Select Board recap: June 23, 2026
(10-minute read)
For residents looking to stay up to date on key town matters, this recap highlights major takeaways from the Select Board meeting held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.
Review the full Select Board packet.
Key takeaways
Eagle Scout recognition - Several members of Troop 702 were recognized for earning the rank of Eagle Scout, each completing a service project that benefited the Reading community.
VASC appointments - The Board approved a slate of volunteer appointments to town boards and communities, with extended discussion around the Community Planning and Development Commission and the Burbank Ice Arena appointments.
Building project updates - Town Manager Jayne Wellman shared progress on the pickleball courts, High Street Phase II, the Reading Center for Active Living, and the Killam School, which secured a general contractor well under budget.
Eagle Scout recognition [0:18:36]
Scoutmaster Ian Nelson opened the presentation by thanking town employees, parent volunteers, and community partners who worked with the scouts throughout the year, including Reading Public Library Director Amy Lannon and RPL staff, who partnered with the troop on the Arbor Day planting this past April and are now collaborating on an Eagle Scout project for next year.
Members of the Select Board pose with the Eagle Scouts recognized during the meeting. Pictured (left to right): Vice Chair Karen Rose-Gillis, Karen Herrick, Town Manager Jayne Wellman, Eagle Scouts Zackary Lizotte, Abigail Nelson, Caleb McGonagle, Jack Goodfellow, Marcus Villarroel, Thomas Cockrell, Sal Bramante, Chair Melissa Murphy, and Chris Haley.
Nelson noted that scouting has been strong in Reading for 100 years, with Troop 702 counting more than 80 scouts and roughly 60 attending meetings regularly. Earning the rank of Eagle is a long process: 16 requirements, 21 merit badges spanning outdoorsmanship and citizenship, months of leadership within the troop, a service project, and a final Eagle Board of Review. “Adults drive them and pay the bills,” Nelson said, “but the kids behind me are the ones that give back and lead.”
Nelson recognized the scouts present at the meeting and their projects:
Marcus Villarroel, an Austin Preparatory School graduate, worked with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) to restore and expand educational signage after the parks pass project he valued was discontinued. He heads to Brown University to study applied math and science.
Caleb McGonagle, an RMHS graduate, built a bridge and completed drainage and landscaping work to fix an icy walkway between Hospice House on Haverhill Street and its parking lot. He will study civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Abigail Nelson, an RMHS graduate and the first female Eagle Scout to come out of Troop 702, installed a sun shade at the Christian Cooperative School to provide relief during the summer months. She will attend Endicott College in the fall for Elementary Education.
Thomas Cockrell, an RMHS graduate, led volunteers in planting 140 trees as part of the Town Forest rejuvenation effort, where red pines planted by scouts a century ago are being restored to health. He heads to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall for computer science.
Jack Goodfellow, an RMHS graduate, built a storage container at the Mason Lodge for a food pantry shelf, organizing storage and logistics between Salem Street and Haven Street. He will study finance at Babson College in the fall.
Zackary Lizotte, an RMHS graduate, installed three bat boxes near the Rod & Gun club to help control mosquito populations, hitting his GoFundMe target in less than two hours with generous community support. He heads to the Savannah College of Art & Design to study film.
Evan Audley and Alex Kirkwood also received certificates from the Select Board, although they were unable to attend the meeting.
Board members thanked the Eagle Scouts for their commitment and service to the Town and wished them the best of luck in their future plans.
Updates on Select Board policies
Brunch hours [0:38:37]
The Board voted 5-0 to approve a policy change permitting the sale of alcohol beginning at 10:00 am on Sundays and certain holidays, two hours earlier than the previously allowed noon start. The change was the final step in a process that began last fall with approval at Town Meeting. The 21 licensees in town will have their licenses amended at no additional cost, effective immediately, allowing them to serve alcohol with Sunday brunch.
Solid waste policies [0:45:14]
Town Manager Jayne Wellman noted that the Town does not typically hold public hearings for policy changes, but chose to do so to maintain consistency and avoid confusion with the brunch hours public hearing on the same agenda.
Assistant DPW Director Mike Kessman presented changes aligning Select Board policies with the Town’s new trash and recycling contract. Collection days, routes, weekly trash and recycling pickup, curbside leaf collection in fall and spring, curbside Christmas tree collection, two hazardous waste event days, and two recycling events at the DPW all remain unchanged, though pickup times may vary and barrels should be out by 6:00 am.
Changes include:
Mandatory use of town carts
Second cart and overflow options
New bulk disposal costs and scheduling
Revised cart placement on dead-end and one-way streets
A cardboard-only dumpster at the DPW open 9:00 am to 12:00 pm beginning July 11
Two bulk drop-off events at the DPW
Rejection stickers for non-compliant carts
Kessman noted that affected homes on dead-end and one-way streets have been notified that carts must be placed on the same side of the road as the truck’s collection arm, even if that means crossing the street. Residents are not expected to shovel around carts in the winter, and rejection stickers will list the compliance issue, with a warning issued the first time before future rejections go unserviced.
DPW Director Chris Cole and Kessman also shared that a Community Compost Center will open at the DPW later this summer, with plans to begin composting at Reading Public Schools this fall. Bulk collection now requires scheduling and payment through Republic Services. In response to Board questions, Cole said he would look into hosting a metal collection as part of a recycling event and would inquire with Republic about more frequent pickups at the town-owned bins along Haven Street and Main Street.
VASC appointments [1:10:49]
Vice Chair Karen Rose-Gillis and Sal Bramante served on the Volunteer Appointment Subcommittee (VASC), interviewing residents to fill and reappoint volunteer positions on town boards and committees. Board member Karen Herrick asked that the VASC appointments be removed from the Consent Agenda to allow for discussion.
On the Community Planning and Development Commission, Rose-Gillis recommended elevating the current associate member, Thomas Armstrong, to full member status alongside new full member Jerry Benenati, with Robert McSheffrey as an associate member, while Bramante recommended Benenati and McSheffrey as full members, with Armstrong remaining an associate. Rose-Gilis felt it would be disrespectful not to elevate Armstrong, given his time on the commission, while Bramante acknowledged Armstrong’s service and suggested that new perspectives could benefit the group. The Board ultimately reappointed Heather Clish (5-0), moved Armstrong to a full member position (5-0), appointed McSheffrey to the partial full-member term (3-2, with Herrick, Chair Melissa Murphy, and Bramante in favor and Chris Haley and Rose-Gillis opposed), and appointed Benanti as an associate member.
Herrick raised concerns about reappointing Carl McFadden to the Burbank Ice Arena Board, noting she had not been invited to Burbank board meetings despite repeated requests while she was the Select Board liaison, and stating that comments McFadden made during prior Select Board meetings were inappropriate. She suggested the position could remain open until the next round of VASC interviews. Murphy supported keeping McFadden, cautioned against vacancies when applicants exist, and characterized the conflict as a personality clash, while Haley said he attended the most recent Burbank board meeting, felt welcome, and questioned removing longtime volunteers under similar circumstances. Herrick clarified that McFadden made false statements to the Board and that the issue extended beyond a personality conflict. McFadden was reappointed in a 4-1 vote, with Herrick dissenting.
All other VASC appointments were approved unanimously.
Updates on building projects [1:49:18]
Wellman gave an update on the Town’s ongoing capital projects.
Pickleball court. The project is progressing on schedule, with post-tension concrete, court perimeter fencing, and concrete curbing complete. Remaining concrete work, paving, landscaping, and court surfacing continue in the coming weeks, with completion on track for fall 2026. In response to a question from Herrick, Wellman noted that the Town borrowed a first tranche of $68 million to manage cash flow across the Killam, ReCAL, and pickleball projects, with the intent of borrowing as needed to limit remaining funds at project completion.
High Street Phase II. Utility excavation identified a water main that needed replacement under a controlled shutdown. The phase includes the intersection of Woburn Street and High Street, and crews are keeping sidewalks open so residents can access businesses while roads are closed, and are working with businesses on the days they need to stay open while sidewalks cure Cole noted the water main replacement was moved to overnight on Wednesday, June 24, instead of all day Sunday, June 28, to avoid interrupting a business in the area. Updates are posted on the Town website.
Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL). Foundation work is nearly complete, with steelwork and elevator framing beginning July 1, followed by the floor slab pour. Wood framing begins roughly three weeks later and takes about two months, after which interior work can start. Wellman shared that the Town is planning to place a time capsule under the front door and to hold a future topping-off ceremony where community members can sign the steel beam before it is lifted into place. Residents can submit ideas for the time capsule to the Town Manager’s office.
Killam Elementary School. The Town has secured a general contract at $75 million, coming in $14.8 million under the $91.2 million estimate from the 90 percent design phase, and roughly $25 million below the $101 million estimate presented to the community and agreed to with the MSBA. Alternates 1 and 2 fund improvements to surrounding streets, beginning with Charles Street and then Haverhill Street, which is easier to fund through the project than through the regular paving schedule. The savings include owner’s contingencies for unexpected emergencies, meaning funds that may go unspent will not need to be borrowed down the road. Construction will begin soon. Murphy asked how reimbursements would be shared with the MSBA given the favorable bid, and Wellman said the team is still working through the details, but is optimistic the savings will largely stay with the Town.
Herrick confirmed the borrowing timeline for the two major projects: a 15-year loan for ReCAL and a 20-year loan for Killam.
Updates on Mattera Cabin [2:10:35]
Wellman presented an update on the Mattera Cabin, including an estimated $154,000 to $181,000 of work needed to reopen the building to the public. After speaking with Conservation Administrator Chuck Tirone, she determined that $25,000 to $30,000 in repairs can be completed by volunteers and through town resources, with Facilities Director Joe Huggins serving as the owner’s project manager (OPM) and the DPW assisting with regrading the exterior areas.
Wellman noted a potential partnership with the Northeast Metro Regional Vocational School to complete interior work, including plumbing, electrical, and carpentry. The school previously completed work at the cabin in 2010. Structural items will require a separate contractor. Tirone spoke to volunteers' willingness to help with outdoor work within their control.
Herrick asked about the HVAC system and whether Green Communities funding might apply; Wellman said HVAC is not planned at this time, but could be considered down the road. Murphy and Haley questioned the need for a drinking fountain, which Wellman explained is required for accessibility compliance under the 521 CMR: Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) standard because the building is undergoing renovations and is publicly accessible. In response to a question from Bramante about revenue, Tirone shared that the cabin generated approximately $3,730 between April 2022 and its closure in September 2025, and noted the potential for future partnerships, given interest from the Mulberry Montessori School last summer.
Watch the June 23, 2026 Select Board meeting on the RCTV Youtube page. Seated (left to right): town staff Maddie Baptiste, Board members Karen Herrick, Vice Chair Karen Rose-Gillis, Chair Melissa Murphy, Chris Haley, Sal Bramante, and Town Manager Jayne Wellman.
