The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Local government

Wellesley posts Special Town Meeting warrant: School AC double take, capital stabilization fund, library LEDs, Comprehensive Plan articles on tap

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The list of 16 articles to be presented at Wellesley’s Special Town Meeting in November has been posted.

Wellesley holds its major Annual Town Meeting each spring, then typically a Special Town Meeting in the fall, sometimes with an extra thrown in at another time for special circumstances. Town Meeting serves as Wellesley’s legislative branch, and consists of up to 240 elected members who debate and vote on specific motions under the articles submitted by town bodies as well as individuals.

Special Town Meeting convenes on Nov. 9 at 7pm at air conditioned Wellesley High School, and is expected to last a few nights. Anyone can attend, though only members can vote.

The town’s appointed Advisory Committee, which vets articles and shares recommendations ahead of Town Meeting, has begun reviewing articles and will hold a public hearing on the warrant articles on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

The warrant includes two school air conditioning funding articles, #14 from the School Committee and Permanent Building Committee (PBC) and #15 submitted as a citizen petition, in an effort to improve conditions for students and staff. Town employees and volunteers have been examining the citizen petition proposal to accelerate school AC installations, and the School Committee has worded the language in its article broadly enough to accommodate late changes to the plan to fund design and installation of window units at Bates, Fiske, and Schofield Elementary Schools as well as the middle school. The School Committee shared a brief update on its article language at its Sept. 2 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording about 2 hours, 45 minutes in) and the PBC is slated to continue discussion at its Sept. 10 meeting. The School Committee plans to return to the topic at its Sept. 22 meeting, and vote on specific motion language ahead of Special Town Meeting.

Another warrant highlight includes Article 11, which marks the Planning Department’s return attempt to get funding ($350k is the ask) for a Comprehensive Plan to succeed the dated Unified Plan conducted in 2019 (Annual Town Meeting rejected handing over thousands to some consultant for this until a planning director was in place, as is the case now).

Article 5 focuses on establishing a Capital Stabilization Fund to help fund a long list of big capital projects that the newly formed CapCom seeks to get its arms around. As heard at the Sept. 8 Select Board meeting (see Wellesley Media recording), there is some difference of opinion among board members as to when such an article should be brought to Town Meeting, even though they all agree establishing such a fund is a good idea.

Article 10 involves funding LED installation at Wellesley Free Library’s main branch.

Other articles of note include #16, a citizen petition regarding the purchase and conservation of the Wight Pond area, and #12, which could save a few trees by allowing for electronic delivery of Advisory Committee reports

Please consider supporting Wellesley’s greenest news source—no paper here!

Precinct G Town Meeting member vacancy
Volunteers are needed to fill a Town Meeting member vacancy in Precinct G. The term will include Fall 2026 Special Town Meeting through the next town election in March 2027.  Individuals must be Wellesley registered voters . Any resident may nominate others or themselves for this position.

Nominations must be in writing and submitted to the Town Clerk’s Office in-person or via email to kckato@wellesleyma.gov no later than Monday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. Please include the candidate’s name, address, and email address.

     

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What if someone wanted to build a data center in Wellesley?

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Before Gov. Maura Healey this week signed an executive order giving communities protection against unwelcome data center development, the Wellesley Planning Board had a timely discussion on possible local data center rules. States and municipalities have started putting bans and other restrictions in place to thwart AI and cloud computing centers that suck up electricity and other local resources, generate noise, and raise other concerns.

The Planning Board at its Aug. 31 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording about 37 minutes in) had a brief discussion about the prospects of data centers coming to town, acknowledging at the same time that there’s not much in the way of available land to do that on.

Planning Board member Jim Roberti said that lawyers like himself have been getting inundated with continuing education on the issue of AI and cybersecurity data centers.

Not that there’s been any indication that an envisioned cybersecurity education and health and wellness center at MassBay Community College (to be funded in part through housing development across Oakland Street) would fall into the true data center category. But such a development could still raise concerns until more is known about what form it might take and how the college would go about operating such a facility.

Roberti recommended that the Planning staff at least start looking into what possible regulations and definitions could make sense for Wellesley to include in its zoning bylaws. It could be something to address via special permitting or an overlay district, he suggested.

Planning Director Rob Watchilla said “since we’re not really seeing a lot of pressure for these types of facilities in our town I don’t think a bylaw is needed in our situation that is really strict. Maybe one that prohibits certain types of data centers.”

He pointed to recent zoning changes in Mansfield that could serve as a model for Wellesley in that it regulates data centers based on tiers related to the power they use, ranging from no more than 2 megawatts to 20mw and above. Developing such rules would involve talking ahead of time with the Municipal Light Plant and Department of Public Works.

“We’re in luck that we’re not going to have some developer come in through some old factory building like they did in my last job and threaten to put a data center there…,” Watchilla said. “We don’t have any brownfield sites that are really easy to invest in.”

Watchilla said he could add exploring this topic as part of possible bylaw changes to be brought to Annual Town Meeting in the spring.

We’re not looking to build a data center, but your tax-deductible donations help us pay for web hosting and other Swellesley Report operating costs.

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Wellesley town government meetings for week of Sept. 7, 2026: Air conditioning, Town Meeting warrant, fire station

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A sampling of Wellesley, Mass., meetings and agenda items for the week of Sept. 7, 2026:

Wellesley Housing Authority Board (Sept. 8, online, 8am)

New business: *CHA Management Agreement Determination (Editor’s note: CHA is short for Cambridge Housing Authority. Would be great if agendas spelled out acronyms, but I guess that’s what we’re here for…)

School Committee (Sept. 8, 6:30pm, online)

Discussion: Opening of School Report; Discussion: Field Projects Baseball Scoreboard Proposal for Sprague Fields Hunnewell Track & Field Project Update; Discussion: New State Graduation Requirements; Discussion: Policy ACL-Interacting with Law Enforcement Officers Engaged in Civil Law Enforcement (Protect Act); Discussion/Vote: Air-Conditioning Project; Discussion/Vote: CapCom Forms; Discussion: School Facilities Master Plan Task Force

Executive Session Under G.C. c.30A, §21(A), exemption #3 – Strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Wellesley Educators Association

Select Board (Sept. 8, 6:30pm, town hall & online)

Discuss Report Recommendations of Fire Station Master Plan Siting (No Public Comment) • Vote Project Proponent Form for Fire Station Master Plan; Discuss and Vote to Join Fire Class Action Lawsuit; Policy Subcommittee Update; Discuss Select Board STM Articles • FY27 Supplemental Appropriation • Establish Capital Stabilization Fund • Rescind Debt • Bylaw Review Committee Articles; Discuss and Vote Special Town Meeting (STM) Warrant; Executive Session (behind closed doors) • M.G.L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(3), to conduct strategy with respect to negotiation with the Wellesley Patrol Officers Association, Wellesley Superior Officers, Wellesley Firefighters, IAFF, Local 1795, Wellesley Free Library Association, and the Wellesley Free Library Supervisors Association.

Advisory Committee (Sept. 9, 6:30pm, town hall)

Advisory Committee Bylaw proposed amendment – presentation and discussion; Report to Town Meeting writing workshop – Article write ups

Community Preservation Committee (Sept. 9, 7:30pm, online)

Update and discussion regarding the North 40 conservation restriction, and the Select Board outreach and processes for discerning future use(s) of the property; Discussion and updates of possible future or pending proposed projects from: Historical Commission Housing Authority Affordable Housing – Town initiatives Natural Resources Commission Planning Board Recreation Commission Requests by non-municipal governmental persons.

Permanent Building Committee (Sept. 10, 7:30pm, online)

Agenda to come

School Committee retreat (Sept. 11, 9am, not recorded by Wellesley Media)

Training: Anti-Bias Workshop; Discussion: School Committee Self-Evaluation; Discussion: Goals and Metrics for SY2026-2027; Discussion: School Committee Workplan and Assignments

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

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Government

How Wellesley voted in the state primary on Sept. 1

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Roughly 27.1% of registered voters in Wellesley cast ballots for the State Primary on Sept. 1, and based on the *unofficial numbers released by the town, Wellesley results did differ in some key races from statewide results.

On the Democratic ballot, Seth Moulton was the choice in Wellesley over incumbent Ed Markety for state senator, but Markey won the primary. Margie Palladino scored the hometown vote in the Governor’s Council race for District 3, but Mara Dolan won the state vote.

The general election is set for Nov. 3.

*Unofficial results typically don’t include write-in, provisional, military, or overseas ballots.

 

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Health

Wellesley school air conditioning project acceleration backers buoyed by Permanent Building Committee session

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The Permanent Building Committee (PBC), which is responsible for estimating, designing, and constructing town projects costing over $500,000, last Thursday picked up on the topic of possibly shortening the timeline for installing air conditioning in Wellesley’s older schools. Proponents of accelerating the timeline were encouraged by the discussion, which came on the heels of a School Committee session featuring an update from the town’s head of the Facilities Management Department (FMD), an organization that supports but does not report to the PBC.

(Review Aug. 27 PBC meeting in its entirety via the Wellesley Media recording.)

“Although no accelerated schedule has been approved, this was a meaningful step toward determining what Wellesley can do differently to protect students and educators sooner,” according to Kelly Norris, who wrote to us following the PBC meeting. She has filed a citizen petition for this fall’s Special Town Meeting that calls on Wellesley to speed up the AC installation process at Bates, Fiske, and Schofield Elementary Schools, along with the Middle School.

Norris, and another proponent, Leah Zambetti Ryan, kicked off the PBC meeting during citizen speak to make their case in the name of health and safety of students and educators. Ryan is a construction industry veteran and said “All of the projects I manage are fast tracked—tenants want to occupy their spaces ASAP. To accomplish this, my team and I must approach the projects creatively and work outside the traditional workflow…” Norris said to the PBC: “The question requiring this Committee’s judgment is: What is the fastest responsible plan if protecting students and educators sooner is the priority?” The push for AC in these schools started as far back as 2018.

PBC Chair Michael Tauer reminded viewers at the start of the discussion that this appointed body is never a proponent or opponent of projects, but rather in a case like this endeavors to give a sense of the feasibility and pros/cons of making timeline changes. Toward the end of the discussion, Tauer said, “This project is not as simple as buying a bunch of air conditioners and plugging them into a wall for two primary reasons as I understand it: One… we don’t have the electrical capacity to power all those air conditioners so that’s going to require significant electrical upgrades and that accounts for a significant chunk of the cost. The other [reason] is that for many of these air conditioners there is going to need to be framing work done to sort of rebuild walls around the air conditioners…”

The town is looking to install AC at Bates, Fiske, and Schofield Elementary Schools as well as the Middle School in summer of 2028, whereas the petition advocates for that timeline moving up by a year at least for the elementary schools.

At the time of the PBC meeting, there were plans for a subgroup to meet on Monday, Aug. 30 to discuss further, as well as to prep for a briefing on the AC project at the Advisory Committee’s Sept. 2 meeting (the appointed Advisory Committee vets articles ahead of town meetings).

The PBC made no decision regarding the AC project timeline at its Aug. 27 meeting.

Steve Gagosian, design and construction manager for FMD, began his remarks during the PBC discussion by saying: “I think there’s some things worth looking at and try to determine if they are doable. I think what it boils down to is what kind of risk the town and the PBC are willing to take on this.”

He noted that while it’s true earlier projects in town funded in part through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (Hardy Elementary and the High School) used accelerated processes for funding design and construction together, they were based on more detailed schematic drawings than basic feasibility studies as is the case with the current AC plans, and they had construction managers on board.

Gagosian also cited challenges from permitting (including wetlands at Schofield) to scheduling (so as not to disrupt teaching or result in too high costs from nighttime work). He pondered whether it might be possible to go ahead of time to certain bodies in town, like the Design Review Board, to ask about abbreviated review processes. PBC member Matt King said rules are rules, but he was hoping Design Review Board wouldn’t really need to get involved in a project like this (of course more than a few homeowners in town would like to avoid such local government overreach as well).

PBC member Suzie Littlefield raised some concerns about the political logistics that might be required to support a revised  project timeline, if for example a Special Town Meeting and debt exclusion vote needed to be added to an already busy spring with Annual Town Meeting and the Annual Town Election slated.

PBC member Tom Goemaat has seen throughout his career in construction how projects can be accelerated in the private world, though acknowledges things are different in the public sector, and there would be plenty of timing challenges associated with accelerating the school AC project. He said there looks to be an avenue for buying the necessary switch gear, but that the School Committee would need to go to Town Meeting with a dollar figure for the project that can’t be guaranteed early on. “Town Meeting would need to be amenable to ‘Hey, we may be back once we nail this down,'” he said.

Like other PBC members, Goemaat expressed empathy for kids trying to learn in stifling conditions and for their parents. In brainstorming, he threw out the concept of temporarily consolidating the student body in schools that have AC while installation is conducted in the older buildings.

“The ask is that we use our collective expertise to say here’s what we would have to do in order to do this,” he said.

Wellesley Public Schools Supt. David Lussier said the preference would be not to disrupt daily learning at the schools, though the team planning the project would need to see what solutions vendors come back with.

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Massachusetts Primary Election day is Tuesday, Sept. 1

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VoteMassachusetts Primary Election day is Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Registered voters will cast primary ballots for candidates running for elected offices in the Commonwealth. Read the Primary Election Warrant.

Election Day Voting
On Primary Election Day, September 1, voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for in-person voting. Locations are as follows:

  • Precincts A & C: Upham Elementary School, 35 Wynnewood Road
  • Precinct B: Sprague Elementary School, 401 School Street
  • Precincts D & E: Warren Building, 90 Washington Street
  • Precincts F & G: Shipley Center, Dana Hall School, 142 Grove Street
  • Precinct H: Tolles Parsons Center, Council on Aging, 500 Washington Street

To find your voting location, go to the Elections page on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.

Vote by Mail

It’s too late to Vote by Mail, as all Vote by Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Primary Election Day to be properly counted.

Vote by Mail ballots may NOT be dropped off at polling locations.

To find the status of your Vote by Mail ballot, go to the Track My Ballot webpage.

Completed ballots also may be dropped in the secure ballot drop box on the Washington Street side of Town Hall, or returned directly to the Town Clerk’s office during business hours.

For questions, please email elections@wellesleyma.gov

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Wellesley town government meetings for week of Aug. 31, 2026: Planning, Advisory, Natural Resources, Climate Action all on tap

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A sampling of Wellesley, Mass., meetings and agenda items for the week of Aug. 31, 2026:

Planning Board (Aug. 31, 6:30pm, online)

Inclusionary Zoning Special Permit for 26 Washington Street (bank)– Continued from 7/17/26 4. Large House Review – 42 Oak Street; Zoning Board of Appeal Cases; Planning Director’s Report; Planning Board Chair’s Report

Natural Resources Commission (Sept. 1, 7pm, Town Hall)

New and Continuing Business ▪ Approve Capital Planning Committee Application: Morses Pond Beach Project ▪ Morses Pond Beach and Bathhouse Update ▪ North 40 Workshop; 

Board of Library Trustees (Sept. 1, 6pm, 36 Washington St. —not posted by Wellesley Media)

Overview of Staffing, Programs, Projects, Buildings and Issues; Gift Acceptance; Hills Plaque Approval; FY26 Year in the Life; FY26 Annual Report to the Community Draft; FY27 Election of Officers; FY27 Goals and Plans;  FY27 Trustee Assignments; FY27 Annual Fund Request; FY27 Draft Trustee Meeting Schedule; FY26 Annual Report to the Foundation Draft; Hunnewell Portrait Loan Agreement with Historical Society; Food & Beverage Policy Draft; Project Planning Form, Capital Planning Committee – For Board Review & Feedback 16. Select Board Policy Subcommittee Draft Policies – For Board Review & Feedback; EXECUTIVE SESSION To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel

Advisory Committee (Sept. 2, 6:30pm, Town Hall)

FY26 Financial Results questions; School Air Conditioning Presentation • Facilities Management Department (FMD) • Permanent Building Committee (PBC) • School Committee; Library LED Lights • FMD

Climate Action Committee (Sept. 4, 8am, town hall & online)

Agenda to come

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Local government

Why do Wellesley boards and committees hold retreats?

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Throughout the summer, several of Wellesley’s elected and appointed bodies, including the Select Board, Planning Board, Natural Resource Commission and Climate Action Committee, held meetings known as “retreats.” Some elected bodies hold retreats at other times of year as well.

The summer meetings are unique in that each agenda specifically mentions a “workplan” or “annual goals and initiatives” for the 2027 Fiscal Year. So, what exactly does this mean?

Corey Testa, Wellesley’s assistant executive director, wrote in an email to The Swellesley Report that the purpose of a Select Board retreat, specifically, is explained in Section VII of the Select Board Handbook.

According to the handbook, the Select Board, along with the town’s executive director and assistant executive director, sets goals for the coming fiscal year by developing a workplan based on the Board’s expected priorities. 

A workplan consists of objectives and an estimated timeline for Board members and staff, the handbook states. Board members are also assigned to certain projects, and the Chair, in consultation with the vice chair, executive director, and assistant executive director, appoints Board members as liaisons for specific committees.

“The Board sets goals that can influence the community for many years,” the handbook states. “In doing so, the Board must consider short-term and long-term needs as well as the future financial and other implications of those decisions.”

Every June, before the fiscal year changes on July 1, the incoming Chair leads an annual retreat in collaboration with the Board, executive director and assistant executive director. However, the Chair can choose to review or update the workplan at any retreat or working meeting during the year, the handbook states.

While all the boards and committees that held retreats this summer did so primarily for goal setting, the agendas have some distinctions. For example, the Planning Board’s retreat on Aug. 6 included discussions regarding potential future development, planning area studies and a “comprehensive plan.”

The agenda for the Select Board’s most recent retreat also notably states that the July 22 meeting was a “working meeting,” meaning it was open to the public but no public comments would be taken.

The Select Board creates minutes for all open meetings and executive sessions, which includes retreats, according to its “Minutes Policy.”  However, retreats are exempt from being recorded by Wellesley Media, a nonprofit digital media organization that provides pubic access to civic matters, according to the Select Board’s “Recording of Meetings” regulations. 

These regulations fulfill Town Bylaw 2.9, which acts in accordance with Massachusetts’ Open Meeting Law. 

The bylaw states, “The Select Board shall promulgate regulations pertaining to livestreaming and recorded video of meetings of elected and appointed public bodies; provided, however, that the regulations so adopted shall not infringe on an individual’s right to make a video or audio recording of an open session of a meeting of a public body …”

As Wellesley’s local government and its many boards and committees progress through the 2027 Fiscal Year, the plans and objectives established during their retreats pave the way for future policy decisions.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com