Foxborough’s Special Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved everything on its eight-article warrant Tuesday, including a new Town Hall and broadened requirements for reporting suspected child sexual abuse.
The vote on Feb. 23 was 201 to 12 to approve spending an estimated $6.9 million to demolish the existing Town Hall building and build a new one in the adjacent parking lot, according to the town clerk’s office. A similar proposal failed in 2013.
The 218 to 2 vote on the child sex abuse reporting would add all public and private school employees — not just teachers — to the list of “mandated reporters’’ of sex abuse suspicions.
The measure, which needs state legislative approval, also would include all town employees, anyone who cares for children in a child-care facility or works with children in Foxborough-based teams and youth organizations, and “any other person in a Foxborough youth organization who has contact with children.’’ The list would apply to both paid workers and volunteers who are 18 and older.
Town Meeting also voted to add two liquor licenses for the hotel development planned at the current Foxfield Plaza site. Voters also approved removing the police chief position from civil service, in anticipation of Chief Edward O’Leary’s retirement in September.
Selectmen chairman James J. DeVellis expressed pleasure with the results, saying it was “a very informed and very supportive Town Meeting’’ that acted with “depth, understanding, and most importantly, with heart.’’
DeVellis announced later that he would not be running for reelection for a third term in May.
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.