Whitman Select Board - October 6, 2026 Meeting.

The Whitman Select Board met on October 6, 2026. Members approved bill and payroll warrants 54–57 and a one-day liquor license for Tipsy Mermaid LLC’s October 17 event; they also rescinded Cattigan Auctioneers Inc.’s junk dealer and auctioneer licenses because the business had closed. The town accountant reported FY2026 revenues of $48.12 million, about $123,000 above estimates, and expenditures of $48.10 million, with $232,405 in encumbrances and an $811,841 unexpended appropriation balance. The board discussed conservative revenue forecasting, ambulance-billing collections, departmental overtime reporting, and facilities costs; no new spending or procurement action was approved on those topics.

The board reviewed a potential purchase of the 12.5-acre Jacob Lane parcel for its 2026 assessed value of $218,000, offered by the owners for conservation and recreation. The parcel could also support trail connections and may have future water-supply potential. An application has been submitted to the Community Preservation Committee for possible consideration at a January town meeting; members asked staff to investigate state grants and conservation-partner options, but took no purchase vote. The town administrator said a debt-exclusion ballot question for the South Shore Technical School’s new building is expected to come before the board on October 20 for the January 30 election. The project is estimated at $162 million overall, with Whitman’s principal share estimated at $26–34 million before interest; members discussed level payments versus level principal, but made no funding vote at this meeting.