WILMINGTON, MA — The Wilmington Select Board met on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 7pm in the Hearing Room at Town Hall. All members were present.
After the pledge of allegiance, approval of warrants and approval of meeting minutes, the Select Board held a public hearing to consider requests of Verizon and Reading Municipal Light Department to relocate four poles on Salem Street due to a planned widening of the roadway. The Board ultimately decided to continue the hearing until its next meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026 after several abutters raised concerns and board members requested additional information.
The Board then held a similar public hearing to consider the requests of Verizon and Reading Municipal Light Department to relocate one pole on Gowing Road to accommodate the construction of five new houses. The Board unanimously approved the request.
The Board then held a public hearing on the town’s Alcohol License Rules and Regulations. At the heart of the discussion was Select Board Chair Kevin Caira’s desire to reconsider the board’s recent decision to increase All Alcohol license fees from $250 to $1,000 for clubs in town, like the Knights of Columbus and Shriners. Select Board member Jake Gearwar, who serves on the Economic Development Committee, noted the fee hadn’t been changed since the 1970s and remains “well below market,” arguing 95% of other towns studied had a higher fee for clubs. The $1,000 fee for clubs represents a significant discount to the $2,500 fee for function halls. Select Board members DePalma and Maselli agreed with Gearwar, while West agreed with Caira, noting these clubs help the community a great deal. West made a motion to decrease the club fee from $1,000 to $5,00, but there was no second. Caira was also interested in raising the package store license fee from $2,250 to $2,500, while West wanted to lower it from $2,250 to $2,000.
After much the discussion, the Board ended up adopting the Fee Schedule as presented, without any changes that Caira or West had suggested. The Board also amended the alcohol rules and regulations to separate the Fee Schedule from the rules and regulations.
Mike McCoy, owner of Michael’s Place and former Select Board member, spoke during the hearing and noted he would like to see alcohol sale hours expand to cover breakfast hours. “Grandma might want to a Bloody Mary. Mama might want a Mimosa,” joked McCoy. Economic Development Committee Chair Joe Maselli indicated his Committee will discuss the matter at a future meeting.
The Town Manager then updated the Board on the results of the town’s recent Request For Information — an opportunity for non-Town entities to propose a plan for rehabilitation and use of the Buzzell Senior Center.
The Manager’s memo read, in part:
In the deadline to respond, the Town only received a single RFI submission, from [Wilmington Community Television]. WCTV proposed a use of the structure where the financial responsibility for the building rehabilitation, ADA and other code compliance, and utilities lay with the Town. WCTV would be responsible for technology infrastructure and interior fitout for their use. The use proposed was a long-term partnership between the Town and WCTV to use the Buzzell as a Community Media and Education Center, operated by WCTV. WCTV would use a portion of the structure for studios and production areas, with offices, and have classroom and training space available for community use.
The challenges with the WCTV proposal were identified as the following: (1) Significant financial responsibility on the Town, not consistent with the RFI; (2) Daytime parking needs, also inconsistent with the RFI, which noted the requirement for daytime parking in the adjacent lot for Town Hall use; and (3) Proposal includes no financial consideration for a lease, only in-kind or service based, presumably via an MOA between WCTV and the Town.
The Town Manager then shared a memo from Recreation Director Brett Sawin, announcing that Wilmington has received a 2026 SMILE Mass Floating Beach Wheelchair Grant. A ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the chair will be held at the beach later this month. Sawin thanked Susanne Clarkin, member of the town’s Commission on Disabilities, for informing him of the grant and helping write the submission.
“The addition of a floating beach wheelchair will make a tremendous impact on the beach by making it more accessible to those with disabilities,” Sawin wrote in a memo shared with the Board.
The Town Manager shared a letter with the Board signed by 27 direct descendants of Dr. Daniel T. Buzzell, for whom the former Buzzell Senior Center was named, advocating that the building be saved.
“Our family is certainly in favor of repurposing to preserve the rich history of this building and of our family. We are hopeful that the necessary funds can be appropriated to do so,” read the letter, in part. “We would appreciate being kept apprised of the town’s decision as your deliberations move forward. We trust that the historical significance of this facility will ultimately result in the preservation and repurposing of this building for the continued use and important heritage for the good people of the Town of Wilmington.”
The Town Manager then updated the Board with news that the Appointing Committee of the Finance Committee — consisting of Town Moderator Jonathan Eaton, Select Board Chair Kevin Caira, and Finance Committee Chair Marianne Gallezzo, recently reappointed Brad Jackson, and appointed Sivakumar Mallaiyasamy and Dylan Semple, to the Finance Committee. All three will serve three year terms. Caira noted seven residents were seeking appointment to the Finance Committee.
The Select Board then approved a new Board Policies and Procedures manual. Caira thanked the Committee — which comprised of former Select Board members Mike Newhouse, Mike Champoux and Greg Bendel — for drafting the document. The Board voted to make two changes to the document. First, the Board voted 5-0 to elect both a Chair and Vice Chair. Previously, per the Board’s tradition, the Vice Chair role was filled by the most recent Chair by default. Second, the Board voted 5-0 to allow a separate public comments section on the agenda at the discretion of the Chair, in addition to allowing the public to comment during each agenda item. The overall document was then approved 5-0.
The Select Board then signed a one-year extension for Fiscal Year 2027 of the Inter-Municipal Agreement for Regional Housing Services Office with the towns of Reading, North Reading, Woburn, Saugus, Stoneham and Wakefield. According to Wilmington’s Director of Planning & Conservation, this agreement is “a benefit to the Town and is more cost effective than hiring staff to complete all of the necessary tasks involved with monitoring and tracking affordable housing units.” In a memo, she listed 20 examples of how the Regional Housing Services Office has helped the Town. The Board would like to see more data prior to entering into a 3-year agreement beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
The Select Board voted 5-0 to approve Town Counsel’s contract with KP Law for Fiscal Year 2027. Hourly rates for lawyers and paralegals increased by $10 per hour, while the town’s overall cap decreased by $10,000 from $295,000 to $285,000. The town, however, has been operating well below its cap in recent years. To date, it has only spent $115,000 in Fiscal Year 2026. Selectman Frank West requested that Town Counsel invoices be shared regularly with the Board.
The Select Board voted 5-0 to request of Neil Hutchinson for residents of Moore Street to have a Neighborhood Block Party on July 2, 2026, from 3pm to 7pm.
The Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the request of Jeff Cohen, Wilmington Republic Town Committee Chair, to use the Town Common and Gazebo on Saturday, September 12, 2026 to hold a Charlie Kirk Memorial Service. The organizer excepts the event to begin in the late afternoon and last into the early evening. The organizer plans to invite clergy and guest speakers. The organizer will reach out to the Police Department to inform them of the event.
During Public Comments, Rob Fasulo encouraged the Select Board to call a Special Town Meeting to temporarily or permanent ban data centers in town, stressing urgency due to water and electricity infrastructure projects on the horizon. “The field is being set,” warned Fasulo. Fasulo and Paul Chalifour also encouraged the Select Board to fulfill the wishes of last year’s Special Town Meeting, invest in the Buzzell using the approved funds, and find a suitable use, like Wilmington Community Television or the Historical Commission. Joe Maselli asked for clarification surrounding changes to Public Comments, noting the residents haven’t seen the Select Board Policies & Procedures in writing yet and the discussion was hard to follow. Maselli also encouraged residents to attend the town’s Economic Development Committee meetings, noting members recently drafted a zoning bylaw to begin to address data centers. A Drury Lane resident complained about the loud noise being made by the new Town Hall’s roof. A high school student working on a Civics project asked the Board how students can get more involved at meetings. The Town Manager said he would follow up with both the abutter and the student on their respective issues.
The Select Board had no announcements. Under “New Business,” Select Board member Frank West asked the Town Manager to invite the police to a future meeting discuss e-bike safety. West also asked about the feasibility of moving the Roman House to a town-owned property and sell it as affordable housing. The Town Manager said that will be included as a scenario in the forthcoming Invitation To Bid. Town Manager Eric Slagle praised the Farmers Market for a successful Opening Day on June 7.
The Town Manager then reviewed upcoming noteworthy town events, including the Shawsheen Tech Graduation on June 11; the Town-Wide Yard Sale on June 13, 8am to 4pm; the Town Beach’s Opening Day on June 13, 10am to 6pm; and the Flag Retirement Ceremony at Minutemen Headquarters on June 13 at 1:30pm. The Board’s next meeting is on Monday, June 22 at 7pm in the Hearing Room at Town Hall.
The Select Board concluded their meeting with a “Salute to Service” to James Michael Shine.
The meeting adjourned at 9:20pm.
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