Board Grants $540 Water Abatement

Select Board · Meeting of October 14, 2026

Natick's Select Board granted a 35 Oak Knoll Road homeowner a $540.20 water abatement after a nearly hour-long debate over irrigation leaks during a drought. Resident Katie Oates told the board a stuck irrigation valve pushed her bill to $3,121.40; staff had initially suggested an abatement near $1,764.56. Board member Jacobs said "there's also a reason we have the tiers in the first place," while member Evans called himself "somewhat sympathetic" after noting Oates had effectively paid for 56 percent of the excess water used.

The 5-0 vote used a recalculated bill of $2,581.20. The board also promoted Sergeant Scott Lacera to lieutenant and Officer Kenneth Payton to sergeant, endorsed a $100,000 Metro West Health Foundation grant application for a townwide bike and pedestrian plan, and voted to keep 2027 licensing fees unchanged, including the highest one-day liquor permit fee among comparable communities, at $105.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,363 words

Source: the Select Board 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.