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Brookfield board tweaks budget, approves hires and awards cleaning contract ahead of public hearings
Summary
At a town meeting, Brookfield officials moved $10,000 into a warrant for building maintenance, raised the supervisor-of-checklist wage to $20 an hour, appointed archivist staff and awarded a townhouse cleaning contract; the board also accepted a planning-board resignation and approved the first manifest of the year.
Brookfield Town officials on an administrative meeting finalized several budget adjustments, approved personnel actions and awarded a cleaning contract while preparing for next week’s public hearings.
The board agreed to move $10,000 from operating into a warrant article for building maintenance and to leave another $10,000 in a separate warrant-account “bucket” for longer-term repairs, including a possible concrete crib for a storage area that officials said could cost on the order of tens of thousands of dollars. Officials described the 2025 operating budget as largely flat compared with 2024 once warrant articles are excluded. Town staff said paving work for Holly Lane and Provence Drive is already paid for in the current plan.
The budget matters matter because the transfers and warrant articles set which repairs will be held for voter approval and which will be paid from operating funds, affecting the town’s year-ahead spending plan and what appears on the warrant at the town meeting.
On personnel and staffing, the board approved several changes that will appear in the 2025 budget. The board voted to increase the salary for the supervisor of the checklist from $18 to $20 per hour and approved appointing Kristen (last name not specified in the record) as town archivist. The board also accepted Craig Evans’s resignation effective Dec. 31 and approved hiring Craig as an assistant archivist with an added line in the budget of $1,000 (or 50 hours) to cover the position. Separately, the board moved to hire Elizabeth Buehne (name spelled and confirmed during the meeting) as deputy town clerk at $20 per hour.
The board awarded a cleaning contract for the town townhouse. Two proposals were considered; the board approved the lower-cost option, labeled “proposal A,” at $100 per cleaning event with $30 per hour for extra work beyond the standard task list. Board members directed staff to clarify the rental/cleaning form so the town can waive the fee for common or nonprofit events while charging private users for cleaning beyond the base amount.
Administrative items approved included acceptance of the first manifest/payroll of the year totaling $12,207.75 and formal acceptance of the resignation of planning-board member Rick Sorensen. Town staff reported that auditors are on site and will complete the audit and the MS-535 filing soon.
The board reminded residents that public hearings on the budget will be held the following week; staff said revised budget and revenue documents will be posted and copies provided at the next meeting.
Less-critical items covered in the meeting included committee updates (roads and paving), discussion of current-use revenue (town staff said $10,000 in current-use change revenue is already in the bank), and a brief update that SRPC (Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission) provided a letter summarizing work done for the town this year (pavement assessment and other projects) that may appear in the town report.
Votes at a glance
- Increase supervisor of the checklist wage to $20/hour: motion made and seconded; voice vote recorded as in favor; outcome: approved.
- Appoint Kristen as town archivist: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.
- Hire Craig Evans as assistant archivist and add $1,000/50-hour line to the records-processing budget: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.
- Hire Elizabeth Buehne as deputy town clerk at $20/hour: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.
- Move $10,000 from operating to a warrant article for building maintenance (and allocate an additional $10,000 to warrant savings): motion/discussion recorded and board agreed; outcome: approved.
- Award townhouse cleaning contract to lower-cost proposer (Proposal A) at $100 per cleaning, $30/hour for extras: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. Board directed staff to clarify fee-waiver language for nonprofit/common events.
- Accept manifest (payments) totaling $12,207.75: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.
- Accept resignation of planning-board member Rick Sorensen: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.
Ending
The board closed the meeting after routine correspondence and committee reports and reminded the public that public hearings on the budget are scheduled next week. Auditors will return to finalize the 2024 fund balance and required filings.
