Please Support Local Advertisers
IPSWICH — The Select Board on Monday approved an off-premises retail liquor license transfer for Ipswich Beverage. The store is located in the Ipswich Crossing plaza.
The license was transferred to Kushal Savalia, a Danvers resident who also manages Schooners Market in Essex. He said that his wife will be listed as the new owner of Ipswich Beverage.
Savalia’s attorney said there will be no change to the store’s business hours.
As she does with any liquor license transfer request, Selectperson Linda Alexson notified Savalia of the town’s strict expectation that alcohol will not be sold to minors.
“A couple years ago, we had several violations in town,” Alexson said.
Savalia said his staff will scan each customer’s ID before selling alcohol.
NORESCO
Climate Resiliency Manager Rick Mitchell briefed the Select Board on the status of the NORESCO energy-efficiency project.
Mitchell said subcontractors have been conducting site visits to verify existing conditions and finalize designs, with work expected to begin at the end of February.
The new electric heat pump for Town Hall is projected to be installed by June 2026. The equipment is currently sitting inside a semi-trailer parked outside Town Hall, as it needed to be purchased “under the tariff schedule,” Mitchell said. He said the project is timely given anticipated increases in natural gas prices.
Additional upgrades — including energy, lighting, and water conservation improvements in multiple municipal buildings — are expected to be completed next spring, Mitchell said.
In total, Ipswich will receive just over $1 million in grant funding for the project, reducing its cost from about $4.5 million to $3.5 million, according to Mitchell. He’s asked NORESCO to reassess its savings projections so the town can better understand its year-by-year return and when the project will become cash-positive.
Earlier estimates had the project saving the town a total of $5 million in energy expenses over the next 20 years, netting Ipswich a return on investment of around $500k.
Interim town manager
The Select Board voted unanimously in favor of extending interim Town Manager Thomas Younger’s contract for another 180 days.
“The term of the contract will remain the same when it comes to the financials,” said Selectperson Michael Dougherty.
In October, Special Town Meeting voters approved a charter change that extended the time interim managers are allowed to serve, from 90 to 180 days.
Dougherty thanked Younger, who was hired in May, for his service to the town.
Meanwhile, the search for a permanent town manager is set to begin in the near future. A timeline for that process will be presented in the coming weeks, Dougerty said.
Water treatment plant
Construction of the new water treatment plant hit an unexpected setback during the state’s environmental review of the project.
As the Water Department searched its High Street property and the vacant town-owned property next door for percable land — meaning soil that is suitable for the new treatment plant’s septic system — the department triggered a state review of open space protections.
Halmen said her department was unable to find percable land on its own lot (20D-008), but they were able to find suitable percability on the neighboring lot (20C-003).
“Our attorneys did make a case that there’s no change in use because the town owns the land [at 20C-003], which is for water supply protection to facilitate construction of a new water treatment plant,” Halmen said. “However, the state did not agree with our assessment that there was no change in use.”
The Water Department will now be required to get approval to use that land from both the state and Town Meeting.
However, Halmen said there is still hope that percable land can be found on 20D-008, which would negate the need for further approvals. Either way, there should be no delay to the project’s timeline, according to Halmen.
“I can tell you that the Water Department is doing everything in their power to make sure that this project stays on time, and that we try to avoid any sort of delays or cost increases,” said Dougherty, who also sits on the water subcommittee.
