Select Board — June 17, 2026

Member Trask noted that his comments regarding a tour of Essex Tech were incorrectly attributed to another member. He also noted that none of his actual comments were listed.

The board decided to table the approval of the minutes to allow for corrections.

The minutes will be corrected and presented for approval at the next meeting.

David McKenna detailed plans for reading the Declaration of Independence on July 4th at the library and a special display of original documents at the archival center. He also mentioned a reenactment in Gloucester and future events involving the Danvers Alarmists.

The board received the update and clarified event times and locations.

Information will be posted on the Historical Society's webpage and town social media pages.

The Board discussed three main takeaways from the retreat: forming a subcommittee for procedural rules, assessing the fiscal landscape, and enhancing communication. Member Trask emphasized the need to codify rules to assist new members and inform the public, while others cautioned against 'boiling the ocean' by trying to solve every scenario at once.

The Board reached a consensus to move forward with the subcommittee approach but to do so incrementally, focusing on specific topics rather than an exhaustive manual.

The Town Manager will provide examples of a prepared agenda and other rules for the subcommittee to review; the subcommittee will be appointed at the next meeting.

The letter addressed concerns regarding unsafe e-bike operation, disorderly conduct, and racist/anti-Semitic graffiti. It emphasized a coordinated response between police, schools, and families, noting that enforcement alone is insufficient and requires community-wide accountability.

The Town Manager read the letter into the record, noting it would be released to the community on June 18th.

The Police Department will increase enforcement and proactive patrols; town officials will continue collaborative monitoring of trends.

The Town Manager reported on upcoming improvements to Pope's Landing (curbs, ramps, and floats), ongoing downtown pedestrian safety work on Elm, High, Maple, and Conant Streets, and the completion of Holton Street drainage paving.

Information was shared to manage public expectations regarding construction and project timelines.

Holton Street paving is scheduled for Monday, June 22nd; additional Pope's Landing improvements are expected in the fall.

The town has applied for various grants: a one-stop economic development grant (including dredging funding), phase two of the Endicott Street visioning project, and several police grants (jail diversion, traffic safety, and State 911).

The Board was updated on the proactive efforts to secure external funding for municipal projects.

The applicant described a bakery focused on custom cakes, pastries, and coffee with a maximum of 16 seats and no table service. Board members questioned the seating arrangement and requested a diagram.

The application was accepted with the stipulation that a seating diagram be provided for the record.

The applicant requested permission to serve beer to participants of a bass and bluefish tournament on June 20, 2026. Concerns were raised regarding the timing of service relative to participants being off the water and the short notice of the application.

The application was approved as presented.

The contractor requested an extension for sidewalk occupation due to a work stop order. Board members expressed extreme frustration with the lack of progress, the absence of the applicant at the meeting, and discrepancies in the requested end dates. The Building Commissioner noted that the site is not ready for inspection and mentioned that removing scaffolding could pose safety risks or trigger a work stoppage.

The board declined to grant an extension at this time.

The applicant must return on July 14th with detailed information regarding their timeline and plans.

The applicant stated that operations remain unchanged and that they have complied with previous requests, including monitoring sound levels and no live music. The board noted the lack of neighbor complaints.

The license was approved, and the board agreed to move future renewals to the consent calendar, provided there are no changes or complaints.

The DHA is transitioning from Section 9 to the more stable Section 8 platform via the RAD program. The agreement clarifies the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) structure. Board members questioned a clause regarding the town's inability to place a lien on assets if payments are missed.

The agreement was accepted, with a note to correct a formatting/numbering error.

The document will be reformatted and signed by board members at their earliest convenience.

The Town Manager presented a memo summarizing the workshop, which included six guiding questions and three primary action items: forming a procedural subcommittee, assessing the fiscal landscape, and enhancing communication/education.

The board reviewed the memo and provided feedback on the workshop's fruitfulness.