Hello everybody. There you go. Looking for a little sound. Okay. Noting a quorum and a successful return of the warrant, I call this special town meeting to order.
I'm Jim Reor. I'm your moderator. It's good. Town council to my left. On your right, we have town clerk. Meeting is to conduct the yearly business of a town or body [clears throat]
in or from the budget and finance committee to material needs, Conway, whether it be fire, EMS, police department, or administrative needs, corrections in addition to town policies or bylaws, or
just keeping the town compliant with the ever changing world we live in. How town meeting works. You have received the town warrant and a warrant light. Each warn article is the town's suggestion on how we deal with each topic covered by a
warrant article. Each article will be read in order of listening on the warrant. After each is read, the select board will enter a motion for consideration to the floor, after which a second to the motion will be asked for. If a further explanation of the
motion is needed, the principal most able to explain will try to do just that. The floor will then open for discussion on the motion. Speakers must be residents or gained permission to speak.
>> To speak, you must raise your hand and be recognized by the moderator before moving to or being handed a microphone. We do have a microphone and a runner today who will approach you. State your name and please keep your
comments to within a twominut period. During discussion, some behavior is unacceptable and may cause you to forfeit your right to speak. Vulgarity and personal attacks will not be tolerated.
Raising your voice and talking taking over the talking over the two-minute mark may also cause the same end result. The moderator would like to limit each citizen to speaking only once per article.
During discussion of each article, please keep in mind that if someone else has a different opinion than you, it doesn't mean they're wrong. It just means their life experiences have led them to a different conclusion.
During discussion, we may decide to vote on an article as is or amend it or change it. We could also decide to table it, put it aside to another time. Each article is open to many parliamentary motions and these are outlined in the
handbook town meeting time published by the Massachusetts moderators association in 1962 and recently re uh redone for the fourth time and that was adopted by town meeting vote in 2023.
>> So that's how we're going to run. >> Sure. [snorts] Okay. So, let's start with article one >> real quick. I'm sorry. Um, when you're looking at the uh votes between different boards and committees, you'll see three numbers in some cases. The
first number will be yay, second number nay, and third number just means absent. Committee members, >> voting clickers. >> Are we doing it last time? >> Uh, you want to do a test? Okay. Green
is yes. Red is no, yellow is abstain. So, let's have a test. Let's vote. Sure. [laughter] [snorts] [laughter]
>> Okay, we look like everything's coming through. Great. >> Close the out. Okay. >> Article one. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer to the general fund $537,857 for the purchase of a new ambulance as
presented in the warrant. Oh, do I need to read the Okay. Um 400 uh 451 6451,641 will come from the ambulance stabilization fund. $40,000 from the ambulance reserve for receipts fund.
$46,216 from free cash motion. >> That's your motion. >> That's my motion. Yes. >> What do I need for a motion? >> Thank you. We have a motion and second.
Let's open it up for discussion. Daryl Chase >> Daryl Chase 904 Bars Ferry Road. Could you let us know how much is in free cash at this time? >> Yes. Yes. That the free cash that was certified for
[clears throat] this year is $894,273. any other discussion. Okay, let's vote. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. The motion passes. 64
five against, one abstension. Article two. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $125,000 from free cash to the general fund to cover the increased cost of health insurance for town employees in FY26.
second. Thank you. Let's open it to discussion. >> Hello, Carl Anderson from 291 Riley Road. I was just wondering what percentage increase that number represents. about 10%. I
>> think it's a $900,000 line. >> 20%. Okay. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. So, what happened is that for October 1st, the it the um increase was 20%. And it had also been 20% for
July 1st. So, this amount actually represents about a tenth of the budget. It's about 900,000 just shy of a million I think for employees um costs. So I think although it may be less for that may be the total employee benefit
line. Sorry. Any other discussion? Okay, let's vote on article two. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article two passes. 60 yes, seven no.
Article three. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $38,025 from free cash to the general fund to pay for necessary upgrades to the town's electronic infrastructure. I have a second discussion discussion one last time.
Kenwat 72 Parsons Hill Drive. What exactly is this for electronic upgrades? This is mostly for hardware. Um when the town voted this summer to um move to a managed IT services. uh the the quote
that we were given. It turns out when they came in and started to do some of the necessary upgrades, our hardware was not actually sufficient to support the changes that need to be made. >> Any other discussion? Let's vote on article three.
Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article three passes. 60 yes, eight no. Three abstensions. Article four. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $3,500 from free cash to
the general fund to pay for the purchase of public street lights. We have motion in a second. Any discussion? Okay, let's vote. Article four. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Motion passes. 59 yes, 10 no, one
abstension. Article five. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $23,636 from free cash to the general fund to pay back stipend payments to a town employee. I have a second
discussion. Michelle Michelle Harris 99 Shelurn Falls Road. Who is this for? What is it for? Can you take that one, Bernick? Yeah, I'm so what happened is um when I
prepare the budget every year, I add in what was expended in the prior year and I happened to notice this past year that the amount that was excuse me put in for a stipend for this person was not the
amount that was paid out and there was a big discrepancy. So then I went back and got the information about how many years has this gone on. The problem was that there was an increase that happened in the stipend, but it never got translated properly through the process. So instead
of being paid the increased stipend, this person was just getting a coal increase on the lower amount from earlier on. So this had gone on for 10 years. Um, so what we're trying to do is just do the right thing and make the
payments that were supposed to have been made all this time. Any other discussion? Okay, let's vote on article five. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 5 passes. 70 yes, three no. Two
abstensions. Article six. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer the balance of funds previously appropriated for transfer station repaving to pay for new Conway Mall expenses and right to farm signs as
presented in the warrant. >> I have a second discussion. Article six. Oh, >> so I'm Susan Schroeder and I live on Maggie Drive and um Carl's over there because he is part of this project. In
2017, the town voted to be a right to farm town and uh we started working on creating uh the signs to go with that so that there would be a an appropriate visibility of the fact that one of the primary characters of Conway is farming.
Um but our commission agricultural commission sort of fell apart and the project ended. We've revised it. I've been working with Verinique and our artist is Amy Anderson and uh we have beautiful signs and we'd like to get them up on the roads. They'll be on six
of the entrance roads coming into town. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? >> All right, let's vote. Article six. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article six passes. 62 yes, 11 no, two
abstensions. Article seven. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $7,000 from free cash to the general fund to cover the additional cost of hiring an accounting firm for February through June of FY26.
I have a second discussion. >> Pamela Gilmore, 194 River Street. Uh, is $7,000 the accounting fee for four months of services? >> Yes, it is. >> Wow. >> No, I'm I'm sorry. Just to c that's how
much additional we will need in the budget line. there was funding there. This is just what we need to add on top of that. Um >> I want to say it's about 3500 a month >> or that's I'm sorry that's what it will
be I believe in the next year. But in any case, yes, it's just an addition to the line that we already have to cover the cost. >> Any other discussion? Let's vote on article 7. Five more seconds.
Voting is closed. Article 7 passes. 63 yes, 10 no. Two extensions. Article eight. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer $7,211 from free cash to the general fund to
partially cover the cost of replacing a fence along Weightley Road at the ball field. >> We have a second discussion. >> Okay, let's vote on article 8. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 8 passes. 57 yes, 10 no. two
sections. >> Article nine. I move that the town vote to appropriate and transfer the remainder of the following funds. $50,565 from the highway facility fund, 46 thou 46,236
from the highway storage building fund, and $8,000 from the purchase of the boom lift to the general fund to pay for the replacement of the public safety building garage roof and other costs associated with the public safety building. I have a second discussion.
Okay, let's vote on article 9. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 9 passes. 70 yes, five nos, two extensions. Article 10. >> I move that the town vote to appropriate
and transfer $24,321 from free cash to the general fund to pay for an American with Disabilities Act self-evaluation of town properties. Second discussion >> Jane Roy Brown, six Parsons Road. I just want to know what self evaluation means
in this context, please. >> Yeah. So, excuse me. It means that the town is looking at itself and all of its different facilities and things including the website um to come up with a plan for how to make sure that the all
the town properties are accessible. This was done back I want to say in 2018 um and it is a requirement for us to be able to apply for other grants from um the uh municipal office of disability
with the state. So we have to have the EV valuation in place. It has to be updated for us to be able to apply. This is actually a precursor to applying for a Lula lift for town hall. So that's not to mention the fact that it's something
that we need to be doing. >> Howdy. I'm Mary McClento. I live right down the hill on 116. Um, will there be an opportunity for people in town in this self-evaluation process to have input, public input? >> Yes. >> And we'll be told that through the
Conway currents or >> how will we know? >> Yes, I can absolutely do that. Yes. >> Yeah, that would be great. I have opinions. I'd love to share them. [laughter] >> Any other discussion? >> [laughter] >> We have one over here from that speaker. Michelle Harris, 99
Shelurn Falls Road. So, is this if it's a self evaluation, is this somebody's salary? And every town property that I can think of is handicap accessible. So does this include state forests or the
new parks that are being built? >> No. Um so this is would be hiring um a company to perform this evaluation with us. It will include the school particularly because the school is the emergency shelter. Um and again and so
it'll include town hall, town offices. Um the new public safety building shouldn't be a problem because it's being built right now. So it's to standards also the the parks and the ball fields um and the website. It's basically to ensure that all of these things are completely accessible and
these things do change over time um the requirements and also the capabilities to um ensure accessibility. So >> long-term goal is to not be in the town offices. So once the public safety building is completed, the fire
department and police department can then move their offices over there and um then we can go into town hall. Town Hall does not have a lift. So you know the some of the offices will be upstairs, so there's going to need to be a lift in that building.
>> Hi, Elizabeth Stow. Um Deerfield Road, South Deerfield Road. Um, am I right in assuming that this is not just physical disability when you say uh it's things like sight, hearing, an array of disabilities?
>> Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? >> Let's vote on article 10. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 10 passes. 69 yes. 8 no. One
extension. Article 11. I move that the town vote to approve the payment out of the FY26 information technology budget $23.72 for Comcast invoices from FY25.
>> Second. >> I have a second discussion. >> Let's vote on article 11. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. >> Article 11 passes. 68 yes, 8 no, one abstension.
Article 12. I move that the town vote to appropriate or reserve for later appropriation $69,000 from the community preservation fund for use by the Conway Cemetery Association for removal of overgrown trees that are threatening ancient gravestones in the oldest part
of historic Howland Cemetery. >> There's a second discussion. My name is John Cordis. Um 67 Upper Baptist Hill Road. Um I have family connections that go way back and my great uncle is buried in the
Helen Cemetery, but it's a very important location for multiple reasons. Obviously, the historic gravestones that are mentioned. My concern though as a climate activist is that the u white pines that are in that cemetery also
have historic value. Um many of you probably know that the tallest tree in New England is in Massachusetts in the Mohawk Trail State Forest, a white pine. And these these
trees were known as the king's pines back in revolutionary days. Um, I could go on bore you about all this forestry, but um, I've spoken with um, a tree scientist about this who has
emphasized the carbon sequestration of older trees far surpasses trees that are younger. And so I'm wondering as we appropriate this money if uh we could have some discussion about are there any
other alternatives to actually cutting the trees down completely. Um I know that some of the gravestones are already moved by the larger girth trees. So that if we were to cut the tree down
that's not going to solve that problem because there's still going to be a stump there. Um, so I would just hope that we could have a little bit more discussion maybe with the cemetery association as a town. And I'm going to try to post something in the currents um
from this tree scientist that I'd spoken with just to get a little bit more discussion going. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Back. We're coming. Uh, Amanda Kirk, 1733 Roaring Brook Road. I'm curious where the 69,000
figure comes from, if that's an estimate from a specific tree removal service or if you got competing estimates. Um, as a historic preservationist, I am concerned about the preservation of the graves, but that that figure sounds excessive
for removal of a few trees. >> Do we have anyone here from the cemetery association? >> Oh, thank you, Jim. Hello again, Michelle Harris, 99 Shelurn Falls Road and neighbor to the Howland
Cemetery. Where to begin? Um, to answer your questions first, it is not threatening the graves. It is already destroyed multiple graves every year or when there's a snowstorm or an
ice storm, the branches from those trees continue to come down. Um, Ken WT is here and he is in charge of the spring cleanup in that cemetery and there is mass destruction over there of
these graves. Um to answer your question, I received three quotes ranging from 50 to close to 100,000. This 69,000 that we asked for was the middle quote and somebody local that we
know. The highest quote came from Northern Tree Service, a huge company out of I want to say Springfield. Um they came in at 90 plus,000. Just to add a note to this, um because of the graves, because of the
destruction, because of the soil, etc. This project is massive. I won't go into all the little details, but it requires bringing in protection for the grass, gravel to put the out riggers on on the
crane. It involves a 300 ton crane because it has to come it has to park on the road and be able to reach over and get the top of these pines which have to come down piece by piece because of I mean the graves are right up against
these trees at this point. There is only six six white pines, a dead red maple, and there is another one that I can't remember what it is. They're all over in the old section of the cemetery.
Um, did I cover everything? Oh, the carbon footprint um or the carbon concerns. The cemetery fund does have a little bit of money, not a lot. And our plan is after this project is to go in and
actually find somebody that can help us and plant smaller, friendlier, nondestructive trees and bushes over there with the stumps. We have talked about putting whiskey barrels with flowers on top of them so they're not
quite as stumpy looking. Um, we'll take them down as far as we can. Obviously, the stumps are not going to be pulled because there are graves right up against the base of these trees. I can't think of either or question. I
think I've answered them all. If I haven't, please let me. Oh, hello. Um, Julia Stone um, River's Edge Drive. Michelle, has the association consulted anyone to figure out what the effect would be from killing those trees in
terms of, um, soil, water drainage, and the effects down on the road that goes nearby and things like frost heaves. >> Yes. Um,
yes and no. The soil over there is very poor. It's very sandy soil. We've never had a flooding problem or a drainage problem. And that is quite a that is quite a null. We've never had problems with the soil or with the roads except
for that massive rain that we got that washed out the bottom of the upper road that is nowhere near that null or the old section of the cemetery. I keep calling it the null. >> Has the association consulted any
specialist to figure out what the effect will be of removing those trees? No, we have not because we did not see that as an issue based on history. The only effect that it's going to have is saving the rest of those slate stones
over there that we see. >> All right. So, that that's your goal. Understandable. Um may I suggest consulting with somebody? We've seen examples when removal of one tree has an effect on the building on
the water seepage to the buildings nearby. So they water seepage could change and uh maybe have effect potentially on the road that goes by >> um because there is a massive root system associated with these trees.
>> Correct. And those root roots would be dead eventually and they'll rot >> and that would change the situation in the soil there. >> We could hire a consultant. I'm imagine because the word consultant is associated with this person. It's going
to cost a lot of money that we probably do not have. And we're trying to get this project done sooner than later because every year more things are destroyed over there. More graves are destroyed. >> Okay. Perhaps there could be a way to find a specialist, a knowledgeable
person to talk to. >> Hello there. Any other questions? >> Behind you, >> too. Adam, >> hi Julia Washburn, New Hall Road. Um, couple of quick questions. I understand both sides of this. I understand the importance of the historic preservation
and I understand the importance of um of protecting h uh heritage trees. My understanding from listening to you is this is about seven trees. And are they I mean are they heritage trees? Are they deemed has anyone I mean it sounds like
they're very very old and tall and and maybe healthy? Um are the trees not healthy? So have they been evaluated by an arborist to say yes these are hazardous trees? >> We haven't had it evaluated. We deem
them as hazardous because every year are destroying graves. >> Yeah. So my question then would be has anyone explored any alternatives to cutting them down such as limming them or trimming them or set so forth? >> That would probably involve just about
every limb in the tree and then instead of having a 10-ft stump, we would have a 150 foot stump. [laughter] >> No, I'm not I'm not being sarcastic. My my point is that I'm just asking is has everything possibly been done to see what could be done about saving the
trees? And if so, then I would suggest that you go ahead and cut them. But I just want to know if there's more research to be done before we do that. >> Could you Ken WT please? >> Kenw Parsons Hill Drive. Along with
Michelle, I've been on a committee for I don't want to guess how many years. I have every every year, fall and spring cleanup, I get the inmates from the jail. We do massive amount of brush removal, picking up those branches
in there with chainsaws, cutting the limbs up that fall. Those trees are dying rapidly. The big pines, you can walk right up to them. You can peel the one inch thick bark right off of
the root systems are dying. The trees are dying. There's nothing we can do. We They're not safe enough to climb. >> We've had our We've had arborists go in there, assess them. They said, "We can't send people up these trees. It has to be
done with a crane, taking it from the top to the bottom." So, there is no saving those trees. There's also the maple trees that Michelle mentioned. Same thing. Every year, massive limbs come off of those, the size of the trunks of most trees. They smash the
stones. So, every year we're in there with the inmates cutting them up. I know because I'm in there with them. >> Any other discussion? Um, John Harrison Baptist Hill Road. I just want to mention as a nearby
neighbor of the cemetery that if you the more familiar you are with um, and it's not just small limbs that come down, it is often very large portions of the trunk. And when you see what they do to the stones, they are not just knocked over, they are turned into little tiny
smitherines. I mean, they're obliterated. And we've seen this over the years. big limbs coming down every year. So, I think there's no solution to it other than to try to really mitigate the trees. >> Mary Arwin Baptist Hill Road.
The historical significance of Howland Cemetery is very important. This is the oldest part of Howland where remarkable people are buried. We have lost a number of trees. Michelle, can
you tell us approximately how many trees have been cut already and has that impacted drainage or the terrain in any way? >> There's been a minimum of four trees taken already years ago.
>> Has no impact on I just >> I heard a suggestion to move the question and a second. So, let's let's take a quick voice vote on that. All in favor of moving the question.
>> Opposed? Okay, let's vote on article 12. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 12 passes. 62 yes. 14 no. Three extensions.
Article 13. I move that the town vote to approve the grant match and administration account to include all expenses necessary for the application and administration of grants applied for by the town. I have a second discussion.
>> Suzanne Artimia of Upper Baptist Hill Road. So I have a question. Um the the wording on this is really kind of vague and the example given in the light warrant states um
design and engineering costs. My understanding is that generally those would be included in a phase one grant. >> Um the the idea is that for certain grants we may not be in the best
position to apply for them because a little design or engineering work is necessary in order to actually prepare the grant application. So this would just give that account the ability to spend the money on you know say a consulting engineer to review the grant
application um so that we could put that application forward. >> So my only concern or one concern about that is that there's no limit on that. Well, the um >> that there's no what limit? Oh, no.
>> Yeah. Well, there's no limit because we're not I mean there's a limit. There's there's an amount that's in the grant in the admin the grant administration account. So, this just basically gives us more flexibility in spending the money that's already been appropriated for that account.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Account actually only has 13,500 just so you're aware. Any other discussion? Let's vote on article 13. Five more seconds. Voting is closed.
Article 13 passes. 66 yes, six no. Three extensions. Article 14. >> I move that the town vote to amend its general bylaws as presented in the warrant. >> I have a second discussion.
>> Want to save trees? Here's your chance. >> Elizabeth Stow 304 Southfield Road. Yeah, I really love trees, but I remember paper >> when you used to like read it. Um, we were prepared today because we'd gotten the town warrant in the mail and we had
read it thoroughly and argued over it and stuff. Um, we just aren't these computer people. I I can't read a long document on the internet and I don't see why you shouldn't keep mailing them out. Thank you. >> They'll be available
>> that Yeah. So, we will still mail them, but they'll be available on request. So, as opposed to spending $3,000 to mail to every single post office box and address in Conway, um we'll only mail them to people who actually do want a physical
copy or you can pick up a physical copy at town hall, but we'll definitely make physical copies still available by mail. We just won't by default mail them to everyone in town. Daryl Chase 904 Bards Fair Road. Um, just to be clear, is it is this is just the town report or is it the warrant as
well? >> Just >> because I think she was talking about the warrant. >> Yeah, it's just the town report which is the huge >> Right. But the but the printed warrant will still be mailed. >> The warrant will Yeah, we'll continue to mail. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? Oh,
>> Jane Roy Brown, six Parsons Road. How would a person opt in or out for the mailing of the report, please? >> I think at this point, emailing or calling the town administrator, but we could certainly, I mean, I don't see why we couldn't have a, you know, form on the website to make it really easy to,
you know, put in your information and request Lucinda Cathkart, 482 New Hall Road. I think if the presumption is we want to be accommodating to people that are going to not want to do the computer thing for all the right reasons, I think
that the campaign to give them the option to receive it via mailing needs to be like in the current it needs to be something that's not just online because I think you're going to miss who you don't want to miss. >> Yeah. Thank you. We'll definitely do that.
>> Any other discussion? >> Hi, Drew Cronin, Whaitley Road. I'm just wondering, is it possible to email them out? Because for those of us who don't go on the website regularly or go to these places, wouldn't email be also a effective option?
>> Yeah, I don't see why we we couldn't do that. >> We we could, but I would just have to say we don't have all your email addresses. So, it' still have to be a request. So, the form that I could put on the website would be printed copy or email copy and you'd have to give me your email address.
Um we yeah I guess we we could um I don't know Donna is that necessary to do a floor amendment to specify that we'll it will still be available in other >> are request so how do we do that Jimmy make a motion to amend the
floor a minute >> really require Well, Donna says we should just to be basis. Okay. >> So, do I make a motion to it? Okay. So, I'm going to make a motion to amend um the article as it was written. Um so,
currently it says will be mailed upon request. We'll say mailed or emailed upon request. We have a second on the amendment to article 14. We have a second. Any discussion on that
amendment? Okay, let's vote on amending article 14 >> by voice. All in favor? I >> opposed. noted. The amendment passes. Now, let's vote on article 14 as
amended. Five more seconds. Voting is closed. Article 14 passes. 75. Yes. Four. No. >> Do you close the meeting or do I? >> I have. I do. >> But yes. Okay. That was one quick
meeting. I before I have a motion uh to adjurnn, I'd just like to note that yesterday was a half day of school here. There were sixth graders who were in afterchool
program who volunteered to set this room up with Emily Sweet and they are uh Logan Phillips, Cade Anderson, Martin Karns, Cash Waskevitz,
Huck Carris, and Freddy Swenderski. And their teacher was thrilled that they volunteered to do it. So, I thought I'd mention it to you today. >> All right. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Now, I would entertain a move to adjourn >> and a second.
>> Second. >> Let's vote. >> I [laughter] >> I This meeting is adjourned. >> All right.