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Meeting Opening and Public Comments (Link: 00:00:00 – 00:09:00)
Dan Fox called the Select Board meeting to order on Wednesday, March 4th at 7:05 PM, noting that the meeting was being recorded. Fox announced that two board members, Moses Grader and Erin Noonan, were participating remotely and that all votes would be conducted through roll call. Fox explained that public comments would be taken, with additional comments and questions allowed during the budget review portion of the meeting.
Mimi Gardner of 7 Glover Square addressed the board regarding climate change initiatives. Gardner reminded the board that the town had previously voted at town meeting to acknowledge climate change as a real issue and set a goal of net zero harmful carbon emissions by 2040. She praised the work of sustainability coordinator Logan Casey and the municipal light board in developing an Energy Reduction Plan. Gardner thanked the select board, town administrator, planning board, and light board for their anticipated support of the plan, stating that adopting it along with a new version of 3A would open access to millions of dollars in grant money and position Marblehead among forward-thinking communities in the commonwealth.
John Zorzakis of Lookout Court spoke both as a Marblehead resident and as chair of the Light Board. He acknowledged the town’s recurring budget problems and emphasized the need to focus on reducing expenses, particularly utility bills. Zorzakis noted that while electricity rates had remained stable for several years, gas bills had increased significantly. He explained that the town spends millions annually on utility bills that could be reduced through energy efficiency measures. Speaking as Light Board chair, Zorzakis pointed out that the town is the largest customer of the light department and that town actions significantly impact electricity load timing. He provided technical details about how more than half of the energy bill is based on electricity usage during the single hour of peak demand, explaining that poorly insulated buildings require more cooling during peak times, creating a disproportionate impact on costs. Zorzakis argued that adopting the Energy Reduction Plan would help lower costs for the municipal light department and keep rates affordable for all residents.
Amy McHugh of 30 Agent Brad Hill expressed disappointment about a vote to dissolve the Public Works Committee. She explained that the committee had been revised to fit current needs and that meetings had been productive, with department heads finding the committee worthwhile. McHugh noted that the committee provides transparency, allows discussion of efficiency, and reviews warrants while serving only in an advisory capacity. She addressed concerns about the legality of the committee meeting in different sessions, pointing out that the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee operates similarly and suggesting that legal counsel should review both committees.
A speaker expressed opposition to rushing implementation of what appeared to be an energy-related program, stating concern about compliance with 3A. The speaker argued that the electric light board should be the decision-making body and questioned why the matter was before the select board. They expressed worry that if 3A does not pass, electric bills would increase significantly as the town would enter another state program without guaranteed funding. The speaker urged the board not to implement the program until the status of 3A was clarified, suggesting that a special town meeting should have been held earlier to address 3A compliance issues.
Budget Review Presentation (Link: 00:09:00 – 00:44:00)
Dan Fox announced that the town administrator update would be moved later in the agenda since most attendees were present for the budget review. Fox introduced the fiscal year 2027 budget review to be presented by Aleesha Benjamin.
Thatcher Keezer began the presentation by acknowledging the extensive work involved in the budget process, crediting Aleesha Benjamin as the financial lead, Alec Goolsby as Finance Committee chair, other Finance Committee members, Select Board members, other boards, and department heads. Keezer explained that he had provided initial revenue projections during the State of the Town update two months prior, which established bottom lines for school and town budgets. He referenced the town’s mission statement as the foundation for financial decisions: to provide excellent services at the level desired by citizens, taxpayers and ratepayers that ensures health, safety, education, welfare and quality of life of the community.
After technical difficulties with the presentation display, Benjamin provided updates on projected revenues. She explained that the only changes since the State of the Town presentation were the state’s release of preliminary state aid numbers and a reorganization of free cash allocation, with five million dollars now applied entirely to the budget rather than being split between budget, capital, and stabilization. Benjamin noted that health insurance rate projections had been adjusted from an initial 15% increase estimate down to 11% based on recent information about GLP1 drug coverage changes, with final rates to be determined by a Group Insurance Commission vote the following day.
Benjamin presented two budget scenarios. Scenario A represented a straightforward approach based on available revenues, incorporating department head and school requests, then making cuts to achieve a balanced budget within existing revenue trends and obligations including contract cost-of-living adjustments. Scenario B included significant proposals to shift costs and make additional reductions to change the balanced budget outcome, involving cost shifts and additional line item reductions to address structural deficits while maintaining municipal services.
Benjamin detailed Scenario A’s financial impact, explaining that departments had requested funding but cuts totaling 7.7 million dollars were necessary for a balanced budget. The town’s portion of cuts amounted to 5.7 million dollars, while schools faced 1.9 million dollars in cuts. Under Scenario A, six departments would be defunded: community development planning, cemetery, health department except for the required health agent position, Council on Aging, library, and recreation and parks. This would result in 56 unfunded positions out of the town’s 185 to 190 total positions. Benjamin provided a detailed breakdown of affected positions across departments, including one police officer, one vacant firefighter position, two public works positions, and various positions across the defunded departments.
Benjamin explained Scenario B’s approach to reduce structural deficits and maintain municipal services through two key proposals. The first involved implementing trash fees to generate revenue by moving approximately 2.037 million dollars in trash collection, disposal, and recycling costs to a fee-based system. This would be accomplished by defunding these costs from the general fund budget, requiring the Board of Health to implement fees to maintain contracted services. Based on approximately 8,000 households, the estimated cost would be about 254 dollars annually per household, or roughly 21 dollars monthly or 64 dollars quarterly. Benjamin noted the proposal would include discounts for residents qualifying for tax exemptions and an opt-out option allowing residents to handle their own trash through the sticker program.
The second major proposal in Scenario B requested an additional 1.5 million dollar reduction from schools beyond their already implemented 1.9 million dollar cut, bringing their total deficit share to 3.5 million dollars. Benjamin explained this was based on maintaining the historical 50-50 budget split between schools and town, accounting for the fact that employee benefits appear entirely on the town budget but support both workforces. She provided detailed calculations showing how benefit costs are distributed between school and town employees across various programs, with some programs like active employee health insurance showing 66% school employees and 34% town employees.
Benjamin presented Scenario B’s impact, showing total reductions of 7.9 million dollars with 3.4 million from schools and 4.4 million from the town side. Unlike Scenario A, all departments would remain funded, though 20.5 full-time equivalent positions would still be impacted compared to the 56 positions affected in Scenario A. She provided historical staffing data from 2018 to 2026, showing town positions had ranged from 190 to 199, demonstrating that current budget challenges were not driven by significant increases in employee numbers but rather by health costs, inflation, and maintaining market-rate salaries.
Benjamin concluded by noting that even under Scenario B, 1.4 million dollars in town-side items would remain unfunded, which could serve as a starting point for override strategy discussions. She emphasized that final numbers remained subject to change pending the Group Insurance Commission’s rate decision and noted that employees could change plans during open enrollment on April 1, requiring recalculation of health insurance costs. Benjamin explained that the GIC provides blended rates, but actual costs depend on specific plan inflation rates and employee enrollment in each plan.
Select Board Questions and Discussion (Link: 00:44:00 – 01:07:00)
Dan Fox questioned what appeared to be an error in the budget presentation, noting that the difference in expenditures between scenarios A and B should be approximately 3.5 million dollars based on the 2 million dollar trash fee and 1.5 million dollar school reduction, but the bottom line numbers didn’t align with his calculations. Fox specifically pointed to the public works line in Scenario B showing an increase of 2 million dollars compared to Scenario A’s much smaller reduction. Aleesha Benjamin and Thatcher Keezer clarified that in Scenario A, the entire waste collection function was eliminated from the budget, while in Scenario B it remained funded through the fee structure, explaining the apparent discrepancy. Fox acknowledged understanding but suggested the presentation could be clearer about where the 3.5 million dollars in changes were being allocated to avoid confusion.
Fox opened the discussion to Select Board questions and comments, suggesting each member limit themselves to one or two points initially. James Zisson noted that enterprise funds for electric, light, water, sewer, and harbor were not included in the presentation since they maintain separate budgets and handle their own healthcare and pension costs. He suggested adding comment lines to explain the complex budget presentation.
Alexa Singer asked about the volatility of health insurance costs, specifically whether the town had data on how employees historically shift between plans during April open enrollment. Benjamin responded that employees generally concentrate in three main health insurance plans with minimal dramatic shifts, though schools experience more volatility due to higher staff turnover. Singer also inquired about the impact on the stabilization fund and future debt exclusion projects on the town’s bond rating. Benjamin explained that stabilization funds were not included in either scenario and recommended building reserves through an override to provide financial cushion for situations like the current budget crisis, noting the town currently has minimal reserves while facing uncontrollable increases in pension costs and health insurance.
Erin Noonan expressed support for Scenario B, stating that the service disruptions under Scenario A would be devastating to town services. She noted that implementing a trash fee was reasonable given the financial landscape and that residents with access to the transfer station could opt out. Noonan mentioned that the Finance Committee had researched the issue and found fee-based trash collection systems to be commonplace in municipalities with transfer stations.
Moses Grader supported the scenario approach and agreed with Scenario B, describing the trash fee shift as creative but noting it represented a change from the town’s traditional approach of funding these services through taxes. He emphasized that residents should understand this shift might be debated during override discussions. Grader explained that the large impact on municipal positions resulted from a perfect storm of dramatic healthcare cost increases, reduced free cash, and the structure of the town budget where approximately 21 million dollars of the 47.8 million dollar townside budget goes to benefits for both town and school employees, leaving only 27 million dollars in discretionary spending. He praised the schools for taking their fair share of cuts and noted the adjustment requiring schools to assume some burden of their benefits expenses typically covered by the town.
Fox acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions, noting that Scenario B would reduce the town workforce by approximately 10% while Scenario A would cut 25%. He expressed support for the methodology of sharing cuts between town and schools but emphasized that any future increased revenue should be shared proportionally with schools, and if health insurance costs decreased, the 1.5 million dollar school reduction should be adjusted accordingly. Fox stated that if schools were asked to take cuts, the town should support them in a joint override rather than separate efforts. He thanked Andrew Petty and the Board of Health for their collaboration and praised the cross-departmental cooperation throughout the budget process.
Grader emphasized the importance of establishing formal guidelines for splitting increases and deficits between municipal and school sides, moving away from annual negotiations toward a predictable policy approach that both sides would view as fair. He noted this would provide financial stability and better manage expectations for the two budgets with different decision-makers.
Noonan added that schools would need additional funding for teacher contracts in fiscal year 2028, making collaboration on a general override preferable to asking voters to consider separate overrides in consecutive years. She suggested presenting two or three override options to voters and acknowledged the personal and professional toll the budget process was taking on town employees, describing them as dedicated public servants and community members rather than mere budget line items.
Public Questions and Comments on Budget (Link: 01:07:00 – 01:13:00)
Dan Fox opened the discussion to public comments and questions on the budget presentation.
Marlon Hurt of 81 Courtney Street asked for clarification on free cash allocation, confirming that all certified free cash would go into the budget rather than stabilization funds. Fox clarified that while free cash would be used for the budget, the town would still carry some free cash forward, but the exact split would not be determined until free cash was certified. Hurt then asked about how many North Shore communities have trash fees and what percentage Marblehead would represent. A speaker responded that there was extensive data available, noting different structures used by communities, and mentioned that over 284 municipalities had responded to a state survey. The speaker explained that most Massachusetts towns don’t have transfer stations like Marblehead, making them fortunate in that regard, and noted that the minority of towns with curbside service fund it primarily through property taxes. The speaker offered to provide detailed breakdown data.
Hurt asked for confirmation of the current deficit amount, noting that the State of the Town presentation had mentioned an 8.6 million dollar deficit but wanting current figures given that health insurance costs would change the following day. Keezer confirmed the deficit at 7,736,211 dollars as of that moment, based on an 11% health insurance increase. Hurt confirmed that Scenario B would address the 7.7 million dollar deficit through a combination of schools paying more, trash fees, and cuts.
John McGlondon of 32 Shailen Street, identifying himself as someone who works in the marine industry rather than an accountant, expressed concern about fairness to taxpayers. McGlondon characterized Scenario A as extreme, calling it “the Hiroshima option” that was designed to sell Scenario B. He expressed concern that implementing trash fees would create a system that could be increased over time, affecting residents with the 250 dollar annual cost. McGlondon questioned whether all possible position cuts had been considered and referenced what he called a “superfluous position” mentioned at the beginning of the meeting, describing it as political and unhelpful to the town’s financial situation. He mentioned his work on the waterfront and began discussing the harbor before the transcript section ended.
Municipal Budget Discussion and Public Comments (Link: 01:13:00 – 01:44:00)
John McGlondon continued his comments, questioning the need for 10 to 15 part-time harbor masters during the season, stating that based on his 40 years of waterfront experience, that many people were not necessary. He suggested this as an example of areas where cuts could be made.
Sarah Jordan expressed opposition to the trash collection fee, noting that a similar proposal had been attempted 15 to 20 years ago at town meeting and was rejected by residents. She questioned a newspaper article about potentially increasing longevity benefits, asking why the town would add expenses when facing budget shortfalls. Jordan criticized the school teachers’ 11-day strike that resulted in appropriating money the town didn’t have for a balanced budget, stating she would not support giving the school department more money unless it was presented as two separate articles rather than rewarding what she viewed as holding the town hostage. She questioned why public safety departments faced no layoffs while other departments were being eliminated, referencing past closures of the Franklin Street fire station during budget crises. Jordan criticized the plan for targeting what she called “little people” like custodians while questioning who would perform cemetery services if those employees were eliminated, noting she had a contract with the town for cemetery care. She also questioned the cemetery superintendent’s $115,000 salary for managing five or six employees with no revenue collection, suggesting it should be a part-time position. Jordan concluded by stating she would use the transfer station and advocated for giving taxpayers a menu of options to choose what services to dissolve.
Fox acknowledged Jordan’s comments and noted that override discussions would continue the following week with many options still on the table. He clarified that the Select Board was not intentionally targeting any particular group of employees.
Matt Hooks advocated for override options that would address the structural deficit long-term and improve services rather than just scraping by. He requested an option that would restore services to levels from five or six years ago and asked what expanding and improving current services would cost.
Thatcher Keezer provided a correction to Scenario B, explaining that the library staffing model initially proposed was not sustainable long-term since people earning half salaries would likely leave. He proposed keeping library operations through December 1, 2026, then closing the library in Scenario B. Benjamin confirmed that only an override would keep the library operating beyond that point.
A speaker made extensive comments about misrepresentation in the budget presentation, arguing that the public works numbers showed an intentional misrepresentation of the split between town and school cuts. The speaker noted that removing the trash fee from consideration, the schools would be cutting 44% more than the town side, not the 50-50 split being presented. They questioned whether the trash fee required town meeting approval, suggesting the town of Abington was dealing with a similar issue. The speaker also noted that during the Great Depression, Marblehead’s library remained open and even opened a second branch in 1931, contrasting with the current proposal to close the library. They argued that the stabilization fund should be considered for use during this crisis and suggested that a realistic override amount considering both town and school needs for multiple years would be much larger than the 1.4 million dollars mentioned.
Fox responded to correct several points, stating that the town had received a legal opinion on implementing trash fees and that the Board of Health, as an elected board, would make the final decision on fee structure. He clarified that any surpluses in health insurance, pension, or other shared costs would be returned proportionally to schools, emphasizing this commitment. Keezer clarified that the Select Board’s decision to cut funding would prompt the Board of Health’s reactive decision on fees.
Jordan asked about costs associated with closed school buildings like the Gerry and Cochrane schools, and questioned why the town couldn’t negotiate different health insurance contribution rates with employees, suggesting that benefits might need to be reduced given rising costs. Benjamin responded that health insurance contributions must be negotiated with unions and cannot be unilaterally imposed. Jordan criticized adding benefits like longevity increases during budget crises and expressed concern about eliminating lower-level positions while retaining department heads.
A speaker asked about the impact if 20% of residents opted out of trash collection, with Fox acknowledging this would likely increase costs for remaining participants. The speaker referenced Danvers having approximately 3% opt-out rates and noted the complexity of setting fees with transfer station access. Another speaker expressed concern about the impact on fixed-income residents and warned about short-term savings creating long-term capital problems, citing the example of reduced highway department staffing leading to deferred road maintenance and current significant capital needs.
A speaker asked the town moderator whether two separate override articles could be combined at town meeting, referencing a previous advisory vote about keeping ballot questions the same as town meeting votes. The moderator confirmed the ability to split articles but not to combine them.
Erin Noonan asked for clarification on board consensus regarding which budget scenario to pursue. Fox indicated consensus around Scenario B while noting they would wait for exact numbers before formal voting. Noonan outlined her preferences for override options, including a lower-cost “restore” option to return to familiar service levels, a mid-tier “stabilize” option including maintenance funding and stabilization fund replenishment, and a top-tier option including annual capital planning and service improvements.
Moses Grader agreed with providing multiple override options but expressed reservations about committing to Scenario B, concerned that the trash fee might impact residents’ willingness to support proposed overrides. He suggested keeping both scenarios as options for town meeting consideration.
Alec Goolsby announced that the Finance Committee had scheduled a Saturday meeting on March 28th for departments to present their budgets for the committee’s recommendation vote, noting the Finance Committee’s independent role as auditors for town meeting. A speaker confirmed that Scenario A remained a possibility and asked about the timeline for presenting three override scenarios, with Fox confirming this would occur at the following Wednesday’s meeting. Fox announced a 10-minute break, noting that people were welcome to leave if they did not wish to stay for the remainder of the meeting.
Liquor License Revocation Public Hearing Continuation (Link: 01:55:00 – 02:00:00)
Dan Fox reopened the continuation of the public hearing on the revocation of the liquor license at 1 Atlantic Avenue. Mr. Lewis presented a document with signatures showing that most departments had signed off on the requirements for the liquor license to be released to him. Lewis reported that he had been unable to track down the final two people needed for signatures that day, identifying the remaining sign-offs needed as fire prevention and water and sewer departments. He confirmed that building, health, electrical, and plumbing departments had all provided their approvals.
Fox acknowledged the good progress and credited D&D Construction for completing the work during challenging times. He suggested that the remaining fire prevention and water and sewer sign-offs appeared to be clerical matters at this point, with the major thresholds having been met. Fox recommended continuing the public hearing to the first meeting in April, noting that Lewis could still open the establishment before then if he obtained the final signatures.
A discussion ensued about the proper procedure, with a speaker suggesting they could close the hearing and award the license pending final signatures. Fox expressed concern about having to reopen and repost public notices if they closed the hearing prematurely. Another speaker clarified that once Lewis obtained all signatures, the license could be released and they would return to close the public hearing.
Fox explained that the hearing was about revoking the license, and that obtaining the final sign-offs would not prevent Lewis from opening the establishment. He recommended that Lewis get the remaining sign-offs, after which he could open, and then return to the first April meeting to close the public hearing. Fox noted that hopefully the only future contact would be Lewis stopping by for wine and cheese as a customer.
Fox called for a motion to continue the public hearing to April 8th at 7 PM. The motion was made and seconded. A roll call vote was conducted with Erin Noonan, James Zisson, and Fox all voting in favor. Fox congratulated Lewis on the good work and progress made.
Municipal Energy Reduction Plan Adoption (Link: 02:00:00 – 02:06:00)
Dan Fox introduced agenda item four, the Municipal Energy Reduction Plan, and called Logan Casey, the town’s sustainability coordinator, to present.
Logan Casey explained that he was returning to the Select Board to discuss the municipal energy reduction plan, which he had initially presented in November. Casey provided an overview of the plan, which included a comprehensive energy audit of 25 energy-intensive municipal buildings totaling 28 facilities covering over 100,000 square feet. The plan created recommendations for energy reduction strategies and implementation methods with the goal of saving energy used to heat and cool buildings, ultimately reducing long-term utility costs. Casey noted the plan included both short-term one to three year solutions and longer-term five to ten year solutions.
Casey explained that the project originated from a Green Communities program through the Department of Energy Resources, with becoming a green community listed as a goal in Marblehead’s net zero by 2040 action plan. The town worked with Power Options consultants to develop the plan, which exceeded the minimum required 20% energy reduction over five years, instead proposing projects that could reduce total municipal energy use by approximately 45% annually if fully implemented. Casey noted that the final plan contained only minor grammatical and mathematical corrections from the version previously presented to the board.
Casey requested that the Select Board adopt the plan, explaining this would be the final step needed for the town to apply to become a green community. He mentioned that because Marblehead has a municipal light plant, the light department would also need to adopt a renewable energy charge as a separate action, but clarified this was not part of the current vote.
Fox praised Casey’s work on the plan, calling it impressive and stating it would be a great document and policy to move forward with regardless of whether the municipal light board adopted the fee increase. Fox noted he would not recommend the light board adopt the fee until the town became compliant with 3A requirements, but emphasized that the energy reduction plan itself was valuable. He observed that the plan’s recommendations appeared economically feasible and included common-sense measures like programmable thermostats that homeowners might implement.
James Zisson agreed with Fox’s assessment, noting the plan focused on economically feasible energy efficiency measures and cost-saving strategies. He emphasized that decisions about electric light department fees were outside the Select Board’s purview, referencing lessons learned during charter committee work that residents did not want the Select Board directing the electric light department.
Moses Grader expressed support for the plan, agreeing with Zisson that finding energy efficiencies and cost cuts that are economically feasible and justifiable was beneficial. He congratulated Casey on the work.
Fox called for a motion to approve the municipal energy reduction plan as presented. The motion was made and seconded. A roll call vote was conducted with Erin Noonan, Grader, Alexa Singer, Zisson, and Fox all voting in favor. Fox thanked Casey for his work and suggested postponing the town administrator update to the following week’s meeting.
Donations and Proclamations (Link: 02:06:00 – 02:12:00)
Dan Fox moved to agenda item six regarding donations to the town. He announced that the Marblehead Mariners had submitted a $5,000 donation to the Marblehead Council on Aging, specifically to sponsor the pergola section of the bocce court at what appeared to be a park facility.
A representative from the Mariners explained that the architect and company who designed the park had made a presentation about naming rights at an open meeting. Andrew Gillis, who serves on their board, attended the meeting and supported the idea of using the donation money in a special account for park maintenance. Fox called for a motion to accept the $5,000 gift from the American Mariners to be used by the Council on Aging. The motion was made, seconded, and approved unanimously by roll call vote with Moses Grader, Erin Noonan, Alexa Singer, James Zisson, and Fox all voting in favor.
Fox then introduced a donation from Connections Program Inc. A speaker explained that Grader had been present for their program, which supports affordable housing. The organization had been operating for 25 years but was closing down and splitting their remaining balance between recipients, donating $1,000 to the town’s affordable housing trust fund. Fox thanked Lou and his group for the donation and called for a motion to accept the $1,000 gift from Connections Program Inc. to be deposited in the affordable housing account. The motion was approved unanimously by roll call vote.
Fox introduced a proclamation request from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to support JJ’s wish. He read details about JJ Jackson, a 4-year-old who wishes to be a superhero and is obsessed with Spider-Man. Fox explained that JJ wears superhero shirts during hospital treatments to give him strength while fighting his critical illness. The wish involved creating a superhero rescue mission for JJ with his own alter ego “Super JJ,” including a scavenger hunt around town where he would solve crimes at different local businesses, stop robberies, and help kidnap victims escape. The event was planned for March 29th with training days beforehand, and local businesses were being asked to serve as key locations for the crime-solving superhero day. Fox called for a motion to declare March 29th, 2026 as Superhero Day in the town of Marblehead in honor of Super JJ in partnership with local businesses and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The motion was approved unanimously by roll call vote, with Fox commenting that the vote was “very superhero” of the board members.
Reserve Fund Transfer and Administrative Items (Link: 02:12:00 – 02:22:00)
A speaker explained a reserve fund transfer request in anticipation of town meeting to improve both audio and visual equipment for the large room. The speaker noted they had done a good job the previous year on short notice, but this year they were planning ahead since they would be using the field house. The expense was not anticipated when building the previous year’s budget, so they were requesting a transfer from the reserve fund through the Finance Committee.
Dan Fox confirmed the request was coming through the Finance Committee and asked whether it was for both screen and audio equipment. The speaker confirmed it included audio equipment to improve sound quality and a better screen, noting these were the same systems the schools use for graduation, coordinated with the school department. Fox asked about other open issues with town meeting and use of the field house, and the speaker confirmed there were no other issues and they had more time to plan ahead with school coordination.
Fox called for a motion to authorize the town clerk to appear before the Finance Committee to request transfer of $53,460 from the reserve fund in accordance with Chapter 40, Section 6 of Massachusetts General Laws. The motion was approved unanimously by roll call vote with James Zisson, Moses Grader, Erin Noonan, and Fox all voting in favor.
Fox moved to consent agenda items, calling for a motion to approve meeting minutes from January 8, February 9, and February 11, 2026, along with approval for the Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA Hill to Harbor 5K and 10K Road Race on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM, subject to usual rules, regulations, fees, and approvals from fire and police. The consent agenda also included the Abbott Hall Marblehead Festival of Arts on Friday, May 29, 2026, and declaring one desk chair at Abbott Hall as surplus property no longer needed for municipal purposes. The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
Fox presented a request from Teresa Collins at 292 Pleasant Street for a proclamation for the 2026 Motorcycle Safety Awareness Period running from March 22 to April 30. He noted that 2026 had only 310 registered motorcycles in Marblehead, down from 315 the previous year, and the proclamation would benefit resident bikers, riders, and owners. The motion to prepare the proclamation was approved unanimously.
Thatcher Keezer explained two contracts: fire department software for fire and life safety compliance, with costs borne by the businesses being tested, and a license agreement for water-based recreational activities at Riverhead Beach where the vendor would pay the town. Both contracts were approved unanimously, with Fox authorizing the chair to sign on behalf of the board.
Maggie, a town employee, presented change order number three for the Village Street bridge contract. She explained the change was due to additional alignments needed for the pedestrian access trail ramp from Village Street down to the trail itself, addressing site constraints including utility services and an adjacent water and sewer commission yard. The design required specific slope requirements of 8% with level landings every 50 to 100 feet, leading to a smoother alignment rather than a zigzag trail. The change order cost $55,000, with funding already approved through Chapter 90. The change order between the town and Greenman Peterson for bridge replacement was approved unanimously, extending the contract performance date to September 31, 2026.
Fox called for approval of several one-day liquor licenses: Pratorium Presents at Abbott Hall on November 14, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM for beer and wine only; Temple Emanuel on April 30, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM; and Marblehead Art Festival of Arts at Abbott Hall on May 29 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for beer and wine only. All licenses were subject to standard conditions including $50 fees, proof of authorized alcohol purchase sources, proper delivery and storage procedures, liquor liability insurance for Abbott Hall events, no overnight alcohol storage, and purchases from specified distributors including Craft Seaboard, Merrimack Valley, Cappy’s Importing and Distributing Company, Arnetti, and Bentwater Brewing. The licenses were approved unanimously.
Fox asked for Select Board announcements, received none, and called for a motion to adjourn. The motion was approved unanimously by roll call vote, with Fox thanking everyone for attending and wishing them a good night.
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