Town of Ipswich MA

09/02/2026

Town of Ipswich Unofficial Result of the September 1, 2026 State Primary Election!

09/02/2026

Ipswich Public Health Department to Launch Opioid Abatement Support Award

IPSWICH – Ipswich Public Health Director and Opioid Abatement Coordinator Colleen Fermon announces that in response to findings from the 2025 Needs Assessment, the town is launching the Opioid Abatement Support Award.

The award was created through the development of a strategic plan that will guide the Town’s use of Opioid Settlement Funds for the next several years.

The award, financed by opioid settlement dollars, will award payments to Ipswich residents to help offset treatment costs and recovery expenses.

The application period for the Opioid Abatement Support Award will begin on Sept. 8, 2026. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as long as funding is available.

Please read the entire press release for eligibility requirements.

IPSWICH – Ipswich Public Health Director and Opioid Abatement Coordinator Colleen Fermon announces that in response to findings from the 2025 Needs Assessment, the town is launching the Opioid Abat…

09/01/2026

Election polls for the State Primary at the YMCA will remain open until 8:00 PM tonight! Vote today!

08/31/2026

Special Town Meeting is Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 7:00 pm in the lower gym of Ipswich Middle/High School, 134 High Street.

Arrive early to park, sign in, get your voting clicker and find your seat. This is a three article warrant.

The Finance Committee report for this town meeting has been delivered by mail to registered voters. Please bring this with you to town meeting.

If you’d like to view the Finance Committee report online, click here - https://www.ipswichma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19173/FY2027-STM-Finance-Committee-Report-09-08-2026

See you then!

08/28/2026

Congratulations, Anthony! And to Ipswich for benefiting from Anthony’s expertise, positive influence and attitude as a professional in the industry!

🎉 Congratulations, Anthony! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating Anthony Calascibetta of the Ipswich Electric Light Department on receiving the Francis “Skip” Willey Individual Achievement Award!

This award recognizes outstanding contributions and dedication to the municipal utility industry, and we couldn’t be more proud to see Anthony receive this well-deserved recognition. His commitment, hard work, and service to the Ipswich community are truly appreciated.

Congratulations, Anthony, on this incredible achievement! We are lucky to have you on the IELD team!

08/27/2026

The Ipswich Select Board extends its thanks and best wishes to outgoing Ipswich Local News Editor Trevor Meek, who was recognized at the Select Board’s Monday, August 24 meeting at Town Hall.

Trevor received a signed proclamation from the Select Board in recognition of his dedication to accurate reporting, community engagement, local accountability, and his commitment to keeping Ipswich informed during his time with The Local News.

Thank you, Trevor, for your service to our community, and congratulations on your next chapter!

Recordings of this meeting, as well as other Town Board and Committee meetings, are available through Icam Ipswich: https://icamipswich.com/

08/25/2026

There has been much discussion about consideration of the Winthrop School as a possible location for a combined public safety facility.

The Public Safety Facility Committee has decided to update the FAQ, located here https://www.ipswichma.gov/771/Public-Safety-Facility-Committee to address this line of inquiry with two questions and answers.

Q: Was the Winthrop School site explored as a potential option and, if so, why wasn’t it chosen?

A: Yes. Over the past 25 years, the Winthrop School property has been reviewed during each public safety building committee process (2002, 2014, and 2017). In every case, the committees concluded that the site does not meet the operational needs of a combined public safety facility.

In addition, the property currently houses an active elementary school. The School Committee has repeatedly stated publicly that the site is not available for any purpose other than school operations.

Q: What if, in the future, the Winthrop School is removed, and the land becomes available for general town use?

A: Even if the property were made available, the site remains highly constrained. A public safety facility would need to be set back approximately 100 feet from the road—space that would be fully paved to create the fire apparatus apron. Behind the building, an estimated 80–90 parking spaces would be required to accommodate visitors, staff, and town public safety vehicles (police cruisers, boats, emergency trailers, and others).

The result is that the building footprint and required paved areas would occupy nearly all of the existing green space visible from Central Street. The open area stretching from the road to the current school entrance would be entirely replaced by building and asphalt.

Traffic volume is another significant concern. Central Street sees roughly 18,000 vehicles per day, compared to about 4,000 on Linebrook Road. Entering and exiting a public safety facility on Central Street would be considerably more hazardous for both emergency responders and the public.

Finally, response times from the Winthrop School location are not faster than those from the Linebrook Road site. Relocating to Winthrop would not improve service delivery or emergency response performance.

The charge of the committee is to identify and evaluate suitable location(s) for a combined public safety facility and make recommendations to the Selectmen; to recommend an appropriate sum to conduct a feasibility study; to work with the Town Manager and town staff to obtain OPM and Architectural s...

08/24/2026

08/23/2026

The Public Safety Facility Committee compiled an FAQ relative to the safety building construction project.

The FAQ and other documents on the public safety building project can be found here - https://www.ipswichma.gov/771/Public-Safety-Facility-Committee

https://www.ipswichma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19068/Public-Safety-Building-Committee-FAQ-July-14-2026?bidId=

08/20/2026

Join us for our second Ipswich ADU-Short Term Rentals Public Input/Informational Forum on Saturday, August 29th at 10 AM.

For additional information contact Director of Planning & Development, Alan S. Manoian, at 978.356.6607 X1 and/or [email protected].

For more information about the proposed Ipswich Protected Use Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw amendment, please visit the Town's website: https://www.ipswichma.gov/1095/Protected-Use-Accessory-Dwelling-Unit-AD