Sudbury Select Board adopts EV-first fleet policy and clears LS regional agreement update

SUDBURY -- March 17, 2026, Sudbury Select Board approves regional school agreement rewrite and EV-first fleet policy. The board voted 5-0 on March 17 to endorse the first substantive update to the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional Agreement since 1988, subject to final DESE counsel review, after subcommittee chair Ravi Simon and LSRHS Superintendent Andrew Stephens walked through 13 months of work that left the assessment formula unchanged. The board also unanimously adopted a Zero-Emissions Vehicle First Policy presented by Sustainability Coordinator Eric Simms, a prerequisite for Climate Leader Communities certification carrying up to roughly $1 million in grant eligibility. Town Counsel Lee Smith warned that the proposed Haskell Field solar canopy is likely subject to Article 97, a process that "could take months, if not a year or more." Finance Committee Co-Chairs Mike Joachim and Mike Ferrari recommended approval of the $131.76 million FY27 operating budget, with Joachim cautioning that 4.54 percent growth is "not sustainable" against revenue. The Wayside Inn secured a 5-0 seasonal wine-and-malt license for a May 15-Oct. 31 beer garden.