Good to start. Okay. All right. Good evening everybody. Uh I am going to call the board of selectman meeting to order for November 25th uh 2025. The time right now is 5:30 and we will start with the pledge of
allegiance. I aliance 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. >> All right, we have a few announcements. Uh, this meeting is being recorded by the local scene. Anyone intending to make an audio or video recording of this meeting should notify the chair at this time. Um, oh, you know what? Before we do this, yeah, we have to do a roll call
vote because we are we do have someone um remote. Um so, um Eric here, >> Tim here, Missy here, >> Kyle Pike. Yeah, >> Don here. >> All right. Thank you, Don. Uh financial assistance applications are available on
the town's website or by calling the selectman's office for anyone interested in volunteering. And and Scott, we do this every meeting. We're begging people to to volunteer for many vacancies. Um, we say we have several vacancies on various committees and boards. To see a
complete list of the openings, please visit our website at kingstonmma.gov. Uh, please check our website for any additional events or notices at www.kstonmma.gov. Um, also townhouse hours this week were closed on Thursday and Friday for
Thanksgiving. Um actually I do have open form on here so I >> can I just add one quick thing for the um >> we heard a lot of feedback recently about concerns about budgets and and taxes going up and things and I would say this is a great opportunity for
folks who are wanting questions answered and wanting more information to volunteer for finance committee. So we have three open seats currently on finance committee. Um join ask questions be a part of the process. We need volunteers and I would always put a plug
in for finance committee. >> Thank you. Agreed. Um I do have open forum on here. So um is there anybody that wanted to speak for open forum? >> Hi guys, it's Will Kushman here. >> Hey Will, go ahead. >> Hello. I hope everyone's doing good
today and I just wanted to say happy Thanksgiving to everyone and hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Thank you. >> Thanks. Well, >> don't forget your address. >> Also, >> also I I just want to say thank you to
George Samia for all his dedication and service for the town of Kingston the past couple weeks. Thank you. >> Hey, >> you're you're still working with George for a little bit longer at least. >> Yeah. And we'll >> we all >> So these types of things are not
immediate typically. There's usually a little bit of a overlap in time from when we we find a new candidate to fill a role and and when an interim steps away. So you still you'll still see George. >> Will can you just for the record can you just say your address for open forum.
>> 273 Main Street Kingston Mass. >> Thanks Will. And happy Thanksgiving day. >> Okay. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. >> All right. So, our first appointment um uh we're going to be introducing Scott Lambia Lambi. Um as chair of the board
of selectman, I'm pleased to introduce Mr. Scott Lambi as the search committee's recommended candidate for Kingston's next town administrator. Uh the search committee conducted a comprehensive and deliberate process reviewing applications, interviewing qualified candidates, and assessing
leadership experience, communication skills, and alignment with Kingston's priorities. After uh careful evaluation, the committee voted to recommend Scott as their unanimous choice. Um Scott Scott currently serves as the town manager of Abington, where he has
successfully led a uh balanced budgeting process, strengthened labor relations, enhanced digital communication and transparency, and revitalized key community committees. Prior to that, he served as director of municipal services in Dubbury for nearly 15 years. He's
also served on the Whitman Board of Selectmen and the Massachusetts Municipal Association Policy Committee on Personnel and Labor Relations. Scott brings over 18 years of municipal management experience, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong record of
ethical governance and community engagement. So, before we get to the board uh with any questions that that that we may have, um I just want to welcome Scott to make any brief statement to the board and the public that you'd care to make. Well, thank you for having me. I I truly appreciate it
and I'm honored to to have gotten to this point. Um I I think that we all have the same feelings and and stresses in all of our communities, whether it's Ammon, Kingston, Whitman, where I'm from, and Ducks, that there's there's a lot of things going on. Um, I think my
goal ultimately is is to make sure that the uh town is successful, that the goals and objectives of the town are met, that the goals and of this board are are met and carried through and successfully and to um help the departments and the department heads uh
achieve their goals and objectives also and making sure that they all align with one another. So, um, I'd love to take some of the experiences that I've gained in in the other communities and bring them here. I think, um, one of the biggest things that, you know, I feel that I heard loud and clear in the past
communities was that, um, communication out of town hall and communication to the public and and finding ways to engage um, the community and and and help them understand what what is going on is uh, key and important. So, I'd
like to, you know, sort of continue on with that work. And to your um, you know, to your announcement earlier, it's it's, you know, sort of across the board trying to find ways to get people to be involved with us and let them know that the volunteer positions are a great way to find out about what we do, what we do
every day, what it means uh, to to the town. Um, towns like ours, they they can't operate without volunteers. That's just the way it's set up. And um so I I've been pretty active trying to do that myself and would love to bring that um to Kingston as well.
>> Okay. And before I open it up um to the rest of the board for any questions, I I'm just going to ask one now. I already had a chance as part of the the the uh search committee um to interview uh with Scott, but just one other thing that I thought I'd I'd ask here is um and and
we just talked about it. You know, trying to recruit volunteers. I mean, there's been different ideas like maybe even having having like an open house um where we invite the public in to meet various boards and committees trying to explain what we do, make it not seem so daunting because I think a lot of people
have the capability and even the desire to do it, but maybe held back and I know I was years ago. I had to be really prodded to to run for um school committee at the time. >> Selectman and selectman. That's right. I you know but the first time that I ran I
I didn't know what I was getting into. I thought I I don't have enough to offer and I don't think that's true. But can you think of any ways that that that maybe we could um do a better job of trying to recruit people whether it's open houses or or other means?
>> Sure. Um the open house is a great idea. the, you know, one thing that I had just started doing in Abington and that I would recommend that we do here is um is is leverage our meetings that are already taped. And so I've been going to
the beginning of um like the u board of appeals meeting and introduced myself and instead of letting the chair start the meeting, I introduced myself as the town manager and he said, "Listen, I just want to tell you a little bit about what the board of appeals does and to let you know and to thank these volunteers who come out and spend their
time away from their family and this is what they do." And by the way, they didn't have to know anything to come here. I made the mistake of saying they didn't need any talent, which I don't know if they took that well or not, but the thought was there. >> So that, you know, so we're going to
stop playing those. Um, we actually, um, one thing that we had made up were challenge coins that just said sort of thank you for your service that we had handed out to retirees. And then, um, we had so many of them that I was starting to hand them out to the boards and committees. And just to again, it gives
us a an opportunity to then throw it up on Instagram or Facebook occasionally and just say, "Hey, we're looking for volunteers." And if you're wondering what the conservation commission does, this is what they do and this is when they meet. This is how often they meet. This is the level. You know, folks, I think the other part of it is need to
know what the level of commitment is that we're asking. And if they realize that, you know what, it's it's a you know, it's a couple hours. Some committees are quarterly, some are monthly, some are twice a month. And so if we can let everybody know and then let them know at town meeting. Um but
not just saying at the beginning of town meeting, hey, we have opportunities, but to have tables set up where people can go and get some information. Um you know, beyond that, um reaching out to the groups that we do have. you know, there are uh um outside groups
that use our fields, the soccer fields, the little league fields, and and sort of let them know. They're the folks that are already somewhat engaged. So, >> yep, that is true. >> All right. Thank you, sir. Uh Kim, do you have anything? >> Of course. >> Go ahead.
>> Don't I always um so you mentioned you're a town manager now. So, one of the questions I think that always comes to mind is, do you think it will be difficult to transition from a town manager to a town administrator? >> No, not at all. I mean, I seven years I
was on the select board in um when it was the board of select there in Whitman. Um we had a town administrator the whole time I was there. And um I'm very clear on what the difference in the roles are. But I will also say I involve
my current board as if they they as much as they should be involved anyways probably I don't treat it much differently. Um so I do understand there's a there is that difference in the roles but I think that communication that I have that level of communication sort of brings them into
that fold. Anyways, I again like I said the importance is to make sure um you have goals and objectives and you need them carried out and it's my job to carry them out for you whether whatever my title may be. Um so you have to be
involved 100% in it. >> I'm just gonna go down the line. Missy, do you have anything? >> How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. >> Good to see you again. Um, so one of the things that I just wanted to highlight really was you had mentioned when we had spoken last about spotlighting
department heads and and kind of your idea on that and I that really um I I loved the idea that you you put forward on that. Could you speak to that a little bit just so that everyone can kind of hear that? Yeah, again it's part of u the community engagement piece is
um you know I think most folks probably don't have any interaction other than to maybe pay a bill online or occasionally come in when something goes wrong but otherwise folks just really don't have to you know most of them
don't so it's nice to get that information out there so what we do is and we call it I have town manager corner we have a quarterly newsletter and then we just have a basic spotlight that also shows up on our um on our web
page and I will introduce the say it's the DPW director. I'll say this is John Stone. He's our DPDW director. John, can you tell me a little bit about what the DPW does and what's going on around town and we'll start off. There might be a a
15inute YouTube video that will be snippets that will be on Instagram. Um, and again they'll come up again on our newsletter and then and on our feed and we try to do that. I've I've done almost all of the departments and then we've had a change in department head. We'll
do it again. Um, we'll pick certain employees who've been around for a long time or um, you know, within our different departments. I think within the police department, we've picked some employees for various reasons and spotlighted them. And it just, you know,
again, it puts a a a face to a job, to a title, to to what's going on in the community. >> Carl, >> good evening again. >> Good to meet you again. >> I believe that Abington is probably 17,000 plus people. Kingston's probably
14,000 plus. Um, what uh interests you in coming to a smaller town as opposed to going to a bigger town or even a city? Um well there's a lot of reasons. One is um I started in municipal
government in um in Ducksbury and I do really enjoy the coastal community. I it's um just a beautiful area. Um moving to uh Plymouth um and I've been planning on that for quite some time and I just
prefer the area. I was um I spend my weekends in the summer out in Zish Beach. Um it's just, you know, the whole uh the history of it I enjoy and the uh coastal community um is just it's just something that attracts me.
>> My second area, I tend to focus on finances and budgets because of my background. I I believe that the Abington budget is somewhere around 70 million. Kingston's probably around 60 million depending how you count different things.
Are you would you consider yourself handson with the budget and how much do you depend upon the finance director or the town accountant whatever you might call him or her. >> So we our finance director and town accountant is the same person
>> right? >> Um and um we work hand in hand. So when our budget season starts and and it really never ends to be quite honest with you. Um him and I do work together. We put together the budget book. We meet
together. Um we sort of have our goals that we lay out to our department heads. Uh it's almost always level um service or you know be prepared for some reductions and give us some uh impact statements. Then together we meet
with the department heads. We also meet with the school department. Um we have meetings between uh the treasurer, collector and the assessor and the accountant and myself uh periodically to sort of gear up for it. Uh and then yeah
individually we meet with each department one- on- one and prep them and sort of get ready for the finance committee. Once we start meeting with the finance committee which I present the budget to the finance committee with the finance director um we just
constantly work together on it. So, um, bring the department heads in one at a time or two at a time and meet with the finance committee, review their budget again, uh, try to get the message across of, uh, what what their goals are, what their objectives are, uh, if they have
any issues, why they're having issues, things like that. But very hands-on from the beginning right up to presentation at town meeting. >> And my last question is a little more specific. I actually took a look at your package for your FY26 budget online. By
the way, I thought it was very nice, excellent visibility and uh understandable I was you you had a chart in there that were budget reductions and I assume that's from you have your preliminary budget. Now we have to get to a bottom
line that we can live with and balance the budget. Uh I noticed that there were significant reductions in police but I believe that was because they were requesting some additional uh officers and we didn't approve those. Then there
was significant I want to significant probably half the reductions were schools. How do you work with the schools to get reductions or adjustments? Our history here is boy the schools come in with a budget and if
it's 5% increase or 7% increase it is difficult to get them to back off of that and so do you work directly with the schools or do they understand that it's part of the process? >> Yep. Uh we meet like like I said the as
long as I have been there um and we're on a second superintendent there now but um the superintendents and the business managers have met with us constantly throughout the process. We have um an exceptionally good working
relationship which is um you know like I said I mean from Whitman being on the select board that wasn't really the case there um nor I don't think it is right now either. Um, we meet constantly, we discuss it
constantly, we discuss their needs, uh, you know, and and they usually, you know, we only have one district that we're dealing with. Um, and we try to make sure that we're balancing their needs and they they've been very respectful with their requests. Um, you
know, we try to get creative. um last year, you know, there were some things that were um that they would like embedded in their budget that are my item my my mind were capital items that we could take out of their budget that would help reduce it, use free cash for it. Um, so we do try to work with them
and they have been very very cooperative. I must say >> that that that your last comment gets me to a related question that I had is I think you used like a million8 of free cash to balance the budget. >> Now is that extraordinary?
>> Yeah. >> I would hope so. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's obviously it's something that we always say we'll never do. Yeah. >> Um but last year it did. It came to the point of, you know, we were going to walk into town meeting. We were trying to get a lot of different things done.
We were trying to um deal with our uh with a an override that had happened 13 years ago for trash. Um and our trash is part of our operating budget. And so it's within the levy of a million four million five. And I wanted to switch it
to a user fees. You know, we can no longer do this. and the town's folks said, "Hey, look, we did an override 13 years ago. We're not you're not taking trash out of the budget." I said, "Fine." Um, but u we not prepared to lay off a
lot of people either. So, this is and and I'm open and front with that at the beginning. If you ever, you know, really want to watch something boring, watch the beginning of my town meetings for the last five years. And I will get up and and do a quick introduction at town meeting and say, "Yes, we do have a balanced budget for you. this is what we
did to get to that balanced budget. There's either some programming that we added or programming that we're not adding. Um, I'll thank everybody, but I will be upfront and say, look, we have used onetime funds, and it's not a good thing, and we're just putting off what's inevitable. But that was a decision. It
wasn't just made by me. Again, it was made by the finance committee, um, the board of selectmen, and myself. and you know all together just saying look let's let's kick the can down one more time because we weren't prepared to make
those those hard decisions. >> Are your capital expenditures in the operating budget? >> No, we do rely and it's been that way since I came in. Um we rely on free cash for our capital and we do want to change it or we did we we actually did a really
robust capital plan. We work with the Collins Center to try and figure out exactly what our needs were with the intention of hopefully rolling that in. And it just these >> Yeah. Yeah. >> You know, our our new growth numbers are are abysmal and um we all know what's
going on with state aid and um chapter 70. So >> yeah. The only reason I ask that is if your capital is built into the operating budget, then utilizing free cash isn't quite as difficult or problematic. But
we do the same thing here. We use free cash to do the capital budget basically. >> Yeah. So >> that and snow and ice. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> That's it, Eric. All right. >> And Don, go ahead if you have any questions.
>> Yeah. Hey, and um welcome and I apologize for um not being there. I also run about 340 sports leagues as well in town. So, I'm busy on my off Tuesday. >> Thanks. >> But I I just had a a quick question on
basically, you know, with the financial constraints um on most communities right now, uh and in Kingston, our staffing already running extremely tight, um you know, what types of technologies have you worked with? would you be interested in bringing in uh to streamline processes,
you know, more to help our staff focus on their important tasks? >> Yes, absolutely. Um, you know, um I I certainly believe in online permitting and making things as much um make it as
easy for people to do things online. Um, I do appreciate using um artificial intelligence if we can just make sure that we do it properly in in a way that is um it it used to sort of help people
navigate their way to a person or to a function uh without them sort of being bounced around. I I don't anticipate or I don't see it, you know, I wouldn't want to replace a person with it, but like you said, to find ways to streamline, to make things easier, uh to
make things easier for the public as well as um you know, more efficient for the employees. Absolutely. >> Thank you. >> That's okay. >> Go ahead, Kim. >> So, we actually had a question from a resident that I thought I would ask. So, one initiative that the town is working
on is to recover Silver Lake, which is a natural resource that is important to the Gulf of Maine, town of Kingston, Jones River. It's also Whitman's water supply. >> So, the question becomes, is this an initiative that you could help our folks work on? >> So, it's
>> knowing it would impact your hometown. >> It It's not Whitman's water supply. It's Brockton's water supply. >> Oh, okay. They were the understanding. >> We purchased the water from Brockton. >> Oh, I see. Brockton also uses um has other sources and I'm on several actually several subcommittees that are
trying to find a way to um bring MWR water down to relieve the stress on mostly Silver Lake. Okay. Um there's also we're we're working whether it would be um they have the aquarium aqu um desalinization plant that's in Dyon
and there's a feed that comes up uh to honster farms peaceful meadows that is um a possible source for Whitman and for um other social communities but we're also in active discussions because the
MWR will be bringing water down to the um old Naval Air Base. >> And from there, we hope other communities will be able to hook up. And then that again will relieve pressure from Brockton, which would relieve pressure from uh Silver Lake. And and
actually, I was on the um God, it was like the Plymouth C the Southern Plymouth County Water District Commission um with the member, I think it was actually Bob Fenessy at that time who was on it with me. And we had several other people. We had uh Miss
Pine Dubois who was there constantly. >> There she is. >> So this is from you. So I think Pine will know that I spent a lot >> you might understand where the question came from. >> Absolutely. And I I wholeheartedly um I wholeheartedly agree with with their um
you know wanting to preserve the Jones River. It's an amazing resource. And I mean it's you know when I come through here that's one of the things that I look at and think there's just you know it's it's beautiful. I know that the and I believe that you know Pine's probably
been as active with all the MWR groups as you have been with um that commission that I've been on. So I I'm all for that. I'm all for protecting that. It it it not only protects Kingston and the Jones River, but it like I said it the impacts that it has on the Gulf of
Maine, um Kingston Bay, I'm sure um all of that. It's very important to me. Can I have one more question from me? Um, what do you think is the biggest obstacle that you would face leaving Abington coming here and how do you think you'd overcome it? Um it's first
it's just you know being the new guy and and and bridging the relationships um getting out and you know um gaining the trust of the community, gaining the trust of the department heads um working to find out exactly you know what your
goals and objectives are, the community's goals and objectives are hopefully they all align and then hopefully there's a way to you know to push it forward. So I think it's really that learning curve. I mean, um, I I
really enjoy doing what I do. I've enjoyed it since, you know, when I started in Ducksbury many, many years ago as a, um, I went in as a building inspector and, um, I just wanted to learn every little part of what was going on throughout the town and, um,
you know, worked with with pretty much every facet of it and, um, in the community. So, um, yeah, I think it's just really getting that initial, but once we get going, I think it'll be great.
>> Want to start tomorrow? No, I'm just kidding. >> I I would love to. I wouldn't want to leave >> question >> anybody alert. >> Yeah. Do you have any questions for us? >> Um, no. I think just, you know, I I think we've covered everything in in past talks. Um,
>> any other questions from anybody? My last uh comment is that I as one selectman and I think it applies somewhat to the rest of us. I look forward to a town administrator who's not afraid to challenge the board of selectment that if he sees the board of
selectman, you know, heading down a path that, you know, could be troublesome, >> let them know. Bring bring up the differences in opinion. And um in the end the select one's probably the boss, but I think it's imperative that we get
told at times because we're not the experts in a lot of this stuff. So that I I really look forward to any town administrator that I've worked with being willing to stand up to the board selectment. >> I I would agree with that and I I think
anytime, you know, we hire people who are um who we're hoping are going to be the experts. So we we don't know and that's one of the things I think I encourage people to volunteer for boards and commissions even those that are overseeing um you know high level people
like all those years in schools we we oversaw a superintendent but I I certainly was never an expert at education. >> Wait, you were on school committee >> and this is a longgoing in >> sorry >> inside joke. >> Um but certainly we're not the experts
at municipal um governance either. So that that's why we hire experts, you know, fire chief, police chief, finance director, HR director, town administrator. Um, you guys are the ones that are are the experts and and we look for um uh your guidance. You know, we'll
come up with policies, but we're going to work on those together together, you know, the group of experts and and and if something's not working, we need to know, you know, if we need to shift gears. Um, but I think Carl's got a great point and I think you have a group here in in this board of selectmen. I I
think everybody is very much open to um suggestion and and uh feedback. So um >> I like to say we disagree but we don't argue >> not in public >> but we don't meet in private so that's
good. >> That's true. >> Yeah. No, I I I would agree with that. Um, anything else? >> That's it for me. >> All right. Would anybody like to make a motion? >> Can you Did he pronounce your name correctly? >> Okay.
>> Liy. >> Okay. >> Because I just want to make sure because I don't want to butcher it. Um, I move the board of selectment appoint Scott Limbi as town administrator contingent upon successful completion of contract negotiations, a satisfactory background check, and reference checks.
>> Second. >> Oh, we got two seconds on that one. And uh we need to do a roll call vote. So um all those in favor, Eric I. >> Kim I. Missy I. >> Kyle Pike I. >> Don I. >> All right that's unanimous.
Thank you and congratulations. So now um we will um move forward with the negoti contract negotiations. Um and we will also need to start um the background check and reference checks. And I know you said you were going to bring the the
forms and I think your ID so we can coordinate that with with Tina or the chief. They're both here right now. Um and then uh we're going to in a moment we're going to adjourn to executive session just to discuss contract negotiations. Um and then whoever we
decide upon will be reaching out to you to enter into those uh negotiations. Um, but I just want to also point out, um, Scott, and if it's okay, we talk about your timeline. You're I I believe you you needed four weeks from
point of notice before you would be able to come. So, that's relatively >> um quick. I think Keith's was three months a little bit. We let him out early. >> Yeah, it might have been two months, but still it's it's longer pro. I mean, it's longer probably than it needed to be.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um, so any questions about the process at this point from either you or anybody on this board? Okay. All right. Um, with that, um, I will make a motion to recess to executive session, to not return to open
session for the purpose of conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel, or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel, town administrator. >> Second. All right. All those in favor,
Eric, I >> Tim I, Missy, I. >> Kyle Pike, I, >> Don, I. >> All right. And our next regular meeting is next Tuesday, December 2nd, at 6:00 p.m. And, um, >> it is 6:02 p.m. for the record.
>> Okay, perfect. Um, do we need to No, we don't need to make a motion to just Okay, we're good. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Scott.