before or other uh prior fiscal years as needed or take any action in relation there too. Do we have any previous? We do. We have five prior year bills totaling for
$1,4884. They're mostly from our fire and sprinkler alarm inspectors. We just didn't receive the bills that they sent. So, um they were from last fiscal year. And then there's a porta potty invoice for
large that was received after the belt the belt's closed. Okay. This is to be appropriated free cash. So y um I would take a motion or entertain a motion to approve to support this
motion. Motion made second. All those in favor. All right. The port is that just a one time it's a one time. Is there one there that parts pays for and stuff? Yeah. Yeah. Somehow we just get one month. What? We received one bill after the
books were closed. So we have to Yeah. And those fires are just regular regular maintenance or most of them were if you wanted me to pull up the invoices I can but yeah most of them were routine. I think one of them I forget which one but
one of them needed some repair some repair and maintenance work. Okay. Standard maintenance. All right. Article three which is to transfer to water enterprise fund to see as a town will vote to appropriate or transfer uh from available funds to the
water enterprise fund a sum of money for the purpose of funding uh funding operating expenses as deemed necessary by the water board of commissioners for fiscal year 2025. or any any action there too.
This this is a standard transfer. This is a standard article that is on the warrant every year and for this fiscal year we don't have to transfer any money into the water enterprise. So we'll be recommending no action on it.
So motion to support. We have a second. All those in favor? Okay. Article four to transfer uh to the general stabilization fund to see if uh the town will vote to transfer from free cash sum of $50,000 to the town's
general stabilization fund pursuant to Massachusetts general laws chapter 40 section 5b or take any action in relation there too. This is uh this is part of our uh principles that we put together. We
need to operate in uh the appropriate fiscal fashion and put money aside for us to be able to you know from free cash uh towards a stabilization fund. I think it's been several years since we've uh made a donation to our stabilization fund and uh this seems appropriate at
this point in time to do so. Um yeah. Do you know when the last time we actually put any money in general stabilization? It's been long time. Prior to me for sure. Um, I was going to say it's prior to me. It's been quite some time. I remember
doing it, but I can't tell you when. Yeah, but the balance I do have the balance. The balance was 349 $349,000. And like Jade said, um this is consistent with the financial policies
that both advisory board and select board adopted um earlier this fiscal year. Um this will bring up our stabilization fund balance to $399,000 um and put us in a better position and put us on a way to try to at least reach
the goals that we set. Yeah, I'm generally kind of s I think this is a good idea. Of course, the concern if I have a concern and I think I asked you this if if we don't pass the override, we
still have or this is an obligation to do regardless of anything else. If it's voted upon a time meeting. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And to be candid, that's part of the reason we're doing it. Um because if we
have if free c if we have a large free cash balance, it's easy to use for a reoccurring cost when we know we shouldn't be doing it. It's bad practice. And historically, that's what we've done. Yeah. And so if we remove $50,000 from free cash and put it in
general stabilization, to be honest, it's harder to get our hands on. Um it's hard to get our hands on it. And to me, that's part of the reason why I want to do it is so that we can't get our hands on it and we can set aside a small it's
it's small. Yeah. But it's it's a I think it's a it's more about setting the the expectation in a good practice annually. that that we're going to do this and we're going to abide by the policies that we've adopted and we're
going to do our best to have strong financial strong financial reserves. Yeah, like the over do we have a goal amount for this stabilization fund?
So I put best practice numbers on let me pull that slide up. I'm sorry I thought we were on it. So um best practice is 5 to 10% of your operating budget. So these are the target numbers. Our financial policies actually say 8 to 10%
will be our target. Um in this slide I've included 5 to 10 because it's um it's more achievable at the at the moment. So, um, so the low end of the balance, as you'll see, is just just shy of
$700,000 in our general stabilization when that would be 5% of our overall operating budget. So, I kind of did I did this I did this calculation that shows essentially what our reserve balance
will be in FY26 if our spending plan goes forward as proposed. And so our general stabilization will be $399. Our free cash balance after we use it's about $48,000 for a variety of purposes. We'll
have a free cash balance of $383,000 leaving us a total balance of $782 in our what I would describe as reserves which actually as I was doing the math is better than better than I thought we'd be. Um, it's still shy of
where we want to be. It's about $300,000 less than our stabilization than we want and it's actually pretty close to our what free cash balance we want to be holding. So, um, so the variance in total is about
335. Um, again, I will say just the the target balances that I've used are best practice. So they're the on the low end they're a little lower than what our policies are, but still they're they're best practices and um and I think that
range is is a fair place for us to be shooting to be. Um I I should know this, but what's it take to get money out of the general state? 2/3 to put money in, 2/3 to take money out. Yes, at town meeting.
And if we do have to if the override does fail, we are going to more than likely end up at a another town meeting. So [Music] So second all those in favor.
So, article five is to uh transfer to the capital improvement uh program stabilization fund to see if the town will vote to transfer from free cash the sum of $50,000 to the town's capital improvement program stabilization fund pursuant to Mass General Law uh laws
chapter 40 section 5B or take any action in relation there too. Again, this is the other half of the the uh commitment that we're making to stay consistent with our financial policy um to make sure that we're planning towards the future for expenses that we know that
are coming and that we can already see right now that we can't um sustain smaller uh requests. So, we we're going to need to plan for something for the future here. And this is what we're trying to do, trying to have a stabilization. anyone understands that
uh the couple hundred thousand dollars that we have in each one of these accounts would cover I don't know the legal fees on anything if we ever got in trouble maybe. Um so we're we're in a bad position as we sit right now. We need to we need to get our coffers to
the point where they should be. Um, and that's only to just reserve just in case something does occur within our town or you know if there's some form of litigation that it has to occur within the town's responsibility. We need to have these funds.
Do you have a similar slide like that last one or maybe the last one covered it? What's the balance now? Zero. Okay. It's newly created to be fair. So we just created a special town meeting but we don't have any funds in it at the moment. Um, this kind of gives you an
idea. I have a few slides on this just to to have the stabilization fund helps us plan long term. It also for any major capital need, we essentially know that we're going to have to uh request the
debt ex a debt exclusion to fund. So, I know again I know it's only $50,000, but if we get into the habit and practice of doing it annually, we can build it up. And the idea is to hopefully reduce the requests that we continue to go to
residents for. So at least offset some of that cost that we're putting on the taxpayer so that if we're responsible and do this, we're able to do that. We're also we've been pretty aggressive with seeking out grants. And so um some of those happen midy year. So if we have
some funding in this a lot of the grant funding we're required to put a local match toward it. So this will help us um less scrambling, more planning. Does it take a pound meeting to transfer out? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So we so we would
definitely need it's a this is considered a stabilization fund just like general stabilization fund. 2/3 in 2/3 out. Yep. So how we could use it to for grants? So Oh no, we'd have to call it town
meeting. But generally speaking, seasonally we have a special. So in generally speaking, we have sufficient time between grant award and either the special or the annual to request um the matching grant
funds. Um these are just some of the improvements we kind of know are on the horizon. Um, I put the road in infrastructure improvements just for for a good laugh, but we do have $10 million worth of ba
based on our pavement management plan. Um, we do have about $10 million worth of road and infrastructure improvements. Um, the fire station, we're going to have to do something at some point. either invest in the current building or if it ends up moving we're going to have
to invest um if it ends up moving to Wall Street or elsewhere going to have to invest in that building. Um in our capital plan we have a replacement of engine 6 coming up in 20 initially it was 28 I think we pushed it to 29 but I
hopefully we're going to be able to push it in more than 29. And then there are police station improvements, namely a request from the chief for an addition to the police station um in the amount of 1.3. These are just some examples, not
the only examples, but um we we know we have some significant capital class harassment we got to stop thinking about. When money goes into this, what kind of an account does it go into or basically are we getting any
interest on it? We do get in we do we do get interest on it. Um but it has I mean it has not been significant if the money's been there for 10 years or so. So we have not just like a savings account.
Are there are there what kind of restrictions are there? What I was debating is what can you put the money in? What can you invest the money in? Just a savings account and get simple interest money. I'd have to get back to you on the details. I I can I can get back to you.
I just don't want to say anything. And we got to be pretty careful with it. Yeah, there definitely are limits to how aggressive you can be, but um I could let me let me get back to you on that. be good to rule something. Yeah. No, for sure. For sure.
Yeah, it wouldn't be bad. But at the same time, we want to make sure it's available to us, too. So if you put it on something that has a time f period to it that could get you a better interest rate challenge. And it's it's a fair point because I think two years ago
um the town audit um one of the recommendations was to look at some of the investment accounts we have because it was their opinion that we could be um seeing a higher return. Um last year I actually talked to Bon
talk to charge collector about looking at that. Um and our advisor didn't necessarily agree with that but it is something that we monitor but let me I'll get back to you. You do want the liquid but yeah and then you know the money market accounts for
instance are not really actually insured. You know they're good but they're not insured. That's true. Thanks. How much did we uh I I don't have written down here. Do we have a motion to uh make the transfer
or just support the motion? Most made second. All those in favor. Okay. Uh now we're getting to the fun stuff. Article number six, the operating budget to see if the town will vote to raise an
appropriate uh transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute or any combination thereof to fund the various departments, boards, committees, commissions, and other operating expenses uh of the town
for fiscal year 2026 beginning July 1st, 2025, or take any action there too. So, I don't know how much we want to go through the operating budget. I mean, we've completely up to you. We've done
it many times. I can go through it again if you'd like. I can give a modified version of it. I would if you want. You have a brief overview or is it not very brief? How brief do you want
and I can make it as brief as you? I'm not kidding. I can make it as brief as you want. Do you have that sort of one page? I've seen I don't have it. I can go get a copies if you want. I do have I have Do you want me to You know what? That's not a bad idea. Let me pull that. Maybe pull. Yeah, that's an excellent
idea. Let me pull that up. If I can [Music] find cuz that's kind of what we're using as our little highlighter flyers. Is there one upstairs? It's more important. Does this
get Yeah. Good. Okay. So, that's important. Is this what you're talking about or no? I believe so. This is the one front back. Yeah. One side says Texas, the other side say. Yeah. All right. This will this will
thank you for that's a that's a great suggestion. Okay. So the overall townside operations and debt is increasing by 4.19%. Want me to make this bigger? Can you everybody read this? Um the level service
um region school district increases 7.89%. Um just a quick breakdown of expenses. The general government is increasing by just shy of 14%, public safety 3%, schools at both school districts just shy of
8%. Public works two and a half services three library rack three. The town debt service, that's the excluded debt is decreasing significantly by 41%. And then insurance and assessments
are increasing by just shy of 11%. Yeah. So when I initially just just kind of naive when I first saw this I was like okay I saw the 13 you know the 13.8 was talking I was like oh okay I figured some of it was uh you know
insurance and know the assessments the assessments probably right insurance and assessments that pensions going up 24 our pension assessments going up 24%. our health insurance, we
only remember we only increased our health insurance budget by 2%. The actual rate increase is 14%. So, because we had someone fall off the plan, we think we're going to be able to absorb that within the existing
budget. Um, and then our general liability is is going up 3.2%. So the general government why so high? I know you told me this. So that is largely based on two
things. One, our regional agreement with the um treasur collector position with the town of Petrol. So since that started, our match has been our contribution to the health plan
because the former regional treasure collector got his health insurance from the town of Donable. So the major portion of our match salary proportion has been coming out of the health insurance
budget. So now we're hot. We've we've made an offer. We have a signed contract for a new treasury collector, which we expect that not to be the case. So, what we've had to do is, like I said, we've been able to absorb the increase in our
health insurance budget because we have the treasure collector falling off. But what we're seeing is that increase, we're basically seeing it in the salary line of the treasure collector budget. That's one major reason why. And the
second major reason why is a new contract that was signed for the time administrator. Those are the two main drivers. Just making sure. Thank you. Yeah. Um
Okay. Right. So, um and and I should say the other thing that that includes, we are doing a compensation and classification study right now for administrative employees. Um so that includes a
$10,000 salary reserve just for any adjustments that may need to be made based on that that survey. Um the other reason that anything changes and the percentage looks so high is we're dealing with such a small number to start off with. Yeah. Curious
about what the number is going from to because yeah like you said very small portion of the budget. Yeah. So when you make the $10,000 even the $10,000 shoots it up you know five six% total. Okay. Nice. Yep. So other other pieces
that are noteworthy, I guess we've talked about this before too, but the regional dispatch assessment we're expecting, well, we know that's coming in online in FY29. Um, as a reminder, we have three years um free of charge because we went
to a new regional dispatch center. So the state incentivizes community to do that. So, we benefited from this is the second year of that. Um, while we next year is free, rather than coming up with all the money at once, which would
really be difficult in a budget like ours, we're trying to be strategic and plan um each year to progressively increase so that when we owe it, we'll have it. So, that's um that's a $22,000 increase in total. in both. It's
a 12,000 increase in the fire department budget. It's a 10,000 increase in the police department budget. Um, we've set aside 120,000 for this regional dispatch. Yeah, it will be less expensive
than previous which I think we had with either Groten or Pepper. It was with Grten earlier. It actually it will be about the same. It's not going to save us a ton of money. Um, what it does though, and I think the town of Brockton
would agree. I think the ser the service is um is better than what we were getting. So, I think the um it's just a it's a very not that we're not saying that. There's just somebody always there for a
call. Oh, yeah. Someone's and and the operation is professionally run. It's it the d the executive director is is very very good. Um we get a very good service. That's too experienc that that no no that it's in good. Okay.
So that's about 120,000 we know is going to capital where that's a free cash appropriation. Um that's about that's a major breakdown of the the expenditures expenditures.
Um and then for the uh revenue side again we all know this but the major revenue source is our tax levy. Um the tax levy for operating is
projected to increase by 3 and a.5%. again uh debt ex debt exclusion uh revenues decreasing um total tax levy because of the debt service decreasing and the excluded debt decrease is 2.2%. Um the governor's our budget's
based on the governor's number for the for state aid. Um the house number was lower than that. It's not a huge number for us. It's not going to swing us majorly one way or the other. Um, and then lastly, we've increased our
projected local receipts as well. Um, so I guess what I I'd say about this is we're being as aggressive as we've been on the revenue side. I wouldn't want to be any more aggressive um with our
projections. Uh, the last thing we are doing, we we're using 25,000 of overlay. Um the assessors agreed to free up some of the overlay for um for FY26. It's a small number but still um what does that
mean please? So so overlay is what we fund um abate tax abatements and exemptions with. So, um, every year, generally speaking, every year since I've been here, and I think prior, we plan on a
$30,000 contribution to the overlay to cover any, um, midyear abatements or exceptions that are granted. Um this year we're by the way we're only planning to contribute $20,000 overlay.
But in addition we're also getting 25 of overlay surplus that they've declared surplus within the overlay to contribute to our revenue stream. So this overlay it goes into an account. Yeah. It builds up. Correct. Correct. Yeah. Okay.
Thanks. Y which one's the state? Um state is right here 430. That's what your chief that's almost the smallest number on the page just yes just want to point that out. Yeah just
so the level service this is a breakdown of the tax levy. Um this is the base the basic revenue changes two and a half plus new growth. for increasing local receipt projections from 750 to 800. State a b based on the governor's number. Our reliance on free cash for
operating expenses is being reduced from 358 to 308. Um and let's see, we've talked about included debt and the overlay surplus. So, the last thing I'll say is based on
all that, we need a four $480,841 general fund over balance. That's that's to fund a level service budget. Um, the breakdown of need,
65,000 is needed to level service fund the town side of government. $41,000 is to fund the Grant Dotsville Region School District and then slightly over 14,000 is to fund the assessment of
um the Greater Little Tech High School and that's just based on proportionally assigning our new revenues based on what our percent spending is. And just to make sure everyone understands level service just means
there's no additions, nothing's changing, there's no additional services, there's no additional team members, employees, uh staff members, anything else like that. I think the school the only thing they're doing is there they're trading one staff out for another so they can add a nurse while
they're subtracting an administrator. So that's the only thing that's becoming different with any of the budgets. But level service is level service. So, where we're at right now, which is not a great position within our school or town, uh, this just keeps it at the
status quo and stops the the bleeding, per se, this $480,000. So, the last thing I'll say on this is the um estimated tax increase based on average single family tax bill
um for directly attributable to the override amount is $383 on the average single family tax. That's on an annual basis. And that's that's the summary of the budget.
I just want 83 by 12. 30 bucks a month. Yeah. $8 a week. We get down to the days, but that's only about a buck a day. For the price of a cup of
coffee. like the this is the flowchart. It is It could get a little wonky um based on what the results are. If the override passes, we have a balanced budget. If the override fails,
but Groten passes the override, the town will have a $480,841 deficit. And on the town side of the budget, if that worstc case financial scenario happens,
then that's devastating um impact to the municipal side of the budget just because we're so small. We're we're so um we're so right. So lean pendulum. We're so lean right now.
Um if the override fails in Grten 2, remember we have we are required to match proportionally match what the town of Graten contributes to the Grant Dunible Regional School District. Our proportion is 23% of the overall
expenditure of the schools. So based on that formula, which is based on student enrollment, we will still need a $278,000 override to match the GRE
contribution if the override fails in both communities. So that said, if that fails, then we will have a $278,000 deficit, and the schools will have to
cut about $875,000 from their budget after reducing their budget last year by $2.7 million, cutting 24 positions. I think this, if my memory is right, it 12 more results. I was going to say 14, but
maybe you're right with 12. Um so that's those are kind of the scenarios we're dealing with and there are variety of other scenarios that could happen but those are those are the most likely you plan to kind of show this at
meeting this is this this is the town meeting presentation I'm planning to go through As we all know, it's not pretty. If the if the override doesn't pass, we're we're if the override doesn't pass and Groen passes theirs, we're we're in some serious serious
trouble. We're closing buildings. We're reducing our police force. We're reducing our fire fire department. We're That's worst case scenario. Um, still if we don't have the 278,
we're probably in a very similar situation. Uh, we don't have money to cut. There's no [Music] how extra. No extra. We've gone through enough here. So, I'd entertain a motion to support the
override budget as presented. Second. All right. All those in favor? Is there time for questions? Sure. Go for it. So last year last year we were talking about threeyear override. Yes. Or
authority basically. So that failed. Yeah. So we knew this is coming. Yes. What happens next year? Same thing. Based on what we knew last year. Yeah. Same thing. Same. So So
basically we're Okay. There's a reason that that's kind of why we went for the three-year override because we we knew those expenses are still going to be there. It was just an honest assessment. So this situation really didn't change. It just got pushed
down the road. So it it did in the in the situation that we reduced uh 24 20 24 24 uh teachers, nurses, administrators from the school district. So they reduced their staff by 24. Um we
also, you know, we had some municipal cuts on our end. Um but the major thing was the school budget that was the driver. You know, we what we were looking for was to replace the overnight police officer. So, we're going to have two police officers a night as we currently have one. We were going to
look for some more uh support for on call fire department, which we didn't have. So, we're still limited with our on call uh budget with regard to those firefighters. So, um on our side, we saw a municipal hit to those two departments. And on the school side,
they took a hit of the like I said, the 24 folks there. Um so, the number is much smaller than what we were looking at from last year. last year was to keep that level of service for three years to have the new superintendent come in, make an evaluation of the personnel that
uh was available to that office and sort of make his decision as to which way how to progress forward. Um so we were looking at like I said re-establishing that nighttime police officer um getting better coverage for our police for our fire department and then um level
funding the schools at that point in time. uh they did it failed in both communities and the school uh did what they said they were going to do was was reduce their uh their staff. Um if you don't have children in the school system, I can tell you I do the the
class sizes are somewhat uncontrollable in some of the uh situations that are there now because of the reductions. Um there's definitely more disciplinary issues that have come up. I I won't go into any specifics, but I can tell you that I've personally seen and and been a
part of uh some of those issues that have come up and it's it's been challenging. Um and this uh like I said, this doesn't replace a single teacher. This doesn't do anything. The only thing that just to be completely upfront, they're reducing an administrator and adding another nurse because at times
through this year, which we heard from the school district, the school board um uh a couple weeks ago, was that the the nurse is literally at the point of running back and forth between the schools. Um because the fact that she's the only one and she's getting to the point where she's there's four kids
waiting over here. Throw a band-aid, get an ice pack, you know, take a temperature, run back over the other building and do the same thing. And it's just it it's getting to the point like they need that second nurse. And the superintendent understanding the budgetary roles and and situation that
we're in knows that even adding the nurse would or adding the nurse on top of the you know would would be seen as their adding back staff. So he decided to eliminate an administrator in order to be able to to fund the role of the additional nurse there. Um it's it's
definitely challenging this this budget here. Like I said, the 480,000 of override, it just keeps everything flat. So, while we might have an additional nurse, so she's not running back and forth all day long, um we are still having class sizes that are above the
average uh within the state. We're still having issues that uh you know, I'm sure we'll still continue to have disciplinary issues as we don't have the same level of staffing that we had seen in years previous. Um, one of the things that I I personally like to highlight
because I do think as much as as as we're sitting here as a group that we're the ones that sort of developed the budget and discussed this whole thing ad nauseium uh for such a long period of time here that you know we're looking at uh adding our own budget you know adding taxes to our own uh our own selves here.
But uh you know when we were funding at full capacity um you know one of the things that I think as Dunible we we own that school across the street were responsible for it there. I know the school district runs it but you know that was rated the third best elementary school in the state of Massachusetts
when it was properly funded. Um I don't imagine that we're going to be anywhere near that uh level of rating um because the class sizes have gotten larger. they're reduced the number of staff within the uh within the rooms and just don't have the same level of support to
the kids that we had previously. Which administrative position on school is being eliminated? It's in the central office. It's one of the support staff. Uh yeah. So what's going to happen next year and the year after that? Assuming Yeah.
assuming that the overrides do pass all three years in a row. Are we is it is there is something going to change for the fourth year? So, right now the visibility for that the biggest thing that we're doing so as we heard from
last year's override and we listened to what um sort of the opposition to the override, we heard what people were saying was if can we do operational audits? Can we find other ways to we open up the regional agreement to look at other ways to potentially uh lessen
the impact not only to us because Grten needs the same grout needs an override as well. So it's both communities. I I say speaking from our side because I I'm more educated on that topic. Um but this uh you know we looked at those different opportunities and the
operational audit. We're expecting results here potentially at least maybe a preliminary report prior to town meeting. It will be something that we would implement uh probably in 26, but you wouldn't see that in a savings until 27. So, this is
fiscal year 26's budget. So, it wouldn't be something we could change today, but it might be something we could potentially save on in 27. Um, I can tell you because I've been on the uh uh the ad hoc uh group that has been discussing uh the regional school uh the
school agreement. Um we looked at it this way that way. We looked at 12 different options and basically the way we have things set up right now is the best option for densible. If we look at any other option that a that uh an
expert had developed for us, this was an outside consultant that developed the these different options for us. Uh each one of the 12 aside from the one we have right now is worse for for Dunable. So our our agreement as we sit now would be
best if we kind of keep things as it is now. Um it would be great if we could find another way. Obviously, Graten might be able to fund a little bit more, but as we look right, Graten's looking for an override as well if we have the two levels of override because of the
fact that we need the 480 to to level service. But even if Grten fails their override and they don't vote to keep level service at the school, they're still funding it to a point where we still can't afford it. And even last year they provided us with a gift of
600,000 to kind of keep the schools in the best position they possibly could. They can't provide that again. It's part of one of the stipulations where it's a one-time gift and it it's not a multi-year situation. So they know that in regional agreements and regional
situations, this can happen. So that in order to stop one community from like sort of overpaying for things that they provide us a one-time gift with the school district, a one-time gift would ease the responsibility from Dunville or we would have been in a situation to go
to a super town meeting and some of these budgetary cuts that we're discussing now would have ended up in this year's budget for us. And I can tell you we've run down the scenarios and uh with regard if the override doesn't pass
because even at the two uh 280 278 and change um even at the 280 there's there's just no f fat to to cut from. It is all like just we're down to the the bare minimum. Like I said we already are down to one
officer at night. we're already down to sort of an understaffed uh fire department or or an understaffed school system or, you know, there's nothing left for us to just cut one more layer to. We're down to sort of the the as I say like the ligament and the bone, the
muscle and the fat's been cut away. We're this is this is it. And um we have looked at other what it would look like and it it literally is there's not too many municipal buildings in the town. So you can imagine it's not going to be this building that's going to close, but
there will be another building that would have to be sacrificed. And then um you know we're starting looking at other services like police and fire. Those are the next largest bit item bit budgetary items not bid items. So there's no uh
foreseeable relief. the the only relief that could really the only rel relief that could really come and that's one of the things that um I think as a town as a school district and you know as a community we've all reached out to our our state representatives um we've
written several letters both to our uh you know the governor's office the ways and means committee um we've presented all these things to those and said hey your level funding of us it's one of the chart I know it's one of the charts in the spread in presentation, but they've
level funded us for so long that where they used to provide us almost 30% of our of the budget of need for the schools is now down to like 12 somewhere in that somewhere in that neighborhood. Don't quote me for exactly what it is,
but it uh the the funding that we used to receive from the state has decreased to the point where we can't really do anything. And when you look at the school's budget, and we we've dissected it eight different ways, it really comes down to it's mostly of theirs is just
salary. There's no anything else they can do there. So, it's they're a union agreement that is steps and lanes that as a teacher progresses through their career, they move along with incremental raises and then they move up another step. And that's those are all
programmed in. the average increase that we see year-over-year just from uh their budgets is about 6% on the schools. So, as Jason was representing that uh we only get 2 and a half% from uh increase in the prop 2 and a half. Um
and then from local receipts that usually only averages out to a little over 3%. So, we're taking in 3% more and their cost is going up by 6%. And there's always going to be that sort of that 3% gap that really presents the
challenge for both communities. And unless the state comes in with theirs or we find a way to be more efficient and that's where we're kicking the tires on just about everything we can, um we're just not seeing that those those dollars falling out. you know, we're we're
seeing smaller incremental things that we can make some changes on. Uh but it's, you know, we're finding $10,000 when we need to find a million dollars. And it's it's where we're we're kind of stuck. And long-term solution
is more I know Jason has said this several times. just kind of like what as a community, where are we going to go? If the state doesn't uh continue to fund or or they do continue to fund us this way or they don't find a way to increase the funding to the school district, then
we're kind of going to be in a spot where we have to look at where do we want to what what town do we want to be? Do we want to have a library? Do we want to have police coverage? Do we want to have a fire department? Do we want to have a good school district? And then
and that's literally the last things that we have as a town that we can cut back on without shutting the lights off on this building. And those are obviously things that as a community, you know, you look towards having those sorts of things of programs for for
kids, for seniors, for everyone at the library. You look for the safety uh aspect of your your fire and police. And then you look at the next generation and whether or not you know sort of that obligation at least that I personally feel it to sort of teach the next
generation so they're able to to support us right so they come back and live here in Dunable and are able to hopefully make this place a better place and then yeah he's going to be able to give this talk at the town meeting yes he's going to talk I hear about article six y so
I'm going to take off not a problem thank I know you're going to force me to Yes. I It's something we'll talk about later. Um so article six we've supported here. Any other further
discussion? Article six, we can move on to seven here. Okay. Article 7, uh, Wester Garden, the revolving fund, uh, expenditure limits to see if the town will vote pursuant to, uh, Massachusetts
General Laws, Chapter 44, section 53E and a half. That's an interesting one. Um, to set the annual expenditure limits for fiscal year 2026 for all revolving funds established by the general bylaws as follows or take any action there,
too. There's a listing here we can go through of cemetery of $10,000, recreation 15,000, COA transportation at 3500, uh permit application fees at $5,000, approval not uh required plans
is 15,000 and the transfer station at $1990,000. This is I think the same year over year. So there's been the the wreck um revolving they asked to increase their um
a little bit and transfer station increased a little bit but otherwise yes it's the same. Yeah and this is standard R questions comments concerns anything. All right, there's a second.
All those in favor? Support. All right. Article 8, which is a capital improvements for municipal departments. to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money uh for remodeling, reconstructing,
and making repairs to existing town buildings, infrastructure, and purchase of necessary equipment, including all incidental and related costs or take any action in relation there too. That's a new one. What's that? Mhm.
So, this is a $120,000 um request from Free Cash to uh for capital improvements on the municipal side. These are what we're we've identified as capital projects. If you add these up, it's more than
$120,000. So, um we're going to have to do our best to find alternative um funding opportunities as well. um hopefully through grants andor state um funding or budgetary funding. So um but
these are the needs that um we have for 26 um new police police cruiser which is an annual expense um t replacements which are um out of warranty and outdated. Same with the fire mobile
radios and the trucks. Um which that will only um that $20,000 is only half to need. Um we need a new sander spreader for the new um new plow truck for the highway purchase through chapter
90 funds and then um some exterior mostly exterior lighting um needs at the at the library. [Music] So, correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't last year, was it last year or the year
before where we didn't we do something to boosting the radios for the fire department? Was it when we replaced the radio system? So, there are two there's handhelds and then there's the radios and the trucks.
Yeah, we have I think that was grandfunded. I want to say um I thought it was it wasn't 24. [Music] Something to improve the signal, improve coverage. Yeah, that's what it was.
Yeah. Yeah. I just can't remember. I don't I don't remember the funding of it. I just was, you know, if we just boost it wasn't cheap. I was repeal the repeater on the water tower. Oh, yeah. That was what that was. I don't believe that was with when I was here, but yeah, there is a repeater on
the water tower that was installed recently. Yeah. But it was fairly Okay. Is this just to replace old outdated radios, mobile radios? Yes. Okay. And go ahead.
They still work. $20,000 pretty expensive right now. I'm assuming we have quotes on that. This goes back a few years. I think we the police cruiser used to kind of be the police. Now it's on capital. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah, we did. We pulled it from the budget and put it in capital. Yeah. We buy them. No. No. No lease. You can't release them because the hour meters on them or We do. We have
thousand miles with 5,000 hours on it. We We typically seem to get a police cruiser each year. I guess how many do we have? Do we ever get a break? Probably not. I would assume. Does that 60,000 include the sale of the the other the cruiser
replacing? Yeah. Okay. So, we get some I think I think I have the vehicle in the here. Well, yeah. It's I I know the last time uh
uh Chief War kind of went through it um I believe you said the problem is that once you get to a certain number of hours on there that it just ends up parked across the street at West Auto instead of uh instead of in service because they start to see there's a
certain turnover where we we start to see more maintenance than it's worth to the uh to the community. Sorry, [Music] I know I have the inventory somewhere else on the side.
I think we have a hard time four, right? Three mark, one on four is kind of Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if that includes the cheaps. I'll send you that info. Okay. Yeah.
And this is limited to the just the one for me personally. Eight is limited to what is known here. This isn't a overarching they're allowed to you know the select would be allowed to do anything beyond these capital
expenditures. Does that make sense? So are you asking if the capital money can be used for any other projects other than the ones listed? Right. So the way we normally do it is to build flexibility in the motion so that you
know say we get a grant for half the police cruiser, we still we still have that money and able to address other capital items in the capital plan. That's typically how the vote the the motion of the vote is
drafted at time. So the answer is yes or for capital for capital. Oh yeah for capital project only but um but if there is money left remaining in the article they can be used other projects other than this.
Yeah but it's just basically the year 26. It's an AR. It's a separate article. So it carries we you can carry them on year to year. You don't have to. Is there anything in the capital planning budget right now?
There is. There's um we had a $20,000 allocation for um the police. Remember we had the window the window and doors at the police station. Yep. So, we received um we were able to
secure an earmark of 45,000 for that project. We estimated it would be about 65,000. It actually came in right just shy of 45. So, we have 20,000.
Well, we don't have 20,000 anymore, but we have about I think it's like 14 now in that that's sitting there. um four other packs. Okay. Does it um need any kind of approval or it's just what you and the chief can you
agree to spend on something different? Yeah, I mean usually the approval Yeah, exactly. Usually the approval is to um discuss with the select board and and get their their approval.
Okay. So yeah, I don't think this is enough money. It's not. I think you're reading between the lines that uh there's about 150,000 up there. They got 14 in the coppers and if something comes through with a grant to
pay for part of the uh whether it be the radios or the police cruiser that sort of that's sort of where me again that's a possibility and some bud there might be some budgetary I mean we're kind of monitoring FY25 budget now and so like
if we're able to use some of the police budget now for some pay for a portion of the case you know so we're trying to manage so that we can address everything that we need to. Yeah, basically it's going
so 120k will be the max. Correct. And if we don't get any other sources of funding, one of these is not going to be Yes. Yeah. Any other comments, questions, concerns or entertain a motion to support article
8? Motion made second. Second. All those in favor? I Okay. Uh, article nine, water system infrastructure improvements to see if the town will vote to transfer from the water uh retained earnings a sum of
money for design, repair, replacement, construction, and installation of various water infrastructure and associated work. uh including all incidental and related costs or take any action there too. So this
is an appropriation from their retained earnings. Last year they requested 35,000. this year they're um requesting the same for um their budget really can't support if
there's any capital real capital needs their budget doesn't have sufficient funds to address it. So what this is meant to do, they have a capital plan. Um, but this is not just to address some
of the items in their capital plan. It's also to be there basically in the case they need it because they don't have they don't have sufficient fun within their budget. I mean, if there was a water break somewhere, it would be and they need a rebuild, it would be tough
for them to absorb that cost within that budget. So that's the idea. Similar to how we use our free cash, we're trying to use our free cash for one-time expenditures. Retained earnings should be used in the same way. Um one time
expend on one time revenues for one time expenditures. That's um that's the request from the water water commission. I was wondering if it should be more to be honest with you because 35,000 will get the crew to respond to a water main break. The I told they'll
pull up to it and be like, "Yeah, that's broken. What do you want to do?" I I agree. The only problem with that is the retained earnings is only 68,000. Understand? So that would get the crew to show up and maybe open up the hole around the water vamp.
Okay. Takes a town meeting vote to get money out of this uh water enterprise retainer. Yeah. So it's just like a free cash appropriation. We need time we need time
of approval. Yeah. And that money gets into that fund or it's just extra. So it's it's exactly the same as free cash. So, it's budgeted funds that aren't
expended and additional revenues that weren't more more than what was anticipated. So, the combination is our retained earnings rolls into the retained earnings and right and if there's a balance in your
retained earnings, it rolls from year to year. So, those three things are what make up the balance. Yeah. Just like free cash. Just like free cash. Yeah. One line and entertain a motion to entertain uh to uh support article 9.
Second in favor. Thank you. Article 10, which is a community preservation committee recommendations to see what transfers or other actions the town may vote uh with respect to any uh recommended action of the community
preservation committee or take any action in relation there too. This is this is the just a placeholder. It's an annual um it's an annual article, a standard article. What this does is it allocates 10%
um of the annual receipts to um to affordable housing, 10% for open space and rec 10% for historic preservation. The remaining balance will go to um to undesated. It also allows the CPC to use up to 5% for administrative
purposes. So, this is um we're anticipating $342,000 in CPA funds for FY26 based on what we've heard from the state. And um in addition, under this article, we typically approve the debt service
payment for the Ferrari Farm property and this year we will be approving the debt payment for the Union building as well. 342 340 342457 that number that number is
what we've taken in or a combination of the search charge and what we get from the state. That's what is expected in total for 26 search charge and state combined. Yes,
this one comes up historically. Do we have a balance for both in those funds? So, this isn't this is as up to date as I have. It's not like tilt tip up to today. I'm going to hold you as a penny.
Um, open space balance of 60,000, historic balance of 486,000, housing balance of 353,000, and unreserved balance of 1,90,000.
So you listed like four accounts there and 10% goes in each of those. So 10% so you get 40% and you get 5% for so unrestricted is the balance that rolls over. So 10%
Yeah. 10 goes to 10% of 342,000 or 34 grand Yes. will go into open space, 34 grand into historical preservation, 32 34 grand into housing, affordable housing. Correct. And whatever balance there is left after that goes into
there. Do you have any kind of breakdown of what's on the state portion versus the I don't Okay, I don't have that. I'm sorry. Just curious if they're sort of holding up their end. Yes,
my guess is no. I agree. That's what I'm asking. Just just curious. What was it? something something came through from the state and they were was it a 21% um normally the the match you know when this program first started out it was a
100% match and you know every once in a while some some years are better than others this year the the initial match I thought was somewhere around 21% but that's just for the first round Because we
um because we are uh uh uh participate in all three rounds, we get uh additional contributions in the second and third round as well. So last
year we ended up even though the the the uh the state was saying it was only going to be in the uh you know I don't know it might have been even less than 20 20%. Uh we still ended up with uh almost
50% of uh you know after the three rounds. Yes. So we still ended up with 150 I think it was slightly less than $150,000 from this from the state matching matching funds.
So it's worth the price of admission. Also, uh just for your information, um 2026, uh the Ferrari farm is paid for. Okay. I think the last
payment is uh August 2026 and that uh that's takes that off the books. But then of course then we'll be paying for the union schools. So don't get too excited.
Okay. Entertain a motion to support article 10. Motion. All those in favor? [Music] I go to 11.
Still swallowing. Sorry. Article 10, article 11 to uh remove invasive weeds at Lake Massifog to see if the town will vote to transfer from available funds uh including CPA funds a sum of money for the continued
removal of invasive weeds and lake mass pog including all incidental and related costs based upon the recommendations of the town uh preservation committee or take any action there too. This is an annual one as well. Yeah,
seems like we Yeah, the CPC gets us annually. Um, do we have a dollar? 30 $3,500. [Music] Uh, question on this. Whole bunch of subsequent articles start exactly the
same way. Well, to transfer from available funds, including CPA funds, what available funds? So, the community preservation and Joan, correct me if I get something wrong here, but our community community preservations
uh group is is kind of before. So, I'll try to state it the best way I can here is when you get your tax bill on an annual basis, there's so CPA. Yes. What other available funds? There is no other available funds. Oh, transfer from available funds
including CPA which implies there are some other funds. They're not. So it's strictly CPA. Yeah. It's just it's legal jargon from it's strictly CPA. Thank you. So it has exactly the same meaning. Yeah.
I wish there were some other funds to be able to help out. Tell you found the answer. I wish. We're hoping that suggestions. Thank you very much. No problem. Thanks. [Music]
All right. Uh, any questions, comments, concerns? Do the weeds ever go away? No. Good question. Keep putting the stuff in there. Motion support. Second. All those in
favor. Uh, article 12, Ler Water Lau waterfield improvements to see if the town will vote to transfer from available funds including CPA funds, a sum of money for professional services to develop a field assessment, evaluation, and design improvements to
Lauderfield including all incidental and related cost based upon the recommendations of the community preservation committee or take any action there too. There are sink holes at a few. Yeah,
they're big and they continue to show up on an annual basis. More stump hits. More stumps. Yes. So, we have a strong suspicion that that's what's causing it. It's just buried stumps throughout the field.
So, rec the recreation commission requested funding um $80,000 to do an assessment evaluation of the field to design improvements and to um get to a point where we have documents
to bid in order to stabilize the field. I was going to say 80,000 is a lot, but to do the design Do they think it'll actually How many more of these stump pits [Music]
are the We had I think my first year we had one in the parking lot that highway helped repair and this year we had seven but two big ones. Um, one at
the front, one near the softball the softball field, but it's not at the schoolboard, I guess. And, um, and Highway with those, too. Um, well, with their machine, they couldn't even I think they left some of the stumps in
because they just couldn't they couldn't move. They were so big. So, um, so they actually dug down and pulled them out. Oh, yeah. Some of I mean, yes. And they went they were deep. Oh yeah. They were deep.
Yeah. And you you probably remember as part of the tennis court project they found I don't know 30 what was it? Jim do you remember 30 or 40 stumps and just in that footprint of the tennis court
that needed to be removed. So it's just causing problems up the field. Yeah, I'm not not against them doing anything. We're paying $80,000 to tell somebody to go dig a hole.
Well, no. We're hoping to have a plan to stabilize the field. Dig a hole. Dig a hole. Yeah. Any other stabilization is going to cost way more than digging a hole? Like what? any sort of in like
injection of anything of any sort of a grout or product to to sort of stop the sinking from happening or you know treating the soil is going to be an insane amount of money. So I imagine what your $80,000 is going to go to is getting an engineer to call a geotech to
send out a boring machine that's going to drill five to 10 shots through here. They're going to tell you you have wood there and then they're going to charge you to say you can have multiple options where you dig down, put down the geoexile fabric and that's break over it and Yeah, that's Yeah, you're actually
like that those are the options. We anticipate those being the options. Yeah. Yeah. I just I mean I I don't how I don't I just don't know how else to do it. Do they have a do they have a quote or is this
just kind of a So they they have one two I think they've got three proposals for both the field improvement portion and the master plan capital plan um
process. Um and so this is like um this is a best estimate based on the the proposals they received. Yeah. For both for both of them.
Just $80,000 buys a hell of a lot of excavator time. Yeah. [Music] Well, it's for you said it's it's for more than that, isn't it? For the Yeah. Yeah. I mean, well, it's basically to
tell us how to prepare it and what and help us develop a plan of what we want to do and then how to prepare it. We don't have the expertise to prepare it. We don't I'm procure what plans to develop the necessary documents so that we can
procure a project to fix the problem. basically request. We don't have anyone to do that. We can't just say, "Hey, Mr. Excavator, come over here and just start getting start digging around. You get
some stumps, take them out." We just can't. It's all is an excavator in a in a sorting box that just you dump the soil over the top of it. The good stuff runs out the bottom. All the falls off to the side and you're Oh, sorry.
All stuff falls off to the side and you know you haul off when you get a big when you get a 40 footer worth of stumps. You haul those off and and I know we don't have a lot for our town engineer, but there's they have a stand.
Oh, yeah. our our oil tan. I don't know. Is that Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's what we typically use. But, um, they receive each other. I don't know. I don't know how many holes we're going to drill to where
to dig. Some of it's obvious. Yeah. And we have $1.9 million saying 2.33 to1 combine them.
You have your current balance plus 342,000. in CPA. No. Yes. You have you have 1,90,000 in unreserved. You have No, no, no, no. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. You have 353
in housing, 486 in historical, 60 in open, plus 342 coming. Oh, yeah. 2.33. Okay. Yeah, that's what I mean. It's kind of one of those things when
you have a it's one of the things that I'm going through with my team members that I'm working with that uh we call task stretching, right? Which is that uh if you give somebody a task that's going to take two hours, but you give them four hours to do it, they'll take four hours. So, here's the
here. So, when you give somebody $2 million and you tell them that you have that available, the next thing you know, you go from home. Well, they don't have that $50,000 project of 2 million. So, here's the prop. Here's one of the proposals. Resource area delineation, land survey, test
pits, field stabilization, prelim design, keys, incorporated master plan and design and repairs. Um permitting construction docs and specs. This is the proposal that they park. I
think that's the preferred proposal I believe. Yes. It was kind of soup to nuts. Yeah. Yeah. You're going to have to get all that documentation in order to get the permit to do it, right? Someone's going to have to create all those
I don't know another way to do it. Yeah. The only thing you'd be concerned about would be storm water pollution. Aside from that, we're have our own building committee. We have our own, right? And I think we're outside of
the zone for the MSA, right? MS4. MS4. Sorry. I think we're outside of the zone, but there still are storm water requirements. Sure. There'll be turtles and frogs and all that stuff, too. You look hard
enough. I mean to me we have a lot of CPA funds and we have like one major recreational no place to go in town which is my I
think we should be investing in I I don't have an issue with that. I guess my my thing is we're going to when you look at those numbers and you know a community that sort of came up through uh farming sort of working with their hands that there's going to be a lot of folks that are there that
understand what you know that value is to some uh something so simplistic and I understand from the perspective that we have to draft it up the right way. I think at the uh 10, 11, 12, 13 here, one right after the other. Not 11's not this big
of a deal, but um I think we have a a good problem. But I think we have a problem with regard to the available funds. Yeah. Meaning we have a lot of it. Meaning we
have a lot of it and we're asking for overrides. Yeah. Not that we can use it anywhere. No, I was just going to say I'm not I'm not going to say what I get because everyone knows what what the restrictions are for
CPA funds, but um but I understand I understand what you're saying. But I mean, right now I I think it's stabilizedish, but there was a time period where we were considering closing
the place down because it was not safe. Um, so it is a real it's a it's a real issue. I mean, oh, for sure. There was someone walking out there that just literally just disappeared into Earth. So, it's a problem that we really need to address.
We could address it like we've been doing every year, scrambling and trying to find money to do the least amount possible so that we can get through another year. Or we can try to fix it once and for all um with money that we have available with a recreational
resource that the majority of residents use the most in time. I'm not as convinced as you that it'll be once and for all this. Well, few years, three years. The the once you dig down and you remove the majority of it,
once you set a level grade to what you're going to go to and then putting that geoteexile bridges a hell of a lot more, it some of those fabrics are impressive as hell of what they can carry. I've seen them carry some stuff that I never thought was physically possible. Um, and it's it's impressive,
but at the same time, I I feel like it's a if you're in the industry, it's not a very difficult design to come across. And it's a lot of I see a lot of money there. And I just Yeah, but they're kind of being the general start to finish. I
don't Is that sort of what it includes? No, this is to develop the plan to have somebody else bid on it. Yeah. They're not doing the work. They're practicing the play upstairs. There's no riot going. Yeah. What is the I mean obviously we
have to give him some sort of guidance along the way. Do we have any sort of understanding of what the master plan for Lauderfield is aside from being a field and a baseball diamond? Yeah, I mean that's that's um
I was told there is no master plan for Lord Field. This is to establish something. Yeah. Creation master plan with different fonts there. That is not me.
I am not that talented. Okay. So, could include contextual design of various field improvements including pavilion spaces. So, there's been a lot of talk over that's that's one of the things that
have been talked since I've been here about from the recro parks has been interested in putting a pavilion on site because I guess one of the major complaints for users of the field is that it gets very hot just baking in the
summer field over the summer. So they've been talking about a pavilion space. I don't know what that will be, what that will look like and where it would go, but they have been talking about that. Um so basically trying to develop essentially a mini master plan capital
plan for so that we know where things like that are going to go. We know what our priorities are and we have a plan to actually invest in upgraded park the field. Is there is there a revenue stream that comes from the rental of the field or
not? There is but it's not it's not significant. I think probably I think it was one of the first years I was on the board. We built some new dugouts down there. Unfortunately, that COVID happened, nobody used them for about five years.
Yeah. And once once they finish what Kong or once they renovated Kong or something, a lot of them there were teams using them. The cow one is pretty nice. All right. Um I think we probably
entertained uh 12 to 13 together based upon the fact that they're basically joined at the hip there to uh uh look at the improvements of water field and creating the master plan. So I'd entertain a motion to support articles 13 sorry 12 and
13 second. All those in favor, 40 grand for 80 grand for apartment. You know what? We have $2 million at 2K. Nobody wants to spend it. Loosen the purse strings, though. I
mean, we have I know we don't have money anywhere else. That's part of the issue. But we do have money in CPA that we could use. CPA is the only thing we've spent money on the last five years. Yeah. Yeah. It's the only way we're It's the only way we're able to really do
anything. Yeah. Well, you can do it, right? Exactly. The way they're getting around the weeds is this weed issue is they they going after a different weed every year. Yeah. That's what it's called. Okay. Yeah.
Right. Or a different area of the Yeah. That's in the sun for the next for the next that uh hasn't uh you know they haven't been able to do. So yeah, it's uh and and we're not the only
ones funding this. It's also I think this year I'm not sure if Rotten and Tink are both involved. I think it might be just rotten or just tings. I don't know. Yeah, they said Tinsboro in their application.
One of the uh you know, sometimes it's both, sometimes it's who's ever whoever abuts that area of the lake helps out as well. And then plus the uh plus the the Lake Massip
association association, right? They also uh kick in uh some dough. So toss in a boat ramp and maybe start charging some launching fees or something there. [Music] All right. uh article 14, which was uh
Woodward's Mill Dam Improvements, to see if the town will vote to transfer from available funds, including CPA funds, a sum of money for repairs of Woodward's uh Mill Dam, including incidental and related costs based upon recommendations of the community preservation committee
or take any action related there, too. This is a $25,000 request. We conducted a or just completed a phase 2 assessment of the dam and there's a number of repairs that are that are going to be
necessary dam. But an immediate need is there's a hole on top of it that um was flagged as like something that should be addressed as soon as possible because it's right under the road. And so um so this is just to
repair um that hole in I guess it's called a the raceway um but basically at the crown of the the road um and then we have we're going to have to develop a longer term strategy to renovate design and renovate u the dam more
comprehensively. But this is just um this is just a short-term immediate need that we need to address lifetime. What's that? Oh yeah. How much time does
the bias? It's not buying it's it's not buying us time. It's it's it's avoiding a real pro a real problem. Um but we're definitely going to need in
addition to that prepare there's there's a laundry list of other items that are outlined in the um in the phase 2 assessment report. Um, we've there's a um there's a there was a
a state grant opportunity that we just applied for that will help us with the design portion of it. Um, I don't know if we'll get it, but we applied for so we'll see. Um, but if that happens, that would be if we get that grant, that'd be super
helpful to move to continue to advance it. Otherwise, [Music] um I I'm not sure. We may need to go back and beg the CPC to final design for more. Just so clear and everybody
knows Pleasant Street. Oh yeah. Pleasant. Y [Music] any comments, questions, concerns? entertain a motion to support. All those in favor? I
uh article 15 tennis and pickle ball courts at Lada Field to see if the town will vote. Excuse me. Uh town will vote to transfer some available funds including CPA funds to fund uh the sum of additional sorry a
sum of money for additional expenses associated with the construction of a new tennis and pickle ball courts at Lauder Field uh including all incidentals and related cost uh based upon the recommendations of the community preservation committee or take
any actions there too. So this project is essentially complete. However, there is speaking of MS4, there are some storm water requirements that our town engineer would like to see this
project um meet, which is in addition to what was originally scoped. So what was originally designed was a twoft trench on two sides of the court. He wants a three three foot
trench on all four sides of the tennis courts. So, this is actually it's a $12,000 it's just shy of $12,000 increase to the overall project. And
this is actually this may not be necessary. planning board's meeting next week to um to make a determination on and how come it wasn't included in the original plan. How come it changed the climate
change? My understanding is that the engineer um for the contractor who developed the plans um believes that his original design was sufficient to meet our
requirements and our engineer disagrees. Mhm. So you got a punch list and you're waiting for sign off from our or our engineering said no because it was who approved the plan. Didn't he approve one?
Um he reviewed there was he were they needed a land disturbance permit from the planning board. So there was a review process as part of that. Um there's been a fair amount of back
and forth between the engineer planning board and the contractor and commissioner on the project. He wasn't you know he you know we're we're it's a community project. You
know, we're trying to do it as uh as inexpensively as we can. You know, it's a freaking gravel pit. And you know, they haven't had a tea te teacup full of water, you know,
sit over there, you know, ever, even after a heavy rain. And, you know, but he's he's a stickler. you know, following the uh the uh the rules. Now, the planning board can
wave, you know, his uh his request, and I, you know, I could be mistaken, but I think they probably will, right? And that'll save us, 1200 big ones. 12,000, pardon me, big
ones. So um so depending on the the decision of the planning board will either ask town meeting for the $11,000 in
change to fund the additional storm water work or we'll recommend no action on the article if they wave the requirement. Yeah.
And the planning board will know prior to town meeting. That's the plan. That's the plan. Entertain a motion to support made. Second. All those in favor you're fighting your own office,
right? Cost me 125 to fight with your own engineer. Yep. Uh, article 16, establishment of the Dunstable Commission on Accessibility to see if the town will accept the provisions of Massachusetts
General Law Chapter 40 section 8J. Yeah. um uh related to the establishment of a municipal commission on disabilities to be called uh the dunable commission on accessibility or take any
action there too. Sponsored by the select board and economic development committee. This was initiated by the um town's economic development committee. the who economic development committee and so
um so you know there are many communities that have a commission on disability it does help with some grant eligibility um not required by the state yeah what's it's not required what's what's their
motivation to me to qualify for more grants I think that's I think that's part of that um you know the idea of a disabilities commission is to have a group
that's looking out for the disabilities community within the within the town. So, you know, making sure that ADA laws, regulations, requirements are being in short compliance. I'm just going to say the same thing. We're
already doing this. Why are we trying to take it over ourselves? I don't know how the state law requires that all new facilities meet the Yes. Oh, yeah. meet the most upto-date ADA requirements. Yeah. Yeah.
And there's an inspector that comes out to make sure that whatever you build meets the most recent ADA requirements. Is there something I'm trying to just asking for benefit? Yeah. I mean, I think I think they were I I
don't I was involved in the discussion around this. So, but I I do think I don't want to speak for the chair, but I think the chair encountered a resident who was who was going through a
renovation project and needed assistance with compliance. They were they were struggling to get direct guidance. I think he felt that a group like this may be able to help with supporting
people like that and supporting the the disability community within advocating for accessibility and some of the um some of the town assets like for
instance Loggerfield like I I don't I don't know how accessessible So Lfield isn't kind of making this up as I go, but if there were improvements at Waterfield to make it more accessible, if some of our trail networks could be more accessible,
um, this group could help with that. It does help with grant um, competitiveness. Having a a commission allows them to be more eligible than more competitive. More competitive
[Music] [Music] there's a there's the morality of it which says yeah you know fine you want commission on accessibility I have no problem with that. The only issue is to me is that if it creates additional
costs or issues with regard to what may come from the findings of this that we don't have any way to fund anything that comes along with it. So if you don't want a grant but then you tell me that it can't go to waterfield because it's not accessible and you close it down where
I'm kind of in action or something like [Music] that. Anybody else have a we can choose to take no action. Really has no I don't think there's any monetary Today
today yes keyword [Music] I have never used the ADA and not had a financial that's part of my concern and then now we'll have a commission
that to inform me [Laughter] another commission. Yeah, I I know this is again I don't have I don't have an issue with any of it. just kind of where does I just the out of the benefit to
what we're doing and the concern that there would be additional costs of the without grant money that if I don't from somebody who deals with it on a fairly regular basis if something doesn't meet ADA requirements it doesn't
open flat out and if you have somebody else with a level walking around town and dropping it on on our sidewalks or streets, access to fields or the next thing you know is well it needs to
be and then if we don't get a funding source. It just it is what it is. Take no action or if you take no position or no action. No, no position. I guess you're probably
correct. So, I entertain a motion to take no position. Okay. Yeah, I think that's it. I'll make a motion to take no position. Okay. All those in favor of no position.
mostly over concern potential financial. Yeah. Can we write that whole thing there? The advisory boards take no position because of potential financial impact. Uh, article 17, the lease
purchase agreement, uh, to see if the town will vote to perh vote pursuant to Massachusetts general law, chapter 44, section 21C, to authorize the select board to enter into a lease purchase agreement for the lease and purchase of
vehicles and certain capital for period of time, not in excess of the useful life of the property. uh to procure on such terms and conditions as the select board deem in the best interest of the town and to authorize the select board
to take all necessary actions to administer and implement such agreement and to fund said lease purchase through an annual appropriation or take any action there too. That sounds like a whole lot of nothing. So, we're going to need a little more explanation on that
one. Are they getting new cars? I honestly to see if the town will vote is also is that the right language for the warrant. I think they are a lot. No, we'll vote to appropriate and it says
we'll vote pursuant to the master law. But a lot most to see if the final vote to do something. She made a comma there. Oh yeah, it's missing a fine.
Other ones like to vote to see if the town will accept. Yes. A comma after vote. Yes. To see if the town will vote pursuant to to authorize the select for. Yeah. Or maybe just flip the sentence. One or the other. Whatever. Um, okay. This is for um a truck
replacement for the highway department. Um, for the highway super highway superintendent. Um, this truck has 110,000 miles on it. It's um I think seven years old. and
um and becoming a um liability in terms of costing us a decent amount of funds annually to maintain. So, um, in order to purchase this in a way that we think we can afford,
um, we've proposed this lease purchase agreement, which would be a three-year um, lease to purchase with, uh, with the first year being um, actually each year being $18,7248.
And they'll be funded through the highway budget. It's already built into the high budget. Is that a good Is that a good number with these uh new tariffs? I don't know what's a good number anymore. Honestly, the price prices on almost everything are just through the
roof. So, it's it's a total of $52,776. Yeah, they've got a quote that's good for some period of time. Yeah. Through many. Um, have they got more than one estimate? Just just out of curiosity. I think this is who we I think this is who
we typically use as any and it's on the state bid list. So, um, they have a state contract which we kind of take advantage of. So, um, so we're pretty much mandated to Yeah. I don't know.
56 grand for a pickup truck is not pretty decent. We'll give you that's trade in it's it's include Yeah, that's included in the trade in $12,500. It's like 64 or something.
Still not bad these days. And I guess it's plow ready. for the you say 1,500 2500 for what? The truck 12,5 the model 2500.
Okay. I'm assuming full drive. Yeah. Yeah. Full. If it's plowing, it better be full. Y or else it goes down and gets stuck and it doesn't come back. All right.
Um this was this here. It's already in the budget. I don't know why we need to authorize this board to do that, but it's that's state law. Okay. Um I'll vote to support article I I entertain a motion to support article 17.
So move we have a second. All those in favor it does it consider the rental and lease. you know, it's pretty much eaten up the highway department rental and lease stuff. They need to rent a piece of equipment some
but it is part of the question. I can't wait to see what the to see if article just based on the document you just pulled up there. uh article 18 uh chapter 90 funds to see if the town will vote to appropriate any sums of money
received by the town under uh provisions of mass general law chapter 90 for the uh for the purpose uh authorized by chapter 90 or take any actions there too. I'd imagine we'll take whatever funds the state will give us as large or
small as they may be. Yes. Any yes sir any other discussion or anything necessary for that one? So entertain a motion to support article 18. So move a second. Second. All those in favor. Okay.
Uh article Yeah. Article 19, uh, veterans tax exemption, annual cost of living increase to see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of Mass General
Law, Chapter 59, section 5, clause 17 F. Really? That's a new one. 17th. 17th. All right. uh which will allow the town to provide for an increase in property tax exemption for vet veterans
equal to the cost of living as determined by the most recent consumer price index for such year as determined by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue or take any action there too. So, we don't take in enough tax money
and we want to provide a discount to any taxes that would be assessed to veterans. Yes. So, we already um provide there's there's already a provision for
a veterans tax exemption that um the the town how much it varies. It's like I think it ranges from like 450 to 1250 depending on your circumstances.
Well, this one says that's okay. This Well, this is where we are right now. Yeah. And so this this is a um recent law that was that was passed that allows community to opt to um provide a cost of
living adjustment increase on top of that. Um, so that the board of assessors uh voted um to deny. So you want me to allow an exemption that's based on
consumer price index, but I can't raise taxes more than 2 and a2%. Yes, this is the state we live in. Yes. Thank you. Remember that the very well said. Yes. Remember, the town can only offer
exemptions that are um strictly allowed for by the state. So, we can't make that we can't make up exemptions on on our on our land. It's got to be authorized by the state. That's Yeah, I
mean it's it's completely out of our control. No, we don't. It sounds like we don't have to adopt this uh CPI adjustment. We don't No, no, we're not we're not required to. It's a It's a local option,
right? But but the board of assessors is recommending in spons of the article to do so. Do they do they propose any way to make up the tax? It's a small. Well, they're they're estimating the
impact is $587. And veterans already get they already get yes a uh they're already they're already eligible for a tax exemption. Yes. What is the current exemption based
upon? Cuz it varies between like $500 and $1,200 or something. Yeah. Okay. So, it's 400. I'm sorry. So, 400 to,500. And there's, like I said, it's based
on the veteran's individual circumstances current, right? He get 400 for three. So if just saying you're at and this is pulled right from the states if if you're at right now. So if you had a $400 exception exemption right
now, this is the $400 exemption plus the cost of living assessment on top of that. So if it varies anywhere from depending on CPI which we sort of have no sort of control over it could be anywhere from
three to 2%. Yeah they estimate% based on the last two years they based the numbers they gave me on 5%. What's the high end there? 1500400. Say that again. So it's 5% more than
400. Yeah. Each one of the CPI it's going. So if if the 4% was there for somebody who's currently receiving 400 exemption and then the CPI was 5% you would get an additional 20 bucks. 420
and a year. They said for 25 don't spend it all in one place. That's what I'm kind of wondering if we're talking about pennies here or are we talking about like 550? So in FY20 if in FY25 they said they granted
$11,750 in veterans exemptions. If we add 5% cost of living adjustment for 26 that would be an additional $587.50. 50 cents and the next year it'll be $560 or whatever.
Is that $500 attempted? Is that spread out all all over the place? The exemptions? That's a good question. The exemptions spread over somebody right now. Was a question, please. No, they paid if we're exempted
$500 in taxes. Mhm. Yeah. We pay for it out of the way. Okay. All this. You would pay for it out of the year. Yeah. Yeah. Just as we do now. No, I know. I'm
just kind of Yeah. So, it's not Yeah. It's not technically out of every but you know, it comes out of a Well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's Yeah, that's coming out. It's coming out of it some one way or another. But yeah, it $11,000 worth of I mean, it
seems like it'd be difficult to get up to $11,000 worth of exemption right now. Unless there's a full exemption. 11. Well, either that or there's might be the surviving which was full
exemption, right? Okay. Oh, yeah. Cuz the rest of it, if you're at 1,500 bucks, it does take quite a bit to get up there, right?
Well, yeah. See, it's $1,500. Okay. I just entertain a motion to support talking about Okay. So, we we have a motion made. Do we have a second or no? Second. All right. All those in
favor just um so article 20 the municipal uh charges lean to see if the town will vote to adopt the provisions of Massachusetts general laws chapter 40 section
Five 58 5B it's getting later 58 the eights and B's are going to be trouble which authorizes the town to place a lean on real property located within the town for unpaid municipal charges and fees uh and to authorize the
town to place such municipal charges uh charges lean on real property for the following unpaid uh charges and payments payments required for as a condition of any special permit, variance, uh
license, site assessment, site plan review, or other uh land use approval that is issued by any board, commission, committee, or other or or officer of the town, including but not limited to
unpaid peer review charges or take any action there, too. Where is this happening here? Do we have somebody who didn't pay their taxes or not pay for a peer review charge?
So, this I know we have quite a few that don't pay their taxes. This is meant to assist us with collecting certain fees and charges, namely um as it states in the in the article on
peer review charges. We've had issues Yeah. with the planning board um of with collecting um some of these um some of these charges related to air reviews and and other um and other fees. And without
a mechanism to collect, the only other way to do it is to take someone to court. And for us to take someone to court to collect a th00and 2,000 $3,000, it's going to cost us more to to file
and to pay our legal fees. So this way you just put a lean on the property. This way we can actually collect the cost we've incurred um through a through a property tax. So this is peer reviews of amendments
done to properties in town. Well, this is for any any peer review that the planning board requires for any submission. So for subsidy, these are just costs. So you're sending it out to an outside engineer. The engineer is charging us
and then the developer is not paying those charges. That has happened I think twice since I've been here. And so, not that they're not, we've ultimately found ways, but it's been very labor intensive and difficult.
This would just make it easier just they know if you have some tool to correct to do that. They'll just pay. You won't have you won't have to do that. Otherwise, it's really it really is difficult. Okay. Entertain a motion to support made. We have a second. All those in
favor? I hope you're not going to read this. No, you got that one right. We'll be here all night. You want me to read these next 10 pages? Uh quum and everything is pretty good. All right. So, uh, article article 21,
amendment to amend amendment to an amendment. I love that amendment to amend uh section 15.2 of the flood plane district uh of the town's zoning bylaw to see if the town uh will vote to
delete section 15.2 uh flood plane district of the town's zoning bylaw in its entirety and replace it with language as follows. Uh, is there a highlight of what's
changing? I imagine someone's ask this is this is fully required by FEMA. Yep. This is the only reason this is happening is because FEMA is requiring us to to comply with their new regs and
to align with their new flood maps. And if we want to participate in their um national flood insurance um program uh or we want residents to be able to this is what we have to do essentially.
So what is the changes to the language? I mean I it's substantial. I mean I I can send you the red line version or I can you want me to pull up the red line version? Just a zero zoom. Yeah. Yeah.
And then do we know what the new flood map looks like? For anyone that may there aren't any creek. I'm not I'm between two marshes. No insurance for you.
Actually, you can't float that property to save your life cuz all sand. I dumped my entire pool on there and there's been one inch of standing water. Really? It's funny. It just a lot gone. Sand just It's unbelievable. I
can't That's why my wand's not great. You can't do it. There's nothing. Oh, you can't put your own dirt on. So it's adopting the new maps. Um it designates a flood plan administrator which is the building
inspector in this case. Um it has permit prior for construction within the flood plan flood plane walkway district. Um do we have done by
Yeah. Yeah. Do we have a but it's it's largely based on a model that was provided to us by the state. That's weird. Okay. Has other towns adopted this same thing or somebody reviewed it?
We had the we um the state has reviewed this and said that it meets the requirements and yes there are communities across the commonwealth that are doing the same very same thing the changes to our flood map based
on I didn't do the review of the map but based on a preliminary review that was done by the town. Um it did not appear that any any residential property is more affected based on the new maps based on
the changes. See if I can just jump this. Oh yeah, that's Yeah, I guess right basic question is did it change any map? It does. It changes the map.
again. I don't think it it doesn't affect any um any [Music] res I just I guess this would be more do we do we need an overlay to show
people at because if it I know if if it were my property and all of a sudden I wasn't in the flood zone and now I'm in a flood zone or even a piece of that property I would say I don't want to do this yeah Somebody Yeah, somebody's
presenting this. Tell me, Ron, somebody is. I'm not sure it's going to be me, but somebody is. Yeah. Let's see. Sorry. I I was just more for like I said when it comes
to when it comes to town meeting if we had a map or just a picture of the here's the existing here's the existing here's the new no big Jake come on now use your hat you know these areas just get bigger I know
and that's what makes me worry they just get bigger and you know so we so we can all pay insurance companies more Damn it. I'm just saying that maybe something not the end of the wall. All right, that's a good idea.
It's We kind of have to do it though. Yep. That sure makes it look like the entire town's in the Nothing changed cuz we're all in it. You've been in it the whole time. Oh man, that looks like Yeah. I mean,
it's just hard. You know what I mean? It's hard to make sense of it. Um, you should So, what's the area? This is This comes under the heading of you have to pass it to find out what's
in it. You sure it doesn't? It looks like it's damn close to my house. Well, no, it may it may be, but it's not it's not a change. What if the h is
a hashed original and the solid is the the new? This is this is the hat the actual body. No, the this pending panel is going into effect. So this is
the this is the new map but it's not the looking at the same place which is Yeah. So it's not quite the exact change over here. Every time you move it you're moving both maps at the same time. It's like they don't move.
It can't be that the screen's not big enough. Those are just adjacent maps. Okay. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. All right. So, yeah, this isn't I don't love the way they did this, but they are trying
to show like, okay, that's what it is. That's what it is. Now, if you want to see how it change, move, you know what I'm saying? Am I making sense? It is making sense. It's just I see. It's not easy to I think it might be in
my pool now. But you see how you're not seeing a ton of change? trying to remember what uh is there is there something to do with uh you know grandfathered uh
uh you know stuff that's um yeah 80 years stuff that's existing even though you know yeah maybe uh maybe an area may have been expanded to include the flood plane but if you've
got your swimming pool or you know whatever. So, how does that how does that apply to the ADU? Because I was kind of looking at want to put a pool house in the backyard and say that would be a problem with these new flood plane lines, but whether we whether we adopt this bylaw or not,
it's not going to change the FEMA maps. The FEMA maps are going to stay the same. So, if you're impacted with or without this bylaw, you're going to be impacted. What this bylaw does is allow you to access FEMA sponsored flood
insurance if you so choose. But if I get my you if I get my in before July 8th. All right. I would uh entertain a motion to support the adoption of uh the revised section here.
Second. All right. All in favor? All right. Uh, I don't think there's anything else any other articles for us to discuss this evening. We've already supported the override. We need to talk about anymore. All right. I as a
uh as Jason was alluding to earlier as we were going through the budgetary discussions, um I had drafted uh a statement more for myself personally.
Um but it does reference my uh time here on the advisory board. um and my current position. Um I can read it to you, send it, whatever you want to do. Um it might not
be it could go either way, right? People that are watching a video recording here or anything else, but this is more of a an open statement. Um from my personal position, I've gotten to I'll be honest with the everyone here. I've kind of gotten to the point where we're we're continuing to ask the same thing over
and over again. I feel like I'm running into a brick wall. I I'm sure we feel there other people feel very similarly. Um if we if we don't get this current override, I think we're kind of in a spot where we're heading down a road where the town really isn't, you know,
supportive of what the people that are uh educated on the topic really understand where we're where we're going and what we're doing. And I think when we look at our our board here, in my mind, we have an amazing cross-section of our community, as I've stated previously, that we've got people
actively working, we have retirees, we have uh people with children in the school district and people without. uh we have a a subsection I think is important to our uh to our group and when we all look at it and we all make the decision as sort of the educated I
would say you know adults in the room that you know when we say that this is probably the best path forward for our town and uh our select board agrees with us our town administrator agrees with us we find ourselves stuck in a position that is less than favorable and I don't
know you know I'm feeling like we've pulled out all the stops we've done everything we possibly can. We're now talking to a random uh uh camera in front of us here. Whether or not people are listening or not. So, if with your permission, I'd like to read the following statement at town meeting. And
you know, I don't know whether I'll be at the requested depends what what Rafie thinks whether I need to uh go to the open microphone or can retain sitting at the table if we're for um so I'll run through it here quickly.
It's only a page. It shouldn't take more than a minute here to run through it. So, and with the permission of the board, I leave the pardon of discussing my uh role here within this year. So, I just said uh good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. My name is Jake Luan and I
proudly serve as the chairman of the advisory board. I've been on the board since 2019 and each year alongside with the town administrator and select board, we diligently work to develop a responsible budget that reflects the needs and values of our community. For at least
the past two years, we have proposed a Proposition 2 and a half override not to exceed uh not to uh expand government, but simply to sustain a functional and effective town government. This includes a properly staffed town hall, police,
the police and fire departments, highway department, and a school system that delivers quality education uh the quality education our children deserve. Unfortunately, these all overrides have uh override requests have not passed. As a result, we have not been able to
provide these basic services uh for the uh for the most communities uh sorry, services that most communities take for granted. Our police department is not fully staffed, leaving just one officer on duty uh during overnight shifts. Our
fire department operates below ideal staffing levels and relies heavily on grants to meet basic safety uh safety standards uh including equipment and vehicles. And last year, due to failed overrides, we faced the loss of 24 uh
full-time educators. While staffing decisions ultimately rest uh with the school district, I can say with confidence that our entire region uh regional team is united in a goal to provide the best education possible for our children. The failure of last year's
override wasn't just a budget issue. It was the loss of value team members and momentum. Before those cuts, one of our elementary schools, uh the very building we are in tonight, assuming we're going to be there tomorrow, uh on that night, ranked third in the entire state. That kind of excellence is possible when we
invest in our schools. Without investment, the excellence fades. Tonight, the town administrator, select board, and advisory board are once again asking you to asking you for your support of Proposition 2 and a half override. This request is not about
expanding services. It's about prevent uh preserving what we still have. Without it, we face cuts, including those uh and including the loss of another 14 uh school staff members and additional reductions to town programs and potentially facilities. Throughout
this meeting, you'll hear details about what will happen if if we fail uh to pass the level service override budget uh both tonight and at the ballot box. Uh let me be clear, the budget does not restore anything that we have lost. It does not fill the vacancies in our
police, fire, or highway departments. It does not bring back the staff that we've had to cut. It simply holds the line of where we are today. Uh it preserves what we have left. We understand that there may be a perception uh that your elected officials are asking for too much or
we'll find another way. Excuse me, another way. I assure you we won't. Uh we are not and we will not. And I'm sorry. I assure you we are not and won't. This is not a wish list. This is a lifeline. And if uh this override
passes, our work doesn't stop there. We've already begun taking steps to address the larger funding challenges. We've brought our concerns to both state and local officials. We've sent letters, held meetings, and even offered to take time off of work to travel to Beacon Hill and advocate in person for more
equitable funding. Our local partnership with Grten and the school district has never been stronger. Together, we've uh reopened the regional agreement to explore improvements to us uh to the assessment process. We've brought in independent auditors to conduct
operational audits, ensuring we are doing everything we can uh to use our resources effectively and wisely. We are fully committed to building the kind of town we all want and deserve, a safe, well educated, and vibrant community. Uh we have scrutinized every dollar uh to
arrive at this level service override. Uh uh we want to present it to you with humid humility and transparency. This proposal reflects the hard work and of a diverse group of your neighbors, working professionals, retirees, longtime
residents, and new members to the community who are all in agreement. Uh this step is necessary to keep our town moving forward. Please trust in the work that has been done here. Please vote yes tonight and at the ballot box for this level service budget. Thank you.
I thought that was great. So if I'm afforded the opportunity and you guys are okay with that proceeding forward. Oh, please do. Yes, sir. You were talking you said the fire below ideal something like that.
Yeah, but below ideal staffing level. Yeah. I don't know if I was but I haven't thought of anything much better. Um what's police I was trying to think different word. Yeah because
I what's the we're not going to make ideal. We want some minimal level. Yeah. But I haven't really Yeah. Very good though. Okay. Good. I was think trying to think maybe a
little different word there than ideal. Okay, that was great. It was well written, succinct. Got to all the major points. Took some time there. Yeah, I thought that too. Really good. Appreciate it. I just wanted to make sure I ran it past you guys before I said anything because of the fact that,
you know, it does reference what we do here and, you know, if I misrepresented anything, I have the opportunity to make any edits. Okay. And also a lot of things that are important to say. I mean that that's the
type of thing that I think can sway people much more than any facts and you know figures. So um with that I have no issue with making the copies myself. I give it as a
potential takeaway uh from the you know when they show up. We I was talking to Jason earlier about adding the letters that we have sent to our state and local representatives talking about our funding issues and constraints that we have had to this point just to kind of show the proof the evidence. I've been
pushing and Jason can tell you any sort of audit that we have. If we have even the most basic draft audit of something, please let me have it so we can put it in here. We're doing the work. complete. You know, you're you're only seeing five minutes of it here in our town meeting.
And, you know, it uh it's a struggle. It's a challenge to sort of uh not see this stuff continue to pass. And to think about what I know from my I said my own personal expertise, it must be 22 and 44. Uh 24 and 12. 14 by the way, 22
staff have went cut and 14 are on the chopping block if we don't do this, right? I think it's 24. Was it 24 and 14 previous anyway? But I've seen what the the reduction the reduction has done and um is not good and to think if they lose
14 more. I mean I just I don't even want to it's it's a a huge struggle for me to and then I don't I don't think Broton has any intention to just the other part too was you start mentioning all these things and you could I could stand with
her for 20 minutes, right? We could talk all day long. Um, and I don't want to do that. But this is just it it's we can't sustain another loss like that. It just it we're not going to have what we need. And then if Groten chose
to like well if Dunil's not going to pay for it, we're not going to either. And if their board instead of recommending a a super town meeting just cut the funding from it, I don't think they would do that. I think they would recommend a super. If they recommended a Supertown meeting,
we're we're at $280,000 a loss. That's the libraryy's 230. We still have to cut another 40. Like I mean, it's just Yeah, it's crazy. I think their selectman already stated, didn't they? That there'd be no
uh there'd be no uh free ride this time. It would be they'd be going to a a super town meeting. Yeah. And I think that was at one of the
meetings. What I did want to ask if you what what kind of response did you get from your letterw writing campaign to the uh to the state did anybody uh we we so I I didn't
get any formal response. Um, I mean, I've talked to our local delegation. I mean, they're they're locked in on it. So, they I talked to them many times, both Rep. Scarsdale and Senator Kennedy. Um,
so, you know, they're they're they're doing what they can at the state house, but the letter was addressed to the chairs of the Ways and Means Committee. I didn't get a response from either one either one of them either from the House or the
Senate, but I do know that it's it's rising on the on the scale of importance at the state house. It's getting attention. It's being talked about um more I think more and more. And so I
I'm more optimistic than I was that there might there might be possibility to get some change or at least get some bridge funding before they can make a change. But, um, unfortunately, it probably it's probably going to take more communities like you've seen with
teachers on strike, you know, um, towns going to I I wouldn't I would honestly say that, you know, if if we were unfortunate enough to not pass this that I would recommend to the school board to publicize it, right?
I know that's terrible to think that you're, you know, gaining off of somebody else's demise with a position, but you've got to utilize that to try to gain public influence. And if they're talking about, you know, Dunible and
Croten and Tingsboro and, you know, uh, Spill Rick or whatever it is, and they're cutting they're cutting schools and their teachers are on strike and you don't have this that at least maybe it puts additional pressure on folks to do something before our school systems
plummet. I mean, I just got an email a couple days ago from the chair of the whatever it's called, small small town administrators, managers and managers or something. There's a group
of us that um are on a list serve and I just got an email from the chair that is uh surveying all of us on who's going for an override because there's so many of us that need an override for the for the in the for the most part for the
same exact reason. I mean it's everybody is dealing with this issue. It's not it's we are not alone. And I mean, you have the largest union in the state of Massachusetts that has a negotiated terms that provides an increase that that goes above and beyond
what our propositions allow us to tax. I mean, 80% of their budget. Yeah, that's 80% budget goes up at 7. I mean there are there are cities right now. I mean I
the community I live in would never talk about an over talking about because we're a community too and uh I mean it's it's like third grade stuff where I am but there's no other
way. There's no other way to deal with it. All right, move to a hearing. Yep. I entertain a motion to return. We have first, second. All those in favor? I. Thank you everybody. Appreciate your
time. Yeah. Thank you. One of the [Music] top 1%. Seven.