| Selectboard Meeting Agenda |
| January 6, 2026 6:30 pm Chelsea Town Hall |
| Call to Order |
| Gregg Herrin called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. SELECTBOARD Gregg Herrin (Present) Curtis Chase (Present) Paul Libby (Present) Carrie Caouette-De Lallo (Absent) Charles Peel (Present) TOWN EMPLOYEES Tierney Farago (Town Administrator) Gayle Durkee (Town Treasurer) Rick Ackerman (Road Foreman) Jen Chase (Town Clerk) |
| Additions to the Agenda |
| Charles Peel added an item to the agenda regarding the use of Town Hall for Town business. He wanted to ensure that Town commissions and committees had preference on their scheduled days to avoid conflicts with residents that may reserve the Town Hall. The Town Clerk and Town Administrator will ensure that the Town gets preference on all future reservations to avoid displacing the committee members during meetings. |
| Conflict of Interest Disclosure |
| Gregg Herrin disclosed that his spouse is on the library board. Curtis Chase disclosed that his spouse is the Town Clerk. |
| Public Comments |
| Marianne McCann made a public comment that she is running for the three-year Selectboard term. |
| Approve Minutes from December 16, 2025 and December 22, 2025 |
| Curtis Chase made a motion to approve the December 16th and December 22nd meeting minutes; Paul Libby seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| Current Events and Updates |
| A. Highway Update |
| Rick Ackerman updated the Selectboard that the crew has been busy with the intermittent snowstorms and weather, which has caused them to use up additional sand and salt. He has had some minor truck issues that were able to be fixed in-house. The Selectboard let Rick know that they had factored in additional money in the budget to begin covering the cost of road equipment upgrades in the future. |
| B. Town Administrator Update-Town Report Review and Drafting |
| Tierney Farago discussed the timeline of the Town Report with the Selectboard. The Selectboard will need to wrap up the budget and make final edits to the various reports at the next regular Selectboard meeting on January 20th so the Town Meeting warning can be completed and signed by the board. The Selectboard will put in their final comments and get answers for any questions they may have regarding the reports before January 16th. |
| Action Items |
| A. 2026 Budget Review |
| The Selectboard continued their review of the 2026 budget, beginning with the transfer station to discuss if there was a way to make up the deficit in the department. After adjusting some of the numbers and reviewing possible ways to make up the difference and balance out revenues and expenses, the Selectboard agreed to continue working on the issues as the year progresses. They proceeded to make minor adjustments to various areas of the budget, leaving a handful of flagged items to return to in the next regular meeting where the final budget numbers and the Town Meeting warning will be determined. |
| B. 2025 Auditor RFP |
| The Selectboard reviewed two auditor proposals that were previously opened on December 16th. Gayle Durkee discussed the pros and cons of each proposal, and ultimately recommended that the Town choose Sullivan, Powers & Company for the 2025 audit as they will be in person and conduct the audit on a cash basis rather than a modified accrual. This matches the system that the Town operates on. Final Proposal Pricing Batchelder Associates PC: $20,250 Sullivan, Powers & Company: $22,000 Curtis Chase made a motion to accept the proposal from Sullivan, Powers & Co; Charles Peel seconded the motion. The motion was amended to include the proposal price of $22,000. Motion passed unanimously. |
| C. MERP Contracts: Interior Storm Windows, Building Envelope, and Window Repairs |
| The Selectboard reviewed three contracts for the MERP grant that included interior storm windows, sealing building envelope, and window repairs in the Town Hall. There was some discussion regarding the contract lengths and if it’s possible to extend contracts in the event that a vendor is unable to finish the work before the contract deadline. This would be possible if needed. Charles Peel made a motion to approve and sign all three contracts; Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| D. Avery Work Contract |
| The Selectboard reviewed a contract from Avery Excavation LLC for sand hauling completed in November for $5,500. Charles Peel made a motion to approve the contract; Paul Libby seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. |
| E. Approve Orders |
| Curtis Chase made a motion to approve the orders; Charles Peel seconded the motion. Curtis Chase did have a question regarding an invoice for sewer line work at a residence, and the Selectboard determined that the Town was liable to pay for the work due to the sewer ordinance. Motion passed unanimously. |
| Executive Session if Necessary: None |
| Adjournment |
| Charles Peel made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Curtis Chase seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 9:32 pm. |