Oakham Board of Selectmen Approves Warrant, Joins Regional Dispatch District

OAKHAM -- April 28, 2025, Oakham Board of Selectmen votes to oppose Coldbrook Road battery storage project and approves June 24 town meeting warrant. The board voted 2-0 with one abstention Monday to direct letters to Governor Maura Healey, State Representative Donnie Berthiaume, and State Senator Peter Durant opposing the petition by Rhineland Energy LLC and Moraga Storage LLC before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, which has authority to override Oakham's local zoning prohibition on standalone battery energy storage systems. The dissenting member, Don, abstained citing his status as a nearby property owner. The board also unanimously approved a 13-plus-article warrant for the June 24 annual town meeting, including a Planning Board article formally opposing the EFSB petition, a citizens' transparency bylaw petition filed by Aaron Langlos of 640 Scott Road, a Board of Assessors article to reduce elected assessors from three to one, and the transfer of approximately $15,148 in dormant solar permit revolving account balances to the general fund. The board joined a regional 911 emergency communications district under MGL Chapter 6A and renewed an accounting services contract with Eric A. Kinzer, CPA, LLC for FY26 at an unchanged price.