FinCom Votes 8-1 to Oppose Cassidy Field Petition

Finance Committee · Meeting of October 14, 2026

MILLIS — The Millis Finance Committee voted 8-1 to recommend Town Meeting reject a citizens' petition to permanently protect roughly 15 acres of town-owned Cassidy Field. Chairman Michael Krohn said the committee needed "facts if we're going to recommend to the town," rejecting unverified claims about wetlands and wildlife on the site. Conservation Commission member John Steadman presented state maps showing no documented priority habitat there, while abutter Nadine McGinnis cited 2024 delineation reports and bird video evidence.

Resident Paul Simpson said the article's vote threshold shifted from a simple majority to two-thirds "less than 48 hours" after an October 5 Select Board meeting without explanation. The committee also cleared $373,000 in capital spending, $165,000 for a water lead-service-line inventory, and rescinded $2,134,180 in unused borrowing, all unanimously.

In the full story:

• Routine Warrant Housekeeping: Articles 1 Through 3
• Capital Equipment Package: Article 4
• Sewer Borrowing and Water Infrastructure: Articles 5 and 6
• Land Disposition and Debt Rescission: Articles 7 and 8
• Capital Borrowing Deferred Pending Bond Counsel: Article 9
• Zoning Map Correction: Article 10
• Citizen Petition Without Committee Position: Article 11
• The Cassidy Field Petition: Article 12
• Administrative Matters
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,599 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of October 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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