Yeah, it's under the more. >> I think I did it. There we go. >> You did it. I heard it. >> Yeah. >> Awesome. >> Great. Well, I will just welcome everyone. I'm I'm the vice chair and since we don't have a current chair at
the moment, which we will be getting shortly, um I just I will serve to welcome everyone and to gather us to get started. Um hopefully you all got the welcome, you know, the packet for the meeting in
advance. Um I have to thank Leah for stepping in. Um and doing a heroic job on gathering all of our questions and getting those out and getting all of the materials together since this isn't something I think that you've done
before. So I really appreciate all your support and all the help that you've done to get us rolling. Um, so welcome to the new CPA season. Um, we have a number of new members. We are waiting for two other members who I'm not sure
if we heard from Dave Williams or from Jason if they were planning. >> I haven't heard from them. >> So, we'll just we'll just start. Um, I thought it might be good to just um
take attendance by way of and checking microphones by way of um introducing ourselves to each other since we have new members. So, I'll just call this meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. Um, and if
that's okay with the group, we'll just I'll just call on folks. But just a a very quick introduction. For example, uh my name is Katie Allen Zoel. Um I've been a member of the CPA, this is my sixth season, and I have been a town
resident since 1995. Um and I I worked for a number of years, about a decade at Ammerst College and then at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for about 17 years. So, I've been in the philanthropy world for a long time and right now I've run two different um businesses
supporting nonprofits um with executive coaching and philanthropic advising. So, I also I have two children who are adults and went through the Ammer school systems. So, if you if you don't mind, we'll just go around the horn um
and introduce yourself and that's one way of taking attendance as well. So, um, I'll just, uh, start with Bob and then you can name the next person. >> Uh, sure. Somehow I knew you'd start with me, Katie. Um, so I've lived in
Ammerst since 1990. My wife and I, uh, actually lived in Ammeris for four years because we were, um, college sweethearts in Ammeris College many a year ago. And we live on East Hadley Road. We have uh 80 acres of farmland here in the valley
and I have had a career in uh natural resource private equity which is going to be ending I'm very happy to say in about two years like Katie had or two two months sorry two years god I'd never make it. Um and like uh Katie we have
two kids who grew up in the Emer school system. I did a bunch of coaching and I've been on various town committees and I love Ammerst very much. Okay, now on to you Robin. >> Okay. Um I've been in the valley since
95. Uh became a permanent Ammeris resident in 2000. Um I am the community uh the historic commission uh representative to the CPA committee. Um, I got my uh historic preservation degree
relatively recently, 2022, my master's degree, and um I currently work uh at the Mass Historical Commission um helping to move preservation forward. And I've been on the CPA for I don't I
don't know how long. Longer than Katie because I think I think I encouraged her to come. >> You did? And and longer than me, but she took a year off and then came back. So, that's a thing you can do. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, how about Angus?
>> Hi everyone. Um, I'm Angus Mloud. Um, I am in my second year of living in Ammerst, so slightly different from the previous three. Um, I'm the planning board representative um, for the CPA. Um, and I am a professor in education
studies and American studies at Ammeris College. Um, and we have a uh 15-month old baby who was born right after we moved to Amoris last year. So, it's been a eventful few years, but I'm excited to
join you all. >> Great. Glad to have you. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Congratulations. >> Yeah. >> Um, how about Ellen? >> Hi, everyone. Uh, my name is Ellen Kaider. I moved to Ammerst 10 years ago
uh for my job at the Eric Carl Museum. Um I have since um retired from that and am getting more involved in civic engagement. Um this is a committee I've wanted to be on for a long time. Um having spent my professional career in
nonprofits, always the one asking for money. Um so I'm very excited to be on the other side of that. Um, and I first became familiar with uh the CPA uh when I worked with Dave uh on the um Ammerst
dog park task force and I um in addition to this committee, I am currently chair of the Ammerst public shade tree committee. Um and two kids. Um my daughter went through high school here. Uh she's the one who's out in Breen
Ridge, Colorado. and uh 18-year-old son who is a freshman at Ohio State. >> The Ohio State. >> The Ohio State. >> I'm gonna learn that one of these days.
>> I We think alike, Bob. Okay. Jonas. >> Yes. Hi. Um Jonas Cox. I've u been in Ammerst for about 10 years now. I moved out here from Boston, transplanted my family, most of them willing. Um, my wife had to actually do a reverse
commute for a couple years, which is pretty brutal. Um, but we both work from home now. I work for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a video producer. Uh, I came to the valley for a job with WGBY. Uh, I was fortunate to get out just before they cut all the TV part of that.
Um, so I work on the rec I'm on the recck department. Um, uh, my son especially was very much into sports in Ammerst. Um, both my children are are out of the house. Uh, University of Arizona and Bingmpington, so we're
recent empty nesters. Um, I think, um, I was Yeah, I I coached JVB soccer. Uh, and, uh, that was my my one foray into that. That was a little tricky. Um but uh just involved in the wreck and I
really love all the open space in Ammerst and um really excited to to be on this committee and help uh decide the new you know new trae trajectory of uh of Amoris. So
>> great. >> Thank you. Thanks Jonas. Glad you're here. Tim. >> Yes. Uh so I am a longtime resident of Ammeris. I came in the early 90s. Uh I was a fundraiser at Ammeris College for
about 15 16 years that Katie and I actually started working there on the exact same day >> we did. >> Uh I've been retired now for 15 uh years. And as I explained earlier uh we are moving out to Denver. So this is my
last volunteer stint. I've done a lot of volunteer work for the town. I've been on the finance committee, the town uh town meeting. Uh yesterday was my swan song as an election warden. So uh I've been quite involved with with town
activities prior to my coming to Amoris. I was a hospital administrator. So uh and unlike the Ohio State University, I did that graduate work at the University of Michigan. So just uh get that dig in.
Uh but I have uh actually two sons. One of is in Denver that I'm going to be uh moving close to and the others in the Boston area and I have six grandchildren. Uh the youngest, believe it or not, now is uh is 15. So I go the
range of uh my oldest is almost 28. And so anyway, that's my background. Thanks, Tim. And Jason, you're up. >> Hello, I'm Jason Dornney. Uh, this is my
second season on CPA. I'm on the Conservation Commission. I'm the Conservation Commission rep for CPA. I've been in Ammerst now since 2021. My wife is pursuing a PhD at UMass. We
have two kids in the at Fort River. Um love love the town and um really like this this committee here and looking forward to another year and working with
everybody and um yeah just just really have enjoyed the time last year and looking forward to it. >> Great. Thank you. So, it looks like um Dave Williams is our only um he's
confirmed, correct, as a committee member from housing authority. Okay, great. >> I believe so. Yes. >> Yeah. So, um we have one absent. So the the only other um
thing to do before electing a chair is it um and I should have maybe done this sooner is that we each for those of you who are new every member takes uh a meeting is the minute taker is responsible for producing the minutes um which is helped greatly by the
recording. So you certainly can take minutes during the time that you're on task, but you can also take them from the recording. And essentially all the attendance and all votes of motions and amendments need to be recorded, but you don't need to record
every aspect of the debate or discussion. Um just, you know, kind of highlights so it's not too ownorous. Um do I have anybody willing to do that tonight? It's probably the easiest one of the year. Robin She got her hand up.
>> Easiest one of the year. I'll be late at and get in submitting it anyway. >> Done like a truly experienced CPAC member. >> I'm really great at volunteering and really bad at getting my minutes in. So, we'll see if I can improve this year.
>> All right. Well, that's honesty. I appreciate it. But thank you so much for volunteering. Okay. So um the most I guess the the next order of business is to elect a chair and a vice
chair and we'll take that separately starting with the chair. So I welcome any motions for a nomination from the floor and Bob.
I would like to nominate our current vice chair as the chair. I second. >> Okay. Oh, Tim, I thought you were on my side. Um,
>> I am on your side. >> On your side. >> Okay, that's true. Good. Good point. Okay. Point well taken. Point well taken. Thank you. Um any other um nominations? I mean we can take more
than one if someone else was interested and wanted to do that role. I would welcome any other nominations. Okay. Is there any discussion about the nomination that is on the motion that's on the floor and seconded?
>> You just better be good, Katie. That's all I can say. >> But you'll be to blame if I'm not. So, no worries. Um, >> since you've been on um on the committee for six years, it sounds like you're the perfect candidate.
>> Oh, wow. Ellen, thank you. I I appreciate it. I This is my final year in our two, three year blocks. Um, so someone else um will take the mantle
next year, which is fine. It's I'm happy to do I'm happy to serve. So, why don't we take a vote? Um, and the way we do votes is by roll call. And so, I just ask that you know, most of you have your um microphones, you know, your audio.
You're not muted. I'll just say that, which is great. So whenever we call a vote, it is helpful to just unmute yourself for the vote so we can just rapidly go through the roll call. Um, okay. So
all those in favor um we'll just go one by one um to nominate me for chair. This is so weird. Um I'll start with Robin. Uh I >> Tim.
>> Hi, >> Bob. >> Hi, >> Ellen. >> Hi, >> Jonas. >> Hi, >> Agnes. >> Hi, >> I I'm going to do that. >> Angus, I I need to know that I have an
uncle Angus, so just I I'll get it. >> Uh, Jason, >> hi. >> All right. Well, thank you all. I really appreciate your confidence in me. >> Thanks, Katie. Oh, you have to accept,
>> right? Or I guess you accepted your nomination. >> I did accept. Yes. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. Officially I'm officially accepting the nomination and the vote. So, thank you. All right. So, the next order of
business then is to um nominate a vice chair. So, I'll entertain any and motions to nominate someone as a vice chair. And since Tim is not going to be with us
in in the in the Ammerst as a resident, he's not he's not eligible for vice chairing. >> However, I will make a nomination and that's for Jason. >> Do I have a second? >> Second.
Thank you. Um Jason, should should I ask if you'd be willing to accept? >> Yes, I'd be willing to accept the vice chair position. >> Awesome. Awesome. Okay. Any um further discussion?
All right, let's let's take that for a vote. Um I'll start with me. All those in favor? I for me, Robin? Hi >> Tim. >> Hi >> Bob. >> Hi
>> Jonas. >> I >> Ellen. >> I >> Angus. >> Hi. >> And Jason. You can vote for yourself. >> I >> Okay, great. >> You guys have it.
>> And I'm assuming you're accepting since you told me you would. So, thank you. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. All right. Um I think the next order of business was um public comment.
So I think we have two members of the public in attendance. Do we bring them in? I don't know the Zoom. >> Katie, we we can look and see if anyone raises their hand from the public.
>> Leah can see those. or you can >> so anyone from who's in attendance on Zoom that wishes to speak is welcome to do so now. You can raise your hand to indicate your interest in
speaking. I'm not seeing any hands at this time. >> Oh, there's one. Oh, there is >> me. >> Hi, welcome. >> Just want to thank you for Hi. Thank you for doing this. It's a really wonderful piece of work you all do. Thank you.
>> Hi. >> Oh, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Katie, before we go on to other business, could I say one thing about staff support just for members? >> Please.
>> So, I wanted to echo your thanks to uh Leah for stepping up. We've had some transitions in the um accounting department and Leah is amazing. I've worked with her for years as has Shawn and Shawn is we're welcoming back Shawn Mangano as our finance director. uh and
we're really pleased to have him back with us. So, you know, our role is to make your jobs easier, to bring you the information, get you the information you need to deliberate, to review, deliberate, and make your recommendations uh later on this fall.
if you have questions, you know, typically they would go through Leah um and and uh she would work with Katie as the chair and Katie's absence, you know, Jason Jason would run meetings. If Katie isn't able to be here, then Jason could
step up and run the meetings. Um my role is historically, and I'm kind of new to Ammerst, but I've been working with this committee since 2004. Um but uh my role is is kind of a content piece coming from the town staff side of things. You
have I think you have 16 proposals this year uh nine or 10 of them coming from the town. But my role is to work with our staff in the planning department, Department of Public Works, recreation department, uh etc. to make sure you have the information you need. If there
are technical questions about proposals, um uh I'll bring in staff to or get answers to your questions from uh knowledgeable staff. And then of course Sean uh uh offers us uh his guidance and his expertise in finance and as as you
all work through uh the challenging uh work ahead of you which is to figure out which proposals you want to recommend and this year is I think it's the the largest dollar request that I'm aware we've ever had. I think it's in the
order of $6 million. So, it's it's we have great expertise here from the staff and we just look forward to working with you. This is probably my favorite committee in addition to the conservation commission to work with, but uh I go to lots of committee meetings, but this is really exciting to
to see all these proposals. So, we're here to help you and to make your jobs easier and um we're happy to be here. So thanks. >> Thank you, Dave. I really I appreciate that. I had welcomed Shawn back before we were all together. So, I do I'm so
glad you're here, Sean. And Dave and Leah are providing very good support along the way here. So, I'm so grateful that we have um excellent support from the town to run smoothly. Um we do have a lot of um of
proposals. So um for those of you who are new um the you know the sort of the way we've been operating is to have this sort of introductory meeting where we go through what does the process look like? What is
the calendar like? What does the what do the you know what is the available funding looking like? um and make a few decisions and then start re having propo people who have submitted proposals present to the committee starting next
week. Um I think I don't know Leah if you sent if I was the only one to receive that schedule today. >> You may have been the only one but I also had it to show people if they wanted >> Okay, great. Yeah, that I'm sure just so we haven't
had this many proposals in a while or at least since I've been on and um usually you can do three sometimes four um in a twohour window in which you have some questions and some discussion and
um take care of other business. So with 16 it's it means that we might um and then once we finish with proposal presentations we have to have discussion amongst the committee about and especially this year about trying to make some difficult decisions. So um
unless we had extra long meetings which I'm not in favor of. I don't think they're that effective um to go 3 hours. I I think there is a chance that we might not be able to finish everything by December 18th, which is sort of the last meeting that
we have on the schedule. So, I talked to Dave about this um and Leah because I wasn't sure. I thought we kind of had to have it done by the end of December, but it turns out we don't. So, we might have to have another meeting in January if we
aren't able to um get through all those presentations and have the discussion we need. So, I just wanted to sort of forewarn um folks about that. >> Does anybody have any questions? Um so far, uh we're going to go through
the funding piece, sort of what's available. I um I'm hopeful we have the information from the state, but maybe not yet in terms of the final amounts. But um and then we'll go through the schedule, the meeting schedule, just to clarify what we're planning to do at
each of those meetings and talk about uh how we try to evaluate these proposals and sort of a process for that. Anything else that any questions or anything else people were hoping for? Okay, great. Well, is I don't know
if Sean or Leah who's who's going to walk us through the um financial modeling piece what's available. >> Um I will do that. Leah, can you share that uh page on the screen or the chart
and I apologize if you hear Disney music or young kids laughing in the background. >> Sounds like a good It sounds good to me. >> Yeah. improve the quality. >> Maybe maybe one, you know, when you only get it once in a while, but every night
starts to wear on you a little bit. >> Been there. >> She always seems to wait right until it's my turn. All right. Um All right. Almost there. >> Oh my goodness. Don't worry.
So, what you're going to see um while Leah is loading this up is how much money um we have to start FY26 and then um it's really two years worth of estimates for what you're going to have for next year. We have to estimate how much we're going to collect this
year both in state aid and in the local search charge. And then we estimate what you're to collect next year in state aid and local search charge. Um, and then we remove any debt associated with projects that you've already approved. Um, and
that kind of leaves you with what your balance is next year for new projects. Um, you can, as you'll see when we look at the debt, you you are, you know, we'll talk about this at the end after you've looked at all your projects and kind of decided what projects you you think you want to do. That's when, to
Dave's point, we can kind of give you different options for how you might be able to fund them. Um, sometimes if project's really large, we may just, you may decide to recommend it uh be funded from a debt. So, a debt issuance, so it's not all coming out at once. Um, can't see it yet, Lee. I don't know if
it's on your >> Yeah, I don't know. >> Do you have that worksheet or is it not popping up? >> I had it all set up and I don't know why it's not signing me in now. >> Give it one more shot. Is it in the Is
there a packet for tonight or No, >> it wasn't ready for the packet that went out. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Give it another shot. >> Hey Katie. >> Yes. Um >> Tim, >> while they're trying to get that up, it
might be a good idea to remind the newcomers about the open meeting law requirements and the fact that we can't and shouldn't discuss in these projects outside of the meeting. Can >> Well, thank you, Tim.
No, I I I don't know the the open meeting law verbatim, but the one the one thing I do know is what you just described, which is we shouldn't have any discussions with each other about decisions and about these projects. And when Leah or
Sean or Dave sends an email to us or if I send an email out just with information, um, don't hit reply all. Be really careful to reply only to to me or to Leah. so that there isn't any problem
that way. I don't know if there's other points of that Timmy wanted to make or >> No, that that's exactly right. We shouldn't be discussing things either verbally or through emails, you know, well, what do you think of this project? That kind of thing. We can't outside of
the meeting. And just as a reminder to the new folks, >> um, thank you. >> That includes replying all Did somebody say that already? for final to emails um would be yes violation >> uh question what what about on your um
so I'm in the recck department >> when we have a meeting what's the flow of information there am I is it am I allowed to just inform them of of status of things or am I actively seeking
their input to inform >> yeah no I think Um well, first of all, all of this is public. So anything that happens in this meeting can be reported back to a a commission like that. Um
>> including like a recording or transcript or obviously the the the requests and proposals are out there on out there for anyone to see. >> Yes, that's right. They're on the website if anybody hasn't seen that. Yeah. Um, and I think the role of the
commissions are to um, help inform decisions like for you to be speaking with your committee or commission about these projects in advance and bringing that perspective to this conversation. >> Yeah. Yeah. The the prohibition is
really against discuss deliberating over anything that the public doesn't have the opportunity to attend the discussion of among a quorum of members. I think that's kind of the general gist of it. So yeah, there's communication back back and forth between the commissions is is I think expected
>> definitely expected and encouraged. It's just amongst us and it is you know I'm sure there's you just said quorum Robin which is what I thought it was but we don't do it. We don't talk about it between one of us or two of us at all.
Um but you certainly can at your commission level. What are you seeing >> now? >> No, >> you can't see it. >> Is it on your screen? >> It's on my screen. Now, >> when you click share, make sure you put
click like share entire window. >> I'm sorry. You can also Leah, if you can email me the file, I could try opening it up on my side. >> Anybody have other questions about process? No, we This is fine. This h
this happens. I wish I could be helpful, but I don't have the file. So, >> maybe some hold music. >> I have a question. >> Yeah, Ellen. >> Um, I think I had read somewhere about possible site visits. Is that something that the committee typically does? And
do we do that as a group or should we visit certain locations on our own? The the past practice has been to um organize it so that the the group that's made the proposal doesn't have all
different ones of us. And it I wouldn't say we do it frequently. It's been dependent on discussion about something. If there's a question or you know something is not clear and that the majority of the group
really wants to to visit and to understand it and to see it and to ask questions or something but I think in my years we've had like three um so sort of a reason for doing that. There are in some of the um cases they're public, you
know, it's a playground or it's something that you can certainly swing by on your own and kind of check out and then bring questions to the to the meeting. Um it looks like I'm seeing something. So >> yeah, >> Ellen, did that answer your question?
>> I see numbers. >> Okay, great. >> All right. Is it large enough to see or I need to make a little larger? be great to be a tiny bit larger. >> How about that? Is that better? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Great.
>> Okay. A little bit more. Let's see. All right. All right. So, um sorry for the delay. Thank you, Leah, for getting that over. Sometimes we we were experimenting with one drive and it doesn't sound like that experiment went well, but um we'll figure that out for next time. All right. So, beginning
balance. So what you uh have to start FY26 and again we're going to be you are going to be considering projects for FY27 but what we have to start FY26 which is updated um based on what happened in FY25 is about 1.9 million.
Uh we're estimating the search charge for CPA at about 1.4 million or 1 million 375. Um we're estimating the state match around 300,000 which gives you 3.6 6 million available for FY26.
Um, but you voted um or you submitted and the council approved appropriations which include debt um of 2.3 million which leaves a year end an estimated year-end balance of 1.3 million. So that's good. That means you're starting
next year with about 1.3 million before even collecting any new money. Um, so that rolls down to FY27 and we we're using the same estimates um for local tax and for the state match. If it comes in higher this year, it'll
give you a little bit more money. Again, it just keeps rolling forward. So, um the money any money collected from the state match or from the CPA search charge stays in a special fund. It doesn't go anywhere else. So, um it will always be in this fund for uh for future iterations. Um, so we're estimating
uh available for FY27 appropriations of just a little bit under 3 million. Um, but we have to take out the the estimated debt service for FY27. And I'll walk through those projects real quickly, the status of them. Um, which would leave you with about 2.4 million
to appropriate for new projects next year. Um, again, I think Dave said you have about $6 million worth of projects, so obviously you're not going to be able to do all of them most likely. Um, but we can get again creative with funding and borrowing and things like that to um try to do the ones that you really want
to want to get to. And then debt service. Uh, so the first one here, town of Ammersttown Road property, that's year five of 10 or FY20, this payment FY27 will be year five of 10. Um, and these are bands,
which means they're not permanently borrowed. They roll over year to year. So, we don't know the exact amount of interest. We know how much principal we want to pay down each year. Um, but because they're relatively short-term borrowings, I don't know if we're going to permanently bond them. Um, so these might change a little bit based on
interest rates that we get. But we're estimating 71,500 for the Beluretown Road property and 63,750 for Valley CDC, which are again both are um payment five of 10 total payments.
The next four are all um they haven't started yet mean meaning we haven't started paying back on them yet. Uh the re track and field or the two track and field uh ones you see here are and again this is just the estimated payment. So this isn't the total amount that was approved for these projects. This is the
estimated debt payment for next year. Um the two track and field ones will start next year. We've basically spent the CPA's allocation this year. um which means we'll borrow the money this year to cover those expenses and the first payment will come due at the end um of
the borrowing we do this year. So we will definitely have a payment for the region track and field and FY27. Uh same thing for the Jones Library and same thing same thing for Fort River. Those projects are um well underway and we're spending money. Um so those four which
were I think projected F payments started in FY26. We didn't actually have a payment in FY26 um because there wasn't a need to, but they will have a payment in FY27. So, that'll be the first of 10 for all all four of those. So, those total up to
the 5 uh 564,250 that we're estimating um and get you to your year-end balance questions. >> Sean, it's Katie. Could you just go to roll to the top and for um
the sort of the if you could just just give a quick description of why there is a beginning balance before there's a tax assessment. >> Um I think mostly either years where the committee um you know collections came
in higher than what was estimated again because the money stays with CPA. If collections come in higher than what we estimate and what the committee appropriates, that will stay in the fund. And again, this is year over year over year um for many years. If the state, again, the state kind of has a baseline appropriation, then if there's
money, they usually do like supplemental appropriations that will uh bring in a higher state match. So, that could um lead to it. Um or if the committee just doesn't appropriate all the funds. So, those are really the three main reasons why there's a balance.
>> Good. Great. Thanks. It looks like Jason has his hand raised. You're up. >> Thank you. Uh Sean or Dave, could you elaborate on the Belchuretown Road property and then what the $130,000
for Jones Library is? >> Dave, you want to you want to talk about the Belchuretown Road property first? Just what that project was. Dave, is he here? Yeah Cy. >> Thank you. >> Yes, I am here. Um, yeah, I'm kind of
getting my mind back into CPA related stuff, too. So, so cranking it up here. Um, I think Beltown Road. Um, I'm blanking. >> That's the property we purchased in anticipation of the housing, right?
>> Yeah. So, it's an affordable housing. It's an affordable housing purchase. This is we combined two properties, the East Street School and some land off of Belchuretown Road and we put out a request for a proposal. So, Wayfinders
is the u the company that is is creating I want to say about 72 units of affordable housing on those two sites, one on Belchstone Road and one at the former East Street School. So again, this um this is repaying that
we we borrowed to purchase that um property when that project was approved and we're paying back that borrowing over 10 years. So this is the the annual debt service for that one. >> And then I think your other question was on Jones Library. >> Jones Library. Jones Library is the
request for support for part of the the the U project. I I believe this is for special collections. Um >> yeah, and this was approved several years ago um early on in the project. Uh
and we're just getting to the place now where they're starting to spend the money and we can start paying it back. >> That was approved in 2020, Jason. So it's because of the timing of the project and as you know, um it's just getting underway.
>> Okay. Thank you. I thought I forgot something from last year, but that >> Yeah. No, some of these are I think you have Sean like Oh, yeah. Years five of 10, one of 10. Yeah, that's helpful. Thank you. >> It looks like Jonas has a question. Go for it.
>> Yes. So is assessed local tax. Those are tax monies from the town that are finally >> so that's the sir charge that everyone pays a 3% search charge on your tax bill um because the town opted to be part of CPA and so that those search charge um
revenues essentially go into our uh the CPA fund >> property tax. It was the first time I've seen a tax actually uh uh increase the balance like oh that's a good tax. I was expecting it to. Thanks. >> Yeah,
>> Katie, if I could say that. >> Yes. >> Because we're looking at debt service, um any of the committee members who want to go buy the the high school, the track and field project, one of the largest projects we've helped fund in the last 10 years is nearing completion. Uh the
track is done. Uh sod the entire we have two fields there. the field inside the uh brand new track is all soded as of this afternoon and then sod will be placed on the other field uh next week. So within, you know, 30 40 days that
project will be done and and we're hoping for good weather here to to get it done and then uh we'll open it at some point in the spring to athletes and and and uh competition. >> That is super exciting, Dave. Thanks for that update. And I I'm sure there'll be
some little sign somewhere that said provide helped helped through CPA funds. >> We have had it up. I think it it it came down and uh we do have to get that up and we'll have a ribbon cutting when uh that's all ready to go in the spring. >> Yeah, thank you. That's very exciting,
Bob. >> Uh yeah, that was also very exciting. It just that's when the Celtics were a competitive basketball team when we allocated that money. Um, so I this is going to sound like a silly question for someone who's been
involved with this for three years, but I am wrapping my head around the debt service still. This is the CPA's component or or share of the debt service. It's not the whole debt service. The rest of
the debt comes from has been uh is being serviced by part of the town budget. This is just our section of it. Is that correct? >> So for like the I mean for some of these the all it's it's entirely funded by CPA. So there's no other portion
anywhere else. But for like in the example of the Jones library um that has a component that's funded from the town general fund and then it has a smaller component here for CPA. Same thing for like the region track and field. um that's got a component that's funded from free cash. There's got a component
from CPA debt and then there's a component I think that the region is taking out debt to fund. So some of these projects have multiple funding sources. Um and some of them are just all here. You'll we'll also share with you the debt schedule. Um we can just share that with you between now and the next meeting so you can actually see how
far out these payments go. Um because when you whenever you're considering new debt, we want you to be um you know be cautious because if you commit too much of uh take on too much debt, then you don't have you might you won't have as much for new projects in those years. So it's important to kind of keep a sense of how much debt you're taking on. And
so when you see the debt schedule going out, you kind of can see when some projects come off. So we had a project come off this year, which is nice. I can't um I think it was Rolling Green. You had to pay LA this current year as the final year final payment. And so now that's completely off your debt schedule. Um, so that's just that'll
help you visualize it. >> Okay, I I got it. But but there's a a follow-up question which is as we go through these outsiz requests, what is our what's the the phrasiology
for suggesting that it be bonded or be borrowed um to fulfill the obligation for the capital expenditure for example on you know Tim's comfort house. I mean how do we
how do we articulate that so that we are I guess sidest stepping not funding but moving it into debt. I I never quite comprehended that. >> Yeah. So I think you know I think the most important piece is to first
evaluate the the projects based on their merit and how the committee you know how the committee feels about the projects. Once you guys do your straw poll and you've ranked the projects sort of based on merit, um that's when we can, you know, Lee and I can look at them and give you some different options for how
you might be able to do them. We might say there's too many projects, you know, there's no way you're going to have to um you know, consider saying no to some of them. Um and and likely that's will be the case this year given the number. Um, but if it's close, we can figure out ways to uh present, you know, if you
borrow for this project and you paid for it over 10 years, here's how you could get under the the amount of money you have. So, when we get kind of near the final presentation, we can start sharing some of those options with you. Um, but we kind of, you know, unless you ask us to, you know, it's kind of our position
that you would first evaluate them based on merit and then we can help you decide how or help you visualize how to possibly fund them. I I got I'm sorry to beat the dead horse, but that means that for example, if we if we um funded something or we
decided not to fund something fully, but it was going to you were going to find a way to bond it and and or essentially leverage it, then what we'd be doing is sequestering funds to pay some share,
which would be the CPAC allocation for that project. Is that right? >> So, so your recommendation would say we recommend completing this project um from from uh funded by a debt funded by borrowing. Your recommendation would include that language.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> I Bob I are you I think if we think of us as um solo and separate in some ways from the town in terms of the town the town's doing borrowing but in a different way. This is just about our
the CPA's Does that make sense what we're talking about? But the CPA share I just with all these very large town requests and certainly they won't be I mean it's it's
hard to predict but that there's going to be some shortfalls here but are are we then in a position where we can say well we will help we will allocate a share of CPA funds into the future to help service this debt.
So, if you recommend it and the council approves it, they would be approving a debt authorization. And once that debt authorization is approved, it essentially sequesters that money going forward, >> right? Thank you. That that's that that's great. That answers it. Thank
you. >> Well, Sean said he will send out that schedule, which I do think Bob is like the thing that clicks it for for for me anyway when I look at that because it's clear what you have to reserve and what
isn't, you know, you can't give away. As >> all these projects you see here were all had debt authorizations approved at the beginning um which is why we have to set aside the money first before approving new projects. >> Got it. >> So thank you Jonas you're next.
>> Um are so a lot of these projects are I guess multi-phase. uh how do any of them straddle you know year to year to year CPAC uh appropriations or is it like you it's all or nothing in
that year a project's you know fully completed fully funded or and I imagine you have a list of you know I guess that's the question like um like for instance I think the skateboard part just taking that for
instance there's a there's a request for money to develop maybe a study um but then the building would happen probably maybe a year from now. How does that >> how is that accounted for? >> So the way the proposals often come I
wouldn't say always but is in a phase as you just described. So the the money is used in the year you know in the next in the fiscal year. So we're in this fiscal year FY26, but it'll be appropriated for next fiscal year to be used next year.
So the particular project may go on and they may come back to CPA for the next phase. Okay. >> Request >> or they might not. They might have funding other in other ways. Does that make sense? >> Yeah.
>> Okay, great. Sure. Um, Angus was there, but now Jason, I think, put his hand down. So, Jason, you're you're next. >> Thanks. Is there a Right now, we're at $564,250
in debt service with that 2.4 million available, 6 million worth of requests. Is there an amount of money in debt service, like yearly debt service that we
want to stay below or we require target. >> Yeah. So like if we can assume I don't know we're going to have $2 million each year I would assume we would want our debt service to be below 50% of what we expect to have each year. So in thinking
about this, you know, we don't want to get too much debt each year, right? We we really I would think this roughly this we we would want to stay below like $700,000 in debt service each year. But is there a hard
and fast rule or a guidance or something so that as we're evaluating these things, we can think about that? >> Um Oh, what's that? I would say um >> I think that's for the committee to
discuss. I mean sometimes it depends on the project, right? If you have a really great project, you might be willing to go a little higher in order to complete that project. Um if you're kind of so so on a project, then it might not be something where you want to commit future um you know, future CPA
allocations to. Um, I think I think I can give you some of the history, too, so you can look back over time and see where the debt has been. Um, I'd say we're kind of at a mid level right now where it is. It's not the lowest it's been. Um, but I think it's been higher when we've had some of our big housing
projects on there as well. Um, so we can share some history, but I think that's really for the committee to evaluate. Obviously, we don't want you to, you know, have 75% of it, you know, for debt service. But, um, but I think it it it can vary based on the project.
>> So, there's no requirement. >> No, >> you just can't do more than we get. You can't I mean, >> how the government works. >> Yeah. We'll pump the brakes if you get too close. >> Yeah. I would say that we don't have
um that ceiling um as a committee at the moment. It could be a point for discussion where we might want to have as a committee think about sort of >> the up to point, but we don't have that at the moment. And we could if if you
wanted to have that discussion, we could have it at another meeting. All right, it looks like we have a few more questions here. Tim? Yes. Uh just to be to honest I understand the debt service that 564250
figure will be the exact same figure next year because the youngest project or the oldest project is in its fifth year. Correct. >> It'll go down a little bit um but not much.
>> Yeah, we have it um if we right now we have it on level payment. So the interest will get a little bit less each year because we're paying it off levely. So this right now based on what you have out there. This would be the highest year and then it'll get a little bit lower every year. >> Okay.
>> Until there's nothing in debt service now that's going to be uh satisfied this year. So that number is going to go down because the project is going to go offline right? >> No. No. This is um again you have one of those. The other the other question I had was uh this is for the projects that
are beginning and uh what are there any projects in the pipeline that we have approved under debt service but your first year payment isn't going to happen for a year or two. So that's going to come on in future years. Is that right?
>> Yeah. I don't believe there's any I will double check. I don't believe there's any other outstanding um debt authorizations that are not already reflected here, but I will I can double check that and let the committee know if there's anything else that was approved um in the last couple years. >> Yeah, because the higher the way I look
at it is the higher the debt, you foreclose your ability continue to foreclose your abilities to approve new projects. Um and unless the debt is going to be uh uh offline and in this
case it's not for the next 5 years or so. So we should be cautious in terms of a project uh and increasing that because it hurts future years. Let's put it that way. Okay, that's what I needed. >> Thank you, Tim. >> Yep. >> Jonas, I
>> think Robin probably is ahead. >> Robin, yes. How'd you get ahead of her Jonas on my screen? I don't know. I don't know. I think I think he was ahead of me. It doesn't really matter. >> Um I just wanted to point out what or
ask clarify. I think there's a rule about a minimum allocation which I think I'm just looking at my personal spreadsheet here. Maybe open space won't meet this year. So I'll just hand that over to Sean. I'm assuming he knows what I'm talking about. What is it like 10% of the total?
>> Yeah. So, you got to hit 10% um for I think it's community housing and historic preservation. Um so, we got to I think some I got to look at these projects. You may hit it just with the debt service. Um >> Oh, right. And thought about that. >> Yeah. So, I think I think you hit most
of them, but I'll double check that as well when we look at the proposals, make sure. And if so, basically, you have to 10% in certain categories. And if you don't for whatever reason hit it in that year, we actually have to take that money and reserve it and carry it over to the next year. So that would be a portion that you wouldn't be able to
spend. Um, but I don't think we're going to have any trouble hitting those targets this year. >> Thank you. Thanks for that question, Jonas. >> Yeah. So the uh the influx of money is from local taxes and state match.
>> Yep. Those are the two primary revenue sources for CP. >> And local tax is what? property taxes or >> Yeah, it's a search charge. So, if you look at your tax bill, um I believe it's broken out on there, you'll see a search charge for CPA on your tax bill. >> And then from year to year, is that pretty steady uh much fluctuation in
what we're getting? >> It's a percentage. So, it goes up a little bit every year. Um so, it's 3%. So, as your property taxes go up a little bit, so will the CPA search charge, >> right? And I'm not talking I'm talking less about myself and my tax bill, but more like what we're what we're getting from year to year. Um does does the
state match pretty around 300,000 each year. Is that >> uh it fluctuates quite a bit um as more communities have opted into CPA that amount they haven't necessarily appropriated more to be able to meet the
match for more communities. Um you know it was once a a state match and now it's more like a state >> very you know minimally match. I think it's like you know 15% or 20% or something now. Um, so that number does fluctuate quite a bit from year to year.
Again, sometimes there's supplemental appropriations or often there's supplemental appropriations to try to get the match percentage up. Um, but but that does fluctuate quite a bit. >> Great. >> And and we usually have the we usually have that number sometime in November or
December, don't we? >> I think we'll have more we'll have some preliminary numbers like for what we're going to get in FY26. It won't include again if there's any end of year or supplementals. Um but we should have like the baseline.
>> Great. Thank you, Angus. >> Yeah, I just had two questions. Um one is uh the 10% requirements are those uh 10% of the available appropriations or is that 10% of the assessed local tax and state match?
>> It's I believe it's 10% of new revenues. So, I will I'll double check what those amounts are. We have another spreadsheet where we have them listed. Um I don't know if we have that ready to go tonight, but I believe it's 10% of new revenues, >> which would be the um because anything theoretically that's in your beginning
balance would have already had had to be reserved if it didn't match. Um so, it's really of the the new revenues you see there. The second question I have is if it's possible to get the breakdown from just the debt service of how close we are to match matching those 10%. That
would be helpful information to kind of start off with at least for me. >> Yeah, definitely. Yep, we can do that. >> I I think Sean just I think it's in all three categories, right? >> Yeah. >> Recreation. >> Yeah. >> Uh open space, affordable housing, and historic
preservation. Open space. Yeah. So, so yeah, I I agree with you. I think we'll meet it in two categories, but uh open space there's Yeah, maybe challenging given that there's no debt service there, right, for open space.
Um I Yeah, we can look at that. >> Yeah. >> Um I can't I can't recall whether recreation and and open space is kind of broken out or not >> combined. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay, this this is always the one with the
most questions is about the finances. So, thank you. Any any last questions for the team on this and we'll we'll be getting it sounds like this sent to us
so you all have a chance to look at a little more closely and as well as the debt service info. Okay, looks like no other questions. >> No caller. >> Oh. Um,
so next item on the on the agenda is to talk just look at the meeting schedule and um remind everybody when it Go ahead. Leia, did you were you going to say something? >> I did send it to you, Sean. I don't know
if you can open it again since mine isn't allowing me to >> just to just to review. I think it says 27 final meeting. Okay, >> this is what was the final as of well the draft as of last year.
>> So, is this something we have to approve? I mean, it's I feel like we're in it. I think we're in it. I didn't know if I was allowed to actually make the changes that had already happened to it. Um, but I it Yeah, I mean
I don't know if you need to approve it or not. >> What change are you saying? the changes you mean in terms of >> I didn't change like for instance tonight's meeting had a presentation originally and we didn't do presentations today so I didn't change that. >> Got it.
>> Yeah. But everything else up to now I think we pretty much stuck to the deadlines. >> Amazing. Thank you for that. Um Bob, did you have a question? Yeah, I just should we set um a couple tenative dates
in January just in case. >> Think that's a great suggestion. If you just I I don't know if Sean if you're controlling, but if you just scroll up a little bit, um you can see that we've got um next week, November 20th, and we
have December 4th, 11th, and then 18th says as needed. But it will definitely be needed because when Leah did the um scheduling of presentations um it took us through the 11th I think.
>> Sean, could you also share that one too? Sorry. >> I just presentation schedule too. And usually in the in the um in past practice um we usually take more than one
meeting to do our ratings which I'll we'll describe in a in a little bit but like to rate how we you know where we are with these things and then have discussion about all of them and that's when there's been 10 or 12 but 16 is going to take a little more time.
I also on the screen yet or no? >> Yes, I can see. That's great. Thank you. >> I did send out the email today to all of the applicants just sort of giving them their time. Um, and I copied the email from the previous year which is that it's a 12 a 20 minute increment but we are asking for like a max of five minute
presentation and then there's 10 to 15 minutes for questions. >> Yeah. And that's >> that's um that can be a challenge. Sometimes we stick to it and sometimes they're one of the reasons why we asked everyone to read the proposals and
provide questions in advance is so that we could try and be as efficient as possible in the meeting. Um but as you can see we we group them based on their type. So we're starting with historic preservations takes two meetings then
open space and community housing. And if we scroll down, there'll be um on the 11th, yeah, recreation. Um and so maybe
we might have time on the 11th to have some discussion, but in my experience, the um some of those uh projects will probably have a lot of public comment. So we'll need to, you know, take that
into consideration. Um, so I think I would entertain, you know, there's we we meet on Thursdays typically. I in an a sort of unusual situation over six years, we've met on a
Wednesday, but we don't change the date because it's hard to get this timing and the Zoom and have everything organized. So um at Bob's suggestion, we could look at a couple dates or ask,
um, Leah and Sean, Dave to say, okay, the 8th and the 15th look good for the town and let us know, you know, if we could reserve certain Thursdays. Is that Do we need Leah? Do you think we need to
sort of check on town scheduling and then get back to the group? >> I don't think so. Dave, do you think we need to check? >> I >> as long as it doesn't conflict with people who are also on other committees. >> Well, that's what Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Oh, Rob. Robin,
>> I was going to add Katie, I think sticking with Thursdays after the first of the year. Thursday is generally at not Monday and Wednesday, uh there are many more public meetings. Thursday typically is CPA at this time of year. I
would pick Thursdays in um in January and and kind of book them now um as Bob suggested. The other thing just to put in everybody's head, we do need to have a public hearing at some point. Uh it was listed as December 4th. We can work
with the committee on when that actually happens. Uh historically, I think we've had it as part of this meeting and there haven't it hasn't been very long that public public uh hearing. Uh but we do by law have to have it uh somewhere in
December, I would recommend. So we can we can look at how the presentations are going and where that's going to slot in. >> So >> thank you. >> Yeah, I mean seeing as December 4th has five maybe we
>> it might be on the 11th or it might be on the 18 I can't the 18th I think is your last meeting in the year. So, but I would just select maybe two or three meeting uh Thursdays in January after the first of the year and
>> Okay, great. Um so, oh, Robin has a question or comment. >> Yeah. Um I just had I I hadn't anticipated going into the new year. So, I do have a conflict uh on the 8th of I won't be in I'll be away.
>> Okay. >> I know. And then that's toward the end, so I wouldn't want to miss out on any votes. That would be kind of >> Yeah. >> defeat the purpose. >> So, um,
how about the 15th and the 22nd, which I would don't think we would need the 22nd. I think with the 18th of December and the 15th of January, I think we can get through it. Um,
she says hopefully. So, how does that look for folks? If it doesn't look good, let me raise your hand. The 15th and the 22nd would be Tim. I hope you're still in Ammerst on the 15th and 22nd.
>> Maybe. I don't know. But it's Zoom, right? I could zoom you from while I once I'm a That's interesting. >> Once I Yeah. We can work that out. >> We can We'll figure that out. Okay. Great. Thank you.
Um, >> we did have a request if you're talking to the applicants uh in their presentation. I think it would be helpful or maybe we need to have staff do that. Uh but the the applications
like for the the war memorial pool area I always get confused in past years as to if this is a phase what did we what did we approve in previous years and what was it for
what was the next one and then why what's this going to do uh for that particular project so I think that would be very clear in terms of exactly what we're talking out. Same thing with the Jones Library. Uh we approved that and
uh apparently if if I recall it was for the um >> uh for the uh um right the historical aspect >> special collections. Yeah, >> special Thank you. Special collections. And this request is for the update of
all the woodwork, etc., etc. So, it's a different request, but I'd make sure that the applicants really clearly explain how it fits in terms of the sequence of the money where and I guess the next question is is there going to be another request next year
>> which which they often don't know and they have they have every right >> sometimes they might expect like this is the request for planning money and then the next year it's going to be building money etc etc. So >> just as a request and they can do that streamline the process a bit better.
>> Yeah, that's a good that's a good suggestion to just for us to know what's been previously requested. Um thank you. So um we have in the past
had these presentations. Oh, it looks like Angus you have a question or a comment. >> So I'm actually at a conference and I I have to leave. Um, okay. Can I can I catch the evaluation and rating tool by read watching the recording?
>> Yeah. Well, I don't think we have it to share. So, uh, it will be shared at another point probably via email. Um, okay. But it there'll be some discussion so you'll be able to catch it on the recording. >> Okay. >> Great. Sorry. It was nice to meet all of you. I'm looking forward to
>> Nice to meet you. >> Thanks. Take care. >> Thanks so much. So um those of you who've been on for a on the committee for a couple of years or more, um, could help me out with this, but
essentially um what we've done in the past is read through the proposals, asked our questions, had the presentation, ask more questions, then have the chance to on our own rate each proposal.
you know, based on merit, on urgency, need, you know, a lot of, you know, the sort of some criteria. And the practice has not been for all of us to rate everything on the exact same criteria,
but we have a rating. We have used a rating scale of one to five with um one being the least. I have to always remember this, but it was the like the least um you know sort of
>> recommended, >> least likely or least recommended, least uh and five being you know really very urgent, really important. Um has a great impact on lots of people, those kinds of things. And we do that on our own and then we come to the meeting and share
our ratings. and those ratings go um we sort of put them in a grid for every single proposal and we kind of see where we are as a committee and we might be totally in agreement then we don't have to spend a lot of time discussing the merits but if we're on opposite you know
if we're all over the place then that's where we sort of prioritize our discussions. Um we do discuss every single project because and especially in this year when there isn't enough money um a project could be totally worthy, very urgent, have great impact and so
could another project and so then there'll have to be some decisions made sort of between you know how to prioritize between those projects. So, we wanted to we were going to show you um show you this, but we don't have um
or at least I didn't have and Leah didn't have access to sort of the rating tool that we've kind of used in the past. So I don't know Robin or Tim or you know anyone u Bob if you had that or
remember that wanted to speak to it at all or if that's something that we could have a brief discussion now about what folks sort of think they want to do and how they'd like to do that in terms of rating. Um
>> I shockingly have copy of mine what >> Wow. I can't believe it. >> I said I bet your Didn't I say that, Leah? Bet you >> have it and put my hand. >> I should have emailed her.
>> Um, mine was very straight, very simple. I can share my screen if if I have the power. Bob, did you have a question or a comment before or >> No, I was just gonna put forward a strong yes with respect to the power of
that tool and it's especially useful as we really get down to the hard decisions and you hear people make their arguments and it's wonderful to watch people change their mind and the the tool allows that to happen. So, I think it's
very effective. So I think >> thank you Robin. Yes, >> I feel so much more. >> So there's two pieces. I really am. >> There's two pieces. This is how Robin personally rates her, you know, in her
she creates her own one to five scale. So she's going to share her version. And then the other tool is I think what Bob was referencing was where we all put those ratings. You know, they're they're captured together. and we can all see them at one time, which is really helpful.
>> I do have that piece of it, the collection tool. >> I I figured you did. So, we we could maybe use that as an illustration, but um the first step is to do this, you know, to do all this sort of review the proposal yourself, then listen to the presentations, ask more questions, and
then to, you know, kind of um make your do your own rating um and then bring that to the team. So, thank you, Robin. This is a great offering. Would you want to just run us quickly through it? >> Yeah. Um I mean I am remembering too I
can't remember uh the name of the other committee member who had created a different matrix based on um the CPA the purpose of CPA which was also kind of interesting but um so yeah I just had the clarity of purpose um a clear
narrative. Is this a project that could be completed without CPA funds? Um eligibility according to CPA rules. Um one of my big um aims is to encourage applicants to seek funds elsewhere. Uh
not necessarily as a way of not taking CPA funds, but often there are programs that will match, which um is less of a draw on the town. Um feasibility of the project, timeline, clear and reasonable. Um
urgency is usually a big one. Um and um you know getting clarity around I mean we asked that we asked that question in the application and um you know I don't think any applicant is going to suggest that their project isn't urgent but trying to determine you
know really the level of urgency. I mean the urgency I really think of is it like and I have it to this note here must it be completed this year you know will something deletterious happen if it's not um what what's the quality of the budget are there multiple bids um is it
detailed um how are costs determined and for the town um I have what town fundings are being applied to this proposal um and why are CPA funds necessary and then there was a suppl ing question. I won't even go into
that. That's a whole thing about that. Dave or Sean could talk about that or not. So, Robin, would you go through each of these on your own and sort of rate a one to five and then come up with a um sort of a consolidated score
for each? >> No, no. I would use this basically as a way to kind of gather my notes about a prompt you >> and then yeah use it to kind of you know where do I feel like this falls on a one to five scale but you know sort of the deeper questions to be asked I would say
>> yeah answered yeah I use some of yours and the other one that I added to mine I remember is sort of kind of the impact like is this you know going to
just to help with sort of prioritizing like is it impacting you know a hundred people or a thousand people or you know the whole town or everybody who comes through the town. >> Yeah, that's a good one. I'll add that. >> Okay, >> thank you. That's I think
>> I mean then I can send this to you and you guys can send it out and people can use it if they find it helpful. >> Great. That's great. Thank you. It seems like it's I was expecting more subjective
like value. Um those look like pretty objective uh measures and maybe maybe this is just to keep the kind of remit of this committee, you know, from getting too subjective. Uh
because obviously there can be people who love we'll take pickle ball. people love pickle ball and I'm not a pickle ball player, but if I was a pickle ball player, am I is the is the goal to not have those kinds of personal
um preferences reflected or will that sort of start coming out in the conversations? How I mean I guess I can obviously take a wait and see approach and see how what the tenor of these meetings are. Um, but I was expecting more I guess
value like is this is this a good project? Is it um like your last criteria u Katie of how many people are going to going to be using this seems like a a super important question for all these
projects. Um, >> yeah, I think that's a great question, Jonas, and I'm happy to open that up to other members of the committee. I would just I would respond to say that I like to try to bring your own lived
experience, your own perspective, your interests. I mean, that's why we're all here, you know, as varying member, you know, our diverse experiences help make better decisions, I think. And I also think
you have to, you know, be careful of those biases. So be being as objective as you can be. And then when we all bring that together, you'll see that there's there's definitely perspectives that are, you know, people really have um views and
will state them. And sometimes it does, as I someone just said, you know, it does convince you um one way or or pull you in one way or the other. So, I think it's a healthy >> debate. Does that make sense? I'm I'm giving the and both. >> I didn't mean to be critical of your
your uh your rating tool, Robin. Um >> Oh, no, no, no worries. No worries. >> I'd love to be objective. >> Start off objective and then I assume subjectivity is gonna Yeah. >> Yeah. Uh Sean, you had a
>> Thanks. Uh Robin, you maybe would speak to this too. I think in the past sometimes the boards you for the representatives that are from boards, they've weighed in on sort of the proposals that are in that area. So like Robin, you're the historic committee has weighed in on
the those projects and I don't know if that's always been the case with all the boards, but can you for the new members, can you talk more about like what your committee does for those projects? >> Yeah. Um we uh get the proposals um before we come to this meeting um and we
review them and have a discussion about them. Um we have sometimes rank them you know one to whatever however many projects there are. This year we just talked about high, medium, and low. And
then um trying to get a sense of what we feel like um you know what could wait, what has cost savings if you don't wait because you know you push project out or you split it into pieces. Um but we do
try to give um some sort of sense of you know the question I think I asked my uh commission was you know if you couldn't fund everything where do you start and that helps us um you know for the most part we're pretty excited about
everything that comes before us um and then my role when I come here is to try to articulate those findings and also just answer any questions that if I can that are related to historic preservation. This year's going to be a little bit um interesting because I work
for the Massachusetts Historical Commission. I need to recuse myself from the two Jones Library uh projects, but my commission, we figured out a way that the commission had a discussion without me. They'll be forwarding that recommendation and I just won't weigh in on it. So, but um
yeah, >> um >> that's helpful. Thanks for asking that, Sean. Thanks Robin for sharing. Bob, >> um I just wanted to um second uh Jonas's
comment about um sort of subjective opinions. I think that has been one of the more uh productive elements of our conversations in the p in the past. We want to be objective as much as possible, but I think as Katie said,
it's our learned experiences that really bring meaning to the to the discussion. So, I would encourage everyone to do that as usual. >> Thanks, Bob. Yes, we No one will be shy. I know that.
Which is good. That's what makes this interesting. Um, so Leah, I don't know if you have I I don't know if it's worth it or we could just flash it up on the screen for folks to understand the rating piece, but we
don't have to do that if you don't have it available. >> Um, Sean, if Sean has the full workbook open again, I think he might be able to show you. >> Thank you. So, this is our straw pole uh document. This
is our other tool. And so, as you can see, there's all of the projects are listed and which commission is recommending, you know, and the amounts that's being requested. And then there's a chance for each of us to um
Yes. And we have all the this is an amazing tool because it has all the dollars in and we can kind of see where we are as we're going along. Um but you each have um we will each have a chance to share our ratings out loud. They get
lined up as you can see sort of in the element Oop QRSTU columns there and we can get we get an average of um of the rating and that helps us as I said before just prioritize. Um,
so that will come in December, but just sometimes I would I would recommend just from my own experience because there's 16 of them that that you kind of after you've heard the presentations to try to do your ratings then.
Um, and that way when it comes to December, you don't have to do all 16. Um, and then because we won't be asking you for them until December is if that makes sense. Robin, you have >> Yeah, it just occurred to me that if um new members wanted to, I presume that
the this meeting is was recorded so people could if they really, you know, need to have a >> Yes. >> fun activity. >> You can see what it's all like. You can literally go and watch us with this particular the the spreadsheet is up and
we we make our uh we we record our um our rankings and and you can see how the chart gets filled in and a little bit of how the discussion goes if that's helpful. >> Thank you. All right. I think that that unless anybody had a qu I just wanted people to
quickly see it and sort of see how that might work in December. Um so you can anticipate some of the work to do uh in between meetings. Um anyone have any other questions on that and the process in general?
Okay. So um the topics the chair did not reasonably anticipate 40 hour 48 hours before the meeting. Um I don't have any um additional topics unless anyone else does. I would
Oh, I we do have a couple. Dave, you got in first. >> Yeah, real real quick. Katie, um I just want I just wanted to point out that you know Leah sent out the schedule to all the applicants today. I think it was today. Um,
>> yeah, >> occasionally one of the applicants and sometimes they're just a single representative of a nonprofit or it could be a department head in the town. Occasionally there is a conflict with what has been put out in that schedule and they absolutely can't
be there. So I just want people to understand there there may be some flexibility and you know we'll work with them on scheduling that making sure that you know obviously we can't do seven in one night but there there there sometimes is a little uh mixing and
matching there that has to go on and again our our goal working with you is to try to have all those presentations done in you know in good time and and giving you time in December as Katie has said there's 16 this here. Some of them
will go very quickly, but some of the the bigger requests and more complex requests will take some time. So, just putting it out there there that can change a little over the next, you know, four or five meetings. Thanks. >> Thank Thank you for saying that. And that reminded me that we did say we're
holding January 15th and 22nd, two Thursdays in January in case um we need them. And Dave, is it okay to say that we're going to do hold the public hearing on December 18th? >> I think we ought to
>> You want to do it earlier? >> Yeah. Um >> I I >> I just thought it would be good to >> Yeah. I I I don't think we need to It doesn't need to be posted now. I'd like to talk with Sean and Leah and you a little bit offline about how that has
been done in the past and we can do that, >> you know, in the next week or two. Great. Okay. So, we don't need to decide that tonight. >> Yeah, I don't think we need to decide on it tonight. And we can we can have it for you next Thursday. Decide on >> Yeah, we can we can talk. Okay, perfect. >> We'll be meeting a lot.
>> Yeah, >> yes. Um, well, I just wanted to thank Leah for sending the responses to all of our questions. That was really helpful. Um, it clarified a lot for me. I was just curious. I noticed the um Goodwin
Church did not respond. Do you anticipate them to submit questions or is it something we have to ask them for or is that your responsibility? Um they did I did send out the same email on the 24th. Um I sent out two
follow-up emails to the um initial applicant in the team and I have not heard a response. Um Dave I think made a phone call today or yesterday. >> We've reached out to them and we'll do our very best to get those responses.
>> Great. Thank you. >> They're presenting. I can't remember off the top of my head which they're not presenting next week. I think it's >> we tried to make it a few just in case they needed. >> So we'll give we'll give people every every opportunity to submit those. There may have been, you know, these are some
of these are very small organizations and we'll we're very understanding and trying to get that information to you. So, we'll do the best. >> I forgot I just had the questions on that. I didn't fill in any answers. >> Thank you. >> That was a good good catch, Ellen. I
haven't had a chance to read the 19 pages yet. So um >> so thank you for doing that and noticing that. Um yes, thank you Dave for we will be flexible. That's one of our traits. So
um great. And if anybody does have a question offline, you can contact anybody at the town or me just um separately if you need if you something comes up to that we haven't answered tonight. Leah,
>> I just had a question because I'm receiving um sort of like just comments from the public to the email and I didn't know if those were going to committee members as well. >> No. Okay. So, I will find a way to share them. >> Thank you. Yes, that's what we had in the past. Sometimes
>> combine them or Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yep. That seems to be how it was distributed to us. And again, just a reminder, if Leah sends these messages out, please, please, please, please triple check that
you're replying just to her. Um, or write a separate email if you, you know, so you don't hit reply all. Ellen, go ahead. >> Thanks. Sorry. Um, this is my first time
doing this. Um, I have personal and professional relationships with some of the applicants. Um, it does I shouldn't discuss anything with them about these these um their applications. Correct.
Wow. That's a good question. Um, I mean, I I don't think we're prohibited from asking questions. Um, I just didn't want to do anything with open meeting law and I just Yeah, I'm
just >> It's really about deliberations with the rest of us, >> right? >> That's the biggest >> concern. Um, so I I don't I I don't think there's a prohibition, but correct me Dave
having a conversation. >> Ellen could maybe, you know, talk to one of the staff about this. You know, we we just want to make sure no committee members should have a financial, you said professional. We don't need to
go into it tonight, but there should be no financial or other other, you know, relationships that might >> benefit. Yeah. >> Cause anyone to be biased toward one proposal or another. So, and you know,
how close friends or or colleagues or whatever, you know, can be important. So, you know, you could give one of us a call offline and we can talk to you about that and make sure, you know, >> we stay. >> Yeah. There's no no financial
incentives. Um, it just, you know, if it came up in conversation if I should just change the subject or anything. That's all. >> Thank you for asking that. Oh, Tim had his hand up but now doesn't. So Bob,
>> um I was Mike I was only going to say to to a degree it it can't be avoided. Um because you know I'm I'm not to cast dispersions but there's a pickle ball
mafia in town and you cannot go 100 ft without encountering them wanting to accost you about this particular issue. And and I don't I mean I'm not sure you can just button your lip and not at
least ask questions or invite not invite but at least you know feel their their inquiries and their statements and their hysteria. >> Okay Bob, thank you. Um, I think it's as you know, we are all residents, we're
representing and so it's important that we do have those conversations. The the biggest issue is not to have the conversations with each other unless we're here in an open public meeting. And so getting information and um you
know sharing that and encouraging folks to be involved is great. Yeah. And we won't cast dispersions, Bob, on anyone who's has a an interest in certain things. All right. >> I I love passion.
>> Yes. Yes. Okay. Um hearing and seeing no other hands raised or questions, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> I will move to adjourn. >> Thanks, Jason. Do I hear a second?
Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I think we could do that by voice. Okay, great. >> All right. Thanks everyone. I really I'm so glad to be working with all of you. This is a great committee doing uh this
is very fun. It's going to be hard, but it'll be fun. And um it's really a special part of Ammerst. We get to do lots of good things for for all of our neighbors this way. So, thank you all and thanks especially to Dave and Leah and Sean for their support. Really
appreciate it. >> Please let me know if you think I'm missing anything. I'm sort of piecing things together. So, >> you're doing a great job. Really so thankful. >> Very, very responsive. >> Yeah. Thanks, Jonas. Yeah, she is good.
Super good. >> All right, we'll see you all next Thursday. >> Okay, thank you. Thanks, everybody. >> Thanks all. Bye. Good night.