Select Board
The Select Board held its first substantive public discussion June 15 of whether Wayland should seek a Proposition 2 1/2 operating override for FY2028.
Finance Director Brian Keveny presented a forecast showing a level-service FY2028 budget deficit of roughly $2.5 million to $3 million. He said the main drivers include health insurance costs projected to rise about 15%, debt service increases of 6% to 9% and pension obligations. A longer-range forecast showed possible override needs continuing into FY2029 and FY2030, with a combined three-year ask of roughly $8.8 million to $9 million.
Town Manager Michael McCall outlined possible ballot timing: November 2026, a winter special election, or spring 2027. He said November would bring high turnout but would require a decision within about 30 days. He said the school superintendent opposed a spring vote because it would leave teachers uncertain about staffing too late in the hiring cycle.
The board scheduled a corrected transfer hearing for June 29 for the Villa Restaurant after the applicant withdrew because of incorrect guidance from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
School Committee
The committee voted to send updated Policy IJND, governing technology use, out for public comment. The changes address generative artificial intelligence and make email, ParentSquare and Google Chat the approved primary channels for official school communications.
Director of Student Services Ronnie Kessler presented draft updates to Policy JKAA on physical restraint, time out and seclusion, reflecting new state regulations effective Aug. 16. The committee deferred action until August so additional work can be done on prevention and de-escalation procedures.
Conservation Commission
The Conservation Commission voted June 17 to approve an order of conditions for the Sherman’s Bridge rehabilitation project, allowing the Department of Public Works project to move ahead.
Mike Riccardi of TEC, the DPW’s engineering consultant, said changes to the bridge design reduced the deck thickness to 5.125 inches, which lowered total floodplain fill from 555 cubic feet to 465 cubic feet. Wayland’s fill share dropped from 285 cubic feet to 240 cubic feet. The commission agreed with Sudbury’s approach of selecting DCOI oil-based wood preservative for glulam structural members.
Conservation Administrator Linda Hansen had asked for improvements over existing conditions at the river under the Wetlands Protection Act, but Riccardi explained that because work was constrained to the town’s right of way, no good options for reduction of stormwater velocity were possible. The Sudbury Conservation Commission had asked for removal of Japanese knotweed from their side as a mitigation.
The commission also continued several hearings: the project at 67A Loker Street/1 Hobbs Road was continued to July 8. An after-the-fact filing for work at 68 Lakeshore Drive on Dudley Pond was continued to July 29 because of unresolved questions about a patio, retaining wall, a large red oak, and the ownership status of Mona Path.
The hearing for 8 Carpenter Road was continued to July 8. Hansen noted that this was the third project by this applicant where significant tree removal occurred before permits and within the buffer zone and riverfront (Snake Brook). ConCom is insisting on robust restoration plantings, peer‑reviewed stormwater, and proper Riverfront compliance before issuing an approval.
Over the last two weeks, construction on the Snake Brook Dam had slowed due to encountering more rock ledge than expected in the spillway, Hansen said. The Turtle Rescue group will coordinate relocation of snapping turtles laying eggs on the edge of the exposed impoundment bank on the dam. ConCom members praised residents who were observed helping turtles cross roads during egg-laying season.
The commission also initiated a broader discussion of tree protection options during drought, exacerbated by threats from woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and beech blight.
Board of Assessors
The Board of Assessors joined the Select Board on June 15 to fill a vacated seat, appointing Clovis Schaff to serve until the conclusion of the 2027 Annual Town Meeting. Schaff, a software engineer, already identified one potential project: reconciling building-permit data with assessment records, especially older permits that may not be fully reflected in property records.
Board of Health
The Board of Health on June 15 approved a 90-day extension for Turkey Hill Village Condos to complete repairs to a failed septic system serving three units. The project is estimated at about $180,000, and the condo association said delays were tied to management company staffing and the need to obtain multiple bids.
Olivia Dufour, regional substance-use prevention coordinator for the Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative, presented an opioid-abatement assessment taken across seven towns that identified prevention and education, anti-stigma work, harm reduction and treatment and recovery support as priorities.
The board also reviewed mosquito-control updates, beach water-quality testing, tick-prevention issues, a gun-club noise complaint and wastewater-related correspondence.
Board of Public Works
The Board of Public Works reviewed a draft FY27 water-rate model June 16 that could significantly increase water bills, largely because of debt service, emergency water costs and aging infrastructure. A public hearing was scheduled for June 23 to vote on water rates.
Financial consultant Matt Abrahams of The Abrahams Group presented the model. One working scenario would raise Tier 1 rates by 28.9%, Tier 2 by 34.8%, Tier 3 by 35.4%, and Tier 4 by 23.8%. The quarterly base charge would rise from $15 to $25, while the PFAS remediation surcharge would remain at 7.5% of the total water bill.
Residents of Hazelbrook Lane and Lincoln Road again questioned whether processed gravel used by the town was appropriate as a road-surface material and asked for a long-term maintenance plan.
The board also voted unanimously to raise the mattress and box spring disposal fee from $60 to $80 per unit, effective July 1, and authorized members Michael Spelman and Jonathan Storer to sign cemetery deeds on behalf of the board.
Energy and Climate Committee
At the Energy and Climate Committee June 16 meeting Chair Ellen Tohn and Sustainability Coordinator Olivia Lizardo said the committee will work toward a September community energy event at the Council on Aging.
Tohn proposed a tracking chart to the climate action plan showing which original action items are complete, in progress, not started or no longer relevant. Neil Gordon suggested reconsidering priorities. Tom Sciacca argued that climate adaptation and grid-support technologies should receive more attention in the next phase.
Lizardo reported expected delays of its Climate Leaders implementation grant application from August 2026 to February 2027. The original middle-school domestic hot water project became ineligible because materials had already been ordered. The town now needs a new project scope before applying for up to $1.15 million in implementation funding.
Lizardo reported that Wayland received Mass EVIP awards for an electric Chevy Silverado for the Police Department and a charging station at the Public Safety Building.
Human Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
The Human Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee welcomed new members June 16, reelected officers and discussed whether its monthly cultural-heritage statements had become too repetitive or risky because of the possibility of omitting groups. The Committee reached an informal consensus to stop writing new statements for now, and leave existing statements visible on its website.
Members discussed upcoming programming and coordination with a community working group seeking to engage Essential Partners for dialogue and facilitator training after hate incidents in town.
Planning Board
The Planning Board continued its review on June 10 of the proposed six-unit supportive living residence at 1 Hobbs Road, formerly 67A Loker Street. Peer reviewer Greg Roy of Dillson & Roy said the application was generally complete but needed revisions to the HydroCAD model with a rainfall distribution that matched Wayland regulations.
The board directed Town Planner Robert Hummel to coordinate with DPW Director Joe Doucette on a site walk because of sight line concerns at the Alden Road maintenance driveway. The applicant produced a letter from Minutemen Arc for Human Services, but Chair Anette Lewis said the board needed the full documentation for an organizational partnership required for a congregate living facility in a residential district. The hearing was continued to July 8, with the decision deadline extended to July 16.
Graffito WTC Partner LLC, the new owner of Wayland Town Center, presented pre-filing concepts for a master special permit amendment. A formal application is expected in July.
