Foxborough to Cancel March Special Town Meeting; Move Sewer Vote to May

Foxborough will have more time to prepare its pitch to voters to enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA) with Norton and Mansfield to form a Regional Sewer District, according to Foxborough Town Manager Kevin Paicos.

"The towns of Mansfield and Norton have been working through their own planning issues [with the IMA], town finance plan issues and they let us know [Monday] night that they won’t be submitting their final plans to their voters until their Annual Town Meetings in the spring," Paicos said. "Therefore, the good news is we do not have to have this March 4 Special Town Meeting, which was predicated on the requirement by our partners to give them an answer by the end of February or in March."

The news was well received by selectmen and members of the Advisory Committee in attendance Tuesday.

"I'm thrilled," said Advisory Committee chair Larry Thomas.

Paicos said other town boards were equally relieved by the news in Norton and Mansfield.

"I know speaking with the Water & Sewer Commissioners [Tuesday] they were all very happy because this is an incredibly complex project and it has taken us a tremendous amount of time to do it," Paicos said. ... "I know the Planning Board was extremely concerned with the timeframe of this project because we didn’t have the proper dialogue with the public. They are quite right, we didn’t have time."

Selectmen could not vote to cancel the March 4 Special Town Meeting because it was not on Tuesday's agenda but Paicos said that action could take place as soon as next week's meeting.

"The board really can’t vote to cancel the meeting because it is not on [the selectmen's] agenda," Paicos said. "I will put it on the agenda for next week and notify the departments that the pressure is off."

Other articles that were to be included in the March 4 Special Town Meeting will be moved over to May's Annual Town Meeting as well, according to Paicos.

• Housing Partnership Warrant Article: "The consensus in speaking with the Town Planner [Tuesday] is that there is no problem in postponing the article to the May Town Meeting," Paicos said.

• Funding for Town Hall Project: "We’ve reached the conclusion that without any clarity from the postal service right now about the building’s availability that appropriating $50,000 to study something we don’t even know is available is premature," Paicos said.

• Easement for Library Warrant Article: "Can be postponed to May. Wouldn’t justify a Town Meeting in itself," Paicos said.

Monday's news gives the town an opportunity to better inform the public of the IMA project prior to May's Annual Town Meeting through information sessions and public forums.

Click here for more information on what was to be discussed at the March 4 Special Town Meeting.