Wayland Select Board submits four articles for 2026 Town Meeting warrant

WAYLAND — December 19, 2025 — Wayland Select Board advances rail trail easements, pension bond petition and PILOT policy. Meeting remotely Dec. 19, the board voted 4-0 to submit a Town Meeting article authorizing acquisition of a permanent easement from NP Wayland LLC and conveyance of a 17,000-square-foot temporary construction easement for the Mass Central Rail Trail, which DCR hopes to begin building in 2027. Finance Director Brian Keveney pitched a home-rule petition for pension obligation bonds to address a $60.6 million unfunded liability projected to be fully funded by 2036, calling it a "tool in the toolbox" if interest rates fall. Member William Whitney voted no, warning against stacking debt atop a pending $38 million water bond; the article was submitted 3-1-1. The board also voted 5-0 to seek up to 10 additional liquor licenses and unanimously adopted a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes policy.