WESTFORD — Did you miss this year’s Annual Town Meeting? Here’s what passed (and what failed) during this year’s meeting.
The consent agenda, which included 11 of the 24 total articles passed unanimously by voice vote.
Article 4, which sees $200,000 from Free Cash for energy efficiency projects passed 385 to 19.
Article 5, which encompassed this year’s capital appropriations had four motions which generated discussion. The first motion which included approximately $5.2 million in capital requests, passed 352 to 42.
The second motion, which included a $1.385 million request for a new rescue pumper fire truck, passed 342 to 51.
The third motion was an $800,000 request for the engineering, construction and design of pedestrian safety improvements on North Main Street and West Street.
Blessed Trinity Parish at St. Catherine of Alexandria, a church located near the intersection, will be donating land to the town to complete the project. The project aims to improve visibility along the intersection.
“I’m not sure if anybody has mentioned but there’s no way for a bus coming from West Street to take a right hand turn without crossing into the opposite lane. Crossing the street in front of St. Catherine’s or anywhere in that area during the day, I feel like you’re taking your life into your hands because the visibility is so poor on North Main Street going around that corner,” Finance and Operations Director Dave LeBleu.
He noted that the church has paid for police details on Saturday nights “just to make sure our parishioners don’t get run over when crossing the street.”
Some, like resident Doug Burns, called the project a “luxury item.”
“In this time of trying to be fiscally responsible, I don’t think the town should be expanding its reach into different areas where we don’t have the money,” he said.
The third motion passed 269 to 131.
The fourth motion, which included a $2 million request to replace the synthetic turf at the Nutting Roads Community Fields, failed 270 to 147.
Many residents questioned why the item was not funded through the Community Preservation Act. According to Assistant Town Manager of Strategic Operations Mike Edwards, synthetic turf as proposed in the project is not eligible for CPA funding.
However, Community Preservation Committee Vice Chair Marilyn Frank said later in the meeting that she is “more than happy” to inquire with the town’s counsel and the state to find out “what the parameters are” in regards to the field, because “it had been so contentious.”
“I can at least get an answer to see what we may do and what we may not do,” she said.
A non-binding resolution which asks the Select Board to investigate using CPA and other funds to improve the field to a “natural grass field” passed 144 to 119.
Article 7, which requested $1.6 million for a Feasibility Study for the replacement or renovation of the Col. John Robinson Elementary School passed 347 to 66. The feasibility study is one of many steps for the town explore space usage for the school and other facilities and to receive state reimbursement for future construction.
Several options, including renovating or replacing the school or consolidating it with multiple other schools will be explored in the study.
Speaking in support of the project, Norman E. Day third grade teacher Megan Eckroth called for voters to prioritize the needs of students, referencing a failed $6.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 override from last year’s Town Meeting, which has resulted in cuts to the town and school system’s budget.
“I’m frustrated by people who do not understand the consequences of their vote. It’s not about ‘money, money, money,’ but it’s about prioritizing the needs of this town. When a third of your town cannot be here to speak for what they need, it is our duty to vote on their behalf,” she said.
In opposition, Burns called for voters to reject the project and for officials to return to with a “complete, holistic solution for the Town of Westford’s schooling and students, not piece by piece,” with Superintendent of Schools Christopher Chew noting that the study allows the district to gather more information on district-wide space usage, which the study will evaluate among other considerations.
Article 8, which included a number of Community Preservation Act funding projects, as well as all line items under Article 10, which included the town’s FY26 operating budget, passed by a voice vote.
Article 10, the town’s FY26 operating budget, passed 233 to 17.
Town Manager Kristen Las highlighted several accomplishments of town staff and elected officials during FY25, including staff obtaining over $1.9 million in state and federal grants, the adoption of the town’s first Strategic Plan and maintaining a AAA bond rating among other items.
However, the town’s budget includes cuts to several interventionist positions and larger class sizes within Westford Public Schools.
Article 14, which establishes a 300th Anniversary Celebration Fund, passed by voice vote.
Article 16, which allows the town to accept easements related to the Stony Brook Bridge Project, passed 233 to 45. Several residents shared concerns regarding the historic preservation of the bridge, which will see its front-facing stone arches be replaced with similar stone after the bridge is reinforced by concrete.
Article 17, which allows the Select Board to accept easements related to the North Main Street and West Street pedestrian safety improvement project, passes by voice vote.
Article 19, which updates the floodplain zoning bylaw to be in compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency standards passed 254 to 22.
Article 20, which would see the town adopt the Specialized Energy Code, failed 137 to 165.
The proposal, brought forth by the Clean Energy and Sustainability Committee, would have required new construction meet more stringent sustainability goals, including the prewiring of new buildings that use fossil fuels to allow for an easy transition to all-electrical appliances, a requirement which former Sustainability Coordinator Sue Thomas called grid, wealth and consumer protection.
“Most of us are not adequately prepared to assess whether our house will fall down two days after we move in. Consumer protection in this building code means that when you buy your home, you’re not going to be required to rewire it in a future case and your energy needs should be lower,” she said.
However, several residents including John Amato and Anthony DiLeo among others cited concerns with future amendments to the code, which would be automatically adopted unless Town Meeting were to rescind the code in its entirety.
“We do not know what those amendments are or what they will be,” DiLeo said, later adding “unless the amendments are clearly defined so that we know what we’re getting into, we’re basically giving them a blank check.”
Article 21, which updates the fee schedule for violations to the Dog Control Bylaw and Article 22, which is a non-binding resolution to accept Boston Road as a public way, both pass via voice vote. The town will be asked to formally accept an approximately 1,780 stretch of Boston Road from Littleton Road to about 45 Boston Rd. owned by the state once reconstruction of the road is complete.
Article 24, a Citizens’ Petition to change the date of annual town elections to the first Saturday of May was dismissed following the recommendation of petitioner Valery Young.
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Afternoon Session:
