East Brookfield Select Board Approves $1.5M Water Budget and Trash Contract

EAST BROOKFIELD — June 1, 2026 — East Brookfield Select Board approves water budget, trash contract, and annual appointments in wide-ranging fiscal year kickoff meeting. The board unanimously reappointed Andy Lynch as chair and Robert Button as clerk, then worked through a packed agenda that included approving a $1,514,699 fiscal year 2027 water department budget and authorizing a one-year trash-collection contract with Republic Services at $176,000 — $7,000 more than the first year of a five-year deal would have cost, but chosen to allow competitive bidding next year. Water Superintendent Jacob Ballard presented four change orders for the water treatment plant project, including $10,086 for chemical tank monitoring at Well 1 and $6,529 for a propane heater, plus a no-cost 46-day time extension; Lynch pushed back on language that attributed the delay solely to National Grid, saying "I don't want to sign something that blames it all on them if it wasn't, in fact, accurate." The board voted 3-0 to direct the town treasurer to auction the tax-foreclosed property at 327 East Main Street, signed a $25,000 CMRPC contract for an open space and recreation plan update funded by a state reimbursement grant, and set a June 8 meeting to finalize water rates ahead of the June 10 annual town meeting.