WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=L4Wze2VqdnA

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: L4Wze2VqdnA):
- 00:03:45: Meeting Opening, Announcements, and Recognition of Shireen Davis
- 00:06:38: State Representative Presents Citations to Shireen Davis
- 00:08:18: County Commissioner Presents Citation and Gratitude
- 00:09:46: Select Board and Town Manager Proclamation and Gift
- 00:13:50: Shireen Davis's Farewell Comments and Gratitude
- 00:16:21: Select Board Members Offer Personal Comments for Shireen
- 00:19:00: Public Comment: Shannon's Speech Praising Her Mom's Work
- 00:21:37: Public Comment: Morgan's Speech Congratulating Shireen
- 00:22:15: Public Comment: Anna Milin, Hope Squad Presentation
- 00:25:37: Approval of Meeting Minutes and Eversource Petition
- 00:32:45: Public Hearing: All Alcoholic Beverage License Transfer
- 00:38:10: Comments and Approval for Alcoholic Beverage License
- 00:38:58: Consent Agenda: American Lung Association Bike Tour
- 00:40:02: Public Works Report: Water Wells, Conservation, Usage
- 00:52:07: Public Comment: Question and Response on Water Use
- 00:56:40: Town Meeting Follow-Up Discussion, Individual Perspectives
- 01:21:43: Town Meeting Follow-Up, Home Rule Petitions Followup
- 01:27:10: Discussion and Action on Senior Tax Workoff Program
- 01:46:19: Proposed Pilot Program: Dogs Allowed on Marsh Trail
- 01:50:40: Public Comment: Questions on Dogs on Marsh Trail
- 02:03:56: Committee Appointment and Meeting Adjournment


Part: 1

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Heat. Heat. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the May 12th, 2026 meeting of the Town of Cadam Select Board. Please note this meeting is being recorded and will be available shortly hereafter for scheduled and on demand viewing on any smartphone or tablet

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device. If anyone else is recording the meeting, including the use of AI note-taking apps, please notify the chair. Seeing none, pursuant to Governor Healey's March 28, 2025 signing of chapter 2 of the acts of 2025 extending certain COVID 19 measures adopted during

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the state of emergency suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3A section 20 until June 30th, 2027. This meeting of the Cadam Select Board is being conducted in person and via remote participation.

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Every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings as provided for in the order. A reminder that persons who would like to listen to this meeting while in progress may do so by calling the phone number 158-945-4410 conference ID 203 386491

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pound or join the meeting online via Microsoft Teams through the link in the posted agenda. While this is a live broadcast and simalcast on Chattam TV Exfinity channel 1072, despite our best efforts, we may not be able to provide real-time access. We

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will post a record of this meeting on the town's website as soon as possible. First order of business is to establish a quorum. Miss Davis >> present. >> Mr. Dykins present. >> Mr. Meadows present. >> Mr. Smith and the chair is present. >> Um I'm going to take the privilege of

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taking uh one item out of order and that is item two, the public announcements and agenda item requests. We'll take that now and then proceed after that with the rest of the agenda. And my reason for doing that is that this is the last um meeting of our esteemed

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colleague Shireen Davis. Uh and u we have some comments we'd like to make and some visitors who would like to make some comments and presentations. And um I want to acknowledge that Shireen's husband Ernie is here as well

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as her daughter Shannon and her daughter Morgan is online. Um welcome everyone. So with that, I want to uh invite our state rep, Hadley Luddy, who's going to make a presentation at the podium on her behalf

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and on behalf of our state senator, Julian Seir. Welcome, Hadley. >> Great. >> Thank you so much uh for letting me go out of turn here. Um I so appreciate it. And I just want to say that on behalf of Senator Seir and the Senate um and the House of Representatives uh at in the

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts, um I'm so honored to bring two citations tonight um for Shireen Davis in recognition of your 15 years of dedicated service and enduring contributions to the Cadam community. Um our entire membership in the House uh and the Senate extends our

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very best wishes to you. Um, I know you will be very busy uh in in your retirement from the select board and and have very big shoes to fill, but um we are just um so um thrilled with all the work that you have done for our community um and our fishing community

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um and all of the support that you've provided for the fourth Barnstable District and beyond. So happy to present this these two citations to you and thank you so much for your your service. >> Thank you, Hie. Did you get the picture? >> Sorry.

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>> Thank you. >> Thank you, Representative. Um, next we have our own county commissioner, Ron Bergstrom, former chair of this board of selectman, as it was then called. Welcome, Ron. Not going to say how long I've known

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Shireen, but I think I think Gerald Ford was president. Anyway, it's been quite a journey uh for all of us, but especially for you. Anyway, I have an official citation here from the Barnesville County Board of

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Regional Commissioners. It talks about all the wonderful things that you've done over the course of your service here. I'm not going to read it all for because I'm going to indulge the chair. It's probably going to be >> whatever you'd like. >> What's that? >> Whatever you'd like. >> No, I'll just go to the final the final

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sentence. It says now there in recognition in recognition of her service, but it says now therefore be it resolved that the Barnesville County Board of Regional Commissioners does hereby extend its most sincere congratulations and deepest gratitude to

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Shireen Davis of Chadam, Massachusetts, in recognition of her extraordinary and sustained contributions to the civic, cultural, maritime, and community life of the town of Chadam and the greater Cape Cod region. The board commends her decades of

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selfless service and wishing her wishes her continued success in all her endeavors and it's signed by Mark Forest, Ron Bergstrom and Sheila Alliance County Commissioner. So >> yeah, >> thank you very much.

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>> Thank you, Ron. Um I I'm going to approach the podium myself along with the town manager for two additional presentations. I do want to acknowledge the presence of our former colleague Mike Shell. He's here as well. Welcome Mike. This is a proclamation and resolution

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from the town of Chadam. I'm going to read the entire thing. It is a bit long. Um whereas we wish to express special recognition to Shireen Davis to honor her for her 15 years of distinguished service to the citizens of the town of Chattam. And whereas Shireen has served

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the town of Chadam as an appointed member of the 300th anniversary planning committee from 2009 through 2013 and appointed member of the charter review committee from 2013 through 2015. And whereas Shireen was an elected member of the select board from 2017

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through 2026, which included her participation as a founding select board member of the Cadam 365 task force, member of the Monoy Legislative Advocacy Subcommittee, member of the North Beach subcommittee and the select board representative to the affordable housing

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trust fund board of trustees, and represented Chadam on various regional committees. And whereas Shireen has been a strong advocate for affordable and attainable housing initiatives with the goal of sustaining a vibrant year-round community, consistently championed policies that protect working

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waterfronts, preserve coastal access, and maintain the character and economic diversity that define the town of the town and the greater Cape Cod region. And whereas this proclamation is presented to Shireen Davis to serve as a reminder that although she is stepping

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down as a member of the select board, she will always be remembered as a treasured colleague in town government and valued community member dedicated to public service. Now therefore, we the Chattam Select Board and Town Manager to hereby present to Shireen Davis this

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proclamation on behalf of all Chhattis Chattam citizens as a testimonial to her faithful and dedicated service to the community with our best wishes for continued success and happiness in the future. It's signed Dean Pina Castro chair select board, Jeffrey Dykins, vice

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chair of the select board, Stuart FX Smith, clerk of the select board, Corey J. Meadows, member of the select board, and Jill R. Gold Smith, our town manager. Congratulations, Shireen. >> One more. Okay, >> sure. Why don't you come over here

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because I'm the town manager. I'm directing everything for one last time. >> Okay. All right. I'm going to try to get through this. Shireen, your leadership, like the tides, has shaped the shores of our community. And

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as time moves forward, your contributions will remain a lasting part of Chadam's story. We're going to present to you a gift for an appreciation of your service. You've been quite an influence on me and I really appreciate our partnership. But

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let us first give you a gift. So presenting we're pres so we all of us are presenting this gift to Shireen. It's a service plaque that includes a clock and a time tied gauge for you. So Shireen, thank you so much

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for your gift. to say something. >> Yes, absolutely. I just want to say a couple of things if you don't mind. Um, so I just want to say serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life. And over nearly a

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decade, I've come to understand that Chadam's strengths is not only its natural beauty and history, but the people who care so deeply about it. I'm grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to work on behalf of the

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community. Public service has taught me the importance of listening carefully, working collaboratively, and making decisions with both today's needs and tomorrow's generations in mind. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow select board members past and

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present for your dedication, partnership, and thoughtful leadership. I am also grateful for our outstanding town staff, team Cadam, and our town manager whose professionalism and commitment keep our town running every day.

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Cadam is also supported by an extraordinary network of volunteers who serve on boards, committees, and commissions, often quietly and without recognition. Your time, expertise, and care are the backbone of this community.

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I'm thankful for the relationships built across the Cape Towns and with our legislative leaders. These partnerships have reminded me that while each town has its own identity, we share many of the same challenges and responsibilities. and to my family, I love you. You have

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been very supportive. Thumbs up, chin. And um I'm going to hang that select mom badge up on the shelf and uh and move forward. Most of all though, I want to thank the people of Chadam. Your engagement, your voices, and your love of this town are what really truly make

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Chadam Chadam. It's been a privilege to listen and to learn and to serve. Though I'm stepping away from public office, my commitment to this community remains strong. I look forward to continuing supporting Chadam in new ways. So, thank you so much.

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I I'm going to offer a few personal comments. I um if if I might and I'm going to invite other members of the board if they wish to join in. Um, I have to say I have never served with a better colleague

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and um, what I admire most about Shireen is her honesty. What she tells you in p what she says in public, she'll tell you in private and vice versa. There's no difference between the two and I respect that greatly. I respect her passion for the town and

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for the community of people that Cadam is and for trying to make things better for people. She has shown superb leadership. Uh we don't forget that when um COVID hit, Shireen was chair and she guided this

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town through that very challenging period. She has extended Chadam's influence beyond our borders regionally at the county level through the um Caiten Island Municipal Leaders Association and by her activities at the

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state level. And I think it's a great tribute to her that our state and county officials are here tonight to honor her. And I'll just end by saying that Shireen, you will be greatly greatly missed. >> Thank you, Dean.

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Jeff. >> Um, Shireen. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome, >> Corey. >> Well, Shireen, we've known each other long before we ever got involved in any of these politics, so we have a long history.

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um very much appreciate your service and all that you've done and all the impact you've um provided for this community um is very much appreciated and I wish you well and even though you're not serving I hope you don't stray too far. >> I won't. Thank you very much.

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>> Thank you Stuart. >> Sure. Well, my short tenure here uh Shireen uh there's one thing that comes to mind and it's not a quote from me but people will be familiar with it and that is um you can always uh disagree without being

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disagreeable and that reminds me of of you and uh so thanks for your service and we we will see you at the shore. >> Sure. Thank you, Stuart. >> Thank you. Um I know does any member of Shireen's family want to say anything or anyone else in the audience? This is

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still the public announcement section of our meeting. So if not, we will >> Oh, of course. Shannon prepare. >> She's the talker in the family, but I guess I'm second.

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Um, okay. So, h having a mom who is on the select board is a very interesting thing living in this town because lots of people come up to me and tell me their opinions to share with my mom. Um, which has been really enlightening. And

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I've actually um been very proud to be in the family of somebody who's so engaged. I understand why um many my mom did a lot of the things that she did for the town. Um many of you might not

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understand her roots, but I think this is a good appropriate time to to share that. Um, some of you might not know that my mom was uh housing insecure growing up. She was almost homeless until she was 18

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when she married my dad. Um, and that is one of the reasons why she is so unbelievably passionate about putting people in affordable and attainable housing and why she has made a massive impact with so many people in this room and so many people be by behind the

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scenes to ensure that people like me, a youngish person in town who is able to have um what I need to be able to live here year round and work here year round and uh her legacy will live on.

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So many different things that she's done came out last night at town meeting. Um things that maybe will come back again and come back around and impact many people in the future in a positive way. And we can all be very very grateful for everything that she's done to ensure

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that this beautiful, unbelievable town has people who can live in it, work in it, um and enjoy it. So proud of you, Mom. You've done an incredible job. I'm super pumped that you're retiring from the select board and that you are a

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reminder to everybody being able to focus on your full-time job in this community, which is feeding people the freshest local seafood that we can find here. So, thanks, Mom. Good job. >> Thanks,

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>> Morgan. And I see you uh have your hand up with someone else. >> No, >> go ahead. >> Can we Oh, sorry. We just want to say congratulations, Mom. Good job. We're proud of you and we're so glad that you

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are done. The town that you've served the town well. >> Thank you, Morris. >> Thank you. Thank you, Morgan. >> So cute. >> Okay. Yes. Did you want to speak? Okay. Um, I guess that concludes uh this

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portion of the public announcement. So, I'll ask if there are any other public announcements or agenda item requests. Yes. >> Well, let me start by also offering my congratulations to Shireen. Um, I really appreciate everything. I echo your daughter's

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sentiments as a young person living in Chadam. um you've done amazing work and you're going to do even more amazing work at Chattam Harvester. So, thank you so much. Um good evening, honorable chair and select board members, town manager. Congratulations on a a wellrun

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annual town meeting last evening. My name is Anna Milin. I reside at 197 Stony Hill Road and I am a student in the Cape Leadership Institute, class of 2026. As part of my cohort's community impact project, our group looked for a meaningful issue where we could help

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create positive change. Um through that process, we discovered sharing kindness and their hope squad program and we were very inspired by their mission. Um personal anecdote as a college student. I interned at a suicide hotline, suicide um center and it was really incredible

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work. Um, Hope Squad supported by the nonprofit Sharing Kindness in South Haritch is a student lensled suicide prevention program. Students are chosen by their peers and trained in the QPR method question, persuade, refer to recognize signs of emotional distress,

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and connect classmates with trusted adults and resources. The program promotes connection, reduces stigma around mental health, and helps ensure students are never feeling alone. Hope Squad is already active in 14 of our high schools and two middle schools across the Cape and and the Islands,

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including Monoy High School, with goals of further expansion. The need is urgent. According to the CDC, 40% of high school students report persistent sadness or hopelessness and one in five seriously considered suicide last year. These are not just statistics. They're

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our children, our friends, our siblings. Um students today face challenges. our parents, grandparents, and even myself never faced, never knew. Constant social media comparison, cyber bullying, and the pressure of highlight reels have dramatically increased the risk of

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anxiety and depression. The pandemic added isolation and lost connections that deepened the crisis. Hope Squad is a pro proven effective response. Schools with the program see stronger peer support, more students seeking help, and healthier school culture in general.

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Even small investments in training and materials can make a meaningful difference and help protect young lives. Today, I'm respectfully asking two things. Um, for members of our community to consider supporting the sharing kindness organization at their upcoming

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fundraising walk this Saturday, May 16th at Veterans Park Beach in Hyannis. and that the select board consider providing meaning meaningful support for hope Squad in our Monoy schools through both a letter of support and consideration of uh modest funding to help this important

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program continue to grow and reach more students across the Cape in future. Have a great evening. >> Thank you, Anna. We can um put that letter in the docket for the next chair. >> Uh it's not just your last Hey, hey,

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hey. Meeting. Um, okay. Uh, I don't see any additional agenda item requests or announcements, so we'll proceed with the regular business order. Um, and there are several. Thank you very much, Representative Commissioner, Mr. Shell.

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Um, there were three sets of minutes. The first are the minutes of April 21, 26, 2026. Is there a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. I have one edit on page two

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um two edits actually. This is under the executive session item. Um just paring what was on the um posted agenda where it says with return to open session the phrase to open session should also be

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bolded. it remains lowerase. And in the um >> I like to be quite an edit bullet bulletproof on these things. Um and in the paragraph that begins cheercast in

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the third line at the end where where the word as is. I would strike that and put if the chair declares that. >> Okay. Uh with that, I'll call the role. Miss Davis. I >> Mr. Dyken. Hi, >> Mr. Matters. >> Hi,

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>> Mr. Smith. >> I >> and the chair votes side. Next set of minutes. Uh, April 28th, 2026. Is there a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. I have one edited on page three.

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Um, fourth paragraph which begins Cristiana Stamulus. Third line, the word letter. um should be stricken uh the second time it appears and substitute the word attorney.

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It's the letter from Miss Stamulus's attorney. >> With that, I'll call the role on that. Miss Davis >> I. >> Mr. Dykins. >> Mr. Meadows. >> I. >> Mr. Smith. >> I. >> And the chair votes I. And the third set of minutes is May 5th.

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>> Motion to approve. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Yes. >> Thanks. I have a couple of edits on uh or corrections on this. The first is on page three. Uh this is just a typo. Fourth line

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down. Um town council released opinion. That should be plural opinions. Um and then on page four, um third sentence, Mr. Meadows recused

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himself from item C. I would add and stepped away from the deis. And then finally on page seven uh paragraph G relative to the town

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manager's evaluation. Um one, two, three, four, five. Fifth line down says comments received by board members. It should should say from board members. And then two lines down from that, I

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want to strike the word at the end of the line which says outlier. Um, that word was used in my written report. I I think somewhat uh I must admit as I look back at it somewhat in artfully because I I I made reference not not to an

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individual. I was making reference statistically to a to the score. I also uh used a a different phrasing and I'm going to propose substituting that or request substituting that. So I would strike um the word outlier and

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substitute um uh the following phrase rating the performance considerably lower period. So, it would read with four members rating in the strong performance range

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range and one um I'll add the word member, one member rating the performance considerably lower. So, I and my apologies to the to the member and because I really was focused

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on the score, not not any individual. That was my assessment of it. With with that, are there any other corrections to the minutes? Okay, I'll call the role on that. Uh, Miss Davis, >> I. >> Mr. Dykins, >> I. >> Mr. Meadows, >> I. >> Mr. Smith, >> I.

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>> And the chair votes I. >> Okay. Um, public hearings. The first item to consider a petition from NStar Electric doing business as Eversource Energy to install 37 feet plus or minus of 1 to 3 inch conduit and one new man handhole

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265/HA4 at 49UMacott Road Cadam has been withdrawn. So we will not have a hearing on that. Second to consider a petition from NStar Electric Doing Business as Eversource Energy to install 48 feet of 1 to 3 in

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conduit and one new handhole 17/h50 for new underground service to the customer located at 525 Shore Road, Chattam. Uh I'll ask the clerk to read the public hearing notice on that one. Stuart. >> Stewart. Thank you. Uh, the Chattam Select Board will hold a public hearing

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at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 in the large meeting room of the town office annex 261 George Ryder Road, Chattam, Mass and remotely via Microsoft Teams platform to consider a petition from Nstar Electric Company doing

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business as Eversource Energy to install 48 ft of 1 to 3 in conduit and one new handhold 17/h50 to provide new underground service to the customer at 525 Shore Road. The

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public is welcome to attend the meeting in person or participate via the link in the meeting's posted agenda. >> Thank you. Uh Marissa Jackson from Eversource. Do you want to present, please? >> Yes. Thank you. Again, just to reiterate, we're looking to install

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approximately 48 ft of 1 3-in conduit under Shore Road and one handhole. And this is to accommodate a request from the resident located at 525 Shore Road. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments

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from the board? This is a public hearing. Anyone from the public? I see no one. So, I'll ask for a motion. Move approval. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. And I'll call the role. Miss Davis. Hi. Mr. Dyken. Hi. Mr. Meadows. Hi. Mr. Smith.

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>> Hi. >> And the chair vote side. That is approved. >> Mr. Chair, on the next item, I need to recuse myself. >> Okay. Uh, the next item um is to consider the transfer of the seasonal all alcoholic beverages restaurant

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license from TPJ Cadam Group LLC doing business as the Cadam Cut. Matthew W. Kio, manager to Beacon and Buouie LLC, doing business as Beacon and Buoie. Melissa Ramsey, manager for the business located at 1200 Main Street, Chattam.

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I'll ask the clerk to read the public hearing notice. Notice is hereby given that the Chattam Select Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the town office annex 261 George

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Ryder Road Cadam and remotely via Microsoft Teams platform to consider the transfer of the seasonal all alcoholic beverage restaurant license from TPJ Chattam Group LLC doing business as the

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Chattam Cut Matthew W co- manager to Beacon and Buouie LLC doing business as Beacon and Buoie. Melissa Ramsay, manager for the business located at 1200 Main Street, Cadam. All interested

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parties are encouraged to participate. >> Thank you. I assume you are attorney Matthew Kelly. >> That's me. Good evening, Mr. Chair. How are you today? >> Welcome. Please present your case to us. >> Thank you. Um, good evening, members of the board. Mr. Chair, um, I am Matthew Kelly. My office is in Harwitch. It's my pleasure tonight to represent Melissa

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Ramsay and Tim Dhy who are still in California but you can see them there uh on the screen. Uh this is an application for transfer of an existing uh license uh at 1200 Maine 1200 Main Street has um long held a liquor license in Chadam. It

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was New England Pizza for a long time. Uh most recently the Cadam cut. Um, we do we did submit a completed application, but I would suggest for your purposes uh give you a little in uh information about the applicant and then I'm happy to have her um describe the project. Uh the Cape Cod Chronicle, if

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you had a chance to to see it, actually did a wonderful feature about uh Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Dhy that kind of outlined um their vision, but their vision is to open a restaurant at the location uh with some takeaway service for for breakfast and lunch and then uh beastro

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type dining in the evening. Um they're also going to uh engage in a catering service. Uh I think the most exciting part though is the experience they bring and and sort of their attitude. They have an unbelievable perspective. Uh as the article lays out, you know, Mr. Ramsey, they've already joined uh the Cadam Chamber of Commerce. They've

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already volunteered to do some town events. Uh and they both have local roots. Uh while they did they do currently reside in California with their family, um they both grew up locally in the New England area. Tim actually graduated from Harvard High School. Um, and they're very excited to move their entire family back here. Uh,

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a couple of housekeeping things. As I've mentioned now several times, they do reside in California. They have signed a lease. Uh, excited to move here at the end of the month and open this business. Uh, and I think you'll you'll hear from Miss Ramsey the passion um that she brings to the project. Her experience is is certainly very substantial in the

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area. She's served as an executive chef. She's run her own catering company. Um, this is somebody that's quite familiar with the industry that in all respects would be qualified uh to operate a restaurant and and and Tim brings um some front of the house experience to help manage the business. So, you know,

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on paper, I would suggest it's appropriate. It's an appropriate location. It's an appropriate applicant. It's an area that's held a license. And and I would ask the the chair to recognize Miss Ramsey, who could tell you more specifics about the project, but I appreciate your time. >> Certainly. Thank you. Miss Ramsey, do

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you want to speak to us, please? >> Hi, thank you very much, Chair. I appreciate the opportunity to um speak. This is my husband, Tim Dhy, and um like Matthew so eloquently said, we are relocating um to be close to family. We

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both have um parents that are in their late 80s that do live locally and we realized it was time to move back home. Um, and in doing so, we wanted to contribute to the community and bring a

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little of our family concept of a breakfast, lunch, and dinner um concept to Cadam and just uh really help support other local small businesses um in resourcing and sourcing our

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um products and just really all around good food. um having a offering local jobs to seasonal as well as local professionals and employees and um just

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wanted to be part of the community. >> Thank you, Mr. Dardy. Did you want to say anything? >> Sure. Thank you very much. Uh it we're very excited about coming back to the Cape. We we're you know, we've summerred there for 30 years. uh mom and dad still

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in Haritch, sisters, cousins, the whole nine yards. So to come back and uh really insert ourselves in a community-based restaurant uh and give back uh is a real dream coming true. So we

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appreciate your uh vote of confidence in in our abilities. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um I I'm very happy that this um establishment is going to remain as a restaurant and food business. Um, I'll ask if any board members have any comments or questions.

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>> Jeff, >> yeah, that sounds very exciting and welcome. I look forward to uh to going to your restaurant. It's a great location and you guys sound really excited. Going to be fun to have you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And this is a public hearing. Any comments from members of the public?

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I see none. So, I'll entertain a motion. >> Move to approve, Mr. Chairman. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. I'll call the role. Um, Mr. Dykins. >> I, >> Mr. Meadows. >> Hi, >> Mr. Smith. >> I, >> and the chair votes I. >> Congratulations. You have the license. Good luck.

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>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next is the consent agenda. There's one item on the agenda. I know that the principal is online. Um, I'll entertain him speaking if he wishes. It's to consider the use of town roads and

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property in the American Lung Association 42nd annual 3-day autumn escape bike. um from Mr. Paul Curley. Does anyone wish to hear from Mr. Curley or do we want to just take the vote on this item? And >> I believe we've approved it before in the past. >> Yeah, Mr. Curley, anything new you want

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to say on this? >> No, it's uh pretty much the same. I've done it for the last 24 years. Uh I'm the root manager. I do all the permitting for that. And um No, it's it's been a great event and we have about an 80% return rate. So, a lot of the folks that are doing it have done it

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before and we're all getting a year older and uh more careful, a little bit slower, but uh it's it's still it's just still beautiful to cycle on the Cape. >> Thank you. Um is there a motion? >> Uh move approval >> and a second. >> Second.

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>> Moved and seconded. Call the role. Miss Davis. I >> Mr. Dyken. Hi. >> Mr. Meadows. Hi. >> Mr. Smith. >> Hi. >> And the chair votes I. >> You have it. Thank you. Good luck. >> Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. Next item a chat is the uh monthly uh report for April on Chadam Wells PAS

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and drinking water testing and pumping update. Uh Mr. Fail. >> Uh thank you Mr. Chair. Rob Philly, director of public works. So in the month of April water uh report is up on the screen. Um, want to take a moment to

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say that the Chattam Water Department was recognized recently by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as having earned one of the highest scores in the community system category of the 2026 public water system award program. Uh, team members from Viol attended a

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ceremony on May 5th to accept that award. So, we're very proud of those accomplishments. Uh, Cadam wells have been pumping 3 to eight hours per day for April. Um, the water tanks did not hit the low-level alarm. Um, training field well, uh,

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permanent treatment facility has come along quite nicely. Um, gas service was finally installed. A lot of the site work has been completed. A lot of the, you know, chemicals and SCADA is all being dialed in. Um, we're going to have

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our D inspection on Thursday and our final building inspection on Friday. And of course, I don't have any pictures here because I want to encourage all of you to attend the ribbon cutting and open house on Saturday, May 16th. It's open to the public. Uh, it's at 10:00 a.m. right there on Training Field Road.

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Uh, there'll be an article in the uh, Chronicle this week to help highlight that. And, uh, we look forward to seeing uh, everybody out there. for irrigation meters. Um there's not much new to report here, just that fines

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are ongoing. Um they're still accumulating and we do have our court date to bring five of the violators to uh the clerk magistrate on May 19th. >> And I wanted to put an piece in here on water conservation. Just as a reminder,

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uh these are our current water restrictions. Um they went into effect May 1st, 2025. They've remained in effect, although they weren't very critical over the winter because a lot of people weren't using outdoor irrigation. Uh but uh

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irrigation is allowed on assigned days only before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. Oddumbered addresses are assigned Tuesdays and Thursdays. Even numbered addresses are assigned Wednesdays and Fridays. Uh we recently re uh put out

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our econ our sandwich boards notifying the public of this. Uh we posted on Chattam social media and it's been noted in the main sheet. Um but I wanted to note that if individual properties are identified as not following the drought restrictions, we will start delivering

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warning letter letters to notify them of the violation. Um but currently the water rules and regulations have no mechanism for issuing fines to people who violate those regulations. Rob, I think you may have brought this up at the recent meeting of the water and sewer committee. So, is it the plan of

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the committee to propose some regulations for the water comm water and sewer commissioners to adopt so that we can start finding people? >> It's not on their radar, but if it's a wish of the select board, that certainly can be placed on the radar. >> I think it's something that we should

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probably encourage the committee to put together for us. Any any other comments, Stuart? I mean I would support that. Um you have to have some enforcement mechanism. We don't have any. So >> that's right here. I think we should do something else.

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>> Okay. I think we have some direction that you could report back to the water and sewer advisory committee chair. >> Yes, I will do that. Um and then just for normal uh water sampling for the wells. Um things are ongoing. Nothing unusual unless there

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are any questions. Um station maintenance. Uh again, nothing unusual there. Uh for system maintenance, uh our flushing uh was completed uh was mostly in South Chattam this year just due to the water restrictions. Um our leak detection

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monitoring, we have found a couple of leaks that we were able to repair. Um it's good news. I don't know if it has any correlation, but our May usage so far this month is down from what it was last year. So, could be a number of

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different factors, but um that may have contributed to it as well. And we'll jump right into the uh the water usage. Uh so, April 25 compared to April 26. You can still see we are pushing uh 14 and a half% higher than we

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were last year. And again, I'll I'll refresh everybody's memory that last year seemed to be a very low usage year. Um, we'll get into more of that when you see the five-year uh numbers. Um, again, May is is trending lower. So, that's a good sign.

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And here's the uh the April pumping graph where April 26 is the the pink and April 25 is the blue. And you can see it trends does trend daily almost uh higher on a regular basis. And here's the April bar chart.

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And here is the April monthly report showing the level of effort for each well on a daily basis. Um you notice well four still is not on. We anticipate putting that on. We tried to put it on. We were thinking before Memorial Day, but we're waiting for a chlorine pump.

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Uh that's on back order. Uh so we should have that soon and then we of course have to sample it and test it and send it out to the lab. probably be the week after Memorial Day, but we're not in a critical time crunch yet. Um the wells are are performing fine and usage isn't up as much as it as it normally would

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be. Um for next month's report, you'll see well four on there and hopefully for the following month, you'll see wells five and eight on there as well. And here's the bar chart for the April pumping graph. And here is the uh year-to-ate pumping

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report. You can see last year's pumping was 66 million gallons year to date. Uh this year it's a little over 80 million. So a little over 14 million gallons more so far this year than last year. And here's just that same information in

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a more of a visual perspective. And then we jump to the unmetered water usage. again in April. Uh the hydrant flushing was the big user. Uh 4.3 million gallons. Um it's a it's a necessity. You know,

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there's no way really around that. We have to keep the health of the system by flushing the hydrants. And it's a big water user. And here's our 5-year pumping average. You see 23 million gallons for April 26. The average is a little over 21 million

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gallons. Um it's the highest in those five years, but it's oddly enough April 2021, which would be just off of this uh chart, uh was a 24.3 million gallon month. So we're still right around that average. We're just on the high side.

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We look at our observation well for the town of Chadam. Uh you could see we are starting to crest. I think uh that's probably about the highest we'll get. We're entering the growing season. Um we are higher than last year, which is a

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good sign. Um we won't really know until it's a look back whether we've crested or um or it's going to continue to increase. But you could see the orange line in each previous year. We're about the point where um we're at maximum capacity and we're going to start the seasonal decline soon.

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Similar for Brewster, which is the bell weather. We're higher than last year, which is a good sign. Um, but it does appear to be cresting at this point. Um, we'll keep an eye on things. Other than that, there's not much we can do.

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So, for the drought update, uh, the Massachusetts drought task force met on May 7th. Uh, the water sewer advisory committee met on May 4th. So, they didn't have the benefit of uh understanding what was discussed at the at the drought hearing uh the drought

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meeting, but I've got some slides here that I'd like to show and it's good news. So, Cape Cod has been raised to a level one drought uh from a level two drought. Um it's a good sign. Uh it doesn't mean

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it's a harbinger of a good summer. Um we're right on the borderline. We're actually between a level one and a level two, but you can see the rest of Massachusetts have all gotten worse and we're the only area that's gotten better. I think a lot of that had to do with the abundant rainfall that we've

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had. But if we look at where we are, um the public water system water management act requires non-essential water use during a drought declaration. So, you see at a level one drought, it says no more than one day per week before 9:00 a.m. and

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after 5:00 p.m. Level two drought is all non-essential uses are banned. So, we are at a level one drought now, but we have still allowed two days per week. And I think that was kind of a compromise that we put into place last year. Um,

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I would recommend that we stay at a level two uh water restriction usage two days a week even though level one is less restrictive and there's a couple of reasons for that. So I you know the drought task force did did have a

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lengthy discussion on Cape Cod and they said we're really not a level one we're like at a level one point something so somewhere between a one and a two. uh the growing season has just begun. So evapo transpiration, you know, the vegetation's usage of the groundwater

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and evaporating that back into the atmosphere will reduce the water going into the aquifer. Um public outreach and education, if we change the current regulations, we'd have to re-educate the public for the rest of this month and

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then potentially restricting it again next month. So, I think it's much easier to stay the course. Um, I think it's just better to say, you know, let let's see how things play out, remain at the current restrictions for another month and see what the next month's meeting

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holds. So, I just put up the current restrictions again just for the the board to see and um open to a discussion. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Any comments or questions, Jeff? the the PWS uh grid

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that you showed. Where do we get that? Is that is that state that's the states in uh the right? >> Yeah, that's that's right off this the D website. >> The D website. Two questions. You mentioned a leak earlier that may have contributed to Where was the leak?

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>> Uh there were a couple of smaller ones around town. I I don't remember the exact location. >> Were they residential or >> No, no, they were they were on the main. >> They were on our main. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. And then the operative plan for the summer is all wells will be online. Four, five, eight. >> Correct.

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>> The whole gamut. >> Every every all 11 wells will be pumping this summer. >> Okay. Awesome. Thanks, Rob. You Rob, you do a great job by the way. These reports are excellent. >> Thank you, >> Rob. What does PWS stand for? >> Public >> public water system. >> And Okay. And WMA >> Water Management Act.

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>> Okay. Thanks. Any other comments or questions from the board? I don't see any from the public. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> We'll proceed now with the um standard business agenda. >> Mr. Chair, you do have one person. >> Oh, I'm sorry.

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>> Miss Buren, you have a comment or a question? >> I do. I'm just curious if that water that is used to flush the hydrants, couldn't that be repurposed for watering of public

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flower beds or of cemeteries? Um, you know, there there must be a way and I realize that the flushing of the hydrants can be a immense amount of water in a very short period of time, but it seems a shame to let that water

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uh go to waste when we're being so careful about the use of the water. And then my second question, I know it wasn't a topic for tonight, but where do we stand with the residents who still have not registered their irrigation

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systems? >> Rob, do you want to answer those questions? >> Sure. So recovery of the of the water coming out of the hydrants is uh would be a challenge. Um it's coming out in such quantities, it is going back into

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the aquifer, so it is recharging the aquifer. Um for us there would be a tremendous expense to try to recover that water have additional staff or vehicles or some other contingent device out there to recover that water. I don't think I

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know it is a valuable resource but the cost per gallon uh would be tremendous. It wouldn't be worth it. >> And uh you've touched in the past on your second question which was the unregistered. I think you outlined how

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we were going to go about that. Yes. So, we still have people that are um we're booked through June for installation and um and we're still following through with them. Uh we have five people uh facing court dates on May

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19th. Um and we're still issuing fines to the others. >> Those are the those are registered systems, right? >> Those are for uh the people who have not purchased a second meter, >> but they've registered. >> Some may have registered. >> Okay. Yeah. So, the the new fines are

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people who have registered but they haven't um they've paid for a second meter but they haven't taken any other action. >> Actually, I think she was um perhaps asking about and I can be corrected if need be on those that have not registered at all who have

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>> those are the those are the five that we are uh in court with. >> Okay. Okay. All right. Stuart. >> Sure. Thank you, Rob. It came up last night and I'm sure you've spoken to it, but maybe it would be helpful to um say

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it again um if you haven't. So, we'll have all the wells online here soon, maybe by summer. That's a big achievement. Um the issue of uh I think it came up from a member of the finance committee um about water storage. I'm

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sure there's a relation between the amount of wells we have and what they pump and the amount of storage we have. is the there must be some rationale for that but um is there a have we ever talked maybe we have I I

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don't recall about another water tower and if so is it needed is it >> you know it's a great question it would it would require a study you know I would um have to have a consultant look into that to see if it was really needed I think when we have 11 wells and

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they're all online and they're pumping efficient ly I don't think you'll see the water level drop as rapidly and we'd be able to keep up with it. >> Right? >> So combined with all the people who have taken their irrigation systems offline and drilled private wells that that

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helps also. It's the irrigation demand in the mornings during the summer that puts the greatest stress on our infrastructure. >> Sure. So, as long as we have enough wells that are pumping to, you know, kind of supplement that quantity that's being used, I don't really see where

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storage would be an issue. >> Okay. Thank you. >> It's going to be good to see this summer to see if we a level alarm with all 11 wells pumping. >> That'll be interesting because it's been how long since all the wells have been online? >> Well, never. >> Never. That's a long time >> because 10 and 11 are are newer, but five and eight have been down the entire

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time. >> Good. Great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Um on the business agenda, first item is the 2026 annual town meeting follow-up discussion and action items. Um Kathy has given us the

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grid from last night showing which items were approved and not. I wanted to just make a few opening comments about this and I'll invite other members of the board as well. Um I personally thought overall it was a good meeting and I extend kudos

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to those who attended and participated, spoke, and to the moderator for his good humor and guidance in helping us get through the entire warrant in one session. Um,

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that has its pluses and minuses because a lot of people left after some of the more significant items. A lot of seniors I think left after the seal item and um I think after the airport item some people left. Um as for the decisions

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that were made and this is just my perspective obviously the residential tax exemption was the undercurrent of the night. Um and looking at all the votes that were taken on that topic, article 31, which had to do with the um

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overlay, there was a nine vote difference on that. Article 56, which was the delay, the finance committee article, there was a 24 vote difference on that. Article 57, which was the um petition

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article um for a bylaw change, that was the one that had a more decisive split of about 63 votes. Um I personally look step back stepping back at this, whatever your position is on the RTE, I don't see a

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dramatic mandate in either direction last night. And therefore, I think uh it's going to be open to each individual select board member, including whoever is elected on Thursday, to vote his or her his or her

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conscience in September. Um and um I would encourage the finance committee if they can to complete their study which they've undertaken um before September

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um as something that board members might want to consider. And I would advise resident taxpayers to continue to make their applications with the assessing department as if the RTE is going through and for the staff to continue to

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prepare for its implementation. We'll have a final determination on this as we do every September. Um I want to say one other thing about cons criticism that was voiced at the select board.

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um whether from the finance committee or from individual comments on um our control of town spending. What we propose to town meeting

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is to fund those services, infra infrastructure and programs that the public wants. There are many opportunities on individual items for people to vote these expenditures up or down.

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Seldom do does that happen. So, you know, you can look at and I read the finance committee report. They talked about the boat house costing a million dollars, but I didn't hear or see, and I know that wasn't on for last

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night. It's been approved in the past. This whole board, I think, supports it. But, you know, tell us what you don't want us to spend money on. Um, we had the Maronei Tower last night, $200,000.

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We could have the town meeting could have voted that down if they wanted to, but you can't make these criticisms, direct them at the town manager, direct them at the staff, direct them at the SEC select board

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without telling us in particular what you don't want to spend money on. So, um, maybe I'm getting a little hard-edged after 11 years on this board, but I think that is a message I've just really wanted to get out there. So, any

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other comments on what we might want to do in terms of followup or or in general, Corey? >> No, I think last night's meeting went well. Um, you know, turnout was was kind of expected. Um, you know, a lot of

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familiar faces in the audience. Um, you know, the the followup I've heard today, you know, it's only been a short window since we wrapped it up last night late was, um, you know, how do we get younger people? How do we get more people? Is there better time? Is there a better system? I don't think any of us have a

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magic answer. I'd love to have that dialogue. I'd love to try to discuss other ideas or options. Um, you know, whether we start on, you know, an earlier session, I don't know. We've tried Saturdays. I don't think we're ever going to come up with that perfect formula. Um, but if people want to keep

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having the dialogue and kind of come up with other suggestions, let let's see if we can come up with another solution and see what happens. But this is the system we have. Um, you know, as we were getting later in the evening, the vote counts were dropping. Um, it you know,

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after 10:00 at night, I think people started getting a little bit weary and less focused and um, you know, and and I I understand I understand that. But for those who went out last night and braved the uh the town meeting process, I appreciate them for sticking through. Uh we went through a lot of articles last

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night, um I'm very grateful for the moderator and the uh consent agenda. I think that has been a wonderful tool the last couple years that we've that we've really been using and um people spoke, they attended, and um we we were able to finish up in one night. So, um I I look

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at as as a success um and we can always build, you know, in the future, but um I thought last night went relatively well. >> Thank you, >> Jeffrey. >> Yeah, I was I was pleased with town meeting. It was a vibrant conversation on certain specific and controversial uh

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issues and articles, the airport, the RTE, um affordable housing. I was uh net net I was um pleased with the with the overall support for affordable and attainable housing giving stepping stones a green light. Um was disappointed in in picking one of the u

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CPC articles for support for Penrose funding versus another. Um I uh I thought that uh I thought the RT I agree with you uh Mr. chairman that the the the vote on both 56 and especially 31.

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Um it was unfortunate I think in retrospect to have those two uh bifurcated on the warrant. I think it was clearer um to have them together rather than apart. I think it's unfortunate that 31 didn't pass. um the

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uh overlay you know uh will be challenged and uh may have to go elsewhere if we have ultimately approve uh the RTE may have to go in the tax rate. Um also in retrospect I I wish we had um thought about and seriously

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considered putting the RTE on a non-binding uh ballot question. I think I think we get 586 or 590 voters in a room and and sort of 50/50 or it was 5446 on the delay which is a proxy for

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the RTE but I think it would be a little different result or maybe even a very different result if we had on a ballot question that give us more of an indication of where folks stood or not on the issue. Always appreciate uh the moderator. I think he he does his he

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performs his job as moderator with a lot of intelligence and and humor. Um you know uh he's very quick on his feet and I I appreciate that. It keeps the keeps the the uh meeting moving and more in in a lighter tone. Um I also appreciated

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your comments, Mr. Chairman, on um spending. Um we heard loud and clear, especially from two or three citizens that we just spend too much money. Well, okay. What would you like to not spend on? Which is what you basically asked, Mr. Chairman. What would you like to not

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spend on? Go ahead, tell us. Give us an indication. What would you like to not spend on? There was budget, schools, infrastructure, what you know. So, um, a little guidance there would be great. uh whether we take

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it or not is another issue, but uh an opinion or some insight if you have it would be appreciated at least on my part. Um was a late night. Um but I think it was I think it was good night all in all. Um Shireen's last one. We'll miss you Shireen. You know that. Um and

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I I thought that uh there are some very intelligent comments as well as some not so intelligent. I'll leave it there. And I Oh no, an addendum. I I I apologize in advance, but in addendum, I do hope you all understand how free cash is generated. Thank you very much. >> We thank you for your lecture last night

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on free cash. >> Um any other comments, Shireen? Um yeah, I I was really pleased that the uh the housing initiatives that we had um worked on uh Stepping Stones and 63

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George Ryder Road uh came through um as well as uh the lease to local um program was very pleased to see that uh we have something um uh that you guys are going to be able to work on and go forward. I

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I think um you know when I looked at the some of the citizens petitions especially Mr. Ray's um you know and that that that just made me a little I don't know a little

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nervous about how strong a role our fincom should be playing or what the public's perception of the fincom's role is with the process of policy with the select board. Um, and I call it out because I don't know if people really

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understand, and maybe they do, um, when that we have advisory boards that when we're talking about, uh, water, uh, economic development, um, any of number of those, those are the those

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are the folks who have, you know, have a stake in the game, uh, equal to the finance committee. if you think about it as a committee that can that are there to advise us as to um um how to go forward uh what's important to the town

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they hear it so I think that when you ask from um from a perspective of the spending piece uh you know tell us not what not to spend it on we're being informed all the time by our advisory committees and the public at large so um

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I would hope that this board looks at >> economic development, looks at the water, so it looks at all of them to say, you know, when we're setting policy, what is the impact from their perspective? Um I just I just get really uh you know

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when we're hearing these words transparency and all these things um it it just made me it just sounded like you know uh jargon that you're hearing now and and you know uh with everything and you know our policies our our job is to

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set the policies for the town of Chadam and to listen to this to the public because we are their elected representatives and everything stops with us. >> So, >> thank you. >> Um, that that's all I really have to say about it. >> Any other comments, Stuart?

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>> Sure. Um, it was it was my first town meeting from uh being up at the table. So, it was it kind of it was very interesting the the difference in uh perception. Um so uh

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couple of things that I I certainly heard concern about spending. Um you know we've chatted about that kind of to some degree over the budget process. Um maybe this coming year it's to a more

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significant degree if not nothing else to better educate the public so they understand better or uh and maybe we find uh efficiencies uh in some locations but I think the uh I think there was around 500 or so people right

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at town meeting I believe >> first of all was 586 >> 586 so you know that that's about average >> um andundred and >> somewhere where something like 158 or 60 or whatever it was voted against the budget.

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That's a higher number than normally vote against the budget. I think that that's, you know, I'm not saying either way other than it's something we should take note of. Uh and um and you know, the finance committee is a

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it's a necessary part of our checks and balances. It's really a I think it's a very it's a vital part. Um but I was I've been very surprised uh at the

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discussion about the RTE. Um it seems to have taken on a a light that you I didn't expect. Um uh and you know the select board has voted in support of the RTE. We'll have an

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election this week and we'll see if that continues. But the finance committee knew that >> and they voted against article 31. They spoke they were pretty avid about it.

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>> Unanimously against >> that is a I'm I'm wondering and I listen I respect every single one of those people. they've been on there a long time and you know they have a lot of a lot of knowledge but I I think that they might want to um you know new

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perspective because I'm a newer member here um to take a step back a little bit and and really debate amongst themselves as to whether that was the best financial advice that they could give

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because the select board voted to support it thus far and I I think that they were voting more about the philosophy behind it as opposed to the best funding mechanism.

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Clearly the better funding mechanism was what was proposed in the warrant but they advocated >> strongly against it and we may end up putting it on the tax rate which you know I I just I I find that perplexing.

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So just that observation um talked about the spending in the budget. Uh I think we should pay attention to that number because it's the wrong direction that we want to want to be. Um the tower painting

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and I hope I'm missing something because the presentation that I recall that was made here um was about painting the towers. We were all, me included, was a little surprised at the price. Um, and we voted not to support it. I voted not

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to support it because I thought it was a crazy price. Well, it was never mentioned that there was steel truss work to be done in in conjunction with the painting and I would have probably had a different perspective. I would have had a better understanding of the work that was going to be done. Um, that

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was a that was, you know, a significant missing link. Um and um the last one may not may not be as popular if any of them are any of my observations but um

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I think it's I think it's worth a not a consulting study but our own study in thought on using town council on a citizen's petition. you know, that came up again

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last I think it's come up before. Um, you know, the citizens petition is designed to go around this board directly to the uh legislature and we're we're trying to, I think, constructively give

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information on it, but are we is it is the perception that we're lobbying one direction or another? because I think that is the perception and that's something we may want to chat about and be careful of because um I I that's I

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don't think it's the intention but um I I think we that may take a little bit of research as to uh you know where the citizens petition oriented orient uh orients and you know how uh it was expected that it was going to um uh uh

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go into effect or or carried out in process. I'm I'm wondering whether we're we're interceding into that. Um something something to think about. Um you I think it was I forget who said it, but I think they were correct in that. Okay, let's say the town council didn't

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opine on the Mr. Ray's citizen petition. By the way, I did not agree with Mr. Ray's petition. I voted against it. Um, I won't use the word outrageous, but it was kind of a it wasn't a petition that I thought was uh, you know, well thought

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out. In any event, does he have or anyone else have the right to get to town meeting without the interference of the select board by using an opinion when that process is supposed to be gone to the attorney general where they make

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that determination? And so I'm not really I the the argument has been made that well we have an interest in it because we're going to have to defend it, right? And town council um we'd want town council's opinion because we may have to defend that. Well, you know,

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yes, uh we have to defend all the bylaws. I mean, that's part of the oath. You know, that's what we do. Um, so those are my observations and uh thought it was pretty pretty good meeting but there was a lot of very close votes and

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I something to pay attention to. >> Uh, thank you. I would just um offer two comments on two things you said Stuart. one is uh relative to the um the overlay vote and I would point out that even the

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two members of this board who um voted for one reason or not here uh not to advance the RTE or the process for the RTE even those two members myself included voted to

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support the overlay because we thought that was sound financial policy with respect back to the um petition articles and legal opinions. The reason that and I requested it the the reason um I think it's important for

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um the opportunity for for the town meeting to have the opportunity to hear the legal um perspective of our town council on a petition article is that it informs

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them as to whether there is the potential for a legal infirmity with a particular proposal. When I was city solicitor up in Quinsey, I attended every meeting of the legislative body which was the city council and I was regularly asked even

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by city councilors for my opinion on the spot most of the time what's your opinion of this what's your opinion of that when I worked inhouse as an attorney for a private uh nonprofit corporation the governing boards and I attended all the meetings would asked

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the same questions so it wasn't an intention to skew things in one direction or another. It was intention it was an intention to provide a full array of of information uh for them. And I agree that any town council can be wrong and the attorney general makes the

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final determination and if the town is unhappy or anybody's unhappy, they can probably bring a lawsuit to challenge that. But those those those are my thoughts about it and if the board wants to discuss it further in the future, that's perhaps something we certainly could do. Yeah, I think it's worthy of a

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discussion at some point. I don't think it's, you know, on on the hot seat or anything, but uh and this isn't the first time this this is this has come up this has come up before. So, it's not I do um I'm particularly and I think there's folks in the community who are

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particularly sensitive about that um the rights of a citizen to go to the without uh >> the at least the perception of interference. And um yeah, I'm kind of I'm kind of split on it, but I will say I'm I'm not particularly comfortable with uh

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>> I get that. And and I and I would add one other thing. Um um I think it's Mr. Lichfield's view that whatever potential legal problem a petition or a petition has should still

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go before town meeting for town meetings um um consideration. and I share that view. Um, and um, let town meeting decide whether to vote something up or down. Anyway, thank you. >> My thoughts, >> Jeffrey,

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>> with respect to the that issue, does does our moderator, Bill Litchfield, does he take a look at the citizen petitions before they get to the warrant for for verbiage, for for wording, for formatting? My understanding is that often times uh the petitioner will meet in advance with the and and review their

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thoughts with the moderator and he will provide some guidance not on content or substance. >> Right. Right. >> process. >> Yeah. I think codifying that may be a good idea as part of this discussion. The other other part I I I recall last year when we had the airport article where we had a windspan petition if you

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will citizens petition that we knew honestly knew primmaacia. I don't know if we if we researched it with any kind of council, town council or otherwise. >> We had two legal opinions. >> Yeah. So So we but we knew before the town meeting that was patently illegal. We knew that the AG we knew I mean 99.9%

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sure that the AG was going to say no mass you can't do this. This is against the law. But and I think we informed that the voters of that fact as well and yet they still went forward. So my ultimate point here is I just don't really want to waste people's time. I don't want to w I don't want to waste

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the if we send the AG stuff that we already know is no good. What why I mean so so my two cents I'll have more when we have the actual robust discussion but I don't I don't think we should be wasting the AG's time nor ours. >> Yeah. >> I mean I I get it. Citizens petition.

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Here we go. It's the law. We put we put it on the put it on the warrant. But if it's if it's spurless and and and we know it's illegal. I mean, I guess >> just we're wasting time, >> but at least the process would have been played out in the in the in the designed

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role that it's supposed to. Um, and like I said, it there's there's good arguments, but um I'm just particularly sensitive to >> citizens rights and their ability to go to this the our legislature, which is town meeting >> and as am I. And I think, you know, if we get some kind of screening or

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scrutiny pre, you know, I just think I just don't think we'd bring illegal illegal petitions to the town meeting and and that's that's probably something for another discussion. I mean, I think our our practice is to bring every citizen's petition, put it on put it on the warrant. Well, we have to we have to

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we're required to and you know the the things that we put on the warrant as far as like I will say our articles >> you know that's certainly legitimate I think to have town council review >> um it's the it's the other port that you know we may want to chat about.

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>> When I was on the finance committee I I I did on occasion ask because we would get these articles that came from the select board. I would ask if if town council had weighed in on them because I might see some might have seen something that

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troubled me. In the case of Mr. Race petition, I I had policy problems with it just as you did too. >> Yeah. And and as did I. And I I was taken aback by the fin support of it. I I you know might have saved a lot of people a lot of time. >> Yeah. Okay. Thanks.

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>> Um are there any follow-up things that we need to do, Joe? >> Uh yes, Mr. Chair. So there's um a couple of citizen there's one home rule petition um actually let me start sooner than 59. Article 34 >> Mhm.

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>> is uh one of the select boards home rule petitions to allow for year- round housing occupancy restrictions. And so typically after um town meeting if the article is approved then I check in with the board to give me direction to actually finalize the the form and send

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it to the legislature. >> So whom should that go to? Would whom would you send it to? >> Um >> so this is the this is the petition. So you want direction from us to file it with alle with our >> representative and senator Seir? >> Yes. Exactly.

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>> Okay. Is there a consensus to do that? Do we want to do we need a vote? >> Yes. No. >> Do we need a vote? >> I I'll I'll move that we >> Okay. >> Submit it. >> A second. >> Legislative delegation. >> Second. >> Okay. I'll call the role on that. Miss Davis. >> Hi. >> Mr. Dykins. Mr. Matters. Hi. Mr. Smith.

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>> Hi. >> And the chair votes I. >> Okay. >> Thank you. So again with a home rule petition where we're seeking um a deviation from the law and so we have to ask for permission from the general court which is filed through the legislature. Um the second one and the

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last one is a citizens petition. That was article 59 that passed and that was essentially to combine tax title and tax deferred accounts into one account and charge a tax rate uh interest of 2%. That was the amended motion. So it would

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be for the select board to approve uh our filing with u the state legislature and general court. >> So I'll accept a motion. >> Move filing with the state legislature. >> We'll second. All right. Can I just ask a quick question? I'm happy this passed. Um, I thought

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about it last night. I paused for a second, but I'm a mechanical question and I and I and I hope there's no hiccups with this. How many warrants? Traditionally, I mean mech mechanically, we don't raise numbers, we lower numbers. This is slightly different. Do

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you think there's any mechanical editing issues that we went from 0.5% up to 2%. >> You know, I was we had we had that thought moment. So I'm just mechanically is there any >> I I think probably what was in the

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moderator's mind and I would have agreed with this. >> I was thinking about this myself. So you're talking about for example if you have a petition article that costs that asks to spend $200,000. You can't take a vote for $250,000 because

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>> anyone who attends town meeting is on notice that the highest they could possibly do is 200,000. you can lower it. In this case, it was a proposal to lower the statutory interest rate of 8% down to basically zero, whatever it was, half a percent.

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>> And and so I think conversely, um, looking at that, you're you're saying, okay, the lowest you can go is 05. You couldn't go 0.025, but you can go some something less than

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that. Um the other right is that what your question was? I >> actually I I I think I can weigh in. So the citizens petition there was no article that was filed. It was a motion >> and I I don't know um if how it came out

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to be an article because our forms of of citizen petitions usually have an article with a motion. And I think what the moderator in our brief conversation was saying is that there really was no article. it was the motion that was provided and the motion could be amended because there were four corners of the

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article to go higher and so he I I think you might have noticed he paused for a second to to try to think it out and um he had s seen that it was it was okay to send so >> okay I'm fine with that but I just wanted to >> All right we take the vote on that

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>> no >> all right but it's been moved and seconded so yes >> call the role Miss Davis I >> Mr. Dikkins hi Mr. matter >> hi >> Mr. Smith I >> and the chair of votes I >> any anything else Joe? >> I think I think that's it for just >> there's something on um wasn't there some followup that we needed to do on

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one of these tax um assistance articles was it Mr. Phillips. Yeah. 61. The local option. I haven't looked at

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that tonight, so I don't section 5 of chapter 59. This is the local option. This is a tax exemption from year- round properties. Someone asked last night, how is that going to be implemented? And I think the response was this will go to the select board. Are we supposed to do

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something with this? >> Yes. >> Yes. So that's >> an agenda item. >> Yeah, we'd have an agenda item. It's just like the other ones with the the Brave Act. That's 53, 54, and 55. That's in that same section. >> So, this will go to your the finance director and and the assessing

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department to come back to us or the tax or the treasur, whatever, your finance folks come back to us through you. >> Yeah, we haven't um talked about it with um >> with recommendations at some point. >> Yes, we'll come back to you. >> Okay. Anything else on the town meeting?

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All right. Great. We'll now go to discussion on the senior workoff program. This is an agenda item request by clerk or clerk Steuart Smith for a proposed hourly rate increase with a maximum abatement of $750

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starting July 1st. Um, as I looked at this, it looks like we would have to take votes to approve the change being proposed and to file uh for annual Well, we don't have to do this second part tonight for annual town

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meeting 27 to increase um the maximum exemption to $1,500. Mr. Dykens, will you chair the meeting this for sure? >> I'll be right back. >> Yeah, I'll be be glad to. Welcome, Carrie. >> Good evening. Welcome, Leah.

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>> How is everybody? >> We're great. So, why don't you present this to us and uh we'll take it from there. >> Okay. Do you want to go first? >> Oh, I was just going to note the typo um of 50 uh 53 hours. It should be 50 under

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the um maximum um abatement of 700 I'm not Which one is it? >> It is um >> it's a 500. It's the 500 at $15 an hour. It should be 50 hours and not 53, right? >> Or it's the 750. >> No, respectfully.

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>> Sorry, I can't remember. I'm so sorry. I am exhausted today. >> I don't mind. I was going to address it under requested action where it says um we're requesting an abatement of um this to raise it to the state minimum wage of

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$15 per hour for 50 hours, not 53 hours with a maximum credit abatement of 750. >> Right. Thank you. You're welcome. >> Um I I I first I just wanted to say Shireen, thank you for all of your

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support for the SE fell. It's been so appreciated and you've done so many incredible things for the community and we're really going to miss you. So thank you. Um I'm not it sounds like I'm going to read from the the whole staff report, but I'm not. But for those who don't

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know, the Cadam Senior Work uh SA Chadam Senior Tax Workoff Program was established in January 2013 after approval by a majority vote at the 2012 annual town meeting. The program provides Chattam residents ages 60 and

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older who own their own homes with an opportunity to reduce their property tax bills by up to $500, performing work for the town at minimum wage in exchange for a tax abatement. Currently in its 14th year, which is fiscal year 2026, 15 participants have

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contributed 655.75 hours to date uh towards tax abatements with an additional 335.5 volunteer hours. In FY25, 12 participants contributed 353.75

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hours towards tax abatements with an additional 537.5 volunteer hours. The Chattam tax workoff program continues to provide valuable support to town departments. As of December 31st, 2025, participants

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contributed 419 program hours, including 121 hours of volunteer services. Um, these volunteers work in the sticker office or volunteer in the sticker office. They volunteer at um at town and

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town offices on Main Street. We have a lot of volunteers at the Sefell. They help with groceries for the Healthy Meals in Motion program. I think um Greg has someone working in his office. It's um it's quite a program. And as you can

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see from the additional volunteer hours, people stay once they make their um their the hours they have to make, a lot of them stay and and continue to contribute. It's it's pretty amazing to see. Um, since the program's inception,

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the $500 abatement has been tied to a requirement that residents complete 62.5 hours of volunteer service, which effectively values that service at the then state minimum wage of $8 per hour. This rate has not been updated to

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reflect the state's current minimum wage of 15 per hour, which took effect on January 123. Aligning the rate with the current minimum wage if would not if we go this way it would not increase the total abatement amount but it would

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reduce the required volunteer hours from 62.5 to 33.33. Any increase to the total benefit of over $750 would require town approval at town meeting. an increase from 500 to 70

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to 750 could be implemented for FY 2027 beginning July 2026 with your vote here tonight. And I'll let Carrie, do you want to talk about the financial impact? Um, sure. Um,

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so the reason I just want to speak on the 750 and why you can increase it from 500 to 750. Um there was a IGR that was um done in 2002 which was actually before your implementation of the senior

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tax work off um of $500. And the article never specified how much you were going to implement it at. you can actually increase it to 750 because if you don't have anything that states anything that

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says um any legalities or bylaws that state you have to have it at $500, you could automatically increase it to $750 because that's the mass um top expenditure I guess or what bottom

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line that they they approved, right? Um, so it's it used to be 500 and now it's 750 is the lowest amount. Um, so anyways, regardless, it's now up to a maximum of $2,000 that you can do. So you can go from

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either $750 or 2,000. Um, >> but in order to get to 2,000, what do we have to do? >> But so to go over the 750, we would have to go to town meeting for that and get approval for anything over the 750. So, we have a warrant article for next year.

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>> We have a warrant. Yeah, we'll do a warrant article for next year. >> Um, and you guys can decide whatever, you know, what amount you feel is comfortable. Um, but um with going to 750 from um 500, it would increase the

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exemption um to a cost about 15,000. Um, so for FY2026, the current uh fiscal impact is 7,500 reflecting 15 participants um receiving the $500. Increasing it to 750 assuming

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20 participants um it would raise the cost to 15,000 um resulting in an additional $5,000 required in the overlay account. Um I don't think that's a huge impact. Um,

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if we went up to um I don't know if you want me to keep going on the fiscal impact. If we went up to 1,500 in 2027, I mean 2028 for the next annual town

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meeting, it would be with 20 participants, it would be a financial impact of approximately $30,000. Um, that's for the overlay account. We do have participants after talking with Candace, we have participants that

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might not put in the full hours, so they get a partial credit, so they don't necessarily get the full amount, but they'll get something. So, I just figured I'd mention that as well. >> Yes, we did have two participants um this fiscal year who have dropped out

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due to unforeseen circumstances and they'll get a partial credit, but they won't get the full credit. Mhm. >> So, so for this evening, you'd like to get the uh rate from 8 to 15. >> Mhm. >> And then uh for 53 hours at max at 750 >> 50 hours. That's the

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>> 50. Yep. 7 That's the correction. >> Okay. >> Um with at $15 an hour with hours to complete F50. >> Okay. Comments from the board. >> The um thanks for putting this together. This was one of my request and uh

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>> Mhm. you know, the the $8 over the last number of years, is this something uh that gets reviewed um periodically to I mean, clearly you've done it now and this is very helpful, but um I'm just

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wondering how did we stick it $8 an hour, which is well below minimum wage since the change in minimum wage in 23 just just didn't >> when I came on board um and learned about the senior tax work off program. I I saw that the rate hadn't changed in a

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while. I did bring it up with at that time that finance director, but they were unable to increase it at that time. It was um this is when I did the when your request came through, I did do a study of all the other towns and saw

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that you know that everybody every other town was at 15. Um, I think Dennis is the highest at 2,000, but nobody else is at 2,000. They all range between 500 is the lowest, um, which is us, and it does go up to I'm sorry, Dennis and

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East Ham have 2,000. >> You know, I just look at >> maximum benefit. >> And I know talk preaching to the choir here, but you know, I look at this is this is great on page three. I look at the numbers and and think we're one of the more difficult towns to afford to

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live in and we're paying the least amount of money to our senior work. I mean, this is just like it kind of, you know, things slip through the cracks, but this is a little bit. So, um, do >> I assure you'll be reviewing it

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annually? >> Great. Thank you. That's that's that's all I ask. And is is the minimum wage uh you can make more at stop and shop um bagging groceries here. Are are is this >> could we go higher than 15? No, we can't.

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>> You can't go higher. >> It's >> state doesn't allow that. >> Correct. >> Correct. You can either do what is it? Um it states in the mass general law I believe it is that it's um >> you can't go below the federal.

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>> Yep. Can't go below federal, but you can't go above >> can't go above state. >> Mhm. >> Huh. >> And we were almost very close to the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25. >> Yeah. So, I guess we can chat further

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about Well, I'm certainly hope that we can change this to what the state allows. Um and uh and then we can chat during the budget process as to whether to add to the overlay. Um, I mean it looks to me like East Ham's paying 2,000

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and Dennis is paying 2,000 and we're certainly more serum serum headed our elderly are like the some of the more, you know, uh, put upon folks, you know, they have fixed incomes and putting uh putting their budgets

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together, but the state caps it at minimum wage. I find that perplexing. Um, in any event, thanks for putting this together and uh >> support >> I'm not sure really um it's the um the amount that the that you can go up to is

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$2,000 regardless. So, >> um the I I guess if it's minimum wage, it's say it's $15 an hour, you can only go up to a maximum credit of 2,000. So, I guess

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the hours, if that what you're looking at, like how many hours they put in because >> Yeah. So, I'm kind of looking at it entirely and the Yes, the uh the hours is one thing >> because that would just reduce the hour the amount of hours that >> which is good. We're headed in the right

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direction. I just I was thinking more holistically and I'm thinking, boy, the state recognizes this is an issue. Why are they cap They must have had a reason why they're capping it at >> this. But, uh that's for a further discussion, I guess. Yeah, I don't >> we won't figure the state out tonight.

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>> Just with the mention of cap, we don't have any cap for income. Um Chattam doesn't Haritch and Orleans, but some do. And so I guess when we work through the the next rendition of it for the the fall budget review, um that could be

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something that you've considered, but we've we've never had any income cap income tap, I'm sorry, income caps since the pro program's been inception. And then and if and if we did that would be a whole you know another process of reviewing the income and that gets un

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that >> it's actually better this way. >> Yeah it's a little weird >> and we actually had um the most people register this year. Um we had orient we held orientation yesterday. Uh we had 15 people I believe show up for orientation

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yesterday but we have 20 people alto together who are bringing in we did have one person leave orientation yesterday because they just wanted to volunteer and not fill out forms. So, um, other than that, it looks like it's going to be a more robust year this year, which

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is great because it also >> it gets people involved in our town. Sure. Which is, you know, a huge benefit. And also for us at the Sefell, it's brought more people in who maybe haven't um >> been as, you know, social as they needed

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to be and it's kind of gotten them out and they've made friends and and feel part of the community and that's an added bonus to it, too. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you, Stuart, for bringing this forward. Jeffrey. >> Yeah, I was going to make a motion if uh if they need one to uh to increase our

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state minimum wage from 8 to $15 for uh 53 hours with a maximum uh abatement credit of 50 I'm excuse me 50 hours. This is 50 50 hours for a maximum credit abatement of $750 starting July 1st, 2026 and a placeholder for a warrant

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article for next year to get it to I think 133 hours of $15 in 2000. So >> I'll second that. >> Uh I'd like to do 2,000. >> Oh, 2,000. Okay, that's fine. >> Great. Okay. >> Um do we also have to uh Is there I heard you second that, Stuart. You did.

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>> Yes, I did. >> Okay. And do we do we have to um approve? Well, I'll do the I'll ask about the guidelines in a moment. Why don't we take a vote on this motion that uh m Mr. Dykens made and seconded by Mr. Stewart. Miss Davis. >> Hi. >> Mr. Dikkins. Hi. >> Mr. Meadows.

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>> Hi. >> Mr. Smith. >> I. >> And the chair votes I. So there's a uh draft guidelines. Are those guidelines of the select board? It looks like they are because they and there were some >> which which Yes. the edits that I I did

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um it updated the the first one was by the select board. Um it the language it's mostly the language that's updated. Um we took out senior citizens, put in older adults, >> right?

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>> Um just updated the um where was it? the titles because it's now, you know, administrator by myself, director of community services instead of COA director, you know, just mostly those edits. We're just bringing it,

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>> but it's something that the select board is supposed to approve, looks like, because it's a it was approved by the select board back in 2012 originally. So, it's a document of ours, >> correct? >> You're making a recommendation >> and we recommend that just to give it more publicity as well that the

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program's available. I just had one question on the overview on page two. The third bullet on the selection process and the third the second bullet under that it says satisfactory volunteer qualifications and appropriate

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participant to precision matches will be determined by the director of community services or human resources director. Does that mean that both of them make a a collaborative determination or is this just a matter of convenience? If one's not available, the other one can make

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the How is that going to work? Because you got two department heads involved here. >> Yes, it's actually Department of Community Services. Um and and I have a staff person who um coordinates that as well. So, we determine um together the

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qualifications of the individuals and where we've placed. We also have some people who have been volunteering in the same departments since the the beginning of the program. Um and it's just a matter of doing the quarry in the forums every year.

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>> So um like right now our DPW director said that they have a need for somebody and we have somebody in mind. So we're trying to you know we do try to match it that way. But it does say it does bring in the HR director here as >> is that in the the older version.

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>> No, it's one of the two. >> I think it's a remnant. At one point there HR uh the HR Yeah, the the but the H human resources oversaw the council on aging. Um so that

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>> so maybe we just strike >> so we just strike it out. That's >> so it's just to drop the period after the director of community services. That would be the >> okay >> consistent with what we're doing. >> The HR director would be consulting. The one of the reasons why there's that consultation is that we can't have the

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volunteers doing work that our our full-time employees do. So, and that's sort of a check and balance for our end, but certainly not for the applicant. >> Do we do we need to say that? >> I it's a practice >> with a HR director as needed. Okay. >> I don't think so.

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>> All right. It's it will be done as a matter of practice. All right. With that edit, I'll entertain a motion to approve these um senior tax workoff program guidelines as proposed >> um >> for the revisions. >> So moved, Mr. Chair. >> I'll second.

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>> Okay. Moved and seconded. I'll call the role on that. Uh Miss Davis. >> Hi. >> Mr. Dikkins. >> Hi. >> Mr. Meadows. >> Hi. >> Mr. Smith. >> Hi. >> And the chair votes I. >> Okay, I think we're done with that one. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you both. >> And thank you, Stuart, for bringing this up.

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>> Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you, Stuart. >> And congratulations, Shine. It's been a pleasure working with you. >> Thank you, Carrie. >> You too. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Carrie. >> Thank you. >> Next is to consider the proposed pilot program of dogs being allowed on the marsh trail at Hardings Beach and the

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placement of seasonal advisory signs. Our director of natural resources, Greg Burman. Welcome, Greg. >> Thank you, Greg Burman, your director of natural resources. And for my two cents, Shireen, thank you so much. I felt so welcome in the town of Chadam. You've been a big part of that. Thank you,

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Greg. >> So, uh, uh, for this agenda report that I brought forward, I have just one slide. Um, you did see some slides last week when we talked about the I'm sorry, it's up here, but there it goes. Um, so

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you you saw the larger sign uh that was approved last time. Uh but I did bring forward the idea of uh the park and recck committee made two votes, both of which were conditional upon

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uh pending select board approval of this program uh to potentially allow dogs along the marsh trail of Harding Beach. you know, there has been public outcry and demand for being able to walk dogs

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over the summer. Um, it's often a problem with our uh clover monitors and our animal control officer trying to encourage people to follow this rule to avoid a take of a federally and state

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listed species, which is uh very impactful to our overall program. So this is one way where we're trying to release that pressure without causing damage or a risk of a take. So we did

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work with the state and with Mass Ottabbon to try to come up with an area that could be used even during clover season for dogs. You know, we're encouraging this to be a pilot program because we do need people to keep the

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animals on leashes. Um, and this is to make sure people behave themselves. Like, uh, even a well-trained dog, if it's in the wrong area, can cause a bird to scare. If a bird scares and abandons a nest, you know, that that doesn't mean

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they just fly away forever. They often come back and reest, which delays the overall time that we're needing to restrict the beach. Um, so the plan right now is to put a seasonal sign up. Uh, if you look at the

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bottom uh left with that green arrow kind of at the edge of the parking lot showing people where the marsh trail begins, we would have it end over up towards the top of the image and we'd have another sign there saying, you know, please turn around. We encourage people to keep the dogs on leashes at

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all time. Uh, and just, you know, hopefully this is a program where it's appreciated and that, you know, the the responsible dog walkers will help police the non-responsible dog walkers because if dogs are off leash or in areas where

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it's not working, you know, the state's not going to allow us to continue this if it has potential to cause us take. Um, but that said, uh, I I think this is a hopefully good plan to be able to

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increase the areas where people can use. We want people to be able to enjoy our natural resources where it doesn't cause damage or risk. So, with that, I just wanted to show the proposed start and end of the dog walk trail. There's really not too much flexibility with the

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state on that. Uh, but I do plan on going back to the state kind of on an annual basis to see if any areas can be expanded. >> Any Thank you, Greg. Any questions, comments from the board? >> Any questions? Yeah, Serene, >> I don't have any questions. I I think

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it's a great idea and and that I think a lot of people are going to be very happy with with having an option for for what seems to be like a very ritualistic sort of winter meetup for people and socialization of dogs and everything

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that happens on the beach at 4:30 in the afternoon. So, this is this is wonderful and I I'd like to can we go ahead and just move in a >> I think we have a public comment. >> Oh, you have a public comment. Okay. Any any other comments from the board?

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Mr. Taylor, >> welcome. >> Uh, Mr. Chairman, board members, thank you for the time. Um, I don't understand why this is a pilot program. I was over in North Beach today um with my I have a new puppy um on a leash and I can walk

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my dog over there um anytime on a leash after I think March 1st or April, whatever on a leash and I could walk it today within 15t of one of those metal enclosures for piping plvers.

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um that's on North Beach, the Chadam part of North Beach, the Chattam Island um part of that we own 100%. Um it's the same type of rules. Um except actually below high water mark, you can let a dog

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run loose. Um then if you if you go over the cut through at Harding Beach to the Crescent Park, if you're watching the summertime, there's lots of boers there and I applaud that and with with dogs and they run free and nobody has a problem with that and and I love that.

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Um we've been walking dogs down in this trail since I was a little kid and and I don't understand why why there's ever been why why we allow the state to tell us we can't walk there. And why is this different than North Beach or North

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Beach Island or the the Crescent section? Why why is this a pilot program? Why by right can't we do this? Why are we asking permission to do this? Why do we cow out of this state like this all the time? Just say you guys have authority. Open this up to to to

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the walking. This is the marsh. Nobody, you know, there's no piping plvers here. and and if people abide by the rules, I mean, I I don't understand why this is a pilot program. >> Greg, do you want to try to uh address

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uh Mr. Taylor's questions? >> Sure, happy to. So, with the idea of a pilot program, you know, this would be the first year. If it turns out it's working, you know, we we could make it not a pilot program that this would just kind of be the practice for this beach

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where it would be open seasonally or I guess, you know, specifically this trail would be open for dogs year round. Uh but seasonally, we'd have this sign up indicating that we still allow it during the summer. Um for Crescent Beach, that's not actually a town-owned beach.

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So, you know, that that property owner is at risk uh for their takes. And then um North Beach is kind of a a different creature alto together how that's managed. That is part of our certificate of inclusion, our habitat conservation

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plan. Um between that and the OVs, there's a lot of uh there's a lot of eyes and permitting going on up there. Um, this is honestly the the best we could

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do right now. Uh, I'll be looking to explore if we can expand it further. Um, but we are hoping this will be an outlet, especially when people are illegally walking dogs on the beach. Instead of telling them, you know, go to a different area, go to Jack Knight,

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something like that, we can just say, you know, you're you're welcome to walk your dog responsibly over on the marsh trail instead of on the beach trail that might frighten the birds and, you know, potentially cause a take, but almost much more likely to extend the time that

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the clovers are present on the beach. Greg Peter asked um uh the question also about um the state's control over this particular area. Can you talk to that? Um you know why are we subject to state

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regulation I guess was the question if I understood it correctly. >> Sure. So with a a state and federally listed species, the natural heritage endangered species program um has certain requirements for allowing access

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and we we can't affect the bird. We can't well we don't have allowances for takes in this area. That's one thing up in North Beach that the Habitat conservation plan certificate of inclusion does allow us a certain number of takes.

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um that that's a very different aspect up there. Down here we have Clover monitors that show that we're not having any takes. And if we don't show the state that we're doing the proper monitoring and doing the right thing,

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they're not going to agree that we're doing enough to not have takes. uh if we do have takes there's monetary um ramifications and addition to potentially more draconian requirements for this area.

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>> Does that answer your questions, Peter? Yeah, sure. >> Yeah. Just one more question. What what period of time because we we know these birds fledge and they're not a problem anymore. And so is there going to be a sign that says from here to what time

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bracket is that? This is this is a concern. I mean, we just why why do we have these rules when the piping plresent or they're they're already fledged and they're not a problem? I you know, is this just going to be a blanket from April 1st

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till September when we know most of that period they're already fledged and gone? So, I'm just I don't understand that. >> Greg. >> Sure. So, even after they're fledged, you know, part of that time in September, uh, that's a a park and

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recreation regulation, and that that may have more to do with the the use of the beach and the interaction with the dog with the other beachgoers versus the birds. >> I sorry, >> yeah, now we're getting this confused

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because this isn't the beach. This is the marsh. We're not we're talking about asking to have the the the dogs on the beach. I understand that problem with beachgoers and stuff. This is the marsh. You know, this this floods on big tides. You know,

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birds don't nest there. >> So, I I don't know. We You guys control the parks and wreck. So, you you know, you can tell them that that that they can't shut it down. So, >> if I can just say, I just want to make

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clear like the this this marsh trail will be open year round for for leash dogs. So, I mean that there wouldn't be a restriction on that area. We're we're opening it more. Um, so that that's kind of the the overall crux of is we're

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we're that would be a yearround area where people could walk their dogs. >> Just one more and I'll stop. >> Okay. So, so, so what what's going to decide that this pilot program doesn't work? What's the criteria that said that says, you know, we got six dogs that

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that people don't control? I mean, we got two dogs or or or how does this work to say the pilot program fails? Because you can go to North Beach all the time and you can see dogs running around and they have a 30foot leash rule over North

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Beach. Is is that going to be the same thing here? Um, so I I I I want to know how this program is going to fail and what it takes to succeed because I want it to succeed. Um, because we've been walking, like I said, dogs. I'm 71 since I was a little kid. So, you know, I want

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this to succeed, but I got to know what the rules are to make it succeed. >> Greg, do you want to project ahead this what the standards might be? And then I think Stuart has a comment. >> Sure, happy to. So, um, the plan is at the end of the season to take any of the

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reported incidents, whether they are dogs off leash or whether they're dogs in the wrong area, whether it's, you know, after a verbal warning, people are willing to use the marsh trail or whether there's repeat offenders. Um, we just need to make sure that this program

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is actually being of use. Um the idea is to discourage people from using the beach trails and encourage them to use the marsh trails. So, I am intending to take all of our reporting from our clover monitors and our uh animal

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control officers and potentially even the beach staff, work with the state to show that this has been hopefully effective at its uh accomplishment, which is to, you know, provide an access for walking dogs that does not interact

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with the clovers. If we can show that, I mean, certainly from a state perspective, I think they'd be on board and then I can bring it back to the select board to see if they'd, you know, want to extend this for multiple years.

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>> Okay, Stuart. Thank you, Stuart. >> Sure. Thank you, Greg. Um, I mean, I certainly support keeping this open for uh not only dog walking, but for pedestrians and and whoever else uses this. I mean,

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this is a pretty act. It's one of the few places other than North Beach Island that you can kind of get back to nature without uh being run over by a vehicle. Um, so I think I mentioned it at the last

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meeting and when I was working, I'm not sure we ever had the opportunity to chat about this, but so the monitors, the Clover monitors, they're made up of natural resource folks, town natural resource,

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uh, the animal control officer, I suppose, and maybe they'll use the beach people. Uh, yep. Uh actually primarily uh the mass autobon has a contract to do the clover monitoring which oftentimes will supplement uh specifically for like

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uh dredge activities. We'll use some of our natural resource folks. >> That's where I was headed. you know they you know I worked with ma mass autobon on a million dredging projects

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and they were you know frequently they were very helpful this contract arrangement with it's uh it's it's it's become an industry in itself you I remember when this started

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you know 30 40 when we started protect ing the piping clovers. I'm not sure this is ever going to end. And one of the reasons is like everything else, there's just money now involved in this. It's a it's a program that Mass Autobond

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makes money on and expands their footprint, if you will, and has been for decades now. Um, I'm not particularly comfortable with that. I mean, I can see the some of the advantages, but um it it I

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don't know if we're getting a completely objective analysis. Um you know, I don't know what your experience is, but it's it's a relationship that has its pitfalls. um you know they're they're being paid

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by us, they're working for us, but they decide uh what their reporting is going to be and how that will be, you know, uh they have very close relationships with the uh Mars Heritage folks and it's just something I would

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ask you to you're already aware of it, but maybe be very cognizant of the fact that uh it it's a conflict. It's a conflict between um mass autobon its mission and this you

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know we used to pay them to we put them on dredges and they'd count horseshoe crabs coming out the end of the pipe uh you know and so it's and it became a very self- sustaining for mass autobond and I don't I think they lose their it's possible they could lose their

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objectivity in this type of of an arrangement but just something I wanted to be able to voice and uh Hope somebody pays attention. Thank you. >> Okay. All right. I'm going to bring it back and forth. Thank you, Peter, for your questions. Um, is there a motion or

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further discussion? Shireen. >> Uh, I'm going to make a motion. I move to approve a pilot program allowing leash dogs on the marsh trail of Harding Beach starting May 12th, 2026 and placement of seasonal advisory signs. >> Okay. Second. It's moved and seconded.

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Is I'll call the role. >> Miss Davis. >> I. >> Mr. Dykins. >> Hi. Mr. Meadows. Hi, >> Mr. Smith. >> Hi. >> And the chair votes. Thank you, Greg. >> Thank you very much. >> Last item is to consider a committee appointment for the cultural council. We

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did have an interview with um Connie Eert. I' gotten how she pronounces that. Um and um they are in need of someone because um there is a someone stepping off and they are required to have so

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many people. So u I'll entertain a motion. Someone Shireen, you want to make that motion? >> Oh, sure. I move to appoint Connie Herbert Heert to the cultural council until June 30th, 2028, unless sooner

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revoked or successor is appointed. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. I'll call the role. Miss Davis. >> I. >> Mr. Dyken. >> Hi. >> Mr. Meadows. >> Hi. >> Mr. Smith. >> I. >> And the chair votes I. >> Um Shireen, do you want to make the last motion for the night for nine years?

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>> Mr. Chair motion to adjurnn >> and a second. >> Moved and seconded. I'll call the role. Miss Davis >> I. >> Mr. Dyikens. >> Hi. >> Mr. Matters. >> Hi. >> Mr. Smith. >> Hi. >> Chair boat. >> Good night. Sham. Thank you Shire. >> Shireen.