Selectmen Back Common Revamp Grant Bid

Board of Selectmen · Meeting of February 24, 2026

North Brookfield selectmen backed a grant bid to replant trees and rebuild part of the Town Common. Associate planner Will Talbot of the Central Mass Regional Planning Commission said the town would seek state Environment and Climate One-Stop funding to remove three canopy trees, plant 21 new ones, add a pollinator garden and remove an old basketball court, likely "under $100,000" with no required match. The application is due March 20.

The board also appointed itself, via Selectmen Jamie Gilman and Ralph Kay plus resident Jason Petritas, to the vacant Sewer Commission. It approved a new utility pole on Green Road after questioning from abutter John Kaminsky, accepted Police Chief Ryan Daly's report on a five-officer department, and heard the Downtown Development Committee chair announce she is stepping down after eight years, calling the group's roughly $800,000 in grants "pretty awesome."

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• North Brookfield's community access TV: Board of Selectmen meeting, February 24, 2026
• The complete report: 1,002 words

Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of February 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.