Newton Finance Committee Approves $15,000 More for Community Farm Deck

NEWTON -- August 11, 2025, Newton Finance Committee unanimously approves $15,000 supplement for Community Farm barn deck hit by construction-phase cost overruns. The committee voted 7-0 at a special August 11 session on Docket 213-25, adding to the $75,000 it had previously approved for the deck replacement at the Newton Community Farm. CPC Program Manager Molly Hutchings told the panel that rot discovered in structural supports during early construction was more severe than anticipated, driving the additional cost. Hutchings also corrected a prior representation, acknowledging she had incorrectly told the committee the new deck would be covered; the deck is uncovered but built of Trex composite material rather than the non-weatherproof lumber used in the 2010 original. The CPC unrestricted fund balance held roughly $4 million at the time of the original appropriation, and Hutchings said she had "no issues" with the $15,000 draw.