Ipswich Select Board approves minutes, hears resident urging bridge repairs as other business discusses budget options

At the May 11 meeting, the Ipswich Select Board and ELD Subcommittee approved the March 9 meeting minutes in both subcommittee and full-board votes. The Subcommittee motion to approve March 9 minutes was moved by Carl Nylen and seconded by Sarah Player and passed unanimously; the Select Board motion was moved by Linda Alexson and seconded by Michael Dougherty and passed 5'0—6.

During the public-comment period, resident Katie Bartholomew of Turkey Shore Road thanked staff for outreach and asked the board to prioritize restoring two-way traffic on the County Street Bridge, saying the bridge appears in the Strategic Planning Committee's report with short-term mitigation measures while a long-term solution is pursued. The board did not take formal action on the bridge at this meeting.

Under other business, Jim Engel (speaking as Moderator) raised a procedural point about a possible change of position on one or two warrant articles; Michael Dougherty said the board is considering not using money from the stabilization fund to balance the budget because of surplus savings from the trash contract and asked for rewritten motions to be prepared promptly. No formal vote on the stabilization approach was taken.

The Subcommittee and the Select Board each then moved to adjourn: the Subcommittee's adjournment motion (moved by Jim Engel, seconded by Carl Nylen) passed unanimously, and the Select Board adjourned on a motion by Michael Dougherty, seconded by Linda Alexson, passed unanimously (5'0—6).