Bozrah selectmen approve minutes, hear public call for budget referendums and agree to proceed on fire contract

At the June 16 meeting of the Bozrah Board of Selectmen, the board voted unanimously to approve the regular meeting minutes for May 19 and the special meeting minutes for May 26. Selectman Jeremy Tarasevich moved both approvals and First Selectman Glenn Pianka seconded; both motions carried unanimously.

During public comments earlier in the meeting, resident Raymond Barber of 25 Goshen Road asked whether the Department of Transportation had been contacted about River Road to Stockhouse and said he had initiated a petition to force a referendum on the 2026/27 budget but did not collect enough signatures. Barber asked the board to require referendums for all future budgets. "I started a petition to force a referendum on the 26/27 budget but did not receive enough signatures," Barber said, and he requested the Board force a referendum for all budgets moving forward.

First Selectman Pianka told the board he had received the latest version of the Fire Department Service Contract on June 1 and said he was willing to move forward with it; the record does not show a formal vote to adopt the contract at this meeting. Pianka also noted job descriptions are available as a starting point for hiring a permanent Tax Assessor.

The Board recorded the monthly reports and attachments submitted by the Fire Marshal, Food Pantry, Senior Services Coordinator and State Police. With no further business, Selectman Tarasevich moved to adjourn at 7:21 p.m.; Pianka seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

What’s next: the board will follow up on staffing for the Tax Assessor role, any necessary steps on the Fire Department Service Contract and any follow-up related to the public's petition request; no formal changes to budget-approval procedures were acted on at this meeting.