okay good evening everyone I'd like to call this uh meeting of the Eastern Essex District Department of Veteran services to order um we have a busy agenda and um but again I thank everyone for coming out on this cold and snowy
night I personally am looking forward to an early spring but the groundhog didn't didn't support me on that one so um with that um why don't we go right into the agenda and push on first um the first item on our agenda is
Citizens query um we don't have any guests here and Steve we don't have any any people zooming in no W breaker has a meeting today wishes he could be here okay great great um so with that I don't see any
sance query um let's uh the next item is review and approval of minutes um I know Steve had sent out in the uh with the agenda some minutes um did everyone have a chance to look at them yes do um I wasn't here December 4th so we got a
scratch my name so maybe mark it up and we'll we'll send it back TOS read that closely here in spirit that's what the deal could I look for a second second all in favor I know we're still missing a few
um Cindy has a recording she's working on those those so I it's getting posted someplace online are they on the your website or are they getting circulated to get posted on yeah so right now I don't want to
post so once again I don't want to post bu we don't have three before that um so there's one I know Karen Bell that still needs the video needs to be done that probably not here for so I just don't want to go on out of order so we're saving I think two have only gotten approved and there's still three fire
that are missing I know two that same because I wasn't here I would suggest that we post what we have approved because you don't want to run a file of you know the requirements about posting minutes okay
we can post those two we have well we we haven't approved yet approve this one the ones previous from prev I AG that approved should be posted I agree with you whatever's been approved you probably thr off the even if it's out of problem
but I'll swear to it okay so uh we will post the minutes that have been approved and start getting the cross off the list in the library more robust yeah great let's create empty folders with there and then do you do you send
them you might not know I don't know done the send them to each town to get posted the minutes no they just trust our websites that's yeah just like Essex they don't want us they don't even want us sending their agenda to post they trust us that's our
town manager preference the board of Select are having we WE Post WE Post those agendas yeah I ask to I've been getting different things from different towns and obviously different towns of different
kind of hard to keep track anything else on minutes you'd like to to discuss anything else on minutes yes yes I I I want to second that in the uh minutes can be a thankless job so formally I want to thank you for uh for doing the minutes
and give me your hours please this time and the last and the last time yes yep it does make a much more efficient that have some of this is qualified and competent so thank
you uh the next item on the agenda is financials um with that want to take a take the lead and uh give us an overview of how we doing we're we're doing very well um if anyone has the um financials
that were emailed out uh we repl them I didn't email any oh you did oh okay so these are we Steve and I made a few tweaks to um some of the categories and things uh so you know as of now we have
29,43 186 in the bank this is the balance sheet I'm [Music] sorry so that's our current cash position um so we're in good shape with that on the uh next I'll go to the the
budget versus actuals because that lets you see uh basically what we budgeted and where we are actually uh looks like you it looks like things are are in pretty good shape um I don't
really see anything that's uh really out of line you know there are some things that are a little bit over budget uh for that insurance for example well we can't control that and we get a bill from the insurance company okay um and that's for the DNL insurance
or that's insurance no no no that's for the's comp workman's comp 223 the so I mean other than that does anyone have any questions on any of the categories well I've been trying to catch up all day today so I I need to
catch up on this one yeah sure so on the budget Naturals yeah under advertising it says remaining there a negative yeah what happened was we got a bill for an ad for um it was actually
for Steve's job from the MMA that wasn't paid okay oh so um it was actually from last year so we had to we had to pay that right so that's what that's why that's there so in essence we
$450 on advertis so Tony's job and mine it's it's only 225 because there was nothing in the budget so it actually you know that's why ative 225 because there's nothing in
there and I know uh it may not be the uh the right thing to say but advertising uh what we're doing for our new rechart initiatives um where is that light on it's under Facebook marketing okay book marketing so we had approved
500 um as a starting and then uh we spent 25797 um since then okay super super warrant that and that's the that's pretty much Karen the only new line item in the
budgets uh you talked about tweaking a few line items well you know for for example we had a bill for postage okay and it was it made the postage budget go over but Steve said no no no that was something that we had approved that a portion of that was going to be from
donations from the switch breakfast that we did Thursday and the Georgetown breakfast that we approved for the postage so we had to take that out of our actual postage budget because it just didn't sure so so a couple of things like that so you know everything is now pretty is in the right place from
what Steve and I looked at but the only big addition is the new addition is Facebook Market Facebook marketing is the new line item to the we can continue it or but what's new on the so and if you look at the very
bottom line You'll see that there's a negative $500 in the budget because I added that in from the original budget right and the U the profit and loss you we still have uh
$69,950 37 in this budget year based on our budget from last year which is on the profit and loss very bottom line so at this point we have 60 69 right and you might notice there's a
miscellaneous expense of $320 yes that is Ste um had to put some we had a homeless veterans um so we put we we P for but we get reimbursed in the state just waiting to get reimbursed the state and there's
a homeless veteran issue and homelet their for a couple nights until because we ended up getting their um getting them at home so we had to wait a couple days for them to sign the lease so between that we had to wait two days until they can sign a lease to move in so I I I said okay we're going to get
you and your family a hotel for two nights and sign a lease and then they ended up um we end finding them a place in ail so we transferred there from 15 days to the Le Service Officer coordinated with that great said that will get re that get yep since they are
115 recipi if they weren't chapter 15 they be on us and then see just just the mechanics of that is there's not a corporate card there not a card how did you do that did you write a check you have check yeah we have a card a c we have a debit card for our guest
you have a a bank debit card that you can just pull right out of the the account okay great any questions anything else what do we have in theity um so if you look on the uh
balance sheet under retained earnings you see 148 10344 a couple different numbers for net income on these PES one is 69,8 but then that on the budg ver is
actual it's like ative 7418 if you look on the profit and loss that's where to look for the net income because the budget versus actuals is just basically saying the profit and losses here's what you took in here's
what you spent the budget versus actuals we added that that $500 and bring when what I think retain earnings is when we've said we want to keep $50,000
50 was our 50 was our if if it's too early in the discussion are we planning on doing something I I think we had left it two meetings ago that we wanted to see how things were flowing with Steve's new
budget but that that 50 was something to think about uh once Steve and Tony sort of got their rhythm in the in the budget cycle so that think it's a very appropriate discussion at this point what's the right of retained earnings and uh I think you're getting at either
there is there money to be replaced uh to to the towns is is that where you're going D well I just want to know if we're g maybe had a plan for maybe some of that I
do that's why I said not you're jump in the gun that's the last me email didn't you the return you [Music] talk so so that's T so what Steve's
gonna get into for his his big plan okay I'm sorry go ahead no I was just gonna ask speaking about that did print the budget document for us oh you want to print it because last time meeting he said oh I got it on my computer you don't have that's
what my computer don't me one I got it right here I'll take one I got one I need one I need one you feel we're a good fiscal shape at this point of the year um that the uh the categories are are um holding their
own as far as we we're tracking there's nothing outlandish going on you feel the financials are looking good yes yeah we've had nothing unexpected that has happened okay and the end of June is the end of the year correct so we're about we one
halfway through oh yeah seven and and this is a fully staff this is our first almost fully staffed year right uh so it will be uh you know seeing where the budget fits it doesn't
fit that's that's okay um anything else on financials anything else that people want to dig into people want to take a quick minute and dig through the numbers some more or is that uh does that satisfy the
B as looking good then I don't know if there's anything that s out there's no $40,000 $50,000 major expenses except for that new hey I'm seeming up with S6 counil on
Aging so we're trying to see what we can both like out a deal okay then uh moving on for financials the next item is a Chairman's report I I'll give a quick 30 second snapshot and maybe we can R Robin it we
uh in town had our first uh meeting of the year veterans meeting talking about uping initiatives Memorial Day uh different items coming up um just a great group of guys we put the uh the stove on high
wood stove on high and uh um it it was great we starting to get geared up for for upcoming uh upcoming summer and spring spring so um fortunately uh some older guys were not as in good health but again the crew
that was there was great to get together we had a had a good session uh took us a while to get to business but that's that's okay then that's okay uh hot stove as they say Red Sox hot stove was was on uh anyone else want to touch on uh items in their Town um so not much to
report except that the um veterans groups are getting ready to put a new walkway in our war memorial South Main Street um Larry Jordan and his committee presented to um the select board Monday night about it very exciting project um
they are still selling bricks papers they have a few papers too how much of the bricks how much of the pavers roughly Linda the bricks are $100 okay um and the pavers I think are 500 okay um so yeah I think the deadline is
March 15 that you need to be a town resident uh to uh have a brick or a p so generally it's for Veterans for hip switch residents um but obviously businesses are sponsoring um which I was going to get into we've been asked to
sponsor the last Afghanistan paper for $500 on Aging down the hall they sponsored one but I was going to bring this up um but trying to see if we can get the approval to go ahead and write a check to we can still do that later well
yeah no no yeah no I just that's going to be on on the agenda for us to sponsor the last Okay so that's what's going on Steve presented to us um a couple weeks back for the um about the offices um
year in review and goals for the coming year and did a great job so and I think you're going to our finance committee soon tomorrow the same same presentation I gave just to the me but they might be a snow day tomorrow they're telling me
upstairs so you saying so yeah so that's that's what's going on here thank you Doug Ron anything on your side well I the American Legion is going to uh start
meeting at town hall because the uh so pushed out of the The Bu we so the owner has okay that maybe we could talk to him about doing
back stuff just completed their is building one right now Soldier but I don't know that's just an inquiry from the owner of ideas I know it was approached about this for a while time ago is he is he going to donate like the
property something so who's going developer something been talking but I don't want to talk too much about it just let possib I
time before what I confirm to speak at Memorial Day for Georgetown do you know roughly what time for that on Memorial Day we have contr that sorry take the colors take the color
sorry got and so we just need to clean them and I I sent links YouTube links how to members I haven't had an M1 with my hand since [Music]
1964 and we're going to get the from like 350 was it the old ones that you went out that you found receipts for or is it the new we don't know well I know what they
the receipt says it's go that I got so you got guy that's why I don't never show never give a rifle to the air force over there air too
so anyhow um so there that and we're we're beginning to plan for Memorial Day and um de started talking with one of the churches about possibility the Veteran's breakfast at the end of March I do
believe you're going to have a copy at the counciling on the first Thursday um we're trying for the the 12 uh yes no the 6th okay yeah other than that think lber
hey I Steve accompanied me and I accompanied Steve to our town board meeting to discuss the hero's AC about getting the uh the approval for the $2,000 and there still debate on the five all the
nonsense so the assessor owes the town manager some answers but but we still get you know I get 1,700 a month a year so they they go up to 2,000 but you know we wanted to get to 2,000 plus we want
the co up in there because that's where they're nailing us with the up you know up in our taxes a couple thousand each year so that just raised 5% yeah yeah so so Steve was a big help on that one there and we're we're still muling way
to and then also the um to get the names on the um the monument we went back to that again and we had to roll around the town again because there's some people they were supposed to add some names on to some of the memorials and they hadn't done it yet so we had to go back and re
them again so Steve help down with that one so hopefully we'll get that done so jman is very understanding considering he's got stage for cancer he's trying to see I told him I would pay for that's
how got nice but they're very slow nothing everything's at a slow pace there wow they have no businesses so still the farmer mentality in our town 4,400 population
yeah uh so that's all we got from here I don't have any right now well new's got some like personality conflicts going on it's it's pretty it's it's pretty in
my book because people are ignoring and I'm going to need your help too with the hero act thing I have already sent an email to Our Town Administrator and our chair to to revise what we've already
done in new and and you know with I think with your help and some advice about how it should be written you know and and already they know what to do it's just about accepting did you get an
answer nother once again it's kind of the same situation well that's the way they do business is they just figure if they just ignore things they'll just go away you know but but but that's not the way I do things did you did you guys do that
before the hero Act was yes we did yes we did but I want to I want to revise it to to reflect what the hero act said well you can do you can put an article on your one so no Dana can't no no
that's that's the problem that's go I'm sorry no well I interrup you I'm sorry but IP switch did pass it right I meeting so I could certainly send you the language from our the problem is you guys didn't have 5C and a half which is
so they doubled all the exemptions for seniors for everything with that clause and what the law states is you can't have both clauses I guess tied to the same um so either you get rid of one which get rid of if we did two things
we and then we did something separate foror citizens correct you guys because because you're not 5 if you are 5c you can't separate them the law from what I hear to have it says it says that in the in the writing of the heroes act
you either have one or the other and that's we were going through the same thing ours had it broken down in the categories and then for some reason they lumped it into that 5C and a half put on the never changed it on their assessor so 5C and a half what it does is it
takes veterans blind all the exception right it brings them all into one so if they want to they automatically increased hours from a th000 to 2,000 years ago but it was incremental to get to the
2,000 so that's why they did it they don't want to go back and break them back into the categories that they're supposed to and when they wrote the legislature for Massachusetts 22 was for veterans so all the other towns had this broken into
seniors like just like so your town has it right ours had it right at one time and then they decided to lump it into this 5C and a half which then it contradicts the law that was passed under the heroes at because you can't
take 22 and 5C and a half and put them together you can take the 22 and put it back with the 22 under the veteran 5C and a half you have to get rid of your 5C and a half then you got to put the um you know
the seniors back in 17d entr back in 22 we what we did for the seniors it's a it's a real estate tax toer right so they can don't pay you can you can hold off paying some where all of your real estate taxes until
you die whatever then then you pay it back think it's 4% interest so it's a separate thing than than the hero act it's not related so you guys had already broken out right so you guys did the
right thing with small it falls into that better and that's why we're having we were having this debate at our meeting well they said most of the assessors have and the assessors are they they just they just don't they just go into the sier okay but getting back
to my problem I'm sorry no that's okay it's fine I can write another I can send the letter again Memorial Day and you know the the lunches and the events and and and you know everything you you would think that a town when it comes to veterans that we
would all be on board either everybody's going to be on board with a particular project or nobody's going to be on board but when you've only got half the town on board and the other half is not on board it makes it makes coordinating
events extremely difficult you know so welcome to my world yeah so I'm working on that what what I want what I one of the things I want to do is probably outside of the
COA luncheon is is is to have like what you were talking about you had like a veterans meeting you know I a veterans Council maybe maybe you should create a veter c on your right but because I threw this out at our last lunch and you
were there I think for a little while weren you foret day yeah the rest right right and and I didn't want to do it right that in there but in a in a some in that kind of a scenario I want
I want to get some consent I want to get some feedback from our vs I want to know what the Vets want you know when when you know do you want to do a big thing on Memorial Day or or do you want to spread it out over the year to like
three or four events I mean there only yes that's what veterans councils are for Town and City develops the veterans Council they're the ones in charge of developing Memorial dat things you know all that that relates who their towns Salem I'm part of the Salem veterans
Council we you know design we plan events um I tell everyone all the time obviously smaller towns if I know R's having troubles with their rally veterans Council no one wants to step up there you know aging people leaving out the younger generation doesn't want to
step up and step into these roles I get it I see it all the time with VW memberships but you know someone at some point in your town I to step up and be like okay I'm veterans Council we you to you think you know this is my this is my
third year you would think after three years I I would have been a little further along than I am right now but it's it's it's it's amazing quickly what's that the government doesn't move right right right and I'm up for reelection this year so just so you know
your your your town is cessa has Clause 22 so yes so this should be a NOC is a factor for us no not for you guys at all it should be just take it right put it before the the the vote on it vote on it and then then the town meeting and let
the Town members vote on it so yours is easy but but Steve we we should I would like some of some maybe we could get together and either come to a select board meeting talk about it at a select
board meeting so once again I sent a letter out to all the select board members and they didn't respond to me right they don't even respond go through this at a point it's like I'm not gonna you know I'm presenting you with this opportunity I'm
chasing you you don't care about it but it sounds like maybe if you did go to a meeting present in person they haven't came up I've sent an invitation to to this and I've gotten no response from anybody there I'm going to work on on that on the
agenda person right easier than and what lesie and Jeff are involved with that to right yeah um Jeff Jeff comes um Jeff Walker Jeff Walker
yeah but anyway um so it's work in progress and and I want do more and and I I would certainly I would even share if I could you know I don't know what the bylaw say SEL Bo go into
another committee I don't think I can now that I said that but that's that's definitely what we need to do we need to we need to build a consensus with all the veterans on what they would like to see from the town and we don't have
that it's a problem you don't have the the people voicing their opinion or you have Divergent opinions resp the the veterans themselves got a pretty strong voice and they're all in the same they're all in the same Bo it's it's
management where where I struggle with trying to create some attention on a particular subject and let's just let's just talk about the warrant coming up for for the hero act you know I tried to at least just get somebody like
Alicia I mean she's my chair so if Alicia would just look at me and say Yes Dana we will we will put the update of the hero act on the warrant if I could just get that answer I mean why wouldn't it would be
helpful why wouldn't they it's because you know they they claim to be trans we're not really that transparent even to our own board members you know so okay but anyway I didn't just
like better can some go Steve because he and I tackled our our our we'll go we'll go sometimes when you're physically on the agenda it's hard to ignore the person espe you get a lot a letter a letter and
then you fall off with yes right right so in the meantime if you want I can still send you you can say Alicia look this is rocket scientist you know this isn't difficult to do our Town Council will actually write the verbage in the warrant you don't think she doesn't know
how to do that I mean of course she does you know I don't I don't have to I'm certainly not going to provide a with the verage in the warrant because because this is what will happen you know this is this is how bad it is they would allow me to to do that and then when it hits the floor there'd be an
objection by the moderator saying that this this is out of order and we can't even we can't even address it because it's not it's Notre language I will do just out I'll send it to
Steve send it out but anyway Sher anything you want to touch on no okay I'd like to touch on one other thing to remind the members of the board that in
2026 is America 250 okay and we should I've been I have had a couple of meetings with a gall Town who wants to do something on that American Legion wants to do in a 2025 it seems like I can remember it seems
like time flies it seems like maybe 10 years ago my dad and I were on the remember the 1776 train that was going around America seems like that was 10 15 years ago time flies I will say one other thing um our
DPW well well Steve and the team work uh DPW and um our Cemetery group are working on raising up some of the plaques and memorials on our veterans uh that initiative is going to take about three years we got about a third of it done um and it's
just some of these blacks really get lost we're doing that to you need a little fill you need a little bit of a and some of them just get destroyed with these new uh Cutters so um it it's uh it's well worth doing and uh you can see
the rows that have done just look night and day compared to the the ones that have just been beaten down and I'm sorry but I didn't mention our Across America was fabulous it was fabulous you know and that's where you really get to you
know I I could almost I could almost walk to every veterans grave site right now out of the three cemeteries that we do and snap when I was I I I don't know if this is weird or not but like Snap pictures of the ones that are broken and
ped over or or need some work or badges that are missing you know that that kind of stuff and I notic there's money that there there's there's grant money for that so okay great very good stuff good good stuff good activity and I think it gets a little easier once this white stuff
disappears once the snow disappears people seem to have more spunk too uh okay so uh the next is uh I think we'll just take a a breather here next is the he's I think tweaking one of his
documents inre by 10% you do% so this is $300 are we going to get our assessments tonight I think we're g get numers underneath it tonight lastage I I saw that I didn't
know I know our town manager did get with Steve where you coming out I know it's not official but um uh but I don't want to Ste Ste I don't want to steal Steve's thund okay Steve do you need another minute um
we're on your we're on your section yes uh do you want to kick into it do I go over the annual plan for the year so this is where we should focus is right so I gave you I sent it to you guys last week just to
you all right so our key accomplishments for the year very proud of all these all right so we passed the chapter 115 executive office of veteran services certification that's good for three years that means all of our towns get
75% of all chapter 115 versus 50 versus 50 so that we're good for three years there my VA accreditation which took for a long time um and then you got post accreditation training it never stops um so we are good there for five years
I'm both accredited now with Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans Voice of America um so I can actually go into VA um systems now to be able to see like from a previous claim what evidence was submitted directly so that I can say
okay I'm not going to submit this evidence already because it was already submitted so I can actually see all the systems now and exactly where C are all so you don't need to go through the state and to the VA I go directly
through my systems now my clip card gives me access to the VA system so before what all vsos do is they send it over to a different National veteran service officer who's a credit who's actually accredited and then those people actually submit the claim so the
vs all vsos do are not accredit was Karen accredited at that level so this is a step up in our certification that's is there a Associated so that it cost Z through Vietnam Veterans of America so we are not paying anything
for that um and then soon the vet spec systems that we are currently paying we are going Z so that will be sa can our budget for that as well um VA training been going to those we had one in Bedford um going over any
everything from the new eligibility requirements or help um services to attendance all the way to the new burial services so we had that at the Bedford VA I'm still on the um bford VA advisory
Council um so we we have post our meetings quarterly at the bford VA with the director of the VA Jo Clifford actually just retired unfortunately she was amazing so they have an interim director of the vord VA right now so they place um but once they finally get
the new director Place executive off of Veteran trains we've been having two year we had the one in East ham last summer and then you just had the one in Fall which Tony actually about to go to this one um which costs us nothing because the state
paid for a um yeah we did approve you guys did approve $700 before that was before I knew that the state was covering this training so we didn't have it wasn't a grant it was just that they they picked yeah yes right so if it's the Master's veteran service officer trainings we paay for those if it's
executive office of veteran services trainings those are covered by the okay um so the veteran benefit video series very proud of on Facebook um very very proud of that we actually just
released our our other ones regarding excise taxes um regarding you know exercise taxes for vehicles for 100% disabled veterans um so got all that we actually just filmed our next video it's
going to be edited just filmed it today this one goes over just chapter 115 which is a broad um who who qualifies what documents to to bring into us to get the application started um which is huge some people come in they know
nothing about what documents they bring in sometimes they'll have half of the their their stuff to bring in but this way hey watch your video they're automatically going to know like we've had they had all their stuff together which was amazing we didn't have to ask them for they had three month bank statements
they had everything um but yeah so having when you do those um because I don't get a notification in my Facebook about anything that's published on on Facebook you can turn that on on your private page you have the option to turn
on notifications for our page okay so I'll bumble around to find that in the meantime when you when you put put one up could you just send an email that way I can go over and look do you do them at the same time every month no so whenever
fil she want me to send an email every time I upload a video is that what I'm trying to so I can get to that find out where to turn on notification okay I'll make that way because that way then I can take that share okay and I'm sorry Ste is this Facebook or is this YouTube our Facebook page not a YouTube video
this is a Facebook so you can turn on notification for our page to get notified anytime we post okay I have to go there I can go but you could you could also upload to once you get a body I think was that the thing you could also create a YouTube
channel yeah yeah but like I said we want to get our feet planted with this first establish you know great following as you would on our Facebook page and then we want to Branch out obviously to maybe Instagram YouTube definitely um but we also have to look at how much
they're going to tr have to see all that as well you think Facebook to boost yep so that's why we got approved for the um $500 for advertising we've been we've been we're going to go into all the
details on that right here in a bit um question on that because it's a Facebook video you can't like send it to the local TV stations in our communities right I wouldn't think so you can save you can copy the link on the Facebook and then send the link to your friends
and text messages and then they'll be able to would pop up on the Facebook yeah no I was thinking of the local TV stations like for so I can't we've already spoken to them they kind of wanted to take into a direction that we really didn't want they so yeah I mean
what we're doing right now oh surprise yeah um eventually yeah we want to be able to put it on a loop on their Channel um but yeah right now we're going to keep half an hour an hour you can have like a block a veterans block oh yeah or they at night you know they
run their promote what's going on in the and they can just you know three listen we don't want to Bard people with a half hour we want to give them the main chunk of what we need the important stuff within three minutes so it's not Bing them um so that's where I don't know how
the I can thing would really fit in like maybe they can yeah Splash it a three minute video commercial yeah but I mean that's down the line like I said we we did want we do want to establish our things first before we you know have someone
take I agree with you because was about not having lengthy when I watch some of those uh YouTube vso people and it's like they've already told you what they're going to talk about and then
you're sitting there going what are you going to talk about that right so get the main point point boom it's meant to stimulate interest yeah right because there is an incentive to
stretch it out on some of these like Advertising based I think you want to get over 20 minutes I think why some of these guys they go men and women go into it they introduce it they reintroduce it right and then the last two minutes they get into the me of what they're doing you're absolutely right
D um Pur communities very happy about that um just missing one we need a resolution just tell me again what we need uh so I I sent the email you just need to create um a one you guys will just have to approve we're
purle I have your signs ready to go to be hung up around town I will I will put that up and then the hero property de section that we have a few towns we're going mostly I mean everyone you were um
in the room when I was saying I'll send you the the warrant from our town and you can circulate it to everybody yeah so did send I got yeah but yeah we'll definitely take whatever um because every town cities
the Z different um but yeah so those are a ke accomplishments for the year I think we did a lot with them the first year um so District analysis are strengths um local reach Mental Health Network staff that's
chter 113 processing and Community ties uh weaknesses staff size there's two of us sometimes three um coverage areas we cover six pounds um I feel I do a lot of house
calls for elderly disabled people um that can't get out of the house so I'm constantly on the move going to you know some's residents to help out names or um you know to assist on actually Columbus Day I took on my day off I helped
install a handicap R for a veteran in Newberry so I mean it's it's constant it's never ending um like I said you know there's never Ault moment um can I just I just want to throw something out that and I just thought of a new just started it's called um it's
for seniors not just for veterans it's for seniors and there's a lot of veterans that are seniors so that it's a kind of a dual category from for a lot of people that they can opt into a program where every morning at 11:00 in the morning
that or by 11: they require to call the police station oh yeah that's started and not and and and um that just it's just I'm okay I'm doing good I don't need any help you know and we call it good morning R good yeah I think we call it good morning new you know so do you
think you still have a dispatcher in town or are you calling C central dispatch or are you calling into the police station the police station the new police station right I believe cuz we centralized our dispatch um yeah oh that's nice but that would kind of fall
into what you were just talking about with you know having to go out and visit people and checking on them making sure they're okay in new you know you know we could probably try and work out a veteran time under the same yeah program
yeah maybe you know so anyway I'm sorry go ahead um um so opportunities we got the digital expansion um which we spoke about uh briefly with we're going to go more in depth into the numbers with Facebook and the advertising um Transit Partnerships mea has been very uh big
they just don't accept switch yet which is so m m the marinac valley M um they started these small programs where they pick veterans up door to door bring you to the veterans appointments at the VA West Rox fairy um not not Brockton yet
Jamaica plane they bring so it's actually door to-door service for free for veterans um like I said yeah cover four out of or five out of our six pounds but we are working with the Bedford VA and director Clifford before she retired um and Eva directly um
getting them everyone on board to to cover in so so not the Kata but the mea mea right there yeah yeah but I think they're related in some way that the funding for Kata and oh yeah yeah yeah init
Authority and uh Christina manuchi she's the Old State Rep she is the president great relationship with her from my previous position we did have a actually a new we had come and do a presentation you were there um so to add on there's also the
the haal clinic has a shuttle that leaves from there to um da they're based on of VA you call them but you have to call them within I believe 2 weeks before your appointment which not 10 days um that's just their standard off procedures within 10 days notice they'll
come and pick you up um but so threats housing costs ridiculous as we can all agree on um Health Care gaps uh provider shortages right now is I mean even with the VA there's a lot of n Cas managers
are being primary care doctors right now um there such a shortage of actual do so that's goes with the VA as well the VA suffering with staffing issues well um digital barriers elderly everything is all digitalized now especially I get
this a lot so you get reimburse for appointments at the VA um they switched that used to be able to go up and be like he they would reimburse you for mileage now it's all digitalized and elderly are not very good with using that system so they're actually losing
out a lot of money from the media I believe because their system all went digitalized so that digital barrier is is just really it's challenging all fronts um and budget limits every I believe every town and city as dealing
with you know budg that's on what they can actually do um you know restrictions our strategic priorities Communications number one that's always been my number one um priority in life uh communication
Transportation get vets to appoints like I said I am not doing my job filing of the a claim if they cannot get to their comp appointment it makes no sense we need to get a better transportation system we can't rely on me we can't rely on daav
um we'll talk more about um digital presence we are creating I believe you know we are going in the right steps with our digital uh presence right now where we can expand into YouTube or Instagram in the future yeah I'm all for
that um internal processes um and Community networks we have great um Community Network with aspan coas U Mass hire getting um you know veterans employment uh resume building
all that so we we good there okay so for Eastern s 6 chapter 115 so you can all see how much you've all paid out um uh how many cases what you're reimbursed so IPS um you were
reimbursed 89,000 I believe it was one yeah 89,000 um George reimburse 12,000 so on and so on so VA award benefits we get an updated um spreadsheet of all towns and
cities of Massachusetts from the executive office of veteran services these are the numbers that they give us regarding full veteran compensations for each Town veteran pensions diic death pensions and that goes to all Awards
with all of our towns combined we are at 98278 of all VA benefits awarded to all our towns which is lot District Trends all right so postco Healthcare access challenges obviously there's a rise Intel Health um adoption
with mental health um just anything they're doing a lot of T Health appointments now with the VA sex um significant hurs for the older veterans and those rural areas um but which is good I mean we do have the
community based clinics around here so a lot of veterans don't have to struggle unless they're trying to go for you know U specialty care where they have to go to Boston for um growing mental health needs uh social isolation during lockdowns and that's
still I we have a great relationship with a lot of the police officers around here and they're social lot social workers um I communicate with hip Swit um a lot um we have a few veterans that are on there already are so keeping that communication up I believe that you know
they feel one of the veterans that we have is in crisis you know we get to reach out like Hey What Can we offer and and what we can do out of our our um housing for Ability crisis sharp
increases in housing costs affect ability to use VA loans or chapter 115 or 41 so right now the VA loan CS like $400,000 for I mean but right now trying to find you know a decent he with that so I mean I I think they are going to be
switching up with the cap on VA loans um chapter 115 affordable housing um we obv rely on you know a lot of housing authorities in our towns um especially our chapter 115 recipients
um so emerging health issues from toic exposures so pack Act was huge right it was signed in 2022 by Biden it covers everything from Ancient Orange to burn pits um to all the new toxic exposures our veterans are are facing today which there's a lot of presumptive conditions
but I guarantee in 10 years that list is just going to double there's so much new presumptive conditions that are getting added um so keeping up with that new presumptive conditions being able to you know fully um advise veterans on you know hey you have hypertension did you
know this was a condition of the pack D so you can get a service connection a lot of veterans don't know the presed condition well and just to throw something out there I saw it today I think it was on Facebook and it's a map it's a world map and it shows the
countries all the countries that we've all fought in all over the world and it and it categorizes which of those countries if you were there then you're eligible for this or if you were here now you're eligible for that and it was it was pretty cool the
way the way they did it so there there is there's a lot of information out there that that's that's available just trying to get it to to right right um so digital divide challenges more VA services are moving online um creting
bar like I discussed creting barers for the W Tex veterans accessing benefits as systems come digitalized so now the VA has an app a lot of people don't my help you vet they just um switched over to ID me to log on
so if you don't have an ID me account you know log me in to your my he vet which is so my healthy V it's an app through the VA you can check your appointments you can refill your your prescriptions on this app you can message your doctor and legally they have to respond to you within 28 hours
AR they so this app is is huge um you can download a w letter so say for someone yeah called my myal yeah um so there a lot of new challenges um with with well it will be because they they've extended
the Lin right new log but I've been using login ID yeah and now but it's like you got to wear your sh phone with you get number authentication generator code
generator um and then economic pressures the impact of inflation um which we all know about on fixed income veterans Rising healthcare costs affecting those with partial coverage um challenges with employment change in job market um particularly for disabled veterans um
and especially veterans on Social Security there's a certain Max that you you can work but you can only make a certain amount so trying to you know balance that like I know a lot there's like oh no if I pick up an extra shift my going screw upward my chapter 115 so
trying to be mindful and and um vocalizing all these do you see them ining those like for example like the just the amount that puts you at the poverty level you know 20% below
federal poverty level chapter 115 um those numbers honestly in my opinion are sometimes it makes it just impossible qu that's that was my point it's like I mean my kid is is in the Navy and and
he's like he's like at the poverty level on his paycheck in the Navy there's a lot active duty on used to be on bo back in the day right so and and a lot of times like when you when you go to apply for for
some of these benefits because of the differential between the poverty level and mean I'm just going to throw numbers out there let's say it's $28,000 a year is the property level and but you're making 45 at 45 you're not making enough to be
able to to do any of these programs because you don't have enough money are they is anybody looking at increasing the amount that you can make for example on Social Security and still be able to be get the benefits or backing up the wrong tree here I reach out to your
con's office that's what I would do yeah yeah yeah with the Social Security when you reach your full retirement age right whatever well there SSD then there's soci different Social Security insurance and soci SSDI so there's two different rates of
Social Security and if you work and you you have SSI you have to go in monthly and input how much you actually made that particular you have to go in there and they tally it and if you make over a certain amount then they'll start Tak
away from you benefit people realize that you can collect VA disability and soci security you can double legally a lot of people don't know that yeah so you can collect you be 100% off the VA and you can collect soci secur at the same
time but yeah so that's that does help out offet those things right there they tax your SSI yes they do y they don't ta they don't tax your um so District goals all right so we want enhanced communication of existing
Services we want to create more videos right we want to we want to tap into that we want to keep this momentum going with you know keep it people engaged in our videos which we will ton will get into he's excited about these num here I know he's itching um raise awareness and housing
assistance programs um especially with housing authorities uh we have um a lot of yeah there's just a lot of housing especially for veterans you have veterans properties to get on the housing list um create clear guidance on emergency service access develop
resource guides for each Town um improve Healthcare access ride share Partnerships um develop volunteer driver networks which we have a lot of people trying to volunteer to drive um create Healthcare appointment coordination
system U being on point with you know VA case workers for our veterans um you know so everyone's on the same page and getting you know better appointments on time um expand digal Outreach enhance social media presence cre targeted
online uh information campaigns make virtual Services more accessible so especially chapter 115 with the hero act we're issuing paper checks right to 115 recipients that actually just go with the Euro act everything's going to be digitalized so everything is soon going
to be direct deposit I don't know if you know it um I don't know that but we don't have that capacity right the option is right right so there's going to be an option set of and that's cut down if it was up to
me so her if the to which was would cut down on so much for absolutely yeah okay um yeah strengthen Community presence bringing meetings in all six towns I think we're very good with not leaving
one town out um that was my Big Goal when I first started this position was I didn't want to favor one community over the other and I didn't want any other community to feel that way um so creating these coffees that we have getting rid of the office hours that
nobody was going to wasting my time well wasting everyone sitting here for an hour it made no sense so instead of that I said hey well we create you know either a breakfast or you know pastries coffees actually get people wanting to come to me so that has actually stepped
up better references to my office um increase participation in community events build Partnerships with local organizations which umal okay all right improve ver efficiency standardized document
handling procedures we have done that uh we still have a lot of filing cabinets with um claims in D 214s that we do want to digitalize especially all the dd214s in there um mro is the systems that we had to get trained on so it's at
Massachusetts records online um we can look up someone's DD214 by a social which instead of having to reach out to the National personal record Center we three months to get a 14 so a lot of the records in mro doesn't have so being
able to upload all of these documents into giving them will just everything I believe but that's a whole project um enhance record management Implement uh systematic final methods create backup systems which we already started
update veteran contact database so this is very hard obviously towns go off the census on who if they don't check off that veteran census they get lost in the system and you know it creates so trying to keep it up to date with all the town
clerks on updated veteran lists which Ron has been awesome at actually in West Newburg um so yeah trying to keep that updated um eovs actually today just started a new program where every month they're going to set send out an Excel
spreadsheet of the newly discharged veterans in your towns so we're going to know right way when someone's just got fresh discharged they're in our system we can send out a generated letter on letterhead saying hey we you found out you just got discharged here's what we
do is what services we can offer you so keeping them um you know fresh you know a lot of the military and keep on connecting with Comm is huge um think it's something that this group had talked about a couple years ago we had asked if there was a way
to there wasn't that time so this is the first month they did January I mean they should be able to do so I got four off the list of all of our towns which we're sending a letter out this week to them to let them know hey we are here for you if you out there
mile so keeping that like yeah I I remember me getting fresh hour lost where do I go who do I talk to it was confusing so having someone like hey I've been through it I know how confusing it is come to me um yeah just
kind that program's amazing I know it that's really good to hear that was a concern about you know people getting lost but it also tells you what type of discharge they got so like if they got out not good a lot of their eligibility
benefits are canel out for so you know right away if they vorable discharge other than honorable Steve on on that topic um they the hero Act they changed like the definition of a vet so
it's it's all kind of new that's only for state benefits not I understand that I understand it but the state the state benefits they actually change the definition of what a veteran is it's kind of complicated still so veterans all national bar reservists are now qualified which they weren't before you
had to be an active duty but so what gets confusing is for people are like oh I was on National Guard I'm qualified now no you may have been National Guard but you hadn't been activated on title 10 which is activation you've been activated under Federal orders on active duty so if you not if you don't have
that title 10 activation then you're still not of eff right because if you are you're and you come back from a deployment you can file for da benefit you have up to a year from the time you come off with your title 10 orders
that's why so technically it allows them to be able to because they get hurt also and they don't they're waiting until they actually retire get completely out before they go to VA but you can stay in the National Garden Reserve come back from a six-month deployment but on title
10 orders and then VA CLA because you lost your hearing you broke your leg you got this here you back got her you know because before they were falling through the cracks because they weren't getting any help they were going to their own doctors and they were missing all the so
it's actually a good thing the way that they're doing it because better you taken care of the much better this time around and and just one more question it does it go the other way like if a person passes away you know passes away there's no notification of someone so
that sometimes and some towns are good with this not all towns obviously but they'll send me the death certificate right away so I I'll automatically know this person passed away I'll reach out to if I can find them our system is find address um but yeah not all Town clerks
are that good in okay thank you yeah so different goals um professionally growing skills um professional development there's always more to learn there's never a tall moment in veteran benefit World um so trainings
conferences meetings um that is legal JP law we haven't got a bill from them in a while so I'm assuming that's a good thing um I'm still yeah vso coaches I still have great relationships with all pretty much all in the six District um
Tony's been awesome POS did his review his yearly review he's he just been a I think you guys but yes any questions on presentation okay so under your under
vsl professional development train what other what other education opportunities are there so besides what You' LED so the accreditation which was six month worth of training alone including the post
accreditation um then we have the the conferences that we do with the executive office of V services and then the massachus veterans Service Officer Association um we're constantly doing trainings with the VA virtual trainings I just went to Bedford like I said um
not too long ago the certifications that that are available for you if you want to I mean what you I don't know cuz I don't know what certifications there certifications Social Work certification there well what would you if you want going to go for what something what
would you do I think the accreditation I was what do you mean well yeah I mean I get the trainings as they come from the VA I'm kind of confused on what you is Big accreditation that you have your
sites not what I'm focused in my I my that little higher I know wait I just pass the accit so I'm taking things
as away um so on the office goals um can you expand on some of these a little bit like set communication protocols between director and assistant yeah so
what we just did we changed our whole phone tracking system now so we have an Excel spreadsheet so um keeping digitalized log record of calls um awesome we know exactly so the way our spreadsheets broken up we know exactly
the reason they calling what it's about if they have a service connection disability we put that in there what documents Tony knows what documents now for any question related to that question that they're asking for he knows now what documents to tell them to bring in if everything is all
digitalized um on there and then nobody can come back and say Hey you missed our we called you never you know responded he well we can check back here and we did call you we can check our call logs and know every everything is
is and I think that addresses something you used to bring up to about keeping track they just they just got a new phone system and it screwed up no our systems are still messed up and we addons to
take that information of calls that get that you get the number of calls wait I pick up my phone and I called the office is there anything in that phone system that has an automatic call record not a recording but details marker right
clicker it says how many calls came in you just we have a call we know how many calls is that not a manual thing that you and Tony do I'm talking about something that would be a report generated by the telephone system that's that's on it it right there yeah that's
they they give very specific offices like the police department they gave them the good uh they gave them the whatever they called telephone like that the ones that connect to your computer that sort of thing we do not have that okay that's all I was asking we had that option to have that for you our
voicemail is totally screwed up right now um so what they did was they come they came they switched out the phones then the lady doing the training when on vacation so um that was fun um our fax
machine we can fax out but now our fax coming in is screwed up so it's a also because we are not part of Li Town Hall so the IT department here I mean they yeah it's it's challenging especially when you know our our emails are
completely different than what they have they have switch mask we are paid by goad they have our own system um so that can be changed um but we are getting there we are taking challenges as they found so are you working with j and I get this we're working with everyone I
they working on it or J came in today yeah yeah and the entire building is has issues so they have a lot every Department every I'm getting I'm getting your email you know I email both your emails I'm
not taking any CH just changed we used to be a and now we're dark off which changed everything but it works way better I sent your ioud too just so you can't yeah no no that's fine that's fine but uh um okay so next any any more
questions on the overall plan for the year Well you say restructure yeah so I mean right now let's Mondays 7 o'clock honestly this is dead at 5:00 sometimes I feel like we're
sitting here wiing that thumbs and most most Apartments upstairs are um so that's where I don't I know there are bylaws or I don't know how to get into that but there have to be some better you know way especially office hours um I feel like I'm wasting
my time sitting at for an hour in some TOS that just nobody's coming so how can I better utilize the taxpayer money and and everyone else sound to me there needs to be better communication than town of off S well there's just nothing
going on at 700 p.m. most businesses are already closed like it's just the VA is closed can you say By Appointment oh no we are by appointment I mean evening ones by appointment only instead instead of sitting there and no one's coming yeah yeah I mean go out that time once
again there's it's just an open discussion I'm not going to change hours without having we combined our breakfast with your hours and that's sometimes sometimes that worked out for the for
the better they did like we got folks in there and then folks talking to them and getting things done and then yeah but it's I don't know CU they all know to come which is kind of a good thing VI is like and like he said like those office
hours just like a waste of time now you you kill two birds at one snow you get to talk to everybody everybody gets around well I'm not so like Friday is our early day we can extend a Friday to I was gonna say like I don't know why we just can't have an 8 hour day for Friday
and Monday instead of having 8 to 7 that's ridiculous well so I'm sure your other towns do this too um you're open one night late and then you close early on another day Mondays we open till 7 here at town hall and then Fridays get
Clos at noon sometimes no our town just closes early on Fridays and has no late nights Friday so it's like ESS they don't go in at long so we can't even submit because no one's going to be there but
sometimes they they have they don't even have like I said they don't have late and early days that just have straight like noral I mean I don't know that you're tied to building open you know as long as
they don't close the lock doors at noon on Friday yeah well like said I mean that's all for open discussion just I'm not trying to set anything in St now I'm just saying where we can utilize our time more efficient S I hate sitting and
quing my fing see this is what we had all said you know get that first lap around the track and you say hey this you know going you know till seven here doesn't work why don't we try this yeah that's that's absolutely uh in the in the scope and that's said for another
another meeting notar awar um just an upgraded phone system PTSD from these forms all right can't stand I get nothing on these what are your ideas on your office
office space efficiency and privacy and resources for the waiting there so off so privacy I mean having people's social SEC numbers being talked out loud you know um having PPI Pi around like just
keeping mindful of you know people yeah people scatching more information and stuff like that right not having someone in the waiting room while I'm talking about a sensitive case with or can people hear through the
door yeah building you hear them drop a tack upstairs crazy um so yeah that was the do you want to get it do you want to take the lead on the the budget now got the all
right I I wrot new one St ones are the new no I know that I know but I'm just going to compare so yeah SX Regional retirement that was the one that we had to rais a little bit it was 37 they sent out their assessment
so but that one so different that's almost well it's like 17 if you look at the difference between 23 budget and then it went down and now it's back up to where it was it just has to
do yes they go Bas yeah um anyone have any questions problem I'll give you time what are the colors I they just pointing out like yellow is I just Ed yellow actual
interchanges our CH and then the red was just the one thing that would Chang drastically like the office equipment that was when you guys said okay we have money at the end of the year go buy new so we B new computers brought new you know new chairs um yeah so we spent
4,423 on office equipment um at the end of the year so that's why that is the blue what's the blue I don't well it's just propos I yeah so payroll processing went up
300 har yeah no social security District match I believe you guys accidentally took out the soci security on my check for the first right was that why so they had to reime me actually it yeah it has to do with
with I fixed that um yeah once again salary I that's not set in stone I just don't get all crazy that's just whatever we come to decide and my next review
um with Tony I did add we just added the 2% col but I wanted to get approved with you all first to give you know ra a dollar raise toy deserve is that the the 2% call no so
that was the 2% call would be 45 but with the dollar raise it's 46410 so it's not too much of a difference with his dollar I think it would really make sense for um the office to be on a compensation
schedule um yes you know I I'm sure the town of ipswitch has a has a you know a non-union compensation framework which includes steps and um you know because as you as you spend more time in your job your responsibilities and your
knowledge grow so you're making steps and then you know you're also adding on a cola and I mean same thing with Steve I mean ar ar ar your TOS isn't that what all your your non-union people are on a compensation
schedule well we have one yeah do they follow us sometimes but I mean because the towns have no money right but we have goes into I shared that this commit okay so for example Salsbury Newberry
for he's getting like 95 but he's not accredited so when it goes you're saying experience and everything like that it goes up the window because he doesn't have the C right but I'm saying within the towns that are in your District you know it seems like especially you know
how do you come up with a number for Tony and say oh well let's do this but if there's a schedule then then you know and he knows that's how they do with government government employes yeah you know you know steps and they the employees were guaranteed
that when they did when you did their ratings as long as they fell within the parameter they automatically went to step two three four five six and then they go yeah I don't know I don't think in our grent step schedule there was anything
because you're the vso for six times so we don't have anything in it say vsso that but so we'd have to actually talk to in HR specialist find out what good grade step I bring up a point
so more likely than nothing we're going to be getting Top Field next year get what Top Field as well de reti to the district to our district I've been speaking deck he parttime he just went on vacation um for two months TOS so so
topsv he's GNA be he's already spoken to because he just signed a one-year contract he told them this is my last year he's been on for a while but he wants to join he wants possible so it's not set in stone but like I said that's exactly where how
does that work I was just about to does how does that work so that's what do you mean this that's why I'm posing it and then when it does happen you guys vote correct what happen when we cuz I wasn't
here when we lost the Two Towns I just about to say a town doesn't need to ask permission to leave no no but what happened into your office I mean like did did the vso did we pay their L money because they have two less thousands now
or I'm just throwing that out there so so nothing really happened so when we gain top spills so it's going to percentag is up of what each individual Town pays well that's not true we did when we had less tal we did sort of
scale back some of the expenses that left and and scale down the hours for the assistant to 20 hours so definitely we didn't we didn't the salary yeah no no that wasn't
what I was trying at she was no I think isn't the question is how can we as a district can we as a district I don't think the towns have there must be like or something right
yeah I would think so or it's you know it's um I mean they vote on it me yeah I'm sorry guys one time can I recognize Linda please I think I think this if tovi does want to consider joining I
think we have to reach out to Leal and ask that's exactly why yeah but it also has that top Spiel I would think their board have to say we feel comfortable segueing from a single to a committee uh headed by Steve and
Tony a committee sort of group would you feel comfortable joining a big decision is in topsi I think the district here has to get some advice from our attorney I'm happy to call how we how we do that if that's
the case and not only that what does it do to your workload I'm doing it right I'm already taking soft people for him right now while he's on vacation but there are calls so if you would AB them then your workload is
going to increase well travel so would we look at not like a 20 hour week person or butfield would also be paying an assessment to District so there's extra money that but that's
something that I think that's something to discuss after the fact they com we need to have talk him and I I don't know I don't I think we should have some idea I mean it have to be
right now but if we were going to absorb them what would we do we can't say yeah come on in they're here that you know the work Clos just crazy town I think we all have to sit down especially with to field and get everyone on the same consensus I think I think what I'm hearing is we don't want you and Tony so
overextended that it doesn't is not going to believe their population it's not going to change discuss is to I'm sorry and I'm ungrounded is topsville more Steve of an Essex or is it more of an if switch put this way they have zero chapter 115 okay okay so that me a yeah
but VA separate Outreach I guarantee there are chapter 115 recipients in to Ching that um as of right now their case load for chapter 115 is is zero from what he told
me just your field is it more in if switch C Lo and again is it more over towards yes side yeah the population it's more of an ess6 population is other things too I mean there's
office hours in Cho field there an reports you know we're already that's all I'm saying is spread SOI I mean Tony can go and do events as well and he has he's you know went
there's double booked he can go and make a presents out of breakfast you can go I mean so it's not like no one is there but yeah I mean I obviously can't be at six different Memorial Day ceremonies I can't be at six different like especially when they're all at 111
so so maybe we should just roughly take a Str poll uh and maybe we can formally put on the agenda next time but um you know whether we as members would support that or not support it maybe we should maybe that's the temperature and in
parallel Linda your point is well taken what are the procedures um you just said we didn't have a legal bill I'll out to council and see if there are any sharp barbs sharp areas that we should be does that make sense how do we another
Community you guys already knew had departur did anyone come in your tenure have we added anyone in your tenure I know Terry Terry grew the
the the only happened in my time here we lost lost well added new was Veterans the Massachusetts they
don't well so you said when would we be looking at possibility talk to him next year no he so his one he sign the one year so yeah I'll give you a former date when when when him and I have an actual okay
his bosses we'll get it's it's nice to tell graic and these are things we should think about ahead I think it's POS so you think it would be this fiscal year coming up um yes okay all right well
more to come on that perhaps um Steve would it be appropriate not to get off agenda to uh put that um um on the on our next agenda in a in a soft way to discuss it yes does that make sense
yeah all right so any questions on the yeah so St in my simple accounting World here every town is pretty much paying the same as last year that's every town is not like yeah but so but
I'm sorry L go ahead no no go ahead so we're our expenses are going our po expenses are $224,999 is that where how I'm reading it Y which is close to a 23 right about 20,000 up from our fully staff fully
operational 23 years there was 22600 on that R but the 173 actual and budgeted that was because we were Waters and I wanted to see what I you know yeah what we can put money towards I guess um
so the $88,000 UN categorized so that's I got two all right so I got a fishing trip planned I've already spoken capan um fishing Services parties they're very excited about doing um it can hold 45 people on their boat okay so right now
they're saying for a half half a day fishing trip for that's Rod re um everything it's like 2300 which is actually bad at all um I want to do two fishing trips for the year coming up but I I put the money that's not saying I'm
going to use this money that's saying if we need it because obviously I do want to do fundraising for it they want to you know we do want to see what the less we can spend on something um but right now for 45 veterans on a half day fishing trip they're saying about
$2,300 um so I want to do yeah two trips a year for that but also with throughout the year we've been getting requests for from towns for postage which we you can't really calculate our postage for what we use so I put that in uncategorized just in case
I do have to come back back to you guys and be like hey can I take this out of uncategorized expense and you guys approve it and then we move but but see I'm still getting back to the comparison here 224,000 this proposal was like the
real number which you should talk to it is the 221 which was 24 fully staffed last year is not which was a lower assessment was just because we weren't fully staffed still filling our our population well plus you
still say I don't I'm not only health insurance guys are saving $60,000 no I'm just think I'm not even getting into the granularity I'm just saying a comparative purpose the assessment last year will be up but it's close very close to what 24 was which was our fully
staffed fully fully operational cor okay that that's just the ground yeah yeah no and then you can see below um I have your comparisons from what to paid last year to what you um what is proposed
this year um so yeah there's not actually too much of a where's the comparison um you see what was approved oh approved okay yeah okay so just using
newb last year was 27 176 this year it's going to be 3388 y so pay 15% of obviously 33
yeah yeah right so so if I get asked we are doing level we're we're striving for a level Services budget but level Services has to be spoken to in the context of 24 not
24 is that Karen is that a fair way to say it yeah yeah and and it's all coming together here so the second the second column but you you know is the the 221 was the 24 budget right and then and
then this year it's the 224 like you said which is which is only about a $3,000 increase right well but but did we ask for we asked for 180 last year knowing that we work to be fully staffed Karen is that is that well I think
fiscal year we we've been there but the big thing last year was that Essex Regional assessment it went down $177,000 and this year it's back up so if you add you know the 177,000 last year you you're up to
197 so this approved column that was for FY 25 right so I think it would be helpful to see what that column would have been for FY 24 so that we can really show that well 24 was the amount that
the it was about 17,000 oh is it all sheet it's if you look on the first page of Essex Regional you can see what it was it went from 36 199 down to 20 and then back up to 37 oh okay but that was something that we knew was going to
happen and why did that happen Ken just it has to do with Staffing they and the other part-time left and in between yeah they they talk there so have you already given these numbers to our financing
folks our finan I haven't got approved yet so yeah now the first year we did a plan A B and C didn't we or am I thinking of another budget you thinking of
so we we we didn't didn't we vote on three different budgets last year no he's went up with Tony's um 35 hours we comparison of what his reg Steve talking about is our towns are
in their budget processes now right so have you communicated these proposed mounts to our finance directors you improve I'm going to do mine tomorrow so Bill Deo actually reached out to me saying yeah I'll
you and Catherine didn't reach out yeah so so do you have those acquired 24 assessments the the what last year what you paid last year that was 2 we
can the assessment from the reason I asked that is because we're looking at you know FY 24 being 221,000 and FY 26 being 224 it's not that much different right so it's like app the apples
versus 10% right but then when I look at you know the last year's 60,000 post 75,000 I want to be able to to go back to the year before and say it's really not different from so that's point no
I think from this right right and we knew we knew that was the case when we got last year we got a little GI right and I think I even remember saying to our like this next
yeares um but yeah like said nothing we're actually adding our we're getting phones again I put I added that line item budget back in because we took it off last year for phones so we ended up adding 550 for phones last year oh
yeah but we just never used right yeah so but I mean it's in the fiscal 25 um events and Outreach again so two fishing trips would be $4,600 what else is in that $8,000 like I said so when to are coming for postage
for events of the year I want to be able to have that for the $500 for the the plaque you know anything that comes up I don't want to not have anything in the budget to be able to reach into if something comes out for work here but that's why that's uncategorized so when
we have our meetings I can hey this came up for the year unexpectedly can we take this out of the not necessarily saying I'm going to use all that 8,000 but I would love to have it there just in case something does come up that we
can't we have retain well that's just going to bring that up I don't know what the is there a procedure Karen that we we can use that for whatever we want right yeah because I think you're proposing that you'd like to
have a a kitty of money a part of money for events as they you may think of them or they come up but have that be a regular part of the budget yeah right yeah I said not necessarily saying use it all and obviously you will have these
discussions at our just approve something it's the well no we talked about this last year why would you just have a line for outreach instead of calling it because well because there's just a lot of other things because
there's housing say emergency hotel right um you know there's there there's going to be so many you can't just categorize one when there's so many um so just saying it's on C if we need it we can ask
get's back I think I do think though I was think I've been thinking the same thing all along but you can't you know this this these are these are operating expenses that it should stay that way and then if we're going to
kick back any retained earnings to the towns I don't think it should be reflected in this col right and I I would agree with you because of the same thing like $7,000 if you if you use retained
earnings to fund the budget you know what happens is everybody's assessment goes down that one year and then the next year when it's not there you see these huge increases it's like trying to balance your budget with free cash exactly
that for that's very help yeah no but again the operating budget is 224 97209 what we do with the other $143,000 isn't going to affect that at all no because what what happened is the
board would vote to return it to the towns we'd send a check like we did the last time and then that flushes out to your free cash right I was that a topic for another day well there there's two big issues first so the first is the budget budget
which we need all our towns I'm getting I'm getting calls we need an approv budget didn't told him tomorrow I um the other question is retained earnings which I don't think is as
urgent as the budget but um I will tell you in my town it was very pleasantly positively received to get a check um even the to the the concept of the check was approved secondarily to the dollar amount yeah I'll I'll go around the
table Linda Doug and Doug you want to say something oh yeah yeah I I think it's important and we talked about it last year about having the budget line item or events or programs that Steve would
like to do so we can't just keep saying not put it in as a line item it should be line mean like a fishing fishing instead of instead of every year trying to dip into reserves to cover that well I want to test this this is going to be our first event right so yeah obviously
I want to but we have 8,000 and they're now yeah right but there's there's nothing that says we can't do a line transfer of $8,000 to that but then it kind of defeats the purpose of having that budget line right but I'm sorry I think Steve has 8,000 in this budget not for
retained earnings for I understand that I'm talking about paying for them paying for more above the 8,000 Doug no sir okay I'm sorry I'm right now we don't have a budget line item for
this we use the language that's on paper uncategorized that's a wide variety of that is not and never has been the line Bud we talked about this last year and said that there should be line up for
these types of events so all I'm saying is you can you can decide to it's not good to necessarily pay for that out of retained earnings and kind and that because that kind of
negates that line so Doug are you asking for them like Karen said in the budget saying for events and then still leaving uncategorized one for the the curve ball I don't know you know I'm all doped up today because I'm on pain medication
maybe sounds like a I think I know what he's trying to say in other words instead of being uncategorized we need to again because that there's a wide variety of things it's not just for fishing events
you say what if you call it events and Outreach what if you call it uncategorized no just get rid of uncategorized we'll put Outreach and just call it events and Outreach cool sounds good expenses that I know I
know I'll tell you what you were talking about you were talking about if he needs more than 8,000 we shouldn't just pull it out of the 143 to fund it because now now we're we're not it's not proper
budgeting procedures for a business to do that that's what I think you were trying to say so I was saying that there should be a line item for that right and that we should not discuss paying for that line item from retained earnings correct that's all I
was saying yes right so there is like I said there is a line item and let's call it Outreach and events that's right yeah but that's all I that's all I say yeah I agree and you think Steve you think 8,000 is enough like you said it's going to be the first events from what I spoke
with the captain of the boat they're giving us a great deal on that um 4600 no 4600 of the eight is gone already for one trip for 45 bets is 23 instead of 4,000 I think that's
great the first one does kick off and you know obviously 40 F there's other bets that are left off of the play trip yeah I want to have the second trip to be able to get those people we missed out on well I've been I've been on a couple of those up in Hampton and and
it's it's it's an unbelievable event just a camarad yeah all right um Tony you want to so we go the we that we need to formally approve the budget so does anyone else want to discuss the Steve
Steve's budget of $224,990 breaking down to the allocations of town as specified on his budget sheet okay I I think we should do a motion and a second and then a discussion that's the way we're supposed to do it so that's what I want to keep
focused on I I motion that we accept the budget of$ 22497 to9 second second okay now discussion um I guess I'll will ask the question Steve do you feel that budget fully
staffs and creates your initiatives uh supports the initiatives that you put forward qualitatively in your presentation from the time that I've been here and what I've seen for over the year um I think this is a great as budget for for me personally to see exactly you know what's going on but
yeah no I I definitely okay what what do you see because one of the charges you had when you were first hired was to look at Staffing of the office is the office staff where you think we always so
there's always a need for people there's always yes there's always a need we are very we we're true people in charge of an area of six towns I mean think about it but we're doing more work than one office we're doing six different town reports we're doing six different
chapter 115 budgets like you we're doing 6 more work than one vso office that's what you got to take about to take on to well once again that population is and you have to think about chapter 115 because that's a lot
of paperwork that's a lot but they have zero zero recipient but it's also the events you know we're already trying to five your time on Memorial Day and L and Veterans Day and whatever and then to you know we have to think about that if we're add another well that's what like
I said veterans Council every town should have a veterans Council it's not up to the vso that's not in my job description to create a veter your town that's not what a vso does and if you that's if you look at the definition it's not that I think um it's
having our vsso at those events regardless I mean we have we have our VF W group committee that know veterans committee that does put those things together but I think if six of us are trying to get you at Memorial Day that's not the veterans Council that's your
time but you can think of this as this so all right the armst one Veterans Day was signed at 1111 so so right now you expect me to be in six towns for the same time what I'm saying is and to add to that already trying to figure out how
we're gonna we all want you no and I get that so let's use Carman mobile for instance he's in charge of how many TS like he's one man he can only speak at one so believe having to choose which communities he's going to
speak at people have to be understanding that yeah we we are a few people we're not like you got be mindful that we we are limited to where we can be at times I mean just real and I think actually the the conversation was that you don't
plan the events people say okay this is one our EV is and you know can you come and then you look at the whole schedule say okay I haven't been to this one yet just like I Memorial Day I took him this year I'm going to Georgetown
hopefully yes that's how it should Bea that was my main approach when I first came here because I've heard complaints from you know people felt left out I don't want I don't want any town or any veteran in those towns to feel they're not being represented into the fullest capacity of a vso and
believe me I'm making that I'm very mindful of that to try to divide my my time you do a good job you do and the concern I I have and I think we're sort of expressing is to take on another town it's going to add to your workload how
me you had you lost two towns before so different you're you operate differently let's count our chickens when they're hat very ambitious um but she was in charge of that's what I'm saying before we talking about
budget so the budget is the resources comfortably Tres some new things uh and move through you and Tony to move through we may be having a conversation about resources in next budget or where things are lacking but this is a good
cut having been in the the seat for for a good period yes it's my getting back to my original question how do you see the Staffing that you would would be optimal for this office I think we're great right now
right now yeah yes I mean we we have our systems that we have in place for us no one's falling through the cracks we case case we're dedicated to casework um yeah I mean there's no short yeah if we have to
put a sign on the do and we have a district event we have to leave an hour early that's not a problem um we leave a number we we're always very I said communication is you we always let people know hey leave a voicemail we'll get back to you at our always convenience like that's you're you got
we check our VOA yeah that's all I just had a question because you charged with letting us know what you need for Staffing within the office I was just asking what's your optimal staff
need do you want a job do I want you want a job have another would it be better to have a third person of course it's always better to have more health I mean that's just with anything but do we need it
right now when we're just finding our our Niche no I think we have our systems and and our processes are running smoothly um we haven't had I mean you can't please everybody but we haven't had much complain okay that's all iing
oh yeah no obiously more well yeah of course everybody at the same hand you're saying you don't need it right no when you guys raise the $35 hly that was that was a huge help and I appreciate that you so
that's all I was at charge and so I have the answer thank you now that we exited we went down like four radicals to get R any other questions about budget about
the the the items that uh articulated by Steve on budget and um and the the proposed budget and town allocations well okay we need we I think the board would need to have a
ex ex session discussion regarding Sal well that's when my review comes up right well we're budgeting for a number that's there do we need to have that discussion prior to a budget coming out it's not going to make that much with I
think you have on our agenda discussing the the framework of reviews um I think in the past we have um done that correct we put a little bit of a buffer in but we always had some room if we needed to
move it on some categories that weren't fully F utilized and we had some Rainer I don't think we've discussed it Doug historically but I'm open to it cont this I just want to I'll throw out there
maybe this will help because it's budgeted like Steve said because it's budgeted doesn't mean we have to approve it right it it you know when his review comes up if this number if if if we don't have to approve this number just
because we approved the budget we can change that number right we don't have we don't have to approve this number right now because we haven't had his review yet and in my mind it's just good accounting to say all right maybe maybe it's
a which is another another case for for a compensation schedule right would help with budgeting average you that one that's from Georg some place in your office that was way that was
was I think I think I got it from you still and like Tony we might give tony more than a dollar an hour More's you know I mean in the budget doesn't mean how that's that's not how it's got to go you
know so yeah I just that but I think he's already getting more than that well it's already budgeted for more and then there is like a additional request right yeah and that's reflected
okay so we have a motion on the floor um to review and discuss uh do we want to now move to the approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget in town allocations I think
the the question is are we ready to vote are we ready to vote are we ready to vote everybody ready to vote I'm well you know what you have you have a motion in a second you have to vote ask one more question um under the salary for
the treasure that's going up $800 yes it hasn't moved since the day yeah actually the only thing you can do is remove the I see I we just went through this in my town and and the way motions and seconds are supposed to go when there's something on the agenda you're
supposed to motion it you're supposed to Second it and then you discuss it you know discuss it first and then motion and you know and yes we discuss discussion you call for any last discussion but do I mean if if you know
anybody can vote no that wants to vote no but you're right we do have to vote cuz I moved it and she second I suggest anybody would vote no no did it right I think we had the the big discussion and then towards the end of that there's usually a motion and a
second and then any further discussion would come under that but I don't think we have to have a motion no you I think you may be the wrong way what I was trying to say was that was it because we motioned it in second it doesn't mean you have to approve it you can still
vote no oh sure I'm pushing you know what I mean just because it's Motion in second it doesn't mean you have to vote yes that's that was my so we are we so let's move to a vote of the
2026 budget start by signing let's vot for Cindy um so um I'll do a roll call vote um yes I Shar D yes
yes Flyn EXC do you sign and then I will send individual assessments out to your respective treasurers tomorrow I'll be send I already told I promised him and Billo and Tracy BL
Bill call you me I'll talk I'll talk to youline and next item is number six um I think Steve you wanted to segue as Tony talk about his electronic initiatives yes pleas see the handout on the actual
Facebook marketing numbers which I think everyone will be very impressed with gives a breakdown on yes so last time our the if you look at the report that's by itself that's the previous report uh the 5 cents per
uh pl Play uh that was a fantastic number that already worked out really well uh as I mentioned before uh the more videos we put out the more they reward us I think that's what's happening in that our cost has gone way down now we're only paying three cents
so if you if you look down at our uh has reached then you can look at the previous this has reached around 1,700 whereas now for the same exact amount of money we're reaching about a th more people which is huge turn so all the
rest is the same as previous we can see the trajectory that we're going and it's good so it's averaging about three cents per per person to watch our video great have you noticed an increase in activity yeah I mean so right now we
haven't focused on because there's likes and follows that you get your page to so you can we can split up our advertising budget to get more people to like and follow our page or we can get it to them to watch our videos we we think it's more beneficial to actually get people to watch our stuff than to be
like hey but when you're already paying for the advertising it's going out to thousands of people we don't I'm not too worried about getting likes and qualties and all that I'm getting how many people are actually watching our videos and um
that's yeah um so over over a week yeah we spent 99 100 bucks U we just filmed our our recent video today on chapter 115 so this is going to we got to edit that um just going to like I said standard
documents you're going to need all that the meat and bones of what Che 115 um I've watched some of those videos and they're good yeah yeah thank so he is he's fantastic with that and
adding digital Graphics I just wanted to mention too uh sharing like I know everybody says this on like any video share and subscribe that sort of thing if everyone here would do that too that that is it's organic we don't have to pay for those things if you share and
subscribe that's share a video money you're saving on this stage too I was going to bring we I think I brought that up last the last meeting where like Kristen kasner when she reposts it when she reposts it your audience becomes
huge he just followed our he's been liking our thank gosh so we had actually I reached out to conman Molt's media and Communications team they actually shared our whole page on Carman Molt's Facebook page got some like so we are reaching
out to all you know represent espe when you know M's team but good so you guys are pleased with the electronic initiatives we're going to build some mask continue to spend and then perhaps uh get to some ancillary uh
platforms Instagram correct so the postage say we were putting out a newsletter and sending a postage out to each veteran in the town that's hundreds of dollars what we're doing right now is saving so much money more the breakfast postings was was crazy yeah that's great
that's great well hats off because that demographic was one of this board's big initiative and it seems like uh I I'll speaking myself it seems like it's there's a real head of steam behind it so hats off to both of your apps thank you so that is done for our
reports review process are we ready to move on to that um I think it's time to um would get the initial form out Linda correct me if I'm wrong and we start about this time where the form uh gets reviewed uh the initial input form gets
reviewed we give folks a date to start coming back and then we do a tally and that is our quantitative basis for Steve's uh for the discussion of how Steve is doing uh am I speaking out of of school here Linda you you um well I
have a form to fill up first on what I right yes and then I self right last spring when we had this discussion and we provided an increase in compensation did
we agree on a a date for review I think there a procedure that was voted on last year to get him back into sync with the normal review cycle and the stub process we went through was just saying it's really unfair for
Steve to go 15 16 months so now we have the chance to get back into the regular like the session that Karen went through um this is what we're talking about getting him the normal review process self-evaluation forms out to the
board and go through it tally it up that's what we agree to as a board but again this is all on the table now so I think the last couple of years what we've done before Karen left was um the Theo would send us their self
evaluation right um we would send out the about our review form to the members of the board set a date to have those sent back to me I think it was and then to they went to Linda and then we
tow them up we talking about our review yeah then you got all the that was I think after that's after so then Michael with Tally T the marks numerical numbers and then we
would create a composite form which had all of the individual comments into it the averages of all the numerical ratings and then the average total rating right and then Michael would um
speak with with Steve about that right present the review and we would present to the board the quantitative um numbers but to respect individuals privacy if you wanted to make a comment um your comments would
remain relatively private U on yeah you kind you redacted all about last year didn't we we don't get to see each other no we did but we didn't know who wrote it I thought it was it was in the master all the comments there but we didn't
know said did I not say each town like Georgetown and then no I don't think so I think you left it you put them all together just we didn't know who but then I think Steve you got the whole package see the
town each one he got the whole package I think went upstairs to that's she's she yeah upstairs well I remember there was some restrictions on the numbers just from an
experience level to wasn't there something like that where in other words other words I I think there was the highest was a five and there was one that said you know if you've been in the job for less than 12 months the highest you should get would
be a three for example you know I don't know if you guys remember that or not no I don't but but the evaluation was pretty it was a good evaluation very consistent and then the final piece of that would be in an open
session the chair would just give like an executive summary of it so that you know that's and then we would go to close session to discuss compensation for Steve and Steve would handle Tony's
because he is right we don't time so that's the rough framework the point of this agenda item was does the board feel comfortable now that we're on a regular review cycle with that process yeah I think it worked out real well last time
we did it yeah yeah I think it's I have more to write on my reflection this time yeah I think yeah no I think perfect the way it is so so we'll get Steve his self a Val and we'll start the start the ball rolling is that is that the consensus the board yeah yeah sufficient time to
fill it out and get it back whether it was good so we May or February so that's what we when's the next meeting it would seem like it makes sense to do at the next meeting the next meeting was the typically the discussion of the the results okay so we
have roughly three months to get our get those things we got be careful in May I got okay my son's get married no she got married so we do number nine is set the next so we'll keep that in
mind so all right so the next meeting let's backward back track from that the next meeting we're looking at what May May 14 May 15 well you
don't is that going to be the only item on your agenda fin will that be a regular meeting typically regular we obviously Val your schedule and you're including okay going away from Mother's Day I I am not but I'm
not 21st 21st have meeting up Wednesday the 7th of May at 6:30 630 or 14 May 7 I can't do the 14th cuz I got to fly down to
everyone 7 yeah I'm so the 7th of May 2025 6:30 6 we exective session it will probably be session at the end everybody should you can't leave
until you sign last time I think G A Sign electronically all that gum clapping and no signing what's the problem no last year I had to have you signation they like 6500
so form go forms every forms back we usually say six weeks weeks is our from then the board has four weeks Linda forms
[Music] should are we ready agenda all are we done no the we're just setting that the parameters the gating for Steve and for the to get the form out the last the last item on the agenda
is items that not reasonably the letter letter that's usually we got the letter do you have it I sent it to you oh oh so so we don't have an document that we can sign congratulating
I sent you a letter letter you mean I sent well I I I haven't even looked at it is is there signature blocks like on the are we going to do the signature blocks on the bottom or or just it's just the L like a proclamation like something more
formal more we're going have to get special paper for that well let's just this is something I want to discuss so let's let's a under reasonable whatever the term didn't we do that before for for a young didn't
actually happen I don't think no no we didn't we was was it was when Cameron was here remember there was a who went to the service cies and he did all these great things and I think we would having the
meeting there was a for one that I said the letter head yeah it was a really nice letter thing that we all signed and we gave it to him if you if you want I mean I I can put it together but what I was envisioning is I
I would even get maded and fr so that his mom could like hang it in her house and then when he comes back from break get him here and we can present it to him and you know videotape it or
whatever so you know um but you the next step is you want to review Steve Le the right right right so let's we'll we'll we'll continue if you need me to add signature blocks with just like this
ISS I would like to do the sign when's he graduate he's a freshman oh yeah he he went by way he went to the Army Navy game oh nice he was there like you
know everybody they got all FY jackets there's no choice we go I'll just add lines for signature for next meeting okay all right uh Linda would also like to just roughly put out these dates uh for for
Steve's review for the review process so Steve you'll get me your self evaluation by two weeks by February 28th okay all right even better um I'll send out the review forms with Steve's self- evaluation to everybody and if you guys
could get your reviews back to me by March 31st right and then you will do either do the mag magic the mag just went we'll um have a
executive SU that'll be presented Open Session right you'll speak with Steve about his and give him his to do that and and and the balance we were trying to strike was numerically we have to you know come clean on what
what the average is what it comes up to um but we also wanted to respect the board member if you did want to write a comment that was probably not glowing that that will be kept confidential as well I don't anticipate that being the situation but we also want to respect
the privacy of everyone's board member to to to uh say something uh you know that um maybe needs Improvement or something but that level of confidentiality was respected as well so that was the balance that this process
was trying to I got thick skin so go away does everybody have the one that they did last year yeah right I I have mine so I just that out there any other unanticipated items
that people would like to touch on thank you for your time see any could I look for a motion for adjournment all in favor thank you all for your time on this SN night turn the camera on