Whitman Select Board Votes to Lease Former DPW Building to Food Pantry

WHITMAN — June 2, 2026 — Whitman Select Board declares former DPW building available for food pantry, launches town administrator search. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to begin the process of leasing the former Department of Public Works administration building to the Whitman Food Pantry under a triple net lease to be drafted for the next meeting, with required notice in the Central Register and state disclosure filings still ahead. Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter, who announced her retirement effective September 5, said the board has roughly 60 days to complete a search; the town paid $10,575 to Community Paradigm Associates for its 2020 search, and Carter will obtain updated quotes before the June 16 meeting. The board also approved fiscal year 2027 revolving account spending limits, including a recreation department cap of $130,000 — up from $75,000 — and unanimously voted to seek free assistance from the state Division of Local Services to develop a budget bylaw and financial management review, after preliminary FY2028 projections showed a deficit of at least $937,576 that could exceed $2 million if another South Shore Vocational Technical High School debt exclusion fails. Old Colony Planning Council presented a completed downtown revitalization study of a 108-acre target area, funded by a 2022 state economic development bond bill earmark, with recommendations including South Avenue corridor improvements, a zoning review, and formation of a downtown business association.