Select Board recap: February 24, 2026

Mar 17

(6-7 minute read)

For residents looking to stay up to date on key town matters, this recap highlights major takeaways from the Select Board meeting held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.

Review the full Select Board packet.

Key takeaways

Preview of the April Town Meeting Warrant outlining budget items, bylaw updates, and several major funding proposals.
Update on Mattera Cabin and discussions on the path toward reopening the building.
Separation agreement with Town Manager Matt Kraunelis.

Update on Mattera Cabin

Then-Assistant Town Manager Jayne Wellman provided a brief overview of Mattera Cabin's history and the circumstances that led to its closure.

Read our coverage outlining what happened.

Members of the Conservation Commission, Town Forest Committee, and Trails Committee spoke during the meeting, emphasizing the importance of reopening the facility for public use.

Conservation Commission Chair Brian Bowe said there is strong interest in reopening the cabin, noting its importance as both a community asset and a potential revenue source for the town. Jeff Lamson, chair of the Town Forest Committee, and Trails Committee member Will Finch echoed those sentiments.

Conservation Administrator Chuck Tirone highlighted that the building represented roughly an $800,000 investment when the town accepted the gift, and said town officials should work toward establishing a clear path to reopening the facility.

Select Board members acknowledged that the paperwork issues related to the building’s original donation in 2009 contributed to the current situation. Wellman said the Building Department is preparing an estimate for the work needed to bring the building back into compliance.

During public comment, one resident suggested officials review the Town Meeting discussions from 2009, when the building was accepted as a gift, noting that corporate partnerships had previously been discussed as a way to support the project financially.

Board approves Phase 2 of lead service project borrowing

The Select Board voted 5-0 to approve borrowing for Phase 2 of the Town’s lead service line replacement project.

The funding will consist of 75% loan and 25% grant funding, with the loan carrying 0% interest over 10 years.

Town Engineer Ryan Percival explained that the project stems from an EPA mandate requiring communities to remove all lead service lines. The town conducted an audit roughly 10 years ago to identify potential lead service lines and has since been contacting affected homeowners.

According to Percival, only a few hundred services remain to be replaced, and the project represents the next phase in completing the town’s compliance with federal requirements.

Preview of the April Town Meeting Warrant

Wellman reviewed the proposed warrant for the April Town Meeting, which includes a range of financial, administrative, and policy-related articles.

Among the highlights:

Article 1: Acceptance of the town election results.
Article 2: State of the Town report by the Select Board Chair.
Article 3: Instructional motions, typically addressed at the end of Town Meeting.
Article 4: Adjustments to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
Article 5: Potential FY26 budget amendments presented by the Chief Financial Officer, Sharon Angstrom.
Article 6: Payment of prior year bills (none anticipated at this time).
Article 7: Funding for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities.
Article 8: Updates to an existing Inspection Revolving Fund.
Article 9: Administrative cleanup involving prior borrowing authorizations, including a duplicated 2015 MWRA loan authorization.
Article 10: Town’s FY2027 operating budget for Town Meeting consideration.
Article 12: Proposes a bylaw change allowing restaurants to begin serving alcohol with brunch at 10:00 am, instead of the current 12:00 pm start time.
Article 13: Proposes adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA) with a 1% property tax surcharge, which could fund projects related to open space, historic preservation, affordable housing, and recreation.
Article 15: Replacement of the Parker Middle School turf field, ADA improvements, and site upgrades (estimated cost $1.7 million).
Article 16: Funding construction for the Joseph Way Sewer Station and Brewer Lane Sewer projects. Percival noted these projects are roughly 90% designed and part of a larger system with 12 total pump stations, seven of which will remain after these projects are completed.
Article 17: Updates to the town’s dog kennel regulations to comply with “Ollie’s Law,” a state law enacted in 2024 following a fatal dog attack. The bylaw update would clarify registration requirements and kennel regulations.
Article 18: Removal of Town Meeting Members.

Article 11: Pickleball project funding

Article 11 seeks acceptance of a $100,000 PARC grant to support the construction of new pickleball courts near Burbank Arena.

Wellman explained that accepting the grant requires dedicating the land to recreation use in perpetuity. Funding for the project includes multiple sources:

$100,000 PARC grant
$225,000 donation by the Reading Pickleball Players Association (RPPA)
$100,000 from the Recreation Department capital budget
$200,000 from the Burbank Fund

Article 14: Unified Sports Stabilization Fund

Article 14 proposes establishing a stabilization fund for Unified Sports programming in Reading.

The proposal would dedicate 25-50% of rental revenue from the Burbank Ice Arena lease to support adaptive athletic programming, including equipment, transportation, and coaching staff.

Board members debated whether the funding proposal should appear on the warrant before lease negotiations with Burbank were finalized.

Board member Karen Herrick said it may be premature to bring articles forward without a consistent funding source, while Vice Chair Melissa Murphy said an agreement should ideally be reached before Town Meeting.

Karen Rose-Gillis expressed similar concerns but acknowledged the importance of expanding Unified Sports opportunities, potentially to middle and elementary schools.

Chair Chris Haley noted that Burbank leadership had requested the proposal and suggested the arena could generate revenue to support it. Board member Carlo Bacci added that the article could serve as a funding tool even as negotiations continue.

During public comment, a resident questioned the process behind placing the article on the warrant and raised concerns about how taxpayer funds could ultimately be allocated.

Discussion on Robert’s Rules of Order

Board member Karen Herrick raised a discussion about whether the Select Board should formally adopt Robert’s Rules of Order to guide meeting procedures.

Herrick attempted to table the discussion, arguing that the agenda item should have included the phrase “discuss and vote.” Her motion to table failed by a 2-3 vote, with Herrick and Rose-Gillis supporting it.

Chair Chris Haley said the topic had previously been discussed during the Select Board retreat and suggested continuing the discussion at a future retreat rather than during a regular meeting. He also noted that the Massachusetts Municipal Association guidance focuses on Open Meeting Law rather than Robert’s Rules.

Murphy expressed openness to the concept but agreed it might be better suited for a future retreat discussion.

A resident noted that she had requested the topic multiple times and wanted the opportunity to hear a full discussion on whether the board would adopt the parliamentary framework.

Snow Shoveling Program discussion

Wellman shared examples of snow shoveling assistance programs in nearby communities, including Wakefield and Somerville.

In Wakefield, teens volunteer to shovel snow for residents aged 60 and older, often earning National Honor Society service credit. Somerville runs a program that pays adults to clear snow.

Select Board members expressed support for exploring a similar program in Reading, potentially starting with a volunteer-based model.

Board members emphasized that reliability and consistency would be key to the program's success.

Board and Town Manager separation agreement

Toward the end of the meeting, the Select Board announced the separation agreement with Town Manager Matt Kraunelis.

The Board moved forward with discussions on next steps and reentered Executive Session to discuss a strategy regarding potential litigation with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and to review Executive Session minutes.