Select Board roundup: appointments, tax abatements and committee picks; residents raise sign and ballfield safety concerns

The West Swanzey Select Board handled routine business, approved a set of tax abatements recommended by the town’s contracted assessor, reappointed Barbara Scully to the Asheville River Local Advisory Committee, and appointed leadership for the Swansea Water & Sewer Advisory Committee.

Appointments and votes at a glance: the board approved the regular minutes as amended and consent agenda items; reappointed Barbara Scully to ARLAC; approved the town’s slate of tax abatements as recommended by Bern Consultants; and designated Scott Self as chair, Pat Ambrosio as vice chair, and Steve Biddle to handle finance work for the Swansea Water & Sewer Advisory Committee. The board also moved to enter a non-public session at the end of the meeting.

Public input included a resident’s request to move the town hall sign to the south side of the fire-station property to reduce safety conflicts with apparatus access and preserve the town-center historic character; the board asked staff to collect cost estimates and to add the matter to a future agenda. Another resident asked for clarification and plans for a proposed baseball backstop upgrade after reporting repeated balls reaching and damaging his vehicles; the board agreed to circulate the project plans to the resident and to have Ashley (project lead) present the plan at a future meeting.

The meeting concluded with a motion to enter non-public session. Staff will follow up on action items including circulating the backstop plans, confirming volunteer painter credentials for the Grange Hall project, and sharing the adopted personnel-policy addendum.