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.