Brattleboro Select Board Special Meeting Summary - November 20, 2025

A special meeting of the Brattleboro Select Board was convened on November 20, 2025, to discuss departmental staffing updates and provide a comprehensive briefing on the upcoming town-wide property reappraisal process scheduled for completion in 2027. Board members and public attendees addressed procedural questions regarding the finance committee and received detailed clarification from the town assessor and the project management team from New England Municipal Consultants regarding valuation methods, data collection protocols, and the statutory timeline for the 2027 grand list.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting was officially warned and called to order by the Chair.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Audrey Garfield (Resident): Expressed inquiry regarding the status and schedule of the Finance Committee's upcoming briefing to the Select Board and sought clarification on how to join the distribution list for meeting notices. David Lubmark confirmed the committee meets regularly and provided the next meeting date as November 24th, encouraging residents to contact Jessica Stickler for updates.
• David Lubmark (District 9): Asked for clarification on whether the entire town's property data would be public prior to the formal grievance process. Ryan Silvestri confirmed the database would be published online for public filtering and analysis, though physical booklets would be discontinued due to cost.
• Aaron Smith (Resident): Inquired about how building conditions (e.g., ISO ratings, flood zones, and interior updates) influence assessments. He noted his property is an outlier in a flood zone compared to his neighbors.
• Jen Smith (Resident): Asked about the source of phone numbers used for scheduling and whether the town would announce specific neighborhood canvassing dates. Ryan explained that the team will rely on door-knocking and pre-sent letters rather than cold calls to ensure security and avoid copycats, though specific daily schedules will not be announced.
• Heidi: Clarified that while data collection begins December 1, 2025, no tax bills will reflect changes based on the new values until Fiscal Year 2027. She also confirmed that field teams will remove shoes and provided instructions for identifying official town badges and photo IDs online.
• Oscar: Asked if residents waiting for the informational letter could set up appointments if they heard the team was arriving early; Ryan confirmed the team would reschedule if an appointment was already made.

Discussion Items

• Reappraisal Overview: Ryan Silvestri (NEMC Project Manager) and Jennifer Burnell (Town Assessor) presented the background for the 2027 reappraisal, noting the previous appraisal was in 2010. Ryan emphasized that the goal is to build a new database from scratch to achieve full 100% fair market value using sales data from April 1, 2024, to April 1, 2027.
• Valuation Methods: Silvestri explained that residential properties will use a cost approach backed by sales, while commercial properties will use a hybrid of sales and income approaches. He clarified that farms are valued as residential based on highest and best use, with significant functional obsolescence applied to agricultural buildings. He also stated that non-profits and exempt properties (like hospitals and schools) will be assessed at fair market value to ensure accuracy for insurance and outside scrutiny, even if the tax is deferred.
• Interior Inspections: The board and public discussed the necessity of interior inspections to accurately assess depreciation and condition. Silvestri stated that while interior visits are the 'gold standard' for equity (allowing value to be placed on specific rooms like kitchens and bathrooms), the team will not force entry; exterior observations will be used if owners decline. He specified that teams typically look at kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
• Flood Zones and Outliers: Aaron Smith raised concerns about his property's unique position in a flood zone. Silvestri acknowledged that while mass appraisal satisfies the average (inter-quartile range), outlier properties like Smith's may require individual adjustments and a specific visit to the informational hearing to reconcile value differences with neighbors.
• Sales Data Sources: Silvestri confirmed that only sales within Brattleboro will be used to set market values, excluding sales from adjoining communities. He also clarified that list prices are ignored in favor of actual transaction prices.
• Current Use Programs: The interaction between reappraisal and the current use program was clarified; land is valued uniformly first, and then current use subsidies are applied downstream. Silvestri warned against backloading excess acreage values before the subsidy calculation.
• Informational Hearings: A four-level appeal process was outlined, starting with informational hearings before the formal grievance. During this stage, the contractor can still modify values based on taxpayer feedback. Comps (comparable sales) will be available for review during these hearings, particularly for outlier properties.
• Security and Identification: It was clarified that contractors have no direct access to the town's phone database and must rely on door knocking or letters. However, their photos and badges are available on the town website's reappraisal project page to allow residents to verify their identity.

Key Outcomes

• Meeting Adjournment: The meeting was unanimously adjourned at the conclusion of the presentation (Vote: 3-0).
• Action Plan for Residency:Residents are directed to monitor the town website for the project page to view team photos and contact the assessor's office at 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM to verify any unsolicited visitors or to schedule appointments.
• Schedule Confirmation: Field data collection for the reappraisal is scheduled to begin on December 1, 2025.
• Budget Constraint Note: The Finance Department will close daily from 12:00 to 1:00 PM for foreseeable lunch breaks due to staffing constraints.
• Tone of Engagement: The board and contractors emphasized a commitment to transparency and acting in the community's best interests, stating they will be present in the community full-time for approximately 16-17 months.