I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I'll make the motion to open the meeting.
>> All in favor? Hi. Hi. >> Hi. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Is there anyone here tonight who wants to talk under system concerns public comment?
Seeing no one, I'm not going to I'm not going to read that uh that literature. Remarks from from me tonight. Remarks from the chair. Uh before we do much of anything, um I just want everyone to join me in a moment of silence. Alba
Gulto passed away in the fall and she was on the um board of health for more than 20 years. Okay. And um she was also a very active participant in the Council on Aging and um I probably should have
done this months ago, but I forgot. So, let's just have a moment of silence. >> Okay. Thank you, Ela. Rest in peace. >> I wonder if she got a window in heaven. >> She She would sit in that window at her house and there many times I'd stop the
car just to go and talk to her. And uh I mean she has an Italian background and I would speak to her in Italian. >> Wow. >> And and uh it was uh she appreciated it. >> Bill, I think it's always good when people tell stories after you're gone.
You know, when you live the kind of life that engenders stories, it's good. >> It is good, Jeff. It is good. >> Good or bad? What the hell? >> Yeah, I know. I know. Okay. Also, um Patty's not here tonight, but but uh our
chief police uh was was uh appointed to the Essex County Chiefs of Police Association as secretary. They had a ceremony, I think, at uh in uh in in Aimsbury at the Misa restaurant. So, um
that's a good thing. We we uh appreciate the fact that she's stepping forward and and doing that. It's good. It's good for us and it's good for for Patty as well. >> Awesome. >> Um, other remarks. I just want everyone to know that uh
I'll be passing out tonight literature about hybrid meetings and we actually have our first hybrid meeting scheduled for January 31st, Saturday. We're going to have a meeting at 10:00 in the morning. It's an open
meeting with the ad hoc committee for the Council on Aging to um essentially the agenda item and I'll read it to you. It was posted the meeting was posted today. Discuss the findings of the Newbury Council on Aging space needs assessment and site evaluation and
recommendation. Public attendance and Zoom participation is strongly encouraged. So, this is a great opportunity for anyone who did not go to any of the open meetings that Damon's ad hoc committee had, okay, to catch up
with what's going on, with what they did, how they did it. They can offer their comments, their suggestions, their criticisms, whatever they would like to do. But it'll be an open meeting. Um, and and uh 10:00 it'll be held in the Council on
Aging downstairs to accommodate hopefully a lot of people. What's the date again, Bill? >> 31st. Saturday, January 31st. >> So, I'll talk about I talked about it tonight. We'll talk about it at the next select board meeting. It's the the agenda's already been posted today. Joy
posted it today. So, there's a couple of weeks to let people know about it. If anyone wants a copy of that report, the Council on Aging has copies of it. The library has copies of it. We have copies of it up here. And if anyone from the public wants to come in and get that,
they can do that. Or they can go to the town website. It's posted on the town page. It's also posted on the council on aging page. So the information is available to whoever has the initiative to get it. Okay.
And I think yeah, I feel obligated to just talk about um the bifil station. Um, we are still under contract negotiations, although we haven't met for a month.
Okay. Uh, it's an information in the public domain. Uh we were told in the summertime that in order to stay keep our presence at that fire station um after the contract expired, we would
have to pay $7,500 a month, which is what we have been paying, $7,500 a month. If you multiply that by 12, it's $90,000. Information is in the public domain. You can find those checks on our town website.
Clearov last year for the lease we paid $70,000 $20,000 more. That's a 29% increase more than last year. If you remember at the
annual town meeting, I think the voters appropriated 72,250 I think or 72,500. >> We accounted for a 3% increase. >> Okay. So, we did not appropriate $90,000 for it, but that money will be paid.
We'll find a way to pay that because everyone sitting at this table knows we need that fire station. I need it. You need it. Everybody needs it. Okay. So, nothing has changed with the
coverage provided by the fire department in terms of the Biffill Fire Station. Chief Evans is running it the way he has when it was under lease. Okay. >> So, the lease is not signed. >> No, we don't have a signed lease. No, still in the negotiation. Um,
that's all I can say about it. It would not be ethical on my part to say anything that we were discussing as part of the contract negotiations. If you've read about some stuff on social media, I'm not sure where those sources get the
information from, but it's not coming from the town. And um, that's the situation. I just want you to know that um that information is in the public domain, nothing to do with negotiations. And as I said, the coverage has been the
same. They're doing a great job as they always do. That is it. Grants, gifts, and donations. Um the first one is acceptance on behalf of the new Council
on Aging $300 from Jim and Helen Carrian. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I opposed. No one. Second. Acceptance on
behalf of the New Council on aging of $300 from Lucy Perez. Lucy is the mother of Helen Carrian. Helen and Jim Carrian and Lucy Perez are all members of the friends of the Newbury Council on Aging and the very active participants in the
Council on Aging. So I'll need a motion for that donation. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none. Passes.
Next is acceptance on behalf of the new Council on Aging of $3,149.99 from Michael and Ellen Manning of Asbestous Identification Laboratory. >> Motion to accept >> second and this is a
>> Any discussion? >> Yes. to let everybody understand that this is a a donation that's been given for a specific reason. Can only be used for a specific >> That's exactly right. It's forut
quanet hut to to protect the uh council on aging van. They don't have to worry about snow accumulating on the roof and to keep it protected and to keep it in good shape. >> And so this is a it it won't sit on a foundation. And it'll just be a
it won't be a permanent type of >> No, no. It's like it's like a it's like a quanet hut, but it's sort of like a tent. >> Sort of like a tent. >> It's a frame. >> It's around a frame. >> Tent material. >> Exactly. >> And Kelly's already signed off on this.
We've received their permission. >> It's really secured to the ground. >> Yeah. DPW is going to install it. in that area where where the van is parked is be will be kept clear of uh snow removal equipment and whatever else the landlord
>> had parked there before he's in agreement to do that >> and that was a very generous donation by by those folks. >> Yes. >> I was wondering why it was such a interesting amount.
>> Exact exact exact change. So did we vote on that? No. >> No. We had discussion. >> Motion to accept. Yeah. Second. >> All those in any any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I >> I. >> Anyone opposed? Hearing none. Passes.
Acceptance on behalf of the Newbury Council on Aging of $1,000 from David and Sharon Brol. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. >> Any discussion? David is the chair of the recreation
committee. That's another very generous donation. All those in favor? >> Yes. >> I. Anyone opposed? Hearing none. It passes. Acceptance on behalf of the Newbury
Police Department of $2,500 from Christopher Garish. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. >> Okay. For discussion, let's just take a look at the details. Chief Fisher supplied a letter that
said, "Request to accept unsolicited private donation to the police department gifts fund account of $2,500. I respectfully request you accept an unsolicited private donation from resident Christopher Garish in the sum of $2,500. On Tuesday, December 23rd,
2025, Mr. Garish and his family arrived at the Newbury Police Department and provided me with an unsolicited donation with the attached card. Provided him with the attached thank you letter sent. If accepted, the donation will be the donation will be deposited into the Newbury Police Department on specified
gift funds account to be spent in accordance with Massachusetts general laws and in compliance with the policies and procedures of the town of Newbury. And I think he had a note that said Newbury Police Department, wishing you a happy holiday. Sincere thanks and
appreciation for all you do. Chris Garish and family Newbury. So we have a motion second. All those in favor of accepting the donation I >> I.
>> Anyone opposed? No. Hearing none passes. Uh last one. Acceptance on behalf of Newbury Police Department, $250 from Allen and Tracy Lamport. >> Motion to accept. >> Second.
>> Any discussion? Hearing none. I think uh I don't think there was a letter of explanation for that. All those in favor? >> I >> I. >> Anyone opposed? Hearing none, it passes.
New business proposal by the zoning board of appeals chair Eric Swan to increase the size of the board to five members. So let's have a motion and a second and then we'll have discussion and Eric can
tell us all about it. >> Motion to hear from the zoning board zoning board of appeals chair to increase the size of the board to five members. Eric Swan. Second. >> Okay. Eric,
>> good evening. Thanks for being here. >> All right. Uh, I have a little hand out, but first I'll get my spiel so you don't get carried away looking at numbers before I do my talk. Um, we're three members. It takes a unanimous vote. Um, we cannot have discussion outside of the
meetings. Um, Oldtown, um, by field, pretty straightforward. Plum Island, it's something new every single time. So, we run across interesting, um,
applications and hearings and to try to help the residents. We are very helpful. We're very, uh, considerate. Um but we have to have the discussion and we have to have the understanding amongst us in the public meeting and
sometimes that gets a little cumbersome and dragged out. Um, it's not that we're we're thinking of anything, but it certainly would help us if if we had more members to be more efficient and to be able to
to help ourselves better understand uh the bylaws so that we can better help the residents of the town. So with that with the understanding is that our bylaws um are written so that we can have three members and two
associate members and the state chapter 40 um allows or yes lists that you can have five members with uh up to five associate members. So for a little
>> homework, >> you're looking for uh >> five >> people that can vote >> when so the five member board they'll be all voting. >> If we go to a five member board then we need a majority and so we need four
votes to pass out of the five. So, just so the public will know, with only three people on the board, if Eric tries to have a conversation with another voting member of the board, >> that's considered a deliberation and it's a violation of the open meeting law.
>> Correct. It's very difficult. There's you'd be violating the open meeting law to have that discussion and that discussion is needed to be to you have to have it to to be able to resolve some issues and to clarify stuff. So, so we
do not talk except for the rare maybe are you hopefully you're showing up tonight because you didn't say yes. So, can I just make sure you're going to show up kind of thing. Everything goes through our administrator. Or if I have a discussion with town council, then the discussion is between town council and
myself and it's not shared unless town council actually publishes something. And depending on what the discussion is, um, if I take notes in my notebook for having a discussion on the phone with town council, those are my private notes and those are not public notes to be
distributed. If town council writes a memo and we get it, then it gets distributed and it becomes part of public record and we we can hand that out. But if we have a situation where we need town council to help us and there
is something is explained then it has to be reexplained to the board members at the same time that explains to the public and and that can get seemingly confusing to the public and thinking like we don't know what we're doing but we're we're working through the issue.
So, uh, you know, in looking through the towns and looking through Essex County and looking at the size of towns and looking at the the, you know, the members and the alternates, um, you know, we would like five members and at least two alternates.
>> Eric, I'm I'm sorry. What did you say about the Mass General law in terms of membership for CBA? Uh, Under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 48, section 12, municipalities are authorized to establish a zoning board
of appeals consisting of three or five members with up to five associate members. The statute allows towns flexibility to determine the size of their ZBA to meet local needs and to ensure an effective administration of zoning matters.
The Dubberry bylaw 9 section 97-11 number one currently establishes a zoning board of appeals composed of three members and two associates. >> Okay. I guess I I'm asking because um if this passes here tonight, it'll have
to appear at annual town meeting. >> Correct. >> Because the Massachusetts general law allows three or five. Does it have to go to to to um the attorney general's office uh after annual town meeting or is it >> I don't believe that goes to >> we just change our bylaw.
>> Okay. Okay. I just want to understand the process. Okay. Any discussion? Any questions for Eric? So we're so so the motion is to uh increase the size of the board to five members and
>> two associates. >> Two associates promise. >> Chair the existing motion is to hear from the ZBA. So we'll need a new motion. >> Let's have a let's have a a a motion. >> Make the motion bill. >> Uh make the motion that the zoning board
of appeals increase in size from three to five members with two voting members. Uh, two non- voting two associate members. >> Two associate. >> I second. >> Any discussion on that?
>> We have another member of the CDA here that if you'd like to hear their opinion of as to whether it's helpful or not. >> Sure. >> Seems like we already scored. >> Well, I'll just give you my name's Mary Arnavali. I'm also on the on the ZBA. And uh just from a different perspective, you know, having a five
member board would have a broader perspective uh with additional people uh better discussion and also just a more balanced decision-m process. And from a practically speaking, you know, it's a if someone's ill, we have to cancel the meeting. >> That's right.
>> You know, and and so this would really help the meetings, you know, follow throughout the year. We wouldn't cancel meetings. And uh I think also in expanding the board, it increases transparency um and reduces legal risk too. I think when you have five people on the board and I think it also struck
uh strengthens public confidence when you have five people >> be prepared to give that speech at the annual town meeting if needed. Thank you for stepping up and saying that. >> Okay, so we have the motion. It was uh seconded.
>> Any just further discussion about this motion? All those in favor? I >> I. >> Any opposed? No. >> Passes. Thanks, Eric. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for being here. >> Your time. >> Thanks.
>> Okay. Review and approve 2026 business license renewals, animal care. >> Hamela Dy doing business as the Beach Dog Daycare at 96. How many do we have? Can I can I entertain a motion to to
read all of these and we can mark on anyone that we might have a problem with and read them all and you should vote on. >> Thank you, Jeff. All in favor of that. >> Yes. >> Hi. Yes. Okay. Animal care. Pamela Dar
doing business as the beach dog daycare at 96 Newbury turn newport turnpike auto/marine. Randall Boryan, trustee doing business as Old Newry Boat Company at 84 Newport
Turnpike. Common Bitler Jay Lee Anne Lee doing business as Love Green LLC at 2 Northern Boulevard. Common Bitler/In Ryan and Brendan Guthrie doing business as Blue The on the Beach at 20 Forom
Way. Crafts and Gifts. Waldo Evan Jesperson doing business as Jesperson Studios at 7 Marsh Meadow Lane. General Business Alicia and Brenda Catalano doing business music with Alicia at 89
Handover Street, unit number one. General Business Sharon Pearson doing business as Pearson Hardware at 6A Fruit Street. General Business/automotive subject to the restrictions and conditions of the
special permit issued on February 26, 2086 and the variance issued on 111794 by the Newbury zoning board of appeals for the property at 24 middle road. Michael Morris doing business as
Schnella BMW Performance at 26 Middle Road unit one. general business coach/conultant. Alana Matsis Dunn doing business as Flipping Out Enterprises at 109 High
Road. Parking lot Steven Mullen doing business as Surfside Parking at 34 Plum Island Boulevard. Parking lot 11 form way parenthesis u01-0-26 parenthesis Ryan and Brandon Guthrie
doing business blue the in on the beach at 24 way parking lot 77 Southern Boulevard U01-0-41 Ryan and Brandon Guthrie doing business as blue the in on the beach at 24m
way tattoo shop. Tessa Jan doing business as Jan Brink at 65 Newport Turnpike used car dealers license class 2. Brand Randall Bandorian trustee of offshore
concepts conservation trust doing business as number one auto/marine at 8. Wait a sec. Is that >> that's all merged one? It's all one entry there, Joy. >> Yes. >> Okay. Sorry. >> Yep. >> Doing business as number one Auto/Marina
at 84 Newport Turnpike. >> Okay. So, I need a motion to Did anyone object to any one of these? >> We need a motion to >> motion to approve. >> Second.
>> Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? I >> I >> passes. And now the town administrator report. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, wanted to let you know that the assistant town clerk position has been filled. Jacqueline
Thistlewood will be starting in the office on January 26. So, if you're available and in the building, welcome, you know, welcome her to the team. Um, she has previous experience working for the executive office of education in
lots of different HR roles and benefit roles. So, we're excited to have her joining our team. The um I had a visit today from Tim Lamprey, our tree warden, and he let us know that he will likely
not be seeking reelection this spring. He has served as our tree warden for over 10 years now and has done an amazing job. >> Um so, that that will be open on the May ballot. the we recently held a public auction.
You declared surplus. You did a whole bunch of surplus declarations for some equipment. We had a 2007 sweeper which we thought had no value. We received $5,200 for it. >> A 2010 Freight Liner. We received over
$27,000 for a 2009 John Deere loader. Um, we received over 50,000 and a 1996 trailer brought in over $1,400. So, that was
we've we've done much better um surplusing them at the auction than when we did them ourselves. >> Get significantly more money. the annual town meeting budget calendar with your vote um to hold the town meeting on Tuesday, May 5th at 7 p.m. at
the Triton Auditorium. Working uh backwards, we're going to be requesting that all special articles be uh turned into the office no later than February 3rd. Um there will be some exceptions as you know from being on the
planning board. We ask them to put placeholders and they do they have to have some public hearings and they'll fine-tune the language right up until you know a couple of weeks before the town meeting. >> Um but we'll know what the what the
substance is of the articles. Um Joyce Stanton has obtained her MCPPPO designation um demonstrating her commitment to excellence in public procurement. We now have three people in the town offices that have completed
that coursework. So, congratulations, Joy. >> Congratulations, Joy. Congratulations. >> Yeah, local aid payments are expected early this month as the Commonwealth is transitioning to a new system. So, that's good news. Um, and DPW is still
looking for flow drivers. So, um, anyone interested should call their office. That's all I have tonight. >> Okay. Thanks, Tracy. Mhm. >> The only correspondence was community choice power supply program the quarterly report through September 2025.
Um there's a lot of uh graphs and statistics but I think the bottom line that I got from it was that um from from
April 2025 to September for residential people in April. The basic service rate was 1467 and the aggregate rate was 12810.
That saved all those people that chose that rate to save $21,68. In September, that rate, the basic service rate was.15484. The aggregate rate was the same.12810 and the savings in September was
$30,472. So for those months, April through September, the total savings was $183,44 which which is pretty pretty good. That was correspondence
meeting updates. If I could just um ask Tracy probably has the answer to this. When will we be receiving what the actual rate is for the u the breakdown just
I noticed that there was a you >> significant national grids. Um well um no the uh is it already >> the aggregate rate didn't didn't we say at a previous meeting that that rate was
like this current rate of 0.128 whatever it is would be in effect until >> October >> October October of 2026 >> and um and we also said that uh national grid had posted their proposed rate but
it isn't official yet um and that information I believe is on the website as well under the community power >> including these reports. >> Thank you. >> Good, good question. Very good question. Jeff, any meeting updates?
>> Leslie, >> yes. went to a lovely uh suare on Friday evening down um at um Proou to recognize the um Wall-E, our deputy fire chief, and
all of his hard and dedicated years that he's given to the town of Newbury. >> Yeah, I was I was You all set? >> I was in attendance there, too. And I I got a chance to give uh Wall-Ally the citation from the select board. And I
also u took the occasion to um tell everyone there that uh the town really appreciates all the firefighters and EMTs. Everyone who was at that hall that night with what they do to protect the town. I also cited Wallally's wife
Mindy has also served the community by leading boy scout troops by doing RETs across America by doing flags uh memorial day for this for the cemeteries and in fact um I think Wally Wall-Ally Jr. was u master of ceremonies at Reese
across America at Bfield Community Arts Center. So I said their whole family has done a lot in terms of service for the community and I thought it was important to say that at the time. Uh before that I went to um
regional agreement um change committee at Whittier NECC. So that's has we now have a chairman for that is Angus Jennings from West Ly. the the uh co-chair is not the co-chair, the
u vice chair is is uh Mayor Barrett from Haveril. Uh there's an open position for the secretary that no one's nominating themselves for. And um so we're underway and and uh in fact I think today we got uh Angus sent out or they intend to send
out the balance of uh seven different regional agreements to try to look at all of them in terms of good things and not so good things that we can garner and use and maybe adopt and change the the wittier agreement too in the future.
So um the work is the the hard work is going to happen right now. I mean we probably have a year to do it but um if that region that regional agreement has to be changed otherwise this whole project will not be
approved by MSBA. Okay. Um and the next meeting is next no February 4th. February 4th. And that's it for meeting updates. Review and approve the meeting minutes.
Can I have a motion? Motion and approve the meeting minutes of 1223 2025. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? I. >> I.
>> Any opposed? Hearing none. That passes. >> Leslie, were you in favor? >> Uh, yes. Thank you. Sorry. >> Um, warrants. Could I have a motion to approve the warrants? Approve signing of
the warrants. signs the warrants. >> Second. >> Any discussion on warrants? Hearing none. All in favor? I. Anyone opposed to signing the warrants? Hearing none. >> I'm sorry, I didn't see any hands.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. Uh, next is executive session. So, I will make the motion. I move pursuant to GLC 30A section 21A2 that the board enter into executive
session to conduct contract negotiations with non-union personnel, namely the deputy police chief and the fire and the fire chief. >> No, no, >> no, not the fire chief. >> My apologies. Just the deputy police chief. >> This meeting will not reconvene
at the conclusion of the executive session. >> Second. Any discussion hearing? Hearing none. All in favor of going into executive session. I >> do. We need roll call to go into
executive session. >> Jeff Jeff Walker, roll call vote for yes. >> Lesley Matthews. Yes. >> Bill De. Yes. Thank you for fetching. >> What was it?