Wenham Board Backs Insurance Policy, Treasurer Pick

Select Board · Meeting of July 21, 2026

Wenham moves toward its first demolition delay bylaw after 15 years of talk. The Select Board and Historic District Commission held a rare joint session where Commission Chair Kelly Schmidt said Wenham is "the only surrounding town" without such a law, proposing a nine-month delay on demolishing buildings 80 years or older found historically significant. No vote was taken; the board asked for more data before the 2027 Annual Town Meeting.

Separately, the board voted 5-0 to adopt a new vendor insurance policy and unanimously authorized Town Administrator Steve Poulos to finalize terms for Jennifer Davis as Treasurer/Collector. A joint session with the Finance and Advisory Committee, chaired by Robert Popadic, surfaced friction over timing on major decisions like fire department regionalization and health insurance costs. The board also said it lacked authority to overturn a zoning denial blocking resident Jennifer Jukanovich from hosting a film shoot at her Topsfield Road home, risking an $11,000 loss for her family.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 4,581 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.