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Select Board adopts public-records fee schedule, approves ambulance donation and other routine items
Summary
The Select Board unanimously adopted a new public-records fee schedule after a public hearing on staff time and legal-review costs, and approved a donation of a 2013 ambulance, a highway mileage certificate, and multiple liquor and tobacco license renewals.
After a public hearing on rising records requests and staff/legal costs, the Select Board voted unanimously to adopt a public-records fee schedule on Feb. 18, 2025. Executive assistant Judy Alberry described a surge in requests (she said there were almost 30 public-records requests in January alone) and the resulting staff time and attorney-review expenses. The adopted schedule charges staff time after the first 30 minutes ($1 per minute for photocopying and $1 per minute for some computer-generated copies; $1 per minute after 30 minutes for senior-level staff and IT specialists at $1/minute, and $2 per minute for database extraction), as well as set media fees (thumb drives $20, CDs $3-$5) and police incident/video/photo fees.
The board discussed operational effects, possible prepayment for large requests and the difficulty of policing repetitive or duplicative requests; members suggested options such as staffing changes or estimating time up front and collecting fees in advance.
Other routine items approved at the meeting included donating a 2013 Chevrolet 3500 ambulance (high mileage, expired inspection) to a neighboring volunteer fire department for conversion to a fire-rehab truck (motion by Richard, second by George, unanimous) and approving the annual highway mileage certificate that enables state aid (board noted reimbursements in the prior year were between $250,000 and $260,000). The board also approved several liquor and tobacco license renewals during the liquor-board portion of the meeting.
Board members said the public-records fee schedule will be posted in prominent town locations and that administration will follow up on operational procedures for collection and prepayment for large requests.
