Select Board creates land rights panel

Select Board · Meeting of February 2, 2026

BARRE — The Barre Select Board voted to form a land right-of-refusal committee amid concerns over a possible battery storage project. Town Administrator Melanie Jackson used the meeting to knock down social media rumors about DPW overtime and water enterprise funds, confirming the superintendent forfeited 400 hours of comp time after the state Inspector General barred the practice. Select Board member Richard Stevens praised department staff for working through a tough winter.

The board also approved deficit spending after snow and ice costs hit $123,303.11, OK'd a $26.78-an-hour wage hike for a fire department employee, and unanimously backed a new native pollinator garden on South Common, with Common Oversight Committee member Mike Perkins calling for "a fence around it to delineate the space." The new land-rights panel must report findings by April 6.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Barre's community access TV: Select Board meeting, February 2, 2026
• The complete report: 981 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of February 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.