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Select Board — April 16, 2026

While most votes were unanimous, the meeting featured a split vote on a large tax abatement and significant off-agenda discussions regarding school finances and road warrants.

Date Thursday, April 16, 2026 Public comments 1 Decisions 9 Mildly contentious
📄 Agenda 📄 Minutes

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Land Use Office Fee Increases

Increase in fees for Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment applications. Affected: Applicants for building permits and specific board applications.
fee change
02

All Souls Property Tax Abatement

$30,000 reduction in tax revenue. Affected: Town taxpayers/general fund
other high impact

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Acceptance of the new Land Use Office fee schedule.
Includes proposed new fees for Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment applications.
Unanimous
00:00
Approval of April 2, 2026, minutes.
Unanimous
Approval of April 11, 2026, minutes.
Unanimous
Abatement of approximately $30,000 in back taxes for the All Souls property.
Decision intended to facilitate the transfer of the historic building to the Historical Society.
3 in favor, 1 against
Proceed with CCDS and RSMS proposals.
Work to be completed no later than fall, contingent upon DRA approval.
Unanimous
Approval of the new Code of Conduct.
Approved with an amendment removing the second sentence in section #4.
Unanimous
Cemetery Mowing Contract decision.
Follow the Procurement Policy with no more than a 2-year contract.
Unanimous
Purchase of AED Kit for Blackwater Park/Field.
Cost of $1,064.00 to be paid from Recreation Funds, provided the device is kept in a warm environment during winter.
Unanimous
Millenial Moving Solutions Liquor License response.
Authorized Don Sieburg to prepare and send a formal letter to the Liquor Commission.
Unanimous

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
00:00 Land Use Office Fee Increases

A public hearing was held to discuss increasing Land Use Office, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustment fees to align with surrounding towns. The increases affect applicants for building permits and specific board applications.

Speakers: Dana Swenson, Charles Stewart
Flaghole Road Maintenance

A resident requested repairs for potholes on Flaghole Road, expressing concern for motorcyclist safety. The Board acknowledged the issue.

Speakers: Wood Sutton, Dana Swenson
Andover Fire District Legal Filing

Discussion regarding the need to file paperwork with the Secretary of State to legally establish the Andover Fire Department as a Village District following the merger of the East Andover and Andover departments.

Speakers: John MacDonald, Don Sieburg
All Souls Property/Historical Society Tax Abatement

The Board discussed the potential transfer of the historic All Souls building to the Andover Historical Society and whether the town should abate approximately $30,000 in back taxes owed by the property.

Speakers: Douglas Phelps, Dana Swenson, Elita Reed, Charles Stewart, Les Fenton, Don Sieburg
Bradley Lake Property Meeting

The Conservation Commission requested a meeting with the Select Board and the Sirard family regarding town-owned Bradley Lake property.

Speakers: Jesse Schust, Don Sieburg
School District Payment Schedule

The Board discussed the proposed payment schedule for the school district for April through June 2026 and expressed a need for greater financial transparency from the district.

Speakers: Don Sieburg, Charles Stewart, Mark Cowdrey, Elita Reed, Les Fenton, Dana Swenson
Highway Department Report and Paving Contracts

The Highway Supervisor reported on equipment issues and upcoming paving quotes. The Board addressed a potential dispute regarding a previous paving contract with R&D Paving.

Speakers: Jeremy Cornell, Karen Brule, Roland Carter, Les Fenton, Jim Hanson, Dana Swenson, Don Sieburg
CCDS & RSMS Proposals

Discussion regarding updating the Road Surface Maintenance Schedule (RSMS) and using the Closed Culvert Drainage System (CCDS) as a planning tool.

Speakers: Les Fenton, Mark Cowdrey, Charles Stewart, Jeremy Cornell, Don Sieburg
Code of Conduct Review

The Board reviewed a new proposed Code of Conduct modeled after other towns.

Speakers: Mark Cowdrey, Charles Stewart, Les Fenton
Cemetery Mowing Contract

The Board discussed whether to negotiate a contract with Poulin Property Maintenance or require competitive bids, ultimately deciding to follow the Procurement Policy.

Speakers: Dana Swenson, Don Sieburg, Charles Stewart, Les Fenton, Mark Cowdrey
AED Purchase for Blackwater Park

A request to purchase an AED kit for Blackwater Park using Recreation Funds.

Speakers: Don Sieburg, Karen Brule, Charles Stewart, Les Fenton
Millenial Moving Solutions Liquor License

The Board addressed a request from the Liquor Commission regarding a Wholesale Distributor Liquor License application for Millenial Moving Solutions.

Speakers: Don Sieburg, Les Fenton, Mark Cowdrey

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

All Souls Property Tax Abatement

The board considered abating approximately $30,000 in back taxes to facilitate the transfer of a historic building to a local society, which involves a significant loss of municipal revenue.
Board position: The majority favored the abatement to support historical preservation.
Internal dissent
The vote was 3 in favor and 1 against.
medium concern
02

School District Financial Transparency

The board expressed a formal need for greater financial transparency from the school district regarding payment schedules, indicating a lack of trust or clarity in current reporting.
Board position: The board is pushing for more dialogue and clearer financial reporting from the district.
medium concern
03

Off-Agenda Financial/Road Discussions

Significant discussions regarding a $50,000 Road Warrant Article and the school district payment schedule occurred despite not being explicitly listed on the formal agenda, representing a transparency gap.
Board position: The board moved forward with discussing these high-impact fiscal matters.
medium concern

Split votes

Abatement of approximately $30,000 in back taxes for the All Souls property
3-1

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Post the meeting notice and reach out to the Sirards regarding the Bradley Lake property meeting.
Assigned: Don Sieburg · Due: Before April 26, 2026
Speak with DRA regarding the $50,000 Road Warrant Article.
Assigned: Don Sieburg
Prepare and send a formal letter to the Liquor Commission regarding Millenial Moving Solutions.
Assigned: Don Sieburg
Work with Jeremy Cornell on a dashboard for operating expenses using town software.
Assigned: Don Sieburg
Represent the Select Board in a meeting with Sam York and Katherine (last name not provided) to resolve school payment/transparency issues.
Assigned: Dana Swenson

Notable ⁠statements

Recommended adding a non-dwelling structure to the list of Land Use Office fees. — Charles Stewart · During the public hearing on fee increases. 00:00
If Sleeper had submitted a 'Form 9', the church would have been exempt from taxes. — Dana Swenson · Discussing why the All Souls property accumulated $30,000 in back taxes.
We need to have dialogue with the school district. — Charles Stewart · Regarding the need for transparency in school district finances.
They need a criteria layout for paving. — Dana Swenson · Responding to the Highway Supervisor's report on paving.

Member ⁠positions

11 issues · 0 explicit · 7 inferred
Dana Swenson
Chair
Present
Land Use Office Fee Increases YES ~
All Souls Property/Historical Society Tax Abatement YES ~
Discussed historical context regarding why taxes accumulated.
School District Payment Schedule ✓
Expressed need for greater financial transparency.
Highway Department Report and Paving Contracts ✓
Suggested a criteria layout for paving.
Cemetery Mowing Contract YES ~
AED Purchase for Blackwater Park YES ~
Millenial Moving Solutions Liquor License YES ~
Roland Carter
Vice Chair
Present
Highway Department Report and Paving Contracts ✓
Present
Land Use Office Fee Increases YES ✓
Recommended adding non-dwelling structures to fee list.
All Souls Property/Historical Society Tax Abatement YES ~
School District Payment Schedule ✓
Emphasized the need for dialogue with the school district.
CCDS & RSMS Proposals YES ~
Code of Conduct Review YES ~
Cemetery Mowing Contract YES ~
AED Purchase for Blackwater Park YES ~
Absent
Absent

Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
1
Total speakers
0
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Wood Sutton
06:09
Partial
Sutton reported that Flaghole Road is in poor condition and filled with potholes. He warned that the road pose a serious accident risk to motorcyclists. Key concern
The dangerous condition of Flaghole Road and a request for the town to find materials to fix it.
Board response
Chair Swenson stated that the board recognizes the issue with Flaghole Road.
The board acknowledged the existence of the problem, but they did not provide a specific timeline or a plan for repairs, only a recognition of the issue.

Accountability ⁠flags

Documented procedural gaps. Each item links to its source.

Agenda items not discussed

Topics discussed — not on agenda

Transcript vs. official minutes

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Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.