Newbury Select Board Approves Warrant, Splits Capital Plan Into Three Articles

NEWBURY — March 31, 2026 — Newbury Select Board unanimously approves restructured annual town meeting warrant, sending more than $986,000 in capital spending to voters on May 5. The board voted 5-0 on nearly every article at its March 31 session, with the single exception being a 4-1 vote on Article 11, a $250,000 feasibility and conceptual design study for a new senior center at the Kent Way parcel — stripped of a proposed town hall component after members said the board had "never discussed" combining the two facilities. The capital plan was broken into three separate articles, the largest a $914,000 public safety package covering a $611,000 Morgan Avenue fire station repair, a $69,000 emergency management vehicle, $134,000 for two sets of hydraulic extrication tools (one unit 22 years old), and $100,000 for fire department records software facing uncertain vendor support. A $40,000 Council on Aging transport vehicle, scored 20 out of 55 by the Capital Planning Committee, was left on the warrant over board hesitation, with members agreeing to let town meeting decide.