The Board of Selectmen on Jan. 20 approved a series of motions ranging from awarding a design contract for a municipal fuel depot to adjusting the town clerk's salary for fiscal year 2026.

The board voted to award the design contract for the municipal fuel depot to Webb Engineering of Scituate, Mass., (Webb Engineering) after discussion of competing proposals. The board also approved the weekly warrant in the amount of $1,005,419.72 and approved minutes from its Jan. 6 open meeting and executive session. A town clerk salary-range change and a specific FY26 pay rate were also approved by the board and will be presented for final appropriation at town meeting.

Other procedural approvals included ratifying the chairman's signature on a letter regarding an unlicensed lodging house, ratifying the chairman's signature on a Firefighter Safety Equipment grant contract for $12,460, approval of a leasehold transfer for 126 Kanomo Point Road, appointment of an appeals board alternate, permission for a road closure for the Barnes & Bloom Half Marathon on May 17, and multiple licenses and permits (class 2 motor vehicle, commercial and nonresident shellfish, antiques with a workers' compensation contingency, and a common victualler license contingent on receipt of a workers' compensation certificate).

Board motions were moved and seconded on the record; in each instance the chair called the voice vote and recorded the outcome as 'Aye.' Where the warrant or a vote was contingent on town meeting appropriation, the selectmen noted that final effect depends on town meeting action or receipt of required certificates.

Votes at a glance

- Award design contract for municipal fuel depot to Webb Engineering (motion made and seconded; voice vote: approved).
- Approve weekly warrant $1,005,419.72 (approved).
- Approve minutes of Jan. 6 open meeting and executive session (approved).
- Ratify chair signature on letter re: unlicensed lodging house at 92 Southern Ave (approved).
- Ratify chair signature on Firefighter Safety Equipment grant contract, $12,460 (approved).
- Approve leasehold interest transfer for 126 Kanomo Point Road (approved with standard clarifying language that approval does not convey rights beyond those already held) (approved).
- Appoint Amy Connors as appeals board alternate, two-year term ending 01/31/27 (approved).
- Approve road pass for Barnes & Bloom Half Marathon, May 17, 2025, 9 a.m.–noon (approved).
- Class 2 motor-vehicle license (approved).
- Commercial shellfish permit (approved).
- Nonresident shellfish permit (approved).
- Antiques licenses for 2025, three licenses approved contingent on receipt of workers’ compensation certificate from White Barn LLC (approved contingent).
- Common victualler license for KPN Pizza, contingent on workers’ compensation certificate (approved contingent).
- Change wage and salary scale for town clerk to $70,000–$90,000 (motion seconded; voice vote: approved to place on wage scale).
- Set town clerk FY26 salary to $83,000, subject to town meeting appropriation (motion seconded; voice vote: approved; subject to appropriation).

Why it matters: The design contract award allows the town to begin engineering and siting work on a municipal fuel depot used by the police, fire and public works departments. The clerk salary decision adjusts the town’s wage scale and establishes the FY26 budget figure subject to town meeting appropriation. The suite of routine approvals keeps town operations and permitting moving ahead.

What’s next: The Webb Engineering contract and the town-clerk appropriation will proceed to implementation steps and town meeting respectively; other contingent approvals require submission of workers’ compensation certificates or town-meeting appropriation as noted.