##VIDEO ID:aIlYV5U-R3A## [Music] evening everybody it is Monday February 3rd 2025 at 7:08 p.m. and I'll call to order the free time Board of suck meeting this meeting will be recorded and will be available on our YouTube page um tonight we were intended to go an executive session but we're going to skip that and just jump right into the agenda um so moving to agenda item three this is discussion discussion and vote whether approve and sign the Open Session minutes from December 16th 2024 and January 6 2025 I'll entertain a motion to approve those Open Session um those Open Session minutes motion made I second all in favor i i j item two discussion and vote on awarding the quote for fire station number one door and window [Music] replacements and it looks like the low bid here is with full scope am I right that's right so the lowest response of B will be full scope oh nope I'm wrong is it I thought was C what's this one they were nonresponsive because they addendum okay and that bid came in at $3,450 any questions on this no no pretty take the lowest bid yeah okay so with that I'll entertain a motion to award the uh wind door and replacement door and window replacements for fire station number one to full scope Contracting a motion made second all in favor I I I and then this is just to have uh next agena item five is just to have Deb take care of the uh paperwork right yep not the Cent sorry let me just mute my computer B all right so with that once a motion to authorize Town Administrator to sign the agreement between the town of free town and um full scope Contracting for the fire station number one door and window replacements motion made second all in favor I I again item six discussion of vote whether to open add delete finalize and close the special Tal meeting warrant for 224 2025 and have Constable post warrant we have any changes that we need to talk about since the last time we discussed these born articles you have that memo there where um we are adding a second invoice to be paid for a prior year oh yeah so that's on the U very first article I believe so now it's for two articles um and then the Council on Aging article I think they want to push this to Town the annual town meeting so that is being removed so the warrant that you have in front of you is pretty much the final warrant but those that's what's been changed since the petition that was on there was certified today so that's ready to go forward okay and just the invoice we're talking about is a $380 invoice to Comcast yeah $348 48.94 all right to make motion you yeah you have to make a motion to open it add and delete those uh articles then finalize it and close y all right so that um what's what's the article that we're removing it's the last article right you know article there was no article numbers because we didn't do it it was the Council on asan article we don't do article number was until the end yeah so COA article it's kind of refer to as that in the motion yeah all right so with that I'll intended motion to uh do I to open it first sorry yes so I uh entertain a motion to open the special town meeting warrant motion made second all in favor I I and then I'll make a motion to uh amend article one to include uh the concast bill and to uh remove the COA article motion made I second the motion all in favor I I and then now just to finalize it finalize it and close it I one one one motion there right and post it yep so I'll entertain a motion to finalize a close and have the conable post the special T meeting warrant for 224 2025 motion me second all in favor I all right sorry for that complexity there Jen item 7 discussion of vote whether to accept the MB uh La grant for planning and design phase for the new library okay any new information that we know since last time no I mean this this is sort of in tandem with the next um agenda items with the MBTA where they were asking for an action plan to be filed by February 13th and as part of the action um plan there you know they want to make sure that the Selectmen and the Town Administrator are going to actively uh try to get this zoning and bring it in front of the town the MBTA zoning I did review the zoning it is it is exactly the same as um last time so it is an additional 750 units for the town of Freetown I had thought that they had changed it um but of course it's not an easy read so um upon rereading it there is that still that minimum number so I I think the concern is because they go in tandem if we don't get the MBTA zoning pass we know in fact that they will not they're going to pull the um the grant for the library and we will be responsible for paying back that portion of the grant that we use for planning and Design design and that's just one piece of it the second piece is then we will have a a library designed at 14,000 foot in size which I believe will be really a large library for what we what all our needs in the town in terms of not getting this Grant and having to fund it um out of out of town funding and I I'm fearful that it wouldn't pass through town meeting to fund that 14,000 foot Library I'm I'm I think I'm also so concerned and i' I've said this in the past with so for prospective purposes this building is a 12,000 ft building um 14,000 foot would be bigger than this building and we know that one of the things that we're always surprised by is the cost to maintain this brand new building is is quite exceptional um so my concern is even with the grant moving forward to maintain a 14,000 ft Library would be um a lot so there there's a lot of factors this is not an easy this is not a win-win there's there's this is not an easy decision there's a lot of pieces of this puzzle I will tell you that you know um the concern is the MBTA zoning and if if it's exactly the same and and we do the action plan to keep us in compliance through June we will have to bring this to June town meeting I'm not sure given the appetite uh the last time it was brought forth and there's no changes to it whether it would pass up the answer is no I'll be I mean it was very C clearcut from open to close and how many people were there that we had overflow rooms that weren't okay with it and you might get a couple of people who will flip because they want a new library which we also desperately need no one will argue that but what's that going to be a handful of people still it's not going to pass in the town um I don't know so so my my fear is is that we then move forward with all their great work that they've done to get us to this point to have it turned back against us and then say okay well you guys owe us back $50,000 whatever that amount of money is which will add up quick when you start talking about the design of at all yeah I was hopeful that the new changes from what I was reading was 400 to 450 new units versus 750 so in my head you know seeing the happy medium was like all right we're at 350 what's the stretch of us getting it to 4 450 so it turns out that wasn't the case so that does that does take the the the win out of my sales here they actually printed a chart at think the end of the regulations that stated what we needed for um the units and it was 750 in there because they're requiring us to have 50 acres at 15 units per acre density so they're not allowing us to use 15 % of our existing units which would have put us more in that 480 range just yeah so what's the plan outside of the library so if we get this on the June warrant and we have to vote yeah Amy Cipher uh shair of the library trustees what's the plan for the town one year two years out what is the Hope in general you're saying no for the MBTA zoning compliance so say say this isn't even an issue you guys have to do this anyway you have to go make your plan tell get in on the warrant so we're in a very difficult position right I don't think there's any easy answer here I I I think there's no way we're going to be able to convince ERS of the town to accept us therefore we're going to start we're going to lose all of our grants so that's so they say no which is what we all anticipate I think in this room everybody anticipates they say no we start losing our grants are we in a legal fight do we now spend the next 5 years having a legal fight with our own state government I mean unfortunately the cost to do that especially when when we're going to start have to take away from other things because we're losing these grants yeah so I mean My worry is you guys talk about us losing the work we're doing we're going to lose it anyway we've already lost it if you say no tonight so we do a little bit more work because we're going to come to aead here with the state whether that's next year three or four years from now and you're right Deb we're not going to build a 14,000 foot library but that wasn't the goal anyway it was a shared structure so I I feel like we keep going back to that it's the goal was a a shared structure that this would help fund so those budgets would have to then pay the maintenance they'd have to work on two separate components coming together um but I don't want it to sound like you're doing us all a favor if you quit today because we've already done the work to get get the money um if the town doesn't go for it in the future that's a different thing but to throw it away tonight without even giving the town a chance seems a little bit premature what do you mean throwing it away I guess I'm not tracking that if we decline it this week okay it's gone when's the deadline for us to we need to give them an action plan of what we're doing with it by this what was so um yeah they really want an answer by the seventh because they the money that they have from the state could go back to state if they don't disperse it and then and that was for the first 100,000 90,000 10 that we hold about last time so we get the money and then how long till we have to spend the money on actually the design the design give me my question we have until what they anticipate is February to have some December December and January is when they're going to review our design yeah so we have to have a design to them by December January which after June well after if like if say we do bring this up you know you never know like you're right like there could be a a change in I mean there's not but I guess but if we don't give it our full fight it feels like we're just giving it away I I'm I guess I'm okay with it right in theory it sounds great that we say okay we're going to move forward with it tonight and then we're going to bring it to the town's vote the town is going to shut us down as long as we haven't spent the money a dollar up before that point I guess I'm okay with it because then we don't have to pay something back out of a town budget where to your point was we don't know what they're going to do to us down the road so we already have to be a little bit more responsible with our money and we don't want to have to and don't take this out of terms throw away money yeah right where I what do I mean by that is that start design on a building that we'll never use so I think you already have money a lotted fund1 $150,000 of this project once we startend that lot what you have risk once we start spending the money though right well once you you have to hire an OPM you have to hire an architect those things cost money you're going to you've got to do some work there's no way to do all of that work between June and December I mean look how long it took us to do the fire station which is a small um addition compared to what we're working on for um at some point I ultimately you're going to be at risk for the the 150 that we've already allocated was it 150 we've already allocated and if we spend the state's 100 another 100 that we have to pay back so there is money at risk here um I mean anything can happen I will tell you from talking to the senator and the representatives I don't think this is going away and the courts did rule that the governor had the right to sue the town of Milton so that's not going to change um there was some caveats that they wanted to have some impact studies done for the towns I don't know how with the emergency regulations she's going to get around that because that would take a long time and I was hopeful that we would have like five years to get to this so I think the answer is when it becomes so painful to the town that we can tell the town's people they have to pass this zoning because the cost to the town is so great that without it it's very detrimental I think that's when we can get the zoning P but do I think that the governor is going to change her mind no I don't know how long she's in seat for there a couple more years after that maybe it can be changed but and then that the area that we identified to change zoning on can you remind me what the current zoning is there yes the current zoning is eight units per acre it's over by the where the MBT State uh MBTA station is um the density is 8 units per acre they want 15 units per acre the problem is and it and it you know with some education to to people and trying to explain it to them we don't have the infrastructure to support 15 units per acre anyway um without sewer it's very difficult to get that d it because you have to put in a sewer treatment plant you're going to have to put in something to so it can be done it's not the easiest thing to do just because you want 15 units per acre you can't you need you need Title you need to still meet Title Five and you still need to meet your um conservation Wetland and it's like it's not economically feasible for any developer to really do that right now and I try to articul in this last time fell on death ears yeah I think that's the challenge is you're right it's not going away and I worry that we are also not a town that has the financial resources to fight this for a decade um and that will eat up all of the resources that we're losing on grants so for people to understand that this is a very concrete project for the team to use as an opportunity that's I was thinking about that too like this is a when when we if June we do go back to the town like this is a tangible think that there's something to be said for that it hits our young people it hits our disadvantaged folks and it hits our elderly because this is a joint project so it hits the exact people that our town works so hard to protect um and whether that again falls on the ears of the voters as this is an okay sacrifice we're willing to make it's that's their choice as opposed to us making that choice I think it's fair to say between now and June we can use our own funds that are already voted and identified for this project and we'll know by June and if we start eating into the rest of the funds we do um but I think that it doesn't do any justice to the town to give up right now yeah I'm not exactly say we're giving up we're just kind of looking at all the different possibilities of pros and cons if we do move forward it's different options so obviously we want the state to pay as much as possible for a grant that's a no-brainer right we want that right I I'm on that building committee and I want that double building because when I'm 65 and 70 I want a place to go play pool all right let's I'll be selfish for a second second all right it's everyone in this town deserves it but how do we do it in a responsible way so there's there are options right one I think we do go up the grant my opinion and then at the same time at the at the June meeting we put aside funds to cover that Grant in the event so it goes south right we go we vote no MBTA let's face it more than likely 99.9% sure it's going to be voted no that's the town's that's the the people's will and we're going to follow that um also you mentioned that financially could we pay for this ourselves now the building would be scaled down right would be 12,000 square feet but it will W be too too much smaller either could we afford that I think the answer is yes we I think we could afford that if the grant would to go away but I do think we continue the fight right and keep ourselves in the fight by saying yes to the Grant and that way what's the worst case scenario we pay them back with the money we set aside which is the same money I agree with with it as long as the work that we do doesn't go to complete waste what do I mean by that is if we start something can we use any of that information to go to the next phase because okay we say we got to do 12,000 Square F feet right now maybe it goes down to 8,000 square feet and that's more of a feasible size based on the amount of people and the money we have in town that is an option because listen I I'm up here sounding very negative and I'm not trying to be I'm just trying to be real because I know we were all there right at that last meeting and we know what happened so I don't want to do something to jeopardize Town funds your funds you know you guys I don't even want to begin to know how much work you put into trying to get to where you are today so can um I I have a couple things but can I can we hold on this and go to the next agenda item and and vote on whether you want to move forward with that action plan which states that the Selectmen are committed to pushing forward that zoning because if you're not going to vote Yes on that then this is can't vote on this then I think this is I think that does play into it so I mean that's kind of why I said you almost have to take these two agenda items in Tandem and then I will say as far as spending the money one of the things and and going through the process with the fire station is we have to hire an OPM and an architect and that's a process right you've got to put out your bids you have to interview them you have to score them I think the benefit will be that we'll have that team in place regardless of what the building gets constructed so yes uh Jared to some extent some of that will be reutilized but I think the size of the building will be greatly different absolutely um whether we have the grant or not because I don't see funding a 14,000 foot library and even though it's a joint building the library portion of it needs to be 14,000 square ft or close there to 2,000 of it is a community shared space so it's not just that's not just for the library so 12,000 ft Library like I said that's the size of this police station so you need to keep that in perspective that's a large building just for the library so um so then the total building square footage would be you know 20,000 square feet in total so uh but the good part is there's a lot of T because my concern is also that if if we can Contin continue down on this path we're not pursuing the other path where we are pursuing a joint building um we're sort of putting that on on hold to see if this is going to move forward but by hiring the OPM and the um architect I guess we've we've saved some time that will be in place we would probably use that same team regardless of the size of the building we're going to build and how we're going to fund it so there is some benefits to that because it takes time and I think we're able to set that expectation that this might be something a little more fluid than we're expecting with the team and how comfortable when we're interviewing what that looks like and would be usable spaces that you scale down versus things that might be too rigid for the grant um I think too that it's a it's a heavy sales pitch for the town who's facing all of these School issues and who's facing Renovations across the the town to say hey yeah they're going to say yes to a library and I worry about our staffing Nicole is fantastic but is she going to stay hoping that she can have a restroom at her workplace for the next 10 years so we talk about losses St Staffing is a loss it costs 3 months of someone's salary to get somebody new in train them get them going um so we really have to think big picture scope out of several years that it's not just this one project it's a it's an expectation of a safe and healthy workplace for our staff yeah and but like I think it's like almost the perfect project to if we're ever going to get it past because it is it's it's you know education related library and senior citizens you know they show up see say to show up I think it's the the building itself it's the size of the building right I think that we ultimately we absolutely need a new bath I mean a new library I've said this all along who who I mean just it's absurd that in 2025 we we have a building that doesn't have Plumbing in a bathroom I mean it's just absurd so um absolutely I think it's just how big you build the building yeah but I mean like I think there's something to be said hypothetically if zoning Law changes the train is Coming to Town things are like regardless people like it or not we're going to have it more folks moving to town that's going to happen right maybe we do need a bigger building you know Toc wouldn't it be nice to do that on the state's dime instead of our own if we have an option to this one is tough so I think before we do anything before we do yes this we have answer is yes oh yes this conversation doesn't mean anything unless we approve agenda item nine so yeah nine and then the wording is actually nine and 10 are sort of redundant but the the wording that I need the the selectman to vote is in 10 which basically you know this is specific what they want you to agree to so and you know I stand where just I guess let's move on to item nine and come back this like where I stand on this which might not be a popular opinion maybe I think in this room right now I think it's probably not an unpopular opinion but for a lot of folks in town like I I do think that it's the best benefit of the town to to try to create a zoning District that is in compliance um although it's definitely has is going to have some you know impact to the town I think that we're just trying to you know shovel against the tide right now and slow down change is going to happen anyways and it's going to cost us a lot of money to do that um so I guess that's just my personal opinion on whether should or should not go for it with the zoning District that will meet the requirements mvta communities um and so yeah that's my opinion I if you guys any thoughts so I'm going to be a little bit opposite and um you know I lived in the town my whole life right and uh value what the town's done and where we are um there's a lot of individuals that planning and you know put things in place and thought ahead right we heard a lot of it the night of the meeting and and it's it's things I've talked about all along that they were told to comply with something they complied they made the zone and now they're saying the Zone isn't good enough so then what's the next step that that's after that I'm fearful that what we do today will be good enough for today but then they're going to come back to us for something more and I like cities but I live in the country I don't want to become a city so I want to keep it that way and so I have a hard time especially when you see the will of the people that voted Us in here that we all up here from we're so strong against doing it going against them for me to sit up here because this was something that everyone in that meeting was fearful of was you guys are going to go behind our backs and try and do something to put stuff in place when we we don't have it when we're not there I I can't go against against that they're the people who vot me regardless of you you sometimes you have to vote based on the way that the people tell you right like that's you're up here representing people yeah I I don't disagree but I also think that it's important to make difficult decisions that maybe aren't popular yeah um because it's the right thing to do and if voters don't like that then they won't vote me back in yeah you know that's that's kind of where I stand on it yeah this vote just get tell says that you're going to put it at the town meeting you're going to put it FR of the people I'm listen I am completely okay with and I so I guess I was a little misunderstanding I am completely okay with putting it back in front of the people and letting the decide this is this not this is not like agree we can't do any zoning okay all right because the way was I was like is it telling me I need to agree so in that case I am okay yeah I understand putting it back in front of we don't have the ability to change the zoning law I cuz like I said I I know how I felt and anyone who didn't now does I don't really not hiding anything about it but you know I've never have but like I think last time we when we went there and let me be clear I I I unfortunately personally don't think it's going to pass but last time we went up there we were talking about kind of it wasn't anything tangible that we could talk about to say like this is what we're going to lose it was just kind of hypotheticals now we have something tangible yeah I think that's that's a you know and and a lot more tangible right like they took I told I told you they took the D Grant they took the fire the fire safety Grant they're going to take them all and I I think I I have not had the chance I can quantify that it's going to be bigger than you realize because we get a lot of these little grants 15,000 7,000 20,000 they add up um I know that I publicize a lot of the bigger grants and uh but this is a these those little ones really keep our departments moving um they just used to getting them every year so I think it will become extremely painful to the point where that's why I said we will quantify it to the people and say look we we your services are going to be interrupted if you know if we can't get this so yeah our budget we're not there yet but that's where where it we'll head I think yep yeah it definitely is a not an easy decision because you you've everybody here has made some valid points right how do we move forward but we be look at it like this our job as selectman as we're voted in is to provide the information to every citizen every resident in town whether you love to hear it or not here's the truth the full truth not just the version of the truth you want to hear so that's where I stand right we have to provide all information and you're right last time we were kind of against the MBTA for potentially losing ABC grants or these funding opportunities well now we have a tangible concern it's like hey we could be losing millions of dollars here for a joint building library and counil of Aging I know we keep seeing library but it's a joint building that's what we sign up for right so I do want that I do want those funds I I truly do but at the same time our job is to notify the the folks in Freetown hey here's the pros and cons here's the essentially here's the carrot right um and the state has us pretty stuck right they really do the resident spoke loud and clear it's a solid no we we but our job is to put back out there and let them no hey you said no last time here's what the no gives you this time around y right but but do we say no to the Grant in the meantime right and I don't think that's where I have a hard time saying you know more the more we talk about it how do right because if something changes if the state state CH if the state comes back and says something or something happens and then we gave it up you can't get it back can't get it back can't get it back you're going to have some pretty upset individuals who put a lot of hard work and to a much needed building a lot of money yeah yeah no absolutely that's thing we all agree with you it's just trying to be smart about it and it's like this is just one of those double-edged sword type decisions so yeah like what I've been struggling with internally is like whether like I don't want to these things take a long just naturally take a long Pro a long laborious process to get these things moving um like and I'm trying to think like is saying no to the Grant and just forgetting all that and going down a different road is that more efficient right or is it you know but but when we lose all the upside right and all all the hard work's been into it which is one thing that's important but like I do think I like I like the idea of using this as a great opport a great example and also like so many like think about the what's going on with this the government in general right now especially the federal level things are changing every day we this could be found you know to be totally illegal tomorrow like wouldn't be surprised so and if the town says no that feels different than us trying a different path if they go in and it's a hard not in spite of this yeah we'll know we literally did everything as joint as boards to that message you've done a really good job obviously articulating and explaining your point here like you know that's the kind of voice I think that will be needed at town meeting in order to convey like what's going on here I think that's somewhere I failed last time was was articulating well like like what this really means right and well we don't know so I guess the other but I guess where I where I think I messed up was that the really drilling on the point that like we have a area of town that's already zoned for higher density and no one's developed it and all we're doing with that same exact lot of land is putting a little more higher density that most likely no one will develop like I think the most likely outcome of us passing this is not one more house is built MH it's just because we're not we're not saying that the house you have to build these houses we're saying that if someone wants to come and spend a ridiculous amount of money they can build these houses right and those are two very different things and the way I think it's been uh explained to you know or the way people are interpreting it is they they vote Yes and there's highrises going up the next day and that's just totally not the way this is going to work right I mean it's a developer right so this is something that I've I've spoke about all along in several different forums was is it has to be a developer to your point right is and they're not it's not going to be any any it's not going to be the town or the state or anyone else that's going to come in and build this it's going to be a developer and a developer can do what they want with that land and it's not a moving piece so it's not if I go in there and buy it 50 acres this 50 acre parel and decide I want to put a I don't know C on there like at the end of the day it's not like okay that you know Jared bought it and did this so they can move it and put it somewhere else right but that being said that's what's on paper today who knows what changes tomorrow yeah so and I will say like where I stand like I think if the state I think it's unfair the way the way the state did this 100% I think that don't pretend like we have a choice when we don't right right I just totally disagree with that I think it's disingenuous and I think it puts us in very difficult positions just if you're going to make us do it just make us do it right um so I you know that I will say that but at the end of the day if I look at the pros and cons I think for me personally I think it makes sense be just because of the unique situation we're in where we're we already have higher density Zoning for this specific area right I think if we didn't have that we had to take like a you know a parcel of land that middle of town over here where we all live it is crazy down there yeah we live in the busy part of town we already have the trucks we already have all that we're used to all of that this part of town is not exactly sorry yeah I mean all of us we're all in the same neighborhood exactly which is a weird coincidence yeah Hey listen I'm outside of that neighborh the other side of the world over there so there's very few the side okay so I think that was I'm going to call vote for agenda nine so I'll a motion that um we create a zoning District that will meet the requirements of the MBTA communities motion made uh yeah I second motion all in favor all all right okay um so should I just take care of 10 then yeah because that would be okay so um okay so with that I'll a motion to approve the 2025 action plan stating that the board will take the necessary actions to bring any zoning intended to uh intended to comply with requirements of General Law chapter 30 uh sorry chapter 40a section 83a to 760 CMR 72 to a vote of the town of Freetown prior to July 14 2025 motion made I second the motion all in favor I I um okay and then so now we'll go back to agenda item eight right no seven seven sorry I've slept like three hours in the last like five days so my brain's not really working great so with that so I'll a motion um to accept the NBL grant for the plan and design phase of the new library motion made second all in favor I I congratulations um next step one step at a time all of us well I think you guys did a really good job of of making your point there and so I commend you that you know I think like I think you changed my opinion on it so um yeah something else think about too as we bring this to the town known pretty probably how they're going to vote maybe we do another warrant article to kind of commit to actually the funds to a building maybe that discussion is on the next warrant as well yeah I think U I think we'll have that conversation so that the the money is there if um the grant gets pulled right but yeah and it's a pretty like it's a binary decision right you can say like if we put on that like it's either you vote to fund this or you vote for this to get it for free well I mean I think I would vote the 100 Grand that we're going to need to do that but we'll we'll have that figure by then because I think it's going to be more because we have another building to your point everyone's point up here is obviously the buildings needed right so what I what my fear is is that we're going to take this to town it's going to get denied and then your hard work's gone and then everyone forgets about it right and then we're not moving forward with the next step and we've all sat up here and we know we we have discussions about trying to move forward but we do need to do something sooner than later and get something else in front of the town is to what it would look like like okay if this doesn't pass this is what our next step would be we're we're we're working on things you know kind of behind the scenes but yeah we'll be there with you yeah that's and I think that's that's a good idea let the town know here here's the plan here's all the Committees we that have been talking about this you they've already approved portion of the money to to go after the grant right so there's an appetite there we just again different way to skin a cat in a sense not that we skin cats we love cats that's just an expression um that's just yeah in today's world sorry cats right um yeah get your licenses please yeah um no I think we put put that in there to let the town know we're committed to a Council of Aging Library building because it is needed and I do believe you deserve a bathroom everybody does it's that's it's a no-brainer it's overrated so so yeah thank you all yeah okay awesome so agenda item I missed eight I did miss eight yes okay we have some items that are Surplus I like can't read today it's tough agenda what page we going to radios and stuff what's that radios and on attachment a the agenda I see that all right we got it here okay so we have some items to potentially be um to be put a surplus hold on what am I looking at here I don't know any okay Land Pride brought uh broadcast spreader don't know what that is seed easy drop spreader little for drag boox utility trailer sidearm mower for parts pressure washer and two hand rollers total value 600 bucks something wa7 any questions on putting these on M bed there that we're going to go to the trans yeah I was going to say with the exception of the two Hand rolls that they say just there's no value transfer station so all right so with that I will entertain a motion uh to oh wait do we need to set a minimum bid for each thing all right good no because I just because it's the estimated value but I don't know that we even want to go after that much for some of this stuff like that side on or it says it's for parts so it has an estimated value of $1,500 the reason why I bring it up is I don't want them to go through the work of putting it on and we don't get it and then we have to bring it back in front of us to to lower it to so can we just do something with the value to make it lower so we can just hopefully get it on there and be done with it yeah let the people decide how much they want to pay for this stuff we can we can put you know $10 values and love bid it up they they do bid stuff they do bid it up yeah so why don't we do I mean because none of this stuff is really all like $50 stuff yeah that's what I'm saying so this stuff so I just don't want to I'm trying to trying to take away work put a $10 I think we put a $10 minimum all right great so with that I a motion to declare um all items or sorry all these items Surplus and to um have the all the items except for the two Hand rollers put on Muni bid with a minimum bid of $10 and to send the two Hand rollers to the transfer station motion made second all in favor I I okay and then now agenda 11 discussion vote um a request from town clerk to revise available positions for the annual Town election scheduled for April 7th 2025 hi good evening um thanks for having me back so I was previously here back on December 2 in accordance with Master Law chapter 53 where the board of Select would call for the um annual Town election that's scheduled for April 7th um in the meantime um I received a resignation for a from a member of the finance committee he will not be completing the next two years of his term so in accordance with master and Law chapter 53 I'm right under the gun in order to um get that position additionally listed um so that folks have enough time to pull papers by the 12th and return by the 14th so I'm just looking to um amend the original public notice and add in addition to the three Finance Committee Member threeyear term posting to an additional one twoyear on expired term perfect any questions or concerns no no so let it come in today and go us another one well as far as the timeing it's really a timing thing it's it's takes a lot of time to be on these Boards of committees and we do appreciate app everything that our board committees do but time gets away from us so all right so with that I will in motion to approve the request from the town clerk to revise the available positions for the annual Town election scheduled on April 7th 2025 motion made second all in favor I I thank you absolutely thank you Cheryl all right I think that's the all do we have anything to sign any public input there was the the resident about the birs that was coming but he didn't come that's one Leisa was get for the birds the seagulls yes I heard a little bit about this gu if you want information so so we got to have Lisa smile on face here just because what was aware of Seagulls we have a seagull issue or is that what it is I'm apparent um a resident was complaining that one of the cow Farms has an overabundance of Seagulls near his property what do you do about that that seems like that's not really sure to be honest okay well he's come to our window a few times and said we were told he was coming this even that's why I asked told me he was coming so I I don't know what happened and we are not technically are we a right to farm or not no not right no is that am I using that terminology right I think it is right yeah right to farm we're not at right to which is surprising start signing all right we'll start signing then we'll journ okay well you know my my family in Portugal they have some Vineyards and they use the the propane machine so apparently that's part of the issue somebody on the other side of the property is using those and making all the seagulls go to the other side of the property got it interesting that sounds uh I'm sure it's not fun having yeah it sounds just like a going there every summer it sounds like a shotgun going off every two two minutes that's not the complaint the complaint is the fees going I get it and they do say the seagull are the rats with wings right they they pretty much just spot everything I had a single seal my ts one time y they like shiny things but I as you know we've been back for a week and a half and I'm dealing with the bird flu at the moment so a lot of bird problems a lot of bird problems going on to where we can't train the geese to go after the seagulls well it's hitting all the water fowl so it's just only a matter of time yeah that's scary stuff huh yeah I did hear those some reports in neighboring communities that have already I think tested positive or they suspect some bir flu Oh it's here it's definitely here I have to go pick up a hawk tomorrow so and I've gotten two Beese already so it's they haven't been tested but it's here yeah yeah I was just listening to a story about that and like they call the whole entire like block right sometimes it's like thousands and thousands of birds it's one that's it's been coming it's been coming across the country for years now yeah just now is at Massachusetts other than eradicating every Canadian goose that comes to our town any suggestions as far as what to do I know some places use like dogs to kind of scare away the geese but that's not really a long-term solution so really they fly not much you can do sorry flipping them over on you I don't know why we can we a proy amend the hunting laws and open up the hunting season for geese for a longer period of time there a season a hunting season although my husband is a hunter and he said I wouldn't go for a bird right now no then knew would I nope go is staying not even to touch them to wear PPE and oh really so it's that bad yeah cats are the most susceptible um but they're not 100% sure it can't jump to people so that's oh no not this again yeah all right I think that's that's all so right so with that I'll a motion to adjourn motion made second all in favor I I [Music]