NAHANT — Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, the Nahant Select Board approved a vote for a Memorial Day block party, which will take place this Sunday, May 24 at 3 p.m.
Chair Rob Tibbo stated that Nahant Road will be blocked off, beginning at Wharf Street to Wilson Road, and that the Nahant Police Department, Fire Department, and the Department of Public Works have all been notified. There will also be additional police detail to ensure that emergency vehicles can access a portion of the street.
The Board then voted to schedule a Special Town Election on June 24 at Nahant Town Hall, of which Town Administrator Alison Nieto had worked with Town Clerk Diane Dunfee to set the date. They also voted to place two items on the ballot, including the Proposition 2 ½ override on the ballot to assess an additional one million dollars in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding the operating budgets for the Town and public schools, starting July 1, 2026, as well as to put the Charter Amendment on the ballot and change the posting of the Annual Town Meeting warrant from 14 days to 7 days.
“Because we’re having the Special Town Election, it seemed right to put a second question on the ballot, and I think this is a no-brainer,” said Nieto during the discussion. “We just put it on there for this election, and if it passes it can go immediately into place.”
Nieto then gave her town administrator report and recapped what she called a “successful” Town Meeting last Saturday.
“I think there was a lot of good discussion. I am happy with the way that the discussion regarding the override went and I think that having one question on a special election does make things less confusing for the residents,” she said.
With that, she is, however, a “little disappointed” about the Affordable Housing Trust, which did not get passed, but mentioned that it is something that she thinks should be workshopped, should the Board decide to pursue it in the future.
“I think we might want to think about other education opportunities or just how we can spread the word about what exactly an Affordable Housing Trust can do in town,” she said
The meeting concluded with members of the Board, including Tibbo, commending Nieto for being “the ringleader” of the Town Meeting and for all the work that went into the preparation.
“You had quite a bit coming at you for your first time at bat,” Tibbo said with a smile.
