Bedford Town Council Meeting - January 14, 2026

The Bedford Town Council met on January 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM (approximate start) to conduct a lengthy agenda including confirmation of appointments, a public hearing on the proposed 2026 operating budget and warrant articles, discussion of capital reserve cuts, a road program presentation, consideration of games of chance ballot questions, and the resignation of Councillor Kathleen Beamis. The meeting featured robust public participation and extended debate among council members, resulting in several key votes and decisions.

Consent Calendar

• Confirmation of Director of Public Works: The council unanimously (7-0) confirmed the appointment of Brian DeFosis as Director of Public Works, effective January 15, 2026. DeFosis, previously Town Engineer and Assistant DPW Director, has 28 years of experience.
• Confirmation of Information Technology Manager: The council unanimously (7-0) confirmed the appointment of Jeremy Morrell as Information Technology Manager, effective January 15, 2026. Morrell was selected from a formal search process.
• Naming of Lieutenant Michael R. Bernard Memorial Field: The council unanimously (7-0) approved renaming Swenson Field South to "Lieutenant Michael R. Bernard Memorial Field" in honor of the late police officer and community volunteer, as recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Library Support: Multiple residents (Adair Heil, Cavita Finn, Justin Finn, Angela Baldi, Katie Cutchell, Melinda Chen, Jerry Hanauer) spoke in strong support of increasing the library budget by $58,749 to convert a part-time reference librarian to full-time. Speakers emphasized the library's role as a vital community resource, with usage statistics showing a 14% increase in information queries and 39% increase in event attendance in 2025. The cost was cited as approximately one cent on the tax rate.
• Budget Questions: Edward Comiskey asked about the process for a special meeting if the budget fails. Justin Finn questioned the revenue and policy behind police special details, expressing concern about private businesses paying for police services. Ron Carvel defended the police department and their details. Several residents urged the council to educate the public on the consequences of default budget, including potential cuts to roads and personnel.
• Skate Park Support: Ian Moulton Bray and Justin Finn spoke in favor of the citizens' petition (Article 11) to reconstruct the skate park, highlighting the need for safe, inclusive recreation and noting the current facility is in disrepair. Matthew Castanian questioned whether it was a need versus a want given financial constraints.
• Capital Reserve Concerns: Sue Thomas, Dave Gilbert, Bob Thomas, and Edward Comiskey expressed concerns about proposed cuts to the capital reserve fund (Article 8), arguing that deferring maintenance would lead to higher future costs and risk the town's triple-A bond rating. They urged the council to maintain the full proposed amount.

Discussion Items

• Operating Budget (Article 7): Town Manager Rick Sawyer presented the proposed 2026 operating budget of $39,339,052, a 2.6% increase over 2025 adopted budget. The default budget is $38,259,492, which would be $346,000 less than 2025 appropriations. The estimated tax impact is $3.61 per $1,000 assessed value if passed, compared to $3.40 if default. The council debated and voted 4-3 to amend the budget to include $58,749 for the library part-time to full-time position. Subsequently, the council voted 6-1 to remove the town council recommendation from the article, and then voted 7-0 to move the amended budget to the warrant for the deliberative session.
• Capital Reserve Fund (Article 8): The original proposed capital reserve budget was $2,951,300 (tax impact 46 cents). A group of councilors (Sowell, Levesque, Strand) proposed a reduction of $1,114,000, deferring contributions to 30 line items including facilities, a dump truck, and other equipment, citing a one-time effort to reduce the tax increase to 29 cents. After extensive debate, the council voted 4-3 to move the amended capital reserve article to the warrant (with the reduction), and then voted 6-1 to remove the council recommendation. The council also voted 7-0 to move Article 9 (BCTV equipment capital reserve, no tax impact) and Article 10 (discontinuing IT software license capital reserve) to the warrant.
• Citizens Petition - Skate Park (Article 11): The council heard public comment on the citizens' petition to raise $800,000 for skate park reconstruction, using $234,000 from existing recreation field capital reserves and $478,000 from unassigned fund balance, with no tax impact. The council took no action to amend or recommend, as it is a citizen petition that must go to the ballot. The item will appear on the warrant without a council recommendation.
• Roads Program: DPW Director Brian DeFosis presented a proposal to shift to a proactive pavement preservation program, requesting a $500,000 warrant article to supplement the $2 million in the operating budget. After discussion, a motion to restore $300,000 was made and passed 6-1, but the motion was later reconsidered and withdrawn after a procedural point was raised that a public hearing would be required. The item may be taken up at the deliberative session.
• Games of Chance Ballot Questions: The council voted 7-0 to place two questions on the March 10, 2026 ballot: prohibiting keno games and prohibiting games of chance within Bedford. Public hearings were scheduled for February 11, 2026. Council members expressed support for local control.
• Ambulance Billing Rates: The council voted 7-0 to increase the BLS ambulance billing rate to $1,552.62 to comply with new state law (SB 245), effective retroactively to January 1, 2026. The change ensures the town charges at least the state-allowed 325% of Medicare rates, and prohibits balance billing.

Key Outcomes

• DPW Director and IT Manager confirmed (both 7-0).
• Field named after Lieutenant Michael R. Bernard (7-0).
• Operating budget amended to add $58,749 for library position (4-3).
• Council voted not to recommend the operating budget (6-1).
• Operating budget moved to warrant (7-0).
• Capital reserve article amended to reduce by $1,114,000 (4-3) and moved to warrant (4-3).
• Council voted not to recommend the capital reserve article (6-1).
• Articles 9 and 10 moved to warrant (7-0).
• Citizens petition skate park article to appear on ballot without council recommendation.
• Ambulance billing rate increase approved (7-0).
• Keno and games of chance ballot questions approved (both 7-0), with public hearings set for February 11.
• Councillor Kathleen Beamis resigned; council accepted resignation (7-0) and then appointed her back to fill the vacancy until the March 2026 election (7-0, with the required five votes). The resignation was effective immediately, and the seat will be on the ballot for a two-year term.
• Meeting adjourned at approximately 10:30 PM after a motion to waive the rules to continue past 10:00 PM.