By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — At the Select Board’s annual reorganizational meeting, held on May 8, the day after the annual Town Election, Vincenzo Stuto was unanimously elected chairman of the board for the coming year.

At the meeting, the board members welcomed new board member Nick Masse, who topped the ticket with 1,106 votes in the three-way race between Masse and incumbents Stephen O’Leary and Kate Manupelli. O’Leary took second with 1,098 votes and Manupelli placed third with 1,024 votes.

Stuto had served as vice chairman during the past year and previously had served a couple of years as the board’s clerk.

Stuto was nominated by Rich Wallner and O’Leary offered the second. “This is the easiest vote I will get for the next year,” Stuto said.

Once the new chairman was selected, Stuto entertained motions for vice chairman. Wallner quickly nominated O’Leary for the position, which was seconded by the outgoing chairwoman, Liane Gonzalez.

Wallner then nominated Masse for the position of clerk, which was seconded by Gonzalez. All of the veteran board members have served as clerk in the past. During the discussion, Stuto told Masse: “I swear we are not picking on you. I was clerk two years in a row…I was clerk during that first year of COVID so I just fumbled around with paperwork here by myself.”

Gonzalez, Wallner and O’Leary concurred that serving as clerk has its benefits for new members. “I learned a lot,” Gonzalez said.

“It is not a bad experience because you get familiar with things more quickly and you get to multi-task,” O’Leary offered.

When it came time to vote, Masse opted to abstain and he was appointed to the post 4-0.

In welcoming Masse to the board, O’Leary said, “I’ve been told you’re a quick study and that’s a good thing because there is a lot of catching up to do right now. We have a lot of work ahead of us in order to do what is in the best interest of the community and I have high hopes of us all working together and coming to some positive conclusions for the community and giving them some clear choices as to what they’ll be voting on.”

Gonzalez offered “kudos to Mr. Masse because he has attended pretty much all of our meetings since he pulled papers. That’s a plus and a great start right there because he has listened and paid attention to what we’re doing.”

“I will add something that a former colleague, Kate Manupelli, said to me,” Stuto said. “It takes a lot of courage to put your name on a sign and put yourself out there. No matter how everybody got here you put yourself out there and you know that not everybody is going to agree with you, even when they don’t even know who you are at first… I just want to say congratulations because that first step is half the battle.”

Masse thanked them and said he appreciated their advice.

PUBLIC HEARING ON WARRANT ARTICLES

On Monday, May 20 at 8 p.m., the public is invited to ask the Select Board questions on any of the following 34 articles that are part of the June 10 Annual Town Meeting Warrant.

This informational hearing will be held during the board’s regular meeting in a hybrid format, both in person in Room 14 at Town Hall or via Zoom.

When viewing the meeting via Zoom, attendees will be able to ask questions by typing them into the “chat” and they will be read by the town administrator. When speaking or asking a question, either in person or using the chat function, attendees should state their name and address as the Q&A is part of the formal meeting minutes.

  • Article 1: FY2024 Budget Amendment
  • Article 2: FY2024 Capital Budget Amendment
  • Article 3: Fund FY2024 Snow and Ice Deficit
  • Article 4: FY2024 Appropriate Funds to Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund
  • Article 5: FY2024 Transfer Funds to Other Post Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund
  • Article 6: FY2024 Appropriate Funds to Stabilization Fund
  • Article 7: FY2024 Transfer Funds to Solid Waste Stabilization Fund
  • Article 8: FY2024 Transfer Funds to Water Stabilization Fund
  • Article 9: FY2024 Appropriate Funds to Participating Funding Arrangement Fund
  • Article 10: FY2024 Transfer Funds to School District Reserve Fund for Unanticipated / Unbudgeted Costs for Special Education, Out-of-District Tuition, or Transportation
  • Article 11: FY2024 Appropriate Funds for Legal Expenses – 20 Elm Street
  • Article 12: Dissolve 102/104 Lowell Road Regulatory Inspections Revolving Fund
  • Article 13: Prior Year Bills
  • Article 14: Select Town Officers
  • Article 15: Hear and Act on Reports of Town Officers and Committees
  • Article 16: FY2025 Operating Budget
  • Article 17: Increase Senior Tax Rebate
  • Article 18: Home-Rule Petition: Establish Means-Tested Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption
  • Article 19: FY2025 One-Time Fire Department Recruit and Paramedic Training
  • Article 20: Fund Retirement Obligations
  • Article 21: FY2025 Appropriate Funds to Other Post Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund
  • Article 22: Authorize Treasurer to Enter into Compensating Balance Agreements
  • Article 23: Rescind Authorization to Borrow
  • Article 24: FY2025 Capital Expenditures
  • Article 25: FY2025 Fund Town Building Repairs
  • Article 26: FY2025 Fund Repairs to Rev. Daniel Putnam House
  • Article 27: FY2025 Authorize Chapter 90 Highway Construction Funds
  • Article 28: Authorize Director of Public Works to Accept Easements
  • Article 29: Lease of Town-Owned Real Property at 166 Chestnut Street
  • Article 30: Amend Code of the Town of North Reading – Zoning Bylaws – Establishment of Lowell Road   Multi-Family Zoning Overlay District
  • Article 31: Amend Code of the Town of North Reading – Zoning Bylaws – Changes to Site Plan Review, Article XVII
  • Article 32: Amend Code of the Town of North Reading – Zoning Bylaws – Section 200-30 Zoning Map
  • Article 33: Dissolve Veterans Memorial Committee
  • Article 34: Fire Station Reconstruction Project Bidding Phase Funding.