Town of Chelsea Annual Meeting
- Participation: 77 voters in attendance
- Emily Marshia, Moderator, called the meeting to order at 10:09 am
- An announcement was made to clarify that there was no Article 3
- Article 4. Shall the Town voters authorize the expenditures for the not-for-profit service agencies as recommended by the Selectboard in the amount of $17,040.00 as shown in the 2026 Budget?
- The motion was made by Gregg Herrin
- Seconded by Curtis Chase
- No discussion
- Motion passed as written
- Article 5. To see if the voters shall approve the total fund expenditures of $1,776,417 of which $1,328,833 shall be raised by taxes and $447,584 by non-tax revenue.
- The motion was made by Gregg Herrin
- Seconded by Curtis Chase
- Additional discussion from the board:
- The selectboard began with introductions, noting their roles as liaisons in different areas of town business, and discussing their philosophy on how they believe the board should function
- Gregg Herrin, Chair began the overview of the distribution of town resident taxes
- Curtis Chase, co-chair gave an overview of the ongoing MERP grant, discussing the basement waterproofing work, weatherization, and lighting upgrades
- Charles Peel gave an overview of the changes found in the proposed zoning bylaw update, noting that it included improved readability, updated compliance with the town plan and state statutes, and a relaxation in permit thresholds for small projects like sheds
- Gregg Herrin thanked Frank Keene for his work on the pedestrian bridge
- Gregg Herrin noted that there was a water and wastewater fee increase planned for the next few years to balance the cost of the systems
- Paul Libby covered the transfer station, discussed how the board was looking for a solution to the budget deficit, and solicited the input of residents
- Carrie Caouette-De Lallo gave an overview of the town nurse program that started last October and is now being supervised by First Branch Ambulance. She also discussed the contract with Windsor County Sheriff’s Department – that contract expires soon and will likely be extended though they support returning to Orange County Sheriff if/when that makes sense
- Curtis Chase gave an overview of the work of the Forest & Parks Commission which is finishing up work on 2 tree grants, working on Greens maintenance, trails, and walkability in town. He also mentioned the work that the Recreation Committee had put in to have the basketball court resurfaced and painted so that it could also be used for pickleball
- Paul Libby covered the highway budget update noting that coming up with a replacement plan and schedule for all town highway equipment was a big focus so that they could avoid unplanned repair and replacement costs. He also thanked Rick, John, and Ruben
- Charles Peel discussed the effort to update many of the town policies since most have not been updated recently. He made another plea for more public input during this process
- Gregg Herrin emphasized the goal of planning for the future and future boards as well as transparency throughout their process
- He summarized that while the total budget was slightly less than last year, it was offset by having less surplus funds than last year. The highway budget increased slightly due to higher materials costs and long-term equipment planning
- Another plea was made for increased public input, thanks was given to those who have participated as well the other board members
- Additional discussion from the public:
- Nyra Whipple noted that the Chelsea Health Center had donated $10,000 to help to offset their waived property taxes.
- Linda Kuban asked about whether the town had a reappraisal budget and if it was on the schedule. She said that it should be a top priority.
- Gayle Durkee, treasurer, responded that money had been put aside for the reappraisal already and it was in the budget
- Frank Keene noted that there was an error in the cemetery commission budget and it should be level
- Nick Zigelbaum asked further questions about the reappraisal and CLA and if we could get the reappraisal done sooner
- Gayle Durkee said that the state was slow and that the listers should have more information
- Linda Kuban stated that she believed that the last appraisal took 2.5 years.
- Gregg Herrin responded saying that he believed that the reappraisal shouldn’t greatly change the tax bill per person compared to what they are now
- Moderator interjected to keep people on topic and request that more solid information was shared vs. speculation
- Curtis Chase noted that properties with similar assessed values in different towns might not be practical equals
- Charles Peel noted that Tunbridge has more parcels than Chelsea which could add to the appearance of unequal tax burdens between towns
- Kate Willard commented that the CLA can affect what towns get back from the state for education
- Nick Zigelbaum asked the board to prioritize a conversation with the school on the effects of reappraisal, CLA, and taxes
- Gregg Herrin said that the board would try to get more info
- Moderator noted that there was an open position for lister and moved the conversation along
- Motion passed as written
- Article 6. To see if voters shall place their tax bills in the hands of the town treasurer for collection.
- The motion was made by Chris Byrne
- Seconded by Richard Stephenson
- There was no discussion
- Motion passes as written
- Article 7. To see if the voters shall establish a due date of November 2, 2026 for payment of town and state education taxes, establish a penalty of 8% for taxes not paid or postmarked by the due date, and establish a monthly simple interest charge of 1% for taxes unpaid after the due date.
- The motion was made by Linda Kuban
- Seconded by Richard Stephenson
- Public discussion:
- Taylor Katz asked if the town has considered switching to 2 tax payments per year
- Gayle Durkee said that has been brought up in the past but never voted on. She also said that people can and do make multiple payments now if they want to
- Charles Peel noted the new postmark change at the post office means that you will need to go in and request a postmark if you need one.
- Nick Zigelbaum asked if corrected and reissued tax bills could get an extension
- Gayle Durkee stated that the tax bill changes were usually caused by the state and thinks that there is a 30 day extension
- Motion passed as written
- Article 8. To transact any other nonbinding business to come before the voters.
- Linda Kuban thanked the board and hoped that they would continue their work together
- Frank Keene requested that the town lower the number of members on the cemetery board after Steve Knudsen did not run for reelection
- Helen Heslop made a request for a speaker to be placed in the back of the room for future town meetings
- Kate MacLean asked if there were any state representatives present that could provide any updates – there were none present
- Taylor Katz requested additional information from others about the town nurse
- Ann Carroll, veterinarian in town, had positive town nurse feedback based on a rabies incident
- Chase Ackerman, First Branch Ambulance, provided an update on the resources that the town nurse provides
- Carrie Caouette-De Lallo expressed appreciation for her fellow board members as well as Chintana Herrin and all of those who have come to meetings
- Emily Marshia commented on the love that we all share for Chelsea and how important that makes it for us to come to town meeting
- Adjournment
- The motion was made by Gregg Herrin
- Seconded by Curtis Chase
- Meeting adjourned at 11:29 am