Select Board previews $227,000 warrant request

Select Board · Meeting of October 15, 2026

BERLIN — The Berlin Select Board previewed nine Special Town Meeting warrant articles, including a $227,000 supplemental budget tied to staffing failures discovered after the former town administrator left. Clerk Margaret "Peg" Stone said the board had "a bit of a black eye" over stalled projects and pledged to post a color-coded project tracker online. Resident Paul McElk said the board had been subject to "gaslighting" by prior administration and pressed for accountability measures.

Separately, demolition bids for the old fire station and EMS building came in at $81,000, far under a $250,000 estimate, potentially freeing $169,000 back to town accounts. Fire Chief Mike McQuillan asked for a second ALS cardiac monitor, saying he can "watch a patient deteriorate" without full advanced life support capability. Town Meeting convenes Monday, October 19.

In the full story:

• Article 1: $227,000 Supplemental Budget Request
• Article 2: Landfill Closure Costs
• Article 3: 1870 Town Hall Septic System
• Article 4: Complete Streets Construction Oversight ($20,000)
• Articles 5 and 6: Demolition Funding Transfers for Old Fire Station and EMS Building
• Article 7: Town Clerk, Elected to Appointed
• Article 8: Demolition Delay Bylaw Threshold
• Article 9: River Bridge Development Agreement, Sixth Modification
• ALS Cardiac Monitor Purchase
• Other Business
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,529 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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