Littleton Rejects 40U Law, Adopts Surveillance Bylaw

2026 Special Town Meeting · Meeting of October 27, 2026

Littleton's special town meeting rejected tougher code-enforcement powers but adopted a temporary surveillance oversight bylaw and a town property rat-poison ban. Town Administrator Jim Duggan's push to adopt General Law Chapter 40U, letting the town lien tax bills for severe code violations, failed 182 to 59 after residents including Libby Donegan and Mitt Wanzer said the presentation didn't justify the tool. Voters approved citizen Greg Stachovic's Article 12, requiring a public hearing and Select Board vote before any future surveillance technology purchase, a response to Flock Safety reactivating defunded license-plate cameras over the summer without notifying officials; Police Chief Douglas Landry said "Flock has been around for 10 years... we're not monitoring this and searching and tracking anybody of your grocery trips," but asked for more time on a permanent bylaw.

Voters also approved $500,000 in borrowing for affordable senior housing at 410 Great Road and banned anticoagulant rodenticides on town property under citizen petitioner Dustin Neild's Article 11.

In the full story:

• Opening Business: Finance Committee Update and Shaker Lane Financing
• Routine Financial Articles (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
• Article 2: Proposed Town Charter
• Article 3: Adoption of General Law Chapter 40U
• Article 9: Community Preservation Appropriations, Rescissions and Borrowing
• Article 11: Anticoagulant Rodenticide Ban
• Article 12: Temporary Surveillance Technology Bylaw
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 4,070 words

Source: the 2026 Special Town Meeting meeting of October 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.