West Newbury Select Board Signs Town Meeting Warrant, Approves Police Contract

WEST NEWBURY — April 14, 2025 — West Newbury Select Board unanimously approves police contract and posts Annual Town Meeting warrant. The board, comprising Chair Wendy Reed and Members Barry Fogel and Christopher Wile, also approved last-minute changes to the warrant booklet, reclassifying two capital items — a Lucas device and a parking and recreation building demolition — from stabilization funds to free cash, and revising ADU and MBTA Communities overlay district bylaw language on the advice of Town Counsel. Member Christopher Wile raised a proposal for written ballots on the MBTA Communities zoning article, saying at least four residents had told him they were considering skipping town meeting due to what he called a hostile social media environment. "People are considering not showing up to the meeting because of the nastiness, and afraid to vote because of it — I think that's a problem," Wile said. No vote was taken on the written ballot proposal; the board agreed to bring it to a pre-town-meeting planning session scheduled for April 17.