Sudbury Select Board advances warrant articles, names Tim Choate fire chief

SUDBURY -- January 14, 2025, Sudbury Select Board reshapes May warrant and names new fire chief in marathon Jan. 14 session. Town Manager Andy Sheehan announced he has promoted Assistant Fire Chief Tim Choate to chief, effective Feb. 4, succeeding retiring Chief Whelan after seven years in the role. Rami Alwan of the Energy and Sustainability Committee presented a draft article to adopt the state's specialized opt-in stretch code, estimating a 3 to 4 percent construction cost increase, or about $4,000 on a typical home, and citing access to additional "Climate Leader" grant funding. Member Lisa Kouchakdjian's non-binding voc-ed article drew the longest debate, with Vice Chair Dan Carty calling it "just storytelling" without a concrete next step; Chair Janie Dretler asked Kouchakdjian to contact four voc-tech schools before Jan. 28 to confirm whether such a vote would help open a seat. The board unanimously approved an $18,280 share of a three-town regional transportation dispatch agreement with Acton and Littleton, nearly double the prior cost.