The Brentwood Select Board completed votes on a series of department budgets and procedural schedule changes during its Oct. 21 meeting and continued discussion about hiring a recreation director.

Budget scheduling and procedural items
The board agreed to move several budget hearings: insurance to Nov. 4, waste collection and disposal to Nov. 18, and police, animal control and benefits to Dec. 2 so the incoming police chief can review the police budget. The board also agreed to skip the Nov. 25 meeting because it falls during Thanksgiving week; members directed staff to mark that week as a break and, if needed, handle signature logistics outside a public session.

Salary guidance and COLA placeholder
Board members discussed a staff email suggesting departments assume a 3% salary increase as a placeholder while the board decides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). One board member who sent the placeholder email said the number was a temporary estimate pending the board's formal COLA decision; the board reiterated that the placeholder does not guarantee raises for every employee and that level-funding the operating budget overall does not force identical outcomes for each position.

Budget motions and votes at the meeting (votes recorded in the public discussion)
- Town clerk: The board approved the town-clerk budget for $96,380.12 (motion made and seconded; all in favor).
- Tax collector: The board approved the tax-collector budget for $97,429.12 (motion made and seconded; all in favor).
- Town meeting moderator (town meeting line): The board moved and seconded a moderator budget of $3,601 for the town-meeting moderator. The motion ultimately carried 3-2 after recorded dissent.
- Elections: The board approved an elections budget of $29,009.51 after small reductions (supervisors reduced from $3,000 to $2,400 and meals/services from $4,000 to $3,200). Motion carried 4-1.
- Town administrator/executive office: The board approved the town-administrator budget of $197,608 (motion seconded; vote carried 4-1).
- Finance/treasury: After discussion and an amendment to simplify the finance/treasury total, the board approved a revised figure for the finance/treasury line of $70,000 (amended from a higher number to reflect reallocation of duties and the town's software rollout); the amendment passed and the motion carried.

The board debated details in the finance and treasury lines, including whether a part-time bookkeeper would be needed and how new financial software and audit work might change staffing hours. Members discussed options to reduce hours for a new bookkeeper after software implementation and the need to maintain segregation of duties for accounting functions.

Recreation director hiring: discussion, no final decision
The board discussed the status of the recreation director position. A warrant article adopted at the prior town meeting had provided funding for a program coordinator and envisioned the position moving into the operating budget in 2026. Board members and staff debated whether to hire a full-time recreation director, a part-time director (25''2.5 hours plus 40 hours during the 16-week summer season), or retain a part-time director supplemented by interns and volunteers. Several board members favored delaying a final hiring decision until the rec commission presents finalized program numbers at its next meeting; the Select Board asked staff to meet with the rec commission and bring a recommendation to the board at a follow-up hearing, with interviews to proceed after the board clarifies whether the opening is for a full- or part-time position.

Other items
The board received updates on highway paving and equipment readiness for winter; police transitions and ARPA encumbrance questions were raised by members seeking confirmation that encumbered funds are tied to specific contracts. The planning board reported it is working with a consultant on zoning updates (ADUs, multifamily, workforce housing) that will likely appear on a ballot if the planning board advances them.

What the board did not do
The board did not finalize a new COLA amount at this meeting; it instead treated 3% as a placeholder. No binding change to the employee-pay schedule was adopted at the meeting for everyone; several members signaled intent to reopen budgets if the board adopts a different COLA.

Next steps and follow-up
Staff were directed to circulate background-check results for the police chief candidate and to return to the Select Board with refined rec commission budget numbers at the board's next meeting so hiring interviews for the recreation director can proceed with a clearly defined job scope.