The meeting opened with a critical review of the proposed draft for personnel policies, focusing on the term “appointing authority,” which required a clear definition to avoid confusion between the select board and other elected departments. It was determined that all departments should adhere to the personnel policies to maintain uniformity and equity. Moreover, the committee discussed the importance of synchronizing recommendations with the town meeting schedule to allow thorough consideration by the finance committee.

A notable point of debate was the need for a robust technology policy, with emphasis on cyber security. The absence of a current IT team highlighted the urgency of this matter, stressing the importance of access control and password protection. The policy’s development was to involve the new Town Administrator.

Social media policy was another contentious topic, with divergent views on its immediacy. Some members saw it as a issue that required an immediate and clear policy, while others favored addressing it at a later time. It was agreed to flag the technology policy section as a work in progress, pending further information and input from the new Town Administrator.

The committee engaged in a discussion on compensation, specifically regarding informal compensatory time for exempt employees, which called for additional clarification. The conversation extended to break periods, questioning the obligation of town employees to take 30-minute lunch breaks and 10-minute rest breaks, in light of evolving laws and historical context. Call back pay policy was also scrutinized, especially concerning the police department’s call-in hours, with suggestions to standardize minimum hours across departments.

Budgetary concerns were addressed through a review of the second draft of the FY 24 budget, seeking clarification on changes and requiring additional data related to the water animal inspection and the salary survey. Comparisons with other towns were made to ensure competitive salaries, particularly to retain the incumbent animal inspector. The impending retirement of a committee member and the operational logistics of the ice skating rink at the fire station were also discussed.

The committee’s conversation about salaries was extensive, particularly for the animal inspector and community development director positions. The necessity of making the community development director position full-time was debated, along with appropriate compensation and the scope of the role in relation to the town’s needs. The animal inspector’s salary drew consideration of the position being shared with neighboring communities and the responsibilities entailed.

In addition, the committee reviewed the responsibilities associated with domestic animal care, including rabies testing and health checks. The workload variance due to the number of animals and the non-residency requirement for the position were topics of discussion. The committee considered collaboration with neighboring towns to share insights on the number of animals and associated workload.