Needham Select Board Adopts Water Rate Hike, Moves Six Precincts to New Polling Sites

NEEDHAM -- June 23, 2026, Needham Select Board adopts water rate increase, shifts six voting precincts, and opens noise bylaw review. The board voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve water and sewer rate Option Three, raising usage step rates 2 percent, irrigation rates 7 percent, and adding a $3 quarterly basic service fee increase for all customers, effective July 1, with a septage disposal fee set at $85 per 1,000 gallons. Director of Finance Dave Davidson warned that MWRA water purchases are running above prior years and that the service contract expiring June 30, 2028, is expected to bring annual increases near 8 percent. In a unanimous vote, the board relocated six precincts for the September and November 2026 and April 2027 elections, moving Precincts A, B, and C to the former Hillside Elementary School, Precinct D to the Public Safety Building, and Precinct G to Town Hall, permanently removing voting from Newman Elementary. The board also heard a structured three-tier noise bylaw proposal from DPW staff member Justin McGregor, with Member Kathy Driscoll stating directly: "If I am trying to weigh the convenience of commercial landscapers with the quality of life of Needham residents, it's pretty easy for me to go with quality of life."