Brentwood selectboard presses KRT on timing, invoices and procedures for townwide property revaluation

Selectboard members and residents pressed KRT, the town’s contracted assessor, about the schedule and scope for a townwide post‑reevaluation data collection that KRT is due to perform. Speaker 2 introduced Kevin Lean of KRT, who said the firm plans to inspect both exteriors and interiors where possible to produce accurate assessment data and that three certified staff would start once a startup meeting with the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) is held.

Why it matters: Board members said completing data collection before the town’s next billing cycle in May is important so any value changes can affect that billing; several residents cited a recent Board of Tax and Land Appeals (BTLA) proceeding involving the Town of Hampton that found inconsistencies in how a municipal revaluation was done.

What KRT told the board: Kevin Lean (KRT) said the most accurate assessments rely on interior and exterior measurements and that KRT had sent postcards to residents describing the process. He said scheduling the mandatory startup meeting with a DRA representative was in progress and that post‑reevaluation field inspections would follow that meeting. Lean acknowledged that illnesses at the firm had delayed the start but said the company could add more certified staff if needed and that vehicles and field workers are identifiable (magnet signage and online tracking via the company site).

Board and public concerns: Selectboard members and residents raised several issues: why postcards implied a December start when the DRA meeting was still pending; whether the town should pay an initial $30,000 invoice before KRT begins fieldwork; whether the firm had adequate staff and the right personnel at prior board appearances; and whether the town’s contract and data‑collection guidelines would be circulated for public review. Residents asked that the BTLA report in the Town of Hampton matter (docket 31316‑25RA) be shared with the board and public.

Contract and timeline details in the meeting record: the board discussed a $155,000 total contract figure that includes roughly $60,000 for post‑reevaluation data collection. KRT estimated the town has about 3,300 parcels to inspect. Board members settled on asking KRT to aim to complete data collection by early May where possible, and asked staff to insist KRT schedule the DRA startup meeting as soon as possible.

What happens next: The board asked town staff to circulate the DRA‑related guidance and the Hampton BTLA report, to request KRT provide the project’s written data‑collection guidelines and an explicit project timeline, and to notify the selectboard when the startup meeting with DRA is scheduled so a board representative can attend. KRT said it will notify the town when the DRA meeting is set and will make project steps and guidelines available.