Got it. Okay. I have You gave me full power. Thank you very much. Thanks. Uh good afternoon everyone. Today is the April 23rd meeting of the Joint Capital
Planning Committee and we hope our final meeting together. And seeing not only that we have a quorum but we have everyone present. My first order of calling the meeting to order is making sure all members can hear and be heard.
And I'll just call out your names uh as I see them on my screen. Bob present. Sarah present. Nat I'm here. Lee here. Bridget present. And Holla
present. Okay. So the um I sent an earlier email uh today and as Sarah said this needs some discussion because it normally I wouldn't have shared it um by email. The town manager informed me
yesterday and I don't know whether this is a final final that he's likely in his budget to only do 10.25 25 for capital rather than 10.5 and that's in the rough neighborhood of
160,000. So I was looking for any items that we had not ex discussed or had a quasi discussion if we if we wanted to and we don't have to make a discussion if and Sarah this was very early on um
if he doesn't have 10.5 where we we clearly one place he could trim is we generated more than we needed to and we added it to things so he he he will know that so we don't have to do we don't have to do anything more. But can you
repeat again the the 0.25% amounts to 160? It's around 160 and I just I did Yeah, that's what I came up with. you know, it's not per it's 160 and some change, I think. You know, when I when I
looked at it, but but since that's not even official, it's it's unofficial except that I mean, Jen knows they've been working non-stop and through the weekend on this trying to make all the numbers work. So, so we don't we do not
have to do that. And I asked Paul whether he would want us to do it and he said we should just make our own decision. So, so with that said, um what I think might make the most sense is I can share
my screen with the document and we can go through it page by page is one approach. The other approach is to focus right away in the pages on areas where we hadn't had a full discussion or whether there are comments um that were
substantive. Um, so I don't know. I got comments from Sarah. Sarah wrote part of the sections and then putting comments in on paces I did and N Bob sent in and his edits are in there and then Nat some
said some in later and I incorporated some of his just corrected errors or redid wording. Um, so Bridget Lee Holla, I didn't hear from you, but I can do we can do this anyway. We can just go page by page if that makes sense to people. I
think so. And yeah. Okay. And people should just wave a hand when there's something we want. Where where do I share my screen? And here's the draft. Is Is that showing up for
everyone? Yes. Yes. And are you going to make changes on the fly or do you need someone to note? Yeah, I did think of that Sarah on which way I I did I printed out my if anyone has a printed version and
they do it um we we can I can do it on the fly if it's easy and otherwise we can just make notes and you can trust me to capture it. So, so just on the yellow shaded I did double check those numbers and I will
check again with Melissa. Natt, you had questioned whether um my the cash for new projects was correct, but I was taking it off of the revised Excel spreadsheet she gave us where down at the bottom she put uh cash available. So
I checked when I got your note whether I had copied the number wrong. And then I also checked what happened from the very first time we saw this till now is there was an increase in the current debt debt
amount and so that decreased the amount available for new projects. But I will have her double check if she hasn't already these numbers. Um, I see Sarah's hand is up and Holla's hand is up. Hala.
Yes, thank you. I just wanted to offer to um take notes today because I missed a previous thing. So, I would if you take minutes that would be very good. Thank you. Sarah. Yeah. Can you uh enlarge the document, please?
Yes. Better. Oh, super. Thank you. Okay. Does that work for everyone? Yeah. No, I'm going to do my best to also see the hands over in uh I think when you raise your hand, you go to the top of the column so I don't have to see
everyone at once. So the first um this is just on the blue that's that's an addition that's that's the actual amount we added to road. So that was you know the sir above edit that is the amount. So, as we're going along,
some of these people were great when they read them because balanced plan for. So, some of these are purely typos and I didn't make changes as they came in. So, I'm going to go to Okay, so this um and then Bob corrected my puffer pone totaled nearly
five million to it's actually more than five million. But on this the playgrounds um I put in a comment um that consider deleting and Sarah said we need to have a discussion. Bob said agree. So
um one way I thought we could reword this is to cons consider whether the war memorial playground is necessary given the pro proximity rather than consider deleting it or we could just stay silent
on it. You know, either way is fine with me. Both of these would be eligible for CPA. So, I'm I'm I'm willing to do whatever anyone would like to do. You know, I was looking for wherever we could reduce outy years and that's why I
flagged it. Sarah, I I I feel it would be premature for us to make any statement about this re recommending it or not. I mean, it's a it's a it's a big issue and I think the
public would have a lot of feelings about it. I mean, if you've got, you know, you're bringing your family to watch a football game, the little kids can play down, you know, on the playground, there there are reasons I I
can see reasons to having a a playground there, even because of its close proximity to other recreational assets. So I I wouldn't want to recommend not doing it. We could say that that is something for study or to explore with
the community, but we could also and I'm hearing what you're saying since there's been no discussion really, not even a big one in town. So we could just say we can recommend that the town seek CPA funding for either or and grant funding.
I mean I we got Yeah. funds for Kendrick the Kendrick Park playground. So I don't know what there might be but seek CPA or grant funding or either playground or the playgrounds I'll
say. And then I'm just going to delete the rest of this. I'm fine with that. It It's the war memorial. The entire thing is a budget has become a budget buster. The the bath house and all the other plans.
So, you know, in in in our the ne in our over the horizon, these may not happen anyway. So, does is everyone okay with this softening of the wording? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Just stop me if you see anything else. Um
Oh. Um sorry, I can't get my hand up in time. Sure. Um you can just you can shout out Nat too. just um the bottom of that page prior had the middle school roof and mold and
this comes up uh later in the document too and maybe Oh, right. Yeah, it comes up twice. Um yeah, I I missed that um discussion, but I was just confused uh between that being a um you know,
regional asset and since we are a town committee and looking at the town budget, what's our role and where does this come up? So, this was something that the meeting you missed um you know,
but it was very quickly suggested by me and and you're you were right that it's never been on a list and and I suggested it because we're hearing so much about the roof's poor condition. So, you're correct that because it's a region. No,
it's a region. The one other time we've done something as a town was the track and field where we put money into track and field out of free cash because we saw it as a community asset, not just a school. And our understanding, I think
from what Bridget told us is that they're they are seeking funding for the roof, but it wouldn't be over the pool and the gymnasium and where the wreck department is. But this came out of just purely putting it on the list because it's a big ticket item. So Sarah, you
know, so it it clearly does not have to be on the list and later I stuck a number on it which was inappropriate because I have no idea what the number might be. So so Sarah, so this is questioning should it be on the list at all and and how should we um frame it?
Sarah, I would say first of all, remove mold because mold is being remediated now and I don't know that that's really capital expense and it's I mean I I appreciate the thought. Um, but I'm also, um, yeah, it's tricky
to suggest money for the roof. And if you're thinking of free cash, which becomes available in the fall, it the other towns are not going to call town meetings, you know, to decide whether they have money to put into it. So, it I
think it would have to be a gift, which is a thing we could do, which is a thing the town can do. I don't know what appetite there would be for that but um I I I I you know a request to all the towns
for uh additional capital would have to come from the regional school committee of course. So no and and I when I put this on the list that is I had thought of it as a gift Sarah you know rather than you know at and it was be a gift to
supplement what the region was planning on spending. Um, when I saw the costs in one of Shannon's outyear capital things, I thought there's no way that's going to fly unless some extra. It was like the the track and field project to me that
that it wouldn't be fully funded. But but I I'm looking for, you know, I know Bridget liked this idea and she's school. So So I'm looking for anyone else on whether to leave this on the list and then later on we can make clear that what we're talking about is a gift.
Sarah, I think it if we leave it on the list, I wouldn't make it first. I you know, I'd put it like I'd put it last because I think the town would have and even the school the school
committee might um be more concerned about Crocker Farm that you know if if we if there's money for urgent needs. So, I just think the middle school is so big and uh anyway,
what you've done is fine for me. Bridget, yeah, my understanding of the situation is that we're in line for the state money that this roof will be getting done in fiscal year
27. And so to to have it in the arena for fiscal planning is really important because there's no way that we're not going to come forward from the schools with some sort of request given that the whole roof isn't covered. And I think it
was Bob, but someone said in the last meeting doing part of a roof at a time is um is not a wise idea. It's throwing bad money away. So um that was the reason why I thought it should be there just so that people can have it in their
mind for financial planning. It's definitely on the agenda and it's coming up. We have a lot more information. There's been a study done etc etc compared with um you know Crocker Farm where we're still in the beginning stages. So Bridget, that might mean that
the timing is off then because the end of the year if there's surplus, it's money that gets added into the FY26 fiscal cycle, you know, rather than FY27. I mean, you know, quote me,
but I just wouldn't take I agree with that with Sarah that it doesn't need to be on the top of the list, but I would oppose taking it off the list. Okay, Nat. Oh, um, if we can clarify now that I understand better that this is part
that's not covered, if we could clarify in some way that this is, you know, for whatever the the pool and other areas not being covered for areas not otherwise covered. Is that work?
Um, I wouldn't say covered. I mean because a otherwise funded or something MSBA accelerated grant. Okay. Just for language I would say like for
public use areas or something like that because there's some of those public use areas community areas not otherwise included in the MBA. Does that work now? That's great. Okay. And I'll do the same and
I'll do the same wording in the same order later, you know, and remove the dollars, you know, it'll just move to the bottom. Okay. So, this just this whole section explains our reasoning on moving around.
And just in terms of appendices, I as I looked at this, I think the simplest might be there's the short one pager that shows anything we changed, just the lists what it was originally. And then there's the one that goes on for four pages that shows every project. So that
you know by all the other projects we're okaying except for the ones that are yellow highlighted is the way that would risk. So that's all this I'm I'm looking for any changes on this page. Bridget, is your hand still up from the
other? Okay. So, just stop me if I am stop. Okay. Okay. So, here's one on the financial software. Um, I was flagging this mainly for Paul.
you know that he should really be thinking about does it help does it entice a new person to apply for fi finance director or would the finance person who's applying want to choose which software they prefer and
since the 100,000 would be behing buying the particular open gov software that would mean the town would have to buy it and install it so I inserted this and I was not here for that was the meeting I
missed when you discussed it. So Sarah. Yeah. Well, so I I question two things. Whether we need to tell the town manager to think about this. I imagine he is thinking about it and and getting a new
finance director. But but if if this is included in the capital plan, is the t I I can't believe the town is obliged to buy it. whatever it whatever the open gov or whatever it is obliged to buy it or even prevented from spending it on
some different software. I see it as just a pool as a pot of money available for financial software and which sounds to me like a very urgent need. So I wouldn't want to I wouldn't want to pull it out and then make a new person new d
the team wait a whole another year to apply to to seek this kind of funding. So so Jen Jen I think Sarah's correct that we didn't um even if the thought was open gov the line item is fungeible
for something else if if people want to use it that way. Correct. Correct. Um, open gov was just the most costly of the three or four softwares that we had seen. Um, so I think the ask was for the
most the most just to get what we could if available. Sarah, I guess we could do one or two things. just delete the paragraph altogether or say we discussed this and we decided to leave it in um for the
potential p purpose purchase of software. I I don't think we I would delete the whole paragraph because we don't need to discuss why we are approving all the all the projects we're approving. We've only been discussing the ones we're you know
okay I I'm fine I am fine with that if everyone else is. This was just take it out. It's gone. And if we do need to find $160,000, we'll
No. Clearly and clearly Paul is is perfectly capable of saying there's there's a place I could grab the money. Yeah. Okay. So, um this is officially gone. So, so Nat had a question. Whoops. Nat
as well as Sarah had a question on on this process. So, Nat was saying the the the process right now and people submit a resident capital request and as far as I know it just sits there. you know, the
finance finance director if he or she can helps them figure out a cost estimate. Way back when we thought it would go to the department and they would say that's how much this would cost, but this year that didn't happen. You know, Melissa did her best to do
this. So, and we had also in the past asked that there be review before they come to us, you know, so that we would know where where they sit, you know, are they already on a list or does this go into a bucket? So, as Sarah said is whose job
is it to clarify the process? I don't really know because I'm just saying that that there for four years in a row, we've said help. this process is giving us no guidance on how to um work with
it and and the residents uh don't seem to even get complete guidance on is it a capital request or not, you know, is it capital, you know, so sometimes we get things that are capital or there's a cost limit. So, I'm I'm willing to take
any change in wording here since Nat flagged it on a is it us that don't understand it? Is the town? Is it the resident? You know, like where where is where is the um lack of understanding? Sarah. Yeah. Well, maybe this committee
could have a couple meetings later in the year, you know, not not in May, maybe September or October and propose a process. you know, we're the ones who think it's unsatisfactory. We're closer to it than any other group. So maybe we
should propose one. And I don't know where it would go after that, whether to council or I don't know. I mean, this is a joint meeting of all the bodies. So sure, maybe we just decide it. We just decide what the process should be and somehow
uh make sure that people can find it to to know what the process is. So my my vague memory, but I I was also on the committee and chairing it at this time is that we tried to do that and Shawn was going to set this is when Shawn was
still here. We set up um we we in theory set up a meeting in the summer to talk about what the steps would be, but we could we could suggest that here. Um, you know, you know, it it might it might work to reconvene to talk about a
possible proc. I'm I'm willing to put that sentence in. Yeah. So, it might help. Yeah. I'm not I'm not eager for meetings, but but there's no point I don't know. There's no point in our complaining about the
process if we don't have a suggestion for how to possible process. Does that work? I think the first word should be it. It might. It might. And you don't need the comma.
It Yes. Thank you. This is what you get when I type fast. Inaccurate typing. It might help to convene uh JCPC to discuss poss a possible process. Okay. So, I I had a question on the appendix.
Sarah, you suggested Hold on. You had some hands up. Okay. I can't. Yeah, shout out. Go on. So, sorry. Just uh going going back to that point. I I was trying to understand in my own mind what was the problem that we were trying to
solve. And um I understand one issue is that some people for example I I know that Wildwood Cemetery actually approached Guilford and got an estimate and other people you know don't so the estimates are wildly off. Um but I
thought we were able to even though it wasn't you know that smooth we were able to kind of get feedback about how things how much things would cost and if things are like way over 50,000 and so forth. Um so
so in the I'll just give you a brief thumbnail of where some of the problems have been. We have asked that they have a priority list of streets in town that have been flagged for traffic calming. You know that you know in some places
it's just two streets where you can avoid a traffic light by going down two side streets and swinging around. And so you get people doing that and other times is people drive too fast that they come up with a map of the town and say here are the places and here's where the
problem is the most severe and that people would know. Um that's one issue that we ask for a plan. The second is we don't know whether it's already on a list or not of something to do. And
third, we don't know if we say this is a great idea, whether it'll ever go on a list, you know, whether us saying we like this idea and encourage it. So, um, and so what happens to something that the best example of this, well, it's not
a good example. There was a sidewalk studied on Eden East Pleasant Street that was in a JCPC recommendation. and it was done four years later after the recommendation and no one has ever seen the results of the study but we don't have a proposal for a sidewalk. It was supposed to be the first step. So
there's not been a clear if you do it what then happens. So it's those series of um things and as you said one of these went to Guilford and one of the processes was supposed to be when they came in if they didn't know the price
the either the finance director would try to find it out for people or would say you need to talk to Guilford about a price for it. There was supposed to be some loop they could go through so it didn't all sit on the finance director's lap. So that didn't seem to happen this
year on all on some but all. So those were the different places. Then the last part is we did want we were hoping to get a reading from TAC the transportation advisory committee if this was high on their list. And the TAC director said she didn't even know what
proposals were coming to us this year. Would I alert her to what they were? And I said I will the day we get them because I don't know what they are yet. So, you know, again, it didn't it didn't go through that loop of TAC saying,
"Yeah, this has been our list for a long time or yes, we think it should be on the list." So, that that hasn't been happening. I don't know whether that's helpful or not, but yeah. Yeah. A lot of lot of coordination. Okay. I I get it. Bob and Lee, it's it's hard for me to
see that JCPC deliberations on this will really matter. I mean it Guilford told us quite frankly that you know he has his own list of priorities and he's going to follow those and whatever we say basically he doesn't care. Um so
uh you know I mean I'm I'm I'm paraphrasing him a bit but but that was the attitude I got from him or the the that that was my interpretation of his response. Um, so I if we're going to do anything, I think we have to talk, we
have to involve the town manager and get the town manager to buy into, you know, what we see as um, you know, a, you know, high priorities that the town manager has to buy into it
otherwise it won't be a high priority. So, so Bob, do you think instead of saying JCPC that the town manager meet with TSO, the town the town ser the council committee to uh uh
uh to lay out a more coordinated process? I I think they're or or or is there or is there basically if it's if it's almost all of these by everyone have been crosswalks, sidewalks, speed bumps, and lights almost all with a few
exceptions. The resident requests have fallen into one. So it means it's always in the DPW usually in the DPW world. So I'm I'm happy to take any wording on this. Um, it's it's just hard for me to see how
JCPC can influence DPW into pushing something up the priority list because we don't know what the priority list is and we don't know what the decision make what what process is used to create a priority
list. I mean that that's to me it's like there's this whole uh decision-m process that's just a black box to me. Um and I don't know that that anything that we do will
influence the decision-m process. That's that's my that's my humble opinion. So maybe it's simpler to say this process needs to be reviewed by the town manager. I mean we open up
these these JCPC this year. You know in past year we had 10 this year but we always had presentations in the past you know of impassioned people arguing their cause. This year I'm not sure people knew when we were discussing it. Again,
I I I'm happy to put any writing in here. I do agree that despite us highlighting it year after year, um we haven't found a better process. Lee, you haven't spoken yet. So, Lee and Sarah. Yeah. Well, all I was going to say is if
JCPC I'm not sure when it was decided that JCPC would be a place where citizens could make direct capital requests. Oh, uh 1980 whatever I have the date. Yeah. Well, okay. So,
it's a long time ago. And all right. So if JCPC is going to continue to be the place where citizens can make direct appeals, then I agree. I think I hate going to meetings, but I think there, you know, I think we should try to
figure out some way to make it so it's not an exercise in futility. I mean just by just just lining up the process and having you know telling people who needs to sign off before it even comes to JCPC
or whatever but or otherwise there's no point in having citizens come to JCPC if if Bob is correct that the departments really have their priority list and they're really not swayed. Okay. So
suggest anyone Sarah you suggested this wording um it would are we convene and Bob said maybe JCPC isn't the right entity to convene um uh so can I can I propose
sure so uh where it says however there continues to be a need for more clarity in the process if we say in the process by which prop uh process by which propos proposals recommended by JPC JCPC are actually implemented by town
departments. Okay. So in the process by So tell me that again do it slower so I can type it. Okay. Uh for more clarity in the process by which proposals recommended by JCPC.
Can I suggest that that that be an and because I think there are two things that the process for the residents and then there's the process for us by which residents bring proposals to APCC and
uh process to to guide committee decision making. Is that So I I thought what we were talking about is is how anything that we recommend how it's actually implemented by town
departments. I thought I thought our our our difficulty here was we can talk about something and agree upon it but how it gets from us to actual implementation by the town department. Okay. So by which and
how such proposals are implemented by the town by the town departments department. I don't want to single out DPW in
particular. Yeah, I won't. So I'm just going to delete all the rest then. So the last part is something we put in last year and I think that's still true. We we'd like a transparent plan, you know, for this
stuff. Okay. And I'm going to take out this added one. Why? Why not? You don't think I mean I can I speak? I My hand I think is still Sure. Sure. Sure. You would have just had Yeah, I would put that back. Although I I would advocate putting that
back because I think one thing we can do is outline a process for the residents. Okay? You know, we had this on CPA too is like if you want to submit a proposal to CPA, please find the relevant department and talk about it with them
and get your, you know, have have them vet it and if they can endorse it, that's great. But because and and one thing I would add is if the if the cost estimates are well done like the Wildwood
crosswalk is is we do have the option of directly recommending it, right? We just say we want this one. No, we and we don't have to just throw it into DPA into DPW's hopper and say you decide. You know, we can't. But but I think to
do that we would want to have confidence in the cost estimates. So so helping residents to bring a really I'm comfortable with that. Yeah. Okay. So I think the two changes. Okay. So I did
want to ask do I guess we can it makes for a long document but do we want to add the entire an an appendex with all the proposals in it? We say we we're adding it and it's fine with me. There's a list of them here. The appendix puts
more wording. I'm only asking because it the document with the Excel spreadsheet as an appendix and this is long. It's in the packet. It's in a packet. It's in It's in the packet. We can just provide a link to it to the packet then. Yeah.
Okay. Okay. So, we take out the appendix B. Yeah. So, I'll I'll take out the appendix C and I'll put a a link to to the thing. I'll make sure these are good for you, Net. That was that was number
three. And if there were further appendices, they'll have to be relettered. Yes. Yeah, they I'll make sure that's fixed. The cheapest and most immediate. So, these were edits that I'm not I don't even remember whether the
red letter edit is Bob's or Sarah's, but I had no problem with them. Um, and I just left them in. They're they're my edits. Um, y I I the first one, the cheapest and most immediate is what Guilford told us. He
told us it was the cheapest uh you know, the least expensive uh approach. Mhm. I can I wasn't at that meeting, but that sounds like a mo most likely to spark a riot. Well, it's it's not good approach. Just
turn it into a flood. Hey, we saw the station road is something that I've been, you know, talking to the the the residents about quite a bit. Uh it's it's close to my house and it is a real problem. And so I I wanted to put in
there that they really want something done. In fact, the the uh the citizen wrote back to DPW again today or yesterday um about putting something in there to slow traffic. Um it's a it's a
it's a quite frankly it's a very dangerous situation. I don't walk there anymore because of it. I'm I'm fine. I some anyone can I am fine with these changes you know I didn't I would have put a comment left not sure or not but I left
them in you know for whatever reasons our DPW has an aversion to speed humps speed platforms anything that's a slight rise in the road that would slow people down they ex they they prefer more expensive
options um probably hard on plows you know it is but But I you know what I've been observing is there are some that aren't very high and you can your car can go up and down them very nicely and so can a snow plow and so can a fire engine. You know they
don't have to be the super ones like the UMass ones now. You'll you'll really car if you go if you go over them too quickly. My my experience on station road is that the unfilled potholes are slowing me down.
Maybe just blast a few more potholes in the road. I actually had when I went out knocking on doors for the school, I had someone on Flatills beg me not to pave their roads because there are enough potholes that people are finally driving slowly on. Well, yeah, that is a
problem. So this was a net this blue um it was slightly exceeded given the list of vehicles other competing demands and the onset that we have a long list of things not just vehicles coming
up. So Nat you had said it's not just what it's competing with vehicles it's it you know everything is competing with everything once once we get past this. So these were
all mainly word edits. So I'm taking out this this yellow all together the whole and the bullet though or these are currently okay that one or both could be supported by CPA. Right. Yeah. You know
so we're just deleting this that's gone. So, no special mention of more memorial vehicles that I'll fix that half the word is bolded. That's a oddity. Um, uh, Bridget, your hand is
up. And if I don't see your hand, just call out that your hands up. Sure. So, um, I've just done a little thinking on this. I noticed that um in the town charter it says that there that there
should be uh like the inventory that includes the useful life, the mileage, other pieces. Um so I just wanted to add like can where I lost a section you were just on vehicles. Okay. Down that's
where I'm thinking. Hang on. Sure. Yep. Sorry. Are you suggesting to mention the charter? Well, the charter says that the town council should establish such a policy of a a vehicle replacement policy. So,
I'm not telling the town counselors what to do, but maybe, you know, that could make our job easier. But the main thing that I wanted to see in here was was a mileage standard because on every type of vehicle, a mile driven is a mile driven. So, you know, I think that's
something, you know, like they could use some sort of overall inclusion of the word mileage somewhere in that paragraph. Tell me where you want including Okay. include a mileage standard here. Mile y standard
and Yeah. And then just use the word and whether the costs right or right. Perfect. Well, we have a several whether the cost of repair is high, whether the vehicle has been out of commission. There are series of things that could be part of this policy, right? And Bob has
volunteered to bring this to the finance committee to to establish such a policy, right, Bob? I think we need to I I think the finance committee is the way to start, but I agree that the council has to adopt it. Yep. I thought one thing that was
interesting because I was trying to figure out like um why was the police having so many problems with their vehicles that you know like 100,000 miles and the vehicles they're getting JD Power puts it like the 10th in the top 10 of most unreliable and the car I
drives in the most top 10 of most reliable and so I wonder also what kind of selection they can have or what's available to them within it both the F 150 hybrid and the
um oh what do you call it the Ford Explorer both on that top 10 baddies list so that might be costing us some money. Yeah. Unfortunately there's there there is only one manufacturer that builds something called a a police uh
whatever you know version um that that and Ford does it. So, um I mean I when I when I when we first moved to Virginia way back in 1987, we noticed in Falls Church, which
was a small community within Fairf within uh Arlington County, they they drove Volvos as police cars. It turned out they had a Volvo dealer in the town. They must have gotten them through there. But I mean, you
know, it was it was a bit bit uh surprising to see that. But um I I agree with you, Bridget. I mean, we need to look at what what's out there. Uh, I think though that what what I've heard
from the police is there's only one manufacturer who produces a vehicle that is a police standard vehicle, but I don't know that you couldn't, you know, get it somewhere else. Yeah, there's
like a couple of towns that I've lived in that used to use Toyotas when I was out in Colorado. So I know they do it but the question is are they around here? What are what's available on the east coast right etc. So are people I I agree with you and we
have definitely been told we've got a monopoly provider when it comes to police cars. Um but none of us have ever looked into is does that mean everyone in the state of Massachusetts has a Ford Explorer? You know we we haven't looked into it. Um, and I'm sure the town
probably has not either cuz they're outfitting it with all the special stuff that the police cars have in them. Um, but so we're we are definitely, you know, and the Yes. So, have we written
enough in this paragraph on this? Okay. And the the next edit was an edit for accuracy that Nat made on the CH library debt service. The debt service is based on the 15.75 million. It's not debt
service of 15.7, you know. So I, you know, I I rewarded it, you know, I rewarded it. Nice nice catch. you know, so you know, it's the actual the full amount is more than 15.75 when
you add the interest rate in it. But in any case, this is now worded. Um, so the yellow is I don't have and maybe Jen, you know, I don't know what chapter 90 funds are this year. Um, so I
added last year's chapter 90 to this year's allocation and actually uh, you know, looking out to 500,000 a year. It's been, for everyone who hasn't been on the committee, it's been flat with no increases. So, it was kind of
easy to add it. So, I'll just doublech check this number. The other thing um and Jenna I think you're taking notes is Melissa has a summary thing that no longer shows this grant and Jen had suggested that it show
up in the capital improvement plan as a footnote that there's an additional whatever 890,000 for roads from chapter 90 so people wouldn't think that our money is the only money Bob. Yeah, I would I would add something at the end of this
just to you know this is I'm sorry I this is one of my pet peeves but this is not enough to um forstall a continued deterioration in the you know in the roads of the roads in Ammerst. Um this will not be
enough to forstall a continued deterioration larger a continued deterior deterioration a continued a continued deterioration of the roads in Ammerst.
Sorry, Lynn is a few of our counselors are better typists than I am. Uh, just for anyone who wasn't on the comm. Sorry, is my um computer reading the words right now? Your
computer is what? It just started doing that on mine. Sorry. So, we were told either last year or the year before that it takes a million dollars for a mile of roads. Just just to give you some framework on this isn't
enough. And that's if you take the road all the way down, you know, it's a major repair. But the the the the town engineer briefed TSO on this and came up with a
basically he showed that if we only invest 1 to 1.5 million a year, we're going to have a continued deterioration of the roads. It'll take 3.6 million of town funds on in addition to whatever we
get from the state in order to kind of maintain roads. And if we want an improvement, it'll take $5 million uh plus whatever the state gives us. So, I mean, that's assuming the state money doesn't go up go up. But, I mean, it's
it's we have a serious problem with our roads. So, um Bob, do you want you can give me those sentences. Do you want me to add all of that information here in this? No, no. I mean, I I think Okay. I think it's clear. I think the town manager
knows this is going to the town manager. I think the town manager knows that what we're doing isn't sufficient. Um but we don't I mean where are we going to get the money from it? I don't know. Uh the state miraculously recognizes
that we have 30,000 students, trucks, and delivery vans driving on our roads. Wonderful. on a regular basis and there we should get a larger road allocation than a lot other Hallelujah I had this
crazy dream that we'd put a toll plaza in and start collecting tolls okay so I'm already starting an edit and please move this bullet to the and
then we're going to re move this yeah yes but I mean move the whole bullet Yeah. And I'm going to move the whole bullet. So I'm just going to target this to sub supplement. So what was suggested earlier was wording that would be as as
a gift um for the community parts of the building or something. So it says now supplement MSBA prayers. So I right now it's an asset for the town and then I was going to
remove Bob added this one this red one right here. So if we're talking about a gift it wouldn't require and why don't you say target target this gift? Target this gift. Thank you. Just
change. No, no, just change support to gift. Okay. To Okay. Yeah. To supplement. I got it. This gift to supplement. And then move and then I'll move it down. Let me
get it. Move it down. Pull it. Ah, great. It reinumbered everything. I love it. I love it when I did it right the first time. Okay. So now the number one is if we're
ready to do something on design, the southeast intersection is number one. And I don't know what happened to Crocker Farm. It should be here. It was supposed to be here. So I'll put Crocker Farm back in. You know, it's in our other list. I I'll just copy and paste.
I would just follow the same uh the same order that we have earlier. Yeah. And where was Crocker Farm, Bob? After I'll look I got my copy somewhere. I can't find it. No. Crocker
Farm was second after Southeast Street middle school potential design Crocker Farm vehicles road repair. Okay. So this and then middle school. Okay. Crocker. So
it's after South South East Street and then Crocker Farm is next and vehicles is next. If urgent work, I'll just do the same
wording is needed. If any urgent work is needed, if any and then vehicles is before road repair. Okay. And this goes in slightly more,
Bob, than this was when we discussed last week, you know, selecting at least one and it could include the roadside mower. Um Yep. So, believe it or not, I think we're almost done. You need you need to put it
you need to put a a roads as a Yeah, that's why there's an extra bullet. The next bullet. Oh, thank you. when I this period. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. If I accept the edits, this will not be
messy. But but now there's an extra one. Did we remove something on? Uh so vehicles didn't vehicles still showing up. Let me see what happens if I I'll fix it. Vehicles is in twice, Sarah. So, I'll
make sure there's You see vehicles number The number five is still next to vehicles. I'll fix it. I will fix it. One, two, three, four. There should only be five. And I'll make sure it's five in the same order.
So, these this next matches the spreadsheet. the detailed spreadsheet with the bottom of everything and I don't have need to say if the town needs to purchase the software. Get rid of that. So these numbers are in the
spreadsheet in the sections as uh Melissa set them up because when we delete things it just and I can double check but I'm pretty sure it's correct and I will double check. So flag
anything else as I whip through this this is I don't know why why is JCP meetings and discussions in italics and not bold and underlined if it's a new section would you like it to be well it
seems like it means it's a subsection of enterprise funds so I don't think it's approp let me how Do I I get up here? Get rid of Get rid of that. Turn it into bold
and turn it into line without bold. Thank you. Is that correct now? Looks like it. Yeah. Okay. What you're seeing now is something we've always put in. I find it kind of boring, but you know, it's like we met this many
times and this is what we did. But and then we thank people this might be a place to provide links to the packets or any okay just a thought if you think it's
okay you know minutes and stuff like that okay so link Sarah tell me which exactly which links you're talking about links to which just to just where people can find
packets of you of Dr. Okay, so the over the overall packet list for just the committee web page. Okay, we'll do I'll I'll just I'll put link. Okay, I'll do that. Slow down. Wh Okay. I want a comma after
again. That's yellow. The reason it's blue is it needs a comma there. Okay. So, these weren't things I added, by the way. This was I mean, I I'm just saying that I' I've been trying to Sarah
did a great job of fixing all of this in the draft I sent to her. Um, okay. So, this is a Sarah would like to see an update on recent. Yeah. on the previous year's plan like like we did started doing for CPAC you
know tell us what got completed what do you intend to complete are you giving up on some projects and money goes back into the pot in the future we
recommend an update on the previous year's plan What was funded? Yeah. What completed
and what funds returned or something? And what funds were that's um were returned from prior years. That's supposed to be something we get every year. Um, where
we appropriated and they weren't all spent. Well, yeah. I mean, we're not even finished fiscal 25, so there's no reason that they should have spent it all by now, but it Yeah. Yeah. No. And it's it
was supposed to be looking back three years or later or further that it's still not all you know and one of the things if you match them the outyear projects changed not just you know the you know so it's like why if it's a five-year plan are we seeing new
projects on the next years and some of the projects that used to be thought of as important have disappear. You know it's it's not the same it's it's not an ongoing list. So yeah. So I think does this do enough
Sarah in the wording for what you wanted? Well, if you think it should be three years, I mean it just says the previous years. If you mean the previous three years from the first go up one line.
Okay. It's a project. No, go up one line. We don't get an answer get this information until things have been sitting for a couple of years. So the way way we had set it up and what funds
remain from projects older than was the way was the way we got a report and then there was a check back with everyone. Are you going to use that? It's something I think you've done with CPAC, Sarah, when you were, you know, it's like, are you going to spend the rest of it or, you know, should we just close
the account? Yeah. And we said we we were able to say like you've got three years. If you haven't spent it, we're going to take it back unless you Well, then one of the things that happened uh two years ago is some money not needed
by the schools from an authorization. The it was written broadly enough that they could use it for another project, you know, so it could also be re reallocated um go into the budget but then redirected. So I
think this captures what you're asking for and I'll fix these appendix appendix one now I think is just the short version of which projects we changed and two is the whole set of projects with w with yellow highlighting and there is no
three anymore. Weren't there references to A C and D? Uh, well, maybe it's appendix A. I'll I'll make sure if it's appendix A and B, I'll label them. I will I promise I promise I will do this. If it's I'm happy to proofread what
you've done. Yes. So, I will get this I should be able to get it done tonight because these are pretty simple. And just, you know, line up this and then send you I'll also send the file with a title on it that says appendix A and appendix B. And when they're printed
out, they'll come uh usually uh the staff uh does them as PDFs and maybe we can copy and paste them into the document then. So, anything else?
Um oh. Ah, this was one. Oh, sorry. The very last the closing paragraph which should probably be up in the summary also is uh Nat made this even stronger. We recommended the town manager convey this
concern. I've double checked this concern to the council and the necessity to priory and assess competing needs. Um Melissa nice quietly said to us that when the big buildings come in we'll only have about three million. And I
think one of the little side comments Nat you did like, well, this won't nearly be won't be nearly enough given what we're looking at. I mean, this we're we're facing um we're facing a real squeeze this year
in contrast to the following years was easier. Um I think so. This is our closing paragraph. Um and since it's on page 10, maybe we should say it twice. We should put it right up in front. You know, Bob, so you know, Bob, you re
the front literally has the first two pages are an executive summary, but I can figure out whether it's literally said at the beginning wherever we I mean, we we should say it upfront as, you know, as quickly as we can. Okay.
Um, you know, w without destroying the flow of what we have. Okay. I mean, I agree. It's a it's a real problem right now. We have unbelievable capital needs in this town and we don't have the money to to meet them.
Okay. So, it might just go in like somewhere right in this beginning page. You know, I'll just try to figure out so it you know that you know you know it's hard to say we conclude something before we say what we found. But I'll try to figure out so that if you don't read for
more than two pages, you also see that sentiment. So this is so right now I would love a motion to approve this as the final with um as amended
note subject to final proof reading so that we can submit it to the town manager. And then the second part of that would be you delegate for me to make you accept the changes here and then Sarah can be my proofreader. So it doesn't have to come back to you all
that we're just proofreading at that point. We we won't do any editorial other than commas poor wording if people are comfortable with this as being our final draft. So, I'm going to I'm going to stop
sharing machines the screen. How do I do that? Stop sharing. Is that Is that okay to stop sharing? Yeah. Okay. Now, how do I do that? It might be at the top. Uh little red button.
Red button. So, do you need a motion? I do need a motion. I will try to craft one. I'm not I'm not uh uh Miss Hanicki, but um um
uh I move to accept the report as final and submit it to the town manager for approval subject to editorial comments that were made during this meeting and
uh can be incorporated by the chair and vice chair. Lord second. Okay. Two. But it's okay. So the one I only change I have in your wording is submit to the town manager for approval. It's just
submit to the pound manager. Okay. This is he may or may not go with our recommendations, but he doesn't have to approve them. Okay. subject to edits by the chair as
needed and seconded by and ha you're taking notes and you'll also we'll send you the video right away so you can capture by h Lord thank you so I will uh if there's no further discussion I will look for a vote and this is a vote to
approve and send Bob I s go ahead no just go ahead question Will you send it to the whole committee? Copy the whole committee as well as the town manager when it Absolutely. I I will copy every when I send it and Sarah noticed that
last year it said draft four or something. It didn't say final. It will say final and it will be submitted to the town manager with a copy to everyone. And what then happens if the system works is it actually gets
posted on the website there every you know each year the um the recommendations about JCPC do get posted um so they're there for everyone and I don't know how many people saw the gazette today but somehow the gazette
that was interesting I don't go there just don't go there well I actually wrote the I wrote the writer that it hasn't gone to the council and the council doesn't get to decide this. The headline is wrong and the second paragraph is wrong and how how do you
know this? But but yes, everyone will be copied on the whole package so that you have the final. So I I actually think we're finished. Um Sarah, I sent you a We
didn't vote. Oh, I didn't do the vote. Okay. Bob, hi. Sarah, yes. Nat, yes. Bridget, yes. Holla, I. Lee, yes. And
Kathy is a yes. It's unanimous. Okay, we did do a vote. And I also can't close unless I I do have to look for public comments if there's We do have public. So, I I just want to make see whether there are other comments on this before
I opened it to the public. Bob, any other closing comments or additional? Just thanks to the finance department for all Oh, a huge thanks to Melissa who couldn't join us today and Jen and everyone who's working behind
the scenes and to all of you. I mean, this was this was a very robust pro process. Um, Bridget, the background research you did was in my experience hasn't never been done before and it was much appreciated, you know, I mean
really going out if you had a question going out and seeing what's happening in the rest of the world. That was terrific. So, I'm going to open it up by week, but I didn't get that far. I did one week and then I quit. Well, it's a lot to ask. Um, so I'm opening up to
public comments. There are three attendees and I want to see if there if anyone in the public has a comment, please raise your hand. Seeing no hands, there are no public comments. And uh Sarah has now
put in a suggestion in the document that we all meet again someday before before the year is over. and we'll if if that should happen, I will let you all know that we're we're planning on doing it. And um otherwise,
I want to thank everyone for um being flexible. We've had to reschedule meetings twice. We uh in in once in the same week, which was great. Um and Zoom crashed on us, but Sarah rightfully said, "Hey, we have another meeting
scheduled. Let's just grab that date. Why not?" So I thank everyone very much for uh what was accomplished this year. Thank you. And we are adjourned. Okay. At everyone we are at 512.
Thank you. Bye bye everyone.