Essex Board of Selectmen Meeting | November 2, 2026

The Essex Board of Selectmen meeting on November 2, 2026 included approval of the town meeting warrant and discussion of several proposed spending items. Public Works warrant articles included $175,000 to replace water-treatment carbon media, proposed to be funded from the PFAS litigation fund; $60,000 for water and sewer rate studies, which the Finance Committee questioned timing because the town has an interim superintendent; $15,000 for a water-plant generator radiator replacement; and an unpaid snow-removal bill of about $30,000. The board also discussed long-term water and sewer infrastructure needs, potential grants and earmarks, and the $26 million Gloucester secondary-treatment project. Community Preservation funding was discussed for Centennial Grove erosion control, with a possible full design, permitting, and construction project estimated at about $178,000; rail-trail proposals will receive further consideration. The town has also received a Resilient Coast technical-assistance grant with regional partners. The board approved a motion to dispose of the Harbor Master boat and two trailers in exchange for an $8,000 credit for fuel and marina services from Perkins Marina. It approved an engagement letter with Roselli Clark and Associates for auditing services and established a five-person screening committee for the full-time fire chief recruitment. The warrant amount was garbled in the transcript, so it is not stated here.

Other procurement and policy-related business included reporting that OpenGov work-order and asset-management software has been purchased and is being configured, with training and implementation anticipated before the vendor’s April 2027 handoff target. The board voted to begin Comcast license-renewal proceedings as part of a joint negotiation with neighboring communities; negotiations and a public hearing are still forthcoming. It also authorized signatures on regional emergency-planning documents after legal review. The board discussed, but did not finalize, a policy for advertising signs at public ball fields and a proposed addition of the Essex River Cultural District festival to the town-event budget. Routine event and license requests were approved, including a fee waiver for the ALS event. No final town-meeting appropriation votes on the discussed warrant articles occurred at this meeting.