Wenham Select Board Opens Town Meeting Warrant, Lists 15 Potential Articles for April Vote

WENHAM -- January 20, 2026, Wenham Select Board opens 2026 Annual Town Meeting Warrant with up to 15 articles, including a potential override. The board voted 5-0 Tuesday to open the warrant for the April 11 meeting at the Buker School, targeting a February 17 closing date, and previewed a draft article list that includes an operational override for the schools and town, a debt exclusion for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School roof estimated at $10 million with the MSBA covering roughly $4 million and Wenham's share at approximately $2 million, and a nine-month demolition delay bylaw for historically significant structures. Town Administrator Steve pegged total capital requests at approximately $925,000, the highest in recent years, and said the town and regional school district together are running about $622,000 over the levy limit after two rounds of reductions. The board also voted unanimously to approve a National Grid petition to relocate a utility pole on Maple Street and agreed to check Gordon College's availability on April 11 before deciding whether to move the town meeting to a larger venue in anticipation of high-turnout override debate.