Select Board Approves $1M Solar Transfer and Retiree Health Benefit Changes

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — June 15, 2026 — Manchester-by-the-Sea Select Board approves $1M solar transfer and rewrites retiree health benefits in marathon session. The board voted unanimously Monday to advance $1 million from free cash to a dedicated solar panel fund to meet federal deposit deadlines ahead of an expected March borrowing for the $7.9 million installation approved at town meeting. Separately, the board voted to move all retirees to 50 percent premium sharing, raise Medicare Part B support for current retirees from roughly $101 to $200 per month, and eliminate Part B entirely for employees retiring after August 1, 2026 — changes driven by a program that has grown 66 percent in six years at an 8.8 percent annual clip. Member Paris Bianni, who presented the retiree analysis, noted two-thirds of affected retirees are former school employees. The board also voted unanimously to accept the concept of a $200,000 Rotary Club amphitheater donation for the space behind the public library, approved a new long-range financial planning committee modeled on Arlington's budget body, and appointed Fred Huber to the Wrightlock Farm Conservancy.