#ipswich selectmen

911 to remain in Ipswich #IpswichMA

IPSWICH — At a well-attended public hearing where with little apparent support for change, the select board voted unanimously to keep 911 operations in town. Earlier this year, officials asked North Shore Regional 911 (NSR911) to prepare a feasibility report on absorbing Ipswich’s fire and police dispatch center. NSR911 representatives presented to the select board on Aug. 2 but, much to the…

Town turns to Rhode Island company in bid to replace wind turbine #IpswichMA

IPSWICH — The select board is considering a proposal from a Rhode Island company that could help the town out of a stuck situation. Based in Cranston, R.I., Green Development said it will take down the broken Wind II turbine, which has stopped spinning, replace it with a working model, and sell power to the town. Wind II is one of two windmills at the end of Town Farm Road that are supposed to…

Newslets: Town meeting back outdoors, clams unchanged #IpswichMA

After raising the possibility at last week’s tri-board meeting, the select board made it official Monday when it voted to move the fall town meeting to Saturday, Oct. 16, with a rain date for Sunday the 17th. Town officials had planned to move indoors again when it looked like the pandemic was receding. But with mask mandates back and the delta variant of COVID-19 spreading, town meeting will…

Newslets: Select board back in person, will also be back on Zoom #IpswichMA

Happy to be back Last week’s select board meeting was held in town hall — the first in-person meeting since the pandemic closed everything down in March 2020. Also back was resident Phil Goguen. “I’m happy you’re back. I’m not sure you’re happy to see me,” he said to the board. Goguen was speaking during the “citizen’s queries” section of the meeting, when residents are free to ask questions…

Proposed Market Street changes scaled back #IpswichMA

IPSWICH — Changes to Market Street look set to be minimal after the select board was presented with an option designed to save on-street parking. Ahead of a hearing Monday, the board had been shown two possible alternatives to rebuild and beautify the street after recent utility works. At the hearing, opinion was mixed from the dozen or so people who attended but the board indicated that most…

Newslets: Saturday town meetings work best #IpswichMA

Vaccines available COVID-19 vaccine clinics are available every Monday, town manager Tony Marino told the board. The clinics are regional and open to anyone who wants the jab from 1 to 4 p.m. on Mondays through the end of July at Our Lady of Hope Church on Linebrook Road, he said. Warrant open The warrant has been opened for special town meeting, which is scheduled for October 19. Anyone who…

Local clammers bump up against "flagrantly unconstitutional" shellfish law #IpswichMA #clamming

IPSWICH — They were working away happy as clammers until somebody in town hall read a state law. That law prevents “aliens” from getting shellfish permits unless they have lived locally for five years. The law came as a shock when Adiel Merlos and Jose Morales, two brothers living on Linebrook Road, applied to renew their commercial clamming permits. Both have worked legally in town as…

Should Market Street go one way? Select board to hold hearing in July #IpswichMA

IPSWICH — There will be more trees and a wider sidewalk, for sure. There may even be a dead-ended Union Street with a new pedestrian patio at the intersection between Richdale and Gathr. But which way will the traffic go? The select board was presented with two options (embedded below) at its meeting Monday night. The first option would maintain the two-way system but use “bump outs” from the…