West Newbury Board Approves $16,500 School Pipe Repair, Endorses Water Articles

Select Board · Meeting of March 26, 2026

West Newbury Select Board approves school pipe repair and endorses four water department warrant articles ahead of April 27 town meeting. Chair Wendy Reed and members Barry Fogel and Christopher Wile voted unanimously to transfer $16,500 from the reserve fund to replace a deteriorated 40-foot cast iron sewer line under the Page School floor, a repair Building and Facilities Manager Brian described as urgently necessary after repeated $1,500-to-$2,000 jetting calls. The board also unanimously endorsed three water enterprise warrant articles — a $45,000 water system master plan update, a $24,600 comprehensive rate study, and a $15,000 pension stabilization transfer — and endorsed Article 46 authorizing a long-term competitive-bid cellular lease on the Break Hill water tank, which Town Manager Angus Jennings said could generate $3,000 to $4,300 per month per carrier and forestall unwanted private tower construction.

Whittier Technical High School Superintendent Maureen Lynch reported West Newbury's FY27 assessment at $240,522, up $1,112, while Pentucket Regional officials said a favorable health insurance rate of 8.43 percent has reduced their remaining budget shortfall to roughly $617,000.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of March 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.