Selectboard Draft Minutes 02.23.26

GUILFORD SELECTBOARD MEETING

Monday, February 23, 2026, 6:30 p.m., 236 School Road, Guilford, VT

SELECTBOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Verandah Porche, Sheila Morse, Mike Szostak, Chip Carter, Tara Cheney (Zoom)

STAFF PRESENT: Elly Majonen,  Jim Freeman, Erika Elder

PRESENT IN PERSON: Kim Frost, Steve Lembke

PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Robert Tobin, Laurie Carter, Jeannette Tokarz, Elliot Diringer, Jason Herron, Kyle Parker, Sheila Adams, Shaun Murphy, Karen Murphy, Dan Ingold, Lyndsey Mitchell, Cindy Clark

 Draft Minutes

1. Call to Order by Verandah at 6:30 pm 

2. Rules of Procedure read by Chip

3. Changes to Agenda Order 

4. Public Comment, Announcements
   Verandah thanks Jim Freeman for allowing the SB to come to this meeting given the HWY dept.’s work in clearing the roads.

5. Updates and Reports
   1. Highway Foreman
      Jim: weird, wet and sticky snow today. We are going to run out of salt like everyone else. Another storm coming Wednesday. Retired Highway came in to help. Several things needed repair. Guys are able to weld. Working on shopping for a single-axle. Tariffs make it difficult to estimate prices. Tara asks about details on truck to be sold.
      
   2. Town Administrator

Erika: Town Report was contracted to arrive at everyone’s mailbox by Pre-Town Meeting, and the delays appear to be with the USPS. There are copies at the TO and also available during Town Meeting.  It is also available online. The Guilford Guide, a Planning Commission project, arranged to be delivered by USPS. This is available online. On Feb 11, I gave testimony to the VT Senate Committee on Government Operations as they consider Sheriff Mark Anderson’s regional policing initiative. I represented a town that currently does not contract with the Windham Sheriff’s Office.  Met with school staff to coordinate logistics for Town Meeting this Saturday.  Pre-Town occurred last week and thanks organizers, BBCC, Rick Zamore, candidates and residents who participated. Verandah: We need mic runners for Town Meeting

6. New Business
   1. Petition for Special Town Meeting
      MOTION: Tara moved to warn a Special Town Meeting to vote on Article 1 to be presented as written, not revised. No one seconded.

Chip: The petition was received on February 9.  The deadline to warn the Special Town Meeting is April 10. The meeting can take place within 30 days after the meeting is posted.  The earliest the Special Town Meeting can occur is March 25 and the latest is April 10. Tara: There is no Article 2. We can agree now on the amendment (see addendum) that was suggested by the town attorney to add to that Special Town Meeting.  Erika: It is Article 1 as presented and signed in the petition. The SB would add another Article which sets term limits. Tara read Article 1. The SB discussed and agreed that the meeting does not have to be warned this evening. It agreed that the task is to accept the petition.  Sheila: I want to hear the Motion again. It’s to accept the petition, rejecting Article 1 as written with a proposed amendment and rejecting Article 2? Tara: Yes. Sheila: Propose new article and reject Article 2? Is that what we are voting on now? Tara: Yes. Verandah checked that everyone understood. Chip: Yes.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed. 

2. Historic Marker for Town Pound
   Proposed by Bob Tobin, Sweet Pond Road. Bob describes the project and research that goes to the VT Historic Preservation. The town owns the property and Bob is looking to get approval to put up the historic sign.  Further, this is to confirm that the SB is aligned with the approach laid out in the supplement.  MOTION: Verandah moves that the Selectboard support the progress of the historic marker and Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.
   
3. 2025 Grand List Errors & Omissions per 32 V.S.A. § 4261 

Erika: Two parcels to be made inactive since their incorporation into other parcels, per Assessor Clerk. One is Sweet Pond Village, LLC and the other Edward Pirog. 
MOTION: Verandah moved to remove the two parcels from the 2025 Grand List, and Mike seconded.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.

4. Professional Audit FY27 Engagement Letter per Procurement Policy
   The SB is in receipt of the engagement letter from Mudgett Jennett & Krogh-Wisner, P.C. Certified Public Accountants. It is a fixed cost contract for FY25-27.
   Chip read a statement about legal risks in the engagement letter. Sheila recognized the firm’s “incredible service,” and experience with Guilford, which contributes to the efficiency in our audit process. The firm knows Guilford’s systems, its data, its funds.  Signing this letter is for the third year of a three-year contract. This is a pro-forma letter, not necessarily geared to Guilford. Sheila would like time to study Chip’s suggestions and gauge the firm’s position on some of the statutes and proposes no motion at this time.  Sheila: the firm was nearly done with the audit and instead kept working to resolve the issue with the revenue shortfall and the Reserve Fund. The firm did not charge us extra for that work, which was our work. I don’t want to set roadblocks that limit its responsiveness to Guilford.  Steve L. confirmed that the letter is the same as last year’s engagement letter and recommended research as to how this letter compares against other towns. Kim F.: Was there an issue with the audit that we’re worried about this engagement letter? … that we’re looking to negotiate it when we are in a 3 year contract?  Chip: No. It raises liabilities. Kim F.: What is the risk that we can’t wait until the contract ends? Sheila: This is why I want to have an ‘interim step’ to discussing these terms as it relates to VT statutes and reconciling these. I don’t want to underestimate the potential risk, but I want to appreciate the many years of successful, thoughtful audits. Can we balance these concerns out?  Chip: We are not locked into the terms. Verandah suggests that Sheila and Chip proceed with this study, return to SB to give information to the SB to approve it or offer an alternate one. Both agreed.  This was a discussion.
   
5. BBCC Emergency Shelter MOU
   Dan Ingold: Agreement between Town and BBCC for use of BBCC as an emergency shelter, if needed. Sheila is EMD’s Emergency Shelter Officer. We have been working on this, and created an Emergency Fuel Fund for the generator. The MOU is renewed every two years, laying out the authorities and responsibilities of all parties. If needed it would provide emergency shelter for the residents of Guilford. MOTION: Verandah moved to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Mike seconded. Discussion: Sheila recognizes that Elly also is an Emergency Shelter Officer. Sheila states that this is one of the few MOUs in the State of VT and thanks BBCC for graciously allowing the use of the facility.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.
   
6. Finance 
7. Warrants    

Payroll – WE 02.15.26	$8,062.42
Payroll – WE 02.22.26	$8,951.84
Expense Warrant #2616	$55,189.56
TOTAL	$72,203.82

MOTION: Tara moved to approve the warrants. Mike seconded. Sheila stated that the SB made a commitment to be diligent about monitoring the budget status report. We are ⅔ out of the year and we are on target with our budgets, both (009) and (003).  We are still paying attention. We have to be careful about some discretionary expenses going forward so that we do not have to worry about the Reserve Fund.  The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.

8. Approval of Minutes
   MOTION: Verandah moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of 02.09.26, and Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed.
   
9. Other Business

Erika: Thank you Verandah. Elly: I also thank Verandah for her years of service on the SB, her constant appreciation of people and their work and contributions to the town. Tara: Thank you for always being incredibly kind.

10. Correspondence. None.

11. Actions from 02.09.26 Meeting
    1. Approved the minutes of the special meeting of 01.23.26
    2. Approved the minutes of the regular meeting of 01.28.26
    3. Approved the Warrants
    4. Approved the creation of the Library Fund
    5. Approved the GMP Undergrounding Project on Packer Corners and Jelly Mill Roads
    6. Discussed Special Meeting Petition
    7. Discussed the 003 and 009 Budgets
    8. Discussed the planning of Pre-Town Meeting and Town Meeting 
    9. Discussed the setting of SB meeting Agendas

12. Action Taken
    1. Approved Petition for Special Town Meeting
    2. Approved Historic Marker for Town Pound
    3. Approved 2025 Grand List Errors & Omissions
    4. Discussed the Professional Audit FY27 engagement letter per Procurement Policy
    5. Approved BBCC Emergency Shelter MOU
    6. Approved Warrants 
    7. Approved Minutes of the regular meeting of 02.09.26

13. Actions to be Taken
    a.   Research on Professional Audit FY27 engagement letter

14. Adjournment

MOTION:  Chip moved to adjourn and Mike seconded. The vote was by roll call. All were in favor, no objections, no abstentions. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 7:53 p.m.

Meeting Recording: https://www.brattleborotv.org/guilford-selectboard/guilford-selectboard-mtg-2-23-26/

Next Meeting: March 9, 2026

Verandah Porche, Chair  _________________________________________________________________

Sheila Morse _________________________________________________________________

Tara Cheney __________________________________________________________________

Chip Carter __________________________________________________________________

Michael Szostak __________________________________________________________________