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Select Board accepts two resignations, appoints highway mechanic, and approves several administrative items
Summary
The Select Board accepted two highway-department resignations, appointed Dennis Kimball as a highway mechanic, and approved a string of administrative items including a cleaning contract, energy-incentive application and police equipment/training purchases.
The Select Board took several personnel and administrative actions during the meeting, including accepting resignations, approving an appointment, and voting on a series of smaller spending and administrative items.
Resignations and appointment: The board accepted written resignations from Andrew McDermott (heavy equipment operator, effective March 7, 2025) and Scott Solowski (town mechanic, effective March 5, 2025). The board moved to accept both resignations and voted in favor. The highway superintendent recommended Dennis Kimball for hire as a mechanic; the board appointed Dennis Kimball after a brief introduction.
Contracts and purchases: The board approved putting an old Elgin street sweeper out to bid after staff obtained a market estimate. The board approved a weekly cleaning contract for town offices at $300 per month ($75 per week) and agreed to determine the funding source at a later meeting. The board also approved an energy-incentive application for the senior center (authorization to apply only; no obligation to accept work or grant terms), and approved the town clerk’s request to clean up website user permissions and establish guidelines for future webmasters.
Police and training spending: The board approved two police-related spending items: $712.64 to Axon Enterprise Inc. for replacement taser batteries (state contract purchase) and $680 to a POST-compliant training provider for internal affairs investigations training for Chief Mark Smith and Lieutenant Ryan Daley. The board discussed reimbursing two cell phones for the fire department (total $110.95) but members requested a formal policy and deferred final approval and implementation to a future meeting.
Fleet policy and software: The board instructed staff to develop a policy for WEX fuel cards and approved proceeding with drafting that policy; members discussed practical considerations for highway and fire diesel vehicles. The board also deferred action on permitting software until a later meeting.
Other actions and items: The board voted to eliminate the standing 3:00 p.m. building-committee posting that had been used during a period of frequent contractor follow-up. The board agreed to revisit a proposal to place a question on a special-meeting ballot (a proposed ban on single-use bags) at a future meeting; staff described options for placing citizen petitions or a board-initiated ballot question.
Public comment touched on tobacco/vaping sales enforcement (resident questions about who enforces sales to minors), the practicality of special elections to fill board vacancies, and an inquiry about woodland cutting under investigation between Hillside and Oak/Main Street. The board scheduled an executive session later in the evening.
