It is Monday, May 11th at 5:38 p.m. in conference room 1. The meeting for the board of assessors is now in session. Call the order. John Kaine here. >> Dean Ratchick here. >> Bill Brown here. >> Director of assessing Randall Austin here. >> Okay. First on the agenda is public
comment. Do we have any public comment? None in the room. Is there any online? >> Uh, nope. >> Seeing none, we'll move on. Next on the agenda is to review the minutes of the April 27th, 2026 meeting.
It's nice. Have a motion to approve the minutes from April 27th, 2026 meeting. I make a motion to approve the meeting minutes for April 27th, 2026. >> Bill Brown seconds. >> All in favor? John Kane? Yes.
>> Ratrick. Yes. >> Bill Brown. Yes. >> All right. Motion carries. >> For new business. Can I have a motion to approve the April motor vehicle abatements? >> I make a motion to approve the month of April motor vehicle abatements. Bill
Brown seconds. All >> in favor? John Kane? Yes. Ranchic. Bill Brown. Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Can I have a motion to approve the sewer betterment warrant and commitment for 40 Birksher AB? >> I make a motion to approve the sewer
betterment warrant and commitment for 40 Birkshire A. >> Bill Brown seconds. >> All in favor? John Kane? Yes. >> Ranchic. Yes. Bill Brown. Yes. Motion carries together. Oh, I think he's got to sign that as
well. And I have a motion to approve the sewer betterment warrant and commitment for 26 Grove Street. >> I'll make a motion to approve betterment sewer
>> better for was it 26 26 G Street. I second that motion. >> All in favor? John Kane? Yes. Yes. Bill Brown. Yes. Okay. Motion carries. This is the overlay transfer. Do we want to go over that? >> Yeah, it's an overlay transfer. So, it's
some of the funds from the past year's overlays and to make it available so that we can use it, it's getting transferred to the general fund. Okay. Is there a um proposed allocation for
the general fund? even talked to Nicole after I spoke with you and um so there is not I I'm sure that some of it is earmarked for other things but I don't know about the totality of it and um I had mentioned the other uh projects that
we were proposing and I'm I'm not sure that they're not going to happen but I I'm not sure if we're ready for them right now either at at this time but even if they were this would be part of the process to is to take these funds as
we had hoped it was going to go. We're going to take these funds and use part of these funds to pay for these efforts. And so, um I I can't say for sure at this point that they are or are not going to happen. I think maybe the um but but it
starts with taking those funds that are available and no longer encumbered to make them available and and transfer them to free cash. So yeah, I um >> how much are is the proposal? Uh 200 something,000.
>> Yeah, I do feel that I mean we we know that you know the town's in a situation where we we we need to update a significant amount of property values and kind of laid out a plan to to obtain that. That would require outside, you know, require funding for for outside
help um really to to to kind of level the plane. field field as far as fairness out there. Um yeah, I I'd really like to to talk to whether it's the select board or or finance committee and you get a better understanding as
far as the the willingness to allocate these dollars towards that. And so I also talked to the accountant about that and said you know asked her about and mentioned that we maybe wanted to dis have a further discussion >> and uh she said that basically you know
either way we need to do this and and this you know we can't hold this up at this point but we can continue to have these discussions and stress the importance of these things and see what we can do to get them moving forward. But >> I would imagine we could hold it up if we have to vote on it. Right. Um I yeah
I suppose but >> well why can't we hold it up? I mean to me that's our if for the board that that releases it to the general fund then I I feel it's you know it's kind of a a negotiation tool for releasing it and what what's it going to be used for? And
and this is you know what we feel it it should be used for um to obtain our mission of of fair and accurate property values across the board for all residents of our town. because we did talk about it at the budget hearing that
the idea was we would allocate the funds for that. But that was just what was said. It wasn't necessarily >> that didn't mean that what we said >> that it would approved. >> Yeah. But it was our recommendation to the finance committee and then they're
really ultimately the ones that we need to speak to now to stress the importance of what we feel is the importance of these things and but either way those funds do need to be moved. If even if it was a go that's what we would be doing. We'd be moving those funds. So if there's any
possibility of it happening this sort of needs to take place. >> What happens if it doesn't go through though? Um, >> yeah. I'm not sure. We're in hot water. >> Okay. Right. As a town. >> Yeah.
>> Because it's $275,000. Right. >> Yeah. And I, like I said, I I'm I'm not certain that where all of those funds are allocated or if they're all spoken for. >> But I do know that >> they're spoken for. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And I would think that the finance committee would know a little bit about
that, right? >> Um, >> in the budget hearing, we did talk about it. with the finance committee and the select board >> together. >> And the the intention of doing this, >> right, >> was to cover the reevaluation of properties, >> which was what we were proposing,
>> which really wasn't we were proposing >> 100,000 15,000. >> Okay. But >> and you put them toward that goal. >> But I feel like these are, you know, there must be a time like, okay, after this many years, you can, you know, clean the fund out. And that's what
that's basically where we're at. And so for these fiscal years that they're mentioning 2021 and 22, >> yeah, the there is no longer uh or I guess there might be a potential incumbrance. And so it's not for the full amount, but it's for that amount minus just a couple thousand, but the
majority of it is coming over to the total of like $275,000 total. And so even what we had proposed was less than that. And those funds are will be used elsewhere. And so this is something that I'm sure that you must
have done in the past um you know before because this can't be the the first time. >> I haven't you've only been here a year. >> I've only been on this board. >> Okay. How about you Dean? >> I I'm sure I was part of this but I I guess it wasn't
>> explained as such. And we didn't >> and probably we didn't have anything going as a board about >> getting you knowate funds for projects and in the work. >> So we just gave it back to the town and they spent it as they deemed necessary.
>> And to me this is our only way to fund. >> Yes. We can hold it up >> till we need it >> or discuss with the select board or finance committee you know kind of the the plan for for it. But again, I feel our role as assessors for for fair and
accurate property values. You know, this this this townwide reassessment is is needed understanding that the discrepancies out there. >> Uh I wonder if Nicole was there to see if she >> and this is excess tax money essentially. you know, it was money that
wasn't it was collected but wasn't used or wasn't, you know, part of the budget at the time, I'm guessing >> one interesting time. >> She's not there. >> Yeah, >> she did say that she may stop in, but I
thought she would have done that. But there's not there's no deadline time frame that we need to do today like due to a grant or anything. >> No, we're trying to get it done by town meeting. I think that's >> for the but probably it's needed for the budget. >> Set yourself to budget.
Yeah, exactly. >> I feel it's kind of our our leverage for >> all that going going forward and and allocating the money towards >> we knew that >> at least a sizable portion >> was being
allocated to what we need >> whether it was a like I say a stipen of 50 grand or something like that. there was something that was going to be to get us at least rolling with it, I think we'd all be happy to jump on board. But I think
because what Bill is saying is we just, you know, we might be out another year before anything happens. >> Yeah. Yeah. We we spent time to put a plan lay lay out the plan and now we need the funding for it. And this appears to be the most funds we will
have available in the next six years based on the surplus of the accounts or we would have to do like an override or
something like that or appropriation. I mean, >> well, if we take the money, >> if we did that, I'd have to go on to the town meeting and say, you know, we'd like to appropriate, you know, what I think is 26,000 personal property. >> Yeah. >> Estimate >> and, you know, for this cause and then
everyone knew then it' be on the warrant and it would be >> or it would be an article on the >> Well, that's that's next year hasn't it's not going to happen this year. >> Right. >> Right. Yeah. maybe is, you know, special this fall or or winter. >> But >> yeah, that's what actually Nicole
mentioned about something possibly in the fall getting it put in place. I wonder if there's a a way we could, you know, you could approve two of it, but you can't prove the big one >> because the big one would cover what we need.
>> Have they have you been asked like or told what what the money's needed for? Right. >> Budget >> is basically what it was summed up at. >> So it's so it's not going towards the reassessment. We're looking at the couch cushions now for for money. I think what
we should do is just vote no, then it can't be spent and we can't lose it. If the if the whole problem that we've been having is that we need to do this project and funding is clearly a problem, but we have the funding here to do it >> without any increase to the tax ro. We
have the we have the >> which was the whole point of the >> over and paying for things that would increase the tax role instead of that. >> Yeah. And I take a step back and because by no means do I want to increase taxes, but this just goes to our role to >> this money shouldn't be used to pay down
the tax rate >> in any way except to not incur more cost. >> Well, but that's part of the problem, right? Because we could incur more cost >> if we don't. >> Yeah. I mean my recommendation again I'm just one person on the board but we
table it and and we have discussion finance committee >> you know a special meeting you know before the town meeting you know maybe we can >> but we need to have some I think we need to get try to use some muscle here to try to get some
>> that product needs that product's not in the budget >> the the property reassessment that we went no >> in the budget hearing so this money isn't going to be a planning project that we were seeking to get approved. >> Yeah. And but it's not in the >> But yeah, apparently it is not.
>> So it's not going to be used for that. >> No, that's guaranteed clearly. >> It's only it's our only negotiating tool to I feel to do our job properly >> without making it more >> residents of the town property owners as well. >> Yeah. Because they don't want to do it
right now. But you know, I don't know. In my opinion, I think it needs to be done right away. I I think that uh the personal property is the higher priority actually at this point and um you know would be great and and really you know killing me because both of them
are the highest priority in my opinion but um you know at least I would say because it would cost less and I think return more it's going to give us three times the amount uh that we're going to spend a new tax dollars >> for that reason I would almost want to
do the real estate it just because I think personal property we're going to be expanding our portfolio considerably obviously you know there's going to be a lot of growth I would put emphasis on getting the real estate values done
complete and then go the I know that it's a smaller project but if we have the money to go in and get that one done without incurring any more costs and adding to the budget you know this is all this is all dollars that have already been basically allocated for this Well, the real estate one will take
some time. Yeah. Because we it cost us a lot more to have someone come and do it in one fiscal year, but that's what will happen with the personal property. It will be realized in fiscal 27. We'll get those tax dollars. So, we're going to spend it and get it back right away. So,
um I I would hope that that I I anticipate it would be the same thing. We're going to get a fair amount of built into the state budget. Um, but uh yeah, with just some of the things that I've seen and having to do 10 personal
property bills that weren't properly statused um myself, it makes me concerned and because of my past experience in every place I've gone, it's always been neglected and I can tell that it's been neglected here, too. Well, I mean, if we got the money for it,
we hold the the keys to that those figures and I think that we need to get it put on the put the budget together and and that be the reason and that's where the funding is going to come from. So, we identify the funding for it. So you are the board and um I'm sure
that there questions when I tell them that we wanted to put on hold and like we we're going to have meeting with them ASAP that we can discuss this and they might want you to come in for whatever reason at a different time to sign that to just
get it done if it is some time-sensitive situation. I don't know how vital it is now, but it was handed to me this morning and basically they told me, "Yeah, you guys don't really have a choice, but they should sign it." >> I mean, I wish we had discussions on this earlier
the town. So, >> I don't think I feel like it they're to sign something and tell me I don't have a choice that I'm not signing. >> I didn't know I was thinking about >> the first eyebrow raiser of you need to sign it. questions that I'd like to be answered for what the the plan is to
get, you know, fair and accurate property values across the board. >> Well, and if our project wasn't approved, um maybe some more information on the whole reason behind it and once I know, then maybe I'd be okay, but um yeah, I understand completely.
>> I know you probably don't want to bring this back to them, not sign, but I mean, I'm happy to take we'll take a vote on it. I did bring it up to the account and mentioned, you know, this is, you know, we'd like to actually talk about this a little bit more. And it's like, well, we
don't, you know, really can't or is what was told to me. So, I guess we're going to find out. >> Well, we're going to find out. >> Exactly. Okay. >> So, uh I will make a motion to table this for more information
and we'll wait until we hear back and if we have to schedule a meeting with the select board, then that's what we'll do. Bill Brown seconds that motion can yes. Yes. >> Bill Brown. Yes. >> Find out what what needs to happen. But I think >> Yeah. Would it be select board or the
final bit of >> I think it would be both. I think >> both town administrators kind of get a a discussion going on on hey this is our plan and >> because she'll have some information and not tonight. >> We can't we can't crash the meeting tonight, right? No, it's not on the
agenda. or if there's more information on why we need to sign it right now. You know, just saying we need to sign that. I that just raises red flags without understanding the reason basically because that those funds are going to be used for for part of the fiscal 27
budget. We we need to make them available. >> Well, we got plenty of time. We have until the end of the fiscal year. I mean, payroll is like 250 a week. So, as long as we get it before the end of next April. Well, we we'll we'll find out just how important it is by how quickly
they contact us, I guess, and get back to us and we'll get in touch with them as soon as possible and and you know, if it's a rush situation, then we'll get back to them right away and straighten it out. But I understand that you want to be heard and uh you know, I wasn't thrilled to hear that. Hey, I don't
think either one of your projects make it. >> Yeah. >> I mean, this is got to be >> Well, right. We talked about having to overhaul the office, figure, you know, not the physical office space, but you know, figure out the manpower and fig,
you know, so to not have any of that included in the budget, but then have this overlay, which is for those purposes to correct, you know, the tax issues. I think then I think we need to definitely get some answers on what's it going to be used for and when
are we going to do this project that the whole town's been up in arms about. So we'll find out. >> All right. >> All right. Is there anything else that we'd like to talk about? Did we talk Did we get that um senior rate exemption? Where we at with
that? That sounded wor asking questions and they wanted to know about the impact of it and what it was going to mean. And um my estimate was you know maybe 6 to9 more people might qualify because even though we're lowering the age from 70 to 65 it doesn't mean that everyone that is
you know 65 is now going to you know take advantage of the qualified >> because there's other qualifiers >> right there is still the the qualifiers of the uh I think it was 33,000 a little more than 33,000 I was showing Bill my chart this morning um for a single
person you can't make more than 33,000 you can't have assets It's a more than uh 59,000. It was a little bit more than that for a married couple. >> Okay. >> But it's still, you know, you have to be living pretty lean to qualify and that's part of why they're set up that way. So
the the people that do qualify really need it. And so um I just with we we in the in 203 we did 28 and 24 we did 20 or no this is
a 23 we did 28 20 pardon me 24 we did 28 25 we did 27 and this year we did 31 senior statuto distance for so we're averaging that many the way things are right now so I don't even though there's you know a lot of people amount of those people that
are going to qualify, it's going to be a small amount. And so, you know, an extra $10,000 maybe that hits the overlay, and our overlay amount was an average, I think, would a huge deal to these homeowners that could buy and from the ones that
qualify, like I said. So, anybody that qualifies really needs that assistance because >> they they don't have a lot of financially going for them. And that's why it's set up that way to help those people out that are in need. So >> now Granny, I was listening to the the
finance committee's meeting on it and they they it was mentioned that we may have the ability as a board to raise that that threshold, the income threshold. Is that >> true? Yeah. So that was something that
is true. And um initially when this was adopted by many towns, they uh adopted just an amount and then that didn't appreciate. But when we did it, it was back in 2001, we did adopt that it would
it would increase every year with the uh cost of living amount, those income and asset limits. And so now you we could go back and say, "Hey, we need to raise them." But because we've been raising them since we have with the cost of living arrangements and I can show you
exactly where they are. If we feel that hey that is still too lenient or or not lenient enough we could vote to increase them if we wanted to and then that would you would have to look at the financial impact because now you're there's >> Would that have to go to the town
meeting? That would have to go down meeting too >> and that would be next town meeting >> and right because it wouldn't happen by horis >> but it is something that we have >> and it was asset limit too right that we could income asset limits and we've been
adjusting it since 2001 cuz when I got here and I was calculating everything I had to find all that information going back to 2001 the first few years is very easy to find but once you got back and actually it was Kim was the one that figured out some place in the website of
uh DLS to uh to uncover that information. So, okay. >> Um we we got it all and I have it all calculated out and that's you know where we're at. So, we're similar to other places that didn't do any increase like that until like 2012 or 2014. And so,
our income limits and asset limits are very similar to theirs. >> How far off of the is there a maximum >> um no >> limit? No. No, but just the more people the more you raise your limits, the more people qualify and then how much is your overlay getting hit. So I understand the
finance committee's questions of about you know what type of impact is this going to have? But in this instance just going from 70 to 65, I don't believe that it's going to be uh of any significance >> for the town. But that major deal for
you know people that may qualify that 65 and 69. What is the percentage for the exemption there? Is there a >> uh It's not a percentage, just a straight thousand. >> Oh, okay. Sorry. >> That's another thing that we could do. We could vote to start raising those
limits. Uh we get reimbursed x amount by the state. It's not 100% of it, but we get some of it. And then when we go and raising those limits and this really applies more to veterans, I think I think we could do the we could definitely do the uh senior statutory
exemption also. But with the Heroes Act last year, they came out with uh or it was the year before was 2024 when it came out at the end and uh there was a thing where you could increase those award amounts um anywhere to 100% more.
So the the >> veterans exemptions started way back in the60s and at the time the $400 award for having a disability between 10 and 90% was considered a third of the tax
bill at the time and it's 2026 and it's $400. to $1,000 hasn't increased, >> right? And so same with, you know, if you're 100%, we get a,000. Well, we'd spend a,000 at the time that was, you know, closer to almost the whole thing.
Almost the whole tax bill. So if it's a third, right, it was a $1,200 tax. >> So could we could we make it a percentage or would it have to be it's a dollar figure? >> And it is a percentage when you're doing that for the Hero Act. >> Okay. >> So there's 22 I and J and one is where
it increases by the cost of living. And then the other is where we choose a percentage that it's going to increase. So I worked in a different community and they ended up using 25%. So they did adopt it right away and at first they didn't adopt a percentage and then
eventually they made the call and it was 25%. So you got 400 for 49 you get 500 you,000 now you get 1250. >> Would other towns information be in gateway to for researching what other towns are where they are? sure if you would have access to it in gateway, but
there might be something in the data analytics where it goes over that. >> All right, I'll do some digging in that because curious to see where we are in in relation to other towns um around us. >> That's actually a good thing, a good question and I'm not I I wonder if they
have that info available. I've never looked or looked for it or seen it presented that way, but this is a, you know, the exact situation that you would want to know it. So, uh, hopefully they do have something to go by or if not, I can make a couple inquiries and see if I
can get some, uh, >> in the meantime, I'll I'll dig into it. >> Yeah. >> And if there's going to be a special town meeting, I'd like to get these on that, you know, give us the opportunity to increase some of these limits again if we can. If there's going to be another town meeting that we can put on.
>> Yeah. $1,000 20 years ago is not same as $1,000 today. We all know we all know that. So, >> and I had heard it from veterans for a while and especially right when I got into that last community and one of the guys was like, yeah, you know, this isn't that much. And that sort of got me thinking about it and I was like, well,
yeah, you know, I started and that was how much it was and it's 20some years later and it's the same amount and boy 400 went a lot longer in 2000 than it did it does today. And so he was absolutely right and had a point. So um >> yeah, we'll stay on that.
>> Yeah, good good discussion. >> Yeah. So hopefully by the next special town meeting or town meeting we can get something, >> you know, in writing to put on. >> Yeah. So this the same type of thing. Hopefully we have saved that language or however it needs to be and we can do the same >> just kind of adjust it match these other
exemptions. >> Exactly. >> Cool. Um, so update of the office, it's basically the same. We're working on things to get ready for the next fiscal year. So doing splits and merges. Um, we
have a few more supplemental bills because we have some other cos that are happening. Um, we're trying to I've got a couple little projects. I've got Kim on straightening out some of the other uh data inaccuracies that I was able to
identify. And so we're trying to fix those. Uh the condos need some attention before we get to the Well, I guess I before I I could fix that uh at least before the actual bills come out. But uh we're coming up to the preliminary. So I'm trying to get as much straightened
out uh before we we're creating a bill file that goes out. So anything that's new I want to make sure is here and has a a bill for the first time. Um, and the other thing we talked about, uh, the TIF,
>> and so I had some other information. We're talking about the TIFF, and I just brought along with me a thing of that calculation. >> Yeah, I just again listened to the finance committee meeting related to the budget. There were some some outstanding questions. I think he followed up on
them for the finance committee. >> Yeah, this is the page one. What's the page one? page two that doesn't have as much stuff in it. >> But yeah, it's nothing dollars. And then this is the the adjustments that would happen. And on page two, it shows the
the combined savings for real estate and personal property over the 10year amount. And I have an estimated tax rate of 1520 in there, which was the average of the last three years that I used just as the fictitious amount because we know
it's going to change. But I thought 1442 was low to base everything on and that it was, you know, better using the average cuz it was great that it went down that low, but it was 1547 the year before and then 1557 after that. And so
I wanted to try and meet somewhere in the middle at least. So, we're still working on uh we we're still working on our TIFF policy that will be in place kind of after, but this is something from a business that's been in town that uh
we're trying to encourage the state that did has had discussions about potentially moving out of town into another community where they have apparently offered them some other benefits with the test. the road a little bit in competition and it's a
it's complic they want to attend the meeting and we'll be talking about that tonight. the finance committee has everything that they need for the explanation on the articles at that town meeting >> I believe so and that's also part of why
I'm voting I do any addition and so really that's about it >> okay anything else good >> so executive session is that what >> uh we we don't even have anything in executive session >> so you don't have anything you
at this point that are still hanging over. Uh the two abatements that we have, I still haven't finished everything and uh hopefully I'll be doing an inspection on one of them tomorrow. I'm doing additional research with other communities to try and get a better cost study together to figure out
exactly where we need to be valuewise. And then uh all then we'll be talking about an executive session to figure out how we're going to resolve the uh the that situation. Sure. Okay. So,
um if no executive session then nothing else to talk about. That's it. Can I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Make a motion to adjourn. Bill Brown seconds that motion. All >> in favor? John K. Yes. Bill Brown. Yes. >> Board of assessors is adjourned at 6:12
p.m.