Brookside Farm curator asks selectmen to restore staffing after salary cut; cites $30,000 estuaries grant

Anna Perch, curator at Brookside Farm, told the board she had just learned of budget emails and submitted a written proposal the same day asking the town to reconsider a half‑salary reduction for Brookside staffing. Perch said internal reallocations reduced Brookside's needs by roughly $8,000 but left a remaining gap of about $6,515.

Perch described Brookside's evolution from a traditional house museum into a community‑focused site offering environmental restoration, education and public programming. She said the Friends of Brookside have generated approximately $32,000 this year in grants and fundraising and that Brookside recently won a $30,000 grant from the Long Island Estuaries Fund to restore forest and wetland areas. "We have more or less become an extension of the community center campus," Perch said, citing partnerships with the public library and plans to expand concerts and education programs.

The board accepted the presentation and asked to place the matter on a future agenda for formal discussion; Selectmen also requested lists of Brookside volunteers, the commission membership and additional documentation to better assess options.