Town Meeting Night 4 recap: November 20, 2025
6-7 minute read
For residents looking to stay up to date on key town matters, this recap highlights the major takeaways from Town Meeting Night 4 held on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.
Angela Binda’s Instructional Motion can be reviewed on the Town website.
Key takeaways
Town Meeting narrowly achieved quorum with 103 of 192 members present, just enough to deliberate the remaining Instructional Motions.
Members discussed and ultimately passed Angela Binda’s Instructional Motion regarding spending on the RMHS Fieldhouse Floor project.
Town Meeting then voted to adjourn sine die, concluding the Subsequent Town Meeting until the Annual Town Meeting in April.
Instructional Motions [0:08:51]
Town Meeting Member Angela Binda presented her Instructional Motion (IM) requesting that town officials investigate and clarify the mechanisms for authorizing spending on capital projects. Her motion stemmed from concerns surrounding the RMHS Fieldhouse Floor and Bleachers project, which was approved at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
Town Meeting previously authorized up to $3 million for the project, and the accepted bid came in at $2.7 million. However, nearly $300,000 in additional spending occurred on items not clearly described in the original article. These included:
Full repainting of the interior fieldhouse
A new scoreboard
New backboards
A floor cover
Cleaning equipment for the new floor
New divider curtains
A new batting cage
Many Town Meeting Members (TMMs) expressed concern that these additional items were not part of the defined scope and that such spending should have required further approval from Town Meeting.
Feedback and discussion
The IM opened the door for TMMs to share direct feedback with town staff, the Select Board, and the Finance Committee.
School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski and Town Manager Matt Kraunelis acknowledged communication gaps in the process and committed to improving future presentations to Town Meeting.
Finance Committee Chair Joe Carnahan supported the spirit of the motion, noting that some projects have tight timelines that complicate sending changes back to Town Meeting. He added that the Finance Committee had explored creating a policy to clarify these processes, but ultimately decided against adopting one, given the strict parameters already set by Massachusetts General Law.
Several TMMs stressed that while they did not believe funds were spent in bad faith, the Town’s financial constraints and the possibility of a future override mean clarity and caution are essential.
After deliberations, Town Meeting voted to pass Ms. Binda’s IM.
Town Meeting then took up adjournment. With no further action on remaining motions, including Mr. Arena’s IM, the body adjourned sine die, closing out the Subsequent Town Meeting for 2025.
November 20, 2025 - Town Meeting Night 4 in the Performing Arts Center at Reading Memorial High School. Photo from the RCTV Youtube page.
