Belmont Previews Consent Agenda, Sherman Gardens Funding Ahead of Town Meeting

Warrant Briefing · Meeting of April 30, 2026

Belmont previews a first-time consent agenda and a $2.1 million Sherman Gardens housing bet ahead of Monday's town meeting. Town Moderator Adam Dash proposed bundling three routine articles into a non-debated vote, while Cambridge Housing Authority's Matt Sajak detailed a $78 million plan to rebuild the 80-unit Sherman Gardens complex into 140 affordable units. Select Board Chair Matt Taylor outlined a $9.5 million MWRA assessment and a cut in OPEB trust funding to $100,000.

Retirement Board Chairman Tom Gibson pitched raising the COLA base from $13,000 to $15,000, adding an estimated $2.1 million to the system's $43 million unfunded liability. "We guarantee through the use of our balance sheet that the project will be built," Sajak said. No votes were taken; town meeting begins Monday.

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Source: the Warrant Briefing meeting of April 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.