January 12, 2026 – Board of Assessors – Video & Transcript
January 12, 2026 - Board of Assessors
So at 6.04 p.m. on January 12th, let's call this meeting for order.
Rob, I see some additions to the preamble.
This is a new template put out by the town clerk.
So every department, every board has the same look and feel and covers all the bases.
Perfect.
I will read the new template.
Okay.
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Moderator, do we have anyone?
Why don't we call the meeting to order, and then we'll find out if we have anybody for public
comment.
So, a roll call vote.
Please, let's call this meeting to order.
Steve's a good here?
Yeah.
Steve and Mark here. Steve and Mark here. McNeely here. And Zach Ventress. So, call this meeting to order. Moderator, do we have any members of the public looking to comment? No, I see no one else online. Okay. Next agenda item is to review the minutes of Monday, December 8th. It's an open session. And so, it's on page three in your package. It's on the four pages.
Open session minutes from Monday, December 8th, in which we covered minutes. Three sets of minutes, real estate, actual taxes, personal property, actual taxes, income and expense fines, CPA tax, lien, water, water lien, wastewater lien, wastewater lien, interest and tax, TC betterment and betterment interest. First, the actual tax total for FY 2026 was $46,617,082.69 cents. And as part of our review to the board, we spoke about income and expense forms of list, three ABC charitable forms, courteously mailed. We would mail those on December 31st for return by March 2nd. So, anybody have any edits or see something that needs to be revised? I have no questions. No questions. None. Yeah, no questions. Okay. Do I have a motion to accept the minutes as drafted? I move that we accept the minutes from December 8th, 2025 as presented. No second. Hillel Park seconds. Hillel Park seconds. Okay. All in favor by roll call vote? Steve Klipkart, yes. Hillel Park, yes. Hillel Park, yes. Sorry, Massimo. Sorry.
I heard Doug and Massimo and Zach Ventress. It's unanimous. Thank you. So, that's SKPPMTDMZV. That's correct. Did I get that right? That's right. And so, Rob, we'll pass it to you for correspondence and documents. Terrific. On page seven, please, we have a release of classified forest agricultural or horticultural recreation land tax lien. So, we're releasing a lien on a piece of property in town. It was removed from chapter land many, many years ago, but the lien is still hanging out there and the property has been conveyed. So, the new owners want the lien released. Zach was kind enough to sneak into the office and present himself to the town clerk and has signed the bottom half as being present in front of the town clerk. He has also signed the upper half as part of being a board member. We've changed the date from the 5th to the 12th with my signature, my initials, and we're looking for Zach to ask the board for a motion to accept this and take further action.
Yeah. So, in this case, yeah, we're just approving the release of the lien, as Rob stated. This property had moved out of chapter land. So, they had not been receiving the chapter land kind of. No, they haven't been receiving chapter land reductions in assessments for years. Okay. So, do I have a motion to approve the release of this lien and allow this to move forward?
Okay. I move that we approve the release of the Classified Forest Agriculture Land Tax Lien, as presented on this document.
Joe the second.
And Philip Park second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Kutkart, yes. Philip Park, yes. Massimo Tavizano, yes. From McNeely, yes. In Zach Ventress, yes. Unanimous. Thank you.
So, Director's Review and Update of Office Activities.
FY 2027 Income and Expense Forms have been mailed out. Forms of lists have been mailed out. Charitable forms have been mailed out. They were mailed out Wednesday, December 31st. And they're to be returned by Monday, March 2nd, 7 p.m. And we have probably 12 to a dozen and a half already back. So, they're coming in. This is good. As far as our Vision software, we've rolled our database from FY 2026 to FY 2027. We've updated the website pages for actual tax information, 2026 final values. We're currently working with Vision to make those links to GIS and update all the PDFs accordingly as well. We want to let the board know that Kay Gardner-Westcott will be joining us once again this calendar year to work as a senior tax workoff participant. And she'll resume working on our precious documents that we have in the vault. And hopefully, we can get those filed properly, boxed properly, and have a database so we can find things in the future. To continue with the review, the FY 2026 abatement application season has started. Real estate, personal property, and income and expense fine abatements are due no later than February 2nd at 7 p.m. Mailed abatements must be postmarked by USPS only. No FedEx, no UPS. It must be USPS no later than February 2nd. So, if any board member should get a phone call, an email, an inquisition at the local retail store, we ask the board members to ask them to call the office. We have all the information here in the office, and we'll gladly service that taxpayer, that owner, and report back to the board accordingly. Lastly, last thing is congratulations to the board on a successful 25. We want to thank you. We appreciate the opportunity of working with you, and we're looking to do a lot more in 2026.
Are there any topics not reasonably anticipated that one would want to bring to the table?
Awesome. I'm good. Are there any thoughts and concerns?
We propose the next meeting to be Monday, February 2nd, 6 p.m., an open session, and shortly thereafter, an executive session. If we go back to the first page, the agenda, excuse me, second page, if the chair is fine with this meeting at this point, a motion to adjourn and then to an executive session would be most appropriate. Okay, 614 p.m., I will make a motion to adjourn, and we will adjourn the public portion of this meeting, and we'll enter into executive session for purposes of complying with General Law Chapter 59, Section 60, and General Law Chapter 214, Section 1B, as permitted by Purpose 7 of General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21A, to review and discuss. We will review the minutes of Monday, December 8, 2025, 6.30 p.m., executive session, and we'll vote to accept the lease. And then we will also review motor vehicle abatements for the month of December 2025, and we'll vote to accept. And the board will not return to open meeting. So by roll call vote, let's adjourn and transition to the executive session. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. And Zach Pinterest, yes. That's unanimous. And we'll see you all in the executive session. Thank you.
Steve and Mark here. Steve and Mark here. McNeely here. And Zach Ventress. So, call this meeting to order. Moderator, do we have any members of the public looking to comment? No, I see no one else online. Okay. Next agenda item is to review the minutes of Monday, December 8th. It's an open session. And so, it's on page three in your package. It's on the four pages.
Open session minutes from Monday, December 8th, in which we covered minutes. Three sets of minutes, real estate, actual taxes, personal property, actual taxes, income and expense fines, CPA tax, lien, water, water lien, wastewater lien, wastewater lien, interest and tax, TC betterment and betterment interest. First, the actual tax total for FY 2026 was $46,617,082.69 cents. And as part of our review to the board, we spoke about income and expense forms of list, three ABC charitable forms, courteously mailed. We would mail those on December 31st for return by March 2nd. So, anybody have any edits or see something that needs to be revised? I have no questions. No questions. None. Yeah, no questions. Okay. Do I have a motion to accept the minutes as drafted? I move that we accept the minutes from December 8th, 2025 as presented. No second. Hillel Park seconds. Hillel Park seconds. Okay. All in favor by roll call vote? Steve Klipkart, yes. Hillel Park, yes. Hillel Park, yes. Sorry, Massimo. Sorry.
I heard Doug and Massimo and Zach Ventress. It's unanimous. Thank you. So, that's SKPPMTDMZV. That's correct. Did I get that right? That's right. And so, Rob, we'll pass it to you for correspondence and documents. Terrific. On page seven, please, we have a release of classified forest agricultural or horticultural recreation land tax lien. So, we're releasing a lien on a piece of property in town. It was removed from chapter land many, many years ago, but the lien is still hanging out there and the property has been conveyed. So, the new owners want the lien released. Zach was kind enough to sneak into the office and present himself to the town clerk and has signed the bottom half as being present in front of the town clerk. He has also signed the upper half as part of being a board member. We've changed the date from the 5th to the 12th with my signature, my initials, and we're looking for Zach to ask the board for a motion to accept this and take further action.
Yeah. So, in this case, yeah, we're just approving the release of the lien, as Rob stated. This property had moved out of chapter land. So, they had not been receiving the chapter land kind of. No, they haven't been receiving chapter land reductions in assessments for years. Okay. So, do I have a motion to approve the release of this lien and allow this to move forward?
Okay. I move that we approve the release of the Classified Forest Agriculture Land Tax Lien, as presented on this document.
Joe the second.
And Philip Park second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Kutkart, yes. Philip Park, yes. Massimo Tavizano, yes. From McNeely, yes. In Zach Ventress, yes. Unanimous. Thank you.
So, Director's Review and Update of Office Activities.
FY 2027 Income and Expense Forms have been mailed out. Forms of lists have been mailed out. Charitable forms have been mailed out. They were mailed out Wednesday, December 31st. And they're to be returned by Monday, March 2nd, 7 p.m. And we have probably 12 to a dozen and a half already back. So, they're coming in. This is good. As far as our Vision software, we've rolled our database from FY 2026 to FY 2027. We've updated the website pages for actual tax information, 2026 final values. We're currently working with Vision to make those links to GIS and update all the PDFs accordingly as well. We want to let the board know that Kay Gardner-Westcott will be joining us once again this calendar year to work as a senior tax workoff participant. And she'll resume working on our precious documents that we have in the vault. And hopefully, we can get those filed properly, boxed properly, and have a database so we can find things in the future. To continue with the review, the FY 2026 abatement application season has started. Real estate, personal property, and income and expense fine abatements are due no later than February 2nd at 7 p.m. Mailed abatements must be postmarked by USPS only. No FedEx, no UPS. It must be USPS no later than February 2nd. So, if any board member should get a phone call, an email, an inquisition at the local retail store, we ask the board members to ask them to call the office. We have all the information here in the office, and we'll gladly service that taxpayer, that owner, and report back to the board accordingly. Lastly, last thing is congratulations to the board on a successful 25. We want to thank you. We appreciate the opportunity of working with you, and we're looking to do a lot more in 2026.
Are there any topics not reasonably anticipated that one would want to bring to the table?
Awesome. I'm good. Are there any thoughts and concerns?
We propose the next meeting to be Monday, February 2nd, 6 p.m., an open session, and shortly thereafter, an executive session. If we go back to the first page, the agenda, excuse me, second page, if the chair is fine with this meeting at this point, a motion to adjourn and then to an executive session would be most appropriate. Okay, 614 p.m., I will make a motion to adjourn, and we will adjourn the public portion of this meeting, and we'll enter into executive session for purposes of complying with General Law Chapter 59, Section 60, and General Law Chapter 214, Section 1B, as permitted by Purpose 7 of General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21A, to review and discuss. We will review the minutes of Monday, December 8, 2025, 6.30 p.m., executive session, and we'll vote to accept the lease. And then we will also review motor vehicle abatements for the month of December 2025, and we'll vote to accept. And the board will not return to open meeting. So by roll call vote, let's adjourn and transition to the executive session. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. Steve Kulka, yes. And Zach Pinterest, yes. That's unanimous. And we'll see you all in the executive session. Thank you.