Town Meeting approved Article 19, transferring $470,000 from free cash to fund replacement of aging HVAC systems at the Town Hall building.

Public Works Director Scott Charpentier said the current HVAC was designed for an earlier floor plan and that some offices have minimal or no heat and ventilation; he added the server room that houses MIS/GIS equipment had experienced failures when its cooling went down. The project request represents gap funding tied to prior town-meeting articles and a town-office feasibility study; Charpentier said the system proposed follows a preliminary design from a mechanical engineering consultant and was reduced from an earlier higher estimate after additional engineering work.

Financial Planning and the Appropriations Committee recommended approval by majority votes. Some residents questioned the cost and whether the town should commit to heavy investment if a move of municipal offices remained a possibility; Select Board Chair Mitch Cohen said the town has not formally decided to relocate and noted that moving town hall would require additional town actions and likely a debt-exclusion ballot question.

Questions focused on details of the design: whether the plan uses mini-split systems or a conventional central approach; the DPW director said the preliminary design includes mini-splits with condensers sited to avoid visibility from the street and indicated condensers could be ground-mounted or placed behind the building. Concern was also raised about prevailing-wage costs, which increase municipal construction labor rates. Advocates for the appropriation said staff and other regular visitors experience poor indoor air quality and said delaying replacement risked equipment failures and operational disruption.

The article passed by the simple majority required.