Lee Town Meeting approves $25.8 million budget, fire station reuse
Town Meeting · Meeting of May 14, 2026
Lee Town Meeting backs $25.8 million budget and $2.5 million fire station reuse. Voters approved the fiscal 2027 operating budget of $25,770,872.91, most articles passing unanimously by voice vote, plus $799,100 in capital spending and a $100,000 purchase of 25 acres near Upper Reservoir Road. The most contested item, a $2.5 million adaptive reuse of the former fire station into a community center including $2 million in borrowing, passed by a non-unanimous vote later retaken on clickers for bond counsel.
Roger Schur, president of the Laurel Lake Preservation Association, told voters the state-approved herbicide fluridone is "safe for fish, people and non-target plants" as the town funded $44,000 toward lake weed treatment. Planning Board Chair Buck Donovan won a temporary moratorium on commercial battery storage systems ahead of an October 1 state deadline. Voters also adopted a wildlife bylaw requiring bear-resistant trash containers and lowered speed limits from 30 to 25 mph on thickly settled roads.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,223 words
Source: the Town Meeting meeting of May 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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