Board hears building dept. complaints, takes no action

Select Board · Meeting of August 18, 2026

Wareham Select Board heard sweeping complaints about the building department but took no action, citing Open Meeting Law limits. Nearly a dozen residents and State Rep. John Gaskey described permit delays and inconsistent enforcement under Building Commissioner Paul Turner, who multiple speakers said is nearing retirement.

Resident Nancy Roy said she lost $10,000 on a home sale over a disputed water heater permit, while Ayres Souza said years of code-violation complaints went unanswered: "They've been totally ignored." The board unanimously approved a DBA change for Simply Smith's Restaurant, a $425.84 curbside billing abatement, and $1,411,182.50 in first-half FY27 curbside revenue, 5-0 on each roll call. Clerk Judith Whiteside also corrected the August 4 minutes, revealing she had abstained on a prior reappointment vote recorded as unanimous, changing the tally to 4-0-1. A separate review of Select Board fees was pushed to the September 1 agenda.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,073 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.