Essex Board of Selectmen Advances Governance Study and River Day Revival Plans

ESSEX -- July 13, 2026, Essex Board of Selectmen advances governance study proposal and affordable housing push. At its July 13 meeting, the board heard Town Administrator Brendan's pitch to convene an ad hoc committee to examine Essex's governance structure, unchanged since its 1819 articles of incorporation, with options ranging from a home-rule bylaw to a full charter commission; members agreed to review a draft scope and return comments by July 22. In a joint session with the Affordable Housing Trust and Planning Board, members discussed a proposed 10-unit affordable development on the Allen properties through Harbor Light Community Partners, which would represent a 25 percent increase over the town's 40-unit affordable stock, all built in 1969, pending acquisition of a contaminated adjacent parcel from the Woodman and Low families. The board also pressed for an inclusionary zoning bylaw to reach the November town meeting warrant, which the Board of Selectmen signs October 19, with members directing the town planner to circulate sample bylaws from neighboring communities before the Planning Board's July 16 meeting. Resident Rob Fitzgibbon appeared to propose reviving River Day, outlining 13 organizational tasks and asking the board to draw on the $5,000 town events fund; the board directed him to return July 27 with a confirmed date, with August 29 identified as the most workable option.