At a short meeting on Monday night, the Brandon Selectboard approved a firm for the next town-wide reappraisal, discussed finishing the Estabrook multiuse court, and announced an Opportunity Zone.
NEMRC selected for reappraisal
After discussions at previous meetings, town manager Seth Hopkins recommended that the selectboard choose New England Municipal Resource Center (NEMRC) to conduct the upcoming town-wide reappraisal of property values. Periodic reappraisals are mandated by the state, and the last town-wide appraisal of Brandon property values used in tax rate calculations was completed in 2020.
Hopkins explained that existing services from NEMRC, such as their software and assessor, save taxpayers money compared to switching to an in-house assessor or changing providers. Hopkins also cited the long-term relationship with the firm, saying that the level of service by NEMRC contract assessor Lisa Truchon has been "highly satisfactory."
"So my recommendation to the board is to proceed with NEMRC for the town-wide reappraisal despite the fact that it would not happen until 2032. And as I understand, the state is more concerned that we get the process going than when we get it completed," Hopkins said.
The selectboard unanimously approved a reappraisal agreement with NEMRC.
From the town manager's report
Hopkins thanked Wendy Fjeld for raking out the Park Street gardens and bioswales. He also thanked town employees Ray Marcoux, with help from Jeremy Disorda, for building a tool to retrieve tires dumped in Otter Creek.
Hopkins congratulated Ethan Kelleher on his promotion from officer to corporal in the Brandon Police Department, noting that he has recently completed EMT coursework and earned his EMT license. He also congratulated Brandon Police Officer Alec Stevens on attaining Level 2 officer certification through the Vermont Police Academy. Stevens, a lifelong Brandon resident, will complete field training with Chief David Kachajian.
Hopkins said that he, road foreman Disorda, and James Coe of Coe & Coe Architects had reviewed preliminary site layout drawings in a pre-design study for the new highway garage and salt shed facility. Disorda prefers building a four-bay garage rather than a five-bay garage and relocating the driveway between the garage and the proposed salt shed. Any plan will require working with the state around a small stream within the highway property and keeping the cinder block garage on the east property line.
Hopkins' report noted that the town received local option tax revenue of $96,822 from July to September, its best-ever quarterly income from the tax. Hopkins also said the Conant Square solar array has been hooked up, and once Green Mountain Power installs the generation meter, credits will be applied to the municipal electric vehicle charging station bills.
A public informational meeting about animal welfare with Brandon Animal Control Officer Carley Lehrer and Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Town Hall. Hopkins said the two would "facilitate a meeting where people can understand who they should call with concerns and also hopefully to form a support group of people who care about animals and are willing to donate time or talents."
The selectboard reappointed Emergency Management Director Robert Kilpeck and Fire Chief Tom Kilpeck as the town's representatives to the Regional Emergency Management Committee.
Community development
Moore announced that the fourth annual Neshobe Pie Gobbler Fun Run will be held at Neshobe Golf Course on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8 a.m. Register online. Pies from Morningside Bakery will be awarded to top finishers and every tenth finisher.
Moore added that the bakery will receive a Vermont Buildings and General Services (BGS) grant of $15,175.98 toward its expansion, its third such award. BGS grants of up to $25,000, requiring a 50% match, are available yearly to businesses.
After speaking with the state's director of community development, Moore reported that Brandon will become an Opportunity Zone starting in January, allowing people to invest in local housing and commercial development without paying capital gains tax. Moore said, "I'm going to a seminar about it next week with accountants from the area so we can figure out exactly how this works. But basically, people invest in Brandon and housing and business in Brandon."
Estabrook court resurfacing approved
The selectboard returned to the subject of resurfacing the former tennis court at Estabrook, which it had tabled at a meeting in September pending more research. Moore reported that the town highway crew advised waiting until spring for the new asphalt to fully set before properly resurfacing it, and stated that a do-it-yourself topcoat is not advisable. "It's not like sealing an asphalt driveway," they told Moore.
Moore said the chosen vendor, Vermont Tennis Court Surfacing, told him the quoted material will stand up to tennis, pickleball, and sports such as skateboarding. The company provided an updated quote of $31,263.
Residents Jan Coolidge and Brent Buehler called into question the new quote, which is an increase over an earlier quote of $22,000, and said the assessment was done in a piecemeal fashion. Moore explained that the earlier quote was incorrect and did not take into account the intended use of the court. Buehler suggested that the work could have been negotiated more efficiently. Selectboard Chair Cecil Reniche-Smith defended the process, saying, "We tabled it for further research. In the course of the further research, the contractor that we were working with realized that the surface that they had suggested was not appropriate for what we had asked for."
On Sept. 30, Moore applied for a BGS recreational facility grant of $15,000, which was awarded on Nov. 6. After the grant is applied to the quote, the remaining $16,263 will be funded from the Penny Estabrook bequest.
The selectboard approved the resurfacing quote, with selectboard member Brian Coolidge opposed.
