Select Board tables $600,000 field lighting plan
Reading's Select Board tabled a $600,000 Driscoll Field lighting project to spring Town Meeting, citing budget strain ahead of a $6.5 million override vote.
Select Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026
Reading's Select Board tabled a $600,000 Driscoll Field lighting project to spring Town Meeting, citing budget strain ahead of a $6.5 million override vote. Member Christopher Haley said the board had to "read the room" given planned staffing cuts, while the board also voted 5-0 to close an 11-article Subsequent Town Meeting warrant after briefly pulling out Article 11, a small-business tax exemption, on a 4-0-1 vote because Haley has a conflict of interest. Town Manager Jayne Wellman said Reading is holding 11.5 municipal positions open, saving roughly $345,000 in unemployment costs, and separately reported a new $500,000 state grant advancing the Walkers Brook Corridor project.
The board also directed staff to draft a protest letter after a DPW analysis found the MWRA's $1.3 billion sewer overflow plan would cost Reading $22,713,000 through 2072. Members approved a liquor license expansion for Liquor Junction and proclaimed October Italian Heritage Month.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
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- The complete report — 3,750 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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