Special Town Meeting – October 7th, 2025

The town votes on each Warrant Article during the Special Town Meeting.

Tewksbury – Special Town Meeting was called to order tonight, October 7th, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Tewksbury Memorial High School. The meeting was moderated by Dustin Weir.

Select Board Chairman Mark Kratman highlighted several upcoming community events, including the Tewksbury Lions Club’s Princess Harvest Ball on November 2nd, The Power of Flowers Project’s Spread the Joy Luncheon on October 8th, and the Friends of the Elderly’s Egg-Ceptional Breakfast at the Senior Center on October 26th.

Town Manager John Curran also took a moment to thank Assistant Town Manager Steven Sadwick for his years of service, noting that he will be retiring next year.

ARTICLE 1 Executive Summary: This article raises and appropriates funds to FY2026 Budgets. Additional funds are available since state and local revenue will be higher than projected. This will not adversely impact the tax rate.

Article 1 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 2: To see if the Town will vote to transfer from certified General Fund Free Cash the sum of $2,469,640 to be expended by the Town Manager to fund the following: or take any other action relative thereto.

Executive Summary: This article transfers funds from certified General Fund Free Cash for specific one-time capital expenditures.

Debate: A resident inquired about the $21,000 allocated for a Field Stripe Painting Machine. Town Manager John Curran explained that the current machine, which was purchased in 2016, is due for replacement. He noted that the machine is used to stripe all the town’s sports fields.

Article 2 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will vote to transfer from certified General Fund Free Cash the sum of $18,761 to pay the following outstanding bills from the previous year; or take any action relative thereto

Executive Summary: According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44 § 64, bills that are late must be approved by Town Meeting before payment. This article authorizes the charges to be paid.

9/10ths standing vote was necessary for adoption. Article 3 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $4,552,639 from certified General Fund Free Cash to the Town Stabilization Fund; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 4 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 5: To see if the Town will vote to establish a special purpose stabilization fund pursuant to Mass. Gen. L. c. 40 Sec. 5B to be known as the Debt Stabilization Fund for the specific purpose of funding debt service effective fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025 which said funds may be appropriated and/or reserved for later appropriation for any lawful municipal purpose; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 5’s wording was amended unanimously to include a “special town purpose stabilization fund.” Article 5, which required a two-thirds majority to pass, was adopted with a vote of 53 in favor and 1 opposed, exceeding the required threshold.

ARTICLE 6: To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum of $2,500,000 from certified General Fund Free Cash to the Town Debt Stabilization Fund; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 6 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $1,490,000 from Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to be expended by the Town Manager for various purposes; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 7 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 8: To see if the Town will vote to transfer and appropriate from the PFAS Settlement Fund the sum of $400,000 for the purpose of conducting an operational study of the Water Treatment Plant to determine whether the plant can be efficiently and safely operated without a third shift and further that these funds be used to make the necessary capital and security changes necessary, including but
not limited to SCADA upgrades and enhancements, to implement this change in operations; or take any other action relative thereto.

Debate: A resident queried whether other similarly sized municipalities had eliminated the third shift. Town Manager John Curran responded by citing Billerica as an example and explained that the goal of the change is to evaluate potential cost savings. The resident also inquired about the presence of PFAS in Tewksbury’s water supply. Curran clarified that the town uses surface water, which contains no PFAS, and noted that a carbon-based infrastructure is already in place as a precautionary measure.

Another resident questioned whether the third-shift employee would be laid off or reassigned. Curran assured that the worker would not be laid off but would be reassigned to a different position.

Article 8 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 9: To see if the Town of Tewksbury will vote to transfer from CPA Open Space Tewksbury Community Preservation Funds in accordance with the Community Preservation Act the sum of $22,000 to rehabilitate the Varsity infield at Tewksbury Memorial High School, including allowed costs incidental and related thereto; said rehabilitation expenses as necessary for recreational purposes
pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44B (The Community Preservation Act) and Chapter 44 Section 7(1) and/or any other enabling authority and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 9’s wording was amended to represent a sum of $25,000. Article 9 was adopted unanimously, as amended.

ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to enter into an agreement to lease the North Street Elementary School for a period not to exceed thirty (30) years; or take any other action relative thereto.

Debate: Several residents raised concerns about the future of North Street Elementary, drawing comparisons to the lease of the former Trahan School for a senior housing facility. A resident referenced a recent town survey that showed strong public support for preserving green space—support they felt had been disregarded in the decision-making process.

In response, Town Manager John Curran and Select Board Chairman Mark Kratman explained that demolishing both school buildings would cost the town approximately $5 million. By opting to lease the properties instead, the town can preserve recreational areas for public use. They also clarified that the lease agreements would apply to the entire property—not just the school buildings.

Article 10 was adopted.

ARTICLE 11: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to file with the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a Home Rule Petition to allow the Select Board to enter into an agreement to lease the North Street Elementary School for a period not to exceed ninety-nine (99) years; or take any other action relative thereto.

Article 11 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 12: To see if the Town will vote to authorize a ground lease of approximately 5,625 square feet at 199 Shawsheen Street, Assessors Map 70 Lot 195, for a 10-year term with two renewable five-year extensions for the construction of a 110 feet monopole and associated 10 feet wide utility easement.

Article 12 was withdrawn unanimously.

ARTICLE 13 Executive Summary: The proposed amendments to the Town Code concerning stormwater management and erosion control will transfer permitting authority for this section from the Planning Board to the Conservation Commission to be more consistent with the administration of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) regulations.

Article 13 was adopted unanimously.

ARTICLE 14 Executive Summary: The purpose of this Article is to allow the Select Board to accept a sidewalk easement located at 2131 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA.

No motion was made to adopt by the petitioner. No action was made.

ARTICLE 15 Executive Summary: The purpose of this Article is to allow the Select Board to abandon the current 8’ wide easement and to accept a relocated drainage easement 14.5 feet to 20 feet in width located at 19 Bemis Circle, Tewksbury, MA. The relocated easement will allow the Petitioner to build an addition to their home.

Petitioners Nikki Castucci and Alexander Oteri made a motion to adopt Article 5. The article, which required a two-thirds majority to pass, was adopted unanimously.