505 on March 26 we have a very short agenda tonight and that's not any criticism to you for the presentation you're going to give um so we have a public comment then a National Grid hearing for River Street
pole location followed by the FY 26 Town administrator's recommended budget and any other topics not reasonably anticipated by the chair um so start with open public forums anyone who has anything to speak to that is not on the
agenda I have one I don't think you count no all what you got kind of um so a resident reached out to me in regards to um Gren Hall Street and School Street where they meet and there's a it's a
yield going into gron there and so if you're going Hall and school yeah okay y Hall and school and then you going to keep going gra towards the Y and Lake Street is it's a four great across there and with the um the
new owners on that they put a big white fence up it's actually hard to see around it so they were sort of checking to see if there was a world we put a stop sign just to get someone to stop on School Street and sort of inch out a little more slowly so you can see what's
going on rather than yield and run through it so the first thing that pops into my mind about that is the fence Bend placed so that is not in violation of the bylaw that the highway department had about certain objects blocking the
view if it's on the right away if it's in the right away yeah this resident checked with the highway commissioner okay and he said you know really it's a select board matter to determine whether a stop sign seemed feasible there or not well did they say that the fence was in
the appropriate place that I don't know okay and it also makes me think of the traffic in we had what was it it was where we had after the big night yeah yeah and and that too is also kind
of a blind spot right where I have a list of intersection I feel there should be stop signs and we want to put that on the agenda at some point we've been talking yeah yeah dway he had some spots he thought there should be stop signs
whether's a nothing or B sign yeah I just think it might be you know we seem to be running into you know issues that people are just more cars on the road more cars on the road and people are looking at their phones more often I'm guilty of it a lot of times you know looking at my phone driving people just
even if it's just directions you're staring at the phone to see way to go not pay attention the yeah so maybe it's um if you have a kind of a hot list and then we sort of combine it with ones we heard from residents maybe look you know a meeting you know maybe after town meeting just to let the dust settle budgetary wise
and sort of sit down and sort of walk through that stuff and say hey here's the top four or five we' had some incidents let's see what we can do to help you guys and help our residents out that way yeah it sounds fair cool that's my only public comment okay wasn't that bad
no it wasn't bad at all no not bad at all okay anybody else good okay um next up we have the National Grid hearing River Street pole location um do we have a motion we need to read to open the
hearing for this uh I don't have a motion to open the hearing you have been hearing those just the first paragraph you want me to read it if you'd like to you may there is uh the dble board of Selectmen should
be select board D select board um will hold a public hearing on the following poll and wire locations petitions petition filed by National Grid on Wednesday March 26 2024 at 5:05 p.m. for for the following Massachusetts electric
company DBA National Grid and Verizon New England uh Incorporated request permission to locate poles wires and fixtures including necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures along and across the following public way uh this is
River Street I won't go through this full read about but River Street where there's a new subdivision going in okay we have someone here from National Grid yeah come on see sure it's
really just a midspan pole between two already existing poles that is going to be used to feed a new 11 single family residential development so that's really it going on the same side yeah it's on the same side
as the existing poles there's there's not even houses near by it's it's a new development new residential underground development so we're using that pole for as a riser Pole to get the three-phase power to the Head
Transformers urd any concerns if those families if all of them do solar or anything like that just because I know AC the subdivision across the street has quite a few solar homes um I don't know at this time research see if there any uh
distri generation projects going on there but from what I know this job there I don't see any solar I mean it's possible later on for like a homeowner to want solar but we have our own group within
National grd that deals with that okay so you're bringing three phase in up to that point from the three phase is already there it's a midspan pole between two uh existing poles that have three primary on and so we're putting
mid span one at the end of the driveway to the UR okay so okay here fair enough um so we need to read aloud or I guess we don't have any
questions I know there aren't any Wetlands [Music] there do we do I have to read aloud this whole thing there's a draft motion on page um before you read it I ask one
question not related to this poll but related to another poll and so um there's a poll at Groton Street and cross street that I've been working with National Grid to try to get a place
like this and so there's a new poll there Charter spectrums move their equipment but my biggest R is I've become like the Pro manager for this like I'm I am coordinating with Horizon
Charter National Grid to get this equipment move on a your pole so I I joint poles only own the top half of every pole so that's why sometimes you'll see like double set poles it's because when we set a new pole we only own the top half of it and
Verizon owns the bottom half and we're in charge of installing the pole and they're in charge of removing the old pole in a lot of okay so who's responsible with coordinating the the removal of the equipment from one pole and and placing it on the other
so just to get some clarification the new Pole right now has no existing equipment on it well it has Charter spectrums equipment on it now because they moved it right so but when National installed the PO they didn't move the
wires over from the old that's oh maybe maybe I shouldn't say no I don't believe so for my understanding based on the numerous exchanges I've had with everybody on the sun about this one poll um my understanding is that National Grid was
going to move pairs at the end and and if that that could be wrong but that's my understanding that's not typically how new pole sets are done we come we cut the top off of the old pole we move our infrastructure on the new pole and we leave a bottom half for
Verizon to do their work later on that's not no that's usually how I mean I'm not too familiar with whatever pool you're talking about yeah no no no I don't expect you to be but it's pretty unsightly though and residents are yeah i' I've heard about that one as well
from some folks on cross street there it's just like what's going on I haven't seen it does yeah it doesn't look good and with all the wind we've had and everything they just started this recently is responsible
okay but who is responsible to coordinate the work that's my question well I mean you wouldn't coordinate anything with national gr we did our our job yeah we moved the wires and set the B so okay so then what what I'm trying to understand what happen can we just take it out
ourselves that's the thing you just move put the Poland movie stuff and say okay great we're done that's pretty much it yeah then how does anyone else know that it's their so we have like a process within our companies because we uh Verizon purchase interest in every po
set that we do so that they have a lot of space within the pole to put their cable wires which is why they're joint own and the agreement we have is that we set the poles they remove the poles okay so we will set the new pole we put our like you know high voltage lines on it
or whatever may be there Transformer whatever and then we leave the rest of the poll for Verizon to change their wires over and then they're responsible removing so so it sounds like it should be Verizon Verizon how do they know it's
there well we have like a we call it the exchange of notice I it wouldn't mean anything to you guys but within our company every time we set a new poll and it's joint owned we send all the information to Verizon and then it's up to there get not once you put the poll
set the poll and move your stuff somehow there's some way that that information gets to Verizon and says okay now it's your turn yeah usually even before the poll was set all this information is sent to where like we plan to replace this pole for XY and Z
reasons like safety hazard or whatnot and um upon the new poll set like after we cut the top off our infrastructure it's it's on them did okay how about uh Spectrum who would tell them uh Spectrum
I'm not sure I know Verizon is mostly who we deal with I'm just frustrated by it because I don't because actually very common thing I know I I know people to because everyone thinks it's National Grid that's leaving these double set holes
everywhere it's really Verizon that hasn't gone there yet to remove it but yeah I mean somebody has to own it and in all these situations like it's this and when I asked even like trying to get Spectrum to do it I don't want to
Bel the point but even to get Spectrum to do it I reach out to Natural they're like oh yeah I don't know I don't have a contact with Spectrum I'm like okay so now I'm I chasing my tail trying to find someone thousands of sets like within a
month you know no I get I get that but it's also somebody's responsibility to make it safe and remove them and it just doesn't I mean we don't have a ton of Dum it's not really a huge problem here but in this case I'm like project managing this thing I don't know why I'm
doing it yeah I mean based on the picture you showed like National Grid doesn't own any of those lines on there it looks like they already set the new pole and cut the top off like our standard process so really it's you need to that I
am sorry we're giving you a lot to chew on to yeah but so I I'm also a resident I live on Hall Street so I look at this every day when I'm coming up um and it's not all of National Grid stuff is not on
that pole the shorter pole is the one that's like this yeah the shorter pole the one with all the like cat cables and like except for like the charter lines are all on the shorter pole yeah so they just haven't gotten around to changing
over to the new pole and removing the old one it's up to them they're scheduling it but none of those buers are National Grid wires no we only own the top half the high voltage top the secondary voltage about six feet below that and
then after that everything is all cable you know fiber optics okay thank you but it is a very common question don't unless they're solely owned by yeah it's just a mean it's also like the
safety hazard of it like if it comes down on a car like who do we call it to say your pole hit you know Kieran man as he drove by like yeah right what's the LI the liability is increasingly you precarious for the town because it's the town roadway but it's
not our pole if the pole hits and kill somebody walking a dog then like I'm going to want to know who to go after it's definitely Ian our Authority having jurisdiction engine we set the new goal and move our stuff over to the new one okay so it's completely up to Verizon or
or cable companies to to remove the old one that's the agreement we have with them okay and they are pretty difficult sometimes to get in touch with yeah sorry I think that's what we're experiencing I think it's because like you said it happens everywhere right like in communities things get archived
over time and you know our TA shouldn't be chasing it you know because like I guess I would think it would be the utility provider you know I digress so we have emotion thanks for letting us punch punch you around a bit there I know it's
not your fault message to get back it's it's just a chronic problem everywhere which is these double poles happen and then all the utilities are pointing at each other saying it's their fault and I appreciate you explaining it the
way you did but it still is frustrating for the community To Tot be in a position where you're coordinating this work when it's really the utilities that should be doing it and someone should actually own that process and it doesn't
seem like anyone does that's all well if we go do it ourselves we'll see how quickly someone shows up is about to fall over we someone here right now I have and I've emailed them yes and I've done the same with national GD I've done the same with TR ins
Spectrum so I can understand why you wouldn't hear anything from National like you're relinquish no no the I mean I've everybody it's not that I haven't heard anything um but just down the act the action is less than what it's okay
thank you appreciate it all right cool all right do we have a motion for the hearing sure yeah okay good yeah no I move to approve National Grid to erect and maintain poles and wires to be placed thereon together with Su
sustaining and protective protecting fixtures as said companies May deem necessary as proposed in the public way or ways herein after referred to as requested in a petition in the following location River street- National Grid to install one Jo pole on River Street
beginning at a point approximately 260 ft south of the center line at the intersection of River Street and Chapman Street and install one new 45 452 pole on River Street to power the new residential development and further
to Grant permission to lay and maintain underground laterals cables and wires in the above and or intersecting public WS for the purpose of making connections to such polls and buildings as each of said petitioners may desire for Distributing
purposes all right second is there any further discussion on this being none all those in favor J me and I we have as's ey thank you good to go thanks thank
you okay next up FY 26 budget presentation you want to run through presentation quickly so that the folks watching at home
can yep with it okay so a broad overview of of the budget uh tax levy and you have all the backup detail and all that but I just a broad overview tax levy for operating is
increasing with projecting by 35% our excluded debt Services significantly decreased in by almost 50 46.75 so that combined um totals of 2.2% increase in the total Levy our charity
sheet estimate is based on the governor's proposal for almost 5% increase and then we're also estimating local receipts to increase by 50,000 or 6.67% in total our total revenue being
appropriate is is increasing by 2.86 and that includes everything includes water and price CPA everything so total operating debt expenditures increasing by 6.59% this is the level service budget and here's just the breakdown of
the increases by budget category um our budget plan for FY 26 also includes a $50 $50,000 free cash appropriation to our general stabilization fund from free cash and another
$50,000 appropriation from free cash to the newly created Capital Improvement program stabilization fund some of the major changes in our budget health insurance rates are increasing by 14.13% while our health insurance rates
are increasing are actually increasing by that amount I've only increased the health insurance budget by 2% so we have some flexibility because of the wide range of increases and
people rolling off people rolling on we're going to lose some of that um this for next year our pension assessment is increasing by 24% um general liability projection we don't have
definitive numbers but projection is 3.27 our regional dispatch assessment is coming online um I think this should say 28 I'm sorry if this says 29 right now but um and the
increase at that time will be 50% of our total assessment so in year is it year four or three four year four we get a 50% assessment charge we get the first three years for and so rather than coming up
with that entire amount which would be in the range of probably $55 to $60,000 we're trying to build up that amount year over-year so that we're preparing for it rather than scrambling at year
four so we've baked in $22,000 this fiscal year 10,000 increase in the police budget and their Communications line and $122,000 increase in the fire Communications line
okay so and the idea is for each fiscal leading up to 20 28 um we will do that so that we have about that amount the grant dun reg School District
assessment is increasing [Music] 7.89% the greater low Tech High School 10.92% what does that translate to I mean because it's the small amount of our budget it sounds like a high jump but it's ultimately not a big hit
$18,000 yeah okay roughly yeah budget D like Ron would say yeah bu yeah the total Municipal operations and Debt Service budget is increasing by 4.19 Municipal salaries by
4.93 and like I said um Debt Service is drastically dramatically decreasing this year um and but The Debt Service we're carrying is based on um the current debt schedule this is an overiew of the
revenues I don't have to really go through this in depth and I just basically talked about that the only thing I'll mention is our free cash use I've separated it out a little bit so we can really see the number the number that's supporting our operating
expenses so this year it's $105,000 the free cash from for Town articles that is the general stabilization that is the CIP stabilization and that is our capital budget here's a breakdown of the levy
that I just went over state aid this is a breakdown of the governor's local Aid proposal this gives you the history of our state aid essentially showing that it's been pretty it's not increasing with in similar ways that our expenses
are yeah so our total free cash certified available for appropriation this year is $791,000 so that the the variance between 791 is in 408 is what we'll have
uh what we'll maintain in our free cash balance this is this is the history of our free cash use if you have any question just um these are the total expenditures this gives you an idea
where our money is going and the percentage percentages these the increases in each budget category for that previous slide yes sir 64.6 yeah like last year we were not at 64.6
right it's rough it's always moving that b where you talking about so if you look at the pie chart oh oh she was right way y okay all right the schools okay yeah just because I know like sometimes people say like what's been the breakdown the last couple years like what portion of our total budget went
towards you know School academic funding yeah and this is rough if you add in our cap this does not include our Capital the 120 Capital if you add that in it's about 6436 okay
cool these are the changes by category so this gives you just a a breakdown per budget category of where we're seeing the changes um Town Administrator budget is seeing a large increase select board
budget seeing $77,000 increase that is because just to be clear that's not an increase in our overall spending that is because we've Consolidated our postage line our mailing postage lines
under your budget so um while it looks like an increase it's actually the same spending in that category it's just Consolidated one just for really administrative purposes just makes it easier on on our in Department
fincom right right now the way I proposed it sees a $10,000 increase that is in a salary Reserve account as you know we're going through the comping class study right now we don't have the final outcome or recommendations of that but in order to implement we're going to
need some funding to do that that's why that's there um the treasurer department you're seeing a large increase that is primarily because as you know we share the
treasurer um the last Treasurer took health insurance got his health insurance from the town um in this case we're not sure it's going to happen so we had to increase the salary in case that doesn't happen police department and fire
department was saying increases um a lot of that is really twofold one is salary increases that's funding the new ging contract and um new fire CH contract and the communication increases that I
talked about earlier schools we already know about that's 195 the greater little Tech 18 it's 195 yeah it's just the breakdown of school spending highway department and that's salary and
then that's repair and maintenance which has gone through the roof for them this year and also slight increase in the rental in lease line which is hopefully going to fund a new vehicle for the highway
superintendent we are seeing veterans budgets in decrease based on historic spending Library seeing this increase to meet the 2 and half% um increase requirement for their
certification so we're making up some um on that because we didn't meet it last year we had to apply for waiver I is going up $2,500 to to meet our spending need that's just what the
actual expenses are and then these are the increases like I said remember just keep that in mind the health insurance line is going up that amount 2% but it's the rates are actually increasing by 14 yeah that's
across the board for Maya right and many other municipalities that's that's about the average the range they gave was 10 to 20 okay but the average is right where we're seeing at the average slightly under the average
so there are two budget scenarios that um the recommended budget contemplates one is the level service which keeps Municipal side and the school side at level service maintains the level service we we're providing
now under the scenario where we have to match the gr assessment which is the bottom line number that's our Baseline this year we can't go anywher than that um we have a deficit of $188,000 um just keep in mind
that if we're that scenario the school um Grant Regional School District will need to cut approximately $875,000 from their budget which is you know on top of the cuts they've had to make for this disc year
okay so roughly the this is the um tax impact based on fy2 um tax rates for the level service budget it's $383 on the average single family tax bill and to match the Bren assessment
which again will require cuts um it's $150 on the average single family tax bill that is only for the override the tax impact the estimated increase with
Levy without the override is 205 so you have to add those you have to add 205 to those numbers to get the actual increase for the average single family homeowner all right this is where the fun begins so
just on those numbers like I always think of Michael Scott and it's like explain it to me like I'm a fifth grader and this is pretty clear to me but just for the for the person walking into the school to do to come to town meeting
like however we can really make it as because I see there's another sheet that says if your house is worth a million dollars here's what the impact is like and a lot of people are very lucky that their houses are worth about a million dollars in town that's kind of the going rate it feels like I think we like make
it as simple as possible and I'm not saying this like pointing it at you but just like this is what the override means to you here's what your tax bill is now here's what the Delta will be it's going to be an additional $250 $400 and if you divide that by 12 that's
about $35 a month I because people just it could your residents get really frustrated when they see a big number but when you think about 35 bucks a month maybe that's a bit more feasible I I don't know everybody's different right
like yeah so just that hammering that home say I think that catches people by surprise when they see a big number but then you really think about it oh $40 okay that's half yeah yeah right in addition to the two and a half already we doing on top
of it you know yeah so yeah that makes sense and maybe that's part of our like communication plan over time but just like okay so um this is my best attempt to put
together a schedule and flowchart for us to understand the implication of if this happens then what happens basically so under my scenario and we had a long conversation at The Advisory
board meeting about this is it last week I guess it was last week I'm still trying to rec from me too you haven't left this room so there was a lot of conversation and I don't know if consensus was met I
I'd say it probably wasn't there was there were a lot of opinions on how best to approach this but I'll run this run down this and if you're looking for simple I don't not sure this does it but but I'll do the best I
can so if we are to propose to budgets a town meeting as I suggest both overy budgets um I have here around April 15th um it will probably be at your first meeting
in April so that looks it may be earlier than that but just for the sake of argument April 15th I think is the last day to make the annual Town election you could call to elections one
on May 20th which is the annual which you put the level service override on that ballot if that were not to be successful you could also call special election for June 10th and you could have the gron
assessment match on for the special Town election we can have that on the ballot on June 10th a town meeting both override budgets are presented um let's assume just for the sake of
argument they are adopted in at town meeting on the 20th that time election you have an override request for the level service budget that's the $480,000 override if that passes we're done we're in good
shape if it fails we move to June 10th for the lower number that's the special election if it passes there are two options
one if brought and fails their level service budget override we're we're good we have a balanced budget because we pass the lower budget at time me year and gr they need to go back and figure out what they're going to do they would be they would be good too because they they
they're going to pass a balanced budget and they'll be fine they they already approved the 188 yes that's happen that is the Bas on number if Groton passes the service
budget then we and we pass the smaller override then we're in deficit by approximately $300,000 so in that case um and if it
fails we're going to have to schedule a special town a special town meeting we can have that on June 26th we'd have to post we'd have to post it um you need two weeks to post for a special and then at special town meeting
we'll have to adopt a balance budget um based on reductions because we still have the obligation to pay our assessment regardless yeah put this in a
box box yeah yeah now this isn't the only scenario there are many there are several others that we could could do we could just we could present one budget at town meeting we could present the level service budget and a balance
budget at town meeting um if we want to present a balanced budget how are we going to balance it do we want to base it on the level service budget cuts or do we want to base it on the Grant and assessment cut matching Grant assessment Cuts I mean those are the type of
decisions that we need to bank I like this approach the best because it gives us we at least have a safety net with a smaller number if it it fails in Gro and we still need
to meet their assessment number and to carry this forward more on June 11th or the 26th if if it fails again we just keep trying well
Noe what's that just do a pepper you keep going back and then you have you do a one 12th budget as of July one you can't do a 112th budget you couldn't do that because we wouldn't be meeting the assessment that the schools Regional School districts are allowed to do a
112th we're not we can't do a 112th so because we wouldn't have a balanced budget we' both we'd have contingency budgets at annual two contingency budget based on different override numers okay so because of that on June 11th the day
after the special election but select board would have to post a meeting you know on whatever June 8th or whatever and be ready to call a special for special town meeting on June 26 and in between that we balance the budget
based on either $480,000 worth of cuts so $300,000 worth of cuts becomes a bare bonance yeah yeah okay it's tury jerky and not the easiest to uh navigate and explain but I
don't there are other straightforward more straightforward but this was I think the one that I'm most comfortable with but I know advisory had some opinions and some very good points in there I mean the main concern
that we had was at least I believe the main concern we had was by proposing the two we're giving people options and why wouldn't they go for the lower amount and again I I really think there is a misunderstanding of the Regional School agreement and what our goal is in that
agreement which is we don't have a choice to fund the one right now that's we have to we don't we don't have Choice it's already been agreed yeah I don't think people quite understand that but I really I still really believe they don't because and
and if they don't we don't pass the 188 it it means we're going to cut the town do I mean school doesn't get won't be cut to that right um I I personally like the the bigger override amount for
obvious reasons one of them is being um it if BR fails it when we look back at history it means that we're not going to have you know we're not going to need another five years because that's historically that's what happens
yeah well even asking for the bigger override it's not like it's Feathering our bed it's still working on a pretty very lean budget but it's preventing having the school to make some additional significant cuts that it
had to do last year so saying a bigger budget I mean it almost sounds like oh okay we get to do all kinds of fun things with it but that's that's really not the case that's allowing the school to continue as it is functioning without having to make additional cuts and
allows our town to continue as it is functioning without any significant additional yeah and and the other argument I would make is that over the past like since 2008 with the exception of last year yeah any cut schools had to
make is because rot was not able to meet their assessment not because of us we passed us we pass yeah so I I understand Jason I I totally understand where Jason's coming from he's you know if it doesn't pass then
what do we do and um I mean if but if rot does pass it going be a very different if the one if we go for the 188 and gr you know you don't if we go for the four what is it
four 480 yeah 480 override and gron passes theirs because the Le on the same day we're going have a big problem in the morning if we don't pass ours right which is why we have this uh
scenario here yeah so that's the concern concern from the gr standpoint was yeah if we're if we're giving them people two options for making it sound like there are two options when I personally don't believe it really
is well there's obviously the option of making sure everybody is being funded and the other option is sort of an austerity measure so well like yeah I mean the question
is do we want the difference between the two options is an $875,000 cut to the schools when they just cut 2.7 or something this year um in 24
positions that's 30 30 30 24 is what they propose if the override doesn't pass 24 24 this year4 this year so that's that's the that's the
difference it's to people really think it's sustainable for them to continue to cut that kind of funding from the budget year I hear Matt's point about to give people two numbers they're going to choose the lower
one and I think at town meeting there'll be some discussion but overall I think as usual it'll probably be resisted but pass and then in the ballot it's always quieter in The Ballot Box yeah people you know really do some penny pinching and they think well I
don't want my taxes to go up that much it's already been a bleak GE eggs are through the roof um so people probably take the lower number just based out of it's what you should do but if they're they to really
understand the repercussions of that too I mean and how but again there's a point we can't can't force people promote but we also can't campaign one way or the other right so but you know I think there was a good there was a good effort made by a
lot of folks last year in town and it unfortunately didn't work out and I'm hoping they're not you know dis disillusioned to not want to come out again and it's we're a little early in the game but we're March feels like it flew by right like all of a sudden March was
over and I'm like what are we doing I think the Dynamics are different you obiously were not asking for as much as we were last year but I also think there's a a very different um attitude coming from the schools right now with there a new
superintendent um I I really think that no was rejection of the superintendent last year was extremely unpopular including with the teachers by one concern for the schools and I said this to them at that sort of joint meeting gu is are you going to be
asking for another one next year and like that like and like that's and I think it was Paul one of of Bud Robinson I keep using him because I thought he did a good job very nicely saying like aren't we just going to do this again next year and I think that sustainability is what discouraging I
think two things we could look at if Jak said are we ever going to get to 2.5 right and that's it well right you're always G to have this issue I will say this is the lowest increase I've ever seen of asked for even when the first draft what they
were asking for came out was it's the lowest increase I've seen in since I've been on on the advisory rep yeah so to me heading in the right direction they'll never get to 2.5 five though no and and you know and you know
part of it could be um you know for you know the salaries are a huge portion of that budget yeah um you know they in some ways their hands are tied so I I at least I see that number coming down when I didn't see it coming down the five
years before that yeah so what I mean what do you need from us have a motion yeah yeah but I just want everyone to be comfortable with the the approach really um because
it's it could end up being a long two months April and May or I'm sorry May and June um well we're not really okay so with this approach there's one override
scenario being presented no two you you are doing both two override budgets presented at town meeting at the annual election okay the level service larger override will be on the
ballot if that passes we'll get if it fails no both are all right both are being presented and fact they're being explained but there's only one being voted on no both both are on that b no at the annual election only that's what I'm saying yeah and
then if that fails that fails correct then we'll have a special election on June 10th for the small number right okay if that fails then we're then we're at special town meeting last the last week of June
to get a budget done yeah if that happens right if the larger amount fails on the same day that br's having their election and that there passes what happens cuz the one Ed fly
we're going to have a deficit no matter what if the if on June 10th if the smaller override passes well the $300,000 deficit will still have to have a special time meeting for a balanced
budget it would be get pretty Grim at that point yeah so we'd have to have so if they if they override passes and our first one does it we're going to go for a special town meeting again is that say say that one more time so at the at our town meeting right
we're going to pass two budgets one with the one ride one with FL yes the election will only have the four on for annual yes but if Gren passes they override for the schools specifically um then the if the 18 budget that we now
have passed won't fly anymore so what I'm asking is if their override happens to pass what does that to I we have to have more than just another special election right oh no we'll have the special election to see if people will
fund the smaller override and then we have to have a special town meeting to pass a balanced budget based on the outcome of the the special election on attempt so we may end up having to just get to the bigger number but just in a couple different steps yeah it's it it would at that
point it would be strange because people would be voting to pass an override to lessen the reductions but still going to have significant reductions right it would just be less reductions yeah I know yuck Yu
yeah so so I mean I agree I think but Karen said was that we know we show basically a onepage thing of what this will cost and failure to do it is going to be what well it's going to be Clos the library yeah it's going to be the
police department is um I mean they're sending mess right there sending a message to the police department said you know you're not getting the support you need here and it's going to it's going to hurt all
across the board yeah yeah and like that's where I would be just I mean I would be stealing from today to save tomorrow on free cash I'd be like what's the point of
stabilization if we're you know literally if that's a you know every penny counts i' be like don't worry about stabilization take the money and but we've been doing that for decades and it's not helped because having stabilization would if we had a bigger
buffer through stabilization we would be able to help our budget out a little bit better than we can do now but 50k again just kind of a farce it bu it builds it's not a far I I totally disagree with you because it's not just 50k it's an
annual commitment to do it and if you do 50k for the next five years it's 250k on top of the 350k and we're actually at where we should be and it compounds it's it's not a farce I wouldn't be doing if if it was a farce but if it was that a
position like to keep someone gamefully employed yeah that's the decision my I like the people like the support the people who work in the buildings I completely agree with you too but had we been doing this like we should have been doing all along we
would have that buffer to be able to support it to support these hits that we're taking other places but you still need a town pull it out and you still have to convince the town's people yeah but it's money that that's already been put aside so it's not like it's costing
them more to vote to take it out of stabilization to be able to support something yeah I mean it's building it's it's a savings account basically and you obviously have to take the hit at some point but eventually it is going to pay off and it is there for you to use and
build it up and oh I like I know my practice is a terrible way to do budgeting and I'm not it's not how I practice my own budgeting but I don't like if it meant not closing the library or you know ensuring that we had you know full police staff I would be advocating for that over stuffing money
away for well but if we had been stuffing money away we may not be in the same position now it's a practice that should have been done for ages hard part but the schools last year they would not have been the mess they were in if they had done what we told them to do for the
four years prior to that which was cut they didn't cut they pull money from other places until it ran out and last they had to do some major Cuts because they didn't do what what every other town in the district was doing with the operational thing yeah but that's what
we've been doing too yeah do the same thing yeah so that's that's the point like yeah if if you want to continue to do that we're never going to get out of it and don't forget like what I just presented some of the free cash
generation is local receipts guess what guys we're losing $50,000 because we're counting on it yeah yeah um health insurance guess what we're not increasing with the rates guess what that's going to do decrease your free cash so you can count on the free cash
to balance but guess what the way we're budgeting right now we're not going to have it to balance yeah next year it could be 200 I mean it won't be because we're it won't be because we're leaving the balance but it has to be proportional you you can if you're not
spending as much you can take down on the other side you know what I mean you don't have to generate as much as much because you have a balance and it's that balance but if you're if you're you know eating into your budget flexibility and
and dramatically increasing revenues that you're counting on a balance guess what that's a recipe for disaster yeah and it's an option but it's a really bad option but it is an
option and like you said I mean if it's if it's a really bad scenario it's I understand people are going to want to talk about that we should talk about it yeah yeah well I guess that
mean if they have what the one question the 480 and change to vote on in the in the ballot we just got to be hopeful I guess I don't know well hopeful as well as explaining what the the real implications are too I mean and the
schools got to step up and plead their case and say this is this is what will happen this is the impact that we have already seen from the cuts last year it's going to be that much more exacerbated we're going to have this more behavioral issues if that's what they're having or whatever the impacts
they are they need to be very clear and explain us that this is this is the right way for us to go and our due diligence is to you know make sure that our talent is continuing to function and be safe and providing the services that
people want and need and making everything work um gr made it very clear if we don't meet our commitment that they they would call for town meeting I'm not surprised they've been saying that for years yeah and you know maybe so be it right I
mean as you you all know you put together that great spreadsheet of how frequently they have not passed overrides so there are a lot of folks over there that seem to not be Keen either but yeah it's an interesting interesting Facebook chatter
about it and some some confusion it seemed like but I hope we all come up yeah the numbers we need gr is going for two as you know over uh so what do you we need to read this draft MO Mo here yeah
ideally as long as everyone's on the same P the same page yeah you know this this I mean the only other option is to present a balanced budget which is GNA be
great a foggy day it's not good so yeah ideally you don't have to do that we can avoid that but if we have to do that well i' rather to do it when we have no other options which will be at a special town meeting on June 26 none of this
works yeah um that would be my that would be my preference okay well and I know you've been working on this and mulling this over and losing sleep for months a lot a lot you didn't just throw this together no and we've
been having many many meetings and conversations with gron their Advisory Board the school committee select board we've all been meeting so this is this these are decisions that have not been taken lightly or come easily at all so
obviously we're still discussing it but we're hitting a we're hitting a wall where we need to be making final decisions here yes I think we're there yeah I mean it is what it is leave it up to the residents and and hope hope for the best okay you ready roll yeah I'll move
to recommend the town administrators and advisory boards recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget with a total expenditure of 14, 214,50 which includes 120,000 for Town
Capital expenses 50,000 transfer to the general stabilization fund $50,000 transfer to the CIP stabilization Fund in funding the Gren dille Regional School District assessment at the amount of 9, 2968
requiring a general override of $480,000 $48 81,000 to be presented to the residents of the town of duno at the annual town meeting on Monday May 12th 2025 further I move to approve the Town
Administrator to present a second contingency budget at the annual town meeting based on matching the town of groton's assessment under their Levy in the amount of 13,923 572,000 which includes 120,000
for the town's Capital expenses 50,000 transferred to the general stabilization fund $50,000 transferred to the CIP stabilization fund and funding the Gren dunsel Regional School District assessment at the amount of 8,
72990 th000 requiring an override of [Music] 88963679 so good I get nervous did I say the wrong number all right well second all those in favor all those in favor heing me and
I I I I just want to thank Jason for all work on that putting that together I think he did a great job and he actually gave us something we really had to really think about but we usually kind of you know just kind of see it through one lens and
um something I didn't think about was that like two years he's been here um we haven't we haven't been able to pass um and that's that's something I didn't really think about until he had mentioned it yeah that you know I kind of take it for granted a little bit that
we have been able to do that past I do think this I do think there's a big change this year in the the school did have a great one pager was a one-page document that I saw online I was like well look at that
understood no this has been it's been a hard hard journey um but I think we're we're definitely trying to move in the right and the right direction and sort of shore up our accounts a little bit
yeah it's also like we we've run out of bandwidth like literally like you know we can't change any more light bulbs to high efficiency like it is what it is yeah right and I I worry and I think of that joint meeting we had where we don't
have a lot of attendance but people are watching at home which is great but we I don't know if people understand how frustrating it is to be a parent right now in the school system and I think I'm really encouraging parents to connect with each other because I don't have a
child in the school system I can't tell you what it's like their dayto day but I've heard it's Bleak and I think the only way to correct or course change that action is by coming out and voting and demonstrating that to your children that that's a really important thing to do without me being prey like I don't
know what else to say well and there are there's a plug for the things that are coming up for tomorrow there are three opportunities to ask questions meet Jason I'll be there um Lacy will be there yeah superintendent and
superintendent um to ask you questions um either the town hall the library there's options for to come to your home and we'll have a conversation if you need that as well so I think we're really making a big push here to get the information out answer the
questions people have just to and it's everything sure to going door too and being like we talk to you for five minutes I don't know how else to advocate for it you know not together you one pager and I can I
will you or you have Facebook live on on Facebook though um whatever and have people just throw paym makers at you and see what you have to say I don't know how else to you know connect with folks sometimes and there is what this community budget Forum on April
16th we can do that again we had that cookie and cupcake night here yeah another one for H SCH so there's a lot of there are a lot of opportunities and different ways for people to to reach out and get questions answered if they if they
choose aside from the newsletter that's gone out and all the inform that's going out the push that goes out and yeah there's um yeah enough said we'll be getting as much information out as as we more so than ever I
mean we'll do everything we can through all the channels we have yeah okay anything else I don't have anything else that I didn't anticipate motion to adjourn second all in favor give you up
all great thanks everybody right thank you all God speed enjoy the sunlight right look at that