Selectboard Special Meeting Draft Minutes 01.23.26

Posted on

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

STAFF PRESENT: Erika Elder, Elly Majonen

PRESENT IN PERSON: Don McLean, Dennis Franklin, Steve Lembke, Gary Knapp, Christina Belogour, David Eastman, Tammy Sargent, Allen Bellville, Daniel Systo, Patricia Bullock, Deborah McNeil, Tyler Potter, Sean P. Matthew, Dick Clark

PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Jenni Lavoie (Community Planning and Revitalization), Connie Burton, Debbie Jacobs, Jethro, Therese Mercy, Sheila Adams, Cindy Clark, Peter Welch, Daniel McMartin, Laurie Carter, Charles Light, Elliot Diringer, Lyndsey Mitchell, Uriel Najera, Raudette, Kyle, Jocelyn Fritts, Lauren, Borek, Shaun Murphy

DRAFT Minutes

I. Call to Order by Verandah at 9:30 a.m.

    II. Rules of Procedure read by Chip

    III. New Business
    a. Municipal Planning Grant Awarded  
    MOTION: Verandah moved that the SB allow Jenni Lavoie, Administrative Services Manager with the Community Planning and Revitalization team within the Department for Housing and Community Development, to speak. Mike seconded.  Sheila, Verandah, Chip, and Mike were in agreement. Tara abstained. Motion passed.

    Jenni LaVoie: Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today.  I am the Administrator of the MPG program for 10 years.  This program is exceptionally competitive. We consistently receive more applications than we can award each grant round. For context of our program, MPG funds are regionally apportioned based on the number of communities within regional planning commission confirmed municipal plans. Communities in the Windham region compete against each other for these funds. In FY26 the Windham region submitted 8 applications. Due to the high quality of these applications our department pulled additional funds to fund 5 out of these 8 applications. The Guilford application essentially tied for first place with only a .5 difference in scoring between the top two applications. Reviewers specifically commented on Guilford developing their first bylaw, the extensive public outreach proposed, and the fact that Guilford was utilizing our program’s brand new no required match by the town for developing their first bylaw. Our department was excited at the opportunity to showcase this project and award as a potential model for other communities. Unfortunately, due to recent events, we no longer have confidence that this grant award will lead to a successful outcome and would be a good use of taxpayer funds.  For these reasons the department is rescinding this grant award. We do welcome the town to apply in the future grant round once consensus has been reached on the best path forward for Guilford. Thank you.

    Verandah: Thanks Jenni for her time and for consideration of the grant. The grant is no longer available to us. Thanks everyone for their engagement in this process.

    MOTION: Verandah moved to adjourn and Sheila seconded.  Tara: This was my motion so I get to speak.  Verandah reiterated that the grant was rescinded and there was no grant to discuss. Sheila: It’s not on the agenda. The agenda calls to speak about whether to accept the grant, not the issue that the grant was talking about. A comment from the public regarding wanting to talk, sustainability, an aging population and tax base. Jeannette: Excited to see this many people engaged. Asks people to use the Planning Commission meetings to bring these ideas forward. Those meetings are warned. Verandah resumed with the motion to adjourn the meeting. The vote was by roll call. Chip, Mike, Sheila, Verandah voted in favor. Tara voted against. The motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 9:41 a.m.

      Meeting recording: https://youtu.be/3szTLclX0t4