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Atkinson selectmen recommend several warrant articles, split votes on DPW equipment and a petition
Summary
The Board of Selectmen on Jan. 12 recommended multiple warrant articles for the 2026 town meeting, including a Fire Department command vehicle; narrow votes split the board on a DPW loader/backhoe purchase and a petition article for SoRock.
The Atkinson Board of Selectmen on Jan. 12 voted to recommend several warrant articles and approved routine town business ahead of the 2026 town meeting.
Selectman Bill Friel moved to recommend Warrant Article 2026-06 for a Fire Department command vehicle with no trade-in; Vice Chair Bob Worden seconded and the motion passed 4-1, with Selectman Peter Torosian opposed. The board also approved Warrant Article 2026-DPW (a loader/backhoe purchase) as written and to move it to the warrant after a 3-2 vote. Selectmen Torosian and Wendy Barker voted against the DPW equipment purchase; Selectmen Greg Spero, Worden and Friel voted in favor.
The board was divided on a petitioned article concerning SoRock (Warrant Article 2026-12). Selectman Wendy Barker moved to not recommend the petition; Selectman Torosian seconded. The vote was recorded as 2 in favor of not recommending, 2 opposed (Chair Greg Spero and Vice Chair Worden) and 1 abstention (Selectman Friel), leaving no clear board recommendation.
Chair Greg Spero moved to recommend a petitioned increase to the Town Treasurer’s compensation (Warrant Article 2026-13); Vice Chair Worden seconded. That motion carried with three in favor and two abstentions (Selectmen Friel and Torosian).
The board also approved small routine items: acceptance of a $202 donation to the Elder Services Transportation fund and acceptance of a $2,000 Conservation Fund donation (both motions made by Selectman Barker and approved unanimously), and approval of the Jan. 5, 2026 regular meeting minutes.
The board agreed to reconvene on the warrant-article language for Phase 1 of the Police Station & DPW redevelopment (Warrant Article 2026-02) after the Budget Committee’s public hearing on Jan. 20, 2026. The Board set a public hearing on the proposed Police Station/DPW Facility for Jan. 15, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. and scheduled its next regular meeting for Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting returned from a non-public session with a personnel action to increase Brian Boyle’s hourly rate to $61 effective June 1, 2026; the motion passed 5-0. The board voted to seal the non-public minutes for 10 years.
