[music] Good evening everyone. I'd like to call the select board and wage and personnel board to order as we have a quorum present. Um Lake Cam is is currently recording and I believe live streaming. Um is there anybody else here in the
audience who would be recording the meeting? No. Okay. Uh, with that, can we just do a quick roll call? Leah, if you wouldn't mind starting. Uh, Leah Fabian, select [snorts] board. >> Paul Hunt, select board. >> Chris Blanca.
>> Carboni is here. Howard here. All right. And joining us this evening, we have our town administrator, Andrew Suko. We have our finance director, Mike Ellis. We have Emily Surret, our uh management analyst, and Colleen Lee, our
executive assistant um to the select board and town administration. So, there's a few um items uh that we're going to get started with, but first, I'd like all of us if we could please rise for a pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. >> Thank you. >> Okay, Mr. Blanca, are you ready to do select board announcements at this time?
>> I am, Madam Chair. Current committee commission vacancies include the following. One vacancy for the board of registars. Three vacancies for the cable TV advisory committee. One at large member for the economic development committee. One atlarge member for the energy advisory
committee. One at large member on the technology advisory committee. I think that was appointed. >> We did. We did appoint. Yes. >> Okay. So scratch that. >> Okay. >> So scratch. Yeah. There are uh no no vacancy for the technology advisory
committee. One vacancy and one associate member opening for the planning board. One atlarge member and associate member opening for the historical commission. One associate member for the zoning board of appeals and one atlarge member for the zoning bylaw review advisory committee. Details in these positions
can be found on the town's website at lemma.org under boards and committees. That's what you have. >> Um I'd just like to um thank our administration um for shifting our meeting. We were originally scheduled to
be at the Lakeville Police Station. Um and tonight we are which I forgot to mention. We are here at the um Great Ponds uh library um meeting room and uh because it's warrant review uh we felt that the venue uh would be able to you
know house more people if they were uh interested parties in attending. So I want to publicly thank our administration for um shifting gears um and also the library for being able to accommodate us tonight um with the rain.
Unfortunately, our uh Lakeville Arts Council of Music that they have been um hosting for the summer series will be I believe rescheduled till this Thursday. So, I believe we did that last week. We had to shift because of this lovely
rain. Um so, they will be doing that again this week. Um anybody else from the board have any announcements that they'd like to share? No. Okay. Um Andrew I don't have any time reports, Matt. >> Okay. >> Emily, do you have anything?
>> I don't have any of these. >> Okay. >> All right. We have one set of minutes here uh for approval for May 12th, 2026. Anybody have any comments?
Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion to approve the select board wage and personnel meeting minutes of May 12th, 2026. So moved. >> Seconded. >> Motion and a second. discussion hearing. None. Roll, please. >> Baby and I. >> Hunt. I >> pluck. I
>> Carboni. I >> Howard I. >> Okay. I'd like to take a couple things out of order. We have a warrant review um in joining us with the the finance committee at 6 pm. Uh so I would like us
to jump down to item agenda item number eight which is discuss and possible vote on lifting hiring freeze for the following positions. Um, we have the Department of Public Works, DPW, laborer, Department of Public Works, DPW, heavy machine equipment operator,
an on call firefighter, and in intern um interim um intern, sorry, firefighter. Andrew, would you like to speak to these for us, please? >> Yes, I can speak to uh the DPW ones. um
DPW labor and heavy equipment uh heavy machine equipment operator. One comes from a resignation and one comes from a promotion. So uh they're jobs that were previously held and now are vacant. Um they're obviously within budget. So
looking to hire them. >> Okay. >> And then Mike uh Chief O'Brien can uh speak to >> Thought I saw you come in, Chief. [clears throat] >> Thanks for joining us tonight. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Um the [snorts] we recently weeded out
some non-active members of the call department and um the strategy going forward is not to replace them with uh just anybody. We're looking for value and so we have uh some candidates that have expressed interest in joining the call department. uh outside of the uh
the student at Ponquid High School, uh there are two firefighters that uh actually serve other towns, but they reside here in Lakeville and they want to become part-time members of the Lakeville Fire Department. So, they're trained, they work ambulances, they have their they've already been through the academy. It's it's a high value at
relatively low cost of course. [snorts] >> Oh, okay. Any other board members have any questions? >> Three, Madam Chair. >> Yes. So with with these um the on call since you had a few um
removals or um you you've just freed up space for this so this isn't a plus one this >> no correct >> okay thank you >> Mr. back. >> Um, thank you Keith. Um, so one on call
clarify the intern. Does that count against the on call or your on call volume? [snorts] >> Uh, in the past we we developed an intern program. We used to have junior firefighters. Junior firefighters uh they historically they were kind of used aggressively. Since I've been here, we
we basically they go through the same training uh as we do and they don't go to emergency calls. They just kind of do that training side of it. Um the idea is to create kind of a pipeline. Typically when they turn 18 they become regular firefighters. They go to the on call academy and we have uh probably four or
five full-time firefighters uh around the area that started off at Ponquit and came through Lakeville got the training got their feed wave get a taste for the job and now they're they're serving the area. >> Thank you. And does that count towards your on call staffing numbers or kind of
a separate count? I mean, well, generally we have 20 uh positions allowed. We don't we haven't hit 20 in a while. I think it's better to have quality versus quantity. >> And um you know, we're we're keeping our head above water, but generally the lifespan of a qualified fighter is not
not that long anymore. So, you have to keep people in the pipeline. That's kind of what I'm trying to do tonight. >> I I agree with Val. I was just trying to figure out how you categorize those if So, you have some you have some vacancies, right? You're not at that cap. So you're not at that cap. So
technically categorizing this person is an on call. >> Yeah. And and part of the the intern program is they uh it's it's something they coordinate with the with the high school. They do a presentation at the end of the year. They usually go down there. Uh we haven't done it in a few years. Uh so it'd be nice to to get this
going again and they kind of cover all the materials that they've learned and lessons and things that they they've experienced. So it's there's an educational portion to this as well. >> One more question. Sure. Um so the the other firefighter um the professional firefighter did you
made a statement that you quantify quality over quantity? >> Yeah. >> Do you have how many applied for that or how many applicants apply? >> I haven't even advertise. These are people that are seeking employment. >> Okay. So he he was the first one qualified
>> which is not unusual. We usually get one or two people express interest a month. uh but most of them don't have any experience whatsoever. It' be a a fresh start for them. So these people kind of represent something that's uh they're already bringing some value to the table. >> They could hit the ground running. >> I guess [clears throat] what I was
asking you you you weren't turning away any applicants. >> Um no, but um I mean I've considered every applicant. Uh these are just the best of the applicants that we've received. >> So you you didn't have multiple. >> We've had other applicants. Yeah. We haven't advertised. They just come in. >> Got it. >> Okay. >> It's not like a posting where you're
posting it. >> No. No. Okay. Thank you, Chief. >> All right. Thank you. [snorts] >> Okay. Anybody else from the board? >> All right. Then I'll entertain a motion that the select board lift the hiring freeze for the positions of the Department of Public Works laborer,
Department of Public Works, heavy machine operator, um, and on call firefighter, and intern firefighter. >> Oh. Uh, [laughter] second. Yeah, what she said. >> What she said. >> All right. Any discussion?
Hearing none. Roll please. Baby and I. >> Hunt. I >> lock I. >> Carbon. I. >> Howard. I. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate the support. >> Okay. I know that we had an amended um agenda um in front of us this evening.
So, I hope we're all looking at the same one here. U. I was hoping to move up agenda item number 11 um which was added. This was more of an emergency type um situation um because we just received word today uh that um
we would need to bring in an alternate um plumbing and and gas inspector. So Andrew, would you like to bring us up to speed on this, please? >> Yeah. Um as you just explained, we have a sudden and urgent need to um have someone come in and do that work. Um, if
everyone doesn't know, we permits need to be turned around pretty fast. Um, and we they get reimbursed for that through the town. Um, so the current person that we have that does that is temporarily unable to do it. Um, and so we need someone that is qualified to come in and
do it. Mark, uh, Dan Go was someone that Nate Darling, the building commissioner, recommended. He is, uh, currently working for the town of Bridgewwater and does municipal work. So he's the best option to come in urgently as well.
>> Anybody on the board have any questions? >> Um we have an indication uh that our current plumber uh plumbing inspector Jay Catalano is there is he indicated that uh is it a temporary availability issue? >> I would expect it to be temporary. Um
yes. >> Okay. >> I don't know what that term would be but temporary. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> it's good practice always have an alternate if Jay is not available then. >> Exactly. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. >> All right. Then um I'll entertain a
motion to appoint Mark Dangoa as the alternate plumbing and gas inspector for a one-year term to expire on July 31st, 2027. >> So moved. >> Seconded. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll please. Fabian I. >> Hunt I. >> Pl I.
>> Carbon I. How were I? Okay, we still have a few more minutes. Uh, let's see. Um, I guess we can go right down to the rest of the appointments and lenses here. Uh, let's see. So, the first one
here is discuss and possible vote to appoint Rick Kleti, Ian Daly, Ken Upam, and Matthew Pollock. How do I say it? >> Pollock. Pollocks as constables for civil purposes only for the town of
Lakeville with a term to expire August 31st, 2027. So, usually there's um a letter or some indication from the the police chief. Do we have um
>> Oh, I did not. But if they are all the same ones as previous, you could vote it contingent and I could follow up with them. >> Okay. >> If you want. >> Right. That would work for me. The
board. >> I assume we amend the motion that subject to the chiefs. >> That's exactly what she [clears throat] >> Okay. All right. I'll entertain a motion to appoint Ricoleti, Ian Daly, Canopam,
Matthew Pollocks as constable for civil purposes only for the town of Lakeville with a term to expire August 31st, 2027 contingent upon um I an approval letter from Chief Perkins. >> So moved. >> Seconded.
>> Any discussion? >> Are we doing a separate motion for Ken? I included him in here. Didn't I didn't hear you say it. Sorry. Okay. >> Okay. >> Yeah, >> I do have it. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Okay. Uh roll please. Fabian I
>> I >> plug I >> carbon I. Okay. And we have another appointment here um for Kathleen Barrack as a member of the historic um commission with a term to expire July 31st, 2027.
Sorry, I'm going through my packet to pull this out so it's in front of me. Okay, so we do have a letter from the historic commission um saying that they voted um
to recommend Kathleen's appointment. [clears throat] Okay, anybody have any questions? I'll entertain a motion to appoint Kathleen Bareric as a member of the historical commission um with a term to expire July 31st, 2027. So moved.
>> Seconded. >> Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll please. Fabian. >> Hunt. I >> Carboni. I >> Howard. And there's one last one here. [clears throat] And this is for reappointment of Nancy
Lefay, Joan Morton, and Felicia Carter to the historical commission. Um, each for a term to expire on July 31st, 2029. Any discussion? All right. Well, then I'll entertain a motion to appoint Nancy Lefave, Joan
Morton, Felicia Carter to the historic commission each for a term to expire July 31st, 2029. So moved. >> Second. Discussion hearing. None. Roll please. Baby I. >> Hunt. >> I. >> L. I. >> Carbon. I. >> Howard. >> I.
>> Okay. That brings us right to 6:01. I'd like to invite the finance committee up to join us. >> Good evening. >> Hi. Good evening. >> Good evening. Yes, please. >> Sorry.
>> Okay. So, um if you wouldn't mind, um I believe you have to call your >> Yes. >> board to order. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I will call the Lake Finance Committee meeting to order at 60 6602. >> Manovsky present. >> Cost present. may be present.
>> Be's present. >> Okay. Uh before we get started on warrant review, I also like to um make mention that our town moderator um Cello is here um this evening. Um as with all warrant reviews, it's important to have
our town moderator here. Um also our town clerk, Lillian Drain. Thank you for being available um to join us tonight. Okay. So, Andrew, I guess I'm going to turn this part of the the meeting over to
you. Um, I don't think there's any other anything else I need to do at this point. So, thank you. Um, so what Mike, uh, Ellis and I are going to do is do a brief presentation. Um, and then we'll open up
to questions and then we'll kind of move into the, um, recommendations phase. Uh like you had mentioned, Katie Goodfellow is with us for any uh town moderator questions. Lillian Dra is here for any town core questions. And then we have Kate Federov on uh Zoom.
>> Yes, thank you. >> Uh who's our town council with any legal uh questions. >> Um and then obviously we have everyone here to just discuss. So without further ado, um here is our presentation. We wanted to first give a history and
process of how we arrived to this point. Um, probably something I didn't include in this is I guess past budgets. Um, as both of these boards know, the past I would say 3 to 5 years there's been increasing financial crunch um struggles
to make budgets work and I think they've we've made kind of u compromises over the years and I think uh we're almost at that point where the financial pressures are overwhelming. Um, and that arrives us to this year for fiscal 27. Um we our
budget development started last July. Mike and I did something similar to what we'll show which is sources and uses back then. It showed that we were short quite a bit of uh revenue and obviously
expenses were climbing very high. So um we had presented to the select board over the fall um and into the early winter that the the gap was insurmountable. Um and so that kind of drove the early override discussions which came to a head on March 17th. Um
we had a meeting at Lon Pond Lodge where we went over the need for an override and I [clears throat] both boarded putting that on the uh warrant not the election uh ballot. Um the override happened over a course of a few months
uh March, April and May. Finally, May 19th, the vote obviously failed as we all know. Um, we had an annual town meeting um to set the budget. We do that every year. Um, as we'll get into, state law requires that we are to put the
regional schools budget voted budget by the school committee on the warrant for action. Um, we don't have the ability to not put that on the warrant. What we can do is change the recommendation of what we do offer them, but we must be able to allow them to get to that number in some
way. Now, we had the annual town meeting on June 8th. Um, it resulted in a $350,000 increase to the school district, which brought the accepted amount um by the town's uh citizens to $17,995,994.
Now that was submitted um to the school district. The school district rejected that amount which means and they they took a vote to reassess us the exact same amount. That means it comes back to us for action. Um at that point we are
required to have a special town meeting within 45 days of that vote by school committee which is where we currently are. Um so the rest of this presentation will kind of take off from there. some of the possibilities that could happen potentially if things continue along
this pingponging back and forth. There could be possibilities for two different joint town meetings and the DESIE commissioner which is the department of uh education commissioner could step in on December 1st and set a budget on their own. Um the next slide goes over
um what we're required to do within 45 days. Um, there's a few other code sections I could spit out, but essentially they say we must put the school assessment on uh town meeting warrant for consideration, which means
we must put the full number on the town meeting warrant for action. Um, so we discussed this last time, but I wanted to kind of clear where we are currently. Um, the initial 17,995,994
Uh there you go. Um has already been appropriated at an annual town meeting. Um this means there's a 1,353,284 gap that must be voted on, which brings to the full school's assessment of $19,349, $278.
Now, we must be able to put this on the warrant and have um the town's residents be able to to m to match that assessment. The override is an option. We did that on May 19th. It failed. Um,
we could do it again. I don't think there's any appetite for that on either board to do that. Another option is one-time funds. This is this the decision that the select board eventually chose. But some of the drawbacks to this option is it limits immediate reduction to schools. Um, but
it creates a major structural deficit. as we'll get into when we did a revised sources and uses. We're projecting about a3.43.5 million gap in fiscal 28. Um we can kind of get into a little bit
when Mike kind of takes over. What also is the negatives to that is the bond rating. Can we pay the stabilization account back? Um, the one I thought was the the the the most grievous of the option was to take it out of the town
budget. Um, that would have meant uh $1.353 million would have had to come out of the town budget. We would have had to find it somewhere. That would be 13% of the town budget would have had to been cut. Um, we had already to this point um
at least $250,000 had been cut from the fiscal 27 town budget. uh we cut a number of positions that [clears throat] was an additional 2.3. So to to make this work we would have had to cut north of 15% of the town budget. Now um not included again in this
percentages is colas. Um $400,000 uh plus was left out of the town budget because we couldn't afford to do colas and not face massive uh widescale kind of cuts to personnel. Um
now something we can't do at this point um if we didn't pursue this option is that that if we were to do this there would be probably a magnitude of personal personnel cuts that would lead probably almost to probably maybe $2 million cuz
a lot of what the cuts were going to have to we would have to do would be the fire department. Uh increased overtime. You're talking unemployment. Um EMS fees are going to go down. you cut the building department, building permit fee is going to go down. There's a there's a cascading effect to to this town budget
one. So, I I didn't feel it was uh prudent to take it out of this one. And as well, um as Mike can attest, we've already spent I think $5 million. Mike, >> if you want to go over that a little bit. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, opening up the budget
that was voted on June 8th is um kind of a slippery slope because on July 1st, our first vendor warrant, we pay approximately $5 million out of the appropriations. Um a lot of these are fixed costs. Our Plymouth County retirement, health insurance, um some of
our school assessments. So, um some of those numbers that you saw before you on June 8th are no longer by 5 million. The budget was roughly $38 million. It's now about 33. So opening the operating budget up 27 days in to business uh I
think would be a negative effect for us. >> Now the fourth option um is a is a mixture of those uh second and third options. I don't think that's any better. Um and then some people have asked me well of course there's a fifth option. Fifth options do nothing. Um the
fifth option would mean that after 45 days the school's budget becomes live and we would have to find the difference. So 1.353 would have to be found by one of these other three methods. Um so there really is no fifth option in my opinion. Um so Mike,
[clears throat] you want to go to the next slide? Sure. This is the special town meeting article one. We chose to take the onetime funds all out of general stabilization. Um there's a reason for that. We don't have a whole lot of free cash to appropriate at this point in time. Um, and we're using some
of that in reserve in case any for big major emergencies come up that need immediate action. Um, this is what it looks like. It's pretty straightforward. Um, it's just a simple stabilization effort to do this. Um,
get to the next one. Um, [clears throat] we did a uh sources and uses. This will kind of show you um how we we've come to that. uh we periodically perform them. They inform our best decision-making and show trends on what the town can best predict for
revenue expenses in future years. Of course, these forecasters are subject to change um based on many factors. Um obviously, we're not mind readers. We don't know necessarily where revenue is going to be driven from, but we have a pretty good um pretty good hunch on a
lot of the stuff. A lot of the stuff is statutory. A lot of stuff is just it's been known. We've seen the trends over the years. Also, we don't know the one big thing is meals tax. It's not a big amount of money, but it's it's amount of money that we've never seen before. Um, but this is what it looks like if we
were to pursue this method, the general stabilization method. Um, it would lead to about a $3.4 million gap in fiscal 28 and then about a $5.2 million gap in fiscal 29. Um, it's obviously not pretty. Um, but that's the kind of uh
what you're looking at. Um, so Mike can kind of get into what general stabilization and free cash is and why we should or shouldn't do it. Um, but thank you. So this slide here just gives a the state of Massachusetts definition
by way of the department of revenues uh definition of general stabilization funds and free cash. So general stabilization is a community a community can establish a general stabilization as a reserve account to provide for emergency funds for use in a major or significant event such as a natural
disaster, uninsured loss uh to a capital asset. Although a general stabilization fund may be appropriated for any lawful purpose, withdrawals should be limited to mitigating emergencies or other unanticipated events that cannot be supported by general fund appropriations.
Free cash is the remaining unrestricted funds from operations of the previous fiscal year that are available for appropriation after the director of accounts certifies that amount. Typically, this is done in the fall after the previous fiscal year's books are closed. Free cash is generated from a
combination of actual revenues that exceed budgeted estimated revenues, unspent appropriations in the operating budget, and unexpended free cash from prior years. And there's certain reserve balances that remain available after the close of the fiscal year. Now, I want to
draw attention to two bullet points on this slide. Actual revenues that exceed estimated revenues. [clears throat] FY25 was tight for the town of Lakeville. FY26 was even tighter and FY27 required an override. We have increased our
revenue at 99% of prior year actuals. We have no more wiggle room in our revenue. Then on the appropriation side, we have cut everything we can possibly cut. So there's no um unspent appropriations as
the second bullet states. So these two are major contributors to free cash and we have depleted both of those those items. So it's hard to use free cash or count on free cash going forward because that gap is closing for the town of
Lefill. Uh the next slide uh talks about uh negative impacts for the use of the stabilization fund for the operating budget. Um I want to be clear these are all um from the division of local services by the state. Um so the first
is it creates a structural imbalance as Andrew mentioned earlier. Um using one-time revenue sources for salaries and benefits causes the town to start that much further back next budget year. So, if we were to use $1.3 million for the fiscal 27 budget, I always say,
picture a number line, zero on a number line. When you're going into next budget season, you're starting that far below the number line because now you've substituted your revenues to the tune of $1.3 million. Um, it's a short-term solution. Um, really, you should match operating
revenues with operating expenditures. You shouldn't use one-time revenue sources um for operations. Um this next the next two bullets are kind of a two for one negative impact. Um it can reduce [clears throat] our bond rating. So picture a personal
credit. Personal credit score is good or bad. You could have a higher interest rate or a lower interest rate or not even get a loan at all. Um and then it reduces financial flex financial flexibility. So currently we can buy dump trucks and capital assets cash
using our stabilization funds. If we were to deplete those for operating purposes, we would now have to borrow for some of those, you know, plow trucks and dump trucks. And if our bond rating decreases, you're paying more interest, you're paying more fees or not getting
the loan at all. So instead of just buying something outright cash, we're now kind of forced to borrow for re uh non-reoccurring uh costs. Um the use of free cash for general fund operating budget. Um the vision division of local services recommends that
municipalities treat uh free cash as a one-time revenue source and use it in ways that strengthen long-term financial stability. Um free cash is not a reoccurring revenue source. As I mentioned earlier, um it can fluctuate from year to year. Um and it's not guaranteed [clears throat] and using
one-time revenue uh onetime funds for ongoing expensive creates a structural balance similar to stabilization. Uh so best practices for stabilization again this is all from the uh department of revenues website is to keep 5.7% of
stabilization 5.7% of your operating budget in stabilization. We are currently within that range. If we were to use the 1.3 million we would drop to approximately 3.5%. As mentioned earlier, um best practices to use for one-time purchases, emergency
and capital needs and DLS notes to uh reduce reliance um because it creates budget gaps and fiscal stress and free cash best practices. Um, as you've seen at town meeting, fund capital plans, uh, transfer free cash
into stabilization to bolster your stabilization funds, pay down debt, and fund other uh, one-time expenditures, building repairs, technology, and um, maintain healthy reserves. So if they see you using your free cash, which is essentially a town's profit at the end
of the year to fund things like capital stabilization, your capital plan, your general stabilization, the bond rating agencies see those and they say, "Wow, you know, they're making a healthy effort to adhere to their financial policies and that could lead to even a bond rating increase um in the future."
Um so again, these are all best practices from the Department of Revenue website. Um, and I will pass it back over to Andrew for special town meeting article two. >> Sure. >> Um, so to sum up, uh, we have to put
something on, we had to put something on the warrant. We had to have one of these actions take place. It really comes down to one-time funds or cutting pretty much up to 15% of the of the town's budget in one year. Um, both
obviously aren't very good. I think I I made mention that this is the best of a bad option, a bunch of bad options. I would not recommend any of the options. Um, we stat one on the warrant. I wouldn't re make a recommendation to the finance committee or town or select
board to actually support that. Um, but it's something we have to do. So, um, we'll take one article at a time, answer any questions anyone may have, and we can go on to the next. What I'd like to do um is just and I know we hadn't done it at the beginning
of this this discussion. So, next Monday, [clears throat] which is July 27th, is the special town meeting. It will be held up at Aponic High School. It will start at 6:30 p.m. So, my apologies for not announcing that
at the beginning of the discussion. So, um that's why we're here tonight is to talk about the warrants um that are in front of you. So, there's one that we um as a town, which is what Andrew had just gone through was article one. [clears throat] Um and then we did have
um a citizens petition. Um we actually had three articles um that the citizens petition had put forward. Um so, I'm I see our petitioner here. Um, so I'm I think when we're done with us and we're moving on to article 2, three, and four,
um, I'll invite the petitioner up and they can speak to those articles. >> Madam Chair, I have one question at some point. >> You had mentioned going over the pingpong effect that could happen. Are you planning to cover that in a minute or did did you forget about >> I was probably going to cover at the
end, but I I can go over it now. I think it would be useful for people to understand >> um if this doesn't pass and or article 2 three four they don't pass what could happen next. >> So if none of this passes uh it then goes back it serves as an overall
rejection of the school assessment once again it goes back to the school uh district committee to make a decision. Um I think they've prior to this uh said that they would be interested in having a joint town meeting uh which is um like a regular town meeting except free towns
invited now. Um we all get together in a big room and then uh the schools um will kind of drive the town meeting process kind of how we're doing right now. Um the towns can decide who the town moderator is, but uh everything else is really um driven by the school
committee. Um and then we have another vote um on the budget as one body between the two towns. Um if that fails again, it goes back to the school committee and I think they can do it all over again. Um whether they have a third
bite at the apple, I don't know that answer. I don't believe it's true, but then I think on December 1st the destiny commissioner will step in. So >> thank you. >> Yep. >> [clears throat] >> come up to the microphone and just if
you wouldn't mind just state your name please >> for the record street. >> Thanks for having this meeting tonight opening it up to the public. I just want to ask a couple questions about what you presented just a minute ago. >> Sure. >> So um at the special town meeting that
we had at before the general town meeting uh we appropriated $800,000 of free cash for last year's budget for the town. Could you explain how that's a best practice against all the things you just mentioned using it? Was it one time? Was it all the things you just you
just mentioned as best practice? >> So, I'm I'm not as well verssed on the runoff claims as Andrew, but I will say it was a one-time non-reoccurring expense. Um, but I Andrew was heavily involved in those meetings, so I'll turn it over to him. Yeah, it was a onetime
uh deficit uh that we had to weekly cover um and then that it's not carried into fiscal 27's budget at all. >> Okay. And just one more followup, when we look at the uh 5 to 7% of of free cash or stabilization, would you count
that against the entire town budget or just that part of the budget that is the town? Because the other half is the school. So if you look at the half, that's our that's our town and you did the 5% then you'd want to have about a million dollars in there as a best practice because we have 20 million roughly in our town. 5% of that would be
a million. Does that make sense? Versus because the school system gets the other, you know, 17 million as you put up there, 18 million. So that would be considered, you know, excess and deficient. They have their own rules to have their own amounts of money, right, of their budget. So, just want to make
sure that when we look at these these guidelines from the Commonwealth and we apply them to our town that we look at them through the lens of, you know, 5% of our budget is what we would be looking for as a best practice to have in stabilization, not the entire budget because the school carries the other piece in their excess and deficient
fund. Just want to put some some color to some of the comments um you know around around how we manage the finances. So, that's all. Thank you. the the recommended 5 to 7% would include the entire operating budget of the town which would include the schools. They
don't separate it out by >> no it would but when you look at what the town has for risk it's really within that other half because we manage the other half. School manages the first half. >> Anybody else in the audience? >> Finance committee.
Madam chair, question you mean or uh I I guess can you explain that last step where if the the the U department of education comes in what then what you kind of stop there? >> So they would um I don't know the exact
how they how they decide it but they will set what the school's assessment is to Lakeville for fiscal 27. Um could be higher than 26. It could be it could be the full assessment asked from the schools. We don't know what they would do.
>> Is there I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Is there any historical um references from Desi getting involved? I have two questions. >> I don't personally know. Uh Kate Fed off may know or um she's on still. >> Is she on? Kate.
>> Kate. I don't see her on there. And I don't see >> while we wait for Kate. I'll go back to when you had said the override that no one had an appetite for that. I had an appetite for it. Just want to point that
out. >> Um if I can just um point of I guess clarification. So going into FY27 which started July 1st of 2027 [clears throat] um the town had voted their their
operational budget. So we are proceeding based on that vote. The school on the other hand, their budget was not voted. So how are they operating at this point? So the state has stepped in um and they
call it a 112th budget and it's based on the previous year's assessment. So as Mr. Ellis had mentioned that one of part of that $5 million that we've already outlaid um as of July 1st part of that
was in the assessment to the schools which was [snorts] from FY26 which was broken out by 112. So there is money getting into the school right now. Um but again based on
this whole process uh if we end up not having a final number um then the state could come in and either they could maintain you know last year or could put in the request that the school
committee has >> madam chair and if they do that then we're required to pay like we just have to find the money one way or the other. Correct. That is correct. >> Madame Chair, is there anybody here who knows who was at the school committee meeting? It's my understanding there were three different budgets that were
presented and the one that was approved by the school committee and presented back to Lakeville is the 1.353, but there were actually two other versions. Is that correct? Does anybody know? Yes. Do you happen to know what those budget amounts were?
So [clears throat] there were three options presented uh by the administration of the school committee. Uh one of them was a budget that matched what we voted for. The other one was for the full level services budget and there was a compromise option. The compromise option would have increased our share
from roughly about our increased total increase from about 350K to about 700K. Is that correct? >> Something about that. I think we have the school district uh members here with the exact number. I just don't have it in front of me. Okay. I just think it's important for the community to understand that we had
an opportunity to mitigate some of these costs at the school committee level and um the presentation that we received was for the highest of the three options. Unfortunately, >> that is that is correct. >> Mr. Marshall, did you have something you'd like [clears throat] to
>> Yes. Thank you. Marshall from associated. Uh if you want to address those other questions before mine, I'm perfectly happy to step back, whichever you prefer. Uh I've got a couple of questions. First of all, do we know
uh what the I'm going to call it present END [clears throat] is. I'm going the FY26. I know they may have spent part of it and and so forth, but do we know what that figure is? I don't have the exact amount, but it's
in the neighborhood of 2.2 million. >> I see our superintendent is here. I didn't see you back there. >> It's okay, >> Dr. Starky. >> You're correct. I'm looking for the exact number, but it's in the >> Okay. But in the ballpark, >> it's in the ballpark of 2.2. However, the school committee has certified the
use of 930,000 of that to defray expenses to the towns in the in the upcoming budget. >> All right. Does that >> the FY26 budget presented was uh 2,159,937 understanding that the school committee
has sanctioned the use of $930,000 of that money already? >> Okay. So, did I hear you say 2,1 159 >> 159 937 >> 937. Thank you. Uh and that's FY26.
>> That was FY26. >> Okay. Do we know, Madam Chair, do we know [snorts] the ballpark of what FY27 stands at this point?
>> Not at this juncture. I would I would say >> a ballpark. >> I would say take that number and subtract $930,000 from it, but I can't say that with assuring. We have not certified END at this time. >> Oh, um, okay.
I'm not trying to be difficult, Mr. I don't I don't have that number for you right now. >> Okay. But I I would I would think >> that the school department would have some idea of what has not been spent from the
>> we are currently closing out the budget. We would have a better understanding of that number >> in the weeks to come. >> No. Uh no ballpark. >> I I do give you a ballpark. If you take the two the number that I gave you and subtract 92,000. That's the best I can give you in this moment. >> All right. Okay.
>> If I if I can get a better number for you tomorrow, I'll be happy to provide that. >> All right. Uh I think you've answered part of my next question, but I I want to um extend it a little bit further. Has any END I'm talking FY26 now. Um any
END been used to reduce the deficit? I think you're going to tell me 930,000 has been reduced has been used to reduce. Is is anything else planned out
of that 259? >> Not at this time. The rest of the if if any other money was taken out of END to support this budget, it would be uh to support salary and operational expenses which we've been advised not to do and encouraged not to do.
>> I I missed that. Um >> the short answer right now is no. >> Okay. [clears throat] >> All right. And um Lorraine, you just answered uh my my
last question. Um I seem to remember back in the '9s when I first remember going to uh we had this problem, we went to joint town meeting, etc. Um that the 112th per uh budget per month started
sooner than December and I think I heard you say that it actually already has. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. What's going to be different uh in December that Desi the Desi chair comes in and makes what decision exactly?
>> Would be the decision if we don't come to an agreement um to support an approved school budget. Desi could come in and decide that for us if we're still at an impass. >> I I thought I heard Andrew say and I
could be wrong that it would be either one figure or the other. Could it be splitting the baby? >> Don't know this Kate on yet. >> I my my understanding they they do their own calculation investigation and they can pick they can choose to do what the
assessment is or they could not and anything in between >> and anything in between. But I don't I don't I'm not a Desi official, so I don't I don't know how to do it. >> Could Could we ask somebody at Desi? >> Well, I actually know that our town council is now on. Um Kate, are you there?
>> I'm here. Yeah. And the answer is I don't know what formula they use, but they they are not by our numbers. So they could set any number. >> Okay. One number or the other or anything in between. Thank you very much.
>> Yes. Thank you, Kate. >> Madam Chair, since Kate's back, can we ask about the um the uh historical if she knows anything about historical presence with Desi? >> Kate, um there's a question um from
finance committee. um wondering if you have any knowledge of any history regarding the DESIE stepping in and setting a budget for for a regional school district.
>> No. Is there data saying which direction they go? No, I don't have any data laid out. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Yes. Um, could we ask Kate if they force communities to spend money
that's over their levy limit? >> Well, you don't spend over the levy. That's not that's illegal, right? Because the limitations is two and a half. So, what happens is they set the budget and you have to find the money elsewhere, whether it be through pods or
otherwise. >> Right? So, we would end up cutting budgets and from what it looks like, this is a problem that would continue into next year. So, we would blow through our
stabilization in two years. If you opted to use that source, he would blow through stabilization and yeah, do a combination of budget cut stabilization, however best fit the needs of the town. But it's it's not a great situation to be sure.
>> Yeah. >> Right. Okay. [clears throat] Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. Anybody else for article one? >> I just had a quick question. >> Oh, yes, Brian. >> Uh Brian, three corner road. Um just a
quick question. um uh for the finance committee. Um how can cherry sheet education funds be applied to the budget? >> That is a question I think uh I don't
know if I should be answering that Darren, but I just spoke up. >> I was going [laughter] to say the same thing. No, you should answer that. >> I will answer part of it and I'll turn over to Mike. Um, I would just say the short answer to that in fiscal 25 and 26 we were uh fiscal 25 we got halfway
through the year reduced by 429,000. Um, this current year we didn't receive any cherry sheet money that was on the sheet. Uh, I think it was 394,000 we never received. Um, it's the most volatile of the cherry sheet numbers. Um, I've talked to the cherry sheet guy
that actually puts it on. he is trying to actively take it off there because it's it's the most misunderstood number on there and he is surprised we actually put it in our budget. So, we're trying to phase it out. Mike can kind of get more into the the weeds of it, but essentially it gets passed in the state
budget in July and we don't know what the actual number is until the following April. Um like we just I kind of just said it bit us pretty bad in the last two years. we think it's gonna buy us again and I don't want to appropriate money that I don't even know we have
yet. So, um Mike can kind of get more into it, but yeah. So, [clears throat] I'm going to cite the fiscal 25 budget which I inherited when I started here um halfway through fiscal 25. So, uh, prior
administration had estimated that we were going to collect $675,558 from Cherry Sheet Smart Growth Education. That February, we only collected $246,000, coming up $429,000 short. Now, $429,000 to an operating
budget the size of Lakefills is significant. It would have required a mid-year budget amendment of cuts or to find a revenue source to offset that. However, that same time span, we received an excess END check from the
schools of approximately $430,000. So, the only reason we didn't have to go back and amend the budget because we had a non-reoccurring revenue source from the schools to cover a cut from the state. As Andrew mentioned, we uh had
approximately $600,000 that we were estimated to get in fiscal 26. So from July 1, 2025 to June 30th, 2026, we never received a dime of that money. So going into fiscal 27, we're very hesitant to use that as a funding source
because it continues to be cut at the state level and we can no longer count on it consistently. Um, so the question was how can it be used? But okay. Um, so because you finished FY26 short $461,000,
so you filed for a deficit at the end of the year. We had a special town meeting. We moved money to replace that or what happened as you did your June 3r 30th close out? >> We were proactive in 26 and we brought that figure down prior to bugging.
So because of what happened in 25, we were proactive in 26. So we didn't max out on the estimate, which is the same process we're taking in fiscal 27. >> So of the cherry sheet funding, Lakeville gets two roughly 2.1 million
is what was estimated by the state for this year. 2 million, just over 2 million. 1.3 million for the unrestricted government aid and 751,000 for the school. You guys, with your
concerns over Cherry Sheet not being coming in fully, allotted the full 1.3 million to your budget, but to the school, you only allotted 432,000, holding on to about $280,000. Now go look, you take that 280, you add
that to the 350 you guys have and you hit that compromise budget. So you guys made a choice to make sure you use the unrestricted government share sheet in its full and then cut the portions of the school by 40%. Common sense would have said if you're that worried about the funds, you would have cut your
portion by 40% as well. follow. >> I would just say I think you're kind of misunderstanding how the state aid works. Um, that's all I can always say to that. >> I guess it works if it's for your benefit, not for the other. Got it.
>> You oversimplify a very complicated process. I don't I don't think you're quite capturing how we budget in Massachusetts. >> Okay. Bill, did you have something else you'd like to >> just just one more question comment? So, there's a lot of conversation about
cutting budgets. Um, and you had mentioned early when you when you kicked off the conversation, Andrew, that the last three to five years have been a challenge. And I kind of look at the last three to five years and say, what have we done as a town to develop uh our growth in the town and develop, you know, properties so that we can generate
more more income uh through taxes and fees to offset some of it? Seems like we maybe lost a step, right? uh as far as our development goes and that could be affecting all of our budgets, rights. So, I mean, the first thing we did was make it the taxpayers's problem. We tried for an override. Now, we're making
it the students problem. We're going to try to cut the school budget. When are we going to make it all of our problem and try to drive on all fronts, right? And and just, you know, not doom and doom everything, but look at the growth opportunities that we have. I mean, for over [clears throat] 40 years, the hospital is still sitting there.
>> Uh that's a big tax revenue. So, >> you know, be interested to hear some things on how we address some growth for the 3 and a.5 million to the 5 million problem on the out years instead of just that, you know, we're all all of a sudden know that we're not going to have that money. So, I think, you know, maybe a little more optimism on the part of
driving growth might help us overcome some of our challenges. >> Madam Chair, through you. Um, so I've been involved with planning board. Um, I've been involved with town for many, many years on different subjects. I've been involved with development um and investment and all of these different
things and I think it's a little bit um unfair to claim that the town administration is not doing enough to develop land inside of the town. That is an investor's prerogative. An investor comes in and decides what they want to do with the property. I was on planning board when we approved the development
of the Lakeville Hospital site which was subsequently challenged. It still sits there as it stands today and it cost the town a lot of money and legal fees to defend that. But it's not the town not making the efforts. And as someone who volunteers for the town, I can promise
you that all of us here at this table have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to make these numbers work in a really difficult situation. And it's not because we're trying to put anything on the students or anybody else. We're just trying to make things
work because the voters voted down the override and it's just as simple as that. So I know Larry, you wanted to make a comment. Go ahead. >> Well, Madam Chair, the reality is you people talk about no development, but as soon as you're talking about bringing in commercial development, they
have half the town loses their mind because they want to remain a small village. Well, that's this is the consequences of being a small village. I'll go back what 10 years ago. How do you feel about Cisco now? Bet you wish they were here. You know, all of these businesses that we've been driving out
of this town and and just telling people not to come to Lakeville, this is your consequences. So maybe it's time for the town as a whole to start thinking about, hey, let's stop what thinking about building more houses because that's not going to dig you out of this hole because all you're going to do is bring
in a little bit of of property tax, but you're going to bring up the services so much that it's going to offset it and you're going to be in the same boat you were. So until this town gets together and decides they want to have commercial development in this town, you're going to face this this year, next year, and
all the way into the next 30 years until you just basically we put ourselves in receiverhip. That's what's going to happen. >> There's peripheral locations where we can even have development. They're not there with the the the way the town is set up and the way that the land is is
is currently with water and so forth. we don't have the opportunity to do the same kind of development as other communities that perhaps have public water and other things. So, thank you Jim Street.
>> Oh jeez. [laughter] >> Timing. Timing is everything. >> That's a developer call. >> Oh, come on. It's over here. [laughter] >> Well, I got my watch on, too. Okay,
>> now that I have everyone's attention, >> um, I'd like to say thank you to the people that put these presentations together. Uh, and I agree what this young woman just said. I mean, you people have worked extremely hard. And I was at the meeting the other night when
Andrew um looked into the future and when I got home and I saw that where 3.5 million deficit in 28 and 5.2 million deficit in
29 per his projections. It just woke me up. And to say that the people of Lakeville voted down the override is really a little misleading.
And I've said this at other meetings, we don't get enough people up to vote. >> And I think if most of the citizens would understand the real problem that we have and see
that we're going to be in debt to 5.2 2 million or more, [clears throat] maybe they won't have the knee-jerk reaction that most people do, especially sen senior citizens like myself, when they say, "Well, we're
going to have an override." No, I'm against it. Rather than saying that, if you look at the facts that these people have put together, to me, it's obvious. I mean, we're talking about all these other things you're going to try to do. But Andrew, you said it tonight and uh
you didn't say it the other night, but you did say it tonight. There is not a good solution. You did say there's no appetite for an override. I disagree with that. I think if people realize the problem that we have, it's the only
choice we have in my opinion. And I've talked to a number of senior citizens. Uh, I still call the Council on Aging, but whatever the new name is. Um, and some of them agree with me now. They'd like to stay in Lakeville, but maybe
they're going to have to not have their coffee. Maybe they're going to have to figure a way to cut. But something has to happen. And I don't think we have a solution. And if you're going to wait for the um
deputy commissioner to come in and tell us what to do, one of the things that I think you should look at is look into what the past decisions were by the deputy commissioner. Someone asked the question to our legal advisor and I think that's a great question. How did
they perform in the past? At least you'd have a guideline. [clears throat] But if they come in and really cut something down and you have to cut more services, this town will not be the Lakeville that I move
to. So, I guess that's about it. I'll go shut off my phone and we can get on with the meeting. >> Thank you, [laughter] Mr. Gallagher. >> Okay. Um, so article one, um, it's a select board
uh, article. So, is there anybody that would like to read the article um at town meeting from the select board? >> I can read that. >> Okay, Kristen um would like to read the article. Okay, with that um there's usually a
recommendation um from the finance committee and this uh select board has also um partake and we'll vote our recommendation as well. So, I'll let you go first. It
>> hasn't been read yet. >> Oh, you want me to read it now? >> What? >> This? >> No. Oh, >> at town meeting you'll be reading the article. >> Oh, I think she was reading it now. All right. So, you just want us to vote? Okay. So, I guess uh we'll take a vote on article one. >> Am I allowed to make a comment before I
vote or no >> discussion? >> Okay. Um so, I am going to vote no. not in support of article one. Um I do not believe in using a credit card to pay our mortgage. Uh operating expenses cannot be paid for out of our uh
stabilization fund. I think that's irresponsible. My vote is no. >> You always take my words. I also vote no cost. No. >> Be no. >> All right. So was there a motion in a second? I'll make a motion
>> to go home. You confused me when you didn't read the article. [laughter] >> I will make a motion to pass article one. Sorry to recommend article one. >> Second do not >> to recommend
>> any. Yeah. Recommendation. Sorry. Any >> to not recommend or recommend >> to recommend? >> Uh manovsky. No. >> Costan. No. Tini. No. >> Be no. Are you okay? [laughter] >> I see a lot of paper fling over there. Okay.
>> All right. So, um we'll do the same thing for >> [clears throat] >> um for the select board. Um is there a motion to recommend um support of article number one? need a motion.
>> We have to do it. >> Let's see. >> I'm not going to do it. >> Okay. U is there a motion to not recommend article number one? >> Madam Chair, I will make the motion to not recommend article one.
>> Second. >> Okay. Motion and a second. Is there discussion from the select board? I just want to say that I I find it um very difficult to be in this situation. Um I am
an advocate to not utilize um stabilization um for operating expenses. So um it's just for whatever reason we're going through this and um hopefully we'll all learn and be able to [clears throat]
um move forward. All right. Um, I'll call for the vote >> not recommend. So, Fabian I. >> Hunt. I >> log I. >> Carbon. I >> Howard I. >> We have that.
Okay. Um, Brian, would you like to come up and talk about article number two? So the idea behind article number two was just to make different funding types available that were not available during the annual town meeting. Uh it also
stuck to the wording of the original uh warrant as written. Uh the effort here was to open up the entire budget which this effectively has done. Um for those uh at the last meeting people
got confused about the um the septic loan debt transfer that is not anything that I put in there that was in the original warrants the parks and enterprise that was from the original warrant. Uh the part that this article
did was in made some uh general stabilization funds available and increased the limit on the um uh free cash transfer amount. [snorts] >> Madam Chair, I have a question. >> Yes. Um according to the way article one
is written, it looks like it's raising the levy limit. Is that true? >> Article one. >> Article two. Article two. I'm sorry. Talking about article two. Is it raising the levy limit? >> That's correct. So, [laughter] if you look at article one from the June 8th special town meeting, we can raise and appropriate 38,249,779
and that's staying within our 2.5%. So because the the the amount is $39,414,63 that is above. >> So the original appropriate from the June 8 time meeting is our tax levy, our state aid and our local receipts. Our
state aid is a fixed amount. Our local receipts as I mentioned when I was reading my slides are at 99% of prior year actuals. We can no longer increase those. The state will not certify our tax rate if we go any higher. And the difference of those after those two is
our levy limit which is maxed out at the two and a half percent. The only way to go above two and a half percent would be an override. >> Okay. So this number would need to be amended. >> So this would have to be amended. >> This number would need to be amended because it's in excess of our levy limit. It is unlawful.
>> I know it's So we have three a bunch of different microphones up here. So um >> the silver one. >> It's a silver. I'm Is that work? Yeah, turn it on. >> Okay. >> Okay.
>> What I'm pointing out is that the number um exceeds our current levy limit. That's unlawful. So, this number would need to be amended from the town floor to be our levy limit. >> I don't know if town council wants to put in as well if she's still on the
line. Yes, town council. >> Yeah, I'm I'm here. So, I think what the gentleman's trying to do, it looks like the $400,000 um from free cash was altered from 150
from the original budget article. And then um he added general stabilization in the amount of 914,284 and added that to the 38 million as if it were the total appropriation
and and that's the part that's wrong because when you say raise and appropriate that means raise taxes, right? So that's separate and apart from the 400 and the 914. So I think it's if
when the motion were made on the floor it would be uh I move to raise and appropriate 38 million 249779 and then you know he has the opportunity to then take free cash and stabilization
as he wrote in the warrant article and since he wrote that to exceed it's fine because he's going below and that seems to be accomplishing his purpose but I think it was just a flaw in the way the article was written by because he added
those two figures, those two increased amounts to what would be pulling from the levy which would be if that would be the only two and a half if that makes sense. >> Thank you. >> Could you hear me? >> Yes.
>> Yes. Thank you. >> Okay. Anybody else have um from the select board any discussion on article number two? >> Madam chair, how does that go forward
with corrections from the floor? >> Yeah. So the gentleman when he makes the motion um it can be done on the main motion and just read the correct number when you're moving it or if he reads it the way it's written in the warrant then
someone from the floor could make a motion to amend and explain the reason for the amendment. Um that's really up to the movers but those are two ways to accomplish that. Okay. >> Anybody else from the select board [clears throat]
>> finance committee? >> Yeah, I have a question. So, if we vote on this whether to recommend it or not, are we we're not we're not voting on the 39 million. We're voting on the 38 million. But if I if I say as written, this is not correct. So, how can we vote
on something that's not correct? >> Correct. And and just to be clear, I don't think you typically vote I don't know what they vote, but you don't typically vote on citizens positions. >> Oh, you don't? We don't have to make a recommendation on this. Okay, that answered my question. >> All right. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Kate. >> And I we have a note here that this would require a twothirds majority vote. Is that correct? That is correct be because once you u make one of the sources in any article
or motion general stabilization it flips the entire article to a twoth3 majority. >> Okay. And that's the same thing. Um I just wanted to make note that article one would also require 2/3 majority. >> That is correct. >> Yes.
>> Okay. >> Three. >> I just didn't hear that last two. >> It's a twothirds. So, article one would require a two-thirds vote. >> Article two would require a two-thirds vote. >> The general stabilization is correct.
The three-piece still falls under the majority vote >> as written. 2/3. Yes. No, I'm sorry. I think we're asking part of it is is majority and the other part is not. The entire article, the entire motion would
have to pass as a twothirds because you have general stabilization in there. So I can make a motion on the floor to separate the two questions. >> Are are you asking? >> Yes. >> Are you asking me? >> Yes. Can I make a motion on the floor at the time to separate the two questions
because free cash only? >> You can. >> Thank you. I mean, I will say it looks to me like that's accomplished in articles three and four, but you know, now we're getting into a lot of different
>> Okay. So, we're still on True. We're still on article two. Okay. Bill, >> so just a question. the 39 million. I I know how you're getting there by changing that number to the 38 and then balancing it all out. But the 39414063
is that equal to the previous budget with what the school asked for if we add in the 1.3. >> So your previous uh article one was the same number in the end. >> No, it was it's actually 190,000.
>> This is 190,000. >> Yes. >> Oh dear. >> Than article one. Okay. And and then you'd have to get two/3s to use um the stabilization anyway. So I mean I'm in favor of leaving
amended the way we talk the the council talked about but leaving it the way it is because you need the two/3s without the 914 it doesn't work anyways. Right. >> So >> and I didn't get to ask the question on article one. [clears throat] You didn't ask for questions but you sponsored the
article and then voted against it. So, are you going to vote against this one or are you >> No, just just try to understand we had to make a recommendation. There were four choices by law. We had to make one of four choices. This was the less of the evils. >> And we still don't like any of them. >> And we don't like any of them, but
that's, you know. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. Um and just to prepare and make sure that everybody leaves here knowing um what to do. I think it would be best my recommendation can't make you do it but my recommendation would be to amend from the floor that number so that
everybody understands what number is being used so that it's 38 number and not the 39 which exceeds the levy limit. >> All right. Any other questions for article two? Right. article 3.
>> So, uh, this was just put up there. Um, in case the first two failed, then we can come back and try, uh, just a small amount, the 250 from free cash in, right? Uh, maybe we can ask the school to apply it directly to healthcare costs so it stays consistent with the town's
assessment of free cash delegation. Um, may I ask Katie a question on his comment? Um, based on the way that that reads, are we allowed to um tell the school how they're going to spend that money? Because the way I'm interpreting this, we would just be adding it to
their budget and their decision on how to spend those funds would not be earmarked. >> Clarification. >> It's a bottom line budget. The school budget is a bottom line budget. So we'll just increase that total appropriation to the school that the town or residents
cannot dictate how that money spent within the school. >> Okay. >> Select board. Any questions? >> Madam Chair, may I ask a question through you to Mike? Um I I apologize for jumping back to article two. Um can you confirm the current balance in our
septic loan program? Is this the entire balance of what's available the 58? >> So I can't confirm the balance because it's kind of a moving target. So So what this is unless [clears throat] this is reoccurring every year. If you go back and look at the last at I think 12 town meetings, you'll see this as a funding
source. So Mass Clean Water offers a low interest loan for municipalities that are primarily on septic. You can apply for the loan, replace your septic, and then your monthly or annual payments are added to your tax bill. Um because the septic loan program is a revolving fund,
it has no budget, but it has debt. So we have to house the debt in the general fund and so it's appropriated in the general fund and then every year we make a transfer from the revenue received via the tax bills to cover that debt. It's just a simple transfer uh that reoccurs every year. This number ties directly
back to a debt schedule issued by the Mass Clean Water Abatement Trust. Um it's very boilerplate. A lot of municipalities that are primarily septic have this program in place. But a debt a debt owed is not cash in hand. So if I have a if I have a mortgage, what I have
is the rights to receive a payment. If I have a [clears throat] loan, I have rights to receive a payment. But that doesn't mean I have the entire balance in liquid form. >> That's right. So we >> So we would still have to pull money out. >> Yeah. We may have I don't even know the numbers of how many people have applied
for this loan in the town of Lakeville. I I wouldn't even begin to guess. Um and some of them applied 20 years ago, some of them applied two years ago. So, it's um basically we borrowed like $2 million and said first come first serve. >> And I I don't know where that stands at this at this point, but it's uh it is a
20-year debt schedule and that 58,000 ties back to the fiscal 27 amount due. It's no different than a debt schedule for the police station or the fire station. So, where this is not actually available funds, we're actually going to have this is taking it from that bucket, but we're still going to have to come up
with the money that 58,000 from another line item. >> The money is sitting in a special revenue fund housed outside the general fund. That was my question. We're just using it as a funding source to offset. It's uh similar to a debt exclusion, right? We have to appropriate all the
debt down below in the expense lines and then we raise it above the two and a half. similar situation except we're just instead of raising it, we're just transferring it in from an outside source. >> Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. >> Okay.
On to article four. >> I It's on article two, I think. >> Okay. >> All right. Uh and so this is the other part of that plan um to come up with the other 914,000 during general stabilization in the event right if the
first two articles failed. Um now I did indicate that this number is actually 190,000 than what the less than what the school wanted because when I wrote these articles I had just attended a school meeting and there was discussion about a number error of 190,000. So I use that going forward. Unfortunately those
meeting minutes and that meeting is not available to view. So that's why there's a deficit of 190,000, but it gets them closer than they are. But this is the general stabilization. This is a 2/3 vote. This isn't a great choice, but it's what we got.
[clears throat] >> Okay. Any questions? >> Madam Chair, I have a question. So [clears throat] we had said that we don't generally vote on citizens petitions. However, I do see recommendations under here from each
board. Are we excluding that or do we still have to vote for a recommendation? >> Is that a whisper? >> These were notes that you put in here, I'm assuming, for for us for the meeting, correct? >> Yeah, we can. That doesn't it's not we don't have to take recommendations on
that. We can just delete that. [clears throat] >> And thank you um Katie for bringing that to our attention because I just kind of blew over that. Um here >> Madam Chair, I have a question for
Andrew. Um will you be presenting the the what we had gone over the other night at one of the outreach meetings? Um you had the the you know the comparisons from the different budgets and we showed where we are next year the deficit and the following year the deficit. Will that be in this presentation for the town?
>> Yeah. So >> I just was curious if you're going to cover it. I don't think so. >> Not tonight, but it's in the uh meeting materials. It's actually we posted it online uh social media and the website today. So, it's out there. >> Okay.
>> And this is the I just wanted to So, it's a spreadsheet like this. >> That's correct. Uh we call it a sources and uses basically all all the talents revenues and all the talents expenses for the next two years. >> Okay. And this this is a two-pager,
>> correct? But what it demonstrates is the issue that even if we approve this right now or we were at next week that we will have that deficit going into the following year and we'll have we either have enough to vote it in or make the cuts next year anyway. So we would have
depleted all of our stabilization fund to get us through 12 months. Right. Okay. Thank you. I think that document is a prophecy for a negative outcome when it could be one for positive. So, depends how you look at it. But I want to go back just a
completely different question. Uh is there any way that you can amend um either article one or article two to include a subject different than um I'll be just straight out. I think what was done for the folks that volunteer in the
in the cutting of all the stipens, I'll call them, for all the volunteers that you guys work so hard for the town and you spend all these meetings late at night. I think that motion that carried to to cut the the salaries st I'm going to call it stipens because it's just
it's a thank you to all y'all for uh the $52 or whatever it was. Is there a way that that someone like myself could amend one of these articles on the floor to add that back in or is that off limits? >> No, that exceeds the bounds. I'm sorry. Is it's not what people in the warrant
have been warned about. It's new. So, it exceeds the four corners of the article. >> Next one. >> All right. Anybody else? >> I know it appeared to be a little choppy tonight because this is I know new to me, too.
um not special town meeting, but the articles and why we're here um at this time for another special. So, um I appreciate you bearing with us as we navigate through all of this ourselves. Um and I appreciate Brian for um taking
the time um to try to rectify, you know, the situation um for through citizen petitions. So, um, I just again as a reminder, special town meeting is next Monday, July 27th at Aponquit Regional
High School and it starts at 6:30 p.m. So, uh, quorum is 100. So, I know that this is a difficult time for some because, you know, rushing back to Lakeville to get to a town meeting if you're on vacation, you know, might be a challenge. But um so we do
request that you know if you are around and you know would like to get a quorum so that we can conduct our business um with in the time frame that we we needed to. Okay. Um anybody else from the select board regarding our review?
>> Did I cover everything? Look into my team to make sure I covered Okay. All right. Did you want to stay for the rest of our >> We have one more agenda item, but if that's okay, it should be quick. Um, the Freetown Lakeville Regional School District is organizing a strategic
planning team, SPT, to start a formal strategic planning process. The school district is requesting a design from the select board and finance committee. The SPTF will be meeting at least monthly for 2 to three hours starting in late August 2026. I'd like to entertain a motion to designate finance committee
chair Justin Tanini as a representative to the strategic planning team. Show me chair. >> What? >> Call me chair. >> No. Did I? [clears throat] >> Yeah, >> it's okay. Finance committee member. I call you chair. >> Oh, you can have it if it works. [laughter] >> Finance committee member Justin Tanini
as a representative to the strategic planning team. >> So moved. >> Any any discussion? >> Roll. >> Manovsky I. >> Costan I. >> Tanini. I >> thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um so we will see you again next week
>> on Monday. Yes. >> I'll entertain a motion to close the meeting. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Anovsky. I >> cost I tini. >> He's eye. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Uh we are now on agenda item
number five. Number two, which is discuss and possible vote on request for joint meeting from the town of Aushnit regarding Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical
School District. I believe there's a letter in here um from the town aushnet ad town administrator. >> Andrew, could you um enlighten us a little bit more about what this request is because this is the first time for me.
>> Yes. Uh I think same for all the towns. Um so the town of Aushit's town administrator sent out a correspondence to all five town administrators of the members of the district. Um they want to talk about how the towns want to proceed either repairs or new school option. Um
and then also future budget increases to member towns. Um it kind of how we have joint meetings with town of Freetown to discuss uh similar um issues. I think a cushion wants to do that with the member towns of old colony.
So um he he wanted to have a message or an answer back by July 31st. So um to see if they would have that. My understanding is at least two other towns are interested in attending and hearing out what a Christian has to say.
>> So it's a request as a select board a posted meeting. Um >> posted meeting. Yep. Or could we choose to send a delegate or are they requesting the select board? >> I mean, we don't have to send the full select board. We can send a designate. I
don't think there's going to be any decisions made at this. It's probably going to be a lot of listening and um to what other towns have to say. Um because these are going to be big issues that come up what what the future of Old Colony is um especially with the capital repairs that are probably going to come
our way in the next couple years. Okay. Select board. [clears throat] You have any appetite? >> I'm interested in going. >> Okay. >> Um, I'm going to ask you a question I previously asked you. I'm not sure if you got a response yet. Will there be
old Connelly representation either from the administration or school committee? >> I had asked the question at town administrator. He didn't give me a real solid answer. I get the impression they'll probably be there, but I don't I haven't heard if there's a formal invitation. I would recommend to the
select board to extend the invitation on from our end to Old Colony because I don't think we'd get a lot of benefit to be honest without their input. It is their building. U they know it better than us and what the plan is. >> Yes, I agree. Um attending hosting a
meeting without old repres representation in my opinion is of little value. Um, last I heard from the superintendent a formal invitation has not been extended. Now, this was that's about a week ago. >> Mhm.
>> Um, so again, I will leave it as attending a meeting without colony representation is of little value in my opinion. Okay. So, um I I'm not sure what the motion would be.
Do we have it on here that that we are interested in attending or participating? I would be interested in serving as a delegate if that's the decision of the board. I I find it hard to believe that they
would be able to schedule a meeting with five communities and have a quorum. the logistics of that I find that [clears throat] be very difficult especially in the summertime >> right but again we we don't know if they're requesting a quorum or a
delegate so >> I get the impression it's probably going to be a full a full quorum but I think a delegate would be more than adequate report back >> madam chair I I totally see Chris's point and I really think old colony should be in in the room, but I also
think we have a responsibility to go to see what our partner communities are are talking about. Um, I just kind of want to know what this is all about and and to ask the question if
representation from Colony isn't there to ask the question why why weren't they invited? So, I'm willing to go either way. So, >> I don't know that we make a motion contingent. If Chris doesn't want to go
if Old Colony's not there, I don't mind going and asking the question why they're not there. Um, but we could do it together. >> Abs. Absolutely. And and my thoughts exactly uh if they conduct this meeting
without representation, I will be sure to ask why they were not included. Okay. Um, and go ahead. >> I mean, honestly, depending on what the answer is, I feel like we could ask that question right up front. I have a way of
being heard. I don't mind standing up first and asking that question. I guess depending on what the answer is, we could stay or not. Okay. Um, I mean, I'm not opposed to attending
If I'm available, I'll be happy to go. And >> Mr. Hunt. >> Let's make it a group thing. [laughter] >> Okay. So, we would like to um proceed as a as a group. >> So, we would need to know what date,
location. Um would like I guess if our question answered. >> Mhm. >> Yep. >> Okay. And maybe if the answer is no, maybe Andrew could ask why. >> Why?
>> And then we can The answer I had gotten back was um he wanted to see if all there was interest in all five towns. Um I personally thought they probably could have sent a sixth invitation >> at the same time, but um
>> to me it's the appropriate thing to do, respectful thing to do, >> right? >> So [clears throat] Mr. Marshall. >> Yes. Do we know what the agenda is for the meeting? >> Two main elements of the letter were how
the towns want to proceed with repairs or another new school option and then future budget increases to member towns. >> I'm sorry, what budget increase? >> Future budget. Future budget increases. >> Yep.
>> Okay. Okay. So, you have our response and it's before July 31st. All right. Um, agenda item number 53-3. Uh, discuss a possible vote on town administrator goals for the fourth
quarter goals update. I know um you had provided this at the the previous quarter. So I appreciated um you know all the updates that you have on here Andrew. Um perhaps you could take a moment um
highlight the um the accomplishments that you've done during this quarter. Um and I do know that you had a notation here that you would be planning on um preparing goals for the next quarter. And I know at our
previous meeting we talked about shortening the list um to some very targeted I think we said four or five maybe. >> Um so I think I know you you heard that discussion and and desire. So
>> if you wouldn't mind take us through. >> Yep. Um so I want to develop by each goal and um what each objective and what I consider completed versus incomplete. Um some of the incompletes there there has been actions but not [clears throat] to what I would say completion. Um I was kind of tough with what I would consider
completion. Um total objectives was 55. Um I thought I completed 38 of them. Um some of them like me Fabian had mentioned the last time goals that really weren't contingent on like whether I was whether I did a good
job or not. It was almost like out of my hands. Um so there were some of those. Um, I can go over some of the ones um that I thought I was most proud of under each one. Um, under the first one with uh increased communication,
transparency, and civic engagement. Um, like I said, I think the very first time we went over these is a lot of these are team goals. They're not just I'm not just doing these my on my own. Um, we finalized and implemented the website upgrade. Of course, a lot of that um
responsibility that is to one of the best um employees I've ever had is Emily Sret. Um so that's really what I really her goal completion um falls under me. Um another one is publish a weekly town administrator report to the website. Um
that's kind of dropped off a little bit since uh two more kids in my household, but um I publish that either weekly or bi-weekly to the town's website. um going back to when I first started in October of 2024. Um so you can go back and see what I was um given for updates
to to the select board back then. Um we've worked on plans for more participation at town meetings. Um we reworked the citizens guide. Um I think that's really topnotch. It kind of gets at vote thresholds, how we've gotten to where we are with each and a good
summary of what a yes and no vote is. Um, of course, a lot of that is completed by once again Emily Serret. Um, let's see. Okay. Our next um main goal is to work closely
with the town school financial teams to protect and enhance the financial health of the community. Um, one was re objective of that was research revenue opportunities for the town including a meals tax. So, we actually did um pass the meals tax
finally in the community. I think that was it's been a long time coming, maybe 10 years since maybe it was first proposed. Um we did a delinquency fee increase. Um we've done quite a bit of uh great work between Paula Bernick and Mike Ellis um and Angela Chandler on
investment income. Um I think when we first started we were making about 20,000 per year. Um we radically changed that. I think we're on forced to make aboutundred I'm going to guess 160,000 for this year. Um, and that was only I mean less than half a year of of a
change. So, that's something >> I think will be a great benefit going forward in future budget years. Um, develop a 5-year financial outlook with the finance director. Um, we haven't quite done a fiveyear that the more out years you do with that, the more uh
difficult it is to predict certain things. We've done a three-year one um that we talked about that quite a bit tonight. Um not every town does that. I know some town managers cringe when they hear it because things can change radically overnight. Um my my counter
argument with that is not that much. Um we're realistic with what we do. We don't um chase revenues. We try to be realistic. Um some town managers do the opposite of that and um can bite you in the butt, unfortunately. Um, a big one that we did, uh, explore town council
RFP. We did do that. Um, we had a town council existing for 25 years. We've actually changed that this year to a new, um, town council MTC, which I think has been a great, um, breath of fresh air. [snorts] Um, another goal, uh, promote and
encourage economic development that supports business growth and expands the commercial base but also protects the rural character of the community. Um, some of the big ones, we're in the middle of renegotiating IMA agreements with the city of Taton. Um, and then
we're exploring the possibility of an IMA agreement with the city of New Bedford. When we talk about what limits um economic development in town, it's the lack of resources, lack of water, sewer. Um sewer is going to be very difficult to do in Lakeville um to be honest. But I think water is a
potential opportunity especially in the southern end of the of the town with New Bedford and then Taton um I think is open to giving us more um water allocation. Um so that that's great. I think that'll uh foster growth with
different projects that are going on both ends of town. Um be proactive with impending land use projects including Lakeville Country Club, Holland Road and others that appear in the future. Um we kind of foraw the Holland Road property upcoming. Uh we obviously studied earth
removal fees and proposed um potential or we did actually do changes eventually. Um I think they had said that they're looking at potentially 7 million uh cubic yards of removal based off our change. We would be getting about a million dollars more than if we
didn't. Um so that's hasn't happened yet, but that if it does, we'll have a million more dollars than if we didn't. Um which is good. Um wait for country club. I know everyone is very uh itching to understand what that project is. Um, but I think behind the scenes we're
doing a lot of good work to protect the town and I think that's gonna come out very shortly. Um, I just can't really share too much more of it at this point, but I think it's all positive things. Um, and then something that the town
had been doing off and on over the years is track SHI. Uh, we were able to get to 10% this year. Uh, a lot of the line share of that was Nate Darling understanding how that works and uh, helping me fill out the proper paperwork for that. Um, which is great. Goal
number four, uh, support a strong municipal workforce by enhancing organizational structure and employee development, strengthening recruitment and retention efforts and ensuring competitive cost effective benefits. Uh, the big one I will put for that is move
to a new health insurance group. as I think we've talked to death, we uh we're in a kind of a failing health group, uh Gateway Health Group. Um and then luckily Lacy Marshall um and myself kind of foresaw that coming the the eventual
dissolution and we were researching what is the best best health group going to be whether that's the benefits but also the cost effectiveness of that move. Um a lot of a lot goes into switching a health group and meeting deadlines. they're a lot earlier than you think.
Um, so luckily Lacy for saw that it was going to be something we had to do and we were one of the we were lucky to get to Mayflower Health Group which is the county run health group. Um, and then the last one is invest
resources into improving infrastructure physical and organizational for the benefit of residents and uh visitors to the community. Um the big one is overseeing implementation of the capital plan including the new fire station. Um people see the construction of the fire
station but they don't quite see what goes be goes on behind the scenes whether it's uh the town administrator selects office putting together like just miscellaneous procurements like the new water line um doing the administrative work for the uh fire station building committee. It's
quite a bit of work. Um and those big capital projects don't come along very often. I think we've been able to support that project very well and I think it's going very smoothly. Um, as far as I know, um, member Carboni, I think we're still on track for July of
27, which is exciting. Um, and then, as I I kind of previously mentioned, we explored new Earth removal fee structures and Earth removal bylaw edits. Um, I think we closed a few of the loopholes that developers could have taken advantage of in the most recent town meeting with bylaw changes. And
then we, um, changed the fee structure to allow the town to obtain more money in the future. Um, and the last big one, um, I know Mike gets a little frustrated with this sometimes. Um, ensure that Route 79 project remains on schedule and
is communicated to residents. the land takings associated with a tip project like that is monumental. Um I don't want to put Mike on the spot, but it's just a lot of paperwork that gets um shuffled around and it's a lot
of uh just phone calls and emails from people looking to get their money, try to understand the project, [clears throat] um cut the checks on time, get the proper paperwork from mortgage companies. It is an absolute, I would say, nightmare to deal with dayto-day. um takes up a lot more than you would
think and I think it's been going smoothly as can as can possibly be and it's on schedule on time. Um it's way under budget right now. I don't want to curse ourselves but um we're well under what was uh alloc >> appropriated
>> authorizes to be appropriated for that which was 2.3 I think we're spent two 1.8 8 1.7. >> Yeah, both. Yeah. >> So, we have a lot of um flexibility on uh the back end of the project. Um so, >> so just for confirmation, y >> I know there was a question out there that there was a potential that we were
um borrowing more than what we had um appropriated but or was approved. So, it was 2.3 that was approved um to borrow and we're under that budget. So, it's we're not looking for any like we didn't expend any more
money for the the project than what we voted for. >> No, two 2.3 was voted at that meeting and also on the ballot. Um, we have not permanently borrowed. We've only temporary borrowed because the project's moving fairly slow. So, we've temporary borrowed I think about 1.3 1.8 million. Um, but in the meantime, we've been
making payowns on it ahead of time. So, of the 2.3 million we were off our spot, we're only on the hook as of now for 2,150 because for three years in a row, we made $50,000 paydowns to Okay, >> you know, relieve some of the sticker shock. >> I didn't mean to go off topic on that, but I just know that that was a a
question that was um you know, kind of thrown out there and you touched on it, so I added it. That's correct. The state's on the hook for about 20 million, but that's totally >> Yeah, that's the state. Okay, perfect. Um, anybody have any comments about the goals?
I appreciate the the rundown. Um [snorts] Andrew, um I know that municipal government is a is a moving constant, you know, target and when you're dealing with um budget shortfalls, that just complicates it.
Um, so I I appreciate you uh putting all of this together because it was very easy for me, you know, as somebody that um doesn't always get a lot of time to just sit and and review this um in its entirety. It was really
well presented >> and it's definitely a lot of work by everyone involved and uh I think we don't realize until we see it on paper >> how much got done in a year. So, thank you for for that. >> Welcome.
>> Thank you. >> What I'd like to do is entertain a motion um to add the town administrators uh fourth quarter goal update um to the record. >> So, move. >> Second. >> All right. Any discussion?
Okay. Roll, please. Baby, >> Hunt. >> I Carboni. I Howard I. Thanks, Andrew. Yep. Okay. Um Lacy, can I invite you up to join us for the next um three items,
>> Lacy Marshall, our HR director. Welcome. >> Nice to see you. >> Nice to see you. May I just say that uh uh Andrew is one of the most humble people that I know. So speaking from the employee side of it, we do appreciate
his leadership and his mentorship to us and if you would ask any of the employees, department heads, um you would know that he works his butt off and he doesn't take the credit that he should for a lot of things. >> Thank you for the words.
>> Sure. >> Okay. At this time, um there we're going to take them out um individually, but Th this was the uh contract negotiation um year and um this board has worked with the administration
um and the the unions um to come to an agreement. Um that's why we're here tonight is to ratify the the decisions in open session. Uh so the first one um that we're looking to vote on is the
memorandum of agreement with the Lakeville Permanent Firefighters Association International Association of Firefighters Local 3188. So if um Andrew and Lisa you'd like to
um talk a little bit about >> Sure. the process. >> Yes. So based off of the uh current fiscal year and the deficit and everything else that we're in, we negotiated with each of the unions with
the fire department, fire union. Um everything on here is administrative. So there's just a few changes regarding um you know over time how they're going to set that schedule. So, it's a rotating schedule that's agreed upon between the
chief and the union itself. And then currently, if a firefighter does not take sick leave for a six-month period, they get a little bit of a bonus. However, if they were to convert three of their sick days into personal days
previously, they would lose that bonus. So, it's changed in the contract that allows them to take that sick leave, convert it, and it not be affecting their little bit of a bonus. And then the uh other one is that the detail rate
previously had been set at $62 and looking at towns comparable, it's uh $85. So, that was brought up to $85. It doesn't affect the town uh budget. It's only if the town were to use them for a
detail, then they would be paying that rate as well. >> Okay. >> All right. Any of the select board members have anything on that? >> All right. And I will entertain a motion to approve the
memorandum um of agreement as presented for the firefighters union contract. Um did I have that right? Yep. >> So move. >> Second.
>> I think you'll know. >> Any discussion? I just wanted to say thank you and I'll won't need to say it for the other two, but um I know a lot of work went into um having all these contracts due at the same time. So I I appreciate you keeping
you know the line for us, Lacy, very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay, roll please. Davey and I. >> Hunt. I >> plug I >> carbon I >> Howard I. >> Okay. The next is the memorandum of agreement with the New England Police Benevolent Association local 185.
>> Yes. So uh again administratively changes that needed to be made. So an article that deletes the pay scale that would decrease a recruit from a patrolman. Um now if you're a recruit you get the same level as a patrolman
which is step one. Um the second article is the police if they had worked in a different municipality previously that time would then also be added to their vacation time uh at half rate. So if they had
done 10 years somewhere it would count as 5 years towards their vacation time. Um and then the side letter which again deals with the details. It went from a rate of $62 to now it'll be $85.
Okay, I'll entertain the same motion um to approve the memory on agreement as presented. So second >> discussion hearing none please and I >> I plug I >> carbon I
>> okay and this next is the memorandum of agreement with the Massachusetts Laborers District [clears throat] Council of Laborers International Union of North America AFL CIO local 22.
So again, administratively and we did give a little bit of a uh um kind of a good recruiting retention type of thing. So they are now it has now been amended that the laborers are allowed to convert three sick days to
three personal days for a total of six personal days uh annually. Uh, another thing that they wanted was the breakout of instead of having days, it'd be converted to hours. So, instead of saying one day, it now says 8 hours. I
did include in there that that's also dependent on a 40-hour work week. So, if you don't work a 40-hour work week, it's prrated based on the time that you work. Um, so that's why you see a lot of hours in there, conversions. And then the other big one is that the
library does not work on Fridays. So if a holiday does fall on a Friday, they are then closed on the Saturday. So that needed to be added as well. So that um it was set into stone. That is their
only changes. >> Okay. I'll entertain a motion to approve the memorandum of agreement as presented. >> So moved. >> Second. Discussion hearing. None. Roll please. Fabian and I. >> Hunt. I >> love I. >> Carboni. I
>> Howard I. >> Okay. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you very much. Very much. >> Okay. Our next discussion is um regarding the authorization of the town administrator to sign chapter 90 contract amendment. Andrew.
This was a lot of reading with a lot of small letters. So, could you please um brief us on this? >> Yes. A long story short, uh Mass DOTA sends out a contract for any um money
they hand out with chapter 90, which is road work money every 10 years. Um I don't think I've ever seen this in my career. Um but they they've told us that they do this every 10 years. and by us agreeing um to sign it, we basically
bind ourselves to the state's contract. Um they said very standard. Um but I'd rather I felt funny not I felt funny signing it and then not having a select board seeing it because it's such a big we get hundreds of thousands of dollars chapter
90 per year. So I wanted to bring it to the select board's attention. Does anybody have any issues with Andrew? >> Then I'll make Go ahead. >> Uh has council reviewed this? >> They have not. Is that a recommendation
or is this totally outside of legal council per state? >> That's a good question. Um I know we've had a lot of contracts come over from the state for many things. Um I don't know what the practice typically is. I
mean like green communities or >> right >> municipal vulnerable preparedness and >> we can always run it through town council um doesn't hurt we don't now that we have new town council we don't pay per hour so this is just part of their contract so
>> can we make it contingent do we madam chair do we have an old one of these hanging around if it's done every 10 years maybe there's one that's 10 years old that we could >> I can try to find it um just from signing smaller for uh level mass
contracts. This is pretty much looks like word for word of what they normally do. Um they may have added a couple terms, but I don't think like Chris kind of said, I don't think there's anything if we had a problem that they would say too bad and you're not you're not going to get chapter 90. So, um
yeah. >> Yeah. I don't [snorts] want to hold it up, but I'm just curious. So, my guess action item is we could pull one just for purposes that we could look at from 10 years ago. Um, I don't think that's going to impact our decision, but um and then we can make it
contingent on town council's review if that good. All right. So, then I'll enterain the motion to authorize the town administrator to sign the chapter 90 contract amendment as presented. And just as a side note, we're going to get
hundreds of thousands of dollars more because we approved it as a select board. Okay, [clears throat] I'll end that there. >> And subject continued on council review. >> Thank you. So moved second discussion
hearing none please and I >> I pluck I carbon I >> Howard I. Uh next item, same thing that the uh finance committee uh appointed a member of their their
board to participate um as a representative to the Freetown Lakeville Regional School District uh strategic planning um team. So there was um a lot of information um or letter that had gone out. Um I know I've seen it through
our social media channels. Um I think that this is a great initiative by our school district. Um I know that they had worked on a strategic plan many many many many years ago. Uh so it would be really nice to um have some energy and
stakeholders involved and I for one am glad um that we can be represented at the at the table as well. So uh at this time I'm I'm seeking volunteer. Um, I think it's either we could one or two.
It doesn't long as it's not a forum >> cuz I I seriously don't want to go to all. [laughter] >> I make a motion that we approve Chris to designate select board member Planka as the representative to the strategic
planning team. >> I second >> discussion. You sure you don't want it, Paul? >> No. [laughter] Okay. Okay, further discussion roll please. Baby Fabian and I. >> I log I. >> Carbon I. >> Howard. I.
>> Excellent. Thank you very much, Chris. Appreciate that. >> Okay. Uh, next agenda item um is discuss planning board member recommendations. Uh, so before we dive in, I just have a a quick um opening comment. So, I had
asked Emily [clears throat] um and Colleen to please um just provide a handout that I had u put together for the board and um actually I finished it today. So, but I'd like to just at least
um read my opening comments here. Um, so before we discuss the planning board's recommendation, I want to be clear that this discussion is not about advocating for or against any particular applicant. It is about the process used to develop
recommendations that ultimately come before the select board for appointment. As the appointing authority, the select board has a responsibility to ensure that every resident who volunteers to serve our community is treated fairly,
respectfully, and through a process that is open and transparent. We rely on our boards and committees to provide thoughtful recommendations developed through public discussion. And this discussion is not about questioning the judgment of the planning
board or advocating for any individual applicant. It's about whether the public meeting reflected the open deliberation and respect that every volunteer deserves and whether the select board can rely on that public process when making appointments.
So I believe it's appropriate for us to review whether that occurred in this instance and if necessary determine um whether improvements should be made or could be made and not only for the planning board but for every board committee and commission as we are the
appointing authority. So just um what occurred that the planning board did have a an agenda item to consider recommendations for appointment. Uh there were three residents um that had submitted letters of interest um for two vacancies
during the agenda item. The applicants were not identified by name and the applicant's qualifications, experience or interest in serving were not discussed in open session and no public deliberation occurred during the applicants before the
recommended vote and a motion was made um recommending the appointments. And again why this matters and why I wanted to bring this up for discussion for this board is was not about the planning board reaching a correct or incorrect recommendation.
It was just about the process in which this recommendation comes to the select board. So in itself um the public process that produced the recommendation um is what I just wanted to um bring to the board's attention. I talked to
Andrew a little bit today and we do have a policy on um appointments or recommend or [clears throat] appointments. So when a board committee and commission recommends um an appointment, we usually get a letter which we did from the from
the planning board. Um but from our position, we want to make sure I would think as a board that the board committees and commissions that are making the recommendation for their um vacancy um have done you know the process that
would allow a respectful and um encouraging opportunity for those that are interested in participating. So um again I don't I don't have an issue with the recommendation. I just wanted to talk about the process and
um you know having gone back and I did watch the clip there was no discussion and I didn't even know who the applicants were except for um once we received the um uh the the information from Colleen. So
um I just want to bring it to the board um for discussion. So do we feel as though we can tighten our process a little better to encourage more participation and make it fair
um and have those discussions um in interviews. I don't even know if the candidates I know we as a select board and we're pretty firm about that with our office is that if we are making appointments we let the candidates know. It's not mandatory that they attend or
mandatory to speak, but at least we let them know that um we're going to be considering their appointment. So, Madam Chair, yes. So, we do have a copy. I do have copies of the policy
that we currently have. And I think we're talking about two completely different things here. I think in the absence of a policy, it might have been okay to not make a vote on this tonight. But as you'll see
in our policy, it says, pull it out. Let's see. On page two, number eight, a decision regarding the vacancy will generally be made at the next upcoming selectman's
meeting once a recommendation has been received from the town body. The town body being the committee or um or board that we're waiting for their recommendation from. Uh it says first consideration shall be given to any
associate member that indicates interest and is currently serving on a town body when a full member vacancy occurs. So technically your whole holding this up for what is very subjective is out of order from what our policy currently
and currently says. And I would make a motion that we approve the planning board's recommendation. Just because you may not appreciate or like or agree or anything with the way they did
it in the absence of a policy, their work was done. Well, and also um if I may direct you to the policy that you just handed out, the select board will review the letters of interest along with the recommendation
from the town body with the vacancy at a public meeting and depending upon the number of responses and nature of the vacancy, the select board may require the applicant to be interviewed, which I know we don't necessarily do that, but that is part of >> you are correct. And all that authority
was all that discretion was yours >> to bring to the meeting tonight. And I even asked for explanation on the actual agenda item questioning why it wasn't being handled by um the
same process that we've always done. And you >> so we would discuss it at the >> right. gave us no indication what the problem was or provided us with any information to be able to prepare ourselves. So
>> that's why >> in the policy it says you knowing this was here you could have had the candidates come you could have interviewed them and everything but right now everything you've presented is out of order because we have an existing policy and it says right here it will
generally be discussed at the next meeting which is tonight. So you have no reason to not bring this forward for a vote. So, you're out of order. >> Well, I appreciate your your input. Um,
>> it's not my input, it's fact. >> Well, we are discussing the planning board member recommendations and my concern is that we are fair and equitable for anybody that's interested in participating in any of the board's
committees and commissions. So, that is why I brought this to this board. Anything you want, anything you want to do going forward is going forward. This has already occurred and was already submitted and every single one of these
things was done >> except for the part where you as the chair are preventing us from discussing what was done legitimately at a meeting. And that to me looks political.
>> Okay. Um so there is no political behind this whatsoever on my behalf. My interest solely was for process. I was contacted um after the planning board meeting had occurred
uh about the appointments and there was no discussion and no names that were mentioned for the people that had put in for the for the position for the recommendation. No discussion whatsoever. They went right to to a motion. I went back and I
watched watched that segment. Madam Chair, I could probably come up with 20 examples of the same thing happening, including when you and I sat on the board of selectmen that appointed people to the fire station building committee.
We did not discuss every single person's name who had submitted their name to be on that committee. I don't know why you're picking on this particular appointment process to make your point. And again, anything that was done was
done with this policy in place. This policy has been followed. You're the one who is holding this up. Now, >> I don't feel as though that I'm holding anything up there. If we're trying to make sure, >> are we voting on the appointment
tonight? >> No, we're not. >> Then you're holding it up because it has followed this procedure. For the record, this was >> uh appointments to town boards, committees, and commissions policy and
procedures adopted June 27th, 2011. Revised August 12th, 2015, revised January 9th, 20 2017. Revised August 31st, 2020. Okay. So, this is the current policy.
just because it wasn't handled the way you might have handled it as a chair. And like I said, there's been plenty of instances where people haven't been interviewed and not everyone's names have been
mentioned. So if you would like to change that going forward, that's up to you >> to bring to your board that which is what I am bringing up for discussion this evening, whether or not we put this on politically you are holding back this
appointment from being done. >> Oh, I disagree. >> And to me, that's an ethics violation. So, >> I I think that there could potentially be an open meeting law violation, which I would rather not have
>> where open meeting law violation where >> for the discussion um that didn't take place. I know we have somebody here from the planning board that can speak to that, but there was no discussion, no names mentioned of anybody that was there. It just for appearances,
>> did the entire board watch the meeting? >> No. And why is that? Did anyone know that this was going to be the problem tonight? >> I >> No, that's right. The chair didn't tell us. >> If I if I may. I um I I was expecting a
vote on the appointments for the U planning board tonight. Um so I I had this last minute change. So to me Fabian's point yet, this is new to
me. Um member faded you the recommendation's here. I'm all for a discussion on improving transparency. Uh um but to me Fabman's point I don't will you follow the policy as written today that cor you you don't
agree with that? Can you point out where where this >> where they would be interviewing? I just >> Well, no, I'm asking you where where did we where was this pro where was this policy um not followed? Can you point to any specific? I I read through it and
>> you read through the policy. >> I I just read through it now. Yes, I just read through it now. Um I wasn't familiar with this policy but me provided it. Planning board may have not hold held those public discussions to to the level that you're recommending
here but I don't see that as a requirement here in the policy. No, I'm just asking can you can you can you >> There's not any specific language in there that says that interviews will be held but we as the appointing authority could hold those interviews which I
personally don't feel is it's necessary but I'm just questioning um just the process. It just to me it just it >> I I I I agree there's room for improvements but as of today you know this is our current policy that we have
to follow that I don't see any violations for that policy. So um I'm not I don't believe that we should delay the uh the appointments tonight. That's my my opinion. >> Okay. >> Dan, did you have something you wanted
to add because I know you were For the record, Dan Wilgga, member of the planning board. So, I've got a couple things I just want to uh put out there. Um, first off, I was the one that made the recommendation and I still
stand by the recommendations that I made that night. I do want to clarify though a couple of things. One, we need to take a vote on this. Reason being is we cannot hold this up with a four member board currently.
We need the extra voice, the extra member. We have tons of projects as all of you know and we need to move this forward. If one member is not present, we don't have we need to push this
through. you cannot let this go on for whatever reasons other than a a policy that you might want to have. I do want to say though that you know if you look
back at previous planning board um meetings from years past, I looked at a few today, it was the same procedure. [clears throat] So, I just want to be very careful how we go about this. We really, really need
to not go down this road, okay? As a town, we need to move forward. We need to progress and we need to start making decisions that are right for our residents. and I should not have to be
here tonight to defend my board and miss my son's basketball game because of what's going on tonight. I'm very disappointed that I have to be here. >> Yeah, >> I really am. >> Me, too. >> Thank you. >> So, that one being said, I would like to
implore that this board calls a vote tonight and not hold this up any further. Thank you. Oh, the boards can, [applause] excuse me, the board can certainly make a a motion um and vote on this this evening and we'll just ratify it at the next meeting. So,
said my piece. [clears throat] >> Madam Chair, well, it I I understand your concern for an updated policy. I mean, we do it does refer to posting things in the Middleboro Gazette and so forth a paper that no longer exists.
[clears throat] Um, and I think you may have some concerns for transparency. Um, that's always a thing in in governmental actions. Uh, as has been pointed out, I can't see in this paper that I was just
given tonight that there are any such violations. um of anything as far as the appointments went and I think we I think we need to move forward and make the planning board bold. >> Then I'll entertain the motion.
>> Let's see where the letter is. >> It's on your cover sheet. Um, so I make a motion that we approve the planning board's vote for their um
to fill their positions with Ann Ronsky Turpin as associate planning board member and Michael Iliard, full planning board member to fill the unexpired two-year seat. >> Seconded.
Motion in a second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll and >> I. >> Carboni will support the vote, but I do not support the process. >> Howard I. >> Okay. Would you please send a notice to
um the planning board that they have been appointed? >> Thank you. Madam Chair, if I may, I would your recommendations here I I fully support. So can we >> we can bring that at another meeting. >> Okay.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Any old business this evening? >> Any new business? Next select board meeting is at special town meeting on July 27th. And then our regular select board
meeting is scheduled for August 4th. Why do I think that there's another date out there? >> Um, >> no, it's after town meeting. >> Okay. So, we'll just stop at the fourth. I could have sworn that we had another
one after that, but we'll just stop at the fourth >> with free town. >> Maybe that's the one I'm thinking of. >> Yeah, we were working on that. >> There's a joint one that we're trying to coordinate. Okay. >> All right. Good. >> All right. I didn't see any
correspondence in here. >> Okay. Um, do we need to go into executive session? >> Yeah, Andrew say yes. >> I want to see. [laughter]
>> Okay. So, I will um entertain a motion to enter executive session for possible um pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 30A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to
collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body. And the chair so declares for the labor uh clerk laborer police fire dispatchers and not to return into open session at 8:05 p.m.
So moved. >> Second. >> Roll please. >> Fabian I >> I carbon I >> Howard I now in executive session.