Scituate officials celebrated a significant financial win Tuesday night as Town Administrator James Boudreau announced the successful sale of $25 million in bonds for the new Cushing Hatherly Elementary School at a 3.23 percent interest rate. This rate is substantially lower than the 4.75 percent originally estimated for voters, representing a 17 percent savings over the life of the 20-year bond. "We’re in very capable hands," noted Chair Andrew Goodrich, praising the town's financial team. "To the folks at home, this is the work... you’re AAA in my book." Motion made by Susan Harrison to adopt the vote prepared by bond counsel in connection with the sale and issuance of the town’s December 2025 general obligation municipal purpose loan of 2025 bonds and sign related closing documents. Motion Passed (5-0).

The future of the current Cushing School site took center stage as the Select Board interviewed seven residents for the newly formed Cushing School Reuse Committee. The discussion highlighted a brewing tension between preserving neighborhood "fabric" and the town's dire need for athletic fields. Matt Gler, President of Scituate Little League, advocated for multi-use fields, noting that the growing softball program currently plays most games out of town due to a lack of local facilities. "Softball has definitely grown to the point where we’d like to have a home for the girls eventually," Gler stated. Conversely, neighborhood residents Dana Gillis and Matt Morrow expressed concerns about commercialization and traffic. "The fabric of the neighborhood was what drew us to the house," Gillis said, adding that while he isn't against fields, he is wary of "for-profit" operations that could turn the area into a "racetrack for late parents" from out of state. Freya Schlegel pushed candidates on their long-term commitment, asking 24-year-old Ben Irwin about his plans to stay in town, to which he replied, "I definitely want to be here for a while... and reap the benefits of the work I've done."

The Capital Planning Committee presented its FY2027 recommendations, totaling $16.65 million, but not without flagging several "red flags." The committee expressed frustration over a $137,000 fire suppression canopy for the DPW fuel tank that appeared as a "net new" item not required by code. "It effectively doubles the cost of what that tank was," the committee representative noted, questioning why it wasn't raised during the tank's initial approval last year. James Gilmore shared this concern, asking, "Why are we being made to do this... a year after we [authorized the tank]?" Additionally, the committee voted against replacing the Cole Parkway gazebo, calling a request for $100,000 "premature" amid ongoing harbor master plan studies. Nico Afanasenko agreed with the committee’s skepticism regarding claims that the gazebo is a safety hazard, stating, "If this is actually a safety concern, it should be knocked down today... someone's hurt between now and then, you’d be liable."

Infrastructure improvements moved forward as the board addressed repairs to the Cole Parkway seawall. James Boudreau explained that the town received seven bids for the project, which involves repairing damaged pre-cast blocks that have led to sidewalk undermining. The project is largely funded by FEMA, with the town’s share totaling approximately $56,000. Motion made by Susan Harrison to award the contract for the repairs of the Cole Parkway Seawall to Team Ford Company for $227,680. Motion Passed (5-0).

Public safety departments also detailed their lean FY2027 budget requests. IT Director Mike Westor made an "urgent" plea for a fourth full-time staff member, citing a surge in cybersecurity threats that are penetrating deeper into the town's network layers. "Simply put, the department is short-staffed," Westor said, noting his team of three supports over 200 users and 60 new network sites. Fire Chief John Murphy reported a record-breaking year with call volumes expected to hit 3,600, while also navigating a new challenge: Southshore Hospital has ceased providing linens to local EMS. Murphy noted the department must now contract with a private linen company, adding $31,000 to the medical supplies budget to ensure patients have cloth blankets rather than paper. "We lift patients with it, we transfer with it," Murphy explained regarding the necessity of cloth.

The Beautification Commission received approval to expand its mission to include environmental restoration, specifically focusing on the health of Scituate's salt marshes. "We want to not only beautify gardens... but also protect and restore the natural world," representative Dela said. Motion made by Susan Harrison to approve the proposed amendment to the Beautification Commission charge to include the protection and restoration of our natural world. Motion Passed (5-0). The board also accepted several community donations. Motion made by Susan Harrison to accept an $800 donation from George Humphrey for Beautification t-shirts. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion made by Susan Harrison to accept a $1,000 donation from Petrachelli Insurance Adjustment for the dive truck. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion made by Susan Harrison to accept a $600 donation from the VFW Scituate Post 3169 for the Veterans Advisory Council. Motion Passed (5-0).

The board concluded by setting the stage for spring governance. Motion made by Susan Harrison to open the warrants for the annual and special town meeting on April 13, 2026. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion made by Susan Harrison to approve the renewal of drain layers licenses for Ringler Excavating Corp, DD Alisandro Corp, Hayaria Brothers, and Lancast Excavations. Motion Passed (5-0). Motion made by Susan Harrison to accept the Select Board minutes for November 4, November 18, and the Special Town Meeting on November 3, 2025. Motion Passed (5-0). The meeting was adjourned at 9:15.