Weathersfield Select Board Meeting - November 15, 2025

The Weathersfield Select Board met on November 15, 2025, to address a range of topics including the school budget, property reappraisal, public access television funding, capital planning, and employee compensation. Key decisions included extending deadlines for the Old Ball Road decision, setting the cost-of-living adjustment at 3.5%, approving new health insurance options, and advancing a memorial grove management plan.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The board approved the minutes from October 27, 2025, with corrections for date (October 27 vs. October 14) and noted items regarding recusal vs. abstention.
• Warrants Approved: Warrants dated November 10, 2025, totaling $34,017.27 payroll and $155,980.40 operating expenses across general, highway, solid waste, and reappraisal funds, passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• School Board Report: John Ericsson, providing the monthly school board report, stated the SU budget is finalized with a 16.2% increase (1.4% administrative, 14.8% special education). He noted that Weathersfield’s portion increased 10% to $9.908 million, and that school choice is expensive for the town. He also raised the need for a crosswalk at Schoolhouse Road, suggesting a parallel town-school effort, though state officials typically require a sidewalk connection.
• Reappraisal Update: Nate Sodter, project lead for the 2027 reappraisal, explained the process, timeline, and data collection. He emphasized that interior inspections are voluntary but beneficial, and that no-entry properties will be valued using cost calculations and exterior observations. He reported that only 24% of properties in recent reappraisals allowed interior access. The board and attendees discussed the impact of COVID-19 on sales trends and grievance procedures.
• SAPA TV Funding Request: Kevin Paquette, Executive Director of Springfield Area Public Access Television (SAPA TV), and board president Marita Johnson requested $5,000 in funding. Paquette acknowledged past technical and communication issues, stating they have been resolved and that recordings are now done via Zoom. Marita Johnson noted the 25-year relationship with the town. August Murray criticized the prior director for partisan activities and suggested that modern technology (Zoom, YouTube) might make SAPA TV unnecessary. The board did not take a vote; the request will be considered as a special appropriation.

Discussion Items

• Old Ball Road Decision Extension: The board voted to extend the completion deadlines for the class four section of Old Ball Road by one year (to November 17, 2027, and November 17, 2028) due to ongoing legal matters. Motion passed unanimously.
• Budget Committee Orientation: The town manager presented the FY27 budget development timeline, with key dates from November 2025 through January 2026. The board discussed aligning with the school budget process. August Murray and Chris Shires were later appointed to the budget committee.
• Capital Plan Discussion: The board reviewed capital plans for highway motorized equipment, fire apparatus, paving, and technology. The proposed first-year contribution totaled $451,000. An alternative fixed-mix financing option would reduce first-year costs to $259,000 but increase long-term interest costs by an estimated $205,000 over 20 years. The board discussed the trade-offs and deferred detailed analysis to the budget committee, noting that skipping a component would raise future costs.
• Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): A motion was made to set FY27 COLA at 2.8%, but was amended to 3.5% (fiscal impact ~$6,600 difference). The amendment passed with three ayes and one nay. The final vote on the amended motion (3.5%) carried.
• Health Insurance Options: The board approved three health insurance options for employees: Option 1 (Gold 3 plan with HRA), Option 2 (MVP Platinum with HRA), and Option 3 (MVP Platinum without HRA). The total maximum town cost increase is $13,000. Discussion included grandfathering existing HSA holders, but the board moved to phase out HSAs. The motion passed unanimously.
• Memorial Grove Management Plan: The board accepted the second reading of the management plan and moved to a third reading with amendments to include the Civil War monument and Memorial Mill Wheel within the plan’s scope. The motion passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Vote: Extended Old Ball Road deadlines by one year (unanimous).
• Vote: Set FY27 COLA at 3.5% (3-1).
• Vote: Approved three health insurance options for FY27 (unanimous).
• Vote: Advanced Memorial Grove plan to third reading with amendments (unanimous).
• Appointments: Chris Shires and August Murray appointed to the Budget Committee.
• Next Steps: The budget committee will review capital plans and COLA impacts; the SAPA TV funding request will be considered as a special appropriation; the memorial grove plan will be revised for a third reading.