Town Hall staff will begin moving to temporary office space this August to facilitate the extensive renovation of the historic 41 Highland Avenue headquarters. The Select Board paved the way for the move Tuesday night, authorizing Interim Town Manager Michelle Leary to identify and negotiate leases for external space within Cohasset to house municipal employees for up to two years.

The decision comes as the town prepares to issue bid documents for the project, starting with window replacements. Leary emphasized the urgency of securing a location, noting that suitable properties are rapidly disappearing from the local market. Ideally, we would like to secure space by August 1st, Leary told the board, explaining that the building must be vacated because construction would be not safe for the public and not efficient for employees.

While the board considered using the first floor of the town-owned building at 135 King Street, Leary cautioned that the site lacks ADA accessibility on the second floor and could interfere with the long-term timeline for the Public Safety Building project. Concerns about costs surfaced during the discussion, particularly in light of the town’s projected $2.4 million budget gap for FY27. One board member noted they were a little leery of spending a ton of money on this given we have budget shortfalls. Leary clarified that the funding for the lease is already accounted for within the capital budget previously designated for the Town Hall renovation. Motion Made by W. Ashton to authorize the town manager to find relocation space for the town hall employees for leasable space within town of Cohasset. Motion Passed 5-0.

The board also received an optimistic update regarding the reopening of the Old Salt House. Alex Maronei, representing Atlantica Operating LLC, announced a target reopening date of June 15. The facility has been shuttered for two years following challenges with a mobile kitchen setup. It will limit the indoor space to an extent, but the only way we saw a means to an end getting open was to be able to move the kitchen into the existing Salt House building, Maronei said. To lead the reopening, the board welcomed Joel Esmea as the new manager. Esmea, a veteran of the local restaurant scene who previously managed the Top of the Hub in Boston, said he was ready to bring his white tablecloth experience back to Cohasset. Motion Made by G. Watts to approve Joel Esmea for a change of manager for Atlantica Operating LLC DBA the Old Salt House. Motion Passed 5-0.

In the wake of the failed $135 million Public Safety Building proposal at the May election, the board discussed the future of the Public Safety Facilities Committee. With one vacancy to fill and five applicants already in the queue, the board began debating a new charge for the group. Chair David Farrag urged the public to utilize the new dedicated email address for suggestions. I'd urge the public to get your questions in because it's important that this process moves along and we require that if folks want changes made to the plans, Farrag said. The board is expected to refine the committee’s direction in the coming weeks to address the deteriorating conditions at the current 62 Elm Street station while respecting taxpayer concerns over project costs.

The meeting also served as a moment of reflection for the community following the passing of Merl Brown, a former Select Board member and Citizen of the Year. Chair Ellen Maher led a moment of silence for Brown, a Korean War veteran who was instrumental in transforming the town dump into the modern Recycling and Transfer Station. Maher shared a personal connection, noting that Brown had served as her scout master for many years. He did a lot for the town... in his memory for everything they did for the town of Cohasset, she said.

The board addressed several other appointments to key committees overseeing major town initiatives. Will Ashton volunteered to serve as the Select Board representative on the Alternative Energy Committee’s school solar array evaluation subcommittee, which will review bids for solar carports at the elementary schools. Motion Made by E. Maher to appoint W. Ashton on the AEC solar array evaluation committee as the select board member. Motion Passed 5-0. Additionally, Paul Grady was appointed to represent the board on the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) committee for the Middle-High School rebuild project. Motion Made by E. Maher to appoint P. Grady to the MSBA Committee. Motion Passed 5-0.

The board briefly considered moving their regular meeting time from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., but decided against it to accommodate members' professional commutes. It's going to be pretty difficult for me, Grady said, noting he travels from Providence. 6:30 is tough for me. Maher agreed to leave the time unchanged, concluding, We'll just let that rest with no motion. In other business, the board appointed Alicia Spenson to the Cohasset Village Historic District Study Committee. Motion Made by G. Watts to appoint Alicia Spenson to the Cohasset Village Historic District Study Committee. Motion Passed 5-0. The board also cleared the way for summer staples, granting license renewals for Dell’s Lemonade and Zach’s Ice Cream.