Ipswich Select Board Sets July 28 Special Town Meeting for Public Safety Building Revote

IPSWICH — June 1, 2026 — Ipswich Select Board votes 4-1 to hold a July 28 special town meeting and August 11 special town election on the public safety building after the project fell eight votes short of a two-thirds supermajority at the May annual town meeting. Chair Michael Hartman cast the dissenting vote, arguing the board was creating a "gray zone" by returning voters to the same project with no change in scope or cost, while members Sarah Player, Linda Riley, Charles Sapitsky, and Carl Bhave cited the project's 60-plus percent support at both town meeting and ballot as justification. Town Clerk Andrea Ploehn warned that the July dates overlap with state early-vote-by-mail activity for the September primary, creating the risk of voter ballot confusion, but said "you have to do what you have to do." Citizen member of the Public Safety Building Committee Rob Donahue told the board that waiting until the fall meeting would add roughly $300,000 in cost escalation, bringing the ask from approximately $9.8 million to $10.1 million. Administrative costs for the two special events are estimated at a low-end $37,000. The board separately voted unanimously to allow Ipswich Public Schools to draw $100,000 from the special education reserve fund, which holds $742,359, to cover unanticipated fiscal year 2026 out-of-district tuition and transportation costs. The meeting also featured the swearing-in of new Town Manager Brendan Sweeney and a ceremony honoring 20 past call firefighters whose program was suspended in January 2026, with State Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Kristen Kassner presenting legislative citations.