Milton is grappling with a projected $1 million deficit in its snow and ice budget following a series of costly weekend storms, Town Administrator Nicholas Milano reported Tuesday. The shortfall, which already exceeds the previous year’s total budget of $800,000, has forced the town to pause other spending and will likely result in a significant reduction in available free cash for the upcoming year. Milano noted that the timing of recent weather events on Sundays and weekends exacerbated labor costs, even as the town prepares to manage the fiscal fallout by tightening belts elsewhere. We were tracking at about a million-dollar deficit for snow and ice... hopefully spring will pop up very soon, Milano said.

The snow deficit arrived just as the Select Board began a sharp debate over how to allocate $255,000 in unexpected health insurance savings for the FY27 budget. Member Meghan Haggerty, acting as the board's fiscal lead, explained that a reduction in projected premium increases from 10% to 8%—driven by stabilized claims and the upcoming removal of GLP-1 weight loss medications from the town’s coverage—created the surplus. However, the discovery of these funds reignited long-standing tensions over the distribution of resources between the municipal and school departments.

Member Richard Wells expressed significant frustration that savings are frequently funneled to the school side while town departments like the DPW and Police have been told no for years regarding essential equipment and staffing. The bulk of this is going to the school side again where on the town side... the majority of town departments... have been bloodied, Wells said, adding that recent storms have shaved the life expectancy of aging DPW vehicles. Member John Driscoll echoed these concerns, noting that the town’s infrastructure is at a breaking point. Our roads are really deteriorating, Driscoll said. The word out in the street that I'm hearing from people: they've had it. We have to take care of our infrastructure and start building our other departments up. The board ultimately voted to maintain its annual commitment to the town's financial safety net, as a Motion Made by R. Wells to appropriate $717,500 for the Operating Budget Stabilization Fund for FY27 was followed by a Motion Passed (5-0).

In a historic move, the board voted unanimously to name the community meeting room at the old fire headquarters at 51 Canton Avenue in honor of Katherine Dunphy, the first woman to serve as chair of the then-Board of Selectmen. Resident Rick Neely spoke in favor of the dedication, highlighting Dunphy’s 22 years of service on the MWRA Advisory Board and her leadership during periods of severe state aid loss. Kathy was the first woman to serve as chair of the board, Neely said. She spent a lot of time in the meeting rooms... and certainly was able to build consensus and set an excellent example for others to follow. Wells, who recalled Dunphy promoting him to lieutenant in 1991, called the honor a fitting thing for a leader who significantly impacted the town’s quality of life. Motion Made by R. Wells to name the community room within the old fire station headquarters in honor of the first woman member of the then Board of Selectmen and currently Select Board, Katherine Dunphy was followed by a Motion Passed (5-0).

The board also addressed the upcoming closure of Labouré College of Healthcare, which is slated to shut down in August 2026. Milano reported that the institution is partnering with Curry College to transition students, potentially making Curry the home of the largest nursing program in the state. Chair Benjamin Zoll noted that while the closure is a blow to the healthcare workforce, the town’s MSBA committee may evaluate the campus as a potential site for a future school, though he cautioned that retrofitting older buildings is often as costly as new construction. The Labouré news hits even harder because of another crisis we have in this country, which is our healthcare workforce, Zoll said.

Airplane noise mitigation remained a priority as Katie Conlin, chair of the Airplane Noise Advisory Committee (ANOC), and new Massport CAC representative Paul Hogan urged the board to demand greater equity in flight path distribution. Hogan pointed out that East Milton is enduring an unfair share of arrivals. It really is a question of equity. It's causing some harm to Milton that I think ought to be addressed, Hogan said. Conlin explained that the FAA has been slow to test alternative paths suggested by MIT studies, often citing a lack of community buy-in from neighboring towns. To bolster the town's advocacy, the board authorized a new formal liaison to the committee. Motion Made by R. Wells to authorize the Town Administrator and the Select Board Chair to work with Katie Conlin and Paul Hogan on drafting a letter to the US Congressional delegation and Massport regarding airplane noise was followed by a Motion Passed (5-0). Additionally, a Motion Made by R. Wells to appoint J. Driscoll as the Select Board liaison to the Airplane Noise Advisory Committee (ANOC) was followed by a Motion Passed (5-0).

Finally, the board, acting as Trustees of the Governor Stoughton Trust, discussed shifting priorities regarding affordable housing. Milano noted that a 40B project at 648-652 Canton Avenue is seeking to become a tax credit project with 60 deeply affordable units. Member Haggerty suggested this project might provide the town with enough Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) units to achieve Safe Harbor status, potentially allowing the town to pause the development of the Town Farm property. The biggest opportunity in Town Farm would be to get the town closer to Safe Harbor so that we can get out of the situation where we keep having 40Bs imposed on us, Haggerty said.