Reading's Finance, Select, and School Boards to Hold Joint Budget Forum Thursday
The Finance Committee, Select Board, and School Committee will convene Thursday for a Joint Financial Forum focused on Reading's financial outlook — the most substantive public budget discussion the town has scheduled this week.
TOWN HALL
The three governing bodies will hold a Joint Financial Forum on Thursday, June 25, to walk through the town's financial outlook, near-term budget considerations, and the collaborative planning work already underway. The forum is open to residents and offers a rare simultaneous look at priorities across both municipal and school spending. Details are posted at https://www.readingma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=866.
Also in effect this week: the southern half of Chute Street remains closed Tuesday through Thursday for utility work tied to water main replacement, part of the broader High Street Improvements Project. Drivers and pedestrians should plan alternate routes through Friday.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
Reading Patch's morning digest teased a library story with its headline "🌱 Patch AM: See how Quabbin's past and present come alive at Reading Library." The item points to a feature connecting Quabbin Reservoir history to a current program at the Reading Public Library, per Reading Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
An earlier Patch AM headline — "🌱 Patch AM: See how Reading scored among New England's best small cities." — suggests a regional ranking placed Reading favorably among comparable communities, though full details are behind the digest, per Reading Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
Patch also flagged proposed changes to a local development area with the headline "🌱 Patch AM: What big changes are being floated for Reading's Eastern Gateway?" The item points to ongoing conversations about the Eastern Gateway corridor's future, per Reading Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
Separately, a statewide story with direct local relevance: "MA Beach Closures Rise To 28 As Downpours Cause Flash Flooding, Stormwater Runoff" — Tuesday's heavy rain pushed stormwater runoff into coastal waters across the state, raising the number of closed beaches. Residents planning summer outings should check current advisories, per Reading Patch reporting a CBS Boston story (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/reading).
COMING UP
- **Wednesday, June 24:** Retirement Board meeting; Appointment Committee – Finance Committee meeting; Conservation Commission meeting — all at Town Hall. - **Thursday, June 25:** Joint Financial Forum with the Finance Committee, Select Board, and School Committee; Council on Aging meeting; Select Board meeting; Finance Committee meeting. - **Thursday, June 26:** Changes in Latitudes – America's Premier Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show (listed on the Reading Patch events calendar). - **Saturday, June 28:** Whitelam Books hosts a book launch with children's author Monica Acker (listed on the Reading Patch events calendar); Chute Street closure resumes for a morning-only session of utility work.