Select Board approves Merz reappointment, opens 2026 warrant, pauses on-call fire program.
Select Board unanimously approves five major motions on opening warrant and clamming fees. Chair Charles Surpitski and board members voted to open the 2026 Annual Town Meeting warrant through February 6, schedule the Special Town Meeting for October 20 and 21, and reappoint Kevin Merz as Treasurer
Select Board (Formerly Board of Selectmen) · Meeting of January 5, 2026
IPSWICH — Select Board unanimously approves five major motions on opening warrant and clamming fees. Chair Charles Surpitski and board members voted to open the 2026 Annual Town Meeting warrant through February 6, schedule the Special Town Meeting for October 20 and 21, and reappoint Kevin Merz as Treasurer and Collector through June 30, 2028. The board also unanimously approved a temporary reduction in the commercial clamming license fee from four hundred dollars to three hundred dollars for one year to support clammers affected by river pollution closures.
Fire Chief Parisi announced the department will pause its on-call firefighter program due to staffing challenges, with only two on-call firefighters currently available and the cost to restore the program to 20 staff deemed prohibitive.
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Source: the Select Board (Formerly Board of Selectmen) meeting of January 5, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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