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needs. John's Liquor Store, 729 Main Street, Falmouth, 508-548-2287. Uh this is the regular meeting of the Falmouth Select Board for Monday, September 8th, 2025. The board has just returned from executive session with
respect to a discussion and vote with respect to certain litigation. So, I will now call to order the open session and I'll ask you to join me in uh the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, thank you. Uh, I'm just going to remind everyone at the start of the meeting, please silence your cell phones
and notify the chair if you're making a video or audio recording of this open session meeting. The placement and operation of the recording equipment should not interfere with the conduct of this meeting. Uh, and we will proceed to our agenda. But I do want to mention at
the outset that uh there are uh petitioners articles that will be presented this evening. Uh the board will not be accepting public comment from the audience with respect to those petitioners articles. Uh certain members
of the select board may have questions of the petitioners with respect to the articles, but we're not going to accept public comment from the audience with respect to uh to the petitioner articles. Uh, is there anyone have recognition on
the uh on the board? Um, I have a quick one. I went on the uh the revolutionary tour that the museums on the green hosted and learned about the uh Dr. Francis Wixs house and I was very interested and surprised to learn that Dr. Francis Wixs was a pioneer in the
development of the smallox vaccine back in 1790. Long time we've been using vaccines. tell that to the Anyway, so u I'd certainly like to recognize the
uh the wonderful work of the commission on substance use and the u uh the human human services department and and and Susie Hman. Uh I had the honor along with Mr. Richardson of attending the opioid awareness recognition event on
Sunday. And it was certainly uh you know a time for sadness but also a time for celebrating the community and celebrating the recovery community that is here in Felmouth and it was really a uh a very moving uh moving event. Any
other recognitions? Uh okay. Okay, I'll just make an announcement as I'm sure you will hear later this evening and if haven't seen it, there will be a community forum on Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:30 at the Gus
Cany Center to discuss the noise bylaw that has been proposed and which will be uh discussed a little later. Okay, Mr. Chair, I'm sorry to interrupt. Um just uh for board consideration, I do have one item if I may. Sure. Um, I'd request that the board
consider moving a business item. Item uh what's listed as item G currently on the business agenda uh to item C to follow immediately the Veterans Council report. And as uh the chair recalls, item G is the um consideration of the vote to adopt a revised schedule for the
November 2025. Got that. Thank you, Mr. Renaw. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um okay. Is there anyone here for public comment this evening? Public comment may be made on routine matters not on the agenda this evening. Comments are
limited to two minutes. Please introduce yourself. Since the matter has not been included on the agenda, the select board may not participate in discussion of the topic. Anyone for public comment? No, there's one.
Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't see your Good evening. I'm Barbara Samuels from Sharon Lane in East Felmouth. Um I was here two years ago at this practically this very date when the matter of the Emerald properties came before the
board. Um and the chair of the board and another uh member who is not no longer on the board announced that there would be no um comment about that matter because there would be no decision made
that night. Um however during the course of the meeting a decision was made. The um proposal which had uh a lot of staff time had been put into and a lot of staff um gumption had gone into despite
coming under attack by some of my more unruly neighbors. um the board decided to table that um item and at the time I thought table that means kill it and in
fact two years have passed and we've had a report on town owned properties that uh could be suitable for affordable housing and uh lo and behold the Emerald Properties was not mentioned as one of
only four um properties that were deemed suitable for affordable housing. Um, but I just want to be here and note that I haven't forgotten it. I drive past that property or walk past it just about every day. It's overgrown. It's unloved.
It's one of the more suitable properties for affordable housing you could have. And I just want to say because I know you're going to be discussing um zoning reform later that um it it was one of the more
um disappointing, embarrassing, um examples of local government that that I've seen and I'm 70 years old. So, um people haven't forgotten it. I hope you will put it back on your agenda and
untab it and move forward with that site. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else for public comment? If not, I'll turn it over to Mr. with respect to to consider a vote to affirm the appointment of the director of assessing.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and select board. We're very pleased, excited to uh bring forward to the boards for consideration tonight the recommendation of appointments of Miss Melissa Mata as a town's director of assessing. Mr. Chairman, Select Board. Uh, Miss Mata is
a highly qualified tax assessor with over 10 years of experience uh as a chief assessor for multiple Massachusetts jurisdictions, an additional 10 years of related experience working in the communities as a field agent. Her experience includes uh a significant amount of leadership.
Um, I'll list just a few um examples. Um, Miss Mata had uh uh an opportunity to uh participate directly in recovering from a uh particularly malicious ransomware attack in one of her previous jurisdictions. Um, she implemented reevaluations that resulted in full and
fair valued assessments in communities and significantly uh in in significant new growth opportunities. Modernized systems and procedures which as you all know as we begin implementing new software platforms is an important skill set to have. Miss Mata is a Massachusetts accredited assessor and
has completed coursework towards two additional Massachusetts assessor certifications. She's been selected to speak and uh the the interview panel was blown away by this. She's been selected to speak at International Association of Assessing Officers. Um has been a panelist at a seminar presenter for the
Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers. subjects uh that she's presented on include assessing best practices, importantly delivering outstanding customer service and preventing and recovering from ransomware attacks. As in the case with
all potential new employees, Miss Smata went through a very extensive background in reference check process. We're thrilled to bring her depth of experience, professionalism, very strong technological skills, and truly a passion for teamwork and excellent customer service to our Felmouth Finance team. Miss Mata currently resides
outside Falmouth. So we're requesting that the board also consideration of waving the division head residency requirement for her appointment as stated in article 5 section 4 of the town's charter. Miss Matza will seek to relocate to Felmouth. Um she has told us um during the process contingent upon
board's approval of her appointment. And Mr. Chair, select board, if the uh board does opt to affirm uh Miss Mata's appointment this evening, she has indicated she's prepared to start work later this week. Um, so we're we think this is very important because as you all know our outstanding uh current
chief assessor Trisha Favouli is planning her retirement on September 19th. So having a a week and a half, two weeks of overlap um is going to be significant uh for us. So with that, Mr. Chair, select board, both the HR director, myself and the assistant town manager is recommending that the select
board approve and affirm the appointment of Miss Mata as the town's director of assessing. We're also recommending that the board consideration of waiver of that division head residency requirement as I've indicated previously. Um, and with that, I'd be happy of course to answer any questions, but I did want to
provide Miss Mata an opportunity to say a few words to the board if she if she desires. Good evening everyone. Thanks for allowing me to speak for a moment. Um, I really appreciate your consideration. Um, everyone I've met through this process has been wonderful. The town of
course is wonderful. So um I really can't wait to start. So I appreciate your consideration. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Do we have a motion? Remember we need two motions. So someone ready to make the first motion with respect to affirming the appointment.
I would move that we appoint Miss Miff as the director of assessing and wave the requirement for residency. I think we need two motions. So just Oh yeah. Yeah. So second second the first motion. Any further discussion? We have a motion and a second. All in favor?
I. Okay. Now Doug motion with I make a motion to wave the residency requirement for director of assessing MA. And I'll second the second. Okay. We have a motion in a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All in favor? I
Okay, thank you very much. Good luck and smart work tomorrow. Thank you. Okay. Um, Mr. Chair, this the um suggestion has been made that before we start the planning board meeting that we
go to the consent agenda and get any of those folks out of here as soon as we possibly can. Do you think see any objection? Any of the other members see any objection with respect to that? So, any objection from the planning board?
Okay. So, we're going to move to the consent agenda very quickly. Uh, the first matter is licenses. Consider a vote to approve application by the West Falmouth Library at 575 West Falmouth Highway, West Falmouth, for a series of
four special 1-day wine and malt liquor licenses for events titled Books and Beastro to be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. September 26, 2025, October 25, 2025, January 31, 2026, and March
21, 2026. Under administrative orders, consider a vote to approve a request from the police department to expend funds from the DARE grant donations account 28-10-5210-5780 in the amount of 2,8472
for the purpose of purchasing items to collaborate with the children of the Falmouth Public Schools. Number two, consider a vote to accept a donation from the New England Endurance Events in the amount of $1,900 to the beach
donations account 28-60 28-632-5655-4830 for the beach department support of the annual sprint triathlon at Surf Drive held in 2025 on Sunday, July 13th.
Number three, consider a vote to approve a water easement for zero Bigalow Landing Road. Four, consider a vote to approve a conservation restriction for 599 Brickill Road. Five, consider a vote
to approve CPA funding for phase 2 PN headstone restoration closed PN of the old burying ground located on Mill Road. Number six, consider a vote to appoint Gan Talbert as a member of the Falmouth Board of Registers of Voters.
And number seven, consider a vote to approve the construction of a sidewalk within the layout of the public way on Sandwich Road in connection with the modified comprehensive permit issued to Falmouth Southerntherly LLC for 375
Sandwich Road. I do have a question about number seven. If we could just hold that for just a moment. Okay, we'll hold number seven. Mr. Chair, I move approval of the consent agenda with the exception of item seven. Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second with
respect to the consent agenda. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? I I Okay, Mr. uh Mr. Brown, I apologize for not answering this earlier. And if you don't have the answer right away, I understand there's nobody from DPW here, but I'm interested
to know if the curb will be either a granite or a concrete elevated curb or is that just a asphalt burm? Is that something that you know? Yes. So, Peter's indicating granite and that's typically DPW standard in plants and DPW has reviewed the plan. So,
granted, not not ruled asphalt. I couldn't quite make it out. The plan was a little fuzzy. Thank you. So, I I would move approval of item seven. Okay. So we have a motion and a second with respect to item number seven. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? I I thank you very much.
Okay. It is my pleasure to convene a joint meeting uh which has been a long time coming uh with the select board uh and uh and our esteemed planning board. So I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Julie to uh call your meeting to session and then we can uh get going.
Thank you. Good evening everyone. I'm calling tonight's meeting of the family planning board to order. Today is September 8th, 2025. It is approximately 6:48 and uh we are meeting at family town
hall. My name is John Dulie. I am the current chair of the family planning board. And before we begin, I would like to remind everyone this is a public meeting. And to I I've been told to silence your cell phones. If you wish to speak, you have
to come to the podium and tell us your name. That's it. Okay. Well, thank you. So, the first matter that uh that we have is to discuss challenges that have been raised to the expansion of housing initiatives caused by drinking water capacity
wastewater management requirements. Mr. Renaw, would you like to give us some background on that matter? So, Mr. Chair, I really don't have any comments prepared. I will uh advise the board and you've probably seen in your packets we've included a uh 2024 uh water study report that was prepared by
our consultants Tata and Howard. Um so that's included in your packets as a reference. Okay. So uh the conclusion of that report was that there is sufficient water uh capacity through 2045 I believe with anticipated population increases.
Now, you know, some people may have questions with respect to that particular determination, but that's what we are acting under at at this point. So, I turn it over to people on the planning board to see what questions uh you might have.
Miss Ker, does this include all sources that we currently use, which includes the base that we've been using for quite some time to supplement our water? And does it reject the opening of the
assumement well which I believe is currently being applied for to ascertain that it is okay to use. Do you know if that this report includes all of that or not? So Mr. Chair, uh I don't Great question. Um it's my understanding this does not
include any projections to open the assumement. Well, um I know that has been in discussions for a while. I don't think this 2024 report anticipates or projects that um but beyond that I do I do believe it projects the use of all the other available water sources but not the issues.
Okay, that's my understanding. The reason that I asked this question is that there was an article I think two weeks ago in the enterprise where the USGS had done a lidar survey of Long Pond which is our primary source of
water and right now we are at 3.2 3 five whatever it is feet and zero being sea level and it was stated that if we reach minus 3.5
we can no longer use that water supply. Now I would posit that we are already in danger because there was nowhere in that article that it stated whether being at 3.5 we have some saltwater intrusion coming our way because we are down low
with the drought. So that question is alive and well wide open to answer as to when we truly are going to impinge upon our fresh water. Is this something that your board will take into consideration as applications
come before you? We can't. They have to have water. That's That's the problem. We We are hamstrung by the bylaws that we operate under. And nowhere does it say, "Oh, you've got
to They did this in Florida a while ago. Nowhere in our bylaws does it say before you can approve anything, you have to prove that you have enough fresh water to service what you are approving. Could I make a comment? Yeah, please. I'd like to see us at some point make a
determination of when we're going to sunset using potable water for irrigation systems. We could make a make a ruling today and say three years from now, you're not going to be able to use your potable water source, your town water for irrigation. That gives people
time to drill a well if they feel like they really have to have irrigation. I mean at some point it doesn't seem sustainable to keep using potable water for irrigating lawns. It's just one thought. Anyone else have any points or questions
on the board here? And then we'll go to the planning board. I mean, I just think it shows the importance of pursuing sewering as much as possible uh and to preserve and to, you know, I know we'll hear about this more later with some of the zoning uh articles for town meeting,
but you know, I think it shows the importance of when we're where we're developing um you know, I I don't like the term um that it makes sense because it's associated with nimism a lot, but um you know, that we are really being forward thinking and I think it's something that we should think about in our strategic planning
session. question coming up of how do we look at housing and water holistically and and how they work together because you're right you are you are bound. Um but we can can kind of set the policy there and how we pursue this. Okay. And may add to that searing is not the
total answer because what's being proposed now is dumping it out into the ocean. So, you're dumping a current resource that is being um replenished by all the septic systems because they go down into the groundwater and they filter through. When you do that, you're
dumping it out into the ocean. You're not making it capable of being reused. There was a number of years ago when Ray Jack was here, he was wanting to put injection along Route 151, I believe, so that it would filter as it came down
towards our water supply. So, I've just gained those over all these years. And so, I'm throwing this out since we're on top. Also, also being married to a water expert uh doesn't doesn't hurt. Yeah, a little bit, Mr. Chair. Sure. The other thing I think
this points to uh is the need to think beyond Falmouth and more regionally when it comes to water. Uh you know what happens in MASHBY affects what happens in Falmouth. Um and you know related to this I just want to commend the effort of Falmouth's uh delegates to the
assembly of delegates Dan Gesson who has been proposing a real estate transfer fee where a percentage of uh high percentage of of expensive real estate sales would go towards building housing and cleaning up affordable water. So I want to commend him uh for his efforts
on that and it shows the need to think regionally in our housing and water crisis that we have. Is there anyone else on the Yes, sir. to dubtail's comments about drought. Uh I didn't see anything in this report about any modeling for uh drought
situations where we could end up with seven 8 10 years of drought. Uh what happens when that happens and getting back to where we should be able to discern whether
or not that information we can't make those kind of decisions, but I really think we should have some modeling done. Thank you. I would uh echo that and and build on that to say yeah I didn't see anything
in this report um about changing water regimes um which we know is is some of the most present uh day impact of of climate change in addition to potential saltwater intrusion as sea level rises and uh water resources change. So, I
think it is really important that we do get a more um nuanced uh forward-looking understanding of what those resources might look like. At the same time, I guess I would caution against um an overly simplistic
this is the water we have, therefore this is the housing that we will allow. uh kind of thinking understanding that um there are a lot of different ways uh to access water and create drinking water and also to conserve the water
that we have as Mr. Brown was mentioning. Um whether that's uh restricting the uses of potable water. Um whether that's uh creating incentive or disincentive um programs for water conservation or um if if necessary
thinking about um other more expensive than rainfall but ways of actually um deriving fresh water for our needs. And so I think I think this is a fabulous uh development that we actually have these two boards in conversation this evening because I think it really needs to be a
back and forth about how we want the town to develop and how we meet the needs of that development, not a kind of simplistic um line in the sand of of how much we will or will not develop based on our current water resources. If I could just throw one more thing
about water. During our discussions of the planning for the sewer outfall pipe, we I asked Amy Lel, the wastewater superintendent, if it was possible to incorporate another line coming back toward East Falmouth that would potentially reuse some of that water
rather than going to the outfall. And she cautioned against doing that in conjunction with this project because she said it's a whole different project and it can be done, but it should be done later, not to conflate with the current project. So that's something we can take up later on down the road
because she said it's also a very expensive process, but it may be worth pursuing later on if we feel like we're being wasteful and we want to bring some of that water back, maybe put it on a couple of golf courses or maybe some other big users that we could think of.
Okay, any more questions on this particular item? Uh Mr. Mr. Corno, would you mind coming up to the podium just to be there as as we proceed with these next few items? Sure thing. Thank you. So, um you know, the uh the next items on the agenda were really a
compilation of what I have seen as some of the suggestions that have been discussed around town with respect to increasing our housing stock for affordable housing as well as for um housing in the missing middle. And
that's why they're listed here. I don't think we have to, you know, stay to any particular order, but I'm certainly, you know, as you are the board that will be making the ultimate decision with respect to the zoning reforms that are suggested, I'd like to turn it over,
John, to uh to you and your committee. If they have any thoughts or comments on any of these matters, just uh let's get them out there. Okay. Thank you. Uh Jed, you want to talk a little bit about duplexes?
Right. So, uh, for the record, Jed Corno, community development director. Um, as the planning board knows, but perhaps others may not, duplexes currently right now are allowed in the majority of zoning districts in town by Wright. Um, this change or this
potential change would impact uh four specific zoning districts. That would be the agricultural double A, agricultural single A, agricultural B, and potentially the senior care retirement subdist. I say potentially because, as
you're aware, we made some amendments to that uh subdist, that area um up in North Falmouth, which essentially allows single family homes as it is. Um but it's a limited scope of what's actually allowed um within that district. So, um,
essentially what I'm trying to say is that duplexes could be, uh, if the planning board through a public hearing process, uh, heard that folks wouldn't be opposed to it, could be allowed by right in, you know, three more zoning districts and really open up opportunity throughout town.
John, yes, Charlotte, I don't think everyone is aware of the status of these as recommendations coming from a governor's advisory committee. Some people have seen the list and thought that perhaps like the new ADU law that it's actually a law, but they're not. So, I wonder if we
could have an explanation of the status of these suggestions. Where did they come from? And what what would need to be done for them to be effective in this town? Uh, are you referring specifically just
to the duplex item currently? No, I'm referring to A through G. So just so that we all understand where they stand right now in Felman. Um well I can give you a a brief overview of essentially where they're at
currently. So um duplexes and triplexes as you can see on the agenda. Um this change would affect our zoning bylaw in a way to essentially allow them. 40 Y starter homes are currently not allowed u within the town. transfer development
rights. I and I'll be as brief as I can. Transfer development rights currently exists within our zoning bylaw, but um in my opinion, there's some flaws with that uh over with that overlay district simply because of all of its requirements. So, we currently do have that on the books, but we um essentially
restrict uh the use of that uh too much. Um seasonal communities, that's a brand new program. Um I think a lot of the um communities in Massachusetts are interested in what that actually means, the benefits of that. Um there is some
information on the state's website about what it means essentially and you know we can certainly get to that but we have not opted in uh currently. Um the conversion bylaw which it really is just a conversion of a dwelling use. the um
town meeting approved some changes to that use in April of 24. So we made the planning board made it a bit easier to use and made it a little bit more consistent language. And then lastly, the pre-approved ADU plans. Um the Cape
Cut Commission is working through that with a regional housing strategy. It's a essentially a regional housing plan. Um part of that effort was um a recommendation to make permitting more streamlined. This is one of those uh ways to do it. And I don't believe the
comprehensive plan, short-term rental, those are not things that you're looking for an update on. Just to be clear, these this is like a menu of options of ways that the this town could decide. The state is not mandating change. Correct. Yeah. As as I said, I mean, I think what
what this what this list reflects are some of the items that I have seen people discussing as possible zoning reforms. many of them emanating from the governor's, you know, bill, but certainly it's something that the town has to, you know, agree to. I'll ask Mr.
Richardson with respect to his u involvement with the uh state representatives where we are with seasonal community regulations. Yeah. So, actually I had a meeting on this with draft rags with the EOHLC the other day and they said by uh hopefully
the latest they said was mid-occtober. So it's right around the corner. Uh to the extent the extentives the incentives are help are helpful. Uh we will see but it does it does not seem that uh the
criteria or the holdups they put on Falmouth don't seem to be that significant to me. Falmouth will qualify. That is not a question. Uh we will be a seasonal community. It's like like in terms of fitting the criteria. We would be able to opt in as to what they want if we make that decision. If
we make that decision, u I personally think we should make that decision, but we'll come to that road when we get there. Question. Anyone else? Yes, Mr. Fox. Mr. I see a a conflict of logic here. We're
have recently now passed a law from direction from the state that everybody's allowed to have an ADU for their primary home for primary site that every site can have it. And now we're also going to say that every site could
be divided by in two and become duplexes and have two primaries. There's that which can be subdivided and sold up as as residents and now we are basically saying if you follow the extreme logic that one of them is becoming four that
each lot could be separated into two and they all can have an accessory. I don't see any talking about this or the logic of it. I mean everyone talks about how great this whole thing sounds. I don't think they followed it all the way through and I I bring this up all the time. I've never gotten a straight answer on it yet.
Well, that's why we're having this meeting. Mr. Fox, I mean, I'm my response is is where's the push back? I mean, you're creating the opportunity to build more housing. I mean, I understand your concern is larger scale over development, but I
mean I I I the scenarios run up a lot and I just don't see that actually happening anywhere where that all those tools are unlocked and all of a sudden, you know, you're building New York City. I mean, I just don't think that happens. No, no, I wasn't saying New York City. I'm saying right now every house in
Falmouth can already have an ADU. It's not New York. And we're about to say that every I thought I heard our planner say that every single family lot become two. That's not New York. That's here. That's now. But it's already it's already permitted in almost every residential district
right now. According to what Mr. Corno just said, we're just we're just questioning whether that should be changed. Is it really permitted right now? Is every single family home now eligible for a duplex in Fmouth? No. No. I So, what just to clarify,
every zoning district has the ability That's what I meant. To build a duplex with the exception of the ones that I listed previously. But how do they do that though? What do you mean they have the ability? Doesn't Town Meeting have to approve it? Don't we have to change it? No, it's it's just an allowed use.
So, every single family lot can now have a duplex. No, single family lots with the majority of zoning districts in town have the ability, not if they currently have a single family home, they just have the ability to build a duplex on
their property if they so choose. Well, that I take exception to your language saying, let's talk about the percentage of lots that are zoned single family in A, B, and C compared to the others and talk about the the lots. I think there's far more lots that are
single family and don't have that. You're saying in the business zone and these other zones, but that's not the majority of the lots. That's the majority of the zoning districts. Now, talk about the math and not lang English. And I'm talking about that's what I'm concerned about. I hear what you're saying, but I don't really hear
anyone talking about the fundamental understanding. If that's the case, then we have a residential zones A, B, and C. Not counting general residential. That is the majority of the town. Take a look at the amount of lots that exist under that and talk about the number of lots and not the zoning
districts. If you took a look at our other districts, they're so small in numbers, I think it gets overwhelmed. I think we're talking about semantics and math and they're not matching up. And that's my point. Okay. So, what the discussion is supposed to
be, Jim, is as it says here, I write in all zoning districts. That's what we're going to discuss. not saying that it's allowed. Jen has explained and I I agree with you. In most places it's not allowed. I just thought I heard him say it was allowed and I just thought I heard one of the selectman say it was allowed.
It's a discussion item. Jim, I heard differently. Could I read it? Could I ask a question? Yeah, Mr. Brown. I think what we're looking at here today is proposed legislation from the governor that's up for us to decide if we want to adopt. Is that not correct? I
think this is just a list of potential options to look at for zoning changes. Right. So my impression was do does the community want to think about allowing duplexes essentially throughout town wherever single family homes are allowed
by right? The three zoning districts Thank you. The three zoning districts for which it is not allowed currently by right are the agricultural double A single A and B. It's also not allowed in the senior care retirement subdist, but
that's a separate conversation. So, if the community was to be in favor of that, the simple zoning change that would come before town meeting would be a use table that shows a Y for duplexes in those agricultural districts that I've just described.
And if I can paraphrase for Jim, what he is stating is that those three zoning areas are majority of where our buildable lots are. unused buildable lots. Okay. I I I don't know that for sure,
but to get duplexes used, it would have to be approved by town meeting because those are where most of the lots are that we can build on. Yeah. Vacant lots. So, essentially, you're just allowing a property owner to decide that they would like to have a duplex on on their property. Yeah.
Now, are we talking are we talking rentals or are we talking condos? We're we don't get into the specifics. It's two family dwelling. Yeah. I wonder if you could help me read this chart on it. It's all little tiny print and
even with my reading glasses on, it says here, I think what we're looking at is semi- detached and two family dwelling. Correct. That would be a duplex. So, in that column, it looks as if there's an NN, no, not allowed in the agricultural districts as you just said.
Correct. But then reading across where do I run onto the other ends and there are ends if I'm reading it right single use double A that's residential isn't it correct yes and that also has an N so right now it would appear that duplexes are not
allowed in residential singleuse uh residential or so that's double A and B that's and then going forward where there are more ends most of the residential zones don't allow
these semi- detached and two family dwellings. That's the the way the chart reads. Is that wrong? I don't have the chart in front of me, but my recollection was that it's only not allowed in the agricultural districts. Okay. Well, let's go by the chart because it came out of the zoning book.
So, if we use the chart, what we're really thinking about is do we want now to think about having duplexes um in regular residential districts? And I see what you're getting at. Yeah. And I'd like to comment on that. I would have a problem with that.
It would seem to me that the people who have invested in a uh a residential zone, expecting it to be a single use house, one house per lot in that zone. It would appear like almost like a
taking that now it could be two. All it would take is a change of ownership and the next owner could do that. So your neighbor changes something. It just seems it would be quite a change for this town in the character of the town and one of the responsibilities of the
of the planning board is to try to protect the character of the town and it would be a huge change. So I think a response easy to that is, you know, that's the public hearing process. So obviously if the planning board's um open to that type of concept,
they would have a a public hearing and folks would be invited to come and provide input on do we think duplexes should be allowed in those districts. Yeah. You know, I think we should just step back for a minute. I mean, I don't think we wanted to necessarily argue or
or the merits of of each and every one of these items. I think we just wanted to try to discuss on a global basis some of these thoughts that have been circulating around town that I think all of the members on the select board or many of them have have heard from some
of our residences. These are ideas that may help in this uh in this housing situation that we have rather than getting into the weeds of one particular one or the other. So uh you know I think going forward we should try to speak a
little bit more generally as to you know the process and what people might you know think about you know again in a in a broad sense rather than you know in looking at the zoning classification necessarily. Thank you Bob and I'll keep that in
mind. I think you're right but I do think one of the things that can come out of this is this board talking with your board to get a sense of where the boards are on them not just and to understand what they are. So it's important that this duplex thing would impact our residential zones, not just
the agricultural zones. That's an important fact to bring out in as we meet together and also to get a sense of what the board members think about them. Mr. Brown, I think it's it's difficult to really narrow it down because our use tables
doesn't show the duplex here. We're taking a guess at the multif family would address that. Am I right? Where would I see a duplex listed on this chart? Multi family, two family, semi- detached and two family dwelling.
Okay. Sorry, top line. Excuse me, Mr. Goldstone. So, um, first of all, I really appreciate the discussion with the the eye to detail and the experience that the planning
board brings to this. um in ter I I I think the getting at the question and getting more clarity on how changes in um zoning for um duplex, triplex, multif family and how that
interacts with the ADU by right is certainly an important thing to to get some clarity on. Um, I in in my tell me if I'm wrong here, but but I feel like the number of empty buildable lots we have in town, especially in our
residential areas, is small enough that a change in the um allowable use would have much less of an impact than actually the conversion uh the change in the conversion bylaw, right? and
enabling more existing properties to convert from single dwelling to duplex, triplex or multif family use in those areas. Would that that be an accurate Did you say it would have more of an impact? That would have more there there would
be more opportunities for densification. Absolutely. Yes. Under a conversion scenario as opposed to the allowable use adding a duplexes as an allowable use. I would think of it as the opposite. So, if you start allowing additional uses,
you've opened the ability for property owners to rethink their properties and to if they have a single family home, but they want to turn that into a a triplex and you've allowed that by right, you've now allowed for more opportunity for people to expand upon
that. the conversion uh bylaw or stop saying a bylaw conversion use um is somewhat limiting because of the factor of cost. So what we've um understood is that those are traditionally large homes um that are they were single families
now they want to convert them up to four units. In doing so there's a substantial cost with for example um fire protection so fire suppression um systems. So that's been a prohibitive measure in terms of getting people to um actually
do that conversion. We haven't seen a lot of conversions uh that I'm aware of. So if we allow um a a wider variety of allowable uses by right, in my opinion, you open up the market a bit better in that way than you would in a conversion
scenario. Okay. I mean, I guess I would just say and and um to the point of of getting a sense where this board's members are um speaking for myself, I think um creating
options to um increase densification uh in our already residential areas is something really important that we need to do. And I guess I would respectfully push back on the idea that having two families on a lot is in some way
I think the implication is that it does it impact the community? I I guess so. But does it negatively impact that community having lived in a duplex or triplex situation? It's a different way of having neighbors. Um, you know, it's it's not necessar I I I think in most of
these cases, we would be expecting that those would be long-term residents and members of the community. Um and and uh rather than eating into undeveloped land, I would like to see us pursue ways to to increase the density of our
already residential areas. But that's that's me. I I 100% echo that and I think that you're right. We need to unlock opportunity to do these and as you mentioned, there's always Yes. the things get approved. You know, we're just giving people the right
to do things. I do have a question about, and I could be totally wrong here, but uh the proposed ADU zoning bylaw, right? Um so the affordable homes act passed allows for two. Uh it needs a special
permit for the second one on a property. It's my understanding that the proposal for for town meeting is only one. That's correct. Is is there a reason for that? Yeah, simply to make sure that because the Affordable Homes Act actually allows for
two or more. So, it is entirely possible that multiple property owners could develop multiple ADUs on their property. And the planning board just simply doesn't have rules around that. We don't have uh well, the board doesn't have a cap, a number of units that they would
entertain. And there's really no decision criteria put in place in terms of the allowable size because anytime you get past the first ADU, the town has total control over the size, all of the components that uh would come into play. So, we just don't have those rules yet.
So, so why don't would those rules be coming from the state or would the town just be allowed to make those rules? The town's allowed to make those rules. So, then if that's the case, then why not just have it be two? Because if is is and thank you for your expertise on this because I clearly don't have any
but under that way is is if you do it by two does that then not give the town control and the second one my understanding it's a second se separate application separate so so the way the board has um brought this amendment forward is to take a
first step in clarifying the current ADU bylaw to make it completely consistent with state law. Then over the course of likely the summer or the spring, the planning board will start a conversation about that second, third, etc. Start developing those rules and then
potentially bring it to town meeting. So that would be for April town meeting potentially. Potentially. Potentially. Okay. I mean, if it lined up like that, I I understand that more. I for me, I just want to echo Vice Chair Goldstone's comments and this is we're in a housing crisis. My generation is completely
priced out. Uh, and I'd be doing a disservice to my peers and and my friends um if I didn't advocate for the the boldest possible solutions to address this this housing crisis. I'm particularly fond of the 40 Y starter homes, which I understand are new, but I think that is a bold initiative and
would make a lot of sense on a lot of areas of town. Uh, if we if we pursued those, I was going to just try to direct the conversation to the 40y issue and see how the members of the planning board feel about it. Mr. Julie, we really haven't had many discussions
on that yet. Um, but knowing the concept, I mean, just without locking anyone into a a position necessarily, but just chatting amongst ourselves, curious to know how some of the members feel about about the concept.
I like the idea. That was one thing I could easily review. My computer wouldn't let me open all these reports today. So, I'm sorry, but um I did could access that on my cell phone and I asked for a summary of it and I liked the
idea. The question is exactly where we would get these 1acre lots that suddenly we plunked down for houses and they're considering what we talked about originally. There would have to be limitations based upon is it on a sewer?
Do we have sufficient water? and do we want to put a little colony together and where could we do that of oneacre lots? So there are many questions that would have to be answered, but I really like the concept of the starter homes. Okay.
And can could we somehow totally antithetical to the American greed system, could we control the prices so that they cannot go higher and higher and higher if we have that as a zoning? Yeah. By law.
And I think I think to echo that that is one of the most important points. And um not only that, I'll be interested to what the short-term rental advisory committee comes to as well. And I think this is where the state legislature to what they can can step in because I'm worried that we're going to keep seeing what continues to happen where the rich
come in and they just buy it and then great, we just made a bunch of housing. We just made it easier for the rich to continue to profit off our struggle. So whatever way the legislature, my boss, hello, uh can can change that, I think that's important, too, because you're right. We need to make sure that these are actually affordable and that's what
you know we all want to address the the crisis at hand. There was a story in the paper and I think I have the the facts correct but the state of Utah recently passed a law that uh was going to dedicate something like $35 million
over the next 10 years for affordable housing whether it's starter homes or whatever. Uh but they cap the price at at $400,000. So it's certainly something that uh you know has legs at least in some places.
Anyone else? Charlotte, was it Charlotte or Jim? I can't see on on this issue. I'd uh like to point another conflict that I see in our bylaws. Um, now this is only my understanding from it and some of you
learn it people may see it better, but I believe we have a restriction on flow neutral bylaw on anything tied into the sewer and they are capped at four units no matter what size the lot is.
Four bedrooms. Four bedrooms. That's right. Four bedrooms. 440 gallons of flow. And then our board of health kicks in. there's any increase in flow, it it it can't happen on the sewer because we're tied down by the flow neutral bylaw which we have to come to your board to get a
waiver for if anybody wants to do that. I I believe in my understanding I had conversation with Jed and other people that I've realized that we have these really lots that big lots that aren't on the sewer and they're not restricted and they could have if they can design a
septic system gets by the board of health and they could do the setbacks they could have six seven eight nine bedrooms they could get larger and larger uh and or they could have more of these these tiny houses and then what we're doing is I believe the tiny houses
when I worked on the comprehensive plan were designed to be closer to the center of town where people could walk public transportation and created little villages and I believe I may be wrong but I'd like to someone show me again
the language and the math I believe that we could way out in Hatchville we could put huge areas of tiny houses and now we're creating new villages away from public transportation creating all the reasons why in our comprehensive plan,
especially Pat talked about how growth in small little zones around our villages, now we're saying no, that's where the sewers are. We can't have the growth. We're now going to push the growth way out out into Hatchel actually above where our aquifer is. So, I
believe this hasn't been thought out. I'm not totally against it, but I just I'm a practitioner of these things and I try to make these things happen all the time. I see some real conflicts in the theory and the math and I hope that somehow
especially your board that's going to be approving these things for town meeting takes a look at some of these things because I think if you ask Jed right now and I've already asked him the question you can't if you're on the sewer you can't have more than four bedrooms but if you're not on the sewer and you can
get the right amount of setbacks and to design a septic system gets the board of health you can have 15 bedrooms if you have enough land ju just to clarify though tiny homes and starter homes are different concepts, right? Starter tiny homes are the size of the house.
Starter homes I just want to clarify. I'm not talking about the size of the house, but you're you're you're mentioning tiny homes. And I just want to make sure people understand bedrooms. We're talking about the size of the of of what's on the lot. My comment. I'm sorry. I didn't mean tiny homes. That's meant. Yeah. I That's why I
wanted to clarify, Mr. out of it because I thought maybe they could have two or three bedrooms in these tiny homes. But let's take that out because there are people concerned about tiny homes. I'm only concerned about my understanding of what I hear you folks talking about right now and the math
and I don't think it's been thought out and that's why we're here. Well, brought it up before and it's not going anywhere. Uh, one of the things in all these discussions about affordable housing that never gets mentioned is why is
Felmouth become so unaffordable? And Josh kind of touched on it. It's money. You have a lot of money coming into this town, people buying up houses, tearing them down, building McMansions, which increases the property uh, values all
around it. you know, my little 956 square foot house in Hatchville, if I sold it for $500, someone comes in, tears it down, that lot is now $550,000 lot. And that's what's causing the increase. And I think there are ways
through zoning that we can affect the mansionization of properties. Uh you can do it through uh volutric formulas, you can do it with increased setbacks. I mean, there are a number of ways we can we can do this because we need to curb
this excessive growth of uh homes in in this town that are way over uh the affordable limit for most people. I mean, what's the average house is going for what 1.1 million now? I mean, it's ridiculous, Mr. Chair. Yeah.
Yeah. I'm 100% agree. And and you know, I find this in appropriate to mention again. I spoke at a Labor Day rally the other day and I and I mentioned this is it's majority second homes that are being purchased and that's why I think it's so important that you know at the
county level we get a real estate transfer fee but at the town level that our board pushes for a residential exemption so we can tax these separately uh and increase the revenue so the people who live here can actually afford to live here and hopefully genuinely dissuade uh the in whatever way we can
because I understand legislatively it's a little difficult uh from the amount of second homes, you know, since the pandemic, it's risen uh a significant percent. Uh and I think you're right that that is a key part of the problem. Um bigger than this discussion itself, but that that is you're absolutely right and I 100% agree with you there,
Mr. Brown. Yeah. I'd like us to consider that um a lot of our residential areas are twoacre zoning and I wonder if we could provide an incentive for anybody who might be in a position to subdivide their lot to provide a space for one of these tiny
homes so that they can be more dispersed around the community rather than trying to focus on creating villages of them because nobody really likes 40B the way it operates. But there's one good thing about it. It brings people of lower income into life with people with higher
income and enables, you know, better community interreations for everybody. So, I would like to see you guys maybe think about whether or not there's some areas in town that would be usable for maybe they would you'd offer it. You wouldn't change the zoning, but say
maybe it's a zoning a reszoning eligible district or I don't know what you'd come up with. I haven't really thought it through, but I just trying to think of ways to intersperse these smaller units. Maybe tiny homes could be part of it or Y starter Y 40 Y starter homes.
Maybe they could be dispersed around the community somehow rather than pockets. Does the transfer of development rights have some way to do that? Mr. Brown suggested not currently. No, not not as it's currently, but it could be. I mean, that could be
something to to look at that statute or that that that provision that might incentivize what you're referring to, right? Not currently. I think Charlotte has and then Bob again. Um, I'd like to build on Doug's point.
Um, not stated clearly in this, but sort of implicit in it is zoning things in such a way that that you can only have tiny houses in a certain place, you can only have starter homes in a certain place. And I I would prefer as as Doug
is talking about that we have more inclusive zoning. There is no reason that we cannot have tiny houses wherever somebody wants to put a tiny house. And we should be thinking about enabling that. So that wouldn't be just one area
of town that's reserved for tiny houses. I there's something wrong with that that idea. And one of the things as I was thinking, you know, how annoyed I was by that idea that we could enable people to do to create an easier process for hiving off a piece of your land, even if
you don't own two acres. Um, maybe you own less than that and you're willing to hive off a piece. The ADU law, I think, as it goes into operation is going to really change things. But the thing that will slow it down is they're not cheap to build. You
know, they still cost money. you're going to have to do something about it. Not everybody has that money, but they might want to stay where they are and still be able to make some money on their own land. If you could let people hive off a little bit of land, they could sell it to someone who does have
the money to build on that and they could stay right in their own house so that they've made money on their lot the way an ADU could allow you allow you to do. You've added to the density in your neighborhood. You've gone through a process that the state now says you can do. So, it's possible, but you haven't
forced them to be in one part of town. I just think it's a prettier idea. And I I would hope that the zoning board would be working on that and that you all would be open to supporting it. Yeah. Um, one other thing that uh never
gets mentioned is uh changes that need to happen at the state level. And one of the biggest things in my mind is the uh squatterers law in this state. Uh if you take over somebody's car, you jump in their car and and uh push them out and
hijack it, that's a a criminal offense. If you move into someone's house and hijack their house, it's a civil offense and it's up to you to hire the lawyer in order to get uh people out. We need to change that law because there's a lot of disincentive for people to rent in this
state. Uh in my family alone, we have my brother between my brothers and my uh cousins area, we have five vacant apartments and they won't rent them out because they've been burned so bad by tenants. So we need to do something to uh protect landlords some uh tenants
seem to have more rights than landlords in this town in this state and we need to do something to change that at the legislative level and I think the first place to start is the squad's bylaw. other states have it and uh found in Massachusetts should
Mr. Chair. Yes. One more thing I'll mention uh that isn't in our discussion uh but I think is important uh is today uh mass and ahro uh the housing authorities they
have their annual conference today and at the uh the serest and I think it's important that public housing and we support our housing authorities in ways that we can redevelopment their properties because frankly they're are run down and and um need work or they're
just not built for proper density. So, I think that in whatever ways the town can without infringing on, you know, their mission and what they do, whatever ways that we can support our housing authority to improve their operations, I think we should we should do that. That's a good point. And if I
Yep. would homeowners be able to attach an ADU to these starter homes? Um, I can't see why they wouldn't considering that ADU is a byite use. Um, one thing I will mention about the
starter home or the 40y uh concept is that the zoning in order to essentially adopt it, you need to create a zoning district. So, you have two options in in that. You can essentially, as you can see on the screen, take one of the
zoning districts that currently exist within town, replace it with this new um 40 Y district, or you can adopt it as an overlay. And so um you know it's preliminary but it's another flexible
option just like the mixed residential and commercial overlay district that overlays the existing underlying zoning and it gives a property owner two options essentially stick with the ground rules or use the overlay district. I think that the 40y starter
home system could be adopted as an overlay district provided that the planning board agrees and we hear it through the planning or through the public hearing process. And yes, if someone were to build a starter home, which is restricted in size, I can't see a way where they would be restricted to
not have a byite ADU on their property as well. So there could be possibly four ADUs and four starter homes or would it just be one ADU on that property with those four starter homes? Yeah, I I mean I think it's worth, you know, delaying that answer to dig into
the details of the bylaw itself before, you know, committing to something like that. But you know as we know ADUs are a by right use. So we we really need to be careful when considering that. Jim I I believe there is some on your question. I believe the current boiler
does give us some protection because the AD law says it has to be no more than 50% of the primary structure. So if you have a little tiny house that's 400 feet, your ADU is going to be 200 feet. So, I don't think that's as much of a problem as some of the other
mathematical errors that are in the law. And one of one of the things I want to make sure we're all talking about, we keep talking about these tiny homes. I'm not talking about the size of the house. I'm talking about the number of bedrooms and the conflict that I see is our
ability from our board of health and to allow the the flow the flow with the flow neutral bylaw or the protecting our our our ponds with the number of bedrooms. I don't really care. I mean, I do care about the size of the house, but I don't really think that's the point. I
think it's the it's it's the the conflict the of the board of health rules and title five and our ponds protection. And it really doesn't matter how big the house is. It's how many bedrooms the house has in it. And that's really where where the where the issues come from. And you can, oh, it's nice to
have a cute little tiny house, but talk about the number of bedrooms. That's really, I think, what the issue is. If you're talking about protect the environment, protecting our pounds, our ponds, the total nitrogen limit limits in our our town, they don't care about the size that the size of house doesn't impact that. It's the number of
bedrooms. So, we keep throwing it around. I think we should focus on the number of bedrooms as much as as the size of the house. Cute little tiny houses are are nice, but they probably have at least two bedrooms in them. Or maybe it's only one, but still, three tiny houses, that's three more bedrooms. That's the It's the flow. It's the nut,
it's the nitrogen loading that we're really talking about that I think that influences both our water protection and our ponds. And that's really where I'm coming from, not the size of the house or the cuteness of the little house. It's it's protecting our environment. And that's that's what I I thought uh
our zoning and our board of health was trying to do. And that's why I want to just point that out. When you talk about tiny houses, we really should be talking about number of bedrooms. Anybody else? I think when we're talking about tiny houses, we're trying to get tiny prices. And um historically on on Cape Cod, uh
they figure uh three bedrooms, six people living in the house. And we usually have two people to to a three-bedroom house, not six people. So, a lot of things really aren't aren't the way they should be. And we talk about
tiny houses, tiny lots. We're not talking about tiny prices. That's really the the issue here. As as you mentioned, your generation's been priced out. The last five years, the average sale price of a house on Cape Cod has doubled. Went from 450 to 900,000.
Is it going to double again in the next five years or go be 50%. You you you can't hardly find a lot in the town of Fale, a vacant lot for under $250,000. So if you buy that and you buy and you build a tiny house on it, you're still
into it for about 600 700,000 and then somebody's got to make a profit. So it's really it's a very difficult problem and partly because we've all worked so hard and been so diligent to make the town of family such a wonderful place to live
and people want to live here. This is a capitalist society. So unless you limit the sale prices and and give developers incentives, density and like a 40B law, without something like that, there's going to be a very very
difficult problem to solve, if at all. So we're going to take two more comments on this and then I think we have a couple of other matters, but we also have a very long agenda. So uh Miss Harris, I just wanted to say because I sense that our time is running out. Um,
Felmouth is in safe harbor at the moment. We've reached our 10% or we have a plan to get to 10% that allows us safe harbor. So, I was curious, you know, we're sort of part of the upper cape. How is the rest of the upper Cape doing on that? Not too well. Um, Mashbby,
Sandwich, Bourne, they don't appear to be even trying to get to Safe Harbor. So, we're kind of way ahead of the other communities. This housing problem is enormous. This board has worked actually to try to help solve it, but I sense that it's a
regional issue that we and working with um the base to see if we can get housing up there, working with the other communities so they might feel the same kind of urgency that they're willing to sacrifice some of the wonderfulness of their town to be able to have more
people. It's a regional problem and how can we address that really effectively? It would appear that we might be heading into hard financial times. So that's going to curtail building anyway. We might have a breather and we'll wait and
see what the ADU law does to our density here in Felmouth and how people adapt to it and use it so we have time to study that. But I think I hope that your board uh would be working on making this a regional issue. How can we work with the
other towns so that the upper Cape develops uniformly? That would be good. Very good point, Miss Goldstone. And then we'll move on. Well, I might help us move to the next agenda item actually because my my question is um the truth
and I I really appreciated Miss Harris's comments comments about not creating little starter home districts and putting essentially creating segregated neighborhoods in in our um community and um also hearing not surprisingly um
really thoughtful, insightful ideas about how we set up our town more generally. generally in terms of where we have density and where you know these are zoning questions, planning questions. So how much of this might come into our comprehensive planning or be addressed through the comprehensive
planning process in in a way that is is a more uh holistic and forward-looking as opposed to kind of a peace meal trying to change a whole bunch of things um one at a time. And where does that where does that effort stand? And I
don't know if that's for Mr. Dulie or for Mr. Corno or I could certainly answer for you. The the short answer is all of it. Um that the local comprehensive plan is the community's plan for growth in all aspects. Wastewater, water usage,
transportation, housing, land use in general. It is the essential um booklet if you will for how the community plans to grow for the next typically it's 10 to 15 years. um it can
be longer certainly. Um so knowing that and knowing that we have all of these challenges, we started the agenda off this evening with water consumption challenges. Um we've heard wastewater challenges. We all know the challenges that exist in the summertime with transportation. So the local
comprehensive plan in my opinion is the most important thing. No offense to your strategic plan, but it's the most important thing the community does. Um, and so to that end, we've applied to the One Stop for Growth Program uh back in March for $150,000 to hire a consultant
to help us create a new LCP. Um, and the biggest part of that is is hearing the input from the community, is engaging with folks to hear what their concerns are. It's not just boards in the room. It's not just folks who attend the meeting, but it's all the community members that, you know, can't make it
tonight and who want to voice their opinion about what the future of Falmouth looks like. So, it's it's the most important thing that we can do. And so, we're we're on it. Good. Um I I want to jump down to the short-term rental advisory. We have two members here uh that are on the
committee, Miss Harris and Mr. Brown. You want to just give the audience a quick update as to where you guys are on this? And I sure I know Miss Klein is also in the audience as well. So I think we've made pretty good progress only after a couple of meetings. We're going to meet again on Wednesday here in
this room at 6:00. And uh we heard from Leslie Sandberg, a Province Town Select Board member at our last meeting. And she gave us some real insight into what they found when they actually commissioned the study and they had some professional uh people looking into what the numbers
are. They thought they might have had 1500 or 2,000. It turns out they had more like 800 after they really figured it out because a lot of ones that had been listed by the state previously were no longer in that use and they get added to the list when they sign up but they don't get taken off the list when they
change their plan to sell the house or whatever. It just lingers on that list. So the list needs some updating. So that could turn out to be a similar phenomenon here in Felmouth. We don't know yet. Um this week we have a lady who is the director of u the director of
health. What was it exactly? Do you remember her title? I think it is health. Yeah. Director of the health department. And she is coming from Plymouth to explain how they've been using the short-term rental in Plymouth. And they've been pleasantly surprised that
it hasn't been really big workload. They have a fourperson health department as well. Plymouth is a much bigger town. So, uh, we're looking forward to hearing what she has to say about it. Charlotte put together a side-by-side comparison of the existing draft that we crafted last year with the working group that
Miss Attorney O'Keefe uh, put together, and we found that that's a durable bylaw, but yet we felt like other towns had done some other things that we were interested. So, we're adding potentially, we'll see what people think on Wednesday, but we potentially proposing to add some language around
the definitions and the uh enabling uh legal authority to implement the bylaw and so forth. So, I think we're making pretty good progress. Charlotte, what did I miss? Nothing. Uh, one other item that Mr. Julie wanted us to discuss. So, John, why don't we uh
third party monitoring? Sure. Thank you. So, historically, uh, in the town of Felmouth, uh, affordable rental housing was done by Fmouth Housing Corporation. FA housing trust, not family housing trust, family housing corporation
and the housing trust. Yes. And housing. Yeah. Right. Housing trust system. So, they were nonprofits and and um and there was no need to have to monitor uh the situation. But we've approved a fair and building a fair
amount of affordable rental housing now. We have 104 apartments on Main Street. I think 26 of them are going to be affordable. We have 15 more going up across from the diner. Um if the gentleman builds out in the sandwich is going to be Sandwich Road, there's going
to be 300. So that would be what 75 more affordable units. Um Mr. Dango did 20 units over on Brickilm Road. So uh my concern is uh the vetting of the the
affordable people that are going to live there. First of all, the income betting and also the ongoing betting as apartments turn over. uh how how are we going to know uh that they're being used the way they were permitted to be used
by the people that should be living there? So, I don't know what the process is going to be. It's going to be I think a a pretty good size task for someone and probably more than than uh one person can do. Kim's doing a lot of jobs
right now. So something I want to make your the your board aware of um because it is going to be important. It's not just the original vetting but the ongoing keeping as apartments turn over. I know I think there's some agencies
that will do some of this but I I've heard that sometimes they're not as good as they they appear to be. Something something we need to look at. Yeah. Absolutely. And I wonder how many of the agencies uh are no longer even actually,
you know, in in place. I wonder if that's a possibility that Well, I'd heard that I've heard that housing assistance corporations were they were doing it, but uh a year or two ago they they stopped doing it. I think they were the major ones on Cape Cod, but so I really don't know what the answer
is. And I also know that in the past the Fmouth Housing Trust has served as a monitor for some other projects. I don't know if that's still the case, but you're right. We should we should know more. It'll be an talking awful lot of apartments that need to be probably around 100 new apartments and
and the right people should be living there. That's, you know, we're trying to solve a problem here and we're building and and before uh we we started having some incentives for for-profit developers to do apartments, affordable apartments, and you know, they've received some money up front to help
them make them affordable. And not every one of these projects are like that, but uh because of the stimulus, we are now getting for-profit developers building um affordable housing and we need I think they need to be monitored.
Okay. Does anybody have any ideas how that would happen? Something we need to look at. Do you have a thought on this? I do. Okay. Please. Um so as as you may know u the Barsel counties um back in 2023 uh
established the shared regional housing services office. Um part of that initial effort was to help communities understand affordable housing, some of the rules, etc. Well, they've opened that up and um the select board as trustees of the affordable housing fund
authorized the use of approximately $26,000 to buy into that program for exactly that purpose to have their uh consultant that they contract with help the town not only track the uh affordable housing developments, all of
the deed restrictions, but then also help with the monitoring. So, we have a plan in place to to manage that because as Mr. Julie mentioned, it's a big job for for uh one person to take on. And Kim's great, but it's a lot of work.
Mr. Chair. Yes. Um if I may, I just wanted to and I think um Mr. Julie and the planning board are aware of this, but just for the public, just zooming out big picture to know that there is a requirement for all of our deed restricted units that
there be a monitoring agreement with a monitor. So all of the new housing that we have generated in the last 10 years or so um well at least within the last eight years um we have required not the
town to that third party monitor not be the town and not a state agency. So that leaves a lot of the older units still vulnerable and everything that Jed Jed said, you know, addresses a lot of this um these existing units that may not
have a credible existing monitor. On paper, there's always a monitor, whether it's an agency or um a private entity, but um I I think we all feel much more confident about all of the new housing that we've created and how those are being monitored. I think Mr. Julie's point is that we
need to oversee those monitoring agencies to make sure they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. Absolutely. Thank you. So, um yeah. Well, I think we're at the end of that particular agenda and I just want to say that this has been a wonderful process. Uh we appreciate your
being here. Um it's something that the town code requires that we meet with with you and this has been the way I think these types of meetings should be. real collaboration and interaction and appreciate your time tonight. So, thank you.
Thank you for the invitation and for the patience and we are journ. Okay, we'll wait a moment while our esteemed members of the planning board uh depart.
Close to being on time here. be put on. No, not yet. Yeah, I'm running. I'm halfway there. Cool. Okay. So, our next matter will be u our business matter the diversity, equity,
inclusion and belonging advisory committee report and discussion. Mr. Johnson Stab is teeing up their presentation. Hopefully Yeah, it's not Um, all right. Well, I don't I don't see
it here. So, let me get a thumb drive and please introduce yourselves and without our props. Come on, you can do it, Jim. You can play people play music before. You can just play music.
Feel free to take a break. Okay. Um, might as well not waste time, right? Okay. Um, go ahead. Just going to invite any of the people that are out there in the hallway to please step in and u take a seat if you
don't mind. Plenty of seats. Should I start? Sure. Yeah. Should we start then? Go ahead. All right. Good evening everyone. There's a
PowerPoint presentation. Um, good evening. Uh my name is Nanzuja Nassen. I'm the chair of the town of Famouth diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging advisory committee. I am joined tonight by uh the secretary of
the committee, Jim Newman. Um Mr. Chair, board members, uh thank you for having us tonight to present the uh annual report to the select board of June end of June 2024 to end of June 2025.
So um well the assistant manager is getting us set up. Thank you. Um okay. Um a quick overview of the uh uh diversity committee. Um
the DIB committee serves as an advisory uh body to the select board focusing on institutional. Do you want me to wait? No, go ahead. Go ahead.
um focus uh focusing on uh institutional and community challenges, emerging national issues and forging collaborative relationships with organizations and residents.
Uh from end of June 2024 to end of June 2025, uh here are the members. myself Manazu Janasen as a chair, Melanie Kia Kiato who joined us tonight as a vice chair uh Dr. Amy Bower um a research
scientist aui and may I just say uh Melanie is the licensed the social worker now at the family of human services also serving the Brazilian community. Uh we had um China map uh
which term ended in uh June 2025 uh very very well spoken an advocate of the DIB codes and Jim Newman here joined us in spring 2025. Jim is very involved in town in all thing um justice and
immigration and retired so has more time than us to work on this. Um and we also have the leazison uh Heather Goldstone is on the board extremely involved. We really appreciate it. Susan Lumpin here as well director
of the uh human resources of town of Famouth. Henry San Julian director of the DIIB from the public uh FAM public school. Chris Lumpin from the school committee and Chloe Bridges who was our student liaison until she graduated um
this year and Chris Lumpin uh is now uh the new liazison for the school committee is now Mike Helen. So that's our members. The past year we had um sorry the past year we held uh 10
meetings with uh August and January uh not organized because of uh various conflicts and the first order of the committee back in June in July was to have everyone uh
take the uh open meeting law training since we are all fairly new and also fairly new in uh tan Government. Oh, thank you so much. Thank you. No, no, no.
How do I go back? Yeah. Oh, so that's where we are. It's Melanie. That's uh that was one of our uh workshops on uh under attending
unconscious unconscious bias. Thank you Mr. Enshaw. You're welcome. Did you Now everyone said yes yes yes. So after we got uh trained in open
meeting law, we uh which by the way we use the uh uh office of the attorney general of Massachusetts attorney general. It's a webinar that they offer and everyone had to went on the training on their own time and all certified of it.
Um in the report that you have we have the attendance record from all the members and the leazison. Uh what were our major accomplishments the past year? Uh uh just a slight reminder that this report ended on June
30th of June 2025. So it doesn't include any of the activities um that we that was from July on but happy to take um questions on that later. So the main thing that we did was the
renaming renaming the committee from affirmative action to the DIB committee to reflect a more modern value and with that also a new uh mission and vision statement. Another thing um we organized several
um workshops not workshops guest speakers and uh he in July we had Mr. Jack Dylan for the unconscious bias training. In October 2024, we have we had Max Jens for the
workforce housing and DI employment. He represented the town of Fama workforce sust sustainability task force. In November, we had Mr. Rachel Gisper here in the picture to give us a town employee DI employee survey results. In
December, we had Joe Pacheo, director of the Barnsible County Human Services to talk about the network of care, which is a resource hub for uh all of Cape Cod. In March, we uh had a site visit to the family of service center with Miss Karen
Delan, and um the presentation uh to follow from that. And in April, we had uh Jay Huber, a spokesman for Michael Misenos, who is the uh founder of the Brazilian resource centers. They talk about the immigration and low-income
family services for the Brazilian community. Um so those are the main activities we did and also we worked with the Junifth Proclamation Committee and we also recruited Jim
who is going to take over for the next slides. Um so um sorry I feel a little off balance. Um the this this slide talks about how in uh things have changed in the last year as
everybody is very much aware um we found that our priorities were shifting in response to national events um the efforts to to dismantle DEI programs increased crackdowns and so on. So, we've we've drafted a formal statement to the select board reaffirming the
town's commitment to DEI, and we're very appreciative that the the um the select board approved that statement. Um we are proposing community listening sessions. Um those are that's a work in progress. Um to bring people in and share uh lived
experience. Um and we're monitoring policy changes that might impact residents and local families um more on the more on the state and federal levels than on on the town level happily. Um looking forward um we plan to resume
working on our strategic goals uh make a priority of community engagement um and uh and to try to expand our resources and connections. Um the um the most impressive thing that's happened since I've been on the board, which actually comes after the period of
this report was a presentation we had in August um where um Susan Lumping and and um human resources brought in um oil herself of course, but but three other directors of uh town departments to talk about the initiatives that the various
town departments were taking to to promote diversity in the in the in town government. And um it was a phenomenal it was a phenomenal presentation. I I um I I I can't say enough about the efforts that are going on within this town government to um to make sure that that
we we do promote these values. I think that's that's it. Yeah. But we want do want to thank the select board for their support. Um and we have some wonderful community partners. I'm not going to try to go through them all. and and uh we get a lot of of great um
support and and um uh want to express our appreciation for the town staff. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone have any questions? Miss Goldstone questions. I have uh one question in terms of the revisiting and building on strategic
goals. What's the process that you're envisioning for for developing those? Um so um mostly um those were leftovers from last year before um we were a small committee that no one talked about
before this year and suddenly our priorities have changed dramatically. So we had to adjust and now we are uh going back to those kind of like getting back on trail on top of uh in addition to addressing uh challenges. So those will
be accessibility of town websites. Uh we're talking about for uh uh low and low and impaired vision uh people. We're talking about transportation issues making sure that people have access to uh public
transportation. One issue was for instance like when they go voting. Uh we really want to reach out to the youth of being part of this. We want to reach out to a whole range of people to the we want to work with the senior center. So
yeah, we want to go back to what was be planned before. Thanks. Yes, Mr. Reed. I have a and perhaps a tough question for both of you which is uh I appreciate the word belonging. That's at the heart
of everything of creating a really solid and loving community that we have. In a scale of one to 10, one being very low and 10 being the best ever, where do you think we are as Falmouth holistically
as a uh a community in which people feel, you know, a sense of belonging? I can answer that. Go ahead. I am more than happy to answer that. I can tell you that I'm going to throw out my very formal thing and put on my face.
I used to be a runner when I came here about 15 18 years ago and this woman took her dog and crossed the street and would not run next to me. I'm standing here now. This is a proof
that how much we have progressed, how much town has made effort and every single one of us. And I just talked to Jim about I'm sorry I'm gonna name drop you Paula but Paula and I get really really good work together and she's at
the veteran center. This is what it's all about. We all work together no matter what our beliefs are. Thank you to hear. Yes, Mr. Richardson. Um on the topic of DEI, um just think I figured I'd ask. I know it came up in
the enterprise last month from one of your committee meetings. Do we have an update on the DEI officer post? So, uh, Mr. Chair and select board member Richardson. Um, at this stage right now, we just had a conversation, Peter and I, with the HR director. Um, we're we're continuing down the path
that we talked about, I think the last update we gave, we're providing, we're attempting to locate some additional consultants so that we can bring in with specialized skills. We see that as kind of a u a good way to develop a foundation uh of awareness. The survey that was conducted that Mananzu
mentioned um was not the best survey. I'm just going to say that tonight. Um but it provided some data. Um I want to build on that uh going forward. Um and I'll say this tonight, it ultimately it's my goal and there's going to be some more discussions at the staff level. Um, ultimately it's my goal to
fill that position um with now a discussion may be whether or not um that position is a full-time versus perhaps a part-time, but I want somebody in in the position to manage processes. Um I'm not an expert in in in DEIB. I'm not, but I
see the value in it. Um and uh so that's going to be our goal moving forward um is to um look for a person that's that that good fit for the organization. Right now though, um I think the best path is to um is to explore and and Peter is the assistant town manager has
done a great job uh getting some additional consultant resources. So we're continue to do that and line up some some folks that can come in. Um Jack Dolan, attorney Jack Dolan was mentioned, gave a presentation, I believe several months ago to the DEIB committee. Um we're looking at bringing Jack in at the staff level to provide
some of that same training. Thank thank you very much for that and I and I appreciate how you have supplemented in the meantime and not just an hour looking. So I appreciate I can really see the commitment that you and and town staff have made. So thank you very much for that. Could I just ask a follow up on that? Are you um is the interim use of the
consultant a way to build the uh infrastructure to provide the the setting for the the position or so when I say lay a good that's a great question Mr. Chair and select board member Brown. Um so by laying a foundation I we want we all want the uh
the uh the uh DEIB position the officer um to be um successful um I think coming into a new organization it's a challenge even if we find somebody not if when we find somebody with exceptional skill sets I think having a proper foundation laid and having identifying where the
gaps are in knowledge and awareness um was the b first step um and again I mentioned the survey that was done several months ago um there were gaps unfortunately in that survey um that I think we can fill. Um, but I think it gave us some good information, some good starting points as far as where we need
to focus our efforts and again increasing awareness, educating the staff, um, and, uh, in terms of the importance. We, as you all know, the select board adopted the, uh, the core values and we really put a focus working at the department level on developing those core values and recognizing the
importance of of DEIB in our community um, in an or in the organization. So I think laying the proper strong foundation is going to make the DEIB officer position once it's filled more successful. Okay. Thank you. I just want to thank you for all the
work you're you're doing. I mean in in face of these headwinds that are national, you guys have stepped out and really uh shown the importance of DEIB and we appreciate all your work. So thank you. Thank you.
All right. Okay. So within this particular item we also want to discuss the cultural respect easements and Dr. Gladfelter is uh is prepared to do so. uh you know I just going to mention uh
as a uh suggestion from member Reid uh as we develop our agendas going forward uh we're going to try to be somewhat more thematic in uh in setting our agendas going forward and this is the
first example of our being able to do that as we feel what Dr. Gladfelter is going to speak about and what Dr. Fame and Silver is going to speak about after fit well within the um the the the
context of DEIB. So going forward and appreciate Mr. Reno and Mr. Johnson Stab addressing that in and setting the agenda along with Vice Chair Goldstone and myself. So we'll see more of this uh this type of thematic agenda setting
going forward. Thanks to Mr. Reid. Thank you. Okay. Not that you need any introduction, but please introduce yourself. Thanks. My name is Betsy Gladfelder. Um actually I'm not on any committee right now but I'm a project manager for Kunset
River restoration projects and these ideas evolve because one of our partners on the those projects is the Matri Wwanog tribe which we've been working very closely with and have have done a
number of things and now this is for about two years we've been discussing cultural respect easement But I always have to kind of prioritize what I can get done at a certain amount of time. And now it's time to shift to this. And
Cat who's from the uh Garby Gley Gar Foley from the um compact of is here and she's worked on these two. So uh let me just start with a town of Felmouth
and the 300 committee are in the exploration phase of granting cultural respect easement on their respective land holdings along the Kunamesic greenway and the town of Falmouth has approximately 250
conservation acres and the 300 committee about uh a tenth that so so that's what the greenway is and about half of the uh town lands uh are
wetlands and and are have been or are almost finished with restoration activities. Okay. The um lower kunameset uh was finished in 2020.
the upper Kunameset, the area where the um purple circle is, uh is almost finished. So, the tribe's been an active partner in these restoration projects since
2010. But I'm sure most of you are aware of the fact that the Mashi Wampaog trienogs have been living in these lands for many, many thousands of years.
So, what's a cultural respect easement? It's a legal agreement that guarantees indigenous people cultural aspect as access to land in perpetuity. There's a long history of indigenous people having to assimilate to European
cultural and religious practices. Indigenous people have a traditional knowledge of the land that embraces all living things upon it and encourages healthy biodiversity. There is a single cultural rights
easement on the Cape and I think you were involved with that Cape and it's between the Dennis Conservation Land Trust and the Native Land Conservancy. I have trust here but it's conservancy. So it's it's a little bit of a
philosophical difference. I talked to to Peter and Mike probably almost two years ago. Two years. your husband, believe it or not. And I said, I have some ideas. And I said, it's it's a little bit uh not sort of a traditional way that we might think
of it, but it's uh it's living with nature. And one of the other So, this was one of the ideas. The other was um rights of nature, which of course we did bring to the board and
um it was passed. So, with the idea that we don't usually think in these terms, but we're part of nature and anybody looks at the at the storms and the um fires
that are happening, you realize that you can mitigate some of these issues to protect sort of property areas, but but you don't change it. And so um it's
living in harmony with nature. Now the first rights of nature movement first rights of nature on the Cape was the uh um native environmental
ambassadors of of the Mashby Wampenogs. And this was an idea we worked with a couple of tribal members and some other people in town to develop the the the Falmouth rights of nature. And I'm
hoping to have all the f all the all the Cape Towns embrace of of rights of nature. Okay. So what is a what is this? What does it mean? Well, at the very at the
very minimum, a cultural respect easement is saying we respect the fact that you've lived in these lands for thousands of years and, uh, consider that we're part of nature.
And so, uh, but there are certain, uh, aspects of cultural aspects that can be included. And I I'm not saying any one of these will or won't be included. That's part of the process that we're going through now. But community gatherings, traditional spiritual and
religious ceremonies, medicinal medicinal plant and herb harvest, seasonal celebrations, cultural education and interpretation, sustainable fishing and clamming, and sustainable plant harvest. And so one of the things as part of the
Kuneset uh greenway heritage trail, you know, we have interpretive signs, but we've working with our colleagues um and working with uh Terraore,
Terraore member uh Grace Vashan, um we've developed additional panels and one of the panels is rights of nature celebrating the fact the the herring students was was the first and then the the um
fact that Falmouth has has a right of nature. We also have a and this will be at the overlook the history of the Wanog nation the plant use and animal use and this rights of nature will be in the upper area that unfortunately most of
you won't see it. You'll both you both be there, right? Yes, we will. Okay. And and you'll be there and I have and I'm going to talk to you. You have a an important role role. I know you do. Do you have a plug for that event that you want to mention? Pardon me. Do you have a plug for that event that you want to mention?
Um, sure. We're going to have the opening ceremony uh a week from tomorrow, but parking is extremely limited. So, and I'd love to have you come, but uh please carpool. And the Jewish
congregation has been very kind to allow us to park there. And so, there'd be a shuttle from there to the site. But sure, I'd love to have people come and you're you all aren't coming, but you'll be there and you'll be there.
Just for the record, we we we we do have a reason that we won't be there. Yeah, they have they have an excuse, but Jack always shows up. Get one cape. I would love to be there, but I'll walk that trail anyway. I'll walk the trail anyway. All right.
Okay. So um we already work with the these. So these are two pictures that are that are um uh where cultural aspect ask access regularly takes place but having a
cultural respect easement formalizes the agreement. But here's um Chief Mills and Mark Casperk gathering uh witch hazel which is a tradition which is a plant that's used for
medicinal units uses and uh Chief Mills has a has a garden in Mashby and where so he can so people can learn what these plants are and then go out and see them in the environment. And the person in
the in the bottom left corner in the in the left picture is Jason Stading. He's he's a natural resource officer. And this is the day he brought his camp group to the Kunameset. We we
talked about the restoration process in the lower river and then they went canoeing although unfortunately it was a very rainy day. Although it was probably the last rainy day since before yesterday. So here's what
the process would be. The town of F what's what we're thinking about. Town of Falmouth would grant a cultural respect easement to the Mashby Wampenog tribe. That's municipality to tribal government. And the 300 committee would
grant a cultural respect easement to the native land conservancy land trust to land trust for their respective areas along the greenway. So the stakeholders are the 300 committee, the town of Falmouth and within the the 300 committee have their
own process within the town of Falmouth. It would have to be presented to the conservation commission who manages these conservation lands. They would then present it to you and then um and then I'm not sure then we're going to have to go to you and figure out
I'm hoping that you come to Yeah, I was just going to say I hope I would hope you go to her her before here even before it goes when it when a document is produced it would go to you before it went to the conservation commission. You need to include me a lot earlier
than that like now. Yeah, I was. Well, that's part of it and I'm more than happy to sit and talk with you and Cat will come with me because she knows a lot more about it than I do. Sounds good.
Thank you. Um so uh the native land conservancy, the Mashiwanog tribe, the compact and uh for as a first step we have a field trip scheduled at the end of the month to visit the sites because how do we know
what the cultural aspects would access points would be until we have a site visit and then we'll begin discussions. Thank you very much. Hey, thanks. Any any questions from any of the members?
Just I think it's a interesting concept and I like it. I just I think the Wampenogs have the right to traverse any of these lands and I mean they're they do like like we do, right? But it's it's formally agree a formally
uh a recognition recognizing Right. Okay. Thank you. Okay. I'm I'm thrilled that that uh you're pursuing this and um that we're having the discussion and I hope that this uh
process with the Kunames Greenway can perhaps be an opening to a broader con conversation um for more areas uh in town as well. I think it's it's really really promising. So, thank you for for the groundwork that you've laid so far. Thanks.
Just a a question for Miss Garafoley. Uh are any other towns other than Dennis entertaining uh the concept of these CRES? Thank you, Chair Mscali. Uh Kat Gafo, I work for the compact of Cape Cod
Conservation Trusts. I'm paired with the 300 committee two days a week to help them with land initiatives. Uh so the answer is yes. There are a lot of different land trusts, Cape Cod communities that are very interested in pursuing a cultural respect easement
within their communities. Currently within the land trust community, we are starting on the journey of what's called a first light collective where we are bringing together indigenous tribal members as
well as land trust boards and other community members to come in and learn about the different resources out there to help acknowledge, respect, and reenter our idea about land conservation. And so right now we're in
the very starting phases of moving forward with a strategic plan on how we can be most effective in providing information to people how we can support these land trusts in pairing with the
Mashpwano tribe and beyond because we also have the herring pond mashwanogenog tribes as well as the aquina. And so right now there is a collective effort to move this forward and I think that the Dennis Conservation Land Trust did a
great job uh setting the stage but in reference it's been a very slow process. Dennis Conservation Land Trust at the time I was their executive director. We put the conserv uh the cultural respect easement in place in 2016. There has not
been one since. Um, I think it's just a concept that people need to learn more about and it's truly at the speed of trust in this process. Thank you. We appreciate Dr. Ladfeld of bringing this uh this idea to us. So, thank you. Uh, if there's no other
questions, then we will move on to uh discuss initiatives and programs to build meaningful and lasting relationships with the Wapanog tribe. And I think Dr. Feman Silva, am I correct? Mr. Benture, do you have any comments to
um Does uh Dr. Famon Silva is working her way to the podium? I do have a comment. Um I had the opportunity, the privilege really uh back in April of this year uh to sit down with Dr. Famon Silva. Uh it was with then uh Chair Taylor um had a discussion, a very productive discussion
with regards to um what was being described as a land acknowledgement initiative. Um what we'd like to discuss tonight um and I don't know if Dr. Fam and Silva has a presentation or not. Um so as the title suggests some initiatives and programs how we can go
out into the community and outreach and educate the community um and teach folks about the important contributions um and the legacy of the Wenog tribe. Thank you very much. Um I'm Sandy Famous Silva. I've lived in Felmouth since
1984. I'm a professor amerida of anthropology. Uh I taught at Bridgewwater State University for more than 30 years. Uh and left my legacy there. Uh teaching many new
courses, developing many new programs. Uh one of my areas of special expertise is indigenous native North America and Latin America. Um so I have taught courses in this area as well. Now, I do have about eight copies of this proposal
that I'll be talking about. If we want to fight over them or just share them, be my guest. Thank you. Um, and I this land acknowledgement issue has a long
history in our town. Um and um the uh relationship with indigenous people also has a long history in our town. But Felmouth has taken significant steps to acknowledge indigenous people in our community. We passed the
indigenous people's day uh town meeting article in 2021 which I submitted to town meeting and it did pass. Also, Felmouth voted to change our state flag, seal, and motto through a town meeting article that I submitted uh also in I
believe about uh 19 uh 2021. And um I also uh and the state flag and motto, the flag, if you open it up, we can see uh the misogynist um racist
images on that and it is being changed. Uh new um drawings are be have already been collected and the comm of mass is pursuing deciding on which new rendition of our state flag is going to be
formally officially adopted. Um the Felmouth uh land acknowledgement was uh first proposed at Felmouth town meeting in November of 2020 when I submitted an article at town meeting and
unfortunately that one didn't pass. Why do we begin talking about this conversation with a land acknowledgement? And I think the previous presentation is really a good stepping stone from there to to here. Land acknowledgements are vehicles for
us to reckon with our past. That's why they are fundamental to any meaningful engagement with our indigenous neighbors, colleagues, and friends. Out of reckoning with or acknowledging our sometimes painful and troubling past
comes important knowledge, messages, lessons, teachings, and consciousness raising. Now, this is not a legal entity. the uh the land acknowledgement. It it it doesn't it's not like what we just
described what was just described for us where um the the town of Falmouth is going to enter into an easement with and permit access to land um and the um
indigenous tribes particularly in the United States uh who are federally recognized have rights inherent rights through their federal uh recognition relationship with the federal government to access to customary and traditional
hunting, fishing, gathering uh and other uh other areas. So we all uh indigenous people already have inherent rights that cannot be uh undermined. What is a land acknowledgement?
And the purpose of a land acknowledgement, as I mentioned in my in my written document, is to demonstrate recognition and respect for indigenous people in our community and region, both in the past and present and the contributions they have made to our
communities and our nation. The land acknowledgement should be shared to enhance cultural sensitivity and historical understandings. We're not we're not providing a a service. We're not uh you know bartering something.
We're simply conveying knowledge and wisdom through a land acknowledgement. It's an intangible the and um in order to be meaningful and enduring, adopting a land acknowledgement should also include ongoing educational outreach and
community engagement. So again, a land acknowledgement and I did uh there is one written as part of this proposal um is really again sort of the bedrock of our relationship with indigenous people
in our region and in our nation. It acknowledges the history that we share, a history that's very painful and very troubling, but it has to be remembered.
We have to bear witness to the history that we had just as uh people who experienced the Holocaust have to keep that knowledge alive lest we repeat it in future generations. And we are facing a very dangerous time in
our country today because of this crisis. So again, one way for our community to embrace a relationship with our indigenous neighbors and friends is to
broaden our activities. not just to reading or narrating a land acknowledgement statement at a meeting or at a particular event in town, but it's to really develop a whole range of activities that we can undertake in
partnership with our neighbors and friends who are indigenous, but also with the community as a whole. Um, and these include uh ways to uh to share and to enhance our cultural sensitivity and
historical understandings of our indigenous neighbors. Um, so adopting we we I I propose that we adopt a land acknowledgement, but at the same time we develop ongoing educational, outreach, and community
activities. Um, I request that the town partner with community members to create, host or sponsor programs, developformational materials and public displays just as what is being suggested at the Kunameset uh river sites,
narrative displays that will describe what people are seeing. Uh, in what ways did indigenous people use the land to uh to sustain themselves, to sub to subsist? Um and uh we could develop these
materials, public displays and build enduring relationships. And these will include educational, social, and civic programs, public signs, displays, andformational pamphlets. Uh building and uh maintaining lasting partnership
with Wampenog tribal members. uh either through annual meetings or quarterly meetings with the tribal council, for example, and this um select board could have meetings periodically so that we get to know each other much better and
share information and our expertise. Um and also uh we need to secure funding to support these events. We're actually some uh a group in Falmouth has uh for the second
year is organizing an indigenous people's day event for it's going to be held on October 12th here in Falmouth but we have no funding. So we did ask the town if you could uh provide some funding for this year and I hope that
the paperwork has gone through and that we will be getting some funding to provide honoraria for our guest speakers. Uh and um we also uh suggest that the town consider forming a working group to implement meaningful and
enduring educational events, programs, and opportunities for community engagement. And this is where a DEIB person who's here hired formally to do a job would really be helpful because that person could be a paid employee who
whose job description would uh allow for that person to help develop really high quality programs. I'm a ranking amateur, but I did it for 30 years at Bridgewater. So, we will have an event and I hope it's going to be a good one. But again, these are a variety of
suggestions. Funding can also be secured through grants, donations, and as I mentioned, the town of Felmouth budget. Events and programs may be developed in coordination with existing town organizations, committees, and agencies such as the Felmouth Cultural Council,
Felmouth Public Library, Highfield Hall, Felmouth Historical Society, and the Felmouth DEIB uh diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging uh advisory committee and the Mashbby Wampenog and as I mentioned the
DEIB officer. Hopefully, we'll get one. funding for lasting and enduring events, observances, and activities and signage uh all would relate to the indigenous communities around us. There is not just one Mashp uh Wampenog, there's not just
one Wenog tribe. Actually, there are three tribes in our region and we should be engaging with all of them. We request that the town of Felmouth establish a permanent fund to support annual and periodic events, observances, and activities to promote lasting fellowship
and engagement with Wampenog and other indigenous peoples and communities in our region. funds from an indigi and I would call it an indigenous people's engagement fund would support costs associated with annual indigenous people's day observances other
educational and community activities uh posting of appropriate signage other expenses for speakers performers and other community engagement events and activities so we request the select board establish a budget line item and I'm asking for thou 5,000 annually to be
authorized to pay our expenses and it doesn't have to be paid annually. We could add add a little slush fund here for future lean years. So this is my um vision and I hope that some of it will be put into operation
and I'm really hoping that we begin again with the um land acknowledgement because as was mentioned you know indigenous people were custodians of mother earth for so many generations and
took such wonderful care of mother earth and have taught us so many crucially uh important ways of being respectful to not only the land but all of the
inhabitants of uh of mother earth and nature itself and even the the rocks and minerals and all of the aspects of um our environment that are so important for a lasting
sustainable able future and we can learn a lot for sure. Thank you. Thank you. I I think we all agree that uh you know a proclamation is certainly important but the programs engagement of the community is is just as important
and it's not just empty words. So I think you've laid out a number of very good suggestions that we need to take into consideration as we go forward. Anyone have any comments? Mr. Richardson, this is a question I think for town council and for um I guess everyone, but
what is the the process of us developing and going for a land acknowledgement because Plymouth just went through that process and quite frankly was disrespectful what the town of Plymouth came to and and I and I think it is important we pursue a land acknowledgement and I just want to make sure we do whatever uh is necessary to
to get there. Mhm. Um I have concerns about how a land acknowledgement might impact the town's property rights and its in town properties. Um and I'm very mindful that
as town council I have to be really cautious and deliberate in um in my legal opinion here. Mhm. Uh, this legal opinion really is solely contained to the matter of property rights.
Um, it does not speak to the merits of this agenda item and I wholeheartedly agree that the town should pursue to the fullest extent um, engagement and outreach in order to
foster a better relationship with the MANOG tribe. But I don't support from a legal perspective purely from property rights a land acknowledgement. Okay. Then I I guess I'll redirect my question to um town manager. So and board chair. So if we did want to and
thank you for your legal opin I appreciate that. But if we still wanted to pursue it uh what is the action that we would undergo to do this? Um my my concern with this issue from from the very beginning has always been that the matter was presented to town
meeting uh and town meeting made a determination uh and uh personally I'm a little hesitant to have this board uh move forward in uh in in opposition if you will to what what town meeting already
uh had had had determined. That being said, you know, things change, circumstances change. Uh, but that's my initial uh reaction. Mr. Richardson, may I speak to this issue? Certainly. Um, I actually did consult with an
attorney who has worked in uh as the attorney for towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And the opinion of this individual was that first of all with respect to uh the the not preempting a town meeting uh
decision that these are done all the time. That this is this is not there is no uh legal basis for the select board to feel that you cannot revisit an issue that was raised at town meeting.
I never said it was a legal issue. So I was just saying what my opinion was and we'll take we'll take our advice from from from our town council going forward but I understand you know your position and also the well with respect to the land acknowledgement unlike the easement
discussion that was that you had before there is no tangible demand that a a a verbal acknowledgment of events in history again be legally adjudicated
so that people could use that as a basis for trying to get um ownership of land in our country. There is just no tangible, you know, exchange of property that a
land acknowledgement and maybe I should read the land acknowledgement that that is at issue here. Well, I don't I don't think there's the board. So I don't think uh you know I I don't think we need to read it at this point. The only the only thing I then I would add Mr. Chair because the way this
agenda item is proposed is just as a discussion but I I just saying this for the matter of the record. I think we should put this again as a future agenda item to seriously discuss this. We certainly discuss it a future agenda item. Okay. Anyone else?
Um I I agree that it it does warrant um further discussion. Um but in the meantime, uh we also have some near-term opportunities and and it sounds like potentially needs. Um and and you've said, Mr. Chair, that that you believe a
proclamation, um is is warranted. And I agree and I would like to to work on that for indigenous people's day um to ensure that we do have a strong uh endorsement from the town um for for the
event and for um the acknowledgement that Indigenous People's Day represents um of both uh the the difficult history and also um the enduring um importance
um of uh of the Wanog members um of our community. So I' I'd like to work on that and also ensure that that that event is a robust event. And and Dr. Fam Silva, you mentioned um needs for that
that event. And so I'd like to understand where where we stand with the the plans for an indigenous people's day event or recognition and what is needed there. Um the DEIB committee was going to be sending Mr. Renshaw,
my budget, the budget, which I think was sent, but I'm not sure. Yes. So, I had asked to have it confirmed that the budget was about 11 about $1,000. Yes, Mr. Chair. Uh, and Vice Chair
Goldstone, uh, the DEIB advisory committee chair did submit some numbers and at my request, I asked Dr. Feamman Silva to work with the DEIB advisory committee. My analogy was the uh recent um use of some select board uh donation fund accounts to support some of the
250th anniversary task force. Um as I explained to Dr. Fame and Silva when we first met about this, I felt that the uh whatever balance was left in that donations account um and those truly are I think the only funds that would be applicable um are limited. So, we're not
likely going to be able to meet the thousand dollar whatever that final proposed budget request was, but um that will be a request, a future agenda item u in in preparation for the October 12th event uh that we bring that request to utilize whatever remaining funds are
towards to offset some of the costs. We're not going to be able to there's not $1,000 left in that account. Dr. Famous Silva, I don't I have no idea what we're talking about. So, the budget was submitted. Um it's under review and uh we'll bring that back to the next select board meeting for select board consideration to
utilize some of those remaining funds for the for that purpose. Okay. All right. Anything else? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Our next matter is the report of the Veterans Council. Uh and we have it
slated for 15 minutes. Uh if we can compress that a little bit. It's a long agenda. We still have to go. But we certainly want We we certainly want to hear everything you have to say. However, we just spent a lot longer than that on something that wasn't even on the I don't have anything. I'm just
Yeah. No, I uh Well, my name is Paula Smith and Oh, dear. So, my name is Paula Smith and um I am a member of the Town of Felmouth Veterans Council. uh our chairperson uh Carissa
April uh has a conflicting uh schedule tonight, so I am standing in for her. If if I could even halfway replace her. Um but uh select board chair and uh select board members, town manager and assistant town manager, thank you very
much for allowing me to brief uh this evening on behalf of the Falmouth Veteran Council. Um, so just before I I start with uh the annual report uh highlights, I just wanted to reiterate the mission for the the town of Falmouth
Veteran Council. It is to represent the town of Felmouth and supporting our veterans by providing awareness, resourcing, and collaboration that enables successful Oh, you missed it. Sorry. that enables successful outcomes for our
uh community's veteran activities. And that's a big mouthful, but it keeps us very busy. So, um, in this in this past year, uh, the committee met monthly, uh, except during their summer recess, uh, months of June, July, and August. Uh, we did have a lot of productive, uh,
meetings, uh, two annual public uh, veterans ceremonies uh, that I'm sure everybody's aware of. Uh, they were very well attended right here on the library lawn. um the Veterans Day ceremony and the
Memorial Day ceremony. Of particular note, um the laying of the wreath ceremony in uh at Falmouth Harbor on Memorial Day was not held this year uh because the US Coast Guard uh was not able to participate. So, uh, one of the
initiatives for this coming year for our committee is to to kind of work over the summer, excuse me, as I was the winter months, uh, with those stakeholders, uh, for the event to assess the needs, um, and then moving forward with other plans, um, or the same plans for holding
the wreath ceremony for for next year in 2026. Uh and then also um as far as the Memorial Day and the Veterans Day uh ceremonies uh go, uh you know, it's it's uh it's always on our shoulders to uh
come up with these stellar speakers. Um be it public knowledge that that we are all ears if anybody has any uh um recommendations for uh speakers for either the Veterans Day or the Memorial Day event. And uh you know, we'll we'll
put those folks through the ringer. make sure that we got a a real winner to to do the speaking. Uh we haven't been uh we haven't been um let down yet. So that's it's good. Um during the year also committee members uh supported lots
of different events in our communities with partners um and other organizations. Uh so just branching out and really working to that collaborative piece. um Capen Island Veteran Outreach Center. Uh there's two
people uh who are part of that organization on our veterans council. Uh they held a veteran resource fair. Um and that was very well attended by uh hundreds of veterans in uh Barnes County
and attended by um you know myself and and uh uh John Dylan who is another veteran council member. Uh also, uh we held the the Cape Cod Community College reboot light workshop. Uh that was held at the Falmouth, uh Community Veteran
Center. Um I worked that one. um and uh um coordinated that and that took uh 11 veterans through uh career transition uh navigation um by bringing in a a um uh
quite a celebrity uh who has a national presence from the NVTSI which is a national veteran transition services inc uh out of San Diego. And so just to show how, you know, not only our veteran council is partnering, but but our
members go out and do as well and bring that that information back to our council, which is really really helpful for um you know, enabling the efforts of our veterans for success. Uh this year the committee uh considered three new initiatives. Uh they are coins, banners,
and discounts. Um, I won't get too much in into the weeds, but uh coins are really important in the in the uh military uh culture. Uh, they are usually circular. Um, uh, metal objects that are
given as a, uh, an acknowledgement of a job well done and also something that improves a spree decor. um really not expensive little tokens, but boy to a military veteran person or a supporter,
they mean the world. Uh so we are looking at possibly uh purchasing 500 of these challenge coins uh to present to among other people keynote speakers and other visitors uh to our town um uh and
for also recognition of contributions of veterans and veteran supporters. uh an additional lot of coins we're thinking about purchasing too. Uh and that's planned for repres presenting to veterans during the uh 2025
um Veterans Day ceremony. So just a little something added um just a good recognition and and a a a great way to improve that spree decor. Uh banners uh we have been talking um with with town
representatives about banners. Lots of research is still ongoing into our hopeful proposal later on down the road to install permanent, temporary, or even rotating banners um honoring area veterans and their service. Um and we
talked about the locations, the parameters, the costs, and other elements more to follow. Uh and then also um our our uh council is discussing opportunities to uh honor our veterans
by offering veteran discounts uh for some of our more favorite uh our favorite uh town services. So um services such as beach stickers came up and and uh some other proposals. So more
to follow on that. Um, as far as committee membership goes, uh, uh, all of our positions are filled. We're a full house at nine right now. And we had new one new atlarge member, uh, Brian Kalinan. So, that pretty much sums up my
report. I'm happy to take any questions. I stand between you and the in the in the finale. So, I got a long way to go. I already know before we get to the finale. I think I already know this, but can you talk a little bit about how the collaboration between the veterans agent
and the new veterans community center and the veterans council is working that? Sure. Well, it's one team, one fight, right? Yeah. So, when I say that, I mean that that uh in in um in the spirit of collaboration, remember that any veteran that comes
into our community doesn't just go to one person. There isn't just one belly button, right? there is a network that needs to be created in every single community in order to uh meet the veteran at the line on which they stand. So in that spirit um you know the
Felmouth Veteran Council is very close with the new um uh Felmouth Veteran Center that's opened to provide activities and uh navigation and uh resources to any veteran that comes in.
But it doesn't just stop there, right? because they're always and I say when I say they um found with veterans uh center also hosts a lot of activities from other organizations and I just gave an example of the reboot light workshop
um that was held that's based out of four C's right at Cape Cod Community College and uh we brought that show down the road here to appeal to um you know where most of the veterans were living that had signed up. So that was a neat way of line, you know, meeting the
veterans at the line in which they stand, but then also bringing new capabilities to this area. Thank you. So hopefully that helps. Do you have an estimate, uh, Miss Smith, as to um, how many veterans are here in the town of Falmouth? Well, I am sure glad you asked. Yes, I
have a couple of numbers committed to memory. Uh, currently the veterans in Felmouth, um, this is the actual number that that would go out on a report is 2,220. Anecdotally, I would tell you it's probably closer to 3,000, remembering
that not everybody is um is reporting. Okay. Uh and then you also have to lop on the fact that many of our veteran services, most of our veteran services are offered also to um uh our surviving
spouses and caregivers. Let's not forget about that. Remember that every veteran comes with uh you know surround support um by people who are invested in the veteran issues as well. So, when we talk about our veterans being a little over
2,000, I can tell you that we're serving um more like 3,000 plus. Thank you, Mr. Reid. Well, I look forward to joining you. I think I am the liaison, the new liaison, so I will be with you shortly. Um I do
appreciate the commitment to community engagement and public education. I think that's lowhanging fruit. We talked about that earlier at the DEI. Um real big question here is uh what are the biggest challenges our found veterans and
families and caregivers uh face. We're heading into our strategic planning sessions over this fall. Um so what are those big challenges one and what do you need this select board's attention on? Thank you for asking. Um, so I think uh
veterans are are um not exempt from housing issues. Okay. Um, also uh food insecurities. Okay. Those are those are two big ones. Um, and then uh access to to care. Um
remembering that uh many of our veterans receive care uh from the VA uh and your closest VA centers where you would receive most of your uh specialty cares are either in Providence, Rhode Island
or in the Boston area. I myself go from Boston and if I'm going to Jamaica Plains it's 2 hours and 10 minutes. Um, I can't imagine being an 85year-old veteran trying to get there in in Jamaica Plains. So, transportation to
said assets is a huge issue. Okay. So, I would tell you those are top three. Um, you know, I don't want to Well, I will I'll I'll call on my friend uh Jim Guzzas. Do you have anything else to to add from from your foxhole?
Come up to the podium, Jim. Come on. Don't be shameful. Don't be embarrassed. Come on. You're doing a great job. We all know it. Jim Guz, director of veteran services, town of Felmouth. Um yeah, just just to elaborate what Paula
was saying, the predominant issue with the veterans in town, we we have a older population and with that over over um older population inherently we have um food insecurity,
transportation issues in terms of how Paula was stating getting from their homes here in Falmouth to let's say the hospital the VA hospital in Providence or to the uh community-based
outreach clinic in Hyannis. Both of those facilities are you know um sizable distances for an older population to get to and we struggle to try to find transportation for that population in terms of um what the VA
can offer because um the VA operates on eligibility for every program that they have. So they have transportation programs, but not every veteran might be eligible for that program depending on where they fall within um certain statuses with the VA such as uh VA
ratings and whatnot. So transportation is uh primarily a huge issue with our older population. Um one of the other things that I find in town is actual um information. Okay, knowledge knowledge about benefits for veterans. That's
that's an ongoing problem across the board all over the country. Um what I hear more often than not is gez if I only knew that. Right. Um so outreach is very important within the veteran community in order to um try to
access the veterans that need the services the most. And what I mean by that is um the veterans that it's veterans that need the services the most are the ones that at least have the capacity of accessing those services. They don't have the technology let's say
to um you know get on a website and navigate the system to find the information like a younger vet would. And basically here in the Cape, the majority of our veterans are over 65 years old.
Here in Felmouth, that's more true than anything else. Um the majority of the um volume that I that comes through my office, you know, the average age is probably 68 to 75. Okay. Um and every
single individual for the most part um struggles with technology. So, um maybe providing services or additional services to help get over that tech barrier is um something that we can all look at because that's uh
duly needed. We also hear a lot that uh veterans are hesitant to ask for help sometimes. Uh well this is that that's true particularly with a Vietnam era veteran and that's where out outreach is um plays a key role in terms of trying to
draw those veterans in and we try to do that in in many different ways. Um for instance the um Cape Islands Outreach Center which is headquartered down on Hyannas they um run a standown a veteran standown event every year. Um this one's coming up in October 17th and that's
designed to draw veterans in based upon um service provider the availability to um connect with service providers. Um also to you know they provide free lunch a free lunch um haircuts for veterans. Um they give free items out as well and
that's the draw to bring veterans in. For the most part, it it's designed to provide information to the veterans and access to different service providers such as the VA in uh local VSOs as myself in order to um obtain information
or even you know um apply directly to the VA on site because we have that capability to do that. Mr. Richardson. Um I I think one of the things you had asked what what we can do too in in Falmouth and I think one of the greatest things that we can do is realize that
there is not a a barrier around Falmouth where our veterans cannot go seek assistance in in you know another town or a region. um and that it is it is a great idea to invite um others who have
the 80% solution to come on down and and uh service our veterans here in Felmouth. So, you know, to to uh Jim's point uh as far as you know, the standown event in in Hyannis, there's no reason why we need to actually have a
standown here all the time. you know, m it might be a good idea, but maybe to bring those resources down instead of recreating everything for ourselves here in Falmouth. So, being able to um reach out, but then also bring bring in, I think, is a good idea. And we're all
eyes and ears for the veterans in that. So, if anybody has any ideas that that um the Felmouth Veteran Council can continue to massage and, you know, go out and meet and and uh hopefully share the ideas um you know, that way we're a force multiplier. we're not, you know,
coming up with our own wheel. So, Yep. Yep. Mr. Richardson. Yeah. I thank you both. I mean, you just hit that nail on the head with three things with communication, transportation, and collaboration. Uh, you know, the regionality we talked about with housing and wastewater. Um,
you know, it's not super well known, but the Plymouth area veteran center has been open now for for just over just a little bit under a year. Uh, and I think whatever ways we can collaborate in our region because um, you know, the state is potentially looking to build another
state-run veterans home and I think it's crucial and and state representative Kip Digs has been pushing with us in Barcel. I think it's really important we have this here on the Cape. You know, we have there's a little under 20,000 veterans somewhere around that on Bar County on the Cape 16,000. And I think it's so
important that you know whatever you know whenever I get a microphone in front of me and you know we can push for you know all of these issues we talk about particularly with veterans issues is so much bigger than just what a select board can do. So I think pushing for that regional approach um is so
important. Um and and yeah, I just I I was just wondering what um big question, but how do you think because I I've been thinking a lot about how you know towns and how the state communicates? How do you think is one way that we can improve our
communication with the with the veteran community and and just letting them know because you're right, everything is so digitized and that's just not the reality of majority of the population, right? Um I I think because veteran veterans span a lot of different ages, a
lot of generations, a lot of you know different comfort levels with with um technology. Um I I think it's got to be multimodal. I you know and that's really what the veteran organizations that are
all over the Cape are doing together. Um so that you know that I think that's a great thing. So more of what is going on right now. Um, we recognize that. Um, not everybody's going to be savvy on a computer. Um, I'm not savvy. I I think
I'm young at 55. Um, but, uh, anyway, you know, so everybody's got different capabilities. Everybody learns differently. Um, and so we are out there with, you know, personto person. We are talking on Zoom. We are calling people. We are inviting people to workshops. Um,
we are going to their houses. There's lots of different ways to do this. And again, it's it's being able to continue that pulse to get people to uh the organizations and their members to be able to create that network that that gives that invisible hammock under each
veteran so they don't fall through. Thank you. Okay, one final question. I think Mr. Brown, I wonder what what would be the best way to address that transportation gap. Is there any ideas that have been floated or I wonder if we had a some kind of a
fund veterans fund for mileage and people could maybe a volunteer could get reimbured for the that would be a great thing for the town veteran council to to discuss further. I know Capen Island veteran outreach center does run its own in addition to the VA they have you know a a robust
program as well for for transportation. Um but uh the Cape and Island Veteran Outreach Center runs it out of Hyannis, but they cover the entire Cape bringing people, you know, off Cape. They have a criteria as well. Um but that would be something that, you know, either they
expand, you know, they're already down here, but maybe more so if if you know they could double up on the capabilities that Felmouth offers, you know, to get that up and going from Felmouth. Um, you know, something like
that would be interesting. Um, but I hope that answers your question. I I I think it's worth a good discussion because it's real. There's an awful lot, especially of the older veterans that do not get the care that they need. Um, simply they just can't find a ride. Okay. Keep an eye on your agenda so we
can listen in. I'd like to just add to that real quick. I think organically within the town, we we could try to look at um our senior center to provide some type of um community ride program
for our seniors. Um open to all seniors, let's not just say veterans, but uh specifically, you know, available for our vets to use when they need to get to and from a doctor's appointment. CCRTA does offer a lot of options, so certainly call upon them for for
assistance. Plymouth uh Health and Human Services Department. They do exactly that where they run it inhouse and I think that you know be reach out to them and I'm happy to connect. I'm just thinking more of organically within our town. Yeah. No, I was saying that we should copy that. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. All right. Well, thanks very much.
Appreciate Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry. Very quickly, just a a bookmark for a future date and I um you mentioned the technology issues and we're working on a digital navigator program. Sounds like we'll be Thank you. we'll be reaching out because we we do have an RFP on the
street right now for that digital navigator program. I think I gave a an update not too long ago, but I think it would be perfect to address that digital divide, that kind of knowledge gap with some of the uh the older veterans. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Thank you.
So, uh moving on our agenda and as Mr. Wrenchaw mentioned at the inception of the meeting, we're going to move up to the discussion item G on our agenda. uh consider a vote to adopt a revised schedule for November 2025 annual town
meeting. And I've uh asked Mr. Wrenchaw and Mr. Johnson Stop to talk a little bit about this. Thanks, Mr. Chair. Peter did uh a great job kind of taking the calendar apart and then rebuilding it. So, I'll turn it over to Peter. Uh thank you both. So, in your packet,
we have a proposal to modify the schedule. This was sort of brought on by two things. one uh the reconfiguring of the select board meeting schedule for the months of September and October. Um and also a recognition that the um the
board is looking for as much time as possible to uh you know be able to see see the articles and get community input before voting a recommendation. Um and I'll come back to that point toward the end. So in your packet is a revised
schedule that um includes one uh sort of set of changes and then um in dialogue just over the last 24 hours between uh chair mscali and and Mr. Wshaw, myself, we have a further change that we want to
um propose tonight. So, uh, just looking at at what is starting with what is in the in your packet tonight, you'll see that we had proposed changing the date and and first of all, let me just make very clear the date of town meeting is
not changing, right? So, that remains November 17th. Um, what we're talking about is how we get there and everything's measured off of town meeting and how much time to do certain things, right? We we work backwards from town
meeting. We have um several uh some bylaw dates requirements with respect to advertising the newspaper and delivering the warrant book which has um the recommendations from the various boards on every article. Um and so the initial
change that we wanted to talk about was changing the date that um the boards and so again we're the boards that print their recommendations for warrant articles include the select board, finance committee, planning board and
the community preservation committee. This particular warrant does not have any community preservation articles on it. Um but you have those other three bodies voting recommendations to be printed in the warrant and advertised in the newspaper. So we are proposing to change the date of voting the
recommendations from September 29th through October 3rd and that's capturing the different day days of the week that the boards various boards meet um to October 8th through the 14th and then working from there
down we have just enough time really to meet our requirements for advertising in the newspaper which is actually sort of the easier of the two It's sending the the final warrant book to the printer. They need two weeks and then those
warrant books need to be mailed um by the the statutory obligation is two weeks before town meeting. But we also have as a practical matter, we want the town meeting members to have their warrant books for the precinct meetings.
Um, and this revised calendar that we have before you um is is a little tight but comfortable. It gives the the printer two weeks to print those warrant books and uh the town clerk's office sorts them by zip code. And I did review
this schedule in detail with the town clerk and he's he's comfortable that um we can uh send the recommendations to the printer on October 16th, get them back um in order for them to be mailed
on October um sorry we're voting yeah that's right October 16th we send the uh the recommendations the full warrant book recommend including the recommendations um to the printer and then we're mailing
the warrant books on October 30th and then precinct meetings start November 4th or can start as early as November 4th. So the one additional uh change that Mr. Mscali asked about is can we change the
date that the select board votes the articles and executes the warrant. And um after looking at that um we do feel that we could defer that vote to September 29th because we do have so the
petition articles are set um and those reviews can start right away. Um the the finance committee already has the all of the capital requests so their review is already underway. We're really not holding that up. Um so although I don't
know that this is sort of the preferred schedule, I think going forward we would still want more separation between voting the articles and voting the article recommendations. Um, if the board would like to defer
voting and executing the warrant from tonight to September 29th, we can make that work as well. Um, so it's I don't know if any of the other members have any uh any thoughts on it. Uh, I know that uh that uh Vice
Chair Goldstone had some questions about uh moving to uh vote the articles and execute the warrant this evening. So, um uh I think that uh there should be a motion to uh adjust the calendar as uh
as Mr. Johnson Stab has said, which would mean that we would be voting the articles and executing the warrant on September 29th. give the board a little more opportunity to look at some of the articles. Uh it also we're going to be having a community forum on on Wednesday
evening. Uh and the noise bylaw is certainly a uh a matter that will be coming before the town uh town meeting. So that may be adjusted. So I think personally I think it's a good good suggestion. We'll proceed with the petition article presentations this
evening as as currently set forth. So, is there a motion to amend the uh the November 2025 annual town meeting schedule as in our packet as adjusted by uh Mr. Johnson STO, which would be
select board vote articles and execute warrants September 29th, publish articles only October 16 and everything else would remain the same. I think I believe it's publish articles only October 4.
What's Sorry, what's that? I missed that date. So, uh, but that's before we vote the recommendations. It would be before you vote the recommendations. So, it would be immediately following. We would advertise the first Friday following October 3rd.
The 29th. So, correct. Tuesday. October 312. That's October 2nd. So motion to amend the November 2025 annual town meeting to select board vote articles and
execute warrant September 29. Petition uh sorry petition article presentations remain tonight. Publish articles only October 2nd and the additional amendments as presented in our packet.
Sorry it would be um the enterprise publishes on Fridays. So it would be October 3rd. It is October 3rd. Y I have days of the week wrong. Okay, we have a motion. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?
No, I guess it's okay. It's just if we run into any roadblocks while we're voting them, we won't be able to get additional information. We'll have to just vote anyway. But we'll have a little more information going into it though. I think under that scenario, Mr. Chair, yes, we would. I just want if
I could make one comment. Um, so, so Peter, town council and I have discussed how not to be in this position again going forward. So, I think it's important for the board to know we're going to back the whole process up to build this um like by four weeks so that we're in in position to have these
articles in front of select board um to give you more time to to vet and discuss. We appreciate you taking a look at that. Thank you. It it it adds it adds it compresses obviously the scheduling and whatnot, but we're confident we can make that happen. So, we're not in this position again. So would we still close the warrant on the end of August or
would it close earlier? So what what we were um what we were thinking about is having a draft warrant um just for discussion at least two weeks if not a month before we come to have you vote the warrant. And so, so
that's one measure and and another might be, you know, and we're always trying to do this anyway, but um you know, if there's a if there's a specific article that we know was going to be controversial, um to get that on your agenda, get a discussion, get some
community input before it appears on the draft warrant is our goal. Okay, that sounds good. Okay. Was that a second, Mr. Brown? I think already Mr. Reed second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?
Hearing none. All in favor? I I I Okay, thank you very much. Yes, I guess we just amended uh the schedule, but should we also move to table the next agenda item? Well, we wouldn't be taking up the next agenda item because we don't have to
take that. We could. So, Mr. Chair. Yeah. So, you're not going to vote it tonight, but sort of as I was alluding to before um this is an opportunity for and and I know we're running late on this meeting, but um if the board has questions or
discussion about any of these articles that we can, you know, gather that information and consider changes for the warrant um that's coming back for about two weeks from now. This is an opportunity to do that. I would say I had the reason my
questions came I had had two um and one is the the noise bylaw that has yet to go through the community input process and and just concerns about putting that on there before um before we've gone through that process. So, um
the other is um the proposal to switch um the town clerk from uh an an elected to an appointed position. Um which uh I guess point of clarification
on that one is I thought that was a town charter um provision and therefore would require. So is that an article enabling or or authorizing the select board to seek a charter revision? Yes, it the wording of the articles asks
for authorization for the select board to submit a home rule petition to the general court to amend the charter. Senator Fernandez's office is currently doing that for Sandwich. So we just get it through. It should actually pass next
week. Um, it's just town meeting would vote it and then our office would then take it and get it to the legislature. And the only one I have a question I still like to know where the police station's going. Is that ready for disclosure?
So it is uh nearing nearing that stage. They voted it. Well, they did vote it. I left the meeting early. Okay. You want to talk you discuss that? Go ahead. You too early that it's not too early. So So they had a meeting. The uh advisory committee met last Friday and as you all know they've been working I think for the past well
they've had 12 or 13 meetings. They've put a lot of work into this. They they narrowed the search down or the selection process down to three sites. Um ultimately the site they chose based on a variety of factors and I'll let Peter was the liazison and working directly with the uh advisory group. Um
ultimately the site they selected was um Brick Kil Road um right across from what's going to be I suppose the future YMCA and near the high school. So that portion of Brick Kil Road um police department is thrilled um with the location. They think it's going to be perfect. Um it met all of the uh
requirements in terms of line of sight um access to Brookk Road not being any concerns. The topography topography of the site um is ideal. Um so there'll be some potential compared to the other two sites that were finalist candidates. The topo topography of this site is such
that the uh site development costs we feel would be uh would be less. Um so it's it was I think in the end the the committee did a fantastic job vetting all the sites and came down with the final recommendation and selection of the Brookfield site. That sounds great to me. Is there a way
we can now start planning to petition to amend that sewer area so we can get the police station on the the sewer there? Yeah, we're we're working on that. We believe we can we can get a sewer connection there. Excellent. Thank you so much.
Mr. Chair, yes. My name is Martha Pennas. I just heard something that I just wanted to, you know, ask about. So the idea that we would go to amend the charter to remove an elected position of the town clerk to
an appointed position, why why are we thinking of doing that? Well, I can read. Yeah, I mean, go ahead. We had the explanation in our packet. It was a pretty good one. So yeah, the the managing of a of the
town clerk's office has become um more and more complex um as the years have gone by. We have um today an elected town clerk who is outstanding in Michael Palmer. He supports this change and the
the challenge that you run into when we you know when we look for division heads for all of our departments, right? We want to hire someone with considerable professional experience and there's not much of a pool of applicants
with professional experience within the town of Falmouth. We have a wonderful town clerk staff um and you know their retirement dates play play into this but if we don't have someone in our own office then it's you know
why isn't that left up to the voters? Why aren't um and um I don't know if desirable is a word, but competent candidates promote it so that it can still be left to the voters to decide. Well, well, that's the point. In order
to be eligible to run for election, one has to be a resident. And we we just elected someone today and waved that requirement, the new assessor appointed, right? So, we wouldn't be able to do that with an elected position. the the select board would not be able to wave a
residency requirement for an elected council. What you're saying is we don't have a good resident to who could be elected to that position. Well, a good example of of this is Mashby just had uh their clerk retired after 20 years, right? One person one Hold on. Hold on. I'm talking one one person talking first. One person ran.
Why would we necessarily adopt the practice of a different town? We're a distinct and separate town. Well, it's going to come up before a town meeting and you can make your points at that point. I just wanted to call that to everyone's attention. That is I think we're aware of it. Thank you. We're aware of it.
Okay. I don't know if everyone else is aware of that. Okay. But thank you so much. Thank you. Uh anyone else have any particular questions on the uh warrant? Otherwise, certainly if anyone does, they can send in comments to Mr.
Reno or Mr. Johnson with respect to the article. Do we still vote the No. What? Do we still vote the petition articles or Well, we're gonna hear Yeah, but we still do after the presentations. No. So, so the petition articles, you can only hear the presentations
tonight and and the the petition articles will appear on the town meeting warrant because they were, you know, certified by the town clerk and as a formality when the when the board votes the final warrant, the actual numbers will be f determined. But those are those are
going on the warrant no matter what. I I would just add um perhaps as a last note on the articles in general. I think the board's aware you have the draft noise bylaw in your packet and we will have that um public forum to get community input on it. But just so the public is
aware that draft noise bylaw is posted on the website and available now and the uh the sound study the the noise. Yes. Okay. which is a perfect segue into uh the petitioner with respect to article 16 amend official zoning map ray large
scale groundmounted solar solar overlay petitioner is present. Yes, please identify yourself. Come up to the podium. Good evening, Mr. Chair and select board. Um, I do have just a summary of
some of the comments from Fouth residents that I'd like to present. Thank you. Thank you. So have five minutes. If you can keep it to that, we'd appreciate it given a late hour. Thank you.
Appreciate that. Yes. Thank you very much for your time this evening. Um my name is Richard Hamilton. I'm a resident at River's Edge Road in East Felmouth. Um I'm a proud longtime resident of Felmouth. Um I'm retired. I volunteer at
the senior center as a shine counselor and I'm really presenting a number of comments that have come from will refer to the group as the friends of Cape Cod Country Club. Um, virtually all residents and uh they had a a wide variety of comments and I tried to put
them into 10 bullet points to help help the select board on the issue. Um, I've happened to play at Cape Cod Country Club for approximately 35 years as well as Felmouth Country Club. Um, I know that really the town of Felmouth,
in my opinion, is very well managed and your your direction and guidance has been outstanding and much appreciated. Um, right now, as you know, Felmouth is very fortunate. You own a 27hole golf course,
uh, with a drive, large driving range. uh it's a great asset to the community but you know you might have experienced it yourself you know due to its popularity and success it can be difficult even for Felmouth residents to get tea times um but I'd like to just
sort of summarize te 10 key talking points and you know take your questions afterwards um one of the analogies that struck me um as most are aware you know the town is a very again valuable asset with the John Neil youth baseball
complex on Gford Street and unfortunately that was found to have contamination of high levels of lead and other items because it was a former dump many years ago. The town is certainly working on that actively on remedi re remediation. But the comment that struck me is
imagine if a resource like that was announced, we're going to put solar panels on it. And we're using the term a loss of possible recreation area to the town. And we said, you know, the friends were concerned that if the golf course zoning
is being changed from recreational use to a a very large solar farm, um the key point we're making here is once a recreational area has been removed, it'll never come back. It'll be used for
other purposes. Cape Cod Country Club uh has been a recreational asset for Felmouth for since 1928. Um, many people visit Felmouth as a uh destination. They lodge here, they eat
here. It it is helping our community uh financially. And on a typical day in the summer, you'll see approximately 240 players playing on a given day. Um, recreational space is a has a community impact and
that's can be transformative for the this community. The impact goes far beyond um fostering relationships. It's a gathering spot where neighbors meet. Um, friendships and communities
bond. Um, inclusive spaces are accessible to all ages and abilities, promoting inclusion and equity. One thing that always strikes me when I I happen to see the the the boys golf team or the the girls golf team in the spring and the fall, you know, either
practicing or having a match. Um great environment for the kids. Um one of the things that several of the members brought to our attention, they said, you know, it's a structured environment for young people, keeping them active, keeping them engaged, reducing engaging
uh reducing risky behaviors. The outdoor recreational space encourages physical activity, combats obesity, chronic illnesses, stress, anxiety, and depression. I can't tell you how many veterans I've met on the golf course that it's their outlet.
Um, recreational areas can double as a conservation zone supporting wildlife, habitat, and biodiversity. One of the members that commented happens to be an aviary, I guess, expert, and he commented. And he said, "Rick, you know, many of the bald
eagles, ospreys, and um um hawks actually perch at very tall pine trees throughout the golf course. Um it's not uncommon for turtles to be rolling across a fairway or a green at a given point in time. Um other concerns to the
friends really is the you know, if it became a major solar farm, it's the disposal. Um in 20 or 30 years the solar panels become decomi be become decommissioned. Famouth will face the challenge of solar panel disposal. You
know currently less than 10% of solar panels are actually recycled. Most of them end up in landfills. Solar panels contain hazardous waste. um glass, aluminum, polymers, silicon metals, strong adhesives, which makes
the recycling very expensive and very toxic. High energy user to get rid of them. Um the majority of the solar panels, as I'm sure you're all aware, are made in China. U the cost of recycling solar panels can
be very expensive. Breaking down those panels um for valuable materials becomes very high labor and high energy. Great example to to study and read about um one of our colleagues who contributed is
a full-time resident or citizen of Las Vegas. He says they were a very early adapter of solar panels because of their energy needs. Um currently they are going through a very expensive um uh issue in terms of um
the dilemma of the solar panel farms are coming offline. The solar panel companies have changed hands multiple times over the life cycle of these panels and many of those companies have go bankrupt at the time
when the disposition or disposal of the solar panels come into play because of these companies going bankrupt. Process of preparing the land for the solar farm. Um, and you know, Cape is fairly flat, but this unique property
has an awful lot of rolling hills and valleys, just a few feet actually above the lake sea level, which is interesting. Mr. Hamilton, you're going to have to finish up pretty soon if you're if you don't mind. All right, let me jump to the summary statement. And I think you have the
notes and we really appreciate the time for you to consider this. But in summary, the friends of Cape Cod Country Club are asking the select board to recommend to the zoning commission and other appropriate boards that the country club not be zoned for a largecale solar groundmounted overlay
district. Um, we would again ask that the select board would consider sending a letter to the Cape Cod Commission, which will be reviewing and voting on the subject this Wednesday, uh, this Thursday, excuse me, the 11th
at 3 p.m., basically asking your support that the property be remain as a recreational site as opposed to a major solar panel farm. Thank you. Thank you, sir. And take any questions. Yeah, M. Mr. Ra, I wonder if you have really thought
through what the alternative is, though. Unless the town is ready to buy that land, we can't really determine the future of that land. It's not really zoned recreation. Recreation is its use, but it's not controlled by zoning. So, a
few several years back, we had a parcel of land on Main Street. A local contractor wanted to turn it into a miniature golf. neighbors opposed it and so it got shot down. Then the owner then another guy came along and wanted to put
a Marriott hotel. Neighborhood opposed it. Select board took the public comment went to the Cape Cod Commission shot it down. So now what do we have? The next thing that comes along housing. It's a big monstrosity that we weren't
expecting but that's what you get when you say no without another plan. So, if we don't have the money to buy it, we got to think about what could be there. 500 houses. Is that what we want? Because the fields have made it clear that they're going to sell. So, we're
trying to make the best of, you know, what's not a good situation. And I hear all your points. I I I hate to see it happen. I thank you for your question. And one of the analogies that that's in the handout was not that we don't oppose, you know, I don't support solar. It
just, you know, like they did at the Bible County Fairgrounds that seems to have worked out quite well. Um, we have all the, you know, um, parking lots for the fies. I mean, that would be a great
site, you know, in many cases if that could be considered if Felma's community would like to have a major solar farm here. We would love that thought. So, we really appreciate your time and and guidance and keep up the good work of helping steer the town, but this would
be, you know, as I say, losing recreational space. We're never going to see it again. I wish we had the money to buy it. We got so many big things to pay for right now. Okay. Anyone else have any questions of Mr. Hamilton? Appreciate your time and thank you so
much for listening to this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your The next item, petition article number 17, authorize an independent financial and operational audit of Balmouth public schools. Miss Russell. Hi. Um,
this is I have a presentation in Mr. Johnson, but I don't want I'm hoping I'm still logged in. We got five minutes. So, just make sure you introduce yourself. Is that right?
They do. So, Raquel Russell, um, town member precinct 4. Uh, you do have the presentation have technical difficulties, but you do have the presentation in your packets. Um, this is for an audit of the found public school system, a comprehensive audit.
Um, several concerns have been raised regarding financial oversight, including how town appropriated funds are spent, compliance with municipal finance laws, and transparency around certain expenditures. An audit will ensure accountability, identify any weaknesses in financial practices, and help restore
public trust. While the town and desi conduct limited reviews, these do not examine the district's internal financial controls or whether funds are being used effectively. Um, I'll give you a few examples and if you want me to elaborate on that at the end, I surely
will. I'll give you one example of um um allocation of a reallocation of funds last year resulted in us losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in circuit breaker reimbursement. That is extremely concerning. Um, and the town did their own single audit
which evidenced that. And I also have records from Desi directly which will further evidence that. Um, just based on that alone, we need to see what's going on and how we can better utilize our circuit breaker reimbursements because that's huge. That's out of district
special education reimbursement that um is set in place for school districts. Um, another would be like another example, $251,000 of inind contributions and cash donations were made to the
school district. And at no point was any of were any of those funds approved, presented, and voted on by the school district. I have those records as well. That c those records were submitted to the EEC. So that's something that needs to be looked
at as well. The town's annual financial audit of the school district is limited in scope and only reviews at a high level the financial statements provided to them by the school district. This proposed audit is an operational operational and financial audit looking deeper into specific accounts and
spending practices. Additionally, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, DESIE, also conduct yearly reviews and audits, but not comprehensive, and they're limited in how far they can go as well. What areas will the audit cover? The
audit will focus on out of district special education, transportation, general funding accounts, use of revolving accounts, grant funds, project procurement, whether town appropriated funds were used as intended, and budget to actual spending comparisons. Um,
what you see in the petition is going to be the actual motion on the day of the town meeting is going to be a little different. I'm going to tighten up some of that language um for the town members to vote on. The audit will take about three to six months and hopefully that can be done before any major
votes on a budget. For example, a $150 million renovation of the Lawrence School. We need to make sure everything is in order. There's a lot in the capital plan for the school district down the line. And this is just a really good practice. And a lot of school districts do comprehensive audits five
years. Some even do it with a new superintendent is being hired. just crossing the tees and dotting the eyes. Um there a qualified independent audit a audit firm with experience auditing public school districts will be um
facilitating such an audit and it process will be transparent. Costs can vary. It depends how deep you want to go, how many years, but can go from 25,000 to 100,000. At worst, on the high end, after speaking to a few firms, $100,000 would be the reasonable amount
that this audit would cost. Um, is the school committee or superintendent in support of this audit? There's been no official vote. However, all public bodies managing taxpayer funds should welcome independent reviews, especially when there are when
there's evidenced red flags. Um, the town's role in overseeing school finances blew my mind. Here we are. We give the school department 60 um 52 million I think this year and we have we can't say anything about how they spend it. we can't tell them anything unlike
every other department due to chapter 71 under Massachusetts general laws of the school's autonomy, right? And that's wild to get into. Um, but what we can do is an audit. We can find out that what we're appropriating these funds for are used properly and it's never been done.
And that's um wild to me as well. Towns like Barnes and Matchy have conducted sim similar audits. We did the single audit that was completed this past March which is concerning. That's especially concerning the fact that the school committee was not made aware of that audit. Um, they weren't made aware of
that audit until I told them. Um, that's concerning. Um, a well-framed audit promotes collaboration and shared commitment to governance. So many positive outcomes can come out of a comprehensive audit. Increased transparency, identification of cost
savings and efficiencies, strengthened financial controls, validation that current practices are effective, assurance that funds are being used appropriately, reinforcement of existing policies and procedures, increased confidence in district administration, informed decision-making for future
budget. Another concern is the fact that the school district has had four different finance directors in two years. Um, if anybody has ever had a new manager come into your workplace, everybody always has like a different methodology of doing things right. So this will assure that the controls are
everything's being done properly because if things were being done properly, we wouldn't have lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in circuit breaker reimbursement funding. Long-term outcomes, sustainable financial planning, stronger community school relationships, improved allocation of resources to classrooms, enhanced
student learning environment, and ongoing accountability and oversight framework. An audit may reveal areas for improvement or confirm effective practices. Either way, the outcomes strengthen oversight, improve transparency, and ensure taxpayer funds
are used wisely to support student success. Any questions? No, I would just I'm sorry. Did you have anything? No, I was just saying it's a good presentation, but technical difficulties, I guess.
Well, we have it in our pack. What I've been dealing with the past year, I guess, too, right? Um, this this was not made lightly. There's a lot more involved with red flags. And this was just this wasn't even me scratching the surface. This was just me glancing at it. Um I've the past
year I've had in-depth conversations with DESIE, the MSBA. I have records that at any point if anybody wants to sit down with me for an hour or two, I would love to show you that and explain exactly what has surfaced. Um the bright
the good news is the district has not lost any funding federal state. We are actually getting a hund about a over a million dollars in circuit breaker re circuit breaker reimbursement this year. When things are allocated properly the numbers work okay I have asked why that
was done and I in the past 11 months no one's been able to answer that question for me. So um hopefully an audit would be able to clarify that but at any point I would love to sit down with anyone to go over any of this. Um, and are we ready to move on to the next one? I do have a question now. Yeah, sorry.
So, I thought I heard you say earlier that we did lose out on 200 something circuit breaker fund. Yes, last year. And I just received an actual another report from Desi and it appears that that was done the previous year as well. And what's even more concerning is the district report. So,
we we completely wiped out the out of district stabilization special education fund in one year. That fund had been established in 2015 and had for 800 with 800,000 gained interest had over well over a million dollars and in one year
the district cleaned that out. Um and from what I have from Desi directly it doesn't support having to have cleaned out. If if you look into Governor Baker's uh student opportunity act of 2017, every single state in the
union should model what we did in 2017 for our public school districts. Massachusetts is when I done a do when you do a deep dive, Massachusetts is so impressive with how they treat our public schools
and why we're number one. And a lot of that comes from the 2017 uh Student Opportunity Act, which heavily weighs on special education and covering the costs for districts. Um we can get into formulas and all that good stuff, but
there was no need to hit that fund. There really wasn't. And all right, I can evidence that. I can evidence that all day. So it's concerning. So let's move on to your next petition article. Ma, right? Thank you. Um,
so next, like I'm doing a hard launch into town meeting in November. This should be interesting. Um, so the next article is to um request a comprehensive feasibility study of the Falmouth public school buildings. You may or may not have seen over the past year um the
proposals put forth by the school district. These proposals reorganize and restructure every single school in the district. I've gone back 10 years. I cannot find one single school district that applied
for MSBA funding that did not conduct a feasibility study first. The MSBA wants to see these studies to strengthen our application. Um, without keeping everybody here all night long, um,
what do I want to go into next? you everybody can go and see what the navigating the future proposals are and there right now there would have been a merger of two elementary schools had there was a group of parents staff
members and community members that spoke out at the first sign of this merger it wasn't going to work we were they everybody had been telling the school district that for months this isn't going to work these numbers don't work and we had to fight far too hard for
that NZDEC study that cost $18,000 which was really not helpful at all in the long run but it did prove what we had been saying that this proposal doesn't work. So we have nothing to say that the next four proposals are going to work. Nothing.
The school districts spent $28,000 on a study to decide if they should replace or repair a Skylake. $28,000. But yet we somehow spend $18,000 to restructure every single school in the district with
a price price tag of $150 million. The decision to renovate the Lawrence school is being based solely on personal sentiment because we have nothing to corroborate that that's where we should spend $150 million. Do I love Lawrence? Do I love historical buildings? Yes, I
do. Am I ready to ask town like taxpayers to spend $150 million because I like it? No. We need to have This is turning out to be like a high school renovation 2.0. If everybody if anybody knows about
that, it was a nightmare. It ran three years past the due date and $20 million over budget. When we don't have these studies in place, that's what happens. We just need to make sure that if we're going to restructure every single school in our district, we have professional
objective not like information and studies. This is just absolutely mind-blowing that this wasn't done first. Um, I can really get into it, but like a feasibility study would include enrollment projections with
scenario modeling, facility condition surveys, renovation versus new construction cost estimates, space utilization and educational adequacy analysis, operational cost projections, options with clear pros and cons. That's the problem the school committee is having right now. If you've watched a
school committee meeting the past year, it's a mess. I'm I'm not going to sugarcoat. They can't agree on anything because there's no roadmap for them. Okay? And even the NZDC study, there's eight options that don't include preschool or grades 5 through 12. Um, so
here we are. We're going to decide on grades 5 through 12 with no data, nothing to support these changes. There's also a legal aspect to why we want to do a fe feasibility study, for example. So had we have gone forth with the merger,
um there would have been anybody could have put forward an immediate injunction because what that would have resulted in was special education violations um and violations of just m uh overcrowding and relegating only specific students to lesser
instructional programs. Um the plaintiffs would have had irreparable harm. Educational opportunities lost during elementary years cannot be restored later. Balance of harm would favor the plaintiffs. Plaintiffs face denial of legally required services, unsafe conditions and loss of
educational quality. Public interest supports public interest supports injective injective relief. The public has a strong interest in ensuring compliance with state and federal education laws. That merger would have violated the rights spec specifically of our special education students. They
would have been receiving services in the hall. Again, no due diligence was being done and they were just going to go forward with this if a bunch of community members didn't speak up and now we're almost being we've been mocked by the school committee now as the same 10 people. No. And these same 10 people
have no fear of retaliation by anyone. Um and that is a growing concern and there's police reports to evidence that evidence that against actual teachers that spoke up. So there's a lot involved with a lot of this and the whole the bottom line is if we're going to make
these changes, we need to do we need to do it right. We need to have a facilities study at so the school committee has a roadmap making these decisions going forward and to protect us legally, right? Because if you go ahead and make decisions and there's
student safety or there's, you know, civil rights violations, that's on you. you you know and do we really want to get into that the uh Felmouth High School renovation there were legal ballot um architects being sued them
suing us suing them the contractor later sued us like it was a nightmare you can do a deep dive into that and we don't want that again okay Miss Russell I think you're at your time one more thing for example the town of Norward just completed um a school that is a grades five
through eight for hund00 million dollars state-of-the-art net zero. We need to think about that. Um, a renovation of the Lawrence School is still going to be a fossil fuel guzzler. Okay. Um, so there's that as well. Thank you. Just quick question. Where'd you get the
2 million from? 2 million. Oh, I spoke to three different consultants. Okay. So, that's another thing. So, yes, $2 million. And that's on the high end. And that would also include the administration building. When schools have been facing declining enrollment, which we have, one of the first things
they do is take their administrative offices and put it into a school. You don't really see standalone administrative buildings anymore. So, I think that building needs to be factored into this as well because maybe we don't need that building. There is room at admin could move to the high school. But again, that's my opinion, right? Let's
leave this to the professionals to give us options, set up a formal committee for this feasibility study and do it the right way. Nothing about what has been proposed the past year is the correct way to do things. And even my only
thought process as to why a feasibility study would not be done is because it may not yield the results that certain individuals want to see and that's that's not that's not for them to decide. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. You didn't even give me an opportunity
to ask you up. So, uh, this is petition article 19, authorized conservation restriction to the 300 committee. Okay. Introduce yourself, please. Hey, I'm Eric of West. I'm gonna present
the two articles, uh, 19 and 20 pretty much together. I was going to ask you to do that, so thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um should be that one there. Oh, sorry. Actually, the this one um which the house the WA20 W20.
Yep. Yes. So, um tonight I want to present first on the conservation of Westbound with Highway. So, this would be a move to formally codify a piece of land that has been pretty much preserved by the town for the last 95 years. Um
So for context of location, it's 2.8 acres situated at the intersection of 28A Route 28 and Palmer A. It abuts forest and farmland to the north, south, and east. Uh and the neighborhood currently lacks access to other public open space due to the private property lines. So it's a 08 mile walk to the
nearest public uh way to an open space. I'm sorry, did could I ask? Yeah. Could you repeat that? It abuts forest and conservation land. Yeah. So, um to the to the south you have a stretch of forest and then Peach Tree Circle Farm. Um then you obviously
have the highway and then the town forest and then to the north you have Stonerunner Farm which is like a small farm. Okay. So the land was purchased in 1931 as part of a period where the town was buying a bunch of the land surrounding
Long Pond water supply. Um so it was purchased from Weld and a piece of uh the Gford Bowererman family's land and at the time there was no legal mechanism for conservation confer conservation commissions were permitted um in 1957 and conservation restrictions were
introduced in 1969 um and so I think this piece of land was probably kind of forgotten about um and like in the past people refer to it as a tax title taking but it was purchased in 1931 uh and it's consistently identified as open space or conservation land on a
variety of town and nonprofit maps. So a lot of people already assume that it's conserved and I think Fmouth is lagging behind uh its surrounding towns in terms of conservation. So according to the 300 committee about 22% of Falmouth's land area is conserved uh with a goal of 30%
by 2030. Uh also I think it's important from the standpoint of water protection and biodiversity both in terms of water quality but also in terms of recharge capacity. We have super super conductive soils here as glacial marine soils. Um
and also it's proximate to cipoissit marsh and to long pond. Um and as such it's important not only from the standpoint of uh water quality but also from the standpoint of with drought and stuff forests um hold a lot more groundwater than say like a lawn.
It's also near several historical features that are important to the town's economy. U many people come as visitors to see the historic sites and the natural um sites around the town. So it ab butts sackinesset homestead across the street which is the oldest h home in
Falmouth um and first cap style home and it also butts stone runner farm which was the site of an old mill and I think that it's important to enhance these opportunities. It also would be serving for public safety um because it currently is a boundary that serves as traffic fit
calcoming between the highway and then more developed sites and it's a site of frequent crashes. Somebody ran over the sign there um like last week had to be replaced and currently it gets used um people go walking there. There's like trails people have established. It's near um
some salt pond sanctuary land with peach tree orchard there. So it would kind of compound the the benefits there. And then um I'll if you have any questions, yeah, go for it. Otherwise, so your petition would be two separate petitions. One to grant the petition to
the 300 committee, the other to the conservation commission. Yeah. So we're we're trying to navigate this process like and learn as we went. Um and so we we submitted both just to kind of give the option of Have you spoken to the 300 committee? Yeah. So a couple of us spoke to different members of 300 committee. Currently, it sounds like they they
wouldn't like to um take the easement. So, I think we would opt to go for the one to the conservation commission as the town body. Are those photos the last photos from the property? Um yeah. So, this one on the right is from just down the road. There's like a little turnoff where people park. It's
by Dana's kitchen. And then these are from on the property. Yeah. Okay. Interesting. Question for maybe for town council. How would this interact with the zero west felmouth highway town meeting article passed in November town meeting
because directly at odds right um it is at odds um part I mean there are a couple of different issues here one of the primary issues for me in reviewing this is that um town meeting can authorize the select
board to take a certain action but it can't direct the select board to do anything. So, where there's already been a um a town meeting vote and actions taken toward that first vote, uh the
select board would have to grapple with what to do with dual competing authorizations. Um I I that would be a a decision for the board to make. But uh if there are
certain indications that this property has is too far down the road in being disposed and there are certain indications. Um the vote of the board to dispose of
the property is one indication where in the process the town is with the RFP and whether there are um private interests that are also implicated in the ownership of the property already. Those are all things that will have to be considered. So there are a lot of
moving pieces and parts. Uh if this were to pass it would be it would be messy. Thank you. Mhm. So, do I understand are you with going to withdraw article 19 or you're going to go forward with that? I think for now we can go forward with
it, but um perhaps it would be amended. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you very much. Can I just share some information?
We we had indicated earlier on that we weren't going to take any public comment from you can certainly share something with us and leave it with us, but we're not going to take public comment on petitioner articles. I'm sorry. I just
wanted to we're aware but we we'll take your we'll we'll take the presentation but no no oral conversation. No, we're not taking public comment. We had made that. I'm asking if it would be all right if I
gave you some material. Yes, that would be fine. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. one of each and pass it down. Do you want us just to pass it down?
We can take one. Thank Thank you. Thank Thanks for your time. Yeah. Um the following war article I'm going to go to is article 21. Um so this is addressing some of the needs for affordable housing within the town and trying to concentrate town services um for
efficiency. So this is housecale multif family um zoning basically a bylaw change and um this is based on some successful uh bylaw changes in other New England towns um up in the Sunipe region of New Hampshire which also has a large
seasonal population um and some other Massachusetts towns have introduced very similar measures. So uh as is often talked about is the missing middle. How do we actually go about generating that? Um, and there's a lot of opportunities that exist for expanding affordable housing and very lively neighborhoods
and at the same time helping to protect our natural resources. Uh, and you can see in guidance from a number of uh, regional planning organizations kind of go along these lines. And compared to our neighboring towns, we have a lot less of kind of that middle housing. Um, in MASHP, for instance, they have a lot
more condo triplex uh, scale housing. So as has been discussed earlier today actually uh we have an issue of you know mansionization. It was highlighted in the 2014 study by RKJ RKG consultants. So landovers and developers are largely barred from building what would be
attainable housing and as such um seeking profit you know they build large uh mansions and on the same footprint of a house like that a house scale building you could fit quite a few units that would be suitable for young families for working people and for elders and you
could even have you know um elderly folks living with their descendants in units. So, some examples of kind of the sort of layouts that you can get. Um, here you have like triplex, forplexes, courtyard buildings or duplexes. Uh, this would this warrant article as it's
currently written would allow up to five unit multif family house scale buildings within walking distance of the business redevelopment district. Uh, where at least one unit is affordable to meet SHI standards and the units are sewarded and have appropriate capacity as well as water. Um, and the units conform to
other relevant bylaws. So, this would be again highly suitable for young families and you could have grandma living, you know, downstairs from grandkids. Uh, and the current way we wrote it is pretty limited in scope. Um, so it it's pretty much just a quarter mile from specifically the business redevelopment
district and where there's currently sewer, which as of now pretty much is around 230 parcels, um, which are mostly around uh, Worcester Court down to around Jericho Path. Um, however, we'd be open to like amendments and stuff to maybe expand this if that's up to people
if people like that. But, you know, we wanted to put something in that's a little bit smaller just to get the outset. Um, so potentially include like Ticket and some other places that are good access to opportunity. And you know that I think the voters have spoken like electing some of the new select board members with this
vision of revitalizing businesses that have struggled because of low uh foot traffic um like in the offseason and also kind of helping to refocus from green field development to opportunities for kind of regrowth whether that's conversions of existing structures or
rebuilding of structures. And yeah, that's pretty much my my presentation. Any questions? Happy to answer. And we I'll be working with Jack and stuff to amend this and whatnot to make it into a perfect, you know, package or whatnot. But okay, any questions? Have you presented this to the planning
board? I I've spoken to some of the planning board members, but I didn't present it in front of their committee. I like it. Obviously. Okay. Thank you very much. Well, I'm curious how this compares to some of the
things we were talking about earlier tonight in terms of um I mean you're saying up to five units instead of I guess duplex triplex or up to four in the conversion bylaw, right? Is it just around density or is are there Yeah, so the bylaw that I took this from
it was in Hanover, New Hampshire and it used it went up to four units. I thought five units in order to, you know, incentivize maybe more affordable development. Um, and I think I think it fits really into what people are talking about earlier. You know, you're helping cluster it around services. So, as we
expand sewer, um, it's a bit more efficient than like if we're building stuff in outlying areas that we might never be able to feasibly sewer. Um, and yeah, I think it also can help address the issues with transit. Um, because again, it becomes more efficient to run say a bus line. So maybe veterans could
have a bus come around if people happen to be living in the area or whatnot. I got one more question. Sure. Why is it within a quarter mile of this redevelopment district and not quarter mile is like a urban planning kind of standard for like walkable like you can take a little short trip to the
store. Um so that's why we use quarter mile but if we want to do half mile I actually did do an analysis and I saw if you go up to half mile it would include parts of Lauren's neck that might be desirable. But again, we try to like introduce something that's kind of small in scale
just to like get a feel for Yeah. what people would like to see. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Mr. Enure, consider vote to approve two additional full-time communication officer positions within
the emergency communication center. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh I'll be quick about this because I know it's getting late. Uh so as you all uh are aware we currently have nine full-time equivalent uh communication officer positions. Um last year the communications director
Mr. James Thomas made a request uh to hire three to create three new positions based on workload demands. Um, we also had a consultant matrix do a operational study of the communications department that justified kind of showed the need
based on uh growth uh and uh call volume uh for additional positions. I made the uh decision not to fund those positions uh last year because quite honestly uh as you all likely also know uh we've had a difficult time filling the positions
that we had authorized. Um of the nine positions at one time I think we were down to two. uh two two two communications officers with with seven vacancies. Um I'm happy to report there were a much better position. Um we uh we
made some changes. Um and at one point we were fully staffed for about a 9-month period. We had nine communications officers. Now we're down to eight. Still uh making pretty good progress. But again, based upon um the workload demands, we're proposing to add
uh requesting to add two additional positions. we're comfortable we can fill those positions. We've been working with uh the police department unions in an effort to uh get some additional police officers trained to fill pdium slots. One of the trends that we're seeing, it's unfortunate, but it's a trend and
it's impacting staffing is the availability of pdeiums. Uh those professional trained dispatchers from other organizations that come in and take shifts, we're seeing a decline in the numbers of pdiums. Uh so between this request, if approved tonight, for the two additional positions and
training additional public safety folks uh to serve positions on a on a on a as needed basis, we feel we're going to fill the need. Um I want to make sure I cover all of this. Um the request is going to be again for um uh two
positions. We estimate um needing approximately $150,000. We're going to seek um pending the outcome of today's decision uh to authorize the two new positions, we're going to seek a reserve fund transfer from the finance committee um in that amount. We're confident
that'll get us um through the end of uh June 30th, 2026, the end of the fiscal year. Um if select board approves this transfer, um the positions will be filled as soon as possible. Um it's an urgent urgent need. Um, we feel again, um, and I'll summarize with this, um, because we have been successful and we
have several folks in the pipeline, um, hiring pipeline already, we feel pretty confident that we'll fill those two positions if we're authorized to add them. Um, and it's going to do go a long ways towards uh, reducing overtime costs and bringing in quite frankly folks that aren't trained um, police officers uh,
to fill those slots. Um and uh we'd be seeking if approved, we'd be seeking um an appropriation at uh November town meeting this year of $150,000 to replenish um the uh the fund, the reserve fund transfer. So again, Mr. Chairman, select board, is my request,
my uh ask that the board consider uh adding these two additional full-time benefited CO positions within the emergency communications center. Any questions? No, Miss Goldstone. uh in terms of the
uh need for PDMs, would would adding these two positions essentially eliminate the need for PDMs? I we don't think it's going to eliminate it, but it's going to certainly um lower our reliance upon PDMs. Peter, would you say that's accurate? I don't think it's going to completely eliminate the need. Yeah, it won't. It won't eliminate the
need for pdeiums. Um as Mr. Mshaw indicated, we would be less dependent on them. And you know really the main thing is um we we want to be in a better position with respect to filling all of the shifts without forced overtime and right now we
are reliant on a combination of PDMs and you'd have more stability and and scheduling and so forth. Definitely. Okay. And that uh reduction in availability of PDMs, would you say that's a a trend that the other departments are are needing those individuals? They're
seeing this same increase in staffing. The other agencies, yes, the other agencies that they work for, yes, that's exactly what's leading to the trend on there. They're staying puts at their home agencies. Okay. All right. Any other questions? Is there a motion?
Would move approval of two additional full-time benefited communication officer positions within the emergency communication center effective immediately upon approval of funding. Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All in favor?
I. I. Okay. I'm going to uh take item uh F and and put it down to the bottom. I'm going to move up to item H uh which is uh discuss potential funding
for renovation of the former water department building at 10 pumping station road. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll take this item. Okay. And again, I'll try to be brief. Um, last year, uh, I made the request of for $200,000 in funding, uh, for feasibility and design funds for, uh, two
properties, uh, town owned properties. Uh, the first at 10 Pumping Station and the second at 65 Public Station Road. The request, as you may recall, was not recommended by the finance committee. And, uh, therefore, the request was not considered a town meeting. Among the objections raised by the finance
committee, unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend that meeting. meeting. I was at another meeting at Joint Base that evening, but as I understand it, talking to the assistant town manager, one of the major objections was that um the cost of renovating that historic property was going to be excessive and was not warranted based on the proposed
use of the beach department um filling filling those spaces for three or four months out of the out of the year. Um that's again based upon conversations that I've had with the assistant town manager and the uh finance director. Subsequent in a meeting with the beach committee uh la last year uh myself and
the assistant town manager um did discuss with the beach committee at the time um that we had intended to apply uh for another round um parsing it down a smaller request maybe focusing uh just on 10 pumping station road versus looking for funding for both. Um, since
that time, um, it be became known that the school department, as you all have heard, is looking to, uh, repurpose, uh, release, um, the Morse Pond School. Um, and we are in the process now of applying for $150,000 in feasibility,
uh, uh, monies for that property, looking at best possible use, whatever that may be. Um, one of the potential uses of the Morse Pond building is for a more centralized, consolidated town hall and municipal offices. one of which could potentially be uh the beach
department going forward. Um I did not submit the second request for funds at Ton Pumping Station Road as part of this year's capital plan. Um, as you all also may recall, uh, last year town meeting, uh, we did have funding approved in the amount of $200,000 and contingency
funds, uh, for the acquisition, uh, should it be needed of a, uh, of a temporary, um, mobile, uh, office unit for the beach department if Mitchell Bath House were uh, destroyed, impacted negatively uh, by by a storm. Um, so we
do have that as a contingency plan. Just wanted to remind the select board of that. Um, I understand the beach committee, I see there's several members of the beach committee here, um, that have a request they'd like to present to the select board. Um, I just want to kind of uh, preview and preface that by uh, giving it some historical overview
of where where we're at today. Thank you. Uh, Miss Schneider, are you going to make a presentation of some sort to the board at this point or anyone else? Barbara Schneider, chair of the beach committee. And we have to keep we have
to stop meeting like this at these hours. It seems that we get put in nice positions to always show up this late. I I don't think there's anything we haven't said uh for two years. We have
presented our case. We have asked you to stop referring to us as a three-month operation. We have asked for everyone to appreciate the importance of the beaches both as a recreational and as a physical
protector of our entire town. We have worked our tails off, all members of the beach committee, to show you that you needed a coastal resiliency coordinator and that you needed to think about what
the beaches bring to this town. It is not something that can survive the way we've been doing it in the surf drive bath house. It needs a place where the public can come ask their questions, buy
their stickers, and absolutely be there in many, many months of the year. I am tired of listening to complaints of what happens in town hall when we don't have that operation going. You should be
tired of hearing it. And I ask you to be reasonable. You have a beautiful structure sitting there, which I was at today again, and it is there wanting to be fixed with hopefully community preservation dollars for the most part
and in a very good spot. Having 80 staff members show up every morning for 12 weeks to get going and off to the beaches is not going to happen at the Morse Pond School. It's not the
appropriate location. This is Thank you. So, um, Miss Schneider, do you have a uh an estimate as to what it might cost to make an initial feasibility determination with respect to renovating that property?
In just talking with the DPW director, u he threw out $50,000 as an idea. His concern is the roof immediately. You know that the roof is in need of being replaced so that damage
stops uh with what's going on there. and it does need to have clearing a 10-ft area cleared around the building so that they can get up there and do the roof. That those were the things that were discussed. We all stood there together.
We all talked about this. It is um been looked at by people to determine it is a really good bones building. It's in a great location and it deserves to be repaired. And we don't have I you can
say we have 20 $200,000 for an emergency which the idea was to put us put the department in a trailer sitting in the same exact place we're asking you to fix. I I will tell you there is no way we're going to go 12 years,
which is what you're really looking at, to wait and have surf drive, which is a disgrace to this town for people walking in there and having mouse urine. And I'm tired of saying about the mouse urine. Someday you are going to have everyone walk out of that building angry that you
are having them work with computers with mouse urine above them. And they I have photos of it that I just took two weeks ago. Enough. We can do better. Do better. Thank you, Miss Goldstone. Miss Schneider, before you uh
don't don't leave yet. Um part of the plan. So, first of all, I'll just say um that I agree that that a 10-year timeline for a home for the beach committee, given
what we're learning from the beach department, just to correct. Sorry, for the beach department, it's late. Um also does not seem uh appropriate in my mind given what we're learning about the vulnerability of the Surf Drive area.
the fact that we are one 5-year storm away from losing a chunk of that road. Yes, the upper portion is less vulnerable, but still, you know, the idea that within the next 10 years, we're that we're not going to see damage
or incapacity in that that facility is is hard for me to imagine. And so, waiting 10 years for a home for the beach committee does not a beach department does not seem like um prudent planning. And as you've said, that facility is also um
not a a premier place to have to work or to go to get beach stickers. I'm curious because the long longer term plan at Surf Drive has been to get modular bath house units there.
Is there any modular office opportunity on that location that could could work for the department if we tore down the bath house because you really need that place that location then to do that
in all honesty there's been and also what then it would be a matter of what the DPW really doesn't want to do is haul things away and put them back and haul things away and put them back
when you're you're going to have to do that uh every winter. And the reason they don't like to do that is that they don't like to store things because they feel that things really get degraded over time by doing that. They have not had good luck. I think we have a Manot
mobile unit that's sitting right now that's been in bad repair from having gone through that. So that's not ideal, especially when you have an option. And I would say, why are we not looking
at that option? Mr. Brown, I would say first of all that I'd like to see us at least bare minimum maintain that building and fix the holes in the roof, clear the grass around the outside of it. I went by there the other day
just to take a look at it and it's a shame to be you know neglecting that. So I hope we can get a minimal budget to I don't know if there's any action required by the board but DBW is taking care of that right now. Mr. Great. Thank you so much. So uh the next thing if I could I would like
to say maybe we should be exploring other locations that might be suitable for temporary uh like sharing of the space at the administration school administration building. I'm sure they're not possibly using that whole building. There's got to be places that we can relocate to get
a little more creative because pumping station, even if we were to convince the finance committee that it was a worthy investment, it's going to be a long time. So I just would answer, please remember what happens there every morning
from June well and during some of the weekends and then starting in late June until now. So remember that you're gathering the entire staff, right? And you need to have a place where that's
what you can do. If if when you stand at Goodwill Park, you look there and you say, "This is absolutely the right place." There's the parking. It keeps it isolated. It's got a huge area off to the side where you could actually even simulate. You could have sand. They can
go down the road, uh, a tiny piece and get in the water and do their swim. You have all the attributes that you need for a running that program. You also have a building that would be easy for the public to come to to buy their stickers, to ask their questions, to get
things fig figured out about their taxes or their what what they're in a rears in it is a good answer and it has the great potential because it's historic of being funded by the
CPC. That's another benefit. It's not like we're saying we're going to the taxpayers for this in a way that isn't already being taken by to by the taxpayers. They're paying that. That's one of the benefits of that fund. We
should be able to use it for that. Mr. Renro, Mr. Johnson sty in light of the fact that it hasn't been included up to this point. What would be the uh pathway if the board wanted to look into it to uh to move it
forward if if there was consensus on the board for that? So, um I think it's early enough in the capital review process that if the board felt strongly that you wanted to see feasibility study happen sooner rather
than later, uh that uh we could add it to the capital plan provided, you know, we're talking 100 under 100,000, you know, 100,000 at most. And I think it frankly it might be more comfortable to squeeze in 50,000
than 100,000. Um, but we could uh we could add that to the capital plan and submit that to the finance committee for review for this cycle. Okay, Mr. Richardson, you had a question. I was actually I was just going to say that you know the the recommended actions that's kind of the second one is
to place the topic on a future agenda. Uh I I believe that our role is to not act as experts and to listen to our committees. I straight up will just transparency. I will support this and I think we should put the second thing to a vote in a in a future meeting. I
understand that's not the point of the discussion tonight. But um we could vote it tonight. We could vote it if we if we so chose. We have supported it. That's how it got to the finance committee. They Yeah, it'll be up to the
Can I ask could I comment on the finance committee part? I I was actually told by a person on the finance committee that there was no presentation and so they felt it didn't come with a very good solid background. I'm going to ask that when it goes this time it gets a
presentation. I wasn't even told. Maggie wasn't there. We were not told it was going to happen. And so I wish that we would have had a chance to explain why that's a good idea. That might have made a difference. Mr. Chair, can I Yes, please. Uh Dr. Schneider, thank you
for for the comments. So So I I I indicated earlier I wasn't at that meeting, but I do recall being a participant in drafting the uh the write up the project detail. I thought we did a very thorough job with that detail last year. Um so what it would be consensus of the board if the board opts
tonight to direct me to include that $50,000 um in the capital spending plan for FY26. Um if that's the board's decision, I think that'd be the easiest path to go forward. and we will have a presentation because I and let me I'll stop with this, Mr. Chair. I was an advocate. I walked that building last
year. I know I know the potential of it. Y I also realize that, you know, and I indicated some some circumstances changed. Um and uh we'll we'll pitch it. We'll pitch it to the finance committee and uh and I'll be an advocate for it again. Um they rejected it last year for
the reasons that I've stated. Well, we have a uh we have a department that is uh responsible for over $1 million in revenue to this town. Uh and I think $50,000 to at least look into the possibility
uh without having to wait 12 or longer years uh would would be a good idea. So, I would certainly support such a direction to the to the town manager. I would make a motion then to uh add
$50,000 to the capital budget to conduct a feasibility study for 10 popping station road to explore uh the feasibility feasibility of relocating the beach department to 10 popping station road. We'll second that.
Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All in favor? I I thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So, uh we'll go to matter I. Discuss and
consider submitting a letter to the Cape Cod Commission regarding Pure Sky Energy's Cape Cod Country Club Solar Project. Mr. Wshaw. Uh Mr. Chair, I'm do uh turn this over to Mr. Johnson Stout. He actually has a copy of a draft letter that's connected
to this that he'll distribute. Peter. Um thank you, Mr. Wshaw. Um and Mr. Chairman. So uh just to introduce the issue this was um the idea was raised by John Dulie uh member of the planning board as you well
know and also the town's representative to the Cape Cod Commission. Um and we are talking about the Cape Cod Country Club solar project and uh the commission is well into its review of the application submitted. Um Matthew Terry
is attorney um council for the developer for the project. Um and he is here tonight as you can see. Um so the the issue here is um as you may recall the board voted uh in May to um I think it
was May of 24 to support the project um and submitted a letter to the Cape Cod Commission in support of the project. Um the the benefits of the project uh overall are you know multiple. It the
develop the owner is proposing to transfer the land to the town of Falmouth. Um a portion of that land would be conservation restricted. Um but that's actually uh 41 acres with a
conservation restriction on it. 95 acres not subject to a conservation restriction. So after the term of the lease back from the town to the owner of the solar development, which could be up to 40 years, all of that land be um
becomes available to the town um to use as it sees fit. And um so the benefits are town gets conservation land, the town gets 95 acres to decide what it wants to do with um the
there's obviously solar energy that's generated. Very importantly, part of the funding plan for the developer is community shared solar, which means that a portion of the energy must be provided to low and moderate income residents.
and that results in those residents getting 50% off their entire electric bill. Not just the supply, but the entire electric bill. Um, so that's an important benefit that the project brings. The um, so that's all by way of introduction. The issue that we're here
to talk about tonight is Mr. Julie suggested there's a parcel of land that's now golf course car golf course property not included in the solar project not included in the land proposed land transfer from the current
owner to the town and Mr. Julie brought it forward because it has potential um for development for affordable housing. 7.3 acres, has some access challenges, but it may be there may be viable access on a Schumit um off of a Schumit road.
And so the suggestion was does the board want to consider writing a letter to the Cape Cod Commission asking the owner of the property to include that 7.3 acres in the land transfer so that we could develop it for affordable housing. Now, there's the 95 acres that the town will
ultimately have control over, not conservation restricted, but that won't be available for development for 40 years. So, interesting idea. Um, we asked town council to uh confer with council for the developer to see if
there was an interest in potentially including that parcel in the land transfer. And the initial response back was no. Uh, and the last piece that I want to mention before handing out the draft letter, if that's something that you
want to consider, is that the the viability of this project hinges on federal tax credits, which expire if the project does not break ground. So, complete permitting, complete construction financing, and actually be
well into construction by July 1. If that doesn't happen, all of the project goes away. All of the benefits that I just enumerated um will not come to pass. So, there is some concern that
bringing this request to the Cape Cod Commission could result in a delay at the Cape Cod Commission and um put the entire project at risk in terms of its timeline. I'm I'm sure Mr. Terry could speak to that in greater detail. I don't know if the chair wants to get into a
dialogue with uh with the project proponent or not at this time. Well, you know, I think Mr. Terry has been here until 10:30, so I'd certainly like to give him an opportunity to to speak, but um just to clarify, this would in no way change
our position with respect to the support of the project. It's merely asking the Cape Cod Commission to discuss with the applicant the possibility of doing something with that whole four I think
which is the letter I drafted is exactly as you described. still supports the project and asks for this consent. But we do have this or at least the developer has this stamically sword over their head with respect to uh any delays
and it's certainly been delayed considerably up to this point. So ask a question before we get going. Yeah. Is this the same piece of property that's on the other side of Boxberry Hill Road from the main part of the where the battery center is? It's 83 Boxbury Hill Road. I can I can
pull up. It's there. It is in your packet. There's a map in your packet. I can pull it up on the screen if you like. That's all right. I'll take a look. I didn't actually see the map because, you know, when we first had the first proponent of this project come to meet with uh the energy committee, they and and housing
committees and the initial outreach was, you know, very very generous. And they said that there is this little extra piece of land that's not involved with the with the solar farm that could be used for affordable housing. and it was a selling point for so
just want to bring that up. I will say I think there were some people in town who were of the thought mistaken that that parcel was going to be included and possibly be available for for I don't really think it was mistaken. Well, again, uh Mr. Terry can can speak
to that. Mr. Terry. Sure. Yeah. No, that would be helpful to see the screen. Yeah, I don't see the map in here. Yeah. No, it was if you do have the map because we don't have it in our packet.
I think that's what he's pulling up. Thank you. So, can you see that? Um, yes, that's 7.3 acres. Yep. 7.3 acres in green. Okay. Thank you uh for allowing me to speak. I appreciate it. For the record,
my name is Matt Terry from the law firm of Aman Clower here in Falmouth. So, a couple of points for the board's consideration. The first is procedural. Uh, as Mr. Jonathan Stab had uh mentioned we're in the midst and nearing
the end of a lengthy process with the Cape Cod Commission. We have uh the full commission hearing this Thursday uh afternoon. We concluded our fourth subcommittee hearing earlier this
evening um where the subcommittee that was charged with uh doing an initial evaluation of our project application voted to recommend its passage to the full commission uh as part of uh the
commission's consideration on Thursday. uh from a procedural standpoint, what has come up a number of times during these four subcommittee hearings and explained both by commission staff and by the subcommittee chair to the other
commissioners is that the Cape Cod Commission can only consider the project that is before it. It can only consider the five parcels that were submitted by my client Pier Sky as part of the project application. So procedurally to
send a letter to the Cape Cod Commission asking to include a legal parcel that is not part of the project and is not part of the application. Uh the commission cannot bring in a private piece of property that is unrelated to the
project and the application and uh include it in a condition. We as the applicant cannot do so uh for a couple of reasons. one because it is not part of the project. Uh and the applicant has
uh reserved its uh use of of this 7.3 acres for future determination. Uh and even if we were to try to bring it in, it would mean withdrawing our application uh two or three days before the conclusion of the process, going
back to the beginning uh with the Cape Cod Commission and potentially putting uh the viability of the project at risk because uh as uh the chair had mentioned, it's been delayed quite a bit. Uh I've been working on this personally for about six years now. Uh
and so uh one more year especially in the very uncertain regulatory environment in which we find ourselves these days may spell the end uh of this project. What is likely to happen if the select board votes this evening to send this letter is that the commission will
be advised by staff that notwithstanding the sentiments included in the letter that the parcel cannot be included in the application uh in the uh project consideration in the hearing or in any decision that the Cape Cod Commission renders. Uh a couple of just quick
substantive points in speaking with my client uh this evening after our commission subcommittee hearing. uh they can't the because of the uncertain regulatory environment and steps that are still to be taken with
Eversource and the group study that this project is currently in the financial viability of the project uh is still uncertain and this 7.3 acres has been reserved by the applicant uh to potentially offset what might be
unexpected costs or expenses reduced income that would keep this project economically viable. U giving them the flexibility to uh to sell this uh parcel or to put it to other uh economically
productive uses. As I stand here before you, it's too early in that part of the process for them to make that analysis. But what it does do given that uncertainty is again put the property uh or the project rather uh in jeopardy uh
if uh the flexibility allowed by the 7.3 acre parcel were to be removed from the equation. Uh the the final other procedural point is as had been mentioned at the outset, there was a letter of support that the board approved as part of uh the uh the
commission um process. This time around, we also have a non-binding memorandum of understanding that we entered into with the town a few years ago now that is has been submitted to the Cape Cod Commission as part of our application packet. The concern is that sending a
letter to them a couple of days before the full commission is set to deliberate that uh potentially sends somewhat of a mixed message from the board of selectmen. um that might be perceived to be somewhat at odds with the letter of
support and the non-binding memorandum of understanding because it proposes a change to uh essentially the arrangement that we've all been operating under relative to the five properties that were included in the application um to the commission and as part of the
non-binding memorandum of understanding and all other uh uh public documents that that my clients have produced. over the uh course of the uh development of this project. Uh and that confusion uh
from officially from the board of selectmen might cause commissioners to question how supportive uh the board of selectmen might be. So those are all the points I wanted to bring to your attention. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, procedural,
substant substantive or otherwise. Uh uh council, do you have anything to uh to add or to help us as we go forward? Um I accept what Mr. Terry has said with respect to, you know, how he views how
the commission would have to deal with this. I just wondering if you have any thoughts for us. The only thing I would add is that in the three and a half years that I've been working on this project, at no
point has this been part of any of the negotiations between the town and the solar company at all. This only came to my attention a couple days ago on the eve of approval. And I
I uh I just want to make sure that everybody understands that this has never been part of any conversation. So I just have a general question. Um I thought the my friend is a clean energy
lobbyist. I thought these uh tax cuts were already rolled back. No. So my understanding I'm not a lobbyist. Uh I uh just work for a solar company uh in the capacity as their
local attorney. But I certainly checked in with them right away uh to see if the project that we've been working on for six years was um in jeopardy. Their analysis based on the current facts uh is that it is not. that's always subject
to change as we've learned um that how quickly things can change from day to day. The programs that they are looking at are um largely if not exclusively state-based tax credit and state funding. So there isn't a federal component at least that has changed or
that that's applicable to the project um that uh has had an impact on it. Thank you. Mr. Brown, you had question. Could you remind me please what was the name of the previous entity that owned or original proponent of this project. Sure. It's still the same company. They
just rebranded. So, Pure Sky Energy is the current name. Prior to rebranding, uh they were known as AMP Solar. So, they they underwent some um higher level corporate reorganization. It's an it was an international company that was
Canadian. Um, and when they uh spun out their US subsidiary, they rebranded it to Pure Sky Energy, but it's been the same consistent comp corporation and leadership uh the entire way through since I started working with them in 2019.
And you've been with the project from the outset? From the outset. And do you remember the name of the person who came around for AMP Energy that was the initial outreach person? Evan Turner. Yeah. Yeah. Is he still around? He is not. Okay. Now,
because he did make some reference to this property in the initial outreach meetings and it was very appealing and so that's why I think it's coming back to haunt you. Yeah. It may be part of the reason why he's no longer with the company. Okay.
So I guess um where we are is uh you know when when we had a meeting I did ask u the town manager and assistant town manager draft up a letter uh requesting the uh the inclusion or that the uh that they ask the developer to
consider it. Um I will say that uh initially I was uh impressed with what Mr. Julie said. Uh but I will say that I think um some of the things we heard
here tonight uh have caused me to change my mind in in in in certain respects. Uh and I am not sure that I would support sending the letter at this time. So that's just my feeling.
Mr. Chair, just a couple quick questions here. Sure. The Cape Cod Country Club currently owns that 7.2 acres, correct? It is not part of this golf uh or excuse me solar part uh project.
It's not part of the project at this point. It's part of the purchase and sale agreement though. Correct. But it's not offered as part of the development. Can it be offered as something separate for our to attain our
to attain the property and use for affordable housing separate from solar? or are they do they have to be combined? Why are we combining them if they don't have to be combined? I don't think they're being combined. Uh they're just not included. That that
particular parcel is just not included in what the Cape Cod Commission is going to be determining with respect to the solar solar problem. I'm sorry. Is that correct? My understanding was that this land was not part of the land transfer. That's correct. Yeah. But I think what
Mr. Reed might be getting at is that that doesn't foreclose the possibility of future action unrelated. But sorry, I was just Mr. Brown, you had said it's part of the purchase and sale, but I think it's not part of the land transfer is what I thought. Correct. It's been excluded from the
the deal with the town because it's not needed for the project. If if I may, there's there's the current owner's purchase and sale agreement with the solar developer. Right. Right. And then that's a separate transaction from the solar development and the land transfer to the town.
Yes. So the total acreage of the Cape Cod Country Club is 145 acres. My client is under contract to purchase all 145. 137 of those acres are included in the project application to the Cape Cod
Commission and have been included in discussions with the town for the donation. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. As much as I would like to push this, I feel like it's not really right. Yeah. I wish it had come up sooner and I wish came up six years ago. I wish I
continued to pay more attention six years ago, you know. I mean, and there's certainly a possibility at at some point in time that uh you know that the develop may may work with the town to to develop it. uh first rate of refusal,
but I do think it is a little late in the game and as unfortunate as it is to not have this parcel, uh I I would not be in favor of sending a letter at this time. Yeah, I think we missed our chance. It's way too late. Does anyone want to make a motion to
approve such a letter at this point? Okay. No, I I agree. I I I appreciate Mr. Julie's uh attention to to uh affordable housing options. I very much appreciate uh Mr.
Johnson Stub uh and town manager's office for very quickly drafting a letter for our consideration, but I I think this would be throwing a wrench in the works of of a project that's an important project that's very close to completion, you know, and and I think it's it would
send the wrong message to future developers with respect to, you know, how the town of Falmouth uh you know, plays with with developers going forward. So, I think it would send a bad signal uh to future developers. So, uh
I agree. Do we have to do a motion to motion not to a motion to not make a motion? Motion not to authorize the select board chair to sign a letter to the Cape Cod Commission related to the Cape Cod Country Club Solar Project is what's in
our packet as an option. Is that your motion? I I will make that motion. Sure. Unhappily second it. Okay, we have a motion and a second. I'm not sure it's necessary, but we'll have a motion in a second. Any further discussion? Hearing
none. All in favor? I no to the no. Okay. All right. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Did you vote no? I voted no to the no. Voted no to the no. So, a double negative. What is that degree? You wanted to send the letter.
I wanted to send it, but I I I understand the board's position. So, all right. Thank you, everyone. Now, thank you, Mr. Terry. Thank you. Uh, now for what you've all been waiting for. The discussion
of the town manager's annual performance evaluation. Let me get my notes here somewhere. Okay. Always cleans the room out. That's a good thing. That's a really
good thing. If they filled them on, so it's a it's a little unusual in that uh we have two sitting members here who were not part of the evaluation because they were not uh on the board during the time covered by the evaluation.
Nonetheless, they are part of the process and they have received the summitive evaluation that was uh was prepared by myself uh in accordance with the town manager's contract. Uh I was uh
I took everyone's uh evaluations, Miss Goldstones, myself, Mr. Brown, Nancy Taylor, and Scott Sullinsk's and I collated them all. and they are all on your summitive review. Uh just for the
record uh we uh looked at 11 separate items. Uh knowledge, productivity, decision making, communication, oral communication, written communication,
financial administration, leadership, public relations, work relationship, staff development and training, personnel policies and goal evaluations. Um I'll just u I think summarize uh the
the findings with respect to uh knowledge uh some of the statements. Mr. Wrenchaw continues to demonstrate a high level of understanding Massachusetts finances policies processes resolutions state and federal laws and regulations
in the town of Falmouth's operation. His commitment is to a high level of expertise and his position speaks to his ongoing ability as an outstanding leader. Uh he brings a wealth of ideas and best practices from his previous positions and that is a resource for
Falmouth. And finally when he encounters an unfamiliar idea he is quick to say I'll look into it. The overall rating for that knowledge was 30.5 respect to productivity. Some of the comments Excuse me Mr. Can we just clarify out of
four? Yes. Thank you. 3.5 out of four. Not out of 10. It sounds less impressive without that. I don't have in front of me the actual evaluations, but they range from uh you
know, one, two, three, four. Three being uh exceeds expectations I think and four being exceptional. So, and we didn't have anything under three, so I'm not going to talk about two or one. Thank you. Uh, productivity. He consistently
consults with his team and those with additional content area expertise. Mr. Renure consistently completes tasks in a timely manner and keeps the board advised as to progress. his and I think this is something we all realize and
appreciate his desire for and reliance on data and dashboard measurements has been a major improvement to the functioning of town government in general and various departments in particular and that overall rating was 3.7 out of four decision making uh Mr.
Renure makes informed decisions based on feedback from a variety of sources, consults with his team of department chairs and solicits relevant information shows excellent understanding and judgment in the decisions and
recommendations he makes. Overall rating was 3.8. Oral communication. Uh Mr. Renaw is a very adept communicator and committed to expanding the select board's desire for expanded
community engagement. He is an active listener and reports to his staff and he excels in oral communications. The overall rating was a straightforward written communication. Mr. Reno's written communications are well
organized and understandable. His reports and presentations are wellprepared, organized, and informed by data. He is extremely timely in responding to inquiries from either select board or the public, and his written communications are clear and
concise. His responses to emails from residents and to select board members are clear and concise. The overall rating was 3.5. financial administration. Mr. Renro has
established a workable method for department heads to explain their reasoning for budget requests and we are necessary has made decisions against those recommendations where in his opinion the financial burdens to the town is too great. That overall rating was 3.7.
Number seven, leadership. Uh the leadership factor is the most important and feedback received from staff and department chairs is indicative of a very strong leader. Mr. Reno demonstrates a high level of respect for his colleagues and staff. In two years
that he has been here, Mr. Mr. Reno has developed into an exceptionally dedicated and respected leader. his collaborative relationship with the assistant town manager and his willingness to listen and learn from senior staff and to take responsibility
when errors are committed by those under him are the earmarks of a truly effective leader. The overall rating there was 3.9 public relations Mr. Renture is a good public speaker. Always presents himself in a professional and respectful manner.
Often recognizes competent, effective professional accomplishments for him for his staff. He represents a town and is respected and very responsive to input and feedback. In the past year, there have been a number of problematic incidents such as the John
Neil baseball fields where Mr. Renure has very adequately represented and very importantly where necessary protected the town's public image. He is willing to sit with press and community leaders to explain the town's position and the overall reading rating was 3.6.
Work relationships. Mr. Rur is constantly finding creative ways to implement select board strategic plan into daily activities and budgeting of departments. The overall rating there was 3.7.
Staff development and training. Uh many of the commentators felt they didn't have enough information to make very definitive uh comments with respect to that one particular factor. But uh
one that was made is that Mr. Reno is a strong supporter of upward mobility of his staff. and we have seen that in in many of the uh uh matters that have come before the board but the overall rating there was 3.2
personnel practices Mr. Wrenchure has successfully demonstrated his strong ability in labor relations he works closely with very closely with personnel department has made key hires uh and uh Mr. Renshaw is a superior
administrator, consistently exceeded standards and is always looking to improve uh which is the mark of a truly great administrator. The overall rating there is 3.5. Uh and um goal evaluations
3.5 goal evaluation overall rating is 3.5. Uh we've seen Mr. Renua's goals and we've seen his very honest and uh and candid uh response to those goals and where he has achieved them and where he
has uh not been able to implement them for one reason or another and we compliment him for a very uh uh detailed analysis of his goals and I know that we will be discussing them this year going forward and have a better plan for for
dealing with them you know in in the future. here summary evaluation. Uh I believe Mr. Reno's greatest strength is his personal integrity and commitment to supporting his staff. He is a superior administrator and consistently exceeds standards and is
always looking to improve which is the mark of a truly good administrator. He is a strong leader for the town of Falmouth knowledgeable, growth oriented, empowering staff and committed to engaging in our community. He is approachable, knowledgeable, very
responsive. His leadership in is his greatest strength. I could not more be pleased with Mr. Reno's leadership in his role as town man. So, which I think
was really quite uh when I looked at it, I really thought that summed up uh completely. So, he's the man. He's the d. So, uh, the overall rating when we put all of that together was, uh, 3.6, but I will note that it was
just a tick below 3.7. Uh, and I think it is a very, very positive evaluation, and uh, I appreciate the board's uh, uh, putting forth their individual evaluations. Uh
I'm going to ask the board to uh acknowledge receipt of the summit of uh evaluation that's in your in in your packets. And even though you weren't part of the process, I'm going to ask you guys to uh to sign off on that. Do the top two lines.
Mr. Chair, if I could just so thank you for reading all through all 11 categories. I appreciate that. It means a lot to me. Thank you. Um, so I I think a manager is only as good as the supporting folks around him. And I've got two great ones here sitting next to me tonight. Um, have a great staff. I want to thank the board. I am looking
forward to um going forward uh collaboratively coming up with these goals. Um, no no slam against the way it was done in the past, but I think the best goals and objectives are set when we're able to sit around a table and kind of talk about them um and have feedback back and forth discussion. So,
I look forward to that opportunity, but thank you again for the evaluation. It's been a pleasure to work with all of you and I look forward to it. It's been a pleasure. I think I speak for everyone. They can say the same, but it's been a pleasure working with you this past year. Uh I'm sorry that the evaluation was as delayed as it was. I
know you were anxious to uh to get it done as we all were. But, uh it's it's very positive and we look forward to a I don't know how much better we can do, but we'll uh we'll try. Great job summarizing it. Thank you. Great job. And a key indicator of
success is the lack of attendance for this part of the agenda. That's a good point. And the enterprise didn't stay around. I will say I don't know who it was, but somebody phoned it in. A lot of those were one sentence answers. So I think I know who it was, but
that out. I I have Well, first of all, congratulations and thank you. Um I think uh speaks volumes that so many of the comments really um hit on the same
points um very consistent and and very positive. Um the couple of places where uh and I'll own being one of them um a few of us noted we didn't feel like we had a lot of of I guess data or evidence to work with other than kind of
secondhand was in terms of um uh relationships with those that you're managing. um and would love to see uh some some element of of 360 review perhaps incorporated going forward to just have a little bit more um
information in those those areas because I do think they're important areas. um be curious whether the the rest of the board would be Yeah, I mean I I certainly think that was a consistent, you know, uh comment in the evaluations and, you know, I
think keeping us advised as to what you're doing in in those in those particular areas, you know, would would would help us be able to score it better and evaluate it better. So, that'll be a focus. Yeah. You know, it's a pretty good evaluation tool, though. It's had a lot
less holes than ones we've used in the years past, which it's pretty comprehensive. Yeah, 11 areas is Well, we got that out. Uh, Mr. We have minutes. Does anyone have any corrections?
Motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? I I Okay. Town manager supplemental report. Two quick reports. Just want to remind the board and the public that uh on September 20th, which is a Saturday, from 9 to 2, we're currently scheduled
on track to have our uh strategic planning workshop. Um thank you, Peter, to reserving uh the Herman room of the library. I think that's locked in right now. So, uh yeah, so Saturday, September 20th, looking forward to that. And as you all know, Collins Institute uh UMass
Boston is going to be uh facilitating the uh the discussion, and I look forward to that and working again with all of you. Are we going to be having an agenda for that and who's responsible for putting that together? So, we have a scoping meeting and kickoff, I should say, a kickoff meeting tomorrow with the consultants, Peter and
I. Um, so we'll we'll take a we'll draft an agenda um based upon some of the scoping and discussion. Um, the consultants have already kind of laid out what I think is a good strong foundation of the agenda. Um, and it's going to be a multi-session engagement. Um, so yeah, so we'll we'll take a shot
at drafting an agenda. The other uh comment really um uh this is going to be our third annual employee appreciation picnic. Um I always look forward to these um select board uh encourage you all to come out um Friday, September 26th from 11 to 2 at Goodwill Park the
pavilion. Um so please if you're available uh stop by and get a burger or a hot dog. And this year thanks to Jim Guz uh pulled pork is going to be on the menu. We're going to do a pig in the ground, but that took eight hours and we're concerned about I have a pig roster bot. It only takes
four and a half hours. If you really want to make it fun, give everybody the rest of the day off afterwards. Yeah, it's been a it's been a great it's been a great hit. Um, you know, we received a lot of comments and I think town had done it a while ago, but we had kind of stopped and this would be the third annual. So, a lot of good comments about
it from the staff. Any select board reports? You guys got anything to report? No, I think we're quiet on this end. I'll give you I'll give you one quick one that I met with uh some few members of the Assembly
of Delegates today to talk about their um luxury real estate fee that they're trying to support. You know, Felmouth proposed our own back in spring of 2024. It was not passed through the legislature, but it still remains on the
on the request list. the county uh assembly members that are trying to push it forward are just seeking to bolster what we've done and not take away from it. They're trying to tailor something broadly that can be supported by all the towns. I I did hear some feedback from
Province Town who I guess has been trying to work on this the longest at almost 10 years I think she said. So they have specific language that they want to maintain which is not really in tune with everybody else's and another town and I'm not sure if it was Truro I
think they want to go to 3%. So there's a couple of differences of opinion, but the idea is just that they just want to be more supportive of it. And then Julian Seir was on the call and he said that um even though the the seasonal communities act didn't make
it with u the element of the seasonal communities act that had the opportunity to include this luxury real estate tax was removed along the way. That may make a comeback in the next version. So if we're not successful with that, then we'll we'll keep chipping away at it
with the next version of So the only luxury the the term luxury, what what are they referring to when they're talking about that's only going to be on houses over a million dollar? It starts at a million and anything that exceeds the million dollar minimum would
be taxed at half a percent. And then if it goes up to million and a half, it goes to a million and one and a half is and then it goes to two million, it goes to 2%. I think it's a graduated on the buyer, the seller pays it. Well, at the end of the day,
that's how we, you know, at the end at the end of the day, you know, the buyer's paying, the seller has to, you know, the seller has to pay negotiation. But, you know, I'm still concerned about the ones less than a million dollars. I'm not sure why they need to be um be off
the off the uh you can look at the campaign finance lobbying of the real estate industry. Yeah. Well, no, I know. And but the other thing is I a lot of people won't consider a million-doll house a luxury house. Well, I mean I don't think it is. Exactly.
So anyway, that's why it's a minimal amount on that. And look, he's got to get start somewhere. You know, in Nucket, you got to pay 2% of your transfer fee to the land bank. I mean, no, the whole thing. Nobody's questioning that.
All right. Any other future uh any reports? No. I missed an announcement earlier, but might see a couple of you tomorrow afternoon at MBL for the um Jewel Cobb Society civic engagement event.
We have a tour of Well, that's Wednesday. Yeah. Yeah. I have it on my calendar so I may try and get over there. Uh, so just in the f I thought we were going to try to list future agenda. That's that's on me and it was a it was
it was a miss in the agenda preparation this time but we'll get it we'll get it on there next time. All right. I have a note to myself. We'll get it done. Motion to adjurnn. Second. Third. All in favor? Hi. Hi. So, I was going through the evaluation.
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