The Board grappled with discrepancies between the Department of Local Services (DLS) Data Bank and the information displayed in their office. The possibility of postponing the presentation of the revised article until the November town meeting was discussed to ensure the 2025 fiscal year could be affected with accurate information. The need for additional research to determine the precise figures for income and asset limitations under Clause 41c was highlighted, and the Board considered outreach to other towns and the DLS for guidance.

Additionally, the Board discussed the eligibility requirements for property tax exemptions. There was a general consensus on the need to increase the exemption and decrease the age requirement. However, the Board emphasized the importance of establishing eligibility criteria before the town meeting to avoid being caught without answers.

The potential hiring of a new full-time equivalent position in the assessor’s office was debated, along with the challenges of processing motor vehicle excise taxes and handling building permits during a period of transition. The Board also discussed the importance of establishing a smooth transition following the commitment of a member to remain on the Board until the end of May.

Remote attendance procedures, the senior tax work-off program, and the impact of the Family Medical Leave Act on office positions were other topics of discussion. The Board considered the need to improve its handling of emails and access to the previous assessor’s email account.

Technical issues with Zoom during the assessors’ conference and the meeting itself were noted, despite the conference receiving positive feedback from attendees, particularly regarding the information on property cards and exemptions. Plans to improve the website’s accessibility to important documents and to engage with citizen inquiries were also discussed.

The Board reviewed a list of citizen questions, focusing on current and relevant inquiries and discussing the creation of a neighborhood re-evaluation committee with members from the board, assessor’s office, and community. Additionally, the Board outlined a plan to review directives for the next five years and the approach to prioritizing them. The involvement of the town manager in updating the board of selectmen was mentioned, as well as the timeline for sending out tax bills and the period for abatements.