New Council Holds First Meeting

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

December 5th 2024

RICHMOND – The day after taking the Oath of Office, the five new Town Council members met in a session that did not adjourn until after 10 p.m.

The new council comprises President, Samantha Wilcox, Vice President Mark Reynolds, and members Dan Madnick, Jeffrey Dinsmore and Jim Palmisciano.

The open session was brief, lasting only about 15 minutes, but the executive session that preceded it lasted about 3 ½ hours.

The Executive Session

The purpose of the lengthy closed-door executive session was to brief new council members on the status of several legal issues currently facing the town.

While minutes of the closed session are confidential, the published agenda included four substantial items. First on the list were the property tax appeals by the Preserve, which date from 2020 to 2023. There has been one court-ordered mediation session in this matter, but a settlement has yet to be agreed on.

The second item was litigation involving the GD Beaver River I, LLC, the developer of the solar energy facility on Beaver River Road.

Third on the list was possible litigation involving the motocross track on Buttonwoods Road, and the final item concerned potential litigation involving the Nooseneck Conservation Subdivision.

Contacted on Thursday, Madnick described the meeting as cordial and productive.

“It was a very involved and respectful discussion with all parties sharing constructive dialogue,” he said.

While in the past, executive sessions were sometimes contentious, Madnick said he felt that members of the new council appeared to be willing to work together.

“One thing that is clear from this group is that we want to solve problems, not make problems, and do what is best for all stakeholders and the community,” he said.

No votes were taken in executive session.

Open Session

Council members had a light agenda when they returned to regular session, but by then, it was approaching 10 p.m., so Wilcox had to call for a vote to extend the meeting, which ended up lasting only about 15 minutes.

Town Administrator Karen Pinch asked the council to approve a Christmas luncheon for the town staff.

For the past few years, the council has approved the closing of the Town Hall for the afternoon and has paid for an employees’ lunch. This year, the lunch will take place on Dec. 23 at Alaina’s.

“I know we can do it for under $1,000,” Pinch told the council. “It’s probably going to be closer to $800 at the very most.”

The council approved both the Town Hall closing and the lunch. A notice about the closing will be posted on the town’s home page and on social media.

Police Chief Elwood Johnson requested, and received council approval to extend the temporary full time dispatcher’s position which is currently filled by Phillip Brodeur.

“I am asking, because the person he has been filling the place of is not quite done with her obligation to the military,” he said. “She’s going to have to go back up there for, probably, a couple of weeks. I’m asking that his status be extended to the end of December.”

The council also approved Johnson’s request to authorize the award of a bid to install new police lockers, part of improvements to the locker room at the police station. The lowest bid, not to exceed $35,000, was awarded to Westway Construction.

Before the meeting adjourned, the council approved the 2025 meeting calendar.