down 10 seconds. We live. Yes. All right. Thank you. Welcome everyone to the Monday, April 28th, 2025 select board and waging personnel board meeting. Uh is anyone else recording this meeting besides Lake Cam?
Seeing no one else, we can proceed. Uh like to call this board to order. Carbon. I candida I present. Present. And then a pledge of allegiance. Flag is over in the corner of the room.
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 everyone. Welcome. I love to see this attendance,
but I know most of you will be getting up and moving two minutes after your agenda item. You're all welcome to stay though. Um, first item on our agenda, item number three is the town administrators report. Andrew, would you like to take it away?
Yes. Um, we're doing the Plymouth County and Federal ARPA reporting again. So, me and Mike are pretty been pretty busy the last few weeks. Um, we're starting to have a lot more Route 79 coordination meetings. Um, a lot of that stuff is going out now, so people are starting to get stuff in the mail and it's starting
to heat up. Um, we have capital expenditures committee meeting this Wednesday at 10 a.m. Um, and then the last big one is there is a Clear Pond Park master plan um, public meeting. Um, that's still
going to be kind of scheduled, but it's going to be a joint meeting of the us and the parks commission to go over potential plans and elements of design for the new master plan. So, it's exciting. It's not a light week. It's exciting. Yeah, I know. But that's all I
have for this week. That's very good. All right. Um, next item. Any any questions? Town administrator. Next item. Discuss and possible vote to approve the select board meeting minutes of April 9 and
April 10, 2025. Anyone have any comments or corrections on April 9? Make a motion to approve the select board meeting minutes of April 9, 2025.
Seconded. Motion then second. Any discussion? Vote. I. Carboni. I. Candid. I I. Thank you. And April 10th. Any questions or
corrections? Make a motion to approve the select board meeting minutes of April 10th, 2025. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none. I Carboni. I Candido. I love I
Okay. Item number five, presentation of commendation letter to Lieutenant Tyler Knight. I'd like to welcome up the police chief. Sorry, the fire chief. Sorry. Mike. Yeah, please. Thank you for joining us.
Uh, would you like me to reread the letter? I would like it. Okay. Um, is dear honorable members great pride and appreciation that I write this letter to formally commend Lieutenant Tyler Knight for his exemplary leadership and decisive action during a watercraft rescue on April 8th,
2025. Responding to a report of a person in the water on Long Pond with no precise location provided, Lieutenant Knight quickly organized an efficient coordinated emergency response to the most likely location. Upon arrival, he and his duty crew rapidly deployed Marine 2 and launched into action.
Despite high winds and uh exceeding 30 miles per hour and frigid water temperatures, Lieutenant Knight piloted the vessel to the victim's location approximately 1,200 ft from shore. With little time to spare, the individual was safely pulled uh from the water and brought on to Marine 2. The victim was
transported to shore where advanced life support was provided by the ambulance crew before taking uh before being taken to St. Louis hospital water rescues are low frequency high-risisk events that often result in significant injury or fatality. Lieutenants night ability to lead, remain composed and execute under
extreme stress was critical factor that turned a potentially tragic incident into a successful life saving operation. His actions exemplify the highest standards of Lakeville Fire Department and reflect a great credit upon himself, his crew, and the entire organization.
respectfully submitted Michael O'Brien. Um, when we were right before this event came in, it was kind of a a lapse or, you know, lack of action. We were we were at rest. Things were calm, very routine, and within a a moment's
notice, we have to jump in and deal with something with limited limited information. We have to deploy the right resources based on on a guess. And uh basically the ability to guess, the likelihood of you guessing correctly is usually based on experience. Um
Lieutenant Knight used his experience to call for the right resources and do the right things. And when he got to the scene, we deployed our inflatable boat by hand into the water and and basically operated a piece of equipment that he probably hadn't operated in probably six or seven months because of the frequency
of training. Uh and he did it flawlessly and he basically um saved a life. uh pulled somebody out of the water with the assistance from some freetown firefighters and he made a big difference that day and hope he takes pride in that what he did that day for the rest of his career and stashes it
away and looks back in his retirement and and knows what what a difference he made that day. So that want to say anything? I want to um I want to thank the chief, the deputy, the select board, especially for getting Marine 2. That really helped out a lot.
That made a huge difference. Our mutual aid partners, Freetown, especially uh Keith Melo and Joe Sullivan. Those guys were on the boat with me. It was a It was a call I wasn't too familiar with, but I also had guys with me that were, you know, very seasoned. I was very happy that they were there, worked as a
great team, and uh I was glad that we were staffed fully that day. Good. very kindly. Now you have to shake our hand. Tyler, fantastic. Congratulations. Well job well done. I was following on
Facebook like most of the people in town and it was very scary. So thank you for But don't please. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Absolutely. Wow.
Goodbye everybody. Who'sies? All right, Chief O'Brien will be back in one second. Do we have anything super quick on here? Nothing. Select board announcements. Select board announcements. Did I skip right over them earlier? I did. Select
board announcements. I gave you two already. All right. Select board announcements. The friends of the Lakeville Library will be hosting a tea and library event at May on May 4th at the library from 1 to 3 p.m. Tickets are $30 and are available for purchase at the library.
In honor of Professional Municipal Clerk's Week, Li Lillian Drain Town Clerk is hosting coffee with our clerk on May 5th from 9 to 10 a.m. at the police station. May 7th from 9 to 10:00 a.m. at town hall. May 8th from 9 to 10:00 a.m. at the police station. This
is an opportunity for residents to get to know a little more about her, her office, and ask any questions you may have. The Lakeville Arts Council is holding a popup concert May 10th from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the Townhouse to Precinct Street. on center stage to
celebrate spring in the completed build of the pavilion. Over center stage, the Catnip Junkies specialize in New Orleans jazz, spring, and bass uh brass band sounds. Bring a picnic dinner and join us. Traveling spirit will be there with
their mocktails to quench your thirst. The park commission is holding Lakeville Day at the Ted Williams Camp on May 18th from 11 to 3. Come see your friends and meet your neighbors. Try your hand at games, arts, crafts, and the food will be available at Lon Pon Lodge. You can engage with local businesses,
organizations, crafts, and artisans. There will be live music. Also, if you'd like to be part of Lakeville Day, please reach out to Melissa Turkot at mmmmsmurgmail.com. Uh the yearly hiring of the lifeguards at Clear Pond for the season starts June
25th through August 23rd of 2025. Applicants must be at least 16 years old and have their lifeguard certification. They are also hiring for Clear Park Park Pond Park attendants um both full and part-time. For more
information, visit the town of Lakeville Facebook page. The select board is looking for three at large members of the public to serve on the town hall building reuse subcommittee. Details on these positions can be found on the town's Facebook page or in the town
website. Our other current committee commission vacancies are two at large members for the communications committee, an associate member from the ZBA, uh board of registars member, two vacancies on the cable TV advisory, one
vacancy for the conservation commission, one vacancy for the agricultural commission, and the annual town meeting will be held June 9th at 7 pm at Aonoquit High School. Is there anything anyone else would like to add? Any
events, anything going on? No. Okay. Well, that's it for agenda item number two. Going back to item number six, discussion and possible vote on updating emergency medical services billing
rates. Chief, that come back up to the mic. Thank you. It's been about 20 months since our last rate change. Um, since 2013, we've changed the rates four times and they've
averaged out to be about 2.7% annually. So, what happens? Um, we had a a select board resolution maybe two years ago that uh called for annual consideration of changing rates. uh every December or January they our billing uh consultant
or contractor sends us an update of the the average rates charged by comparable communities in Massachusetts but not a lot of them tell me who charges what because it's uh it's confidential information it's like price facing you can be you can get in trouble knowing so they just give us averages of our
comparables and the rates that we submitted reflect a uh basically compares to It's It's equal to what our averages are char are Sorry, I'm trying to get my mouth working. It's equal to what our comparable communities are charged.
I'll open it up to the board for questions. He might have answered the question by probably being able to say, I don't know, but there's a big outlier in this chart of $75 on MLG compared to the rest. Does that skew our data at all or
I don't know. Where's it? I'm sorry. Uh, one, two, three, four, five, six line down. $75, $2,500, $3500. Okay. So, for ALS2, um, that are you show are you speaking of this this chart yet? No, the first
I'm sorry. The first chart that's in our packet is the table. It's has the columns are MLG, BLS, EMR, VR. this guy here. Sorry. Okay. So, that's the county averages. Um, that's not that's uh that
was like additional information that was provided to us by Okay. So, we're not starting there. I'm sorry. Comar. Um, I think I I think I to you, Andrew. I just don't have that that chart in front of me. Okay. So, if I could I mean, I could run over and take a peek.
Yeah, you can take. All right. Thank you. So, you want to know why we're less than? No, just just is the data we're using going to skew the the average? I mean, we've got a high of 75, which seems to be a tremendous outlier compared to the rest in the high 30s to
low 40s. Um, I know that's a town in in Plymouth County that charge that's charging that amount and the the consensus is or the guidance is that we can charge whatever we'd like, but it's um it's you want to be reasonable for the
guidance on it. Um, part of what goes on behind the scenes is that if towns uh charge too much for medical services, there's uh push back from the insurance providers, there's push back from um there's been some efforts to control EMS
billing. So, it's really not in anybody's best interest for somebody to gouge and and just ask too much because we don't have um you know, if if you go to Morton Hospital and you submit your insurance information, there's a contracted amount that that they'll
they'll charge. Um EMS agencies don't have contracted amounts. We can kind of do what we want, but the difference between what an insurance company pays and what we charge is born by the the patient. So we don't want to basically it's a burden on the on the residents to
to get too too out of line with everybody else. I have a follow-up question to there. Is there is there some rationalization why it would be that high in any town um as compared to the rate? Like is there something that would make it apparent to you why
there'd be a change like that? So I considered going a little bit higher than than our averages um our state averages u because we tend to drive more. We we have farther distances to travel to get to a hospital compared to, you know, Middleboro. Middleboro is a little bit closer to Morton. Uh Taton's
very close to Morton, but they're private ambulance company, so it's a poor comparison. Um we tend to drive further. So, um it's just a way of of way of maybe capturing revenue. I So, it's deferring expenses directly related to the cost. But I I I just wanted to
stick with I mean, you it's it's up to the board what we charge really. Um I these are just recommendations on my part. Um but my my recommendations were kind of I didn't want to be an outlier because I didn't want to overly burden the town's people. Um and we're doing
well revenue-wise. Um but that's more of a reflection of uh of more transports, more billable calls. U so which are up for about 17% um for the year. Absolutely. What is our current rate? I
didn't see that in here, but I could have missed it. I didn't either. Okay. Uh maybe I I'm sorry if I left that out. Uh I can get that for you. Uh but I don't have it with me. So well, we can back it out, but how much higher um
percentage are you proposing? I mean, I see what you're proposing now. Was there a percentage? They're about 3% increase over our previous Okay. The average will be about 3%.
Keith, I'm sorry. The the current rates are here in the comar, which I don't think we have. All right. I'm sorry. I'll provide this up pass. Can you find look Oh, he this first uh handout that we have. Yep. With the
county, that's county averages. I'm sure interpreting MLG stands for it's mileage. Okay. And then first one, so these three tiers are level of care. Yeah. ELS, ALS. There's actually um a total
of six levels of care, but we don't provide two of them. So, I deleted that out of the table so we wouldn't So, like ALS2 is just a high level of care. Yeah. ALS2, you have to be able to provide um basically it's it's multiple ALS treatments. So, like a CPR in progress
would be an example of an ALS2. And that all goes in the billing when they code all that for the billers and the insurance companies. So if for am report to be built out it's reviewed by uh our QA through our QA system quality control quality assurance
system and as soon as we we review that report and check the information on it it gets marked for ready for billing and then comstar comes in and basically scoops up all those calls and it pulls them out for billing. So, if I understood that, average
billing rate looks like it's $38 for mileage. Yes, they gave me a statewide average of 41, right? We're charging 38 now for mileage. Yeah, that's what it's on the document. Let interpreted it correctly.
So, we we charge for mileage and level of care. Mileage and level of care. We do we don't uh itemize, which uh some Some states do. We don't itemize our our Oh, so the mileage rates are different based
off of the level of care. No, no. Um, in some states you if you use an IV, you bill for it. If you use oxygen, you bill for it. You have to basically itemize. It's it's like a menu. But in Massachusetts, you just you just meet the criteria for ALS and that's what your your fee is. And that's based off
the mileage rate. No, the mileage is kind of just irrelevant. Oh, that's separate. Yeah, mileage is irrelevant. Um, it's the distance from the scene to the hospital, if that makes sense. So, we we we go to your house and as soon as we pick you up and start to bring you to
the hospital, that's when the mileage starts. We record that mileage um and and we document the patient care report and the building company extracts that information out and bills for it. So, that's one rate and the other rate is the level of care. Exactly. Yes. Got it. Okay. So, you're only proposing to
increase the mileage rate. No, no, across the board. Okay. adjustment across the board. Chief, when would these changes take effect? As soon as you sign the document, um, it would be it would go into effect. I start off, I guess. Um, I'll make a
motion um to approve the recommended increase for the emergency uh billing rates u for Lakeville to $41. And then the BLSE emergency BR,
which is a second tier, uh to $1,769. The ALS1 emergency BR level two $2583 and then ALS2 emergency BR $3,684. We have a second
with further discussion. Yes. Second with discussion. Um Chief, you mentioned you were only going up what was it 3% or something you said? Yeah, it kind of averages out to around 3%. I mean, that looks accurate on the mileage, but the the BLS goes up 19.7, ALS1 goes 11%, and
ALS2 goes up 9.8%. If I'm doing the math, right? These the most frequent thing that we build for, I guess in my head, I was trying to um lump summit. The thing that we build, we always build for mileage. Um, we typically built for ALS1's and BLS
calls. Very rarely do we build for ALS2s. Um, okay. Right. It was I guess I could have broken it out by a category which each raise would have been. I was more focused on the the average that they provided which has been the practice all along is to follow what the
recommendation was? I mean do you feel that the values the other communities are charging are like I see we're we're targeting the average but is the average covering the costs or is it too low or too high? I think we could get away with adjusting higher if there's a need if
there's an appetite. I'm not a I'm not a business savvy. Like I'm not like it's there's so many variables that go into what we ex like we we pay out for we we pay we receive her revenue. Like there's Medicare rates that we have
to accept no matter what. And um there's so many variables into this. Um obviously if we adjust our rates higher I think you know there's a net gain but I can't give you um I can't give you a solid number what that would be just because of all those variables. No, I only ask because we
often we often trap ourselves by saying, "Well, what every what's everybody else doing?" Yeah. But if everybody's trying to do what everybody else is doing, you end up in the same pot and then are we charging the right thing? Yeah. It's, you know, you guys should know what I know. I know that there was a push at
the uh for whatever reason, it came from the attorney general's office at the state level where basically he was trying to force all the municipalities to enter into agreements with insurance providers. This came about a year a year year and a half ago. The the fire chiefs mobilized because it was basically going
to cut our revenue in half. Uh and there was no way for us to make that up. U so like Senator Rodri, Representative Oral, all these all of our representatives kind of mobilized against this and and fought our battle for us. Um but it was, you know, it's a it was a scary thing
and um that hasn't happened yet. So part of the motivation is to try and not be um overly aggressive. Um, basically they don't want to the the theory is not to attract too much attention to the to the to the or be too outrageous with your
building practices. Um, I think Lakeville if we're under averaging under 3% a year if you look at the the history of it. Um, we're not we're really not we're being very conservative, but at the end of the day, this is kind of a user fee on on on the on the public. Uh,
it is an out-ofpocket expense for them. um if for the portion that's not covered by the insurance company. So what the I just follow past practice which is to follow the recommendation. Um if the if the select board has an appetite for for more for higher rates
there's there's there's higher rates to be had and I can I can dig dig further if you want me to be more aggressive and come up with a different number. It's fine. So um I just want to piggy back on on what you're saying. What I'd like to see and not for this discussion but for
next discussions is an actual breakdown on what the impact costs are if we can get that like because you know just putting out a number because that's someone else's number is probably you know we could be missing something we could be overcharging on one line and
undercharging on the other based on our unique circumstances. So, I would like to visit this again, you know, next year and continuously, you know, have this on our agenda once a year just like was the um the bylaw stated. And there's um
there'd be probably another and I'm just thinking of it now, but there's another useful document that you might want to see. Um we do CPE reporting. Uh basically it's uh we have we report all of our EMS related expenses to the state and because we treat people with
Medicare and Medicaid they reimburse us basically our the expenses they feel that we they try to make us whole um because we're operating at a loss when we provide care to those people. So they reimburse us between between like 40 and $50,000 a year. Um it goes into the
general fund. I don't it's not part of our EMS department. Do you share that data with the town account? town account's the the keeper the keep we funnel all the data to them and uh the town accountant and Annette uh coordinate to this reporting. So you
know going forward um not connected to this vote but I for one would love to see what it is that we're saying um we're we're needing to cover and what we actually need to cover for the town. It's it's everything. It's like a portion of our salaries, the fuel, the
maintenance on the vehicles, everything. Yeah. I'm sure Mike can deliver. Mike uh the accountant can deliver um what we're looking for as far as a breakdown. Any other comments or questions? Yeah, I do. Um so it it looks like August 1st, 2023
was the last time that we voted this um and it went into effect. So I would like to see this be on a on a schedule so that our office um can add it to our calendar so we can make sure that it gets built in because right now we're at
April. It's um you know in budget cycle right now. So it would be nice to know if this is the time that works best for all those calculations. May I make a recommendation? Um the the recommendation from comstar usually comes out the beginning of the year
early January. So if if you want u want to put it on our calendars to be early January early January whatever sometime January to consider the rate changes. I I would appreciate that. Yeah, definitely. Uh Chief, is there any limitation? Say we found some egregious
thing that we're not doing in making another change during the year. No, we can change rates whenever we want. I think we're that's that's my big concern about um changing it now instead of doing a deeper dive first.
All right. Uh motion a second on the floor. Carboni I can candid I All right. Thank you, Chief. Thank you. Appreciate it. May I keep this? Yes, absolutely. If uh if anybody needs any documents that
that hold to fill, please let me know. I'll review it. Thank you. Item number eight, discuss possible vote on request. Oh, no. I'm sorry. Item number seven, meet with Rhino for project update.
Hi folks, welcome back. Hello. Good evening. Um, for the record, John L with Rhino Capital. It's good to see you all again. Some new faces um here. So, we wanted to uh take the opportunity to give you guys an update since we were
last in front of you and also just sort of um bring the um new board members uh up to speed on sort of the conversations we've had to date. And I apologize if any of this is redundant, but um figured it'd be good to kind of bring you guys up to speed. Um so we were last in front
of you all, like I said, March 10th and then I think before that, like maybe late February. Um to take a quick step back um our firm at Rhino um has successfully permitted um the master
plan redevelopment of the Lakeville State Hospital. I'm sure most of you are familiar but um sort of three main components there uh the front of the property um is a actually I have presentations for you guys. I don't know if you should have them here. Did they
Did they get them? Sorry. Um I don't have mine. I got you. Oh, we have one for you. Yeah. Um, three main components of the development. Uh, the front portion along Main Street or closest to Main Street is
a 190 unit, um, senior living campus that consists of assisted living, independent living, um, and memory care. Uh, as you move further north on the site, uh, is a, uh, 200 unit, uh, multif family development permitted through
chapter 40B. Um and then finally is um a 68 unit um 55 and over we're calling it active adult um cottage home development with a 5,000 square foot uh clubhouse servicing those those 68 units. Um
furthest north on the site uh is a wastewater treatment plant which will service all 458 units that we have proposed. Um, the site, as I think everybody is is well aware at this point, requires a fairly significant amount of upfront
capital investment to remediate the existing hospital buildings, to demolish the existing hospital buildings, to remediate and remove um the existing landfill um and then to subsequently build a wastewater treatment plant um to service and provide uh the necessary
utilities. So the package of just getting the project to what I like to call green field, which is just clean dirt um is extremely expensive um and has essentially rendered um this project financially infeasible in its current
state. Um and so what we are doing as a group is trying to identify alternative uh funding uh avenues where we can seek support um from the state uh to try to get this project out of the ground. we believe in it. Um, since we've been sort
of pursuing this over the last four or so months, um, we've gotten a lot of really strong positive feedback from people. Um, people like to see that this project is is, um, is is sort of coming together. Um, there's been a lot of attempted
redevelopment at this site. Uh, and not many have had any success, ourselves included. Um, but we've gotten this further than I think any other project has. Um and we believe that there is a way to to make this a reality. We just have to get creative. Um and so that's
what that's what we've been doing. So, um, one of the avenues that we tried to pursue, and I think we were in front of the the the board having this conversation back in in March, um, is through the state's community onetop for growth program and targeting specifically, uh, mass development's
brownfield redevelopment fund, um, which is geared towards, um, remediation, uh, or investigation and remediation, um, of brownfields. Um and we believe that or we felt strongly that um the removal of
the landfill um being one piece uh of the puzzle was was really well suited for that specific um funding uh pathway. So through um your board we submitted and Andrew submitted a uh expression of
interest um and we got feedback within a couple hours which was great um and generally speaking positive feedback. Um we heard in in the response um that you know a lot of our project checks the box for what they're looking for. Um you
know demonstrate uh the creation of either jobs or housing units. Um assist the transformation of the site, increase access to public removal of the blight, uh increase housing opportunities, increase property taxes applications that will result in the creation of new
housing. Um so a lot of a lot of good things um that kind of gave us some positive feedback. But then the biggest piece which I shared in the presentation um is that for remediation quote for remediation requests the applicant must own the site at the time of the
application. Um the town the municipality was the applicant. So therefore what they're stating is that the town must own the site um at the time of the application. So, I'm fairly certain I know the answer to the question um as to whether or not the
town would be interested in being the fee owner of this portion of the property. Um, in its current state, that prop that the landfill is actually its own parcel. So, um, if the town had an interest in in entertaining that conversation, we certainly would be open
to having that conversation. I understand that's a fairly large ask and hence why we weren't immediately back to you here to try to you know get go down that route. So what we've been doing since we received this expression of interest is having some further
conversations to try to identify other alternative pathways. Um the one that we believe has a lot of legs is partnering with a nonprofit organization. So, in conversations with Mass Development, they shared that eligible applicants um for the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund
are both municipalities and nonprofit organizations. So, we've been trying to identify and having conversations with over the last what eight weeks or so um is have conversations with those groups and try to identify a group that's interested.
Housing production is a big need in this state. Um, and there are a lot of nonprofit organizations that are their mission is to create housing. So, we've had some good conversations to date. Um, and people seem interested. Uh, they don't move as quickly as I would like to. Um, but I think that's just the
nature of the beast when dealing with a nonprofit. So, um, we're going down that route and we're we're doing what we can um to try to advance those conversations. The other avenue that we've that we're digging up and sort of understanding a little bit more is a ground lease structure. Um this
expression of interest does state that uh later after sort of saying it must be owned it then states um uh is available for sight specific applications owned or controlled by municipalities. So I deem ground lease
as a controlling interest uh in the land. So that's another avenue that we're pursuing. I don't know how we haven't broached the subject of mass development if they deem a ground lease as a quoteunquote site control or ownership. Um, so we're chasing
nonprofits because we know that's going to be an avenue that we could have success with. Um, but are also sort of keeping in the back of our mind as as a ground lease as a potential structure that that might check the eligibility box for us. So um, no particular ask this evening. I
think we just wanted to take the opportunity. It's been, you know, over a month since we were last in front of you and we received this feedback from the state. So, we wanted to bring you all up to speed, make sure you're aware we're not just sitting on our hands. Um, we're trying to figure this thing out. Um, and want to make sure that you all are
updated and up to speed and know what we're doing. So, um, that's that's where we're at right now and, um, happy to answer any questions or talk through anything you guys might. I have one clar clarifying question. Um, in the document, are you asking us to
callull out the landfill portion specifically? So, the landfill in it of itself, in the way that the property is currently subdivided, actually is its own parcel. So, I was under the impression that in the state of Massachusetts, you cannot sell a
landfill on its own. We bought the landfill. So I I don't but it was part of a bigger parcel as opposed to culling it out in a separate parcel. I think I see what you're saying. It wouldn't be a sale of just the landfill. It would be a sale of a
part a larger parcel that encompasses the land. Got it. Okay. Yeah. It's not just I should Yeah, it's not just the bounds of the landfill. It is a it's Yeah, it's a conforming parcel. Correct. Thank you for the clarification. Sorry. Um, and then for board members that
weren't here before, one of our reasons that we boked at the idea of taking care and custody, um, was because there's a 30-year look back of responsibility that if there was a problem on the site, um, even though we would have only owned it
for a short amount of time, that ownership could uh, make us responsible um, in some capacity if there was some to be some type of issue up to 30 years into the future. And chair, was there any official vote or was it just general
objection? I believe we voted not to pursue it, but we voted to to vote for the onetop grant, but I don't know. I don't remember us voting specifically. We just took a vote to do the expression of interest. Yes, just
just the expression of interest. But the idea behind it is if it did take us to have care and custody um i.e. ownership of the parcel. That that's not something the the board at the time was interested in taking on. Um just due to the
liability to the town. Yeah. I have a question. Um if you wouldn't mind explain to me what a ground this ground lease thing is. I need to understand, you know, because I see, you know, the other options here, but this
one I'm not familiar with. Yeah. So a ground lease would essentially mean that we Rhino and and we have a loan on the property. So our lender would still own the underlying land, but the lease and Sam step in here if you might have a
better explanation than I do, but the lease would cover the entirety of the land. So, it's it's used a lot in sort of municipal um uh um situations where the town doesn't want to relinqu they own a piece
of land. They don't want to relinquish ownership of the land, but they want to give control and custody to some other other user. So, I ran into it recently just looking at an RFP in the town of um uh Gloucester where they have an old
rundown elementary school and they issued an RFP for some redevelopment where the town would continue to own the land, the underlying land, and the whoever won the RFP would execute a 99-year ground lease. So, they have control over everything over the land,
but the the town still owns the the underlying land. I don't know if that's a good explanation. It is a good explanation. I would just further say that typically this would be like an atypical um situation to use a ground lease because situations where I've seen a ground lease use is that the fee owner
may want to generate some additional like revenues associated with someone developing the land. Um so it can be a revenue generator for universities. Um I've actually seen it with like religious institutions. they'll maintain um fee ownership of a parcel of land and
then they'll require you know a certain dollar amount for like an annual contribution. The other reason people frequently do ground leases is the owner the fee owner may want to restrict certain uses. Um in one instance the Christian Science Church wanted to
restrict alcohol sale on one parcel of land that they own. So they wanted to enter into a ground lease where they could prohibit that. So this is this would be a little bit different, but those are some of the instances that I've seen it used. That's helpful. Very helpful. A attempt to try to get creative. Yeah, that's sort of been the
theme for us throughout. Any other questions for any of the members? Um I thought I saw in the um the brownfields application that the cap was like $250,000. So is that accurate? And even
if you were to get a nonprofit to take it over, is your hope that they apply for that 250 or they bring more money to the table? Because I thought I heard a much larger number was required to do a green field there. You're absolutely right. Um the the the another piece in this which is which
has sort of come to light is this brownfields redevelopment fund is not just uh administered through the onetop program. It's also administered by mass development through a rolling application process. The rolling application process allows for an increased allocation for remediation
activities, remedial activities. They in their website advertis it as a $750,000 max for remediation activities. What isn't advertised, but what we've learned through conversations with mass development is that priority projects
can get up to $2 million for awards for medial activities. So, um, the city of Worcester just recently got a $2 million award um in 2022ish, I think sometime sometime around there for a a massive um
remediation activity they're doing at a former manufacturing facility plant. So, it's possible um and it would be our job um to go out and and bang down doors on the state house and and and make sure that we get that $2 million award and we
are deemed a priority project. Um and and that would be something that we would try to pursue. So, and would that 2 million plus whatever you're able to put into it clear that parcel or we got to find more just for that parcel? The the $2 million would remediate the
landfill. that would remove the landfill, which is a huge chunk to get us over the hurdle and what we believe to be sort of the first step. Um, taking down the buildings is obviously we want to do that and we are going to do that.
We can't start construction on really any portion of the treatment plant until the landfill is out. So, it's it's very much a first step in the process. And you know, given the feedback we've gotten on this brownfields fund, we're
really well primed for this. Like this isn't what we believe to be a hard ask. Like this fits the bill for what they want to do. And so this was the first sort of chunk that we thought we could bite off. You don't need access. You don't need to get you can get to the landfill through other access points.
You don't you know it's not on top of the building. So you can get in there and start to remove that even before you know you have some of the other pieces. um you know, totally put together, totally solved. Thank you. Question.
Um what if this doesn't go through? We're going to continue to try to find other ways. Yeah. I mean, that's that's my job. That's our job. That's what we're trying to figure out. This is the the most wellprimed avenue that we've
been able to identify. It's not to say it's the only, but it's the most well primed. And so that's what we're focusing our time and energy on. We own the land, right? We own the property. We have as much interest as anybody to try to see this thing come together. Um, you know, we're paying a mortgage every
month and it's bleeding. Um, and so we're trying to, you know, we're trying everything we can to figure this out. Um, and this is the most achievable path that we've been able to identify. So, we're spending a lot of resources towards getting Any other questions from the members? I
just appreciate the update, you know, um, actually crossed my mind. I remember um the letter going out earlier and then I think it was May June was the timeline. Yeah. Yeah. So, we'll continue to keep you updated. Hope that hopefully the
next time we see you, we have some good news to share. Um but Andrew knows how to get a hold of us. So, if at any point you guys have any followup questions or anything like that, just feel free to reach out through Andrew. We're available. Thank you for the update and
the discussion. Thank you. Next item, item eight, discuss and possible vote on requests to connect the Taton water from Derek Massie, Brad Bates, and Arth. Hello. How you doing?
All right. Derek Maxi 44 Clip on Road Lake Country Club Linton 52 Cliffon Road Mr. Bates had a doctor's appointment. Got it. Going to try and make it but I don't think so. We want water.
So tell us a little bit about you know your plan and tell what the Lakewood Country Club I don't know if you're all aware but we're on a a private well which gets tested monthly similar to how I think Clampon Road was or has been and
a couple years ago we uh lost our well and we were shut down for about nine months because that's how long it takes D to approve a new well. uh we were like we lost it during a storm hurricane and the lightning destroyed uh the actual well point itself. So D allowed us to
move 48 feet away but not more than 50 feet and luckily we hit water there. Uh we're actually a surface well. We're not a deep well. Most of the town wells here are deep. Uh D does not let you go any deeper than your prior well. It's kind of a routine even though Lakeville
doesn't approve shallow wells. That's what we have. So it's a sand well point well. Uh, and we just I don't believe it's going to last forever. I mean, the the last one lasted quite a few years, but uh I'm more concerned about if I don't get some sort of public water and this happens again, we're probably going to end up shutting the place down
because we just don't have a water source to meet D regulations because we are a public water supply. Uh, and in seeing the new line coming in to Cleop and APA who lives right across from that line and Brad Bates, we thought, well,
maybe it's time we come. I'm not looking for fire protection. I'm looking for just like a one inch line just to feed the building itself. And I think Patrick can speak for himself on that. Yeah, I My house is on a point well, has been since my father built it. And so it's a shallow well and the water is extremely
hard. It eats copper pipes. So it's with the water public water supply right across the street. The time would be immensely helpful to me. Plus, I am planning to sell the house. And I think Brad's in the same boat.
Yeah, Brad's in the same boat. I'm gonna turn this over to town administrator Andrew to talk about conversations around that water line in particular, what can be done, what can't be done, and what Tottenham Water has let us know in our last update.
Yeah. So, um I think we're under the under the impression that we would become a secondary water supplier ourselves and we'd be responsible for any things that happen beyond our property. So, that was like people's big concern is that essentially we become a
water supplier ourselves. Mhm. We basically take on a lot lot of liability. The water quality, billing, um potentially the usage could go higher than what And this all came from Taton Water. No, this is all internally.
Internally. Internally. Yeah. We haven't talked to Taton Water yet. Um potentially if like Taton Water is willing to take on our waterline completely, I don't think they'd maybe have an issue with that, but I'd have to talk with them directly. Got it. I would
I would assume that if the if it's granted the time is granted they're going to put me on they're going to charge us for they're going to char water's going to charge somebody for the water. They're not going to give it away for free. Yeah. But the so our line comes off Route 79. So essentially anytime that water comes off there it's
going to that water is ours and then when it goes to you we be the ones billing you directly. It wouldn't be taught because of the way the water line went down. that that's a complication that we didn't think was going to be an issue because originally the water line was so small that it wasn't, you know,
able to be capped off. I mean, it's it's always possible Taunt Water could say that. I mean, we just built it 6 in 6 in line. Um, it's it's built to their standard. They might just say, "Yeah, we're willing to take it on." Yeah. Take take all the liability. I mean obviously
especially if you already have built-in customers to them instead of a theoretical um customers but then does that in some way do we have to pay for clear pond water at that point? Ideally
we would meter on our side so if it we got got it would come off that line to us directly and would just be like any other building like this building for example pays its water bill. So we'd pay that usage there. Yeah. All right. I'm
gonna open it up to the board. Madam Chair, so I wasn't a part of those discussions with waterline. So I've heard bits and pieces. Um I don't I think Ryan, you gave me some information previously when that water line went in.
I'm sure there was discussion about, hey, let's offer it to some of the residents. Did that discussion come up? And the one the new one that was just put in, right? Clear pond only. What? But did it ever come up? Was was hey maybe some residents might ask. So
that never came up. It was just it was ARPA funds. Um and I believe it was going to the park and that was you know what had happened. And then right when we broke ground on the project um we had a 4 in line that was
supposed to go in. It was designed and approved by Taunt to be a 4 inch line. And then all of a sudden they said suddenly they decided no, we want six. It was going to be six. Nobody seems to know why. And they put they already had the product at the site. Everything was already there. They ended up doing a
six. If this was still a four, this conversation would be taking place. Yeah. They would can't you can't do a Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But originally, like I said, it was ARPA funded. It was for the parks. This was not, you know, a revenue generating it was just dedicated to the place. But the
taunt know something we don't know and they're like let's put a six in and someday when the residents come back. They said that's what they had for um what was it? What I heard is taunt um they prefer 6 inch wines just because the water quality is better than a four 4 inch.
Um I think 6 in is a lot more frequent. It's a lot more common. So the price didn't go up. So on to side it was like this is a better solution for you guys. just go with it. Yeah, Madam Chair. Yeah, I think I could explain what I think happened was uh when I heard the
line was coming down there and there was two options. One was going to be along the side of the road and then one was through the woods. And when we found out there was going to be a line down there, I actually put in for a 6-in line from so I'd have water and fire suppression for the life of country club through Taton and through this select board. So,
I think that probably triggered Taton to say, "Well, if we put a four here, how are we going to give this guy a six if they approve it?" I think that's all it was. I don't I think it was just a they're they were thinking ahead now. I didn't know the town was putting in a 4inch line. I I assume you're going to put a 12-in line like most of the lines
in town. Uh so, that's and I didn't realize it was going to go through the woods either until after. And I guess apparently from the meeting I had last, it was because the board didn't want the Lake Country Club to get water. That was my understanding. And that's what your town coun that's what your consultant
said. So it wasn't anything Taton did to try to go around anything. I just think they were thinking ahead and I think Mr. Day accused me of of talking to someone in Ton and make it at a 16 fine which wasn't true. All right. So interesting. Madam Chairman Brad Bates 50 clip on
road. Thanks for making it. I know you were running. Appreciate your time. Um, I first heard about the the line from Derek that it was coming through the woods. Um, I think that cost the town a
lot of extra money that didn't need to be spent. Um, cutting the trees, stumping it, blah blah blah blah, when they could have brought it down either side of the road, prefer preferably the the side with the houses on it. Um
um eventually this town's going to come to the point where it's going to have town water, you know. Um I think I think the whole thing is is they should have thought about the residents on on this street and come
down the other side of the road, you know, instead of going through the woods just for the park. Um they could have continued it up gone to hardcourt right down Clear Pawn Road. Um
so my thoughts are um hopefully they will do something you know positive with the water and Derek's part because he's the
one that needs it the most right now. Um, you know, my well's fine. I just had it redone. Um, Arthur's is probably fine. We're we're we're we're bailing soon to be honest with
you. But I think on the residents part of Lakeville, it should be run down the road instead of just stopping right there at the park. Yeah. So again, the
scope was determined years before on different board on what the project was. We picked it up. Well, I haven't I haven't heard that part. Yeah. Yeah. It was 2022 for the scope and then we were presented with the project where and I can't remember exactly, but it was two
things. One one was uh a trial in one way and the other was a trial in other way. There was two competing issues. Um, so if we went near the road, it would have been one issue and if we went through the woods, it would be another. Granted, we didn't know they were going to cut a massive swath through the
woods. That was not in anyone's bingo card. So, I appreciate you got a different perspective. This impacts you directly. Um, but the project was a ARPA project for the parks. This was not an improvement project done by the town um, per se. This is just for the parks with
ARPA money. So, that being said, um I would like to just open it up more to the board for any questions that they have, but we just don't have enough to answer you at this time. We haven't talked to Taton yet. We we don't know the impacts. We don't know what they
would do, what their suggestions are. So, anything we talk about today, um I don't see what we we could take the vote because we just don't have enough information because Taton hasn't got back to us as well. And and I understand uh the point about where the line is considered a private line now. Uh but
maybe the board would consider if I brought another line down uh down the road myself down CL pond which would have hydrants and it would have the 12-in main that that the town would need. Um I will take that under advisement but I have a hand up.
Can I sit up? Absolutely. So, I'm Michael, previous parks commission, and I've been involved with it since u since the beginning, kind of since the beginning. Uh I know uh this ARPA money had to be spent, am I
correct? Before a certain amount of time. So, they came up with the idea to spend it on water, which is great, you know, to clear a pond park. There wasn't enough money obviously to run it up Clear Pond because this is a this is a
rescue plan act. So there was no way the town could have afforded to run it up. Um Derek, just one quick question. Um why didn't you consider two or three years ago to run it from 79 yourself? Or
did you? Oh, I I'm only I'm only looking for a one inch line to my club. I'm not No, no. I'm asking you if this wasn't done what would you have done? I think well I never thought it would happen through the chair. I never thought they'd bring a line down the road because it is part of Ton water structure and as far as the money thing
it was actually it was like 335 for what they did and it was 500 if they came down the street which there was enough money to do that at that time because I had seen those uh the allocation that the it was part of the co fund. So they could have done it the other way and uh which is fine. I mean if if the town
doesn't want to give me water I understand it. I got 30 something employees that work for me. And if it's a matter of my well goes down again, then guess what? You you guys know what happens after that. Uh my only other option is to put a public water supply in myself and go through D and do it myself and not have to come to this
board for any allocation. Not that I want to do that, but the uh at this point I we're given no options. I mean, like the neighbors said, they should have been able to access the water themselves. It should have come down the street like a normal situation would have, but in this case it wasn't. And I
think it was because they didn't want to supply country club and and have a way that maybe there's some development going to happen. So I can unequivocally say that was never on my bingo card. That was not something it is on it is on the video. You're the act the engineer said that he mentioned like country club
directly and he said we the town chose that route so they wouldn't have to provide water. Do you know what meeting that was at? It was the last meeting I was at. So I can your last water allocation request for for myself. Yes. Yeah. I was probably a year ago. You
were here. It was about six months maybe a year ago. I was at that meeting. But um so a quick question and I'm just being here inquisitive here and stuff but just through the chair just so Oh no no no. Well it's to you boards ago. It's got to go through the chair. Okay. Um I
don't want this to be like the inquisition here. Oh no. I I I'm just concerned. I I'm just giving to my knowledge on what happened and why certain things didn't happen. And my concern obviously is I was told when this was approved that it wasn't going to go any further. And it was put
through it was going to go along the line, but it was put through the woods when I yelled and scraed because they they really we really didn't they didn't really want to stretch it to across the street to the neighbors and to Lakeville Country Club. Was it across the street because the street had just been paved?
No, I was just said that it wouldn't be fair to some get it and others won't get it. So, it would have been a a problem with neighbors or or but that I'm sorry. No, I just didn't know if you were finished. Go ahead. But
that's where I made my point. When they brought the water across the street on 79, they could have gone down the other side of the street and continued it by Lakeville Country Club by our house. It would have affected five houses right there and then all the
way down the rest of the street onto hard court and you know duly noted I I I do appreciate the difference how it was done and how you would have liked it to be done. Understood. One other thing you mentioned earlier that that uh taunt
might you haven't talked to Taton yet that they might take over the responsibility and make it part of their supply. There is one other house number 60 which is now vacant. Y that would probably also be one more tie in right
then on that end of the street referring to. Yes. Um so I mean if it would help Ton make a decision to take over and do the billing instead of which was mentioned early but that's Yeah. No no I appreciate it because we are concerned that any decision that we would make
would make us responsible for any water quality or anything like that. We want to make sure um we have spots in town where we're already if people are already experiencing issues. Whatever decision this board makes, I want them to be the most educated into any of the
impacts. Um Andrew, and you might not know this, what would be the charge for connection um per house just for everyone to know if they did? I can get that answer to the the water line as it
exists or to Taton water having a new line put down and there's no infrastructure to connect to today. That's what the board said last time is there's no infrastruure. I'm looking at the assessor's map and you've got to build out quarter mile of line at least to get to two or three houses and so and
cross the newly paved Clear Pond. And so ours ended up costing I want to say 400 and change for the existing and the alternate option down the road. Don't quote me on this. I feel like that was the more expensive one and we took the cheaper route through the
woods. It I remember it being the cheaper. It was around 475 I think for the existing for to to go down. Um and if I remember correctly, we're also trying to bundle as many projects as possible at that time to use the
money wisely. Yeah. We did the broadband for also. Yeah. So I would say that doing that would be a million dollar project possibly. Yeah. Madam Chair, who would
incur the cost of running the line to Mr. Maxis's property? Would you who would pay for that line to go there? And you mean the connection to the that that would be borne by um the individual because we were I don't No, no. I'm just curious if the town isn't out of any
money. No, that that's usually born by the individual. Like we had years ago, I think you were actually on the board. Um we were trying to convince people to run water down 18 and it was it was $20,000 back in Right. And the town does 2013,
right? The town does have the the master law to file betiments on anybody that so you would have recouped a lot of that money just by doing betimements on those four or five houses which probably would have paid for the line or at least paid for the upgrade of the line. So it's kind of a kind of a loss not to do that.
All right. Anyone else more questions? Yeah, I have a question that maybe leading um so you just want a one or two inch one. So yes, madam chair. So what we were thinking is is come off that line and just go between the two of their houses pick. So it'll be one line
coming off pick up their two houses right between the two house lots and then picking me up at the end. So that's all would I whatever would I think we asked for oneinch line but I think and then that extra house that you' mentioned could possibly be in scope. They would probably it could be if they
wanted to we could come back that's on the other side of the road further back. So, so it' be one basically one tap just going across the street and it could get blown under the road so it wouldn't damage the road at all as well. My only thought is Taunt might come back and say
build a a 6 inch and that's fine too. It just changed the equation on the scope of the whole thing. All right. Um I don't think we have enough information to do any votes. Um but if you could get us that
information, Andrew. Um and we can call you guys back up when we get the information to come and speak again. Sure. And just one other thing since I have a fire retired fireman here. There's a they did put a fire fire hydrant on that side, but it's behind a gate and it's facing the wrong way. I
don't know if the town can look at that. They did put the fire hydrant. Yes, it is a fire hydrant that is not there for fire protection. It is there for draining the line and flushing the line. Got it. Okay. We had the same question. I had asked that question and I was like, wait. Okay. So, but the name the
the name of the item is a fire hydrant. Therein fire hydrant. It's for fire protection. If there's a fire, the fire department can and will tie into it. Well, I have someone here that can that might be able to speak to that just
coincidentally. Fire hydrant. They can use it. I'm a tie firefighter hydrant there. We can you can take it. I mean comments. I will take that very quickly under advisement. Just quickly uh so for a fire hydrant to be a fire hydrant has
to be maintained annually. It has to be approved by the fire chief. Um as far as location and and it basically it should be of certain size capacity and Taton chose not to do any of those things. So
that that that fire hydrants really not not classified as fire trade. I have I have not approved it as a fire hydrant. They did it without without any any input from the Lakeville Fire Department. That's uh so I will leave it at that and I will call you gentlemen back up so we can get on. Thank you very
much. Look at you being in the right place at the very Can we at least canvas it so that people understand it doesn't work. That's typically what you do when you take it out of service. I don't see why we wouldn't be able to, but I mean that was I'm pretty sure the fire chief can bag it out of service. Yeah. Yeah.
Thank you guys. Appreciate it. I did have something. Um Oh, I'm sorry. It's okay. Um so I would like an understanding. So in the situation, even if we did not run that that line to the
clear pond, in your situation, I would like to understand what the process would be for somebody who is down any road that's off a main line. What has to happen in order for that water line to go down there? Thank you. Good question.
Okay, good. Thank you everybody. The city will answer. No, no, I was just asking the question because I would like to understand that because if it's not something that we're looking to bring water into for something from a municipality, but it's a residential um
like to understand. Chief has the answer. Um I might have some information. So for next you're going to kill member day. So we stop just give a very brief summary long agenda. All right. Sorry. The uh for fire protection
wanted to come in basically the intended use the size of the the size of the building that it's going to serve as a fire load. So that enters into the calculation of the size of the maintenance required. So it it's all it's all engineered for the buildings that are intended for that space. And so that can you share a summary uh with
Andrew to email? Absolutely. and make sure that we have everything that we need to have a good conversation can do. And we might call on you again. Absolutely. Thank you everybody. Thank you. Can we take 14 out of order? Yep. Just to
Did you say 15? 14. P County down to 14. Yeah. discuss and possible vote regarding uhou with Plymouth County for mobile integrated health program and pond management program.
Andrew, yeah. Um Chief can join me for the second part of it, but um so we were approached a few months ago by Plymouth County um us and all the other uh towns in Plymouth County to potentially form a pond management um program. Um,
essentially what that looks like is it's kind of the stuff in your packet. Um, they would basically hire a a program coordinator. They would do community outreach coordination, um, bulk purchasing, um, regional water testing
opportunities, stuff to that nature. Um, they put together anou. Essentially, the program would cost us $7,500 a year, potentially 15,000 because we're on the cusp of 12,000 residents. Um, so when Leah was on the
board, she attended those meetings, I attended them, Nate Darling attended them. Um, I don't think we have any interest at the moment based off kind of they haven't really given us a whole lot of answers. Taton or New Bedford or Taton attended the first
meeting and they basically said we don't we don't want any part of this. We can't um I don't think we can enter into anything where we don't have agreement and that's our biggest pond. Um and I don't think New Bedford would be $7,500 and we can't you're not allowed to touch it. Exactly. Um so a lot of the other
other towns in Plymouth County own their ponds and it's they're not drinking water supplies. Yeah. Um I didn't even contact New Bedford after the first meeting. I didn't think they would have any interest. This feels a little like overreach. Yeah. And it it might make sense in Hansen and Plymouth and some of
those other towns, but for us, I didn't based off the information they've given us, I don't think the 7500 is is worth it at this time. Yeah. Anyone comments, questions? I mean, just reading through this, I mean, we've been getting along without
it all this time. We do have a plan management program already in place, which I know was a requirement. Yep. Um but as far as you know the cost and and joint cost of um you know for procurement pieces they can't see it for
$7500 a year. No no I mean in Ton and New Bedford do their own water quality they they have their own budgets for that type of stuff. So this wouldn't help that. If the county wants to come and say hey we want to do dredging for you for free or or mil foil removal for free come. Let's have that conversation.
But, you know, just $7,500 for something our partners don't agree on seems like a bad idea. Yeah. And we kind of brought that up and they they didn't they didn't really commit to it. It was just it didn't really feel like there was a direction behind it. Bristol County. What's New Bedford? They are all
Bristol. They're Bristol. Bristol. They're Bristol. That gets a little weird. They're super cooperative. We actually had the most oned coverage in the entire county just over uh Plymouth. Everyone's got a piece of it. Yeah, I know. Yeah. So, all right. I
think this uh and then we have the other piece if you want to come up and talk to it. Oh, the integrated health plan program. Um I glazed. Brian, you're intimidating everyone. I just know what O'Brien brief
means. Oh, that really hurts. Okay. Ouch. Um so the uh the county about a year ago funneled some ARPA money to two for-profit agencies to administer a countywide NIH program. Um basically
they gave it to Brewster and I don't know I can't remember the name of the advisory uh company. Um and they initiated services. Those services seem to be centered around Plymouth the town city of Plymouth town of Plymouth. Um Lakeville I was only aware of two
residents that received NIH. um services and both passed. Um and I became aware of those residents because when the NIH providers arrived, they called for help. They they needed our ambulances anyway. So um that's helpful context by the way. The reason I'm I'm I suggest that we
don't enter into this is because the town um as soon as there's a billing mechanism for it, the town will be able to provide the service and the and offset the cost of delivering it and probably be be revenue positive for us. Okay, good enough. Madam Chair, real
quick, I'm sorry. So, your recommendation is to not engage until the revenue funding funding has been detracted. And full disclosure, there's there this is where I go long. No, I'm just kidding. Um there are there are
hospitals in the area that directly employ private ambulance services to provide MIH and their motivation is to reduce readmissions. So, they share the cost savings with the with the local ambulance service. So you don't we don't have to pay anybody to deliver the services being done already. If we down
the road as a funding source would your department be providing or is there always private ambulance services? No, my goal would to have the town provide that um in Billport and um the station the station that's being built is is being designed to accommodate that
service. Sure. Understand? Okay, great. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you, Chief. All right. Not bad. It was good. You did good. We're proud of you. I'm going home. Thank you. You want this back? No, you can toss it.
Okay. All right. Item number nine, discussion and possible vote on updates to fiscal year 26 town administrator proposed budgets. Yep. Um I think you all probably maybe not
chairwoman. Um I have the old one. I have updated um sources and uses should be a free cash anal free cash analysis and then the enhancements that I am going to be recommending. Okay. Um you
look on my small screen. So just a kind of an overview. These are my final recommendations to the board to look at. Um it's obviously more free cash than I'd like to use, but it's not so high as what I thought it was going to look like. I think we Mike and Mike
and I were originally looking at five or six hundred to use which is getting into kind of a dangerous territory. Um I think we found a um creative way of um paying for some of the the operating budget out of the uh debt payment out of capital
stabilization. Um I think going forward after this um end of this fiscal year we're going to be taking austerity measures. Yep. um harsh I don't want to say harsh maybe I will harsh oversight on the budget um going to be really looking at everyone's
budgets what's being used um maybe hiring freezes budget um spending freezes of some kind I don't want to give a date when that's going to happen so here's my concern on all of those things how do we build a fire
station and and have that as part of the process when we know that's going to be a $300,000 minimum increase to the budget. Going to have to get creative. That that's a few years away. Um I don't want to say the Calvary is
coming in 2028, but there's a uh the pension costs are going to go down significantly. Probably multi-million. Yep. Um but to get there is going to be difficult. So that's why I say we have to get creative and uh kind of harsh on how we handle the budget going the next
couple years. So, I mean, the fire station won't be built for at least two years from this uh September. So, I think we're just going to have to look for ways to to boost revenue streams, whether it's the uh meals tax, short-term rental tax, the
EMS fees was a good step tonight. Um, yeah, retail marijuana. Retail marijuana. If it happens, this there are some ways to make up that funding potentially. Um, yeah, that's
Yep. Uh the override discussion is going to take place, I'm assuming, in the new fiscal year. Correct. Yeah, we're going to have to have discussion as a board um probably right after the June town meeting what what that conversation is
going to look like whether it's a a one year or three year or 10 year type of override um targeted education, public safety. So, I do have some updated information on the school budget. I'll save that for the executive session, but I'm not
optimistic that I can leave it at that. The trend has not been in our favor in the last dozen years for part of you know what percentage they have been taking um of town revenue. I have serious concerns for next for the FY27.
Yep. Yeah, me too. Definitely. Um I think some some of the maybe better news is I think we can supplement in the fall. I think there's some outstanding items that you kind of hear fleeting good news on, but we haven't had confirmation. The
smart growth funding, we were knocked down about 415,000. That comes back, that obviously takes us out of the hole for this year at least. Um, it's just like but it just barely like it's living on a prayer by the skin of our teeth. Yeah. But the side part of that is like our enrollment
continues to go down. Yes. Even if if more towns join, the piece of the pie we get is less. If enrollment keeps going down, it's down 700 students in the last 11 years. You talking smart growth? Yeah, you smart growth. Oh, well,
enrollment, school enrollment in general. I thought you were talking about the number of towns that participate. So, the limit the that's going up as well. So, we're it's double more towns, less students. Yep. uh less students being served still need that baseline of
service with you know all the maintenance and the and um the teaching you can't it never works out in the way that you want when you have like a smaller student base it's never like oh we can just take this one class no it's
one class here a bit of here a bit of there it never works out the way mathematically you would hope it would member deck uh I had a question back on FY26 um we don't have like a red line copy So, I know we had discussed a bunch of items the board would like to see put
into the budget. Yes. What does this one reflect changes since last time? This reflects the changes on the last page if you have it. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that was just our total wish list. So, all of this is in here now. That's all all that's in there. Okay. Hold on. Because you know what I'm going to ask next? I would Yeah, I could go through
each one if he just cares about the uh the assistant making sure you're doing it and the line under it and the Okay, good. Yep. So we had to we had to I would and the fire that's a four that four
additional firefighters. Yeah, I can I can go through it just real quick. Yeah, that meeting. Um so this does does include the four firefighters that initially we had uh scheduled to be um not funded. It includes the fixed cost related to those four firefighters. Um
the employment comes down as a result. That's a savings of about 5,000. The town clerk's salary was going to be um one time I guess kind of adjustment um to 85,000. We were going to take the dog food line down by about
$3,200. Um so that's a savings. The principal assessor salary was um contractually obligated. Um we did contra contractual assessing services up by 10,000 to account for um commercial and industrial appraisals. Um board of
assessors also had an education stipen that was contractually obligated. The COA did as well. Um I initially had cut my assistant to the TA position. Um I funded that back up um and added a little bit to 75,000. It was 72, right?
It was 725. Yep. Um I initially cut my increase for this year. I put that back in. Um the police are now fully staffed um for the first time in a while. Um which is good and bad. Um the bad part of that is um they were usually they
would always have one or two salaries off the books and they would cover the extra overtime over what their a lotment was. Um now we don't have the luxury. So, what this would cover some of that, but it would also cover any training that we had discussed that was critical
to them. Um, and then this also includes $10,000 extra on the contracted services within the select board budget to account for the potential for a grant writer. And the dispatcher, the dispatch is what uh outside of like
the enhancement request, we didn't didn't fund them. Okay. Okay. And that was per the chief. That was per the chief. Okay. Yep. He said this was his his two highest priorities. Um, two things I think until I think of more. Did we end up bumping the reserve
fund to 100k? Did we ever find that thing that required it? We think required it. Never found it. Okay. So, it we never found it. I don't know where. I found it one year. Really? We couldn't find it. Is it a policy? I I you you brought it up and were like read right from it, but I don't remember what
it was. Really? Yeah. The other question is I'll take it out. I have to get my email from like two or three years ago. Planner. What did we do with planner in the end? I think this is in there, Mike. Right. On the um should be in there. Yes, it is. Explain all this. It was uh in there
originally. So, you're just not seeing it as I didn't know if you dropped it and changed it to contracting or um we haven't done that yet. We're still waiting. That's your that can be pushed. We can make a new line and then maybe move it around halfway through the year.
Kind of how we've done with Mike. Um we paid Mike um out of a line that was created because Todd was actually technically expense an expense line. Yeah. So, um yeah, but member day correct in remembering that we had
talked about making it in a a different position than um what we originally thought for the planner and and having a substantially different dollar amount in that line. Yeah. Um we we kept it status quo but I think that might get changed in the next week or two.
If I'm not mistaken through you, Madam Chair, the discussions are still happening with regards to Yep. the contractual piece. Okay. Consult consultant piece. Consult. Yep. Yeah. Okay. Were there any additional anything coming from the
assessors? Not yet, but that's within the next week or two as well. Waiting for a final update on it. And again, I just want to say that these are everything that we had talked about that was minus the change of plan or
whatever happened, right? And the um and the dispatch, the stuff that we asked about to uh clarify with the with the chief of police. Yeah. He said if we could find anything, it would be what's in this. Another We had a question on or I think I had a question on parks. They
had shown a an increase in revenue of like 40 I'll call it 4,500. It's not the right number of um London Lodge reimbursements. Was it 15,000 more for London Lodge which was basically a
replacement for yes and no. There was a $12,000 increase which was 50% on electricity which was explained as that's the lodge's electricity peri and we'll pay that directly. But in the revenue side of things, there was nothing that captured
that same increase. There was only like 4,500 in change or so, give or take a few hundred. I think I was just wondering where that eight grand difference was. Maybe we don't know. You should ask Mike while you I Yeah, stepped up. Might
say that's not me anymore. Do you know? Uh Mr. Turkot did send me Can you identify yourself? Oh, yes. Mike, town accountant. Uh Mr. Mr. Turkot did send me an email. Um, but I haven't had time to review yet, but I do have your question from last week and get you
an answer for sure. Appreciate it. Very good. And I am concerned for the record about increasing um the passes the way they increase the passes. I think that's poor fiscal management because you've just basically made most of the people
that are going to buy those passes not want to buy those passes because you've just doubled the the pass cost basically. Could be what did they land on? I can't remember but it was bas it was close to double. It could be a good topic um when we have a joint meeting in
May um about Quipon Park itself. So also I think they need a business plan. That's a big It seemed Yeah, it seemed to me that they were backing into the number by replacing the revenue that we were not able to um support for them for
additional funds and then they put the charges in. Uh yeah. Yeah. They they they jacked the season pass sales by 58%. So I don't know if they think they're going to sell 58% more passes or if they increase the path cost. Either way, it seemed way too big. And I
thought it was the But you might be right now that I'm thinking of it. I don't think they I don't think I got a specific answer. I just heard double. I mean, it's only open for two and a half months, so we'll know real quick if that number was accurate and then have to adjust. Either way, that's bad math,
both of them. I I don't see any reason why. Like, is there some big campaign going on? Is there a big advertising going on that's going to increase business by 58%. it just doesn't happen because we
we like it to happen. And then I don't think I saw any increase even though they had season passes up 50%. There was no increase on like um the snack shack. So I would have thought if there's way more people there'd be some increase in food. But again, yeah, I don't think the
business plan was using solid business planning. Thanks. I mean, back to the the overall budget though, Madam Chair, I'd say like I'm I'm on one hand thrilled that the team has somehow figured out a way to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but you
know, as we discussed last time, we're using one-time funds to do things again, kick the can down. So, that I'm ultra concerned about how we do some of this next year. We should absolutely be concerned about every dollar that we spend going forward, any hire that we
make. Um, we should not only just be hiring for the role, but we should be looking to see if we have people that can fill kind of multiple roles if we need to or or be a little bit more less siloed um in some of our aspects um
because I never want to be in a position where we we hire someone to let them go. Madam Chair, if I can. Um, I just want to remind this board that we have a new sheriff in town and this new deputy um
that are here for this budget cycle. So, as you were saying that you will be watching it and so you'll own it basically. Yeah. Yeah. Fiscal 26 is going to be a big big year.
So, two to two one point one question. I'll make sure I understand it. Uh Mike Andrew, the uh total free cash is about 230 and another 75 to go back in stabilization. So three and some change total for the uh free cash to be um 75
would go for the reserve fund, right? And 230 roughly for the to balance to balance the deficit. That's correct. Cover the deficit. Okay. Um so I found the policy. Uh well done, sir.
I policy guy. Yes. So, it's a 2016 board of select and finance committee financial management policy. Again, it was last updated in 2016 and it's on well, but the bottom line is it does say the
uh I just had it. Basically, it says you got to have a minimum of 100. Is it like a requirement or like a strive towards number? Oh, I think we updated the fiscal policy twice since then, but and and I don't know if we
ever said this replaces the other fiscal policy because we're not good at that. It says town of Lake will establish a finance committee reserve fund of a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 300. I was on the finance committee at that
time and I remember vaguely um that we had moved it up from 75 forward that before we lose it again. Yeah. Yeah. But again, I don't know if we have language in our new fiscal policies that alludes to anything like that. And maybe we
should we should have the old fiscal policy to to redline and do stuff going forward. Um because we have multiple policies on multiple things. We have it accessible. Yeah. On our page. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All
Yeah. Any other discussion on the budget, questions, comments? When are we expected to vote on the adoption of this? Ideally, if you're ready. What? I thought it was June 2nd. Yeah. Well, the
budget's not adopted until June 9th. June 9th. Yeah. But yeah, June 2nd's office of the day finalized the warrant warrant review on June 2nd. But okay, second warrant review. That's what I remember. Y
I think so. I think we Yeah, if there's any final recommendations from this board, then we then ship it to the finance committee to review. Make sure they they have aware of the meeting so I can plan their time accordingly. Yep. Thank you. Yep. All right. this. I'm very excited about
this. Um item number 10, discuss and possible vote on job descriptions for executive assistant and town assistant to town administrator. Yes. Thank you, sir. First one up.
Um just make it the easier one. Um the one we've already kind of looked at. Um I had last called it administrative specialist. Um we we reworked the title um to management analyst and then we um
I think a lot of the discussion last time was that I'm asking this person to do a lot of work um be a very busy person. So I put the salary up 2500 if the person's really experienced coming in. Um obviously that's going to be very
high bar to hit. I had one comment on that. I had asked and I I don't see it in there, but I must have I might have missed it as I power read through it today. But um project management experience that's I didn't see that
specifically, but you have a lot of projects going to be happening. I I would like to see either existing project management experience or at least allude to the fact that the job will be multiple product project
management. Yeah. Right. Um yeah, I can add it for sure. That's a good point. Um, also when you had added the C um, MCPPO, we have to make sure that that if they don't already currently have it and they're going to be attending school for that in
18 months, um, there's a cost associated with that. So, we have to kind of make sure that we It's like 300 a class, was it? No, more than that. It's like 1,800 almost two grand a class. I don't know if they're still running it, but the um the office who manages that was all was
letting municipalities send like one person for free, right? I don't know if we've taken advantage of that yet. There's one more June uh by June. We never actually took advantage of it. Um it's June 30th for the last free class. They just Well, they just need to know someone that's going to be going through
by June 30th. So, ideally, we would have someone on board, Jane or John Doe. Just write them in now. Yeah, exactly. It's like a Just put the title. Yeah, just put the title in and that's who's coming. That's what's going Yeah.
I'll make a motion to accept the job description for management analysts with changes discussed. Motion on. Do I have a second? Second. Motion and a second. Any discussion?
How soon are you looking to post? Ideally, like tomorrow. Okay. It's only like a month or two too late. I know. I know. Hey, we we we rode him hard on this last time. It could have already been posted. Yeah. Oh, well,
thank you for putting up with us, Andrew. All right. And then the other one. We just need to finish. Oh, sorry. My bad. Hai. Carboni. Candy. Do I congratulations? Thank you. Um, and the
other one I I think I attached the red uh lines version of this. It's It's pretty um colorful. Um because we haven't hired one in 30 something years. Yeah, I think it's 25 years almost, maybe more. So um
we can go through each change. I mean obviously the board of selectman was um the board the last time this position was advertised. So select board is sprinkled throughout. Um a lot of formatting changes. Um one thing I did take out was the procurement. Yep. Um
which I thought was just too much for this position. Um we put in a lot of stuff that um it's not explicitly called out like road acceptances and um preparing documents for public hearings. Um added in it's still non-union, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Added in uh invoices um for all the different committees and uh departments that the person would do it for. Turnovers um parking tickets for the parking clerk. Um, did you take away animal shelter? No. Oh, I took out that
line, but then I added the full the full breath of what that actually entails. Um, I think previously it's kind of been split up amongst a few different departments. I think postco um the select boards office took on pretty much all those duties. And so I I kind
of took it from like kind of the bare bones it was originally until actually what what Tracy does now currently is what is in that um big paragraph. Is that what the board is looking for for them to support it? I had heard in
the budget meetings, and everyone can correct me if I'm wrong, that one of the ACOs was actually taking over those responsibilities, which makes complete sense to house it in-house from that
department, if that is true. Um, as long as it's not adding to the budget, obviously. Um, yeah, as far as time, I think she does a few of those duties. I don't know if she does all of them or would be doing all of them, but talk about others. Mhm. I would prefer
to see this all in ACF department animal control department personally. Um but if we're having I would love to have this as a backup to to that or to support if needed. But yeah, like if we're if we're going to have the the alternate persistent acco this right, they're on a
um callback basis basically. are getting paid on weekends and nights. So like is how does this work into it? Like are they now required to come in? They had said one of them is in on regular shifts on Saturdays on adoption days if I'm remembering correctly and that you know
when they don't have dogs to adopt they're just basically sitting there as part of their process. Heard the same. I think the question would be if that person chooses to long for be an AACO in the future. Is that a requirement of the
AACO or not? Is that in their job description now or is this just somebody being nice and doing it for us? Because that's how we ended up with animal control in our office is somebody being nice and doing it for them. Uh so animal control was under DPW um when I started and uh we couldn't have two people in
the same office building because of the space and um the assistant was working from home and couldn't do the turnovers. They weren't getting the the stuff and then it ended up being in the selectman's office unofficially
until a few years later when they made it official but Are there any other departments that we're doing this work for? What do you mean like like turnovers and invoices and um just
uh what what up to the top or um public buildings which not really department information technology we do it for legal which really it's only it is really the one that which is contracted out. Yeah, exactly.
We could make it explicit just as a backup or Oh, I mean I I'm not I have no problem leaving it in for now, but maybe we explore what it is that the acco has duties for. Um, you know, going
forward as part of them is to oversee those things and assign them, you know, to various members. And so we're not having it assigned to assistant ACOs. we have the supervisory um to the acco in general and then they can assign it to
individual ones and that Brian to your point because those are part-time roles they tend to turn over a little bit more but if we have it you know assigned up through it's like not even a part-time role right it's just a callback stipened y so seems to be a
gray area there yeah and if we are indeed doing succession planning um then that should be a formalized process I think and we should you know see what that looks like and and help have HR work with that department in order to
come up with a newer job description or or any of those things to formalize it because to Brian's point all these unformalized things just kind of creep up. Are we bringing this up to 40 hours
a week? 36. 36. 36. And that's currently 32. Yeah, current is 32. Current is 32. Okay. Correct. So, we're at least coming up for 36. um it might not be gerine to the description but something we probably
should have a discussion about at some point or get a recommendation from Andrew in HR is a few times over the years since I've been involved the idea of like is this position do they qualify for um it be bank time if you work too many
hours right so if they're comp thank you one what is it oh you mean from meeting yeah so if they have to go to three or four meetings in a week and now instead of 36 they've worked 50 hours, you know, do they or do they not qualify for comp time? Um, so I speak to my own
it everyone used to do comp time on their on their own like we wouldn't formalize it back then but I wouldn't expect someone that's doing you know I I would expect the meetings are part of their current working hours and if not
sure so one for one of our meetings they can only work 30 hours the rest of the week. Yep. So, so I'm not kidding. Like then he's got to somehow transfer a load. Like I think it's a discussion we probably should have. I mean, if they are expected to to
go to these meetings, if they're part of those that they're weak, that changes things quite a bit. Is that why you moved it up to 36 from 32? It is. Okay. Yeah. Right. Like budget season, three, four meetings in a week. So to do our part, we would need
to shorten our meetings, right? I I like where your head's at. Excellent. And if I can, Madam Chair, so I have um quite a few comments. I don't want to um take the the time to go through this because it's some but I don't know how we want
to deal or how to proceed. We'll read your comments out because I'd like to get this voted and off to the races um as soon as possible. Anyone else feel any different that we would like any comments or
questions to be addressed today so Andrew can put out this job description ASAP? We are meeting on Monday so there is some wiggle room. Well, I mean I take any comments you you want. But my my
only question would be is 36 enough or could you use the 40? I figured you did 36 to save money on us. I put the salary down and then the hours lower to attract people. Okay. Because 60,000 to 40 hours is like for
the job is kind of small and the fact that this position does not get longevity whereas the person leaving the position gets longevity as well. Um this is a very low dollar amount in my opinion. Well I mean where should it be then
could be a discussion. If if we can get someone, then we should get someone in the lower dollar amount. I'm not, you know, I'm just worried a little bit on that. Um, yeah. All right, we can table it to the
next one because it I'm looking over there and it's like war in peace over over there with the notes. So, it's not that it's not that bad, but Well, if you want to go with the comments like now, I can go back. Yeah, because I don't know what direction he has to Yeah. come back
with. All right. Share away, lady. All right. Um All right. I'll just start with the the big ones. Um on page three, um some of this was kind of ambiguous. uh down the bottom where you have um
provide information by telephone or in person to town officials, employees, residents, provide general information about the town of Lakeville, organizations and events within the town, respond to inquiries via telephone or email. I mean, it's pretty generalized, but it's like what do we I
mean, is it calls come in, they they handle the call? I don't know. Um because like you said, this was what 30 years ago, 25 years ago. Is your point that you want it more general like provide customer service or you are you saying you should enumerate?
I think it can be tied together somehow and just presented better I guess. Um and do we even have fax machines and do we have fax machines? We have one to my knowledge upstairs in accounting.
Okay. Yeah. All right. Um and when it's maintaining is you know for various office needs uh copy paper responsible for the upkeep of the copyers and facts. Is that for the entire town or is it just for the town hall building? I think we have the um
she does the whole town. Whole town. Yeah. So that should be clear. Um on page four, notify residents of community events through social media. I think that needs to be
a little clearer. I don't know. Or work with Yeah, I can make them okay. Make them better. Um, notary uh public uh designation or ability to obtain notary. So, if they don't have a notary, um, is
there a particular time frame that you would want it by? Is that a given too? Would they for a town employee? Like, has there ever to your knowledge do people get refused if they're a town employee? Not that I'm aware of. I I Yeah, I don't think they
do. I just didn't know. I think generally the town clerk's office acts as one. Yeah. And we have a secondary one where we had five people at one point. Yeah, definitely in the town clerk's office. I believe both of them and the assistant is as well.
So I don't know that it was a requirement anywhere else. It was just a nicity, but I don't know. Um on page five, I would just it's just a typo. Regular hours of work, you've got 32. If we're going to change that,
make it 36. Oh, yeah. Um, front page, page one, halfway down, duties assisting the select board. There is selectman still in there. We just need to change it to select board. Um,
Um on page two where it's you know prepare the department of do it's under the the table uh annual license information um information form reporting listing of all licenses and permits for the town. Is that in
townwide all permits or is it just the ones that pertain to the select board? Just for the select board. Okay. We might want to include that in there. That's it for me. Did you say we have a meeting Monday? Every day. May 5th, right?
Yeah, we do. Right. Every day. It's in my calendar. Yeah. Yeah. It's mine, too. Yeah, look at that. Mine's in there, too. Cco de Mayo. Might as well dress up. Have margaritas. Do we need a roll? All
right. So, we'll be prepared to vote on this Monday. Yeah, I'll make this a priority. I want the person to kind of get started probably mid June so we have time. M do do we want the same old motion with changes as discussed? Um do
we have any other changes that we're going to discuss? I don't um because we can approve it pending the changes discussed for the motion. Right. What were you there was something you were checking on though? Yeah, it was
um we were going to do um the acco descriptions, but that's kind of separate. Then the notary public I'm going to make probably a year. Okay. One year. But everything else will stay.
Yeah. Well, the changes you outlined. Yeah. No, I meant just everything, all the other content. Does anyone have any objections to anything? Uh, member Carboni has changed on there or suggested change.
Okay. Make a motion. Make a motion to approve the job description for the executive assistant to the select board and town administrator with changes as discussed. Do I have a second? Motion and second. Any more discussion? Hearing
none. Hunt I I can't either. I get hired. Item number 11, discuss the need and location of a new cell tower. Let's make sure we're not divulging any privileged information during any
discussions if there is any to be had. Um, I'm gonna let you actually member Carboni, you were the one suggesting this. I will allow you to I um Thank you, Madam Chair. I just asked that um we put this on for discussion.
Uh, as we know, we are um facilitating the build of a new fire station. And um with that, I wanted to look into an opportunity of potentially adding a new cell tower on this end of town. Um, I don't know what goes into it. I don't
I'm not the expert on, you know, cell tower building or whatever, but I do know that the previous cell tower, we generated revenue. There was a revenue stream from that. So, I wanted to look into what the opportunity would look
like um for us, but it would the I guess the initiative would have to come from this board. question. Um, was this ever discussion at the fire station building committee?
It was discussed, but that body um was is not the decision-making body. So, we couldn't build that into the plan. Um, I know that there was a communications um I guess working group that talked about
the types of um improvements, you know, that would need to be enhanced. Um and not it wasn't necess it wasn't cell tower because it's a different animal. Okay. Um but if this is something that we would like to discuss
and see if it it could be folded into you know the project one can't be expended through that project because it wasn't within the scope but it could be something that we could incorporate into that project. And if it's not there, it
may be somewhere else. But I figured we needed to have the discussion to rule it out or rule it in. So question for Andrew. When we're saying it's not in the scope of the fire station building, there was a proponent about technology.
Mhm. Correct. Yes. And radio technology. Yes. Specifically. Yes. So I like to I like to bend it till it breaks. Um, could that possibly be considered in scope because of that language in
particular? I don't know. I know they're different technologies. They had kind of said I don't know if they enumerated them. I don't know because correct me if I'm wrong that technology would be used by the police and fire from that
location. They did indicate that they had a communication system that was designated for emergency response. They did say it's expensive, but they didn't give us a price. I'd be curious what it would cost. That's cuz they want you curious. So, it's expensive. We don't
know if you can you can afford it, but as long as they give us a ballpark, I'd be curious. Maybe you could fund it outside of this. Yeah. And are we talking here scope of project? Are we talking us owning something or are we talking someone else owning it? Um I
think the most ideal was you you build it and then you lease out the space to uh carriers. Yeah. But there's a risk. Yeah. They uh the tailor the um OPM had said they had built two fire stations
recently. One immediately had four carriers within like the first month. I think he said the other one didn't have any bites. So he didn't elaborate like what the location was because you know I mean it could have been wherever. Yeah.
Right. If we were doing this outside of think about the fire station, what would the process be? Because the things that go through my head immediately be right. What what parcels of town owned land could we potentially put it on? What is the con what is the current saturation of cell phone signal in town by what
carriers? Like I don't even know where to begin. Like would this be an RFI of some kind to say, "Hey, tower companies, are we a good post for another one or I know back years ago they were looking to put two because of the tower coverage um
being I I don't know where they all are. Difficult in Lakeville. We did get an unsolicited proposal from a company um like a few weeks ago. Okay. Kind of on the uh center of town uh probably west of here. Um, but we can't just say
you're the guy like build it. You have to go through an RFP process for that because ultimately they're they're going to make a ton of money off it. So, it's a value to it. Absolutely. But I think most ideal location you pick a location and you say put an RFI out, see what the
interest is and then you would do a further RFP to then say are you going to build it and if you do what what are you going to put on the the top of it? Um, have you spoke to other town administrators that have done something similar? When I was in MBA, they they
had um I think there was two carriers on top of the town hall that that paid money to us. Yeah. Um I've seen in different places. Um the biggest one that was was non municipal owned in Taton at the uh Whittington Mills factory. That's a huge
smoke stack. Oh yeah. They get I think 60,000 a month off off of that at least. Yeah, you speaking my language. What's interesting is like the higher we go in gigahertz and such radio
wavelengths, you need more towers because they can't pass through as many things. So, I mean, yeah, it' be nice to see if we had a few spots that people think are worthy. And my thought, you know, with the fire station um project happening, if that
was I, you know, would be ideal for the build and increase, you know, help the communicational piece. Um I don't know. I'm not the expert, but I needed to and I don't know if they these companies build it. Like most
ideal is we don't put a dime into it. A company builds it and then we get a ton of money off it a month. So I need to be a bond to take it down to the end too. Yes. Is that problem? We'll see that in 18
years. Yeah. So I guess we just bring it back and with more information because I'm looking at it as a nice revenue stream because we, you know, we've had discussions on the the previous that we it's about $45,000 a year. Um and
$60,000 a month sounds really good to me. Yeah. I I think it's I think wouldn't this be more not the need and location but the available interest from a cell phone carrier both of course yeah
because I got thrown I was like you always came across as we need this is the fire we don't need it from the fire we're going to leverage potentially additional town property I mean we could you could put police state we could have had this conversation I guess right so the only that's driving it and is it
because Somebody did reach out to us. Someone reached out to us and said that they identified this part of town is not having as great a service. So, we like we like that type of info. That's helpful for us. A major carrier. Um, it wasn't a carrier. It was a I think a company that builds them and
then Oh, at least I can I can send everyone, but they sent it to us late and they said get back to us within like a week and we didn't have any meetings. So, I just kind of I think it's great. Yeah. as soon as possible. So, please continue to explore options
and present them to the board so we can be as educated as possible on it. Um, all right. Next agenda item 12. Discuss the possibility of reestablishing Zebra history. Oh, Zebra. Actually, I'm going
to let me carbon talk about Zebra. Sure. So, this was um I mean I've had firsthand guys help support this when I worked for the town. So this particular group of individuals came together um and actually reviewed bylaws, zoning
bylaws to see um one if they were in line with current um you know regulations um if things have changed uh you know setbacks um upland circles um and they would make their proposals
they would do their research put something together and then and bring it forward for town meeting But they were the go-to group um that really went through the uh the bylaws and it was a joint effort. Yeah. And
then around 2019 we began the e-code process which was getting all of our bylaws online and in uh in a format that was usable and searchable for everyone. And Zebra wasn't needed. it went for a
few years um because it was basically e-code was doing the same thing um where they were searching through the bylaws etc etc but that was that completed like four years ago so um four years is a long time so it's time to get back on
and take take a look again um it was a very productive working group and I know um many people have reached out to me multiple times um saying that they would like to see this back up and again in order to put a fresh set of eyes on some
of our stuff that is actually like the stuff coming before us um for the warrant um where there is no mechanism to find you know for the civil fines or or something that has expired with the legislation in the last three or four
years. So all of those things would be in scope. So when you see things getting redacted on the warrants and all of that, that was the work of Zebra. So this is to tell the role of the planning board.
It's more to further. Yeah, it's more to go backwards in time um and see if uh everything's still relevant. Do they help board? They do. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We definitely funneled through um pling board because they had
a represent representative there. Um if you do get a I mean if this is not something that we vote this evening. Um I would highly recommend that you know take a look at some of the the minutes. They should be up on on website but it was a strong working group. It was a very strong working group and it was
very um cross collab type of working group. So, I know the planning board had reached out um to have some cross collaboration between groups. Um this actually served a little bit like a bridge between groups if I'm remembering
it, you know, well, where we had representatives that would be talking about stuff, but it actually formed good working relationships as well. So, um that that's all I got to say about that. Sounds like a good idea.
All right. I'll take a motion if anyone's got one in their pocket. Um, okay. Motion to u implement the zoning bylaw review advisory committee. Do I have a second? Second. Motion and a second. Any discussion? Just use the old
charge or um Yeah, good point. Is the charge going? The charge is on here. This is the old charge. I think the only thing that would need to be changed is the select board need to be referenced instead of the select. What's the membership? Um, seven members. So, it's the building commissioner, one select
select board member or their design, planning board member, zoning board of appeals, board of health, conservation, one at large. Does it have to update the We did the inspector to director of inspection. Yep.
Yeah. We didn't put um vote for anyone at this meeting. We'll have to bring that up again for any of the select board membership. Right. But um I have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none.
Carbon. I candy I fantastic. I think this will be a nice positive step forward for collaboration. Item number 13, discuss and possible vote to sign the contract with Service Employees International Union Local 888 for police and fire
dispatchers. Does anyone wish to speak on this? Yes. So, the union, I think as everyone knows, at least three of you know that the um dispatchers union got the ability to unionize. I think it was about six
months ago. Um and so Um Lacy, myself and Chief Perkins have been negotiating the uh union contract and um we've come to the board a few times and
it's only for one year and it's meant to mirror the police union contract language. Um and they match up with all the other union contracts that are going to expire in June of 26. Um most of this is just kind of standard
language. Um and then we've when the board last met um we had talked about the wages and that's what we came to an agreement on um in article 10. Was there anything that differed um on
any of it? No. Okay. just um was all the same as previously seen and as obviously the the wages the only thing that changed which is what we discussed. Is there anything anyone wants to speak to on this? I have a procedural question
maybe. Sure. So longevity pay is in here. Um it's only for people eligible, right? Only for people eligible. Correct. Hire before March 1st, 2011. I guess my question would be like if somebody I'm just going to pick if somebody that is currently on fire or police that's not
dispatcher that gets longevity they get it moves. Yep. They take it with them. Okay. Because I'm like why is this even in here? I didn't think we had any dispatchers that have been hired long ago. Just one. Oh, one Nick Wade. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. But yeah, if they move from one part of
department, they take it with them. Yeah. Um it brings up a good discussion we can have at another time. Um that we do have elected officials that get longevity too. Whereas in Huh? We have an elected
official that gets longevity clerk. Oh, I didn't even know that was a thing. It's not. Oh. Um so it's not written anywhere or done anywhere, but it it has continued on. So, um, if that position
changes, we we need to update that. All righty. Learn something new. All right. Any other discussion? Yeah. So, these salaries, no impact to the budget? No, it's built in. Yeah, it's about 12,000.
Yep. All right. I'll take a motion. Very specific. Uh, I'll make a motion to approve and sign the contract with the Service Employees International Union Local 888 for police and fire dispatchers effective July 1, 2025
through June 30, 2026. Is it only one year to and you're making it match the other contracts because you want to do four at once. Okay. Yeah, because they're all they're all basically contingent on each other as you know. So, just just double check. Second
motion and a second. Any discussion hearing? None. Roll call vote. Hunt. I Carboni I. Candid. I um discuss and possible vote to approve line painting award for Southeastern Regional Services Group or
Surges. Um I'll make a motion. Yeah. All right. There's not really a lot to discuss here. I'll make a motion to award the bid of $30,51 for chlorinated rubber um traffic line painting and 14,500 for thermoplastic traffic line painting to
markings inc for a term commencing on which I will bring up in discussion March 1st, 2025 through February 28, 2026. I missed that. I missed the March 1st. Um actually, do I have a second so
we can discuss? Second motion and a second. Um can you chat with me about what I missed there in the description of when it takes effect? Yeah, so I'm not sure how it came here obviously um but the south um surges which is the
southeastern regional uh services group which is a consortium of um buying power or procurement power as you know um so they authorize um the contractor for this particular thing but this is for a 12-month period commencing on 3125. So,
how did that get missed? They take a long time getting over to us. Okay. Interesting. And then we they don't I don't think they use traffic line paint until late spring, early summer. Anyway, allow winter traffic line paint go. Yeah. Just I don't know what because I
mean there's there's one individual that's responsible for all 26 I think it's 26 communities and all the different ones for each. I think it just it's got to be different, right, for all those procurement. Okay. So, but it it would because I know we're trying to get better at making sure that we're
proactive to these dates so that we're not they're not behind us. So, yeah, that's just an odd Yeah, I think I think what he tries to do is get them out award them at a certain time that they then people can start reaching out to these people early spring, late um dece
or late winter to get on the list of projects because that's the big component of this. Once you get these signs, you can reach out. Can we make something retroactive? I'm going to have to say no. That's probably a pretty gray area making a uh a backwards contract
with someone. But either way, uh did did we we voted on it already, right? Or did we not? No, we've just discussed discussed. All right. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Can you can you, Madam Chair, can you remove that March one and
make it effective tonight? Um, we would have to go back and send something to them. Um, but then it's not a 12-month contract at that point. So, the language specifically said 12-month contract somewhere, if I'm remembering correctly.
It does. Yeah. Yeah. So it nullifies the contract if it's less than 12 months or do we do we think that's a just a ministerial change? I think it's Yeah, it's an administrative change. All right, then I will accept the amended
uh who made the motion. I did. Would you like to amend the motion to use today's date? So moved. All right. 11. Will someone second the amended motion? So we changing it into 11 month period. We're Yeah. And we're putting the date as
today's date. Second the amendment. All right. Amended. Second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. I carbon I Okay. in the future, even if they do send it
to us late. Let's make that motion reflect um the non back to the future sense of the the contract. Um 17 discuss possible vote on request from the town clerk to renew the auctioneer license, junk dealer license,
junk collector license. Skip 16. 16 m. Dang it. I crossed it off already. I was all I was already done with it. 16. Discuss and possible vote to approve special 1-day beer and wine license for Red Hand
Brewing May 31, 2025. Andrew, did you want to speak to it briefly? Um, I'm just reading it myself. Yeah, this came to the last meeting, right? No, this was something different.
Different. Yep. Last week. So, we did the Tipsy Mermaid. Yeah. Oh, last week last meeting was dancing during the week, right? Yeah. The foot loose statute, but I believe the tipsy mermaid um did we already voted them? Yeah. On
that same day. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, it's two two one day all out all two all day one day beer and wine licenses on the same day. Um Tracy confirmed that that's possible. Yep. It looks like everything else is in order. So, I'll make a motion to approve the 1-day beer
and wine license for Red Hand Brewing on May 31st, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the tractor pole and car show at Anger's Conway Farm located at 33 South Worth Street. Second that motion. Motion to second. Any discussion?
Hearing none. I carbon I do I. Now number 17. uh discuss a possible vote on the request from the town clerk to renew the auctioneer license, junk dealer license, junk collector license for Anthony and Dorita Morris, Steven
Joseph Dvoli, DBA the antique mall in court. Um do we have the letter from Nate Darling attached? Yes. Was there anything in there of concern to anyone?
Nope. Not to me. No official complaints or concerns filed with his office on these properties and that's just the procedure yearly for everyone. Um uh Lillian reaches out actually through
Tracy um to get uh Nate's opinion on if there are any violations or if there's any reason we should not renew their license. Um the he puts a memo in formal, sends it to the board and if there was anything that he would uh he
would communicate it to us so we would know and have that information and without any negative impact or any anything that's prohibiting. Um I'll take a motion. Oh I was going to say m the the auctioneer license is that the one where
the clerk also has to review their books to make sure they're actually doing stuff now through why the new That is a good question. I don't remember what the clerk's role is in that. Yeah, if you tell me that records are open to inspection.
So, who is inspecting? Is that a book required to be kept pursuant? Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, but I don't know that anyone's act to your point, I don't know that anyone's actually going through and inspecting it. I assume Lil did if she's sending this forward. Usually that usually that's like one of my annual questions to her was like,
"Did you look at their books?" Yes. Oh, well, here we go. Wait, this it says here, "Copies of the portion of the book pertaining to the current calendar year shall that word shall um be presented to the select board along with any application for renewal
of an existing like license." So, it's not in there though. No, it says shall shall say may or will or must. Yeah, shell. I like a good shell. Like that's I feel like in the past Tracy's told us that she's held that from the packet
just because it was like personal personal but sales information. Maybe we could just have it, you know, going forward or someone acknowledges that it's been checked off as part of the process. Maybe that's a letter from
um the town administrator or the town clerk. Town clerk. Yeah. Yeah, I'll find. Yeah. a memo from town clerk and a memo um from the building inspector just to make sure we're doing our due diligence. I'm sure we are. Just memorializing it is always a good
thing. Right. So, we'll make a motion to approve the renewal of the following licenses for Anthony and Darita Morris at 33 Mrick Street auctioneer license, junk dealer license, and junk collector license. And Stephen and Steven Joseph
Dvoli, DBA, the antique mall, Inc. uh junk dealer and junk collector license um both to expire April 30th, 2026. Second. Motion a second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call
vote. I carbon I uh item number 18, request and possible vote on appointing designate to the JTBG group, the joint transportation planning group. Um, so in your packet you'll see all our information. It's
usually Frank. Um, we appoint him because he's our DPW director and he's the person that knows most about the topics that happen um at Serpent regarding uh the joint
transportation. um refresh my memory besides roadway layouts and fixing roadways. Was there something else that is discussed at that meeting? Traffic? I think just traffic. So like any traffic
studies and stuff like that? They share data uh across towns and across regions um so everyone's as educated as they can be on either um existing practices or even new practices. Um I know people
have in the past asked Frank a lot about was it precinct street the bridge? No the precinct street when um when he was doing that new process that he won the award for. Um oh the all the Yeah. when they
milling and grind or milling in place or something like that. So I know that they are all all sharing that type of information there. So this is pretty easy one. Um do I have a motion to appoint uh Frank Monise
to the as the appointee for the JTPG group with the term to expire May 31st. with the term to expire May 31st, 2026. So moved.
Second. Second. Second. Any discussion? Do we want to consider appointing an alternate designate? So, did we have a we had a member of the select board as the alternate? Well, we did. Um, I'm open to adding a member of the select board. If anyone volunteers at this
time, I'll do it. Okay. Um, I will take an amendment to that motion to um not only vote for Frank as design, but Paul as the alternate designate.
Oh, did I make the mot? No. Brian, did I make the motion? I so moved it. I second it. Okay. So, yes, you you so amend it. Yes, I so amend it. Second amended. Uh, any discussion hearing? None. Roll
call vote. H I Carboni. I candid I plug I uh item number 19 discuss possible vote um to appoint Ly Fehee as Old Colony Elder Services board member. Any discussion on this item? So moved with
the term to expire June 30th, 2026. Second. Motion and second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call vote. I Carboni. I Andy Do I? Block. I uh subcommittee and select board
delegate updates. Select policy subcommittee. Um revise charge for select board policy subcommittee. What did we need to revise the charge for? I can't even recall. Can we just change this to one member so
they can get some work done? Do we want it? Was that your Was that you? Because I'm like I That's That's off the cuff right now. I don't I don't remember revisiting the charge for it. Um I'm fine with revising the charge to
be one member and that it doesn't need to be a committee and that it no longer exists as a committee. It is a what do we call it when it's just one an exploratory you are no you are the designate designigny of one right
um the liaison to the policy revisit the charge um so the charge would be deleting the charge because it's no longer a committee right and that would be I we can put that on the next on
Monday we can vote to do that but um this one here is to adopt the policy attached. What? Yeah, that I mean the charge didn't make it. I don't know if that it says revisit the charge for the select
board policy subcommittee. Interesting. Okay. Sorry. My apologies. What am I missing? It just it wasn't put in the packet. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. So, um going to visit on Monday with that. I'm sorry. That's okay. Recommended change. You're way out of line. Member
Garbon, I'll have order. Um, so let's just vote to disband the select board policy subcommittee then. It was me. It was me, Leah, and Andrew. Do you The committee accomplished all
their objectives? Um, no, not exactly. Um uh it it was um I was bringing forward some new policies which I brought to the um uh and uh member Fabian was supposed to bring uh
she had the book of old policies that she was going to recommend changes to which didn't materialize and did we ever get that book back? So we need to get that book back. in what was my role again? Where
did I get appointed for? You're gonna you were going to compile all of the um the policies for um the select board policies um and then make sure that they were going to
be digitized, right? So that they were accessible and if and bring them to the board if they feel that they need updating. Correct. Yes. So just bringing them forward to the board to say we need to put an eyeball on these. So you know
the dancing on Tuesday night you know when we have meetings only need to be only Wednesdays you know still. Okay. And there was like another suggestion that like maybe some of these policies don't need changing which is we should at least mark last reviewed. Yeah. Or
last reaccepted or something. I agree. So if we get rid of the policy committee and we have one person just banging through it and bringing it as an advisory person. Yes. Okay. Yes. So um so the revision would actually be to
remove the forward the policy committee um and then at the next meeting we can make a designate. I think I wasn't appointed that. But if we get rid of the charge, it it wipes out. Yeah. It wipes
out Yeah. the whole thing. Okay. So, um I make a motion to disband the select board policy subcommittee. So moved. Motion in a second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call
vote. I Carboni I can do I do. All right. And then another visit with the code of conduct. Did anyone else have any additional comments on the code of
conduct on the amended much smaller document from last month? Was it last month? earlier this month when I was meeting. The packet is two of the same page. So,
I don't know if there was two pages total or if there's a missing page. It has the first page, first page, and then a second page. Front and back. Is it just front back? Okay. And they're both in there. Gone over it a couple times. Does anyone
want me to go over it again? Or does anyone want to call out something that they vehemently disagree with? Member Day. Wow. I'm just saying the people this would most apply to won't care if we have it.
Well, and and that's all. And that is a valid point for anything, but we still rule make, don't we? We don't we don't rule make for the rule breakers. We do it for everyone else. Um, I think it's good to have. So, I'll
make a motion to adopt the code of conduct for Lakeville, Massachusetts boards um and committees. I have a motion. Do I have a second? A second. We have a motion and second and discussion. Uh, M. So what uh I I think you
mentioned it the last time we discussed the if somebody violates the policy um without course of action we have whatever course of action each individual board would want. We're not saying one time you get this. Um I think it's with anything. I think it's intent
like I think sometimes people are going to vi violate code of conduct in a heat of the moment situation or maybe they don't know. I hear people often in meetings introducing themselves in a way that kind of violates the code of
conduct. So I go to a meeting that's not one of our meetings and I say I'm I'm Moren Candido. I'm a select board member. It makes it seem like I'm speaking on behalf of the select board as opposed to I'm Moren Candido as I am a select board member in town. However, I'm just speaking, you know, for myself
in that instance. words have meaning and and you're you're trying to convey your own personal opinion and sometimes you're you're not doing that. You're you're you know you're you're having a conversation and making it. But a a lot of things that
I've seen in 12 plus years or 13 years working on boards and committees is um there's some bad behavior that happens. There's there's some conversations that happen with residents that shouldn't happen.
There's um there's back and forth that makes it hard to be productive in a respectful environment. Um the intent behind this is not to tie anyone's hands. The intent is to say this is how we're expected to behave. We're we need
to align with these goals of behavior and if something's out of the norm, we should call it out. So that's what I'm hoping. If I can um if we could just make it boards, committees, and commissions. Yes. Um I'm sorry. I
thought I meant to put my little boards, committees, commissions is on the top, right? I didn't put it conduct for the boards, committees, and commissions. And Mr. Planka, um so we like commissions are appointed
by this board. Um so that's something that um you know every year or two years whatever the commission is um designated for um we voted many years ago for the term um you know we would
expect people to you know be able to you know maintain decorum and professionalism and yeah so we've had instances of people not maintaining decorum and at that at the time of reappointment they don't get reappointed
you know at that time but a lot of times we don't hear about it. The only own the their own board members hear about it. It's not coming to us and we don't get anything. So this you know gives them a mechanism to police their own board a little bit better and it gives us a
mechanism to police ourselves. Um as a select board we should be held to the highest standards in town. Without this policy is a centur was that is that was that always option. Mhm. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's not
one has been executed. It's not one people know about on other boards and committees. I would say if you talk to most of the people on boards and committees, they don't know that if they have a member, you know, behaving badly, bullying or doing any of those things
that they have that opportunity to have a censure. I think the the only censure I can recall in recent memory happened with the school committee. Yep. many years ago, I think before more than three or four years
ago. I can't. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Most recently. Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. Yes. Okay. I have a motion to second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call
vote. I carbon. I do. I Thank you, Brian. It's a It's a giveaway. I just wore you down. Just to confirm, we'll just add the word commission on that. Yes. Um and just on a side note, because I know we'll be
coming back um on Monday. Can we through that channel come up with a consistent format? Do you like this format? I can send it to you or just whatever you know we decide. I would like to have policy,
you know, somehow. Yeah. You know, and this is courtesy of Grammarly. Yeah. in um version control some somehow if there's a way for version control I have experience in all that I know you do that's why I think it would be fantastic to fantastic streamline it so wonderful
thank you everyone I appreciate it uh subcommittee policy code of conduct fire station building committee all right I'll be brief um so we had our we had a meeting this past Wednesday and I am
happy to say that all of the uh pre-qualification um sub bids had come in and I know I have my notes here so off the top of my head there were 15 general contractor um
prequalification submitts and 114 subcontractor um submitts that came through they use an auto um kind of an online system which has made the old archaic you know paper and go through checklist and made it very simplified So there was quite
the team involved in that um you know going through uh they will be submitting their um on schedule for requests for proposals which would be the next step. So you get qualified first and then the
proposals um requests would go out and they're targeting the end of May, beginning of June for that. Um and then that will you know they'll come through the the next process for for that. But we are on schedule. Um we are pulling
whatever permits. I believe there were four major ones that we talked about. National Heritage. Um as DOT, speaking of National Heritage, Natural Heritage, um was there any
recreation needed for land displacement for this project? um none that we have been brought to our attention at this point. So I think it we're going to go through the permitting process um at this point. Um they'd usually come up to and tell you way in advance of that.
Sure. Um that hasn't been okay, you know, brought up, but um my apologies. I meant to have a list of those permits um before this meeting, but anyways, we're on schedule. Share it out. We're on schedule. Perfect. And you're for the next item as well.
Uh, Old Colony. Oh, sorry. Listen, I'm very tired. Oh, Colony. Um, Chris or I could tag team on this one. The latest I have um I keep missing meetings because they conflict
with ours. Um the 15th I attended a meeting um with Andrew that they held for um all the different towns. was primarily town administrators and town clerks, but there were other representations there just to talk more about the um the fall vote that the old colony school committee intends to have.
Um questions and answers went all over the place, but they are we're now moving forward with that. Um they've been holding a number of workshops during the day for people um sustainability and some other stuff. So they've they're moving forward. They're getting community input um and they're starting
to put together more public outreach as well. So, I've started to notice some Facebook posts coming from O Colony um with like FAQs and such. Um they realize it's a going to be a monumental ask, especially with all the number of communities going through this budget process right now. Um but the the
information is impressive and the team they have working on it has really done miracles over at BP and coming in way under budget. So, we're certainly hoping that if the project were to pass that they can pull it off a second time. We'll see. If there's anything else,
Chris has happened really. Yeah, you missed the last meeting. Yeah, that's good. Good progress gone. Um, information technology. Um, no meeting. The next meeting would be the second Tuesday of May. So that would be the
13th and there's a request to change the name. Yes. So there's a request to just drop information from the technology subcommittee. So probably the information sorry the technology advisory subcommittee um simply because the members were worried that putting
the word information would make people think they're kind of bound to just laptops, desktops, network stuff. Um so they were hoping there might be an opportunity to just say, "Hey, you know, we can talk about more than just that." We have a motion. So I will make a motion to
um change the name of the currently current information technology subcommittee to technology advisory subcommittee effective immediately. Second motion in the second. Any
discussion? Does anyone need to change it to something else? Do we need another description on there? Hearing none. Roll call vote. Black eye. Carbon eye. Candy eye. Black eye. Day eye. Yeah. Done. Now you have an acronym. Now you can
call him task. Yeah. Do you have anything else to add to that? Nope. All right. The next one. Moving right along to the communication and community outreach subcommittee. Um I believe we have now I am the the
new designate for this. Um I haven't called a meeting with myself yet. Um but we do have a letter of interest and I'm hoping that on the next um select board meeting we can add that to the agenda. Um it was fantastic the letter of
interest. So is it from Bruna? No, no, but Brena was great. Brena was great. Um but yes um fantastic very highly qualified and individual. Yep. So, very very excited about our meeting getting
this going. Yep. Fantastic. Um, citizens academy sub committee. Um, not planning to meet until Septemberish. I thought we said well was it last September? It's no. Um I'm hoping to I wanted to get
through um you know the budget discussions um and then actually schedule um an information meeting with the town administrator to talk about a plan. Fantastic. So um in the next not next
week but the week after. Okay. Um any new business to become to come before the board? and old business to come before the board. I see multiple. Thank you, ma'am.
Um to revisit and possible vote on stipen for planning clerk Kathy Murray. Uh at our last meeting um we discussed um increasing uh or creating a stipen uh for the planning clerk who is taking
over additional tasks with the vacancy of the planner. However, this board's discussions were around how much of the tasks um that the clerk was taking on versus the salary that it was
increasing. The current salary is 51,000 and it would be increasing to 70,000 under the guidelines of what was proposed by HR. Um, do we have any further
discussion on that? Andrew? Yeah. Um, to be honest, I haven't really done a whole lot with this um, except kind of brainstorm with a few people internally. I think we can probably I don't know if maybe a
designate from the board can sit down with um myself maybe um the inspectional services director Nate Darwin to kind of see exactly how many hours each task is going to take and exactly what the split
is between these duties and her current duties. Okay, because the increase in duties that were mentioned on the extra page were actually in the job description of the current clerk prior.
So, probably some more clarification on that. Does anyone want to sit down with HR? Does anyone I think Moren would be a really good candidate. Oh, Moren, she's horrible. I'll take a motion. Do we have to make
Do we have to? I don't think so. No. Good. I just like to say it now. I guess I just say I still have questions on this is a 40hour employee. So if they're taking on additional tasks, what tasks are being dropped? Yeah. And who's doing those? And do we then have to do a
siphon for them? Um and then you know if if we I still don't have clarity on the wording that HR provided on the classification, right? We didn't we never got clarification of is that like the classification of the planners pay
scale or the next grade up in the union. So it was language in the union that said if the person under them per se was taking on their tasks there was a formula applied. However, it didn't say anything about if the person is taking on some of
the tasks or something. It it basically acted like the person was taking on all duties and that that was the compensation. I'm by no means against rewarding somebody for taking on outside of their scope. I think it's if if we're
saying 30 so if we're just saying 40 hours a week, if 30 hours of your week remain your normal, why am I going to pay you the differential for those 30? Why wouldn't I pay the differential on the 10 that you're doing the extra tasks? Right. When we're kind of just
bumping the rate up entirely. That seems a little weird. All of it. And that's what we were driving out. All right. Would each member that has questions, no no opinions forward uh both me and Andrew those questions and I will do my
best along with Andrew to get everything answered uh if if at all possible. Uh just a short little one on revisit special town and annual meeting. Yeah. Um so just as a word of caution, so I passed out these two documents. One is
the uh draft special um town meeting warrant. One is the annual town meeting warrant. They don't jive with this list. Um, this is more clerical like this is like this is the current like showtime.
Like if we were go tomorrow, this is what I would pull out at town meeting to look at. These have all been reviewed by town council. The ones over that handed out. So those they're not completely finalized. Mike and myself added um prior year invoices to the special and
then I think that's that's it. that hasn't been reviewed yet, but everything else is pretty much finalized. Um, I'll go over this sheet now, the uh kind of the cheat sheet, as you will. Um, we took out the capital article
transfers. Um, we're just going to close those out to free cash and then we allocate this. This this is more administratively burdensome. Um, I took off the waterline project because we I we figured we could do it at another point in time.
Um, I added in prior invoices. Um, there's two of them that have come up in recent um, weeks. Apply 24 22. Oh jeez. 22 or 23. It was basically a claim I think we had with Verizon that
they denied finally. Okay. After three years. So, um, we're on the hook for it. Um, under the annual, um, I took out the recall provision. Um, I got a call from, uh,
the town administrator of Freetown. She is not going to take it to the, um, annual for hers. So, I figured if there's any changes on her end or our end, I didn't want them to mismatch. If they mismatch, they're both invalid. So, um, she said she'd bring it in the fall.
What was the rational rationalization? I think they have a busy um Tommy Edmore. She's I think she's uh negotiating all our union contracts. So um there are some questions. I know remember Blanca and D has some questions
on it. I some questions. I thought those were great questions. So those haven't got gotten resolved yet and I think maybe on her end maybe our end too we it would have been okay. Just a little bit more time for Yep. So madam can we push this to fall? Yep. Yeah. Yep. How do we
ensure that this like does get to fall? Like how do the two towns work together to say yes, we're really committed to getting this the floor? Schedule something maybe to have a recap meeting um because we did meet January, right? So maybe we do something for September.
Is that the right time frame for the fall town meeting or is that too late? um for their warrant. I just don't I don't remember off the top of my head if they have like a November one or if they have an October. I want to say this November, but I could be could be wrong.
I can ask Deb what what exactly that is. Yeah, because if we are following the the guidance here, we're going to want to have ours close to theirs. Um you know, and continue to monitor what they're they're having and have that open dialogue.
Can it be identical on days? They could be. Well, the article should be Oh, the article should be identical. And that's why we don't want We don't want time to be our enemy. Whereas in the more someone looks at something, the more likely they are to make a change, etc.
And an argument about timing. Yep. Just timing. Content. Nope. Content should be the same. So, all questions should be brought forward and shared as much as possible. I took out article 11. Um there's more work that needs to be done on that and
um okay that was yeah more to that but um article 12 13 14 um I think there was some questions on what those exactly looked like. Those are in um what they what they actually look like and in these documents I passed out. Um I added
article 18. Um, very recently we found out that we need to add in roadway alteration acceptances for this June town meeting. Um, so we don't really have the option to go to the fall with it,
unfortunately, just based off the timing of Mass DOT. Um, and so we either do it at the annual or we make a special town meeting in the summertime, which I don't think there's any appetite for that.
Where is it? Um and then obviously the big one that I haven't really done much with is article um 16. I mean at this point I think we've clarified the select board can do that on a vote of its own. So I wouldn't it
wouldn't hurt me to say just pull it from discussion so far. I'm fine. We can certainly we can vote on our own for futures if we want. Agreed. So, these are coming up on Monday to uh
for the warrant. So, what are we down? One, two, three. We're not 15. We want 27 articles. That was almost 29. 29. Never again. I think we're down to
15. 15. Yep. And then two on the special. Bunch of people pleasers here. So just for my own education, like 13 and 14 basically like both have to pass, right? Because if 13 passes and 14 doesn't, are we going to
have apartments defined in two different places of our zoning bylaws? Yeah. And those are to um So why would we have them separate? Is that your question? or no just okay just just thinking for town meeting to be like you know hey folks like if you don't pass this form you're
going to have problems now maybe they'll speak to it when they present it on the floor typically I believe they will do that but this one is to basically to be in compliance with the
new ADU law yeah which is which fine but the article on removing the Fidcom restriction. We still have time. So I know we had that on the agenda. Do we still have time to talk about that? Yeah. So just add one line. Do you want
do we want to add just that that committee? Do you want to like we work the whole thing? So no one else really has anything middle bar does to that. No, for us though like they're the only committee. Yeah, they're the only committee that have that restriction. We had assessor.
We can't be on planning board and slug board anymore. No, we didn't pass that. That didn't go through. Oh, we did it not pass. No, it was it was beaten soundly. Oh, jeez. Um but yeah, it it does seem to I'm sorry. What? Planning
board and select board. Remember that came before last year's cycle warrant. Yeah, I thought it passed. I did too. No, you can't serve on the planning board or sele in the select board now in the same
capacity. Now I have to look. I'm pretty sure it passed. What will the right search term be for that? What for this? The easiest way is to add in this committee to that language. Otherwise, you'd have to rework. That must have been what I missed. I'm sorry.
What was your the request is to remove the finance committee restriction from serving on any other Oh, okay. Great. Is it truly necessary? Right. I mean, that committee is supposed to be your third party, not
involved in anything else, making sure the fiduciary responsibilities of the town are taking place. But in that respect then the select board should be well we're stuck with this poll additionally like burdened with not being able to be on other boards.
Just asking the question. Yeah. Like what memberships would we change in the past? They're on building committees. They're on search committees. They can't be on like conservation. they can't be on um
what's driving it is the participation in the EDC. Is there a fin role there? Mhm. That was the question because they wanted to add one. No, I mean like what was the role of fin? Oh, it wasn't on there before.
When did you see first? Right. It wasn't on there before. it um planning board representative and um Fin Kong had come up in discussion that they wanted to be included.
Is there hesitation about removing the restriction? We could define we could narrow the scope. Trying to think of like instead of all removal, what would a better scope be? But I can't think of top
subcommittees. You don't I don't think you want them in a position where you're presenting a budget or what else? You could limit them to participating in like it EDC, but they don't have a
direct Yeah. budget. Do other towns have uh limits? Freetown has does not have any. I know M restricted to just that's the only you can be on. Metal bro had that as well. Yeah, it's
kind of an old school. So, it was done it was done in not too far ago. It was like 20 something years ago. So, it wasn't really like way back ye olden days. Ye old. Let's see. I think the easiest thing
would be to add EDC to that charge and then Maybe in the future when there's more time to then that's a quick that would be very easy. Yeah. Quick solution. Yeah. So the article would allow them to participate in EDC. That's
a quick quick solution. Damn it. You guys are right. 58 to 55. What was the the article? Uh, article 12, citizens petition on um, no person shall hold at one time the office of select board,
office of assessor or planning board in the town of Lakeville take any action relative to two. Um, finance committee no recommendation. It passed by three people. Yeah, I remember what drove that.
Yeah. No impact to what we discussed yet. No, but there is a restriction now where there was not. Yep. I I recall that. We can't be on the board of assessors. You can't be the assessor.
the office of assessor, not the assessing board. So, you can't be an assessor. I feel like that's all the same. Assessor is a position in town.
Makes sense. Makes sense if you understand the reason why it was. Sure. It was it was a personal experience that created that maybe. Um yeah. So, can we can how about we if we can do a quick research on other
towns that have it and why um just in general like I think just a reason why it is there should be a rational like a rational reason of why if like if there really isn't then I don't know I I think the
people should be able to vote for who they want for positions that they want I don't think we should be telling the people of Lakeville Unless there is a clear violation of a lot of they wouldn't be though because they'd be those are appointed things they could put on after the initial election. True,
true, true, true. But like this precludes them from running as well. How so? If you can't be on a bunch of other boards, you can't run for them. They can. Yeah, you can. You just pick what you want. you this man won two
positions this election and but he could only do one. I I just But what you you won the right in you had 40 right in votes. But what happens when that happens is then it forces either appointment or another election and that
creates problems. Maybe Chris. Uh, all right. Let's have a further discussion on it before we firm everything up just to have that discussion. Yeah. On the fifth one. Um,
town water. Oh, wait. Yeah. Town. We're done with warrants. Correct. Correct. Yeah. Town water. Okay. So, I requested this discussion old business um specifically the um the water issues at Learon Hills.
Um, I'm aware that this has been going on for a while. Um, I've heard from I heard from a lot of residents, uh, spoken to our state rep, um, spoken to, uh, um, select what members to get some historical knowledge. So, I I I
simply tonight just want to make sure that this issue is still moving forward in the interest of those residents. Um, and I'm aware of the 2023 letter from the D uh regard regarding the water
uh management issues. Uh, and I do have a copy of the letter sent from the stock board to the ZBA. Was that the beginning of the year? Remember day that letter within the last couple months I want to say, but it's all fuzzy. So, but anyway,
um, so specifically, and I won't rehash it. I can send it out the letter later. Uh but the issues uh basically center around uh management um um yeah managing the infrastructure
and so forth. Um responding to DP's opinion that Learon Hills needs to stop managing the water uh infrastructure and so forth operating as an entity. Uh and then the other issue
the lack of the as builts for that. Yeah, that's just strange. Yes, I from it appears to me that there was a a um lack of enforcement at the time that development 25 years ago maybe
um by somebody ZBA and special services. I'm not sure but anyway um so that letter was sent to ZBA. Um, so what are the next steps and how do we ensure this is moving along and
specifically the as builts? I believe we this was discussed at a price left board meeting before I was a member regarding holding the current developer accountable. We know he has multiple additional permits pending before ZBA.
Uh so we're trying to leveraging that avenue to get the developer to provide those as bills and potentially present those bring those back to the city of Taton and Taton may be willing knowing what's in the ground may be willing to
take over management and potentially offer a solution. So that's what I wanted to discuss tonight. I'm not looking for any answers but all good stuff to discuss. Um so I I agree the lack of asbuilts is concerning um on
both sides. The fact that we don't have in our own records is is kind of concerning. Did we verify that we have looked every everywhere? Water boy has some answers. Um so I did speak with inspectional services. They
said that it is not general practice to receive water as built for a new development. Um they would get like I knew the board of health did but I didn't know if you know if I I could be quoting this wrong but I think he said essentially like the plumbing inspector only has like from 10 ft from the house
like beyond that they don't get as built for. Um, that doesn't mean that D shouldn't have been getting something or Taton should have been getting something because Taton essentially is sending water into a system that they don't they're claiming they don't know anything about like want to do that a
public records request to Taton for them to find that I believe some of the residents have come up short. Um, so D certainly sent that letter in February of 2023.
the board could perhaps entertain saying, you know, okay, we sent a letter to ZBA. There's been no there's been no hearings on Learon because the applicant has requested continuences. So, there's been no opportunity for discussion between ZBA and the, you know, applicant
in an open meeting yet. Um, you know, we could take the the measure to say, look, we're just going to reach out to D and say, where are you on this thing? It's been over two years now. Are you following up with them? Is there more to be done? What do you need to get a check mark? Very very
disconcerting level of oversight. Um I mean it it just blows my mind. It's been two years and the state hasn't checked in or we don't know if they've checked in or not. They've been alert us for at least a year after that was
notified. So yeah, we could do that. Um, I mean, at the end of the day, there's kind of like two parallel things going on, I guess you could say. There's the D issue about quality of the water. Is it being tested? Is it a secondary water system? What do they have to do to
bring the secondary water system up to par and does that mean that eventually the owners end up have the homeowner associations have to take it over and take over the testing and everything else that comes with it? And then there's the secondary issue of why we pay off our water because of they have that one big master meter up there and
paying commercial rates as well. Yes. So that that comes back to Taon um not wanting to switch over to individual meters um because they then take over all of the risk of the infrastructure which they claim they do
not know what the infrastructure is. goes back to the AS bills back to the AS bills which the first few phases to their credit I believe Stonebridge took over at phase three or four so they're say essentially they bought phases one two and three already done so I think if
anything they might have to they say well they now own it right it's their problem now maybe they have to go and figure out what's in the ground for stages one two and three maybe have a conversation with Tom one one second um member Carbon When they
are doing their new phases, don't they have to be looking at the asbuilts as they build? That's what doesn't make sense. Sideways in there like like as you're saying it, I'm I'm I'm like, wait, how are they building
new phases off things that they're not looking at? And how are they deciding the wa how the water flow happens? All the utilities are underground and Yeah. and at what points they connect to. Like if they don't have asbuilts, how are they actually doing that? And that just
seems like we might not be getting the full picture. Don't disagree. It makes no sense because like just when you were saying it there, I'm like that that's not resonating. I mean, do I dig here to put in the sewer line or here to put in the sewer line or do I just dig everywhere until I find it? Right. Yeah.
And I don't think that's what's happening. Uh so is that ZBA's responsibility when issuing these permits to ensure that those questions are being answered along with instructional services? Um inspectional services would be out of
it. It'll be all through ZBA. Maybe take that back. Inspectional services would certainly be part of it for um the permits and inspections they have to do. for the special permit ZBA planning. Um, no, because the planning is out of it because it's a it's a special permit
through ZBA thanks to 40B. Um, you know, I think the the previous special permits listing asbuilts have to be provided. I think it says from the peerreview engineer to D and the city and whatnot. I think that's kind of like where'd they
go? Where are they? Has anyone reached out to Don Foster? You might know Ton Foster was the chair for what 15 years of the ZBA prior chair like those first three
phases. It would be nice to figure out because the language I believe is consistent through all of them. Yeah, he's a smart guy and remembering like lots of detail. um institutional he might be a really good resource to reach
out to because he was he was chair around at least phase two I don't know phase one he was on the board but he was he was there for a very long time but you know to member plank's point here
like you know one of these issues is a maybe not right now but a potential health issue so why don't we reach out to D and just say the very It's concerning that we have to reach out to them and they're not running their own ship.
Mhm. I mean, I'm sure the residents of Learon are a very vocal group. There's no way that they haven't reached out to D. I don't know for sure. I think they have. I know they have.
Yeah. Every year for the last six years. So manag the options are we first reach out to DP find out where they're act.
Um second is ZBA aware that any additional discussions with the developer should regard permitting should also include discussions on providing as built or is that so I don't know that that's within the discretion
and I don't know if we have any leverage to do so. I think we could make it a request, but I don't know. Like to your point, if they're filing these permit, is it because it's 40B? Because it's not um it's a water connection in 40b. It's
not well like u it's not well water whereas we have lack of oversight. Yeah, we have oversight over that through the board of health. Your point, somebody's got to have these. Is it how are you building without them? How are you creating Is this a state
question? I'm not sure. I think something we haven't done yet is met with the owner to kind of ask what how we could solve solve it. I would say um both yourself and member day
uh could make that again connection. Connection. Yes. I love I love a good water. Um yeah, this seems a totally reasonable request and
especially uh if there is concerns about quality of water. I I don't want to scare anybody. There's been no evidence of poor quality, but you know, nobody's also out there testing it. As far as we don't know how it goes. We don't if something were to happen, who would be
impacted? Um, yeah, but I'd love to know if we can request that as part of any type of development like that going forward. We have before this board a few large developments that are
happening. I would like to think that we would take this opportunity to learn from kind of this mistakes of past boards and not getting all this information to refer to, you know, in future. So, Didn't that letter that we
sent to ZBA was a request to um hold off on any or the next phase until I believe questions were I believe it it did I have it right here in front of me. Yeah, that is correct. Yes. I don't I think not quite. I'm cutting
here splitting hairs here. Um it says please take the above into consideration for any pending hearings because we don't want to be putting our fingers on the scale. Yep. Like a Norman Rockwall painting. But um I do think they've continued twice now
because of that letter though. Yeah. Yep. You know, and then obviously adjacent to that is when we have outlying issues like unclosed permits or um you know, not being able
to see as or c you know, complaints of residents. um that should factor very highly in these type of decisions. Yeah. And I think time and time again over the past few years, we've come up with a number of situations where people have
good intent, but nobody's coming back after the fact to say, "Did we hit all the marks for this to move forward?" Yeah. Like there's no there's no checklist. There's no accountability. There's no holding people accountable when things do fall through the cracks to say, "All right, how do we make it better now?" Yeah. We need to automate
the c this all these um processes into SOP's automated decisions. That makes a point. Can we No, it's too expensive. I was going to say, can we put that in part of uh Nate's software? Um and then I'm like,
oh no, they'll charge us $30,000 a year to put one form into the software. All right. Any other new business, old business? Anything else to come before the board? Hearing nothing of announcing the
next select board meeting is May 5th, 2025. Um we have two articles of correspondence. one to for the conservation commission um regarding um some meetings that uh
were requested by the planning board and the other to advise us to the fact that the board of health meeting h board of health meeting held April 16, 2025 voted to reappoint Derek as the chairman of the board of health.
Congratulations to Derek and Now executive session. So we are going the Do we read the second one? Am I losing my mind today? Which one? The correspondence. Oh, I had just mentioned
what the correspondence was from Nancy um Yates in your department. Yeah, just mentioned it. I didn't read it at inhole. Um, now we're going to go into executive session pursuant of
GLC30A S21A and three to discuss with respect to collective bargaining educators association in Freetown Lakeville. If an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of board of the chair of the board and the chair so declares and
pursuant to GL section 3 30 3a section 21 A6 to consider the purchase exchange lease value of real estate if the chair declares that an open meeting may have detrimental effect on negotiation pos negotiating position of the public body
and the chair so declares and not to return to open session. So moved. Second. I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call vote. I. Carboni. I. Candy. Okay. And we
are