05/27/2026
Bellows Falls Village Trustees Meeting Summary
A New Chair Takes the Gavel
00:00:00 – 00:05:17
Wendy opened her first meeting as chair, jokingly asking for patience as she settled into the role. The board quickly moved into administrative business with approval of prior meeting minutes.
Minutes Amendments
Several corrections were requested before approval:
* “emotion” corrected to “motion”
* “Bellows Falls Village Trustee” corrected to “Trustees”
* formatting/grammar corrections:
* capitalization fixes
* “any more” separated into two words
* request made for page numbers to be added to future minutes
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Major Discussion Highlights
Farewell to Interim Municipal Manager Alex
00:05:40 – 00:18:49
One of the evening’s most heartfelt moments.
Alex was formally recognized as he wrapped up his interim service.
Key discussion points:
* Trustees thanked Alex for stepping in during a turbulent transition period
* Board members described his work as:
* transformative
* stabilizing
* practical
* forward-thinking
Big Ideas Alex Left Behind:
Alex emphasized:
Regional collaboration
Small Vermont municipalities can’t continue operating in isolation.
Long-term planning
* capital improvement planning
* shared municipal services
* strategic future thinking
Board development
Alex encouraged trustees to:
* attend municipal trainings
* meet with officials from other towns
* learn from peer communities
There was discussion about inviting Alex back in the future for a strategic retreat/workshop.
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New Municipal Manager Welcomed
00:14:21 – 00:29:57
Aaron Pratt was formally welcomed as the new municipal manager.
Discussion included:
* appreciation for Gary’s temporary leadership
* optimism about Aaron’s financial/management experience
* comments about needing stronger long-term municipal business planning
Aaron’s response was brief but positive:
He said he enjoyed meeting residents and looked forward to working with the community.
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Manager’s Report
00:18:59 – 00:29:41
A surprisingly eventful report.
1. Energy Resilience Grants
Bellows Falls departments successfully utilized state energy grant funding before deadlines expired.
Departments benefiting:
* water
* sewer
* recreation
This was framed as a significant operational win.
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2. PFAS/PFOS Wastewater Pilot Project
Major topic
00:20:30 – 00:22:27
Bellows Falls may be leading Vermont in wastewater innovation.
Discussion focused on:
* PFAS/PFOS contamination
* sludge processing
* the village’s drying machine technology
A pilot project is being funded to test destroying PFAS contamination using high heat.
Potential benefits:
* environmental impact reduction
* 70% reduction in waste volume
* transportation savings
* long-term treatment improvements
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3. Wastewater Emergency / Safety Issue
00:23:18 – 00:29:41
A serious near-crisis was discussed.
Problem:
* electrical arcing faulted the wastewater plant
* entire system shut down
* risk of sewage overflow within hours
Staff prevented a major incident.
Resulting concerns:
Need for:
* arc flash protective suits
* safety helmets
* insulated footwear
* spare motors
* formal emergency training
Chair Wendy emphasized:
operator safety must be prioritized before a serious injury or fatality occurs.
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4. Staffing Update
Discussion included:
* hiring the first woman for the wastewater treatment operation
* expanding operator depth for continuity
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Police Department Incident
00:25:36 – 00:26:24
A police officer was reportedly bitten by a person while on duty.
This was briefly discussed as an example of difficult conditions staff face.
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Finance Report
00:30:42 – 00:47:01
Finance Director Alyssa presented.
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General Fund
Key Points:
* approximately $107,000 remaining
* effectively $232,000 when accounting for planned fund balance use
Finance projected the village should remain okay.
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Fire Department Budget Controversy
00:31:44 – 00:35:52
One of the sharper discussions.
Issue:
Village continues paying firefighter wages through June despite the fire department merger.
Taylor questioned:
* why village taxpayers are still carrying costs
* why building costs remain village responsibility
* why no rent arrangement exists yet
Counterpoint:
Wade argued:
* this was already voted on
* trustees previously approved continuing this arrangement through June 30
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Water Department
00:37:23 – 00:39:55
Highlights:
* new North Westminster connections generated extra revenue
* another connection expected shortly
Finance called this a positive revenue surprise.
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Wastewater Budget
00:40:10 – 00:46:56
Key issues:
* still short on revenue, but less severely than in prior years
* Walpole billing changes likely needed
* consultant payroll spike due to former chief operator contract work
* debt service reporting issue corrected
* Laurel Avenue expenses being reclassified properly
General tone:
Cautiously optimistic, but still financially strained.
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Saxons River Wastewater Contract
00:53:13 – 01:03:35
One of the most substantive policy discussions.
Core Issue:
Is Bellows Falls undercharging Saxons River?
Finance said:
* Bellows Falls users increased 10%
* Saxons River costs jumped 50%
* prior agreements only increased 3% annually
Discussion centered on fairness:
Questions raised:
* Are Bellows Falls taxpayers subsidizing neighbors?
* How much staff time is spent servicing Saxons River?
* Should pricing be based on:
* gallons
* labor hours
* actual operating costs?
Taylor’s core argument:
Bellows Falls cannot afford to subsidize service contracts.
No action taken yet.
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Governance / Ethics
Municipal Code of Ethics
00:50:14 – 00:53:03
Board adopted updated ethics policy required by the state.
Minor housekeeping:
* outdated board names needed correction on printed signature documents
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Internal Financial Controls Checklist
01:04:00 – 01:06:51
Required annual document tied to bonding oversight.
Discussion:
* self-assessment of financial practices
* trustee training gaps noted
* Wendy expressed interest in financial governance training
Approved unanimously.
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Other Business
01:07:02 – 01:08:30
Wade publicly thanked Jonathan Wright for stepping in following a trustee vacancy after Susan McNeil’s passing.
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Future Agenda Items
01:08:32 onward
Major future issue:
Fire/police station building negotiations
Discussion suggests:
* likely executive session discussions
* coordination with select board
* possible committee formation
* urgency due to budget timing
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ALL VOTES / MOTIONS / AMENDMENTS
1. Minutes Amendment + Approval
00:00:31 – 00:02:29
Amendments:
Approved corrections:
* typo fixes
* wording corrections
* formatting corrections
Vote:
Motion to approve minutes as amended
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
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2. Orders / Bills / Warrants
00:47:19 – 00:47:46
Motion by Wade
Second by Jeff
Vote:
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
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3. Municipal Code of Ethics
00:51:03 – 00:53:03
Motion by Jeff
Second by Sam
Vote:
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
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4. Internal Financial Controls Checklist
01:04:16 – 01:06:51
Motion by Wade
Second by Jeff
Vote:
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
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5. Adjournment
End of meeting
Motion by Jeff
Second by Wade
Vote:
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
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No Formal Votes Taken On:
* Saxons River wastewater contract
* fire station/building cost arrangements
* Walpole wastewater contract changes
* PFAS pilot continuation
* safety equipment purchases (discussion only)
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Biggest Takeaways
If this meeting had headlines:
“Bellows Falls enters new management era”
“Wastewater plant narrowly avoids serious emergency”
“Trustees question whether neighboring towns are paying their fair share”
“Long-term financial and infrastructure planning becoming urgent”
May 26, 2026 BELLOWS FALLS VILLAGE TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m. A. Call to Order B. Approval of Minutes a. Approve Minutes of May 12, 2026 C. Additions to the Agenda (for Routine Administrative Matters and/or Pressing Matters that will require ratification at a fu...
