassBay Forest.
• Noted that signatures were gathered for a citizens petition for the Special Town Meeting warrant in November to preserve White Pond, which had been held in a private trust since 1950 with only one remaining trustee.
• Reported that an NRC assessment in December 2025 found no environmental red flags, confirming boundaries and identifying potential for habitat preservation, passive recreation, and stormwater management.
• Requested that the Select Board review remaining questions and consider supporting the citizens petition, stating: "In my opinion it's going to hold steady if we protect these assets that are irreplaceable and they're so valuable to so many of us."

• The public meeting and charrette regarding the North 40 is scheduled for October 1 at 6:30 p.m., with staff evaluating whether to move the location from Hunnewell Elementary School to the high school cafeteria to accommodate registration numbers.
• The Wellesley Cultural Council is accepting grant applications through October 15, with approximately $20,000 available to support artists, performers, educators, community groups, and schools.
• Applications for Boston Marathon Invitational entries are open until October 15 at 4:00 p.m. for eligible local nonprofit organizations.
• Residents were directed to the town community calendar for late-September events, including guided trail walks, lectures, and the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra.

• Revenues and Receipts:
  • State aid and local receipts were initially projected with a 2% baseline increase based on the town-wide financial plan.
  • Meals tax receipts were adjusted upward from $750,000 to $800,000 after FY26 year-end close receipts reached $1,057,000; other local receipts remain projected flat pending the close of Q1.
  • Chapter 70 education aid will be evaluated following official October school enrollment numbers, historically modeled on a conservative increase of $25 per pupil (which yielded $100,000 in FY27 based on 4,000 pupils).
  • Investment income budgeting remains cautious; while town MMDT cash yields averaged 4.8% in July 2025 and 3.84% in July 2026, the budget has historically capped investment income projections around $950,000 to prevent structural deficits when cash balances and interest rates drop.
  • Motor vehicle excise tax was kept flat at $6.2 million for FY28 after being increased by $400,000 in FY27 from $5.8 million, despite actuals exceeding $7 million since FY24.
• Expenses and Reserves:
  • Town and School operating budgets are modeled at a 3% increase.
  • Cash capital is projected at $9,559,000 (from the five-year capital plan), representing approximately 6.6% when combined with $4.2 million in debt service.
  • Health insurance costs are projected at an 8% increase; group insurance breaks out other employee benefits at $4.8 million.
  • Tax abatements/overlay are budgeted with an $800,000 placeholder.
  • Debt service reflects potential inside-the-levy borrowing of $6 million to $7 million (down from an earlier $16 million projection in the capital plan due to project shifting).
• Operational Pressures:
  • Collective bargaining agreements across all municipal and school unions remain unsettled for FY27 and FY28.
  • Health insurance rate renewals for Medicare retirees will be considered in October for a January 1 implementation, with an assumed 6% increase.
  • Munis financial software migration to a cloud-based service is projected to add $100,000 annually over the next three years.
  • Facilities Management Department (FMD) and Land Use office leases at 888 Worcester Street are due for rebidding, with anticipated higher square-footage costs.
  • Operating impacts of new applicant tracking software will introduce $24,000 in ongoing operational costs in FY28.
  • Capital Committee (CAPCOM) begins reviewing project proponent forms on September 28.

Chair Freiman, Fire Chief Steve Mortarelli, Assistant Chief John Domenico, Glen Remick (Facilities Management Department), and Jeff Shaw (Context Architecture) presented updates on the Fire Station Master Plan study.

Master Plan Context and Summary Findings:

• Both existing fire stations are undersized and deficient regarding modern operational, health, safety, and apparatus requirements, lacking adequate decontamination facilities and living quarter separation.
• Station 2 (Route 9) can expand by at most ~700 square feet; administrative operations must move to a new headquarters facility.
• Station 1 (Central Street) is 100 years old, landlocked, unable to accommodate current apparatus, lacks gender-separated facilities, and must be replaced near the existing location to preserve NFPA response times.
• Siting evaluations assessed 14 objective criteria across multiple properties. Top-ranking sites included two options at the North 40 (156 Weston Road) and 515 Washington Street (Morton Park, an Article 97 protected property).
• The projected replacement Station 1 footprint is approximately 26,000 square feet, resulting in ~49,000 total square feet across town facilities.

Department Operations and Decontamination Clarifications:

• Chief Mortarelli addressed community concerns regarding neighborhood traffic, noise, and response times:
  • Apparatus travel routes will not cut through secondary residential side streets off Weston Road (e.g., Howe Street or Curve Street) unless dispatched directly to those addresses.
  • Sirens are used selectively based on driver and pedestrian visibility, not during late-night calls when roads are clear.
  • Video documentation was posted online illustrating fire apparatus safely traversing Weston Road during morning school drop-off hours.
• Architect Jeff Shaw detailed modern decontamination practices:
  • Gross decontamination occurs on the incident scene before return.
  • Specialized extraction washing occurs inside the station via interceptors directly into the sewer system, preventing exterior environmental runoff.
  • The department is actively transitioning to PFAS-free turnout gear.

Public Comments:

• A member of the public raised concerns regarding traffic bottlenecks and high curbs on Weston Road that prevent vehicles from pulling over during peak traffic hours, potentially delaying apparatus.
• A member of the public requested immediate baseline carcinogen and air quality testing in current stations as recommended in Appendix A, and advocated forming a resident steering committee to determine the future use of the North 40 prior to station siting.
• A member of the public recommended establishing a dedicated feasibility study committee with community representation, evaluating multiple sites concurrently, and considering property acquisition.
• A member of the public questioned potential toxic runoff impacting the Morse's Pond watershed and pets, and asked whether truck maintenance bays or decontamination facilities could be located regionally or off-site.
• A member of the public argued that keeping the North 40 as passive open space is a valid municipal use, warning that selecting a Weston Road site by November risks voter rejection at Town Meeting.
• A member of the public expressed concern over peak morning and evening traffic spilling into adjacent neighborhoods such as Curve Street and Howe Street.
• A member of the public emphasized the emotional, historical, and community value of the Weston Road Community Gardens, urging the Board to preserve the space.
• Michael Tobin, speaking on behalf of the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust Board of Directors, registered opposition to the North 40 location, endorsed 515 Washington Street, and suggested executing an Article 97 land swap between Morton Park and the North 40.
• A member of the public highlighted the carbon sequestration, flood prevention, and mature canopy functions of the North 40 forest, arguing that contiguous mature forests must be preserved as town infrastructure.
• A member of the public supported balancing open space with municipal needs, noting that 23 acres of the North 40 must remain open space (including at least 13 under a CPA conservation restriction) and that a station requires only two to three acres.
• A member of the public cited regional models in Sudbury, Acton, Dover, Wayland, Concord, and Needham that co-locate police and fire headquarters, urging the town to consider 515 Washington Street adjacent to the police station.
• A member of the public spoke to traffic congestion and a prior fatal accident along Weston Road, opposing additional emergency traffic.
• A member of the public expressed concern regarding pedestrian safety for schoolchildren walking on streets lacking sidewalks (e.g., Crest Road) and noise impacts from MBTA locomotives and sirens.
• A member of the public noted that heavy commuter queuing on Weston Road south of Turner Road creates tight clearance for 8.5-foot wide apparatus, potentially impacting response times.

Select Board Discussion and Deliberations:

• Member Aufranc emphasized managing the town's impending $400 million capital liability, requesting exact cost estimates for alternative parcel acquisitions, estimating cost escalation at $4.5 million per year for delayed construction, and analyzing the impact and cost of executing an Article 97 land swap (referencing Hegarty Pond delays). She also noted the Community Gardens currently serve approximately 50 residents with a 50-person waiting list.
• Member Largess supported commissioning feasibility studies for both the Weston Road and 515 Washington Street sites to objectively evaluate buildability and acquire comparative geotechnical data, while demanding immediate interim mitigations for firefighter health.
• Vice Chair Ulfelder commended the technical rigor of the master plan but emphasized that community consensus is essential for Town Meeting funding success; he favored a multi-site feasibility review and community working group modeled after the Hardy/Upham School Building Committee.
• Member Sullivan Woods called for immediate interim decontamination improvements, expressed concern against rushing a site selection into the November deadline before the town determines North 40 priorities, suggested exploring the southern end of the North 40 parcel away from the gardens, and recommended direct outreach to Wellesley College regarding land or partnerships.
• Chair Freiman endorsed exploring a dual-site feasibility study to resolve outstanding site constraints and reiterated that public input will continue at the upcoming October 1 community charrette.

• Collective bargaining strategy regarding the Wellesley Patrol Officers Association, Wellesley Firefighters IAFF Local 1795, and the Wellesley Library Staff Association and Supervisors Association.
• Litigation strategy regarding Albany Road-Wellesley LLC and potential litigation regarding 140 Weston Road.