WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=Ud0mmuqjuYw

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: Ud0mmuqjuYw):
- 00:00:04: Meeting Called to Order; Executive Session Discussion
- 00:02:08: Freetown Elementary School Roof Recoating Project Discussion
- 00:07:46: Road Opening Permit Approval: 55 South Main Street
- 00:09:54: Announcement of Settlement with Varrica Construction
- 00:11:09: Transfer Funds: Selectmen Stipend to Moderator Salary
- 00:12:55: Appointment of Sergeants: Lee and Munson Approved
- 00:14:49: Parks and Conservation Reports; School Budget Update
- 00:16:51: Adjournment of Board of Selectmen Meeting


Part: 1

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It is now what would it be 9:03 a.m. in a quorum being present. I'd like to call the board of selectmen meeting for to order. This meeting will be recorded and posted on the town's YouTube channel.

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And just for the checking purposes, anybody else recording this meeting? All right. All right. I'm moving this this board will be going into executive session and returning to open session for the following reasons. Um

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for agenda one MGLs uh uh 30A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting [laughter] may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the board body and the chair

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so declares and as I do. Uh for Eco Construction Incorporated and Freight Town or Peace Associates. Association, sorry. Uh two MGLC 30A section 21A7 to comply with or act under the

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authority of any general or special law or federal grant and aid requirements. Specifically GLC 30A section 22 for the purpose of reviewing executive session minutes for approval and determining whether such minutes shall be released and the matter of approving executive

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minutes associated from 3:30 2026. All right. I entertain motion to enter executive session. >> I'll make that motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Selectman Cavallo? >> I.

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>> Selectman Zager? >> Yes. >> Selectman Lopes? >> Yes. >> Welcome everybody Back into public session. All right, we're continuing on to agenda three. Discussion and vote on the Freetown Elementary School roof

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recoding project. >> So, if you remember, this is just a recap of a conversation we had at the last meeting that wasn't on the agenda. So, in order to uh uh meet meet open meeting laws, I have to re- re- uh visit this topic. It was

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basically I was discussing uh whether we just repair a portion of the roof now and and the wet spots and recoat 1/3 of the roof now or just repair the spots and go forward and try to get an uh uh

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a grant from MSBSA, which will be opening next year uh for the entire roof in its entirety. And there was a couple of concerns. Um one is that I know the grant is not um guaranteed. So, I

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would you know, and the roof is already failing in a lot of areas cuz the roof has been put on in different stages at different ages. So, um it was whether we do the worst part now and then have to do the other two phases later and pay for it without a grant or

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do we just wait and try apply for the grant and see if we got it. And the because I was getting ready to bid that so that it can get done this summer. So, I needed a a a quicker answer. So, I know I know the board at that time uh thought it would

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be best to move forward with recoding this the worst section of the roof and repair the other sections and not move not wait until the grant came out next year because we we would have no guarantee that we'd get that grant and be able to do the roof while we already

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have the funding in place to do a portion of this roof. So, um we are actually actively the bid is going online today and we will be working on that. So, you can just re-vote or I don't even think we voted. It was just

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it was just me asking your opinion. So, again um, we're moving forward with repairing a section of the roof. Um, and we'll end up doing that roof in three phases, it looks like. So, um,

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if you want to just vote that that we just re-coat a portion of the roof now and repair the wet spots and do the other sections later on, that would be fine. >> The part I think sister recollection of

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the discussion we had at the last meeting was to fix what's there now so that we don't make it any worse. >> Mhm. >> Yeah, so I do agree with that. >> [clears throat] >> Yep, and then the other part of it was that with that way we could possibly go

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after getting doors and windows done >> Mhm. >> Yeah, under the grant. So. >> Right. >> Which is necessary, yeah. >> And more expensive. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, definitely more expensive. But, it

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is necessary. >> Yeah. >> I'm just curious if Deb we we haven't got anything from the AES side right as far as any cost savings they've received since like putting their new windows and and doors and all that.

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>> I wouldn't be [clears throat] I I wouldn't have that information. >> Yeah, wouldn't expect it but be nice just to be able to provide the residents in case they ask down the road. >> Yeah. Um, I can't tell you that. I know that

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the the windows are failing at FES. They had asked for Jack Higgins from the school had asked for $20,000 to repair a window that's cracked because of course they're set in like concrete and I said, you know, do can we is there any way we

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can repair that right now because we're waiting, you know, we want to put in this grant. So, I haven't heard back. I believe I so I believe that they are able to repair it short-term to get us another year or two until we can apply for this grant. So, the windows

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definitely are you know, are in need of updates. Um, and we will all be looking at that. The grant opens up in January of 2027. Um, so I know that Jack Higgins is aware of it and um, Superintendent Starkey and

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myself and I, you know, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but we're going to be looking to do that. >> All right. So, this what's the my approval here? >> What? >> I'm just trying to I'm just trying to go

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back to my screen. It keeps going back and forth for some reason. So, I'm trying to make sure I'm approving the right thing here. >> Yeah, I think it's just a a vote that says what we're going to move forward with recoding one the oldest section of the Freetown Elementary School roof and

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repair the wet spots. Uh, that's what we're going to do that we have funding for currently. >> Okay. All right. I entertain the motion to move forward with the funding allocated for the Freetown Elementary School roof

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recoding project on the oldest part of the building and to update the leaking sections as identified um, in today's meeting. >> I'll make the motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Selectman Cavallo.

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>> Aye. >> Selectman Zegar. >> Yes. >> Selectman Lopes. >> Yes. >> All right. Um I I get it for discussion for whether we approve the road opening permit for 55 South Main Street, Assonet, Mass. for

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the waterline. >> So, I had to recuse myself from this, so I'm just going to step out for a minute. Um I did file a uh disclosure of appearance of a conflict of interest. This is for my brother's company, so you all know, but um I don't have any say in this, but

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just want to put it out there. I'm just going to step away. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Deb. >> All right. All right. So, um number 555 across from Freemont Circle, um which is directly across from the junior plaza, right before the post

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office. On the same side. Uh they need to cut the sidewalk. Looks like the start date would be June 1st, uh completion date June 15th. The name of the contractor is Brian Hill Farm Inc. Uh to dig

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Yeah, seems like uh very straightforward road closing for this type of work. Any questions? >> No, everything's in place. >> Right. Okay. I'm just looking it all over to make

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sure we have everything we need, and then it appears we do. Um just for those that are curious, this is only a 3-ft cutout of the sidewalk for water service. All right. Uh pretty straightforward. I like it.

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All right. I make a motion to approve the road opening permit for 55 South Main Street, Assonet, Mass. for the waterline. Motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor. >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Selectman Cavallo. >> Aye.

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>> Selectman Zegar. >> Yes. >> Selectman Ops. >> Yes. >> Debbie, you may return. >> [laughter] >> Uh she's coming back, we can move forward with item agenda five. Um announce the settlement between V.P.

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and town, free town and Varrica Construction. >> Yeah, I'm not even sure this is necessary, but we've done this in the past. Um more when we've had lawsuits. We did not have an active lawsuit with Varrica. It was just a dispute over the contract,

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basically. So, I think it's just basically an announcement that we have we have come to a settlement agreement with the Varrica Construction regarding the uh construction of the addition on fire station three.

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And there's really no further action. The settlement agreement will be on file with the town clerk as soon as you come in and sign it. Um and that's it. I don't think anything else needs to really come of it. Like I

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said, there was no no monetary other than what was due on the contract back and forth and no other concessions were made. >> All right. Thanks, Debbie. >> Correct. Uh this is just an announcement and acknowledgement. Essentially, no vote is required. Um

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thank you to the town and the Varrica Construction. Uh we're moving forward and um fire station three looks great. All right. Uh agenda six, discussion and vote to approve the transfer between all of the departments in the sum of $185 from the

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Board of Selectmen stipend parking periods to moderator's salary elected. >> This is us just doing end of the year trying to move money around to pay bills because we had an extra meeting. We were short in the um moderator salary

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line and we had extra money in the parking clerks because basically we don't use a parking clerk anymore. Plymouth Plymouth County has been doing it for us for free at least in the interim. Um so there's money in that account to be able to pay the moderator.

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>> Perfect. Well, thank you, Debbie. All right. I entertain a motion to approve the transfer between or within departments in the sum of $185 from the Board of Selectmen's stipend to the parking clerks moderator's salary and elected. >> I'll make that motion.

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>> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Selectman Cavallo? >> Aye. >> Selectman Zagar? >> Yes. >> Selectman Matthews? Oh, my God, I didn't even Selectman Lopes. >> [laughter] >> Sorry, I can't respond to that name, but

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I Selectman Lopes, yes. >> [clears throat] >> Old habits die hard, I guess. >> [laughter] >> No worries. All right, Selectman Cavallo? >> All right. Item number seven, discussion and vote who to appoint to sergeant and

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make said appointments. So, after a long process, a test, a hard test, interviews, um we had four top candidates. We have a recommendation from

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two-page recommendation from the Chief of Police. And we have I'm going to echo the Chief's recommendation for uh Patrick Lee to be promoted to the

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rank of sergeant effective today, May 27th, uh, 2026. And then, our second appointment will be Douglas Munson. Uh, promotion to sergeant

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effective tomorrow, May 28th, 2026. >> [sighs and gasps] >> Any discussion on that? >> No. >> No. >> No. >> All right. So, I will entertain a motion to, uh, appoint Patrick Lee to sergeant

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effective today, May 27th, 2026. And then, Douglas Munson to sergeant. Yeah, Munson to sergeant effective May 28th, 2026. >> I'll make that motion. >> I second.

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>> All right. All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Selectman Devalle. >> I. >> Selectman Zager. >> Yes. >> Selectman Lopes. >> Yes. Yes. >> All right. Congratulations to both of them. >> Absolutely. Congratulations, gentlemen.

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>> All right. And we'll, yeah. >> So, yeah, again, we'll we'll do a formal, um, appointment, a formal procedure on June 15th, when we have the, um, the kids in and you know, we already kind of have a celebratory meeting going

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on that meeting. So, that'll be a nice meeting to have them come in and be formally, uh, appointed before the public. >> So, the best select board meeting of the year. >> It truly is. >> All right. Um, anything from Board of Parks or

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Conservation report? >> No, I I I think that we have nothing, um, obviously, we're waiting. The only thing going on right now is town meeting on Monday. Tonight is the informational session, so that'll be interesting and then we're

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waiting to see the school committee maybe voting a new budget at tonight's school committee meeting and depending on what the outcome is of that will depend on what we might need to do with our budgets right before town meeting, I'm guessing.

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So, I'll let you all know when I know. Right now I have no information. As we know, the town of Lakeville override didn't pass, so there's a lot of I I I don't want to say speculation, but there's a lot of moving parts with the budget with the schools. So, we're just

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sort of waiting. I'm I'm in a waiting pattern till the school uh decides what they're going to do possibly tonight. >> Okay. All right. Well, um I'm just curious. I'm assuming and hopefully they've reached out

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to you, Andrew, from Lakeville. >> There was a meeting with Andrew and the school yesterday and then I was invited to go in on the end of that, but there wasn't any real decisions made. I don't I don't think they can make the decision without the school committee, right? So, I think that'll be at

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tonight's school committee meeting. >> Okay. Something to look forward to after our 6:00 informational meeting. >> Monday. >> Thanks. All right. Any old business?

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So, no public input? It's okay. All right. If nothing more to discuss, it is now 9:41 a.m. I entertain a motion to adjourn the Board of Selectmen meeting. Motion made.

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>> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Selectman Cabral. >> I. >> Selectman Zegar. >> Yes. >> Selectman Lopes. >> Yes. Yes. >> [music]