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Brentwood town administrator announces resignation; Select Board hears public pleas and moves personnel matters to nonpublic
Summary
Brentwood's town administrator submitted a resignation effective May 5, 2026, citing overwhelming problems and stress; the Select Board received public comments urging her to stay and approved routine consent items while tabling detailed pay-matrix and personnel decisions for follow-up and nonpublic discussion.
The Brentwood town administrator told the Select Board at its April 7 meeting that she has submitted her resignation, effective May 5, 2026, citing health and workplace stress. "I have made the difficult decision to submit my resignation as Brentwood's town administrator effective 05/05/2026," the administrator read, saying the magnitude of problems she had discovered was "too much honestly for one person to handle."
Board members and residents responded with expressions of gratitude and concern. Several board members praised the administrator's work; one member said the town would "miss you tremendously." Multiple residents urged the board to consider steps to retain or support her, with one public commenter saying, "I think there are going to be hundreds of people shocked. We're gonna miss you."
The resignation prompted procedural action: the board voted to go into a nonpublic session to discuss personnel, reputation and hiring, citing personnel matters as the reason for closing the meeting. Before moving to nonpublic, the board completed several consent items and routine approvals.
Why it matters: Brentwood will need to fill the town administrator role during a period when the board is also addressing staffing and pay-matrix questions for public safety departments and reviewing multiple operational contracts and capital maintenance needs. The administrator?s departure is likely to affect short-term continuity for the town's finances, staff oversight and grant work.
What else the board did: During the same meeting the Select Board approved the treasurer's report, confirmed deputy fire warden appointments, authorized a temporary porta-potty rental request for the Brentwood Historical Society, voted to rejoin a regional emergency response team under a waived fee for the current year, and approved a formal appraisal for a town-owned parcel. The board discussed a new pay matrix proposed for police and fire but requested a fuller presentation and agreed to table some raises pending further review.
Direct outcomes and votes at a glance: - Treasurer's report: motion carried (unanimous). - Deputy fire warden appointments (Barry Levine, Trevor Whitby, Robert Tuttle): motion carried (unanimous). - Brentwood Historical Society porta-potty rental (10 months, quote from Peach Toilet Rentals): motion carried (majority; one abstention noted). The board agreed the cost could come from custodial-services line. - Seacoast Emergency Response Team (CERT) rejoin: motion carried; the team agreed to forego the $5,000 fee for the remainder of the year. - Pay increases: town-office hourly increases (2.8% across listed positions) were signed; police and fire raises and a proposed pay matrix were discussed in detail and several items were tabled for further review and a planned nonpublic personnel session. - Route 125 town parcel: board authorized obtaining a formal appraisal. - Hayfield lease renewal (Norman Garside): motion carried. - Motion to enter nonpublic session for personnel, reputation and hiring: motion carried via roll call.
Key details and clarifications: The treasurer reported bank and invested fund balances and an invested-funds figure of $3,000,000; board members noted the need to reconcile duplicate vendor invoices found during the payroll review. Chief-level presenters explained that the proposed fire and police pay matrix was intended to improve hiring and retention but that the board had not previously ratified the matrix as a policy and requested a formal presentation and documentation before final approval.
Next steps: The board moved into nonpublic session to discuss personnel-related matters and said it would follow up with a public agenda item dedicated to the pay-matrix and detailed raise approvals. The town administrator's resignation takes effect May 5, 2026, unless extended by agreement; the board indicated it would consider transition options and whether the administrator would be asked to remain temporarily to assist with handover or contract work.
