Brentwood board debates merit reviews, 2.8% budgeted increase and edits to Select Board handbook

Select Board members spent substantial time on personnel matters: whether to give a blanket 2.8% increase or to allocate raises based on performance reviews, and on proposed operational edits to the Select Board handbook.

Members said the FY2026 budget included a 2.8% line for salary increases but disagreed on whether raises should be distributed equally or tied to documented performance. Staff and trustees reported that performance‑review forms exist but many were not completed in 2025; Jim Hasic (Sanitary Trustees) cautioned that conducting retroactive, rushed appraisals would be unfair and recommended completing them properly for 2026. Board members set a short timeline for departments to submit reviews (one to two weeks was discussed) so increases could be executed retroactively to April 1 if the documentation supports them.

Separately, the board reviewed proposed edits to the 47‑page Select Board handbook. Proposed changes included asking members to route research and staff inquiries through the town administrator to respect employees’ time, and an addition encouraging professional attire and limiting food in meetings except for medical necessity. The board agreed to place the handbook review on the April 21 agenda for further discussion and directed members to read the proposed revisions in advance.

The board also discussed creating or reactivating a records committee and clarified that some subteams (for example, a "trash talk" subteam from the budget committee) are informational and not formal select‑board committees unless the board votes to make them so.

No final vote on pay distribution or handbook adoption occurred at the meeting; board members asked department heads to submit performance-review documentation and planned a fuller handbook discussion on April 21.