Dartmouth Finance Committee Clears FY27 Warrant, Rejects Police Station Petition on Legal Grounds

DARTMOUTH -- May 7, 2026, Dartmouth Finance Committee completes FY27 warrant review, rejects police station reuse petition on procurement grounds. The committee voted 0-7 against recommending a citizens petition to create a Police Station Reuse Committee, with Town Administrator Cody Andrade citing Massachusetts procurement law Chapter 30B, which bars volunteer committees from soliciting proposals, though Andrade said he expects the Select Board to form a reuse committee by charge at its Monday meeting. The committee also rescinded and re-voted four articles with corrected language, including Article 17 reducing the DCTV operating budget by approximately $18,000 to reflect declining cable franchise fee revenues, and Article 22 adding a Police Chief recommendation requirement for any police officer appointed as Dog Hearing Officer. A snow removal bylaw amendment passed 6-0-1, raising sidewalk fines to $300 per hour for properties within one mile of a school or in commercially zoned areas, with one member abstaining over concern for elderly and disabled residents. Three Special Town Meeting articles supplementing enterprise fund budgets, $450,000 for water, $200,000 for sewer, and $100,000 for solid waste, each passed 7-0, with the water figure driven partly by blizzard damage to underground equipment at Well 299.