I formally open this special town meeting and call it to order. I have determined that a quorum is present. I've examined the return of the warrant and find that it's in order. Uh at this point, those of you who are comfortable, I'd ask you to stand uh towards the flag and we'll recite the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag and to
the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Um, when everybody checked in, they should have picked up the the packet. And just to go through that real
quickly, the beginning of the packet shows the bylaws. Those are are part of the rules that control how we we proceed this evening. The rules that we live by. Uh and that's also controlled by town meeting time which is a publication that that I as the moderator am uh obligated to to enforce as part of the meeting. Um
the next section shows the warrant and the motion. So again we talk about this every time but just understand the warrant is what is published and gives everyone notice on what's going to be discussed this evening. The actual motions which are what people will stand up and read or recite um are what will
matter. So you're going to want to listen carefully to the motions. The motions are largely printed in the guide, but some of them will change slightly um based on on some wording that happened last minute. So, the actual motion again is what you want to listen for and and what you'll
deliberate on. So, um if anyone makes wants to make an amendment to any of the motions that are made, there is a process for that. Uh you will need to stand and and state that you wish to make an amendment. And all amendments do need to be in writing. There's no there's no leeway on that.
Um, we do have a form this year right up here in the front with a pen. Um, so you can come forward and write out your amendment and we'd proceed on it from there. Um, as I mentioned, my job as your moderator is to move the meeting forward
uh, while still giving everyone here the opportunity that wishes to speak and that has relevant information the opportunity to do so. So, we do want to um be precise and respectful, but we do want to be mindful that we are trying to get through a fair amount of information this evening. In terms of process, if
you do want to speak, there are microphones in each aisle. Uh you will need to come down to the microphone. Uh you will wait until you are acknowledged. At that point, you will state your name, your street, not necessarily your address. Uh and then proceed with your statement. Um there
unless there's a mobility issue and I'd ask that you raise your hand and identify that prior to speaking uh there's not going to be any conversation that's going to be acknowledged if you're not in the aisle at the microphone. So um please refrain from that. Um again just as a reminder the way town meeting works is anything you
do have to say is directed at the moderator. So there's not meant to be a dialogue between microphones or between other people in the audience or the select board or the front table. So direct the conversation here and then as relevant people need to speak we'll acknowledge them and and that'll occur
and it just it just allows everything to happen on an appropriate form. Um again it's come up the last couple years but our bylaws do say that no one is allowed to speak more than twice on the same motion. So, if you do have something to say and you do wish to um
say something else, we do want to kind of let everyone else that hasn't spoke flow through the microphone and then if there is time and the question hasn't been called and then you'd be allowed to speak again. So, with all of that, I just would like uh as is our tradition just to start with introductions across the table. My name is Dan Graves. I'm
the town moderator and to my right I'm Adam Costa, town council. >> Holly Drake, town accountant. Cassie Sanderell, town clerk. >> Christopher Dunn, town administrator. >> Blake Gilmore, select board.
>> Trevor McDaniel, select board chair. >> Tim Hilchie, select board clerk. >> Julie Chelunt, finance committee chair. >> James Cambius, Finance Committee. >> Margaret Nardowitz, Finance Committee. >> Mark Brennan, Finance Committee, Zoning
Board of Appeals. Beth Brown, Finance Committee. >> John Pesky, Finance Committee. >> Um, a little off topic, but, uh, we do have 370 people that have come to town meeting, special town meeting, which quite honestly I think is probably the
largest special town meeting that I've presided over. So, um, thank you everyone for for making the time and it's good to see everyone getting more involved. So, um, I do have some initial motions. I move that the reading of all articles be waved and further that unless objection is raised the reading of detailed motions be waved where the
article is printed can in the opinion of the moderator be incorporated by reference in any motion presented. >> Second. >> Um this is just a procedural motion again that lets us try to move a little bit quicker. Instead of the entire warrant from the package being read out loud to you, it just lets someone come
forward and make the motion uh and then have an opportunity to summarize it. So all those in favor opposed. That motion carries. I move that the reading of all articles be waved and that prior to the reading of a motion under the article, the
moderator uh I apologize. I move that the following people be allowed to address the audience during town meeting. Attorney Adam Costa, town council. Holly Drake, town accountant. Christopher Dunn, town administrator. Kathleen Cassie Srell, town clerk. Darius
Modesto, superintendent. Shelley Para, director of business administration, uh, Frontier Regional. Tina J, principal, Deerfield Elementary. Richard Martin, superintendent, Franklin Tech School. Russell Cobris, business manager, Franklin Tech School. >> Second. >> By our bylaws, if you're not a resident
of Deerfield, you're not allowed to speak at town meeting. Uh, so this allows individuals uh, with information relative to some things that may come up tonight and some that may not uh, to speak. So, all those in favor opposed. That motion carries.
Uh my last motion. I move that every voter when recognized by the moderator shall speak to the question under consideration and shall as far as possible avoid repetition. Other than the initial proponent, no voter shall speak more than twice on any motion except to correct an error or answer
questions from the moderator and shall be limited to no more than three minutes each time unless granted leave by the moderator. Second, I'm sorry, still going. Um, the moderator may reduce the time limit to ensure that all those who wish to be heard may speak and the moderator's ruling on time limits may be
appealed to the meeting by motion which shall be decided by a majority. Second, although uh essentially uh in past meetings, we've had some issues where people have have spoken uh passionately but a little bit too long and this is just really an attempt to keep uh everyone within the 3minut limit. If it
doesn't work um we'll see how it goes. I do have authority to let it extend or tighten it up a bit, but I think it's worth giving it a try. So, all those in favor? Opposed? That motion carries. Okay, we're ready to go. Article one. Mr. McDaniel, I move
the town pass over this article. There you go. Article two, Mr. Gilmore. I move the town transfer 15,550 from free cash, 30,000 from the general highway payroll line item and 30,000
from the recreational director's salary line item to group insurance. Uh town to fund the fisc fund the fiscal year 2026 shortfall related to health insurance. >> Second. >> Mr. Gilmore, if he could briefly
describe the motion. >> Okay. So um basically the insurance carrier which is um >> Hampshire trust >> Hampshire trust that we've been using for a while they have come to a shortfall in regards to new medication
and that sort of thing and uh so they are requesting midyear that we um increase the health insurance by 20%. So, we have to pick that up. And we actually went through and other stuff that we had savings on, which was the
recreation department and the highway department. We're able to make up that uh some of that difference and then the rest of it came from free cash. So, >> any questions? All those in favor of the motion?
Opposed? That motion carries. Um there are seats down front on the left and the right if people want to set quite a bit of people standing but uh article three Mr. Hilchie.
>> So this is a followup to the previous article. I move the town transfer $15,384 from precash to group insurance school to fund the fiscal year 2026 shortfall related to health insurance.
>> Second. Mr. Mr. Helchi. >> So again, this is just to um cover the rate increase that we had that is um been brought to us by the uh health insurance trust that we employ uh insure our employees through.
>> Any questions? All those in favor? Opposed? That motion carries. Article four, Mr. McDaniel. I move the town transfer 250,000 from free cash to capital stabilization. Second,
>> Mr. McDaniel. >> So, this article would top the capital stabilization account to just shy of 560,000. We have um we had a pretty sizable amount of free cash uh certified in the fall and we'd like to put some of that into capital stabilization for capital
projects. >> Any questions? All those in favor? Opposed? That motion carries. Article five. Mr. Gilmore. I move the town transfer
200,000 from free cash, 38,000 from sewer retained earnings, and 400,000 from EMS retained earnings to fund the amended fiscal year 2026 capital improvement plan as set forth in this warrant. >> Second, Mr. Gilmore.
>> Okay. So, this was something that was brought up uh some of it from the the town meeting and was held off and we went through it this fall and we asked actually asked um some of our um
supervisors to come up with some better plans and this is what they came up with. Um do you want me to go through them individually? >> Um it's up to you. Yeah. If you have some information briefly on each of them, it makes makes sense. So, uh, the
police garage, they're looking for, um, architectural plans to renovate what they have and to add on to it. And that's going to be 50,000. That would be out of free cash. The ambulance, a new ambulance, we are sitting uh on a
uh an ambulance that was set out for bid over three years ago and haven't seen it. Now, both ambulances that we have are well over 100 150,000 miles, and they're both costing a lot of money to repair. They now have a uh or the chief
for the EMS has located an ambulance service out of New York that can deliver one by January. They're going to take the funding for this out of their revenues. And um along with the ambulance loaders, these are what you would put the patient on to get them
into the back of the ambulance and there's one for each one of them. So those that's part of the cost as well. Loader repairs. Now our highway super they were looking in the spring to get a new loader. he came up with um a cost of
55,000 to repair the one that we have that would last between five and 10 years instead of buying another new loader. So that's again we we um this is stuff that has to be done to fix that loader and bring it back up online. Um
the sewer drain vacuum jeter truck. Now this is we actually bid out to have that done in town here. This truck that they they found is up in Maine and it's for um 38,000.
That truck, if we were we were to get it new, would be closer to 300,000 and or more. And the um the town that has it just retrofitted it and just put it back into really good
condition and then the town went and bought a new one. So, we actually got on that one and got a deal out of it. So, um the next uh the highway is a a Ford F-150. They were looking for 80,000 back
in the spring for a one-tonon truck, and they have one that's being used by one of the uh foreman or the supervisors that he's driving around town in. they're now going to get him a half ton pickup to drive around in and put that other one online for plowing and for
doing uh the work they need to get done in the summertime. Um the the last one is the concrete sidewalk replacement plan for 50,000 that's coming from free cash. Um and that is set up so that we
plan on starting to, you know, take care of the sidewalks as they come up. we're gonna, you know, start replacing them, do a priority of which ones need to be done, and then each year he's going to be trying to get um those sidewalks repaired. Most urgent ones get done
first, and then they go down the line with it. Um that's it. Thank you. Any questions? All those in favor? >> Opposed?
That motion carries. Article six, Mr. Hilchi. I move that the town authorize the select board to establish permanent protection of land located on Steamill Road, Deerfield, Massachusetts, and as shown on the town of Deerfield,
assessor's map 79, lot 39, including 31 acres more or less, whose deed is recorded at book 731, page 32 of the Franklin County Registry of Deeds, for the exclusive purpose of conservation as town forest in accordance with article
97 of the amend amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that the select board be author authorized to enter into and negotiate all necessary and related documents subject to such restrictions and limitations as the select board
deems appropriate in order to effectuate the permanent protection of said parcel accordingly. >> Second. >> Second, Mr. LG. So this is um again I think we've talked about this before and
we put on hold to do some research around some private property interests that were located within this parcel. So the open space committee has identified several pro parcels to permanently protect and this 31 acre parcel was acquired by the town in the 1920s for
town forest but is not permanently protected. And you can see an attachment for attachment for plan a plan of land. Uh this article would establish permanent protection of the land under article 97 of the amendments to the state constitution.
And I believe that might make us able to apply for state money to um facilitate uh public use of these lands in the future. >> Any questions? >> Yes. We'd like to come forward to the
microphone. Again, if you can just state your name and your street, present your question or comment. >> John Rutka County Road. My question about the steam mill piece of property. I live right next to it.
The town has all these town forests, but we don't do anything with the land. We don't do any forest management or anything with they're just there and they're off the tax rolls. Steamill Road,
the end of it, they got five new properties out there that are paying taxes into the town. Now, of course, there's a big to-do over that road. You got a forest there that the pine was supposed to have been or should have been cut 30 years ago and now it's all
falling down. Why do you want to put more land protected when you could probably build houses on it? That's just my question. >> Mr. McDaniel, >> I think a I I believe a lot of this
partial is just up the hillside. There is some flat land at the at the bottom, but most of it is kind of going up the ridge. So, it's a very steep part and uh then levels out at the top. We had this on the on annual town meeting and I had asked and and worked with open space to
pull it off because our our our towers are at the top. Uh so, and we were concerned with protecting it. We wanted to make sure we had a little space around it if there was some adjustments to those towers. So, so mainly a lot of it is very steep, not usable. Um, but the open space committee has been
working um quite a bit over the last couple years to um to protect some of this land, work with the state. The state just bought a large section of it, too. And then we're looking to develop the trails. So, a lot of people do hike it, but we want to improve that the
trail um infrastructure through there. And uh you're right, there are some areas that we, you know, we we probably should manage a little better and have uh have some logging done and and and that sort of thing to uh to make sure the forest stays stays healthy. So those
those are some good points. >> Yes, >> Lori Busada, North Main Street. I want to thank the open space committee for looking at this opportunity to permanently protect land. I recently spent a couple days at a old growth
forest conference and there are some very local people Bob Leverett in Northampton and Bill Muma in the Birkers who are advocating that the best solution for climate change is to leave old growth leave forest to become old growth. What that means is the the
downed logs and the broken logs and the splintered logs and all the things that create the network under the ground to build places to sequester carbon and make a habitat. So I think this is a nice small contribution to the national
goal of putting aside 30% of the land by 2030. So thank you. >> Thank you. All those in favor of the motion as presented opposed. That motion carries by a two-third majority.
Article seven. Mr. McDaniel. I move the town authorize the select board to grant an easement to pass and repass and use for architect u agricultural purchases uh purposes to Kenneth S. Williams uh I 4th and Alyssa
Marie Williams of 57 Green River Road, Greenfield uh Franklin County, Massachusetts 01301 as trustees of the Williams Living Trust in uh an area located on Martins Falls Road off Mil
Village Road and identified on the Deerfield Town Assessor's map 87 lot 8 and book uh 973 page 319 of the Franklin County Register. of deeds shown on a plan of land for the proposed
conservation restrictions prepared by Daniel Stall Saul's land surveying for the town of Deerfield to file with the town clerk and that the select board be authorized to enter into and negotiate all necessary and related documents subject to such restrictions and
limitations uh as the select board deems appropriate in order to effectuate the granting of said easement accordingly. Second, >> Mr. McDaniel, briefly. >> Sure. Uh, surveys of the parcel owned uh by the town of Deerfield, the Still
Water Bridge mitigation parcel uh showed slight encroachment by the neighboring farm uh operation. As the parcel is planned uh to be dedicated for open space uh to support the Stillwater Bridge project, uh the presence of the
farm road and the field at the edge of the pro uh property should not pose an issue. The article authorizes select board to grant the neighbor an easement. Um and you can see that attachment um for surveying showing the the proposed easement. It's really just to allow some
some access to the property. Um, and all these the maps and things are in the back of the attack the uh handout if you're looking to follow along for 78 and n all those in favor of the motion as presented. Opposed
that motion carries in excess of 2/3 article 8. Mr. Gilmore. >> I move the town authorize the select board to extinguish the town's easement rights and servitude in the land in Deerfield 40t in width for all purposes
connected with the repair, replacement, maintenance, and reconstruction of stone dying lying within the land of Molinar LLC near the easterly bank of the Deerfield River as described in book 973,
page 342. and shown in plan book 15, page 44 of the Franklin County Register of Deeds. And uh that the select board be authorized to enter into and negotiate all necessary and related documents subject to such restrictions
and limitations as the select board deems appropriate in order to effectuate and ex the extinguishment of said easement accordingly. >> Second, >> Mr. Gilmore. So this is um and I Trevor,
you can help me with this. So it's the >> the Still Water Bridge mitigation parcel. >> So th this is the Still Water Bridge mitigation parcel discussed in article 7. Lacks frontage for access. The town owns an easement on a neighboring parcel for dyke maintenance.
And however, there is no current stone dyke on the parcel. And this is to authorize the selectman just to get an agreement because this is again got to do with the rebuilding of Still Water Bridge. >> Mr. McDaniel, if you want to add to that. >> So just uh a a lot of this issue when
Irene came through it kind of took out a lot of this property. It's where the river you go along Milville Village Road you'll see the rip wrap along the side and then the the river kind of turns west and that kind of area got taken out quite a bit. So a lot of the land isn't there. There isn't a dyke anymore. Um,
so it's just kind of getting rid of our easement that was there. >> All those in favor of the motion is presented. Opposed? That motion carries in excess of 2/3. Article nine. Mr. Hilchi.
I move the town authorize the select board to enter into an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for a license to use land owned by Molinar LLC to pass and repass for the purposes of accessing
land located on Martin Falls Road off Mil Village Road and identified on the Deerfield Assessor's Maps as parcel ID number 87-8, book 973, page 319 of the Franklin County Registry of Deeds shown on a plan
of land for proposed conservation restriction prepared by Daniel Saul's land surveying for the town of Deerfield on file with the town clerk and that the select board be authorized to enter into and negotiate all necessary and related
documents subject to such restrictions and limitations as the select board deems appropriate in order to effectuate the license agreement. >> Second, >> Mr. LG. Again, this is related to land mitigation related to the Stillwater
Bridge project and it provides for a license agreement to access this mitigation parcel. >> All those in favor of the motion opposed. That motion carries in excess of 2/3
article 10. Uh Mr. McDaniel I move the town authorize the select board to acquire easements for the purpose of temporary construction access on Elm Street, Railroad Street, North Main Street, and South Main Street to facilitate the Elm Street Complete
Streets project on the parcels listed in the handout and uh to appropriate funds sufficient to cover the cost of appraisals and uh just compensation for said easements. ments in the amount of 25,000 uh from
chapter 90 or the complete streets or mass works grant awards to the town said easements not to exceed 5,000 square foot per parcel and the select board be authorized to enter into and negotiate all necessary and related documents
subject to such restrictions and limitations as the select board deems appropriate in order to effect uh effectuate said easements >> Mr. McDaniel. >> So, uh, we're super excited. Uh, we've got a complete streets pro, uh, grant.
Uh, first grant was to do some study of the Elm Street and, uh, to look at ways that we could improve it and replace sidewalks and redo the drainage. Um, and then huge thank you to Alex Galloway, our new town planner, who who reached
out and secured um, a a very large grant to do um, a lot of the work. Uh so um this this is just giving us an ability to um to have easements from like the street up to the buildings uh for a lot
of the sidewalk work that we have to do. Uh all those in favor of the motion as presented opposed that motion carries in excess of 2/3. Uh article 11 Mr. Gilmore.
>> I move the town accept the 2025 economic development plan as presented by the Deerfield Economic Development Industrial Corporation. >> Second. >> Uh Mr. Gilmore. >> So this is Dedic and they've updated their um >> their plan and I think they have to do
it every five or 10 years and they've uh they've went through with uh county to establish this plan and get it up to up to speed. Um, and we need to accept this because it's required by Mass General laws and that's why we're we're coming
to you for this. Um, it also recommendations include undertaking a townwide economic development plan and extending fiber to the industrial park itself. >> Any questions? Yes, if you
>> uh Lely Dwight, South Mil River Road. Um yeah, I uh brought this to the attention of the town planner, but the demographic data in the Dedic report is from 2022 and it is almost 2026.
So I um also noted that in the report the appendex or the uh index says things are on page uh 15 and they're on page 19 and etc etc. So what I would before I can vote
for it I think that we should have somebody go through and make it coherent and update it with data that is not four years old. Thank you. >> Yes, Mr. Moderator. My name is John
Purk. I'm the chairman of Dedic. There are discrepancies in the report that we've done and part of it is because it refers to more than one document. It refers to the Deerfield master plan and refers to other plans.
And because of this discrepancy, one will say page 16 when it's really 19, but that's a typographical error and that's all it is to me. We did a joint meeting with the Deerfield Planning Board on May 12th. Everybody who had
concerns came in. There was nobody that really voiced any concerns. This is a requirement that we update this plan every 10 years. And after we have a joint meeting with the planning board, it's required that the town vote on it to accept this plan. So you either
accept it or you can vote against it. But my recommendation to you is to accept the plan because that's what we've always done. We've done this for the last 37 years. Thank you. All those in favor of the motion as presented.
opposed. That motion carries by twothirds majority or in excess. Article 12. Mr. Hilchi, I move that the town amend the town of Deerfield general bylaws in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws chapter
60, section 62A by adding a new section as set forth in the warrant. Second, >> Mr. Elch. So you may recall that uh I believe that in previous meeting we approved a plan
for allowing tax title um negotiations with property owners who were in um arars and uh we voted to accept it. We sent it to um the AG's office as required and they sent it back saying
that we had made some mistakes in in the language. This is uh this vote is to allow us to have the correct language and to allow the the treasurer to come up with um payment plans to help those
that are in a rears uh come up to uh full compliance with the taxes. >> Uh Mr. Decker, >> moderator, I move that we amend the word shall and remove it and add the word may
in its place in section C. Uh, and the reason for this >> just a moment, Mr. Decker, is there a second on the motion? There's a second like to briefly explain your proposed amendment. >> Well, basically the word shell is
controlling. Okay. And if it just kills everything on the spot. If the guy's 10 minutes late, he's defaulted. All right. And it starts the whole process again. Or if the word may is technically he's in default and the tax collector can
tell him he's in default and that's it. But he can also turn around and work with somebody. I just think the word may is a better word than shall. So I have it in writing for you sir.
>> Uh is there any discussion on the proposed amendment stay there? Yes. >> Uh thank you. Thank you Mr. Decker for the uh amendment. I I think that I would rather work with people in town as long
as this satisfies the AG and council. I think this would be a a good thing to do and I would support the amendment. >> Yeah, >> Mr. Moderator. >> Yes, Mr. McDaniel. >> So, um I I think we I think we uh we do
work with people in town. We've been um I I know that our treasurer works very hard to make sure that people kind of get caught up, don't get far behind. We we have a lot of um negotiations that we work with to to try and make that happen. Um,
my concern is that the reason this is back before you is that we didn't follow the the letter of the law and we were giving um we were leaving I think that the the complaint that the AG's office had is that we were leaving too much up to negotiation. And I think um when the
AG sent this language back to us, they wanted us to to do it because it needed to be done a specific way because of Supreme Court precedence and and uh the case that went before them. So my concern to to make a change to something that the AG's office told us to do. Um
we we might be back here next meeting. So >> thank you. Yes, >> Mr. Moderator. Could we have advice from uh legal counsel? >> Absolutely. >> Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Um so I've had an opportunity to review the the floor
amendment and uh full disclosure, uh Mr. Decker did approach me at the start of tonight's meeting and gave me a bit of a heads up that he'd be making the proposal. Um, unfortunately because it was so soon before the meeting, I didn't have an opportunity to circle back with him, but I I did have a brief opportunity to review the language of the statute as it relates to the
language of the proposed bylaw. Um, and as uh one of your select board members has just stated, the reason this is back before you is because of an inconsistency that the attorney general's had office had identified between the language of the bylaw that this town meeting previously adopted and the language of the statute. Um, in
light of that, in in now understanding the nature of the the proposed amendment, the amendment is to subsection C of the bylaw. And the word shall, as it appears in the first sentence, says all payment agreements shall comply with the following requirements. And there are two requirements to follow in the proposed
bylaw. The first is that the payment agreement has a term of three years. And the second is that the payment agreement states the amount of the payment that is due from the taxpayer at the time that the agreement is executed, which is at least 10% of the amount that is needed to redeem the parcel. And so as I
compare that to the language of the statute and I have it in front of me and I'm going to quote it to you so you better understand. The statute says specifically and I'm quoting such agreements shall be for a maximum term of no more than 10 years or such lesser period as the ordinance or bylaw
specifies. And later in the statute it says any such agreement must require a minimum payment at the inception of the agreement of 10% of the amount needed to redeem the parcel. So the reason that this word shall is used in the proposed bylaw is because the language of the
statute in two locations is shall and must. And so these are requirements of the bylaw. So I appreciate Mr. Decker's uh point about flexibility. I don't believe that that's what this section of your proposed bylaw is doing is providing or or not providing flexibility. I think it's simply saying
that if a payment agreement is going to be entered into by your treasurer, it must it shall comply with the requirements in this subsection C, which are simply mirroring the language of the statute. Any questions on Mr. Decker's amendment? Okay, so where we're at now um is
because Mr. Decker made an amendment and it was seconded, uh the vote right now is on Mr. Decker's amendment not on the motion that was made uh by Mr. Hilchi. So all those in favor of the proposed amendment uh made
all those opposed that amendment is defeated. Back to the original motion. Are there any other comments or questions? All those in favor of the motion. All those opposed. That motion carries. Article 13. Mr. Mr.
McDaniel. >> Okay. So, um in your handout, you'll see that I was, you know, that it I was to move um pass over this article, but um at our select board meeting tonight, we've been we've been discussing this change um for for quite a while and uh
at our finance committee meetings and you may have even participated in a survey about this. The whole um aspect of this uh well, here I'll start with the motion. Why don't we do that? I move the town amend chapter 48 of the town of Deerfield general bylaws to change the
date and time of town meeting as set forth in the warrant. >> Second. >> Thank you, >> Mr. McDaniel. So, uh, Deerfield's, uh, annual town meeting date and time are currently set in bylaw as the, uh, last Monday in April at 700 p.m., but finance
committee and select board members are exploring changes to provide more time for budget preparation. A questionnaire was circulated to capture residents availability for different dates and times. Um, there's an attach there's attachment of the survey in the back.
Um, so we were going to have discussion about moving um the the plan would be to move annual town meeting to the second Monday in May instead of the last Monday in April and the meeting time to 6:00
p.m. instead of 700 p.m. Um, this would also move, you know, we usually have an election the following following uh week and so this would also move the election uh to the first uh to the Tuesday immediately following the third Monday
in May at 10:00 a.m. Uh, so the idea is to try and give finance committee and uh accountant and everybody that works on the budget just a little bit more time. We're always scrambling to wait for numbers from the state. I know a couple weeks is not a long time, but it does
help us uh quite a bit. Um so the plan is just to kind of move move our date for annual town meeting a little bit. Um the reason we were going to pass over this is we felt like we needed more outreach to people and and I thought why
not um you know here you all are tonight. Uh so we thought maybe uh a just at least a discussion and we could you know this vote can can fail and we could bring it up again later with more discussion but we thought you know a discussion tonight to find out uh if there was a strong feeling either way.
Again the the main crux of this is to give our finance committee and the select board and our accountant a little bit more time to plan out the budget. Happy to take any questions through the moderator. Does anyone have any questions or comments?
>> Yes, Mr. Hilchi. >> Yes. I'd just like >> Hello. Um I'd just like to thank uh Julie Chalfont for her work on this because um we've been discussing this for many years. She took it upon herself to survey. we wish we had had more respondents and so forth, but it did did
give us some idea about general uh feelings of people about moving to a Saturday or a you know other day in the week and another time and um this this was the the one that had the most support. >> Yes. >> Hi Darcy Albanese from Crestview. Um I
have a question. And I might be talking um not the right way, but um I is it possible to consider we talk a lot about wanting to have young community members available for the meeting. If we moved it back one more week from what your proposal, our college students could
become and participate as well. And that's something I know that my children wanted to do and have been tough and they have gone to college and come back to this community. So I would love them to have that opportunity be to participate in this more. they have come to some of the town meetings but it's
really challenging um so if at all we can move it back one more week from here so thank you >> I'm just going to look here >> um yes >> just very quickly in in response to that
comment um if we push it back one more week that pushes the election one more week later and that would make the election the day after Memorial Day um which makes it is a challenging week to do things >> true
>> but not necessarily impossible. >> Yeah. Um so this >> the original plan was to not have this discussion tonight and um >> sorry see how that worked out. Um,
so you know, if if we do take the vote, this will now become when we have the meeting. I I don't know that that was the plan. And it totally is is fine if that is what happens. Um, there were just some discussions about kind of taking a step back and looking at any other changes we might want to make to
town meeting um, in terms of various things, but um, there's a lot more people here tonight than I think people anticipated. So, it is a good cross-section to to to take the vote. Um, but I just put that out there. So, if there's no other comment or anything else, we're we're going to take a vote
on it, but um we also can table it to another day. >> Yes, sir. >> Uh my name is Lucas Grafton, San Gully Road. Um I just want to know what's the practical purpose of moving the election day from Monday to Tuesday. >> Mr. McDaniel,
>> great great question. Um, I I think that I think we moved it to Tuesday instead of a Monday just because most people kind of have a feeling of elections are on Tuesdays. Um, so that was really the I think the only real reason. Is that correct, Julie? Yeah. Just that just
because everyone always assumes Tuesday is an election day and and ours are always on a Monday. So that was really the only reason. >> Okay. There's a motion. It's been seconded. So all those in favor of the motion as presented opposed. >> That motion carries. Adam, is that need
to be in excess of two/3s a bylaw change? No. Yep. That that motion carries. >> Article 14. >> Okay. Do I start by reading the motion? >> Yes, if you could just introduce yourself. >> Okay. Emily Gaylord. I'm at Grave Street. I move the town amend chapter 69
stretch energy code of the general bylaws by deleting the entire chapter and substituting in its place the specialized energy code language in the handout for the purpose of regulating the design and construction of buildings for the effective use of energy and
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to the entirety of 225 CMR 22 and 23 including appendices RC and CC Massachusetts state code including including future additions, amendments, or modifications there too with an
effective date of July 1st, 2026, and authorize the town clerk to make such ministerial corrections and clarifications as are necessary to the adoption of this bylaw. >> Is there a second? >> Uh, Miss Gaylord, if you could briefly
explain your motion. >> Sure. So, um, before I get started, I just want to say that it is the privilege of my life to live in a community where people care so much and 370 people showing up says that you care and I'm just hoping we can start this
conversation understanding we have that in common and I think that's pretty special. So, currently we're a green community and in order to become a climate leader community, you need to meet set criteria and we're already on our way. So, we have that green community designation. We and we have an
active energy committee. And these initiatives have brought in over $600,000 in grant funding for projects like lighting upgrades that now save the town an additional $30,000 every year. Climate leadership qualifies us for over
$1 million in grant funding, a $150,000 TA grant, technical assistance, and then based on that assistance, we can apply for grants to fully cover the cost of suggested projects. The next step to become a climate leader is to pass the
uh following three articles, but we need to vote on each one. So, I'm going to talk about them one at a time, and I'm sorry that we have to do this three times. I promise this is hard on me more than you. Okay. Um, so over the last So, I'm talking about this specialized
energy code first. Over the last few weeks, it's become very clear that there's a lack of clarity around our current building code. And part of this is simply the names, and forgive me, code names. The name of our current building code is
the stretch code, which is carried by 90% of communities in Massachusetts. The stretch code already has many requirements, including wiring requirements for renovations and additions, pre-wiring for EV chargers, solar ready roofs, and more. The only
difference between the stretch code, remember that's the name of our current code, and the specialized energy code for climate leadership is this. For new construction only, if you want to use fossil fuels, you must pre-wire for future electrification and have a small
number of solar panels if possible. It's important that the people who live here can continue to live here. I mean, we just voted to move free cash to cover health insurance premiums, right? The only way to do that is to find cost reductions. $1 million to invest in our town, which
goes to our bottomline energy costs that we then reap savings from for decades, feels to me like a no-brainer opportunity. Becoming a climate leader does not raise taxes or create new expenses, makes Deerfield eligible for
additional state grants, and every project still requires select board approval and is fully funded by those grants. So, this isn't a situation where we agree to do a project, we run out of money, and then we have to foot the bill. This is we're applying for
coverage of a specific project with the state. For context, because I know people are like, "What's a million dollars?" We could likely install hundreds of solar panels, which would be enough to cover the library, the wastewater treatment
plant, and one or two more buildings, potentially reducing our energy cost by 25 to 50%. And that's what they're seeing in communities that have adopted this. And then again, there's that $150,000 technical assistance grant to hire an engineer to assess exactly where
to put solar for optimum long-term use. All of this information is found through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. And I know there's going to be questions. So, will you just direct me if if I can answer questions? Shall I raise my hand if >> Yes. Let's see if anyone has comments or
questions. >> Yes, if you can come down to the microphone. >> Good evening. >> Hello, I'm Julie Kavako from North Hillside Road. When I first heard about this, I was thinking, why could people feel the specialized code is going to be
a problem with for new construction? Well, I thought the cost of new buildings, right? Department of energy resources data says that all electric new homes built to the specialized code often cost the same or less to build. We already have thicker insulation codes in
place. Impact on housing supply affordability. We've been working on getting senior housing in town and many people are understanding the need for more housing across the state. Property owners who want that option should find the cost to be the same or
less. Additionally, if they want to add an accessory dwelling unit under their 1,000 square feet on their older home, the homeowner's construction will not fall under these new building requirements. Do they have land for the children to build on? Will this code get them to
think about living elsewhere? As mentioned before, all electric homes do not cost more in comparison. This is not new technology. These codes are where we are heading, and companies are getting more competitive. Plus, homes built to these standards are more comfortable, affordable to run, and hold higher
resale value. Not that you want them to move out. Where did this idea ever come from? Most towns in Massachusetts have been encouraging higher in efficiency homes with mixed fuel systems. This is an extension of that development. The main difference is about fuel choice, not
stricter insulation or construction requirements which have already been in place. I won't have a choice. It doesn't ban oil or gas. A new building would be required to have all the electric in place. This would prepare the home for the future as the price and availability
of oil oil and gas changes. Choosing to use oil and gas would actually increase the building costs. The price of oil and gas will increase. I see fossil fuels rising as demand shrinks. You know how cable keeps increasing. I see it as their way to stay profitable as more
people jump to streaming. So that's pretty much what I have to say. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I'm >> going to going to try to go back and forth on the mics over to the the other side. >> Uh Lely Dwight, South Mil River Road. Um, I'm the chair of the ad hoc senior
housing committee. Our committee voted to support these articles because they are the right thing to do for our town, for our seniors, and for our shared future. These measures can open doors for senior housing development. When I spoke with the developers of senior
housing, they told me that subsidized housing projects are already being built to the specialized energy code because that is what the state is funding. They will not fund it if we don't. By voting well, if they don't build it that way by
voting yes and becoming a climate leader, we don't just catch up, we get ahead. The state incentives that come with this designation can lower construction costs and dramatically cut building operating costs for years to come. And this is something developers
care deeply about. I also spoke with a manager from a local accessory dwelling unit company and ADU. They said their homes already meet these standards and quoting directly hitting these HERS scores really isn't that hard.
Speaking personally as someone who cares deeply about the planet we all share and this town, I urge everyone to join me in supporting these articles. This isn't just an environmental choice, it is a smart economic one, which is why the
finance committee's vote is surprising. Approving these three articles unlocks grants that reduce our tax burden for years by helping us produce and use energy more efficiently. Winchester,
Mass reduce their energy usage by 26% through the specialized code and their grants. Concerns about grid capacity. The state is investing over 300 million in upgrades and the power companies are investing even more. Last year,
Eversource published its plan which aims to increase grid capacity by 180% by 2035. Their 122.1 billion dollar 10-year plan supports millions of electric vehicles, 1 million heat pumps, and over
two gig of gigawatt of solar. If we become a climate leader, the grant process will take some time. By the time we're ready, they'll be ready. We already have the building requirements. The state and utilities are moving full
speed ahead. This vote unlocks crucial grants that will save our town money, protect our environment, and strengthen our community, benefiting us now and for decades to come. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes, >> Lori Baronis, South Mill River Road. I
attended a meeting to get information on the specialized code and didn't get my a my questions answered. Because of that, I'm voting no. Our power company doesn't have the capability or the infrastructure meaning substations,
local transmission lines and high tension lines in place to handle this or support the additional increase and demand of electricity in the special specialized code that it that will require. Um my family's been in power
generation for over 50 years and my family has also been in HVAC. It will take many years to develop the infra infrastructure with permits building transformers. The transformers now take 10 to 15 years and maybe even
20 years because the demand's so high and they come from China. If you're planning on solar power for this, you will need condenser banks in a substation to handle the bars that will be put out by heat pumps, mini splits,
and HVAC systems that the specialized code will require. Where are you going to put these substations? Who is going to supply the power? And where will these high tension wires go that will be required? As a taxpayer,
I'm also concerned with the cost. It appears to me that the committee members don't know the basic knowledge of electric power generation or experience to be making these decisions for the town. Unless you start building conventional power plants now, you'll
never have enough power from this conversion from fossil fuel to electric power by 2050. I'm wondering if you have researched this to its fullest because I haven't seen details being discussed. Solar panels under the specialized
energy code can never make up the carbon footprint generated in their production. Solar panels life expectancy is 20 to 25 years. How much will it cost to dispose of them at the end of their life as they
have hazardous waste in them? This will be a cost to the taxpayers. It seems as though this committee is putting the cart before the horse and the horse is an old grave mayor ready for the glue factory. >> Yes.
>> Yes, sir. >> Um uh Steven Sua from uh um 193 North Main Street. Um, in reading this, it sounds like all we're agreeing to is nonbinding three non-binding. >> I mean, we we agree to these things that
aren't don't even bind us. And that that frees up this money that we've paid to the state that we get back instead of just letting it the communities know >> what >> they are. They are can't speak. Oh,
well, I'd like an answer because it seems like uh if they're non-binding that we that they're they're, you know, saying that we're going to try to get off fossil fuel, but we don't actually have to do that, that we're just intending to do our best. What's to free
up money that we that if we don't use that money, it's the other communities throughout the state use it instead and then they're going to be ahead of us and it's going to be cheaper for their electricity and we're going to pay the difference. Anyway, I'd like to get more answers, >> Mr. McDaniel.
>> They are binding. Not all of them. But the first question, >> in what way is it binding? >> It is binding because you are you are you are saying that you will do anything that the state says going forward for changing. If you have dual use um electric, you want to back up fuel,
propane, anything else, you now have to meet a zero HERS rating if your house is over 4,000 square ft. Um there's a there's a lot of things unintended consequences to these things. They are not nonbinding. >> What do you read about these unintended
consequences? >> They are not nonbind. You said they're non-binding. They are binding. >> They bind you to what? >> They bind you to the specialized code and any requirement coming from the from the government. >> Sir, if you if you could move if you can move back to the microphone to talk
>> and and we're not going to have a dialogue. So, if there's a specific question, I'll try to direct an answer to you, but we're not going to go back and forth. >> The this my understanding is the specialized code is only uh brand new construction and and uh it actually say
so I I really I'm a New Englander. I want the cheapest thing to own, not to buy. I mean, I don't want to get the cheapest house to own by some uh speculation. They throw it out there and it's a cheap house, but then if I buy it, I've got to pay huge uh uh fuel
bills. I want the cheapest thing to own, which is not that much more, but what do we really want? People in town that are going to build cheap stuff and just dump it on our our fellows that you know, do we have to be burning oil? >> Mr. McDaniel, you'd like to follow up with
>> Just a followup. Our stretch code is extremely potent. Like we have Deerfield has done a ton in this realm. The specialized code is the top of the top like and then you must do anything that the state says going forward. So
it's not just >> I'd like to see that. Does that really say you that we must do anything the state? >> We're not going to do that. Nope. Nope. Um >> I don't think there's a question to you. So we're going to keep going on the mic for now. We'll let you follow answer the binding piece if that's okay.
>> Uh we'll come back to it. Thanks. >> Okay. >> Sir, if you'd like to comment. >> Hi, John Ross. Uh Greeno Crossing. Uh I'm retired and the only way I was able to retire is by investing wisely. And
the way you invest wisely is putting emotion and preconceptions aside and doing the math. And the math of this makes sense. It's the exact same math at my home where I put solar panels up. And
now the, you know, I don't pay an electric bill. I pay a loan payment to pay off the electric uh to pay off the solar panels. And in five to seven years, I own those and I'm making my own electricity and I'm not paying. It's the
same math for the city. It's just a different scale. So, it really is a no-brainer that we take these incentives from the government and do this. It is the future. I I like to think I live in
a town where we do the smart thing and put our emotions and our preconceptions aside and just do the math. Okay. Yes. My name is Reie Gripco Clancy. I'm on
Meadowwood Drive, I think it is. Uh, we need both. This argument that if your snow your your solar panels are covered with snow, what good is it? Fossil fuels, we've got definite problems with the environment. So, we need both. I'm going to give you a couple of examples.
Number one, uh I have an electric vehicle. Typically, uh if a a conventional automobile combustion engine, you get maybe 30 miles to the gallon. If you burn an a generator, you run a generator on one gallon of
gasoline. For an electric vehicle, I get 80 miles. So 30 for your fossil fuel burning vehicle and mine it will be 80. Bergkshire gas has put a moratorum. So your choices are pretty much propane or electric, possibly oil, but the
volatility of the prices of oil, you don't know. So people are going to be encouraged to do electric. Uh what else? Our tax dollars are already in the fund. They're there. So why are we letting other communities, Boston especially, those communities
around Boston are eating up this fund that you've already paid into. Why don't we get some of our tax dollars back? It's a million dollars of grant money. Let's go for it. And I think that's about it. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Yes. Um, Charlene Galinsky, 342 River Road. Um, if we I'm against this article totally, so I will be a no vote. And if we uh uh vote this in tonight, it means
we no longer have the stretch code to have uh building regulations by we now are up to the highest level, which is the um specialized code, which is yes for new construction. However, I'll read
verbatim from the uh somebody asked this. So, here's your answer from the Department of Energy Resources. It says, "Once the stretch and specialized code is adopted by a municipality, all future
additions, amendments, and modifications are automatically adopted unless the municipality resins adoption of the code itself. So in my thinking of what that means to me and I think people who might be against this article, things can be
added and we have to suck it up and go with it. And if we want to change it, we have to resin the vote, which means I guess another special town meeting. Um, that's a dangerous statement to me because we don't know what the state's
wisdom will be telling us with this new specialized code. Uh, next of all, it deals with electricity. I I've been doing some research on this. I don't know if all of you in this uh auditorium realize this, but 71%
of the electricity that is here in Massachusetts comes from fossil fuels. Isn't it ironic that we're going all electric, so we're going to have to use more fossil fuels to create more electricity? Doesn't make sense. It's
on, if you don't believe that, it's on the ISO New England website, which is sort of the they call it the air traffic controllers of electricity. There are six states that are are regulated by them. Um the the next thing is that if
you have new construction, yes, you can opt to uh to have uh oil or some other form of fuel. However, you must put in pre-wiring for electric uh electricity down the road. So, in other words,
you're going to have to put in two systems because you're mandated to put in the electrical system in case the next homeowner that comes in there wants to hook up to electricity. If you want your gas or your oil, go for it. But
you're going to pay more money just because of the way this uh specialized code reads. And there's no choice. It's in there and it says must. It does not say, "Well, maybe or perhaps." It says must. And lastly, um um oh, for new
construction, the pre-wiring uh that is going to be expected is for HVAC systems, water heaters, and gas appliances. There are only 55 communities out of 351 in Massachusetts
who have adopted the specialized code. And the $1 million that keeps being mentioned, nobody yet has said that's a competitive grant, folks. That's not money waiting once we become a climate
leader community. Oh, we've got a million dollars. We have to apply for it competitively. I spoke this morning with uh two town officials from one from Ammerst and one from Ashefield because they're both climate leader communities.
I asked, "Have you gotten any money yet? Any grant money?" Uh Ashefield just sent in their application. They're hoping to get an answer by January and Ammerst is uh beginning their preliminary work of identifying what they're going to be asking for.
>> We're up we're up on the three minutes and then some. So my point is this is not automatic folks. I don't know people aren't giving you all the information you need to know and please vote this down. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Mr. Elchi. Yeah. Uh Emily, if you'd like to speak for a minute, >> please do. >> So I just want to answer a couple questions and honestly a lot of my response to Charlene is yes. Um, yes, right now under the stretch code every 3 years it gets updated and probably most
of us don't know that because we don't need to. Yes, under the specialized energy code it would get updated. If it's no longer working for us, yes, we bring it back here and we can resend it. It reduces the risk which goes back to the non-binding. We do maintain control
here. Um, the point about energy from fossil fuels, that's the point of making our own energy here in town. That's the whole intent behind these grants to bring energy into town. Um the two systems component, what we're finding is that that actually results in a down the
line cost savings because so many folks end up retrofitting because of the gas moratorum and the lack of access to the affordable energy systems. Regarding the number of communities, I just want to be clear specialized energy code only became an option. This program, the climate leader program 2023, it's two
years old. So, it's actually not that only 55 communities have adopted it. Already 55 communities have adopted it and we don't want to be left behind. And I just want to mention about the money left. There is a $60 million pot of protected funds put away for this
purpose. 52.5 million remains. This is why we're pushing for it right now. We don't want that to run out, have the stretch code continue to be updated, have these become mandates instead of opt-ins, and then no longer have access to grant funding. So, that's part of the urgency behind this. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Hilch. >> So, first I'd just like to say that I'm speaking for myself as a homeowner. Um, I live at 330 Greenfield Road. I recently replaced my 30-year-old air conditioners with a heat pump system, but I also um installed a propane
furnace so that in the coldest months, I can choose to switch over to propane. I've uh been very happy with this because my air conditioning is much better than it used to be. Um I wanted to speak about um I had conversations with Bob Walden, who's our building
inspector, about the differences between the various codes that are in town. We are a stretch code community as about 90% of Massachusetts communities are. There is a base code when when Deerfield
um adopted the stretch code in 2011. Um there several years later, two years later, I think the the base code and the stretch code were changed. The the codes are changed on a three-year cycle. the current base code is more
restrictive than the stretch code that we adopted in 2011. And this is a trend. Um we saw also that uh a lot of the things that were in the stretch code to begin with are now required no matter what your code is. Um the specialized
energy code will be piggybacking on the stretch code. So if we voted for this tonight, we would still have the stretch code in place tomorrow and there would be another layer on top of it which would be the specialized energy code which would apply to new construction.
Um so I think that the key ingredient to this is local control. If we approve this, we find out it's not working for us, we just go to an annual town meeting. we don't have to call a special town meeting and we rescend the vote and
then we go back to stretch code. Um but the the state is going to start mandating these things. Uh as you can see because the the base code has become what the stretch code used to be. We are moving in this direction and it will
become the the future will be more restrictive on burning fossil fuels. the incentives are in place now and I think that that's why now is the time to do it while there are fewer communities. We were the first MVP community and we got a bunch of grants. When everybody else
got on board, our grants dwindled. So, I think it's uh a no- risk proposition that we do this for a couple of years and see if it's working for us. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes,
>> Lori Watada, North Main Street. Now I want to speak as a homeowner and a teacher especially standing in this place right now. I also want to mention that currently in Brazil world leaders from uh I don't know how many countries but
countries all over the world are getting together for another conference on parties to look at how the world together can be looking at this situation. So the reason we even have this possibility is because in order to meet the climate goals of reducing fossil fuel use by 2050, the the state
is making funds available because they know they can't do it alone. So that's why it's it's available now. They're putting the money out to make people adopt it. So, as a homeowner, it's much easier to build an insulated, airtight, wellventilated,
electric home in the beginning than it is to retrofit. I have been ripping out Latin plaster and putting in good insulation and insulating our roof, etc., etc., for a long time now, and it would have been so much easier to installed
in the beginning. I also will say that our induction stove is wonderful. Chefs are going to it because you can be very exact with the setting that you're using. And I do not miss breathing in propane at all. The other place I will speak for is I've been teaching science
to middle school and high school for 26 years. It's really hard to talk about this and have the kids ask, "Well, if we've known all this, why haven't we done anything?" I feel like we really owe it to the young people of our community to take
actions that will affect a few new homeowners who are going to do the the most efficient home anyway so that we can put solar on our roof so we can put on the on the town library. We can put solar on the DPW, on the schools
possibly, and let them know that we care about their future, that they shouldn't be dealing with wildfires and um droughts and heavy storms and unknown climate chaos. And we're doing the best that we can to take it uh action right
now. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Hello. My name is uh Ryan Kingston. I live on Eastern A. Um last October, uh the state of Massachusetts had 196 wildfires in a single month. Uh the
average for October is 12. Um that is just one of many trends over the past recent years. We've had summer skies blotted out by Canadian wildfire smoke. We've seen recordbreaking floods. We've seen prolonged droughts. Um, and these
extreme weather events will only continue into the future until we eliminate the use of fossil fuels for heating our homes and powering our vehicles. Um, I feel incredibly grateful to be in Massachusetts where we have adopted a net zero by 2050 goal. Uh, that means the state is investing in the
energy infrastructure and the communities to get off of fossil fuels. heard concerns about the transmission infrastructure and 70% of our u electricity coming from gas. The state is well aware of that. ISO New England is well aware of that and that's why
they're making investments to make that transition. There's a grid modernization advisory council that meets regularly across the state across sectors to look for investments across the state to address those very concerns. Um I do work in decarbonization. I support uh
facilities and vehicles to make that conversion to electric and it is a challenge. There's investments that need to happen. There's technical assistance we need. Uh but as others mentioned, that's what this funding is for. Um either it's mandated on us a few years from now or we act now and access that
funding to get the assistance we know we are going to need eventually. Um and I'm saying all this not just as a a concerned resident or as a um someone that works in decarbonization, but I'm also speaking as a new father. Um, our son was just born in August and now I'm
thinking about 2050 in the context of where he's going to be in 25 years and uh, he's going to be, you know, a 25year-old. And when I was 25, I didn't know how to make ends meet, let alone how to deal with a a climate crazy
world. Um, so I hope that, you know, we can come together as a community and and make positive changes that are are challenging. They're transformative, but they're not just for us. They're for our kids. They're for their kids. And uh most of us won't be impacted by these
changes, but our kids and grandkids very much will be. So, I hope that we we pass these articles and I hope it's just the first step and we all work together to implement those and take the next step after that to to ensure that what we do is cost-effective, it's good for the
environment, and good for our community as a whole. So, I'll be voting in favor. >> Thank you. Yes, >> Kathleen Brennan. Thank you. Okay, Kathleen Brennan, Boon Road. Um, I
see that the finance committee does not recommend this. I was wondering if we can know why. >> Would someone from finance like to speak or chair? >> Sure. Um, let me find >> Sorry to put you on the spot.
>> So, we had a long discussion about this last spring actually and again this fall um and I am desperately seeking my notes from that discussion.
Okay. Um so what we said coming out of that is that um the the benefit of this is it allows the town to apply for the large energy infrastructure grants. Um in exchange
for agreeing to the building and vehicle electrification requirements. Um, we felt that the benefit was offset by the risk of increased construction and operation costs for buildings, commercial, municipal, and residential. The potential inability of the grid to
handle the electrification this quickly, the potential increase in the cost of electricity, um, uncertainty in the federal grant climate, and the restriction of choice for town residents in their building. >> Thank you.
Thank you. Yes, sir. >> Uh, yes. My name is Bill Collins. I live on Greylock Lane. I'll want to respond to what this whole question was about costs that people have to have to uh take on. I support these measures and I
do so as a new resident. I'll just read you some of the notes I have here about, you know, why in my particular case I support it. Again, we live in a new construction duplex which we moved into four years ago. I support this measure because of its requirements that new housing be wired
for all electric function even if gas heat and gas water heating is used initially and gas gas stoves. I live in a new duplex unit development where the developer installed between 2017 and 2023 gas heat, gas water heating and gas
stoves without wiring it for all electric. And with he installed it with each 100 amp capacity uh limit for each unit with the when the standard nationally is now 200 amps. Um again there was not enough oversight
by the state and the town dur during that period. The problem that this flaw in the construction raises complexity and cost after the sale for individual unit owners as well as for the HOA. Now I could go into the details about what I
mean by that but for example if if I you know we would like to go all electric and have electric vehicles electric heat pump we already have an induction stove and then electric water heating but the 100 amp limit because it wasn't required just would have been
putting cable B in instead of cable A during construction. Now, in order to go to 200 amps, because it has underground wiring, they're going to have to dig up the yards all around the place and have a big fight within the HOA on whether that's even possible. And so there's
this there's these barriers built even if we want to take advantage as individuals of mass safe um subsidies to to get a heat pump for instance and to get an induction stove or whatever or even the electric car uh incentives
which were just abolished at the federal level. But you just you want to have this stuff available because people want it. And especially for seniors like us to have to go through the process of this, this, this, this, and this to retrofit a place where those costs could have been rolled into the cost of the
mortgage rather than have to dig into our pockets now, our limited of our limited incomes and social security to pay for this stuff. You want to have these requirements upfront so that the the the conversion to all electric is easy. And also we should the town should
be mandating a 200 amp limit for all new construction. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes. Um hello. I'm Alan Swedland from Snowberry Circle. Many of the or a few
of the comments that I was prepared to make have been already made and sometimes twice or more. So I'm not going to take people's time up in uh repeating those. I just would like to emphasize that we're talking about two things here that are very important. One
is town costs and the opportunity to get more electric capacity and solar on our buildings on our municipal buildings and for homeowners new construction and the fact that uh as we go forward we know
these things are going to come into play by the state. uh we have to face the realities of clim climate change and I believe it it's in the town's financial interests not to throw away access to a million dollars that can start reducing
our town's overhead costs especially since these are likely to become the standard building codes in the next few years. I urge you to vote yes on the article and seize the opportunity to reduce our town's operating expenses and work to a fossil-free future with funds
from the state instead of from our property taxes. >> Yes. >> All right. >> Hello, Denise Mason. Um, Lower Road Deerfield. I'm speaking as a resident and also as the chair of planning board. And I just wanted to let you know the
planning board unanimously endorsed the citizens petition to become a climate leader. We didn't see any negative impact on business or development and Ashefield, Warwick, Shootsbury, Pelum, Ammerst, East Hampton have adopted the specialized code. And I just wanted to
applaud Emily for everything that she's done. I mean, she works in climate and has for at least 12 years. So I respect everything that she says and her due diligence in giving us the information. So thank you. Yes.
Um hi my name is Ava Gibs. I live at on River Road. I'll try to make this short uh because so many people have spoken and want to speak. I want to speak about the climate and about our earth which is our home. we live here and it's also our
sustenance and um about the earth's beauty and about how we humans are totally intertwined with our earth and therefore our climate I have to say neighbors it's not
business as usual uh you see with hurricane Melissa etc it's pretty obvious that our earth our home is burning this brings us multiple mult multiple multiple problems and you all
know that I don't have to spell these problems out. Our use of fossil fuels has brought us to this, but it's very hard to change that. We're so interwoven with fossil fuels. They're
the systems that we're embedded in. So, there's a lot of fear of change. There's confusion and there's denial. But change we must change is the first principle of life on earth. When we
resist change, we eventually suffer. So we need to accept change and use it as an opportunity for growth. So here's the state giving us such a good and reasonable deal to reduce fossil fuel use.
This is an easy chance to do something to both help our town and help our earth, our home. I would like to quote the pope and then Jane Goodall who are far more eloquent than me.
Okay, first this is recent practical specific advice from the new pope Leo I 14th. He spoke at a conference recently convened to mark the 10th anniversary of
his predecessor Pope Francis landmark document on the environment and climate change loato. I hope I pronounced that correctly. Loatoi and our new pope said everyone in
society through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls. So that's our
current pope. And then secondly, we have dear Jane Goodall who just recently died. Uh she was re renowned for her advocacy for the environment. So here's her quote. >> I we I didn't want to interrupt the
>> I'm sorry. This is very short. >> Yeah. But we are up against the three minutes. So please be very quick. >> I'll be very quick. When we are on planet Earth, we are part of mother nature. Everyone on Earth has a role to play. Don't give up. There is a future
for you. Do your best while you're still on this beautiful planet Earth. Your role here tonight, neighbors, is to vote yes on this article and on the next two articles. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir.
>> You'd have to get in line and be wait to be called. So, sir, >> I am David Gilbert Keith of Old Main Street. I'm also chair of the energy committee which has endorsed all three climate
leadership articles and I thank Miss Gaylord who's described them so well and I'm very um impressed with the quality of the debate tonight and thank you all.
All I would add from our conservation point of view is that moving away from fossil fuels is not just about carbon. It's about efficiency. To heat the same space, a gas boiler
needs about three times more energy than a heat pump. For the same amount of energy, an electric car can go 90 miles to just 20 for a gasoline powered car.
Electric power does more work with less wasted energy. Speaking personally, I support the climate leader articles because I pay electric bills and I pay taxes.
The projects climate leadership can fund will reduce the generation demand on the utility, which can help keep our rates less bad for everyone. As a taxpayer, I like the idea of
reducing our municipal energy bill. It's currently around $300,000 a year, and we could cut that by a third to a half very quickly. Mostly though, I support the articles
because they are about hope. The hope that we can still recognize a problem and work together to try to fix it. I want to be able to look at my children without having to apologize
that we smelled the smoke but ignored the fire. I want to be able to say, "At least we tried." >> Thank you, Mr. Gilmore. >> So, um I I think as as a as a leader of
the town when I was um elected, I try to look at all um aspects of uh votes I take and and many times I vote and I think of the unintended consequences. They show up later. Um I I I just want to I guess a little bit of clarity. It's
not like we're not doing anything. This town has done so much in the climate uh realm. We have a massive solar field going on, the transfer station. We were the first um climate um leader for for construction. We've uh our stretch code
is extremely um strict and it keeps getting that way. Um I I look at this vote a little bit um you know, I agree with a clean climate. I agree with we need to make changes. Um, but there are a lot of unintended
consequences and and most people don't really understand how it affects people when they're building. Um, I'm in the building industry. I've been in it 30 years. I I I talk with builders every day that are trying to build homes. We
have a massive lack of housing. Um, it's so unaffordable to build nowadays. A lot of that is climate, which is important that we needed to make some changes. Um, I think I think I just want to make sure
that we still have liberty and people have the ability to make these decisions for themselves. I would much rather the state incentivize this instead of mandating it. I, you know, I'm I'm concerned that the state is constantly mandating and making it very
unaffordable to build. Um, if you have a dual use uh heating system, you now have to meet a zero hers rating, which is unattainable for most. If you're very wealthy, this isn't a problem. Most of the houses I see being built built by
fairly wealthy people and can afford it. But even them, you know, there is a limit to what people can can afford. So I would love to see more incentive by the state to people who are building um and not just put it all on um you know
on an incentive for the municipality. We we have done a lot. We have each year we go for a green climate uh initiative grant which which the energy department leads and has done an amazing job to make buildings more energy efficient. So it's not like we're not doing a lot. I
just feel like um there needs to be some choice and some uh some recognition that that it is that it is very costly to build and and uh not a lot of help in that realm. So, and I'll support I will support however this vote goes.
>> Yes, sir. Thank you. >> James Cambius, uh Greenfield Road. Um I'm speaking as a homeowner and a resident. Um, last year the People's Republic of China gave off 12.6 gigatons of carbon into
the atmosphere. They added coal fired power plants, increasing that amount by 876 million tons of carbon. The entire state of Massachusetts gives off only 67 million tons of carbon,
which means we're half a percent of China's emissions. and Deerfield is, I think, probably a fairly small drop in Massachusetts's bucket. What we decide here tonight will have absolutely no
effect on the future of the planet. We should make our decisions based entirely on what is best for the town and its residents alone. Thank you. Yes, sir. >> Vincent Russo, five hillside. I'd like
to call the question. >> Okay. There's been a call to question and a second. So, at this point, uh, all debate would be cut off. Uh, we're taking a vote at this point whether we want to stop all debate and move to voting on the question.
>> Everyone understand what we're voting on just on whether to stop the debate. Essentially, takes a twothirds majority to do that. So, all those in favor of the uh calling the question. >> Thanks, Mark. >> All those opposed, the question is called.
>> That's it. >> Yeah. [Applause] Uh, under the bylaw, Miss Gaylord, you do have a moment to to speak if you'd like before we vote. The way the bylaw
reads. Well, if the bylaw says, um, first of all, I just want to say thank you for such a healthy debate. I also want to make sure that we don't get stuck in what we currently know. And a lot of us are speaking from a place of personal experience. I understand things
like baseboard heating can feel very expensive. That is not what we're talking about. We're talking about new construction, high efficiency, wonderful systems. The other thing I just want to speak to is the expense. According to the Department of Energy Resources, it's
actually $25,000 cheaper to build this way because of the incentives and avoided retrofit costs. So, since I had the mic, I just wanted to leave us with some of that practicality. I also really want to echo I think it was Ryan's sentiments about leaving this planet a
little bit better. It's fine that maybe it's a drop in the bucket as far as climate impact, but this is our sphere of control and we should exercise it. Thank you. All those in favor of the motion as presented. [Music]
[Applause] Uh, all those in favor of the motion as presented. So, we're voting on the motion. >> I thought we were voting on calling the question. >> No, no, the question was called and it passed by twothirds majority. This is a vote on the question. So, yeah. So,
there's no confusion. This is a vote on the underlying motion that was made by Miss Gaylord initially. So, debate is through and we're taking a vote on the question. >> All those in favor? All those opposed. Uh, we're gonna have to count. So, uh,
all those in favor of the motion, we're just going to do this section here so you guys can all rest for a minute. Thank you. You can all those in favor in section two. I'll do the table last. middle section's all set.
All those in favor in the far section. All those opposed. >> You didn't do the front table. >> I'm sorry. I didn't do the front table. I apologize. The front table. All those in favor [Applause]
Uh all those opposed in section one. So all those opposed. All those opposed in section two. Uh, all those opposed in section three. Well, that's what Yeah, >> that's right.
There's been some questions on numbers in the past. So I am going to announce my count was 172 yes and 221 no. The motion does not carry. Article 15. Miss Gaylord. I'll still give your kids Halloween candy.
>> I move the town adopt the zero emission first vehicle policy. Second. >> So, uh, this is a common sense policy that basically formalizes what we're already practicing. When a municipal vehicle needs replacement, you replace it with the most fuelefficient vehicle
appropriate. For example, today we likely wouldn't consider an electric dump truck. Uh, but we already have hybrid police vehicles. In fact, police cars are exempt, but we've decided to purchase them anyway because they make fiscal sense. Other common exemptions cover vehicles over 8,500 lb gross
weight or those with no visible viable sorry zero emission alternative such as certain public works emergencies or specialty vehicles. >> Thank you. Any comments or questions? >> Mr. Decker,
>> Mr. Moderator, I move we dissolve the meeting. Ma'am and Buchanan, Snowberry Circle. I'm here to today to ask you for your support for an important and straightforward policy. That is that we consider electric
vehicles first whenever our town needs to buy or replace municipal vehicles. Transportation is one of the biggest sources of pollution in our community. Choosing electric vehicles helps us clean our air, save money on fuel and maintenance over time, and qualify for
valuable state grants that bring funding back to our town. This policy means we consider electric vehicles first, choosing zero emission options whenever practical. That is, we would not be required to buy electric only when
practical. Some departments in town have already seen the benefits of EVs and hybrids. I understand concerns about cost, but the cost of electric vehicles is coming down, and they actually cost less to maintain and fuel. Plus, state and federal incentives help with the
upfront price. By passing this policy, which the finance committee has endorsed, our town will demonstrate real leadership in fighting climate change, becoming cleaner, healthier, and more independent. This is a smart choice and
a key step toward becoming a climate leader community, which we can still do eventually, and being eligible for significant grant funding. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Yes. Uh Dwight Manley. the lower road.
Um, I've had these electric vehicles, you know, in for a number of years, different types, and I can tell you that if you need a vehicle to go to an electric all electric vehicle to go to Boston in the middle of January on a
cold, cold day, you might make it to Boston, but unless you get plugged in and fully charged, and if good luck finding a charging station there, you are not going to make it home. It's cold. It when they get cold and you
turn the heater on, the power goes. So, if you need a vehicle that's you're going to take everywhere, including to Boston and back in a single day, don't get an all electric. Get one of the others. They work fine. You got a backup
with the gas system. >> Yes, Miss Miss Gaylord. >> Yeah. I just wanted to um articulate and I think this is why the finance committee supported this. It's very easy to get exemptions for this. Cost can be an exemption. What you were just describing if a vehicle had to go to B
Boston Boston and back it was an exemption. This is just saying we kind of go through the hierarchy of most fuel efficient to least when considering a new vehicle which is practical. It's a pretty pragmatic measure. >> Yes.
>> Uh Charlene Golinsky 342 River Road. Um, I'm not going to speak long. I just want you to know that I I also went to that information meeting and in that information meeting, it talked about the zero emission town vehicles. This is what it said. This simply means that we
consider electric vehicles first, but we can purchase non-electric vehicles and we are not required to replace vehicles. However, again, if you read what are regulations from the Department of
Energy and Resources, it says specifically, all departments in the municipality must must purchase only zero emission vehicles for m uh for municipal use whenever such vehicles are
commercially available and practicable. I I think this is what I'm feeling with some of the comments that I'm hearing from the three groups that are promoting this. You're taking a little bit of liberty to say things that um need to be
checked. This says must. I don't think there's any question of any of us here. We have to try to buy electric first. I understand there are exemptions. I heard police cruisers might be exempt and I know we have two hybrids and I've talked
to uh police officers. They love it. So, you know, this is an extreme measure. This says must. That means your your trucks for your highway department. Anything that's municipal will have to be electric. >> That's it. >> Miss Gayord.
>> Once again, yes, when practical, it says it right on the DOE website. Thank you, >> sir. >> Hi, Ryan Kingston, Eastern A. I'm just speaking again uh in favor of this article. Um it's common sense. Zero emission vehicles, electric vehicles are
often um the most cost-effective over their lifetime. Um and having zero emissions is better for local air quality as well. Um backed by the finance committee and as an electric vehicle owner myself, um it can be a challenge to drive to Boston in January,
but I don't think many of our town vehicles are making that drive. And there are in fact charging stations to get you there. I've done it myself uh working uh in Boston uh throughout the winter uh last year. So um I hope we can pass this one and uh see it in action
and um move on from there. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> Just very quickly, Lori Baron is South Mil River Road. There is a town that's around us. Um they wanted to send someone who worked for the town to a meeting. The meeting happened to take
place in the middle of a big field. It was a soils test meeting. They were going to send them in the town electric vehicle. The electric vehicle wouldn't make it to the place where the soils
test was being ha was happening and back to Greenfield and so they had to deny the person to go. So that's one reason why I think we should take a second look at whether we want these vehicles in town or not. And the second part is
again my family was um in firefighting. It's very difficult to put out one of those fires. >> Sir, >> uh Lucas Grafton, San Gully Road. I make a motion to call the question. >> A second. >> Second.
So, this is just a motion on whether to call the question. We're not voting on the underlying motion just to whether to stop debate. All those in favor of calling the question. >> All those opposed. The question has been called, so there'll be no more debate. Um, Miss Gaylord, you're entitled to speak on the
motion briefly. >> No, thank you. >> Want me to get a vote? All those in favor of the motion. All those opposed. Uh so uh I I think we have to count. I'm
sorry. Um we'll make it quick. work better. >> Uh so all those in favor of the motion that was presented section one. >> You're all set in section one. Section two. All those in favor You're all set.
Uh, section three. at the front table. Oh, you're right. >> Uh, those opposed in section one. Those opposed in section two. Those in section three. Those are at the front table.
Uh the yeses are 179 and the nos are 182. So that motion is not carried. No. No. >> Uh, if anyone wants to question the count, there'd have to be a second and seven people would have to be in support of it. So,
>> there's a motion that questions my count. Uh, if anyone would like to second that. >> There need to be seven people that are in support of us going to some type of a ballot on it. Uh so there is sufficient
uh action to to cause a paper ballot. So um >> that's what we're going to do. Um, >> the town clerk has come up with a a process that we're going to use for for counting. So, >> all right.
>> This will will take a bit. Um, good evening. Uh, an alternative vote has been called and will now be executed. Um, please stay in your seats or where you're standing. Um, and please refrain from loud conversation while
your ushers work uh to reach all of you. Um, an usher will approach each row and the folks standing um in the back on the left and the right first moving row by row. um they'll ask that you show your
flag in exchange for a paper ballot. You'll then be directed to come to the front and deposit your ballot um into the ballot box and then return to your seat. Um yeah, if folks leave um and come back during the vote, unfortunately, they will not be able to
vote. Um so if you'd like to vote, um please stay in your seat or standing. Okay. Thank you so much. You're all set. >> Yes. >> Uh thank you everybody for your patience and counting. Um after uh triple
counting the yeses were 202 and the nos were 204. [Applause] >> Article 16. Miss Gaylord,
>> thank you for doing all of that. Um, yeah. Thank you, Cassie, and to our uh ushers and constables for doing that. And I'm sorry. And thank you. >> Article 16, Miss G. >> Article. Okay. Um
All right. So, this is um Oh, I have to make the motion. Hold on. All right. I move the town commit to municipal decarbonization by 2050 in accordance with state climate goals. >> Is there a second? So, I think what's really critical to
understand about this is just like when your kid comes home and you're like, I'm going to pledge to do a thousand steps. That is the level of binding that this pledges. Okay? This is a non-binding pledge, a statement of intent that Deerfield will work to phase out fossil
fuels in municipal buildings over roughly the next 25 years as systems naturally reach their end of life. There are no required retrofits or immediate upgrades. It's not enforcable, but it signals that we plan ahead considering
efficient, cost-effective options when replacements are due. This also happens to align with page 19 of the DICK plan that we all voted in tonight. So, I thought that was really interesting. And it also aligns with the town's master plan even as it's 25 years old. So, thank you to the people who wrote that
25 years ago. And it's also um aligns with the latest CIPC uh directive. So uh oh gosh CIPC >> capital improvement planning committee. Thank you. Um clearly this is something
that's of shared value to the town. The other thing I want to say here is like yeah it's non-binding. Also we should want to do this anyway. This is the most coste effective way to upgrade our buildings as things come to end of life. So, this isn't saying like, hey, we're going to go into the
elementary school and completely rip everything out and retrofit it. It's saying that as things age out, we're considering the least emissions possible in replacement. Um, and that's why, and that's already happening. We're seeing many splits all over town. So,
non-binding pledge, hopefully not a ballot count, but we'll see. >> Any comments or questions? sit down. >> Hi, I'm Ma Swedland. I live on Snowberry Circle. Uh, I would like to say that the
mass the Massachusetts legislature has made a commitment that the state will will be greenhouse gas free by 2050. And uh I have a lot more points to say, but I'm going to skip to the last one
because I'm tired and it's my bedtime. And and it is that this pledge that we are making to the state to do our best to be greenhouse gas-free by 2050 is just helping the state reach its goals.
And it's a as Emily said, it's a pledge, not a regulation. No, nobody's come to the mic from the door. I uh we'll take a paper ballot on it. Uh if there's no other comments or qu Oh,
there is one sir. Briefly >> stop talking. >> The the question has no one's coming to the mic to call it. So, we want to do something quick. >> That's about it. Let's call this ballot. >> Oh, you're good then. Yeah. Yeah. Have a seat. Yeah. There's been a call to question a second. And all those in favor of calling the question. So we're
not voting on the question, just whether to vote. That motion passes by 2/3 majority. So we're back to article 16 on the actual motion. All those in favor of the motion as presented in section one. Uh, section one's all set. Section two.
All those in favor of the question. Section two. All those in favor of question section three. closest question at the front table. All those opposed in section one. all those opposed in section two.
Amen. All those opposed in section three. All those opposed at the front table. That's what I was going to say, but Yeah. And if it's off by one, >> uh, 150 yeses and 147 nos.
>> Let's go home. I make a motion that we adjourn. >> Have a good night everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you everyone.