City Council — May 27, 2026
The meeting was marked by heated debates over budgetary discrepancies, departmental leadership vacuums, and a significant procedural protest regarding off-agenda decisions.
Public impact
Twin Culvert Replacement
Departmental Staffing Shortages
Decisions logged
Topics discussed
▶ 00:41 Approval of Minutes
The Council reviewed and approved the minutes from the May 5, May 9, and May 13, 2026, meetings.
▶ 01:53 Stevens High School Alumni Week Proclamation
A proclamation was presented to celebrate the 155th anniversary of the Stevens High School Alumni Association.
▶ 03:49 City Announcements
Announcements included the Eastern States Cup bike race, political party affiliation deadlines, and the upcoming meet and greet for the new planning and development director.
▶ 18:53 Twin Culvert Funding Grant Presentation
A presentation regarding a potential federal HSEM grant to replace failing Washington Street culverts, estimated at a $4 million project with a 75/25 federal split.
▶ 61:58 Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) Contract
Discussion regarding a proposed partnership allowing UVAC to use the CSBCC pools for swim lessons and activities.
▶ 62:20 Council Computer Replacements
Discussion regarding the budgeting of laptops for council members; a suggestion was made to stop budgeting for them as most members use personal devices.
▶ 62:53 Finance Department Budget
Review of the finance department budget, including the long-term vacancy of the Finance Director position and the impact of the merit plan on pay levels.
▶ 66:24 Merit Plan and Personnel Board
The Merit Plan was removed from the agenda because it requires review by the Personnel Board (PAB), which currently lacks a quorum.
▶ 66:34 Budget Review: Assessing Department
Review of the assessing budget, addressing software costs and the transition of funds for a 2028 revaluation.
▶ 69:13 Planning and Development Budget
Discussion regarding staffing shortages for building and health inspectors and the difficulty of finding 'hybrid' employees for these roles.
▶ 74:05 Budget Review: IT Department
Detailed discussion of IT expenditures, including website redesign, cybersecurity audits, phone system licensing, and the absence of a dedicated IT Director.
▶ 76:29 Amtrak Station Expenses
Debate over a line item for 'Amtrak station host expenses' involving unexpected bills for structure repairs versus the original agreement for porta-potty maintenance.
▶ 96:00 Committee Reports
Brief updates from various committees including CCTV, EPA, Conservation, Energy, Planning Board, and Arts.
▶ 102:11 Sugar River Revitalization Project
Discussion on moving conceptual plans to final plans following the receipt of letters of authorization to proceed.
▶ 108:00 Negotiation Team Appointments
A discussion regarding the appointment of council members to serve on labor negotiation teams (Fire and Teamsters).
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
Labor Negotiation Team Appointments
Amtrak Station Expenses
Twin Culvert Funding
Split votes
Community vs. board tension
Action items
Notable statements
The Twin Culvert project is being prepared as a 'shovel-ready' project to take advantage of a 75% federal grant split. — Speaker I (Director Gleason) · Explaining the rationale for the engineering study and the urgency of the grant application. ▶ 22:22
It's worth pursuing at least see the grant and go from there... [but] we have to have a very big conversation about the traffic diversion. — Speaker B (Councilor Irish) · Reacting to the high cost and potential traffic impact of the culvert replacement project. ▶ 45:49
I don't budget for council laptops... the majority, everybody is using their own. — Speaker X (Councilor Kloski) · Suggesting cost savings in the computer replacement budget. ▶ 61:42
I don't-- I personally don't think it's fair to put it on the city manager to go ask the questions. — Speaker V (Councilor Irish) · Discussing how information should be gathered for the council regarding the budget. ▶ 62:26
The fact that we don't have a director [of IT] boggles my mind. — Speaker V (Councilor Irish) · Expressing concern over the lack of departmental leadership during budget discussions. ▶ 99:04
The Finance Director job... has been open [for] almost a year. — Speaker W (Ms. Bates) · Responding to a query about the difficulty of filling the position. ▶ 107:06
We address police officers and the turnover within that department, and this is a department that we don't address properly. — Speaker X (Councilor Kloski) · Highlighting the need for better recruitment/retention for building inspectors compared to police. ▶ 71:00
Are we suspending council rules and the right to know and public notice, or are we just gonna ignore that fact that this wasn't on the agenda? — Speaker S43 (Councilor Irish) · Protesting the appointment of members to negotiation teams which were not listed on the formal agenda. ▶ 110:21
Member positions
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
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grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4-fast, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-05-29.