ICAM Recording | Meeting Packet
Citizen Queries
Joni Soffron of Agawam Village announced that Betty's bench has been installed at Bialek Park. It will stay tarped until Betty's children unveil it on Sunday, November 1, at 11 AM, and residents are invited to attend.
Announcements
Chair Michael Dougherty announced the final Illumination weekend (October 16–18) and the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, October 20, at 7 PM in the Middle/High School lower gym, with free first-come babysitting for up to 30 children. He also announced School Building Committee interviews of project-manager (OPM) finalists on October 26–27 at 5:30 PM and a selection vote on October 29 at 6 PM, while Linda Alexson announced the Veterans Appreciation Breakfast on Saturday, November 7, 8:30–10:30 AM, at the Masonic Lodge, a new location this year.
Approval of Minutes
The board unanimously approved the July 13, 2026 minutes (the Select Board portion of that joint meeting) and the September 21, 2026 minutes. Michael Dougherty asked that the July 13 minutes also go on the next joint meeting agenda so the Electric Light Subcommittee can approve its portion.
Future Agenda Items
Following recent Open Meeting Law training, Michael Dougherty said the item "Future Agenda Items" will appear only occasionally, and requests must be stated simply without discussion. He listed topics planned for October and November, before FY28 budget work takes over, including a free cash policy, Route 1A roadwork and sidewalks, trash, public safety, the SAFER grant, charter options, outdoor dining, parking and beach use policies, and a six-month review of Town Manager Brendan Sweeney, while Charlie Surpitski asked that the public safety building be included.
FY27 Annual Review - Ipswich ELD
This was discussion only, and every scheduled subcommittee vote was postponed after it was ruled that the Electric Light Subcommittee lacked a quorum. Only 3 of its 7 members were present. Acting subcommittee chair Jim Engel objected on the record, citing an earlier subcommittee vote setting its quorum at three, but Dougherty said state law requires a majority and barred subcommittee members from further comment. Electric Light Manager Dylan Lewellyn presented a redesigned power-portfolio chart tracking progress toward the state's 50% non-carbon requirement by 2030 in the Annual Review document.
September Nor'Easter Outage Report - Ipswich ELD
Operations Manager Anthony Calascibetta reported that the main outage on September 26 came from a tree-caused line break and was repaired in about 1 hour 50 minutes, with only a few other minor incidents. Charlie Surpitski asked about crew rest during multi-day storms, and Dylan Lewellyn said there is no written policy, but the department follows federal OSHA work-hour and rest rules, can call on neighboring municipal utilities, and can get mutual-aid crews through its industry association within about 24 hours.
Dashboard Review - Ipswich ELD
Dylan Lewellyn said the amount customers owe through the power-cost adjustment charge on electric bills (PPFA) has dropped to about $500,000, down from more than $2 million last winter, but it is too early to lower the rate, which has been at its highest-ever level since about February. He also reported that a project manager has been chosen for Substation 4, that construction in front of the utilities office will add an EV charging and water-conservation demonstration area and a flagpole by December 15 at the latest, and that a new outage map has been quietly launched on the department website.
Key Decisions
- Minutes approved: The July 13, 2026 (Select Board portion) and September 21, 2026 minutes passed 3–0. Linda Alexson made the motion and Charlie Surpitski seconded, with Michael Dougherty also voting yes. Only three board members were present.
- Electric Light Subcommittee ruled out of order: Michael Dougherty ruled that 3 of 7 members is not a quorum under state law, so the subcommittee could not vote or deliberate. Jim Engel objected on the record.
- All Electric Light votes postponed: The following votes were pushed to a future meeting:
- adoption of the Procurement Policy and Designer Selection Procedures
- approval of the August 17 executive session minutes
- the subcommittee recommendation and commissioner approval for Special Project 2026B
- Executive session not held: The closed session on Special Project 2026B was skipped because the subcommittee could not vote to enter it. The chair noted a 45-day deadline tied to a letter on this matter.
Action Items
- Add the July 13 minutes to the next joint meeting agenda for subcommittee approval — Dylan Lewellyn — next joint meeting
- Find out when final OPEB and pension figures will arrive from the actuaries — Dylan Lewellyn — [none stated]
- Revise the annual report: label the residential and commercial PPFA rows, fix the FY27 cost-per-kilowatt-hour column header, add LMI, ASHP, and OPEB to the acronym list, improve the power-portfolio page layout, and explain that renewable energy credits are sold to keep rates low — Dylan Lewellyn — [none stated]
- Email further annual report comments to Dylan Lewellyn — Subcommittee members — before the next meeting
- Email minor comments on the procurement policy — Linda Alexson — [none stated]
- Ask subcommittee members individually whether to keep the annual report on a future agenda — Michael Dougherty — [none stated]
- Confirm a subcommittee quorum for moving the joint meeting to November 2 — Michael Dougherty — [none stated]
- Verify the 45-day deadline date on the Special Project 2026B letter — Dylan Lewellyn — [none stated]
- Provide updated reliability data — Dylan Lewellyn — next month's dashboard
- Email Michael Dougherty or Sarah Player in advance when unable to attend — All members — ongoing
- Complete the construction in front of the utilities office — Electric Light Department / vendor — December 15, 2026
Related Upcoming Meetings
- Select Board — Monday, October 19, 6:30 PM, Meeting Room A: First-quarter FY27 budget update and a first look at the FY28 budget.
- Special Town Meeting — Tuesday, October 20, 7 PM, Middle/High School lower gym: Babysitting is available for the first 30 children signed up.
- Next Select Board / Electric Light joint meeting — proposed for Monday, November 2: This meeting would take up the postponed procurement policy and Special Project 2026B votes. If a quorum can't be confirmed, it falls back to November 9.
