Brookline Selectboard elects chair and vice chair, approves warrants and committee charters, and discusses dog park and propane options

The Town of Brookline Selectboard on March 17 elected Eddie Arnold as chair and Brian Rater as vice chair, approved several warrants totaling more than $250,000, and carried a series of committee charter and appointment votes while discussing town projects including a proposed dog park and whether to buy propane tanks.

The morning-evening hybrid meeting recorded attendance and opened with routine procedural business. Brian Rater nominated Arnold for chair and the board approved the nomination 5–0. Ed Perry nominated Rater for vice chair and that nomination likewise passed 5–0.

The board approved Accounts Payable Warrant #11 for $93,192.95, Payroll Warrant #12 for $159,423.96, and a Police Detail warrant for $1,562.50; the warrant approvals passed unanimously. The board also voted on minutes and nonpublic minute sets from March 3; the motions to approve carried with a 3–2 vote on each, with Jerry Roche and Stephen Dolfini recorded as abstaining.

The Selectboard reviewed and ratified a Facilities Committee charter (motion passed 5–0). The Facilities Committee is tasked with producing short-term recommendations for 2026 by Aug. 1 and longer-term recommendations by Jan. 15, and the board discussed charter length and membership. The board also voted to extend the Digital Transformation Work Group (DTWG) and the Energy Committee charters by one year (both motions passed 5–0).

The board signed an appointment form naming Francis Gavin to the town's 250th Celebration Committee and noticed the appointment of Lisa Proulx, directing staff to prepare her appointment form for the March 31 meeting.

On land-use and permitting matters, the board voted 5–0 to extend 18 Tamposi Brookline Woods building permits that were due to expire March 31, 2025, by six months. The Selectboard heard Conservation Commission notices about terms expiring for several members and agreed to address those appointments at the March 31 meeting.

Members discussed a request from the Brookline Women's Club to consider Lot H‑39 (about a half-acre across from the Chapel) as a dog park; board members expressed general support for finding a fenced, open site and suggested the Facilities Committee investigate potential locations, including near a proposed new library site.

The board reviewed procurement issues raised by a forthcoming propane RFP: officials reported Brookline would likely be excluded from future cooperative bids unless it owned its tanks. A Ciardelli quote provided by staff lists the cost to buy six underground tanks at $37,260 in total (itemized by location), and the board asked SAU 41's Kelly Seeley to estimate what savings ownership might have produced.

Before adjourning, the board listed follow-up items for its March 31 meeting — including the Personnel Plan, Rules of the Selectboard and Accident Policy, a Building Official update, and a memorandum of understanding with Hollis on building official services (which was tabled to March 31). The board voted to enter nonpublic session under RSA 91‑A:3 II(b) (hiring) and II(l) (legal) at 8:47 p.m.; it left nonpublic at 11:09 p.m., voted to seal the minutes, and adjourned at 11:10 p.m.

Votes at a glance: Eddie Arnold elected chair (motion: Brian Rater; unanimous 5–0); Brian Rater elected vice chair (motion: Ed Perry; unanimous 5–0); warrants approved (motion: Brian Rater; unanimous 5–0); Facilities Committee charter accepted (motion: Brian Rater; unanimous 5–0); DTWG and Energy charters extended one year (motions: Brian Rater; unanimous 5–0); Tamposi permit extensions approved (motion: Brian Rater; second: Jerry Roche; unanimous 5–0); appointment of Francis Gavin to 250th Committee (motion: Ed; unanimous 5–0); March 3 public and nonpublic minutes approved (votes 3 yes/2 abstain).