Select Board, July 7, 2026

The town published an agenda for this meeting. No minutes have been published; the recording is the only record, and what follows is a guide to it.

athleticsbudgetcapitalchapter 70contracts and unionscurriculumeconomic developmentelectionsexecutive sessionfacilitieshiringhousinglegalpersonnelplanning and zoningpolicypublic commentpublic safetyroads and dpwseniorsspecial educationstaffingstate aidtechnologytown meetingtransferswarrant articlewater sewer

Present: Renee Mki (Chair, Select Board); Glenn McLeod (Select Board member); Brian Leighton (Select Board member, remote); Melissa (Town Manager); Town Counsel (Town Counsel (as stated)); the Police Chief (Chief of Police, presenter); Bradley McNamera (Police Officer, appointee to Detective); Steve Wallace (Director of Land Use / Planning Director, presenter); Bill Tyler (Lunenburg Historical Society board member, presenter); Ann Nelson (Lunenburg Historical Society board member, presenter). 1 of 10 matched to the board’s posted roster; the rest, in italics, are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

1. ▶ 14:37Ratify the town manager's appointment of Bradley McNamera to Detective, effective July 7, 2026.passed 3-0
2. ▶ 57:38Ratify the town manager's appointment of Braden Rozer as seasonal cemetery laborer.passed 3-0
3. ▶ 1:00:03Appoint Anthony Niccastro as a regular member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.passed 3-0
4. ▶ 1:13:58Adopt the current IRS standard mileage rate (.725/72.5 cents) as the town's official mileage reimbursement rate, with future IRS rate changes to apply automatically. — moved by Brian, as heardpassed 3-0
5. ▶ 1:19:16Designate the Cable Advisory Committee positions as special municipal employees.passed 3-0
6. ▶ 1:20:40Acquire by eminent domain a temporary easement at 890 Flatill Road for the Flatill Road bridge project, with damages of $600 to the affected owner, authorizing the chair to execute related documents. — moved by Glenn, as heardpassed 3-0
7. ▶ 1:26:12Use police officers (rather than a constable) for the August 8 special town election, the September 1 state primary, and the November 3 state election.passed 3-0

And 3 procedural: approve and release the executive session minutes of june 16, 2026. (▶ 1:29:24); approve select board minutes from may 13, 2025, may 19, 2026, and june 17, 2025. (▶ 1:29:54); adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m. (▶ 1:41:46).

Transfers

The money

1. ▶ 1:00:24FY27 state budget — net revenue impact for Lunenburg

   The town manager reported the legislature passed the FY27 state budget, and based on the conference committee version Lunenburg would net additional revenue across education aid, unrestricted general government aid, veterans/elderly exemptions, state-owned land payments, and increased charter-school assessments.

   as heard:$471,121$418,56$30,623$43,375,000$66$20,867

2. ▶ 1:01:47Local earmarks in FY27 state budget

   The state budget included earmarks for Lunenburg schools' technology upgrades and for the fire department's aging portable radios.

   as heard:$20,000$45,000

3. ▶ 1:03:32FY26 winter Road/Recovery Assistance Program (RAP) funds

   A fair share supplemental bill funded a statewide winter recovery assistance program split between a formula pool and a hardship pool that Lunenburg did not qualify for; Lunenburg's formula share will offset the town's snow-and-ice deficit.

   as heard:$100 million$80 million$20 million$228,154.34

4. ▶ 1:07:21Security camera installation project (FY2025 capital)

   A camera system installation project funded through the FY2025 capital program will install and replace security cameras at Town Hall, the Ritter Building, Eagle House, and DPW.

   as heard:$36,450

5. ▶ 20:19Minor site plan review streamlining

   The planning director described the cost of a full site plan review, including an engineering plan, for a business making only minor changes, calling the current requirement not business-friendly and part of the reason for a proposed minor site plan provision.

   as heard:$10,000

6. ▶ 30:06Outstanding 53G planning review accounts

   The planning director is working through about 70 outstanding 53G developer review-fee accounts dating back years and refunding unused balances; project review fees typically run in the low thousands depending on scope.

   as heard:$2,000a thousand

7. ▶ 27:00Commercial/industrial tax base share

   The planning director noted Lunenburg's tax revenue share from commercial and industrial development is below the threshold that keeps a town from being classified a bedroom community.

   as heard:8%10%

8. ▶ 1:09:48Additional Chapter 70 funding and possible special town meeting

   The board discussed additional state education funding and whether it would restore staff or fund tutoring/professional development; the town manager said reduced classroom sizes were stated by the school committee not to be the intended use regardless of funding.

   as heard:400 plus thousandapproximately $400,000

9. ▶ 1:13:16IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate

   The board adopted the current IRS standard mileage rate as the town's reimbursement rate for personal vehicle use on town business, with future IRS changes to apply automatically.

   as heard:.725 cents72.5 cents

10. ▶ 1:20:39Eminent domain easement damages, 890 Flatill Road

    The board took a new temporary easement for the Flatill Road bridge project after the prior easement expired before construction finished, with damages set by an appraisal of diminished property value.

    as heard:$600

11. ▶ 1:27:42Accounts payable warrant

    The board arranged to sign an accounts payable warrant, either via DocuSign or in person.

    as heard:$561,7040

12. ▶ 1:30:24Executive session employment agreements (facilities, HR, Council on Aging, DPW, admin staff)

    A selectman summarized several employment agreements approved in executive session: a vehicle stipend and added vacation for the facilities director, vacation increases for the HR and Council on Aging directors, a wage step increase, stipends and vacation for the DPW director, and a grade step increase for an administrative employee who absorbed IT/communications duties.

    as heard:$7,5002 and a half%$1,000$500

13. ▶ 1:15:23DPW union (Teamsters Local 170) contract ratification

    Ratification of a brand-new collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 170 was held pending labor counsel's review of discrepancies.

14. ▶ 1:22:46Constable vs. police officer for upcoming elections

    The board discussed using a constable versus police officers for three upcoming elections, with one member noting the constable would likely be cheaper, but voted to use police for all three.

Settled without a vote

• ▶ 55:35Get Richard Howard's application paperwork confirmed and place his Trust Fund Commission appointment on a future agenda (targeted July 20) with Howard present.
• ▶ 29:04Board open to having the planning director return after the goals workshop to present Habitat for Humanity options for surplus town lots.
• ▶ 45:58Seek a future-agenda vote granting permission to place the Revolutionary War memorial on town property, leaving exact placement on the lower common to be worked out later with DPW/facilities input.
• ▶ 1:27:33Defer approval of the August 8 special town election warrant to next week pending town counsel's review of new mailing-notice language.
• ▶ 1:37:05Board members will submit their goals/objectives ideas to the town manager by Tuesday morning ahead of the July 14 goals workshop.
• ▶ 1:35:15Try to hold a brief joint meeting with the finance committee, likely at the start of the July 14 meeting, to vote on year-end line-item transfers.
• ▶ 1:15:23Hold off ratifying the new DPW union (Teamsters Local 170) contract until labor counsel resolves discrepancies.

Public comment

1. ▶ 2:06Thanked the Lincoln family for privately sponsoring a town band concert and a jazz concert this summer after the override ended town-sponsored concerts. — Carol Ashambo, as heard, resident, 662 Page Street
2. ▶ 3:53Promoted the senior-center reading buddies program, raised concern about low third/fifth grade reading proficiency tied to the loss of phonics instruction since 1990, and urged that any new state funding go toward reducing elementary class sizes. — John Rabbit, as heard
3. ▶ 6:39Criticized years of lack of progress on municipal building projects and urged the select board to task the Municipal Building Design Committee with a holistic plan for all town buildings, citing the still-unadopted master plan as an example of the town's aversion to planning. — Anthony Skellenbriny, as heard, resident, Five Valley Road, six years
4. ▶ 49:44Disputed the town's process for Richard Howard's Trust Fund Commission application, alleging the assistant town manager failed to notify or process his paperwork; the town manager disputed the characterization.

Where the time went

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

• planning and zoning24 min · 24%
• facilities24 min · 24%
• personnel22 min · 22%
• town departments13 min · 13%
• state aid11 min · 11%
• public safety10 min · 9%
• public comment8 min · 8%
• budget5 min · 5%
• elections5 min · 5%
• policy5 min · 5%

The whole meeting, in order

1. ▶ 0:00Call to order, pledge, meeting notices, blood drive announcementinformational · 2:05 long
2. ▶ 2:05Public comment (band concerts, reading/phonics program, municipal buildings planning)informational, no vote · 7:41 long · facilities, public comment
3. ▶ 9:46Ratification of Bradley McNamera as Detectivevoted, passed · 5:32 long · personnel, public safety
4. ▶ 15:38Planning/Land Use director's midyear updateinformational · 18:41 long · planning and zoning
5. ▶ 34:19Historical Society Revolutionary War memorial gift presentationdiscussed, referred to future agenda for permission vote · 14:45 long · facilities
6. ▶ 49:04Trust Fund Commission appointment of Richard Howardtabled to future agenda · 7:52 long · personnel
7. ▶ 56:56Ratification of Braden Rozer as seasonal cemetery laborervoted, passed · 0:52 long · personnel, town departments
8. ▶ 57:48Appointment of Anthony Niccastro to ZBAvoted, passed · 2:24 long · personnel, planning and zoning
9. ▶ 1:00:12Town Manager's report (state budget, RAP funds, goals prep, merit awards, projects, recruitments)informational · 9:16 long · state aid, town departments
10. ▶ 1:09:48Board questions on school funding, staffing, and special town meeting timingno resolution, referred to next-day meeting with school committee · 1:21 long · budget, staffing, town meeting
11. ▶ 1:11:09School Street/food pantry septic-sewer status updateinformational, no board action needed · 1:45 long · facilities, water sewer
12. ▶ 1:12:54Adoption of IRS mileage reimbursement ratevoted, passed · 2:06 long · town departments
13. ▶ 1:15:00DPW union (Teamsters Local 170) contract ratificationtabled pending labor counsel review · 0:44 long · contracts and unions, roads and dpw
14. ▶ 1:15:44Cable Advisory Committee special municipal employee designationvoted, passed · 3:32 long · personnel
15. ▶ 1:19:16Eminent domain temporary easement, 890 Flatill Roadvoted, passed · 3:10 long · legal, planning and zoning
16. ▶ 1:22:26Constable vs. police officer for upcoming electionsvoted, passed (police for all three elections) · 4:06 long · elections, public safety
17. ▶ 1:26:32Approval of special town election warrant (Aug 8)tabled pending town counsel review · 1:01 long · elections, legal
18. ▶ 1:27:33Accounts payable warrant signinginformational, no vote required · 0:45 long · budget, town departments
19. ▶ 1:28:18Approval of prior and executive session minutesvoted, passed · 1:46 long · executive session
20. ▶ 1:30:04Summary of executive session employment agreementsinformational · 1:44 long · executive session, personnel
21. ▶ 1:31:48Committee reports (school committee, 300th anniversary committee, finance committee appointing committee)informational · 3:07 long · budget, superintendent report
22. ▶ 1:34:55Upcoming meetings and goals & objectives workshop planninginformational, process agreed · 4:47 long · policy
23. ▶ 1:39:42Board comment: statement on Chapter 70 funding advocacyinformational · 2:04 long · chapter 70, state aid
24. ▶ 1:41:46Adjournmentvoted, passed · 0:21 long

What the captions could not carry

• Several dollar figures in the FY27 state budget breakdown are garbled in the captions (e.g., "$418,56", "$43,375 uh,000") and cannot be confirmed exactly as intended.
• The accounts payable warrant amount is rendered as "$561,7040", which is not a clean figure and may be miscaptioned.
• A brief audio/video dropout occurs around 1427-1472 seconds during the planning director's presentation.
• The full name of the public commenter referred to only as "Mr. Bowen" during the Richard Howard discussion was never self-stated for the record.
• Exact vote tallies are inferred from three roll-call responses of "I" for each motion; no vote was announced with an explicit numeric count beyond the roll call itself.

Written 2026-09-11 by scripts/write_recording_minutes.py (sonnet) from sources/data/youtube-transcripts/select-board/2026-07-07-eqCVy5g-wWE.json — 2,593 caption segments, sha256 c851b1a1c0c6…. All recorded meetings.