GREENSBORO – The March 11 regular select board meeting saw the board discussing finances at length, as well as having conversations on the condition of the town hall building.
The fiscal discussions began with a public comment by resident and former select board member David Kelly approaching the board with concerns about rising property taxes, saying the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) is unfair to the town. He recommended the board talk to an attorney or delegate him to do so. According to Gary Circosta, the CLA will increase Greensboro tax bills by an estimated 11%.
Board member Tim Brennan asked if other towns have successfully appealed, to which town clerk Kim Greaves said town assessor Brittany Butler, a Cabot resident, filed for appeal for the town of Cabot but was not successful.
Resident Jennifer Lucas expressed her dissatisfaction that the FY27 budget wasn’t debated at town meeting day. She suggested that in the future, the budget be debated earlier in the meeting before appropriations. She also requested the town follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) next year,noting that not doing so could possibly affect bond approval for large projects like the town garage. Circosta agreed.
Brennan responded, saying that, while the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) states that accrual accounting should be used, Sullivan Powers (the town’s new auditing firm) works with many municipalities and recommends to their smaller towns that a modified cash basis be used instead.
Lucas said her concern is that that method offers no transparency on assets and liabilities. After further discussion, Brennan explained Sullivan Powers flagged a general protocol issue that no other outside auditor had raised before. They are recommending another level of review for journal entries before they get booked. The additional review is underway, she said.
In July 2024, RuralEdge requested an inspection of the town hall by the state fire marshal.
Resident Rob Brigham asked if any of the issues flagged in the marshal’s report have been addressed. Town clerk Kim Greaves responded, saying smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are routinely tested and certified on the actively used floors, but she wasn’t sure about the third floor.
Brigham said the report indicates that an architect needs to complete a code analysis based on proposed uses. Peter Romans said the relevant code issues are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and egress issues, not structural problems.
Brigham suggested reaching out to local architect Jay Barrett, who has done pro-bono work for the town before. Since Karl Stein was the town’s liaison with the fire marshal, board member Judy Carpenter suggested the board delegate Stein to determine if Barrett’s background would make him a good match for this project. The board agreed.
Moving on from public comment, the board approved a slate of appointments, before discussing holding two select board meetings a month. After some deliberation, the board agreed meetings will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, beginning in April.
Continuing the town hall discussion, resident Beth Meacham suggested the whole building be assessed rather than just the third floor, with the caveat that funds be available.
MacNeil noted funds for inspections will be available July 1, with $40,000 available in the FF27 budget.
Brennan agreed a complete assessment is needed at some point, however in the short term he’d like to address this specific, narrow request as a group have approached the board about potentially using space in the third floor.
The town hall meeting room use policy was discussed at length, concerning the requirement of outside groups to show proof of insurance in order to use the space. Resident Elissa Mackin suggested that the town look into an insurance rider that would cover all groups and uses, rather than asking individual groups to provide proof of coverage.
Scribe Josh Karp said while the draft use policy references use by community groups, he suggested for the time being that this be changed to town committees, who would be covered by town insurance. Carpenter said the policy could be amended to include use by other groups as insurance and access issues are resolved. The board adopted the updated town hall meeting room policy.
In other business, collector of delinquent taxes Mike Cloutier notified the board he will be scheduling a tax sale in May. A board member is required to attend. Prior to the sale, the board needs to consider whether the town might bid on the property.
The town approved a slew of appointments, as well as the town administrator job postings.
The board reviewed and discussed the open meeting law and ethics training requirements for town committees.
Neither the road foreman nor fire chief’s report was available.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
