PITTSFIELD SELECT BOARD BUDGET MEETING MINUTES
To listen to a recording of the meeting, click here: https://bit.ly/48vPclH
DATE: November 25, 2025
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Tricia Abbondelo
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
MINUTES APPROVAL: November 11, 2025 Budget Meeting
CORRESPONADENCE:
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Charge VT – Application
2. Budget – General Fund – Insurance, IT Contract, Contributions, Salaries, Etc.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Financials – October Treasurer’s Report
2. Warrant – possible Articles
ADJOURN:
NEXT MEETING DATES:
1. Regular Meeting Thursday, December 4, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 5:00pm Town Office
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:01pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Joyce moved to approve the Minutes of the November 11, 2025 budget meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor. Ann said there were no Agenda Modifications or Correspondence.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Charge VT – Application. Joyce had asked to table any action to this week so that she could speak with Green Mountain Power again. She said she spoke with Dan who told her to reach out to electrician Ron Stebbins as they do a lot of work on chargers. They will come on the 11th to give an estimate. Discussion about adding an extra meter. Joyce said that you get a really low rate if there are more chargers. If so, then another meter might be a good idea. Currently another isn’t needed, but if it is used more, then another meter be considered. Joyce said she’s going to ask Stebbins for an estimate with one and without.. GMP would like to decide by December 31st, so we should get the estimate in
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 2
November 25, 2025
before then. Charge VT goes through GMP. Ann questioned whether the grant would also pick up the cost of an extra meter. Joyce said she would check back for the information. The next budget meeting is the 9th. Ann moved to give tentative approval to Stebbins’ estimate to use as the estimate for the application. AJ seconded. All in favor.
2. Budget – General Fund – Insurance, IT Contract, Contributions, Salaries, Etc. Trish presented the following budget items:
Insurance: Trish said there were no numbers for insurance yet.
Quick Books: She said that Quick Books is going to cancel the desktop program we have now. The only program they have available to the Town that covers all the programs we currently use is Quick Books Enterprise at a cost of $1,362/yr which she plans to start using January 1, 2026. She said that Quick Books will refund the current program from January to May.
Payroll: Trish also said that she will be changing payroll companies. Saguaro IT has suggested Gusto. It uses Direct Deposit and Payroll (Federal, State, and Payroll). She explained how the program works. This will also start January 1, 2026. Employees will also have access to their payroll information if they want to make changes to it. Trish said she will still have the final say on the taxes, etc. Payroll will have one account. The cost will be $588 + per/check fee/month. Gusto is $49/month = $588/yr. $6/person/month = $800/yr plus or minus. It is called Quick Books Enterprise Silver for $1,362. She said we were paying $1,059 w/o Payroll $742 and w/o $932 for checks last year.
Saguaro is increasing their fee to $699.60/month with the Town paying 2/3rds and the Listers paying 1/3rd of the monthly cost. Saguaro is also recommending that the Teams laptop and George’s laptop be replaced. they also gave a quote to update the Wi-Fi in the gazebo. Adobe continues to have two users (the Town and Listers) and email charges haven’t changed. Discussion.
Salaries: Changes in salaries were to the Auditors which are reduced from $2,500 to $2,250. Election Officials increased from $100 to $800 (2 elections, 2 officials @ $15 each for 11.5 hours each plus 2 officials for Town Meeting). Custodial – Shovel increased from $1,200 to $1,800 as he’s also shoveling the Town Hall. Listers increased from $7,500 to $11,500 due to an increase in training required by the State.
Dues & Contributions: The Visiting Nurse Alliance VT/NH was reduced from $1,000 to $250. They informed the Town that they were not able to provide services to Pittsfield for the last two years. We were not informed of this and have contributed $1,000 to them for the last two years.
Community Care Network/Rutland Mental Health was reduced from $600 to $588, as that was their request.
Tri Valley Transit was reduced from $350 to $230.
VT Rural Fire Protection Task Force increased from $100 to $200.
The Rutland County Humane Society was reduced from $150 to $50.
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is an added item and budgeted $100.
Rutland County Restorative Justice Center increased to $500 from $250.
Bethel Area Food increased from $500 to $750
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 3
November 25, 2025
The following were budgeted for the same amount as last year:
Quin Town Seniors remained $4116.
Park House remained $600.
New Story Center remained $200.
Central Vermont Council on Aging remained $600.
VT Center for Independent Living remained $75.
Green Up Vermont remained $50.
NeighborWorks/Rutland County Housing Trust/Cornerstone Housing remained $200.
Child First Advocacy Center remained $400.
Vermont Family Network remained $250.
The Preservation Trust of Vermont remained $50.
American Red Cross remained $250.
White River Natural Resources Conservation District remained $200.
Rutland County Parent Child Center remained $200.
Printing – Discussion. The idea of printing the report in house as opposed to sending them out to be printed was discussed. Trish was going to do some figuring as to how much it would potentially cost to do them in the office. This is on the heels of the recent postcard that were mailed to the voters and residents. This will be addressed at another meeting.
Undesignated Fund Balance – Currently there is $122,208.24. The Board would like to put $40,000 into the Fire Truck Fund, $35,000 from the sale of Rescue 1 Ford F-350 into the Fire Department Building Fund (CIP). $50,000 could be used to reduce taxes or put into another fund. This would leave $24,000 in Undesignated Funds. There was some discussion about putting some of this into the Recreation Fund. All this will be looked at again later.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Financials – October Treasurer’s Report-tabled
2. Warrant – possible Articles-tabled
ADJOURN:
Ann moved to end discussions and adjourn the meeting at 6:41pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATES:
1. Regular Meeting Thursday, December 4, 2025 5:30pm
2. Town Hall Budget Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 5:00pm Town Office
Approved: _December 9, 2025_______________ Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Select Board Secretary
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens AJ Ruben
To listen to a recording of the meeting, click here: https://bit.ly/48vPclH
DATE: November 25, 2025
PRESENT: Ann Kuendig, Joyce Stevens, AJ Ruben
PUBLIC PRESENT: Tricia Abbondelo
AGENDA MODIFICATIONS:
MINUTES APPROVAL: November 11, 2025 Budget Meeting
CORRESPONADENCE:
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Charge VT – Application
2. Budget – General Fund – Insurance, IT Contract, Contributions, Salaries, Etc.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Financials – October Treasurer’s Report
2. Warrant – possible Articles
ADJOURN:
NEXT MEETING DATES:
1. Regular Meeting Thursday, December 4, 2025 5:30pm Town Hall
2. Budget Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 5:00pm Town Office
Ann called the meeting to order at 5:01pm. Joyce seconded. All in favor. Joyce moved to approve the Minutes of the November 11, 2025 budget meeting. Ann seconded. All in favor. Ann said there were no Agenda Modifications or Correspondence.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Charge VT – Application. Joyce had asked to table any action to this week so that she could speak with Green Mountain Power again. She said she spoke with Dan who told her to reach out to electrician Ron Stebbins as they do a lot of work on chargers. They will come on the 11th to give an estimate. Discussion about adding an extra meter. Joyce said that you get a really low rate if there are more chargers. If so, then another meter might be a good idea. Currently another isn’t needed, but if it is used more, then another meter be considered. Joyce said she’s going to ask Stebbins for an estimate with one and without.. GMP would like to decide by December 31st, so we should get the estimate in
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 2
November 25, 2025
before then. Charge VT goes through GMP. Ann questioned whether the grant would also pick up the cost of an extra meter. Joyce said she would check back for the information. The next budget meeting is the 9th. Ann moved to give tentative approval to Stebbins’ estimate to use as the estimate for the application. AJ seconded. All in favor.
2. Budget – General Fund – Insurance, IT Contract, Contributions, Salaries, Etc. Trish presented the following budget items:
Insurance: Trish said there were no numbers for insurance yet.
Quick Books: She said that Quick Books is going to cancel the desktop program we have now. The only program they have available to the Town that covers all the programs we currently use is Quick Books Enterprise at a cost of $1,362/yr which she plans to start using January 1, 2026. She said that Quick Books will refund the current program from January to May.
Payroll: Trish also said that she will be changing payroll companies. Saguaro IT has suggested Gusto. It uses Direct Deposit and Payroll (Federal, State, and Payroll). She explained how the program works. This will also start January 1, 2026. Employees will also have access to their payroll information if they want to make changes to it. Trish said she will still have the final say on the taxes, etc. Payroll will have one account. The cost will be $588 + per/check fee/month. Gusto is $49/month = $588/yr. $6/person/month = $800/yr plus or minus. It is called Quick Books Enterprise Silver for $1,362. She said we were paying $1,059 w/o Payroll $742 and w/o $932 for checks last year.
Saguaro is increasing their fee to $699.60/month with the Town paying 2/3rds and the Listers paying 1/3rd of the monthly cost. Saguaro is also recommending that the Teams laptop and George’s laptop be replaced. they also gave a quote to update the Wi-Fi in the gazebo. Adobe continues to have two users (the Town and Listers) and email charges haven’t changed. Discussion.
Salaries: Changes in salaries were to the Auditors which are reduced from $2,500 to $2,250. Election Officials increased from $100 to $800 (2 elections, 2 officials @ $15 each for 11.5 hours each plus 2 officials for Town Meeting). Custodial – Shovel increased from $1,200 to $1,800 as he’s also shoveling the Town Hall. Listers increased from $7,500 to $11,500 due to an increase in training required by the State.
Dues & Contributions: The Visiting Nurse Alliance VT/NH was reduced from $1,000 to $250. They informed the Town that they were not able to provide services to Pittsfield for the last two years. We were not informed of this and have contributed $1,000 to them for the last two years.
Community Care Network/Rutland Mental Health was reduced from $600 to $588, as that was their request.
Tri Valley Transit was reduced from $350 to $230.
VT Rural Fire Protection Task Force increased from $100 to $200.
The Rutland County Humane Society was reduced from $150 to $50.
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is an added item and budgeted $100.
Rutland County Restorative Justice Center increased to $500 from $250.
Bethel Area Food increased from $500 to $750
Pittsfield Select Board Budget Meeting page 3
November 25, 2025
The following were budgeted for the same amount as last year:
Quin Town Seniors remained $4116.
Park House remained $600.
New Story Center remained $200.
Central Vermont Council on Aging remained $600.
VT Center for Independent Living remained $75.
Green Up Vermont remained $50.
NeighborWorks/Rutland County Housing Trust/Cornerstone Housing remained $200.
Child First Advocacy Center remained $400.
Vermont Family Network remained $250.
The Preservation Trust of Vermont remained $50.
American Red Cross remained $250.
White River Natural Resources Conservation District remained $200.
Rutland County Parent Child Center remained $200.
Printing – Discussion. The idea of printing the report in house as opposed to sending them out to be printed was discussed. Trish was going to do some figuring as to how much it would potentially cost to do them in the office. This is on the heels of the recent postcard that were mailed to the voters and residents. This will be addressed at another meeting.
Undesignated Fund Balance – Currently there is $122,208.24. The Board would like to put $40,000 into the Fire Truck Fund, $35,000 from the sale of Rescue 1 Ford F-350 into the Fire Department Building Fund (CIP). $50,000 could be used to reduce taxes or put into another fund. This would leave $24,000 in Undesignated Funds. There was some discussion about putting some of this into the Recreation Fund. All this will be looked at again later.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Financials – October Treasurer’s Report-tabled
2. Warrant – possible Articles-tabled
ADJOURN:
Ann moved to end discussions and adjourn the meeting at 6:41pm. AJ seconded. All in favor.
NEXT MEETING DATES:
1. Regular Meeting Thursday, December 4, 2025 5:30pm
2. Town Hall Budget Meeting Tuesday, December 9, 2025 5:00pm Town Office
Approved: _December 9, 2025_______________ Respectfully submitted,
Martha L. Beyersdorf
Select Board Secretary
Ann Kuendig Joyce Stevens AJ Ruben
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