Barre Select Board unanimously picks Heather Budrew as interim town administrator

BARRE -- January 21, 2020, Barre Select Board unanimously voted to hire Heather Budrew as interim town administrator, passing over finalist Todd Miller. Chair Dr. Maureen Marshall, Vice Chair Mark Regienus, and Clerk Richard Stevens all cited Budrew's nearly nine years of direct municipal administration experience as decisive, with Regienus noting the interim position demanded someone who could "step right in to the budgeting process and union negotiations." The board also received a Transfer Station Review Committee report estimating the town would face a roughly $44,000 annual deficit if it assumed direct operation of the facility, with current disposal revenues at $81,000 against projected operating costs of $126,000 and a contract with Solid Waste Systems running through July 2021. In other action, the board unanimously amended its host community agreement with cannabis permittee Patient Caretaker Connection LLC, approved a wage step increase for part-time employee Robert Lambert to $16.25 an hour, and recognized Barre as one of 24 Massachusetts communities to earn dementia-friendly certification from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.