Manchester Finance Committee Separates $350K Senior Center Design as Distinct Warrant Article

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — March 19, 2026 — Manchester-by-the-Sea's Finance Committee voted to separate a $350,000 Senior Center design request into its own Warrant Article after a conceptual cost estimate for the project jumped to $7.2 million — more than double the $3 million previously assumed. Finance Director Andrea Mainville also reported that fiscal year 2026 snow and ice removal spending is running approximately $250,000 over budget and recommended the full amount be appropriated from free cash at Town Meeting, citing state encumbrance rules that make upfront action the practical equivalent of waiting until year-end. Several committee members questioned proceeding with design funding before a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the Masons is signed, with one faction suggesting the town give fundraisers 18 to 24 months to demonstrate results; a fundraising representative identified as Ms. Beckman acknowledged that a feasibility study had projected raising only $3 million over three years against the new $7.2 million estimate. The committee approved its March 12 minutes 6-0 with one abstention and confirmed a March 26 follow-up meeting to finalize Warrant Article recommendations.