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So, I'm going to call this meeting to order. It is now >> 5:30 >> 5:30. This meeting is being recorded by the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund Committee. If any other persons present are recording, please notify the chairperson

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at this time. No one else is recording at this time. Okay. Roll call of members. >> Uh Jim Geissman. >> Jim Geissman is present. Wahab Minhaj? >> Yep.

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>> Patty Williams here. Okay. We do not have minutes to review or approve. We will have two sets of minutes at our next meeting. There is no one for public comment

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at this time. Um rolling right along. Uh we also have some new business to attend to as well. Um discussion of Community Preservation Act funding issue. At our last meeting,

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there was a discussion uh regarding the CPA funding. Uh how how what's required to uh change the law for us to be able to uh procure some of that funding.

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And in my investigation of this, basically told me that um some folks are saying it's relatively easy process. Other people saying it's a very complicated process. So, instead of going on hearsay, um I have put it in the hands of the

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city lawyer to come back and tell us what's required to get this done because uh I want to have a handle on what's required before I bring it to A&O. Uh the nice part of this would be is the

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lawyer will have first look at it. So, when we bring it when it goes to A&O uh and then to the council, that will be a very smooth process. Depending on what the lawyer has to say, obviously. If this is a very complicated

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piece of business, we're going to have to rediscuss it. Um so, I just wanted to report that. I did I think I sent out an email regarding that information, but I wasn't sure. Um Do Are there any questions regarding

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this? >> Yeah, just to clarify. So, um reaching out to the lawyer to see what the requirements would be for the uh CPA funds. Is that Is that what you said?

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>> Yes, basically what has to happen is this this the uh legislation that created the CPA funding at the state level uh would have to be altered to allow us as an exception

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uh to be funded. Because one of their criteria >> Oh, it just got you guys just got muted. >> Okay, now we're unmuted again. I don't know >> All better. >> Are we still unmuted? Can you hear us? >> Yes, I can hear you.

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>> Okay, fine. So, the criteria uh one of the criteria of the CPA funding is that it can never commingle with the general funds. And right now, if we got CPA funding, it would go into our account

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for the tax fund, but eventually it would be awarded to people. And that award award would go into the general funds. So, therefore, we cannot right now get CPA funding. Um so,

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we need to get some kind of language into that legislation to change that. The question is is that is that going to affect other levels of legislation? Some folks says it goes as far as affecting proposition 2 and 1/2.

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It became very complicated very quickly. That's why I basically handed it to the lawyer. Uh even though I didn't want to spend any city money, but sometimes you have to. Uh so, it is in the hands of of Gordon now, and I should hear back from him uh in the

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relatively near future is what I'm expecting. So, that's the story. Is that clear? >> Yeah, that makes sense. So, hopefully before the next meeting, >> Yes. >> a better idea of what >> What's in What's involved?

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>> details. >> Okay. >> Yeah, what is involved. Okay. Um let's see. Fundraising update. Um a couple of things. One, I got an

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email today from Fallon Health Care basically saying uh they need more time. Apparently, they're looking at 340 applications for money right now. And so, the committee is still working

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it out. So, they begged our patience and said they will get back to us as soon as possible. So, at least we haven't been rejected yet. That's a good thing. I have not heard back from Baystate. Um I did

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have a meeting with uh Amy Cahillane. >> Cahillane. >> Cahillane. I I say her name wrong all the time, Cahillane. Who I think she's wonderful, number one. Number two, she she basically uh emptied her brain

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in terms of everyone she knows in town where where we should go and get money. And so, just let me run through some of that because I think asking somebody who's done fundraising in the in local area is useful uh

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because we're not stabbing in the dark as much. She said the banks are very competitive. Uh so, when I told her that you folks had gotten money from um Greenfield Cooperative

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I told it's 2,500. I don't know if we've seen it yet, but it's still pending. So, she said she wanted to tell Tara Brew Brewer at Brewster at Greenfield Savings Bank that that's was in fact the case and encourage her to fund also. And

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she said, "Once you have those two, then you take that information around to all the other savings institutions and basically said, 'Oh, we've gotten money here, we've gotten money there.'" And then they tend to be very cooperative. I thought that was very funny.

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But she knows Tara well, very well. So, I thought that was very nice of her. She's willing to do whatever for us. She's in very in favor of this program. Um she's mentioned a few folks local business-wise.

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Uh Ames Electric. Um the Ames Electric being one. She said the Rotary Clubs, the Elks, the Lions, the Kiwanis uh also very good to having a discussion

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with them. It's not big money, but it gets the word out. Um she thinks that we need to have, and we don't have it yet, I don't think, an online donation on the city website. So, you can do a check off now on your

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water bill. The next tax bill that comes out, which should be coming out next week or the week after, will have the check off to for adding money. That will be the uh first

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the This is the first tax bill of the new fiscal year, due August 1st. Um she thinks that would be very important to make sure we have that. So, we should see to that. We should speak to John. I

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will speak to Jonathan about that. Okay, let me write that down. >> That would actually be pretty helpful. >> Yeah, because a lot of folks give money that way. They don't write the check. They want to do it online. It's like an ActBlue kind of mentality, you know, it's easy. It's easy to give money that

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way. Um >> The online donation for the tax bills, that runs through some third-party service. And I don't know how they're equipped to have a check off box.

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>> Well, Mandy took care of that. >> Uh on the tax forms, but I'm I'm not sure how how it would work online. But doesn't matter. Well >> Well, I don't know if it would be the same online service that you pay your

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taxes with. There's I mean, I That's how I pay my taxes or my water bill. I go online and do the whatever it's called and have everything all my codes written down cuz you have to get those right. Um I don't know. I will ask Jonathan about

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that. I will ask Jonathan about that. Um Another thing she said which would be useful and she would she's willing to make a phone call for us, GCC funding. Now, GCC does a lot of

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I mean fundraising for themselves. Any college has to, especially small community college. But very often there's a a little bucket of stash money in various departments according to her. And she has a friend over there that she's going to call to find out if if

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we're trying to get funding from GCC, who do we go to? So that will be a contact. That would be a contact coming from Amy. She also said the faith community. Now, a lot of the churches, you know,

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their basements are used for cooking food, they do soap soup kitchens, etc. and so on. Um There's a woman by the name of Amy Clark who I guess my friend Susan knows very well. I will get in touch with Amy Clark

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via Susan. She is part of the Interfaith Council. So maybe we can do some a coffee hour somewhere or presentation uh if some kind of gathering of the council as a whole or different, you

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know, congregations. Um She also said table-ing is not a bad idea. That we could set up a table at the Franklin County Fair etc. and let people know that they can donate.

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Um She thinks that uh the >> I'm sorry. Putting a table at the farmers market may not be a bad idea. >> Yeah, I don't think you can solicit at the farmers market, but you can solicit

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outside of the farmers market. We've done that for every campaign I can think of. >> Okay. >> That's a possibility. So that's a that's a kind of I mean besides use and also we have a a date

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uh Hannah from the Greenfield Business Association we have a date of August 14th. There's going to be a Friday round table. um that we're invited to go to

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to to speak on this program. And the all the businesses that are part of the business association will be there. uh at this these Friday round tables and apparently they're very important. I don't know if it's a breakfast thing or

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whatever, but we'll have more details down the road, but it's going to be August 14th. And Jim and I are going to be going to that. um >> Will you Wahab? >> [snorts] >> I'm putting that in my calendar. The

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14th is uh Pakistan's Independence Day and we do like a little thingamajig. So it depends on what time it is, but if it's uh somewhat earlier, I can probably make it. >> Okay, I'll have that info I'll have that

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information a bit more solid very soon. So, you know, in terms of this haven't heard back from Bay State yet. um I don't know. Do you have anything to report? In the last meeting Al was saying you had talked to uh

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a number of the um What are they called? I'm so tired. um Freedom What's it called? >> Oh, Freedom Credit Union. >> Credit Unions. That you've spoken to them? Wow.

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>> Yes, so one of them was going through that merger. And for some reason I I had a meeting come up with them. And then they kind of canceled. And I'm in the process of rescheduling with them.

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But I do remember them saying that late June would have been better. So I don't know if they're just trying to push it off till then when things are a little more settled. >> We're in late June. >> Exactly. Yeah. Uh this was this was last week. Um

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There's a lady by the name of Cheryl there. Um who >> This is for Freedom Credit Union? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Uh Franklin First. Um and uh who else was I in contact with? I'm

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trying to gather my notes here. So far I haven't had anyone pledge anything. Um I did get uh some info about a uh

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what you might call it. Give me 1 second here. Oh, here it is. >> [clears throat] >> So yes, I was able to get some info about a potential uh local business that would be interested in this.

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And um I'm supposed to meet with them. Uh they're a local restaurant. >> Who? >> Uh They're a local restaurant. I don't want to put their name out there just yet because they have said that they are potentially pretty interested in it and uh would like to make a donation, but

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I'm going to meet with them. Um to see probably what amount, etc. that they could potentially donate. >> Okay. >> But other than that, it's been kind of slow. Nothing Nothing big has

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come up yet. Still waiting on some responses of uh the applications we had sent in, especially TD Bank. Um >> Yeah. TD What else is pending for you besides TD

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Bank? Do you know? >> Um Let me see here. >> I think that was it. >> I think that was probably it. There was one more [clears throat] uh >> Staples? No, it's not Staples. >> No.

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>> Uh Berkshire Gas? >> Berkshire Gas, I wasn't able to find any info. >> All right. >> Oh, M&T. M&T. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yes. >> M&T Bank? >> Yep. Yep.

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>> So, have you heard anything >> I sent in an application and haven't >> Okay. It's pending. >> yet. Yep. >> Okay. All right. So, a lot of the places that we originally kind of made the list of, we noted in our last meeting that um

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their their scope is extremely narrow. So, uh a number of places only do you know, uh they'll do like a a a can on the counter for a particular charity that their employees want to give to.

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There's like a employee vote and then there's a month of giving to what like the Mary Lyons Foundation etc. That was Aubuchon. I noticed that can there. Um Big Y and a few other places really do food donation more than anything else.

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Starbucks, they do what an employee There's an employee vote and they do it that way. So a number of the places that we had originally kind of targeted really have a very narrow view. So that's part of the reason why I had that

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meeting with Amy to try to get a better handle on things and contacted Hannah to have some direct one-on-one because I think if we get in front of the people and do a presentation, we have a much better chance of getting money. You know. Uh this application online and

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stuff, it's like this arms length kind of thing. But that's who you That's how you have to deal with the big guys like Baystate uh who I have to nudge again because I haven't heard. You know, and Fallon and and other big places like that.

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Big Y etc. They're all big, but I think that >> a question. >> Yeah. >> I You had mentioned um an idea about table. Could we table in front of the library or something that or like in the library? Is that a possibility?

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>> Well, it's legal. I mean, when there's campaigns here, I know I've done You know, you don't you just set up a table uh at the end of the common or you know, in front of the li- like I don't know how how it works with the library.

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Uh but I know uh at the common uh used to be people would do stuff at the post office on the sidewalk, you know, get names on petitions, etc. and so on there. And so yeah, it's possible to do tabling. Is it possible to do tabling there? I

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don't We have to I want to think about oh, in terms of energy expenditure. >> Would we be collecting money? >> Yeah, that would be doing or yes, we would we could do collection or we could

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do pledge cards, then you have to chase the pledge cards. Um >> Yeah, I think that I think the collection could be problematic with cash control. >> Cash control is right. That's not a good idea. >> But >> But informational informational tabling

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would be it. We wouldn't >> Yeah, and you could hand out pledge cards. >> You could hand out pledge cards and then 10% of the people would remember where they put them and pledge. I'd rather I'd rather focus on the I think the individual stuff is going to

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be through the check off more than anything else and then the businesses are where you know, we'll get a chunk of change and I haven't asked Steven. I will call him tomorrow. I don't have a uh an amount to share with folks right now. Um the

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last count last month Mandy said it was the same. It's like >> 1,300 this year? >> No, no, it's like 3,800. It's like $3,800. But I don't know if there's been an increase since then. I should hope so, something. Some kind of trickle down, something,

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somewhere anyway. Regarding okay. Okay. And I'll get back to you to put that in the minutes in terms of the total. Cuz that should be that should be part of the minutes now. >> Okay. >> Okay.

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Um Hm. You know, also because we're not a 501c3, that's another thing. There's a couple of family foundations, the Bet family, b e t e, that Channing, that business has a family

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foundation. >> B >> B, right. They uh but they only give to 501c3s. Um that's part of the that's part of the issue. That's another narrowing that has happened, but you know,

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I think we have a few places we can keep digging. Um I think the church thing is going to be interesting. We should check that out. Uh I will contact the interface person and see where we go with from there. So,

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I think we're in terrible shape. I'd like to have more money at this point, but uh the reality of the situation is yes, in fact, you know, we'll do the we're going to do the teach-in on August 21st at the senior center to show people

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how to fill out the application. We may have to do a couple of those, but in terms of the actual awarding of money, uh that's not going to happen until May 1st, really. You know, that cuz it goes to it it'll

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go in to No, not May 1st. We and we do it in March. We we allocate we give the award information in March and then allocate the money to the tax fund. It has nothing to do with the with the

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rotation of the taxes. It goes in >> Yep. >> at that point. So, the reality is we need the money in our hands by the end of February. >> Well, we should have that. >> I'd like to have it by the end of December, but

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>> Well, we'll we'll have the first quarter results. >> Yeah. >> Before before December, presumably. >> Yes. >> And we'll probably see a part of the second quarter.

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You know, starting in November, October. >> Right. >> So, we'll see that. >> Right. >> And and I'm I'll be interested to see how many people use the check-off form. The first drop

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and the second drop and and see what the participation rate is and what the average is per participant. >> Yeah. >> Cuz >> [clears throat] >> I suspect that um if if people

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do what what I did and I just rounded up, um you know, you could be talking about 4,000 tax bills or water tax and water bills at five bucks a piece and that's uh 20,000 right there. >> Mhm. >> And that may be the source of the

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ongoing uh revenue. >> Yes. That may be. That may be. >> be. >> Anyway, so that's where things are at. Uh Well, have Do you have anything to add to that or

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>> Yeah, question. Um I'm not too familiar with the schedule of when the tax bills come out or like go out to people. When exactly does that happen cuz for the next upcoming one, what if we had the city or like Jonathan

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do like a little blurb online, just be like, "Hey, the taxes are coming out. By the way, we um add did an addition this year and we have something called the elderly disabled tax fund and And you want and

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or able, you can check off on there. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I I I think that's a good idea, and I think the idea of promoting the fund makes a lot of sense. >> Mhm. >> I'm not sure about the timing relative to the tax bills because

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you know, you're sticking out both hands. You want the taxes on one hand >> Mhm. >> you want a donation. >> Yeah, but that's the that's where the check off is. >> No, no, I I I understand. >> Yeah, I understand that, too. I always choke when I get my tax bill.

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And uh yeah. Some people won't round off round up. They'll uh pay >> Pay their bill. >> them and later on maybe think about putting some money in the pot. We'll see. >> Yeah, right. >> Um a lot of folks it's easy to do that, and

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we'll see if that works. But I think it's a good idea, though. We can ask Jonathan to put a blurb on I don't know how many people go to the website, but it's a good idea to have it there. >> Yeah, and I think somebody has to check with the

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the service that collects the the tax money to see how the online stuff is going to get implemented. >> Well, my assumption is that Stephen and Mandy have taken care of that.

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>> Uh >> I will ask Stephen. >> Yeah. >> Total. And >> [clears throat] >> Okay, cuz it's a question of third party. Is it a third party process or what? >> Yeah, it is.

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That's why they charge uh such a hefty fee. >> Okay, but that's for >> Well, that's the online payment system. >> That's an online payment system. >> Yeah. >> When people do the check off though, they send a check and they just write write it for more and then it's dealt

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with in the treasurer's office. So, if my tax bill is $500 and I want to donate $50 to the tax fund. >> Right. >> I write a check for $550 and I mail it in and I >> Right. >> So, that's that's easy. That's the

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treasurer treasurer takes care of that. Whoever processes taxes takes care of that. So, it's the online donation question. >> That's right. >> Okay, that's what I have to speak to Steven about. >> Yeah. >> All right.

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Very good. Steven, get a hold of him. >> And it might be nice if uh I I've forgotten what the fee structure is. But um if it's a percentage, maybe they ought to just apply the not apply the

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percentage to the donation. >> What? >> When you pay your taxes, >> Yes. >> they charge you a fee. And if the fee is based on a percentage, may not be. >> Yeah. >> Some some are by amount.

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But the point the point [clears throat] that I'm raising is if you check off something, it would be nice, if possible, that the third-party processor does not take a fee for because of that,

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does not increase their fee because we're make somebody's made a donation. >> Okay. So, >> But but check check with >> They don't do a percentage. >> Is it just a flat rate? >> It's a flat rate and it's a flat I know it it's only like 50 cents if you do it

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on your bank. In other words, you you're doing it by check. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, bank check. You can do that on it's online. It's It's a very strange system. But it only costs 50 cents to process it process it. The It's not in for the

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It's a flat rate for the credit cards, debit cards, or anything like that. It's a flat rate. So it's not a >> Oh, okay. >> It's not a percentage. >> Thanks. >> Not a percentage. >> Good. >> I had to think about me doing it. That's how I remembered what the screen looked like. Okay.

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Uh anything else? >> I'm making a note uh when you mentioned the churches. >> Yeah. >> I do have a connection in one of the churches here in Greenfield and she's really helpful with a lot of the uh community service stuff and I'll see if

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that's if they potentially have something that they can throw us. >> Okay. And we'll And the thing is that we are perfectly ready, willing, and able to come and do a presentation. >> Yeah, absolutely.

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>> I'm I I've been doing an afternoon job. I'm It stops next week. So I'm going to have some time. And I can go and do coffees or whatever is necessary. I'm glad to do it. Not a problem.

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>> Can we talk about what the presentation would consist of? >> I think the presentation could simply consist of what is the history of this this how the state legislature created this different towns and cities are doing it.

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This is what we've done. You know, council passed it etc. and so on. This is the criteria. The Just explain the entire thing that the application process is very detailed etc. And this is about uh keeping people

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in their homes. I have recently collected a number of a lot of information thinking that at some point if we ever have to write up a real proposal the problem statement one would have to do is you need the statistics around

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just saying that the biggest the largest growing population of unhoused are seniors well do you have the stats on that so I'm collecting statistics but that has to be how this is framed why are we doing this this is it's because this is

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happening and people in the 60s 70s and God forbid 80s are unhoused and what's what could be more terrifying than that at this stage of life to be without a home no place to wash no place to cook

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no place safe place to sleep I mean that's a terrifying aspect if you let people think on it for a bit and this whole program is about keeping people in their homes pure and simple pure and simple and this takes the

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burden away from the test part of the question is you know people are broke fixed incomes well first you feed yourself and then you try to keep yourself warm your taxes are not the first one two or three on the list but because of that

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because of the need to survive you wind up in tax title and you can be on the street so you know this is we want to remove that burden from people so they can live a comfortable life in their golden years you know that's what that's what it's about so I think

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that's the framework for the appeal this is the issue this is what we can do about it it's an important thing um I wasn't too happy with uh uh one of the banks asked saying this is

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a band-aid situation this is not a band-aid situation this is a situation where I think that it has a very material uh effect on people's lives directly. And

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that if you can remove if I've got a $2,000 tax burden if you can remove that from my shoulders and I can just pay my normal taxes going forward etc. and so on. I don't have to worry about losing my home. That's That's phenomenal.

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>> But that it's only for a year. And then when the tax bill comes out again you know whatever your taxes were, they're going to be higher and you know, all we will be contributing is up to $2,000.

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>> Right. But we don't I mean >> I mean that that Don't mis- Don't misunderstand me. Giving seniors any amount of money relieves a little of the financial stress. >> Yeah. >> The more you give them, the less stress. >> Right.

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>> But uh you know, in in this case, you know, 2,000 bucks I'm I'm just trying [clears throat] to think of what the average tax bill is. And you know, it's it's probably in excess

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of two. So, you know, it would it would take care of a lot of the taxes. But they still have other expenses. >> Yeah. >> And um it may not keep them out of trouble.

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>> No. No. It's not a It's not a fix-all. It's not a fix-all. >> there were like many studies that came out during COVID when the government was doing like one-time cash donations and stuff like just to

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people. And there was a lot of arguments like how it's not going to help much and all of that. But actually when they looked back at that economic data, even just that little spurt of cash was such a big

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energy shift for a lot of people. >> Mhm. >> And I think I kind of see this in the same way where it's it doesn't change the whole totality of that person's fiscal situation, >> Yeah. >> but it's like a nudge in the right direction. It's a little, you know, a

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burden off their off their shoulders a little bit. Get them going in in the right direction a bit. And I like the way that you framed it, how this is about keeping people in their homes and making sure that one of the most

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vulnerable populations that we have aren't out on the street and and facing all the all the horrors of that. So, when we're talking about a presentation, is this kind of like what we're basically thinking about? Like a verbal >> Yes.

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>> personal account of, "Hey, we're on the committee. This is how we came to, you know, get this up and running, and this is kind of our idea about it. This is how the state gives the committee legitimacy, and this is what we hope for." Essentially, cuz yeah, I I like

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that. I think that's much better than like a present like a PowerPoint or something like that. That's too >> I think it has to be we have to touch some hearts here. >> Yeah. >> Uh we do. We have to do an appeal. This has to be, you know, you're facing the jury, and you're trying to keep someone

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off of the out of the gas chamber kind of thing, you know? It's like it's a you're basically negotiating with people and making them understand that they really need to dig into their pockets and give some money to this, cuz it's extremely important to the

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community. >> But but I think you also need a handout. >> Yeah. >> That that maybe summarizes a lot of the stuff that you talk about. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I think the you know, the the leaflet with the picture of Ginny on it

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I think is very good. I think it >> a lot. >> Huh? >> Yeah, that's really good. I I I like that. >> we can get more of those made and use those at things. Um we can also I tend to carry around with me the criteria and

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the application for people just so they can see it if they want to see it. Because some people will say, "Oh, so so what? I just write my name down and I get some money?" No, this is the criteria. This very strict criteria. People respect that.

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And funders respect that, too. They want to see you know, if this is going to be some kind of a flimflam operation or is this for real? And this is for real, you know? We've made sure that the peop- people that need it the most are going to get it as long as they

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apply. And that's the whole purpose of doing the thing at the senior center is that so people can understand how to apply. Yeah. >> Mhm, okay. >> Okay, so folks going to continue on with what they're doing and

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hopefully we'll get some money in. And mark the the 14th of August as the round table and August 21st at from 11:00 to 12:00 at the senior center is the

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the explanation of the application. If you can be there, that would be good, Wahab. >> So, that's at the senior center? >> Yeah. >> Do we have a time for that? >> 11:00 11:00 to 12:00 on August 21st. We have 1 hour

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in the big room. Where where the council meets. Same room where the council meets. >> Okay, perfect. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And they'll probably roll right into lunch. >> Yeah. Yeah, they will. >> The senior lunch. >> Yeah.

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Okay. >> Okay dokey. >> Is that our agenda? >> Works. >> You misspelled the budget votes, Wahab. >> Yeah, I've been actually out of town. One of my um Maybe this doesn't have to go on the

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record, but I've been uh I've >> You've been out of town. That's enough to say. You've been out of town. Okay. You going to be in town now? >> Uh yeah, it's just the basically this week and then kind of early next week. >> Okay, do me a favor.

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Email me your phone number. >> Yes. >> Cuz I was going to start knocking on doors on Davis Street cuz I couldn't remember which house you were in. And that would have been funny. All right? >> [laughter] >> I don't want to scare anybody. >> Yeah, if >> But email me your phone number so I can

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find you at 3:00 in the morning when I need a ride home from the bar. Oh, I'll put that on the record. That's terrible. >> [laughter] >> I'm sorry. Strike that from the record. >> Yeah, I mean Wahab, if if you're going to uh be delayed in responding to stuff,

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just a a short note will avoid this 3:00 a.m. phone call from Patty. Just saying, "Hey, >> Yes. >> I'm tied up, you know." >> Yeah. >> Just as a courtesy. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yes. >> All right. All righty. Now, let's see.

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Uh that's it. That's it. We did that. We did that. I think we're okay. Uh next meeting? Next meeting? >> [clears throat] >> It's June now. We're talking July. >> Talking the uh third week.

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>> Two, three, fourth. The fourth Thursday? >> The fourth or the third? >> It's the fourth. >> Okay. >> The 20th, which is the 23rd? >> July. The fourth. Okay.

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23rd. >> 23rd. >> Yeah. >> So our next meeting will be July 23rd Thursday July 23rd >> at the fire station >> I do believe at the fire station for some reason we were put here. >> Um

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I'm I'm going to be out that week. >> You're not going to be here. Okay. >> I I might be able to participate remotely but >> Are you going to Are you going to be here the week before then, the 16th? >> Yeah. Uh hold on. I'm pretty sure.

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July 16th 16th 16th [clears throat] Yeah, I think I can. >> Okay. Uh Wahab, can you do July 16th? instead of the uh yeah >> Yeah, I can I can do that. >> Okay, let's do the 16th instead of the

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23rd. >> Okay. >> And I'll arrange that. >> Okay. >> And we'll assume the fire station but I'll let folks know. Cuz we have no control over who goes where and why.

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But this worked very well tonight. I like the fact that we didn't have any technological issues. >> Okay. Other than going on mute. >> Other than going the Yeah, that was very strange. It just jumped to mute. I don't know why. Okay, very good. Then I'll take a motion

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to adjourn. >> So moved. >> Seconded. All in favor? Roll call vote. Wahab? >> Yes. >> Jim? >> Yes. >> Yes, we have adjourned. >> Okay. >> Okay, Wahab, you email me your

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number. >> Okay dokey. All right.

