7:00. Do we have a motion to open our meeting? >> Moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All right, we are open. Good evening. This is a meeting of the finance committee. It is uh Wednesday, March 11th, 2026. This meeting is being audio and video recorded. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance.
>> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Okay, so on the agenda tonight, um we
have uh three of our departments uh here that are going to give presentations. Uh we're going to go in this order. Uh golf town clerk and then firing EMS. Uh we're going to do that as a courtesy to Mr. Tibbles, our golf superintendent, since he asked at early hours and you're going
to be out at the crack of dawn. So >> yeah, appreciate it. Thank you. >> The floor is yours. >> Okay. I'm assuming everyone received a copy of the budget we have. We have um in the packet. Yeah, the packet that we have. Yep. Um just a couple of things in
general. Um you'll notice at the end, you know, I'm going to just turn to the end first. You'll notice that all said and done are there's a net zero increase in the budget for FY27 versus FY26.
Um, and you'll also notice as you go through and look at particular categories, you'll see the FY26 budget, the FY27, the actual increase in the percent increase. Um, one thing I'll point out is that we weren't quite sure of would
be uh insurance, medical insurance or health insurance. Um, of course, that doesn't get set till I believe it's in June. Um, and we put a basically a 2% increase on our indirect
costs um, on the second page of the budget. Um, and for the most part, I believe those will probably be accurate, but until we get information from town hall otherwise, then there's a possibility that those
could change. And of course, we aimed for a net zero budget. So if those changed then we would make adjustments in in other areas within the budget to maintain that net zero increase. Um we were capable this year of while
the total budget has a net zero increase we were capable of increasing some key areas in the budget um due to the fact that our long-term debt interest and principle had been reduced uh significantly. gave freed up some uh
room in the budget to uh to make some adjustments and make some changes. So, with that brief introduction, if anybody has any questions or anything they'd like to go over in particular, be more than happy to uh look at those things. All right. So, I'll start with
the the 10% increases in the the salaries. Um on the salary range, you'll probably you'll see 10% increases for super supervisory staff. Um those increases
um basically twofold. One, trying to bring our supervisory staff up into what is normal for those particular positions or what is an average range since we had a
little additional money. Um, I don't like to use I'm not going to use other individuals, but I will make it I will point out for myself. Um, I've been here since Jan uh since January 1 of 2001.
I've been a town employee since the 1st of January 2006. During that time, from FY 2007 through FY2026, my total pay rate increase was $29,892. Over that time period, that represents a
1.77% average raise. During that same time period, the average COLA was 2.48. So you're operating at a deficit almost for the entire employment period. And I
look at the fact that we're an enterprise fund. We generate money of our own. We do not take money from tax dollars and we generate our budget based on what we feel we can bring through the
door. And if we feel it we get to a certain p point in the budget year where our we're not forecasting a to be being ahead or making a profit then obviously we go back into our budget and start
reducing expenses. So we come in with either a flatline or zero or a smaller profit than we would originally have anticipated given the weather and given the uh the length of the season. Um, so
I look at those and I feel that we've produced a product um, we produced a product that's been um, very successful. Um, that can be pointed out in in what our I believe they call it a contingency
fund rose to um, prior to us making a small depletion of it for the clubhouse. And I think those are valid pay rate increases for the individuals um who are listed there and their participation and
performance to make the ends uh to make those profits possible. >> And if I could chime in with just one additional thing on that as a committee looking at it, excuse me, these four positions highlighted in yellow, they're also in the USW union contract. So,
we're fully aware of that in the end, they're going to receive whatever is negotiated for them next year. It says that this was kind of an attempt to highlight industry averages versus where we are, knowing full well that this may not happen. It's going to be the result of whatever the union negotiations end
up with. So, there may or may not be the expectation that that's where we end up at the end of the day. We know it's going to be through the negotiations. It's not as if we are on our own trying to unilaterally, you know, push this through. We do understand the process. Again, I was trying to highlight union
current union wages versus the industry averages for these four positions and not necessarily is it going to or not going to happen. And ultimately, whatever is settled will be what it's settled at. And then if there's plus and minus from there, we would just move it down to equipment or somewhere else to still keep the net zero that Steve was
talking about. >> Is the is the cola built in to the 10% increase already? Like if there was >> Well, well, the contract is up this June 30th. So there's nothing going forward into next fiscal year yet anyway. >> Okay. >> So the contract ends June 30th this year. >> That's my understanding.
>> Yes. >> As far as I know. Yes. >> Whether you know I'm I'm not going, you know, I'm not going to personally I'm not going to comment on the union and and where that's going and where that's going to be. Um I will wait until that particular time to see if in fact we're
constrained by what Mr. Flynn just discussed. So um I would assume you know if you're asking me that question I personally would say yes in answer to your question that would include cost of living increase and and uh you know
within that same number and I will point out at least for the superintendent and the assistant superintendent those are given the uh level experience um and the period through which those work those are the bottom ends of the
pay rate ranges as far as averages are concerned. Most super most assistant superintendent positions are currently right now whether it's through the New England Association, the Rhode Island Association being advertised that between 70 and $85,000.
Most superintendent positions, depending on where you might be, some of the positions in Maine and New Hampshire are somewhat less, but the average in for those particular positions for certified superintendent is usually around 120 to
175 to almost 200,000 depending on the nature of the facility that's advertising. in the assistant superintendent. The salary that's highlighted there is actually the salary that the board voted an entire year ago to try and move that one position up to which did not happen a year ago. So here
we are a year later still at the same target. So you could almost subtract off your cost of living over the past year from that. We're still trying to get to that same minimum target for him. >> Yeah, it's always been an issue in town with salaries. We're always kind of on the low end for police, fire, everybody.
Uh I'm just real quick is the contract is that negotiated between the golf committee or who who who negotiates the board of selectment that'll be >> yeah the board of selectman will have a representative and I believe um the will they'll obviously be legal counsel from
the town as well as um town administrator >> question. Sorry. >> Yes. Yes. When you were when you were at detailing out the ranges for the superintendent. >> Yes. >> What would the what's the comparable to us because I know there was a wide range
120 up to 175. So if you were to if you were to take our golf course and equate it to somebody else. >> If I was if I was to take this golf course and equate it to the municipal, let me give you give you an example. um whether it would be Brainree Municipal
or Franklin Park or George Wright. Um of course they're in Boston, you know, Franklin Park and George Wright, Brain Trees outside of Boston. Um and you take the uh captains down in the Cape and kind of work those around. For municipal superintendents, you're probably talking
in the range of 105 to 130,000. Um that would probably be your your hiring range. Now some people with greater experience um and uh qualifications are going to fall for more
>> um and some clubs will uh advertise in a certain range and of course you always have the you know dependent on experience and negotiable. >> So a lot of times what happens if people identify the person they want then they're they're willing to pay what's
necessary to get that person in. How about comparing it to similar courses around here in our area? >> Well, I mean, it's um I you know, I'd have to I'd have to pull up um the Rhode Island Association hasn't completed it. Uh we do a budget survey every other
year. Um and I believe the New England Association is in the same boat. I mean, if you're looking comparable courses around here, um you're looking at Swansea Country Club probably. Um where else? Uh I don't
>> reservation. What would reservation be like in >> um I don't necessarily consider re nothing against renov reservation but I don't count them comparable because they're they're not a complete 18hole course. They have they're you know and
they also have a different setup and a lot of these other places have different setups that we than we do as far as um you know food and beverage and and you know banquet facilities and what have you. Um, but I would say right I think uh I don't I can't quote what their pay
rates are. I do know that in the last Rhode Island survey um of superintendent I was probably you know when I started here I was in this position and now I'm you know because of the change it's it's
fallen somewhat lower. I don't know what their his salary range is. I do believe he gets paid more than it currently his salary is greater than mine is. But it's not so much I don't you know I compare on the basis of averages just to give people an idea of what the range
is. I personally would rather be evaluated on our performance and what we've produced in the time that we've been there and what we're capable of producing in the in the future. You have quite a bit of potential there. Whether or not it's realized or not, that
depends on how quickly and how thoroughly you move through this uh this clubhouse uh work. But also, I mean, I'm 66. I'll be around for a couple more years, but you're going to have to look to replace myself and and uh my
assistant, my mechanic is our our employees go from 55 and up and 18 and below. There's nothing in the middle. And um so also part of that is trying to
get an idea in place and a approach in place so you have the ability to produce excuse me to to replace or put people in those positions. And again I mean you know
we're an enterprise fund. We make the money. We don't take it from taxpayer dollars. I don't want to be compared. I don't like to be compared to other departments because it's like comparing apples and oranges even even if we weren't, you know, you know, you can't really compare the DPW and the police
and the fire department because each department does separate things and they all have separate responsibilities and they all have separate qualifications. So, you know, maybe I wouldn't be a good politician, but I'd have to look at each one individually and judge the judge
them based on the merits of what they do and how well they've done it. If I was going to determine a pay rate increase, >> you you had mentioned I'm sorry. Do you want to go ahead >> regarding the union contract? Because I think that's where, you know, the issue is correct with the pay raise because
that's going to determine what these positions are paid. So um in I haven't seen that union contract but is there different um categories of employees or how how is the union contract organized? Is it just department heads get this
range regardless of what department there's individual department individual salaries for individual department. >> Okay. So it would spell out in the union contract direct superintendent of the golf course and that's what that is. It
it it sep it it it separates out the positions. >> Mhm. >> But the the raise structure at least in the initial contract was broad-based and it was basically there's this percent this percent and this percent and that's what you're
going to get at the beginning in the first go round and there it is. There was one base at the start >> for for everyone or for each position >> for what each position had and then it went up a similar percentage per year
>> and that contract when do you anticipate negotiating that contract getting that done because that because it seems like that's going to inform this here too the the budget as well. Uh by vote of the board of selectman, I am to inform I already informed the
golf uh management advisory committee that the board of selectman will negotiate the contract. The board of selectman's authority are negotiating the contract
to set the wages. Uh all of these are the anything above and beyond level funding is beyond where the board of selectment wants it to be at this moment.
>> Beyond level funding the salaries or beyond level funding the budgets. >> Beyond level funding the salaries. So the salaries that should be carried forward in the FY27 budget are the FY26
salaries. And if the contract is settled, as most articles for funding a new contract are, then the raises would be in that article
>> based on the negotiated contract. So, do you think I know you said it's through the board of selectmen, but do you anticipate that will be done sometime in the next few weeks or months for a town meeting or is that >> I just >> that's we don't know where we are in
that process. >> That's for the board of selectman and the next town administrator to determine. So that to that question, >> the negotiations have not begun. So
>> to speaking on that, is the new the incoming town administrator, is he up to speed on any of this stuff? >> We've had discussions. >> The the other thing is if there's going to be the contract negotiations, they get say settled,
right? Shouldn't there be something built in in advance? would be in the article that funds the settled contract. >> I think that's what this budget is trying to accomplish. Correct. By >> that and you know I have you know but
you can't put it in the budget if you're going to put it in the article that funds the settled contract. >> But I would say in the past we've we've never included enterprise funds in a settled contract article at town meeting. And again, if we whether it's in salaries or you just want to put it
in supplies or capital for right now, keeping the bottom line the same and then whether it's one month or 6 months from now that the salaries are settled, we can then do an internal budget transfer at that point in time instead of waiting for a town meeting to appropriate funds into our enterprise fund budget.
>> And I must remind everyone that the warrant is written by the board of selectments. And what I'm saying is that we have the flexibility if it's built into the bottom line of the budget at any point through the finance committee to request a transfer.
So if money had to come from line A or B into salaries at which point in time the salaries contracts are settled, you could always do it at that point in time from the warrant that's submitted by the board selected to town meeting.
>> Correct. >> Mhm. I have a simple question being that you know my wife laughs at me when I call myself just a grass cutter but unless my math is bad zero increase is zero increase so why in the world does it
make a difference whether you have a zero increase in a salary pos spot because the bottom line is the bottom line that's what you're permitted to spend and if you spend under that then everybody likes you you can't spend over in municipal situation because You can't
go over budget. You're not supposed to. At least that was my knowledge. So I don't understand what the significant difference is between having increases across certain categories, but then in the end you have a zero net increase. Zero is still zero no matter where
you're, you know, how you're adding it up. >> So So Jamie, help me understand if there's excess in an enterprise fund, what happens to it? >> Because that's I guess that's the that's sitting here, right? Like that would be the question here is is excess what happens >> it falls back to retained earnings of
the fund. >> So see we could put zero for every single salary but I would still as a chair would want to see a level fund zero on the bottom. Right? So we're talking about 47,000 in total salary increases. So I would put 47,000 in capital of supplies right now to keep
the bottom line the same and then whenever the contracts are settled and negotiated come to you to authorize a budget transfer from you know supplies back to salaries exact to the dollar amount that the >> and I I hear everything that you're saying. I totally follow that. I guess I
go back to like >> to answer your question, it goes into the reserve, the retained earnings of the reserve. >> And if there were an article at town meeting sometime down the road to fund contracts, the funding source in that article would be our reserves. You're not going to fund direct races out of a
taxation like you would >> if you remember I and it's only uh I've been told this. I don't know that that once the golf course is making sufficient
uh money then there was infrastructure uh purchases that the town could do. You could even dissolve the enterprise account which I have done in other
communities. >> I guess that that's I I guess that's the point. Income Yeah. Income closes to retained earnings. Exactly. That's how your balance sheet balances. That's accounting 101. Right. So, >> and if we ever needed a supplemental appropriation at the fall town meeting is coming from ourselves. It would come from our own reserves. Right. So,
whether it's just there from day one in >> So, what's retained earnings right now? >> The dollar amount. >> Yeah. >> Well, it was approximately 2.4 I want to say, but then >> 2.5 and the town meeting took 1.25 after the clubhouse. >> Correct. So, it's about a million and a
quarter right now. So still a million and a quarter that can sit in there that could be accessed at >> Oh, absolutely. >> Well, the other thing too, you're looking you're you're looking at hopefully if the weather cooperates, you're looking at adding approximately another 250 to 275, maybe $300,000 to
that at the end of fiscal 2026. So, I mean, I again, I don't know the laws of of enterprise funds. I do. >> Um, the former town administrator several years ago told me that the enterprise fund could not continue to churn money, that it had to take its
money and spend it on itself for the improvement of the enterprise fund. You can't just sit there and bank money. Um, that's what I always thought. Maybe it was wrong. I don't know. Um, I don't know how whether individual towns set up enterprise funds or the state sets up
the regulations for enterprise fund and you have to follow theirs. It's probably something worth looking into may answer some of the questions that people have about them. I don't know. I mean, >> but for the purposes of tonight and what we're requesting is for our budget for next year, >> whether there's like a holding account
for potential salaries wherever they end up, whatever line it's in, it's our intent that the bottom line is level from this year and then we would just balance it plus or minus from wherever the starting base is once everything is settled, whatever that may be union wise. Right? Right. So again, if I we
didn't if we put zero in for salaries today, we'd have $47,000 more in supplies or capital down the bottom to still keep it level funded. >> Yeah. >> And then we would, like I said, everything's settled 4 months from now. We put in for a transfer to put it right back to the penny on hours.
>> I totally understand that. I guess the question is as finance Jamie if we look at and so that's the one thing that's missing off of here that I think is really vital is what the last year's expenses were for each of these line items um because that would be really
helpful just to gauge a sense of what typically is required and I understand that with weather and things like that that there are things that fluctuate but at least it's kind of a starting point. >> We spent all but less than $100,000 of the budget last year. This is a round of figures. >> Yeah. I totally get but if anybody knows
here like well I am all about line items. I am an accountant. So like the whole concept of everything like I need I >> the reason I the reason I didn't include that is because the information that Jamie sent out to us the >> second Jamie over had all that
information in it. So I assume that everybody got that because it had FY >> in that big spreadsheet. It had the expenses. It's in the spreadsheet that I sent out to you guys. >> I mean, I can I can trick my columns and go back.
>> The I can pull that up right now. >> Mr. Tibbles is correct in that the you have to look at the enterprise each enterprise fund is sitting independent. >> Yeah.
while it's spending money and making money. What? At some point, if you are to the
point of not needing to spend money on capital items, you're all caught up in the capital cost plus the
operating cost equal what you're making. At that point, you can dissolve the enterprise fund and it's folded into the operating fund of the the general
fund of the town. If you're not making money and you have to supplement from the general fund, then do dissolves the enterprise fund. >> But you're not doing that. >> No, you're at the other side. Yeah. So
at some point the town would have to look at if they do all of the improvements that they want to do and the budget plus capital expenses
of the golf course equal the income or are less than the income. then you can dissolve the enterprise fund and it becomes part of the
operating budget capital fund. Just as a comment on that, um I don't know how long most of you folks are intend to be on the finance committee, but if that day ever comes, I strongly recommend that you don't dissolve the enterprise fund because there are always
costs associated with equipment and what have you that are going to draw on that money. And the last thing you want to do is go to the taxpayers and tell them that they have to foot the bill for a piece of equipment. >> I totally agree with that point right there. So I would
You can have a retain you can have a retained you can have a retained earnings income in a department >> that is similar to their reserve that you can build up.
>> Right now we're talking about something that's five seven years away at best. So I'm not sure why we're spending too much time. >> I don't want to I don't want to make everybody else wait behind me. So >> can I just say something? Go ahead. Um I'm a pretty avid golfer and that this
course you've basically ran it um as a super for 25 years, right? This is an enterprise fund. Yes. That makes money for the town. And I think the reason it is so successful is uh because it's a a very very good
course for a public course. It's known all around the state as being one of the greatest public horses and conditionwise and >> I think that's you can't weigh that anywhere else but the superintendent. Um you know that's his responsibility
unless he's been really lucky for 25 years. Um I think he's the reason why the course is doing so well frankly. Um Dana's done an awesome job running it. I know. Just speaking of like comparable salaries, um there's a course right
around the corner that's advertising right now up to $130,000 for superintendent for next year. Um so I I do think that his salary is low. I think it's low at 116, frankly, um for what he does for this town. And um and I don't even I don't know, Steve, but I'm just
speaking to the course. Um, okay. >> And yeah, I just think the reason why the course is so successful is because of the conditions and I I give credit to Steve for that. >> Thank you for saying that, Phil. And I just like to add in that I've said publicly before and it's no knock against our own property. We don't have
repeat customers because of amenities because we don't have amenities. We have repeat customers because of the quality of the course. And that's why 30 to 40,000 people keep coming back every year. I mean, every other course like we talk about reservation comparing to these courses. Reservations what lost like all their greens a couple years
ago. Like >> knock on wood, you know, this course is >> I I never never like to speak badly at all about other courses because it's it's a jinx. So, you don't want to do that. But I have to me I would have to mention though that I've got 16 or 17
people that work with me. The majority of which have been with me for 17 or 18, some 19 years. and um they do an an exceptional job which allows me to to branch out and do a lot of things that in some circumstances you might not be
able to do conditioning wise because I have that dependable group of people. And you know, like I said, we go from 55 and up and 18 and below. And next Tuesday, I have to go in front of the board of selectman because I have to replace six of my 18 and belows because
they're graduating from high school and moving on to bigger and better things. But, um, like I said, I don't want I don't want to make the other folks who have to be up here wait. And, um, so, um, I don't know how I don't know, like David said, I mean, if if it's necessary
to do, um, just take that number out and stick it somewhere else and maybe revisit it later, that's fine. Um, but I don't uh, you know, I could sit up here and talk of it talk about it forever. So unless anybody has any other questions on that,
maybe we can look at the other parts of >> Oh, that that was going to be my question on just a few of the other parts. >> I I think you know this should garner more discussion uh amongst our final uh relative to this >> and if excuse me if you want I mean I
can always come back at another time >> and we may have you come back in uh you know once we we we discuss this more. Um, but my thoughts on this are it's a great golf course. I I've played
there over the years and like Phil said, um, a lot of it is, uh, kudos to you. And if we're going to invest in this course with the clubhouse like we're doing, I mean, we're going forward with this this project to to enhance enhance
it, make more people go back, bring more people in. Um, I think investing in some of the key people that are here, uh, making it successful should be thought about. It should be given some thought in my, that's my opinion. Um,
>> we can we can look into legalities of all that. Um, but look, I mean, this this that course is not is successful because of him, Dana. Uh, I've seen it firsthand. I played two tournaments
actually the last year and they run they ran a top-notch tournament and with with limited uh supplies. I mean, it's you're working under a tent at the end. I mean, but they make it work. They make it work. I mean, it's
amazing that but the people go back because of the golf course, not because they're getting a good hot dog or beer. They're going back because the greens are great and the golf course is in good condition. Um, >> like you folks as as a town and you
you've got quite a bit of potential there. Whether you want to realize it or not, that depends on the direction you choose to go and how you choose to get there. and you're at a pivotal point now because you paid off the majority of your initial investment.
>> Um, and now you're branching out to the the the last cog in the wheel, so to speak, or at least the biggest last cog in the wheel. And once you get that secured, then you have, you know, then you open up a whole new can of worms about how you're going to manage it, how you're going to run it, how you're going
to present it to the public, and so on. So, like I said, there's quite a bit of potential there. And I, you know, I've said this in the past and I don't know if it's legal to do, but obviously it's a town asset and we do generate income.
So if there is a particular town need that can't be funded by something else and we have a little bit of extra income, it wouldn't be a bad idea to discuss the opportunities to provide that in extra income to the this the department that might need it because
it's there. We're all the same town, >> right? >> Yeah. We're all part of the same >> community. So you know, one hand can help the other. It's not a you know >> Yeah. I I I think that >> listen my kid my I'm getting text messages from my husband and my son
they're not going to be allowed to play to at a cushion anymore you know because I'm over here but listen they all they all love playing it's it's a great time like I get it but we would I wouldn't be sitting here doing I would get lamb basted by some other departments if I didn't question
salary right question what I'm saying is is that >> you know often there's there's friction between departments and I think that's unnecessary because it's it's you know it's created because you can't do this or you can't do that. I mean I could have had friction with the fire
department because they stopped me from burning but if he says I can't burn then I can't burn. So >> you know to be fair it's the state that runs that nom. >> But that's why it's important to talk about what comparables are and things like that. Right. So that's that's hence
the question, right? Like when you've got a 10% increase and yes, you know, not to talk about any other departments, >> but that obviously is going to raise a red flag, right? That is a question. >> I can go back to >> the whole thing is a placeholder though, right? Because it's going to be contractual anyway. Right.
>> Right. That's that's my point is that >> ultimately the union negotiations are going to settle what that comes in at. So it's just there as a placeholder for us within a bottom line 0 increase. >> Yeah. So let's say it comes in at 5% increase then that's what's built into the budget
put in to transfer it down to >> whatever the 5% was and let's put it in the other cate. >> Okay. Well like I said uh if we have if we have any other questions we have to have you come back in or I'll reach out to you is when it comes to personal services. Is that what it's called?
Salaries. You know, Dana's out of state tonight, but absolutely leave, Dana, and myself. You need any of us back, just let us know. >> Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. >> My only one question real quick was in your expenses, you how did you approach
the um figures that you came to? Was it did you look at the actuals that or like what >> I you know, I look at the actuals from the year before. Um at least, you know, I can speak for how I go about doing it. our our primary three three categories
obviously one's payroll for me the other one I have three other major categories you have fungicides growth regulators then you have fertility budget and then you have equipment repair and the way I look at those is I forecast my pesticide program
and my fertility program based on what I encountered in the previous year based on what long range weather forecast looked like and based on what worked and didn't work, >> right? So, >> and then I come up with I come up with a program. >> Yes. So, it's looking like it's a, you
know, higher than, you know, high. >> One of the one of the other things is kind of is kind of interesting. Um, you know, don't like to bring up uh, you know, um, non thing non-town things, but this whole mess over in Iran has really put a big y
>> big weight on the fertility industry. the price of ura has gone up from $475 to $600. Um, and the the problem with LG, which is a primary component in creating ura, ura's primary component in nitrogen fertility products, I've already, you
know, already received emails from from my suppliers that are telling me if this thing goes on too much longer, the budgets that you put together probably not going to work. So, um, but that's how I come at those numbers. And then I look at, you know, I look at some other
items that I know there's particular things that I haven't purchased in the past that I'm going to want to purchase. That's why our supply budget has gone up somewhat. Um, something as simple as replacing T markers. And you have you have u, you know, we have four sets of T
markers. So, that's six T markers on each T or on each hole. And you multiply six by 18 holes. make it by 20 just to make it easy. So that's, you know, umund and uh six times. Yeah. So you're looking at over 200 close to 200 T
markers, but you have to get some extra ones. And the bloody things cost 3540 bucks a piece, just one. So you're you know that it's really, you know, um planning that way. So okay, if I need to do that, if I need to replace flag
stick, so I'll go item by item to see. And then I of course, you know, I'll admit it in a couple categories. I add a little fluff because I don't know if what I'm saying is going to actually come true or not. >> No, that's understandable. But and and I guess to your original point, the bottom
line percent is zero. So, how allocate it within the budget is >> well I you know when we we presented a budget to the golf committee um at at a meeting earlier this in March um prior to that um I worked through two or three
versions of a budget to try to come close to that 0%. I initially the budget that I initially put together had a had a 1.76% increase um overall which really I mean y'all live in the same basic
vicinity that I do. You know how much everything's cost. You know how much it costs at the fuel pump. You know if we need to replace a rough mower which we're probably not going to be able to do this year. So I'm going to have to spend more money on it. But to replace that machine costs 85,000 bucks. And
that's with the municipal discount. If it was municipal discount, you're paying over 90. That's just one machine. So, um, but yet we're, you know, because of the financing, um, of the debt and the interest, we were able to to move around
some of those monies and come with zero. >> Thank you, Steve. You do a great job. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good night. Thank you. >> And I expect to see at least all of you out exercising or possibly swinging a club in a couple weeks. >> That would be a definite no
if I swing a club. >> When your clubhouse gets built, you know, I have a comment about that because I asked, you know, when are we going to break ground? And they said next year. And I probably shouldn't say this at a final meeting, but you know,
the cost of everything is going to be higher next year. >> So that $3.5 million ain't going on as far next year this year. >> But they always call that thing, you know, I won't say what they call what we what
superintendents call clubhouse. It's that big sucking sound at the other end of the property that takes all the money. But that's for another discussion. >> Okay. Uh next, uh presentation will be
our town clerk, Dan Levante. >> Welcome. >> Hello. Had to believe we're here again so soon. >> Okay, so I gave you each a folder. Um,
this budget is a little bit different than previous. Um, and I guess I'll make my public announcement um, this evening that I have taken out
papers for town clerk for this term. Um, they haven't been certified yet. Uh, no one else has taken them out, but this will be my last term. Um, yeah. Yeah. Um, my husband really, really wants to
retire. Uh, I'm not ready to give it up. So, um, >> is it a three-year term? >> It's a three year. Yeah. So, and the reason that I that I bring that up is over the last 18 years, I've worked so hard with the staff in that office to
really make some positive changes. Um, you know, getting things automated. um you know, making the office accessible for the residents and it's going to be real important um to me that someone
carry that on. Um, I know going back several years ago, I had a former selectman um that came to my office and he said, "I just want to let you know if you don't plan on running, I figure this would be a good retirement gig." And I'm
going to throw my papers in the ring. And I said, "No, I intend to run. You're more than welcome to run against me, but I can tell you right now it's not a retirement gig." Uh so specifically with all of the changes that have taken place
with the early voting, the vote by mail, the in-person voting, uh there's been a lot of regulatory changes. So it's really important that you have some continuity in the staff. So um what when
I came before you last year I had put in for myself a 2% increase and um found out uh after watching your meeting um that that the board of selectmen had
said that they felt elected officials should negotiate um any of their increases prior to um prior to an already in a process term. So, um what
I've decided is I am not going to ask the board um for an increase for the next three years. Okay? So, you already have my commitment to that. Um, one of the reasons that I'm doing that is I
feel it's real important that I grow one of the individuals in my office to either step into my role if he so chooses or to be there to support whoever becomes the town clerk when I
leave. Um, that way again there's continuity. Um and because being a town clerk is not what everybody thinks it is. If you if you've got the experience, yeah, that's one
thing. But um it it the municipal world is very very different. So um what I have done is I've had conversations with my senior clerk and he is willing to step into the role as assistant clerk.
So, what you'll notice um on the budget is um that I intend to to uh appoint him as an assistant town clerk. Uh and I'll be working with Jamie regarding any of
the legalities because he's right now part of the union. Um but >> what >> he's he's part of the union. He doesn't pay the union, but yeah, >> he's in the clerical union. >> Correct.
>> That is not a clerical position. >> Right. >> And it is the town clerk's prerogative to appoint. >> Right. Thank you for adding that in. So,
>> been there and done that. >> I do appreciate that. I've already started the paperwork in order to get to get this done. Uh but where we were asked to do level funding, uh which is always difficult, especially
when I'm in an election year. I go from not having an election to now having an election. But on the town clerk side, I am able um to with the changes that that I intend to
make, I can do away with a temporary salaries line item. Now when I say do away with in a way to compensate him for taking on more responsibility and assuming this
role um specifically in my absence um he should be compensated for it. So, uh, what I've done is I've taken a number of line items and that I was able to either zero out like
the $2,000 because that won't be needed any longer. uh that was a temporary account that had been set up for a former part-time employee and she was
allowed to work 30 hours and anything over the 30 hours had to come out of that temporary account. So it was it was a better way of monitoring how much over um she was doing. So, without having
that need, um I'd like to apply that $2,000 uh to the um the assistant town clerk salary. Um I also by doing this am able
to reduce the overtime by $500. Um I did have $1,000 in the line item and where this would now be a salary position. Um, I won't be needing that full amount.
Um, I will still need it for my other senior clerk, but I won't need it for for the assistant clerk. And I and I wouldn't need the full thousand. So, that's brought me up to 2500.
Um, then longevity, that was $688. um that was also for a former employee that has since retired. Um her position is in the process of being replaced for
the senior clerk. Um however, whoever comes in will not be eligible for longevity um because they'll be starting on the ground floor. So, we've already gone through um the internal
uh application process and no one internally wanted it. So, I think they're all afraid to come work with me. So, uh that was another $688. Uh the R&M office equipment I do need to
keep that. We this year we had an issue with our time clock where we went now we moved into 2026 and our time clock only went up to 2025. So that was a $350
uh office visit. So that is important for me to to maintain. Vital statistics uh the binding of our vital records uh that is level funded. Office supplies uh that is level funded.
Software expenses remains at zero. Um I think I've mentioned on many occasions that some of the programs that we have the vendor is no longer supporting them. So I am not going to send a support check to them. So I have been working
with our own IT department and uh Tony Dart has been a blessing. He's helping to restore some of those programs for me. So uh that'll be at a much cheaper cost somewhere down the road.
>> Postage I'm reducing to a,000 from uh from 1,200. So, that's another $200 that I would be applying towards um his salary. Dog licenses. So, I don't know how many of you have gotten your licenses this
year, but I am not handd delivering them this year. >> They came in in October, and I worked out a deal again with the vendor. He saved us another $1,000. So, um, and he's promised me a similar
price for next year as well. >> How many licenses roughly go? >> Uh, about, if you include in our kennels, about 2600. >> 2600. >> Yeah. >> I contribute two of those. >> And if I could just put the plug out
there, that dog licensing deadline is March 31st. So, you don't want to incur the $20 late fee. Uh, okay. So travel and meals I did reduce that down uh 300.
We we did put the senior clerk soon to be the assistant in the NEC which is the New England Municipal Clerk's association on we sent in an application literally they sent
out the notice on Sunday. We applied at 9:00 am on Monday and it was already too late. Uh so he is on the wait list. So we're hoping where we're hoping a lot of people drop off so
he can go. In the meantime though, he'll still be attending uh the trainings and the seminars. As a matter of fact, we have in April, we have it's clerk's day on the hill where we all get to go and speak with all of the representatives,
the senators and and discuss this one is going to be specifically about um the vote by mail process um and um some of the results that we have found in in the tracking that we've done
for statistics. So, um, dues and subscriptions, that is the same. Bonding is the same, which that blows me away. It's been $100 since I started 18 years ago, and it stayed the same. And additional equipment, I don't
foresee that I need anything right now, so I'm just leaving that at a dollar. Okay. And if you noticed in red, I put a little note there that by restructuring the senior clerk position into the assistant clerk, the town clerk's budget
still comes under level funded by $29.80. >> My question to you on that, >> yes, >> by creating the um the assistant town clerk position. >> Yeah. So there's a little bit of an assumption built into that that
individual is going to >> basically take on your role >> depending because they have to run for election. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> So let's for all intents and purposes say they do and they become the town clerk. >> Yeah. Would
the current the the salaries clerical now where it sits at 37 would it stay like that or would it be an a person would be added back at some point? >> Well, the the senior clerk that is my other full-time me staff member. So, it
would be myself, the assistant town clerk, and a senior clerk instead of two senior clerks. So really you're just at all those savings that you talked about is the differential between um the proposed salary for the assistant town
clerk and the salary that the the clerical staff into that position was at. Is that about right? >> I do have here that the uh salary that he's at right now is 39,91360.
So, you're just making up the difference between the 44 and the 39, >> right? Jamie, >> you can't look at it as the salary for an assistant clerk. You have to look at it
as the salary for a person in her office who's performing assistant clerk, right? because when she leaves the clerk has the discretion to appoint an assistant clerk which I think
is very advisable. >> Mhm. >> Or not and they their duty is their power is to appoint the assistant clerk.
What the assistant clerk will then be paid is dependent on the budget. >> Correct. But for for all intents and for our purposes here, that's how you're coming up with that >> to fund that increased salary, right?
Whether or not all the, you know, behind the scenes personnel stuff. For example, I've been involved in other towns that the clerk gets paid a lot less
than the assistant clerk because the clerk determines their own duties and their own hours. So, it's you've got to look at it if you're going
to look at it as uh a budget item, it's really a package, you're getting a clerk and an assistant clerk for X amount of dollars together. >> Sure. Mhm. Right. But I guess to come in
at $29 under level funding, that's how when you went through that exercise of saying I reduce this, I reduce that. That's how you know for our understanding how we're maintaining the level funded or just underlevel funded
with the addition of a salary, you know, increase. >> Right. Correct. Yes. Exactly. when you go three years hence it's >> an entirely new ball game. >> So getting back to to what you had asked
um there have been a number of town clerk assistant town clerk positions that have recently opened up throughout the state. Um, and I did take a look at at them and um, of course they range,
you know, one of them was Ashby, another one was Bolton. Um, so they do range in in sizes, populations. Um, but I can tell you, um, and I really don't want to say this, um, but that's still a salary
on the low side. >> Mhm. >> Okay. On very low side. um it would be giving him approximately $2.29 um of an increase, but he does have a he will carry a lot of responsibility. As
an example, I had gone to uh down south, my mom had a knee operation and I also had a week's vacation. Um I brought my laptop, we had it all set up, we thought it was going to work perfect. I was not able to issue any death certificates
while I was gone. Um, that is a major problem and that is not something that should ever happen. Uh, but you can only assign that that type of a duty to someone that it's either a town clerk or
an assistant town clerk. >> U, so it really is important. Um, you know, my mom and dad are aging right now. uh their health isn't very good. So, I could be called to go down and and take care of them. Um you know, I do as
much as I can from my computer and at home, but that was a freak accident that something there there was something that happened with the firewall and um I wasn't able to access the computer at all. So, needless to say, it was very
frustrating, but but our IT department fixed it. But that's just an example of of you why it's so important. >> So going forward >> I Mr. Chair just to jump in >> since I've
arrived in the Kushner. >> Yes. >> That has been my >> it has >> litany. >> Yeah. >> To the town clerk that you need a sworn
assistant town clerk. That was >> every community needs it. And you're hearing this from someone who was a town clerk. >> So going forward, will we always have an assistant town clerk? >> You should. >> Yeah.
>> It's very dangerous. >> Yes. >> In case the town clerk gets hit by the proverbial bus, right? Like or >> Exactly. art just >> is just in is out of town for a week
because of a blizzard. >> So my other question is so how does that affect the duties of the remaining clerical staff? >> How it does not affect them at all because essentially he's been working
since he was hired. He's been doing some of those duties with me. >> Okay. Um it's it's very important for me to help him grow. Um you know, and anybody that's in that position, it just so happens that that he's there. Um and
I think if he if he likes it, I think he's somebody that's going to stay for a long time. He's a resident of a Kushna. He's a hard worker. Um everybody seems to love him. So there won't be a need to add a person back to
that clerical staff. >> No. >> Okay. >> No, >> that's right. That's right. >> Yeah. It would be the assistant, the senior clerk, and then the town clerk. >> Yeah. >> Uh quick question myself. >> Yeah. >> Just for clarification, >> is it my understanding you said that
this appointment of an assistant town clerk is provided by the town clerk or does this have to go to vote at town meeting? >> No. the salary has to go through the typical budget
function. >> The appointment of the title, >> the the fact that only a town clerk can appoint a sworn assistant town clerk. It is statutory authority to the town clerk.
>> Okay. I didn't know because we never had one before. I didn't know if that was something that needed to be voted on. >> No, it's very dangerous not to have one, >> right? It's not. For instance, the town clerk position is notated in the uh the town chatter. This would not be in
there. >> Okay. Thank you. >> But but it is in Massachusetts general laws. >> Yes. Yes, it is. >> Have we ever had >> Not that I know of. >> Why now? >> Um well, primarily because >> I mean I know I know why now, but why
have we taken so long to get that? >> Yeah. I will tell you that um there has been for many years um I'm trying to be very tactful here. Uh
individuals that didn't feel that assistance were needed in departments. So um so I pretty much have always been around and been available. So, it hasn't
been an issue, but this came up this time and I said, "Jamie's right. I I have to do this." >> So, >> that makes sense. >> And I think I also have a perfect candidate >> for training and someone that I think
will really take the reigns with it. Um, not someone that's just going to stay here, get their feet wet, and then move on to another community. >> No, that's fair. I was just curious why I took the long I told >> Yeah. >> So you said you're going to take no cola
for the last three years. >> No. No. I'm for the LA the next three years. Well, my last term I will not be. >> And for whatever reason the Yakola was taken out in the 11th hour last year, right? >> Yeah. >> Which
>> I remember that happening which I didn't I don't agree with. >> Um >> thank you. >> So you you're you're a full-time employee. Yeah. >> And I do you have a pension? >> I do. >> So you're in Bristol County. So that that'll affect
>> I I don't agree with that >> going forward >> honestly because you're taking a 4year no raise in four years and w with this inflation and going into retirement. I don't think that that's fair to you for
as long as you've worked here. Um, I think you've been very faithful to this town and you could have left probably at any point and taken a $50,000 raise. Um, >> thank you. I appreciate >> because I I I know what like clerk's making in the town that I I work in,
>> you know, 20 m away. So, >> I just want to say on the record that I don't agree with that. I don't think that you should be doing that. >> Actually, if memory serves me correctly, you put a increase last year because you haven't been >> Yeah. So, what had happened was the year
before I had put in um an increase cuz I had not gotten an increase in I hadn't put in for one for six years, right? >> So, I did put one in >> last year. So, basically, >> no, not last year, the year before. >> You've got a three. >> So, last year I said, I'm going to make
sure that I keep this so that it's it's still an attractive knowing that I'm going to be getting out. We want to make it attractive for whoever is gonna come in, >> right? >> And um Yeah. It >> So you take >> I found out watching it on TV.
>> Yeah. So you >> Yep. What was that? >> So you're going to get 3% over 10 years give or take. If you took you six years with nothing, you got a three and then you got to go four more years with nothing. >> Yeah. >> That's That's >> I don't know how the pension works. Is
it >> three years? Three years. It is kind of >> cuz your hire is three years business. >> That is unfair to you. I mean, if it's taking your last three years, you hire three years. I mean, there's no sense in putting yourself in that position.
>> Well, I I do appreciate that. I really do. >> I think it's Admiral Pam, but I think you deserve it. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, I think after what happened last year, um, that really spoke volumes about
about what others thought. So, you know, and I've never been here for the money. Um, I've done it because I love my town. Um I I love you know we had a a small issue yesterday interdep departmental
and I I received three such glowing compliments that I said to myself that's why I do this you know um >> well to shift I mean you you work very hard for this job and as you can see we
all recognize that. So yeah >> I appreciate that. Thank you. So I would rather see whatever I would get be able to go to him so that way he can
build up his, you know, his future. >> It's pretty admirable when you're doing that for everybody else and not take it for yourself. That's >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Thank you for that, Pam. Um, I want to
go touch on the inability to like provide a death certificate to somebody. >> Yes. >> Can you explain how like the impacts of that? Like say say you're not able to do that because I know what the potential impacts are. >> Um, but just so everybody can hear it
like how many different things that can affect >> when a family can't get a death certificate in time. Uh and and we've actually run into this um because we've lost our our um burial agent who was our
board of health agent. And um we had two deaths that occurred in a Kushnet. One was March 4th, the other one was March 6th. I'm unable to issue that death certificate because the board of health
agent has to sign off. So, it kind of has a ripple effect. Um, if he was able to sign off and I wasn't, he had to be sign to sign off on you. No one would be able to get that. So, it does affect um the transportation permits. Um, which
means that a person technically cannot be buried until they have that death certificate. Um, sometimes people are taking a body out of state. We're very fortunate with these two that's not the case. Um but
that's that's an issue. Um, and the worst part about it all is these families have gone through such a traumatic period. And to now be hung up because we I hate to say it, but we
don't have our act together and we don't have a backup that that only makes us look bad um and very insensitive to um to the people. not being able to present their death certificate sometimes like in financial institutions will require. Right. So
without the death certificate that means they won't have access to funds to pay for funerals things of that nature too. >> Right. Exactly. >> Potentially unpaid medical expenses. >> Yeah. You you can't access the funds. You can't petition the court to be appointed.
>> That in that office there is no official document requiring a seal. that can be issued unless the town clerk or the assistant
town clerk does it. So everything that requires an official document stop. >> So every birth certificate, every marriage certificate, every death certificate all needs that seal, the
town seal. And a lot of people don't realize the significance of that, the importance of it. And going just a few years ago, I I don't know if you were here, um, we had the coffee place that
started out over on South Mesafe. >> Yes. And went to the mobile station. >> Oh, a cook. >> No. Yeah. >> Oh, not the rescue. Yeah. It was Yes. and someone brought to my attention that they were using our town seal in their
logo and I was battling with them because it's that's illegal to be done. Um the only one that has the ability to authorize the use of the sale is the town clerk or the assistant town clerk.
>> And you have to also realize that anything that goes international for like you said uh with financial institutions or with uh
an estate internationally has to have an official seal and it's the actual seal. >> Yeah. >> Mhm. >> You have to have a document that has the seal on it. You can't put a death
certificate that you're sending international through a copier. >> It has to have the seal and that only can be done by a town clerk or an assistant town clerk. >> Yes. Our office will only issue
certified copies. We would never issue a a just a photo copy. >> Just amazing. We've gone all these years and not a hiccup. and then this happens to be the year. I think that's bizarre. But yeah, >> you're very lucky. Yeah. >> And I think it's not just luck. It's a
testament to Pam's conscientiousness, too, because you're the it sounds like I'm learning. You're the only one that can do these very important tasks. So it's important that there is a backup certainly that we we proceed with this
but it also should be recognized how many years that you know the town has been able to operate with just one person and that's because you're a very conscientious person you know other people could say I'm in Florida too bad
for you you know it'll have to wait and >> so I think the town's been very lucky >> oh thank you thank you okay now you've all infl ated my head much too much. Let's move on. >> But thank you. >> Oh, it worked. Our plan worked there.
>> But on the next two budgets, if rather than look at FY26, if you could look at FY25 in comparison to 27. >> Yes. the board
>> because of the number of I had three elections in that calendar year. So that's comparable last year I I did not >> and although we did have the old colony vote um that funding is being paid by
through old colony. >> Yeah. >> So we're not paying that. You won't see those numbers in here. Well, the they're coming back again. >> If they come back in a second because that's what everybody >> they come back for a second. We're also not voting for that. That's
>> They will. >> That's correct. Thank you. Yes. >> All right. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. So, um you will see that I did increase the salaries up to 13,000.
Um and that was actually um the FY2025 um again to make it comparable uh the voting program and in movers. I did have to increase that now that we have the new equipment. the coding is a
little bit more expensive and the ballot cost. Um, typically for the annual town election, I don't have to order 3,000 ballots. Um, this year already I have applications in
our system for over 700 that have to be sent out for election day. Um, not to mention probably another 500 that have to get letters because the applications were not filled out properly. Um, so we
have to mail them back out to them. So, we're looking at potentially, you know, over 1,200 ballots um that are going to need to be mailed to these to these voters as they've requested them. >> Pam, what happens if that changes
federally? if >> with the the whole mail and ballot thing. >> Well, it won't go into effect for this year. >> Okay. >> But I if it does, that'll definitely affect um my budgets in the future. Yes, exactly.
Uh let's see. There was something else that I wanted to mention. Okay, it'll come back to me. All these compliments just have my head all in a tizzy.
Okay. The annual uh census that is um the actual compilation of everything after we've gotten all the results back. It goes into our resident book. Um that is that is mandated. So, what we have
done is we've uh we've worked with an outside vendor to do everything and put it in a PDF and then we make the copies in our office. Um, it saves us a ton of of money doing it that way.
Office supplies, uh, I did level fund that. postage I did increase uh to 12,000 and that's primarily for those ballots. Uh every ballot that I send out is automatically a dollar um or 94 cents
or um it's pretty close to a dollar. So, um that postage covers our annual census which we sent out um 58 it was 5800 census and now we still also
have to do the second uh mailing for all of the nonresponders um in the next month or so. So um so that I needed to increase and travel is uh level funded. >> Sorry, sorry, one question. Can you So
we're looking at fiscal year 25. >> Yes. >> To date it says, but obviously that year has ended because that's the the one that's most aligned to how many elections we have this year. >> Yeah. >> Salaries that year was 9,800, but we've got 15,000. I think you said 13, but
it's 15 on our schedule. So, I just want to I'm sorry. >> Oh, yes. I'm sorry. No, I did change it to 13, but I forgot to change it on the on the spreadsheet. >> So, it is 13. >> It is 13. Yes. >> Okay.
>> Okay. So, that's going to be 13. But if if we were able to do 2025 with 10 with 10,000 for salary. >> Yeah. >> And we need to go up to 13 if we have the same number of elections. I'm just trying to understand the $3,000 difference. I completely understand
you're talking about for the you're talking about for the the registra salary. Yes. Okay. So with the registra salary it encompasses so much more than just the vote by mail in
person. Okay. Um so even though it's at the the 13,000 we will get some funding back from the state. Gotcha. >> Okay. That will go back into >> and so that's why 25 was at just shy of 10 because the the difference was made
up by what we got back from the state. Correct. Understood. Thank you. I got it now. Any other questions on that one? No. Okay. So, I really got detailed with the last one. Um, this is a breakdown of
what our actual costs are for each election. So, the number of inspectors that we will have for in inperson early voting, we'll have a clerk, a warden, and a registar.
So, we are required for the September election to hold six days of in-person voting. Uh, we have to do at least a Saturday or a Sunday, which I ought to
do a Saturday from 10 to 4. That seems to be when people are going to church and um we get a lot of activity then. So um it's based on a total of 51 hours which are the hours that the office is
open. Also keeping in mind that although the other offices close at 4 on um on Tuesdays and every other day um my office does stay open late on Tuesdays
um where I'm there until 7. So I have to include that in to our hours. So the 51 hours includes the 6 days plus the time beforehand for the clerk to get set up
uh the staff to get set up and to break everything down and get everything locked up and secured. Okay. Uh for the state election it equates to 102 hours. So that is two weeks and there were no
increases in salaries. These are the same salaries that they've had for the last I think this is our third year since we brought some of them up to um minimum wage. So for the state uh for the early voting
the anticipated uh amount is going to be 14, uh698.71, excuse me. Now you will notice that the registar is notated in there. Now,
we're mandated to have a crew of people and how I use that crew is really dependent upon me. So, a lot of times what will happen is I may have those six people
working, but I may have pull three of them aside to count ballots or to alphabetize absentee voting applications. Um, so they're not just sitting there that whole time. I I try
to make them useful so we can get the best bang for our buck. um and they enjoy getting up and doing other things and not just sitting at the table. Um because it unfortunately it does tend to be very slow, especially the September election.
Um so so those numbers seem high, but those are also used um for stuffing ballot envelopes, opening the mail, logging them as they come in, doing the data entry. They're they're all helping um with that, too.
The state primary, uh I estimate that's going to be about um just under $6,000. And that would be the same for the November election.
Now, you'll notice that for the hours, you may say, "Oh, you know, 16 hours, 14 hours." All the staff starts an hour before to set everything up to be prepared when the voters when we open the polls. Um
the polls may close at 8:00, but we still have to do our balancing and sometimes we can get done at 10:00, sometimes we don't get done till 2. Um so I kind of went in the middle and
said, "All right, 11." So hopefully it won't go late. But so the town election, now this is where I do have to talk with the board of selectmen because I can confirm that we have no contested races in the upcoming
election. So, um, really having the staff sit there all day for the same people that are on the ballot that are going to win is is not
necessarily um, you know, the best use of the town's funds. So, going back a few years ago, we ran into the same situation and the board did vote um to change the voting from 10 to 2. So, what I did was
I did a comparison of what we would save. If we did 10 to 8, normally it would be 8 to6. If we did 10 to six, we would save $820.
um which really in the grand scheme of thing is not much. Um the to change it from 10 to two we would save roughly $2,500 which is a little bit more um sizable but that's going to
be up to the board of select men. So, I'm putting in the full request right now, which is the uh 32,85071. And if they ought to go down, we can readjust the budget. >> There's no requirements for the state to have specific hours.
>> Great question. There is. It's 4 hours is the minimum. >> Yeah. You presently >> run an election in one site. Correct. >> Yes.
And as such, if you were had if that site was not available and you had to run an election in multiple sites
or find another site >> that would increase the cost. Correct. >> Absolutely. increase it could increase it substantially. >> Absolutely. And the one thing that I did not mention
is that number that I'm throwing out is only the cost for my line items. The police department their cost they absorb and then what they do is they'll send me an invoice
later on and it comes out of the the funds that I get from the state. for the officer to be there. >> Right. Exactly. So that also is a big that's that's the big ticket item >> if you have multiple sites.
>> If if I have multiple sites and multiple police offices. Yeah. Because now I would have to have four locations. Before I had three and then when they went and did the re uh
restructuring uh they changed it so I have precinct 2A which it's a small precinct but it still has to be set up as its own precinct and still is required to be staffed the same as every other precinct.
So, and now I would without a doubt need at least four police officers where now I can sometimes get away with two if we need to. >> And that would be for each election >> for every election.
>> How come you can't have one? Well, we've received an email today from um Miss Bailey uh stating that her and the school committee have concerns about
having the elections at the school and it's become too much of a disruption. I'm not exactly sure why we have not had the meeting yet. Um I don't know what she's referring to. I I do know there
was one year that I admittedly made a goof uh that it was an election that was planned on a day that the children were in school and um I sent out a very lengthy apology letter um to the
newspapers and to the parents and yes um but that was already several years ago so I'm not exactly sure >> kids the kids a number No, >> right in in a lot of school districts
that's where the elections are and it's a planned PD day for the most part. Um, and I know in that case there was many steps taken to secure the buildings and to keep the public out of the
instructional areas so that there was no threat to the students. I I was still I was it was an increased police presence >> and there was an even more of an effort to secure those areas of the building so
that the public could not there was and there was plans on how to access the restrooms which were outside of the perimeter so to speak. It was, you know, a very safe and secure operation. And I
think at the time the thought was there's no safer place for the children to have been on that day because of all of the security and the cooperation of the um emergency personnel in the town, >> right?
>> So I I don't think that that was an issue >> right >> at that point in time. going forward. I don't know what the concerns are, but >> yeah, I I do think that it might have something to do with the the November 18th election because that was decided
after they had already done their school calendar. >> I was going to say it's probably a school calendar issue. >> Do you think it might have to do with the fact that they just reissued the school calendar today because of all the snow days? >> No, because that would be for next year.
But there's a there's an April, isn't there? >> We do have an April election, but they that's not it. >> Yeah, they were well aware of that last year. >> No, this is going this doesn't it's not this election site. >> It's going forward all elections. >> Okay. >> Let me ask this question. Is there a
requirement of amount of space that you have to have? Is there the only reason why I'm asking is >> Yeah. Uh years ago when I was on the floor of a fire department, we would have elections. All the fire stations would have the elections there.
We would pull the equipment out and for that day people would come in and vote. I mean is that an option? We have actually held it um there and one of the issues that we had is that it was too cold for the for the staff
>> and if you hold it in multiple sites >> I'm saying just keep it centralized at the station. >> Well, yeah, there's not enough parking or room. >> So, we've tried the Council on Aging. Um we used to have two precincts there. We
had more accidents over there. Um, and especially after the guy, the poor man was killed on the bicycle. Um, >> so that it's it's really tough. The library, we did a presidential one. I think it was 2016. The library was brand
new. um it just could not that community room could not handle the number of people with and it unfortunately forced it to not be ADA compliant which was a whole another issue
>> and I know I mean going back in a long time ago the election was at the school because I remember going there with my parents as a kid to vote >> and then it changed to various locations throughout the town >> and when it changed back to the school I think the driver of that and you can
correct me if I'm wrong if I'm not remembering correctly was it going to be a cost savings I think it was an attempt >> to save and I think that there was if I remember correctly some access issues at the other areas too for >> for the public so that's that's why the
school made the most sense right >> at the time >> right and one of the other issues um that really needs to be considered is the fact that not everyone is knocking down the door to work as an election
worker. Um, everybody has their own lives there. Even those that are retired, they've tried it out. Yeah. Okay. I see my friends. It's, you know, it's time to move on. Um, I have a great staff that is, some of them have been
with me since the very beginning and they refuse to leave me until I leave. So, I want to make sure that we have replacements. above. What happens is if you have if I have four different locations,
I have to have four wardens, four clerks. So, if I have a warden call out sick, I'm already in trouble because I don't have a backup to to fill that. Um, you know, it's the staffing. I mean,
right now, if we have somebody that calls out sick, I'll say, "Okay, you can work here half the day. you can work there, you know, in the other precinct a half a day or you go and cover lunches there. It's it's it's so much more
convenient. Um, so I'm not exactly sure, but I am interested in finding out more when I attend the meeting. So I'm sure that'll be coming. And honestly, if we are made to move, I I've
pretty much scouted. I've used all of the other buildings. I really don't know how we would make it work. Um, but if there is a way to make it work, I would have to definitely come back to you for funding because everyone needs to be
notified which means more postage that um, and it doesn't >> be a lot of confusion. >> Yes, exactly. Only last thing I would want to add is if you are going to consider reducing the hours for the cost savings because
there's no contestant uh >> elections. I would just be concerned that maybe uh people might be interpreted that there could be people that say, "Well, I was going to write in so and so. I was going to write in a candidate and I couldn't get there and and the poll was closed." So, I I don't
know if you're going to make more headaches by reducing the hours for $2,000. >> Well, we did it. We did do it the last time around. And And if anything, I'm more about consistency. And um that was one of the reasons why I moved the
elections to Tuesdays because everybody would show up on Tuesday and say, "Hey, I'm here to vote." And no, sorry, that was yesterday. Um because all of the >> habits, >> right? Right. So, um, so I absolutely agree with you.
Uh, but also taking a look at the cost savings, um, to the town and I know how difficult balancing the budgets are, if we can give back $6,000.
Um, and I will say if there is to be writing candidates, they are instructed to contact me. Um, so that way I can put my staff on alert so they know that they're looking for those names um in in the ballots.
>> Okay. >> But that was a great question. Thank you, >> Pam. Thank you very much for coming in. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Sweet that it's your last uh round. >> Yes, it is. But I'll >> So you'll be here two more times. Three more times. >> Exactly.
>> Well, yeah. Not for us, but you know what I mean. >> Yeah. So we've got three years to >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Commence. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Have a good night. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate it. >> Have a good night. Thank you, J. We can change minds in three years.
My husband won't let me. >> Send this name. We'll see if we can take care of. >> All right. Next up to the plate is our fire chief EMS director, Tom Farland. Tom, the floor is yours. Good evening.
Ladies and gentlemen, you got 10 minutes now. I'm only out of here. >> I wanted to be out of here an hour and a half ago. >> Well, if an alarm goes off, everybody stay. I'm doing this one way
or the other. Um, so just want to start off by saying, um, I'm the bad boy. I don't listen. So, what you have in front of you does not come out to zero. Um, there's reasons for that. So, there's two versions of of
the budget that you have presented. Um, one of them says it's level funded, but it's actually a $70,000 increase. That the sole reason for that is we have one uh of my personnel that has been out IOD
for the last two and a half years and we're waiting for her um retirement to be processed through all the channels. So I'm carrying that knowing that it shouldn't be paid for the full year but >> sorry >> injured on >> okay
>> so she was injured in the line of duty where she got treated retirement >> yeah she got treated but now it didn't work >> so now we're going through the process >> the process it's multilevel and a number of them are in this under the opaces of
the state it's goes beyond on the county retirement, we go through state bodies and that's where we're at right now. >> So everything is level except for that
and that is under the career salaries. Um there there's a few ways we could approach it. I haven't um met formally with the uh finance staff or the board of selectman uh to figure out how we want to approach it. Um because we could
take that salary out and just go for a transfer at some point when we know that the cut off date is so we know what the balance would we would need is instead of frontloading it and having excess. So there's there's multiple options. Tom, if you've been carrying it for 2 and 1/2
years, wouldn't it already be budgeted? Why would it need to be additional? >> So, about a year ago or right at I got approval a year ago for to start in July
to hire a temporary staff person to fill her shift instead of paying overtime. >> Okay. >> So, now I'm carrying two people for that one position. So that's why there's a $70,000 increase because I'm paying two people to be in that spot. >> Thank you.
>> Parent hasn't gotten through all the stuff yet. >> It's not. >> It's a lovely process. >> It's not contested by the town or the individual. Everybody's pushing it forward. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. you'd think. Um, I don't know if you want to look at my wish list, but we don't have to. As I said, I haven't even sat down with any of the members of the board or admin
staff to figure out. Um, what's what. So, that's totally up to your call. Let's hear it. All right. Um, so starting off, as you can see, uh, the
full-time salary position goes up quite a bit. Um, again, we're carrying that $70,000 for that, um, person that we're waiting on retirement process to follow, but it also goes up additionally. Um, and that is to continue moving forward with the staffing plan that we started
last year. If you remember last year, um, the way we operate, we have three staff work 24/7. two of them are career and one of them was part-time. Last fiscal year or the current one that we're in, um we were able to take two of those four part-time positions and
convert them to full-time as an effort to be more stable in our staffing and cost less in overtime. Um because when we rely on part-time staff, if they don't put in availability, I have to fill that spot with a full-time person
making overtime. Um it's worked well. um so far this year. Um but we still have two positions that are filled predominantly with part-time salary. So if we were to convert those positions like we did in the current fiscal year,
that would take away the money that's in the part-time salaries, which as you see it drops by um 70 some odd thousand, $76,000. So it it's a little bit of a give and
take. um with with doing that and then the cost savings would really come down to overtime because even though we fixed half of the problem summertime holidays, it's still difficult to get part-time staff to put in availability and cover the shifts
that we need them to cover. So, we still end up covering it with overtime. Prior to this effort, we would see overtime budgeted at let's say just for discussion purposes, if you
remember, $80,000 and then we were coming in at the end of the year asking for $100,000 to make up the difference. We've tried to show
in the budget the actual cost of over time and with this shift to make sure we don't get in that jam again where we have uh an at the end of the year and
that is very very large. >> It's almost like truth in budgeting. So, how many conversions are there from part-time to full-time? >> Uh, we have two in our current budget. This would be the last two. >> So, the so the savings and overtime still out outweighs
the potential increase in health benefits or other >> if you look at in the past year 185 190 off the top of my head thousand that was the annual cost for overtime. you
were budgeting about and uh so you're looking at a overtime budget here of 130 instead of 190 you're look so that's 60,000 difference right there and you're
looking at having people that are reliable in instead of having someone you call in and they say oh I just did a double shift at the town I work at usually and I can't come in.
This gives you reliability, stability and it uh in effect keeps your hopefully keeps the budget where it should be as stability in the budget too as well
as a department. Do you have part- timerrs that are interested in taking a full-time position or >> We had we just had a resignation in January. We were we put out um the >> uh we put out the position we got one
internal and one external candidate for it. Yeah. >> Um we were able to promote the the internal person from part-time. So yeah, there is >> an interest. >> There is interest on our part-time staff. Do >> you have two positions? >> Parttime staff. How many part- timerrs do you have? We have currently
15 part-time EMS employees. >> I'm sorry. >> 15. >> 15. >> Yes. >> And it's difficult to get the availability. >> Yes. >> They all work full-time other places. Some of them have multiple jobs. >> What's the shift? Is it is it 20? >> Uh 8 to 4, 4 to midnight, midnight to 8
hour blocks. >> What's your staffing model right now? Is it two on the bus? two staff, two staff station three which runs the primary ambulance and the secondary engine and one staff this station here which has the primary engine and the secondary
ambulance. >> Look, if you were to look in your crystal ball and look along the horizon, >> do you foresee uh retirements coming within the department that we're going to have to face in the future >> in eight years?
>> Eight years. >> Mhm. >> That's No, nobody will be here. I was going to say that's you. >> That's me. >> Be specific. >> So unless they flee for somebody else, >> you have Yeah, I am the next one to go. >> Okay. Well, congratulations. Thanks.
>> Um the there was a small adjustment in the part-time, sorry, the assistant accountant uh line. Um Jamie's pay is a mishmash of >> every other thing that she does. So,
that's my portion of her salary. You'll notice in in a perfect world, there's a a small adjustment there for a part-time admin assistant. Uh, right now, I do everything. I do all the payroll. I do
all the reporting. I do everything. Um, so this would just provide a little office help for myself. Um, as you see, part-time, EMS, and call would drop down to $42,000. That's a best guess. That would be strictly for call firefighters.
Um we do still rely on call firefighters that don't work on the ambulance. They just call firefighters. Some of them are cross-trained. Um so we have some staff that way that helps out. Um but for the most part, these are the call firefighters. They only get paid if they show up to drills or calls. Um and
it's hard to get an accurate kind of picture of how much we spend on the qualifier side because it's a combined payroll. So to take out part-time EMS and figure out what the call firefighters earn is a little bit of a kind of throwing a a dart at a moving
bullseye. Um 42 is my best guess. It could be a lot lower than that in a slow year. It could be higher than that if we have a busy year like we had last year or shaping up to be this year. Um and then longevity is a known figure and that's uh $2,200.
Um it was 1,700 in the current year. It's going up to 2200. we have uh one new person that'll be eligible for longevity. Bringing that up. Um with the increase in staff, if that comes to fruition, we would need an
increase in clothing allowance. Um so that brings that goes up from the 7500 to the 10,000. That's just regular uniforms and dress uniforms for new hires. Um so that would be all-encompassing for that. energy we're leaving the same until we get some kind
of idea of what's going to happen. Um, and then all of the other small increases that you see on the expense side, everything there is either we're using more of it, so we need to buy more of it, like medical expenses, or the
cost of everything is going up, so we need to account for that so that we don't have to come back in front of you with a reserve fund transfer for those. So, that is it in a nutshell. >> Where do we stand on contracts? Uh
>> the union is currently in negotiations. >> Who is the union is currently in negotiations with the selectman? >> And and is that a three-year looking? >> Well, it depends on what negotiations result. >> I know the consensus is between both
sides. They want a threeyear. We'll see what happens. Um and I will also preface this with um again looking discussions will be happening in the next coming weeks about
how we want to approach that um individual that we're waiting for retirement on. Um do we want to include her full salary for the year or let it ride and come back for a transfer? However that goes, obviously decisions will need to be made with the
board as far as the staffing improvements and that kind of stuff. Um, but I am somewhat fortunate where I have a little bit of flexibility, not so much control as the golf. Um, but I do have the EMS reserve account. So, if I really
need to, um, state my case, I can always increase the amount that gets transferred in that to the general fund to help offset any increases that really fight for. And so the finance committee knows next week
we are sitting down to put together a plan as far as >> the uh especially with the new TA coming in. As far as the paying for the ambulance, the
bands, how we're going to roll over the bands. Uh my advice is to do it through bands and the reserve account. That way we don't have to go out and spend a lot of money on bonding and we can put
together a schedule that'll work and at the same time not uh deplete the reserve account too much. Where do we stand on the ambulance? >> So, both ambulances funding has been secured. It's sitting in my It's sitting in my budget in the article funding. Um,
one is being moved from the factory to the regional center uh next week and the other one is uh scheduled for delivery at the end of August, beginning of September. >> So, August, September will be your first delivery. Uh, note we should get our
first one either by the end of March or first week of April. It's moving over to Syracuse next week. Okay. And the funding for those is both secure. The only thing that we have left in the ban is uh the engine that we purchased last year. Uh that balance right now is
$650,000. So, I'll be working with Jamie and Jamie on what we do to pay that down and real roll it over and see how we can >> Yeah, I guess that's why it concerns me to use the reserve, right? Because we have these capital expenditures, which seems like the more appropriate thing to
be spending the reserve balance on and not operations. I will tell you that with what the balance that we started fiscal 26 with, what we brought in, and what we're scheduled to bring in this year, um, >> we're okay.
>> We're more than okay. >> Okay. >> So, how much is there then? >> Well, once we have the meeting and >> figure No, because I I I know we we put out in the town meeting that we could borrow to purchase the ambulances, but that was always just the last resort.
The expectation was there would be minimal if any. >> Ambulances are funded. That's not coming out of anything. >> It's not funding per se. It's the short-term notes, the bands. >> We we would we're sitting down to put together a plan cuz I don't want to
leave, >> the new TA >> walking in and not having an idea of what our idea on how to get through this. But a band is still borrowing, right? Short-term borrowing. Do long-term borrowing. But it's still
borrowing. >> Yeah. But it's borrowing because you had to have that authorization so you could order it >> a thousand%. But I the expectation was that >> be okay. >> Yeah. >> Because it would
>> we're okay. >> And that's fine. That's all I care about. >> We're going to be presenting a plan to the selectment. >> Okay. I just wanted to make sure things had to change. It's one of the things I want to clean up before I leave. >> Yeah. Okay.
>> Anybody else have any questions for Chief? >> Tom, thanks for coming in. Thank you. >> Uh great presentation. >> You know, in a perfect world, you'd get everything you want and ask for in the, you know, the request. But, you know, we're in a perfect situation here. So, I
think, you know, we'll all you know, keep that in consideration. >> EMA. Oh, that's right. Sorry. >> Sorry, I'm jumping the gun. >> Yeah, nothing changes. >> I was like I I still have two more things that I haven't written on. So >> guess what? Nothing changes. >> Okay, so that makes it easy.
>> Oh, okay. Sorry. >> There there is a wish list. There is a there is two versions of the EMA budget, too, but nothing changes. >> Perfect. We we don't the for what we use and what we do. We don't generally spend
the full amount out of EMA mostly because they're all volunteers and everything. >> Crying whenever I have to. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Not at all. Okay. We all good with our chief?
>> All set. So, >> I will email doc the current balance and the projected for the EMS account and you can >> Oh, doc is you. Sorry. I'm like, huh? >> Yes. >> Yes, please. >> I I back
you'll forward that to >> Well, you're always going to be doc. >> Yes. >> Took me a second. >> And I'll forward it. I'll make sure I forward it to everybody. Not last like >> not when we're sitting in a meeting saying, "Yeah, I sent it to you. I know I sent it to you." Thank you. >> Great job.
>> Thank you. >> All right. I think next we're going to take up this reserve puncture. Correct. >> Let's get to that. >> Where's Nick? >> I was going to say Nick could leave. >> Nick's up.
Come on, Nick. >> Hello. It won't be long since it's already almost 2 hours. Yeah. Everybody had a chance to look at your email. >> Okay. All right. Yeah. I don't want >> He said to us at 7:05. >> Oh, plenty of time. That's fine. I just
>> I didn't want to be longwinded anyway. It's one of those things where you get distracted. >> Yeah. >> And you know, Jamie pointed out she's been there and you just forgot to hit send. >> That's what happened to me earlier this evening. >> That's right. When everyone's trying to fall asleep later, you can read it. You know, it's good nighttime reading. Yeah.
>> No, it really is. So, um I'm here to talk about the water server. Um again, I'd rather if you guys want to just read that at some point. I don't want to get too longwinded. >> Um I did get another quote. Um and just
to show the importance of why we should move on this stuff. The price did go up $3,657 from the previous quote, which was only held for 15 days prior. So it's just showing that, you know, we have to move on these things and it's important to
kind of, you know, trust what we're doing. We have a a good process in place for all that. So that that increased since our last meeting. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> The volatility in the market say that >> the memory network and stuff like that going up because of AI servers, data
centers. >> Yeah. So I will say there's good and bad. Bad is that the price went up. good is that we still have the savings because after the board of selectman did approve it on the 17th. We only had till the 20th for that quote to be held. So I
did preemptively tell her to order our account manager to order it. So I will take the slap on the wrist because I knew that the restocking fee was going to be less than the actual price increase. So we are still locked in. The 16,000 is plenty of money for the
server. So we are we are good with that. But I did want to just, you know, reiterate if we had waited and to show the importance of their, you know, >> expediency. Eric, you don't have to pull out your checkbook. Okay, >> I'm good. >> I make a motion to uh to go ahead and
transfer. >> We got a motion. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? All in favor? >> Anyone opposed? All right. Motion passes unanimously. >> Thank you. If you end in one minute, he doesn't get the extra extra money for
two hours. So, >> we have we have some more here. Jamie. Jamie, I'll need the uh Do you have the original? Okay. Sign it. >> Thanks, Nick. Thank you. >> The FY the budget the memo I gave you is
a memo to the selection. It's just an FYI to you folks. Okay. I think it's self-evident. >> Yeah, we we don't have to discuss it. It's an ongoing target. >> We'll go through that. Um All right. Um old old business. Anyone
have any old business? >> I think it'll be clearer after tomorrow. >> Okay. Yeah. Uh under new business, um I want to bring up the fact that we have not um penciled in our library uh to
come in before us. there's a request um from them to come before our committee >> uh so they can give their their presentation. So we have to work them in um on a date. Now as during our meeting
um our FINCO member Pete Ponoi is at Old Colony tonight and they're on a time schedule as well. So, Old Colony is going to be voting on their budget on three on March
25th. So, they would need to actually come in next week, come in here next week to present their budget. So, we need to be able to work O Colony in to next week's meeting and we have to send out send out the invite to them. >> Um,
get one next week. >> Do you want to resched We may have to going to have to if you want to >> place police back a week then I think we might have >> we have police DPW >> mass water sewer
>> that's all the same >> let's see either it was DPW and police pretty much right >> so you want to bump them back a week >> I think we're going to have to so then so next week we could do OCI and library
>> library the importance of it is you have to stay within the certification limits, >> right? But I I I want to give them the the courtesy to come in and just and talk about their presentation and give them the opportunity um to do that. So I
think next week would be OC and the library on the 18th. So then the 25th >> it's supposed to be the school. >> We may have to push the school back that fall the one more week. >> But is the school going to be ready? We should reach out to them and find that out.
>> We're going to find that out tomorrow. >> So, you're going to push the school into April. >> It would be >> April 1st. >> Would it be April 1st? Is that next Wednesday? >> April Fool's Day. >> That was April 1. >> Yeah. So, yeah. O colony has to come in
next week. So, that changes all that. Um, >> yeah. If you have old Colony next week, then move police DPW to the weekend. >> Separate just one. That'll be one meeting. >> Yeah. to the 25th and then moves the school to the 1st. >> Yeah, that's that gives us plenty of
time. I mean, because town meeting >> we're looking the selectman haven't scheduled it yet. We got to put that on the agenda. >> Doing a joint schedule. >> Yes, we're the meeting with our school department will be a joint meeting with
the >> most likely will be in June town meeting. >> The first Monday in June more than likely. >> Uh >> first or second? Yeah, depending on. >> Yeah. So, if we if we finish up with the school on April 1st, we got plenty of
time. >> Mhm. >> Vote after that. Yeah. >> Well, that's at that point looking at my memo at that point is time to that's when the work will be done. You need 30
days right before town >> meeting or on what is going to be changed. >> Well, the other thing Jamie because of the transition um with the new TA coming in >> April 1st. >> So he's coming. So April 1. So you're
going to be kind of with him, right? Uh a little bit >> the helping out. Right now, the pending agreement with the board of selectmen is for March and April, I will work up to 20 hours a week.
Beyond that through June 30th, it'll be up to 15 hours a week. >> Yeah, cuz I think that's necessary to get him up to speed. >> That'll be enough for transition and town meeting and writing the warrant. Mhm. >> So, I guess my question would be if we
bumped the school to April 1st, would you and him both be in attendance at that meeting? >> Uh, most likely. >> Okay. >> Oh, I'm not abandoning. Uh, >> we don't have any idea as far as
articles. Uh the departments will be submitting the articles now, but uh you have very little free cash left. We spend it >> we always do every year, but we seem to
get 20 articles plus. >> No, but we spend it in the fall. >> Yeah. And so, uh, the, uh, my advice would be that you have to, uh, look at your budget
and then look at what you need to put into stabilization to keep that sweet spot for borrowing. And then look to see if anything's left cuz the budget's going up.
always does and your target for the stabilization >> fund goes up appropriately. >> So Kathy, can you send out the invite to OC tomorrow? >> Library and library as well. Thank you.
>> Something really quick. You've got revenue increasing by 967,000 >> estimate >> estimate and then this plus this of estimated expenditures. So almost 3 million.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> But if you look at I've got a really large rumored estimate >> for Well, their budget was presented last night and it that's around I think
that's what it said their increase they were looking for was about a 10% increase I think. >> So >> that would be that would be a million. Okay. >> Yeah. Overall 9.9% they said um
I didn't write down what the difference was but >> yeah about 1.4. Well, they they haven't even seen the revenue estimate yet. That will be at our meeting tomorrow. So, uh
>> I mean, >> you're looking at fixed cost. There are a couple things that haven't been done like uh you're looking at insurance that we're still talking to
the reinsurance stoploss carriers so that could t take health insurance down. >> Uh we have no idea the that was a back of the envelope for the trash increase.
I just see what other communities are facing. And you people are at the end of a five-year contract. So, and we all know that haulers and trash
haulers and processors are part of their costs that they pass on to us. our petroleum costs. >> We know where that's gone. >> We got two sets of minutes to approve.
Uh one from the meeting of February 18th, 2026 in attendance was myself, Phil Adams, Eratu, Christine Flynn, and Mr. St. Jean Centoi, Eric Glenn, and Lisa. We have a motion to approve. >> Motion to approve as presented.
>> Second. >> All in favor? I minutes are approved. Next set of minutes is from October 1st, 2025. In attendance was myself, Phil Adams, Eric Chu, Eric Glenn, and Mr. St. Gene.
Also in attendance was Mr. Kelly. >> I don't know who was absent. >> I was I was absent. >> It wasn't listed. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. All in favor? >> Okay, those minutes are approved. Uh, next next meeting date is next week,
March 18th, uh, right here, same time. So, we'll be meeting with El Colony and the library. >> Our um, hold on. >> I apologize. >> So, our schedule's been modified as of
as of today. So, Kathy, you got all the modifications that we made? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we'll have everybody covered. If for some unforeseen reason the we have to wait and have the school come in >> let us know quickly >> after April 1st. >> No, but our OC can't come in.
>> Well, no. I think they're going to I think they want to come in next week, I think. >> All right. >> So, I that's on that's the impression I got from from Pete anyway. Um >> but if we had to postpone our own school meeting till the 8th, which would be the
following Wednesday, I don't think that makes much of a difference anyway. I will not be there. >> You won't? >> No. >> Not with a deadline a week away. >> Gee, April 15th is what? >> I'm sorry. April 15th. Yeah. >> All right. In case anyone's forgotten, it is tax day. Don't forget to file your
tax return. >> So, >> electronic filing, we get you your refund. >> We'll try and make April 1 work. >> Mhm. >> All right. But we'll uh if anything has to >> But I'm not necessary. >> Amended. We'll amend it if needed. Go ahead, Eric. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second.
>> All in favor? Hi, we're John. Come here.