Whately Select Board Approves Pickleball and Brester Road Contracts at June Meeting

WHATELY — June 29, 2026 — Whately Select Board approves pickleball court and Brester Road engineering contracts at busy June 29 meeting. The board voted unanimously to authorize Select Board member Elaine Campbell to sign a contract with Vermont Recreational Surfacing and Fencing for new pickleball courts once town counsel review is complete, and separately signed a contract with Bolinski & Bolinski Engineering LC for Brester Road work funded by an already-awarded grant. The board also voted to pursue a Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap grant with a July 31 application deadline, part of a path toward Climate Leader Community status that would require adopting a zero-emission vehicle first policy and a specialized stretch energy code. Planning Board Chair George, whose last name was not recorded, announced he plans to step down after the board's Blue Wave solar special permit review concludes, citing burnout at 73 after five years on multiple boards — including the Planning Board, Community Preservation Committee, and Board of Assessors — and noted the town faces a September deadline to develop a battery energy storage systems bylaw before new state guidelines take effect. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office presented a no-cost behavioral health co-response model that would send a licensed therapist and case manager to homes within 24 to 72 hours of a law enforcement call with a behavioral health dimension, with the office pursuing grant funding to cover the program.