Newbury Select Board Backs ZBA Expansion to Five Members for Town Meeting Vote

Select Board · Meeting of January 13, 2026

Newbury Select Board unanimously backed expanding the Zoning Board of Appeals from three to five members, sending the change to Annual Town Meeting on May 5. ZBA Chair Eric Svahn told the board Tuesday that the current three-member structure — which requires a unanimous vote to act — effectively bars members from any informal discussion without violating the Open Meeting Law, and that a single absence forces meeting cancellations. ZBA member Mario Carnavali seconded the case, saying a larger board "would really help the meetings follow through." The board also accepted $7,199.99 in donations across five gifts to the Council on Aging and Police Department, and Assistant Town Administrator Joy Stanton reported a public surplus auction generated over $84,000 from four pieces of equipment.

DiMaio separately disclosed that the Byfield Fire Station lease remains unsigned, with the town paying $90,000 annually — $17,750 more than Annual Town Meeting appropriated — while contract negotiations continue.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of January 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.