Select Board recap: May 26, 2026
(6-7 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, May 26, 2026.
Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.
Review the full Select Board packet.
Key takeaways
Pride Month Resolution: The Board unanimously approved this year’s Pride Month Resolution during the regular meeting, a notable shift from how last year’s resolution was handled.
Public hearing on early opening for two Dunkin’ Donuts locations: The Board approved an earlier 5:00 am opening time for one location, while the hearing for the second location was continued to the June 9 meeting.
Preview of FYY27 water and sewer rates: A consultant presented rate options aimed at bringing the Town’s reserve funds in line with policy targets ahead of a vote at the June 9 meeting.
Pride Month Resolution [0:11:26]
The Reading Select Board read and unanimously approved this year’s Pride Month Resolution. The moment stood in stark contrast to last year, when the resolution was left off the agenda for the final May meeting and instead had to be read during an off-cycle virtual meeting. (Read our coverage of why that omission was significant at the time.)
Public hearing on early opening at two Dunkin’ Donuts locations [0:13:28]
Local business owner Vipin Khera petitioned to open two Reading Dunkin’ Donut locations - 273 Salem Street and 110 Main Street - an hour earlier, shifting from the current 6:00 am opening to 5:00 am. Khera said customers have been asking for the earlier hours, and that the business has been losing customers to nearby towns where locations already open earlier.
A resident raised concerns about early-morning noise from delivery and trash trucks at the Salem Street location. Board members shared that concern and asked Khera to review the delivery schedule there to determine whether the noise issues were tied to the Dunkin’ tenant or to other businesses in the same building, which also houses REI and Planet Fitness.
Ultimately, the Board supported the earlier opening time, pointing to Bagel World and McDonald’s as other Reading businesses that already open at 5:00 am. The public hearing for the Salem Street location was continued to the Board’s June 9 meeting, while the petition for the Main Street location was approved on May 26.
All-alcohol liquor license approved for Bean & Barrel [0:33:41]
The Board approved an all-alcohol liquor license for Bean & Barrel, a new European-style cafe opening at 45 High Street that will feature baked goods brought in from Boston’s North End. Attorney Josh Latham presented on behalf of owners Giuseppe and Stefanie Fodera, noting that Giuseppe grew up in Reading and that the project aligns with the Town’s Master Plan to revitalize the downtown area. Board member Chris Haley recused himself from the discussion, as he owns property on an adjacent lot.
Updates to the non-union classification and compensation plan [0:47:29]
The Board reviewed annual updates to the non-union classification and compensation plan, presented after the budget is passed each year. Officials described the changes as revenue-neutral and aimed at addressing some pay equity issues, with an update expected to save the Town a small amount of money. The plan does not currently call for filling the Assistant Town Manager position.
Among the bigger changes: the Community Services Director and Constituent Services positions would be elevated to department-head level, some responsibilities would shift off the Chief Financial Officer’s plate, and the Assistant to the Town Manager role would be reclassified to reflect added duties.
Board members questioned the decision to leave the Assistant Town Manager position open. Town Manager Jayne Wellman notes that department heads will absorb some of those responsibilities, and that the Town could later choose to elevate a department head into the Assistant Town Manager role, as some other communities have begun eliminating that position altogether. Board member Karen Herrick pointed out that the town charter requires an Acting Town Manager when the Town Manager is unavailable, and said she wants to make sure Wellman has adequate support heading into what she expects to be financially difficult years ahead. Wellman added that former Town Manager Fidel Maltez had previously discussed a rotating Acting Town Manager role, and confirmed that Police Chief David Clark served in that capacity while she was out of town in early June.
Preview on FY27 water and sewer rates [1:11:37]
Town Manager Jayne Wellman and Vice Chair Karen Rose-Gillis convened a small working group, including consultant Matt Abrahams, DPW Director Chris Cole, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Angstrom, and resident Paul Silva, to develop recommendations on water and sewer rates for the Board’s consideration.
According to a memo included in the meeting packet (page 107), the group recommends a 2% increase in the water rate and a 5% decrease in the sewer rate for FY2027, aimed at bringing the Town’s reserve fund down to its 30% target (it currently sits at 96%).
Consultant Matt Abrahams of The Abrahams Group, LLC, presented the FY27 rate recommendations, which were built around three goals: (1) comparing Reading’s retained earnings balances to its 30% policy target and to other communities, (2) projecting revenues, expenses, and retained earnings 10 years into the future, and (3) compiling five-year rate plans designed to hit the 30% retained earnings target by FY2031.
Water rates
Three options were presented, each aimed at reaching the 30% target over several years.
Option 1: a 3.25% increase in FY27, continuing over five years (average annual increase for a residential user at 65 gallons per day: $33.43)
Option 2: no increase in FY27, followed by 4.5% increases over the remaining four years (average annual increase: $0.00)
Option 3: a 2.0% increase in FY2027, followed by 3.5% increases over the remaining four years (average annual increase: $20.57)
Abrahams notes that weather affects water usage, with consumption rising in warmer, drier conditions. He also shared that Reading’s annual water costs ($1,028.72) are nearly identical to North Reading’s ($1027.30) and nearly double those of some nearby communities, including Saugus ($601.46), Stoneham ($666.16), Wakefield ($933.16), and Wilmington ($526.40). (See page 117 of the packet for the full comparison.)
Sewer rates
Revenue has outpaced expenses in the sewer fund, resulting in relatively high retained earnings. Three rate options were presented.
Option 1: a 1.0% decrease in FY27, continuing over five years (average annual change for the residential user at 65 gallons per day: -$9.62)
Option 2: a 3.0% decrease in FY27, continuing over three years, followed by 3% increases in FY30 and FY31 (average annual change: -$28.85)
Option 3: a 5.0% decrease in FY27 with no further changes over the following four years (average annual change: -$48.09)
Reading’s annual sewer costs ($961.76) currently exceed the average among nearby towns, including Saugus ($455.54), Stoneham ($1,122.00), Wakefield ($ 1,194.76), and Wilmington ($674.08). (See page 124 of the packet for the full comparison.) The Board voted on the final water and sewer rates at its June 9 meeting.
Liaison appointed to School Committee Naming Policy Committee [2:10:28]
Chair Melissa Murphy shared that School Committee Chair Shawn Brandt had reached out to form a new committee to name athletic facilities around town. Murphy and member Chris Haley serve as the Select Board liaisons to the School Committee; Haley was nominated for the new role, and the Board voted 5-0 to approve his appointment.
Discussions surrounding Select Board operating procedures [2:13:39]
The Board also revisited several procedural matters governing how its meetings are run.
Public Comment
Members agreed that allowing public comment during relevant agenda items once had value, but said it had created uncertainty over how much discretion the Chair should have in managing it. The Board voted 5-0 to limit public comment to two minutes at the start of each meeting, with the Chair, Vice Chair, or Town Manager able to allow additional comment as needed.
Police presence at meetings
Chair Murphy said she had previously supported having police presence at Select Board meetings but no longer felt it was necessary, citing cost concerns amid the Town’s broader budget review. She did not elaborate on what had changed since her earlier position. At the Board’s March 24, 2026, meeting, Murphy said two residents accosting town staff and Select Board members was unacceptable, and that police presence, costing “a little less than $3,000… or it could go to $20,000,” should continue “until the climate and emotions of residents maybe come down, or we learn our lesson…until it comes a point when everyone feels safe at these meetings.”
The Town spent $4,559.62 on police presence at Select Board meetings between January 6 and May 26 of this year, including Lt. Jones’s appearance at the May 12 meeting for a traffic-related item. The Board voted 5-0 to discontinue police presence at future meetings.
Consent agendas
Following a Massachusetts Municipal Association conference, several Board members expressed interest in adopting consent agendas to streamline approval of routine items, with any member able to pull an item for further discussion during the meeting. The Board voted 5-0 to adopt the practice.
Watch the May 26, 2026 Select Board meeting on the RCTV Youtube page. Seated (left to right): Board members Karen Herrick, Karen Rose-Gillis, Melissa Murphy, Chris Haley, Sal Bramante, and Town Manager Jayne Wellman.
