Select Board, April 7, 2026

The town published minutes (text) and an agenda for this meeting. Those minutes are the record; what follows is a guide to the recording.

budgetbudget fy27capitalcontracts and unionselectionsexecutive sessionfacilitiesfeesfree cashhiringlibraryoverridepersonnelpolicypublic commentpublic safetyrecreationseniorsstaffingtax ratetown departmentstown meetingwarrant articlewater sewer

Present: the chair (chair); Mr. McCloud (member); Mr. Leighton (member); Ms. Emkey (member); Brian Lehtinen (member); Jen (town manager); Mylinh (Treasurer Collector, remote). 1 of 7 matched to the board’s posted roster; the rest, in italics, are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

1. ▶ 21:29appoint Andrew Gillis to the Architectural Preservation District Commission, term to expire June 2026passed unanimously
2. ▶ 23:14ratify the town manager's appointment of Exacion Fowler and James Versaw as seasonal cemetery laborers effective April 13, 2026passed unanimously
3. ▶ 45:07send the advocacy letter (as edited) to the state delegation opposing elimination of the excise-tax RMV marking/enforcement mechanismpassed unanimously
4. ▶ 48:24approve the annual town election warrant for May 16, 2026passed unanimously
5. ▶ 55:37waive printed public-hearing notice, abutter notice, and insurance certificate requirements for the Lions Cruise Night and Girl Scouts family picnic/bridging ceremony special event applicationspassed unanimously
6. ▶ 1:01:27approve the annual town meeting booklet as presented, allowing for later changes to the finance committee report and insertion of the warrantpassed unanimously
7. ▶ 1:25:39recommend approval of Article L, the FY27 omnibus/balanced budgetpassed unanimously
8. ▶ 1:27:42recommend approval of tier one of the override (Article M)not audible
9. ▶ 1:28:03recommend approval of tier two of the override (Article M)passed 3-1
10. ▶ 1:29:09recommend approval of Article X, the PAC/PEG operating budgetpassed unanimously
11. ▶ 1:29:29recommend approval of and include on the warrant Article X1, the PAC/PEG capital budgetpassed unanimously
12. ▶ 1:30:12recommend approval of Article Y, solid waste disposal enterprise fund appropriationpassed unanimously
13. ▶ 1:30:33recommend approval of Article Z, water enterprise fund appropriationpassed unanimously
14. ▶ 1:30:54recommend approval of Article Z2, sewer enterprise fund appropriationpassed unanimously

And 1 procedural: enter executive session under mgl c. 30 §21a(3) to discuss collective bargaining strategy with teamsters union local 170 (dpw), and not reconvene in open session (▶ 1:43:08).

Against the town’s minutes

The town published minutes (text) for this meeting; ours were compared item by item. 25 agree, 7 caption errors resolved by the official reading, 3 substantive differences. The town’s minutes are a partial record.

1. differsVote: Article M override Tier 1

   recording not audible

   town’s minutes “Motion to recommend approval of Article M, Tier 1, was made by Clerk Emkey. Seconded by Member Lehtinen. The motion carried 3-1, with Member McLeod opposed.”

   Our minutes could not determine the outcome of this vote from the recording; the official minutes record it as carried 3-1 with McLeod opposed. A person should re-check the recording audio around t=5262 to confirm the actual tally, since our record has no independent confirmation of it.

2. differsArticle L surplus: amount transferred to schools after prior-year bills

   recording remainder $41,390 to schools

   town’s minutes “a small surplus of $41,398.20, which she recommended be used first to pay prior-year bills, with the remainder directed to the School Department”

   Official does not state a specific remainder dollar figure, so ours cannot be confirmed against it; check the Town Manager's actual reconciliation memo for the amount that went to the schools versus prior-year bills.

3. differsFinance Committee vote on Assistant Town Manager position

   recording 4-2

   town’s minutes —

   The official minutes do not record any specific Finance Committee vote tally on the Assistant Town Manager position; check the Finance Committee's own minutes for that vote, since the Select Board minutes only reference the Finance Committee's Warrant Article votes in general.

Compared 2026-09-15. Neither record is treated as the referee: a caption error is the same fact heard badly; a difference is for a person to check at the timestamp.

Transfers

The money

1. ▶ 3:31proposed one-time tax adjustment (public comment)

   A resident proposed a one-time assessment increase on the town's total assessed value, invested for a multi-year return, as an alternative to an override.

   as heard:a dollar 89 per thousand3.3 billion6.2 million185,000310,000

2. ▶ 8:21median household income / override framing (public comment)

   A resident said the town's median household income is lower than previously assumed, and argued decision-makers may not reflect that reality.

   as heard:113120

3. ▶ 9:21school level-services budget option (public comment)

   A resident said the school department's level-services budget would cost far less than what is being requested, and argued that option should have been offered to voters.

   as heard:$800,000

4. ▶ 11:05constable revenue (public comment)

   A resident/constable said his fee-collection work for the town has generated only a small amount of revenue so far.

   as heard:about $50

5. ▶ 13:49assistant town manager position (public comment)

   A resident said the balanced budget funds a new assistant town manager position at this cost while cutting several other services.

   as heard:$120,000

6. ▶ 15:34beach program funding (public comment)

   A resident cited the parks commission chair's figure for the beach program being eliminated under the balanced budget.

   as heard:$15,000 a year

7. ▶ 16:15tax revenue vs. cost of losing services (public comment)

   A resident argued that a relatively modest amount of tax revenue funds services that would cost residents far more to replace if cut.

   as heard:$150,000

8. ▶ 23:57925 Mass Ave environmental/appraisal funding

   The town received grant funding through IMRPC's brownfield steering committee to re-engage an environmental consultant on the former gas station property.

   as heard:$4,500

9. ▶ 27:03AAC and Teen Center flooring capital projects

   Both flooring replacement projects were funded under the FY26 capital plan; bids for the work are due May 6.

   as heard:$41,000$35,000

10. ▶ 30:33motor vehicle excise tax collection

    The advocacy letter cites Lunenburg's excise tax collection rate and the amount left uncollected that the RMV marking system helps recover.

    as heard:94.11%approximately 2 million138,000

11. ▶ 1:04:09PAC/PEG Casto broadcast system replacement

    PAC sought to move replacement of its broadcast server system into FY26 capital ahead of an anticipated vendor price increase, prompting a split of the PAC article into operating and capital pieces.

    as heard:$77,000up to a 15% price increase

12. ▶ 1:05:52Article L omnibus budget revenue surplus

    Applying actual enterprise fund costs to the omnibus budget produced a small surplus; the town manager proposed paying prior-year bills from it and sending the remainder to the school department.

    as heard:$41,398.2041,390

13. ▶ 1:13:12assistant town manager funding source

    The town manager said the IT and communications director position was eliminated to help fund the assistant town manager position at full year.

    as heard:$59,459.33$121,000$120,000

14. ▶ 1:15:54finance committee vote on assistant town manager

    A board member cited the finance committee's vote count in support of the assistant town manager position.

    as heard:4-2

15. ▶ 1:21:34free cash levels and history

    The town manager reviewed the town's free cash history and DLS return recommendations, noting the current level exceeds recent years and 2016's very low figure.

    as heard:$3.3 million6.65%5%$2.9 million6.53%$263,000

16. ▶ 1:28:28Article X - PAC/PEG operating budget

    The PAC operating budget was presented with anticipated revenues and retained earnings funding portions of the total.

    as heard:$217,847.55$177,000$40,847.55

17. ▶ 1:30:12Article Y - solid waste enterprise fund

    The solid waste enterprise fund article appropriates this amount from enterprise revenues to operate the fund.

    as heard:500,000

18. ▶ 1:30:33Article Z - water enterprise fund

    The water enterprise fund article was presented with this figure and recommended for approval.

    as heard:120,000

19. ▶ 1:30:54Article Z2 - sewer enterprise fund

    The sewer enterprise fund's total budget and estimated revenues were presented and the article recommended for approval.

    as heard:1,981,993.062,008,047

20. ▶ 1:41:24school bus fee

    A board member reported the School Committee voted to keep the bus fee for the coming school year, with no figure stated.

Settled without a vote

• ▶ 52:22Board agreed to keep the normal town manager evaluation timeline: self-evaluation due about a week out, board members' input due by end of April, without setting any vote.
• ▶ 1:41:24Board set a budget public information/open-house meeting for the evening of April 28 at the Adult Activity Center, after ruling out school vacation week.
• ▶ 1:43:08Board declined to send a letter to the Governor supporting an audit (as another town had done), calling the issue too divisive and not Lunenburg-specific.

Public comment

1. ▶ 2:49proposed a one-time tax adjustment funded by an investment portfolio as an alternative to a Prop 2 1/2 override — John Bowen, as heard, resident, 162 Highland Street
2. ▶ 5:33criticized the balanced budget's cuts to library, senior center and recreation while adding a fourth fire shift and an assistant town manager, and argued a level-services budget option should have been presented — Anna Lockwood, as heard, resident, 91 Main Street
3. ▶ 11:05supported going to voters for an override to fund the fourth fire shift, the assistant town manager and schools rather than cutting teachers, the beach program, library and other services — Michael Ray Jeffries, as heard, resident/constable, 1170 Massachusetts Avenue

Where the time went

Minutes of recording by subject, from the topic spans below. A topic with two subjects counts toward both.

• budget fy2756 min · 54%
• staffing25 min · 24%
• public safety25 min · 24%
• legal19 min · 18%
• fees19 min · 18%
• tax rate19 min · 18%
• town meeting17 min · 17%
• override17 min · 16%
• public comment16 min · 15%
• hiring10 min · 10%

The whole meeting, in order

1. ▶ 0:06Pledge of Allegiance, meeting notices, and announcements (photo contests, 925 Mass Ave forum, pancake breakfast)informational · 2:23 long
2. ▶ 2:29Public comment: three residents on the override, the balanced budget, and proposed service cutsinformational · 14:32 long · public comment, override, budget fy27
3. ▶ 17:01Appointment of Andrew Gillis to the Architectural Preservation District Commissionvoted · 5:29 long · hiring
4. ▶ 22:30Ratification of seasonal cemetery laborer appointmentsvoted · 0:44 long · hiring, staffing
5. ▶ 23:14Acknowledgment of police executive assistant's resignationinformational · 0:43 long · personnel, public safety
6. ▶ 23:57Town manager's report: 925 Mass Ave, FY25 audit, Teen Center closure, bridge and flooring bids, open recruitmentsinformational · 3:52 long · facilities, town departments, hiring
7. ▶ 27:49Advocacy letter opposing state legislation to eliminate the RMV excise-tax marking/enforcement systemvoted · 18:44 long · legal, fees, tax rate
8. ▶ 46:33Approval of the annual town election warrant for May 16, 2026voted · 2:13 long · elections, town meeting
9. ▶ 48:46Town manager performance review process and timelinedecided without a vote · 3:36 long · personnel
10. ▶ 52:22Waiver of special event policy requirements for Lions Cruise Night and Girl Scouts picnicvoted · 3:35 long · recreation, policy
11. ▶ 55:57Review of the annual town meeting booklet contentsvoted · 5:50 long · town meeting, budget fy27
12. ▶ 1:01:47Article L: FY27 balanced/omnibus budget, including extended debate over the assistant town manager, fourth fire shift, and free cashvoted · 23:52 long · budget fy27, staffing, public safety
13. ▶ 1:25:39Article M: override tier one and tier two votesvoted · 2:24 long · override, budget fy27, town meeting
14. ▶ 1:28:03Articles X and X1: PAC/PEG operating and capital budgetsvoted · 1:46 long · budget fy27, capital
15. ▶ 1:29:49Article Y: solid waste enterprise fundvoted · 0:44 long · budget fy27, town departments
16. ▶ 1:30:33Articles Z and Z2: water and sewer enterprise fundsvoted · 1:04 long · water sewer, budget fy27
17. ▶ 1:31:37Article numbering and consent agenda composition for town meetinginformational · 2:47 long · town meeting, warrant article
18. ▶ 1:34:24Standing discussion of FY26/FY27 budget, capital plan and town meeting articlesinformational · 0:42 long · budget fy27, capital
19. ▶ 1:35:06March 31, 2026 minutestabled · 0:22 long
20. ▶ 1:35:28Warrants and action items, including outstanding online board/committee applicationsinformational · 1:46 long · personnel
21. ▶ 1:37:14Scheduling a budget public information meetingdecided without a formal vote · 4:10 long · budget fy27, town meeting
22. ▶ 1:41:24Committee reports (Board of Assessors, School Committee, Finance Committee)informational · 0:43 long · budget fy27
23. ▶ 1:42:07Public comment (none) and board discussion of a possible letter to the Governor supporting an auditno action taken · 1:01 long · public comment
24. ▶ 1:43:08Motion to enter executive session for DPW collective bargaining strategyvoted · 0:43 long · executive session, contracts and unions

What the captions could not carry

• The exact vote count on the Article M tier-one override motion was garbled ("four to three to one"); only tier two's 3-1 count was clear.
• The Treasurer Collector's name was rendered inconsistently across captions (Mylinh, Myline, Maylene).
• The new auditing firm's name was garbled in the captions.
• Whether "Brian," who arrived late, is the same person as one of the board members named at roll call (McCloud, Leighton) or a distinct fifth member could not be determined from the captions.
• Portions of live line-editing of the advocacy letter (cross-talk about grammar/tense fixes) were not fully coherent.

Written 2026-09-14 by scripts/write_recording_minutes.py (sonnet) from sources/data/youtube-transcripts/select-board/2026-04-07-rPW2ew89EDs.json — 2,815 caption segments, sha256 cc4145814d57…. All recorded meetings.