Council Adopts Yearlong Data Center Moratorium

Select Board · Meeting of October 20, 2026

BRAINTREE — The Braintree Town Council adopted a one-year moratorium on new data centers and raised zoning fines for unpermitted backyard parties. Councilors voted unanimously on four zoning and operations items, including a demolition-delay overhaul prompted by the loss of a 1713 Proctor Road house, a fine increase from $50 to $300 after a 369-person backyard party in June, and a five-year Tri-Town Water Treatment Plant operating agreement under which Braintree covers 50 percent of district costs. The meeting's sharpest moment came later, when Vice President Maglio questioned Police Chief Kilroy over discrepancies in Flock license-plate-reader data, including a transparency portal showing 230 searches in 30 days versus logs showing 807 in September, and announced plans to file a resolution ending Braintree's Flock contract.

Councilor Baraka said a prior case in which an officer searched a woman's plate "over 1,000 times" to stalk her "is not one incident." The council voted unanimously to table the Flock matter until its November 5 meeting.

In the full story:

• Announcements and Appointments
• Demolition Delay Ordinance Amendment
• Zoning Amendment: Party Fines and Commercial Recreation Definition
• Data Center Moratorium
• Tri-Town Water Treatment Plant Operations Agreement
• Flock Safety License Plate Reader Policy Review
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,137 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.