Meeting report · Select Board
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Select Board — March 24, 2025
The temperature is elevated from routine due to the discussion of a significant off-agenda item (the solar project) and several abstentions on administrative votes.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Town Administrator Transition
The search for a new executive leader affects all municipal operations and long-term strategic planning. Affected: All town residents and staff
other high impact
02
IT Budget Overages
IT costs are currently over budget due to software upgrades, impacting the year-to-date fiscal balance. Affected: Taxpayers
other high impact
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Election of Select Board Chair
Ms. Dunlap will continue in her role as Chair.
Passed 3-0 (Dunlap abstained)
00:00
Approval of remote participation
Motion to allow Mr. Donohoe to participate via Zoom.
Passed 4-0
00:00
Election of Select Board Vice Chair
Mr. Whitley was nominated as Vice Chair.
Passed 4-0 (Whitley abstained)
00:00
Approval of Consent Agenda
Includes AP manifest, payroll, elderly exemptions, abatement requests, and yield tax.
Passed 5-0
Approval of March 10, 2025, Public Meeting Minutes
Bram and McKeon abstained.
Passed 3-0
Approval of March 10, 2025, Nonpublic Session I Minutes
Minutes are sealed; Bram and McKeon abstained.
Passed 3-0
Approval of March 10, 2025, Nonpublic Session II Minutes
Minutes are not sealed; Bram and McKeon abstained.
Passed 3-0
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
00:00 Election of Board Officers
The Board held elections for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair.
Speakers: Mr. Cass, Mr. Whitley, Ms. Bram, Chair Dunlap, Ms. McKeon
Points of Pride
Board members and the Town Administrator expressed appreciation for the successful Town Meeting and the work of various town staff.
Speakers: Mr. Cass, Chair Dunlap, Mr. Whitley
Administrative Approvals
The Board reviewed and approved the Consent Agenda, including payroll, exempt applications, and tax abatements.
Speakers: Mr. Whitley, Chair Dunlap
Town Meeting Follow-up
Updates were provided regarding approved bonds, the ending of the Pay-by-Bag program, and the sale of a land-locked town parcel.
Speakers: Mr. Cass
Town Administrator Transition
Discussion regarding the search for a new Town Administrator, including the applicant pool and the formation of an interview committee.
Speakers: Mr. Cass
2025 Select Board Assignments
The Board assigned members to various committees and boards for the year 2025.
Speakers: Mr. Cass
Financial Update
A review of year-to-date revenues and expenses, noting IT costs are currently over budget due to software upgrades.
Speakers: Mr. Cass
Transfer Station Solar Project Update
The solar project at the Transfer Station will not proceed due to Eversource interconnection issues; the town will receive a $20,000 payment.
Speakers: Mr. Cass
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Transfer Station Solar Project Cancellation
The project was canceled due to interconnection issues with Eversource. While the town receives a $20,000 payment, the loss of renewable energy infrastructure is a significant policy shift. Notably, this was discussed off-agenda, representing a transparency failure as residents were not notified in advance.
Board position: The board accepted the cancellation and the $20,000 payment as a resolution to the technical impasse.
medium concern
Split votes
Election of Select Board Chair
3-0 (1 abstention)
Election of Select Board Vice Chair
4-0 (1 abstention)
Approval of March 10, 2025, Minutes (Public and Nonpublic)
3-0 (2 abstentions)
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Contact Pay-by-Bag program provider to end contract and finalize details.
Assigned: Mr. Cass · Due: By April 1, 2025
Contact abutters regarding interest in purchasing the land-locked town parcel at fair market value.
Assigned: Mr. Cass
Contact the Conservation Commission regarding desired easements for the land parcel deed.
Assigned: Mr. Cass
Share list of remaining priorities with the Board.
Assigned: Mr. Cass
Check with current participants regarding the process for filling Board/Committee/Commission positions.
Assigned: Mr. Cass
Conduct department visits on Tuesdays and Fridays at approximately 8:00 a.m.
Assigned: Select Board · Due: Starting April 1, 2025
Notable statements
Suggested the Board consider whether it wants legal counsel present at future Town Meeting Business Sessions to mitigate unexpected risks. — Mr. Whitley · Discussion regarding cost-saving vs. risk management at Town Meetings.
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
2
Total speakers
1
Addressed
0
Partial
1
Not addressed
Ken Traum
Not addressed
Mr. Traum offered his well wishes to the Select Board members for their upcoming term. He also expressed interest in discussing former Select Board committee representative roles with Ms. Bram and Mr. Whitley.
Key concern
Wishing the board luck and offering expertise/discussion regarding previous committee assignments.
Board responseThe minutes do not record a specific verbal response to Mr. Traum, though he was welcomed as a participant.
The speaker was providing well wishes and offering future conversation rather than posing a formal question or request that required an immediate board action or decision.
Katherine Mitchell
Addressed
Ms. Mitchell raised questions regarding the Transfer Station and matters related to road classification. Her comments prompted a discussion among the board members.
Key concern
Transfer Station operations and road classification topics.
Board responseThe board engaged in a discussion regarding both of the topics raised.
The board acknowledged the questions and held a discussion on the topics she brought forward.
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
gemma-4-26b, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-27.