On Monday night the Brandon Selectboard convened for their biweekly meeting, reviewing the annual Energy Committee report, approving a store loan and bulk commodity purchase orders, and discussing rising fuel costs.

Town Manager Seth Hopkins reported on FY26 finances, noting a "Goldilocks” surplus of between 1.5% and 2% of the general fund. A bill for a property assessor came in at $12,659, below the initially estimated $20,000, contributing to a larger-than-expected surplus. "Bill Moore tells me there are some revenues still coming in for sponsorships that get credited to FY26," Hopkins added, suggesting the final figure could still shift slightly.

Hopkins included a "Project and Grant Tracker” in his report listing a number of programs, both open and closed, along with the town’s cost and any outside funding for each.

Other ongoing work includes replacing a cross-culvert on Union Street, stormwater ditching, a driveway berm installation on Carver Street, and town office repairs.

There’s a beaver issue on Old Brandon Road; a temporary fix was put in place until a “Beaver Deceiver” can be installed.

The state is leading pollutant cleanup on property now owned by the town on Newton Road/Burke Park to address contamination from an oil spill in 1993 from a failed tank.

Also, the town has started mapping the sewer lines and stormwater system using the same technology the Fire District uses for water lines.Those maps will be shared between both crews.

Energy Committee Chair David Martin delivered the committee's annual report, reviewing several initiatives.

The police department's solar array is now installed and operational, having generated 5,300 kilowatt-hours worth approximately $1,130 in savings with a goal of offsetting the department's utility bills.

A solar array previously located on FEMA property at Newton Road was reinstalled behind Dunkin but awaits conduit excavation by Markowski before becoming operational. Credits will go towards energy used by on-site car chargers.

Martin said that the Novus Energy collaboration on a solar array at the industrial park is expected to benefit the town by approximately $6,000 per year in solar credits, with no capital outlay from the town.

The Green Lantern solar installation at the industrial park is now in its 10th year and has saved the town more than $60,000, Energy Committee member Joyous! Emerson said. With the Novus project expected to go online next spring, combined with the police station savings, the town’s annual savings are projected to approach $20,000, Emerson said.

Martin reported that support for resident weatherization efforts continues, with free weatherization materials available to residents, as well as tools that can be borrowed through the Brandon Free Public Library, including an infrared camera that can be used to help identify sources of heat loss. The Energy Navigator Program, launched late last year to advise residents on energy use and provide personalized reports has completed 20 "navigations" to date, with a goal of 60 for the year.

Martin said that the second Toolship, offering free home weatherization supplies, "is going to make a visit to the Bristol Farmers Market because their energy committee is interested in having their own program."

Recruitment is underway for the FY28 Advisory Budget Committee. Applicants must be legal voters of Brandon and submit a letter of interest plus the town's cover sheet by noon on Thursday, August 6. Budget advisory meetings will occur every other week from September through November, typically for two hours on Monday or Tuesday nights. The budget committee will reconvene after town meetings for wastewater budget review sessions.

If you would like to be on the committee, see more here.

Toy store owner Maura Donnelly, whose Bristol business ran a pop-up in Brandon during the holiday season, appeared before the board to introduce her plans for a new Simon Says store in part of the space formerly occupied by Carr’s Gifts, located at 21 Center Street.

The board voted to approve a $29,730 loan at 4.75% interest with an 84-month amortization. Collateral will secure the loan.

“I’m very excited about this new venture; I sort of fell in love with Brandon a few years ago,” Donnelly said.

Hopkins noted rising fuel costs and volatility in pricing for FY27. A July 21 quote showed diesel at $4.94 per gallon and fuel oil at $4.06, significantly more than in previous years.

"Nobody's interested right now in offering fixed pricing to the town," Hopkins said, "so we will be looking at floating prices."

Diesel and number two fuel oil will be priced at a floating 20 cents over vendor cost. Propane pricing follows the State of Vermont contract price.

"We're looking at a very clear economic indicator that we need to be using less fossil fuel because it's getting extremely expensive," Jeff Haylon said during the pricing discussion.

Nine purchase orders that exceeded the town manager's spending authority were approved by the selectboard.

The largest of these orders was for the sludge processing resulting from wastewater treatment that was reviewed in recent meetings. Those transportation and processing costs total $136,800.

Hopkins said that Rutland continues to be the lowest-cost option for sludge processing when trucking and processing charges are combined, compared to bids from two other companies in New York and Massachusetts. He explained that despite higher per-gallon processing costs in Rutland, transportation expenses make it more economical than the alternatives.

As for road salt, Hopkins said, there are supply chain issues and the town’s previous vendoris no longersupplying Brandon. He said Brandon anticipates needing approximately 1,000 tons and is exploring another vendor who supplies the state garage.

Minutes from the meeting.