The October Good evening and welcome to the October 14, 2025 meeting of the Hanland Select Board and Board of Health. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. That was much better. We are uh in the townhouse townhouse auditorium. We are broadcasting this meeting on Zoom as well as recording it. Is there anybody
else recording the meeting? I have not seen. Okay. Seeing none, uh you'll have to watch it on YouTube later and click on the like button, please. Thank you. Okay. We have minutes from October 6th.
We met with uh Ben Mcool and Lily Judah from the health department. We have a update on the police chief hiring where we voted to make an offer to Dan Bruno. Brian will give us a
report on that later. and we talked about the special town meeting update on the new town hall uh progress. Like to make a motion to approve October 6 minutes for the handle select board. Second. All in favor? I.
Okay. Today is the uh time and date set for a public hearing about a transfer of a liquor license. The this has been advertised. The applicants are here
and I will unfortunately uh a lot of the work has been done by our administrative assistant Lauren. Mhm. Unfortunately, she's under the weather and not here tonight and we do thank her for, you know, getting all this together
for us. Um, quickly give us a quick recap and introduce yourself first. Sure. Do you need to open the public hearing or you want me to give a That was it. Okay, perfect. Uh, my name is Matthew Porter. I'm the attorney for Hampton Liquor, Inc. Uh, along with me is Jes Patel and Mega Patel who are husband and
wife. They're two of the principles of the applicant before you today. U Mega is going to be the proposed license manager, meaning she'd be the person on site 40 to 50, I'm sure, if not more hours per week. Um these guys have a wealth of experience in liquor industry. They've operated a store in Long Meadow
u for nearly 5 years now. Um and so this is their opportunity to purchase a store in Hampton. Um take over a new location, but very experienced operators. Had no issues whatsoever at their other locations. They're both alcohol tip certified. Um there's currently a scanning machine um to check for a fake
identification of the store. They'll continue to use that as well. Um so no major changes to the business. Um they are rebranding it as Four Seasons Wine and Liquor Hub. Um just a little bit of a refresh on that, but there's no changes to the hours. No changes to the structure of the business whatsoever. So
pretty seamless um transition or should be a pretty seamless transition with the experienced operators here. Um their lease is in place. Uh their financing is in order. Um the board will see that in addition to a request for the transfer pledge, there is a request of a pledge of license and inventory to Rockland
Trust. Um so Rockland Trust is financing the transaction. Um so as a result of that, um we need to request that a pledge be approved by the board as well, but certainly when is the transfer take schedule take place? So that's ABC dependent. Um I'm not sure
how much liquor licensing is done here. Um, but they're I'd say 2 months is is pretty quick there. Often times, you know, lately it's it's been close to 3 months, but you know, essentially the board approves it today. Um, if they're if they're so willing, um, and then it would go up to ABCC,
right? We're coming down to the end of the year, but they're doing the balance of their work right now anyhow, right? The hope would be the end of the year. You know, obviously holiday time is is a big time for the package short, but we're we're kind of at their uh mercy. So, um, okay. You know, we don't anticipate any problems up there, but it
can take a little while. Couple quick questions. So, you had an operation in, you currently have an operation in Long Meadow. Is that the one in the little plaza where Builo used to be? No, it used to me. No, no, Long Meadow Big Opposite of the
Big Y. That's the That's what I said. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Four season near where Hookila used to be. You know, I remember. Yeah. That same little plaza. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Um, are you going to be keeping that operation? Yes. Like
Okay. So, in terms of personnel, so Megan, you're going to be in Hampton most of the time. Yeah. And you're managing the other one? Yeah. How many other employees do you anticipate having? Uh, we have three other employee for
between the two locations. All right. And you mentioned before they're tip certified. It's the new ones are Yeah, they have their tip certified. I know they do. Yeah. And then anybody that would be that would be hired would be required to be alcoholic.
Okay. So this is the first step along the transfer. Yeah. I mean it's the licensing step. So they're under agreement. You know that their bank approved their loan. So they have that in order. They have their lease signed and the lease is just contingent upon license approval. So
essentially, we're at the juncture of just, you know, getting through our licensing and then being able to close on it. All right. Do you know if the current owner is going to keep operating until the day of transition? They will. Yep. So they'll continue to operate and then once the ABCC approves the license, the agreement has us
closing within a couple weeks after that. So everything is kind of lined up to um you know, so we get everything in order, license approved, and then they'll set up inventory, work through all the changeovers of the system, and then they'll be up and running. So, is there a period of closing you anticipate or is there a
There's not a period. No. Um, you know, upon ABCC approval, the attorneys get together, you know, put together all the closing documentation and at that point, um, I'm not sure we're talking the same. Is there a date when the door is closed and nobody walks in is what I'm saying.
No, I mean, generally, like if if we had license approval and we were going to close on a Tuesday, then the seller would operate through Monday evening. They would count inventory on Monday night and then we'd close on Tuesday morning and these guys would so no there's no um no interruption
seamless transition you're saying supposed to be in general supposed to be out yeah usually is sure well that's why we have lawyers yeah no but the uh yeah there there won't be any period of interruption with the business okay um holiday time for people I'm sure they appreciate gone to the regular
place they would like to get in there for that any questions from the board yeah am I reading this long. Look at six. Question six. Mhm. 6 A. Yep. Do they have a Don't they have a
have place in Lo? It says, "Does any individual anything identified in question six?" Oh, 6A. Yeah, we'll have to I will add that and get that over to your office. That should be in there. Yep. Yep. See, it got no check. So, you got to Yeah. Yeah. Nope. We can make that correction for sure. I'll have our
office do that tonight. Okay. Get that right over to your office. See what else here. There's been no disciplinary actions against the other license, right? No. I don't have that.
What's in your email? I would not trust. So I guess um so how do how do we do that? Do we make a motion to accept the license transfer contingent upon ABCC? Well, we got to correct that first,
right? Yeah, I I will take care of that tonight. Okay. Eric, anything? Okay, you guys. Okay. Okay. I move we approve the license transfer. U
we figure out the names later on. And uh contingent upon correcting item six of the application. 6 A. 6 A 6A. 6 and 6A. 6A. And then um if I may add the ABCC requires just that the approval of the
pledge of license and inventory be approved by the board as well. So it can be through a separate motion or through the motion. Have we seen that pledge? It is part of the application. So it's a joint application. So yep that's in there. Okay. Including the pledge. Perfect. Second. All
in favor? I get that all. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks. Appreciate it. I'll wait on we'll wait on signing that until we see the correction. Exactly. Sign till we see the correction. That's why you pay lawyers
the details. Now is the time and date set for the financial team to come and give us share their wisdom with us. We invite you to the front row. We offer to share our cookies with them. We're going to have to cut back on
cookies. The town has not paid a dime for these cookies. I want to be clear on that. What else can we get for free? Our wisdom wide open on four. Let's just go. So, we asked we put on the war on the
agenda a discussion of free cash, a discussion of our financial state and what we might be doing for the upcoming special town meeting. Before us, we have a couple members of the advisory committee, Doug Boyd, John Matthews. We
have the sage himself. That's you, Dick. And the newest person to our meetings. Welcome, Elise. Thank you. Our new accountant. Yes. Brought a laptop and everything.
Okay. So, you're all aware that we got the official notice from the state of our free cash. Yeah. I don't know where that $500, but given this one, they reduced it about 500 bucks. I hope that doesn't break us. But um cookies. Yeah, cookies. Hey, no.
Does every is before we get into where we're at, you I sent some emails around. Does everybody understand why the free cash number is about double what it normally is? No. So, if I can ask what was the number?
Yeah. What's the free cash number? There you go, John. Yeah. Thanks. Okay. So last year at the fall town meeting about 50 weeks ago, we were looking at the water project and
we took $650,000 out of stabilization to pay down the water project and we were going to put 400 Wasn't that motion to go to free cash? It was to re reduce the tax rate. Yeah. Um Yes.
With the end purpose being Yes. Yeah. So, okay, but but the procedurally, but the bond but the original bonding thing, the bonding uh warrant says that we're going to borrow. It doesn't say anything about using an appropriated one.
So, if you let me tell the narrative, maybe it'll make more sense, Don. So, our intent was to take $650,000 from stabilization and $450 on the FY25 tax rate and pay down 1.1 million of the
water project. I was told that I could raise that on the recap sheet. There's a place on page three where it says other debt and interest. And so, we plugged in the 1.1 million on the recap sheet.
DL um dols was not happy with that. Oh, that's for minor debts that you forgotten. We weren't allowed to recap that. We should have made a motion at the fall town meeting to do the 1.1 million in to pay down the debt, an
appropriation to pay down the debt. So, uh, Brian and myself and Kelly and Cliff sat in my office and faced zoomed with, um, DL U DLS, DOR, and they yelled at us
for about 20 minutes and, uh, we said, "Well, if you don't allow this, we're going to have this $1.1 million reduction in our tax rate, and it's going to kind screw up our
plans. So after they finished beating me with a stick, they said, "Okay, this is what you can do. You can reduce your anticipated local receipt number, which I remember as being $918,000
and that will take the majority of it. And then you can have the assessors increase the overlay reserve number, which is usually around $150,000. add the balance to that and then in a year they could declare that surplus and
we'd have our $1.1 million. So Cliff did reduce the anticipated revenues down to zero from the $918,000. The assessors were asked to change their overlay reserve number and they decided not to. They said it was
their number and they weren't part of the team. So, we were able to raise that extra $900 and something,000. Um, and because of that, that flowed to free cash. And that's why where we
normally on a good year have 8 $900,000 in free cash, now we have 1.8 million. So, they didn't allow me to do something that I thought I could. We made the best compromise we could so that we weren't leaving all that money on the table that
we needed to pay the water at the district going the idea was to go into this town meeting do the appropriation for that money plus put a little money on the 26 on the 26 tax rate. My goal was to have the water project paid for
before we had to bond for the firehouse. And that gives us 25, 26, and 27 to do that. Now, we look at a situation where we're in our budget, and I don't think that's possible anymore cuz we are
in pretty bad shape as far as our tax rate goes. Does that explanation of how we got that free cash number make sense? Well, it does. I mean, bottom line, it's the same money we were talking anyhow, except it's actually a little less because you were hoping for 1 point
something with the 450. Not if it's less than that, right? All right. So, back to your statement about being in a tough shape for setting the tax rate, Brian, and you have some numbers.
You know, the base budget went up a considerable amount outside of the water products outside of outside of warrant articles. The base budget went up a large percentage. County retirement, other expenses, contracts, etc.
Employee benefits, employee benefits, things like that. A lot of numbers, same expenses that people in in their life have as well going up. So, we had a water project at $3 million. We got a million dollars from
the state towards it. We had $2 million to pay off. Basically, these are round numbers over whatever period we set the payoff. You wanted to be I I'll call it aggressive because you saw more things coming down the road. It'd be good to clear the decks before they came, right?
Is if I'm saying it wrong, but I think that's your your point. Yes. Yeah. Um just the um after the ARPA money that was used and the grant money that was used the anticipated cost of the water project is 2.13 million. So that project we had a savings from
Balthasar. I thought they keep talking that's with that too. Yeah. Remember we originally were looking at $3.5 million project and it did come in less than that plus we we had the million in grant money plus I I don't know if I have them a couple things 50 or something like
that. And then during the project they actually had a couple savings things too. So yeah, there's the net and the change orders and the work change directives is about increased cost about 90,000 probably down. No up. Yeah, even with the house we took off and
stuff. No. Okay. So could work you're saying if we didn't take those off. I got these off Brian's last spreadsheet from there. So it's 2.13. If we do the 950 we are planning on the FY25 money. That would bring us down to one 1.187,000
that we would still have to um to cover over the next couple of years or whatever. Couple years. It could have been. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Could be two years, but All right. Um, one other thing I would note, and this is just for, you know, we talk about
looking at the free cash thing. One number I always look at is the real estate real estate tax receivables. And I did notice it's a 50% increase over the prior two years. Typically they carry 400. This year it's 600. And it
may be a statement. Maybe I don't understand it enough, but I think it's a statement over potential difficulty some people have in paying real estate tax. I think it's something that goes to your point. Don's made the same point as well. You're talking about uncollected tax as
wealth. you know that do we know do we know if there's actually been an increase in in the the amount of public couldn't I don't think we have that but I'm sure that they don't just throw that in there for they're anticipating right you know so
that would have been an extra 200,000 in precash if they weren't upping that number I was surprised there wasn't more of a hit oh there it That's that 15. I think that's the um Is
that the Enterprise? Mhm. Yeah. Yes. I think I think Don, we actually thought that might have been a higher number. Yeah. Yeah. So, not as bad as we thought it would be. So going forward,
you still have basically the plan you're bringing forward is to stay the course, still make the transfer against the water project debt that was projected last year out of the revenue at the town meeting.
I would say I yeah I believe we have some kind of obligation to at least pay that 950 or whatever something in that range that we taxed last year for. Um I would really cuz we you know we took 650 out of stabilization to beat that bill
down. Well that was at what meeting? A fall town meeting last year. So that was the prior year tax rate. No that we're paying FY25. So that's the tax rate we have right now. Which is what? Which is why we have the 1.8 in free cash,
right? But I'm saying that's the current tax rate we have right now is 25. No, that was 25. That's the year that's already over. Right. But I'm saying that's the current tax rate we just got the last bill for. No, I'll take it back. Okay. No, excuse me. 26 now.
No, I understand. But the number we're paying right now is predicated on that tax rate. Correct. The first two quarters of this year are predicated on that tax rate right there. Right? So the next going up would be
based on what we spent at the annual town meeting which was the huge increase. Right. Right. So right now you're saying so because you couldn't use the 950
at that meeting I go the money had the money had to be added to the so when we set the tax rate in December last year it was predicated on basically raising that money through an appropriation instead right
so that's what we're paying right now so since that's in the tax rate already. You've already appropriated that. Couldn't we then use the 950 to reduce that tax rate? It seems like we're in two different tax
years, but we're not. We raised the money for the re for the purpose of paying down the water project. That's the reason we did it. And we're not paying down the water project. But we didn't Well, we didn't raise the money per se. We transferred money out
of stabilization to we artificially inflated the tax rate in order to have money to pay down the water district, right? We didn't do an appropriation and you know we're on the the finance team is bad for that. We we screwed up
but we made the best we could of it. We raised that again. We were they people were taxed based on the idea that we were going to to pay that water bill down. That's what that's what the commitment was, right? To reimburse going to be paying
towards the water district. It, you know, it sounds like we're not going to be able to put any money on the 26 tax rate to add to that, but I really hate to see us abandon that commitment. Okay. Who was the commitment to?
The voters, the town people, right? But but we never said that to them. But but I also go back to you paid down how much have you paid down the water? Zero. You just said it was added to the taxes. Yes, but we weren't allowed to to write the check.
We were allowed to tax for it because of the gimmick. I got it. But we haven't been able to pay the bill because we don't have an appropriation. So, we have not paid down the the only money that's been spent to pay that down is the ARPA money and the grant money.
Right. Well, we've we've written some checks, but we we're going to have to borrow for that if we don't if we don't do an appropriation to pay it off. Okay. We have not put any money toward this. And I got that, but forgive me for sounding obtuse, but you sent out four
tax bills February, April. Okay. Boom. That money, those bills included the money voted at that meeting. Exactly. And where did they gave you an additional revenue? And where did that money go? I assume into the bank.
It went into the free cash number. It inflated the CRE cash number by over $900,000. Mhm. That money was earmarked to pay down the water project. Mhm.
If you use that money now to reduce the tax rate, then there won't be any payments on the water project. And I consider that a breach of faith. Okay. But you've got double the money. No, you Okay. No, then. All right, let me walk
through it the way I see it. You tax for that money. Yep. Right. So, the money came in through taxes. Yep. You also have the money in stabilization that was authorized, which could So, you have two pots of money. No, the money came out of stabilization was transferred to general fund because
that's what the town meeting voted. And I got that, but it wasn't spent. So, you got $900,000. you raise through taxes, right? You've got also outside there $650,000 that was earmarked to come out of
stabilization. No, it it's not additive. It's not additive. The um the money that came out of stabilization, the motion is actually to reduce the tax rate, right? So that is part of the 900,000. It's not
two different pots of money. We were only able to reduce the uh anticipated local revenue number by the 9008 or whatever the number was. I mean, that's the extra money. When when the 650,000 came out of
stabilization to lower the tax rate, what did we do with the money? The cash. Yeah. Yeah, it went into a general fund check savings account, money market account. So, it didn't go to lower the tax rate. Yes, it did. They were able to take it into account
in the process of setting. Don't confuse the cash with the accounting. I think confusion is the word right here. But, okay. I I I am I apologize if if it's sounding like I No, it just doesn't seem like we raised the same money twice. That's all. I'm
just you're you're saying we set the tax rate. We weren't allowed to use that money so people got taxed for it instead of it being lowered. And so where did it go? Where did that extra 900,000 go? The general fund. General fund which right
which went to free cash. Great. which is where so but my point is and this goes back you're saying there's an obligation here but technically you we raise through taxes
I want to say the second third of money to pay the water project we've already been taxed for it and honestly it seems like with this extra 950 you'll be that much closer to paying the whole thing off I don't understand why the money you raised
through taxes because we had to recap it that way isn't there to spend down the second third. It is okay. It's in the free cash number, right? That's why the free cash number is double what we would normally see. And I I don't think I don't see why
that's that same number. You said we set the tax rate based on the appropriation. We Well, the problem was there was no appropriation. Okay. It was an authorization to borrow, right? The authorization to borrow does not affect the tax rate.
All right, that's that was my All right, that's the differential. It has nothing to do with the tax rate until you actually appropriate to pay the debt, right? So, how we have an $ 8.7 million authorization to borrow that won't affect our tax rate for two or three more years,
right? But I mean, right now we're I would say 60 70% of paid paid through the water project at this point based on the bills we've seen. Okay. So we pay those out of the obviously we have plenty of money in the bank to pay write the checks. Yeah. Cash flow is fine,
right? So but at some point an accounting has to happen like okay what did that come from? Mhm. All right. At some point I if I don't have an approp whatever we spend at the end of this year of this fiscal year 26 by June
30th if I don't have an appropriation to pay for it I am forced to borrow that money. I cannot just pay keep it out of cash flow. I can't do an internal borrow. I have to go get at least to get a state house note, which is not a big deal. It's a $400 expense. Um, in order to
cover that to roll it to the next year. So, um, yeah, it's cash flow and accounting are not the same thing. So, what if you borrow the whole 2 million? Yeah, I can do that.
When do you want to pay it back? Well, we borrowed 3 million for Green Meadows and we paid it off over 20, 30 years. That was a bond. And here's my worry. Um, my worry is that when we go for a bond rating for the firehouse,
if we have a large short-term debt, it's going to hurt us on our bond rating. Um, and it's going to cost us more in interest there. Maybe that ship has sailed. Maybe there's nothing we can do about it. But um I don't think we can
kick the can down the road forever. I thought we had a three four year window to pay this off and now the rest of the budget has you know gotten rough enough that that that's kind of what I'm my concern is that I'm worried about next spring and if we
we let's say theoretically you bonded to two to 2 million a total of 2 million and then we took 650,000 or 700,000 to lower the tax rate took another 700,000 to or three fixing it out to pay off
what these warrant articles are. Do we have about 400 or 500,000 still in free cash? That may help us come next spring. Right now, if you passed everything that's on the warrant, and I'm assuming
that the latest numbers were good, 770 or something like that. Uh well, we got 1.7 million on there right now. Well, counting your things. Yeah. Yeah. Counting the 950. Yeah, you're absolutely right. So just take the 950 away. So we're like 800 on warrant articles
separate from the water project, right? Wow. Um just a thought. Yeah, it's an interesting thought. Well, right if you did everything including the water project right now,
we would go from an excess levy capacity of 1.3 million last year. I.e. excess le has to be the difference between what we're taxing and what we're allowed to tax under 2.5 to a minus $536,000
levy capacity. So that's prop two and a half override. That requires an override which this town has never done. I don't think if we don't pay for these things, we're free cash. If you're saying if you raise an appropriate for everything on the special Oh, no. That's using free cash. That's using free cash. That's using everything.
Still goes over the levy. Yes. Yes. Way over. Um I don't know what it would I don't know what it would be to do not pay anything on the water project because I didn't consider that a possibility. But if we did only the
water project, if we spent 950 at town meeting, then our excess levity cap capacity would go from 1.3 million down to 265,000, which is close to we so we would blow off 1.1 million in excess levy capacity
and we have been over a million in excess living capacity for a long time, probably 10 years. Mhm. We're headed for 2005 or wherever it is at this point at the rate we're going. Well, at least you have money in
stimulation. Yeah. No, we had 200 2005 we had $700. That was the blood what we call the um the blood in the street years. Um, George, we're thinking if we bond the
whole two billion and just do a few of these things and save some money, free cash for the spring town meeting. See what happens then. Now, if we have extra money, what what type of a term could you get for $2 million? I mean, how far how
faristically stretch that? I get a state house note. They're they're good for one year and you have to renew them. It's like we used to do fire trucks. Just keep rolling the sucker over. Yeah. How much do you pay on it on an annual basis? You get a state house note for
Oh, I don't know. Probably probably four and a half 5% right now. And then they're not outrageous. Well, I don't think we're trying that. Maybe I'm wrong. Get a note and just paying the interest. I'm saying you get a would you get a 5year note from state house notes? They're not
buying the notes, right? But how much are we paying down on an annual basis? Whatever you appropriate. Okay, fine. That sounds Yeah. Yeah. I mean, last time I did a fire truck, we did in three was $150,000. So, we borrowed we paid 50,000. We borrowed 100. Then we paid off 50 and we borrowed
another 50. And there was I think one year we said, "Look, there's only two years left. Let's pay it off now." Yeah. All right. So, you have the flexibility with the notes to pay basically pay what you can afford, right? Yes. Yeah. Yes. So,
like I said, Brian was projecting without any action a what 12 13% raise jump in the tax bill if we don't use available funds to reduce the tax levy. Yes. Okay. With with all tax rate
with all warrant articles being approved, it'll be that with warrant articles. That was in the that was after 12 and a half% is what my calcs were. And again, we We don't have every number, right? Right. You know,
but that was not even free cash. Yeah, that was and that was including the 950 for the water water project. Yeah. 12 and a half%. So, you're saying if we took no action on the warrant articles and applied the
excess roughly 800,000 towards the tax rate, we still would go up 12% in taxes. No, we'd go up about That's what I was questioning. Yeah. Seven. Yeah, I think it's around that. Yeah. Okay. In that range. Wait,
this also goes back to what the board was kind of kicking around earlier meeting. Some of these projects like even looking at the 300,000 for TWWB, uh the large number for HVAC at the senior center. Should this be more of an
omnibus basically capital improvement type thing where we take a bite just like heck even roll it into the water district money. This almost goes back to Doug the uh the 5-year bond for the
roads at that point. The other So this is just for floating stuff, Dick. I know. I know. The other possibility I'm just putting it out there is we still got 1.3 million in stabilization. That's about 8%. Door says we should be between five and 10. I got it run up to
12 before we hit it for 650 last year. Um, you could certainly make a case that, you know, the $300,000 for TWWB, maybe I had thought about the senior center project throwing the furnaces
away and buying new ones. M um you know you I guess you could consider those capital items that might be fair to come out of stabilization but uh again I'm trying to think about what our bond rating is going to be when we go to
borrow for the firehouse and you know I don't know when how we're going to we're not changing anything that would give us a situation where we can restock stabilization. Mhm. You know, we're kind of a victim of the
COVID money, ARPA money. I'm sure everybody is. Yeah. And you know, the schools are as well. They hit us pretty hard the last two years. That money's dried up. So, but our chickens have come home to roost, I guess. Is that the phrase?
Mhm. All right. So, obviously we need some kick around some direction here. advisory is gonna be meeting pretty soon to start talking about meeting next Monday 20th. Okay. And your hearing is the following Monday.
Following Monday. Yeah. I really think that we have a spending problem that we need to be more aggressive on. And I feel bad for the people who happen to be have projects at this fall town meeting. But
I'm worried that just putting it on the credit card isn't going to be the way to go. And I do have a real problem with us not putting at least the 900 and whatever pay down that water debt. I really do. If I could if I could just add for
at the at the hotel meeting. So, we had the we had the typical operating budget expenses, but then we had another 671,000 in special articles that were that were cap essentially capital projects. So, we I mean we did make an investment
in for capital projects for fiscal year 26. Um there was n $90,000 for the switches at Green Meadows. There was two appropriations uh for moving to TWWB and additional money for TWWB. It was uh senior center roof. Um
two lawnmowers I think 20,000 each. So I mean it's not like it's not like the town didn't invest in its you know in its in its equipment and in buildings. It's just this is sort of a second bite at the apple. And I'm not sure how much apples left.
I do know how much apples left but not a lot of apple left. We're down to the core. Depending on how we move it, you might get a little bit bigger of a bite, but the thing is of the of the warrant articles, I mean, have you had discussions about prioritization on
those? Well, I think part of tonight, I mean, you know, I can't speak for the board. I think, you know, we're looking at the loader might not be a priority for this year. It's a good deal and in a different year it'd be a great deal, but based on what's happening
there, I don't know. Might even have a, you know, a question about the cruiser again. How bad are they? They can't wait till the spring. I mean, you have three guys on the road and six vehicles. You can't tell me that%
on the tax rate. Cruisers half a percent, but 150 is about the number right now for 1%. Is it? Yeah. So, those are questions I think that are out there. Uh, infrastructure, i.e. building repair, that's a harder thing because the longer you let it go,
just like at home, it gets worse. If you don't get it when it's early, it's not getting any cheaper. And if we're pl I mean, look at Thornton Burgess, we're pretty much committed to move in there. So, we have to get going on fixing the structure. HVAC has to be
done. It's got to be done. That might be one that's not much of a thing. Benefits. We got to pay benefits. We had the money. We paid the money out. You got to put it back in. Health costs aren't going down. Uh,
pickup truck really transfer station. Not much in discretionary spending when you strip it away. I mean, there's not much things, but I mean, most of it is, you know, obligations that we have to meet, right? And it's kind of like Brian said about the annual town meeting and what's
the expression, you know, death by a thousand cuts, you know, we're not voting on, oh, here's a, well, we did the fire station. But typically, we're not voting on everything a million dollars. You know, it's the old Ever
Dirkson quote, billionaire here, a billion there. Pretty soon you're talking real money. I heard that. Yeah. So, um, you know, you know, and I don't feel bad about the fire station because the town meeting voters voted, the election voters voted for it. Everybody knows
what they were getting into the, you know, the article due budget stuff that got moved from article 2 to six or whatever it was. You know, that stuff people don't pay as much attention to. They rely on us. So, I feel a little more guilty on that part, you know. Well, that's the thing. You know, it's a
little here, a little there. At the end of the budget, we're voting on this much more than last year. So, it that was a big jump on just the operating budget, right? Not much we can do about it. County retirement is not going to give us a break. So, that was the biggest jump. If if I could
just make a comment and and from some of the comments I've heard from people around town, I'm going to re rebut some of what Dick said about the people knew what they were getting into, you know, with the fire department. And I don't think they
understand how much impact that has on other um other people, other operating uh budgets within the town. So you you can hear Dick saying right now he's worried about
what we're doing now. I'm going to say and how it's going to impact us in 3 to four or 5 years. Well, it's like somebody with a home. If you're saying, "I'm going to go out and buy a new car. I have this much payment a month." You're going to have to stay at home. Well, that means we're not
we're cutting back on our grocery bill because now our this is our budget and if we're going to here, it leaves that much left. That's kind of where you're going there. Not like our revenue growth goes up huge every year. So, if we're going to make a bigger commitment here, it's going to leave less for other
projects inside that because you've made that commitment and you're going to have to honor it. So, uh where do we go from here? Sounds like we have a choice to make what we're going to recommend going forward. We'd like to
all be in agreement where we are here. You've given us pontificated quite a bit and it's been valuable. But looking at the big picture, do we have to do that? I mean, I certainly understand that a commitment verbally
was made that we were had this huge debt, we're going to knock it down. I think it's been a good idea about can we be looking at a different way to finance that over several years so we're not constraining ourselves as much especially with other potential capital
projects. Can these be rolled into a multi-year note? So, if we need 300,000 for all the senior center projects, if we need 300,000 for the uh the TWWB project, if we need 200,000 for the
loader, should we have a million dollar note that we satisfy over 5 years, something like that? Freeforming here. Your thoughts? Yeah, but you're paying over five years. What happens in year three when something else comes along? Do you just keep adding that? I remind myself that you guys don't pay
me to make policy. It's my my job is procedural policy. Yeah, you are paying me. Okay. But I'm not on county retirement, so I'm not contributing to that cost. Have a cookie. Um, but you know, I've known you for a long long time.
Must been a hardware store retirement plan. So, um, you know, I have an opinion on everything, but it's not my job to have an opinion on this. You people are the, um, the policy setters, the advisory committee recommends the
town meeting, what is prudent behavior. I do have a hard time with breaking that commitment, but I don't know any other answer uh, other than if we said no to everything at town meeting,
it still is going to be an ugly year. I don't know the answer of my pay grade maybe. Okay. Again, these may not be pleasant alternatives, but I think we have to throw everything on the table at this point. We're looking at some bad
numbers. Any thought? You're coming in with really no skin in the game. What do you think? Um, I would typically advise against borrowing as much as possible. I think cutting, you know, buckling our belts is
probably the more prudent thing to do and being conservative in our spending, especially long term as we may not be getting as much help from the state going forward as we have in the past. And Dick, let me ask you a question. Sure. If we were to with a fire
department saying everything goes the way it should, we're trying ultimately your goal was to pay off the water district prior. I want to still a poss I mean we're we're years away from technically paying on that. Correct.
Um I'm thinking well we're in year 26. Okay. I'm thinking that we might be bonding in year 28. Okay. So, we would have the FY 25 free cash money. If we use some of that, we
would have a couple of years and maybe a third year at the most. Um, I'm one of the reasons that I'm thinking we do this in 28 is that would fit our audit cycle. We wouldn't have to buy an additional audit. We'd be doing getting an audit at the
end of 27. So, we'd be in we'd have everything all our ducks in a row. And, you know, I can short-term note the the firehouse should be done in a year, I would think. But, I can just keep rolling that over on short-term notes until we get the
bonding process done. Maybe the fire department has to come up with a different plan other than 8.7. Well, we've already approved it. How are you going to do that? Well, no. They said we we can spend up to 8.7. It doesn't mean they have to. Well, if
they if they came if they came up with a $6 million building, that would save us 2.5 million. It sounds take off the second floor. It sounds like that's the type of restraint that our new town accountant is recommending. Now, that one happens to be outside our levy limit. So, it it helps the tax rate, but it doesn't help our levy
limit, you know. Um, I mean, if we if we could buy a time machine and go back and change a few decisions that we made in the past that have multiplied, you know, how much are time machines? Yeah. More than we have.
We also have to keep borrowing. We keep new capital requests, new expenditures. So, we can't it's a vicious cycle. We got a credit card that we're just trying to pay off. It can't get ahead of borrowing without if we don't make some changes, the borrowing isn't going to help. It's just going to kick it down the
road. But, you know, actually, I got two and a half years left in this job and I probably won't care. Well, you're you're slow taxpayer, don't you? Well, we can fix South Carolina where it's got cheap prices. You know,
if you don't mind the crackouses. Sorry for our Sorry for our wear. Oh, yeah. That was the good part, right? Yeah, that was the good part. Yeah. Um, just to go back to our commitment to
the proposed expenditures at special time meeting, the 950 If we don't spend that 950, it's going to show up in the FY26 tax rate. No,
no, no. Without an appropriation, it'll just be out there and I'll have to borrow for it. Have to borrow it. Right. Right. it. Here, let me give you a compromise because this because you guys are not going to spend the 950.
At least put the 650 we took out of stabilization toward it. That sounds fair. At least that. I mean, I'd rather have the whole 900 950, but you know, they're taking that money out of stabilization and get it
frittered away on operating expenses. It's just we're having we're having honest conversations here. I mean, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, it's going to hit the tax rate in some value or not, whether we borrow. Yeah. But I'm 70. It might be after I'm dead. I'm a little bit more of a mindset
where you guys are like I mean I know I I I struggle to say it but I mean we got to pay it off. So the less we pay the less we borrow the less interest we got to pay the less we get more down the road. The only problem is is that it's going to hit the town's people harder
initially. Correct. So which obvious you have to pay it someday. Right. long term it's going to be cheaper to do it this way than well maybe not cheaper but there's no reason to think there's no
reason to think looking down the line that we're going to have any significant increase in our revenue our expenses if we're lucky our expenses will go up by by cost of living um
but you know the last several years it's been much more than a cost of adding this to that. Well, Brian's got a plan to sell the townhouse for like three or 400,000. Yeah. So, touch it for one year. Maybe
we end up with debt knowing that, you know, the next few foreseeable years are going to be difficult as well. Right. Like Dick said, you want let's clear the decks now because the storm could be still be coming. Right. Right. No reason to think it's going to get better.
Right. But and you know, by the way, if we sell the this building for 300,000, we're eliminating half a million dollars a year to maintain it. Oh, I know. Yeah. Half,000. So, go back to the numbers you were
projecting, Dick. Um, I don't know that was mentioned somewhere one time. It was like, what? Yeah. So, it was in the paper. What kind of number were you looking at? You said to keep the tax increase to
7%. I might have that. Everything's preliminary. Mhm. So if we just spent 950 at town meeting period
that would be 7.0 7.08% increase by my calculations ballpark and that of course the assessor still have some work to do and yeah and I you know I'm not even asking a periphery cast number. We just plugged it at 150 and we went with it um cuz
that's all over the boards. It was 400 last year and 110 the year before. Who knows? And I'm not expecting them to be at maximum efficiency right now. Um, so if that's the case and if you let me
have my $650 and pay down the water bill, then that gives you $300,000 to spend at other things at town meeting and stay at the 7% and stay at 7%. And every 150 raises another percent.
And that would leave our levy limit about that would give us that would be excess levy capacity. Yeah. Only about 265 quarter million. Yeah.
900. Is that do we have a new growth number from No. No. Okay. So I Brian picked 150. I used his number. But I mean that's conservative potentially could raise Yeah. It could be another 50 grand, right? Yeah. Okay. You know, it could be 100 grand,
but but it takes 150 to another one. You have to double it to get a percent off the tax rate. I know. Too bad they money to be had with the overlay reserve. Do you know where that's at? Well, it didn't sound like they were very
Well, they weren't ready to jerrymander it last year, but I have no idea where it sits right now. Right. Yeah. Out of it. And with what we're seeing in the precash thing, maybe they're concerned about keeping the reserve overlay reserveable. If the uncollectibles are going up, then
they then they can't release it, right? So if you're saying to keep it at 7%, these are all rough numbers. We should keep the spending at we should
be try to put some of the half the 1.8 8 towards reducing the tax rate 900. Yeah. Which would leave us 250 for warrant articles if we wanted to pay the 650 that we took
out of stabilization. Yeah, I was going to give you three, but yeah. Bless your heart. Well, I had the the 7.8 8 was spending 950 of the free cash at town meeting. Mhm. Take the 650 out, put that toward the
water district. That gives you 300 for everything else you want to do. And a couple of these are I must well the one that's the one we have to spend is employee benefits. That's the one because we got to make that number right. Yeah.
And that's assuming as you said, you think there's enough there to cover any new employees? I don't know. Right. I think it's been just a lot of Yeah. And Brian, you feel looking at these
other things the TWWB HVAC. That's a pretty I don't want to say hard number, but based on quotes you've got that's in the ballpark. Yeah, I I think we can likely refine
that as we get closer to town meeting. But what about the what about the money we've already appropriated towards TWWB? Is there any of that that would reduce that number that you don't already have a commitment? I mean we've appropriated roughly 180 190 which we spent some
the 80 the 80 was strictly the moving cost okay the first 80 okay which I guess was a quote wasn't it yeah it it was the higher quote so I I think there'll be some and then 100 the second time which you're using for asbestous and stuff
like that and the door work and all that that's pretty well committed yeah a lot of Yeah. All right. So, there's nothing really left over that would reduce that number. Not not in any meaningful way. Okay.
So, do I think 300's high? I think we'll get that down a little bit, but when over the next week, I've asked I've asked for better numbers on the So, individual getting it down. We'd be happy if it came down to 250 or something, but you're not going to see it coming down
to 200, right? Yeah. Okay. All right. Right. I don't think so. If you gave Dick the 650 that he has been whining about and we took out the police cruiser and the highway loader. Mhm. Throw it off the spring. That would give
us 1.206 1,26,000. And we still have 600,000 that we could apply towards the tax rate or save or divide up amongst the Did I follow that? I don't think I did.
What? You give you your 650 and then the everything take out the loader and the police cruiser. That's 245. Mhm. That that that would be a So the that would be 556.5
for everything else plus the 650 would be 1,206 556,000 556. So we'd be spending 1.1 all together. Yeah. Well, one I got 1.2 spend 1.2. Yeah. So,
Oh, yeah. 650. Yeah. Put anything against the tax rate, right? But then you'd have 600. Well, everything everything that's it really doesn't matter whether they transfer from key cash or raise an appropriate and then take the entire free cash, put it toward the tax rate.
Um, so I'm sorry, you just reduced which 1.2. 1.2. Yeah. So that would come to 1.2. So that would reduce 550. So that is that would take
And you still have 600,000, right? So have 600 towards the tax rate, which would bring it up in the eight range. Two and a half. 8 N range. Yeah. Yeah. We're about nine 8 to nine range. Yeah. You know, and then you're into
potentially the assessors shifting around a little bit. Yeah. new growth is, you know, is a better number. You know, you It's funny. It's hard to think that we're coming up with these things and what's the acceptable looking at like 8 to 9% being
not acceptable, but what we might be faced with, you know, justly pay the bills. And your point is that these are the bills because people voted for them. It's like, you know, you look at John talked about the fire station. Well,
they went twice and voted for that bill is going to happen because you going to be we've been working hard to try to, you know, keep the wages competitive after all we went through on the Collins study. Y so we've had reasonable raises
um you know in in an inflationary time. Uh you know, you've got to keep up otherwise we're not going to be a hireer quality people. So, all right. So, not looking for I don't think the board's looking for a hard decision
tonight. We wanted to get everything out in the air, get knowledge from you all about where we stood. You obviously have your meetings coming forward. Dick will continue to refine the numbers. Maybe he'll find an extra 75,000 that a
previous, you know, treasure left in the drawer. Maybe the assessor gold bullion or something. Exactly. Never know. Henry Bouch to keep a little money. What solar project did you guys approve this year? Well, we're going to make money on the uh electric car charging, too. You can
keep that revenue as I keep the meter off. Got an ambulance. Got an ambulance rebate. Got an ambulance rebate which will go to next year's free cash. Hey, you know, we you know, the uh the money for the solar project land actually goes up next year
as well. We shouldn't sell the the ambulance thing short. I mean, you know, that contract was a good contract at the beginning and it's it's gotten better and better, you know, as we had hoped. Um, we got something right. Regional dispatch we got right.
That saved us a half a million dollars a year. Mhm. Yes. You know, so, you know, just the labor cost on that. So, you know, it's um we got some stuff right, but good lord. So, it sounds like we have an idea of
potentially a couple warrant articles to take no action on. Uh, Brian, we'll continue to refine numbers for the two bigger numbers, i.e. the TWWB HVAC, the senior center HVAC. I think we're, you know, still work. We have a meeting coming up and we might get that little
pencil on that as well. So, um, couple other ones like Don said, we may have to take a hard look at and say these departments are going to have to wait a bit, you know, because this is not the time. Can Can you circumstances kind of dictate
it? Yeah. Can you clarify what was the suggested amount to of free cash to reduce the tax rate? Well, everything spend, right? Yeah. We were hoping that we would have six to 700,000 that would be used. I think Don had uh
yeah2 million in expending. So between the expenditures and the free cash number everything goes 620,000 the whole amount right goes so so we're going to have zero in free cash at the end of this. We all traditionally we always have
okay I just wanted to make sure that we were putting something against the tax rate or else we would be in right if we sharpen override land don't want to go to and again I don't care if the articles say I prefer raising appropriates but if they're transfer some free cash that's fine and then whatever's left we haven't
spent right Doug will be furiously pencil Heather actually she's the brains who furiously uh penciling that number down and everything else goes against free cash we're over him, right? They used to hide it and then he saw that.
Oh, I got an extra you could put toward the We don't generally put that in the motion though. Everything goes to free. We're not well perhaps. So move. Don't use the word high. I'm not saying they're wrong, but it's this is the traditional way. Yeah, we do it different way to do it.
We've had stability in the accounting office for 53 years. All right. And we will continue to have it. Yeah. for the next 53. Yep. All right. So, tonight we're looking to um basically reopen and reclose the
warrant. This is done. We're signing the warrant. I do see a new article which I assume is the CPA article. It's been in there. Yeah. Housing authority. There's been a placeholder. Yeah. The the housing authority. No, we had the CPA for the cemetery,
but now they've requested Yeah. I didn't I didn't have a chance to look at this. Is that what that referenced? The new article on the agenda. Oh, I don't know what that references. Okay.
Town treasurer raise. Was that authorities submitted one today? Housing authorities looking for about 43,000 CPA work on sidewalks. Okay, that's what this is. All right. Well,
there it Well, that probably isn't what's on that probably isn't referenced on the agenda because we just got it today. Do we know what new article meant on the agenda, Ron? I think that's it, right? Yeah, but how would she just got it today?
I don't. Well, um, in terms of the You're going to reach out to John. He confirmed it. Remove it. Remove the placeholder. Yeah. Okay. Great. All right. They removed it. He asked.
All right. I removed it. Then I come. So free cash discussion. Where we're leaving it here. We're going to keep talking about this. Try and come to an action point. You're meeting next week. Yes. Do you want to What time are you meeting six?
Do you want to come up here and continue this discussion at that point? I mean even for 10 minutes or whatever after your meeting. Why don't you put us on, you know, for 6:15, 620? We'll meet downstairs at 6. Maybe Brian will have new numbers. Have time to bring everybody up to speed.
Yeah. They're great people. Oh, yeah. Select board person Davenport. Yes. Can I have a cookie? Motion for cookie. Go move. Move. Um, all right. So, that's
where we are. We shared information. I've got a sense Dick has conticated. I'm gonna watch this four or five more times. It's the second time tonight. Bye for you. You You have to understand that John and I have been on opposite sides
of so many discussions for three generations. Look, you're going to make me look bad in front of the new lady. No. Stop it. You probably have already poisoned her against the select board already. Just on. Oh, I didn't know you could lie so well.
Um, thanks, John. John, stand up for us, will you? I'm just I'm listening and I'm He's Switzerland over there. Thank you. I'm I'm thinking about the 6:15 and I don't know if we're going to be able to meet. Yeah, we got plenty to go. 6:30. That's fine. 6:30. That's 6:30.
Wait, if you wander up, we'll meet with you guys. We'll just have you on the agenda for whenever you come up, basically. Is is there any any reason to approach the assessors about a new growth number or is that I'll check that? I'll check. Right. Sure.
I mean, it's a little much. Jane is really doing a great job, but it's there's a lot going on there. Yep. A lot of moving parts. Okay. Yeah. We'll see. See what I don't want to I don't want to create a problem by overestimating. No, I can ask. I'll ask her if there any
clue on what the trend is. Yeah. I mean, you know, if it's up around 400, then that's just helps a little. Yeah. Are you available next Monday or is there another race? Uh, sadly, no. I'm racing Friday and Saturday. Last one of the season. Probably next Monday.
Oh, maybe. Yeah, I'll be here next Monday. Said sadly. Sadly, I'll be available. Are there Thank you. All right. Well, thank you. Very good. Okay. Has the warrants been signed? No. No.
No. The hay warrants. Oh my god. How many are there? Okay. Would you like a cookie? All right. Obviously the empty rapper here. We'll just put them in your office for tomorrow. Okay.
The retirement account hardware store. Nice to meet you. Well, me and I didn't expect to meet you this long. Yeah, I've been doing this 15 years. I never thought that was going to happen. I've only met Chance. I haven't met John. Oh, you haven't met John? Oh, you're going to enjoy this. Oh,
nice meeting you. We'll be talking. If you have snacks in your office, he'll he'll come visit. Oh, you'll come? Oh, yeah. All right. Oh, I was sitting on camera. I am. What? Really? During the interview process? Perfect. We are transferring
your office near the kitchen now. So, okay. Is that one of all those includes chocolate? What? There's only two in there. Did you sign two sheets? Yes, we did. Did you sign two sheets? I did. All right. I'm not that I don't trust
you. So, um All right. Thank you guys. Do we want to actually make a firm decision on some of the articles or wait for next week? I think we have a trend now where we're looking at I'm ready to make a decision on recommending something. All right,
let's just cook. So, let's So, you have no You think the new article refers to potentially the CPA article? I have no idea. I just text I did send her a text. I said only if you're awake and she hasn't
responded. We do want to put this to bed. I mean, I'm happy adding the CPA article, but Don, were you at a meeting? Did they discuss that at a meeting or anything? Did the rep housing know? Yes, they have. Okay. I mean, we got plenty for it, so it's
not really a concern for us. All right. So, we'll entertain a motion to reopen the special town meeting warrant. Oh, second. So move. So move. All in favor? I thank. Okay. So the which I don't have a copy here. Basically I believe our
consideration is to remove the placeholder for the school article and replace that with a second CPA request from the housing authority. And really all that action will be taken by the CPA board. Right.
Everyone good with that? All right. Okay. And then I'll entertain a motion to close the warrant again. So move a closing paper clip here instead of a stapler. Second. All in favor? I I
Is the board thinking are we done? Are we going to sign the warrant and actually post it? Now these things that we're thinking of remove at some point no action. I think we probably want to know a I think we need explanation at town meeting.
I think no action and then tell town and this may be coming up in those. Yep. Cuz we're not seeing anything in ballot. We should do them right now. Right now we should get it out there so people know that it's on the horizon. Yeah, I would agree with that. Okay. Okay.
We need time to post it and if we did it next. All right. All right. Tell me you you need seven copies of the signal. Yeah. Yeah. 25 copies or something. Seven to 10 here. Those are germfree. Thank you.
I printed them. All right. While you're signing, looking over the article numbers. Hey, you spelled stabilization wrong, by the way. Fine. I just double checked that. Really? Of course not. No. At the top of the the recap sheet
spreadsheet. Now, let's go one here. Oh, yeah. Yeah. All right. ATM start change. No money. Facilities manager. Uh, I don't think we have much of a choice on that. If we want the guy to keep working for the rest of the year, we're going to get the money for it. You mean he's not going to do it for
free? You don't? No. Well, you work for cookies, but Okay. Employee benefits, we're stuck on that. Although yeah, that budget transfer comes out of the uh the savings from and actually there'll even be extra savings because it was
10%. Budget transfer and fixing the HVAC 130 uh and the TB HVAC as well. I think we're committed to those, but we're hoping that Brian Gary will come up with a little and maybe we'll have a savings.
Those numbers will be lower. transfer station. Don, what's your thought on that? What what what's the signage? Um, that's So, that amount equals the 2500.
Um, it's for signage within the within the transfer station. So, we don't need that. Wouldn't that come from the enterprise one? Typically, power or something. The 10,000 is is to provide electricity to Is it really?
I still think we have an opportunity for Amaresco to do that for us. We're kind of running out of time. Well, no. Well, we're running out of time cuz we set the town meeting time. So, I think let's reach out to Steve tomorrow and see if cuz he was willing to do it. I mean, he was.
Yeah. Why do it? No, I'm saying let's commit. Let's get a commitment from him. We've been we have worked with Amoresco in bent over backwards form. So yeah, he'll do. All right, let's put that one on. That could be a potential. Yeah.
What? And and why is it $10,000 to run a wire from one pole to the shed? A 240 volt good wire. It's that was that was the estimate. It's a long I think she came to one of the meetings and kind of talked about it. Yeah. I mean, you got to distance. Well,
they got to put They can't bring it into I mean, it's got to be It can't go into the ground. So, it's got to be holes the top. You got to wire the shed, too. There's no wiring in it. I bought that from Clott uh cruiser also goes back into
I see. We haven't finished about it, but I I assume the the chief's cruiser the chief's car was bought to be a cruiser and for whatever reason it wasn't outfitted that way, but it is a car with 40 something on it and for I think the price told us
one time was in the 10 to 15 to make it a fleet, you know, which be a lot cheaper. So that would be one I think could be a potential to see in the spring. Yeah. Yeah. And in the spring we probably I think we've already said we're going to
do it anyhow, right? They still go back into one time, Don. We transferred half the cost of a cruiser from the detail account. Remember 30 and 30 and yeah, but I don't think you can do that.
Well, we did it. You charge a cruiser do signed off on it. You charge a cruiser fee for the details, right? think you can charge 5% of the discount and with the detail work they've been doing lately that account should be in good shape. So that's a good point. They've
had a lot of details between the water. Well, I mean we get a cut to reimburse the expenses of the police department and the expense is everything. Um, so where does that that money sits in the It's a detail account, but I think it's
supposed to be transferred to You think it gets swept? I think it gets swept. Doesn't. Yeah. There are details that go with the physical year, too. So, there be some carryover loader. That's got to go. It's a great deal, but
got to go to the spring, right? Who knows? Tyler may have another good deal in the spring. Uh parks, there's 20,000, but that can't go against the revolving account.
They got like 90,000 in the revolving account. 53D account. I mean, that's you got to look at how it was enabled and that was 15 20 years ago. Uh, I just go back to what kind of car you going to get for 20,000
this day and age, right? Now, Dan did share with Brian and I that the they're going to get an official quote on repair for around 7 to 8,000. Yeah. I think he said he had it. Yeah. But he said he had gone a Corpse at the initial reading, initial meeting.
I think it said it was 4,000 to do the bet in the oil leak. Right. It was even 8,000 is better than 20,000. Yeah. Just what do you I looked at the online. I just don't see where you're going to get a really good vehicle. So I think that's a potential too.
Then we're back to CPA. Well, the no money there. So I think Dick suggested at least the 650 has some merit. Local rub and see it. 650 for Dick and then
you also have an option. I mean we do have 1.3 in the stabilization ziation zation account. That's a separate account. It's a different one. Yeah. I mean, you know, you could tap it for 300 under 300 and take another bite
and bring it down to 6%. And still still leave a million in the stabilization account. There's an extra there. So that's so I think that should be part of our discussion next week as well. Okay.
Can't keep it forever, but we'll have more information next week. Maybe the assessor will have a sense of maybe free uh new growth is better. Okay. Yeah. New growth will help us in the sense that it'll it'll lift the t the the levy limit. Levy limit.
It'll lift the levy limit, but it won't pay for it. No, but it shifts some of the uh tax I wouldn't say tax burden a little bit. It will. Yeah. Because I mean people who do new growth are going to pay that potential
that so it's not for Don and I who haven't done squat to our house, right? You know, so our increase would be 5.95 and the other person would be 605 because they actually have new something new. Well, it all you all be the same. It's
just Well, the bill I mean the bill would the tax rate will go down a little bit because our value wouldn't really change but their value would. The burden is shared among more the burden. All right. Um is distributed differently. Yeah.
All right. So, uh, Herb talked to Brian about a he has someone who's been helping out. Uh, this person has been doing it, I don't want to say pro bono, but for nothing. And I we don't think that's fair. If it's a valuable person,
we should uh do the standard hiring. This should be less than the uh insurance number. I believe less than 20 hours a week. Um, Corey check I assume and pay that person out of temp help at this point. We're
okay with that. So move. All right. Then bridge contract. What was that? Second. Yeah. All right. Thank you. So bridge contract. Oh, this is Boy, this changed on over the years, huh? Yeah. Boy, originally we were getting that bridge. It was going to wasn't cost
us a dime. Still trying. Yeah. So now we're up to with this contract what 250 or more above and beyond the grant. Yeah. Yeah. In that in that ballpark. So just
a quick update I reached out to when they sent the contract out, they also sent the bid docks out. So where we are now with with the with the bridge project itself is that it's it's nearing the end of chapter 85 review. Um, I think Mass Dot has sent their final
questions and comments to the engineer and I believe they just responded back to MASDOT. We also had the award letter for the small bridge grant which was for $500,000. When I was looking at the contract they had sent, it occurred to me that I had
never seen the actual grant contract the grant agreement before. Um, so I wasn't going to sign a a contract with with BHB without that grant contract. So I went back to the award letter. The award letter said once we're through chapter 85 review then we
can then mass dot will send us a grant agreement for the 500,000. So we check back in with them and uh mass uh dot through through our engineer asked if we were going to be seeking additional grant money. So I said no. What?
I'm kidding. Um I was like yeah of course. Um grants. I think historically this program has increased amounts. Mark did tell us that before there's potential. Yeah. Um I I think this is one of the programs where where they have projects coming,
you know, either projects doesn't get completed or a project comes in under budget. You're right. More likely projects aren't ready so they don't so there's additional money in those in the fiscal year. So we're going to make the request for the full amount. So that's we're going to ask for that additional
250 and we'll see what they say. Um, but that's where we are. Chapter 85 review is almost done. Um, we're going to make that request for the additional grant money to cover the entire project. And they're thinking that the hope was that we would put this
project out to bid um this fall sometime, but I think it's going to get pushed to winter at this rate. Right now, Mark was carrying the number for this project in his current construction number. Yeah, on I think I believe on that on the sheet of chapter 90 projects that he
presented with us around it was in the ballpark of $450,000. Okay. So, ideally the grant will cover that amount and that can get reprogrammed. Yep. That would be great. Okay. Um so, so we're not signing the contract because we're waiting to hear the 85 to be
finished. You need that officially finished and then we can sign the contract. Yes. Or you could authorize me to sign it. Um and then I'll do it once the Does that constrain us if we sign it about, you know, getting additional
money? Are you worried about that? No. I I if I was authorized to sign, I wouldn't sign it till the grant agreement came through. Okay. All right. Make a I'll entertain a motion to authorize town administrator to sign the South Bridge South Road Bridge project contract upon
notification of chapter 985 completion. Second. All in favor? I power you have, Brian. It's incredible. Thank you. Okay, we're meeting on the 20th. Uh oh, 20th. And let's see, member reports. Anybody
want to recap the fun we had on Thursday? Don, thanks for volunteering. the uh we met with the Hampton Wilberham regional school committee, the select board of Wilberham, the advisory committee from
Hamn, and one member of the finance committee from from Wilberham. Special centered around the budget budgetary process for the uh regional school committee and capital improvements that they're looking for.
Uh well, neither Wilberham or Hampton has the money for any of it. Uh but we're moving forward. Wilberham wants to reconvene meetings of the select boards to discuss the regional agreement.
Um, and I I explained that again that we we are are we we were looking for a carve out uh particularly to do with the heating the the ventilation system. Mhm.
Uh they wanted to go back to Brian's original proposals that he wrote, but they've already said no to those proposals because they don't believe that the Well, it's rather curious. They had sent a letter back in April saying
that the majority of the Wilberham school board does excuse me select board does not favor carveouts of the Wilberhamhead middle school capital projects. This concerns include those Wilberhamhead middle school capital project identified in the study in 2015
and the existing Wilberhead middle school capital project list as provider district. Rationale for this majority opinion includes doubt about the relevance of a study from 10 years ago and the reality of the middle school capital project approved by both groups going forward. Well, I guess the
relevance of the heating the relevance of the ventilation thing is you just spent $400,000 on cleaning up the mold and the state was in there saying that making 33 recommendations how to improve it. So there's the relevance is there and they're also the the uh the school
committee has um seeking um grants from the the build the state build school building assistance program for the windows and doors at the Wilberham Middle School and they'll have the October 29th I think he said was the date they'll do it. So that's where we
are, but they want to meet again. So I'm in no rush and I don't know about you guys. Good recap. Thank you. But if but bottom line, I think it's at the meeting. Don's been there before.
The earlier you meet and discuss things and get it out there, the better. We don't need that 11th hour thing that happened for some of the projects last year. It didn't help any, you know. So we encourage Uh, and more of what happened back in
the the old days when we met and they showed, oh, there was a 3% increase here, 4% here. Boom. Getting it out early, it helps us do our job. All right. Uh, Eric, anything? Um, nothing overly to report. I was
going to just um reiterate more was Brian. I'm probably going to call on Brian. This what uh what charter is their announcement that they had from there. I guess I can speak to it. Brian had attended the press release and the um big announcement was the $50 million
improvements that they've done are the things that they've already done. So apparently yes. Okay. So um but the question at hand is is when is this going to be turned switched on and ready for the residents and they're indicated Brian correct me if
I'm wrong they hope to do that by the end of the year. Yep. So that's on the current network and that gets into upload download speed. Correct. Multi I believe they're promising multi- gigabit upload and download speeds, but that's not a fiber build out.
I don't believe did they did they specify what exactly they did? It's fiber to the node. It's fiber to the node. Fiber on the pole. So when they said the fiber build out they were telling us last year to keep us from I want to say going a different direction. Is that still a fiber to the
home or is only node fiber? So I believe it's node fiber to the node and I believe correct me if I'm wrong it's coax the house that one thing that they had said in previous meetings that they were talking about offering fiber to the home in the future not so distant future at an additional cost so you'd have a true
that would be pretty true okay so right now it's kind of a hybrid system however the promise is to have the symmetrical up and download speeds which is one of the primary reasons why we had the fiber optic committee because we wanted faster more reliable internet. So,
u let's see if this okay turns into something. Okay, but isn't it I go back this an analogy only Don will get. Isn't it kind of the case of like your stereo system is as good as it weak component. We could have a great turntable but if the
speakers are bad sounds bad isn't the speed limit if you're just going to be Thank you Brian. If the the part to the house is still coax, isn't that the limitation? I mean, you can have fiber all the way through, but so I I would agree a true a true hybrid
system would be the fastest system. No doubt there's there are limitations to coax, but their promise is that it's going to offer symmetrical upload and downloads in in excess of one gig up and one gig down through new current coax. Yes. Oh,
they said they found that they have other customers that can't add that. Okay. They're saying it's tried and true. I'll believe it when I see it. Well, that's Yeah. Um that's kind of what they're they're they're promised. Okay. Great. Um the report Brian and I
quickly on the lighting thing, Brian and I met with Paul Marcelina. We invited Dan Blanchard there as well. We met at the school earlier today. Um they have reached out to the dasis who was going to donate a tree from their patch of
trees that are between St. Mary's and Mson Savings. Paul has worked out with somebody to actually have the tree transferred planted free of cost to the town and we're working towards a basically the lighting and holiday lighting plan that we talked about with
Mr. Marcelini and Mr. PNL several weeks ago and we'll have more on that. A very excellent meeting and obviously brought Dan in as well because the parks is integral to you know what they did with the upgrade of the gazebo etc.
And we hope that everything is going to be ready for the tree lighting ceremony in December over there instead of the uh I'm not sure what we're doing with the tree here and leave it for the deer halfway through it now. So Brian,
yes. And it should be I think he was talking about the 12 to 14 foot tree to to bring in. So little bit bigger and we can see um holy tree. More food for the deer.
A real Christmas tree. That'll be real Christmas. Um this Friday I'm going to be attending interviews for the health director position. I didn't apply. I am just going to ask questions. Um we have five candidates for that position. Um so we'll be doing interviews in Long
Meadow. Um anything new on the uh with the uh chief? Yep. So I met with with Dan for about an hour and a half the end of last week. Um so we're working in scheduling the
pre-employment exams. I think the longest one's going to be the psychological exam because one of the one of themies just let out essentially. Um so there's a little bit of a backlog for that, but we were told that that we could he could get priority. So we're waiting to schedule that. Um I need to
send him the contract proposal. Um and he's completed all the other paperwork that we need. So um great. We're moving forward with that. Anything new with the highway? With highway. Oh, the highway union. Yeah,
all all of them. Okay. It's tough getting them all in one room together. No, but I'll I will send It's been so long. I I'll email them again. Hate to say it. I mean, we carried a certain number. If it's, you know, we
have no ability to change it at this point, right? Okay. We need this. Okay. We this much more, but one of you's got to go. Sorry. Sorry. Pick a guy. Uh um FEMA head at at Thornton Burgess.
Um the baitment is started. Um debate it will wrap up probably in a couple days. They were estimating a week. Um I think they're already through removing all the four tiles. It came up pretty easy. Let's just say that. Um little water underneath them for years kind of separates them from the mastic a little bit.
Not like not like other places. We're just saying clear, right, Don? Yeah. Not like places. Yeah. Um I noticed the sign was gone. Have you ordered the new one? Um so um maybe Mark has sent a
uh inquiry about the a new sign for that location. Yeah. Yeah. Um, the idea would be it wouldn't be the it would be a a sign that would last a couple years with the idea that we would get a new better sign at some point
with all of our excess money that we have. Um, but it would be nice to I think it would be nice to have a newer sign at some point. Um, once that once the abatement is done, hopefully by the end of this week, we have uh the foreign contractors going to come in right after that.
So, um, we had a little stall with the procurement for the electronic doors, the electronic access for the doors. We needed to go out and reach out to other vendors as part of the the ITC71 contract. U, we've got other quotes in,
so ready to move forward with that. Mhm. Um, other than that, um, Herb's doing changing out the lighting, uh, doing some painting and and the person who's assisting him. Um, so everything's pretty much on track
for I still feel good about the maybe the week of November 10th for the move. Um, if we needed to, the week of the the 17th. Um, but I don't know. I don't think a week would would buy us a lot of time. Eva had the folks from uh the
state because she has the state u the separate state computer system there. Representatives from Verizon were out there today. We need to um we need to do some modifications to to bring that uh Verizon line into the server room. Um
but that's it's not anything that's going to okay uh slow us down. So, and Andre, that was a couple weeks ago. The Turner had come out and done some Wi-Fi and then Entree was putting some infrastructure. Are they still continuing work on that? Uh, yes. I don't know when they're back
out. I need to I need to check in with Andre. Uh, so Charter came out. Um, they did it didn't need any didn't need any site work. Um, they came out, attached the the cable modem, and then um we're pretty much good to go there.
Okay. Okay. And for town meeting, we're still you're confirmed with the AV company for town meeting. When is Andre going to do the the the 10 to 11 upgrades? I need to follow up with with our account representative. I was thinking about that the other day
cuz I believe it was a 14th. That was the right the the day that they they're going to stop uh yeah today updates. So um I will double check with them. Okay. uh parking lots painted TWWB. Um
we you uh we used the least expensive paint parking lot paint because the idea was that at least that section of the parking lot was going to be Mhm. uh repaved, excuse me, next year. So, um and you're going to check with Mark on the lights for the town meeting,
right? Yep. Yeah, we talked about that this afternoon. Okay. Well, I think the biggest thing going forward, I'm not sure what we have projected for next week, but the biggest thing for next week is going to be continuing the financial discussion going forward. So, any thoughts you all
have, you know, within, you know, appropriate measures, please put them out there. Yeah, I feel like it was a a good compromise given the situation. Well, I think the frank discussion was good. I mean, we all have ideas and everyone but one person is paying taxes
here. Yeah. No. You going to pay your taxes? No. Not the way you guys are talking. Forget it. All right. Anything else to come before the board? Anybody online today? Ours. Anybody online today? No.
Very few. No, there's Carol and Craig. Former select board member Rivous was online. Get out of here. Checking on Eric probably. All right, seeing no other action coming before the board, I'll entertain a motion to get the heck out of here.
So moved. Second. All in favor? I I thank you. Have a good week.