All right. Uh, I will call this meeting of the public welfare committee to order for Friday, May 29th, 2026. Uh, if the assistant member can please call the role. >> Councelor Brooks, >> present. >> Councelor Cormier, >> present. >> Councelor.
>> Uh, first item, announcement of open meeting recordings. Is anyone recording the meeting? No. We will leave the reading of the announcement of open meeting recordings. Reading minutes of prior meetings. There are none. Uh I think on the agenda is FY2027 budget
meetings. We start with cable TV. Thank you for having me. Um before we get into the budget, I kind of wanted to give a little I know it's in the write up, but a little bit of what we've been doing this past year. Um this past year we were able to purchase two new um
field cameras uh which allow us to do we actually use them for inauguration. We've been using them for things in the auditorium. They actually deal with the their higherend camera so they use the light handle the low light situations better. Um and actually you'll see in the budget there's a line item for in
the new equipment is another one of those so that we can actually do three cameras at any um thing. Uh again, we've done a lot of things this year. Um yesterday I ran and just wrote them down. We did 27 city council meetings,
nine school committee meetings and city council meetings could be the joint meetings too. Uh 11 planning board, 11 zoning, 11 mayor's updates, 34 sporting events this year. um six city ceremonies, six senior moments, seven
GCAT chats, two major productions that we've been working with with Veronica Patty out of the health department to be able to do like uh we did the annivers helped with the anniversary project for um >> Foundation AD Foundation and another um
major project uh was shooting it and editing it uh in conjunction with her because she's the one who does our GCAT stuff. So, we we give her a little extra hand with some of the videos. Um, seven summer concerts, 12 museum lecture series, whether it's the fall or the
spring. Some we can't do because whoever's doing the presentation has copyright on it. So, uh, three high school concerts, the one 24-hour relay for life, four versions of the memorial lights, um, where the people donate for the lights for the town. So, we do a big
scroll with the music behind it that has all their names and who they're in memory of. Athletic Hall of Fame, a carolling with the mayor. Um, this year we did a pretty neat silver bell mashup with the mayor this year um for the holiday season. Uh, six council on aging
events, one major production with the police academy where Shane spends most of a week down recording the academy going through the process and then their graduation ceremony. four grant announcements, one chair luge, and I'm sure I've missed a couple things in there to come up with about 169
productions this year alone since last July. Um, which when I figured it out, that's one production every 2.15 days. Um, as you know, we have myself and Shane and Andy's a part-time part-time full-time, I guess, part time with
benefits. He's a 20-hour employee, um, which is great. He does most of our nighttime stuff. If you see Andy on a regular basis at city council and school committee and things he does also does our museums for us. Um yeah, as we get into the budget about
73% of the budget is personnel. Um when you look at the line items, if we look at the line item for it'll look like I didn't get a pay raise coming in this year. Um when we look at the line item for the director um la the
budget last year had had an elevated number in because that was supposed to be um after the budget I mean the um job description reevaluations and for some reason it didn't uh actually take place last year. Um so this is just a regular
contract increase for this year. So it looks like it's level funded but um not. Everything is um per contract for the salaries. Um we pretty much been able to level fund everything. You'll notice the new equipment line item is lower
um for the new equipment for this year. Um I found out about four weeks ago maybe >> that um get was going to have to vacate the high school. Um and we're moving with the closing of G. They're moving
Gon and our room was one of the rooms that they needed. Um so there's been conversations where and we've have a place lined up I and we're moving over to the community center. Um there's a lot of work to do. Um, so instead of building that into my
annual operating budget where it really throws it off, not knowing what we're going to really need yet for over there to upgrade, you know, besides the the moving part of it to be able to um set it up with, you know, lighting, grid, curtains, things like that. I didn't have time to get quotes for all that to
put it into this. As with other big equipment purchases, I'd rather put together a proposal and bring it to the council as a one-off so that we have operation budget to operation budget. Um, >> and that would be anything after the more fine tooth details after the $50,000 that the council just approved
to help get me with the move over to the community center. >> Yeah, I'm thinking like lighting groups and things like that. Um, >> 27% is the operation budget. As I said in the write up, uh, a lot of times the repairs budget, the travel budget,
things like that don't get spent. We hope we don't have to pay much for repairs every year. And that all that money that's left in the accounts, the line items at the end of the year was supposed to go back to the reserve for appropriation account. Um, so that is good. on the new equipment line item
this year. Um, my laptop that I have had for probably eight years, nine years, the battery life no longer exists for more than 12 minutes off of a power cord. And that doesn't really help with a laptop. And with it being a Mac, it's not something you can just go buy a new battery at Staples and put into it. Um,
plus the technology with it for the editing has changed significantly more. As I stated, I want to buy another camera so we can do the three camera shoots in the field. Um, I also need to buy right now we have one battery for each camera. And as you can imagine on a
longer shoot, if we don't have a power cord, we have we need more batteries for backup. So, purchase some new batteries. I try to purchase a couple batteries every year um in the revolving, you know, to keep going. And so, when one goes bad, we still have others. um
another screen for that camera cuz when we're doing like inauguration, it's nice to have the little screen on the camera instead of trying to look up at the little 2-in screen um that we have. Um next year, we're going to continue to try to increase our number of
productions that we have. Um we would like to obviously maintain the new the equipment that we have. We don't like to have to go out and spend lots of money on brand new equipment. The biggest thing in the new equipment is the computer back here that we use to
do the the city council and school committee meetings um is not Windows 11 compliant. Um and Bob has asked for us to make it Windows 11 compliant. We looked into having it upgraded. Unfortunately, it was before the right equipment was in it
to be able to make it Windows compliant. So that is actually very large portion of the new equipment budget is for line item is for that machine right there. Um yeah >> just to add a couple things on my end.
Uh so you'll notice on this one unlike the other departments of professional development and travel was kept in the department rather than put into the consolidated line. That's because the cable department's funded by their own funding source not by the regular uh local receipts of the general fund because they are funded through the reserve for appropriation account. Uh basically that uh municipal cable fee
that you see or the franchise fee that you see on your cable bill uh that comes to the city to fund the cable department. Uh so that's why since the funding source is separate that's why that is uh listed separately there. Um the new on the new equipment to
uh kind of talk about what the director stated. Um I think the best example of the quality of the new equipment is actually very recent. Uh if you watch the balorate ceremony from the other night, uh that camera was up in the choir loft of the church, but if you look at the video, it looks like it's about the second pew in when you look at
how close it was to and how clear the picture was uh to the podium where the speakers were speaking. Um I think it's a the right move for us to make. Um and I think, you know, investing in the new equipment that we have cuz I, you know, director Josie does a great job of maintaining the equipment so we don't have to go back every three years and
try to get more equipment. um being one of our longest serving department heads, I think he's seen that, you know, a strong investment up front does actually save money in the long term and we can see that pretty well at the cable department. Um I know that since I've been mayor, a lot of the programming's gone up with the little one-offs that have happened here and there in the
mayor's update. So I I mean I'm very grateful for the work that the GEV staff has done um with all of the various community events, all the various uh recordings, programmings, and everything like that with that 169 events uh or recordings that they've taken on. Um one
of the things that we've talked about is planning in the future that's not included in this budget, but maybe something to look at in the future just for future planning purposes is the uh part-time production assistance position. That's right now currently paid 100% out of the reserve for cable appropriation fees. And what that means
is they really have to focus on getting programming out to the cable subscribers first before anything goes up on YouTube, the video on demand or things of that on the city's website because it's being they're being paid for by those who subscribe to cable services in
the city. Seeing if we maybe take the other half of that, make it a full-time position and take the other half out of the general fund so that there's a little more flexibility in what coverage. uh because not everything and not every meeting gets aired on TV, but that doesn't mean a meeting might not need coverage for filming or something like that nature if it's put up on
YouTube, the website, the video on demand and things of that nature. So, those are conversations that the director and I have preliminary had. Uh obviously not included in the budget that's before you, but something to think ahead uh to the future with. Um and then as I said earlier, thank you to the council for the $50,000 that was appropriated to help with the move. uh
and if anything is needed after that in terms of the fine tooth equipment just because there's a lot of windows uh in what's going to be the studio room. So depending on lighting issues um any lights to offset when the lights too dark outside or curtains to offset when the light's too bright outside uh things
of that nature. We'll uh be sure to communicate that as it the needs come forward >> which uh where in the building is >> uh I believe it's the old art room. >> Yes. Yeah. I did not attend Waterford School. Um, but if you are, you go through the front door and you pass the
former principal's office, uh, the restrooms are right in front of you. And then if you take a left, right in the corner across from the boiler room, there's a larger room that used to be the art room and a smaller room that was kind of built next to it by a temporary wall in between. Those two rooms are where the studio is going to be. Right
off of Wilder Field. >> Questions? >> Um, okay. So this budget is funded totally by uh >> cable >> cable fees. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> All right. And cable fees.
There was discussion when I was in Pittsburgh about and Fitsburg was getting cable fees both from uh Comcast and Verizon, but there was discussion about is that going to start going away as more people get off of cable.
>> We have already seen Is that going to be affected? >> We we we we get a quarterly that comes into through the mayor's office into the account. Um we have noticed that it has dropped a little bit quarterly and
that's why I try to be you know the the new equipment budget would be next to nothing this year. Probably be about five five grand if I didn't have to buy that new uh switcher for the back because we're on city hall's internet. Okay. Um, I try very hard to keep it down because I I also look at the fact
that if we don't if we don't end up drawing the account down to nothing, we won't have jobs anymore. But I mean that's just a self >> that's going to be the discussion right now. >> That's a self-preservation. We have seen it drop. I will say that there is
um the mass access which is the cable local cable provider organization has proposed multiple times but is starting to get a little more traction this time uh to propose to the state that we should be able to get some of the internet returns um from the cable
companies as well. Right now if your bill is say $200 and $50 of it is for cable there's like a a $1 150 assessment that goes for local access. Yeah. >> Um and right now there's a lot the
bill's a lot bigger when there's the cable invol I mean the internet involved in it as well and so many stations and we are too with our video on demand are putting things up so that people who don't and we're doing with city council meetings. Council uh President Tyrros had asked us to make sure we could get it streamed. So, we stream it directly
to our video um on demand server page and as we will probably with graduation tomorrow if it's raining um that there should be some type of funds coming in from internet as well. That's has to go to the state level into the
communication telecommunications bill would have to be changed. Um, but at this time I'm trying to be as fiscal as I can so that we don't We do have a contract that I believe still goes on for another I think we're five years into a 10-year contract. I'm sorry I
don't have the exact number with me, but we're probably about halfway through this contract. Um, I will say that when we when I called Comcast to be able to set up the move, I am hoping that we will have the cable up as of July 1. Um
when I called them and said I was moving locations and they said uh when and I said I am moving I have to be moved by June 30th and they said this is a six-month process not a six week process. So they are moving I've talked to our
rep he's on them he's trying to get them moved as quickly as possible uh because they have to run a new fi fiber run into the building and and our forward and return that we have. Um, so they're giving us a price, but again with their price for doing it because Comcast doesn't do it for free. Um, what we
will, the mayor and I will probably have to work out with them is that they will take some of that out of each quarter for the next few years instead of us having to write a check for >> whatever it is. That's whenever they do it in the usually at the beginning of a new contract, they'll say, "Well, what do you need for infrastructure stuff?"
And they usually take a little bit out of what they give you. Okay. um instead. So, I think that's our plan is to go through and have them unfortunately take some out for the move um for moving the location of origination. Uh the other thing with us leaving the school and I've talked to the superintendent, I've
talked to the principal and I've talked to the mayor, if it rains on graduation next year, we won't be able to go live from there anymore. It'll be a delay and like almost like inauguration was this year. We recorded it downstairs, we brought it back in, it was on the next morning um type thing. But
we're trying to be as fiscally responsible as we can, >> okay? >> And still take care of our employees who do, as as I show you, do a lot of work. >> Um, and uh, we're trying to do the move in the middle of graduation and relay for life and vacation.
>> You can do it, Tim. I have total confidence. >> Well, I I have total faith in my guys, too, that if because my family, this is the one week we go away is right at the end of the what we're hoping the move would be. But I have total faith in my staff that I have that if I do go on because I told my wife I might not be able to go on vacation. And she said
that was not a good answer. And um but I have total faith in my guys that if they're wrapping up things, but I also do need to let the council know that there is a chance we we'll be able to go live from here, but then it might just be on video on demand in July. You know, I mean, we're doing the best.
We'll do the best we can to be up and running as fast as we can and hopefully not have to come back for much money to much more money to make it happen. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It's a valuable service and obviously you said people keep cutting corn. So, have to figure out how to go
forward eventually. >> Y Thank you. >> All right. Thank you very much. Go ahead. Right. Recreation. I'll be starting this one. Mr. Chairman. Uh so here with us today, Mr. Chairman,
we have uh Director Fort, who will be leaving the recreation director position come July 1, uh where assistant director Marquee will be taking over for the rec department for the uh summer program for the year, the the programming that there's uh they do. Uh so that's why they're both here with us today. Uh
you'll see the budget is pretty much level funded from last year's at the recommendation uh of uh the director and the future director. Uh the city's done a really good job in the last year or so in increasing the programming for our youth uh with the creation of the youth
center, with the revamping of the youth commission uh and everything in between. Uh so the goal over the next year is to find new ways to make sure that the you know the departments are collaborating as best as they can with each other to make sure that we're really building off of each other uh and really bolstering
all of the programming that we have here in Gardener. Uh so uh the uh you know Dan and Zach can certainly talk a lot more about the ins and outs of the summer recreation program, the programs that happen besides the summer recreation program because there are mid-year programming that happens as
well. Um but just uh you know one of the things I've been trying to do in these budget hearings is talk about what's our next step after this budget. So we know what we have in front of us here but what's you know where we do we see ourselves in a year in 5 years in 10 years and things like that down the line. uh making sure that you know we
are we're taking every possible vantage point, every possible view, every possible look to make sure that we're uh collaborating with all of our city departments together to bolster things up uh and really uh make have everything collaborate the way it should be collaborating together with each other. Um so just because of the amount of
investment that we've put into youth programming in the city in the last two three years uh that making sure that that's said so I don't know if the you want to go through it. >> Yeah, absolutely. So, um, the budget is level funded from last year. There's a
couple items on there that we sort of have I want to have a conversation about for future years where I don't think they're necessarily going to be needed, but I wasn't sure how to use them throughout our transition here. So, um, in last year's budget hearing, I
discussed our strategy to make sure that we were smart in what we were charging for your user fees for the program to not have to rely on the city's local budget to cover cost increases as we go.
U, we know a couple years ago we had a significant increase in our budget. This was after, honestly, a few years of we should have been gradually lifting it up anyways. we're the beneficiary of a couple grants that we don't necessarily qualify for anymore um that were able to
kind of get us along through 2025 or 2024. Um hitting 25 26 our budget has been sort of the same looking to go next year to be the same thing. Um essentially we don't have a wish list. We don't have anything to that degree.
This is what it costs to staff our program throughout the summer based on the number of kids we anticipate. We're getting really good at forecasting. Not good at It's It's easy to forecast how many kids we have every year because the number has only changed 10 or 15 up every year. Uh which is super
predictable. It's easy to man manipulate our staffing to cover an increase of 10 to 15 kids in a in a year for a summer program. So, uh we might have the easiest budget in the land, which I'm I'm okay with. Um, obviously it was a big investment a couple years ago to get
us to this point to be able to safely provide for, you know, three or 400 kids. Um, but I'm comfortable with where we're at. We made a couple of small increases to our user fee structure. We simplified it a little bit. We did overall increase it. Uh the thought
process there was we want to be able to cover the very predictable cost of living and cost increases that we know have been coming and probably will continue to come um to our program. The good news is most of those outside
forces don't truly affect what we do. Like gas and oil prices go up doesn't change the price of t-shirts for summer camp kids. It doesn't change minimum wage for for WCK staff members. Um, so it really is a very straightforward budget. The line that I mentioned earlier where I
said I'm looking to um most likely not need in the future is the coaches and salary wages, which we truly have not used for a couple of years. Um, I don't think either of you were in the room last time I explained this, but that that's that line there is for
things like bitty basketball, uh, the youth soccer programs we used to run and the various um, clinics that the city would run and it was there as kind of a failafe for if I couldn't find volunteers to run them. We
have volunteers to run all these things. So, it's still there. We we do rely heavily on volunteers for those clinics. The goal and we've almost entirely transitioned to it is those types of specific mini camps and clinics that we run throughout the year are run by high
school coaches and high school booster clubs and staff members that are associated with those specific sports. And the traveler organizations in town that are associated with those sports. So, we no longer run a five and six year old soccer program in
town as a city. Chair City soccer runs that under their umbrella. It's cheaper and better than we can run it as a city and to the it's just a better scenario. Um, youth basketball, which our travel basketball program in town, um, is going to absorb the bitty basketball program
because it just makes sense that the same people are there. Um, we don't run an independent T-ball program like some of our neighbors do as a city. Our youth baseball program and youth softball programs run those T-ball programs. So,
that line does exist in our budget today because there's still some more of that work to be done. I don't see us spending it just to be perfectly clear, but it's there. So, that as far as a wish list goes like that that's our wish list, I guess. Uh, beyond that, we anticipate taking in between 90 and $100,000 worth of user
fees. that'll offset all the costs that we need um to pay our staff based on who's enrolling. We see a slight dip in that, we'll have to react accordingly staffing wise. If we see a jump in that, we are well within range to staff with we are well in range with the staff we
have to add a shift here or there to cover that. So, it's it's meant so that we don't have to be reactionary, but we we can react, I guess. And just to follow up on a couple things, so the grant that uh you know, director for was talking about that we don't qualify anymore, the attorney general's office
used to offer a u youth uh summer jobs grant. So if you were hiring a certain number of youth for jobs that promoted healthy living, uh they would pay to offset up to three salaries for that. So we were getting that for the first couple years, but then the program requirements changed that favors more gateway cities than it does non-gateway
cities now. Um so we haven't been able to get that in the last 3 years. We employ around >> 65 to 70. >> Yeah. 65 to 70 uh students in the program for summer jobs through this program. Uh so the main uh you know the
salary and wage lines that you see that's not the department head really go to uh funding those youth jobs that we have for high school students to be able to be employed over the summer and work for the program. um there's a lot of work that's done and then there's also you know on top of that 65 to 70 hired staff there's also I guess for a lack of
better term interns that we have from grades that are a little younger than that uh that then are training to be in those staff members later on. So it's actually a really cool applicant line uh employment line that we're also teaching our students by working through this program too on top of running a summer camp style recreation program. um the
collaboration that I talked about earlier, you heard some of that with what uh director for was just saying uh with the private nonprofit um sports leagues that we have. So again, we're not duplicating efforts there too. Uh one of the questions I've received is about the collaboration with the youth center and seeing how we can grow that
as we move forward too to see how again um we're not duplicating services and watering down our services, but really creating a full comprehensive um programming opportunity for everyone who lives in the city. Uh, Director Marquee is no stranger to the city. He runs our current before and after school
program. Um, and I think he'd be, you know, I think he's going to do a great job this year ahead of the program. Uh, and I'm happy to answer any other questions that the counselors may have. >> Question. >> Um, thank you. I've been impressed with the program. >> Thank you.
>> My my granddaughter has done it, I think, a year ago or two years ago, and just seeing how how big it got. Um, and I think I think that's says a lot about the city and and what we could do and uh having something that that I mean when I
was a kid there was there were was a playground program every playground >> the world the world's changed and I get that. So it's in one location and and and so on. It's it's good actually. >> Yeah. Technically it's a high school the middle school and the elementary school this year. >> Okay. Down the street from each other.
>> Yeah. They're right there. >> Well that's good. Yeah. >> That's good. Um I think you're going to have big shoes to fill. >> Good. >> It's going to be It's going to be an interesting challenge. Um I like the
idea that that you're I I'm also impressed with the number of sports leagues and and kind of pushing down some of that out of the city and back to the leagues because I think it's very to me it's got a little dangerous if everybody expects the city to be doing everything.
the summer camp piece probably has to be done by the city because of it. It's >> school in the fourth quarter >> school over the summer and and it's >> there's a lot that overlaps there. >> We're just we're just equipped to handle it. >> But the league stuff, yeah, to push it
down. >> Having said that, however, I think and may kind of directed to you. It's still a good idea to have money in the budget that allows you the flexibility. So, not spending that $3,500 on coaches and assistants, but
having it in a budget is to me a good idea because it allows the flexibility of if we need to do something, we can do it. And if we don't spend it, we don't spend it. >> I agree, council. That's why I put it in the mayor's recommendation for the budget as well, too. I view that similar to the conversation we had yesterday about some boards and commissions where we only put seed money in there, too, so
that if we grow them later on, at least there's something to start that there, too. That's kind of how I view this line item, as well. >> And that's that's right. That's kind of where I'm where I'm headed with that. Um, yeah, I think I think it's a great program and uh and I think your other comment about trying to coordinate more
with the youth center activities and seeing if there's a way to they're two different purposes, but at the same time, how how do they coordinate and is there a way to make that work? So, yeah, thank you. I think it's been going great. I will say that
this program is designed to not this this program wasn't designed to, but we've evolved the before and after school program and this program to feel comfortable and safe to the kids that rely on both, right? We've changed the hours so they kind of match. We hire a
ton of overlapping staff so that they match. Um the location is the same. That helps a lot. Um so many of our kids that rely on the before and after school program truly rely on it for more than just like a safe place to be, but like developmentally
um they they rely on it. So for a kid that may struggle a change in transition and we probably have how many kids in before and after school go to the summer program? >> A little over 100. >> 100 kids their school year ends. they get a couple weeks off because we don't
start till after the fourth and they're right back in that space where they're comfortable, they're used to growing. Um, we think that's a huge deal for that age group. To be fair, our this conversation is largely geared. We we cover up to seventh grade for our our
our kids. The lion share of up to fifth grade, then a a good drop off off of sixth grade, and then a pretty steep drop off after seventh grade. you can kind of see that that's where we transition out and there's definitely room there at some like that's I think the intersection point of some of these
other initiatives that we have is sixth and seventh grade into whatever's next to be frank if anybody's ever had a sixth or seventh grader they're too cool summer camp and they're really too cool to go to a summer camp they've been going to since they were in kindergarten right like that's a tough thing um so
that that's just a deal with kids thing in terms of you mentioned big shoes to fill Zach's been running the dayto-day at summer camp for years. I mean, um, he's been running for years. Uh, this year I'll be staying on over the summer and more of kind of an advisory role,
just help with like the paperwork side of things, but it's been Zach's show for some time. It's'll be fine. So, >> can you talk a little bit about the pipeline between the junior counselors and the counselors and the >> thing? So, we um we've we've played with like the ages a little bit. Um,
for a couple last couple years, seventh graders, I'm actually being too cool. Uh we tried to create an environment where seventh graders could be like half campers, half counselors. That was very confusing for everybody, especially the seventh graders. Uh so seventh graders are campers again this year. Um
in grades 8 through 10, we allow them to come back to us for free. They have to register, they sign up, they pick their their stuff that they're doing. So there's still structure in terms of they show up with an intention just like a summer camper shows up with an intention. Um, and we partner them with
groups and programs that we think they like. Um, our we have a whole crew of eighth graders that we know are dynamite with kindergarteners. And our kindergarten staff is bolstered by bunch of eighth graders that babysit all year long and work really well with kids or
have younger siblings. And um, our goal through the 8th through 10th grade years is to train them so when they're juniors, we can hire them to be paid staff. Um, we are largely student-based. We do have a couple professionals that work in the school that pick up summer
jobs with us that we obviously embrace because it's another perspective to help with our kids. Um, but I don't think we have any kids in our pro, we might have five kids in our program as staff that didn't work as campers, weren't campers originally, which is really cool. So,
um, it's definitely an ecosystem where these kids learn the environment, they start to outrow it, and then they become camp staff. uh hopefully is what we we want, but we are never short for camp staff applications. It's it's awesome. >> And how many of those 8 to 10th graders
>> we'll have? We have 30 registered. So there's two stages to registration for us right now. Um it's everything from January 1st till the last day of school and then the last day of school. So the last day of school, we're going to get probably 15% of our entire registration
that day because people realize they need something to do with their kids. Uh, and 8th through 10th graders are not immune to that. So, we will probably have 40 8th to 10th grade volunteers um on the low end, at least 40 that will work with us. We probably see 35 of them
every day. Um, so they're very sticky parents. If they can get their eighth grader out of the house to us, they send them. So, >> yeah. >> Awesome. It's great. I don't have any questions. Um, but yes, thank you for sharing a lot of details.
>> Yeah. And I didn't give you a budget commentary. Honestly, I wasn't sure who should be presenting that like the the the the actual document because I'm not executing it this year. Zach is, but Zach's never done it. I have the budget. I have the commentary. Can send it to you. It's exactly what I just said. It
all right. I Sorry. >> It's not a complicated budget. >> It It truly isn't. >> Explain. That counts. Got set. Yep. >> The big number you'll see like the big number in like play uh part-time salaries spent last year as actual we spend out of the part-time salaries
budget then offset it with the user feed count of recreation. So I think it shows like $145,000 in part-time salaries but budgeted for I don't know 75. That plus the leadership line is overspent by about 15. That all comes from revolving which is brought in from last year's
user fees. So >> right. >> Awesome. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. >> Thanks, guys. >> Thank you. >> All right, veterans. >> I'll be taking that one, Mr. Chairman. Um, so Director Lavolet and Assistant
Director Graciani are both at a training right now that's required for VSOs. Uh, so they were unable to be here today. However, um the budget you see before you uh is actually pretty similar to last year, uh if not identical to last year for except for a little bit of uh
tweaks here and there. Uh the director and the assistant director salaries are set by the uh new ordinance that was adopted. They're both non-un employees. The clerical staff member in the office is a member of the ask me union, so that's set by that contract. Um the flag expenses that you see, there's a zero
year to date. That's because we hadn't gotten the bill yet for Memorial Day. uh by the time this the budget was printed, the flags are now all out. Uh so that is there. Uh and then the veterans benefit line item, you'll notice that that's been pretty stable and actually gone down a little bit over the past couple
years. And the reason for that uh is a couple uh you know, couple fold, excuse me. The first is uh for several years the city wasn't uh really um looking at the other benefits besides chapter 115 benefits
that our veterans qualified for. Many of our veterans who are on uh chapter 115 in the city also qualify for VA benefits uh from the federal government that actually come in at a higher rate than what chapter 115 is that's paid for by the city and 75% of that is reimbursed
by the state uh to the city and the cherry sheet in the following year. Uh so over the past couple years we've made a stronger effort to work through VA claims with our veterans who are on chapter 1152 because there's a benefit to the veteran in that they qualify for more uh more funding in their benefits
from the federal government but there's also a clause that says you can't duplicate benefits which then takes that off of the city's budget as well too. Um so one of the you know the trainings uh that the director and assistant director are currently at is the last thing they need to be fully accredited VA uh VSOs
as well. So they'll be able to actually process VA claims in our veteran service office right now. Over the last couple months, we've had a contract with the Monusa Veterans Outreach Center to have them take care of our VA claims while there was some transition period in the office. That's not planning on continuing again next year. And
conversations with uh director Lavolet and Dr. Marquetti, who's the director of the MVOC, uh they've said that we're at a point now where it's stable enough that the city can take over those VA claims now with the capacity that we have, even with doing the regional veterans department that we have with
doing uh Gardner, Ashenham, Ashby, Westminster, Hubbertston, Princeton, and Winenin. Um for the the veterans district that we have right now, they do pay a fee. our uh intermunicipal
agreements that we have with those communities does have a uh 2 and a.5% increase each year in the assessment for which they pay. And we charge $2 per capita uh for each of the member communities in those host community that we have. uh because the minimum staffing requirements that are set by state law.
And this is one of the few departments that we have a minimum staffing legally required in it is based off of uh full population of the member communities of the regional veterans district that we have, not just veteran population
because that can fluctuate on a week. Uh if there's a new housing development that's put up, there may be an influx of veterans that come into that population. But it also is meant because some veterans don't know they qualify for these benefits. So you take the whole population as a whole. So since state law requires our minimum pet staffing
levels be based off of full town population. That's why our veteran service agreement fee is based off of full town population. Uh so there's really not many changes with this. So I'm happy to answer any further questions that any of you may have. >> No, I have no questions.
>> Uh I don't have any questions either since it's fairly level funded. um like you said that it's kind of dictated by the population and the regulations. So >> yeah.
>> Yeah. Nikki and um her staff have done a tremendous job. I've been super impressed with them within their first year in the office. Um both assistant director Graciani and director Levolette are doing a I'm I'm blown away with the amount of work that they're doing. But I also do want to thank our former veteran
service agent, Cory Hasselman, who's the current VSO in the city of Lemonster, who's actually helping to train them, too. Because while director Lavallet was our former assistant director, assistant director Graciano, this is her first time stepping into this type of a role, too. So, Cory's actually helping them out on a collaborative basis. And
there's a regional veter uh veteran service agent organization for professional development that they go to and attend as well, too. So, they're really doing a great job, and I think it's honestly, they're the best people for that job for the city. Great. Let's move on.
>> Morning. >> Good morning. >> Morning. Isabelle Davis, airport manager, Gardener Municipal Airport. Um the airport is a public use airport and we have received money from the FAA
and mascot to to uh for repairs and uh and um updates. Um, we got a new runway a couple of years ago and Masdot has recently um, uh, yesterday actually, actually on Wednesday, they sealcoded
all the surfaces for free for us and they came up to do that and that keeps their investment going for many years. They don't have to reinvest uh, so often. So, they do that for free, which is nice. So, they're keeping an eye on us. Um the the problem I see is that we
have um at least 20 years of deferred maintenance for old repairs at the airport. And it's getting to the point where I'm concerned that uh during regular operations uh such as snow plowing and and u grass mowing that the
equipment is going to break down. our equipment is 23 and 26 years old and with the original tires on it. So, I'm just mentioning that because um since we're talking about the budget, our budget is is fairly flat and I understand that there's a lot of other
areas to fund um but if we don't keep the airport up to date and keep it as a flyable airport, for instance, if um we couldn't use it as an airport anymore, we would have to the city would have to
repay uh the federal government those grant assurances that we have taken. So, we need to we need to keep it funded, keep it uh repaired, keep it as a public use airport. So, um >> I'll just jump in for a quick second, Mr. Chairman. Yes.
>> Um >> Director Davis has done a great job at the airport. I don't think there's been as much investment in the airport in the last 20 years as we've seen in the last four. um with the runway, the you know the heating systems being looked at, the main hanger being redone, the public
room at the airport being redone, the seal coating that you mentioned, there's uh some easements that we're taking a look at right now for the signalization system and the lighting system that we've had there. Uh so there's a lot of invest and and the council's seen that in the grant matches that we've had on some of those but a lot of the grants that we've recently been getting haven't
required a city match because of the amount of collaboration and conversation that's been taking place between director Davis the commission the FAA mass DOT uh everything in between. Um I think you know one again funding constraints are what they are with the revenue projections that we had as I
mentioned at yesterday's welfare community meeting but um I do think that there is enough work at the airport to justify a full-time manager position in the you know as we plan out for the next couple years um as director Davis said
if we don't fund the airport to a way that it has to close eventually there's a look back of 20 years that we would have to pay back all the federal grants that we received to the FAA and you look at just the airport uh runway grant alone that was 5 million >> 5 million >> in itself. Um and it's one of those we
need those grants to keep the airport open or we have to pay back. So it's that uh you know the >> you're chasing your tail at that point in time too. Uh so it's one of those things that I I think the airport has relied for decades on the generosity of many volunteers uh in lawnmowing, snow
plowing and everything like that to meet different FAA uh federal regulations when it comes to a landing strip being open, the lighting signalization being there, the um radio system being as upto-date as it is. Uh so I think that's
somewhere that the city should be looking at uh as we plan for our future. like I've said for a couple of the other different departments that we have. Again, with the funding constraints that we have, this gets us through to where we need to be to get by this year and to get the operations continuing. Um, but again, as we look longterm, that's some
of the things that we should be, you know, taking into consideration and taking a look at. That said, the grants have also helped us keep things the way they are and keep things up to date and actually move forward a lot more than we have in several years, too. Um, so I uh I'm happy to answer any further questions that we have before I start
saying the same thing. We uh we have hot water at the airport for the first time in forever. >> Oh, hot water. >> Yes. >> Which is something we never had before. >> The airport, similar to the sewer treatment plant, are somewhat unique to the city and that we own them, but they
are located within the bounds of the town of Templeton. So, any work that we do over there does require inspection, permitting, and things of that nature through the town of Templeton and not our own building department staff or or things of that nature. Templeton also has municipal light services um that
make it so that it's not National Grid that we're dealing with, it's the town of Templeton that we're dealing with when it comes to electricity. Um different things of that do come up on occasion that do tend to complicate things a little bit. Uh but that's just the way that the facility was set up long before I was born and we're going to deal with it as best as we can uh as
we uh continue what we're trying to do moving forward. I the grants um districtbased since it is the airport for several towns in in the area. >> Yeah, it's um there's some of some of them are based on catchment area, some
of them are just what's the need and some of them are what's the quality of the application that we have. Um so we do contract with a uh airport consultant Gail Associates uh on an annual basis to help us through some of those projects. Uh so it it really just depends on the typical funding source that we're
looking at. Um the runway is not long enough to have certain planes land there too. So like jet traffic can't be there because it's not the certain distance and it's because of the wetlands uh that are in the area too. So there's really not much opportunity for that type of expansion just yet. Um but there's
different things that we look at there. >> We do we do sell a lot of fuel. We sell aviation fuel and uh the planes come in because all the other airports gardener, Lawrence, Fitsburg are all higher priced. So they come to us for the cheaper price of fuel. We charge a
dollar uh over the wholesale price that we get it at. You know, we don't want to gouge people. We're a city municipality, so we charge over and so they come to us and we sell a lot of fuel that way. We also have volunteers who are doing doing things for us like changing the oil oil
filters, but our budget doesn't even include for us to pay for oil and oil filters for our our big trucks. You know, that's hundreds of dollars per oil change. We can't even afford that. So, we we have to um we have to do that ourselves. Um
I'm paying for the toilet paper and the coffee at the pilots's lounge. you know, the people come in, they they fly in, they get fuel, they use the bathroom, they get a cup of coffee, and they they go. It's a public use airport. We have to have to keep it open. And so, um, I'm
just saying we're we're a little little too flat, and it's it's hard to to operate at that function. >> Um, the, uh, fuel sales go into the, uh, the fuel revolving account that we have. So you you'll see that when you see the revolving account authorizations
um as part of the budget orders uh that have you know been submitted that relate to the spreadsheet that you have in front of you >> and in my understanding of the fuel revolving account because it's not just for purchasing fuel it's also for maintaining the >> system. Yeah the fuel system airport
>> that you could use that for. >> Yes. And I that that was >> that's a difference between Gardener and another community. And I like the way gardener was doing it because at least that piece of it >> was self-sustaining. >> Yeah. There there are there is a neighboring community in the area that has a fuel revolving account but the
money that's from fuel sales can only be used to purchase more fuel to fill the tank rather than repair the tank as needed. We luckily have that flexibility in our revolving >> and I've seen it where it's gone into the budget. It's a budget item. Yeah. So then you know it can support the budget which is fine except you're not getting
>> maintenance on the equipment you have for generating your money. >> Yes. Correct. >> That's a good way to do it. >> Um you know the director and I have talked about uh potentially having a another revolving account for the airport uh for different fees that are taken in um for you know flight school
purposes or different things of that at the uh the airport in the future. So that's something that we're also taking a look at right now. >> Right. And at one point when I first got there, I wanted to have a restaurant at the airport because that brings in lots of people, but we we have a well and we
don't have city water and city sewer and >> it's in the town of Templeton >> and the um fire hydrant is a mile away down the road at Gardener. So, it would have to come a mile up the road into the uh into the airport to actually and that
would be costly. But >> that would actually bring bring the people in, bring revenue in. Uh but I realize that's a big expense. >> 1928 is that when the airport was built? >> 1927 is when they started building it. We have pictures at the airport that
show them an old truck, you know, plowing the the runway trying to grade it. And uh Mr. Pokey's father, Mr. Pokey is still alive. I think he's 95. his father and his maybe brother and uncle
were the ones who did it on the farmland. >> So next year makes it 100 years for the gardener airport. >> Yes. >> Birthday plans. >> Yeah. >> That was our questions. All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Back up and cover our youth. Uh so the youth commission uh budget as you see before you I described this I'll put it in the same category as the historical commission and disability commission that we had yesterday. There's some seed funding in there too. I can say um there is already
a youth commission revolving account and you'll see that again in the authorizations that are before you. Um, I think the new uh members of the youth commission that we have, in fact, I had two people just this week send in letters of uh interest for being appointed to the youth commission as
well. I expect this to take off uh and see a lot more programming um that's happened. I know they recently purchased a popcorn machine um because they're looking at having some other programming over the course of the summer. Um, so I expect there to be a lot more activity by the youth commission, but as they're
still starting up, the budgets, you know, the same as last year, so that we can see how much they need first before we start diving too far ahead in. Uh, so I think there'll be a lot more activities done and hopefully in the future we'll see the need for more funding. Uh, but for right now, the funding you see before you is pretty
level funded from last year. >> Questions? Um, I noticed that the youth center is also included in your packet. I don't know if that's included with your youth commission line, but that's the $50,000 that was appropriated in the supplemental budget at last year is uh put again into the budget for next year. Uh, but you'll notice in the department
wish list column is the breakdown of how the funding is that we're getting from the state. So, for the last two years, we've received about $100,000 in a federal earmark from the common excuse from in a state earmark from the commonwealth uh that Representative Zotnik was able to secure for this
program. And I wanted you to see how that's broken out so that if that earmark was to ever go away in a future year, you'll see where the funding needs are for that department. So, that's why it's listed that way in the budget this way. the $50,000 for professional services, that's just because that's really in there to keep things going so that if we need to take it over again,
it's only increasing by $50,000, not $100,000. Uh so all of that is uh just for moreformational purposes so that you can see how that is broken out. >> We measured. Uh so this one I'm going to throw into the same bucket as the commissions. uh even though it's not a
commission in of itself, but director hiren has done a great job over his several years of service and his family several decades >> uh service uh in this weights and measures. I see him about once every other week in the office when he stops in and gives me an update on how things are going. Stops by to talk about the
different projects that he's overseen. Um I'm really really happy with the service he provides and I'm happy to continue working with him. Yeah, it would be weird to see a name other than around here. You have questions?
>> No, I'm sorry. I have some questions either. That was today's questions comments. >> I have no You have >> I >> I just want to follow up on yesterday. I sent an email to the committee. No, there was a question about the the golf
superintendent salary yesterday. uh when we went back and looked there's an inversion of the numbers and that was might it looked like a reduction there too that has since been fixed. It was not reflected in the order numbers themselves. So the correct number was used for the order document uh that was there but what was supposed to say 85
was 58 in the spreadsheet. So it just looked like the typing was quick when it was going through. So that was why that error was there yesterday. And director Frank I talked to him and met with him and explained that and he was a lot uh more at ease after that explanation as well. Okay.
Move to a second. Motion by councelor Brooks. And I have a second to adjurnn. All in favor? I I motion carries.