Select Board authorizes town administrator to contract with human services provider Sarah Tracy

The Boscawen Select Board on July 15 authorized the town administrator to enter into a contract with Sarah Tracy to provide human services and welfare-administration support as an independent contractor.

Tracy told the board she has roughly 15–20 years' experience working in fair-housing and outreach roles, has coordinated Salvation Army services across multiple towns and operates a small company she named on the record as Irish Social Services. She described a contracting model in which the town calls her when a need arises and the town is billed monthly or quarterly; she said mileage is included in the rate.

“Typically, we can sign something…When they need me, they call me and I meet, do what they need to do,” Tracy said, describing a flexible on-call arrangement designed for small communities.

Board members discussed insurance requirements and asked staff to confirm liability levels with the town’s insurer, which meeting participants referenced as Primax. One member disclosed a long acquaintance with Tracy and offered to recuse if the board wanted; the chair proceeded with the motion and the board recorded two members voting in favor while the disclosure was noted on the record.

The town administrator and board agreed to finalize the independent-contractor agreement details and to work with the insurer on recommended liability limits before executing the contract. The motion authorized the town administrator to sign the agreement on the board’s behalf.

Why it matters: the change moves human-services work from a rotating full-time position toward a contracted model the town believes could be more cost-effective and provide specialist support on an as-needed basis. Board members said the arrangement could reduce turnover and allow the town to access specialized experience without hiring a full-time welfare administrator.