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Budget Committee Meeting Agenda (minutes)

Document

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Town of Chester Budget Committee Meeting 
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September 14, 2026 
Draft Minutes 
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7:00 PM 
 
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Budget Committee members present: 
Rob Varsalone, Chair 
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Kathy Guilmette, Vice Chair 
 
Ron McKinnon 
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Greg Bobish 
Dana Theokas, Selectboard Member Ex-Officio 
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Nick Liguori, Chester School Board Ex-Officio 
 
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Budget Committee members absent:  
Alex Lawner 
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Sabrina Harris 
Buddy Menard 
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Others present: 
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David LaVita, Selectboard Member (arrived at 7:23 p.m.) 
Phil Gladu, Chester Fire Chief 
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Chester PACT 
 
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I. 
Meeting to Order  
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Mr. Varsalone called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He announced that Agenda items would 
be taken out of order.  
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II. 
Roll Call 
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III. 
Public Comment 
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There were no members of the public wishing to speak. 
 
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IV. 
Old Business 
a. July 15, 2026 Letter from Fire Chief Gladu 
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Chief Gladu stated that comments made during the July 13, 2026 Budget Committee meet-
ing regarding staffing and per-diem scheduling were inaccurate. He reviewed documenta-
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tion submitted to the Selectboard and Budget Committee, and explained how per-diem 
scheduling works.  
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Selectboard Member Theokas said there were concerns that multiple people were coming in 
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on low-volume per-diem shifts, and there was no coverage Friday through Sunday. Chief 
Gladu explained individuals come in for training and to work on probationary requirements. 
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The schedule was adjusted as of July 1 so that two regular-shift people and an officer (when 
available) are on at a time. The Committee noted the expectation of the warrant article pass-
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ing was that it would provide the opportunity to provide 24/7 coverage.  
 
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The Committee asked how other towns are utilizing per-diem positions and if Chester could 
learn from this. Chief Gladu said this was discussed during a recent area chiefs' meeting.  
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The Committee asked for an update on per-diem coverage, as they had seen no information 
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since June. Chief Gladu said he provides the Town Administrator with information on per-
centage coverage each month. He explained the process and timing to train new per-diem 
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personnel.  
 
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The Committee asked what the impact on per-diem coverage would be if another full-time 
firefighter were hired. Chief Gladu said this would afford him more flexibility and help with 
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administrative responsibilities of the department. He noted the per-diem positions have re-
duced the number of calls he responds to. They discussed the impact of the two new full-
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time officers, and how these positions would affect the budget moving forward.  
 
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The Committee asked if there was a difference in equipment costs for per-diem positions 
versus full-time/call positions. Chief Gladu said the only difference between a per-diem and 
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full-time position is benefits.  
 
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A copy of the documentation Chief Gladu submitted to the Budget Committee and Select-
board is attached to these minutes.  
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V. 
School Board Update 
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Mr. Liguori said the Board held a CIP workshop, noting their intent to keep spending and im-
provements level year to year. He reported on facilities projects completed over the summer. 
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The roof work will be put off for a year so that both roofs can be done at the same time. An au-
dit of the electrical,/mechanical/HVAC systems was completed and recommendations offered.  
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The Board will be discussing the School Resource Officer (SRO) position with the Selectboard, 
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as there is still interest in the Chester Academy community in this position. The Budget Com-
mittee questioned the results of the surveys that reflected this interest.  
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Mr. Liquori reviewed HB1300, which will establish a tax cap on school spending. The Board 
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intends to educate taxpayers on the impact this bill will have, if it passes.  
 
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Information on test scores should be available around the start of Q4.  
 
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VI. 
Selectboard Update 
Selectboard Member Theokas noted the impact of recent and upcoming personnel changes in 
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the Town offices. The Board is working with Town departments to align their strategic plans 
with the Town's Master Plan in terms of prioritization and application of those plans to the CIP. 
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The Committee asked about establishing goals and measuring progress toward them, and asked 
to see a report on KPI and goals.  
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Selectboard Member Theokas noted the Board is reviewing opportunities to improve budgeting 
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and planning. The Committee asked about the plan to fill the Town Planner position and Select-
board Member Theokas explained the intent to hire a planning coordinator and to contract with 
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a Town Planner. There are continuing discussions around staffing.  
 
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The Committee stressed the need for oversight to avoid overspending in this fiscal year and the 
group discussed how this is being addressed. They questioned whether planning was being done 
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for the excavator use to maximize rental costs.  

 
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The Committee questioned the status of the parking lot repair work. Selectboard Members The-
okas and LaVita agreed to provide more information on this.  
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The Committee stressed the need to assign and track action items assigned to Board members. 
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Selectboard Member Theokas noted the Selectboard strives to respond to the Committee's re-
quests, but is also managing priorities.  
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VII. 
New Business 
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a. FY27 Town July and August Financials 
The Committee reviewed the Financial Director's summary of the YTD financial report.  
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b. Initial Discussion of FY28 Town and School Budgets 
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The Committee reviewed the current budget, and what a 1% through 3% increase would 
look like. They noted the need to provide services within a budget that takes into account 
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inflation and increasing expenses, yet is something the taxpayers can absorb.   
 
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The Committee discussed the need for policies that illustrate their position on issues, such 
as the UFB and the wage matrix, and members offered to create drafts. Chair Varsalone 
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noted the Committee's ability to present petition warrant articles to suggest structural 
changes in the way the Town operates in relation to the budget.   
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The Committee reviewed the proposed budget process and calendar.  
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VIII. Minutes 
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Review of the July 13, 2026, minutes was tabled.  
 
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IX. 
Member Comments 
Chair Varsalone noted the opportunity to have a Clerk position on the Committee. He will send 
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out an email to the full Committee for input.  
 
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X. 
Upcoming Meetings 
a. October 19, 2026 
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b. November 9, 2026 
c. December 14, 2026 
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XI. 
Adjourn 
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Selectboard Member Theokas made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Bobish seconded 
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the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 
 
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The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m. 
 
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Respectfully submitted,  
 
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Beth Hanggeli 
Recording Secretary 
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