Sudbury Select Board approves First Parish land license over Carty dissent

SUDBURY — April 25, 2023 — Sudbury Select Board approves First Parish license 4-1 and trims Fairbank AV ask. The board on April 25 backed a long-lapsed license formalizing town use of First Parish Church land at the town center, with member Daniel Carty voting no over the deletion of signage language and the use of town maintenance dollars on private property. Chair Charles Russo said leaving signage ambiguous was deliberate, telling Carty "the town in a lot of ways is not eager to become the referee in a First Amendment issue." Renee Davis of Powers and Sullivan delivered an unmodified FY22 audit opinion, with $20 million in combined general fund and stabilization balances — 18 percent of expenditures — and a $48.2 million OPEB unfunded liability. The board cut its Article 15 Fairbank AV ask from $200,000 to $150,000 after Combined Facilities Director Sandra Duran reported a $114,500 cost estimate, and renewed KP Law as town counsel with retainer and hourly rates each rising $10,000 and $10 per year.