October 5, 2026 – Board of Assessors – Video & Transcript
October 5, 2026 - Board of Assessors
Okay, so at 6.06, let's call this meeting to order by roll call vote. Zach Ventress here.
Dick Klitgord here.
Doug McNeill here.
Scooby-Shuff here.
And then moderator, is there anyone waiting for public comment that we should bring in? I don't know if I see a moderator on right now, but I don't know if anybody's in the waiting room. I don't see any of the attendees on the participations. Okay, thanks, Steven, for checking. So if that's the case, let's move on to the minutes from September 14th at 6 p.m. It was an open session, and I believe those are in the packet. So if everybody can review those quickly, if you've already taken a look, if there's anything that... I'm all set with it. I could, if anybody wants to propose to accept the minutes as drafted. Okay, I propose that we accept the minutes from September 14th, 2026, as presented. Do I have a second?
I'll second it. Doug McNeilly second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Klitgord, yes. Doug McNeilly, yes. Sorry, Zach. Yeah, no, no, go for it. No, you were... That was me. I stepped on yours.
Doug McNeilly, yes. Steve Klitgord, yes. And Zach Ventress, yes. And we have it's unanimous.
Rob, I will pass it to you for correspondence and documents. Terrific. Thank you. If you go to page 9 in your packet, fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026, fifth commitment. 382 bills, valuation of $10,459,386.85. Tax is $115,158.48 to be issued October 8th, 2026. So we're looking for a motion to accept. Again, fifth commitment for fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026. Okay. Do I have a motion to accept this fifth commitment?
Okay. Okay, move that we accept the fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026. Motor vehicle and trailer excise tax, fifth commitment. We're a total of billings of 382 for $10,459,386.85 for the tax of $115,158.48 is issued on October 8th, 2026. Do I have a second? Doug McNeilly, second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Klitgord, yes. Doug McNeilly, yes. And Zach Ventress, yes. It's unanimous. Thank you. 609. Directors review and update of office activities. In our last meeting, we reviewed the Assessor's Annual Report. There were a couple edits for Zachary to Zachariah. Those were made, and the Assessor's Annual Report was submitted to the Select Board on Wednesday, September 23rd. It was due Wednesday, September 30th. Also, last meeting, we looked at Conservation Preservation Act CPA, which is the CP1 on DLS Gateway. And that was submitted later that evening on Tuesday, September 15th. And it was due that evening, Tuesday, September 15th. An update on FY 2027 new growth. We're looking at real estate, plus or minus residential at $668,000. At personal property at plus or minus $91,000. So, as of today, we're plus or minus $750,000 in new tax growth. And, again, that will be put on the recap moving forward. We'll be closing that window of opportunity at the end of this week. Roy Bishop is coming in Wednesday. And we hope to complete all the office sales analysis by Friday, October 9th. Well, we expect Roy to finish his portion, and then we'll have disclosure. Disclosure being Monday, October 19th through October 23rd. The postcards were mailed to everyone Wednesday, September 30th. And long-range tax classification hearing is scheduled for November 16th. Both the disclosure period and the tax classification hearing are advertised on the Board of Assessors' website page and the Assessors' website page. And also in the Town October 2026 newsletter. So, it's all been advertised. And come the 19th, I think the phone will be ringing, and we'll have that week to go out and hopefully meet people and take care of some things prior to finalizing assessment values. So, that's what we have there.
612, are there any topics not reasonably anticipated by the chair? Not to my knowledge. Are there any members' thoughts and concerns? None. Nope, I'm all set.
Maybe, Rob, some news I'm progressing on learning. I can't remember. DLS, right? Yes. But two lessons out of ten. Excellent. Very good. Congratulations. The ownership assessment was a painful one.
Well, it's, we appreciate it. It's every, every little bit we all learn, we all get better as an individual and as a group. So, thank you. Yep. The date of the next meeting is proposed to be Monday, November 2nd. Again, 6 p.m. Open session and 6.30 executive session. Oh, we're here, here, here, 13. That's all we have in open session. Okay. So, I'll make a motion to adjourn and enter into executive session for the 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 the minutes from the executive session on September 14th. As well as a set of Motor Vehicle Abatements, I will not read them all there in the agenda that's posted on the town website, as well as a number of appellate tax board cases that are also on the website. But some of the main ones were from the N.P. Wayland and Boston Retail, as well as HDR Holdings and some of the Level 3 communications. So, we'll be discussing those in executive session. So, by roll call vote, let's adjourn. And then we will conclude the public portion of the meeting and we'll rejoin in the executive session. So, by roll call vote. Steve Fitzgerald, yes. Doug Medelius. Maurice Dreschius. And Zach Ventress, yes. I will see you all on the other side. Thank you. Thank you.
And then moderator, is there anyone waiting for public comment that we should bring in? I don't know if I see a moderator on right now, but I don't know if anybody's in the waiting room. I don't see any of the attendees on the participations. Okay, thanks, Steven, for checking. So if that's the case, let's move on to the minutes from September 14th at 6 p.m. It was an open session, and I believe those are in the packet. So if everybody can review those quickly, if you've already taken a look, if there's anything that... I'm all set with it. I could, if anybody wants to propose to accept the minutes as drafted. Okay, I propose that we accept the minutes from September 14th, 2026, as presented. Do I have a second?
I'll second it. Doug McNeilly second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Klitgord, yes. Doug McNeilly, yes. Sorry, Zach. Yeah, no, no, go for it. No, you were... That was me. I stepped on yours.
Doug McNeilly, yes. Steve Klitgord, yes. And Zach Ventress, yes. And we have it's unanimous.
Rob, I will pass it to you for correspondence and documents. Terrific. Thank you. If you go to page 9 in your packet, fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026, fifth commitment. 382 bills, valuation of $10,459,386.85. Tax is $115,158.48 to be issued October 8th, 2026. So we're looking for a motion to accept. Again, fifth commitment for fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026. Okay. Do I have a motion to accept this fifth commitment?
Okay. Okay, move that we accept the fiscal year 2027, calendar year 2026. Motor vehicle and trailer excise tax, fifth commitment. We're a total of billings of 382 for $10,459,386.85 for the tax of $115,158.48 is issued on October 8th, 2026. Do I have a second? Doug McNeilly, second. All in favor by roll call vote. Steve Klitgord, yes. Doug McNeilly, yes. And Zach Ventress, yes. It's unanimous. Thank you. 609. Directors review and update of office activities. In our last meeting, we reviewed the Assessor's Annual Report. There were a couple edits for Zachary to Zachariah. Those were made, and the Assessor's Annual Report was submitted to the Select Board on Wednesday, September 23rd. It was due Wednesday, September 30th. Also, last meeting, we looked at Conservation Preservation Act CPA, which is the CP1 on DLS Gateway. And that was submitted later that evening on Tuesday, September 15th. And it was due that evening, Tuesday, September 15th. An update on FY 2027 new growth. We're looking at real estate, plus or minus residential at $668,000. At personal property at plus or minus $91,000. So, as of today, we're plus or minus $750,000 in new tax growth. And, again, that will be put on the recap moving forward. We'll be closing that window of opportunity at the end of this week. Roy Bishop is coming in Wednesday. And we hope to complete all the office sales analysis by Friday, October 9th. Well, we expect Roy to finish his portion, and then we'll have disclosure. Disclosure being Monday, October 19th through October 23rd. The postcards were mailed to everyone Wednesday, September 30th. And long-range tax classification hearing is scheduled for November 16th. Both the disclosure period and the tax classification hearing are advertised on the Board of Assessors' website page and the Assessors' website page. And also in the Town October 2026 newsletter. So, it's all been advertised. And come the 19th, I think the phone will be ringing, and we'll have that week to go out and hopefully meet people and take care of some things prior to finalizing assessment values. So, that's what we have there.
612, are there any topics not reasonably anticipated by the chair? Not to my knowledge. Are there any members' thoughts and concerns? None. Nope, I'm all set.
Maybe, Rob, some news I'm progressing on learning. I can't remember. DLS, right? Yes. But two lessons out of ten. Excellent. Very good. Congratulations. The ownership assessment was a painful one.
Well, it's, we appreciate it. It's every, every little bit we all learn, we all get better as an individual and as a group. So, thank you. Yep. The date of the next meeting is proposed to be Monday, November 2nd. Again, 6 p.m. Open session and 6.30 executive session. Oh, we're here, here, here, 13. That's all we have in open session. Okay. So, I'll make a motion to adjourn and enter into executive session for the 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 the minutes from the executive session on September 14th. As well as a set of Motor Vehicle Abatements, I will not read them all there in the agenda that's posted on the town website, as well as a number of appellate tax board cases that are also on the website. But some of the main ones were from the N.P. Wayland and Boston Retail, as well as HDR Holdings and some of the Level 3 communications. So, we'll be discussing those in executive session. So, by roll call vote, let's adjourn. And then we will conclude the public portion of the meeting and we'll rejoin in the executive session. So, by roll call vote. Steve Fitzgerald, yes. Doug Medelius. Maurice Dreschius. And Zach Ventress, yes. I will see you all on the other side. Thank you. Thank you.