Good afternoon, Cadam. Welcome to the May 13, 2025 meeting of the 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
device. If anyone else is recording the meeting, please notify the chair. Seeing so no such notification, I'll proceed. Pursuant to Governor Healey's March 28, 2025 signing of chapter two of the acts of
2025 extending certain CO 19 measures adopted during the state of emergency suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law general law chapter 30A section 20 until June 30, 2027. This meeting of the Cadam Select Board is
being conducted in person and via remote participation. 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 203386491 pound sign 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 Xfinity channel
1072, despite our best efforts, we may not be able to provide real time access. We will post a record of this meeting on the town's website as soon as possible. Uh, first order of business here is to establish a quorum. Mr.
Niccastro present. Mr. Shell says present. Ms. Davis present. And Mr. Dykins present. and Mr. Meadows present. Um, we are now going to go into executive session and I will invite a motion to um establish that. Mr.
Chairman, yes. I move that the select board go into executive session under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 38 section 21 parenthesis 6 close parenthesis to consider the purchase exchange lease or value of real property
a real property at 438 George Ryder Road and that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body whom the chair so declares with return to open session. Thank you. Second. Second. Uh, all those
in favor? Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Mr. Shell says I. Miss. Davis. Mr. Dykins. Hi. And Mr. Meadows. Hi. So, comment. All right, we're back in session. Um, from the executive session,
um, I'll just quickly review the, um, uh, the agenda. We have two sets of minutes. We have public announcements and agenda item requests. We have a report from the monthly report from Mr. FY on wells, PAS and drinking water
testing etc. And then we have public comments on the business agenda. The business agenda consists of two large items. The first being uh declaration of June as historic Chattam month proclam proclamation. Uh the second being um
followup discussion and action items from the annual town meeting. And we have um eight eight items there. Um I will start with minutes. Uh the May 6th
minutes move approval. Second. Uh any comments or corrections? If not, Mr. Meadows I. Mr. Dyken. Hi. Mr. Shell says I and um Miss Davis. Hi. Forgive me. That's okay. And Mr. Shell says I and
Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Uh the minutes from April 29. Move approval of the minutes from April 29, 2025. Second. Uh any comments or questions or corrections? Uh Mr. Niccastro. I Mr.
Shell says I. Ms. Davis. Hi. And Mr. Dikkins. Hi. And Mr. Meadows. Hi. Um, we are going now to public announcements and agenda item requests. I'll start with the board.
Anything? Uh, yes, sir. Mr. Dykens. Yeah. Um, in my travels of late, uh, just a couple requests and or questions. Um, there's been a few folks asking about, and Jill, don't kill me. Um, about opening the dump or the transport station, I should say, on Wednesdays.
maybe if it's seasonal even, but but just it's been out there more than once. I mean, three or four or five times folks have mentioned. So, that that's number one. The other true agenda item request is uh a revisitation of um the
notion of Chadams uh as a Woodshole East um partnering back with uh and this is pre-COVID. I think Shireen and Dean and Stephen Daniel and others were working on this initiative and I it's still one of interest. I think it would be really
valuable for the town from uh employment, education, um attraction, you know, just the whole bit. I think it would be a real plus. So I and I I don't know what I have no suggestion about how we formulate that, but I think it would really be need to rekindle it. So I'm
going to make that a formal agenda question. Uh yeah, go ahead. respond a little bit if you want. I mean, I'll just say it's something that I I've had conversation with Jill about it as well as briefly with um Mr. Cullen who
who and and he asked me about it a while back. So, I would hope we could get moving on that again and I appreciate you bringing that up. Thank you. Yeah. And I'm extremely interested in I think it's really Shireen is too is too. Yeah. So, I I just have one again in my
travels. Um I I've had um uh uh some fairly insistent questions about um certain aspects of the uh the beach at the end of Forest Beach Road. Um I'm not going to go into the details. I think that is something that um can come up
with the um both DPW and and perhaps parks and wreck, but it it relates to um um the condition of certain items of infrastructure. Um the the some of the
um placement of um stones at the jetty, um the bicycle rack, the condition of the bicycle rack, etc., etc. And I just think we ought to put that on the agenda and and take that up with the the relevant members of the staff.
Um, Miss Latin, please. I'm Karen Latton and I am the chair of conservation commission and as you all know we had a wonderful article pass on on Saturday that allows um our associate members in at certain times to have the
ability to vote and I know this was only the first step and the state still has to approve it but right now we don't have associate members and I've come before you guys before pleading that if you can do anything to assist us. We are
We haven't had associate members in a couple years and it's a one-year commitment. We also everybody says it's a lot of work to be on conservation. I think the work has gotten a bit easier because we don't have as many properties
in front of us at all times. and we are trying something and from tomorrow we'll vote to approve this but we are going to try and go to two meetings a month through September. We figured out a way to be able to do that and make it work.
And so we think that that also may help people to be interested. And I'm hoping maybe some people are watching and listening in some way and might all of a sudden have an interest. It's an such an important part of our town and we need
help. We as commissioners have gone all over, talk to all sorts of people trying to get anybody we can and so far we haven't had anybody step in and we could use that help. So, thank you. Okay. Thank Thank
you. And as you perhaps know, we have um the article that you referred to on the agenda this evening and that and we'll be acting on that this evening. Yes. I'm going to go home and watch the rest of it. Okay. Thank you. Yes, I am going to I'm very happy that it's on your agenda today. Okay. Thank you. Good. Thank you.
Um anybody else in the room? Anybody online? No. Okay, Mr. Phale, I'm sorry. My hand was up and it went down. I I apologize, Miss Miss Gibbs.
Thank you. Uh yes, I first of all, this is about the last item on the agenda that says uh for the town meeting, citizen petitions. Uh in the packet, there's a staff memo for tonight regarding petition articles 49 to 59, stating it's the board's prerogative to
discuss any of these articles, end town meeting action, provide direction to town manager and staff on the next steps, and take any action. I'm requesting uh that the public be allowed to comment during each of those petition articles as we have no idea which ones may or may not be discussed or what
action you may take and therefore really no way to comment ahead of time if that's okay. Thank you. And then I have an agenda item request to discuss the procedure for select board members voting on articles which benefit them personally in addition to state ethics
law section 1-8 of the town charter states in part elected and appoint officials shall not use their office positions to secure special consideration treatment advantage privilege to themselves or to any other person beyond that which is available to
every person. Uh Mr. Dykens voted for the grinder pump policy and warrant article 18 under the wastewater project continuation which included grinder pump financing participating all the discussions and votes. According to the DPW, his residence has been on the list
since before August 30th of 2024 to receive a grinder pump and uh money for its installation. uh costs that are not available to every person, only those on low pressure who need pumps. Others have recused themselves from discussion and
voting on issues for far less. The immediate remedy would be to decline to accept the funds or that uh they any forthcoming funds that may come down the road. I'm requesting an agenda item with public discussion to instill greater
trust within the community, including the requirement for full disclosure and transparency of elected officials regarding conflicts or appearance of conflicts and the potential impact on town meeting uh votes as a result.
Noted. Thank you. Uh Mr. Phale. Yep. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good evening. Rob Philly, director of public works. I would go through the Cadam Wells drinking water testing update for April of 2025. So, the wells have been pumping
last month from 3 to seven hours per day, and we did not hit the low-level alarm. Uh, as far as wells five and eight, uh, for the POS treatment facility, uh, it's all about brick work. It's uh been the primary focus of the
past month and uh probably the first half of May. Um towards the end of May we'll start on the roof. Uh that's probably a several month project to do that as well. So uh things are moving along nicely though. Can I ask you a question? I drove by this morning. I
mean this afternoon on the way over here and you know those those um the facilities look those things look huge. Are they going to be really loud when they operate? I mean it's kind of like they're not. They're very quiet. No, it's it's pretty much water filtering through. Okay. There's no light from
outside the building. You shouldn't hear anything. How about inside for workers and things like that? It's it is separate from like the workspace. So, um I think on um Morton Road, I don't think there's a hearing protection requirement. There'll be probably some noise, but I don't think it'll be above
a certain decel level that you'd need like hearing protection. They're just they're just fascinating. Yeah. They almost look like aliens when you're standing there. Thanks for welcome. Uh so uh Mil Pond Wells 10 and 11 uh we finally um we got our title search back.
Everything was good and we sent it back to the office of environmental affairs yesterday. So um now waiting for their uh review and hopefully if there no more edits and is just waiting for signatures at this point. So I have not heard back from them yet.
Uh as far as water sampling, uh all all our bacteria samples were good. Uh the third bullet there, you'll notice it says quarterly PA6 samples were taken from Milh Hill treatment plant and well four showing an increase from previous results. I just wanted to clarify. Well
4 is non-detect and the Milhill treatment plant is um it is slightly elevated, but it's still below the mass uh the EPA proposed limits of four parts per trillion. We're still lower than that. So, it's nothing um too
concerning, but it's something we're definitely keeping an eye on. Uh station maintenance uh ongoing uh system maintenance, the flushing uh program has been completed uh and Viole put out the mandatory water restriction signs to notify the public uh that
started on May 1st. And we'll jump right into the statistics. So, here's our April 24 gross pumping versus April 25. Um, some minor fluctuations. We're we're slightly lower than last year by 3.9%, but we are
uh tracking pretty pretty close. Uh, you'll see a couple of days were over 100% from last year, but I think it's just the timing. Um like April 21st was Easter Monday, Patriots Day. So there were probably a lot of people uh at home
possibly using water. You know, some of these just could be weather fluctuations like a nice spring day versus a a cooler day or a weekend day. Nothing u nothing too out of the ordinary in my opinion. And here's the pumping comparison graph
showing the same information where April 2025 is in the pink and April last year is in the blue just showing some of those daily fluctuations. Same information in a bar chart. And here's our monthly pumpage
report showing the the level of effort for each well for each day. You can see some wells were off periodically just for uh routine maintenance. Um well floor, we're planning starting that up by Memorial Day. We've already
done our our PIFA samples. Uh we're going to be doing some flushing in the next week or so. And then if everything comes out good for our testing, um we'll have that started up before Memorial Day. Here is our pumping graph. Again, just showing the level of
effort for each well. South Chattam is still our our stronghold. Uh here's our year-to- date pumping. Again, uh we're about three million gallons or three and a half million gallons lower than this time last year. Um hopefully
with the uh with the water restrictions in place that gap will continue to grow. Um but time will tell. We'll see. Any questions so far? Okay. Um again pumping graph and a bar
chart. Um nothing unusual there. This is a new chart I wanted to share. Um just to show because we are in water restrictions. Um wanted to show how many gallons we used in flushing and blowoffs. Uh you can see it's pretty
substantial. Um but it's still a reduced uh effort from what we usually put forward. So 3.9 million gallons. Last month it probably would have been closer to five or over five if we had done our normal flushing routine. Does that continue throughout the year
or or does it decrease? No, we're we're done now at this point. I think there was a a a week in May where we were still flushing, but we're we're completed now at this point. Okay. So, we conducted an open house on uh May 3rd where we conducted tours of the water pollution control facility and the
Morton Road Treatment Plant as part of our annual outreach. Here's a picture of a Violia employee uh with a couple of guests and uh it was pretty well attended. Uh people asked a lot of really good questions. Jill was there. So, thank you for that. And so, here's our observation
well for Chadam. Um, I know we talked about this a little bit with our our drought status. And, um, so we're still climbing, which is really good because you can see in all the previous years, we've already started our seasonal decline. Um, we are higher than 2021.
Um, we can only hope that we still continue to climb, but I can't imagine we'd be another week or two before we start to see a seasonal decline. Um, that would probably be a best case scenario. Um, we're still monitoring it. Um, at towards the end of this report,
we'll discuss, uh, current drought conditions. As Brewster, um, it seems a little bit more bleak. Again, all previous years, they've already started the seasonal decline. We are still recharging. So, that's a good sign. Um, but we still have a long way to go
before we're, you know, out of the danger zone. Here's our 5-year pumping comparison for the month of April. 132 hours of pumping and for 20 almost 21 million gallons. Um, pretty much right on average. Our our pumping
hours are lower, which is good because I think we have so many wells that are contributing right now. Do you have a question, Jeff? I have two I have I have two questions. Um timing um for getting our treatment plant up and running on old, you know, on training field and when it's done,
turned it on, is it going to be the fall? You think it's It'll be over the winter sometime. Okay. Yep. Should we get permission from the state that with a clear title? Can 10 go right on? We don't have uh we don't have any restrictions there. We own all the land free and clear. Okay. No, I know. But
but it's not pro not it's not bringing water yet. No. No. Right. So So when we get the title cleared, we're going to be able to pump water. Oh, for for wells 10 and 11. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For well 10. Yes. Yeah. Yes. I'm sorry. I thought you I thought you said that. So there's a
there may be a potential of some incremental um supply if you will over the summer. Correct. Well, we we are pumping from well 11 already. It would only be 10 that would be added to it. Yep. Good. Okay. Thank you. and and we are again as we as I discussed previous months we are seeing some POS creep into
well 10. So we've got to take that into consideration as well. It may not be a full pumpage. We may have to reduce the flow a little bit to keep those levels down. Okay. All right. I mean that's good to know. Any part will help though. Y
and this is the latest uh Massachusetts drought status. So the Massachusetts drought task force met on the afternoon of May 7th. Uh the majority of Massachusetts has seen some level of improvement. Um just not on the Cape.
Even the islands crept up one level. Um we're still in a significant drought. Um the determination was based on precipitation through the end of April. Um we are trending for pre precipitation. We're trending towards normal. Um but it's the rainfall deficit
over the past six months that it's really difficult to climb out of that deficit. So on May 1st, we enacted the mandatory water restrictions and those are still in effect. Uh the water and sewer advisory committee met yesterday. They recommend holding off on any changes to
the current conservation restrictions until the Massachusetts drought task force meets again and that's planned for June 9th. So we called a meeting for the water and sewer advisory committee on June 10th. I believe there's a select board meeting that night. So we can as
soon as we hear a decision from the the drought task force, we can make a recommendation from the advisory committee and then bring that to the select board that evening if that works. Any other questions? I have. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank
you. Yep. So, I understand that uh Mr. Msina will replace Angela Bukar with the next item, which is um Oh, thank you. Thank you. Sorry. Uh public comments on the business agenda. Bear with me. One
minute, Frank. Sorry. U with exception of the um last two items uh that M. Gibbs requested um comment alongside of the
board. I don't see any Miss Gibbs. Sorry, I did it again. Uh yes, thank you. I only have um one general public comment about town meeting. Um
uh moving forward, I would ask that town meeting not be held on Mother's Day weekend. Of all 15 towns on the Cape, only Chadam had a town meeting on Mother's Day weekend. Because of it, Chadam's FY26 total budget appropriations of 110 million, which was
up 38.5% over the last year and with serious issues facing Chadam. uh it was con uh consequently decided by only 550 people as only 9% of Cadam's registered voters. Some articles were only approved
or had voters uh in the numbers of around 350. Lots of people in Chadam have mothers and daughters out of town that they'd like to be with. And I don't think anyone should have to choose between family and the future of Chadam. So I would hope that a different date
could be picked next time. Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Um, okay. All right, Mr. Msina, sorry for the delay. Go ahead. No problem.
Uh, I Hi, I'm Frank Msina. I'm chairman of the historical commission, but I guess uh I'm here actually as a a member a founding member of the a group called historic cadam. And we have asked a uh that the selectman uh with Jill have a
uh a proclamation. You folks read it. I'm sorry. Do you folks read the proclamation? We we do. No, I'll read it. Oh, please do. Okay. Thank you. Um not a couple of whereases. Whereas the
town of Chadam was incorporated on June 11, 1712 following a long history of settlement by the Native American Monavo and the arrival of English colonists in 1656. And whereas the historic Cadam Group was established on the town's
300th anniversary in 2012 as a way to promote local history for the purpose of instilling community pride, promoting heritage tourism, and celebrating our town past. And whereas Historic Cadam recognizes June as Chattam History Month
and sponsors events, programs around the town of Chattam to instill awareness and promote the historic assets in Chattam. And whereas Chattam Chattam History Month can raise awareness of the local historically significant buildings,
landmarks, people, and events of to Chattam residents and visitors alike. And whereas Chattam History Month can be a community can be a community discussion in inviting residents and visitors to explore the deep history of
Chattam. Now therefore I Jill Goldmith okay town manager town of Chadam along with the select board do hereby proclaim the month of June as history month in the town of Chattam and call upon our residents and visitors to recognize and participate in this special observance
past. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, and Frank, too, we did a little editing on the last therefore. So, um, in the packet, I'll read it if you don't mind. It says, "Now, therefore, the select board hereby proclaims the month of June as history
month in the town of Chattam and call upon our residents and visitors to recognize and participate in this special observance. They are the ones typically doing the proclamations." Thank you. Um, yeah, go ahead, Shereine. Um, Mr. Mr. Chair, I move to proclaim the month of June as history month in
Chattam, Massachusetts. Second. Uh any discussion on I have one question for Frank. Go ahead. Um it it says that you are updating your website with the events is does the chamber have on their Yes. As well. Thank you very much. That was a great toss. Thank you. I was going
to say the group Historic Cadam was established as it says in the warrant in the proclamation in 17 excuse me in 2012 during our town's tur centenery I love that word our 300th anniversary and you know there was a group formed during the
uh 300th anniversary with uh Ron Nickerson and John King names that you can know and and I was part of this group which is every every organization in Chattam participated ated and we all, you know, did a lot of things during the
Cadam's 300th anniversary. Um, and during toward the end of the 300th anniversary, some of us got together and said, you know, we should kind of stay together and the old military expression cooperate and graduate. You know, that if we work together and help uh instill
the appreciation of Cadam's history, you know, we could probably uh, you know, help the help the town. hate to say it's like we're more than sharks that the Chattam history u so the group was formed we continue we've been having something called history weekend but
quite honestly the number of events that happen in the spring at each of the the venues uh you know has has increased dramatically and uh though we're going to do Chattam History Month and if the group the website unfortunately I should
have given something to our IT folks if you go on your your cell phone and ask for historic Cadam and you look at the the uh beautiful website we have which was just updated by us. There's a list and show every every activity which is
going to be happening in Chadam. And just quickly the groups who who who consist of you know who are we historic Chattam? Well, we're nine venues and historic sites. The historical society, the Atwood, the Chattam Lighthouse, the
Coast Guard Station, the Maronei RCA Museum, the Chattam Railroad Museum, the Eldridge Public Library. Oh boy, he's too much. the Godfrey windmill and u the railroad museum and uh the Mayo House and last
but not least the Monoy Lighthouse way at the end of Chadam which the f wildlife refuge. So we all we all part of that. We meet monthly and we decide make sure our events do not conflict with one another and uh in the last year or two with Angela Bukar and who
couldn't make it today um a family matter uh the chamber is involved now more actively and helping us promote quite honestly the chamber has good at PR and things like this you know that we're not um and um so there's a lot of
things happening in that month and a lot of organizations some of them are giving free entry or the windmill of course is free but you're welcome. We're going to be hopefully grinding corn and there's a lot of a lot of activities. Just quickly aside, I know I've given this speech
before, you know, Chattam has, you know, three historic districts. The old village, the uh Marone RCUA, the uh and the new South Chattam village historic district, as well as the historic district, the HBTC. And in addition, we
have, I think, 21 or 25 individual properties or sites which are listed on the National Register. The historical commission is waiting any day now to hear from Mass Historic on our application to make the the Nichson family homestead, you know, as a
national register site. Uh this was this is in cooperation with the historical society and as noted in our in our uh in our proclamation. It's not only a Niclasen site, it's also the the Manamo homeland. You know, there's a lot going
on. You can't put a spoon into Chadam's dirt without finding some Indian artifact and and and so we're trying to recognize that. So, long story short, that's who we are and uh we appreciate the the help and u and cooperation of
the town in making us uh have an event. U we're not selling t-shirts, but we we have a lot of lot of activity going on. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you. There is any other questions? Uh there's a motion on the table that's been
seconded. Mr. Meadows I. Mr. Dyken. Hi. Miss Davis. Hi. Mr. Shell says I. Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. All good. Okay. Um All right. We're going to um the um
annual town meeting follow-up discussion and action items. Consider filing with special legislation following approval of 2025 ATM actions. Um article 44. I I I don't know
how you want to proceed with this. My my understanding is that we're at a mechanical stage of simply refiling these, but if you have a comment, Dean, please do. Yeah, Mr. Chairman, then before we get into the individual articles, since the lead um topic in the
heading is a follow-up discussion on town meeting. Um I I I did have something generally I wanted to say about Tim meeting and I don't know if others do as well, but I wanted to see if we Go ahead. Yeah, I just um wanted to comment on
um um the role of town council because there was a lot of discussion about that in some of the um comments and um I want to sort of echo something that I've said at this panel before and I think you as
well. Um, and I think it's important for the public to understand Chattam is a municipal corporation. The select board engages an attorney or law firm to function as town
council. The role of town council is not just to prepare documents or review documents, but to give us advice. That de advice is not necessarily dispositive on an issue, but is certainly authoritative and to me as a
select board member, it's much more important than advice that's thrown around or presented uh by third parties. And I speak with some experience in this because I served as town as city
solicitor for a significant city in this commonwealth. I also served as in-house counsel for a significant nonprofit corporation and I think it's important for people to understand that even though the executive authority in in these organizations and in this case the
town the select board engages the the town council that council gives advice to the entire corporation to the entire uh town of Chadam as an organization and I certainly am in 10
years on this board, I have on multiple occasions asked for the opinion of town council on issues that come before us before we have to vote on them, including recommendations to town meeting. Um, I've asked for the opinion of town council because I want to be
informed. If if there's an issue that if there's an um an item that presents a legal issue, I want to know what our attorney has to say about it. And I think it's important for town meeting to know that information as well. So, um I do take some
offense at comments that suggest that we should just ignore the the opinion of town council and I think it's very foolish to take that position. I haven't always agreed with the opinions of town council, but um you know, I'm not the
town council and um I just really wanted to get that out there. The other comment I want to make generally because it's not one of the refiles um on on a couple of specific items. I really was thrilled with the
Center for Active Living and the result that occurred. It was a phenomenal vote and I want to thank the town meeting voters and I want to thank our town manager who took a strong leadership position in helping bring this to the finish line uh with her staff with a
very capable staff Leah and Terry and the and the Council on Aging board and the support that was given by members of the friends of the Council on Aging and the finance committee and my colleagues on this board of select board. Um I
think that was really important. Um the article on um the airport um was one I guess it was a million dollars that improvement plan. The improvement plan. Yes. Thank you. I
think it's unfortunate that that did not pass. A lot of that was safety related. And I think, you know, we're going to have to going forward um try to come up with a way to um help
get more support for things like that uh from the community. Um, and I I guess that's and I want to thank the chief of police for for for stepping forward on Saturday to explain um
clarify the article on the speed signs. So, I just really wanted to get those points across. I appreciate that. I know we're going to talk about these other articles going forward, but thank you. Thank you, Shireen. Uh, just briefly, there was a couple of things and um, one of them was the date of our town meeting. I don't know what we were
thinking in in in scheduling it the weekend of Mother's Day. Perhaps none of us looked at what was conflicting in the calendar on that date. Um I did hear from many business leaders in town that um it was not a a good date and no it
wasn't. I mean it was a weekend that should have been reserved for other matters. Um I was really disappointed in the West Chatam neighborhood um center. Uh, I think the devil was in the details as far as I think the plan was great.
Um, perhaps the messaging was a little too detailed. Um, I think maybe um I'm hoping that we can see it again at some point. I think it was really good. Um, as far as um, some of the speed sign
issues, the safety issues, it was interesting to hear from folks who are getting up and have gotten up at at at our meetings here um, discussing some of the different areas in town that they're completely concerned about safety matters and and had some some um,
problems with the um, some of the the signage and things like that. I think I'm not ready to make an agenda item uh request, but I think maybe we need to discuss some of um of the neighborhoods and and and their um especially the ones that are uh walked a lot and have a lot
of people tra traversing them. Uh whether we should be thinking about other safety measures in that respect, but other than that, I think it was a well well done town meeting. I think we got a lot done right. And um I'm you know I uh I was really uh I was really
pleased with a lot of the outcome. Thank you. Yeah. Uh Jeff, my two cents. Yeah, I I was thrilled with the Monoy Regional School uh support. It was resounding as it was in Haritch as well. I think that sends a clear message to parents and students alike and the rest of the community that we're going to support
the uh support our regional school system. Um turnout could have been better. I think I I got complaints about Saturday, never mind Mother's Day weekend, but Saturday versus Monday night. I got complaints about that. I thought that Eldrich was incredible. I mean, he got a round of applause and he's very clear and and really I I
support, you know, participation um like that at our town meeting. Was disappointed West Cadam Neighborhood Center. I wish that had passed as well. Um very pleased with CFAL and Transfer Station getting the the support it did. And also echo the disappointment on
Article 26. In my mind, it's an absolute no-brainer to pay $59,000 for a million- dollar improvement is is seems like a pretty good deal to me. Um, but all in all, I thought it was a very successful town meeting. We got an awful lot done. Um, wasn't perfect from my perspective, but I'll tell you right now, I think we
we we got an awful lot done and I was very pleased with town meeting this year. I wish the turnout would have been better. I think it could be perhaps should we have it on not on a Saturday. Corey. Well, to continue that conversation, that was the the the most frequent comment I got after town
meeting was it was Saturday, it was Mother's Day. Um, but then you think about it, if we had it on Monday and if we had a six-hour meeting, we probably wouldn't have had it in one evening. We would put would have rolled over in two evenings. So, we we're never going to come up with a perfect formulation of that. Um, but I do think we can, you
know, keep sh striding to come up with a better plan. Um, out of curiosity, but I was actually asked this, is rolling back town meeting even an option like late April, early, you know, mid April, would that even be an
option? Um, mechanically um something we'd have to obviously discuss about, but it does alleviate um at least from the conversations I've had um you know, the Saturday morning business pickup isn't quite happening quite yet.
uh some of the families that have all the sports programs that's not quite happening yet. Um it may not be the end all solution, but it's something I think it's worth exploring to see would if we rolled it back a little bit earlier, would that make more sense? So, just putting it out there for discussion
purposes. Um you know, I think we had a good good town meeting. I wish the turnout was larger and was more representative, but you know, that this is the system we have. Um thrilled the transfer station passed. Um I've always been very supportive of that um facility and um you know I appreciate those
people who stayed the six hours and um you know stayed the entire six hours because I know some people you know with respectfully they come they come for one or two articles or four articles but those who stuck it out um thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Um yeah mostly I agree with everything I've heard here from from you folks. Um I I think I and and I I do want to say, you know, it's easy to be disappointed. I am disappointed uh by the the uh uh
some some of the results specifically. Uh I I think top of my list would be um the the uh the the neighborhood zoning proposal from the planning board. Um that was, you know, depending on how you
count, that was a five-year project. Um it had um I mean the the the the blood, sweat and tears that went into that over that period of time uh was untold and I I I I think um you know we can quarrel
with the presentation um perhaps but um that that is a really really important initiative for the town of Chadam and for that neighborhood. And
um I I I just think it it was uh it I'll just say it was very disappointing. There are other things that didn't happen that you know would have been good if they could have gone the other way, but I do want to emphasize that we did accomplish a tremendous amount. Um
and and I think that's that's what we really ought to take away from it. Um I want to come back, however, to the issue of um of turnout. Yes, this was not the ideal weekend. That's probably an
understatement. Um, but and and maybe it's shouldn't be Saturday. Maybe it should be Monday. I I I just think that a system uh that produces on its good days 20% of
the registered voters is um needs to be looked at in a very fundamental way. And I think that um we need to look at um can we facilitate higher participation
um number one just by um a more um active and and and um you know sort of all hands on deck approach to accommodating parking issues, accommodating child care issues, um all
of those things. That's one. Um, two, I I think any kind of I mean, look, any meeting that goes on for more than three hours is too long. It's just that simple. Pe people can't focus. They can't we can't um even if we're not
being asked to do anything, it's very hard to to stay engaged for for more than two or three hours. So, I one of the things that I'm thinking about is is should town meeting be a two-day affair? If you're going to approach it that way,
that's one possibility. Um I I I I think the question of of in the evening versus um Saturday is something that we ought to look at. Weekend is something that we ought to look at. But I I really do and then, you know, people have talked to
me, well, this one would have done better if it were closer to the front or if it were in the back. um you know look at how many voters participated and and Miss Gibbs made the point at the end of the meeting there were there were you
know less than 400 people there 350 um that we we and and trying to rearrange the schedule of the articles to accommodate what somebody thinks is going to be um the the drop off at a
certain point I I I really don't think does appropriate service to um the the effort that goes into presenting the articles that are believed either by petitioners or by this board uh are
believed to be important and needed uh and by the way as well by the uh by the finance committee. So I I think this needs a a you know a separate and very substantial and comprehensive look to see if we can't achieve town meetings
that um bring more people to the to to the meeting who who participate throughout however we accomplish that. So with that, um, should we just I I I I most of these Well, let me let me say
the the the list of A through G, Jill, seems to me to be simply a matter of those having been passed, um, they're being, uh, resubmitted in the in the fashion that we've done in the past. Am I wrong about that? You're
correct. So we we do need the select board to vote to authorize the filing. And again, this agenda was um posted before town meeting, so we weren't really sure. So like item H, citizen petition articles. I don't think there's any act action items that are needed,
but it it was placed on the agenda. Okay. So for tonight, we do need the board to consider um authorizing the town manager to file the legislation for the various articles. Can can we do that as A through G? Um I think if you let's do it separately because I have to
provide certified votes. Okay. Just want to note a correction on D. It says article 45 but it's actually article 47 and that's the home rule petition to establish a real property transfer fee. Okay. So just a typo on that. All right.
So then I would invite uh motions serially on the the articles that are listed here. I'll do the first one. Um Mr. Chair, I move to authorize the town manager to refile um article 44 home rule petition for prevailing wage
exemption. Second. All those in favor? Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Mr. Shell says I. Uh Miss Davis. Hi. Mr. Dyk. Hi. And Mr. Meadows. I. Article 45. Go ahead. You want me to go again? Go ahead. Um, I move that we authorize the
town manager to refile home room petition to establish a new housing trust article 45. Second. All those in favor? Mr. Meadows. I. Mr. Dyken. Hi. Miss Davis. I. Mr. Shell says I. Mr. Niccastro. Hi. You want me to keep going? I'll keep
going if you want me to. Go ahead. Go. Um I I move to authorize the town manager to refile home room petition for the use of community preservation act CPA funds for affordable and attainable housing up to 200% average medium income AMI. That was article 46 at the town
meeting. Second um I I just want to correct I don't know if this has any effect but it's it's it's area mediate income area. I mean that's what's written you read it wrong. Okay. Um okay we have a motion and a second Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Mr. Shell says I Miss
Davis. Hi. Mr. Dykins. Hi. And Mr. Letters. Hi. Uh, Mr. Chair, I'm move that we authorize town manager to refile home room petition to establish a real property transfer fee to fund affordable attainable housing which was article 47
at a recent town meeting. Second. All those in favor? Um, Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Mr. Shell says I. Miss Davis. Hi. Mr. Dyken. Hi. And Mr. Matters. I, Mr. Chair, I move that we authorize the town manager to uh re
to Is this a new one? Yes, a new one. Uh to file a new home rule petition to allow associate members of the conservation commission the power to vote in the case of absence of by voting member which was article 48 at our annual town meeting. Second. All those
in favor? Mr. Meadows. I Mr. Dyens. Hi. Miss Davis I. Mr. Shell says I and Mr. Niccastro. Hi. Um Mr. Chair, before you go to the next one, this is the acceptance of the seasonal community community designation. I think all we have to do is provide notification to
the state. Is that it? I believe that's all. But if you wanted to vote, well, why don't why don't we just say we will authorize you to do any and all actions necessary and appropriate to Thank you. So moved. So moved. Second. Uh uh. All
those in favor? Mr. Meadows. I. Mr. Dykins. Hi. Uh, Miss Davis, hi. Mr. Shell says I and Mr. Niccastro. Hi, Mr. Chair. I move um to authorize the town manager um to file a new home room petition include commercial fishermen as
a group that can be targeted for affordable attainable housing under seasonal community sections section of the affordable homes act which was article 50 at our annual town meeting. Second. Um I do we need to have 32B in there?
I think that's where that that comes from. But if I or under article 30 uh uh section 32 chapter 2 238 section 32 I believe um I'm that section is just
hanging. I'm just trying to afford that proper reference a proper okay and referred to in section 32 referred to in general of the affordable section just add section 32 of the affordable homes act
uh second all those in favor Mr. Niccastro uh Mr. Shell says I miss Davis Mr. Dakens and Mr. matters. Hi. Okay. Now that we now go to the
um the the the the memo um the second memo which addresses the followup discussion of citizen petition articles. Um I think we've already dealt with article 50 49.
Um, article 51 we have not dealt with. Am I correct? That's a that's a that Eldridge um article 51. I think that's um
that was an impact. Yes, impact Cadam. Right. Uh so so we need to authorize um town manager to take whatever actions are necessary. Thank you. I don't think I have to take any action. The the town clerk will certify the vote and then it
certify to the attorney general to the attorney general and submit it there. And typically once that's approved um it just gets inserted into the zoning bylaws or the protective zoning bylaws. And article 52 did not pass. So I take
it we don't need to do anything there. Is that correct? I believe the only one you might need to take action on would be the last one. Article 59. Is that one passed? And I don't know if the board wanted to provide any information on next steps for that article. I is is
that any different from I mean that'll be certified by the clerk to the attorney general. Is that the way it'll be dealt with? Yes. Yes. Okay. So, um if anybody wants to comment on it and Miss Gibbs, I suspect wants to have a convers a a comment as well, but um go ahead
Dean. Yeah, I I wanted to comment on another one, but if I'll wait until you finish with 59. I think 55 requires a followup um internally at the town to set up a committee and get that process in place. Um this is it does. Yeah, that
statute. This is the uh Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, let's take that up then first. I mean, we'll take them in order. So, go ahead. Yeah. As I recall, I haven't looked at it recently, but this is Mr. Taylor's petition petition article that allows for the
check off box, right? It it's the statute requires the creation of a committee. It specifies who's on the committee. I think uh it's the town treasurer. I think is the town manager on it. Maybe town treasurer, the the chair the chair of the board of
assessors. Yes. And I maybe a couple of at large members that the select board would have to choose. So, I have to go back and look at it, but there is a committee. Is it in here? Yeah. Should probably be an agenda item, I would think. Yeah, we should probably do that. Yeah. I I think we should have a staff
memo that tells us uh what it is in light of this that we need to do. Yep. Okay. To effectuate the um implementation of that. That's all. Thank you. Okay. Um and I take it 58 is certified
by the clerk um to the attorney general. Yes. Yes. Because that's a bylaw amendment. Yes. Right. Okay. So 59 um the the mechanics are that also is certified to the attorney general. Um
but if anybody has a comment, they're welcome to it. Miss Gibbs, you wanted to uh address that one? Yes. Thank you. Uh, I would ask that town council and the attorney for the airport resist any contact with
the attorney general to attempt to influence the AG decision. I know that that happens on Warren articles where they're trying to encourage it when it's on behalf of the town. Um, while not normally done for citizen petitions, both councils provided 13 pages of
opposition opinion that we paid for. Town council spoke at town meeting at the request of Chairman Shell to speak against it and voters still approved it. I believe it deserves and voters expect an independent analysis by the attorney general with no interference from the
town as it is a citizens petition and should stand on its own. Thank you. Um thank you. Yeah, go ahead. The only thing I would I I understand um Miss Gibb's comments. I suspect from time to time, just from
experience, the attorney general will reach out to town council, don't they? Yes. Do that. They would reach out to an explanation of what it is. Um, but I understand you. I mean, I I I Yeah, I
I this is a this is difficult. I I don't I have no objection and and I'm perfectly happy to have town council decline to advocate any position with with in any conversation with the attorney general or or mass dot. Uh but
at the same time, number one, he's on the record with a uh an opinion in writing that was furnished to us. I I would hope that his making that available to uh the uh attorney general
it it would would not be something that um that that would be within the the scope of what you're asking. Um and to the extent that with respect to any further colloqui that he simply be
available on behalf of um the town of Cadam uh to um address any questions or or inquiries or other um uh you know conversation that um is initiated by the u the attorney general.
If I could add one thing, I'm sorry. If I could just respond to that, please. Uh, as looking through um the information on the Mass General site for attorney general, normally town council does that when
um they are in support and they are trying to get approvals for warrant articles and that's where the town council comes in. They said it's very rare that that would happen with citizen petitions, particularly in light of the fact
that he does not agree with the citizens petition and that would adversely influence it. I think that we have done that. Uh we have read it. uh the people have spoken and I think it would there's no question if he went and defended uh
the position that he's opposed to it that that would have an influence on the attorney general despite the fact that the he rep he he should be representing the town at town meeting and town meeting has spoken and they said they want this to go forward. So I would hope that wouldn't happen. Um I I think it's
undue influence and this has been very controversial and I think uh those in opposition have had plenty of opportunity to present their case and I think the attorney general is smart enough but should remain independent and not influenced by the opposition opinion
of members uh some members of the select board that the pe the people are the town meeting are the people who submitted it. It's it's different. A citizen's petition is totally different than a warrant article that has to be, you know, legally correct. Again, you
can hire 10 attorneys and you'll get 10 different opinions. So, I would hope that doesn't happen. I think this needs a fair shot. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. And I haven't read the the the section that Lane was talking about, but we had a situation long before I I
was on this board where I think it had to do with um what do they call those stores that u franchises formula formula formula formula stores and I believe the previous town council Mr. Gilmore advised that that wouldn't fly and went
to the attorney. It was passed went to the attorney general and I don't know what communications all I'm all I was say trying to say earlier is uh I suspect that the attorney general you know could contact town council and ask
you know what what is this about and and town council can't speak out of both sides of his mouth. He's g he's he's given his opinion, but I his responsibility would would would be to say this was voted by town meeting. I suspect these opinions, this one that he gave and the
one that was given by the airport council and there's a third one that was circulated by somebody on on the other side, I suspect those are all going to wind up on the attorney general's desk because anybody can submit them people. But I'm not I don't think the select board should do it. Um I think you know
this is going forward to the attorney general. We can we can all anticipate how the attorney general is going to come out on it. Uh if she and her staff want to get more information, they can. But um I I think I I would just leave it at that with
with maybe the the the following just that that we we ask uh in light of the the um the controversial nature of the issue that we ask that the town council be
especially diligent in confining his any colloquy to what is professionally appropriate. I'm totally in agreement with that and and u you know we we have a role as select board notwithstanding what town council
what town meeting passed to look out for the u legal interests of the town. Um so you know that that's going to come into play depending on what the attorney general does with this thing
and we'll have to deal with that in the future. But I'm fine with what you just said Mr. chairman and thank you. Thank you, Mike. Yes, sir. As am I. I thought was very well said, uh, Dean. Um, you know, I I I would I would be uh I think it's terribly presumptive to think that
the select board can tell the AG who to ask uh for what kind of information. I think the AG is going to do her due diligence on this issue as it comes before her. And I think it again quite presumptive and um totally inappropriate to even suggest that we're going to tell
the AG what to do. Thanks. Okay, thank you. I I think that unless anybody has any other comments, I think that concludes the business. Motion to adjurnn. Second. All those in favor? Mr. Meets. Hi. And Mr. Dyken. Hi. And Ms.
Davis. Hi. Mr. Shell says I. Mr. Niccastro. I We are adjourned at 700 p.m. Thank you. Good night, Chadam. [Music] [Music]