Gilead’s Annual Town Meeting was held inside Gilead Town Hall on March 29 at 7 p.m. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen

GILEAD —  Gilead Warden Sharon Leighton arrived four hours before the town’s annual meeting on Saturday night, March 29, to start a fire in the woodstove at the back of the unheated Gilead Town Hall.

When the meeting began, Article 4 proposed a vote to carry forward a balance for “much-needed repairs” to the 1883 Town Hall. A generator for a future propane heater for the building was also approved. Select Board Chair Bob Ensslen and Town Clerk Patsy Cox explained to the 25 people in attendance that the Town Hall required a shored-up foundation and new windows. Once those projects were completed, they planned to purchase a generator to power the building’s future propane heater.

Jon Howe was nominated and re-elected as a Select Board member, while Rebecca Tuttle was nominated and elected for a two-year school board term. A three-year school board term remained unfilled.

Article 17 requested $16,000, half of the amount needed for a revaluation of the town’s property taxes. Cox explained that the town had missed the 10-year assessment deadline, which was causing some Gilead homeowners to be penalized on their homestead exemption.

Select Board Chair Bob Ensslen added, “The mil rate is the check and balance. Let’s say everybody’s property value goes up; the mil rate will go down. It’s all based on what the Town needs to make it through the year. Getting re-assessed is not necessarily a bad thing… Everything is evenly spread…”

Article 18 raised $10,000 to build a transfer station structure to house public ways equipment. Ensslen said, “[Currently] everything sits out in the rain and deteriorates.” Another $35,000 was approved for the operation of the transfer station (Article 24).

Three people opposed the existing social services article, which did not include a donation to the Bethel Library. An amendment was approved to allocate $200 to the library, the same amount as last year. The amended article removed $100 for the Age Friendly Initiative. In total, voters approved $1,675 for social services.

When a resident asked why the town needed $3,000 for one streetlight, Cox responded, “We actually have 16 street lights in the Town of Gilead. I was shocked, too … this pays to keep the lights on.” She added that the lower price this year reflected the switch to LED lighting.

All 36 articles passed but Cox said earlier that a final budget cannot be determined until the Town receives the school district totals in May.

The room was still toasty when the meeting ended at 8:15.

Townspeople voted to carry over monies for improvements to Gilead Town Hall where their Annual Town Meeting was held on March 29 at 7 p.m. Rose Lincoln/ Bethel Citizen

Mount Tumbledown Dick

Mahoosuc Land Trust (MLT) Executive Director Kirk Siegel and MLT Land Steward Spenser Williams spoke at the start of the meeting, asking for the Town’s support to purchase the 978-acre Mount Tumbledown Dick on The North Road and establish a community forest there.

At a select board meeting earlier this year, Selectman Jon Howe asked if hunting would still be allowed on the property. Williams explained that while Howe had previously had access to hunt, the current land deed prohibited hunting.

Julie Evans of the Northern Forest Center said they would partner with MLT to engage the community in planning through monthly meetings for six months.

After the three left the meeting, Howe questioned whether the non-profit was paying taxes. “They say they are a non-profit, they don’t have to pay taxes. That means all of us are paying, that’s not right.” On an earlier visit to Town Office, Cox stated that MLT made a payment in lieu of taxes to the Town for about $1,500 for the year.

Caro Poirier countered Howe, “As a townsperson, I value the value of the land here,” she said.

When Howe spoke over Poirier, Moderator Vern Maxfield ended the discussion and moved the meeting along.

April 16 at 5:30 is the first Mount Tumble Down Dick community meeting at Gilead Town Office.