Meeting report · Select Board
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Select Board — May 12, 2026
The meeting was marked by significant community pushback regarding the transparency and necessity of the Town Administrator hiring process.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Town Administrator Vacancy
The leadership structure of the town is in transition, affecting municipal management and service delivery. Affected: All town employees and residents
other high impact
02
Highway Garage Repairs
$130,000 variance between insulation repair options. Affected: Taxpayers
budget cut
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Hire Sean Murphy as a part-time temporary Clerk of the Works for the Highway Garage repairs.
The position is temporary until the building repairs are complete.
Passed (Bixby: YES, Smith: YES, Hanson: YES)
Hire Tracy Doherty as a part-time employee for taking town meeting minutes at a rate of $20/hour.
The motion was amended to include the specific hourly rate.
Passed (Bixby: YES, Smith: YES, Hanson: YES)
Approval of May 12, 2026 Manifest.
Includes accounts payable checks and payroll deposits.
Passed (Bixby: YES, Hanson: YES, Smith: ABSTAIN)
Accept April 28, 2026 meeting minutes.
Minutes accepted as presented.
Passed (Bixby: YES, Hanson: YES, Smith: ABSTAIN)
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
Highway Garage Update
Herm Blanchette provided an update on repairs following a fire, discussing two insulation options with a $130,000 price difference and an estimated shell completion date of September or October.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson, Herm Blanchette, Rick Bixby
Clerk of the Works Hiring
The board discussed hiring a part-time temporary Clerk of the Works to supervise Highway Garage repairs and manage contractor meetings.
Speakers: Herm Blanchette, Alfred Hanson, Rick Bixby, Mike Smith
Primex Reimbursement Update
Clyde Carson reported a $34,000 reimbursement packet submitted to Primex for town-paid materials.
Speakers: Clyde Carson
Cell Tower Update
The cell tower location has been determined, pending an agreement with an abutting landowner; Verizon will proceed to the design phase.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson
Open Town Positions
Updates were provided on Land Use interviews, upcoming Welfare interviews, and the evaluation process for the Town Administrator position.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson
Payroll Services RFP
The board discussed an upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) regarding payroll services.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson, Martha Mical
Weaver Road Mowing
The board discussed a request from residents to voluntarily mow Weaver Road; further research is required.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson
Meeting Minutes Personnel Change
The board discussed transitioning Tracy Doherty from a contractor to a part-time employee for town minutes.
Speakers: Alfred Hanson, Martha Mical, Christine Frost, Clyde Carson, David Carle
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Town Administrator Hiring Process
Residents are questioning the necessity of the role, the transparency of the hiring methodology, and how public input will be integrated. There is a clear desire for higher accountability and potentially different staffing models.
Board position: The board is moving forward with the search and evaluation process, though they have not yet defined specific engagement methods.
high concern
02
Highway Garage Insulation Options
There is a significant $130,000 price difference between repair options, and concerns have been raised regarding health risks (odors and carcinogens) associated with certain retrofit methods.
Board position: The board is currently in the information-gathering stage, with Herm Blanchette expressing skepticism toward the retrofit option due to safety concerns.
medium concern
Split votes
Approval of May 12, 2026 Manifest
2-0 (1 Abstention)
Accept April 28, 2026 meeting minutes
2-0 (1 Abstention)
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Contact Primex regarding the two insulation repair options.
Assigned: Herm Blanchette
Review the RFP for payroll services at the next meeting.
Assigned: Select Board · Due: Next meeting
Conduct research regarding residents' request to voluntarily mow Weaver Road.
Assigned: Alfred Hanson
Notable statements
He does not like the retrofit option because it cannot be guaranteed that odors and carcinogens will be removed. — Herm Blanchette · Discussing insulation options for the fire-damaged Highway Garage.
She would like the Select Board to consider not hiring a Town Administrator. — Martha Mical · Public comment regarding the Town Administrator position.
Suggested conducting a historical review of past Town Administrators and speaking to employees about what worked and what did not. — Sarah McNeil · Public comment regarding the hiring process for a new Town Administrator.
Member positions
4 issues · 4 explicit · 0 inferred
Alfred Hanson
Present
Chair
Hire Sean Murphy as a part-time temporary Clerk of the Works
YES
✓
Hire Tracy Doherty as a part-time employee
YES
✓
Approval of May 12, 2026 Manifest
YES
✓
Accept April 28, 2026 meeting minutes
YES
✓
Richard Bixby Jr.
Present
Member
Hire Sean Murphy as a part-time temporary Clerk of the Works
YES
✓
Hire Tracy Doherty as a part-time employee
YES
✓
Approval of May 12, 2026 Manifest
YES
✓
Accept April 28, 2026 meeting minutes
YES
✓
Michael Smith
Present
Member
Hire Sean Murphy as a part-time temporary Clerk of the Works
YES
✓
Hire Tracy Doherty as a part-time employee
YES
✓
Approval of May 12, 2026 Manifest
ABSTAIN
✓
Accept April 28, 2026 meeting minutes
ABSTAIN
✓
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
6
Total speakers
1
Addressed
2
Partial
3
Not addressed
Danielle Thompson
Addressed
She stated her understanding that she was to be approved for the Board of Trustees during the meeting. She sought confirmation regarding her appointment.
Key concern
Confirmation of approval for the Board of Trustees position.
Board responseJudy Newman-Rogers (present at meeting) informed her that the Select Board had already signed the necessary documents approving her.
The speaker's expectation of approval was confirmed by a member present at the meeting.
Christine Frost
Partial
She requested clarification on the hiring process for the new Town Administrator. She specifically asked if an outside service would be used to manage the hiring.
Key concern
Transparency and methodology of the Town Administrator hiring process.
Board responseAlfred Hanson stated that a comprehensive review would be done and feedback would be sought, but he did not have an answer on whether an outside service would be used.
The board addressed the general process and intent to seek feedback, but could not answer the specific question regarding an outside hiring service.
Martha Mical
Not addressed
She suggested that the Select Board should consider the option of not hiring a Town Administrator at all.
Key concern
The necessity of the Town Administrator position.
The board did not provide a direct response to this suggestion during the meeting.
Osa Fitch
Not addressed
He suggested that when making part-time hires, the Select Board should include a 'not to exceed' clause for the number of hours.
Key concern
Limiting hours for part-time employees to control costs/workload.
The board did not respond to this specific procedural suggestion.
John Leavitt
Partial
He asked how the Select Board intends to solicit input from the public regarding the hiring of a new town administrator.
Key concern
Method of public engagement in the hiring process.
Board responseAlfred Hanson explained that the method of solicitation has not been determined yet, but reiterated that the purpose of the agenda item was to inform the town that the process is beginning.
The board answered the question by explaining that the method was not yet decided, though they did not provide a specific plan.
Sarah McNeil
Not addressed
She suggested that the board perform a historical review of previous Town Administrators and consult current employees to determine what worked well in the past.
Key concern
Using historical data and employee feedback to inform the hiring of a new administrator.
The board did not respond to this suggestion during the session.
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Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.