The Town Manager told the Select Board on April 15 that, following a Drought Management Task Force recommendation on April 8, the town’s Southeast region has been placed in a level‑1 drought status. The town manager said she had declared an emergency nonessential outdoor water‑use restriction and began notifying residents.

Under the restriction described to the board, irrigation by automatic systems is limited to one day per week (the manager said Sunday was the designated day) and only before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Handheld watering is allowed seven days a week. The board earlier authorized delegation to the town manager to enact and rescind such emergency restrictions under the general bylaws.

The manager said the board had previously approved specific exemptions: irrigation of public parks and recreational fields during the allowed hours, and allowances to establish replanted or resodded lawns in May and for newly planted lawns at homes and businesses for a limited time (the transcript recorded the time window but did not provide a clear single phrasing in every clause). She said the town website will carry details and that the Drought Management Task Force will review status monthly; rollback will occur once the task force removes the town from level 1.

Board members asked whether the public had expressed concerns; staff reported they had received few questions so far and that public‑works staff were not reporting an operational surge. The manager said staff will continue public education and will send updates if and when the drought level changes.