Wellesley Select Board Promotes Sergeant, Appoints Firefighters, Defers Fire Station Feasibility Vote

WELLESLEY -- July 21, 2026, Wellesley Select Board defers fire station feasibility vote to annual town meeting and advances fire truck antitrust lawsuit inquiry. At the July 21 meeting in the Giuliani Room at Town Hall, the four-member board unanimously promoted Detective Mike Mankovic to sergeant, with Police Chief Scott Whittemore noting that a fellow candidate volunteered Mankovic was "the best one," and appointed Exander Marku and Henry Galani as firefighters pending completion of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. The board reached consensus in principle to join a Sherman Act class action against the three largest fire truck manufacturers, with Napoli Law Firm partner Hank Naughton reporting roughly 25 Massachusetts municipalities have already signed retainers and that treble damages under the Sherman Act could accelerate settlement; a formal vote is scheduled for August 17 after town counsel reviews the representation agreement. Secretary Colette Aufranc presented a charrette-style public engagement plan for the North 40 property, with an October 1 or 5 target date, after the board's meeting packet confirmed that a fire station feasibility study funding vote would be deferred from a fall special town meeting to annual town meeting, a move endorsed by resident Deborah Wall, who had opened public comment urging the board to slow the site-selection process.