Wakefield Town Council Notes - January 26, 2026

Here's a summary of what was discussed at our Town Council meeting on Monday, January 26:

• The Town Council voted to name four spaces at the new Wakefield Memorial High School -- the Shaun F. Beasley Track and Field, the Governor John A. Volpe Media Center and Library, the Frank Charbonneau Gymnasium, and the Dennis O'Leary Dining Commons.

• We did not hold a scheduled hearing to review a proposed liquor license for Salem Variety since the applicant withdrew the license request.

• The Council reviewed and approved a variety of budgets for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2026, including the Legal Department, Assessing Department, Town Clerk, Finance Committee, and Council on Aging. While the budgets approved generally are level funded aside from contractual increases, some cost drivers include the biannual state primary and general elections this fall, and the addition of a driver on Fridays at the Council on Aging. The Senior Center also will be adding social worker hours, to be paid through a state grant. The budgets approved totaled $1.16 million, or about 1% of Wakefield's total budget.

• The Town Council appointed Cara Nishino as a student representative to the Human Rights Commission. We also appointed Shelby Nikitin and Kevin Yost to the Veterans Advisory Board.

• We accepted $3,250 in donations to the Fire Department, and approved the use of the Galvin Middle School parking lot for the Wakefield Independence Committee's carnival fundraiser this spring.

Our next meeting will be Monday, February 9 beginning at 7:00 PM. I hope everyone made it safely through this weekend's snowstorm -- and that we'll have some warmer weather before our meeting on the 9th!