Good evening everybody. It's Monday, March 9th, 2026 at 5:00 PM and with the quorum being present, I will call to order the free time board of select meeting. Uh today we're going to actually start off with the board of parks commission. >> Zigger, kick it over to you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Did you say the meeting was being
recorded? >> Oh, I didn't. The meeting will be recorded and will be available on our town's YouTube page. I even wrote that down just now. I still forgot to say it. Thank you. >> You're welcome. All right. So, uh, agenda item number one, presentation from Stark Architects
on master plan for the town beach. >> Where would you like us? What's going to be best for you guys? >> Well, honestly, it really doesn't matter. Wherever you feel comfortable presenting to us from, >> they have a physical copy in front of them and then we have it on the screen. >> Okay. I'll stand up there just so we can point or if you guys have questions, we
can >> Yeah. And there's a microphone so the recording can pick you up. Thank you, Selectman Zagger. Uh, my name is Nick from Stark Architects and with me is Justina. So, we were hired for a conceptual master plan for the Freetown
Town Beach, which is on Long Pond. Uh, it's been severely underutilized through the years. Currently, there's a few people I've see use the beach, but mostly it's for the football where they play games, practice. I know parking was the number one. We've spoken to town
administrator, the planner, uh, Selectman Zer and Selectman Lopes, and Kylie, um, I'm sorry, her community >> community program director >> program director. Everyone kind of had the same idea. It is underutilized. You
know, the beach, we have waterfront there that hardly ever used. I know that the barriers have been put up throughout the years, people putting jet skiis in, so that has stopped it. The neighbors have complaints about vandalism, litter. Um, and the large one for the football is the parking. I believe right now
there's only 37 unofficial spots there. So, we looked at a few options to see um what could go there, what could fit as a master plan for Freetown. Uh so this is option one. Um currently the football
field is exactly where it is. Um one thing I would like to mention there are a couple lines which may be hard to see. We do have a wetland buffer of 100 ft and a 200 ft riverfront area. So if you see Yep. So with that essentially for
construction vertical that's the 200T riverfront is typically a no touch zone. Can't really go in there. However, this has been previously disturbed and what we're proposing, I don't think would limit us for doing this within the 200 foot, which it is minimal. Um, so
Justina, if you want to just go through option one. >> So, as we've stated, only 37 spaces right now. As you can see over here, you would be upgrading to 219 spaces in this layout. You have the existing football. Behind that, you have a new stage for
summer concerts. You also have a new pickle ball. um two basketball courts, a concession stand, and then in the middle over here, I know it's kind of hard to see, but you have a picnic area, and which will be also a park next to it.
Now, this is laid out here so that you have vision from the beach to the football field and everything in between. And then up here, you'll see the beach area, which we're going to push 20 ft. So, you get extra beach area with some kayak racks. any
>> and so the reason for as Justina mentioned uh the bathroom area I know there's no bathroom now there's a tiny concrete pad over in the beach parking lot that houses a uh porta potty so we put that there so it's somewhat
centrally located and also outside the 200T for a septic system um I know the plan would be to bring power down to the lot um for a couple reasons one potentially for the playground and two for security lights and any electricity that's needed there. Uh so this both
options we've set up and we can kind of go step by step if we need to, but can be phased out. Any piece here isn't overlapping another piece in this option. So we can do one court, we can leave the field, we can build a stage, you can do a parking area. Um however
the needs of the town fit. Right now I believe parking is a number one issue over there. There's cars that line out all the way to County Road currently. So option two, >> he's going to want that microphone, right? >> Apologies. I can't see my vision, the
glare. I'm like, um, so if you'll see in the middle down there, everything is much more centralized. So you have, thank you so much. You have still the same basketball courts with the tennis and pickle ball courts, but you actually do increase your parking and visibility
throughout the entire site. So with this layout, you get 339 spaces, so 120 increase. Um, this way here, you also have better views from that football field to the tennis court. The stage you can kind of see is right there in the middle, so everything is a bit more
centralized while still having that parental visibility. if your kids are at the park, if they're playing, if they're at the beach, you kind of just have that one line. >> A couple things in both options that we didn't mention. Uh so the grade really goes up starting from
the football field up the hill. Uh so there we're proposing just walking trails through the woods so we wouldn't disturb too much or get into retaining walls or anything like that. This plan would require it to be phased. Um so phase one could be the parking. That's not an issue anywhere else. But the the
um football field, I'm going to just show the So, this is the current football field. We would have to set up the new football field probably first before we did um anything else. Uh we would have to get it established. I know currently there
is irrigation there. So, we may want to move the irrigation for one season. They would still play on that football field. If they plant in September, it may be good the following year. um to uh use that new football field and then we
could abandon the old one. Um with both options, there is not much room for practice for football, whether they practice on a small piece of the football field or potentially a different location. But that is one thing we are taking away a lot of the practice area. I think they were
practicing on the old uh I think it was a T-ball field over there on the stone dust which has now been grown over >> all over there. It's all kind of grass on both of them now. Yeah, it's all grass and it's mostly just practice areas now.
>> Okay. So, it would be limited because but again, we could phase it. So, maybe the parking lot isn't built unless we know it's needed towards the south here. Um that could be a practice area. We could build uh you know, one pickleball court. The area next to it before the tennis court or the basketball court
comes could be a practice area. I think it would be something that maybe in the phasing would have to be discussed and how we do it. Um I don't see I don't think the town would want to um build all the parking at once because it may be too much. I don't think we have a good idea on exactly how many cars are
needed here, especially if um there are playoffs or tournaments with the uh with football. >> Uh >> how many spaces on this one? There was a lot, right? >> 339. >> 339. >> That was 2 219. I think you said >> 219. And currently there we estimate
around um 37. That doesn't count the parking on the corners or things like that. We do want to open it up for I know there's several houses up top on the hill here. Um and I know that some of the residents have complained about that uh about getting by. And also one
thing I failed to mention in both options um walkway along the parking areas with benches for anyone who wants to walk from uh from the front here or to the beach. Um there's an area to rest or sit down or even for parents.
>> The bottom right hand corner uh parking lot that's just below the pickle ball and that >> if we didn't utilize that and turn that into practice space maybe for them. >> I I think that would be >> plenty of area. Um
>> and you would still have a lot of a lot more parking than what we currently have, right? >> Oh yes. So, >> um, the current, so the current parking now established is pretty much just this area here >> and there is some parking over here, but
>> there's not much because we do have there is a fence that surrounds the entire field right now. So, it does limit where cars can park even by the the seated area on the north side. >> Mhm. >> Nick, I have a question. So, on option two, it looks like the corner of the football field is kind of getting into
that that elevation change. Do you see that as being like an issue? I did not because that is a gradual. We don't get into the real steep until it gets a little bit further out. So that's outside the actual playing area. So we it could be gradually graded and it should not be an issue. >> Perfect. >> Um everything else as you get closer to
the high point is almost like a 2:1 or one one. It gets pretty steep over there. >> Yeah, I just remember playing there as a kid. I always wonder what was up in those those hills there. >> Nothing that I'm aware of. >> I can't say what is up there now. uh the um
>> and in this the same scenario with the beach uh the play area and also the um the toilet would be in the same location. So it's centrally located. Um so moving along we have some
>> So this would be an idea of what the park may look like. You have >> You can take the microphone. It's portable. It's taped. >> Oh, it's taped. >> There you go. >> You want this one? I got microphones everywhere. Okay, so what you see over here is just an idea of what the park could look
like. So, as Nick stated, you do have benches and the sidewalk that would follow all along. You have lighting. You've got some different uh swings, some various slides just for different ages, etc. You have your park over here,
your picnic area. So, that would be like the benches, the little grills, all that stuff. >> Yeah. And currently that area is small shrubs over there. There's not major trees. So we would propose to eliminate that. Um this this is the area right on
the south is where the residents use to go up to uh hilltop acre I think hilltop acres >> or hilltop. So just to give you perspective >> uh and as >> big elevation change there right? Does that match? >> Yes, it's very So, it's all sand over
there, but it does go up to a wooded area towards the residence. We're not proposing cutting any of those down. We kept the playground area closer to the current roadway. >> Um, not too close though, of course, but we kept it off a little bit because that's a gradual area. So, there would
have to be some grading probably further up. However, it is just sand and I think we can do a 2:1 slope. >> Um, not all the way up, but fairly close to get this area. I mean, it would be some different heights over there, but again,
>> we unfortunately I don't think would be able to make this 100% flat. There would be a gradual slope. >> Yeah, makes sense. >> Kids like playing on hills anyways, right? >> Yeah. Up and down energy. Okay. >> All right. So, we're going to move on to
our first perspective view. This is option A, where the football field stays the same as we talked about. This could be that potential uh practice lot that you were talking about if that were to be cut off. This is all the new parking, your tennis, pickle ball, and your
basketball court. And as you can see, you have that full vision all the way to the beach, which is important. Um, and then you have your stage in the back. And I can't really see the grade here, but we'll get to views where you can see that. >> Right. So, this uh the announcer, I
guess, tower would remain as is. in this location in the concession would remain either as is or upgraded to we're proposing a 500 square foot uh building. The the storage shed in the dilapitated container would be removed.
>> This is a view of what the potential park and picnic area would look like. And as you can see, this is where the restrooms would be. And so all of those walking trails are back there. Your beach is in that top lefthand corner. You have the beach uh playground with the lights, the benches, and this goes
all the way down. And you can kind of see the grade a little bit here, how it would swoop up. And then this would be your option B where you have that football field that's straight now. And then you have your tennis courts, basketball. The
stage is right there in the middle, which also provides some shade seating for football as well, depending upon the season, you know, as it gets colder and warmer. And then you have your concession stand right there and ample lighting >> with a fairly adequate um unloading zone as well. The parents aren't going to say
if they have to drop kids off or >> anything. And this is just a different view of option B. So that other side of you can see the stage right there, the concession right here and all the new parking. >> Right. And with the location of the
stage on both options, we would be using this football field as a seating area. Uh I believe we heard that almost up to 250 people or 200 people fit into the band stand. So this should give ample parking and ample seating. The I know
there may be some hesitation about putting chairs or anything on the field. Um I the area we just would not have enough area in the other the opposite side the south end to to fit that many people. >> And then this is just more of a bird's
eye perspective so you can kind of get the full view of everything. >> I think that's it. >> I think that's it. >> Um so I want to thank you guys. I think it's a great presentation. I just um it looks amazing honestly. Thank you. select me for putting in this and all
the effort and everything. Sorry. Um I just feel like with these two both options, it's really going to push football out of that area with the cheer and uh practice areas to where you really can only play games at this location if this does come to fruition to where we really wouldn't be able to
practice for cheer or football for all the different age groups. Um, so that would be a big concern from the AGFC like to where we really would either have to find another location for practices or figure out some sort of maybe different structure or layout
because this basically cuz we can't practice on the football field. You'll literally destroy that grass and it wouldn't be playable. It literally become a mud pit because like even halfway through the season of regular just practices, we end up with dirty, dusty areas where the kids practice every day because we're down there
three, four, five days a week practicing >> and you don't want to do that to a brand new football field or the existing current one. We really just play games on it. >> Um, so I just feel these options, yes, parking is a huge thing that we need down there. We've even seen it this past season where we were down the whole
sides down to the beach who allowing beach access to get in there. Um I just don't know if there's other options to where like different areas we could use or different layouts or like I know we currently have basketball courts at Central Park here. Like I'm not trying to change the wheel here how you
guys have it going. But like with both current layouts, I just feel that there would be no place to practice there. Even with just eliminating say one of the parking lots or pickle ball or basketball, whatever it might be, cuz we literally utilize all of that grass area for the cheerleaders, the three or four
different like mites to midgets to where they have all their own separate practice areas. >> And uh I think that would be a real big concern from us here like for football. Um like we greatly appreciate it. I think this is amazing. long overdue like the beach, the park, like a little
playground. I think this would be amazing. Bathrooms sound amazing. Um I just don't know. Try to work together to where we could still practice there as well as play there to where they kind of have this as their football home instead of having to go to different areas or
different locations to have to practice and then can only come here on say Sundays or Saturdays full games only. >> Sure. >> Because that just kind of seems what this is trended towards. >> Like I don't want to come. And the other thing too is I I get the dilapitated buildings or eyes and nobody likes them,
but those hold thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment that we need on site in case a helmet breaks or pads. That's a child safety issue that you have to have those on site. And none of those have that kind of space for us. That's
something we would probably have to take into account. And the second model also doesn't have our um announcers booth on it. Um which is would be a big issue for us because you need to have that overview site of the football field. Um
and another thing would be having a concert series on the field. I'm not sure what the train of thought is that with that, if it would just be during the summer or if it would be during the fall, but that brings another safety hazard where if somebody leaves something on the field and then your
child gets tackled and it's missed and it could potentially have an injury to that. So, that's why we minimize a lot of the usage of the football field. I know people don't like it, but it's really to protect the children, to make sure there's no metal or rocks or
anything like that that somebody could potentially get injured on. >> I think what what we were trying to do was accomplish a couple of things and really the the main objective was is to try and get as much as we possibly could
down there with helping everyone, right? So, that was really the the main objective. Um, and I think we've done a lot over the past couple of years, but there's still a lot more to do. And this side of town really has been neglected, so to say. We don't have anything over
here. Um, so that's what Stark is trying to present to us. And I, you know, I think you bring forward some some good points that we can take and look at. Um, but we do need to try and it it's public land, so we need to be able to try and allow people to use it for all sorts of different stuff and not just block it
off for one particular thing. Um, that being said, I do want it to be your home. I want you guys to take pride in it. Um, so I think I have no doubt that they can continue to, you know, take the tweaks based on what they hear and maybe try and figure out something else. Um, but I don't know that we would be able
to just say, okay, all this we're going to redo and leave it just strictly football, you know. Um, because there is stuff that's I definitely understand that >> we know there's going to be a give and a take with it. We just want to make sure that we're protecting our athletes cuz there's 13 athletes down there on any
given basis. Um, practicing appreciate that. That's why I'm glad you're here talking about it. Honestly, I'm not. Yeah, >> if I may. >> Absolutely. >> So, the couple things the announcers booth, I'm sorry that didn't get in this one, but there is still room towards the north for that. >> We'll call it a tower, I suppose.
Announcer booth for that. >> Um, regarding storage, there may be slightly less storage. However, the back of the concession stand, we did plan for a lot of storage. Uh, two, I think it was 250 square feet. I think it's a total of 500. Um, so the concession was
minimal. It may not be enough storage, but there is room in the area to put a small shed or something even for football specific >> in that corner over there. >> Yes. >> Yep. Um, and then to go back, the the good thing about these two concepts is
they can be built by phases. I mean, it's very costly to do everything. So, this is a long-term goal. >> Um, so I think it would be a relationship with the town, the athletics to say, "You guys are building this. How about us? Where will we go?" Because we would still have room until
this is fully developed, which >> one may never happen or two may be 10, 15 years down the road. >> Certainly don't want to kick anyone out. >> Looks great. I think like the completed project is going to be amazing for all public use and like especially the playground to the beach. Like I think it all looks great and I hope it does come
to fruition. But just like our main concern obviously is football orientated to where like we're trying to make sure the athletes have a place to practice and go and same with cheerleaders to actually be able to practice and stunt and everything else and not be all parking.
>> Right. The benefit is to we do have a lot of wooded area here still. Um the grade isn't too bad uh towards the east. with some clearing and some leveling. That would be an area we just >> we wanted to stay away from um taking
down any trees or anything like that except for the parking in the bottom left. >> And how long would you propose that the football field would be down if we went with this option? >> I think a well the football field would never be down. We would still keep the existing until the the new one is
established. But I think a safe bet for that with irrigation would be 2 years until the other one is fully >> established. >> Established, >> right? >> I mean with the irrigation that certainly helps. >> Yeah. >> Um you would probably see if you plant it correctly say beginning of September maybe even a year but I would say a safe
bet would be two years. >> That that was one of the first concerns right was we talked about it and Mr. Belzo said you know you take it and then you can actually put the irrigation in place and start growing to the outsides. So the foot the football field will
actually the outskirts of the existing football field will be growing. We can try and do our best to make sure we keep people off it and then that way you have mature grass and then you kind of just turn it at that point. >> Right. It's only about 45% more. Um we used about 50% of the existing field
already. So then you would just make it wider >> because I know that they had to secure the property this season like with locks and everything. There was some vandalism and stuff going on. But obviously that's something that would be away from in the future to where like I mean obviously we don't want to lock the public out like obviously with everything going on but I
know like in this past season there was people like breaking the locks, breaking the gates and coming in but I guess obviously we wouldn't eventually have that here to where it's not going to be fully fenced off. It's going to be more of a wide open space to where >> uh except uh there are still some regulations regarding the tennis and the
basketball court. We would want to probably fence those in. We wouldn't want a stray ball going into the football field if there's a game or something like that. Um, and we can design as much as possible vandalproof, but vandalism happens everywhere, right? >> I get it. >> I know the best thing I think are
lights. If you get lighting over there on this, I think that deters a lot of people from vandalism. >> And and part of this too is um we were we were awarded a grant, right? And we're getting some we can get power and stuff. So, I think we we need to have a
layout so that way we can have the power laid out accordingly. We don't want to run power through something and then find out it's going to be on the >> you got to move it the yard line, right? Then they got to move it again. So, it's >> that makes I just didn't know like how so like responsibility like how we kind of lease the the land to use and then
like if something happens if the league will be responsible for like fixing any damages later on or if it's kind of a joint effort on the town like cuz >> I think that like those leases will have to be obviously, you know, redone once they're a lot more use there. It's going to be things are going to be, you know. >> Yeah. Because I know kind of currently
it's kind of like, hey, you guys are leasing the property and you're kind of responsible for everything that happens on the property. >> Yeah. >> So, like obviously that's something to be looked into the future. >> Yeah. >> And it's not on the agenda tonight to make a decision. But the decision that really will need to be made is whether
you do option A or or one or two, right? Do we move the football field and I don't know what the cost of moving a football field is or do we leave it where it is and use option one. I like the way option two does lay out but it would be simpler to not move this the
the football field. That will be the direction that like at some point we need the the select board to decide because then everything else will piggy back off of that once that decision is made. And I think parking has been one of the biggest concerns. And I don't know if you have a sense on how much
parking you need, but I mean, uh, the option one is like 219 spaces. >> This one's like 300 >> 339. >> 339. I I think that's a lot. >> Uh, well, we have about, you got to think one football team is about 40 kids. You have two football teams plus
their parents. So, you have 80, maybe 160 cars. And then once you have that turnover period where one team's coming in and one team's going out, that's where it's really the craziness. So I don't know if we need 339, but we definitely need closer to the to the >> Yeah, the two I think the option one was
like 220 219 I believe is what they were >> proposed. The first one >> plus the cheerleaders too. So that's really like 50. So 100 kids. >> Oh yeah, it is. >> There it is. >> So 219. And again, uh I know we see you have a little more parking space, too.
>> Uh that parking area can be greatly shrunk on the uh the south. We just want to fit in. We didn't know how many cars >> as much as you can. >> Exactly. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> Well, I think what B you can grow a little bit more too over the years if you ever wanted to expand. You have more room for growth. >> That's a good point. So option two
options option two does allow for growth in the future. >> Yeah. Lays things out much nicer. It does. It does. >> It does. >> I just And and I know we're not making a decision, but unless we can all cuz I I obviously want you guys to be very
involved in this decision. Um I think option two makes sense long term, right? Like that's what I I think of. I don't think of if right now it's easier to go with an option doesn't always make it the best, right? So let's
figure out what it's going to be long term. And um I like the squared off approach. Um but I mean I I also know how much work you've put into those fields into that field and I you know so >> well we appreciate that and I think like you say it does look like a much cleaner
look to where you can come in and pull everything out. >> Like I said I just don't know if it's more physic physically to move the football field like an option or how that goes but >> we're not here for that. I guess we're here for more of input. Like I'm sure it's a big undertaking of training and
moving the irrigation and I know we have a well pump on this side. I don't know if that's even sufficed to where the location is to where we would have probably need a new well as well. >> You would have to add the zones because we would have to keep the current there now >> and then abandon it after it's established. >> Okay. As well as >> but like I said it's it's not it is
quite a bit of area still about 50% call it of a football field that you need to regrow but it's not a full football field that we're doing. We'll still use the existing that's there. And would a lot of this be towards the league financially as well or is this kind of a joint I didn't know like
>> for paying for I mean I'd see this being town right >> town. Okay. Yeah cuz we don't have that kind of money. >> Have that kind of money. >> No. Yeah. And that's part of the the phased approach, right? Is we've talked about grants, right? We talked about the
>> the getting the power down there. >> That was through uh state rep, I believe, gave us the money for that. So people that gave us the money to move the power >> which is amazing like I think that's great that we can get any funding for it and the future plan looks amazing >> and the phasing we do will probably be
driven by what grants we can get right and you know that >> over time >> chip away at it type of thing >> and I think that I think that the highway team can do some of the work to start the parking lots so that's why I'll be looking for the direction
because when they have time which won't be anytime soon they can start to work on the um lay the the parking layouts. So even though we don't have grant funding and we're not ready to do some of the bigger pieces, we can start doing some of the smaller pieces and getting
that parking going. So that's why I need the direction from the board uh between the two phases and if it's important for you to weigh in because we'll be moving your field and I think that's important. >> Right. And just talking about the phasing, I mean this entire parking lot and these parking lots can be built.
This one would just have to be stopped here if we did choose option two. So, there would still be a sufficient amount of parking even with the phasing. >> Okay, good. >> Perfect. But I mean, I look at that parking lot to the left, whatever side that is. I apologize. Um,
that can be cut out no matter what. And then truck can go in there. We did it down at the beach. As long as we have it, we can bring reclamated asphalt in there. And then they'll add right away. this fall, you're already, you know, getting more spots, which would be great, >> right? And we're keeping people
hopefully off the roadway and Yes. >> Right. There is a grade change. It goes up to a hill and then comes back down there. So, we would have to just remove the I wouldn't want to stop the hill. So, we would remove the hill for parking, but it >> I mean, it's open over there.
>> Nice. >> Great. >> Anything else anyone can think of? Anyone have any questions, concerns? You >> guys have a comment? My name is Ron Cludia from Sona. >> Uh I'm just curious because I have I brought my kids up in the town playing softball, basketball, football, you
know, and so this this long-term goal is is to be multi-use. Correct. >> Correct. >> So, is there any uh input to going uh artificial turf? Is that too expensive? >> It's >> I did think about it when I said that might solve the problem. I
>> I don't know. expensive. >> It's probably expensive. If you can get the grant money, it'll be amazing. It's a lot less long-term with grass and water and everything else. >> It's a lot more upkeep with the pellets though, and there is a higher risk of injury usually with turf. >> Yeah, >> I I know. I talked to someone about this
and they said that a lot of people are turning away from turf because of injury to to children. >> Um >> the heads bounce a lot easier off of the turn the grass. >> Something to be said about that. I saw I saw a nice field over in uh uh Nantucket. They had a multi-use field
like this, a football field and a soccer field all in one artificial turf. >> Mhm. >> So, it was a nice facility. Uh it was fenced in, but the whole, you know, it was multi-use for the the residents of the island. So, >> yeah. I think actually, does Bishop Stang have a combined?
>> I think they do now. the new one that they just built probably >> seven eight years ago now, but since I was there and it's turf, but I think >> it's turf and it looks it looks awesome. >> It does. >> Yeah. I I haven't talked to any coaches or so I'm not sure what the feedback is
yet on if it's increasing injuries or anything of that nature, but >> something to look into for sure and especially if we get grant money for it. >> It might help the timeline of reestablishing if >> it would not be two years. Yeah. >> Know when they construct water.
>> We wouldn't need irrigation obviously. Um >> so yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean I guess it's something else that we can kind of we can try and look into but obviously it's very money driven, right? So but that's a it's a valid bring up. Thank you. I mean, I
know before we were asked, so we'll come up with some budget numbers for the idea of, >> you know, some square foot numbers because that will help you with the phasing instead of giving I think one big ballpark number isn't going to give what the town's looking for. So, if we give square foot numbers for this, I think that can give you guys a better
idea of how to pro move forward. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Any other questions or concerns? Anyone? >> One question I had is so look at the field that that diagram to the right, right? So all the wooded area on the right hand side >> going up the hill. Anything that we talked about there is there anything any
way we can expand going up? Maybe we can put >> I don't know bleachers up there. >> Are we talking about >> in that area? Yeah. >> So with the field currently if >> correct. So where it is now it just seems tight when you're actually looking at the football field on the right side
from where the stands are to where people kind of like huddle up on the sideline up into this tree line. It just seems like there's very it's limited space there. anything you can do to expand that? >> We could. Um, but the grade change is fairly significant. As you start going into the woods, it does step up pretty
quickly. >> Um, and for seating, I don't know if it would be practical >> to make do a retaining wall or something >> over there. U, it is possible there is some area that would could be cleared, but it will only give you >> I'm throwing numbers out, but maybe 10 feet.
>> Um, so I don't know if it would be worth it for say bleachers, right? Now, with option two, we would have more room on the sides. >> I don't You don't have to go back. >> Oh, >> it'll go that way.
>> Just thinking of maximizing the space that's there. Love trees, but you know, 10 ft. I'm not sure if it's worth the uh the hassle. >> I mean, that wooded area does give you double the land. Um so in the future maybe something but it is a significant
grade change >> hence just walking trails >> unfortunately because >> I think there was a half mile of walking trails so >> proposed so it's a good amount of area to walk through. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> So
>> I appreciate it and thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Um so that was just a presentation. So there's nothing nothing to vote on. >> There's no vote today, right? >> No, >> but we can put it on one of the next meetings. >> Yeah.
>> Cool. Agenda item number two, discussion on staffing and recruitment for the boat ramp and beach for the 2026 season. we know what it is now. >> So, um I know Lan's favorite subject is always
um staffing the boat ramp and um you know, we've we've definitely had our challenges. So, I think we Thank you. So, we we've put out for everything and we haven't received anything back, right? >> Correct. >> So, thanks.
>> So, that that tells us everything we need to know, right? Unfortunately, I think it's um it's the summer, it's the weekends when we need it the most and that's the time people want to work the least. So, um you know, I think we need to be creative, maybe try different
avenues to to get help or um change pay rates. >> What's the pay rate at now? >> 18 for Yeah. 18 for the parking officers and 22 to 25 depending on experience for the manager.
And that's been a a tiered approach over the years as well. So it's part of our yearly discussion. Usually this comes up and every year we change the the right to to attract more people. But you're right, every year it's uh people don't want to enjoy their summers. Man, I I
can't blame them, right? But at the same time, we have to control and uh the parking lot and the boating on Long Pond because only x amount of boats authorized to be on Long Pond at any given time. >> Mhm. >> So people don't realize that. They think we can just throw a thousand boats on there, which is not the case.
>> We use like social media, things of that nature to try to push out the listings. >> It's been on the town's website and um Facebook, but we can look for other venues. >> Yeah. >> I mean, the alternative is not to staff it. And you have a kiosk there that
collects the the money. So, that's the alternative is to not staff it. We h we have always had staff there since I've been here. Uh, but we didn't always have the kiosk. So, I mean, that's the alternative. >> Yeah. I guess my only issue is is then
we >> if we don't staff it, do we think we're going to create other headaches down there, meaning police and fire and >> definitely >> um not fair to them. >> Well, if you remember before we started staffing it, people were parking on the roads. Yeah. >> Right. And and you'd have 20, 30, 40
trailers on the road and then people couldn't get by. And I have not to mention again there's 55 parking spots I believe in the boat ramp >> plus the people that live around the uh the whole pond. That's the limit that we have for the pond, right? Um >> well I don't know that the limit that's
the limit that's the limit we can put in through that we can give parking spaces to. But I think people will unload and then take off. But the problem is is to your point if they're taking off and they're pulling out on middle bar road and they're parking on middle bar road. That's the issue. I mean we few years
back they were parking and clearly no parking zones and >> it was bad and since co kind of died off so to speak it it it's gotten better but still not perfect. So >> everybody in their co boats went out and
bought a boat and then I started know how to drive one or operate one. So yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, I guess I'm open for >> suggestions if anyone has anything is to >> I think the only lever we really have is
to up the rate >> for now and upping the rate it's not a bad idea cuz we've done it again over the years and the kiosk money does pay for itself. So for the most part the money that we make on the kiosk or for parking does
self-govern itself for the I say high majority of the time, right? So, we have to look at those numbers again. But, yeah, that wouldn't that's probably where the best suggestion would be is increase the rate. >> Yeah. And and and the other part of it is is I I started off by calling out
Lan, which I always do every time this conversation comes up because she was always the one who has to go there, right? >> Um, you know, having a manager there that can come in and take these calls of the broken kiosk and stuff, right? Because sometimes it does go down and people
have to go in there. So, if we can have someone who's kind of in charge who can help with that, then that would be good as well. >> Yeah. >> Um, so I don't know. So, you guys want to start by trying to increase the rate?
>> Yeah, cuz we want like college kids, right? That's kind of our our like I don't know if we >> we had a combo of both years like UMass, Dartmouth. I don't know. I mean, I'm trying to think it's a hard it's a hard cell. The hours are tough as you. Yeah.
>> So our our the person we had for manager for years, well I guess two three years now is a college person, right? She was in she was started off here as an attendant and then went to college, came back, became the manager. Um we had two managers so that they can take vacation time as well for the most part. The
other one the other people there were I think high school students. >> Yeah. >> Right. So I know we can't lower the age. We know that we want to right cuz it is a tough job. People go on the boat, they have a good time, they come back, they get a little mouthy at times, right? Let's face it, right? Or they forget how
to back up a trailer or or choice worth to a teenager. I mean, we want any of that. So, we do need a combination of probably both, right? An adult as well as a you know, regular employment. So, yeah, it's tough every year. It's our
yearly discussion. >> It is. It's it's a tough one. And I don't know that there's a right answer but to your point is yeah we we we started doubling up the employees because of situations right so >> all right so should we talk about rates we want to do
>> I mean so for 18 now for the non-manager position >> that's what that's what we pay now >> should we go like what do you think >> 20 >> we don't have a vote on the agenda so I don't know if we >> okay I think we just have to my
suggestion would be that >> would be >> on a future agenda we just have a you know increase that scale and try and then >> I I would I also think you know it's a little early like people probably aren't thinking about this yet we might >> we're more likely to you know people coming home from school and things of that nature
>> also consider as well is the conversations we've had over the years is also the having the person at the ramp also kind of bounce back and forth to the beach >> right so um that is that's also part of the conversation is are we doing again
this year having both right or do we have one person there then one person over at the ramp and that's the discussion we have to have so as we think about that >> we need the staffing right and I think that unfortunately we need the the staffing there initially because that's really where some of the stuff happens
but I do like the idea and you know the the police department's been very good about going back and forth and knowing right >> um so >> and once we have power down there right we can add additional if needed cameras and things like that to be able to keep an eye on things to help out police department, but for right now, no power
staff is probably >> Yeah. >> best idea. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, yeah, it's I mean, the only other thing I can think of is is there a way to get it out to I don't know, most colleges or anything. >> There's a a device called Handshake that
we're enrolled in for free and it gets us out to like all of the area colleges. So, I'll put a blast out on that. >> Thank you. That's great. It can't hurt to try. >> Yep. >> All right. So, I >> have a question. Is there is there a requirement? Are you requiring the employees or potential employees to be
CPR, AED certified and all that stuff? >> No. No. >> No. >> Well, there is some training that they receive from the police department as far as how to write a ticket or or citation of things like that. And there's also some training how to use the kiosk. Yeah. >> Um, so there's a little bit, but uh CPR, no, we we're not hands-on onto the
water. Once that job is strictly pavement or or dirt. As soon as you touch the water, that's environmental police. >> Yep. Okay. >> All right. That's that's for me. It's on to you, sir. >> Thank you. All right. So, moving on. We're jump into agenda item three. >> This is discussion of vote whether to
accept uh some donations. So, A through E in the agenda here. So, A is the paint and sip and comedy nights are the sum of $260. So, they provided the donation there. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Awesome. Uh, stop and shop in support of annual Earth Day cleanup in the sum of $1,000.
Borges Brothers Trucking in support of annual Earth Day cleanup in the sum of $500. Bradford Steel in support of annual Earth Day cleanup in the sum of $100. Um, and in support of the AP tax prep and uh at the council on aging from
Steven Vincent in the sum of $50 and David Jaclyn Brown in the sum of $100. So, first of all, thank you everyone for the donations. Really appreciate it. Um, and with that, I'll entertain a motion to accept the donations listed A through E in the agenda. >> A motion made. I second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> I. >> All right. Agenda item four, discussion of vote whether to host a spring summer community exercise series at Hathaway Park. Let's come on down. >> Or if you have a microphone, you can
stay there. It's up to you. If you have a microphone, you can stay there. >> We'll come close to you. >> All right. Great. >> These glasses only work so >> Yeah. So, I was looking to have yoga in the park again and Zumba in the park. Something that I would do like on like
off seasons. Mh. >> Um, but I also wanted to add like a self-defense course and like um a strength training exercise course, too. I wasn't too sure about where the summer concert series is going to end up. So, I figured might as well do like a
minieries of exercise. It's really well loved. Um, if anything anything's like the weather today, people are thinking about going outside. So, >> absolutely. >> Yeah. I think >> what are the costs, Kylie? Do you have that?
>> It ranges from like $50 to $100 per class. >> Yeah. >> For which ones? For all of them, for everything listed basically. >> Yeah, for yoga and Zumba, that's usually around $50. Um, and I haven't checked in
entirely with um the self-defense course yet. I did spoke to um there's a karate studio that we were actually going to have participate in the um movie night. We did Karate Kid and he was willing to
show up and do a demonstration, but the time didn't work out. But he mentioned saying that he wanted to do something for the community and talked about his self-defense course. So, I've been kind of keeping him in mind. >> Is that McFale Academy? >> Yes, it is. >> Jesse's a good guy. >> I could also just make my brother do it. My brother's
>> bring fighters in. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Does both I like the idea of a self-defense class. I mean, you should also reach out to the chief cuz he's talked about that too. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Coordinate with him. >> Yeah, I think it's a great idea.
>> Yeah. Self-defense is all is Yeah, >> I think it' be a big hit. >> I think so, too. >> Yeah. So, um we I mean, so we don't have dates obviously times, right? We don't have to vote on that today, I don't think. But this is just more trying to get support from the board. Okay. So
that so I'll enter a motion to um host the spring summer community exercise series including yoga um exercise in general and the self-defense um at Hathway Park with dates to be decided later on. >> Motion made. >> I second that. >> All in favor? >> I
>> I thank you. And then the um how how are those the courts looking? I haven't been down there since the snow. Can you see them yet? >> Yeah, >> I haven't seen them now. >> All covered in snow. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> The new the mean pickup court. >> Yeah. I saw pictures of it, but I haven't seen I haven't
>> I think it's all I think it's all set. I think we're going to bring the net over there. You got to get that over there. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And then I'm anxious to see somebody use it. >> Yeah, that's that's >> So, >> all right. Great. Okay. Then moving on. So, agenda item five discussion on
setting up possible programs that may help seniors during catastrophic events. It's a tricky one. >> I know. figured we'd just start the conversation. Yeah. >> Um >> it's interesting because we're having this conversation tonight and it's 60
degrees today. Um but a few weeks ago the situation was very very different very different for a lot of people. So um >> I just I just wanted to speak a little bit more about kind of it felt very good to have a plan or a
plan B or a plan A when we when we had that snowstorm. And I just kind of want to come up with a plan that the board is okay with rather than just putting something together on a whim because we're in a state of emergency and
something needs to happen. >> Um it worked out but I don't know if it was the best plan and unfortunately I didn't have the time or anything you know. >> Yeah. Um maybe I'm not speaking
>> I knowly but it was you know everybody was going through it but it was for older adults. I think we have a very unique challenge in this town um with these driveways. Um you know I come from Fall River. We you know tenants, landlords, they're taking care of their
properties, small driveways. Um you go out here, we have three, four, 500 foot driveways with 80 and 90 year olds and absolutely nobody to help them. >> Um we have a very unique challenge um here in Freetown. So and we were coming
up against it. We ended up helping 12 residents clear their driveways. Um and again, I don't know the the plan. We were lucky enough that we had a business in town that reached out to us um that was willing to put older adults first
and and prioritize helping them. And that is really the only reason why we were able to um we were able to refer them somewhere. We were able to get them some help because they were calling in. They were panicking. >> Uh there was so much panic um in their
voices because they had to get their medicine. and they had to get their home health aids into the house. They had to It was every reason that you could think of. Um, so I just thought it would be nice to have something to turn to rather than coming up with something on my own that
may or may not be appropriate. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's it we we had the meeting right ahead of that storm and we talked about Yeah. And we talked about everything and guess what? basically everything we talked about happened and um but but at
least we had the to your point is we we had it might not have been a perfect plan but we had a plan in place right so Carl was on the meeting I'm not trying to call him out but he was there and you know talking about things and as well as you so it's nice to have plans in place so um
>> like yeah >> sorry >> no please you're not >> what I'm thinking like just to start is like if we get a list of the folks who think they're going to you know put themselves on a and then we try to find pair them up with someone who's, you know, who is
willing to go help them out. There's there's going to have to be some kind of like release of liability though, right? Cuz I can understand how someone might not want to go, you know, dig someone's driveway out and if they mess up their driveway, then they're on the hook when they're just trying to do some the right thing, right? So that's something else we have to have council look at. But
there's got to be a solution here, right? >> I think, you know, it's interesting. Some towns do some towns put up lists some town and just ask for people like res like people that are in a certain area of the neighborhood, you know, um could you go help your neighbors there?
There's every every town does some something different. It's not there. It's not a one-sizefits-all. And >> the I think it really depends on the like the inches of snow. >> Yeah. Because you know, Chief Ashley spoke with a local scout leader and the
scouts would be willing to go out and shoveling and and things of that nature. You couldn't shovel this. >> This required this you couldn't even plow this. >> Um so it required big machinery. This was something we were, you know, this is probably a once in a, you know, whatever. >> We'll say decade. We'll see. We'll say
decade. >> But I think, you know, depending on inches of snow, I think there are different plans potentially that could be put in place with high schoolers, potentially with troop, you know, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, whatever. Um, so anyways, I I just would like to start
probably putting some sort of plan together before next year. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> hopefully before next year. and and >> hopefully I don't have to think about this again, but >> like Matthews brought up a good point, right? Because then it all has to go through council and it's it's awful that that that's where our mind has to go,
but it's the truth, right? So, what liability are we putting on not just the residents or but the town, >> right, and the business owners. >> And you add it you add a whole another layer to it. But everybody was like, you don't have a list. You don't have a list like a Facebook list. I'm like, I'm not
sending somebody from Facebook >> to your house. I have no idea where this is, right? >> You know, they could so many scams. So many. That's what I was thinking too. It's like, well, like we're if we put if we made this list public. It's like then we're pretty much putting a public a
list out there of probably folks who are, you know, very vulnerable, living by themselves, like that could be used for >> Exactly. >> Yeah. Exactly. We're putting a list. I know. I don't think there's an easy answer to this. Um, >> right. That's a conversation we had with Chief Rose. I had talked to him the
following day and a lot of people call dispatch asking for plow services like well that's not what dispatch is for. >> But I can see why residents are calling dispatch or calling here to say hey who can we call? >> So he and I talked like trying to create a list. That's the issue we ran into.
It's like well who are these people? Like we don't want to send them there without knowing prices and everything else. We also don't want to get price gouged. That that was happening as well. >> It was happening storm. It's something. But the basic things we can do is get a list of local people probably in my head
and I'm going neighbors are probably first and foremost able neighbors are probably the ones you want to reach out to first, right? But then we have to get get in touch with them. They have to take care of their own property and then someone else's property. And so it is a hopefully one in a lifetime situations.
You know, last time was 1978, 2026. We had some good years in between. Hopefully that's the same thing. But getting lists together for local people probably not a bad idea because we had thought about the idea of hiring shovelers for town properties, right? So again, it goes back into what uh Zer is
saying about liability and everything else. So >> good that we're thinking about it now, but we have to maybe reach out to other towns, maybe other COAs, see what they're doing. >> They didn't. >> No. Okay. So we'll be the first >> interject here. >> Sure. >> As town clerk and ethics liaison, I
would caution it. My mother's 94 years old. She was calling me from a different city in town. They couldn't get out. They never got clouded out. All the neighbors got together. But I would just caution um it was a once in 50 year thing, a once in a 100redy year blizzard. But to have a referral list, I
think that there might be a question of some type of state ethics there and companies. >> Well, I wouldn't call it referral. I would call it a hey, here's the list of we we've had these are people we know we've we've used. Go ahead and contact on your own. Right. >> Not us. I know with us in Town Park, we're very cautious not to make any
referrals and you feel bad for folks. Um, but I would just I would just like to set that little light there to keep that in the back of everyone's mind. >> Yeah. And that's why I was saying talking to town council >> because then it's now it's we live in a
small town. >> Folks are related in so many different ways. Disclosure forms. It's just I would just like to hear that. >> Yeah. And that's why I was saying council, you know, and and selecting Matthews brought it up as well and and
all three of us actually. So, you know, points. Yeah, >> it's a great idea and this is probably the best case scenario having set list, but there is some vetting in between between concept which is discussion and then finality. There's a lot of in between and something we have to iron out and we agree with you. It's we don't
want to put the town the COA >> but we still want to help. >> Correct. At the end of the day, we want to help because one thing that we the one biggest takeaway that I can say from the storm is our town showed up. >> Residents, people, businesses, they showed up and when we needed help, we reached out. They came to our to our
aid. Um, and that's something that that's the big takeaway that I see. Right. >> They were looking for help. >> Correct. >> You know, and when dispatch is calling you wondering what your plan is, >> right? >> That's not a a wonderful feeling. You feel like you need to come up with something. So, I'm just bringing it to
you guys as a concern for next year. And >> yeah, hopefully we'll have some I think it's something we'll Yeah, I'll try to talk about earlier, you know. >> Oh, come on. >> If you do any research and find find anything that works, I think we're very interested. I don't think we have any solutions right now, though, unfortunately. >> Heated driveways. >> Yeah. I wish I would have done that.
>> Yeah. I'm not speaking for the veterans agent, but isn't there a a veterans program that is done through the town where you can contact the veterans agent to see if a veteran is willing to come out, sign up for the program that can help out uh you know, wherever they need
their expertise is needed. >> Yes, the town does have the veterans workoff program, but again, that is painting a town hall versus plowing someone's personal driveway. So there's again that fine line that we have to kind of have to go down into the weeds to see where where we can begin and
where we end and and and you're right there we have those programs but we're not there yet. Um but definitely something that we've have on the back of our heads going use whatever roots we have available to us and make sure we run the ground and make sure we're doing it the right way because we do want to
help but at the same time we have to make sure the castle or not the castle but the town is is surviving at the end of the day. But >> yeah, no, we we agree. I think in principle, I think it's a great idea. Great discussion point. >> Thank you very much.
>> Yeah. Thank you. >> So next up here we have discussion vote in the future of the community program department. >> So I I asked I put this on the agenda because Kylie um who's the current program director had come and spoke uh
with me regarding some of the challenges with running the department. And so I think that based on that discussion and and I think um she's here tonight to go over some of them that I had concerns for the whole program and it's a it's a it's a bigger discussion on how we move
forward with the program. So that's why I asked her to come here tonight um and just have the discussion because I'm not sure the program is sustainable. And then to add to that, of course, with some of the budget constraints,
uh, does it make sense to continue the program? Although I will say residents love the program. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to you and ask for you to explain as you did to me to the board about your constraints and how difficult it was to do all the programming that you were doing.
>> Yeah, of course. and and I welcome the challenge, but it it gets to a point where I'm kind of heavily relying on my family um and my significant other to like do the job with me because I have no help. I'm offsite majority of the
time when I am doing programs. It's late and it's after hours, weekends, you know, and I'm I'm totally alone. So when I'm struggling to do all that and and transport things by myself, I'm like, "God, I can't I could possibly do
it by myself." So I'm calling my mom, calling my dad, call my fiance. I'm like, "Please, can you get here? Like I can't my car can't fit anything to begin with. So to go back and forth and lift all these heavy stuff and set up and break down and and plan it all by
myself, it just becomes like way too overwhelming. And when there's a situation where there's an emergency, like for example, um there was one time I had Nicole with me and we were at the
park setting up for the movie night and our car broke down in the the middle of the park. I'm like, what do I do? No one's around. So, I'm calling my dad. I'm like, can you please like help me jump start it? It got to the point where we had to push the car out of the
parking lot to get to move it because the event was happening. Like, what would I have possibly done if my dad wasn't here? Yeah. >> You know, and it's I'm running into these situations more often where I'm just constantly relying on them and it's not fair to them.
>> Yeah. No, I understand. >> Or the blood drive when you were definitely ill and you were like laying there on the table and there was nobody to help you. >> That one too. >> Give less blood. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I think there's a lot of props, a lot of stuff that has to be moved out of
storage that is over here to the park. You don't have a truck, you just have a car. So, that's it's it's she has to borrow a vehicle from family members to move the props and whatnot. So, there was a lot more to it. A lot of it you were doing at your house and your your
family garage. So, there was a lot involved, I think, that we weren't really thinking too much about. >> Yeah. >> And like the the trailer I'm sorry to cut you off. the trailer, too. Like, it's nice to store, but it's so difficult to open, especially in the winter. Like, for a while, I didn't have
a light either. So, I'd be going at night throwing my body into it to open it. >> And it's just like >> alone, it's it's a lot. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. You got big muscles, right? >> Trying to work on them.
I mean, and and do we not think we have the budget or the ability to hire an additional resource to help? >> I think we tried to kind of give her some part-time help at the tail end of last year and that was not really the same. I mean, you you know, we're using
high school kids, they don't have vehicles, they don't, you know, so um that's the question, right? People love the program. I I think the question is and and and I mean correct me if I'm misstating this, but you're leaving that
position. You did not want to do that come July one. >> So So she is leaving that position. So the question is, do you want to hire a a new uh program community director and then some part-time staff? Like >> I'm not I'm I'm I was at a conundrum,
right? And that's why I brought it here because I don't have necessarily the answer to this problem. >> I know that Kylie was frustrated and Kylie, you know, she has a degree. She she wants to move in a different direction. >> Um, so I thought, well, let's while she's
still here, give you get give you a good understanding of the program. I think it was fabulous. We had all the concerts. We had yoga. We had Zumba, paint nights, comedy nights, um, many other things. The the movie nights. I mean, there's just a lot that she brought to the
community, and I think people like that, that sense of community, but it may require more staff than what we currently have it staffed at. And again, I'm not going to keep saying that, but the budget's getting tighter, as you
know. So, um, it's sort of a point where we can go one way or another right now and I don't know which makes the most sense and and it's not a decision you necessarily have to make tonight, but if we're going to replace Kylie in that role, then it's something I want to
start advertising for so that I can transition >> um, >> a new person into that. Is there any way that you can, and I'm sorry to throw this on your lap, but who knows better than you, to say what your sticking points were by each thing, right? To
say, "Okay, when we did concerts in the band stand, like how many hours did you put into that?" Was that very was that a hard ask for you to do versus the amount of people, right? Because then maybe it makes sense for us to look and say, "Well, geez, she's putting in 15 hours
worth of work between setup and takedown. and 10 people showed up. It's really not an efficient use of your time. And then that way we can look at it and say, well, yeah, you know what, the band stand, the concerts is arguably probably the biggest event that you do, right?
So, if we're going to get people, that should be our first thing to go after, right? And say, okay, what's what do we do to get people to work this? Because it's it's not fair to you, right? or any one individual to be doing that much
especially at night and unlit situations is not fair. So I'm sorry that you dealt you did that. >> So So if you could just kind of put that down on paper for us and then I think we could look at it a little bit. I'm not asking you to write out a bible of it but just kind of give it then we can
look at it a little more in depth. >> Yeah. Yeah. Because the program is fairly new. you you've done an admirable job over the years putting keeping it together and and expanding the scope of what we decided right what we discussed originally so as we move forward you know I know we tried getting more people
and again same issue with the boat ramp right it's just hard to find really the worker bees to kind of move back and forth right so as we move forward how do we improve the position not just position but also the scope of what we're doing because we want more people
to show up but more people means more things to do, right? So, like like uh like said, let's brainstorm of pros and cons of each uh event and what can we do better moving forward, right? >> Um even now while you're still in the
position for next couple of months, right? Let's maximize that and um let's see what we can do because >> it could be even staging stuff in different places or whatever, right? Like having, you know, us kind of all sit down and talk about it might make sense. >> Yeah. Um, like I said, please do not
waste a ton of time. I don't want to say waste, but do not use, you know, 10 hours of your time trying to write this out. I just would like to be able to look at it. I'm a visual person, right? So, like with that stuff to go read it, you know, >> maybe even a centralized location for
all of them versus having it at different events, different locations, right? Like the halfway like the band stand, great location, but parking is a nightmare. Not really much area to do things yet at, right? Maybe have it somewhere more centralized that we can have a shed. Maybe when we have power to
the bo the the beach area, maybe that's the area we do everything on. We have a conx container or a shed there that where everything belongs and lives. Things like that. Ideas to throw out there, right? >> And that was kind of one of the ideas of putting this the stage down there, right, was for the concerts and
hopefully be able to do some concerts there. We would have additional parking. We would have lighting. The person would be on the stage. So hopefully you know we would have storage there albeit not enough but we can add some additional storage and then we can you know take it from there.
>> One of the things I I don't believe any concerts have been booked right for the summer. So I think that's one of the directions that if you want to have concerts and I don't know who work them but Kylie's willing to book them but do you want to book them if we don't know
who's going to run them? Yeah, I think we need to I think we need to figure out if we're going to have someone there first because then it's going to fall on people's laps where it doesn't belong and it's not going to be done >> to the level at which Kylie did them. So, >> one of the things that I had suggested because we had trouble with the food
trucks last year is that possibly we get um different charities, right? like say the Lions Club cuz this came about after July 4th because they storm of course took out everybody's stuff on July 4th and they had all this leftover food and
everything. Like maybe they come and say, "Okay, we're going to sponsor this concert. We're going to bring our booths and we're going to >> they're already like mobilized and they can >> cook food and and make money off of it. They sell their food but make money. Uh, I know the firefighters association ha
has a, you know, could maybe do I'm just throwing ideas out like they would sponsor and they would help set up and break down. Yeah. >> As a as a as and then they could maybe potentially earn some charitable stuff from sponsoring a night and give everybody a turn, you know, so it's
fair. But that was just an idea that I thought of after >> if we can help all local nonprofits or whatever, Girl Scouts or whatever. Girl Scouts Tuesday club. Whoever wants to do one, >> we have Girl Scouts next year. So, >> yes.
>> So, that was that was that. So, >> sounds like further discussion is needed. Uh probably offline um and then um reconvene, have this discussion again, kind of go forward over here. We appreciate everything you've done. Um we we definitely get a lot of feedback from everyone that's attended these events
and they love them, right? The goal is to get more people, right? Uh, so how do we expand it without driving ourselves crazy at the same time? All right. >> Awesome. >> You get it? Well, thank you. So, we're not going to vote today, but we'll we'll have something soon.
>> Thank you. >> All right. >> Of course. >> So, yeah, we're going to go out of order cuz the Girl Scouts are here. So, um, Zer, I'm going to kick it down to you for agenda item uh 11. >> Correct. >> Thank you. All right. Uh, so agenda item
number 11, presentation. I >> just give it. >> Yeah, bring them in for a second. >> Let's do it. Sugared up. Ready to go. >> Sorry, Cheryl. You almost got there. One generate them away for your
>> He wants to see the Girl Scouts, too. >> I figured. >> I was going to say, how can you not? >> Mhm. >> All right. Where are the cookies? >> Thank you. >> It's all right. It's all right. My my belly will thank me. >> Want to be perceived as driving. >> That's right.
>> But rest assured, we'll be making our rounds across town soon enough. Does anyone need a copy of the presentation? >> Sure. If you printed them out, I'll take one. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. Yeah. Okay. >> All right. >> Excellent. >> All right. So, I'm just going to call out the thing and then I'll I'll hand it over to you. >> Sure. >> So, agenda item number 11, presentation
from the Girl Scouts Troop 762000 on water safety station at Hathaway Park. So, welcome. >> Excellent. Thank you so much for having us. My name is Michelle Hec. I am the troop leader um of this troop representing both Freetown and
Lakeville. Um and I'm going to have them introduce themselves before we get into the presentation. We're going to start down the end with Bella. If you girls could just share your name and what town you live in and maybe what school you go to.
Um, my name is Isabella Hernandez and I live in Lakeville. I'm in fifth grade and go to Grace Grace Intermediate School. >> Hi, I'm Audrey Caro. I live in a Sona. I
um go to Grace Intermediate School and I am fifth grade. Hi, my name is Bea Ellis. I go to I live in a Sona and I go to Grace Intermediate School and I'm in fifth grade. Hi, my name is Nora Hec. I'm in fifth grade.
I live in Lakeville and I go to Grace Intermediate School. >> Hi, my name is Madison Caro and I am in Hi, my name is Madison Caro and I'm in G to Gay inter school and I'm in fifth grade.
>> Awesome. Good job. >> Welcome ladies. Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, so we brought forth a presentation today and we'd love to just go through the first few slides and then certainly happy to answer any questions. Um, we're going to start with
Bella and if I could direct your attention to the first slide. I see we have it on display here. There we go. Thank you so much, Bella. Over to you. >> Introduction. We are members of Girl Scout Troop 762000 representing Freetown and Lakeville. We
are junior girl scouts pursuing our bronze a community initiative where we identify a need plan a sustainable solution and take action to make the lasting impact. As girl scouts our mission is to make the world a better place and it all
starts with safety statement. Um Freetown and Lakeville have the most fresh water of any other towns in Massachusetts. This makes our community very special. a place where you can swim, fish, boat, or just enjoy
the beauty. However, there is little to no water safety structures available to help keep our community safe. This puts people, children, and pets at risk of dangerous such as drowning and sunburns.
Our solution, we propose installing a waterfront safety station at Hathway Park. The station would include life vests, a life ring, sunblock dispenser, and other helpful emergency and water safety information. We would build and install the station. Our troop would ensure the station had ample supplies
through a three three-year maintenance plan where we would visit and inspect the station monthly and replenish supplies as needed during the summer months. If approved, we would like to install the station at the beginning of May and promote it with a water safety awareness campaign throughout the month
of May, which is National Water Safety Month. To shape our solution, we spoke to a number of local experts to seek their guidance. Freetown selectman Jared Zagger, Freetown Building Commissioner Carl Bizaro, Freetown Certified
Lifeguard Charlotte Carvalo, and many other people from Lakeville. We are seeking your approval to first build and install a water safety station at Hathaway Park, which would include water safe sunscreen, water safe
sunscreen dispensers, life vest, and a life ring. Two, agree that our Girl Scout troop would m will maintain the water safety station by replenishing or any missing or broken items for a period at least 3
years. Third, installing signage on the station, which would include helpful information such as how to wear a life vest and what to do in the event of an emergency. Four, participate in our ribbon cutting ceremony to kick off the
water safety awareness campaign in early May. >> The remainder of the slides are are appendex for your reference, but we welcome any questions you have. And great job, girls. This is awesome. Yeah, you guys put a lot of work into this.
>> They started this effort um last summer. Um they started to interview people in the community that they knew and ask questions to help even decide what they would work on. And um the number one thing that everybody came back with was how special Lake Bill and Freetown are
because of all the water. So, >> yeah. Right. So, are we thinking about putting this down near like where the kayak racks are? Is that the idea? >> Yep. Right down there. We went down with Carl and scoped it out. Um, and that seemed like a great place. >> Yeah. Carl, any any uh
>> So, this is a First of all, big round of applause for these. >> We've been meeting with Michelle and the young ladies for quite a while and Z. So this is a perfect spot. We have a boat ramp. We just put a a area for young people to fish off. There's a fence. So
it's a perfect place to put information like that. So if nobody uses it, they're reminded of sunscreen. They're reminded of life vest. They're reminded of all those things on the on that display. So excellent job. I hope it's going to be a big success. And everybody else copies your ideas. So good work.
One of the added benefits of a project like this is the girls have gotten a sense of all the people in the community and the different roles they play. So, a big shout out to Carl who definitely has been very generous with generous with his time. Select Zerger as well. Very appreciative. Thank you. >> Thank you. It's awesome. This stuff puts
a smile on your face, right? So, >> yes, with not so good news we often have to contend with as adults. Topics like this more in my heart. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Do you guys have any questions or anything else for them? >> Oh, this is great cuz you know I'm a
pretty pasty white guy, right? Like although I'm Portuguese, I burn like you wouldn't believe. So having sunscreen cuz I always forget is going to save my life. So thank you for that. >> And I saw one for for a dog too. I'm a dog lover. So that'd be awesome to see a dog paddling around. Right. All right. So what happens if you get there and
you're out of materials? Do you is there a supply area? Like are you having businesses donate to you? How do you guys refill? Let's say let's say someone takes your life jackets. What do you plan on doing? >> Um >> we've talked about that. I think Bella wants to respond to that question, right?
>> Well, we're going to replenish it like about like every month or so and we're going to maintain it for at least 3 years. And >> when so hopefully we'll see that >> when you see the girls out selling
cookies, this is an example of where those dollars go. >> Yep. And so those dollars are going to be used to help pay for the supplies, which have gotten more costly since we started this project. Um, but they will help pay for the supplies. And they've got some ideas. What's another thing you're going to look to be selling
around town that we were just talking about? Go ahead, Bria. >> We were talking about selling um paracord keychains cuz it also supports safety. >> Yeah. All right. >> Just forgot what I was going to say. >> Good idea. Well, they have like a a whistle on them.
>> That's a good idea, Miss Michelle. string float or something. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Usually salt has a comfort maybe like >> I imagine there'll be a wide range of options to choose from. Perfect. >> My guess >> cuz I can imagine there's a lot of
people watching from home, right? And they're going to be like, "How do I support? Can I donate things to you? What if I have extra life vests and I want to donate to you?" >> Um, they have to be a specific kind. >> Specific kind. >> Okay. They have learned through their research that um the guidelines for life jackets have actually been modified in
the past couple years. So we would just make sure it met the standard, but if it did, we would happily accept donations. >> Excellent. Maybe we could put something up on our website to direct them to towards you or provide information so that we can coordinate together in case anybody has any questions.
>> Good idea. >> Great. >> Do we have a website designer? >> All right, we'll add it to your roles. All right. I think it's a great idea. >> Yeah. I'm excited. >> Yeah. >> Do we have to move to a motion? >> I think. Yeah.
>> Yes. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, the next thing is I don't know how this one's going to go. Uh, agenda item number 12, discussion and vote whether to approve the installation of the water safety station at Hathaway
Park. Um, so I entertain a motion to approve the installation of the water safety station at Hathaway Park. >> I'll make that motion. I'll second that motion. >> All in favor? >> I I >> Congratulations. Congrats. >> Need some hog hats and tools now, right?
>> Good job, girls. Well done. And thank you so much. Great idea. I love it. >> We'll be in touch on the ribbon cutting details. >> All right. I look forward to it. >> By the way, I love the color orange on the chair. I'm a big orange fan. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome.
>> All right. >> 2 minutes. >> Just going to pause for one moment. >> No trace. Grab our papers. >> See that? Now I can tell my wife I need to buy more cookies cuz the hydration station. >> Happy to help there.
>> Happy meeting. Take care guys. Thank you guys. We appreciate it. You're so cute. >> Thank you. Thank you guys. Such a beautiful just It >> was so warm outside that I didn't bring
a jack in. And thankfully I had this thing in my car. >> Yeah. I don't know. >> Yeah. I have to point out today that was my thing was saying 67 in the car. I had to roll down the windows. I was like, "How do I turn off the heat? It just wouldn't go off." >> You know, even my son was like, "Dad,
remember about a week and a half ago, >> it was like this much snow and now there's nothing on the ground." All if you go on the highway, there's nothing left. >> All right, ready to move on, sir. >> Okay, moving on to agenda item seven. So, discussion of vote whether to
adopt the warrant for the April 6, 2026 annual local town election and to direct the town clerk to um have said warrant duly advertised and posted in accordance with the bylaws of the town of Freetown and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And as always, Cheryl has been very kind
and gave us a suggested motion. Makes our lives a lot easier. Anything else you want to talk about this election, Cheryl, before you do that? >> Uh, thank you so much for the time. Uh, normally I come with a presentation, but I know time was tight tonight. So, just for an update, um, the specimen ballot
for the annual town election was posted on the website last Thursday. We did mail out uh 23 absentee ballots. And as you remember and recall, uh we did approve vote by mail for this um upcoming election. So we have about 315 ballots across all three precincts that
will be going out in the mail tomorrow. So hopefully we'll get those returned and it'll be a successful and well attended um election. So I'm just looking for a proposed motion to um accept the warrant and get it posted. And that would be all. Okay.
>> And then are all uh open positions did people return papers for all of those or >> So we do have quite a few um positions with no candidates. Um the only position currently that is contested is the Freetown School
Committee um race. So we have two seats available with three folks running for that position. >> Okay. >> Interesting. Good problem to have for that position. All right. So, here's the motion. So, um I hereby move that the board of
selectman adopt the warrant for the April 6, 2026 annual town election and direct town clerk to have said warrant duly advertised and posted in accordance by the bylaws of the town of Freetown and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Do I have that motion? >> Motion made. We have a second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I.
>> All right. Now, moving on to agenda item eight. Uh discussion of vote whether to declare the children's table and chairs from the library as surplus and to dispose of them at the transfer station. And these chairs ginger tables look
they've seen better days. Any concerns of this everybody? They're kind of like antique looking actually. >> Yeah. >> I mean someone might want those. >> Well used they're put at the transfer station. Yep. one of the uh tables I believe Bob made. >> Yeah.
>> For the for the children. >> Well, Bob, do you want it back? >> It was It was at the Sonet Library and it was a children's table for the reading area. >> Yeah, they're like like round um tables. They look They do look cool.
>> I wonder if we can have maybe have her put them out at the swap. I don't know. She's going to I think show you a picture of them. >> I think they're from the James White. Are they from the gym? They might be. Yeah. >> Yeah. Swap sh is what I was thinking as well because there's plenty of, you know, other programs that might need them. Even at home, people that uh
homeschool, we could use them. So >> there was once an adultsized table and the legs were cut to make it a pint- sized. >> So So they and they got new chair tables and chairs. That's why they're going to get rid of it. >> I mean, I think we we could, you know, at the transfer station if we want to
bring there, you know, there's a section that people can take >> the swap shop. Yeah. So, swap. Okay. >> Okay. >> Is that what it's called? The swap shop. >> Yes, sir. >> I was close. >> My uncle goes there a lot and stuff. >> All right. So, with that, I'll entertain
a motion um to declare the children's table and chairs from the uh library surplus and to bring them to the transfer station for the swap shed. >> Motion made. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Moving on to agenda item nine. Discussion of vote whether to
approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and vertical communications for town hall phones. I think it was like it's like $300 a month. >> Y 308 >> 308 but then went to the taxes and whatnot it goes to 420. >> Of course.
>> Yep. >> All right. It doesn't seem like there's much we can do about this. >> Yeah. It's pretty much what we're paying now. >> Okay. >> Very little increase. >> Any questions or concerns? >> No. >> All right. All right. So with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and vertical communications for town hall phones for 712026 through 6:30
2029. >> Motion made second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Agenda item 10, discussion of vote whether approve the uh Maya Health Benefits Trust renewal proposal for 712026 through 6:30 2027 pending health
advisory committee approval. just the rates that >> the rates came in at 5.07% increase over last year which is actually a >> low comp comparison. Um the vote is due
to Maya by April 1st. So unfortunately we're having this meeting before the insurance advisory committee has met. However, there are no real proposed changes to anything. So, I'm not expecting to have um an issue with them
approving the rates. So, I figured I'd get it before you subject to them approving it. If there's an issue, we'll we'll bring it back. But >> All right. >> Sense. >> Any questions or concerns? >> No. >> Makes sense. >> All right. So, with that, we send a motion to approve the Maya Health Benefits Trust renewal proposal for 7126
through 6:30 2027 pending the health advisory committee approval. >> Motion made. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. That being said, I just want to mention that our health insurance budget is the third largest budget. Well, the fourth. We have the school, the police,
fire, and then this budget. So, it's a big 5% is a big number. >> Yeah. >> But as health insurance goes, it's >> last year. What was it? It was like >> I was I don't know 10 or 11. Was it >> I remember it being like a absurd jump. >> You know, a family plan is almost $3,000.
A single plan is around 1,200, I think. And there are different tiers, but most had originally told us it would be over a 10% increase this year, right? So that's why they 10 to 15%. So when we see 5%, we're actually excited. >> Yeah, >> just sad. True.
>> Yeah, it's true. >> Okay, >> true story. >> So moving on. So we already took care of agenda items 11 and 12, so I'm going to jump down to agenda item 13. discussion to vote whether to authorize Lakeville Police radio equipment to be
attached to the tower at the Freetown Police Department. >> Yeah. Uh thank thank you for uh the prompt attention to this. So, thank you, chief. Thank you to the town administrator for getting this before you so quickly. Uh we've recently been
made aware that uh the tower at Milbbor Road and Morton Road is being decommissioned. We actually have microwave equipment on that tower for uh Lakeville Police and Lakeville Fire. Uh so we're exploring what our options are and it was brought to our attention that
it could be feasible that or our equipment would work if we had our microwave equipment on the tower here at the uh at the police station. Um there's more options that you know that we can explore. So, we're just kind of looking to see uh before we proceed if we could
even explore an option of having our equipment placed on your tower. >> Yeah, thank you. >> Yeah, this was uh something that was near and dear to our heart recently, right? We the chief will tell you how much we went through trying to figure all this out. So, um yeah, obviously if
this this someone we want to be able to use our tower, it's you. So, >> yeah, I don't see any problem, Chief. I mean, what are your thoughts on this? Listen, uh, Lakeville Police Department and the Freetown Police Department work closely together. Um, we share the school system. We know that, uh, when
mutual aid is, uh, needed, we back, uh, one another up. Uh, why not support, uh, our neighboring community with communications as well. So, I'm definitely in support of it. I'm not a radio guy. I don't know the uh, specifics with it. Um, but uh, I would
think that the tower that we designed here can support extra equipment. So obviously I would recommend if we're going to go, you know, do this adventure, we do it right and have the professionals uh, you know, put it together. >> Yeah. >> Make a presentation. >> Yeah. And I think this vote is just
really if we're comfortable moving forward, then there's going to be some kind of agreement I'm assuming that we'll have to sign with, you know. >> Yeah. I think that my uh, you know, talking with the chief is that the time constraints are kind of limited. you have a few months to possibly make a decision and and there are steps that
will need to be taken because our equipment is on the tower. The tower was designed to hold other equipment. The goal was always to, you know, rent that at least that space out. >> Um, but that we might need a engineer that radio specialty like we had when we
were looking for our towers to look at our tower, make sure that the equipment is placed where it needs to be placed in order to not interrupt our radio equipment. So those things take time. So that's why I kind of wanted to quickly get it before you so that we can get to the next steps and start working on
them. Um discuss are we going to charge, are we not going to charge? Um do we do we get an engineer to look at this so that we get the equipment placed correctly onto the tower. I'll just remind you we're paying for both of our towers. We're paying around $1,400 a
month for the tower in Berkeley and for the tower in East Freedtown. So just so you have a reference point in what we pay for towers. Um, so that's really I think that we wanted to expedite this so that they can have direction and we can do what we need to do to get their
equipment up on our tower and it is all ready to go. I believe there's even wires that come down through the ground. There's like a box for a panel down there. So, we're in good shape. It was designed for that. >> Okay. I can speak a little more, excuse me, on that. um prior to uh any type of
work being done uh we would do a frequency coordination to make sure our equipment would certainly not interfere with uh any of the town equipment you have here in Freetown. Um and from there the the equipment that we would be putting up would consist of a two-ft
antenna and two um twoft diameter satellite microwave satellite dishes. Um the footprint's very small. Uh the space required is very minimal. Uh so if you did have maybe future tenants, uh it shouldn't really impact any type of
space. The town of Lakeville would absorb any cost for any type of uh studies, installation. Um wouldn't be anything on your town. >> And that's why I wanted you to come tonight cuz it's not my area of expertise either. >> Yeah, because we had to do like the the
power source stuff with one of the towers, right down we had to put like the storage down at the ground and stuff. So, I don't know if our stuff can support theirs. >> Yeah, we had to put in a cabinet. We had to put in We had to run electricity to one of them. We have a meter. We're paying for power. Um, one we didn't.
They were both different. Uh, but yeah, there are things that need to be done. So, >> yeah, this would this would uh the equipment that would be housed uh within the building in the structure would be a um network switch uh like you'd plug a
computer into and a small box receiver. So, it's minimal minimal energy. >> Yeah. I only bring it up because of what we just dealt with with trying to figure out with going on to those other towers. So, to to Debbie's point is I am no radio expert. I just know what they tell
us though. >> And they're taking down that big tower, middle road. Really? >> I wonder why. That's interesting. >> Believe the property was sold from what we're being. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Got it. >> Interesting. >> Yeah. >> Interesting. >> Yeah. And you said you'll have the the study done ahead of it because I know
some of the issues for us was like elevation, but we have a severe drop off of elevation over there. And so, >> yes, this was sort of the preliminary process of um if it was even possibly an option before we had our vendors and um radio professionals >> that conduct any work, right?
>> Yeah. I mean, how do how do you argue putting another police station that we work side by side with on it? So, >> yeah, >> there's nothing else. >> All right. So, >> agree. All right. So, that's all I had a motion to authorize Lakeville Police radio equipment to be attached to the tower of the Freetown Police Department
or uh pending the rest of this process. >> Motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> absolutely. >> All right. Thank you very much, gentlemen. Appreciate it. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you guys. We appreciate it. >> Stay safe out there.
>> All right. Moving on uh to agenda item 14. This is discussion and vote whether to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Deborah Petty effective uh new contract effective 71 2026 through 6:30 2029.
>> So we have uh we negotiated with Deb on this. We'll wait till she walks outside and um in executive session obviously and uh but I think we've come to an agreement. >> Mhm. Uh any questions or concerns?
>> Nope. >> Okay. >> So with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Deborah El Petty effective 71226 through 6:30 2029. >> Motion made. >> I second. >> All in favor? >> I >> Ian. >> You can go.
>> You can get her cuz you're just went to the ladies room. >> Okay. I thought she went leave. Have to leave because uh she's on the agenda. >> All right. So agenda item 15. This is discussion and vote whether approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Lan Souza effective 71226 through 63029 same thing we negotiated this any
questions concerns anything changed since our last conversation >> n came up pretty good >> okay with that I'll enter a motion to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Louis answers effective 7126 through 6:30 2029 >> motion made a second >> all in favor >> I I >> So so you two are stuck with us for
another four years >> not members All right. >> So, was it two weeks to go? >> Yeah. Two, >> three weeks. >> Something like that. Okay. Moving on. Agenda item 16. Discussion to vote whether to approve
the ambulance abatements and write-offs for February 2026 in the sum of 194, sorry, $191,497.73. And congratulations, Deb, by the way. Um,
yes. So, the write-offs were 40,000 and the other adjustments were 151,000 and we actually uh collected 94,000 for the month, which is a new piece of information we started providing this year. Any questions or concerns?
>> No. >> No. >> All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve the ambience right offer February 2026 um that list in the agenda. >> Motion made. Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Okay. Agenda item 17. Uh discussion of
vote whether approved the agreement between the town free town and bulldog fire apparatus for new fire engine approved at town meeting. >> And the total value here. Well, is there a value in here? >> Yeah, >> it's a lot. >> Yes. 1.1 >> 1.1 million. 4 maybe
>> 1,144,78969. >> Yeah, I I just saw this company and I was on vacation. I got a call from Bulldog about a setting a wire and I was like so confused. I had no idea what they were talking about and they were talking about a million dollar wire. I was like, I think you have the wrong guy. Like it's for a fire truck. I was
like, oh no, no, I am the right guy actually. >> All right. Um >> probably the last one we got and this one's a new one and we won't have it for probably 3 years. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And there's not much here. It's just the agreement. And you know, the town obviously voted on this. So,
>> right. >> All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to uh approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Bulldog Fire apparatus for new fire engine approved town meeting. >> Motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Okay. Then I 18 is a hearing to discuss
uh and vote on renewal of Excel's recycling Excel recycling's junk dealers's license and it's not an actual hearing, right? I don't need a >> No. Okay. Um but we have Carl here. I know that we've done um all the
inspections that need to take place have taken place. >> Correct. Um >> and I know that there was uh some issues that were found. Carl, I don't know if you want to speak to some of those. Yes, sure. Kyle Bazaro. So, this is our yearly inspection. Uh, we did go by with
the health department building with department, fire department. We do a walk through and see if there's anything that we can that looks out of place, any violations. So, it's normal to find these sometimes. We'll we'll call out the violations. We'll give them time to fix it and they fix it and we move on. That's pretty much the case here. We had
concerns about the trailers, uh maybe the structural integrity of those trailers. in my conversation with the owners that they're willing to look at it and respond either with engineer telling us they're safe or whatever, but I I believe that's what we're going to be doing. They'll be responding to correction orders to fix some of the
things we found. So, >> okay. So, you're going to be issuing those corrective orders and then um >> correct. >> That's that's good to know. >> I did speak to the owners about that. Y >> the letter will be forthcoming. >> All right. Great. And what kind of like timeline do you think like is there going to be like it needs to be fixed within a certain time? So some of these
things require engineers report. So it could take some time. >> Okay. >> So we'll give them as much time as needed as long as everything's safe and but there will be an end to it at some point. >> Okay. All right. Thanks. And so port of health I saw in the packet um we we did get the sign off on on all the other
folks. Correct. >> Yes. She just didn't come in and sign. But she was she did do the inspection and give you a report. >> Yeah. Or fire was there as well. >> Yeah. and filed a report. And I know that I talked to the police chief and he
was going to send over if there was any complaints or issues that had been called in and he didn't give me any. So I don't know that he did he sign. >> So I assume there isn't any. >> Okay. And I'm I'm assuming I have some folks here and I recognize faces. So, um, if you guys want to come up, you
know, uh, and kind of state, you know, give your, uh, opinions here. And I'm just going to try to ask you to hold it to like three or four minutes per person if you don't mind. >> And you have the complaint logs that we from the entire year. >> Yeah.
>> Steve trip before Alexander Drive on it. Has anybody done anything about the trailer trucks parking up and down on the sidewalk? That's a good question. >> I sent it to the police chief. >> You did send it to the police chief. >> Original ro
I gave you pictures before about him. >> I've seen those pictures >> with them parked up on he's got the trailer truck there now with the crushed cars on it and the oil's running out of the cars on the on the ground there from them. I mean it first of all you shouldn't be parking on the sidewalk.
>> Yeah, understood. So we do I see this as more of a police thing, right? >> We um >> It sounds like I know we talked about this. >> Yeah, >> we have to specifically declare no parking zones, right? Like we can't It's not everywhere is no parking. I believe
it has to come before this board to declare no parking like you did on Water Street when my my house was down there cuz people were parking on that corner and it was dangerous. >> Yeah. So, I'm wondering if we bring it before this board to have no parking established on that street.
>> That seems reasonable. >> And then that way then the police can enforce it because I think right now they probably can't. I think what he has said in the past when we've had other issues is as long as you can safely get around it, they're not going to do anything. >> Yeah, that's that feels very familiar. >> Yeah, we had that other situation. So,
I'm wondering if we could enforce get a no parking declaration done. Um, >> are the cars there like are the trucks there overnight? >> They're all weekend long and it's like they're on >> Okay. >> I mean, he doesn't park them in the road because Yeah. then it would be interfering with the traffic going
through. So, he puts them all the way over the sidewalk across the sidewalk and everything else. If you can see where the sidewalk's getting ruined, there's no grass left where between the sidewalk and the street because they just turned that into mud from going back and forth and parking there. >> Yeah. It's like that other issue we had
with that tractor trailer hopping in the street. So, I think that's the maybe if the board was inclined, that would probably be the only way to do something to be able to enforce that. >> Yep. Does that make sense to me? >> Yeah, I agree. >> All right. >> So, you can run that one by the chief
and you'll >> I'll run it by the chief and then it will be something that will have to come back before this board. >> No, I just mean about the procedure. >> Oh, right. Right. and it will have to come back before this board and once it's done um then he can enforce it. >> Thank you. Sounds like a reasonable
solution forward. I agree. >> And that would be the entirety of Ridge Hill and Capernelli Drive. Is that where we would be discussing? >> Yeah. I wonder if it's like um Yeah. Like we'll have to look at it, see how that works. >> Right. Um
that makes because we have we also have like same problems like the other like in Circle K parking lot you know they had a big problem there all the Amazon trucks and stopping you know >> right >> so it's it's not a unique problem and we probably should look at this you know maybe holistically >> in that area
>> a lot of trucks >> oh yeah so um Leah 80 7 street um and to Steve's point I've noticed too in the past not recently because I'm not down there that much anymore more. But they were also, you know, how they park the trucks in that fenced in lot at the end. >> At the end. Yeah.
>> Right. And they've they've hosed them down. They've brought in like massive cleaning apparatus to hose the trucks down in that lot. And I don't know if they're still doing that. I've seen them do it twice. >> And that never really made sense to me because it's just I don't know what they
have down for for pavement, you know? I I I think it's just goes into the ground. >> But it's kind of nasty. I think that's something Carl maybe we can look into right to see. >> Yeah, it's a kind of it's more of a zoning I think at that point. We can have a conversation about that. So what we'd be concerned about what's coming
off the truck that's in there reaching into the ground. Absolutely. >> I just said the stuff sitting there overnight. >> Power washes and he has them power washed. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It's a big power washing >> everything goes right into the ground. >> It's a big power washing truck that comes in and they the guys have like on their full suits and everything and their hose. Where's that exact power
washing company? in the lot where they're they sometime they leave like dumpsters and trailers in that lot, right? Is >> it's the chain. >> I'll drive by tomorrow and I'll look through that. Sure. >> They just keep stuff there. Um yeah, the only thing I really have to ask is that
I had sent an email to all of you. I don't know if you received it and looked at it. I just wanted that entered into the record. All the videos, all the photos of the explosions, the fires. Uh, I think there was one big scrap fire um that occurred and the photos were taken
off of Facebook posted by the Freetown Police Department. So, I'm surprised they didn't submit anything about that. Um, and I just kind of want that. I mean, I would love for that to impact your decision and say, "Oh, this is what's going on here. We've had all of
these explosions, all of these uh, you know, the shredder debris flying off the shredder into people's yards and the emissions, the noxious fumes. um the whole nine yards. It's still happening and I just want that on record that that is still a problem and I think we should
bring it up with the board of health. But >> yep, >> you all should be aware of it, too. So, >> I did watch the videos and I appreciate you saying those. So, yeah. >> Did you watch them? >> I did. >> Okay, good. All right, that's all you need to do. Thanks. >> Well, it's it's it's clear that every year we had this discussion. And every
year we have more and more data supporting a change to the to the agreement we have today. I know it's not a popular opinion in some circles, but others they do agree with that. I think it's time to we we get with the owners and say time for a change because this is it's not working. It seems like they
keep expanding their footprint. They keep doing essentially what they should be doing, but also skiring over that line, right? It's getting very close. Like for instance, now they're parking on the roads. stuff is leaking on the ground. And at no point in any article I could find, any
DP, DE, anything I could look up online for a junk deal's license, nothing talks about fires, defining not explosions, anything like that. So, I know there was a court agreement. I know that the town agreed to it, but I think it's time that we have a
discussion with them to change some of the parameters in that agreement because it's not working. this at at some point we have to think to ourselves, well, we keep saying yes to this and we keep getting the same same issues over and over again. At some point, when we say
no, what maybe catch a house on fire? Is that is that where we say no? Uh, a ground a brush fire, what's what's our limit or our cap to say enough's enough? In my opinion, I think we've reached it. again data that we keep keep getting
people calling and emailing and sending us videos and I know we're in a way stuck to the court agreement. I understand that. But maybe we don't agree to a license for let's say a month and have open discussions with the with the owner
saying we want some changes made. For instance, no weekend work, let the neighbors enjoy their outdoors. Maybe that 17 weekends a year is every weekend, no more. Um again some company hours you know you can't operate after a
certain time frame again we have to think of the residents not just the business has to be a balance so where's that balance and I'm again I'm making suggestions I think sitting down with them extending this for a month saying right now we don't want to say yes to
this junk deal license because there's provisions in that agreement that doesn't work for us that haven't worked and this is and these these documents are just proof it's not working. Her videos are proof it's not working. So, at some point, we've had that decision made. It's been
what, 5 years now since we've agreed to it. So, we've had four or five years of data of pros and cons. And it seems like there's more cons than there are pros. I think it's worth a conversation with the with Marty or everybody else that's involved with Excel. again in my
opinion, but >> and I think too that I mean when I go over there and I I film stuff and I I don't go over much anymore. Um I filmed filmed an extensive video back in January. Um and
other other facilities have had action taken against it whether it's by the state department of environmental protection happened in Rhode Island. Uh the attorney general's gotten involved. We don't have like this is this is going on 11 years. So I mean a lot of the
residents we have like a core group but we started out with like a hundred and people have just they've given up and you can't blame them. So there isn't the the public outcry that there that there was. So we can't get the attention, but I think that there's enough on
we have enough material on hand as just the town to take a better look at this, you know, because I think what they're pumping out into residential property is dangerous. It's been proven dangerous at other facilities. Excel doesn't have the
the the acreage to I I don't think they have the acreage to to install the equipment to capture the emissions that I think are hazardous to residents. I mean, when you go over there and you're there for a lengthy period of time and you're breathing this and it's it's
paint solvent and it's plastic and it's metal and it's all sorts of horrible stuff that your body's telling you, like I said, not to breathe. Why isn't that being tested? I shouldn't be the one to contact the board of health and say you need to do something. The board of health has the material and
the documentation to say we need to hold a meeting and establish what's going on here and what these residents are breathing and what is landing on their property. And we have already two tests done denoting that there is heavy metal on
residential property and property outside of the facility that matches that matches contamination on the facility that is from the shredder and it's a cumulative effect on human health and it's hazardous. >> Yeah.
>> So yeah, at what point is is the town negligent? Definitely when people start getting sick, god forbid they they they do. I hope they don't, but if they ever did, and the town sat on this, you know, we're going on over a decade now, >> right? Well, my concern, >> I think that something, you know, should
be done. And, you know, the the facility in Rhode Island, I don't even know that shredder is still running. Maybe it is. Um, they they installed all sorts of I think emissions capture equipment. Um, I don't know if Excel can do that. It's costly, takes up space. You know,
they're working at on less than five acres, which is a ridiculous I think ridiculous for the amount of scrap that they accept and sort and shred and sell. So, >> yeah. So, my concern is when I look at the health report that came out on March
5th, you know, slight wind, rainy, and the smells were not present. The only I could think of is the rain's knocking it down. >> Mhm. >> Right. So if it's not no rain, you you you smell those solvents. You it's easy just driving by. So if it's not it can't rain every day, right? We definitely
don't want more snow. So what what do we do, right? So it's got to be a conversation had at the next level, which again, I believe a general conversation with the owners to say here's our next here's our next steps. I don't know. I again I know the owners.
>> What about the D? Has the town had any conversations with the DP? >> Have what kind of in Have they done any any testing or any inspections? >> Per the DP, they're compliant. >> Exactly. >> Per the D with what? So
>> DP has come out. Um every chance they whether their annual inspection or every time it warrants them to come out and every report that we receive or hear. >> But their last something wrong. >> When was the last sound test? >> Do they do no notice inspections? Yes,
>> they in theory should be and can have they have I seen any report that they have? No. >> No, I haven't either. So >> So the answer is no to that because can they? Sure. There's a option there. Uh especially for any the D can come in as they as they need to to inspect. >> I've seen nothing of that sort.
>> So I don't know if you have I I'm not privy to every single Well, I am, but I don't I haven't seen all the reports, but I know I haven't read any no knock inspections. >> When was the last sound test? Do you know? last what >> the last sound test
>> was that it's >> been a couple years since before they >> were redoing their >> and I walk every day we walk two miles we walk all through the village we walk
in rock we walk all over the place and there are days when we come out of a car because we've traveled to some place and we live on 41 and 43 High Street and you can't stand the smell. You cannot stand
the sound. It is so incredibly it hard that it lacks a description, you know, >> they're like Transformers. >> And then sometimes when there's the explosions and the house is shaking, I'm a quarter of a mile away. It is just the
most phenomenally, you know, when we built uh that property, it's adjacent to the state forest. We wanted peace. We wanted serenity. We wanted we didn't mind some neighbors as far as um animals and
things like that. We never ever thought we were going to have this. And it's it's atrocious. I mean, it it really takes away from quality of life. I have stopped calling. I know Cecilia still calls. Bob will sometimes call. I feel
like nobody's listening. Why should I even try? Sometimes we are we are way up on the state forest. Way up main road up to halfway road. It's more than halfway through the forest all the way and we can hear and smell that those machines
going off when the explosions happen. We don't have to be right there. Sometimes we're down on Hathway Park and we hear the explosions. I mean, it is ridiculous. It really is. How can people say this is an okay thing if we keep
doing it? Mr. >> Chairman, make a change. I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> No, I mean I can remember um and I can't think of his name. The guy who's board of health now for town free town help >> Kevin >> Kevin Kevin saying we're going to
install things. We're going to install things that will record air quality noise. Yes. All these things. >> That wasn't that wasn't anything. >> Yeah. Didn't work. >> And you know, that's the kind of thing, you know, oh yeah, something's being
done and somebody's going to look at it and it's going to be and I feel like just gets worse and worse. I come to the end of Alexander Drive trying to get out onto South Main Street. Five of those trucks. Five. Right.
That's >> a lot of truck driver traffic. >> They're coming in. They're They're taking wide turns to get on to Ridge Hill Road. They are sitting there. I mean, it's it's incredible. It's just Bob doesn't go that way anymore. He goes
down by street to get on to South Maine because you cannot I mean I often think the first traffic light in Freetown, all of Freetown is going to be there because it is so treacherous coming off that
highway like trying to take turns there with that type of traffic. We know from prior that those trucks don't always stop. You know, unfortunately, the lady that was killed on 495 when her truck
was run over by one of them, they they're so big. They don't have >> Yeah. Destroy the road. >> Yeah. It's it's >> to your quality of life. the woman who lives I forget her name but she lives across the street from where Erica lived
at 33B I think it was High Street right there like right across the street um she had a lot of acres behind her house and she used to she had uh stables and she boarded horses you know people would let them you know would leave their horses
with her in her stables and she couldn't do it anymore after Excel moved in you know she was getting income from that and that was an allowable allowable use on her land and she could no longer do it because the horses were getting spooked because of the noise and she felt like, you know, the air was so
gross at times it probably wasn't healthy. I mean, we're getting, you know, like you've seen pictures of the bird nest, you've seen the bird nests with the shredder residue that the birds use to build their nests, and it's just it's just disturbing. It's just but you
know but some you know you should be able to like if you have a business like that you should be able to maintain it when someone like that moves in. Um and she couldn't. >> I would like my house to stop shaking
from the explosions. I would like to be able to use my yard in the summertime without the horrific stench that they put off the whole neighborhood. Yeah. >> It's just unbelievable. You know, you you you come in from the outside, you
can smell it on your clothing. It's disgusting. None of you would want to live in an environment like that. You would do something about it. You would go to you and talk to you. I would talk to you. I would talk to you. I would talk to you and something would be done.
Why has nothing been done about this? It has just deteriorated to the point that it is repulsive living. It's repulsive taking a breath. I would like you please to address this. I have been very patient.
>> It's just very unhealthy. You go outside and that stench permeates the neighborhood. Even when they're not running on a weekend, I can smell it. Um, as far as the complaint log to use his data, >> I don't call anymore. It's like, I don't know. Just feels like it does no good.
We could boost that data if you need it. >> Whatever equipment they're using to measure this stench is not working because, you know, unless they all have CO effects and have no smell ability left. I mean, the rest of us who had CO
and can still smell, I mean, it is there. It has always been there, but it has gotten much worse. Our area is just deteriorating into a big dump. And that we pay taxes. I don't want to pay taxes. I know. I want the
dump to go away. Please do something about this license that never should have been issued in the first place. >> But it does smell like garbage. That day that I was there, >> it was disgusting. I mean, it smelled like >> like really >> Yeah. >> like puke. It was gross.
>> The board of health said they were going to try to do something about the pile of fluff if they could try to get them to either clean it up every every week or every day or something because that's where the smell come 90% of the smell comes from. That stuff it just sits there and it >> just turns the odor.
>> What's the requirement to remove that fluff? Is it is it daily they got to remove that out of there or is it How how how often do they have to move the fluff off that property? >> I'm not sure what their how their license is labeled for it to be honest with you. >> That's part of that's part of where the
ST doesn't move daily cuz it's pile. >> Yeah. And I I know that based on and I'm no expert at this based off of Kevin's response in the past to us is is it's hard to measure, right? Like he's talked about it every time. And what makes me think of it is I always think of Kevin
saying that a sniffer doesn't work, right? And it I always kind of chuckle at the way he says it, but it's like how they measure it. How can you measure allow allowable quantities, right? At least with noise, you say, "Okay, here's a threshold. It's above it. It's below
it is what it is." With smell, it's not it's not so easy. >> Headaches, you know, and when it when you can really taste it in the air, and that's not an exaggeration, that there's physically something in the air, which is why the particulates have
to be tested. They've never been tested. How do you have a metal shredder that's shredding automobiles and refrigerators and every other piece of metal out there and tires? And you you you're not going to test
like seriously test the fallout from this place because everywhere else it gets tested, it comes up with alarm bells. And this has been going on for a long time and it's very concerning. >> One question. Um they I know they're
transporting by rail out of the the switching yard they have in there that they plant. Do they store stuff at that site too or how do they transport their stuff from their facility to the railroad cars and how is that? >> Yeah, I'm not sure. >> They drive it up there with trucks
drive. He's not he doesn't just use the rail certain it all must be go by who's paying the most and where it goes because the other day he was at juniors and the metal was all hanging out of the roof of the it was one of the trucks that he had already filled cuz it was all mangled up pieces of small metal and it was hanging out one side.
>> Yeah. And I've been I've been driving New Hampshire and Vermont and saw that sell truck, took a photo of their license and when I came to town, I pulled in just to double check and sure enough, >> same vehicle was there hundreds of miles away. So they're not just doing it locally, they're taking in from other
states and bringing it here, which is to me is ridiculous. It's there's other places you can take it to in their own state. Don't have to bring it down to a small town or it to >> huge shredders, you know. There's like a there's not so many of them. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's why the state gives them the leeway that they give them.
It's a hate to say this, but it's one of those one of those evils that you need in in an estate. And I don't disagree with that. Just it should be a place a time and place away from um you know residents. >> So stuff >> and they also they it also has no proper
permitting. It has a secondhand furniture license. That's it besides the air permit. It has no recycling permits that it should have had that it was that should have applied right back when they got their they came to town and the DP
just >> well if you look up if you look up mass junk dealer's license you don't see anything of the of the items that they actually do at the facility. So I agree with you on that. Didn't that get cleared up with the agreement? >> Recycling that, you know, and then in
2019, all of those regulations, >> scrap metal was completely stripped from all of those regulations, the recycled scrap. So that's why when they first came to town, they were pushing their stuff as junk. >> Yeah. Yeah. I don't think anyone's going
to deny that that things should have been done differently early on, but you know, >> well, we shouldn't have to pay for that mistake, right, into the future. I I >> kids >> I Yeah, I understand what you're saying. >> You know, >> I wish there was a easier solution. So,
we do have like based on some of the feedback we got from the inspections, there is a condition that we're going to try attached, you know, when we vote on this tonight. So, this is related to the fluff. >> Yeah, he wanted to speak. So, >> yeah, Mr. So, I I don't want to get lost in the conversation is that this is a
rubber stamp and it just goes on and this is something where we're consistently working on. I you allowed so much noise to leave the property but only so much noise. You allowed some material some of the fluff concerns. So we're still working on how to mitigate that. How do we keep the fluff from escaping from the property? How do we
keep the noise in the property? That's not We're still working with them to try to figure out how can we resolve not make it go away but lessen the impact on the neighborhood. So I'm not giving up on that. I'm going to work towards that working with them and see how how we can come together if the neighbors are involved also if they want to be. How can we mitigate this? I think what the
biggest concern that I have after all this time and sound is an issue, the smell issue, the fluff, all of it is is nasty, but I think it's the emissions that come that come out of the shredder when they should not they have a stack
and it should only come out of the stack. It doesn't and beyond that it should be getting captured into something I think >> filtered >> filtered process whatever it should not be just being released into the atmosphere. You can see it blowing over the neighborhood. It's in the It's the
What do they call it? The smog. >> You know, the annex is closer now. We're real close. Anything happens, we're literally maybe five,000 ft away. So, we're very in tune to what's going on. We get we see the complaints come in. We rush down here and we look around. So, I just want to let you know that we're just not letting this go. We're going to
continue to improve it as as as much as we can to lessen the impact on the neighborhood. And I'm not giving up on that. I'm going to still keep trying to work. just like the I would just like that the samples that have been taken by uh the two independent environmental consultants that came up with metal
contamination, heavy metal contamination of property outside of the facility that likely comes from that facility >> and that it has it will it will have a cumulative hazardous effect on human health and that it warrants further
testing. So that's what has to be done. I think that's the main concern 11 years in is people have been breathing heavy metals. >> In my understanding, there was some testing done. I'm not that familiar with it. There was some testing done and some >> some initial investigations and stuff.
>> Our health agent, we had turnover of our board of selectment and everything stopped. >> I can still just tell you that we're still committed to having this thing better play out better than it has. I'm hoping the owners can become part of the neighborhoods and we can work together.
Maybe not, but I'm not giving up on it. I think there's some things we can do on that site to lessen some of the impact that's having neighborhoods and I'll keep fighting for that. >> Yeah, I mean sound is probably the one thing that could probably be lessened maybe. I mean, it has they enclose the shredder. That did help a little bit, >> but the smells emanate more when it's
dry and windy conditions. When it's wet conditions, the smell drops quite a bit. So, that's telling you something. We're still working through that. >> You can smell it really bad. >> Yeah. Um it you know it but the prevailing wind is souths southwest. That's the prevailing wind
>> and that residents are they're downwind. >> So you know that was never looked at initially and maybe if it had been it you know would never have gone through just based on that. >> You can go to you can go there on a Sunday just walk up that up the gas line you can just smell the stuff coming
coming up. You're not running on Sunday. So the smell definitely got to be coming from. >> So that might be a management problem where they got to manage their stockpile differently or do things differently. So >> they have to test that before they can because they they use the the shredder
residue for landfill cover and they have to test it goes down it used to go down to Tennessee to get tested and then once it passed then it would get shipped. So, I don't know. In the interim, it has to sit there, right? They can't I >> waiting for the test shredder residue to
a landfill, not knowing what's in the shredder residue. You could be totally contaminating the ground. >> Yeah. I mean, like I said, we're still committed to improving things, not giving up and rubber stamping anything. >> And that's good to hear. I But I would I think the air that that's been neglected
and I think that that is that's a dangerous kind of fire with that. I think >> by not by not addressing the emissions. >> All right. >> And the air quality. >> Mhm. Yep. Do you have something? >> Yeah. I just wanted to uh mention is there anyone here from from Excel that
can talk to some of these issues? I see the attorneys here, but are there anybody from Excel here to talk about the concerns that we have in the community? >> Well, I think that Mr. Bizaro has expressed a willingness or interest in being with people here. >> I want to hear from the I want to hear from the owners, not you. I want to hear
what the owners have to to to do about the issues that we have in our town there. >> I I appreciate the one they've asked me to come to monitor because it was technically a legal issue because of a settlement agreement that had been reached a long time ago. >> They have been willing and I know that
they've met with a number of different people. They met with the people who came on site the other day. If there is someone I mean to have someone say you have to be shut down, you've done this. If someone has a creative idea, they've been open to it, which is, as they mentioned, they went and they got this
German design thing. There's only only three in the United States. They bought it because they wanted to address sound. So, I'm not here to I can't speak on their behalf because I'm not them. I can say when the select board members have spoken to them, when town officials have
spoken to them, they try they have tried to be as responsive as they can. There is a natural challenge as everybody acknowledges in that site which was when this was made an industrial park. Nobody should have built these nice high-end houses right next door to it. That happened before Excel came before Amazon
came. And this is what happens sometimes. And these poor people have inherited a problem. My clients have put in put their houses on the line to create a business. They've inherited the problem. And these poor people have inherited the problem. But it's it's it's not one that they don't take seriously. But I don't think coming into
this type of a venue is the place where you're going to solve a problem. It's talking to a professional like Mr. Bizaro. It's listening to someone who's an expert on those ideas. And I can assure you my clients have always listened and tried to do something about it. But the the issuance of this permit
is not the place for that to to for for new creative ideas to come in. So I'm not here I I appreciate everybody's frustration. I've I've been living this for as long as they've been living it. Okay? And I respect that they've tried to do what they what they think is right. I personally don't think that
this particular permit is is something, especially in light of the legal history, that makes sense for the town to spend more money fighting about this venue. Getting an expert to say this is a better way to deal with fluff. Getting an expert to say this is a better way deal with it. Dealing with the parking and the traffic. We'll do everything
that we can that's not going to shut our business down and force my people to lose their houses when they've put their whole lives onto it, a father and a son. And I'm not saying we don't take it seriously. And I'm telling you that they have taken it seriously. But this isn't the venue to be positively creative. This is something where >> those were decisions made for their
license. So they should be here to represent themselves to state their case. >> And I and I explained to you that it's it is it is not necessarily an operational thing. is a legal issue because of a settlement agreement that was reached after both sides spent way
too much money on lawyers. So, I apologize that that that they're not here. But I I've explained to them that it's not it's not a useful place, but I am open. If there's a if there's a group of people that want to talk to Mr. Bazaro and set up a meeting or want to talk to one of the select board members and set up a meeting, we'll show up and
we'll be there and we'll listen. And then if you have creative ideas, we'll see if we can invest to try to improve things. I mean, I think we need experts to come in and say, "This is this is what we found. This is the contamination. This is what what's being released into the air that is harming people and making them
>> Well, you've mentioned two reports and I haven't seen those reports. They haven't been presented to me. So, I'm just I'm just saying >> public record. I mean, >> well, I understand. But if you if you're trying to dialogue with me, you got to give it to me. I mean, or give it to them so that they can see it. I'm not looking to try to I apologize to go through the I should have been going
through the board, but he asked a question. I just wanted to tell them they are here through me. They care about it and they're open to dialogue. >> Okay. >> But I think that I think it would be nice to to to get the data and say this is the this is the pollution. This is
the contamination. This is the human health hazard we're looking at. What can Excel do to mitigate that? Because there is equipment out there that maybe could help, but I don't know if it can fit on that property. And I I think Excel pretty much knows that it won't, but you
could try and you could have an expert come in and say, "This is this is what we would suggest. You know, this is what they did in Rhode Island. You know, will it work? Will it not work? If it if it works, then great, right? Because I think all the residents, if they could make it work short of shutting them
down, then I think they would be all for that. But if it didn't work and they had to face removal, you know, and then that's a whole other story. But that's that's just as right if that's the right >> and and I would think if we have if we're able to have a meeting with the
town folks who are there presenting us with whatever findings that you know were found offsite that are things that we could look at. I would look at them with people. I would look at what D told us and look at what everybody told us that we can try to be to mitigate. There are the number of times over the past 10
years where requests were made and they've made investments substantially to try to make things better. But that's all I'll say for now. I don't has never been addressed. >> I I appreciate everyone's comments. So, I'm just going to explain that there are two conditions that we've that we've
added to the license this year that to vote on um addressing two of the concerns that were found. So, the first one being um acceler LLC must maintain at least a 20ft clearance around the entire circumference of the fluff pile on the premise. Uh the perime perh
perimeter should always be free of all stored materials, debris obstructions to ensure safe access for personnel, equipment, and emergency responders. The height and fluff pile must never exceed 35 ft at any point in case of non-compliance with either of these perimeter or height requirements. The license shall within 15 days be um the
ly wow I can't tell. Sorry. Shall within 15 calendar days be notified by the board. Take all the necessary corrective actions and bring the pilot into compliance. failure to maintain the required comp um clearance or height restrictions may result in enforcement actions including suspension or revion of the license. So I think by putting this condition in you know we think the
fluff pile is a source of decent amount of these issues. Um obviously not the only one that's not going to fix the sound and everything else but you know now we have this in this as a condition. We'll then be able to document that if if it's if they are not in compliance with those conditions right off the air
permit what you just read >> this was uh no this is just based off like because the D has its own conditions on the the piles and how they're supposed to be handled and the height and the coverage and >> separation I think and stuff like that.
So, you know, you could also refer to that when you're teaching that condition on the license maybe so that they're in line. >> Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Um, you know, this is what this is the the request or uh recommended
>> and we also have added on there a requirement to every time they have an explosion to have the fire department clear them first before they continue operation. So yeah, I I don't know how >> problem is would be deeming what would be an explosion if anyone would >> some ambiguity there.
>> Ambiguity I worry about it. So that's why I mean it's just clearcut. I'm not trying >> I I understand what you're saying. Sorry. And I'm not >> Yeah. And I I know I'm not saying there are not explosions there, but there are other like blasting that takes place. Like it's it's hard to point the figure.
Some sometimes >> not dropped tires. >> We'll get complaints about explosions and and there wasn't one >> and they're not running. a Cory in town. Every time they had an explosion, they would have to be coordinated with everybody so that the the neighbors were notified, the town was notified, police and fire were
notified. But yeah, here we can have explosions at will. >> Yeah. Well, I get emails all the time. So, I'm saying and and sometimes they do. >> When I sent you videos, I sent you videos. >> No, I'm not saying they don't happen. Believe me, I'm not saying they don't happen. I'm just saying that >> comes out flying out of
>> I know. But it's it's the enforce just like anything else. Enforcement's tough, you know. It's >> when we do get a a call or or an email from an explosion, we generally do get the fire department to go down there, but by the time they get there, they say there's nothing there. So, we do do
that. Um, we may not respond to your emails, but we are getting them and we are sending out the fire and there has never been >> allowed to put out their own fires, right? Excel's allowed to if they can manage it themselves, they're allowed to. So >> it does I mean if if we get any kind of
an email we're we're responding unless it's a after hours um we do send the fire department down but I can tell you that every single time he said that when they get there they don't find anything. >> Yeah. All right. So the the other condition that >> Yeah. The the other condition that Carl
brought up um there was some with the sound barrier containers. There was some structural potential structural concerns there um just for machines. >> Yeah. from machines like hitting them. And so, um, we'd like to have a structural engineer come and take a look
at those. Uh, and then any, you know, and we're going to have another inspection down the line, you know, obviously get that report and then if they have to make any corrective action to go in and take care of it. So, I'll just read the condition. >> The airport does the container wall and
how like they're not there aren't supposed to be any gaps. It's all supposed to be filled. >> Yeah, they are filled. They're filled with material, >> right? So I I don't understand how filling the inside stops sound vibrations or >> No, not the inside. >> It doesn't then the outside should be either covered with a sound damp. Those
are things we're talking about ideas. >> The gaps in between the containers, >> right? We you can see gaps. I can see that the tracks in the back. So these are things I I say we'll work on those and if we go into compliance, we'll be in a different position. But right now, I'm I'm under the idea that here's what's wrong. Can you fix it? And
they're going to say yes. I'll take that path until they say no. Then we'll be a different approach. Yeah. including >> and I think we need to get the board of health. I we need to have an meeting with >> Yeah. Well, a lot of the complaints that you guys have are are now board of health items. Yeah, they were our board when we were the board of health, but
now it's board of health and Yeah. >> Um, but yeah, let me just read this real quick. So, Excel Recycling LLC at sole expense hires a Massachusetts licensed structural engineer to inspect and evaluate the structure stability and safety of the metal shipping containers currently stacked on the property as
well as block uh the block wall of the receiving docks. This includes reviewing the absence of sealed connection um connections referenced in prior correspondence with the Massachusetts uh Department of Environmental Protection. The engineers shall prepare a written report to determine whether the
containers are safely stacked. um identify any conditions that could pose a safety risk and recommend any necessary repairs, modifications or corrective action to ensure structural safety. The completed uh engineering report shall be submitted to the town within 3 months of the permit uh permit
issuance. All recommended safety repairs, modifications, and corrective actions must be fully completed and verified in writing within 6 months of the report submission unless otherwise approved in writing by the board. The permit holder shall obtain all uh the required local, state, and federal
permits for or approval before starting any significant repairs, alterations um or construction required by the report. Compliance with this condition is ongoing requirement of the permit and failure to comply will result in suspension, modification, or revion of the permit.
Um, so yeah, and we we talked about earlier today, Deb and I were talking about like what's the timeline and I know you talked like six months seems like a long time, but just to get a structural engineer out there to get it all it's it's not a quick, you know, it's not something we can get by next week, right? So I know that's probably
>> 11 years. >> Yeah, that's >> that's exactly what my head went. Engineers aren't easy to get. I know. And it you know >> Yeah. And I would think if they make a good faith effort, they could get an extension obviously, but that gives them
time to get started. >> Yeah. And then we also do have a a recommendation. So this is something that's not not a condition of their permit, but just a recommendation that we're going to officially send to them that um due to the numerous noise complaints, it's recommended that a licensed engineer assess whether the vacant storage containers are
effectively mitigating noise um and suggest strategies to enhance that. So, you know, based on our settlement, we don't think there's anything we can attach there. It's it's like we talked about earlier, it's hard for us to, you know, regulate that, but I think just
trying to be, you know, uh, do our best to work with them to to make this as mitigate these impacts. So, >> and as far as the air, is that just board of health? >> It's It's really It's probably D. >> What? >> It's really D, I think. I don't even know if it's board of health. I mean,
>> well, I know what you're saying. It's not. It's not because the D when pressed about it will say it's going to cost us too much time, too much money, and the best most efficient way a way to go about it is report health.
>> Yeah. >> And it's file a private nuisance. >> Yeah. >> Which is interesting. The state saying to put something that they're complaining is going to cost too much money on to freak out. You know what I mean? And that gets just it's
>> well that doesn't surprise me at all. >> Yeah, I know. But it's it's just funny that the state I mean state has a lot their pockets might not be endless but they're definitely deeper than the town of Freetown. So >> the D permit has extensive conditions on it. It's a good permit.
>> They refuse to really enforce it. >> I >> and we are not allowed to enforce it by our settlement. So, >> right, but if you have residents complaining about nuisance, the board of health can go after nuisance independent
of the D. They can work with the D and the D has encouraged the board of health to work with it and it did up until >> I don't think that's our experience. >> What? >> I don't think that's our experience. That might be your experience, but that's not our experience. >> Experience of the previous board, the previous board of health, the previous
health agent and then every Yes, Derek. Yes. maybe when they were permitting it, but I know since I've been here that's not been the experience with the D. >> No, it was a different town administrator. >> So, >> okay. So, and uh Carlos, I know you
mentioned, you know, you mentioned waiting a month or so to to do this. I personally I don't see anything honestly changing between now and then. um where like it like just legally you're not going to get that agreement reopened up
right now and then if if we deny it deny it then we're back into a lawsuit or back at adversarial kind of relationship with them. I just don't see as being the of of the potential outcomes. I don't see it being a productive one. >> So state the goal is to work with the
community. Let's sit down with the community and have a discussion. Well, I think you do that throughout the year and then it's not a rust process over the next month or whatever timeline that you want to come up with in order to make it happen. >> I don't think that there's something that
>> I don't think that there's something that would change, you know, in a month, right? You know, >> I I have a question for Carl building. So our affiliate Scott Barbado really he's at the center of this whole debacle
back in 2015 he I mean we have industrial zone provisions and if you look at them I think at all of them except for the signage one they're in violation of be what's the violation be zone not not
allowable use or >> no they're an industrial zone like there's >> industrial industrial But there's provisions to protect residents, right? And it has to do with noise and sight of the facility, right? They're not nobody from any roadway or
residential area, public road is supposed to see anything of Excel. >> That was all part of the litigation though. >> What? >> That was that was all part of the litigation that got settled. Well, it's Yeah, but I'm just saying I mean going forward like if you were But that but
that also doesn't just because there was a settlement agreement it should a settlement agreement should not force a town to disobey its own bylaws which is essentially what it's doing. >> Which which bylaw? >> The the provisions of the industrial
zone bylaw. >> Okay. And it so and there's like what nine of them or something and I think Excel is like two of them one or two don't even apply but the seven that do were never considered right and so if they had been we wouldn't be in this
mess. Excel probably likely wouldn't even be have been allowed. >> When were those bylaws accepted by the town? When was the premission? >> Oh they were there's a lot of I don't have the date but they they've been there. It's not like they didn't exist when when Excel came to town.
>> There was a zoning. >> I even had a meeting with Scott Barbado. I said, "Look at these." He's like, "Oh, yeah, look at that." You know, he was very I don't think he was that ignorant. I don't think he was being a little flip, but that was really heinous because
these guys shouldn't have to see Excel working. And they shouldn't be exposed to the fumes, to the sound, you know, that they're exposed to and had, you know, if they could have if they enclose that whole thing, put in trees, you
can't see it, you know, then maybe it would have. >> So that that would be my path, but my pathway to that eventually I would like to see the whole thing in case controlling. I don't know that we can. >> I think if we give up and draw a hand and no, we can't. But if we say, "Hey, we can work with this." We might >> with something that suffers explosions
almost on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis, enclosing that facility is dangerous >> unless you have different. So they you probably know they a pilot a truck comes in with a bunch of stuff. They're going to lay on the ground, spread it out, look for anything dangerous, tanks or
anything like that. They remove that and they hope they get everything. Sometimes they don't. Right. The other thing too though is that it's not just explosions, it's the fires. And so if you have piles of of desperate metal next to each other, it can self ignite
and they're al they're covered in all sorts of flammable. >> So we have big mulch piles across town. Those can ignite. >> Sure. >> But there's a management answer to that. And so they've been they outmanaged that. >> But how many times has the mulch place caught on fire? >> A lot. >> Yes. A lot. I'd be surprised.
>> That's my point. I think we have to create a plan. And was this going to mitigate? >> What is it? What does it release into the air as opposed to >> Oh, I'm not I'm not arguing you. I'm just saying that it does. It catches fire. >> Bad, but I mean, is it as bad as a pile of scrap metal that's laden with
plastics and rubber and everything else? I mean, >> okay. So, I think we're going to move on this. I appreciate everyone's input. Um, so I I'll entertain a motion to um to renew the junker's license for Excel Recycling LLC effective 51226 through 4:30 2027 with the two conditions as
well as a recommendation um for the permit >> motion made. I'm affirm. >> I'll second it. All in favor? >> I I All right. Thank you. All right. Now we're going to go over to
personnel. Select and vote. >> That is me. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All right. Item agenda 20 in the personnel. Acknowledge the resignation of Senator Dilo as board of register effective 33 2026. Thank you, Sandra. We appreciate all the work you've done to the town of Freetown and wish you the best. Item
agenda 21. Discussion. Vote whe to approve the following appointments. A. Paul Bulans as labor water sewer effective 39 2026 through 6:30 2026 B. Jennifer Durant to Freetown Agricultural Commission resident interest in farming
effective 310 20226 through 6:30 2028. >> Any issues with those two appointments concerns? All right. >> Welcome aboard. >> Welcome aboard Paul and Jennifer. I entertain the motion to approve item Janet 21 items A and B. uh Paul Boones and Jennifer Durant to their their
effective appointments. >> I'll make that motion. >> I will second. All in favor? >> I I >> All right. Back to you, Mr. Chairman. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> All right. So, now we will be going into executive session and
>> not coming back into open session. So, should we sign >> Y >> before that? Okay. >> Any old business to talk about before? I don't know. >> Yeah. Did you Does anyone >> Did she Did you >> I have to
>> I think I didn't sign those for you yet either. >> Yeah. You want to grab those? How did the puppet blood flow a little bit? >> The condition. >> Okay. Cuz I just love three lines from
them if it's a sign if they wanted to. >> Big stretches. Yeah. >> Yeah. If I put these together, right? >> I'll put back together. No problem. Thank you. This is the All right.
Got it. Just in one ear or the other. >> Good catch. Hold that for the insurance advisory committee. Mhm. Is it just you? >> Looked like it was like someone's like nomination paperwork.
>> It does look like running now. >> Two spots to sign. Keep going. >> Meeting we've had forcell quiet. >> Very good. >> And then I sign these, but I can
>> that's the warrants. >> One of those. >> That's the weekly warrants. I don't need a second. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, with that, um, I'll entertain a motion to enter into executive session and we will not be returning to open session.
>> Do we need to read the reasons why? >> Oh, yeah. Thank you. We'll be going to executive session for the following reasons. Great catch. Second master law chapter 30A section 21 A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-UN personnel or
to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-UN personnel building commissioner and then agenda item 23 Mass General Law Chapter 30A section 21A7 to comply with or act under the authority of or any
general or special law or federal grant and aid requirements specifically General Law Chapter 3A section 22 for the purpose of reviewing executive session minutes for approval and determining whether such minutes shall be released in the matter of approval of executive session minutes from 3 to
2026. Okay. So we go into executive session for those reasons and not returning back to open session. So I'll enter a motion to go into executive session. >> Motion made. >> I second. All in >> favor. Hi. >> Yes. >> Vega. >> Yes. >> Matthew. >> Yes.