Selectboard — March 16, 2026

Meeting called to order on March 16, 2026 with pledge of allegiance. March 2nd meeting minutes were reviewed and approved unanimously.

Board welcomed newly elected selectboard member David Andrews and thanked election volunteers and staff for their work.

Town Manager provided orientation materials including 'Knowing the Territory' guidebook and Right to Know manual to new board members, explaining key governance rules and communication restrictions.

Extensive discussion of Right to Know law requirements, processing burden on staff (averaging 2 requests per week), and policy of requiring in-person record review rather than electronic delivery for formal requests.

Board directed to review policies and procedures document by next meeting, with specific attention to agenda format changes and potential move of board member reports to earlier in meetings for more discussion.

Discussion of potentially changing public comment from 3 to 5 minutes and allowing board responses, with concerns raised about speaking without complete information.

Town Manager outlined multiple vacant positions including code compliance officer, buildings/grounds foreman, heavy equipment operator, police officer, and fire chief, noting recruitment difficulties.

Board reviewed and approved 2026 pay table with 3% COLA increase, including amendment to place fire chief at Grade 18.

Town Manager discussed need for comprehensive organizational study to determine if current positions are fit for purpose, including potential for technology integration, urban planning needs, and project management capabilities.

Town Manager reported the need to reaffirm investment policy annually for audit compliance, noting they were previously dinged for not reaffirming the policy.

Discussion of multiple policies needing review including recreation ordinance, right-to-know policy, ethics policy, financial disclosure policy, and alcohol policy, with various scheduled items through summer.

Board conducted annual election of chair and vice chair positions, with nominations and discussion of candidates' availability and commitment.

Board made various committee and board appointments including ABC Committee, Energy Aggregation, Highway Safety, Planning Board representative, and others.

Resident criticized town's hiring response time for heavy equipment operator position, citing poor communication as deterrent to applicants.

Town Manager provided detailed breakdown of approved 2026 budget including warrant articles and encumbrances, with estimated tax rate impacts for various property values.

Board discussed estimated tax rate increases for 2026, with municipal portion going from $2.71 to $3.00 per thousand, resulting in increases of $79.75 for a $275,000 home up to $435 for a $1.5 million home.

Discussion of hydroelectric plant's reduced profitability due to expired long-term contract and current market rates, with recent check of only $17,000 compared to historical higher returns.

Board approved sale of 1994 fire truck to A.P. Howard Sales for $17,257 after receiving two bids (the other being $444.87).

Town manager announced boring polls will be conducted on Lake Avenue in late March as part of ongoing infrastructure study, with coordination among departments and public notification planned.

Board members discussed performance of new voting tabulation machine, noting it processed 900+ votes with 31% turnout but created longer lines due to thorough overvote detection.

Board member raised need for town ambulance service given $67,000+ annual cost to London Hospital and upcoming service changes, suggesting integration with new fire chief hiring.