Afternoon everyone. This is the April um April 22nd meeting of the Conway Select Board. Um our chair Chris Baldo is away this evening. So I'm running this meeting as deputy chair, vice
chair, second in command. Um all right. First item on the agenda, vote to approve the minutes of April 14th, 2025. Those looked great. Yes, they did. Motion to approve. Uh motion to approve. Second. All in favor? I. All right. So,
accounts payable. I move those over. Nothing um out of the ordinary. Uh so, I move to approve the accounts payable warrant W2523 in the amount of $194,000 200 $194,2242.
Payroll warrant PW2523 for $166,32953 and payroll deduction warrant in the amount of $41,480.80. Second or first I Oh no. Yeah, that was a motion. So second that motion.
Um meetings attended by select board members name. I had none this week. Thought it was very nice. Yeah. Um, public comments we comment. Yes, it is. Um, unfinished business discussion and
possible vote at the time for the highway superintendent. Um, and since Chris is not here, I feel like this is one that we should take because I feel like it could use a full board consideration. I was thinking the same thing when I was looking at the agenda. Um, is that okay? Yeah, absolutely. So, and and personnel committee has said
that they they don't believe that this is a personal committee issue. So, it's really entirely up to us, but I feel like um you know, Chris had a lot of thoughts about this and I don't feel comfortable just making that decision with that from here. Do we have proposed numbers for a stipen or hours
over the normal that we're like do we have something to sort of wrap ourselves around? Yes. So let me see here. Sorry. It's here. So do you want me to share that with everybody at home since
it's a zoom to the right? Okay. So Jan had put together I'll just scroll up a little bit. Jan had put together 10 years of data of everybody who worked. Yeah. and the number of hours. So, I
brought that all down here and did them all go this way so they don't get the names. Um, so I just, you know, added them all up here and did the average by person by, you
know, so I had to put the number of years they worked, the number of hours and then average it. Then I did the average of the averages. And then a few of the people really only worked a couple hours in the season. So I took out the three lowest that really didn't excuse it. Yeah. Yeah. So this is the
the actual average of averages. Um I like that. So So then the question is how do you want to you know that so that's a normal season basically. It's like around 100 hours of overtime.
So that's how much you got to build. Okay. You sent that to us. Yes. Yeah. Okay. I thought it looked familiar, but um yeah, let's tap that until I agree.
Um Okay, new business votes to close the warrants. Yeah. So, all that means is nobody will be giving us any more warrant articles, right? And but that doesn't mean that we have So, the ones that you've been asked to get that are part of the zero act um
which They're already on the warrant. So, all you need to is decide whether or not you're going to keep them. Yeah. Um So it's articles 27. Oh 28. So the one okay that that that we may want to take off.
Okay. So, we were asked to consider articles 27 and 28 um which has to do with tax exemptions for veterans um property tax exemptions and we're under no obligation to include
this because this was just a request from Upper Valley. um given that we're probably going to have to have um a special town meeting in December. Um and this could
potentially have a significant impact on the budget. Um and we're under no obligation to include it. I am going to suggest that we remove these articles from the warrant this year, at least for this particular town meeting, and possibly include them on our special town meeting. How many veterans do we
have in town? Oh, so our accessories prepared. Um, yeah, if you could share the one that you before there. Yeah. Um, oh, they prepared an estimate of what this could potentially cost and it's not 100%
clear to me the way that it So, this is what it is right now for FY24. Yep. So, these are the this is the current amount of exemptions that veterans receive around $20,000. Yeah. So if if we did vote for this for the
Heroes Act, um you know, that's going to that's going to double. So that's a $20,000 hit to the town. Um and the most would be the 55769, which would take it up, you know, a good 35,000, which he said actually would bring the whole overlay from last
year was 45 up to 90 over 90,000. So it's so it's a doubling impact. Yeah. I mean I'm I know especially if they're Yeah. So our final budget So the final budget
figure here this does not reflect those numbers. Is that correct? Correct. So I could bring up I'm click share. I can bring up the recap and show you where it shows up in our
budget. So, okay. So, this is our general fund budget and all the schools. So, this is the total we're looking at. um for our budget for this year. The overlay comes in um where it is right
here. I did stick it in here just and I said it includes the Heroes Act just so you'd see the effect. But what this does is it it's part of our um raise other amounts to be raised. So it comes into
effect down here in the bottom line. it it gets added to the 7 million um you know as part of the total amount we raise. So it does affect that um
tax but it's not in the jungle. So, they're asking this thing is asking for every town in Massachusetts to do this. Um, all the member towns of the upper pioneer valley reference, but I assume other parts of the state are doing that. I have no idea. Okay. You
haven't heard anything state? Do we know if there are other towns that are putting the What does it have to pass on? That's a good question. I honestly don't know if it's a twothirds or not.
Um I mean I haven't seen to Donna and it has on there all the majority of them are social corrective and it's not income based. Um it's just if you're a veteran you no they they do have to qualify for the exemptions already. So but is that just
as a veteran or just as a is that income? make you qualify because I'm No, I think it's I think it's good to be a veteran and qualify for income, but I'd have to double and check to make sure. I know we do with the current
um that on our website. So, just as a point of order, if we vote to close the warrant, do we have to first take these off? I would. Okay. I would just It's kind of cleaner that way. If there's something you don't want to be on there or I would just say so I'm going to make a motion that we table
articles 27 and 27 sorry 27 and 28 remove those from um this warrants and take them into consideration at a future special town meeting. When does it go into effects
the next tax year? Yes. I mean, yeah, it would be until FY26 anyway, but it might get delayed another year because the tax bills would have already gone out for the following year. So, it might delay. It does. I've just called up the
website here and so qualifying veterans have an exemption. Yeah. Yeah. So, but it is qualifying. So it's you have to be eligible to So that would probably bring that number way down. Yeah. Because when they prepared that estimate, was he just
taking into account like all the veterans? No, he took into account the ones who qualify already. Oh, he did? Yes. Okay. Yes. The numbers that high. That's why I wanted the assessors to give you the number the the actual financial impact on the town. Yeah. So,
well, I hate to delay it, but I this is a big decision. It's a financial decision. We can't just do it because we think it's the right thing to do. We may not be able to afford it. That was my concern. But I wanted to make sure that you had
the number. Well, that was the but I had a second. Okay. So, we're going to remove articles 27 and 28 um for future days for future for future
consideration. haven't before and it'll probably be there'll probably be a special time. We need some ambulance. So that that could give us more time to do our fine with that. What a waste of paper. Can't we say read
it online? Not not according to our bylaws. I have to mail out the warrants. So that's another hostage. Wait, it's Yeah, it's not going to be pretty, but I I have to work on the formatting,
but I haven't done this in 30 years, so it's probably one time. Yeah, one time waste. Um, okay. So, I'm going to make a motion that we close the warrant um for the 2025 26 town meeting. Um, which means
that we won't place anything. We haven't voted on the individual articles, but that means we're not accepting any new additions to the town north as of this. Is this the usual time of year? Yeah. To close the usual deadline.
very generous there honestly because at the next meeting you're all all going to have to vote each of the articles so that the following meeting I can have the copy there ready for you to sign I mean the very latest it would be would be the fifth something comes up I'm good I'm
second all in favor we're good you guys doing any more work than you need to okay all right we have voted to close the warrants Um, all right. Next item, new business discussion and vote to approve work on
the TSA shed by Aaron Foster. Estimate of $5,163.20 to begin after July 1st and the funding is to come from the transfer station um special revenue fund. So, is this a kit?
No, this isn't the mall. This is for fixing up for insulating the inside of the attendance shed, which has been put off for quite a while. And we got Aaron to give us this quote. And um so yeah. So, but we'll be able to take it out of
the transfer station revenue fund. So, did we get multiple quotes or we don't need to? No, this Yeah. No, with that number, we don't. And is he a licensed contract? He is. And he does a lot of work. um he's done some work for us before, but he does a lot of work for Jana mean and he's
also also um so basically what he's going to do is go in there and rip up the floor, put some insulation down, put the floor down again, and then insulate the inside of the shed. So stop the air leaks, it'll clean up, it'll be a
decent place in May and they don't spend much time there in the summertime anyway. So, it's right. So, I know there's going to be a lot going on the transfer station this season, right? Between redoing the the pad, getting that done. Well, I still have to
get three quotes for that. Um getting the guy's shed done and then also getting a new mall. It's there's going to be a lot of activity up there. You place Conly in as a hot spot. I don't think that's possible, Alan. But well, we can try. We talked about like
when we do have a like the mall back up and running, but we talked about like having a like a fashion show fundraiser, you know, like party up at that, you know, like the go from the laundromat.
Yeah. So, the way the shed's set up, he the hometown actually came up today to look at it. Um because I I yeah I mean they were in town anyway for another customer. So I met him up there and we he you know I I would really like them
to do the site prep um for two reasons. One because Ron's got his hands filled anyway and he's already going to have to deconstruct the current mall and move a couple buildings for us. But then you know honestly if they do the prep and they sit their building down on their work. I
totally agree. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but I'm excited and the way the shed looks right now. So, it's 30 feet wide, but it's only 14 feet deep. Yeah. But there's a window right where I wanted it to be because when you when you when you walk in in the back corner, I'd like to get like Aaron come in and put in a room.
Yeah. That is just for the volunteers. Yeah. And that will be have AC and heat. Yeah. So that they can work in comfort because the building will be unheated and whatever. But at least that part, thank you. Hopefully that'll make
volunteering more attractive to Exactly. And I have gotten a couple people called to say that they they're willing to be volunteers and I've just kind of got them on hold because we don't have a wall yet. So Awesome. Yeah. And I think I I'll be honest once it's up and running and it's everybody sees how
pretty it is, I think. Oh, I agree. There'll be a lot more interest. Yeah, I agree. So I'll make a motion of hire to complete the work on the workers of the onway mall.
Yeah, he's on Sorry, he's on the mall. He's on the He's on the attendance shed. Yeah. Um All right. Second. All in favor? I I Okay. Um are we going to have a forum now?
Join virtually going to be there. All right. So um then why don't we uh before we get to the joint meeting with finance and capital improvements um items not anticipated 48 hours. Anything
um TA update you just went over half of it with I did. I did. Let me see. Um um oh yeah, so Maya did get back to us on their uh what they were suggesting
for us for the driver life path um driver program. So there are a couple things in there I have questions about for for Donna. So I'm going to go over that with her. And then Phil has written up the the job descriptions and posting.
So we should you know I can I can just go ahead and do that if you all feel comfortable enough to not wait for Donna to get back on. Um I mean, you have the information from Yeah. Unless she has any big concern. Yeah. Well, there's a couple things in there that I have concerns about um that I just want
her to go over and give me some guidance on before we write up that. But I don't have any problem with going ahead and post. Unfortunately, it was like we just missed the permit because it just got printed. Um, so is there anywhere else that I mean I could I could I could put things up like
at Bakers and the post office and stuff if you want. I don't know how I mean like the job descriptions that yes I mean if we're putting up the warrant anyway post that so yeah all the regular places I think okay I did go over today um you
know personnel had sent our our personnel handbook to e employers association is it northeast um for review and so that that's back and I' I've skimmed through it and it was interesting thing. I mean, really,
really good comments, but I was kind of thinking they might actually add whole sections, and I didn't see anything, you know, like any glaring gaps in what we already had. So, that that made me Yeah. a lot happier. So, that I think I may have forwarded to you all so that you
can look at it as well. And I'm sure we'll be meeting personnel on that. Um, so yes, I'm just waiting for the check from the insurance company so I can schedule and get that gate back up because they can't even put it back up anymore. It's just it's Yeah, they told
Saturday. Yeah. Yeah. I wondered how you got in there today. Well, because there's just poems. I mean, it's it's a trick. That's what they said. Yeah. It's a bad Yeah. situation. Um, and then the two, um, I talked to you about your two
senior work, so that that's really all matter. And a couple good days off and a couple welld deserved. Um, okay. Uh we could just I mean if you wanted to you could just go through some of the um
articles in there that are non-financial that are Yeah. I did try to put together the ones that repeat um like about the select word being able I put those all up in the very front. Is that where you wanted them? Just all together. Yeah. I mean it was just like
boom boom boom let's get those away. So, um they're not numbered. Oh, you know, because I printed that out before I numbered them. Um Okay. Yeah, let's just start with that.
So, not the financial to see if the town will vote to set the salaries of elected officials. This is like we do this every year. Yeah. Um that one's a no-brainer. Authorize the treasury collector to enter into compensating balance
agreements. Allow the select board to apply for expend grant monies. On that one, by the way, I did find that we had a bylaw on that. And when I spoke at town council, she said just anyway. There's no question.
Um, yeah. Okay. So we'll do the and yeah, anything that says finance probably pulled off on. Right. Right. But so probably at the very well you know what even it's listed finance for
recommendation other yeah it's any any money How you doing? Okay. Um, is it okay if we start with Janet since he finance? Um, okay. Welcome. Hopefully, hopefully
we should too long. With me is Mac. McCoy, a vital member of our open space committee. I read all the amendments. He keeps us organized. He tells us what to do. Great job. He um Anybody ever
read our minutes? Come on. That's okay. They're there. Okay. Well, a little background. I'm Janet and Oh, this is our finance command. Can you say that? Okay. Sorry. Sorry.
Okay. So, the open space committee tries to take care of the town properties that are open. couple of meadows. The South River Meadow and we've just started on an ambitious Bigalow Meadow across the street there. It's got a beautiful new
design. Um we we sort of follow this big Bible, the open space and recreation plan that we spent a lot of time with a lot of input developing. It's got pages of a a management plan, activities, and
how we're supposed to get a lot of these things done. Okay. This is required by the state every seven years. Um, which allows for grant money once you provide that.
Yes. Okay. Back in 2016, the committee had started working around the perimeters of the south river meadow. This was after the big project uh big the restoration project and what we're going to do with it. Um and we started
cleaning it up and making some improvements. Had had some planning. Um but we were a little bit how are we going to manage what needed to be done? Well, the previous town administrator,
um, Tom Hutchinson called me up and he said, "I've had identified some money that you can use to take care of that and help implement the open space recreation plan." And he and this money came from
the small cities grant. It this was July 2016. Um, he said he had spoken to the prior accountant. Um but you know what we're supposed to do with that little pot of money they found. And uh the previous accountant
was for Joyce Mura. Anybody is probably before your time. But she was the manager and she became the manager and she's very skilled and very helpful and help me get the CPA monies back properly accounted for. And I mean she's not
going to tell somebody you can do something and anyway. Okay. So with that money and really and he came to an open space committee and told it um told us the same thing and um we uh contracted
with Lorie Sanders at noted nationalist in a big plan for the me which then we had public forums and it we spent at the most $3,000 and it was a process and it's really been our blueprint and she did the beautiful maps of the sections.
Okay. Um, and then the funds have been there since that was 2016, 2017. Um, and I just always knew we had them on tap until I went to try to use
them this past uh not too long ago and um the current time administrator and Bernique and uh Mike the accountant said, "Hey, but you know this we can't find the business."
So this is where we're in this situation now with us having planned and laid out kind of our longterm visions of things that we want to do that you know that we need to do. We made some commitments and
yes and um we have hopes and dreams uh of seeing some of these projects to to fruition um which we can't do without including some operating money. I mean we have
applied for whenever it's good little grants some grants pollinator grant well not this year and so on so forth. So her suggested said that well we need to um sort of verify reauthorize this money
and there's a warrant article to reallocate that money for this purpose. I said anything wrong. No, no. I would just say that that what I had been told is that as town administrator, I have no authority to
say to anybody that they can or cannot use money if we can't find what the original practice was, right? And so Mike had suggested that the best way to deal with it was to have a warrant article, right? Moving everything over under open space, right? It makes sense.
And we could I mean, not that we need to be any longer, but we can certainly include this. That could be a handout. Yeah. just to show that it's something that um so there's no language what this money was. We could not uncover anything. We
couldn't actually find the original source. It went back to like the 80s. Wow. Well, the 90s I think or whatever. It was like a pot of money that came in before Tom Hutch sent us. Oh, I think so. Yeah. We just couldn't find any records
that said and since it was called small cities, we thought maybe but we just trying to find where Oh yeah. Do you guys want to go ahead and open your meeting? Make a motion to call the committee to order. Second. I make a
motion to approve the finance meeting minutes of April 14th this second. All in favor I was just explaining how this we were sort of earmarked this pot of money and this article is a reauthorization to
basically use it to implement this open space and recreation plan and I hope everybody will read it. It's online at our um it's online at under the open space committee. How much money is in
the fund again? So 43 43 for 20%. And once that's gone, you won't have any funds, right? But I outlined this to 2019. So
2019 20. Um so this is obviously estimated. I did not have time to get to get detailed costs. Things change, you know. Um, who's going to Yeah, mowing's low. Do it.
Yeah, I was going to say we've considered that. I think we discussed Yeah, we Yeah, sure. Bring them on it. But the only thing is you keep the fence inside. All right. And move them. And goats goats only eat what they want to eat, not what you want them to eat.
state machine. Yeah, I think they're easier. There is poison ivy in there that we're uh uh but man, why don't you tell them a little bit about the big old meadow? You know, we had a walk and we're gonna, you know, some of the plant we just up there the other day. Well, regarding mowing, you see it
actually is higher budgeted for the Piccolo Meadow than some other places because it's the idea is to take it from just a sort of rough unable to walk meadow and have a small simple circle
and place where people can sit and enjoy. And it's maintained enough so that it's kind of an example of what a you know actual wildflower meadow could be like and uh preserve the space and to
keep it from becoming completely overrun by invasives which it is beginning to go that way. So the the very basic maintenance that's happened is now to be a more selective type of maintenance u especially beginning this year to create
a simple path. It's not going to intrude on neighbors which is the neighbors have been invited to any number of meetings where we slowly develop the process. So um it's part of the committee's job to try to promote this
development here. like a great idea and I mean it's an immediate to the village space for people to enjoy as a you know additional l to south river meadow. So there's really two quite nice and
increasingly picturesque places to have some recreational time. Um we've been as you know we've been working with our volunteer wonderful uh consultant Paul Wormsner who's written the book champ turning
your lawn into a meadow um and recently he said yes and answered my question what about some barrier hedges some trees for barriers and um we uh recently
for this year he suggested couple of training trees and some shrubs. And I said, "Well, what about some real hedging for the Michelle's house at the bottom?" And I, well, some hedging going by
and we're not getting a little saplings. You would get something. So, you know, there's a price to that. And then watering and maintaining and and so forth. And uh there's a lot of work still needs to be done at the South River Meadow.
Um and and then down near sort of near the bottom of the page, I've been concerned about all these invasive plants everywhere else. Um like at the transfer station and there's some out here, just
the ball field. uh these things take take some care and expertise because there's some just beautiful um some shrubs out there, you know, but they're the good ones next to the bad
ones and they have to be um dealt with carefully. um challenges balance of volunteers to organize the things as well as to bring contractors, you know, find it at a
reasonable price as well as your materials. So, well, what what are the steps that select board needs in further support from the committee to go ahead with the transfer of account and that sort of thing? So, we won't be voting
until next week on each individual um warrant article, but it is on the warrant. We closed the warrant, so it won't come off and won't add anything else to it. Um and this is incredibly helpful because we can include this with our you know, handouts at town meeting and we can um you know, when we do our
warrant light, we can say there's a full budget to account for this money that we plan, assuming we vote that way next week, right? To transfer. So we had to make the separate has to make a recommendation and I'm in finance too because this money so yeah I think there
was a written statement uh very briefly back and forth in some emails. Do you need any summary of the summary of the background? Here's the Yeah. No. Yeah, I think we got that. So, we can All
right. Who's to administer the grant? The grant is being reimbursed. It's just money there. Oh, it is. Yeah. This is a special revenue fund. Okay. Like we we have quite a few. So, we have the money. We have the money sitting there. It had been promised. and we just
have to formalize the our current account just wasn't comfortable with us just saying go ahead and spend the money without the town meeting but there may be questions at the pre-Town meeting or the town meeting which I'm sure I mean a grant documenting the grant we have to have
seats and someone has to no that's so it isn't a grant this is something that came in we have no idea how we got decades ago and we don't know this is this is the problem this that's actually the crux of Right. Exactly. So we guess it's more than semantics because brands
come at things. Right. Yeah. It's a gift. So we have to go through the process of allocating this towards the cause formal and what would happen to Yeah. What would happen is just like a lot of the other things that we um
town meeting says yes this can go under this account. These monies would then be transferred to um the general fund under open space and it would be absolutely clear then open space uses this money. Cool. So that's really all it is. just
making it I guess in theory parks and w could say actually this money you know should come to us should public I mean anybody anybody could say yes but this is a very good this is a strong argument that you guys have the notes and the documentation the deal is there
right if somebody wants to share you know consider that yeah I mean as long as it's mainly to be used for the town you know to improve for Yeah, there we go. And okay, you need to change and
shift and at least you know general guide. We're not going to have to go back to town meeting if we want to. No, once in that there it's done. No, that will be open to I'd like to just quickly share this and
give it to you. This is from the town of Norfolk in northwest Connecticut. My wife received it because her family owns property there. So this came from about the new firehouse and it was basically to all the citizens of the town which
similar size town to this one and they're basically this the the head selectman is trying to present why to fund the new fire firehouse and I thought it was an incredible example pretty fancy one. They spent a lot of money on
that. It's very similar size town, but they they do get a lot of New York summer people, so they have some extra money. But there were some really good interesting points of reasons why, presentation, etc. You could boil it
down if you were trying to have some initiative in Conway that you needed citizens to understand. I thought it was great. We'll just leave it. Yeah, that would be very Thank you for coming. We will get on.
Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for all the work you do. Thank you. I enjoy South. Oh, good. Good. We keep those wild dogs away. Well, dogs are wild. The big project is sign.
Oh, yeah. We're working on our signs are interpreted. You want this blossoming? No. That's for us. I mean, it's not this is the whole package kind of have to
Thank you. All right. Oh, yeah. Thank you. Nice to see you, Dad. Thank you. Wow, this is fancy. Kind of a heavy hit of time. Yeah, I know.
We want to have a PR budget. My marketing budget. Okay. All right. Thank you. Look at this. Look at the fanciness of that firehouse. And that's just like a like a rendition, right? We cannot let our fire move in.
Just an artist rendition of what the firehouse might look like. Wow. That's it. Someone wins the lottery in the size. Look at that. Our guys cannot see this. Doesn't have a fire. I don't know.
All right. Review of the draft warrant. That has another Okay. Yes, I have the version of that. So, there groups these the annual things that we vote on that are just kind of like how can I
um well number one is the full budget right? One and two. Um one is just having the reports. So that's basically our annual report. is is you know the main budget. So and if you all wish to
vote on any of these tonight to make it shorter next week. Oh that's right because you guys haven't formed so you can't. So if you guys want to go ahead and do that we won't take any votes because Chris isn't here. I feel like we want to make comments. No, no, no. Everything after
or you know if you want to do it while you're all together and just go through and do the select board. I mean, however you want to do it, it's fine. So, select board is not voting tonight. Just finances. Uh I don't know. That's up to you guys. Okay.
I mean on some of those you might want to just you know the ones that are just on every year like she said the you know if setting the salaries and that you know that I could certainly where's one one is the annual report. Oh, right. Okay. So, that's to hear the reports of
Yeah. Um, yeah. Okay. So, then we're on to three. Yeah. Gotcha. So, this whole first page is prep for puncturing ones we do every year, right? The first um the first three or four
five are and then it's starts going into the stabilization okay three four and five three four and five are because Erica had asked that um and I guess other people had asked that we group the ones that are just wrote we do them every year that have to be in there you
know so you guys can vote on three four and five okay thank you I make a motion to approve the article present brought into setting salaries. I have a second second. All in favor?
I mean that's we can vote this article three. Um yeah, if you want to vote on it too, just get them out of the way. Yeah, let's Yeah, I make a motion we approve uh three to set the salaries because of
elected second. You know, my only like is it going to look weird to us if Chris doesn't Chris doesn't care? Not on these. Not on those three. Well, I mean, that's up to you guys. That's you know, because it's not unanimous. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Because it's normally three. Yeah. So, yeah, if you
want to wait. Yeah. And we can go through this, right? Because theirs is theirs is now on here. 302. So, okay. Three, nos, and two not here. Okay. All right. Good. All right. On to four.
Article four. See the town authorize a treasure collector and assistant collector treasurer to enter the compensation balance 26 by MGL code. Any discussion? letters. Um, yes, because I need to
explain it every year in the war like but I just can't remember the past, but I can find it. It's actually one that they it could be we could do it every three years, but because towns tend to forget what year you're on, they just throw it in the warrant every year.
Balance keeping balance. as a piece of house every year. Yeah. This is a required article which allows the treasur and collector to enter into agreements with banking institutions which is a basic function of the position. Every year, right? A yes vote grants three years permission to do so. In reality, rather than track this every
three years, we just do it any. All right. To negotiate all I make a motion for approve for article four as presented in second. All in favor? I I
So we're not voting on that. Yeah. I mean Okay. All right. Article five. Article five to see if the town will vote to allow the select board to apply for accept and expend state federal and other not require a time appropriation time any
approval actually related there too. Any discussion this would be for you know any other kind of funds that come in do business. That's it. Any discussion? Second, I make a motion to approve
article five as presented. Second. All in favor? Thank you. Okay. So, um I I don't know quite how you want to do it. If you want to wait for the big
money articles until Chris is here or Well, I mean because you don't have to vote. Yeah, I think if finance wants to vote though. I mean, if you guys feel comfortable voting on these. Sure. Okay. You can always dismiss ourselves earlier next week. There you go.
And this was all from our discussion last week. So the premise here would be that having these free cash amounts and this and that would keep the uh 3% of the free cash.
Yes. Um do you want me to stop sharing and just show you the recap page on the omnibus? That'll be good. Sorry. Start sharing. You did. I did. It was up there. It's up there, but that doesn't mean I shared it with the
Yeah. Um, okay. So, um, so over here just to show this was what you all worked on the last time, which is the free cash, right? And the one that I found um I had
forgotten which I apologize is the tax title revolving fund. that warrant article. I will actually probably need to change the language a little because Mike just emailed me today and said that what we really should do is not just do
the tax title monies when they come up, but have the same kind of general fund budget rolls over every year. So, it's just there and you've been funded within a year instead of So, I'll just have to tweak that. And when's the last time you
changes revolving funding? Is it proposing the policy for title tax? Yeah. Or tax title. Sorry. Um uh Jan just lets me know how much she thinks she needs in there. I read something about we have overlay last year 45,000 concern that maybe we
should raise it up tax. This is I have to go by what she tells me because it's not Yeah, that's for the tax titles. That's you know separate from the overlay. Oh, okay. Yeah. Not Yeah. Yeah. See? Okay. tax. I don't see
that one. I have to. So, what I'm what I will change the language to say is that it'll go into a general fund revolving account, but it's 10,000. You're curious to know when the last
time that we all budgets obviously. Yeah, I'm I I don't remember. What warrant it was on the last time? Yeah. So, this you can see the ending balance before when you all were working
on it was 278. Now it's 265 because of a let's see what else is in there. Oh, I had to change I had to correct the IT migration based on their contract um that we all went over and approved
and then also adding tax title. So, change. But those are all the amounts for the articles. So now if you want to see move over again. So going through this sheet, this is the tax the recap that we go through every year. So
there's the general fund budget. Grammar school, Frontier, Franklin Tech, and you don't have anything for the other tech schools. So there's the amount in the general fund. And if I flip it over here,
um, you will see that that's the same number as there. Oops, sorry. So, it's the 7161734. Yep. That's the total. So, then, um, we take into account all of the different money
articles that are in the warrant. So, and where they're coming from. So, that's what the list of all this is. Um, so let me know if there's anything in there. Oh, you know what? One of the things I had forgotten.
Um, and boy, I hope I put it um the $5,000 that I was hoping to take. Did I mention that before? That I wanted to take from under the town administration. There's a grant matching administration fund that has like $18,500 in it now.
And I wanted to take out $5,000 to be able to print this new guide to Conway. I figured that was an easy place to take the money from so there would be an article just saying. So I hope I hope I have it in there because you closed the Just see if
I can otherwise we have to reopen the warrant and put it back in there. Right. Right. Yes, I did. Okay, it's in there. Okay. Um uh okay. So um so that's what all those are. And right in here it does say
it did have the open space in there. Just so you see that if that was in the um these are the estimated from the governor's estimated for how much money is going to be coming in um off the cherry sheet. That's that's all subject to change.
That's from the governor's cherry sheet. But the house has just put one out too. So, yeah, it's a moving target. This will change. I can change that right now. I'm going to take it back down to the 45,000 it was because we're not
including and I'll get a firm number from them. A firm number on on the impact of this bure. Um, we tap that. on that. It would be it could
potentially be a significant hit. Yeah. Town budget. Not that we're not in support of it. It's just Yeah. Right. Oh, well it's not I mean it's not even it's just it was it was a request from the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans Association. So we don't even know how
like what what other towns putting it on the warrant if other towns are putting it on the warrant. We think that we'll probably have to have a special town meeting for the ambulance for the ambulance anyway. So there will be an opportunity if we feel like we want to do it. All right. She decided
all right. So that this number right there is the total amount that has to be raised you know for and then you come into the revenue sources and you know of course all these get put in here again because it's revenue and anyway so that
takes you down to um the the recap itself and I have not put in here I haven't adjusted the maximum tax levy for this year. So that's that's
not have to see what that is. We're well below the levy. We I don't we have no no worries. We're nowhere near a million dollars. Yeah. Yeah. We're we're nowhere near our prof. But anyway, so and again
um so that's your free cash and what we do and between So yes, we're at the at the recommended estimate. Yes. But you, if I remember correctly, you wanted to include general stabilization together
with remaining free cash to have that make the 5%. Correct. Is that what you said? Right. Okay. So, and that should do it. Yep. Yep. All right.
So, um, do you want do you want to continue on with the um, yeah, as long as finance is good? I mean, whatever you guys thought down, that's probably my favorite thing to do next week. Continuing to roll that.
All right. So, we were back to six. Yeah. Free cash. Yeah. Article six division one to see if the town will vote to transfer from free cash $75,000 to the binary school tackle stabilization fund
and take any action relative to there please. Any discussion right now we have a balance of 230,000 $2,000 38,000 in what? Oh. Oh yeah. With boilers on the way.
Yeah. Yeah. Right. potentially. Okay. All in favor? Thank you. All right. C at the time article seven is see if at the time a vote for transfer firm to pass
$75,000 to the fire truck stabilization find as follows 75,000 is safe for a new rescue pumper expected purchase in 2028 taking action to any discussion so yes so this is the first
part no stabilization no no we've been doing this doing it for Yeah. I know. But is it specific for my money? Yes, we're adding fund that already exists. I think last year we put in 100. We approve 100 each for the
last which is the new fund we created. Highway. Yeah. Make a motion to approve. One second. Second. All in favor? All right. Sorry. Article eight. See, at the time of vote
to transfer prime three pass $75,000 to the ambulance stabilization fund as follows. Ambulance department $75,000 in purchasing new ambulance and taking the action relative there too. discussion. The price is priced in
ramb,000. Who knows, right? Who knows? And probably have a special time. I think that's 330. This will take it to 400. Yeah. Yesterday. Well, it might be sooner because this
Ambulance ambulance. The last new one we got was a It wasn't totally new. It was a hybrid. Correct. Yeah. This one will be totally new. She'll be totally new. Yes. Cost. We don't know yet. There. She's getting That's the reason it's not
on this one. Yeah. But it makes sense to these are questions. Well, Gemma can speak. I mean, but we know the minimum price is going to be 40,000. She'll have those. She'll have that ready by the town meeting.
And right now we hopefully y discussion. I make a motion to approve. Any second? Second. All in favor? I. So there's the one you were talking about, right? So, let me ask you a
question. If John is, can we agree that if John has some issues or questions with any of these that we could reopen those and revoke them if necessary? If he was here last week, I think he was
in agreement with all here last week and we'll take Well, I mean, we're not voting. We're not voting right now because Chris isn't here. So I mean I I would assume that if you guys are here next week you wanted but he Johnny was here for the conversation last week that we outlined all of these things. Yeah I
know sometimes rehashing we sometimes you think about it sometimes you see it I mean that's that's up to the finance committee to wait till next week. John is John going to be here next week. Well I was not saying we should wait. I'm saying that if there's articles he has
issue with how we can reopen those. This is not able to uh put money in one. This is article nine as we talk about create fund which he already has said. Okay. Well, I'm talking about
the announcement. I mean, I'm fine with you guys for your vote and if John wants to three of us, right? That's Yeah. So, that's why I'm I'm I'm waiting because I feel like I would rather have the votes that I know are going to be unanimous. I'd rather have those say that they're
unanimous rather than say two votes and one, you know, and someone not here. Means we can leave a little earlier next week. There you go. So, we're on creating a highway stabilization. Okay. So, we're going to
continue. But suppose he thought about it says, "Well, I think all these 65,000 we're not putting any money on." Oh, that's in this one. One of the old For instance, last year, uh, Chris was in favor of like when we all voted, he was in favor
of the, um, the motion about having non-residents serve on zoning boards. We didn't revisit that before town meeting, but he, you know, stood up a town meeting. I had voted for this. I voted in favor of this article and then like presenting his vote
basically publicly. So, there's lots of options. He admired me. Yes. All right, we're still on nine. Yeah, I make a a motion to approve article 9 as presented highway stabilization fund purchase of highway vehicles and action
relative too. All in favor? We can defer a voting article 10 to next week. So when Chris is here and John is here. Completely up to you. Do you want to do
the defer the rest of them? Uh well probably shoulder. Okay. You said deferred though. Yes. How about you're in you're in the capital improvements. You might as well capital improvements I don't believe
will they have a qu they're here next week. Johny's here next week. This is Yeah, this is all right. We're going to hold these. Yep. All
right. Is that it? No. No. There's like 20 something. I mean, if if you guys wanted to, you know, well, the high rate from from state disaster relief fund, that's money
we already have in Exactly. Article 13 to see if Yeah. vote to transfer $200,000 from the state disaster relief funds for the purchase of a used highway. Take any action to there, too. Any discussion? I just think that people
probably want to see where can we get that. Show me it. All favor 13. 14 time to transfer $52,000 from three cash police detail special action relative there
too. Second all in favor that's that's my review to the town. Yeah, hopefully we can raise that number next year if really we have more aware more more powerful.
15 to see if the town will vote to transfer $42,546 from the ambulance receipts fund to the ambulance department's operational expense account for a partial payments expension. Take any action to guarantee. All in favor?
There's the guy's phone right more efficient than you think. The state will hope to transfer $5,000 from grants matching the general fund account into a separate time administration general fund account to pay for the printing and mailing but take any action.
There it is. Article 17 $1,000 free cash into the OpEd trust function too. Discussion second one in favor.
I mean if we by chance have a uh a special increase short rfall time we can always special absolutely always in the past we put in $10,000 some put in 20 we put in
20,000 every year since I've been here and if the special town meeting is held after free cash is certified So, this one 18 is the one I'm going to have to change the wording on and check. Um, because it would go into a
uh general fund. So, we want to hold on to that. So, I you know, I'm assuming, you know, I have to say this is all assuming that that town council doesn't come back and say need to revert anything back. Yeah. We go to article 19. The seat of the
time will vote to transfer $10,699 for free cash to the deck service for the highway garage facility as a partial payment to the deck service will take any action relative to there too. Discussion. This is uh part of what we
agreed to get back level fund a level amount second favorable 20 at the time will vote to raise inappropriate transfers from available funds or otherwise provide the sum of $6,000 as a partial contribution for
future evaluation target action relative there too I have no choice any further discussion second on favor I ask question
this current article two did we have a an estimate to the tax average tax bill any of that No, I don't have any of that yet for the next um I can probably try to have that by
next week depending on what information like I mean just the tax rate is what well no what we're talking was the values change too. Some people want to look, all they can do is look at the
current tax bill. Yeah. Multiply. I I kind of hesitate and especially since um the overall budget last year increased what was it two 3% almost 2.89% something like that
and this year it's half that the overall increase. Yeah. So, you know, you don't even have our new growth estimates in Yeah. 140,000. That's all. That's what she said. That's an estimate. And of course, we don't have
to finalize the free tax certified sometime. Yeah. Those are the estimates. So, it's always uh I know the photos. All right. 21.
Last year was 100 Yeah, this year it's 140 going for Is it because of the u utility polls coming more? I don't know. Could it be number? He just gave
me the number. It's hard to feel good about paying that. Hello. I'm glad to pay my solar panel. Yeah. All right. Article 21. See if the time will vote to raise and appropriate transfer from available funds or otherwise provide a sum of
$2,995. The field memorial libraryation would take any action relative there too. Any discussion? Second favor. I probably
$2,995 tax. No kidding. All right. Sorry, Mr. I know. I know scrolling is hard on your eyes. I just wanted to let you all know that in this one of 22, the one thing that's changed is the transfer station. Um, we're upping it to 20,000 because this
year we had to ask for more out of it. So, why not raise the limit in case something more happens? And actually that's where the money for Aaron Foster to do the work will come out of. That's great. So
do you ever get when you from the metal scrap metal that we collect we make money on it? We do. It's not a great amount because the hall the cost for the dumpster in the hall basically takes out
a lot of but we do get revenue for it which is part of the reason why the select board changed the pricing to not charge people for things that the town gets revenue. Yeah. No, we're very fair when it comes to all places.
We made big improvements. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Article 22 receive the time of vote to rate authorize the following fiscal year 26 expenditure limits the time of economing fund pursuing to NGL 44 section 53 and a
half convoling fund that's mostly for grants for students there I believe so up to $6,000 for licenses fun up to $20,000 from the transportation revenue fund up
to $10,000 from the news fund $20,000 for the timely youth sports program but taking action relative to there too in discretion you haven't really increased the medic was that trigger this year you
know I do not know I I and I'm not even sure I haven't checked to see how much was in there. I just checked with Jan about the Medicaid and youth sports and with Lori about doc licenses and I can tell you no transparency there is not $10,000 in the newsletter revolving
funds that we could use that much anyway. Yeah. But okay. So yeah, so these are just maximum. Absolutely. The fund doesn't add anything. You can't print money.
I just want to know what what's where if they expanded the use. The only one I'd say is Medicaid. We haven't increased in a long time. Well, I'm sure they're tracking. They would. Yeah. If Jen needed more, she would have. Yeah, she's
on. Well, we can always special time. Any further discussion? Second. All in favor? Yes. Now, do you want to change yourself or your phone? Find
one store and my apologies. That should actually say come from free cash. So, I'll make that change just so it's that's I think it's fine. So
article 23 to see if time will vote to raise and appropriate trans cash or otherwise provide the sum of $14,52 for one-time costs associated with migrating the town's electronic
files to Microsoft cloud and taking action there too mean. Can I just ask Roy if I worded that correctly? It's um it's understand it's very understandable. So electronic
files from it's really from premise base to Microsoft cloud. It's fine. All right. So as long as it's it's Yeah. Should I put a the in there to the Microsoft? the Microsoft cloud.
Well, I don't know. It's fine. If people allow me to guess specifics, be a little specific. Okay. I just Well, I just want to make sure that that that I was actually saying the correct thing. As a person who doesn't understand that stuff, it's very
understandable. Well, lost in the we Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Any further discussion? Make a motion. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? All right. Next one. Article 24. You
just heard from Janet. We have a whole presentation on this one. Article 24 C of time will vote to appropriate $43,419 for administration and implementation of the town's open space
and recreation plan said nation the town shall transfer the remaining balance of 43,419 in the small cities grant fund 4016 general fund and taking action all to there too. So even though it's 50, we
still need a two3 vote. So we can spend it's not it's just uh making it a formal process. That's all. It's a transfer from a revolving special revenue fund to a revolving general fund account under open space. Yeah.
We already have the money formalizing it. Any further discussion? All in favor? Second. Thanks. That was sorry that was 300. Yeah, that's correct. Would we be able to get from Mike like
is there any way to figure out the exact date that this money found up? So we just need to we spent six months researching this and we just couldn't there's just no records. So now this one we have two and
I um prior year bills and I did um Mike just said it would be cleaner and easier if we could just if we had our budgets this year if we could pay them out of 25 rather than going into FY26.
So this is one for the ambulance that you know and this all has to do this can't just be finance committee vote to recommend to the select board the bill no a prior year bill has to prior prior fiscal year bill okay it
was 24 that's what happens spend more time explaining it exactly yes we will to write the check they wound up in someone's drawer face down honestly to the ones that are undermined my budget. Um, I never got they were sent in the mail. They never showed up.
I just found out about it two weeks ago. People have too much break. Too many breaks. Yeah. All right. Article 25. Deceit at the time of vote to allow payment from the ambulance department fiscal year 25 operating budget for
otherwise provide the sum of $1,36. Oh, I'm sorry. and 37 cents entire bill or take any action altered there too. Any further discussion?
Second. All in favor? I have three. And I don't know if you noticed that, but I was also told that it's a fourth majority vote required for this. And if it's in a special town meeting, it's a nine t. Oh my goodness. Hope we'll have
10 people to think about. No kidding. and twist the arms. But I don't I mean if anyone carries disputed and you know sometimes people just like to be like that. This might be a spoiler, right? Sometimes they do at town meeting.
Article 26. Oh, another one. Hope we won't affect our bond. Oh, okay. 27 and 28 are not going to be on the correct. Oh, wait. You did 26. Yeah. Yeah. This is big big bucks.
Article 26. December f 225 operating budget the sum of $678.80 to pay three prior fiscal year bills or take any action also there too. Any further discussion?
Second. All in favor? Hi. Hi. When when uh tender met was the moderator any someone voted no but anyone voted on that is evil thanks to small businesses that oh and I think that might be the last of
the money articles and this one I don't even know if that's going to happen. So, um, unless you had to do no community preservation. No, that's it. Well, you're going to be here late.
We'll be we'll be partying at the bar. We'll save you a drink at the time. There you go. We'll be on our third line. I got make a motion to return the fin second. Thank you. Thank you all for your words with us.
Um, they did. Okay. All right. So, uh, moving on like board member comments, concerns. I have no comments or concerns. Non meeting next Monday. Um, mail. We got um a letter from Trinity. They are moving their
adult channels to a different I don't know range of numbers or something. So that's we know about that. I didn't Yeah, that seemed really important. I didn't know they had like um
announcements. Uh none. Um, our next meeting is here at 6:00 Monday, April 28th. Uh, yeah. 6:00 Monday, April 28th. Um,
and with that, I make a motion to adopt. I will second that. All in favor? I thank