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Brookfield board opens town‑meeting warrant, adds bridge certification, inspector revolving fund and building repairs
Summary
The Brookfield select board and advisory committee met April 22 and voted to open the town‑meeting warrant, adding a $5,500 bridge certification warrant article, a revolving account option for plumbing/gas inspections and a municipal building‑repair item; the group also set the schedule for the budget presentation and agreed to a 3% COLA for staff.
Brookfield’s select board met jointly with the advisory committee on April 22 and voted to open the town‑meeting warrant, adding three items the board identified as needing further attention: a $5,500 bridge certification inspection, language to allow a plumbing/gas inspector revolving account, and an article for municipal building repairs.
The meeting began at 7:43 a.m. with the pledge of allegiance and a reminder that the session was being videotaped and livestreamed. Committee members confirmed a tentative date for the town budget presentation at the elementary school on May 20 or 21 and asked staff to prepare a short handout explaining significant line‑item changes (town administrator wages, administrative assistant, technology) to be distributed alongside the warrant book.
On the warrant motions, a committee member moved to open the warrant; after a brief discussion to identify items to add, the board voted to open it. The three items flagged for inclusion were: the bridge certification fee ($5,500), a revolving fund option to accommodate inspector fee revenue and payouts for the gas/plumbing inspector, and a municipal building repairs article to cover project‑level work beyond routine maintenance. The advisory committee indicated it recommended most budget line items with numeric values but withheld recommendations on items that lacked dollar estimates.
Committee members said the plumbing/gas inspector (Jamie) requested a larger annual stipend—figures discussed ranged from $5,300 to $12,000—or an 80/20 revenue split via a revolving account that would tie pay to permit revenue. The board approved opening the warrant with language to add a revolving account so the town can later decide whether to fund an interim stipend and then transition to fee‑supported payments.
The board also discussed other warrant logistics: if the longevity stipend article is proposed and passes, advisory members said it should be funded from free cash because the operating budget cannot sustain a permanent $40,000 annual increase without cuts. Members agreed to budget a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for staff in the operating numbers presented for town meeting.
The board closed the warrant and adjourned after confirming next steps for recalculating totals and distributing the presentation materials to the public prior to the town meeting.
