With it being 5:30 p.m. and a quorum being present, like to call the free town board select meeting for August 3rd, 2026 to order. This meeting will be recorded, posted on town's YouTube channel. Uh I don't see anybody else recording. So we'll continue on. Uh during this time, we will be going into
executive session. The board will go into exe session returning to open session for the following reasons. S reason reason one one MGL chapter 38 section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Freetown Police Association public safety dispatchers and the Freetown full-time
firefighters association because an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the body and the chair so declares as I do two mask MGL's chapter 38 section 2183 discuss strategy with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on litigating position of the
public body if the if the chair So declares as I do, town of Freetown versus Weaver. Three, MGL chapter 38, section 21A7 to comply with or act under the authority of and any general or special law of federal grant and aid requirements. Specifically, GL chapter
A38 section 22 for the purpose of reviewing executive session minutes for approval and determining whether such minutes shall be released. The matter of approval executive sessions minutes from 527, 2022 and 62926. All right. All right. May I have a motion to enter executive session?
>> I will motion meet. >> A second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I >> select Cavalo. >> I select Zagar. >> Yes. >> Select no. >> Yes. >> All right. We're here by an executive session. >> Back on live. All right.
>> Right. We've entered back into open public session and we continue on with our agenda items starting with number four. All right. discussion and vote on whe to approve the open session meeting minutes from 629 2026 72 2026 and 713206
I reviewed them um they look great I like them how uniform they are with the new software and everything else also great job everyone put them together any questions concerns from the board >> same yeah >> all right great right I a motion to approve the open session meeting minutes
from 629 2026 72 20226 and 7:13 2026 >> make that motion Second. All in favor? >> I I >> All right. Discussion five. Uh discussion to vote whe to adopt 912026 state primary ballot. Oh, sorry. State primary warrant as presented by the town
clerk and the chief elections official Cheryl C. Astrella. >> Hi, Cheryl. >> How are you today? >> Good. How is everyone? >> Good. Thank you. >> Talk to us. What you got? Um, so it's just customary that we have the warrant signed off by the board of selectman just announcing the election for the
September primary, September 1st. Polls will be open at the elementary school um 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Uh, this is just uh just requires your signature and lists all of the positions on the ballot. Obviously, we like to remind folks that during the primary um we have
two separate rep districts, sixth Bristol and the eighth Bristol. So they you'll see on your form that it's listed twice for each of the districts. Great. Yes, >> we'll have inperson early voting. Um, has nothing to do with the war warrant, but I can mention that. So, state law
does require that we have inerson early voting one week before the primary and for two full weeks before the state election come November. Um, so that schedule is out. It starts Saturday, August 22nd. Inerson early voting will take place here in this room at the community room here at the uh Freetown
Police Station. Saturday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. We're closed on Sunday. And then Monday through Thursday, it's going to follow the town hall hours 8 am until 4 p.m. And Friday will be the last day to do in person early voting from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28th.
>> All right. And still. >> Yeah. I think he's all here. >> Is he girl? Huh? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I heard that this year is going to be a long ballot for everybody >> uh come November. >> Yeah. So, but I'm sure you're on it. I'm sure you're already on top of it.
>> All right. Any any questions, concerns for Cheryl or anything? Yeah. Good. All right. Well, I entertain the motion to adopt a 91 2026 state primary warrant as presented by the town clerk and chief election official, Cheryl CARA. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> I. >> All right. And this one's I believe is yours as well, Cheryl. All right. Discussion six, discussion vote pursuant to MGL chapter 5472 designated police officer assignments for elections as presented by the town clerk and chief
elections official Cheryl CA. >> Okay. So with the votes act of 2022, keep referring back to that because that made a lot of changes in election laws. Um it is the duty of the board of selectmen to designate the police officers for the state elections and
primaries. So, um wasn't sure if chief was going to join us today, but normally how it's worked in the past and we've worked cooperatively um is that the police chief and communications department and myself work together in order to assign police officers >> to um
>> to the polls. So, they come and they grab the ballots, deliver the ballots, and also bring them back to town hall for um once they're all sealed up at the end of the night. So this is just uh procedural that we are requesting that you can either assign the number of police officers with the chief or just
designate assign the chief the chief and I to work together. >> I think for the spirit of the elections to work together to see what you have based on information you get right up to election time. Right. Um correct. So >> there was a proposed motion there for you. >> It makes no sense for us to to step in
on that. We allow them in charge to make their decisions, >> keep them safe, keep them going, and keep them moving forward. Um, >> appreciate that. Yep. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> All right. We'll add that to the motion. Um, all right. I motion pursuant to MGL
chapter 5472, designate police officers assignments for elections between the chief election official Charlotte and the police chief Scott Rose um as presented at this juncture. That's probably the easiest way to do it. I'll make that motion. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I I >> All right, Cheryl, as always, if you need anything from us, please um let us know and uh come to for office again. >> We'll do. Thank you so much. >> You're very welcome, Cheryl. >> Thank you. >> Fantastic. All right, moving on. Seven. Now I seven. Discussion vote on whom to
designate to work with the group on negotiating the IMA agreements with Fall River, New Befford, and Lakeville. >> All right. Any poll in De you have on this? Good. We have we had discussed at another meeting Carlos but I I don't
believe you were here so we couldn't really vote. We have intermissionable intermunicipal agreements with New Bedford and for river because we purchase our water depending on which end of town you live in uh with them. We are also working collaboratively with Lakeville on a grant to extend the water
line through Freetown and Lakeville to get to the school campus. So in order to do do work with Leo, we have to have an intermunicipal agreement with Lakeville as well. This is very very preliminary. Um nothing has happened, but we need to talk to both
towns. Um our IMAS uh expired in 2010 and we've just been carrying over the existing one. But it's time that we especially if we want to expand our systems. So, we've got a grant to expand our water system from the Fall River side to the transfer station and we're
looking at a we we have a joint grant in that's pending um to extend the the Bedford line through the school campus. So, both of those will require us to renegotiate the IMAS. Of course, the water and sewer commissioners will be
all part of that. But I also think a board of selectmen should be involved in those negotiations and those discussions um because they're going to be on a a higher level negotiations with those towns. So, it's just a matter of appointing somebody to work with us on
those those agreements and everything. Obviously, we'll come back to the board. Um but we have a long road ahead of us to get to that point. >> Yeah. And I think based on what happened, you know, over the winter with the the line and new, right, like we I think it's nice for us to update these
things and have some guidelines in place as to who's responsible for what and when and how. So, yeah. >> Yeah. There's that's the same on both ends, right? New Bedford runs their line through our town and then that sometimes it's confusing because they'll say we're responsible to
repair something, but it's their line. So there's a lot of clarifications that need to happen in these new IMAs. Um Far River 2, we we also have a situation with Far River. I think I've told you at the last meeting, there's what the Mass DOT believes is a leak in the water line
up near Innovation Way. So it's in Freetown, but Fall River put that water line in for their for I I believe for Amazon for themselves. And so there's a contention on who is responsible for repairing that water line. And Mass DOT
says they don't care. They want it fixed because they don't want icicles in the winter. And um and it may not even be a water leak because there's some question on whether it's either a water leak or groundwater. So there's a lot of work to be done. Um and we need a selectman to
sort of be involved in that those discussions. >> No, I agree. And and using the same topic, right? Last year we had the water line on County Road that had leaked and created a big mess and then it froze over, right? And then the low water pressure for the entire neighborhood was affected for weeks while we tried to
figure it out. And what we identified right away was the IMAS were over 10 years old and not signed. The ones we had on file were not signed by anything. So, uh, having those in place, especially as we look at expanding our water service, right, and line to all the way up down Holland Road and things
like that, it makes sense to have it all all our ducks in a row before that. Um, so the discussion at hand is um, one, do you agree with that? Right. I think it's a good I think it's a good idea. So, you guys are we're a board here and then who wants to jump in on that? Who wants to be the point of contact for that um,
appointment? Um, >> you know, I Yeah, I I think uh with your background, I think you might be the the strongest one suited for it and then us as your backup, right? As need. >> Yeah, absolutely. To Debbie's point, everything comes through the board. So, >> just problem with it.
>> All right. Yep. Right. Designate him as that. You okay with that? >> All right. Perfect. I don't know if you want to jump on it. You know, we'll give you as much work as you want. >> First balls got me real. >> All right. Um All right. That being said, um I entertain a motion to designate uh Sleian Jared Zagger to work
with the group negotiating the IMA agreements with Fall River, New Befford, and Lakeville. >> I'll make that motion. >> I second. All in favor? >> I >> I Congratulations. You are it. >> Thanks. >> You're very welcome. >> All right. Moving on to agenda number
eight. discussion and vote whether to call a special time meeting on Monday, November 9th, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Aonom Regional High School Auditorium. And then once and then number nine's similar to that. So I think Cheryl's up again in some capacity. Um, so this is
our annual I know this is our annual uh discussion as far as what the next special town meeting is going to be. Um, and I saw you in the room. It was easy to pick on you a little bit, Cheryl. >> Um, so yeah. Does that time work for everybody? November 9th. Everyone take a look at their calendars. All right. All
right. Um, this is just a proposal. I entertain the motion to approve the proposed timeline for the special town meeting on November 9th, 2026. >> Do you want did we do agenda item number eight first? >> I was reading the wrong one. You're right. So, I wish to to call a special
time meeting on Monday, November 9th, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Aonica Regional High School Auditorium. >> I'll make that motion. >> I'll second it. >> All in favor? >> I I thank you. Secret Zagger. Now number nine, discussion about whe to approve the proposed timeline for the special
time meeting for November 9th, 2026. So seems like we're getting ahead of it early this year or in time depending on how you look at it. Um uh as far as our timeline from our end, Deb, you have any any questions or concerns with the proposed timeline?
Well, for that meeting? >> Not at all. >> All right. Um, you two any any issues, questions, concerns regarding the proposed timeline to approve the special town meeting or at least getting it on the the calendar? >> No, it's it don't make sense to me. It's
the way we always do it. I don't know. Should we read it out what it is for >> the the timeline just so people hear it? >> If you have it in front of you, won't you if you can read it? >> Yeah, if you don't mind cuz that I can mic. >> So on
Please let me hear you. >> Okay. 8326 timeline for the board of selecting meeting agenda to approve the timeline. Um 8426 physical posting at town hall, police, fire, junior's convenience store and libraries. 8426
Facebook and website postings. Postings um will state articles submitted by citizens petition. 100 uh signatures for special town meeting and Freetown voters to be added to the warrant. uh posting and closed 8326
uh on board of selectment agenda to open for submissions for uh warrant on 8426 by 8:00 a.m. through 9826 111 a.m. 9426 warrants on board of selectment agenda to approve and close warrants for
submission and approval to be sent to town council and finance committee. 10526 warrants on board of selection agenda for discussion and vote to open approve finalize and close warrants. On 10726 send final versions of warrant to
the finance committee. Uh warrants given to town constable for posting on 102126. Warrants get posted publicly no later than 1023 2026. So that's the timeline how it all falls out so people can y out loud.
Yeah, that's sounds like there's a lot of things right away, but it does go by fast, right? So, >> yeah, kind of the breakdown as to how it always happens, right? >> All right. >> Yeah. Any further discussion? Any have
questions? All right. Maintain the motion to approve the proposed timeline as read by Select Zerger for the special town meeting on November 9th, 2026. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> All right. Uh, next item is again attributed to this. It's number 10.
Discussion info when to open the special town meeting warrant for Monday, November 9th, 2026 for submissions from August 4th, 2026, 8 a.m. September 8th, 2026, 11:00 a.m. All right. And it's hereby it's read as follows. August 4th, 226 public notice notice is hereby given
that a special time meeting will be held on Monday, November 9th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Aon Regional High School, Robert C. Falcon Auditorium 100 Halden Road, Lakeville, Mass. All articles for the warrant should be submitted to the board of selecting between August 4th, 2026, 8 a.m. to September 8, 2026, 11:00
a.m. Sister petitions articles require 100 signatures from registered futon voters. Submission should be delivered to the selection office, second floor town hall, 3 North Main Street, Mass during regular town hall hours. Yeah, pretty straightforward. Yep. All right.
Entertain a motion to to open the special time meeting warrant or warrant. Sorry, too many words in my mouth. It's a motion to open a special time meeting warrant for Monday, November 9, 2026 for submissions from August 4th, 2026 a.m.
through September 8th, 226 11:00 a.m. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I mouthful. >> Having fun. All right. Next. Next discussion is number 11. discussion and vote on the request from veterans agent to move the World War I memorial stone
at the Eona Four Corners to the Veterans Park on Chase Road. Welcome. You have a microphone there by Is it on? Perfect. >> Okay. Um so, and I know the Stark side is here as well. Let's talk. >> Yeah. >> Go ahead.
>> All right. Who wants to go first as far as the discussion how we got here? >> Well, we'll go. We can go first. My name is Bruce Wber. I'm the president of the Freetown Memorial Park Association. We're a nonprofit 501c3. Been like that since uh I don't know
close to 25 30 years now. I guess we when we first started that um so every few months we have a meeting to discuss what any plans that we want to do over there at the park improvements not necessarily with the grounds because the
town owns the grounds but we you know we maintain or pretty much maintain in the past the uh the uh monuments up until recently when our funds kind of >> ran out >> ran out.
So, uh, a couple of things that we're talking about, and this is this isn't something new, um, but with things going on in the town, we we brought up by the one of our meetings about moving the the World War I monument over to the
park along with the World War II that's there now and the, you know, helicopter that's there and the police and the fire memorial there as well. So that was brought up at our meeting
and we just contacted the town administrator to see if it's feasible to do that and get it over there. One of our concerns as has been for many years. I mean I I've got my one of my my uncle is on that stone as well as on the World
War World War II stone. And I know on Memorial Day when we go to decorate that grave, I don't want to say it's a challenge, but you know, there's traffic that goes by there and it's always, you know, going over there and and
decorating the monument uh is a, you know, sometimes it's could be traffic could be a problem. Um, and we feel is that as well is that if anyone wants to go over there and see it, it could be a problem in the future.
Uh, so that's that's pretty much where we are. You know, I mean, I that's I guess that's what we feel as though it belong. It should it should go over there if all possible, >> right? You know, we're not here to debate it and try to say we want it
there, we don't want it back, and go back and forth, but no, we're requesting that it goes over there with the World War I and I mean the World War II memorial and the other police and the fire and the we like to call the helicopter, the Vietnam memorial type of
so and with Tyler Rahan's memorials over there. And I want to show you a couple other ones that we have in the plans in the near future. So that's that's our position on it. You know, I mean, if if it happens, we hope we'd like to see it
happen, but I guess if if there's a problem with that, then, you know, we're not going to be forceful about it. >> It's also in conjunction with what may or may not happen to the four corners, too, whether >> it's true >> they're going to
>> take away that ground space or what's going to happen there. >> Well, I understand. Okay, we two will be friends even no matter which way we go. Um >> maybe >> uh
we've been done some things together. Uh just so to give you a background in why um it's special and so forth. >> You just say your name for the record. Can you say your name? You are for the record just in case. >> Mary Elizabeth Recentes Brown. >> Thank you all.
>> Okay. Uh and this is Travis Bowie. uh and she's also on the uh historic commission. Uh it is a bit special uh that monument uh in the four corners and it was placed
there in 1918 after World War I and I gave you um some information about uh so that you can see the the people um who were there celebrating the end of World
War I and how they were they were that was in the four corners and they had a big celebration. And after the celebration um they had this monument made and the monument uh is a metal plated but the
big um older uh came from the Copeland family on Elm Street and they I remember when I was a kid m I wasn't alive about okay u Mr. Copeland had told me about how he his father rolled it, how they got it down the street and so forth and it came
from their property and so there was always um you know special u for that I grew up on Elm Street. It's on Elm Street and um always it was decorated always there would be a ser ceremony uh
at the stone when we were kids and so forth. Um, and so, you know, we we grow up with it around the I I think it's important that, um, I don't know how many people come up, you know, to the park and I don't know what the I'd love
to sit and talk and find out what the real plans are for that be because I see is it going to be all monuments? Are they going to there's something different up there besides monuments? because you know in other towns and cities they have monuments throughout
their town and not always a park or you know and so forth and what's and I'd like to talk to them. Um there is a problem. There's a problem about uh it being moved is because it's on the national register. >> Okay.
>> And I have calls and and um so when you have any structures or houses that are on the national register um you can't just do what you want. And uh so I'm ask finding about finding out about that. I
think we can work together uh to come up with a solution um that will make us both happy. So that's something I'd like to do. So I'd like you not to make a decision, you know, tonight that yes or no and so forth, but see what's what we
can do down the road um so we have improvements over here too, you know. So >> well, I do have questions, right? As you can imagine, it is a it is a balance of two, right? one looking at your picture kind of affirms what I was thinking on on the way in here. That picture was
taken in 1918. Road looks much different than it does now. Right. We're getting anywhere 60. >> We've lost all those buildings. Yeah. >> We we we get anywhere from 60 to 70,000 vehicles throughout intersection every week, right? So, I can understand the veteran side of things as a veteran and Chad as well, right? That we want things
to be respected and and kind of left alone, but at the same time being able to be celebrated, right? um putting it all together it does make a whole lot of as a marine even for me it makes a lot of sense keeping things but I share your concern as well making sure that the appropriate places is there it's honored
the same way um and again we also respect our history so >> I think there's a long way to come and and and I would like to you know even I would even be willing to you know work with them um to make it better >> okay well >> make it better if things are going to
you know >> and Uh because I don't know how many people go there. I mean there's no bench for someone to sit at or you know and so forth. Uh and usually people meditate or you know when they go to you know
memorials and so forth. Uh there something like that but I don't know um what we will be allowed to do anyway. So I'm waiting on on that >> from the from start. >> Okay. And what what options do you think
they'll give you? Like I'm sure this isn't the first time something like this has come up. >> Well, not that No, it's usually demolitions and things like that. Uh you know, so it's I haven't had something like this. I haven't had something like this and I've been I'm doing it a long time. Um
>> how about other towns? You know, if any other towns have moved anything in the years past and what the process? >> Yeah, I don't know. You know, I don't know. I should I can call I can call some of some place. >> Does the person own that property that that house? They don't. So, it's separate. That's a separate parcel because >> Mike can help you with that.
>> Oh, I've got the I've got the Oh, I think I've got a >> How owns that property. >> It's a little small piece. Very small. >> You might want to grab >> Yeah. >> I think that they the per when they the house that um >> Linda Rides lived in and so forth, I
think people that lived there I think acquired more prop more of the property uh because that's not hers. that little piece. So, the little piece is separate. >> Yeah, Mike has some interesting history that you'd probably enjoy knowing. >> Yes.
>> Um, so yeah, so that uh the little button popped off. There was um it's going down like the road of tea again when we talked about that a long time. There was another building at the four corners at one time. There was something that looked very similar to Linda's
house but actually faced North Main Street. It's called Pierce's Hall. Uh the first floor had an ice cream parlor. The second floor was an open hall. That was taken down in the depression uh when the town had a desire to widen North
Main Street because if you can believe it, the four corners was actually worse at one time in history than it is now. Um so what that monument sits on is the land that was left over after that building was taken down. What was not
used for widening the road is that small corner. And if you've been by recently, the folks who have purchased that house have put up a fence. >> The fence is relatively true to the property line. The property line runs about along the side of the house and then about where the fence kicks out
toward the street. >> Uh, and Debbie was asking me this afternoon, the other thing to remember too with that property is that it is what's called article 97 land, which means it is protected open space. So even if the memorial were to be moved,
you could not then sell the property to the house next door. You could not use it for certain other things, it is dedicated open space that the town is expected uh by state law and state guidance to preserve as open space and there are severe limitations on what
else you could do with that property. Uh, as an example, if that runs the same, and I believe it does the same process that other open space does, if you were to try and and you could continue to use it as a park, you could put other memorials there or whatnot. But if you were going to try and use it
for expanding the road, widening the intersection, anything of that nature to sell it to in a butter, you would have to go through a process that would require a two-thirds vote of a town meeting, a twothirds vote of each house of the state legislature, the representatives and the senate. And you
would have to find compensating land. So you would have to find similar odd for that location similar land in town that you could use to replace it at a 1:1 or greater ratio. So um
yeah >> yeah I don't think we're down that road yet. All right. Um >> I think we know let's discuss it. Right. I two two very good points. Right. One is honoring of veterans that are there. Right. I think that's that's something to keep an eye on. But also, we value
our history, right? It isn't his I'd like to see you two working together to make that happen, right? I think that's probably the best way forward. I would like to, my personal opinion, I would I would like to see it moved, right? And reason here's my reasoning. More people would would see it here because like you
say, a bench. I'd love that bench is there. Let us know how we can help. >> I've been checking it. I never find anybody. I've really been trying to check a check account coming by and so forth because I go up to the stand and I haven't seen much involvement there and that that bo you know that kind of
bothered me and maybe because they have no place to sit too. I mean because they're just going to be standing going around and I think it could be more attractive. >> Sure. Oh, you see >> I really think it and and I think that's something it needs >> and if if we're going to pay homage to
uh veterans, it should be better >> and maybe we can talk about as a board of something to do over there to help with that cause. Um that's not a tonight decision. I would you know obviously >> there's something you know the town needs to to I mean >> we as a to move forward we're trying to
do something but like I said I'm not trying to bring us down that rabbit hole tonight. as a town, we are working with the veterans agent and and and everybody else that's needs to be involved to they're doing everything they can for the helicopter, for the for the stones, for everything that's there. They are that's their goal right now. And I
believe you have something to say, Mr. Wer, right? Um if you could. >> Yeah, we the park gets quite a bit of u visitation. I mean, if you go there in the summertime, I go by there five or six times a day and uh during the weekends, you'll find motorcycles stop
in there, veterans who stop in there and they look at the chopper and and they walk around. We got if you if you've been there >> and you see >> been trying to watch and to see what you know >> but I if you if you actually get out of your vehicle and go down and go down to
the MIA P monument there you'll see there's a there are two seats there to reflect on you know what what we have to reflect on as as veterans. But uh uh it's a good idea to put a put a couple of maybe some uh stands over there on
the World War I and if and the World War II World War II and if the World War One one moves over do the same there as well. Um you know again our concern is that one location it does get a lot of lot of visitation I'll tell
you. I mean, I know I work down the street from it and like I said, I go by three or four times on the weekend. People bring their children there to look at it. Um, I get calls frequently about this the uh the bricks on there.
If people want bricks and like that, we we put them in there and then they go up there and see their names. We've had people come in and help us >> cleaner. If you did the bricks, you know, you could do the bricks and the pork and so forth. >> We did initially. That's what we did initially and we raised quite a bit of money. >> They need some plantings, you know.
>> Well, that that's >> and then people could >> that's something to talk about people too. >> Well, they do if you if you walked up around the helicopter, you'll see all the stones that are in memory of uh a lot of people in town. I mean,
>> some have two or three stones uh bricks up there and we're we're continually selling them. There's the applications are at the senior center and and throughout the town. We don't advertise as we did in the beginning, but we need to we need to ramp up that type of
advertisement because with the loss of the our last member who passed away, John Ramus, we're down to uh four I think we're down to four members on the association. So uh one thing I'd like to do here tonight is to solicit
individuals who may want to help us in our goal to uh to improve upon it. If I may uh hand you these two pliers here. >> Yeah. While you hand those in, I think Mike has something to say. >> There first.
>> Okay. >> Yeah, sure. >> That's okay. But um this is our next one of our next goals here is to put a a global war on terrorism monument for the Iraq Iraq Afghanistan and the global war on
terrorism that that monument there is down at the Bourne cemetery. I took a picture of it. So that was one of the goals that we're working on in case anybody wants to see it. That's what it looks like. >> What we want to do is we want not necessarily a message board, something similar to this. I have you've gone to
the uh the Fort Rodman the Vietnam veteran memorial down there. They have something similar this on an angle and there's there's a lot of history from the beginning with Ralph Bernie. Elton Ashley Jr. is the one who actually,
you know, is is his idea. And then a humiliate with Ralph Birdie, uh, John Ashley, myself, John Ramas, Dan the Blank, Bob, and, uh, so we want to be able to put some history on here to uh,
so people can walk up there, read about it, how it started, and things like that. as far as chairs and benches and things like that, right? It sounds like you're not opposed to put adding some more, right, to make it more friendly and more inviting. >> Again, you know,
>> donate them in memory of somebody just >> We we've recently talked about this. I actually had this conversation with Debbie. I was down um I was down in Cape and I was at a park. I was at a store and across the street I walked across to a park to take a picture uh to take a phone call rather and there was it's
like a windmill. It's in East Ham and they they have all these different benches that are all around it evenly spaced and every one of them has a memorial plaque on it. And I'm like, what a great idea. But what I really want to do is for us to be able to get some sort of guidelines in place for we
just start saying, okay, some random ones here, random ones there. This one's different than this one. They're all uniformed, but they all have a plaque. >> Well, yeah. in this I hesitate you know where this world one in you know world war one uh you know plaque
would go um >> no I'm thinking it's that and sometimes you know men are not on the same >> I was thinking I was thinking same waveling as us but um I would like to
see it improved >> and and um if we give up if we if that happens and it goes comes up here. Uh I want to be in a in a good place. It's been in a good place in the center of town all these years and there's never
been any vandalism. There's never been a problem with it. Um and the people respect it. >> Yeah. Well, I think that's the ultimate goal is to show the ultimate respect to those veterans, all their names that are engraved there. I think that's the goal from the veterans and I know that's your goal as well. That's our goal, right?
right? We want to make sure we respect everybody's names on there. Um, now is the four corners the perfect place for it today versus 1918? Things have changed in over 100 years, right? And that's my concern, especially when someone brought up the four corners at some point. The bridge is going to get
updated as as you know. And then once that happens, the four corners will probably be updated probably around the same time, right? It just makes sense using that area. >> Going to fly them over. You're going to you're going to have you're going to have them flying over. Is that it? >> I don't know. Yeah. So, well, well, as you know, that's a work in progress and
we just getting more information on from the bridge to so corner four corners, but I would like to see more people paying respect to the people there. I would I would bet, and I'm not a betting man, that many people don't know that's there, right? Cuz they they they drive by it or they take a sharp right turn or
they go left and they don't even they don't even know it's there. Well, the children I think know because when they do the this the visit to the, you know, to the town hall and everything else and they go by it and I've seen them standing there. So, I think they know a little we don't know how much they
absorb, but that's always been part of the the drip. Uh, and so that's happened. And for many of us that have lived here and grown up here, we know it's there and it's important to us. And that's also um matters.
>> It does matter. your your their opinion does matter >> and you know um I know you're a Marine but but you didn't you know you didn't see it involved you didn't see so far and so where whatever it lands whether it's still there or up here it's
important that it's in the right place >> respect goes a long way >> I think absolutely I think that we should let them talk right try and come up with something on their own first because who are we well you you two are in a lot better of a place to step in than I am trust the wall so um But I
think that we let them talk. But then even if they decide to keep it there, then do we do something that there's like a duplicate? Maybe >> I was thinking that a replica >> up there, right? So that at least there's a plaque that's >> same as >> I think also it might be a good time for
them to get more people involved uh helping them. I mean, the Tuesday club does a lot of things to help the veterans and they do a great big drive at Christmas time and it's two like truckloads and sofa and uh they do that
but there are people in town that need need it and u it can be some fun fundraiser or something uh >> well I think that's the goal >> situation so that they have the funds to do things >> right well I think that's one of the goals is for that area is to give more
visibility to everything that's going on in town for our veterans, past and present, right, and future veterans as well. Um, I think I think put working together. Now, let me ask you both of this. Working together, is there a solution there? We can we can question I
would have first would be uh if it's possible to even move it because it's on the national register because you had me mentioned that they have to jump through some hoops maybe to get that if it if it's even possible because if if it's not feasible to do it because it is on
the national register then there's no sense pursuing it >> otherwise it'll make a duplicate if we get >> as mayor was just saying it's an important monument I know what I'm about to said, I don't want to make it sound like it's not. It's a symbol of monument. It's a list of names on a
plaque on a boulder. Very easy to reproduce if that's the route it has to go. If this if for the historical reasons or whatnot is that it cannot be moved, it would not seem like it would be incredibly expensive to reproduce that flag. Get another boulder and
>> see if Copeland can get another empty rock >> or rolling it down the hill to that. >> My brother's got a lot of big rocks. I wouldn't want to do it I wouldn't I want to make sure that I we did it right that we put it on a boulder and did it the same that we didn't just get like the you know a granite slab and
put it on there right I would want it on >> that is that's and that's another reason that it fits in the in the village too >> because it's a just natural >> you want it to emulate exactly what's over there correct >> exactly correct >> I mean you know it has it has meaning for me my uncle's on there my uncle's on
the one for World War II So to duplicate it, it's not a problem and on our end of it, but you know, if you can't move it, then obviously if it's a challenge because of that, but >> you know, you talk when you talk about the the children, I mean, I the the VFW
legend for wars, we we do a lot with the children over at the high school and and the middle school and with our SA pro uh programs and uh now the I had the conversation with the two teachers over there about bringing the students over
and and actually looking at seeing the memorial, you know, and and give them some of the history that goes along with it because the essays that that we ask the students to do are history related. So, uh, and she she's willing to bring
some of the students over there in the elementary school. They can just walk right down and see it. You know, I don't think maybe you, Mary, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but if you have a class that wants to go see that memorial down there, it's going to be very difficult to quit across that street with a class
of 15 or 20 students to go across and and explain it to them. But again, you know, if we could duplicate it or something to that nature. >> Yeah. >> Uh but again, I want to see it look almost exactly what we got there. >> Oh, I agree on that.
Let's work through Let's work through it. Let's see what they say about moving it. And then again, if you do move it, how are we going to move it? How is it being cradled? How is it being protected? I That's my next few questions, but we're not there yet. Right. >> We did the same thing with the World War uh 2 memorial that was up at the
elementary school when we moved out over here. I mean, we, you know, we're very respectful with Oh, >> I know you will. I know you will agree, >> you know. I mean, we we know what they mean. >> Yeah. >> We know what they mean. >> Yeah. Absolutely. Who off that one? Was it the town?
>> No, we h we hired a private contractor to do it. >> We don't know if there's a time capsule on this one. >> Uh Mr. Copen did make mention it to and but Ralph Gurnie seemed that maybe it wasn't, but I'm not going to say there
is or there isn't. you know, Ralph Ralph was I guess Ralph was kind of adamant and said, I guess that, you know, he doesn't really think there's anything under there, you know, at the time. And Mr. Copen, of course, thought maybe there was, you know, and if there was,
that'd be interesting as well. >> Was that the elementary school though? Was >> No, not over there, Amy. Oh, that the World War II one. No, there was nothing under that. >> You didn't you have have something at >> I told just a book. when I talked to you
at one point that might be. Yeah, there was conversation about there being a time capsule under the World War I. >> There's some kind of hard surface under it, whether it's just a pad or if it's enclosing something because at one time
somebody had drilled holes into whatever it is to enable putting flags. And that's the first time I had heard about the time capsule was, oh, they should have been more careful drilling the holes. >> Yeah, we don't want to do that. The only
socialism they had is little girls going to steal the flowers and give them to their mothers from there. >> I understand that. I understand. >> I I confess. >> And that's another issue. Debbie had a good idea the other day was whether we move it or put a new one there. Maybe a
town project to put a time capsule under it or next we can get to it eventually. It might be a a project that could go along with that whole process. I do like that. Just make sure it's not a good idea because those of the old ones
>> um yeah >> they often leak. We've had problems at schools. >> Well, we won't make them out of lead like they used to. We'll change the materials on it. U so I think we have sounds like a good plan moving forward. Let's see what we can do moving forward at a at a minimal we'll have another a
duplicate there at a minimal right u down the road and we'll figure that out once we have information from the histo history and everything else. And um but we agree with both sides. We want to protect it for its history. We also want to honor all the veterans that are there and get as many people touching it, seeing it,
>> but we don't want to we the environment it goes into is important. >> We agree with the scenery is important and not just going to let it go. >> No, no. I I think we're all saying the same thing on that. We we want to respect the stone, put it in a proper area, in a proper location so that it's respected with all the names on there
for for for what it is. So we're more honoring the men and women from our town. That's important to us. I know it's important to me. I know it's important to them. I know it's important to everybody sitting here talking about this. Um, doing it right is important. Um, let's see what Let's see what this
expects. Go right ahead. Don't expect nothing less, but we do want to see a uh the next step in in honoring those veterans that are there. Um, >> I I guess the question I had to Mary is is is that I you you don't want it moved. >> I don't want to What? >> You don't want it moved?
I would rather it wasn't moved. But if it is if it comes to that I have to do it. I mean it's just >> No, I mean I'm not I'm not >> deep down though. I would and and most people uh that threw up there and so forth.
>> I I had I have the same thoughts you have about not moving it. But on the other hand, I I think when we created the park, we created one location where all the monuments, that's why we put the the fire and the police monument up there. And that one
would just add to it, you know, to the to the whole decor over there, you know, and one more and then everybody can go there and see it without having to, you know, I don't want to say take their life in their hands, but it is dangerous over there sometimes. But yeah, I I
understand what you're saying, you know, and I >> But we can talk about it in some as long as long as we both know that, you know, okay, if it if the if it has to stay there, fine. If it doesn't, then we can we can move it somehow.
>> That we exchange numbers, >> and just for curiosity, do you have a timeline to hear back to whether or not it can be moved so we can plan next steps? >> When as soon as someone gets back to me? >> Okay. So you're act you're actively working on getting the information needed to be and then
>> have people's names in there not available right now but uh so then we'll know. >> Okay. And and do you have a timeline as far as when you would like to move Labor Day, Veterans Day? >> We got we got other projects, you know, like I the two things that we that I showed you there. That's both of those.
You know, our funds are kind of depleting. So, uh, as I said earlier with with this meeting, hopefully people will reach out to us to, uh, to try to help out on the association, become a member or, you know, and help us fund
raise. Years ago, I mean, we had we had 30 $40,000. We did motorcycle runs like 10 over 10 years in a row and we raised a ton a ton of money on those and all kind of at the BFW, other events as well. Uh but over the time I I know you
just recently we had to have the uh the granite on the helicopter replaced uh which which cost us and that that really took a toll on our funds. So we we we really want to keep the association going and we like to add
more people to it and have more fundraisers so that we don't have to impose on the town to take care of those monuments. I mean, I know the town takes care of the the grounds, which we appreciate, but you know, we feel as though that we'd like to we want to try
to take care of the monuments, the Mia P stone over there and the and the all the other ones. So, >> no, we agree with that. >> Maybe we all try and come up with some ideas that we can shoot off to them as far as how to help fundraising. I mean, we're that's not I'm not trying to push
stuff into our office. So, I mean, personally, like if you think of something maybe to to bounce back to them. I don't know. That's why I was thinking about the benches, right? Like the benches. I think doing stuff like that and then you could take it a step further with maybe that will generate some more interest in the bricks and the different things that you're talking
about different ways and then get other people involved that all of a sudden say oh >> the bricks in the front on the and on the uh in the front stone that has the free time memorial and the date that it was uh established all those stones in
front were companies in this town who donated either time or money in helping us do that. You've got a We've got This town has got one hell of a business base and they're very willing to help us.
>> Mhm. >> Everything every time we've asked any business in this town, you know, so uh I can't say enough about that. You know, they they just reach out. We can do the same thing. I mean, >> get some good companies in this town that are supportive.
>> Oh, absolutely. Thank you. >> One of my last questions. Last time you moved the other the other stone boulder, do you remember how much it cost at that time? >> Nothing. >> Nothing. >> Oh, well, it did cost us I think I think it was like between $5 and $1,000 at the time to do that, but you know, we we had
some volunteers that helped out, you know, people that could help us move in, >> right? And, you know, one of the companies in town was helpful with us as well. The biggest thing was that we had to take the uh take the plaque off of it
because it was old and we had to take it out and put new rosettes on it. I guess that what they call them rosettes. >> Put new ones on there. So, you know, we that cost is what it what it did in the shrubs. We took all the shrubs out of
there mainly, I guess, because they were they were ugly. And second of all is that now people can go up around the helicopter and sit on the wall if they want and look at their, you know, look at the bricks and like that. So, right.
>> Okay. >> All right. Let's go. So, I'm glad to hear we'll work together and then we'll reconvene as soon as we get some more information. Could we check back in, let's say, a month, see if we heard anything so that we're not waiting on it? >> Yep. >> All right.
>> I can let >> Mary will keep up. Debbie know. Yeah. >> But you >> that way we can start making plans to >> future of that park and make sure we include some area for that for that. >> We got to move forward on that. Um
>> I think it's a great idea. Um >> when you get back to your location, keep give me the information so we have it for ourselves as well. So we maybe we can help in some way as well. Um and then just keep us in the loop. That way we can help any way we can. >> Very good. Thank you. >> Thanks everybody. Thank you.
>> Thanks guys. All right. Okay. >> All right. We'll no item agenda number 12 discussion and vote on process to accept donations to the town. >> So currently any donations that come
this board of selectment have to approve the donations and so you know we have we have a very generous donor that every month donates money to the COA and every month we have to put it on here. I just thought it might be easier for either to just delegate up up to a certain amount,
maybe like up to $250 or something that I could just accept the donation on behalf of whatever department it's for. Um, just let have them let me know know about it and then it doesn't have to necessarily come before the board of selectment unless it's a larger donation
and I can just let you know, hey, the so and so donated so you're aware. But I just think procedurally it's, you know, we do have those people that are very generous to the town and donating. >> Yeah, I I do like calling kind of calling them out. >> I was going to say the only that my only
issue is is I do like the idea of saying thank you Debbie for giving this money, right? And I don't want to keep calling out, but I what I usually think of is, oh, a very kind woman who keeps giving $50 to the COA. Same thing. >> Um, and you know, I I called it out the
last time, right? But I I so I kind of like that like it makes me feel good that I can who who am I, right? But it's like the fact that they feel that recognition. Um >> Okay. I mean, >> so I know it it's one more agenda item. It's another thing it does, you know,
but it's to me it's it's more of a respect to the person. >> Okay, we can we can leave it as is. >> I uh I think we should we can accept it and acknowledge it during the meeting as well. you know, we can acknowledge that we
took receipt of these donations. >> Get it? >> You know, instead of actually approving it and having a vote, we can skip that and say, "Hey, >> thank you. >> Su Susan Smith gave another $50 this week. Thank you." And just move on. >> Up to you.
>> Yeah. Because we're having to accept the Yeah. So, I guess we should just already accept the Yeah. So, are they having to wait to get the money until after we accept the donation? >> I don't think so. They get like they'll get a check and then they they call us
up and they say, "We've got a check from so and so, so we have to accept that donation >> and then they put it >> it's not slowing down their money that >> not really." No. Yeah. >> Now, one of the things for for accepting donations, even like when you're doing charity, things like that, is how do we
get the money from point A to point B? Right. So, if I want to donate $100 to the town, what's the process? I have to give you cash or a check, right? >> Yeah. You just give us the Yeah, lot of times it's check, right? >> Is there a way we can get a town VMO or zel or something like electronically? >> No, I'd have to check on that.
>> As for them, I was looking to get the veterans agent for this. if they had uh their own QR code like like every other business does these days, people can donate directly to their website or online and it's faster process at the end of the day, wouldn't the treasurer and the accountant look at the same bank
account, the information they have to put a description of what that is? >> Yeah, I think I mean there needs to be a a vehicle for donations first of all, right? Like the COA has their donation account. I think the library has a donation account. The acco has a donation account. Um, so first they have
to have the donation account. Whether we can hook up Venmo to it, I'd have to ask the treasurer and the accountant. That's more their department. >> So most of those I would say it wouldn't affect it as much. But what what I think you brought up was a great idea. if you had something like this over there and
it, you know, they had some sort of call out that if you'd like to make a donation to help keep this park going, you know, scan this QR code or send a check to >> um it's not a bad call out. Um other towns do have it like uh they do it for parking, they do it for I know that's
parking is different than donations, but they do have some at their parks to do just that, right? Uh like to donate, you know, hey, my kids have played here all their lives. like to donate $100 a month, whatever it is. >> Sometimes there's friends of, right? So there's like friends of the library, friends of the COA. So there technically
a 501c3 that is not the town. So I and that those can do things differently, too. So let me check a little bit on it because I don't have the information for you today. >> Yeah, we appreciate that. So I think that will go a long way of like they were saying getting more people involved. Today's people isn't the cash
in they don't people don't have change in their purses or their their pockets anymore. they have credit cards or their their darn phone that does all the electronic stuff out there, right? Um it's the way of the world, but at the same time, let's kind of catch up to that and maybe that's a way to help them
organizations like that get some funding. So yeah, >> I um I recently downloaded Venmo for the first time. I've always had my everyone like, "Oh, they owe me money. They want to Venmo me." I have them send it to my wife. So now I actually have my own Venmo account. So I moved up. I'm a good boy. >> Good job.
>> Two things are constant in my life. If I get my $40 a month allowance for my wife, then I use her Venmo. That's it. I don't I don't need cash. Um All right. All right. Thank you for looking into that and we'll I'm sure we'll talk about it again in the future. All right. Item agenda 13, discussion info on who to
represent the board of selectment on the superintendent strategic planning group. All right. So, as we know, um, out of moving parts right now with the school district, um, with the votes in from Lakeville, votes potentially a super
town meeting coming up here in, uh, Freetown and Lakeville, possibly two, depending how it all goes, or there is a vote this week, um, as you know, the the agenda came out today. So, but one of the things that Debbie has been continuously saying out loud for the
past at least three years, if not longer, is we need to get together as a group and make sure that we're all on the same page. We know what the schools need. We know the towns need, but more importantly, how do we get there together, right, without hurting one of the other entities, right? What I mean
by that is, listen, we have a school district. we have our uh requirements that we have to pay into it every single year and everything else but at the same time there isn't an infinite amount of dollars in town of Fretown definitely not I can't speak for Lakeville but for free we don't have a infinite amount of
of taxation we can increase so Dr. Starky has proposed a strategic planning. Um she wants a I think she wants about 45 people. I think that was the goal. 30 45 people. >> Sure. >> So we u the number is is fluid. So but
the idea is to get everybody in the same room and get that discussion started today versus waiting year after year. Right. In principle it's it's a great idea. Um but we need somebody that's going to be there to represent the town of Freetown. um just like we did for the
IMAS and everything else. So um if it's okay with you two, I like I'd like to throw myself in that ring because I've already been involved in negotiations um have a pretty good uh handling of or I understanding of where we are with both sides of both Freighttown, Lakeville and
the school district. Um I think I would add more value to that meeting. But again, um >> yeah, no, I'm okay. >> I'm easily taken off that rope as well cuz I I do I do enough. I um I I lived by something and that's I was trying to be proactive rather than reactive,
right? I think for for all sense of purpose, that's exactly what this should accomplish or hopefully accomplish, right? So I think it's a great idea. Um to your point, you've already been involved. As long as Debbie's involved, you're involved. I'm okay. Um so you're
you okay with that, Jack? >> I am okay with that. >> Okay. All right. So I'm going to take this vote over from you, sir. >> Thanks, sir. Uh, with that, I'm going to entertain a motion that uh, Carlos Lopes represents the board of selectmen on the superintendent uh, superintendent
strategic planning group. >> I'll make that motion. >> I will second it. All those in favor? >> I >> I thank you, gentlemen. My wife loves you guys. >> All right. Um, next one is item 14. We are here to discuss and vote on where to
approve the change order for the Freetown Elementary School fence project. All right. For those keeping track, uh fence projects, we started a discussion uh a couple years back um of PTO, Senator Rogers, uh us as the board
selectman, superintendent at the time. Everyone's had their discussion. We all agreed here at this this juncture that it was a good idea to move forward with the fence project. Subsequently, the town approved it at a town meeting and here we are. That said, things change at
once you put the shovel to the ground. And this is a change order that we're here to discuss and it's for the tune of $5,970. Uh it's to replace the steel uh cantalvered gate with a 25 ft wide aluminum cantvered gate style. And that
and this money takes care of the the labor, equipment, and materials in accordance with the description we have above from the um statement of work. >> We have the money still. We have enough money. >> So, we're going to be over the article
money um by about $3,000. I have um approached the PTO in the past to see if they would fund the difference. I believe they will. If not, we have we have funding in the repair funds for the school, but I think the PTO will pay the difference. >> Yeah. They were originally trying to do
a lot more work on their own, right? Just kind of fall off. >> So, this gate is the main is the big gate into the existing playground area where the cars go. Um, it will be aluminum instead of steel, so it will hold up better. It'll be one end with
the roller on it will be 25 ft long and shorten the other side, the swing side up to 15 so it won't sag as much cuz that's kind of what's happening. And the rollers on it because it'll it'll be 25 ft of sliding gate. The rollers on it,
the original um corded one, the rollers were exposed and they were afraid of somebody sliding it and and kids getting their hands in it. So these will be enclosed rollers so there won't be any pinch points. So that's why we requested the quote for the upgrade and um I did
talk to uh you know Mr. Goodwin and uh Mr. Higgins while we were at the school for the roof project and they all agreed that this was worth the money and worth because of the safety for the children and the longevity of the gate and the ease of the gate, right? Because it's
going to be roll rolling. So, um, we're, you know, we're also tied with procurement laws, but we're okay. This is, this is under that threshold. So, I think we're going to move forward. And if there's an issue that PTO will not fund the difference between the 35,000
and this is about 38,000 and change, I will come back to the board. But I we we still have funding in terms of um repairs for the Freetown Elementary School. >> Excellent. Yeah, it's a no-brainer. I mean just the just the back door that
it's going to make it safer and yeah beyond that >> easier safer longer lasting >> and you get more parking there as well um when it's used for parking because now you don't have to close the gate just slide it closed similar to what we have at the brack. >> Yep. Although I think I'm actually
better than even that. >> Good. All right. Uh any questions, concerns? >> No. >> All right. I maintain the motion to approve the change order one for the Freetown Elementary School fence project at the tune of $5,970. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> All right. All right. Item agenda 15, uh, similar nature. We're here to discuss and vote on to approve the change order one for fire station 2 paving project. Um, so like many change orders, uh, price has gone up. Um, in this case, the original price contract
was $61,163. They're proposing a new change order in the amount of $17,876.77 bring us to a grand total of $79,39.77. This is from Pucket Hopnick asphalt company. This is to modify the pricing agreement from between um us and them
for the fire station 2 payment improvement. So I'm assuming material has gone up as far as pricing. >> This is we did Chuck had requested them to do additional work once he was out there. Okay. And as far as the funding, we have to go back to
>> We have the funding. >> Perfect. >> I believe we allocated $100,000 for this project, which is why he asked for additional work. >> Yeah. He widened it out, right? And some Oh, yeah. So, >> looks nice. >> Okay. You know, the town's looking great. The little improvements we've
made over the last few years, it's it looks fresh refreshed. So, um, any concerns, questions before I move forward? All right. I entertain a motion to approve the change order one for a fire station 2 paving project um in the tune of $17,876.77
to a grand total of $79,39.77. >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I All right. Discussion and vote when to approve the road opening permit for 45 North Main Street at Sona Mass for water service. Uh these standard procedures,
we get these from time to time. uh new construction, new fixes, new bills, things like of that nature. This one's no different. This one's for 45 North Main Street. Um it looks like everything's in order here. I see all the permits and everything else for All
right. Uh Sam's Lane Street across from North Main Street Safe Road 6x6 hole. Uh pretty standard. >> Yeah. >> All right. Uh entertain a motion to approve the road being permit for 45 North Main Street at Sony Mass for water service. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second. All in favor?
>> I I >> All right. Uh select meal. >> All right. Um we do item agenda item 17 which is acknowledge the resignation of Lydia St. Arent from signal operator
effective 72626. I'm just acknowledging that she has a letter that I don't know if you guys read or not, but she's she was she's been with us for quite some time. And uh definitely want to thank her. It says 2013. Okay. Just definitely want to
thank her for her time and service to the town of Freetown. Um she was a dispatcher of mine when I was there. Great one. Top notch. Sad. Really sad to see her go. But um she says she will deeply miss the department and the town. And I'm sure
the department and us will deeply miss her as well. So congratulations on her next endeavor. Absolutely. >> Thank you for your service. >> Thank you. Absolutely. >> All right. So, we'll go to number 18,
which is >> discussion and vote whether to hire an interm for town administration office. >> So, this is just uh a request because obviously our workload is incredible in
our department. Um, and the more projects that were grant funded and the more grants we get and the more projects that I'm managing, the harder it is to get the work done in our office. Uh, I have colleagues that have great success with interns, but you
have to pay them, right? You can't can't expect somebody to come for free. Um, so I created I drafted an a job description for an intern. I don't have anybody in mind, but there are a couple of schools that do public administration degrees. Bridgewater is one of them. Bridgewwater
State. So, um I'm hopeful that maybe we can get somebody that could help us. You know, 10 or 15 hours a week would be a a benefit for them and a benefit to the town to have somebody that would um learn and and be available to help my
department uh in general. And it's just something I thought it might be worth trying. you know, we're limited in our physical capacity to bring on staff, too much staff. Um, and we're limited in our funding, but this might be a win-win for
us, and I have no way of knowing until I try it. >> How many hours are you proposing? I didn't I don't think I swelled that in. >> Yeah, I I haven't really laid it out. I'm thinking 15 to 20 maximum. I mean again because I have physical capacity space issues, you know, um
but some, you know, and I'm I'm hopeful maybe I can get a grad student because they're really um they're looking for the experience, right? They're looking to work. They're looking to learn. >> Um >> yeah, someone that's taking a masters in public administration looks for these
type of jobs. So >> what are you thinking? >> I I think it's a no-brainer. think it's, and I don't want to downplay it, but it's probably the cheapest way to get good help, right? It's a win-win. It's a win for them. It's a win for the town.
Um, I mean, you never It's not 100% success. You never know, right? But you're going to interview, you're going to do your best. And >> um I there was two things that came to mind. It was my first thought was where do we put them, right? Like >> I was thinking the same thing.
>> Where do we put them? And then, you know, how do we pay him, right? So, those are, you know, my only two real concerns. Beyond that, I think it's a it's it's I don't think that there's going to be a ton is someone who hopefully is that far along won't need a
ton of training for what you're trying to do with them, right? They should hopefully have a a pretty good jump that you're not coming because I don't what I don't want is someone to come in and spend 15 hours and you're spending 18 hours trying to train them up. >> And I don't have the capacity for that.
So, that won't happen. Right. I I I think that I have um I think there's specific things that I will farm off to this person consistently so I can say, "Hey, this is this and but once they've done it a few times, they can continue to do it." >> Exactly. >> Um it's probably going to be grant
related, right? There's always a lot of reporting that has to happen with these grants. Right now, I got an EPA grant that's it's it's a lot of work. um the opera grants. Even though those the funding is done, I'm still filing reports on that. These are things that you can kind of show them this is the
reports I've done. >> You just it's it's leg work. I can I think I can train somebody pretty quickly to do. Um where I'm going to put them probably in my office at this point in time just to work at the conference table or downstairs in the conference room if if in fact that can be utilized.
I'm going to pay them out of my professional and technical budget which I have which is about I think $25,000 I have which is for that reason if I need to hire somebody. Um so I do have some funds uh so it's not a matter of going
back to towns people and asking for for more money. >> Thank you. So that was one of my questions. >> That was going to be my question meeting uh to approve the description funding for this and everything else. I I think it's a great idea because you're right. We've said it a thousand times out loud, but let's use this platform to do it
again. Getting the grant's the easy part. Applying for is the easy part. Once you get it, maintaining it can really bog you down, right? The technical stuff behind that, it gets to be a lot. So, I I agree with you on that. Um, yeah, I
>> And if it gets away from you, it's hard to get caught up. And we have the COA library building, which is a grant. Um, >> right. >> So, Nicole and I and Matt uh all had discussions about it's it's a heavy lift for us and and so I I think that's
another concern. If I bring somebody in early in the track, I can train them, tell them who they need to talk to to ask the questions, what has to be done to work. Uh, and I and I, you know, we're closing the Hathaway Library as you guys have seen. Um, maybe we set up
an office there and and I don't know. I'll figure that piece of it out. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I listen, if we you've answered those two questions for me beyond that, I think it's a no-brainer, honestly. >> Let's give it a try and see what
happens. And then, >> yeah, it's it's going to be a trial and everything for sure. >> Oh, yeah. And who knows, it might be a good opportunity for somebody in Freetown that's in that field. They can see what their town's doing, also get their requirements for their school. So, >> yeah, >> it's a good idea. Yep. All right. >> All right.
>> This? >> Yep. >> Anything else? >> Nope. >> All right. So, I'll entertain a motion. Um, wow. All right. So, I'll entertain a motion to hire an intern for the town administration office.
>> Uh, I make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I I >> All right. 19. Uh discussion vote whether to approve the job description for
uh p uh public administration intern. >> It looks pretty good to me. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. No, it it it tells you everything you need as far as your roles and responsibilities, your qualifications, what's needed and you course prefer qualifications. And then it does get
into everything that we discussed so far from budgeting to finances to everything. So it's well written. Um. Yeah. >> Yeah. I have no issues with it. I read through it. No issues. So >> all right. So I will uh entertain a
motion to approve the job description for the public administration intern. >> I make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I. All right, the important one. Uh, discussion or vote on setting the pay
rate for public administration intern. >> $40 in a sandwich. >> No, go ahead. >> We did ask um around it's around $20 an hour for a paid internship. >> At that price, it's a no-brainer. >> Yeah. So, it's not a lot of money, but
they won't come without some >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. They're not coming They're coming for a resume builder, right? They're not coming for the cash. So, but at the same time, you know, you got payments. >> They need gas money and coffee money. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I I look at this like we do for like clerks when we hiring them, right? We
get a lot of people interested in coming in. Then they want they want to come in and negotiate our higher salary and we're like, well, this is what it pays here in Freetown. And then you kind of weed through a lot of those just from that alone. So, getting it to that point right away sets a good precedent and hopefully we don't have to go back and
forth with committee. So, >> yep. I'm okay if that's what the the average rate is. I'm completely okay with it. $20 an hour is a bargain. >> I believe that's in tune with what the everybody else makes, right? As far as that in that same field, right? Clerks step on one like I think 20 >> clerks are a little bit higher than
that, right? Um and rightfully so because they're full-time employees that are dedicated and committed to the town. You know, interns will come and go. >> You'll probably get one for maybe six months to a year, right? Um, so you're not going to pay them what you're going to pay a full-time
committed employee, but you're going to pay them something to get the quality in turns so that they can actually do some work. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. >> All right. So, I'll entertain a motion to set the pay rate for public
administration intern at $20 an hour. >> Uh, so moved. >> I will second that. All in favor? >> I >> I >> uh discussion uh I'm sorry number 21 discussion of vote on whether
to hire a department assistant to assist with procurement. Precurement. >> So this is a little bit different. Um, procurement is a bottleneck in my office cuz it is difficult and there's a lot of pieces to it, right? There's there's
currently um we have to put it out to bid and just about anything over $10,000 has to go out to bid. So that's almost everything now. Um, and Lan will work on it. I will work on it. There's just a lot to it. Um, so of
course I'm trying to find solutions to our issue with our trying to keep the workflow moving in our office. I probably have 10 procurements that need to go out that are on my desk right now that have been sitting there waiting until I could get to them. Um, which holds up everybody else, right? Chuck's
salt shed is sitting there. The RFP for the grant for the um schoolhouse is sitting on my desk. Um, the roof sat on my desk for a while for the fees school. So these projects sit there until I can get to them. So one of the solutions was
now I can I may be able to have the intern do the RFPs but the other solution is I also have found somebody that will do them per DM like you know do hey here do this RFP get it done for me and I'll have it in two days and get it back. Um so I'm looking for options.
I'm not necessarily sure I'm going to use this but I do have right like I said there's it's a bottleneck. It's been a bottleneck for quite some time in my office. hopefully the state and I I wrote letters in a proponent to change the law so that it's you know $10,000 15 years ago when procurement laws came
in is different than $10,000 today cuz everything is $10,000. Um so we're looking to up those those numbers. But until then everything has to go out to public bid and it's difficult. It's a it's it's not the easiest. Massachusetts procurement law is not basic. Um, it's
not just one and there's three different or four different sets of rules depending on what you're doing and which rules you have to follow. Um, so I'm looking I do I do know that I can I can hire somebody to write RFPs. Um, I will
ask for a little bit of difference with the what I pay them because some RFPs are quick and easy and they don't won't require a lot of money. Some are a lot more expensive. I mean, some of them can be 200 pages long for an RFP. just depends on what it is. Um, for instance,
the roof at the FES school, we hired GRLA. They did the RFP, right? We pay them like $30,000. So, when they get that technical, I have to hire somebody to do it anyways. I'm looking for somebody to do some of the smaller ones, but at a shorter, like
$250 type price range to get an RFP done. >> So, you're looking at more of more like a stipen perf. Yeah, like like a flat fee because I can do an RFP in maybe 2 hours with somebody else. It might take them 10 hours to do the same RFP. It just depends on how skilled you are and
how quickly you can do it. Um I'm actually looking trying to get somebody to set up a template like all of our you'd have to look at an RFP but like all of so that it would be pretty standardized except for the scope of work. It is difficult because every project is different and depending on
whether you're going to like okay porture they get a grant to do some replicate you know to do some work down there. So conservation wants to put up has to go out to bid because the work's going to be more than $10,000. That is actually considered public works. So it's a different table. It's got to be
done differently than just putting it out under a supplies and service contract. So they're they're different and I'm just trying to alleviate the bottleneck. Now if I get an good intern, I may not need to do this at all. I may have the intern do RFPs and Lan can has
done quite a few. I've do quite a few. We do do them. It's just I'm trying to have a resource so that we don't get bottlenecked. >> Sure. >> That I won't necessarily use all of the time, but that's available to us.
>> Yeah. No, I I don't disagree with it. I just I'm just looking at it was just another body in the building, you know. >> It won't be in the building. It'll be something I farm out to them and have them do like a pretty damn thing. They're gonna because it's it's somebody that does them and they'll do them at night time. They'll do them on the weekends. They're going to do them in
addition to their full-time position. >> Absolutely. If somebody's just retired from doing this for 20, 30 years and this is a nice pdeino job. >> It could be 10 and then we won't have any for 6 months because it's all driven by the funds, right? So when there's a grant money that drives them when there's town meeting after town meeting
we have a whole bunch and then we don't have any when the money when the money dries up there's no there's no RFBs because there's no money >> right you know as far as the funding for this is it >> this is going to be my same technical >> same professional and technical budget. >> Okay. >> Yeah. If if it's if we have 10 if you say you have 10 projects sitting there
because we don't have the bodies to get to them. Yeah. That's a problem. Right. We we need these things. We approve them. Some of them are grant driven right. Some of them are deadlines we have to meet. So we don't have to pay back these funds. So we may be, you know, hurting ourselves in the end if we don't if they're just sitting on your desk, right? No to know, right? It's
it's a pressure for everybody. But at the same time, if we can get them off your desk and up and going, right? Cuz >> and it might be something that I have somebody write them and I have the intern pull it all together. Lan usually pulls it all together. Um, but then there's a
packet like this big that needs to then be scanned and saved somewhere. Like that would be a good thing too for like an intern to do as opposed to Lan because it takes her a long time. >> It's just that we just have a lot of work in our office because of the grant funding because of the number of grants that we do. You have to just keep that
in mind. We do much more grants than other other facilities. So, you're going to come up with a pay scale based on what it is, like how you going to go about. >> It's hard for me to tell you. It's going to be a flat fee, I think, but I'm I'm guessing in my head around $50 an hour.
So, I kind of have a sense of, you know, some of these things are two to four hours. >> I guess that's what you mean, right? So, you're saying, okay, to do the the one at the at the elementary school, we had to hire someone else out and that would have been 100 hours. So then we know something like that's going to, you
know, cost us a lot of money versus this one might only be an hour. So you think it's flat rate 50 bucks. >> Yeah. >> So >> it'll probably be like 250 bucks like for a lot of the the smaller ones. Um >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean it's it's per once again
it's per DM. So it's not it's not hiring a federal body to be in the building. We're not it's not all the time. It's so it's not it's not >> deal. you know, I have somebody in mind, so I'll have to come back with a contract for this person and a conversation or like at least, you know,
so this isn't the last conversation you have on this. It's just sort of a a beginning conversation to tell you what I've been thinking because I always say that I'm a solution based manager. The problem right now is my office in terms of what where we're bogged down. And so I'm trying to create solutions
for my own department. It's easy for me to look at other departments and say, "Oh, you need X, Y, and Z." Um, but for myself over the last few weeks and three weeks, all of you know the the workload is just incredible and we've been working as many hours as we can, but I'm at a point where there's there's no more
of me to work. I cannot work another I can't work more than 70 hours a week. I just can't do it. And so I need to start coming up with solutions. And this is what I've come up with. Um, obviously willing to have any conversation you want to have. I I know the the restrictions are space. Um, of course
money. I'm not I'm I'm trying to come up with solutions that will help us at pinch points because once we get out of a pinch point like right now once I get these 10 RFPs off I may have a l and I I don't need I don't need a person necessarily in my office full-time. I
just need to have somebody that when we get bogged down I can push the work. So essentially the structure is similar to how we do the recording clerks, right? They're there for when we need them. When we don't need them, they they sit idle, >> right? >> Okay. >> I also that whole thing to what Halton
was doing for us, right? Like that's what he was purging him. He was good at, you know, changing around a lot of things and his background he was able to look at all this stuff and and go through and say, "Yeah, okay. These are all the procedures and stuff that policies and procedures we'll change."
And he brought them to us and we approved them and it was great. So, um, yeah, I I'm I'm okay with it. I mean, obviously, we'll we'll hear more about it, but at this point, I think it's it's worth having the conversation and moving forward. That's my No, I agree. I think the conversation is warranted.
>> Uh because, you know, it's one of those things you stay so busy as a town, >> right? And you you stay at that same tempo all these years and then at some point it catches up to you, right? Because it gets you get so bogged down because the one you once you get one grand, you get more grants, right? It's
like a compounded interest. Um, so >> you don't want to you don't want to turn away the grant money because once you do, you won't be getting more. >> You can't rely on having an intern, right? So this is kind of that you to your point, well, you might not need this person if you have the intern.
>> Right. >> Right. But I don't have an intern and I have 10 grants sitting there. I need to do something with it. Now you have this person, right? And they're not waiting on this. This isn't their only source of income hopefully. Right. So, so yeah, >> I think you know also like I'm going to take a couple weeks vacation. I'd like
to be able to do that. This would give Lan the ability to say, "Look, this RV fee come in. Can you get it going?" And then when Debbie comes back, she can just go get it. Um or vice versa, right? Because Lann does do a lot with procurement and she does a lot of the
the leg work for the procurement as well. And that's part of the reason why I'm struggling right now. But um so it it's more to also be able to give us our time off. You know that we leave vac we've left our vacations on the table for the last since I've been here. We don't use them. We can't use them
because we we can't take any time off. And I think we're we're really running down because of that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Your time off is there to take. So we want you to take it. But you're right. You guys are in some ways stuck there because you guys stay busy so so long.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, I thought the grants were going to, you know, stop. >> Yeah. >> And luckily they haven't. >> Surprise. >> Luckily they haven't. Well, we have, you know, I have to give your department heads credit. They are all now writing grants on their own. So, it's not just
my office. Um, Rebecca has her own going. The police chief has his own. Even the fire chief has his own. I mean, NY's writing grants. They're all writing grants as well, >> but we're the only ones that do procurement. >> Yeah. So even the water department and
whatever you guys approve at town meeting or the town votes to approve for spending money that's all procurement. >> Mhm. >> Right. Oh absolutely absolutely. >> Okay. >> All right. Yep. Give it a shot. See what it does.
>> All right. So I will uh insane a motion to hire a department assistant to assist with procurement. >> I make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? I >> I >> All right. Now, we're going to uh
discuss 22 discussion and vote on setting the pay rate for department assistant. >> Yeah, this one's just going to be a little more difficult. Just like I said, it's almost going to be like a flat rate where I look at it and think gauge the hours and say this one's, you know, and
and like I said, I'm thinking $50 an hour. >> But >> can we do it like a set it like okay to set it towards you deciding the amount of hours at $50 an hour? >> Yeah. And I would probably cap it at,
you know, no more than $1,000 per per RFP. If it's bigger than that, I can bring it to you guys. I only have limited funds, so I have to be careful, >> right? >> I can't spend more than >> because I just don't want to say to your point it's $50 an hour. If you're saying, "Hey, I want to structure it flat rate and make it easier." Then it's
like, how do we do that? >> I would say $50 an hour >> pay scale. So that's, you know, >> Yeah. >> based based on how many hours I think it will take at $50 an hour, I will negotiate a flat fee with them. um no more than $1,000
without coming back to the board. I don't think it'll be that high, but >> unless it's coming from the same thing, professional tech budget, >> professional tech. Yeah, which I I think I have either 20 or $25,000 and but I do use it for >> Yeah,
>> I do I use it if we have to hire some consultant for anything. Um that's where the money comes from. So, I don't want to spend it all. I need it for in case something comes up. >> Absolutely. That's There's always something that comes up. So, okay.
>> Yeah, I'm okay with that. Honestly, you okay with it? >> Take a look. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, you can always change it. >> Yeah. So, all right. We will um I'll entertain a motion to set the pay rate for the department
assistant at a uh flat rate of >> based on $50 an hour per Debb's estimation of time.
>> Yeah. Up to $1,000. >> Yeah. >> Yep. How about that? We worked on that one. >> We'll work on that together. Don't worry. >> Motion made. I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> And I'll let you know what's going on in my administrative reports. >> Yep. Appreciate it.
>> We'll have that information. So, if you have any questions about them, >> I just just keep an eye on the uh the budget part of it. >> I will. >> Yeah, I know you will. I know. >> Well, the thing about it, too, is we we do have, like you saying, it's $25,000 left in that budget line, so we know
that's what we have to work with. Yeah. >> You have to work with >> I won't spend it all cuz I need, like I said, I never know what's going to come up or I need a consultant for something. >> No, we know you're frugal just like us. >> Yeah, >> we understand. >> All right. 23. Discussion and vote
whether to approve the following appointments. A. Harry Ashley Jr. to local emergency planning committee director effective 7126. B. Michael McHugh to emergency
management member effective 8426 C we'll have to skip because it's me um D Brian Sylvia as heavy equipment operator of uh
highway effective 810 >> 26 >> subject to an approved >> yes subject to Um, all tests coming back. >> Haven't received the results. >> You haven't received it. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. Haven't received the results of testing. And E. Ryan Pereira as acting sergeant 41 schedule effective 7 3126.
And that's because we have a sergeant. >> Let me look. It should be a ton of >> Was it 42. Yeah. So I was say we don't have a 4-1 schedule. >> Yeah, I don't think so either. But >> 42 schedule >> 42 uh 42 schedule effective 73126.
Uh that's because we have facelity leave. >> No. >> Any questions, comments? >> No >> discussion. All right. So I will entertain a motion to approve those following appointments
which will be A through E. uh minus C. >> So moved. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> I'll call out C. >> Thank you. >> So um I entertain um I entertain a
motion to um appoint Chad Kavalo as public records clerk, planning board, and tax uh increment financing tiff board effective 4626 through 4527. I make that motion. I will second it.
All those in favor? I >> I. >> Back to you, sir. >> Thank you. Uh 24. Discussion vote whether to resend the following appointments for fiscal year 2027. A
Linda Ramus from Parade and Fireworks. B Ashley Emmery from Parade and Fireworks. and C Greg Goodwin to mast plan committee.
Any comments, discussion? >> No, we'll miss them. >> Thank you guys. We appreciate it. >> Great work. Especially Linda um with the pray and fireworks committee. She did it for years running the parade portion of things. I was u been very lucky to be able to learn from her over the years.
Uh same thing with Ashley. She's been running our Facebook page and as well as making sure that we're doing everything for the town. So, and then of course Greg um he's been instrumental helping us making sure we do everything for FES in our school systems. So, three great people. >> Yes. >> Okay.
>> Awesome. So, I will entertain a motion to resend the those following appointments for fiscal year 2027. >> Make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I back to you, Mr. Chairman. >> All right. Well, thank you, sir. All
right. Uh board of parks commission. Anything to discuss? Good. Uh Tom administrator reports. All right. Uh I don't think we have any old business public input. >> Yep. Am I ready? >> Good. Say your name and >> Yep. My name is Robert Weaver. This is
my sister Joanne Wilson. We've been in town for 60 years. We've uh owned property. We pay our taxes. And I have a complaint against the building inspector who's been harassing
my sister, coming in her home, walking around her property. The state law says he cannot go on our property without cause. He's threatened her. He's called her in Florida. He's uh she's 80 years old and we want
to know what you're going to do about it. We have you. She's also let the town when you when the town needed to use our property, take down the building, we were there for you. We saved you thousands of dollars out of this guy has done. He's he's given us uh citations,
my sister citation three times in a week's time. You people are going to be summoned into court because of a little 3x3 sign that says advertise here which the where the building is. It's a businessowned
property. We took the sign down. >> Yeah. >> But he's got signs where the interim building inspector's office is. There's signs all over the place for like hairdressing, bicycle, uh um exercise
equipment. Big signs there. No permit, but it's okay. And I don't understand it. >> Okay. And I don't see how you're going to let him harass an 80-year-old woman more than three times. He's gone on a property. She's been warned. Debbie told him, "Don't go on our property." Why is
he going walking around the property harassing my sister? >> Well, I and so I'll start looking again. I don't think the intent that he has to harass anybody. All right. All right. So, I'll I'll go ahead. I'll give you I'll give you I don't think his intent
is to harass anybody. Um Carl was hired years ago our as our building commissioner to go around town making sure we're all following the bylaws, right? For 60 plus years living in town, you may have seen different ways of doing things, right? As far especially enforcement of bylaws,
>> but they're there for a reason. So I I know the bylaws that he's coming to you folks for are it may seem silly and trivial, all right, to some like a sign or anything else, but what he's trying to do is making sure that the town is not only appears great, right, outside
looking in, but also making sure all the structures are safe for everybody involved, right? Um, and I can I can fully understand him going to your property. It may sound like he's picking on you, but I can assure you of this. He's not picking on you from what we we He's done this He goes He does this to across town to other
>> No, >> he does not. He doesn't go in people's property, walk around their he has no right to. This is the state law. It's right here. You can read it for yourself. Please take it. >> Yeah. If if you don't mind bringing it up, I look to see what you're looking at. >> Yeah. >> Hello. >> You don't go in people's homes and and
get serve them. You you mail them. >> Is it all of it or just this one that's highlighted? >> Okay. If you don't mind, give me a second so I can make sure. AI overview >> now from from my understanding. >> Let me let me finish. Okay. We go to
court. We go to court two weeks ago. Okay. He knew it didn't go well for him. The next morning he was harassing my sister at 10:00 in the morning. So what what happened the next day in the morning? >> He gave her he threw a ticket at her for the two signs. Okay. Never gave any
warnings. Never gave anything in writing. Never said, "Hey, uh, Miss Wilson, uh, you really can't have those signs on the building." Okay, that would be the proper thing to do. Instead, he arrested and throws a ticket at $100 fine. So, we're going to court. I got to summon all you guys in here. You're
going to take time out of work for $50. And how many how many people have signs around town? I can show you. I got them on my phone. I can show you a hundred of them right now. Firewood. Fire. I was just I wasn't selling firewood. It just was someone's phone number that was
selling firewood. I let somebody put a sign cuz he he wanted to make some money. I don't It wasn't We took Debbie said, "Hey, Bob, just take I took him down. So you guys are going to go to court, waste all your time for what? $50 because and there's signs everywhere in
this town. Where's he going to go? Is he when's he going to go after every single one? I can show you signs that say right over by the church, firewood for sale. It's been there 20 years. >> I can see how frustrating that can be. And but one thing we we will we can't discuss is other what he's doing for
wise for any other property. Right. But I do assure you he is going around not just you. He is discussing with different people. No. Is it everybody that you're mentioning? Probably not. >> But I'm not here for that. We're not here for that. We're here for him going in my sister's home and throwing tickets at her. He has no right going on our
property. He has no right harassment. If he wants to give a ticket, he mails it. >> Okay? >> Because I'll tell you the reason why. He mailed her one the other day a certified letter for the same exact thing. We have a house for sale. That's the >> I'm right here.
>> I understand. But the house is for sale. He doesn't even know the law. >> Sure. So from my understanding the second ticket you got a second summons in the mail because the first one was never responded to from my understanding. Is that correct in Florida? Okay. No thank congrats for being in Florida and I
appreciate that. Thanks for listen Hold on. But she's the person she's the person that's assigned to these buildings. No, >> right he I have power of attorney from my sister to answer anything. Plus he puts
the wrong address on his summons. Okay. >> 65 Main Street. There's no property on 65 Main Street. >> Let me ask one question. Why Why do I have this? This property is for sale.
Why do I have to register as an abandoned property? I don't I >> We're not here for that. That's not even a question. >> Thanks for her question. To answer her question, >> I want to know what gives him the right to make up his own law. I want to answer her question um first and we'll go back
to that. So what he's trying to do is you've heard of the fire the fire prevention act the arson act making sure that any abandoned building is that it's in town uh doesn't when it does combust if it if it combusted there's no hazards for the first responders going in right it may sound trivial
>> no I agree with you 100% but it's there for a reason it's based based on laws across the states all the United States is a federal law state law right um not just here locally so we use our that's part of our bylaw right but not the the full law so we going we're we're going from a from the top Now, so the reason
why he's doing it is to make sure that it doesn't happen. So, >> we are with you 100% on that. 100% on that. Here's the problem. Here's what it states. He made up his own bylaw. There's no bylaw that states this. Here's what it says. If you fail, if you
shall be responsible for of the owner to the registered and maintain the abandoned and foreclosed property in accordance to article 2004-3 and general bylaw, the owner by signing this document gives the building commissioner
organ the right to enter his pro enter your property at any time. >> Are you reading that from article one? >> I'm reading it from his phony makeup. >> Okay. Well, >> that he made up that this not in the bylaw. >> Okay. >> 100% not in the bylaw. No bill inspect
tape going to your house. >> Okay. >> Down Massachusetts. So, >> who would sign it? Nobody. We didn't sign it. So, he brought us to court. What's he going to do? He already went to court on it. You know what happened to him here? Here's what happened to him.
He brought us to court three times and every single time he's lost. So while you're here, sir, here here is the the official bylaw from the town. Keep that as a copy, right? So all those things are highlighted would would
reflect what he's trying to do here. >> No, he can't enter your property. >> Again, >> where does it say that he can enter the property? Show me. >> Okay, >> please. Where'd it go? So it does give him permissions to to obtain evidence that
the stuff's there, right? So he's looking for accumulation of trash, debris, things like that, right? >> Where is it? There is no trash. >> I'm not saying your house in general. I'm just giving you a general terms of what what he's looking for. >> Right to go in your house. >> No. >> I mean, come on. It's simple. >> Yeah. Well,
>> you guys have the right to go in your house. And if you want what we're going to do, we're going to we're going to we're going to go to court and and we're going to I'll tell you right now because he's not getting away with harassing my sister at 80 years old. He's not getting away. He can't be serving people at
doubt. If he wants to serve you, mail a letter. >> Don't be going in her house. >> So, one of the things he can do is send you certified mail, which he has. >> I agree with you, >> which he has. Right. He's We >> No, he did not. He served her at our house. I said >> I Oh, I'm just letting you know he has
sent you certified mail. He >> give you a serial certified mail number if you like. >> No, I know. Yeah, that's right. We just got it. We just got it today. I have another fine for him that he mailed to that he >> went in our house >> knocked on my door and stuck it through
stuck it on >> give time >> didn't even tell me who he was or anything else like that >> well our intent here as a board is to make sure that our town is is running >> okay so okay you're ready to go to court in in two weeks right you all's going to be summoned over a little sign that said
advertise here you want to go to court you're sure and you're >> and you're saying yes or no about going to court what I'm talking >> you got to go to court hold Let me let me speak. Right. I understand. I know. I understand this is a frustrating endeavor for you. You you're you're you're animated and I can respect that. >> Why would I respect that? >> Would you want somebody picking on your
sister at 80 years old? >> I I respect that. Family is number one, right? >> And do something about it. >> We all have to do something about it, right? So, if he's coming to you for ABC, what's there keeps coming back to you for ABC? Have those underlying issues been addressed? >> Yes.
>> Have they been looked at and make sure that they don't happen in the future once again? >> Sure. The bottom line is a little sign. He could have very simply said, >> you can't have it on the building. Purpose, >> it's not a big deal. Go after everybody. Then >> the purpose >> he's got signs in his parking lot where
his office is. >> Hey, this is a conversation. So you understand about it. Say you're going to do something about it. >> We are doing something about it. Okay. Right. That discussion has already been had with our bill inspector. We make sure we're we're consistent with the the bylaws that we have, the BS that I've
given you today. He's got to be consistent. We are going to use certified mail to the best extent possible to make sure that it's all documented. But underlying issues, if he's brought something into your attention, if it is a $50 fine or $50 fee, whatever it is, are you working with him to get it resolved? Cuz he's
not hold. It's impossible. He's he doesn't work with us. >> Pay Mr. Weaver. We don't just pay him to go around and harass people. It's not his job. It may sound like that. >> You don't call that harassment. A 3 in by 3 foot says advertise here. You give
her a $100 fine for that be and it's not even it's a banner. It's not even a sign. I mean, come on. When you guys needed when you guys wanted to use our property, we said, "Hey, go ahead. You're going to allow him to do that?" Mr. Weaver, we're not allow We haven't said we allow him to do >> Well, you must allow because we're you going to court. We're all going to court
on it. He his job as the bill commissioner. He has allowed some rights based on state and federal law. So, we our job is to support our employees to the best extent possible while supporting our residents. So when we look at a complaint from a resident or from the building commissioner, we look at all sides. We don't just say, "Hey,
Carl's our guy. We're going to do everything he says." We're not doing that. I can assure you we're not doing that. In fact, taking anybody core, we take that very personally at the town of Freetown. We want to make sure our residents are respected at all times. Hold on. Hold on. Right. and and I understand you're frustrated and I'm I'm
and thank you for coming here and speaking to us, but at the same time, if there are underlying issues that we keep addressing or keep going to, whether it's a sign, whether it's wood, whether it's your vehicles, whatever it is, we have to address you around town. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. How many signs are on people's uh
lawns? >> How many? >> There there are signs. >> Are you going to go after every one of them? You're going to he's going to do it? >> His jobs have to go after every after every one of them. his job is to enforce the bylaws, >> right? And don't you think you ought to if the if you have a sign on your
property or something, don't you think with some common sense, you might say, "Hey, Mrs. Wilson, um, you really can't have the sign. If you'd like to, you come down to our office and get a permit for it." Instead of finding her, trying to find her. >> Oh, absolutely. Sure. Nice.
>> Why then? Why? Why? Why did you let it happen? >> And I have no doubt that both sides of that conversation do play out on a day-to-day basis, right? I have no doubt about that. I have no doubt that day does go knock on people's doors, sees somebody in, hey, your sign's been there 3 weeks, four weeks, whatever it is, please remove it. I'm sure that happens, >> but he didn't do it.
>> Try and interject here, but first of all, this isn't going to go anywhere. But but I will also say is he doesn't come to us for approval for stuff, right? >> He he has a job, right? >> He's out there. >> I agree, >> for things, good, bad, and different, um, for the town. So, he didn't come to
us, Mr. weaver and say, "Hey, we want to give her a fine because she has this sign." It came to us after the fact, right? Um so so that's that's the way it is. So you say I just don't want you to think like, "Oh, he's coming to us and saying you and we're up here saying, "Oh, yeah, yep. Go find it."
>> No, I I agree with you. I just I just think it's common sense that he gives someone an opportunity if they do something wrong, a chance to fix it. You just don't find them. Don't you think that he should have written me a certified letter that I signed for
asking me to remove the sign before he he issued >> I think that that's the way it is is there's usually >> the sign that's and I'm not I'm not speaking to this I'm saying that in general that I think normally there's there's a a letter sent
for a corrective action right like >> correct I agree that's that's all we're asking for >> and that's the way it's supposed to go that didn't happen >> yeah and And he's done it twice and calls are in Florida. >> He Yeah. Before he got there. >> Yeah. Listen, I'm not like I said, I'm not trying to to
>> No, I No, I I just I mean I think it's just ridiculous. You got to go all got to go to court for for a $50 sign that could have been corrected in two seconds. Or just say, "Hey, I we I talked to De about it. Did I move him the next day?" I removed it the next day. All I have to do is ask.
>> But he thinks he's getting it over on us just like when he walked out. I'll get you. I saw what all the lies he was telling you guys. He lied in court. He lies all the time. He made a fool out of himself in court. >> Telling telling THE COURT, "OH, HE'S HAD
A BUSINESS THERE FOR YEARS. >> All right. >> This never was a business there." >> Well, as we move forward, he he he we've all discussed this this nature at length at this point, right? We've heard from both sides. So, moving forward, he he's going to do things the way we set forth,
right? Um, and we'll follow the bylaws. All written warnings will come via mail, right? If he does need enforcement, he will contact you and provide you ample notice. I believe the law stays 2448 to come by and talk to you and things like that. Our job is this. It's it's simple
and complicated at the same time. It's it's a balance, right? We have to enforce the laws that we have here in town, set forth by your your fellow residents. At the same time, also give you the respect and privacy you need for your own properties. But let's work together. Let's see where he takes us. And do we want to go to court? Nobody wants to. >> Okay. Let me ask you one question. Do
you think it's right? He gives a ticket to my sister. Okay. >> Mhm. >> One day. On the back of the ticket, it says, "We have 21 days to appeal it." Okay. >> Okay. >> 5 days later, he puts another one on. >> Okay. Well, if you had 21 days on one
ticket, you probably you again, we'd have to look at each specific. >> It's the same ticket. Same ticket. >> All right. Well, we >> That's harassment. >> We've already, like I said, we've already discussed it. um especially with him to let he knows where the board of selectman wants to see this go as far as
this type of reversement with you or others as we move forward. We we don't want to take any of our residents to court unless we absolutely have to. So he's going to look at all those things and let's see let's Tomorrow's a new day. Tomorrow's a new day. >> Great that you said that. But prove it to me.
>> Wait, I got to go to court three times now. >> We understand that, sir. And you're so you're going to let him bring us to court in two weeks where you guys are all going to be summoned in over that sign that was on the building. >> So if there's already court proceedings in place if there's already court proceedings in place, which sounds like they are.
>> Yeah. >> Uh so there's only one one of two ways of getting rid of the court proceeding. Either you dismiss it or you move forward with it, right? We have two weeks to figure it out. >> No, you can No, no, no, no. That it doesn't say that. You can resol you can resolve it before we go to court. >> You can resolve it.
>> Just two weeks out, right? You said >> no. Yeah, but I'm saying it says right on the um the summons that you can resolve it before the koi. >> Okay. And what's for this one to go into court? What's the resolve? What's the what do you have to resolve to go to before you go to court >> for the one you go to court?
>> The fines for the sign. >> Okay. >> You remove the sign. >> Just remove the sign. So you remove the sign. So >> they they removed. >> Yep. The one outside the building, right? >> Yeah. There's a little sign this big. >> Okay. Sounds like it's sounds like at lay terms I'm not involved in it personally, but sounds like it's been
resolved. So, that should be a pretty straightforward. >> It hasn't been resolved because I still got to go to court >> for the fine. >> Yeah. >> If the >> if the signs removed. >> Yep. >> I know. I >> It's a criminal complaint, by the way.
>> So, do your your thoughts on this one. I know. I know. You got to be careful. We're all I'm trying to be careful of what we've said. I think that it I think that um it could be I think the court could be notified that
that it's been resolved and and then we withdraw we withdraw the paperwork on this the the signed one. I mean >> Yeah. Well, so that's that's what I'm asking. >> But there was also the other issue of the vacant property which are different, right? So we just want to
>> I want to know your ruling on that. So there's like three different properties. The vacant property of the um the house right at the corner 66 6 South Main that they just went to core and that was found no cause. >> But now there's one that he sent a
letter for 112 South Main Street. >> And we we go in there every day. We go in the house every day. It's for sale. We go in and check on the house. >> We have cars in the garage. It's not vacant. It's the just just for in is the you mow
the lawn over there. >> Yeah, I got pictures of I can show you right now. >> So, um that one I know he sent a second letter, a certified letter and that's what you have. >> Um and that if it's if he if he doesn't
file it as a vacant property >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> He'll be um >> Oh, that's fresh. If that would >> if he doesn't file it as a vacant property, Kyle will probably file another citation. >> Like I said, we we will pay the $100
vacant. I just don't want to sign it because of this. I don't think that's legal. >> Yeah. >> It's not a bylaw. He made it up himself. >> Like I said, again, like I said, the the administr the National Prevention Arts Prevention Institute board, some of
those laws are built into those as well. >> I' I've gone to the I've been to the fire chief. If I said, "Hey, do you want anything for Cuz I wanted to say." He says, "No, no, no. We don't. No, we don't. We're not involved in that. We don't we don't get involved in that." >> When there's no boarded up windows on that that
>> I mean, he lost the first case. Now he wants to do it again. He wants to prove a point. And and the reason why he walks around the He's trying to find something wrong with the property he lost a court case with. He had no right going on my sister's property and knocking and walking around. And you got to realize it's a two family house. So there's an
upstairs and a down. So he went around the back to see check out the building that's on the same basically the same lot just to be nosy just to see if he could find something wrong. And that was the next day after court. We just went to court that day less than 8 hours later he's harassing her again giving
her another ticket. Come on. >> And I and I >> What kind of man is that? Harassing an 80-year-old woman. What kind of man is that? and I pay the taxes. I know it's not been here 60 years and that's the way you're treated as a res and we let the town use our property and save you
thousands and you're going to let him do this to us. >> No, the town does appreciate you let us use it to tear down the building. We do appreciate that. Um maybe and again our goal for any resident in town, we don't want anybody on your property. I don't want anybody on my property, that's for sure. Right. I know the same thing for you. U but he's there for one reason or
the other. He's again we've spoken to him. It's everything's going to be done systematically in the provisions that we have the the town bylaws. You will get your any copies certified mail so that there's less people on your property moving forward. Okay. I I I show you frustration that you think you're
getting picked on. I assure >> I am. I could prove it. >> I I again I assure you from speaking with him and looking at all of it. He's he's not it's not >> he doesn't tell the truth. That's what you don't understand. >> Okay. Well, >> he's he he's very smooth in your over and it sounds good. But I could pick
upon him everything he said tonight. >> Well, >> he's not telling you the truth. >> Hardest part about being in this position is to listen to both sides, right? And I'm trying to do that to give you the proper respect that you deserve as a resident of our town. Um, at the same time, give him the proper respect as somebody that we we hired and look forward look look to for answers
enforcing our bylaws. So, as you can see, our job isn't as simple as you're right, he's wrong, he's lying, you're not. My job is to kind of take both and make sure it works for everybody else moving forward. If you have a sign where you work in your parking lot where you work and you go by it every single day
and that's okay. >> Yeah. >> They don't get they they shouldn't get the ticket like we did. >> I mean, come on. I got the pictures of it. The sign 50 ft away from his building, a bicycle training thing, uh uh somebody doing hairdressing.
>> Is that okay with no permit? >> No. >> But that's okay. >> You have a you have a valid point that the law the bylaw is there for everybody. Not just for any single individual. They're there for the entire town. So if one person is doing it, >> he sounds to me like you're on his side. Okay. Personally, I think I
>> I'm on 9,210 cuz I want to see something done about him. Okay. >> And I don't want him arrest my sister ever again. >> I understand that, sir. Then the the other half of this part is the way we speak to each other as as residents and officials, right? As
officials, our job sometimes to take it on the chin, right? residents want to yell at us at at any given point. Listen, let me finish, please. >> All right. >> It goes both ways. I'm treating you with respect. I'll talk to you in a calm and professional manner. And all I ask for you, Mr. Weaver, is when you speak to
us, whether it's myself or my my my three select, my all my town administrator, my whoever you speak to a town hall, respect. >> I do respect. >> Listen, let me finish, please. Respect goes a long way for everybody. That's correct. We're getting yelled at, >> right? Every other work about Hold on. You know why? cuz you haven't said one
thing that says you're going to fix this problem. You haven't said that. That's why >> let me let me finish speaking. You keep interrupting me, right? It's hard to get something out when someone's just incestuously saying whatever they want. It sounds like that's part of the part of the problem possibly between
everybody involved. >> One person is speaking over the other person. Within the day, respect goes a long way. Whether you're spitting things out, screaming things, threatening people, not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying in general that people when you get in that situation, you hear
every other word, right? Or every other sentence. So what I mean by that is we hear you. We are we have done something about it, right? Like we said, we got to you got to see a different approach coming forward, right? More certified mail, more communication versus uh
enforcement. Now enforcement is still going to be there. Just because you're here doesn't mean he's going to stop doing his job, right? But he's going to be more systematic as far as how it's done. That way, uh, we can track it, you can track it. It's it's all right there. We we want to move away of just being on your property. We don't want to be on
your property. We don't. But if he's something if he's there for something, he has to follow through with it because he has answers to us at the end of the day, right? And we answer to you. So, it's that situation. Are we doing something? Yes, we are. Give us time. Let's see if how he shakes out. Can you give us that time?
>> All I ask from you is you respect us and back. I do respect you. You I know. Listen, sir. You're here. That's a to me it's a big sign of respect. I appreciate that. And your sister's here. First time meeting her. Thank you, Mrs. Wilson, Miss Wilson, for being here. All right. Please keep that in mind when you interact with our employees, ourselves,
right? I I know you you do your best. I And I respect that. Thank you. But again, when you when you approach us and you're you're animated, you're you're hyped up. Rightfully so, right? You listen, you're here protecting your sister. I respect that. But again, it's a two-way street. Let's have the
conversation versus the argument. I'm not here to argue with you. You're not here to argue with me. No. Right. I'm here to work with you. We will address whatever we can to make sure it's a smooth process for yourself and everybody else moving forward. >> I just merely I merely asked you and I haven't got the answer from you.
>> What do you think about the pot he put in about the vacant property? A pot he can go in at any time if you sign that paper. >> So, we we did ask him about certain provisions that he has that he in his authority as a bill commissioner. He can go on people's property as needed. to
enforce a law. >> That is untrue. We cannot go on your property. I just gave you the law. >> You gave me a a blurb. Uh >> I gave you the law of Massachusetts. >> If you Google If you Google it, it'll >> And I will. It's the Massachusetts law. >> And
>> it can't go on your property. >> Why I put this to town council? >> Yeah. How about Right. Exactly. So the the right solution is >> because I I mean I I think I we were talking about it earlier and he was saying it was the fire >> the fire right the fire which I cited already right so let's ask
>> yeah move forward like >> I love AI overview but let's let's let's hammer that down make sure you are correct if you are correct hey I'll be the first person knock on your door say hey you were right I have no problem with that but let's have Tom console review and make sure that because you have a AI overview AI is great but
sometimes they miss a few things so let's let's run it down I saw the attorney general's office and they told me, "No bill inspector and even the court when we went to court, he does not have the right to go on your property." Okay. He does not he's got to get a
court order. >> You bet. You guys look you're looking into a town council. That's fair enough. >> Who is town council? That way >> it's just it's honestly it's the third party they deal they do with like 75% of the towns in the world. So, >> but it's just that >> go to them. be a simple answer. We have
something. >> I mean, who gave him the right to put that in there? Did you Did you give him the right >> to put what in what? I'm sorry, I missed >> that article that he put in the paper on he wants us to sign. Did you >> that portion? >> Yeah. Who gave him permission to do it? >> Again, bas him being the building
inspector, he has certain state and federal provisions he can use. He does. He He believe Hold on. >> This is what we're going back, >> right? And this is what I'm telling you to answer. He believes he has the right to do that. So, we're going to have our town council verify or say otherwise. >> Why don't you ask Debbie if she agrees with it? >> She's a lawyer.
>> Well, I don't think we should be pulling. >> I'm not Yeah, I'm not put that. Listen, as a person going to my I already told you I don't like that either for my property, but let's see if he's right or wrong. I need to know that for a fact. >> So, give us time to look at that. >> How much time do you need? >> Oh, well, I don't know. >> I think maybe three days.
>> Three days. Give us three days. >> I'll send it to him. I appreciate that. >> Now, you're going to get back to us. >> Absolutely. Before you >> listen, our goal is not to aggravate you or or drive you crazy. Anyway, go ahead. >> I mean, I honestly think we should um try to get the signed ticket dismissed.
>> I I'll work I'll work on that. >> It sounds like it's already been resolved. So, >> well, it hasn't. He still has to go to >> Well, no. As as far as the as far as why you got the ticket. >> So, usually courts go, "Hey, you already took care of this. Why you here?" Right. So maybe that's something we haven't gone through that paperwork yet.
>> But I I think based on T's point we just say I don't know I listen Debbie this is something that I don't feel bad saying pulling her advice on or having her say something on is doesn't make sense for us to send something to the court. >> I think it I think it does right. Why would you want someone who's already
resolved the problem to have to go take a day out of work and go to court? >> Why would you do it the day after we went to court? >> Come on. >> Yeah. I don't have an answer for that. I >> 8 hours later harassed my sister after we just went to court the day before. >> That's not harassment. That's
harassment. >> Plus, he was sticking it in my in in my door and I only knew he was there cuz the dog >> scared the crap out of me. >> She's been upset ever since >> and it was in my pajamas and the dog was barking at him and >> we'll do everything we can on our end to get the answers that we need for the for this conversation we were just having
and and get back to you. All right. Again, we're we're we understand and we appreciate you guys coming and telling letting us know. Thank you. All right. Fun stuffing. >> All right. Any new business? Any public input? Yep.
>> All right. >> Oh, signings. >> The signings. Yep. >> Business signatures. >> Come on down. Some signatures. >> Talk right away. >> I have to go. Yeah, you go back. Thank you. Thank you.
>> I thought you were going home. >> Run. >> It's chilly in here. I >> know. Be chalky. I always thought like if anyone was like, "Oh, is his is this his valid signature?" My signature changes so
much. I feel like, >> you know, I don't even know what it says now. Is that a Z? Is it Are you junior? >> Thank you. change order fire station two.
>> This >> Oops. I signed my own. >> It's all right. >> You It means you're appointed twice. >> You are. >> You did. All right. >> This one. You want me just I'll just sign on the side. >> All right. So
only I just signed on the side of the >> Okay. >> I always All the pressure is on you. >> It's all right. >> I'm going to be here all night tomorrow night, too. So, >> exciting. >> All right. Last one.
>> Find some personal things for you, too. >> There's always some personal things. >> There's always something. >> There's always something there. Always. >> All right. See no further business in front of us. is 8:30 p.m. and a motion to adjourn tonight's board selecting meeting. >> I will make that motion. >> Second.
>> All in favor? Hi. >> Bye.