Wakefield Town Council Notes -- November 10, 2025

Here's what we covered at our Town Council meeting on Monday, November 10:

• Veterans Advisory Board Chair Paul Cancelliere invited the Council and all members of the public to attend Wakefield's annual Veterans Day Commemoration, which took place at the Galvin Middle School on Tuesday, November 11 at 11:00 AM.

• The Council continued two public hearings related to the relocation of two Verizon utility poles due to the fact that a representative from Verizon was not present at the meeting. The hearings are now scheduled for our Town Council meeting on Monday, December 8.

• We recognized Wakefield Fire Department Chief Michael Sullivan on the occasion of his retirement on Wednesday, November 12. Chief Sullivan is a third-generation firefighter who has served Wakefield for more than 40 years. Congratulations, Chief, on a well-deserved retirement!

• The Council approved a contract for a new fire engine, the funding for which was authorized by Town Meeting this past spring. It will take nearly four years for the engine to be manufactured and delivered. We also approved a three-year extension of Wakefield's ambulance contract with Cataldo Ambulance.

• We approved a license agreement that allows the developers of the condominium complex at 596 North Avenue to make improvements in the public right-of-way, including new sidewalks, plantings, and a crosswalk. These improvements were mandated by the Zoning Board of Appeals when this project was permitted.

• The Town Council approved a recommendation from the Traffic Advisory Committee to restrict parking northbound on Main Street between Franklin Street and Nahant Street between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM to improve traffic flow. We deferred consideration of a request to limit parking to one hour in this location outside of those hours, pending evaluation of the impact of the no parking restriction.

• We approved the transfer of nearly $3,000 in interest from the Cowdrey Fund to the Wakefield Garden Club. We also authorized Town Administrator Denise Casey to serve as the certifying authority for the Culvert Asset Management Project, a grant-funded initiative to inventory all of the drainage culverts in Wakefield.

• The Council approved a restaurant and entertainment license for Candarella's Bakeshop, which is moving to a new location on Albion Street.

Our next regular Town Council meeting will be on Monday, December 8th at 7:00 PM. Before then, we will be holding our annual Tri-Board Meeting with the School Committee and Finance Committee next Monday, November 17th beginning at 6:00 PM at the Galvin Middle School. This meeting serves as the kick-off for developing Wakefield's Fiscal Year 2027 budget. This year's meeting is particularly important, given the reductions we are seeing in federal and state support for municipalities, which will put additional financial pressure on Wakefield in the years to come. I hope you'll be able to join us to learn more.