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 The committee also rescinded and re-voted four articles with corrected language, including Article 17 reducing the DCTV operating budget by approximately $18,000 to reflect declining cable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.