OFFICE OF THE SELECTBOARD
TOWN OF HALIFAX, VERMONT
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES- DRAFT
July 21, 2026
6:00 PM AT THE HALIFAX TOWN OFFICE
CALL TO ORDER
Edee Edwards called the meeting to order at 6:00pm. Other Selectboard members present were Karen Christofferson, Randy Pike, Lori Marchegiani and Rhonda Ashcraft. Members of the public present were Nancy McCrea, Stephan Chait, Patty Dow, Joan Courser, Craig Stone, Tom Fox, Patty Pusey, Tom Raffensburger, Michael Miller, Bonnie Bachelder and Emily Dow.
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
– Old Business additions:
- Grader Refurbishment Update
- Salt Bid Update
– Correspondence additions:
- 501 Hubbard Hill discussion
- GMP Complete
- Resident concern
– Telecommunications tax assessment moved to the beginning of the agenda
HEARING OF VISITORS – Agenda Topic Interest
The attendees stated their reason for joining the meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Telecommunications Tax Assessment-Non-Standard Appeal
The Selectboard reviewed VTEL’s tax appeal concerning two SPAN‑numbered parcels: the telecommunications tower assessed at approximately $250,000 and a second parcel assessed at roughly $21,000. The State of Vermont sets values for telecommunications equipment.
VTEL submitted a stipulation letter requesting that the town waive the local hearing process so the appeal can move directly to the Director of Property Valuation & Review or Superior Court. PBR has waived its standard $70 fee; the $265 Superior Court fee remains but does not affect Halifax.
VTEL has filed similar appeals statewide and notified the town that it would not appear at Lister or a Board of Civil Authority hearings. The Board will prepare two stipulation sheets with clearly labeled SPAN numbers.
Edwards made a motion to sign the stipulation regarding appeal to the Board of Civil Authority with Edwards as the Selectboard Chair and the Chair of the ECA, signing. Christofferson seconded. Motion carried 4-0-1 Pike opposed.
Set FY2027 tax rate
The Board reviewed and accepted the FY27 municipal tax‑rate calculations prepared by the Treasurer. The municipal grand list was confirmed at $133,660,900, establishing a value of $13,366.09 per penny.
The Board verified the total voter‑approved municipal appropriations of $2,162,602, consisting of:
- Article 3 – Selectboard Budget: $2,039,937
- Article 4 – Treasurer Budget: $24,500
- Article 5 – Recycling: $28,000
- Article 8 – Highway Equipment Reserve: $20,000
- Article 9 – Operational Reserve: $30,000
- Article 10 – Social Services: $20,165
The Board acknowledged the $187,892 Hold Harmless payment, reducing the municipal amount to be raised to $1,974,710. Local‑agreement exemptions totaling $8,942.28 brought the total municipal tax requirement to $1,983,652.28.
Based on these figures, the Board set the FY27 municipal tax rates as follows:
- Municipal rate: 1.4774
- Local agreements rate: 0.0067
- Total municipal rate: 1.4841
The Board also set the FY2027 school tax rates:
- Homestead school rate: 1.4398
- Non‑residential school rate: 1.6304
Resulting in combined rates of:
- Total homestead rate: 2.9239
- Total non‑residential rate: 3.1145
The Board noted decreases from FY26 in all categories.
Edwards made a motion to approve the Town of Halifax tax rate for FY27. Ashcraft seconded. Motion carried 5-0.
Document Fraud Discovery and Resolution
Patty Dow reported a document‑fraud incident involving a deed that could not be located in the Town’s land‑records system. After obtaining a copy from the resident’s attorney, Dow determined the deed had been stamped with a falsified Halifax recording stamp, including an incorrect book and page number and a forged Town Clerk signature.
The attorney’s office conducted an internal review, confirmed the issue was limited to a single document, terminated the responsible employee, and recorded a corrected deed with the Town.
Dow consulted the Town’s attorney and then filed a formal complaint with the Judiciary Board, and will notify VLCT Passive Insurance for documentation purposes.
FY25 Audit Update
The Board reviewed the status of the FY25 audit and noted that Dow has completed all required audit submissions, including all supplemental document requests from the auditor. Christofferson and Dow contacted the auditor, Bachelder, to request the standard draft‑findings review, and a draft meeting has been scheduled for next week.
Following that discussion, the Board expects the final audit to be issued in early August, and will schedule the FY25 audit presentation for the regular Selectboard meeting on August 18.
Dow said that dual‑entry bookkeeping in both accounting systems was completed through December 31, allowing a clean transition to single‑system entry beginning January 1.
The Board acknowledged that the auditor will provide the confirmed FY25 closing entries needed to open FY26 in the new system and that adjusting entries may be required once those figures are finalized.
Vote for mailing Justice of the Peace ballot
The Selectboard reviewed the annual requirement to determine whether the Justice of the Peace ballot would be mailed to all registered active voters through the Secretary of State’s program. Patty explained that the State provides towns the option to print the JP ballot on the reverse side of the general election ballot at no cost, eliminating local expenses for ballot printing, mailing, and staff processing.
She confirmed that ballot clerks are instructed to inform voters that the ballot is two‑sided. Patty also reported that the statutory caucus deadline for JP nominations had passed the previous day and no caucus was held, resulting in a ballot with five write‑in slots, which the Town is still required to provide.
Pike made a motion to allow the state to put the Justice of the Peace write-in names on the back of the ballot. Ashcraft seconded. Motion carried 5-0
Green River Marathon Local Traffic Road Closure Request 2026
The Board approved the 2026 Green River Marathon request to restrict Green River Road to local traffic only between Moss Hollow Road and Deer Park Road on Sunday, August 23, 2026, from 7:00–8:30 a.m. Volunteers will place and remove signage and allow vehicles through while instructing drivers to slow down. The Board also agreed to post notice of the temporary closure on the Town website and Front Porch Forum.
Edwards made a motion to close Green River Road, allowing local traffic only between 7am and 8:30am on Sunday August 23, 2026. Marchegiani seconded. Motion carried 5-0
OLD BUSINESS
Fire Forest Warden Changes
The Selectboard outlined next steps for complying with recent forest fire warden law changes. Hristofferson will request written confirmation from the State that Halifax may legally reappoint its prior warden, Malcolm Sumner, rather than automatically appointing the fire chief. The Board agreed to delay making an appointment until that confirmation is received.
The board agreed that Christofferson will draft a formal letter of opposition to the new statute, and Dennis Annear gathering input from other towns. Until the State provides clarification, the Board will continue business‑as‑usual operations for burn‑permit administration.
Town Plan Next Steps and Timeline
The Planning Commission reported that the Town Plan rough draft is nearly complete, with final edits to be finished by August 11.
The next steps:
- The Planning Commission will conduct community outreach through the website and Front Porch Forum, then initiate the formal hearing process on August 11 by sending the draft and hearing notice to surrounding towns, WRC, and DHCD.
- A public hearing will be held in September, after which the Commission will make any needed revisions and forward the plan to the Selectboard.
- The Selectboard will hold its required hearing during budget season, and the Board noted that the Town Meeting warning must be posted by late January.
- The Commission will also correct mapping errors identified by the Board, including removal of the former Grange building from the community‑buildings map.
Closed landfill monitoring
The Selectboard reviewed the annual closed landfill monitoring report. The Board noted that the landfill cap remains in good condition and confirmed continuation of one mowing per year. Test results from the monitoring well showed no significant changes from prior years; PFAS/PFC levels fluctuated slightly but remained within the historical range.
The Board reaffirmed its decision to continue annual testing of both the landfill monitoring well and the Town Garage well, where a low, non‑regulated PFAS reading has appeared consistently. The Town will continue providing bottled water at the garage as a precaution. ANR has indicated that current readings do not require additional action, and the Town will maintain its existing monitoring schedule.
The Board also confirmed that test results will continue to be submitted to ANR by the laboratory and posted on the Town website in anonymized form.
Grader Refurbishment Update
Pike reviewed additional repair needs identified during the grader refurbishment. The contractor reported several items that are most cost‑effective to complete now while the machine is disassembled.
The host allowance included in the original bid will likely be under budget. Pike read the list of repairs recommended:
- Front axle/“kingpin” wear: high‑end estimate $12,679.46; if full line‑boring is not required, costs may be lower.
- Skid plate damage: Estimated replacement cost $898.88. Pike will consult with the highway crew to determine whether this repair can be completed in‑house.
- Engine oil‑pan leak: Estimated cost $6,727.15. The Board agreed this repair is necessary.
- Steering cylinder rebuild: Estimated cost $1,931.80.
- Circle‑drive hydraulic motor: Estimated cost $6,403.79.
The total estimated cost for all recommended additional repairs is $33,077.44.
While the grader is disassembled and transport costs are high, the Board agreed it is prudent to complete necessary repairs now rather than defer them. The Board discussed timing concerns and the need to avoid delaying the contractor’s progress.
Pike said the contractor noted that parts pricing in the estimates reflects full retail; however, the Town will receive rebuilt‑program discounts, reducing final costs. Labor estimates were intentionally set at the high end.
Edwards made a motion to authorize Pike to discuss the details with our highway department, and spend an additional up to $33,500 on the grader refurbishment based on the estimates. Ashcraft seconded. Motion carried 5-0
CORRESPONDENCE
GMP Work: The Board noted that GMP has completed its scheduled work for the season. GMP conducted a full site review with the Road Commissioner, and all agreed‑upon road surface and drainage work has been completed. Christofferson requested gravel‑quantity figures from GMP for the Town’s records.
Salt Bid Update: The Board reviewed a salt‑purchase proposal from Cargill, which included a 10‑day response deadline. The Board did not act on Cargill’s offer; citing concerns about the short deadline and last year’s delivery issues.
The Board observed that Cargill’s proposed price of $106/ton delivered is significantly higher than last year’s pricing and higher than the Town’s previous vendor, Eastern Salt, which provided reliable service and competitive pricing.
The Board will wait for Eastern Salt’s annual pricing, expected around Labor Day, before making any decisions. The Board will revisit salt purchasing once both vendors’ pricing is available.
Bear and Trash: Pike discussed ongoing bear activity and trash‑management concerns at a residence. After reviewing recent incidents where a bear scattered garbage across the road and neighbor’s property, neighbor reports, and cleanup progress, the Board took the following actions:
The Board agreed that unsecured household garbage is attracting bears and creating a public safety concern.
- Directed that a formal letter be sent to the property owners acknowledging progress but requiring full cleanup within two weeks of the letter date.
- The letter will include trash‑management guidance (e.g., keeping trash indoors until pickup, securing containers, cleaning up immediately if bears scatter trash).
- Encouraged neighbors who directly observe bear activity to file reports with VT Fish & Wildlife / USDA Wildlife Services using the state’s online reporting form.
- Requested that bear‑safety resources (links and guidance from Windham Regional and state wildlife agencies) be added to the Town website for public access.
Bond Bank Disaster Reserve Benchmarks: Edwards shared the Vermont Bond Bank’s new disaster‑reserve benchmarks, which identify Halifax as having 33% of roads vulnerable to flooding and an estimated average annual loss of $423,481.
Based on the Bond Bank’s recommended annual reserve contributions — low: ~$31,700, medium: ~$42,000, high: ~$63,000 — the Board agreed to incorporate these targets into FY27 budget planning.
The Board noted that Halifax contributed $30,000 to its disaster reserve this year and directed that the benchmark report be added to the budget folder for use during upcoming budget development.
HEARING OF VISITORS
None wished to speak.
APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES
July 7, 2026 Selectboard Regular Meeting Minutes
Edwards made a motion to accept the June 7, 2026 Selectboard Regular Meeting Minutes as amended. Pike seconded. Motion carried 5-0
SELECTBOARD ORDER
The Selectboard orders were signed and Edwards read the aggregate amount for FY27 order #2 on July 21, 2026 for an order total of $11,314.72
ADJOURNMENT
Ashcraft made a motion to adjourn at 9:00pm. Marchegiani seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Dow
Halifax Administrative Assistant
Recording Link: https://youtu.be/VrhCZB0TcuA
