BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The village trustees heard from Rick Brigham, CPA with Sullivan Powers, as he presented them with the audit of the 2024 village budget. The village signed a contract with the accounting firm last June.
Brigham, who was attending the meeting online, fielded some questions from the board before experiencing some connectivity issues and going silent. Town manager Scott Pickup wrapped up the discussion by saying they planned to do a “deeper dive,” and review the budget with the primary accountant on the audit team, Jordan Plummer, before bringing it back to the board at the meeting on Feb. 25.
The trustees approved a request from the Bellows Falls Alumni Association to hang a banner downtown for two weeks, from June 1-16, in celebration of Alumni Weekend, June 13-15.
They also voted to adopt the 2025-2026 budget review schedule as presented by Paul Obuchowski, village president.
Pickup asked the board to appoint a representative of the village to sit in on contract negotiations with the New England Police Benevolent Association (NEPBA), whose contract with the village expires in June. Obuchowski said he and Pickup had discussed this previously, and, if there were no objections from the board, Obuchowski would be more than happy to take on the position.
The trustees agreed to appoint Heather Hitchcock as village ethics liaison, a new position required by the state. Hitchcock had been appointed as liaison to the Town of Rockingham last December, and Pickup explained that this was a role the village and town could share. Obuchowski told the board they should expect to receive an email update from Hitchcock once she had completed the online training course.
Board member Wade Masure announced that an informational meeting would be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m., at the Rockingham Public Library, to discuss and review the proposal for a Rockingham Municipal Fire and Rescue Department. Masure said this was an opportunity for people to ask questions and get informed prior to the ballot vote on Town Meeting Day.
As the final item on the agenda, the trustees renewed Pickup’s contract as municipal manager for a three-year term.