Needham Select Board Reorganizes, Backs Quiet Zone and Four Union Contracts

NEEDHAM -- April 15, 2026, Needham Select Board reorganizes, adopts immigration policy, and clears dozens of town meeting positions. The board unanimously reelected Heidi Frail as chair and Joshua Levy as vice chair at its April 15 meeting after newly reelected member Catherine Dowd declined the chairmanship, citing a new job. The board approved four collective bargaining memoranda of agreement, covering the Needham Fire Union (4.34 percent three-year average), Needham Police Union (4.04 percent average), Needham Police Superior Officers Association (2.75 percent average), and Building Custodian Trades Independent Association (3 percent for one year), and voted to adopt Select Board Policy SB-Admin-012, governing local engagement with federal immigration enforcement. The board unanimously supported a special town meeting article for quiet zone construction at five public at-grade rail crossings, even as a cooperation agreement with the MBTA on maintenance obligations remained unsigned; Town Manager Katie King said she would not recommend proceeding to bid without the executed agreement. The board also approved a 4-1 memorandum of agreement with North Hill establishing a $400,000-per-unit payment to the Affordable Housing Trust for any new units enabled by a zoning amendment headed to annual town meeting, with dissenter Levy arguing the town should require inclusionary zoning in the bylaw rather than rely on an MOA.