Wayland Select Board endorses $531,000 OPEB contribution, ratifies police contract

WAYLAND -- February 5, 2024, Wayland Select Board advances community electricity aggregation and ratifies police contract. The board on Feb. 5 unanimously affirmed a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the New England Police Benevolent Association Local 176, which still requires town meeting funding. Consultant Paul Gromer of Peregrine Energy Group told members final supplier bids for Wayland Electricity Choice are due Feb. 28, with enrollment beginning in mid-May; Energy and Climate Committee Chair Ellen Tohn said the default product should cost "no more" than Eversource Basic Service while maximizing Class I renewables. The board also recommended a $531,030 OPEB contribution against a $71 million liability, $1.4 million in revolving fund authorizations, and rescinding $2.5 million in unissued debt. Finance Director Brian Keveny presented a $104.3 million fiscal 2025 budget, a 4.6 percent increase. Karen Kelly was appointed to the Economic Development Committee, and the board accepted a $53,000 weed-harvesting conveyor gifted by the Dudley Pond Association.