Budget cuts threaten town beach operations for 2026
Recreation Committee · Meeting of May 27, 2026
Lancaster Recreation Committee addresses likely closure of town beach due to budget constraints. Town Administrator John Woodsmall reported that Town Meeting did not approve funding for an expanded administrative position supporting the Recreation Department, leaving insufficient staff to operate the beach while managing expanded year-round programming; participation grew from 352 annual registrations in fiscal 2023 to more than 2,100 participants in fiscal 2025. Woodsmall stated the beach cannot operate safely without additional resources and will present budget options to the Select Board on June 1.
The Committee approved prior meeting minutes unanimously and finalized planning for summer programming, with final decisions on additional weeks to be made by June 5. ===BRIEF===
In the full story:
- The complete report — 398 words
Source: the Recreation Committee meeting of May 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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