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The Winchester Select Board on Monday approved nearly $11 million in new borrowing, endorsed a local Eagle Scout’s plan to restore gathering spaces in Eliot Park and received sweeping updates on town construction and infrastructure projects — actions that collectively illustrate the town’s increasingly intricate balancing act between urgent repairs and long-term community investments.
In a unanimous vote, the board authorized the issuance of $10.95 million in general obligation bond anticipation notes (BANs), dated July 18 and maturing July 17, 2026, which will fund a mix of new and ongoing infrastructure projects. The BANs, sold at an interest rate of 4%, will come due on July 18, 2026.
The breakdown is as follows:
— Woodside Road Pump Station — Engineering (renewal): $150,000
— South Reservoir Dam improvements (renewal): $6 million
— Lynch School traffic improvements (renewal): $2.5 million
— Woodside Road Pump Station — Construction (new): $1.5 million
— Cambridge Street water system improvements (new): $800,00
The notes, awarded to Fidelity Capital Markets at a 4% coupon rate with a net interest cost of 2.9%, reflect the town’s strategy of short-term borrowing to manage engineering and early construction costs before committing to permanent financing.
“We typically short-term borrow for projects during engineering or early construction phases,” Town Manager Beth Rudolph explained. “Once the final numbers are set, we move to permanent borrowing. This approach gives us flexibility while finalizing project scopes and costs.”
In addition, town officials outlined a list of projects with unspent bond proceeds of $50,000 or less, which will be applied to fiscal year 2026 debt service payments to reduce borrowing costs and avoid potential arbitrage liability.
These unspent balances include:
— Vinson Owen School construction (2010): $23,179.85
— Squire Road Pumping Station (2011): $1,983.54
— Drainage improvements (2012): $21,968.62
— Skillings Field remediation (2015): $13,767.96
— McCall Phase I (2017): $21,807.83
— Sawmill Brook drainage (2018): $9,644.21
— Transfer station improvements (2021): $24,846.34
The total amount of these unspent proceeds is approximately $128,446.
Comptroller Stacie Ward noted the balances had accumulated gradually and required careful reconciliation to ensure compliance with state guidelines.
“This is about cleaning up these smaller amounts and using them to offset future debt, rather than letting them sit on the books,” Ward said, adding that larger balances exceeding $50,000 will be addressed at Fall Town Meeting.
Boy Scout project
Amid complex fiscal maneuvers, the board took time to celebrate a local scout’s vision for public space.
Seventeen-year-old Life Scout Matthew Son presented his Eagle Scout project to build and install three picnic tables at Eliot Park, clean up litter and remove invasive species — all part of an effort to restore a gathering spot lost to storm damage.
“The picnic tables provide somewhere for people to sit if they’re tired or they just want to enjoy the park,” Son said.
He described how the original table, which he remembered using in eighth grade to eat pizza with friends, was destroyed by a fallen tree.
Son plans to cut the lumber at home and assemble the tables on-site, mimicking the design and safety standards used for benches in the town common. He detailed a robust safety plan, including indemnity forms for all volunteers and engineering oversight from troop adults with technical backgrounds.
Board members praised Son’s leadership and unanimously approved the project, while encouraging him to coordinate logistics carefully with the town manager’s office and the Department of Public Works.
“We don’t want you to show up and find construction crews in the middle of your delivery,” Chair Michelle Prior advised. “Please stay in touch so we can ensure smooth access.”
Report on capital projects
Beyond individual projects, the board received an exhaustive report on ongoing capital work. At Muraco School, summer improvements include carpet abatement, new flooring and fresh paint in classrooms. Sink replacements and air conditioning installations are planned in a later phase, though exact timelines are pending.
“We’ve focused on the pieces that needed to get done this summer to be able to get students back in the classrooms,” Rudolph said. “The AC units and insulation will be kind of the next phase.”
The board also welcomed news that the Symmes Corner reconstruction project has been deemed eligible for funding under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). While not yet programmed, the eligibility allows Winchester to pursue future state and federal grants.
“It is not programmed, so that just because it’s eligible doesn’t mean we have the money,” Rudolph cautioned. “But it is the first step in a long process that can take several years.”
Additional construction updates touched nearly every corner of town: the Winchester High School gym floor replacement is expected to finish in November; Lynch School’s traffic calming measures are slated to conclude before classes resume; and the Ginn Field lighting project is on track to wrap up by the end of July. Roof repairs at McCall and Ambrose schools have begun, while repairs to the Winchester High School concrete floor are ahead of schedule and targeted for Labor Day completion.
The town is also moving forward with the Shore Road culvert replacement later this month and installing rapid flashing pedestrian beacons at several high-traffic areas. Bases have been set at Highland Avenue and Wolcott Road and at Mystic School and Main Street, with another beacon for Children’s Own School underway. A separate state-funded unit for Cox and Johnson Road is expected in September.
Grants accepted
The board accepted nearly $40,000 in donations during the meeting, including $20,000 from the Cummings Foundation to the Winchester Coalition for a Safer Community, $5,693.50 to the Council on Aging, $13,720 from an EEC stabilization grant for childcare support and $712 for the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fund.
Meanwhile, visiting college interns from Winchester’s sister city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, shared reflections on their American experiences — one working in state Rep. Michael Day’s office and another at a local bookstore. The exchange highlighted the town’s long-standing cultural connections.
“Thank you for coming in. Enjoy your stay,” Prior told them.
Looking ahead, the board will consider further capital funding proposals at Fall Town Meeting, including possible repurposing of larger leftover bond balances and future priority rankings for major building and infrastructure needs.
The next Select Board meetings are scheduled for July 28 and Aug. 18.
