Weathersfield Select Board Meeting - December 13, 2025

The Weathersfield Select Board convened on December 13, 2025, to discuss a range of items including a land use request from the VASA snowmobile club, a proposed summer on-call stipend for highway department employees, and updates on capital plans for the highway department. The meeting included public comment, approvals of previous minutes, and a motion to amend a map related to the VASA request.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from November 24, 2025: Approved with corrections, including removing a reference to Nathan being present via Zoom (he arrived late) and clarifying a reference to "bow sand pit" and a research phase in the capital plan. Motion carried with no opposition.
• Minutes from November 10, 2025: Postponed to the next meeting due to corrections needed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Citizen comment (Chris): Announced that 130 Maple Street has been purchased and that the building will be boarded up and demolished in the spring. The property is a FEMA buyout located on the brook.

Discussion Items

• VASA Request for Land Operation Use of Poisington Field: The board discussed a map provided by the town manager showing a corridor for the snowmobile club. Concerns were raised about the map's clarity and labeling. The board requested the map be amended to clearly mark the travel corridor (or snowmobile trail) and be dated. A motion to amend the map by adding a date and labeling was made and seconded, then carried unanimously.
• Summer On-Call Policy for Highway Department: Ray, representing the highway department, proposed a policy to have two employees on call each week from May 15 to November 1 (24 weeks) with a $150 per week stipend per employee, totaling $7,200 annually. He argued it would ensure adequate coverage, reduce stress on employees, and is standard for providing compensation for sacrificing availability. Discussion followed, with board members expressing concerns about cost and precedent. August (Budget Committee chair) noted the highway department already received pay raises (over 6% for some employees) and there is over $40,000 in overtime budgeted, questioning affordability. Kelly suggested an alternative of increasing the minimum call-out pay from 3 to 4 hours instead of a stipend. Nathan asked if such a policy is standard in other towns. Ray mentioned Springfield does a year-round stipend of $75 per person. Ray offered to withdraw the proposal but was encouraged to continue discussions, possibly with input from Brandon (town manager) on budget options. No vote was taken.
• Highway Department Capital Plans: Brandon sent drafts of three capital plan options for the highway department: fully funded, compromise, and no capital funding. The board discussed the long-term cost differences (fully funded: $9,697,000; compromise: $9,740,000; no funding: $12,412,000 through fiscal year 2045). No decision was made; further input is expected at the next meeting on December 22.

Key Outcomes

• Map Amendment: Motion carried to amend the VASA permission map by labeling the corridor and dating it December 8, 2025.
• Minutes Approved: Minutes from November 24, 2025 were approved with corrections.
• On-Call Policy: No vote; discussion to continue with town manager input.
• Capital Plans: No action; review to continue at the next meeting.