East Bridgewater Select Board Approves Comprehensive Special Town Meeting Warrant
EAST BRIDGEWATER - September 22 - The East Bridgewater Select Board reviewed and discussed a substantial 22-article special town meeting warrant on Monday, covering everything from a new fire engine to expanded alcohol licensing, with multiple department heads presenting key funding requests totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Full Story
The Select Board’s September 22nd meeting focused almost entirely on reviewing warrant articles for the upcoming October 27th special town meeting, with department heads explaining their funding requests and policy changes. The most significant financial request came from the Fire Department, seeking approval for a new fire engine under Article 3, though the exact amount was not specified in the discussion.
Fire Chief John Dzialo presented multiple articles requiring town meeting approval, including $70,000 in free cash for contractual retirement obligations and sick leave buybacks for three firefighters who have retired or are in the process of retiring. “One has already retired. Two are actually in the process of retiring. So it’s kind of preemptive to make sure that the money is available,” the Dzialo explained. One retiree has been waiting since May for payment.
The Fire Department also requested $10,000 for archival services to address what Select Board member Katherine Mullen described as “an immense amount of records” stored in boxes throughout the fire station. The Fire Chief explained that the department has records “dating back to the beginning of time” that are completely disorganized, making it impossible to respond to public records requests effectively. The professional service would organize decades of records, establish a retention schedule, and create a searchable database.
In a significant policy change, the warrant includes three alcohol-related articles that would expand business opportunities in town. Article 20 would allow restaurants to serve alcohol beginning at 10 a.m. on Sundays instead of the current restriction. Articles 21 and 22 would increase the number of liquor licenses available and allow wine and malt beverage licensees to sell cordials and small amounts of liquor. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted the Select Board has received “three or four inquiries in the last couple of years” from businesses seeking additional licenses.
The Police Department requested $18,000 for promotional assessment centers to test candidates for sergeant and lieutenant positions. Notably, the police department currently has no lieutenant positions, making this a potential structural change to department leadership.
The Department of Public Works received approval for a lease-purchase agreement for dump trucks using Chapter 90 funds, though Town Administrator Seelig noted that any lease purchases over three years require town meeting approval regardless of available funding.
Several smaller but significant items included a $3,000 increase for the animal control contract that came in higher than budgeted, and an unspecified salary increase for the new library director position that was necessary to attract qualified candidates. IT requested funding for the third and final phase of town-wide computer and laptop replacements.
The Select Board also discussed several bylaw changes, including establishing a fingerprint bylaw to support the door-to-door solicitation regulations passed last year, and a comprehensive reorganization of zoning bylaws to allow mixed-use development similar to downtown Whitman.
The Board of Health made a last-minute adjustment to reduce their funding request from $10,000 to $8,500, with Board of Health Chair Andy Hudson appearing to request the change.
Veterans Affairs proposed establishing a tax work-off program similar to the Council on Aging’s existing program, allowing veterans and surviving spouses to receive tax abatements in exchange for volunteer work. However, Seelig cautioned about the budget impact, noting “the more abatements we give out is the less tax money that’s coming in.”
During the discussion, Select Board members raised concerns about the organization of town bylaws, with multiple numbering conflicts and inconsistent formatting making additions difficult. Seelig acknowledged the “hodgepodge approach” compared to other communities with more systematic organization.
The meeting included brief procedural items, including approval of minutes, a surplus television from the police department, and permits for upcoming community events including the East Bridgewater Business Association Expo on October 19th and the Kiwanis Club’s annual Christmas tree sales.
Why It Matters
The special town meeting warrant represents significant investments in public safety infrastructure and expanded business opportunities that could directly impact residents’ daily lives. The fire department’s record-keeping improvements will enhance emergency response capabilities and public access to information, while the alcohol licensing changes could bring new dining and retail options to town. The police department’s leadership structure changes and fire department equipment purchases represent long-term investments in public safety services that residents rely on daily.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve minutes of September 8th, 2025 Select Board meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 07:19)
Motion: Approve but not release minutes of August 11th and September 8th, 2025 executive session meetings. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 07:31)
Motion: Approve police chief request to surplus broken 43-inch television. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 07:49)
Motion: Approve education incentive request from clerical union. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 08:22)
Motion: Approve East Bridgewater Business Association signage and event permits for October 19th expo. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 09:15)
Motion: Approve Kiwanis Club banner display and Christmas tree sales permits with parking coordination. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 11:53)
Motion: Continue National Grid public hearing to October 6th meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 20:01)
Motion: Enter executive session for collective bargaining and litigation strategy discussions. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 48:27)
Public Comment
No public comments were made during the open forum portion of the meeting.
What’s Next
The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 27th at 7 p.m. at the Junior-Senior High School. A second Special Town Meeting focused specifically on the Central School project will be held Monday, November 10th at 7 p.m., also at the high school. A public forum regarding the Central School project will be held Tuesday, September 23rd at 6 p.m. in the Central Elementary School cafeteria. The Select Board will meet October 1st at 11 a.m. for a groundbreaking ceremony with Equity Advisors for the soil remediation project.