Brookfield Board of Selectmen elects new chair, finalizes committee assignments and approves routine payments

The Brookfield Board of Selectmen on March 17 elected Selectman Richard Zacher as chairman and Selectman Austin Fifield as vice chairman, finalized committee assignments for newly seated Selectman Jan Ledbetter and approved routine town warrants and payments.

The reorganization was completed by unanimous votes. Selectman Jan Ledbetter moved to elect Richard Zacher chair; the motion was seconded by Austin Fifield and passed unanimously. Chairman Zacher then moved to elect Austin Fifield vice chair; that motion was seconded and also passed unanimously. The Board directed the town website be updated to reflect the new assignments.

Ledbetter was assigned to the Joint Loss Committee, Municipal Records Committee and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Fifield retained seats on the Heritage and Agriculture Commissions and added the Conservation Commission. Chairman Zacher was assigned oversight roles for the Cemetery, Planning Board liaison duties and Trustee of the Trust Fund.

The Board approved several routine items. The Website Selection Committee was disbanded after the Board postponed the launch and decided to proceed with an internal transition; the committee may be reconvened if needed. The Board voted to send a timber warrant for $112.93 (Map 17, Lot 26a) to the Tax Collector for recovery and approved payment of the manifest totaling $110,140.46, which included a $108,000 payment to the Governor Wentworth Regional School District. Those motions passed unanimously.

Tax Collector Rose Zacher told the Board liens were placed on 23 properties for unpaid 2025 taxes totaling $72,265.40 and that town-wide back taxes stand at about $128,000. She said letters to mortgagees will be mailed around April 24 and the town plans to initiate deeding for three 2023-delinquent properties amounting to approximately $28,000. The tax office plans to move to one three-hour day per week beginning in April.

On planning and public works matters, Planning Board representative Ed Ingalls said low attendance at the Planning Board had delayed work; the board is focusing on gravel-pit compliance and will prepare letters to property owners for delivery by Road Agent Chris Kinville. Kinville reported that road-naming work is complete and the sign for the new McGinley Road (named for former town clerk Virginia McGinley) is ready; the Board agreed to notify the McGinley family and have at least one Selectman present for the summer installation.

Under old business, the Board reviewed the Governor Wentworth Regional School District student roster for Brookfield; tuition was cited at approximately $25,000 per student. Members agreed to consult the school representative and cross-check town records to develop a consistent verification policy. A packet of older ordinances will undergo review at a future meeting to determine which provisions remain valid.

For 2026 projects, the Board identified priorities including acoustics improvements at the Town House (to be led by Jan Ledbetter), garage updates (Austin Fifield to solicit proposals), and installation of a heat pump at the Town Offices (proposed by Richard Zacher). Road Agent Kinville will return next month with paving recommendations, including a chip-seal test and crack sealing. The Board noted an estimated $5,000 modular aluminum extension would address a noncompliant ADA ramp and said staff will pursue grants through the Governor’s Commission on Disability.

The Board also said it will research and vote in early April on hiring Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Greenhalgh’s son as a $1-per-year backup employee for liability coverage and continuity; the Board did not take a final vote at the March 17 meeting.

The Board scheduled a staff meeting for March 24 with elected staff members and set the next regular meeting for the first Tuesday in April. The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.