Middleton Select Board Approves Warrants, Refers Zoning Update to Planning Board

MIDDLETON -- January 20, 2026, Middleton Select Board approves warrants, hears sewer district financial warning, and sets zoning referral. The board unanimously approved Warrant 2615, covering roughly $1.3 million in bills payable including a $60,000 DPW truck purchase and a $7,400 Tri-Town Council assessment, along with a $97,085 Facilities Project warrant. PCA360 project manager Brian LaRoche reported the new Middleton Municipal Campus is four days behind schedule, with final inspections expected in mid-February and occupancy of the town hall and Council on Aging building targeted for March 1 or 2. South Essex Sewage District Executive Director David Michelson warned the board that district assessments are projected to roughly double over the next decade, driven by the expiration of an 11-year residuals disposal contract expected to cost 40 to 50 percent more at renewal and more than $430 million in capital needs over 10 years; the district is seeking special legislation to exempt it from Proposition 2 1/2 before the current legislative session closes in July 2026. The board voted unanimously to refer the town's comprehensive rezoning effort to the Planning Board for public hearings ahead of Annual Town Meeting, and eliminated a flat $100 demolition permit fee in favor of the standard per-thousand building permit rate.