Select Board
Select Board: April 8, 2026
The board sized the FY27 override at three tiers ($9M / $12M / $15M) plus a separate $2.3M trash question, and previewed a tri-board MOU that pledges no further override until FY2030. The FY27 warrant was approved in bulk (holds on Articles 19, 29, 34), and the Essex Tech assessment was ratified at $749,920 – up 60% over two years.
Marblehead's first tiered override puts $9M, $12M, and $15M on the ballot
Highest tier with a yes-majority wins. On a $1M home, three-year cumulative cost ranges from $900 to $1,500.
Two ballot questions. Q1 asks voters to set the operating-budget override at one of three tiers ($9M / $12M / $15M), drawn down over three years. Q2 is a separate $2.3M question to replace the new curbside trash fee with a tax increase.
Highest tier with a yes-majority wins. Votes are not cumulative – if Tier 3 fails but Tier 2 passes, the result is $12M.
Tax impact on a $1M home (three-year totals)
| Tier | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ($9M) | $127 | $503 | $270 | $900 |
| 2 ($12M) | $281 | $590 | $329 | $1,200 |
| 3 ($15M) | $430 | $624 | $446 | $1,500 |
On the average single-family home ($1.291M), Tier 1 = $167, Tier 2 = $304, Tier 3 = $1,186 in year one. Board agreed to standardize on average or median going forward.
What each tier restores
- Tier 1 – School Resource Officer; DPW staffing (1 special labor, 1 temp clerk, 1 HEO); library accreditation ($311,183); Community Planning & Development director; recreation groundskeeper; OPEB transfer; reserve fund.
- Tier 2 adds – 1 police officer; 2 firefighters; 1 GIS position; IT director; budget analyst; assistant planner (sustainability coordinator); conservation agent; town-wide maintenance division ($450,000).
- Tier 3 adds – 2 more police; 4 more firefighters (6 total); grant writer; recurring $1M capital; $60K psychological counseling.
Schools draw nothing in FY27 across all tiers; roughly 14 school positions are still cut in Tier 1, reflecting a multi-year headcount reduction tied to declining enrollment.
Pushback from the public
Several residents (Kate, Christine Duchow, Susan Shannon, Nick Ward) challenged the “Restore / Stabilize / Invest” labels as misleading. Tier 1 is a partial restore, not a true restore.
Nick Ward (Rolleston Rd, online) flagged new growth as a third budgetary lever the board has not modeled, and noted DOR ranks Marblehead 20th of 351 Massachusetts communities by per-capita income.
Board members pressed staff for a clearer P&L-style year-over-year presentation and a named list of what is not restored at each tier. This is Marblehead’s first tiered override.
Matt Fernald (CFO) · Alicia (Finance) · Dan Fox (chair) · Moses · Jamie · Alexis · Phil · Kate (resident) · Christine Duchow (resident) · Nick Ward (resident, online) · Susan Shannon (resident) · George Rosenblatt (resident)
Also on the agenda
Five residents pressed the board on three issues at the mic
Sustainability funding, social-host enforcement, and a Bouvier Road sidewalk dispute opened the meeting.
Five residents spoke during open comment:
- Eileen Good (44 Brandywine) and Elaine Lansey (Ida Rd) urged the board to put the sustainability coordinator (titled “assistant planner”) and the Community Planning & Development director in Tier 1 of the override, citing $150K/year (about $1M over five years) in grant funding tied to those roles.
- Tom McMahon (16 Shorewood) demanded the chair publicly support enforcement of social hosting laws and attend the April 14 Board of Health meeting with DA Paul Tucker. The chair declined to respond under Open Meeting Law (item not on the agenda).
- Amy Hurd (36 Bouvier) objected to DPW paving over the public way for new sidewalks under the 2022 Article 11 road-and-sidewalk repair authorization ($12M / 5 years). She argued the article authorized repairs, not new construction; the bylaw requires advance notice (which was not given); and Bouvier Road was not on the prioritized safety study.
- Albert Jordan supported the Tucker meeting.
Eileen Good (resident) · Elaine Lansey (resident) · Tom McMahon (resident) · Amy Hurd (resident) · Albert Jordan (resident)
Five grant-funded projects in motion as town hunts for outside revenue
Five Corners, Rail Trail, Coffin School Reuse, Tucker's Wharf Resiliency, and a high-school cooling corridor.
Town Administrator update on grant-funded capital projects: Five Corners Improvement Project (public input page open through April 30), Rail Trail design review April 13, Coffin School Reuse Study survey (closes April 13), State Street Landing and Tucker’s Wharf Resiliency CZM grant ($519,193 for 60% design), Marblehead High School Tree Planting cooling-corridor grant ($51,265). Cultural Council appointment of Katherine Zukowski approved (term to June 2029).
Thatcher (Town Administrator) · Katherine Zukowski
Shindonisi clears all but one safety inspection before April 25 opening
The 304 life-safety check, instituted after the Rhode Island club fire, is the last hurdle.
Continuation of Shindonisi (1 Atlantic Ave) wine-malt beverage license revocation hearing (00042-RS-0656). Owner reported soft-opening date of April 25 pending final 304 life-safety inspection (post-Rhode Island club fire requirement). Hearing continued to April 22.
Greg Lewis (Shindonisi owner)
Voters get a second question: pay for trash on the tax bill or by the household
The $2.3M Q2 override would replace the new ~$280-per-household curbside fee.
Q2 ballot question on curbside trash and recycling: vote yes to replace the new ~$280/household fee with a $2,298,575 tax-levy increase (projection includes 5% contract growth). If the fee stays, eligible tax-abatement households would receive a discount and all residents could opt out by using the existing $150 transfer-station sticker. Board of Health is implementing the fee regardless as part of the balanced budget; the override question simply lets voters choose how to fund it.
Matt Fernald (CFO) · Dan Fox (chair)
Three boards pledge no second override until at least FY2030
Annual draw caps, free-cash phase-down, 6% health-insurance assumption, and a two-thirds escape hatch.
A six-page Memorandum of Understanding among the Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee, covering FY27–FY29. Not voted on this meeting; awaiting School Committee vote the following night.
Commitments
- No second override until at least FY2030, regardless of which tier passes.
- Annual draw caps, with school and municipal portions broken out separately.
- Any surplus flows to the stabilization fund first (target: 5% of operating budget), then capital, then OPEB and pension.
- Free-cash reliance steps down – $5M (FY26) → $4M (FY27) → $3M (FY28).
- Health-insurance growth assumed at 6% (deliberately conservative on revenue).
- New-growth split – 62% town, 38% schools.
- Quarterly reporting from Town Administrator and Superintendent to all three board chairs; State of the Town will publish year-to-date override budgeted vs. spent.
Deviation from the caps requires a two-thirds vote of all three boards – the “black swan” mechanism for extraordinary circumstances.
Sample ballot language: “Shall the Town of Marblehead be allowed to assess an additional $15M [or $12M, or $9M] in real estate and property taxes for purposes of operating the municipal government and public schools for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?”
Dan Fox (chair) · Matt Fernald (CFO) · Moses
Essex Tech assessment jumps to $750K – and the trajectory is the bigger story
Lottery seats grew from 35 to 39; line item up 60% over two years; FinCom may seek state-level relief.
Article 21 approved at $749,920 for the FY27 assessment. The trajectory matters more than the number:
| Year | Assessment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FY25 | $468,000 | – |
| FY26 | $627,000 | +34% |
| FY27 | $749,920 | +20% |
Two drivers compound:
- The school changed to a lottery system, raising Marblehead’s allocated seats from 35 to 39.
- Cost per student rises roughly 3% per year.
Participation is mandatory under the regional-school agreement. The Finance Committee is working with the North Shore Collaborative on the assumptions and may pursue state-level relief.
Board concern: this line item is one of several externally-imposed costs (alongside GIC health insurance) the MOU cannot constrain. A further allocation jump in FY28 could blow through the override’s three-year envelope.
Alicia (Finance) · Dan Fox (chair) · Alexis
Fire-union contract held for board review; pay schedules approved at 3%
Board hasn't seen the firefighter agreement; reviewing Tuesday. Article 31 indefinitely postponed.
Article 19 (fire collective bargaining) held – board has not seen the agreement yet, meeting scheduled for the following Tuesday. Article 31 (administrative benefit amendment) indefinitely postponed. Pay-schedule articles 15-18 approved with uniform 3% increases (town clerk at $97,460). Resident Terry Tollef (online) asked whether the MOU’s contractual-raise constraints apply to individual administrator and department-head contracts as well as union contracts; staff confirmed all are bound by the MOU budget growth assumptions.
Dan Fox (chair) · Terry Tollef (resident, online)
Board can't decide whether to kill or rebuild the 1970-era Public Works Committee
TA argues it conflicts with the chain of command; Jim defends recent project wins. Held for further talks.
Article 34 (dissolve Public Works Committee) held for further discussion. Committee was created in 1970, before the Town Administrator role existed. Town Administrator Thatcher argued it duplicates the administrative chain and creates governance conflict; Jim defended it citing recent useful coordination on the Reynolds Playground and Brown School Building Committee projects. Board explored whether a redesigned committee chaired by the Town Administrator could preserve the inter-departmental coordination benefit while resolving the conflict. Article 35 (modernize the same committee) was not yet discussed.
Jim · Thatcher (Town Administrator) · Dan Fox (chair) · Moses · Alexis
Street-sweeping parking ban shifted a week to avoid school vacation
Original April 20-24 dates moved to April 27 – May 1. Must wrap before Mother's Day.
Overnight parking ban approved for street sweeping: original April 20-24 dates moved to April 27 - May 1 (12:01 AM - 7:00 AM) after the board noted April 20-24 falls on school vacation week when many cars are left curbside. Sweeping must be done before Mother’s Day (Piper and Fluffy season starts).
Dan Fox (chair)
Routine licensing and a bridge-contract extension close the night
Eastern Yacht Club, Coastline Marine, Steven Decor, Village Street bridge ($55K extension).
Licensing and consent: Eastern Yacht Club pool license renewed (42-44 Foster St); Dolphin Yacht Club local Sunday entertainment license renewed; consent agenda approved (Abbot Hall reservations for the Marblehead School of Music, National Prayer Day, Marblehead Charter School student mock public meeting, Marblehead Harbor Rotary Pops Concert; Marblehead Counseling Second Annual Community Champion Celebration proclamation for May 7). Change order #3 for the Village Street bridge replacement contract approved – $55,000 extension to Dec 31, 2026, funded with Chapter 90 dollars. One-day liquor licenses approved for Coastline Marine (8 Sewall St, May 2) and Steven Decor (4 Quick St, April 25). Student-rep interview for Marblehead Task Force on Discrimination scheduled for May 13 (avoiding school vacation week).
Dan Fox (chair)
Tonight's record
12 decisions ▾
- Approved Cultural Council appointment of Katherine Zukowski (term to June 2029)
- Continued the Shindonisi liquor license revocation hearing (00042-RS-0656, 1 Atlantic Ave) to April 22, pending final 304 life-safety inspection
- Reauthorized FY27 Board of Health solid-waste revolving fund cap at $1.3M (supersedes Feb 11 motion)
- Approved bulk motion on FY27 warrant articles 3, 4, 6 ($60,182.27), 7 ($4,205,300 revolving funds), 8, 9 ($524,067 lease-purchase), 10, 11 ($25,000 walls/fences), 12 ($200,000 stormwater), 13 ($2,400,000 water + $2,100,000 sewer), 15-18 (pay schedules at 3%, town clerk at $97,460), 23 ($122,762.03), 31 (indefinitely postpone), 33 (cryptocurrency ATM prohibition), 36 (DPW housekeeping)
- Approved Article 21 (Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical) at $749,920
- Held Articles 19 (fire collective bargaining), 29 (override tiers – pending school vote), 34 (dissolve Public Works Committee)
- Amended overnight street-sweeping parking-ban dates from April 20-24 (school vacation week) to April 27 - May 1
- Renewed Eastern Yacht Club pool license (42-44 Foster Street)
- Approved consent agenda: Abbot Hall reservations (Marblehead School of Music, National Prayer Day, Marblehead Charter School mock public meeting, Harbor Rotary Pops Concert), Marblehead Counseling Community Champion Celebration proclamation
- Approved change order #3 for Village Street bridge replacement contract with Freeman Peterson Inc. – $55,000 extension through Dec 31, 2026 (Chapter 90 funds)
- Approved one-day liquor licenses: Coastline Marine (8 Sewall St, May 2) and Steven Decor (4 Quick St, April 25)
- Set May 13 to interview student rep candidate for Marblehead Task Force on Discrimination
10 votes ▾
- in favor (voice vote) Appoint Katherine Zukowski to Cultural Council, term ending June 2029
- in favor (voice vote) Continue Shindonisi revocation hearing to April 22, 2026
- in favor (voice vote) Reauthorize Board of Health commercial waste-disposal revolving fund at $1.3M for FY27 (supersedes Feb 11, 2026 motion)
- in favor (voice vote) Approve FY27 warrant articles 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 31, 33, 36 (with holds on 19, 21, 29, 34)
- in favor (voice vote) Approve Article 21 Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical at $749,920
- in favor (voice vote) Amend overnight parking-ban dates to April 27 - May 1, 12:01 AM - 7:00 AM
- in favor (roll-call, 5 in favor) Renew Eastern Yacht Club all-day alcohol seasonal club pool license
- in favor (voice vote) Approve consent agenda (Abbot Hall reservations and Marblehead Counseling proclamation)
- in favor (voice vote) Approve change order #3 for Village Street bridge contract – $55,000 extension to Dec 31, 2026
- in favor (roll-call, 5 in favor) Approve one-day liquor licenses for Coastline Marine and Steven Decor
6 documents ▾
- FY27 Annual Town Meeting Warrant (referenced articles 3-36) — Bulk motion approving articles 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15-18, 23, 31, 33, 36; holds on 19, 21, 29, 34. Numbers given in the motion match the warrant; verify against the published warrant book.
- Article 11 (2022) – $12M five-year road and sidewalk repair authorization — Referenced by resident Amy Hurd in objection to Bouvier Road sidewalk additions
- Tri-board MOU on FY27-FY29 override draws — Six-page draft, not voted on this meeting; awaiting School Committee vote (next day)
- DOR override ballot calculator (linked from marmala.org process flow) — Resident Constance referenced marmala.org/ ballot-question-committee process diagram; CFO referenced the DOR override-impact tool for per-home tax calculations
- Existing tax-abatement program (assessor's office) — Discount eligibility for trash fee under fee-funded scenario tied to existing tax-abatement qualification
- $150 transfer-station sticker program — Existing opt-out alternative to curbside fee
177 min full transcript ▾
AI-generated · may contain errors · verify with the source video
Note on this transcript. The source recording for this meeting is the Zoom video on MHTV (vimeo.com/1181632658, 177 minutes). The text below is a machine-cleaned transcript that does not preserve speaker boundaries or timestamps – quotations and topic timing are approximate. For verbatim quotes, please confirm against the source video.
Public comment (approx. 0:00 – 13:00)
Eileen Good, 44 Brandywine Drive – asked the board to include the sustainability coordinator (titled “assistant planner and coordinator”) in Tier 1 of the override. Cited grant-related revenue: “$150,000 a year, which would be a million over five years.”
Elaine Lansey, Ida Road – urged keeping the Community Planning and Development Department in Tier 1, listing recent projects: Marblehead Shipyard Resiliency, State Street Landing, Cliff Street UST closeout, Village Street bridge replacement, Elm Street playground, Devereux Beach ADA improvements, Five Corners redesign, Rail Trail improvements.
Tom McMahon, 16 Shorewood Road – raised social hosting laws and asked Chair Dan Fox two questions: (1) do you support Marblehead police enforcing social hosting laws, (2) will you attend the April 14 Board of Health meeting with DA Paul Tucker? Chair declined to respond as the item was not on the agenda (Open Meeting Law).
Amy Hurd, 36 Bouvier Road – described DPW work on March 30 to add new sidewalks under the 2022 Article 11 road and sidewalk repair authorization ($12M over five years). She argued: (1) the article authorized repair, not new construction; (2) the town bylaw requires notice before work begins, which was not given; (3) Bouvier Road was not on the prioritized safety-study list; (4) the new sidewalks terminate mid-block. She had reached out to DPW, engineering, and the board with no response.
Albert Jordan – supported attendance at the April 14 Paul Tucker meeting.
Town Administrator update (approx. 13:00 – 16:00)
Five Corners Improvement Project commenced (survey crew visible); public input page on the Community Development Planning website through April 30. Rail Trail virtual public meeting April 13 via Zoom. Coffin School Reuse Study survey closes April 13. State Street Landing and Tucker’s Wharf Resiliency Project: pursuing $519,193 CZM grant for 60% design. Marblehead High School Tree Planting cooling-corridor grant: $51,265.
Cultural Council appointment (approx. 16:00 – 18:00)
Katherine Zukowski appointed to the Cultural Council with term to expire June 2029. Resident of Marblehead, formerly active in performing and visual arts, recently returned to town. Unanimous voice vote.
Shindonisi liquor license revocation (approx. 18:00 – 22:00)
Continuation of public hearing opened November 13, 2024, on revocation of wine-malt beverage license 00042-RS-0656 at 1 Atlantic Ave. Owner Greg Lewis reported soft-opening date of April 25 pending one remaining inspection – the 304 life-safety inspection (instituted post-Rhode Island club fire). Hearing continued to April 22 to align with the inspection; owner does not need to attend the April 22 meeting if the 304 sign-off is in hand.
Override discussion – CFO Matt Fernald presentation (approx. 22:00 – 1:48:00)
Structure. Two ballot questions. Question 1 is the operating-budget override, structured in three tiers; Question 2 is a separate $2.3M question on whether to replace the new curbside trash fee with a property-tax increase.
Tier mechanics. Three tiers are stacked – Tier 2 contains everything in Tier 1 plus additions; Tier 3 contains everything in Tier 2 plus additions. Voters can vote yes or no on each tier independently. The highest tier that receives a majority yes is the levy increase. Order of presentation on the ballot is still being decided; staff cited Stoneham and Melrose as examples where the highest tier appeared first.
Three-year draw schedule. The total authorization covers FY27, FY28, and FY29. The board committed not to seek another general override before FY2030. Annual draws are sized so that taxes step up over three years rather than spiking in year one.
Tier 1 (total $9M). FY27 draw $1.27M (town only; schools draw $0). FY28 draw $5.03M. FY29 draw $2.70M.
Tax impact on a $1M home: $127 / $503 / $270 = $900 cumulative permanent levy increase. On the average single-family home ($1.291M, mentioned during the meeting): $167 / $304 / $1,186 figures were cited at the three-year totals.
What gets restored in Tier 1 (partial restore, not full):
- School Resource Officer
- Police small equipments
- Inspections / subscriptions / maintenance ($2,500 cut restored)
- DPW: 1 special labor, 1 temporary general clerk, 1 HEO; hot top for roads
- Finance: 1 senior clerk, training, computer equipment
- Library: $311,183 toward accreditation (program volunteer coordinator, senior clerk, library tech, library tech admin, senior library assistant, circulation coordinator, tech services assistant, technical services supervisor, adult librarian, library professional)
- Community Planning and Development: director only
- Recreation & Parks: 1 groundskeeper
- Cemetery: 1 laborer
- Council on Aging: 1 temporary special clerk, 1 general laborer
- Public Buildings: 2 special labor custodians
- Town portion of OPEB; stabilization transfer; workers’ comp restoration ($97,662); reserve fund ($26,000); HR ads/subscriptions ($11,000)
Tier 1 does not restore: special clerk in clerk’s office; assistant planner (sustainability coordinator); grant coordinator / conservation agent; full library staffing; multiple Abbot library positions; longevity / step bonus for one named employee.
Tier 2 (total $12M). FY27 draw $2.80M; FY28 $5.90M; FY29 $3.30M. Tax impact on $1M home: $281 / $590 / $329 = $1,200.
Tier 2 adds to Tier 1: 1 police officer; 2 firefighters (overtime reduction); 1 GIS position; 1 IT director; 1 budget analyst; library materials and consolidation; 1 part-time custodian; 1 part-time library assistant; assistant planner (sustainability coordinator); conservation agent; part-time senior clerk in Rec & Parks; $15,000 Rec & Parks maintenance; part-time social worker for Council on Aging; $15,000 COA maintenance; town-wide maintenance division ($450,000); special clerk in town clerk’s office.
Tier 3 (total $15M). FY27 draw $4.2M; FY28 $6.2M; FY29 $4.4M. Tax impact on $1M home: $430 / $624 / $446 = $1,500.
Tier 3 adds to Tier 2: 2 more police; 4 more firefighters (6 total); 1 grant writer (town-wide); recurring $1M capital line; $60,000 psychological counseling for the health department.
Question 2 (trash, $2,298,575). If passed, replaces the curbside trash fee with a tax-levy increase. Growth assumption: 5% over the contract. If the fee stays, eligible tax-abatement households receive a discount; all residents can opt out by using the existing $150 transfer-station sticker.
Board feedback during presentation. Members asked for a traditional P&L year-over-year presentation; a clear list of what is not restored at each tier; consistency in whether examples use the median or average home; and renaming of the “Restore / Stabilize / Invest” labels, since “Restore” is in fact a partial restore. Several members and residents (Kate, Christine Duchow) said the current labels mislead the public.
Public comment during this section. A resident (unnamed in the transcript) said her main confusion is: voting structure aside, what do we lose if we don’t pass each tier? She urged the board to lead with what is lost, not what is restored.
George Rosenblatt, Avenue M – questioned why tiers are not separate ballot questions and worried about elderly voters who may stop after the first question.
Christine Duchow, Three Dannys Way – asked about two-family-home trash fee treatment and noted Marblehead historically uses median household value in tax presentations; she has the data files going back to the 1990s and offered to verify.
Constance (Europe) – ballot-question-committee member; asked that the presentation be posted before the meeting, and pressed the board to clarify how “highest tier with a majority wins” works in plain language. Walked through the unusual case where Tier 1 has 100% yes but Tier 3 has 51% yes – Tier 3 is the result.
Nick Ward, Rolleston Road (online) – raised three points: (1) new growth taxation is a third lever for balancing the budget that the board does not discuss; (2) the schools at this point are providing “less education,” not just running more efficiently, after multiple failed overrides; (3) DOR data ranks Marblehead 20th of 351 communities in per-capita income, which should temper claims about widespread financial hardship.
Jack Atkins, 67 Beach Street – asked for an estimate of what each year’s change does to the tax rate. Board agreed to produce this.
Memorandum of Understanding – tri-board override agreement (approx. 1:48:00 – 2:18:00)
Six-page MOU among Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee. Not voted at this meeting; awaiting School Committee vote (next day).
Commitments:
- If any override tier passes, no further general override until at least FY2030 from any of the three boards.
- Annual draw caps per board (school side, municipal side) broken out and enforced.
- Any surplus revenue goes first to the stabilization fund (target: 5% of operating budget) before capital or OPEB/pension contributions.
- Free-cash reliance steps down: $5M (FY26) → $4M (FY27) → $3M (FY28).
- Health-insurance growth assumed at 6% (lower than recent years; explicitly conservative on the revenue side).
- New-growth split: 62% town / 38% schools.
- Deviation requires a two-thirds vote of all three boards (“black swan” mechanism).
- Quarterly reporting from Town Administrator and Superintendent to all three board chairs.
- State of the Town will include override budgeted vs. spent (using Munis / ClearGov).
- The MOU does not cover Question 2 (trash); that is a standalone decision.
Kate (resident) – asked the board to revise the “Restore / Stabilize / Invest” labels since Tier 1 is a partial restore, Tier 2 is also still a reduction (not a stabilization), and Tier 3 is closer to maintenance. Board agreed the labels should be reconsidered.
Christine Duchow – emphasized that schools have been engaged in a multi-year headcount reduction tied to declining enrollment, and asked the board to communicate that the override is not “going back to where we were last year.”
Terry Tollef (online) – asked whether the MOU’s contractual-raise limits cover individual administrator / department-head contracts as well as union contracts. Staff confirmed all are bound by the MOU budget assumptions.
FY27 warrant articles (approx. 2:18:00 – 2:46:00)
Articles voted on in a single bulk motion (with holds on 19, 21, 29, 34):
| Article | Amount | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | – | Consent articles (a) liability, (b) trust property (none), (c) lease town property (none), (d) contracts over three years, (e) conservation financial assistance |
| 4 | – | Amend zoning bylaw – 3A multifamily overlay district |
| 6 | $60,182.27 | Unpaid amounts of funds |
| 7 | $4,205,300 | Departmental revolving funds |
| 8 | $0 | Equipment purchase (several departments) |
| 9 | $524,067 | Lease purchase |
| 10 | $0 | Capital improvements for public buildings |
| 11 | $25,000 | Walls and fences (halved from $50K “because we couldn’t afford it”) |
| 12 | $200,000 | Stormwater construction (halved from $400K) |
| 13a / 13b | $2,400,000 / $2,100,000 | Water / sewer department construction |
| 13c | – | Water and sewer commission claims |
| 15 / 16 / 17 | 3% | Pay schedules (administrative / traffic supervisors / seasonal-temporary) |
| 18 | $97,460 | Town clerk compensation |
| 23 | $122,762.03 | Expense of several departments |
| 31 | – | Administrative benefit amendment – indefinitely postponed |
| 33 | – | Amend general bylaws – prohibition of cryptocurrency automatic teller machines |
| 36 | – | Amend bylaws related to DPW (housekeeping) |
Held articles:
- Article 19 – fire collective bargaining. Board has not seen the agreement; meeting Tuesday.
- Article 21 – Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical at $749,920 (later approved separately). Trajectory: $468K (FY25) → $627K (FY26) → $750K (FY27). School moved to a lottery system; allocated seats rose from 35 to 39; cost per student rises ~3%/year. Board flagged this as a structural growth risk and an example of an externally-imposed cost the MOU cannot control. Finance Committee is engaging the North Shore Collaborative and may pursue state-level relief.
- Article 29 – override tiers. Held pending School Committee vote.
- Article 34 – dissolve Public Works Committee. Held for further discussion (see below).
Article 34 / 35 – Public Works Committee debate
Public Works Committee was created in 1970, before the Town Administrator role existed. The Select Board originally placed Article 34 (dissolve) on the warrant. Some members had since become persuaded the committee provides real coordination value – Jim cited the Brown School Building Committee underground utility work and Shelly Bedrosian’s Reynolds Playground project as recent successes. Town Administrator Thatcher argued the committee is structurally a conflict because, as TA, he would be one member of a committee made up of his own subordinates; he prefers the TA chain of command. Moses proposed that a redesigned committee – chaired by the TA – could preserve the inter-departmental coordination while resolving the governance issue. Article 35 (modernize the committee) was referenced but not discussed in detail. Board held both pending further conversations with proponents.
Overnight parking ban for street sweeping (approx. 2:46:00 – 2:51:00)
Original motion: April 20-24, 12:01 AM – 7:00 AM. Board flagged that this is school vacation week, when many residents leave for the week and would not move their cars. Date discussed with DPW (street sweepers just back; must finish before Mother’s Day due to Piper and Fluffy season). Amended to April 27 – May 1, 12:01 AM – 7:00 AM.
Licensing and consent agenda (approx. 2:51:00 – 2:57:00)
Eastern Yacht Club pool license renewed (42-44 Foster Street, Manager Jared Shawnee). Dolphin Yacht Club local Sunday entertainment license renewed. Consent agenda approved: Abbot Hall reservations (Marblehead School of Music June 13-14; National Prayer Day May 7 – bell-ringing at noon then 10 minutes in the Select Board room; Marblehead Charter School student mock public meeting April 8; Marblehead Harbor Rotary Pops Concert December 12); Marblehead Counseling Second Annual Community Champion Celebration proclamation for May 7.
Change order #3 for the Village Street bridge replacement (contract 2023-003 with Freeman Peterson Inc.) approved at $55,000, extending the contract through December 31, 2026. Chapter 90 funded.
One-day liquor licenses approved for Coastline Marine (8 Sewall Street, May 2, 12-4 PM) and Steven Decor (4 Quick Street, April 25, 1-4 PM).
Other items
Letter of interest from a Marblehead High School junior to serve as student rep on the Marblehead Task Force on Discrimination. Interview scheduled for May 13 (May 13 was chosen over April 22 to avoid school vacation week).
Announcement: JJ Make-A-Wish superhero event was a success. Sergeant Morley participated actively. JJ’s grandfather Steve “Bubba” Weinstein, a former Finance Committee vice-chair, attended.