Good evening and welcome to the select board wage and personnel board of Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 at 5:45 p.m. at the Lakeville Police Station. Is there anyone else recording besides Lake Cam? Hearing no one, I'd like to move on
to call to order. >> Plug ahead here. >> Carbon here. >> All right. And on to the pledge of allegiance which is in the flag is 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 for coming tonight. It's good to see some attendance and thank you to the finance committee.
Would you like to >> We don't start till 6. >> You don't start till 6. All right. We will move on to other agenda items. First agenda item is the select board announcements. Uh current committee commission vacancies include associate member for the ZBA, a member for the
board of registars, two vacancies on the cable TV advisory committee, one vacancy on the communications and community outreach committee, one at large member for the zoning bylaw review advisory committee, and one member of the school
committee. Details on this position can be found on the town's Facebook page and the town's website at www. lakevillemma.org under news. Uh announcements for today are the Rainbow Workshop with Sarah
Martin, uh November Thursday, November 6th, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Uh there's she's a Nashville recording artist and local author promoting her first publication, the W Rainbow Workshop coloring book. So bring your
children. Um is this on the website as well? I don't believe this one is yet. No. >> Can we just pop it somewhere? Uh even if it's just a Facebook thing so people can link right to it. Uh the second item is the second annual snow person Jubilee
which I believe we have uh snow people here tonight with Suzer holding up a snow person behind us. Um starting October 4th, purchase a snow person for $25. Create your design on the 31 1 in
corrugated plastic template. Decorate and add a message for your holiday wish and return by November 30th. Um there'll be a display on the old town hall for the month of December. And then on December 13th, 2 p.m. you can come and
hang out at the Snowperson Village, drink some hot cocoa, join the carolling, and have some fun with family and friends. There'll be awards for first, second, and third place. Uh we also the day after because this is the 13th. The day after we have the
Lakeville uh country Christmas stroll. Enjoy a unique twist on traditional parade. You walk the parade stays. Uh details of that are on the website and we do have a Facebook posting I believe
on it and we can bump that up. >> Same day. >> Same day. One says the 13th and one says the 14th. >> Come to the village on Saturday. Thank you. Rain date. They're both the
13th. Thank you for the clarification. Any further announcements from our select board? We had the um trunk treat event yesterday. Um, my understanding over 500 participants.
>> Wow. >> That's way more than last year, too. >> Yep. And, uh, Farmer Paul was right there handing out the candy and witch cow and we had Colleen and Emily was there
also. Well, I appreciate everyone showing up and showing up for the people of Lakeville. Um, next item on the agenda is the town administrators report. Andrew, would you like to take it away? >> Yeah, just a couple small items. Capital
budget requests were due uh a couple weeks ago. Um, we've kind of gone through about 95% of them. Um, so we're looking to schedule capital uh expenditures committee probably in two weeks, maybe three weeks. It's going to be probably three meetings total. Um, so
we're starting it a lot earlier than years past. Um, and then the other one is we're um, we interviewed for the assistant town accountant this past week and we're looking to extend an offer very soon. So that's all I have.
>> Fantastic. >> I have no questions. Anyone have any questions for the town administrator on his items on his report? Okay, we do have appointments on the schedule today and I do see one of the
appointees. So, if it's okay with the board, I'll just take that out of order. We're going to go under appointments and licenses. Number three, discuss and possible vote to appoint Leah Fabian to the community
preservation committee and as the housing designate. I saw uh Leah come in. Leah, would you like to come up and speak? >> Sure. >> All right. Please have a seat at the
open mic >> here. Thank you. >> Welcome. >> Thanks. >> How is everyone? >> We received your letter. Um and uh you're looking to fill the seat for the
housing design. Um as we don't have a housing committee, it's a little bit less rigorous than some of the others, but it has to have someone that has an interest in housing. So, I was hoping that you would speak today and tell us a little bit about your interest in the committee and what you think you can bring to the role.
>> Okay. So, as I stated in my letter, and I think think it was in the packing, um I I knew that um CPA had two failed attempts um but I still thought it was really worthwhile. So when Michelle and I,
Michelle and I had the opportunity to talk about it and um rallied some support with Sue and Mike Schroeder back then and a whole bunch of other people. Um I kind of went into the background. They took care and
they did the um all the campaigning, got it passed, which you know I thought was great. Well, as we know, the selectman doesn't sit on that seat. So now that I'm not a select and select board member anymore, I feel like it would come full
circle for me. Um but the reason I feel like I can fill that particular housing seat is because um when I was on the select board for six years, I represented, you know, the town and the select board um with the Taton Housing
Consortium, which had to do with all kinds of housing issues. Some that apply to the town of Lakeville, some that don't, some that had to do with HUD money, grant money um that folks could use to renovate um their existing
properties. Um and you know, in the hopes of turning things affordable. So, there's that whole affordable component there that we would constantly discuss. Um I dealt with a lot of the water issues for town, which sort of gave me a
whole new understanding of how water applies to housing. Um so it is a challenge for us in Lakeville to um try to you know use the money appropriately for housing because it doesn't end up
being millions of dollars every year. But you know I think over time maybe we will be able to use it for those appropriate reasons. And you know for me it's sort of coming full circle to be able to sit on that committee.
>> Fantastic. Yep. And also um I had done some of the affordable housing lotteryies with the Middleboro Housing Authority which um you know so a whole understanding of how like the lottery stuff works and all that other stuff >> and then their whole other life as the assessor
>> a whole other life knowing how all that property is assessed and taxed and yeah so >> I'm going to open up some questions from the board. >> Um I'm familiar with Miss Fabian's accomplishments and achievements. Um, so
I think you'd be a great addition to the CBC. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments? >> If nothing, I'll take a motion. >> Madam Chair, I'll make a motion to appoint the Aphabian to the community preservation committee as the housing
designate to fill an unexpired term through 731 2028. >> I'll second. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Welcome. >> Plug. >> Plug. Hi. >> Indeed. I carbon. I welcome.
>> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> I appreciate it. >> Very good. And um we have another appointee um for Suzan Suzanne Blanka.
Would Suzanne like to speak? >> Hello. >> Welcome. My name is Suzanne Blanca. Probably know my dad. I live on 41 Baker Lane and I'm requesting appointment to the anniversary committee because I have offered to write the latest edition of
the town history of Lakeville. Um, a little bit about me and my credentials with writing. I am a sophomore at the Southern New Hampshire University where I study professional and technical writing. I am also an agented author and for those who don't know what that means I am signed with a literary agency and
my books are now under consideration by traditional publishers such as Penguin Random House, Simon Asher and Harper Collins. I am looking forward to starting on this project as history and writing are my passions and I am excited to combine both in such a way that will preserve the town of Lakeville's legacy
in both a historically accurate and entertaining fashion. That is >> fantastic. really appreciate you coming in, especially we love having younger members of the community coming in and being part of the community uh early on.
I'm gonna open it up to the board for any questions. >> Nice to meet you. >> Thank you. >> No questions. >> So, Madam Chair, my unbiased opinion is I believe my daughter would be a great >> You want You want You want her?
>> My unbiased opinion. Thank you. >> Shocking. >> For the record. >> No questions. No questions. Um if we have no further questions, then I will take a motion. >> I'll make a motion to appoint Suzanne Flanka to the 175th anniversary committee for one-year um term to expire
on June 30th, 2026. >> Second >> motion and a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. Welcome. plug. >> You can't. >> I >> fantastic and welcome aboard.
>> Thank you. Thank you. >> It's a lovely crowd tonight. You guys should come here every day. Um, vote to point Ronald Burgess to the Middle Lakeville Herring Fishing. >> I don't think he's here. >> No, he's not.
>> No, it's okay. >> No, >> then I will actually we still have time for it. So, we have the letter uh in that packet. I did see it. Has Mr. B been a member previously as
well? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Long time. >> Okay. Yeah. Then I will um then I will take a motion. >> I'll make a motion to appoint Ronald Burgess to the Middleboro Lakeville Herring Fishery Commission for a three-year term to expire September 30th, 2028.
>> Seconded. >> Motion second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. H I >> Hug Eye >> Carbon Eye. >> And then the last item would be um accept the resignation of Gary Mansfield
from the Old Colony School Committee. Um, I'd like to take this time. It's always hard whenever we have to accept resignations of our long-term volunteers, but Gary and Marilyn have been volunteering for the town um, since long before I moved here, and I'm very thankful for everything that they've
done for the town in the last gosh, is it 30 years of volunteering? >> Long time. >> Yes. Um, so, uh, anything anyone else would like to add? >> Madam Chair, if I may. Um, again, uh, I've known Gary, uh, for many years, uh,
since I've moved to town, and I can honestly say there is no bigger advocate for Old Colony than, uh, Mr. Mansfield. So, I do want to recognize his many years of service and dedication to Old Colony. Appreciation. I appreciate his efforts.
>> The community for as long as I can remember. >> Anyone else? >> Wonderful human being. Thank you very much for your service to the town, Mr. Mansfield. Um, I'll reluctantly take a motion.
I'll make a motion um that we accept the resignation of Gary Mansfield from the Old Colony uh school committee. >> Can we get a second? >> Second. >> Motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hug eye. >> Hug eye. >> Do that one.
>> Herbon eye. >> And that brings us to six o'clock. >> Close enough. >> I'm looking. >> Um, I will call to order the uh October 21st, 2025 Lakeville Finance Committee
meeting at 6 PM. >> Present. >> Cost present. >> Right. Present. feels present. >> Um, we are now entering into a joint meeting with the finance committee to review the warrant and provide recommendations to each individual
article. Uh, this is a kind of new process for us. I think this is the second time we've done this. Um, reviewing each article instead of all of them as a whole. Um, so we're still working out the kinks on doing that. Um the finance committee, town moderator
and town clerk have been invited and the warrant article proposers are also invited to attend. Um so do we want to do a joint? I think we did joint last time. >> I thought we I thought we did separate
>> I'm going to defer to you my my memory. Not so good. >> Ideally, I'd like to see like a vote from each committee. Uh basically taking a vote whether they favorable action or not >> on each one. Is that agreeable to everyone? >> Yes, that was the last one. >> Thank you. Um,
so let us go through the articles and I will let you take over for your first reading of it. And >> you want me to you want me to read it? >> You can read it. >> All right. Sure. >> Um, here we go. Article one to see if
the town will vote to transfer the sum of $814.50 50 from free cash and $54627 from park commission retained earnings to pay for the following unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year or take any other action relative there too. Line
one, uh, department veterans vendor veterans reimbursement amount, $351, funding source, free cash. Line two, police department, M&S Automotive, $35 free cash. Line three, human resources, Advantage Drug Testing, $235 free cash.
Line four, human resources, Voya Benefits, $78 free cash. Line five, IT, Green River Associates, Inc., $115.50 free cash. Line six, Park Commission, JSON Gas Service, Inc. $54627
retained earnings for a total of $1,360.77. >> Are there any questions about these charges? These all look like normal housekeeping issues. I don't see anything out of the norm for them. Are there any questions? >> I just have one question. What's our
current free cash? Uh it is >> it's uh I can answer it. Um I might get the numbers cross, but it's 1,700,000 uh755,558 before this obviously.
>> Thank you. >> Would any other questions from the finance committee? If not, I guess we'll vote. I do have one quick question. There's a few here from 2023. What happened with those? They just get sent late. >> Can you come up and do
>> you have to go on the mic? >> Please introduce yourself. >> Mike Ellis, finance director. So, those are actually withholdings from uh personnel paychecks that were withheld and they weren't paid. I think um we were paying them on an annual basis and some of them were kind of grandfathered
in on a monthly basis and they just slipped through the cracks and didn't get paid. So, yeah, thank you. >> Y >> just to clarify, that's the $78 bill. >> Yeah, they all pertain to Voya. Um they're individual amounts of like $14.50 and $15, but they total $78.
That's correct. Any other questions? Finance committee. No want to >> vote. I'd like to make a motion to approve. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> select board. Do we have any questions
about uh any of the items that has not that have not already been answered? >> And I'll take a motion. I'll make a motion um to recommend article one for the special town meeting Wednesday November 12, 2025. >> Second.
>> Motion in a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. >> I plug Ion I >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. >> Would you please select who will be reading that question at town meeting? >> Who would like to read this at town
meeting? Do we have any volunteers? happy to read it. >> Thank you. Member Corbone. And if there's anything you feel passionate about reading, call it out. Um, article two, and I'm gonna pass it
on to you because you're going to vote for it. >> The whole thing, please. >> Okay, >> that would be fun. >> Great. >> Just to practice for annual when you do the whole budget. >> All right. Those are just numbers. That's easy. Okay. Article two to see if
the town will vote to amend the town code chapter 15 boards and committees article 7 community preservation committee as shown below with additions shown in bold or take any other action relative there too. Article 7, Community Preservation Committee. Uh, section
1525, establishment A. There is hereby established a community preservation committee consisting of nine voting members pursuant to Mass General Law 44 C44B. The composition of the committee, the appointment authority, and the term of the term of office for the committee members shall be as follows. One, one
member of the conservation commission as designated by the commission for a term of three years. Two, one member of the historical commission is design designated by the commission for a term of three years. Three, one member of the planning board as designated by the board for a term of three years. Four,
one member of the park commission as designated by the commission for an initial term of one year and therefore for a term of three years. Five, one member of the open space committee as designated by the committee for an initial term of one year and thereafter for a term of three years. Six. Four
Lakeville resident at large members to be recommended by the community preservation committee and appointed by the select board. One member to be appointed for a term of one year and therefore for a term of three years and three members to be appointed for a term of two years and thereafter for a term of three years, provided that one of the
two-year appointments shall be an individual with interest in the area of housing. B. Each member of the committee shall serve for the term spec specified above or until the person no longer serves on the board, committee, commission, or authority as set forth above, whichever is earlier. C. Should
any of the commissions, boards, authorities, or committees who have appointment authority under this chapter be no longer in existence for whatever reason, the appointment authority for that commission, board authority, or committee shall become the responsibility of the select board. D. Any member of the committee may be
removed for cause by their respective appointing authority after a hearing. Section 1526-26 duties. A. The community preservation committee shall study the needs, possibilities, and resources of the town regarding community preservation. The committee shall consult with existing municipal boards including the
conservation commission, the historical commission, the planning board and the park commission or persons acting in those cap capacities or per performing like duties in conducting such studies. As part of its study, the committee shall hold one or more publicformational hearings on the needs, possibilities,
and resources of the town regarding community preservation possibilities and resources, notice of which shall be posted publicly and published for each of two weeks preceding a hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the town. B. The community preservation committee shall make recommend
recommendations to the town meeting for the acquisition, creation, and preservation of open space. For the acquisition, preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of historical resources for the acquisition, creation, and preservation of land for recreational use, for the creation, preservation, and support of community
housing, and for rehabilitation or restoration of such open space, land for recreation use and community housing that is acquired or created as provided in this section. With respect to the community housing, the community preservation committee shall recommend wherever possible the reuse of existing
buildings or construction of new buildings on previously developed sites. C. The community preservation committee may include in its recommendation to the town meeting a recommendation to set aside for later spending funds for for specific purposes that are consistent with community preservation but for
which sufficient re revenues are not then available in the community preservation fund to accomplish that specific purpose or to set aside for later spending funds for general purposes that are consistent with community preservation. D. In every fiscal year, the community preservation committee must recommend
either that the legislative body spend or set aside for later spending not less than 10% of the annual revenues in the community preservation fund for open space, not including land for recreational use, not less than 10% of the annual revenues in the community preservation fund for historic resources, and not less than 10% of the
annual revenues in the community preservation fund for community housing. Section 15-27, requirement for quorum and cost estimates. The community preservation committee shall not meet or conduct business without the presence of a quorum. Majority of the members of the community preservation committee shall constitute a quorum. The community
preservation committee shall approve its actions by majority vote. Recommendations to the town meeting shall include their anticipated costs. Section 15-28 amendments. This chapter may be amended from time to time by a majority vote of the town meeting provided that the amend amendments would not cause a conflict to occur with Mass
General Law C 44B. Section 15-29 sever severability in case of any se in case any section paragraph or part of this chapter may be for any reason declared invalid or unconstitutional by any court of last resort every other section paragraph and
part shall continue in full force and effect section 15-30 effective amended 11-8-2021 STM by article 8 AG approved 224 2022 this bylaw shall take effect upon the
town's acceptance of the Community Preservation Act in accordance with the procedures set forth in chapter 44B of the general laws and after all requirements of Mass General Law C40 section 32 have been met. Sponsored by Community Preservation Committee. >> Would a member of the community
preservation committee like to speak to this? I feel like Tom Sawyer right now like you're reading the whole >> All right. >> Michelle McGaran Community Preservation Committee. Thank you for reading that. I don't plan on reading that at town
meeting. >> I don't have to. >> We'll just be adding about five words, three conjunctions to uh section 1525 A6 uh which says recommended by the community preservation committee and
appointed. So this just adds words to um dictate that the committee can review the applicants for the atlarge housing or not housing but at large member seats and then send the recommendation over for appointment by the select board. I
believe this is typical process for other appointed committees. Um, and so we were just looking to get that on the bylaw so it's not just up for interpretation, you know, depending on what select board
is in place. >> Yeah. And I don't know if it's codified in all of the individual murders in such a way. This is probably the tightest language for any of them >> and and I literally copied it from the planning board associate member. So it
was reusing what we have. to make um I'll make a motion um finance committee like to make a motion uh for no recommendation on article two as written there a second
>> I think we should be >> okay good >> no I >> right I bills I >> so the finance committee did not make a recommendation >> we don't have a recommendation
>> um >> madam chair can I ask question to the mic please uh rich camera 32 p house road I uh unless I missed it um there was no nothing in there about the CPA meeting with the open space committee. I was a
little confused by that. Did I miss that? >> I don't recall what I read. >> You said you you said you were going to meet with the conservation, the planning board, and and these other committees, but you said nothing about the open space committee. >> There was one member. >> I might I might have missed it, but
>> yeah, let me Yeah, one member of the open space committee is designated by the committee for an initial term of one year. No, I know that. But they talked about meeting with the different boards to talk about, you know, preservation and stuff like that. So,
>> um I'm looking at uh 1526 duties and I see conservation historical planning park. >> No open space. >> Future amendments. Would you mind very much coming back up just
in case? >> Thank you very much. >> Yeah, I mean I wasn't part of writing this bylaw. This actually was accepted by the town prior to acceptance of the CPA itself. So this was already on um the books, so to speak, but we do include a member of open space on the
committee. Um, and it does say somewhere in here that we uh gather input from all boards in in town, I believe. Um, >> would you like to add in more specific language or >> not without the review of the committee?
>> Okay. And recommendation not this time. >> Okay. And then I had another question on another line. It's for um 1525
uh section 6D. Any member of the committee may be removed for cause by their respective appointing authority after a hearing. Do we have that for any other boards committees and commissions or do the do they serve at the the pleasure of the
board of selectment? >> At the pleasure of the board of select >> I think I' prefer the language was consistent um boards, committees and commissions. But >> so just to be clear, so that that means that if planning board decides I'm not
going to be on planning board, they want Dan to be on CPC. That's how I would interpret it because it's not this is an appointment. These are members who are already serving on other committees, commissions, etc. that now are joining CPC representing those boards. So I I
think it's up to the board, you know, to say to vote to recommend whoever it is, you know, to represent them. So that's how I interpret that. It's not to be removed respective board because I was reading it their respective appointing authority and that that would be the
board of selectmen, >> but the >> So the but the appointing authority is that board of committee because for planning board we vote to appoint me, >> right? >> But it's a recommendation, right? So That's the board that's recommending.
>> Oh, correct. Yes. So, the language is off there. >> So, you think it >> in my estimation anyways um that the respective board or the respective um advisory board
because whenever you're talking about the appointing authority >> after a hearing, >> it's always goes back to the select board. And in my experience, I'm absolutely happy to hear other people's interpretation on it.
>> Madam Chair, may I ask the language that reads under section A, it says there's hereby establishment of a CPA committee consisting of nine voting members, the composition of the committee, the appointment authority and the term of the office for the committee members shall be as follows. Conservation
Commission has designated by the commission. The historical commission has designated by that commission. >> It looks like the commission is appointing them >> except for the residents at large which is in question.
>> So are you saying that it should be appointing commission instead of authority or are you saying that authority just designates? Yeah, I think the language the authority Yeah, the authority usually just refers to the select board in in those type of matters. So, it kind of it splits the
baby a little bit on the language. >> Well, one through five appear to be the boards, but item six would be a select. >> Yeah. >> So, you can't have be different. >> Yeah. So, that was just a >> So, we can I can definitely put it before the committee. We can look at it and see if there's other changes to
>> I'm just one member. Uh, >> but that's fine. We can look at it for spring. You know, obviously it's too late to do anything for fall, but >> um any other if I can, Madam Chair, I know any other subcommittees that um the select board has, you know, created and asked for other members, for example,
ZRAC, there were recommendations coming from different boards, committees, and commissions and then those appointments were done by the appointing authority. >> Right. Yeah. So I think I think like Barb Barber pointed out that's the confusion because the the bylaw says
that these commissions are the appointing authority but really the way the town does it still goes to the select board. >> Yeah. So that's my only issue the consistency there and the confusion that it could create. >> Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just for
clarification, for the purposes of the special town meeting, we're only um going to be voting on the recommended change that we reviewed this evening. Correct. Item six, right? I just wanted to make that
clarification until spring for the additional changes to be made because they brought this because of what is it bylaw 74- 18 if this goes before
the um the general legislature we can't make any changes on town meeting floor >> so am I correct you can make small changes you ministerial.
>> You can make Yeah, you can make word changes. You can make corrections. >> Would this be a ministerial change along with um >> It depends on what you're going to change. >> I would need to see what you're proposing to change before I say, "Yeah,
that's going to be allowed." >> So, if instead of respective appointing authority, it said respect delegating authority or delegating board. >> Yeah, you could add that. I mean, we made changes when we were going from a three to a five um from the floor because they were small. They did not
change materially >> the article. They didn't change the intent. >> It didn't change the intent. It just clarified something. So, you could add an amendment, but that would have to come as an amendment, >> right? >> So, you would just have >> and our committee wasn't planning on meeting. So, we'd have to arrange a meeting to review it,
>> right? on meeting >> you can you just amend on the town meeting floor. You can say I propose this amendment and then you can say we're changing this word to this word. >> Sorry to be nitpicky. It just came across as weird. >> No, I agree. >> Do we also want it to be more thoroughly
reviewed by town council because of >> Oh, it should be >> other maybe there's other changes. Well, I wouldn't I would try not to make a lot of changes if I mean I would if there's a simple fix to just changing a word so that it clarifies it >> but like Rich pointed out if open space
is missing we should include >> that is that is different that's adding something that wasn't there and I think it would you either not tell exactly what to do but you might want unless you have a a pressing need to do this right now to for your
members um you might want until and do it all at once in the spring where you have all of your language correct. You have Mr. Qubo or um town council take a look at it and make sure that it's all there because
this then has to go once it's done doesn't it have to be does it have to be brought to the attorney general? >> Yeah, it has to be brought back to the attorney general. So, how many times do you want to do that? >> Right.
But if you have a pressing reason to do at least this part. >> Well, yeah. More so just we typically bring other things to springs to get this done at this point. >> So we could take the vote and then if your board if you brought it back to your board, you guys could come to town
meeting and either decide to make a ministerial change or to pull it and have it at spring. >> That way weigh in on it. >> That just postpones it until Once once the meeting is dissolved, all bill's business is done and you just
bring it back to to the spring annual. >> Any further questions, comments, call me. >> Yes. >> Um, so you were talking about in this case the CPC would have a hearing about moving a
member for cause. >> No. No. To me that's like the appointing board. >> Okay. So we are on the select board for cause >> or or >> so well what Moren had just suggested
was respective delegating board. So that wouldn't go to the select board. That would go to the individual committee or board. >> And and just so I'm clear my definition of for cause has always been misconduct, conflict or harm. So it
That's I think the legal definition of cause. So I think the appointing authority >> would have to have a hearing and not an individual. >> So it would be multiple hearings basically or a joint hearing >> there. There would have to be some type of joint hearing. A specific board
customarily would not have a hearing about misconduct of one of their board members. >> No. And I don't think the language is there and anyone can correct me on a hearing for any other appointments. I think this is unique >> to that about even having a hearing,
>> right? And madam, Madam Chair, is is it even appropriate to even have it included in this because we have a recall bylaw on its own at this point, too? >> Yeah. I don't I'm I'm not sure of the intent there because the language is a little >> right >> fuzzy. >> Yeah. Well, like I said, it's been
existing, but it's been on the books for a while. I don't think it's ever been brought up or challenged or questioned. Any other? Okay. Um, I'll take a motion. I'll make a motion to recommend um,
article two as presented. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? >> Roll call. >> I
>> um Candido with uh just bringing it to town meeting and u I'm voting yes, but the yes is to just bring it to town meeting to to finish it. Not necessarily in support of the language.
>> Very good. Thanks every >> Thank you. >> And you'll be speaking to this on town meeting floor. >> Miss McCra. >> Yes. >> You'll be speaking to this on town meeting floor. >> Yes. >> Okay. I don't want to get in trouble. Oh,
>> she already confirmed. She She left She left Golden with a star. >> Article three. >> Article three. to see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate and/or transfer from available funds $25,000 to fund a building study design for the renovations and building updates
necessary to facilitate the reuse of the Lakeville Fire Station and Town Hall located at 346 Bedford Street, Lakeville, Massachusetts, and anything incidental or related there to or take any action relative there too. Sponsored by Select Board.
>> Question. Uh yeah, can someone just kind of maybe Andrew can give us like an overview of what this is >> break down from our meeting the other night? >> I do. >> I didn't bring it with me. >> I do. So there was a study done a few years ago. Um I've talked to a few people. The feedback was that it wasn't um what it could be. So we wanted a
fresh look at it. Um we talked with the town hall building reuse committee. We thought if we could put some money towards um an analysis of some sort, work in conjunction with staff to put together a um I guess a building plan
design. Um I think the committee kind of realizes we don't have a lot of money to actually do the construction, so we're looking at some sort of phasing option. So the the the funds that they laid out, um the architect would be $6,500.
The structural engineer would be 3500. Hazmat and abatement study would be 2500. Mechanical engineer would be 4,000 and the OPM services would be 8,200 which brings it to $24,700. So, um part of that is staff is going to
be doing a space needs assessment update. Um they did one maybe three years ago. Um just me looking through it, it looks like it's way too ambitious. I think it could kind of be peeled back at least. I think our office who looked at ours I think we cut it in
half. So, um I think this this design I guess maybe the committee another committee member could um have some opinion on it but we thought it was small money, smart money um to get some sort of design, a realistic one
>> to not Yeah. to not overbuild. >> Yeah. Because we're not going to we're not going to do a big debt exclusion type of project. So, um, this is just the preliminary design for it. >> Did you have anything to add?
>> No, that was the discussion at the meeting the other night and I think that's the direction we're looking to head small incremental changes without any huge revenue expenses. >> We have to have a direction and this
will provide that Okay, Madam Chair, um when the project um was coming to um fruition for the fire station project over here, there wasn't very much discussion about what
we were leaving behind. So, we have opportunity with space potentially, you know, space over at town hall. Um and I think that that was, you know, a good use of, you know, our resources. I think for
pulling people together to kind of talk about, you know, what can we do here to help support the needs of of the community, but we never really had that discussion of like, okay, the fire station has moved out and now we just have bays and
and the idea is to, you know, figure out the be the highest possible use with the lowest possible dollar impact for that space and for finding um multiple ways in which we can proceed. and then figuring out what's the best way for all
of them and seeing if it's even feasible um seeing if it even makes sense to you know reconfigure rebuild um on that site or if it's it's just prohibitive um and unnecessary. So in order for us to get that, we need detailed drawings and
assessments from professionals. And the idea behind that was to do it in this very slow slow, methodical, low dollar way in order to initiate that. >> Madam Chair, did we did wasn't there already a study done for refurbishing
that? And >> that's what what was the cost of that? How did that >> I'd be guessing it was somewhere between 12 and 15 million something like that. That was like kind of a a full renovation of the existing space.
>> That's just out of that's out of reach right now. >> And that's why this is a smaller >> so we can't take that existing plan and have is that what they're doing? Taking that existing plan. This is where this 25,000 comes in to knock it down and make it more feasible. Um, I would say it's more of a fresh look and I think what the direction that we've kind of
given them is that we're going to phase it and go incremental, >> not a big grand one one fix, I guess. >> And that's what Andrew was mentioning specifically on the space needs assessment for different employees. Um, when looking over it, it was
significantly larger than what we would come up with for numbers. Um, and just different times, different methodologies. So um it wasn't as relevant um to making a small footprint as as we wanted.
>> Madam chair follow question. When was that study done? >> 2021 2022. >> I think it was done in 22. May it came out in 23. >> We don't own that building. We do own that building. >> There's such a myth there. I don't know.
>> It's uh I' I've heard the um the explanation given that it was kind of like given to us in a way that >> but we paid for it. So because we paid dollar amounts to it, any covenants on it about giving it away are only good for 30 years
>> and then they expire. So 30 years would have been up in the 1980s at some is that about right? >> So it is in essence ours. However, if we vacated the building, it's a different consideration if the building was used
for a non-municipal purpose. So, the answer is muddy. Yeah. Another I think another part of that study is they I think they they thought they were going to use all the bays in space. Part of the discussion in the committee has been I don't know how
that's possible >> um just with the money we have. So, >> yeah, because it would take that million, >> right? >> My second my follow question is that property is clearly in flood zone. >> Correct. >> And the study that was done previously,
did they do we know if they accounted for that? Because it seems like maybe more money after. >> So that building uh the last time that building flooded was to do with the blizzard of 78 and water coming in and then they dailes
out front. So, there hasn't been any flooding. And any local historians can challenge me and and tell me I'm wrong, but since 1978, I don't believe there has been flooding at that site. The water has gone up the road. So, the
flood zone designation, it's zone A. Um, and it strictly um it pulls down the ability for us to put uh more capacity on the septic, so we couldn't have like a big meeting space there, but It still
allows for the amount of people um what was the number? 38 >> 38 >> 38 >> 38 people to be working in that building and not in violation of any type of septic issues.
>> Is municipal use any type of use for the benefit of the town or is it strictly business? >> Isn't that a good question for a lawyer? >> Okay. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions?
Someone want to make a motion? >> Motion. No. All right. I'll make a motion to approve article three as written. >> Second. >> Seconded. >> I tanini. I >> Cost i.
>> Right. Uh, BL board. I'll make a recommendation um to approve article three as presented. >> Second. >> Motion a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. Roll call.
>> I do. I >> Who's going to read that from? >> I will read the uh I will read that if Paul doesn't want to read it. All right. >> Uh, article four.
>> All right. Article four. to see if the town will vote to amend the town code so as to add a new provision revolving funds to establish and authorize revolving funds for use by certain town departments, boards, committees, agencies, or office officers in accordance with Massachusetts general
laws chapter 44, section 53E 1- slash2, as set forth below, and to authorize the town clerk to assign such numbering and to make non-substantive changes to the format of this bylaw in order that it be in compliance with the numbering format of the town code or
take any other action relative there too. Departmental revolving funds procedures applicable to all revolving funds. One purpose by this this bylaw establishes and authorizes revolving funds for use by town departments, boards, committees, agencies or officers in connection with the operation of
programs or activities that generate fees, charges or other receipts to support all or some of the expenses of those programs or activities. This bylaw is adopted person to and is governed by general laws chapter 44 section 53E12.
Two expend expenditure limitations. A department or agency head, board, committee or officer may incur liabilities against and spend monies from a revolving fund established and authorized by this bylaw without appropriation subject to the following limitations. A. Fringe benefits of full-time employees whose salaries or
wages are paid from the fund shall also be paid from the fund. B. No liability should be incurred in excess of the available balance of the fund. C. The total amount spent during a fiscal year shall not exceed the amount authorized by town meeting on or before July 1st of that fiscal year or any increased amount
of that authorization that is later approved during that fiscal year by the select board and finance committee. Interest three interest earned on monies credited to a revolving fund established by this bylaw shall be credited to the general fund. Four, procedures and reports. Except as provided in general
laws chapter 44, section 53E12 and this bylaw, the laws, bylaws, rules, regulations, policies, or procedures that govern the receipt and custody of town monies in the expenditure and payment of town funds shall apply to the use of a revolving fund established and authorized by this bylaw. The town
accountant shall include include a statement on the collections credited to each fund, the incumbrances and expenditures charged to the fund and the balance available for expenditure and the regular report the town accountant provides the department board committee agency or officer on appropriations made for its use.
Authorized revolving funds. Revolving fund conservation committee spending authority conservation sorry conservation commission spending authority conservation commission revenue source administrative fees paid in connection with applications and other services provided by the conservation department. Allowed expenses professional/technical
consultant services maintenance of conservation land purchase of conservation land enforcement actions for violations of the wetlands protection act or any future local wetland bylaws. Spending limit $15,000 sponsored by select board.
>> Thank you. >> Mike Ellis, finance director. >> Leave it to the planning board. Oh, for questions. >> Yeah. >> Um, does anyone else have questions? >> Um, we may. Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, go ahead. I do, too. Go ahead. >> Well, go ahead. You start. >> Well, basically, can you just kind of
high level what this means? >> Yes. So, right now, these funds are taken in in the general fund. We use them as a local receipt to help balance the budget. Um, they're subsequently closed to free cash at the end of the fiscal year. If this passes, they will be removed from the general fund and housed in a special revenue fund, a
revolving fund, and they will be uh voted annually at town meeting with a spending limit, essentially a budget uh not to exceed. And the expenses can be directly charged to that fund for the allowable costs listed in the article.
>> And what is the advantage of of this based on what we've done in the past? When you take in general fund revenue throughout the year, it stays general fund revenue until it's certified as free cash and then voted. This would allow conservation to spend freely throughout the fiscal year, charge expenses directly to the revolving fund.
>> That was actually a good question. >> My follow question is what are there any limitations on the definition of administrative fees? >> Um, I'm gonna have to defer to Nancy on that one. In 2023, we took in about $8,000. In
2024, it was about six. Um, it depends on the side of of the project. If we had like Rocky Woods when we did a delineation, it's a dollar a foot. So that year was a bigger amount, but usually between six and $8,000 is what
we take in. >> So if you had to um I appreciate the allowed expenses, it says professional technical consultant services and so forth. Would this include legal fees or legal consultants >> or professional or technical ser? It
could. It could. It could. Okay. question. >> Can I just make one other comment? When I had put this in, I had no idea. We didn't have an avenue to do it. When I had first gone for the revolving fund that's why that other whole first piece
came out, I did not know that our town didn't already have an accommodation to do that. So, it turned into a a bigger deal than I thought. >> Yeah. Typically, when you have a revolving fund, you would have a standing article every year. meeting
that would vote the spending limitations >> and we've never had that as far as my research is done. So this would be the first 53 e and a half revolving fund. >> First one for all of the comp boards commissions and committees >> based off the research I've done. I have not seen anything um going back as far
as I could research that we've ever had one for any other purpose aside from conservation. So >> that that would be my question is where does this where does this end? is now you know you have other communities commission boards saying well hey wait a minute hey hey wait a minute next thing we know we have everybody that's you know junk
>> financial policy to do this >> well we're going to lose the revenue from the general fund >> so I mean I think that we need to make that clear that even though it's only 6,000 sometimes 10,000 we're going to lose that from free cash from being able to balance the budget so yeah it's going to be delegated to another fund
>> so madam chair if I can um just a question agree with you, Nance. Um, when has there ever been a situation that you had an initiative that you couldn't pursue it because you didn't have any funding?
>> The problem is we get a lot of money through the state funding. When somebody puts in an application, they give so much to the state, so much to the conservation commission, but we can only spend it on a very select small amount of things. >> Okay? Okay. For example, like I said,
maintenance of the land. Like we have how many acres up on Picking Street? That's a mess. You know, um some of the money for the maintenance of the land that we oversee is good. We've talked for years and with everything happening to Lakeville right now. We've talked to
ye for years about a wetland bylaw. We need somebody to help us write it. I don't think anybody on the commission has that expertise. we've tried before and you can take a piece from one town, a piece from another town, piece from another town. That doesn't work. Lakeville has unique resources. We need
to protect them. We're having ADUs, 40Bs, everything that's happening. We need to be stronger than the Wellland Protection Act. We need to have additional strengths and to write that. That technical advice is basically what I was looking for in the beginning to
get somebody to come in and help us write a good wetland bylaw. unique to Lakeville. Lakeville is 33.5% either wetland or open water. That's a third of our town. I personally for
years don't think we're doing the best we can do to protect it. >> That's a small price to pay. >> More questions. I just had I just wanted to know but um if that was a need then I'm sure through the town administrator's office you know trying
to identify you know ways to either grant or fund um you know that initiative but I guess I just don't understand where we wouldn't be supporting any of our boards and committees and commissions with an initiative that they have
following in on that line of thought traditionally remember correctly. Um the board of selectment would dedicate their select board serpent hours to something like this, >> right? >> Yeah. And they what kind of powers? >> Serpent.
>> Oh, hours that they would I've talked to Serpent actually if is through you madam chair about helping us write a bylaw and they would have to write a snip grant. They said they don't have that expertise available
but but again It's just Yeah. >> Did you want to say something? >> Yeah. I mean, um I think Mike and I have gone over this a few times. I think the most ideal way we're used to in our history is a free cash article. That's probably the easiest way like this won't be effective
till July 1. Um so the easiest thing is to ask for free cash, do it now, um and get it done easily. I think we haven't I think the board um directed me to put policy on spending. I think eventually
the spending policy is going to include a vote from the commission to authorize any funding come out of this. So like one way one way or another the commission is going to have to be on board with it as well as the town town meeting. So um there's a
lot of ways to do that. My personal preference it's a free cash article. Um but there's a lot of ways to skin a cat as everyone knows. So um it's up to everyone I guess to Madam chair, um, one other thing in a well and bylaw, it would also give us
the ability to find. I think as we all saw through 160 Bedford Street and everything that we've been through that none of the boards in town have the ability to find. We have somebody that comes into our town and is wrecking havoc and there's not a single thing we
can do about it. I mean, we finally got an order of conditions for them over there, but they don't have to follow it. There's not one any teeth that we have and it would be >> that's more about the wetland bylaw than it is about the revolving fund, >> right? >> But I mean, it's part of it. It's all
part of it. >> Making you know the fines count towards the revenue. >> Yeah. I just >> And but the fines wouldn't come through this. That would go into the general fund from the way it's written right now. I'd like to pose a question actually to
my fellow member because you work in capacity for another community and you do have revolving funds. >> Is there advantages or disadvantages that you see in your professional capacity? >> I'd say the biggest advantage I see is it gives the department of commission a
little bit more flexibility. I have personally seen revolving funds be abused a little bit especially with year end closing and unpaid bills you know they'll pay them with the revolving fund instead of sending them to town
meeting I've seen that before that way. >> Okay. >> Um I'm just going to make one additional comment and I believe I copied all of you on an email a couple of months ago. I practice in a real estate and then I'm a mortgage lender. I had a member resident here from Lakeville was buying
a property in East and I got the order of conditions from the planning board that were imposed upon this three unit development subdivision. Okay, it's not a real subdivision. It's a three unit private way subdivision and order conditions written by that conservation commission makes us look like we do not
know what we're doing. I'm just leveling with you. We have got to start playing serious ball with what's going on here in this community because if we don't start protecting ourselves, we're going to end up with more pollution, more groundwater problems, all kinds of wetland violations and all this kind of
stuff. And I I don't know if this is quite the right answer, but I I really think the importance of supporting our conservation commission, we have to up our game a little bit here in town. That's my two cents. I I don't see why it's just not a free cash issue. We we pretty much move money
when they need it or quickly. So, I'm just I leave I just always lean back and I'm not speaking ill of anybody. It may never happen. It's just to me it looks like it's an opening for misuse or or other issues down the road. I I don't see the problem. Anytime there's been a
need for something, we've called special or otherwise and asked if we free cash. I I can't think of any that's been said, but no. Since I've been with Finong, you've been here longer than I have. >> I don't think there's ever been any. So,
I don't see a need for a >> I would say. So, this to me sounds like an administrative thing to make things easier. I just think it does open up the door to have is this is this something we want across all the committees, right? Because once we do it for one, um
I would think everyone would want that. So, just something to consider. Any questions? >> Any other questions? No. >> What was your motivation for doing for proposing this? This was this was sponsored by the select board, but
conservation came and asked for this, right? >> Yes. But initially it was to get someone because we didn't have any money to help us write a wetland bylaw and that hasn't been because 33 and a half% is wetland or open water. It's not been really
popular. I spent a town meeting twice and has not passed. So, um I think that we needed professional help with getting it right. Um and then I when I looked at other towns and people that have done it that um it's a
little bit of money to upkeep the land that we oversee also. So, I thought, oh, that's another good small thing. We can't keep running back all the time and it's not a large amount of money. In fact, I had originally said like uh instead of the 15, I had originally said
10 um and any money that we don't you it's voted on every year. You'd have to vote to approve every year a spending limit. And it just seems like such a little amount of money that would free us up to do a few other things instead of running
back. I can't be running back every time for smaller things. So, I guess the answer to your question is yes. question. >> Would you like to you'd like to speak? I'll get >> Robert Kaviki for a short road. Uh you
talk about projecting the water and come up with some ideas. these developments coming in even if I think miss you talk about maybe two or three units into a small area and Nancy talked about
protecting the ground water why why can't we pass a bylaw that these developments have a tight tank like we have to on the pond have a tight tank okay so the water is controlled and I believe the
government is all for this Okay. And uh >> so I appreciate your your sentiments, but we're actually just voting on the revolving fund for this right now. >> Okay. Well, okay. >> But I I understand your your connection with, you know, trying to >> shore up some of our wetland bylaws, but
for this article, we're just v voting on the revolving fund portion of it and not the wetlands bylaw. >> All right. Very good. >> Thank you. Can I just close one more one more thing? >> Is that anybody else that wants to do this has to come and go through the
whole town meeting process. It's not like just everybody can jump on board and say, "Yeah, we're going to do this." And then they'd have to show every year >> what their bottom line was. >> Does not having this ability impair your
ability to have enforcement >> because there's a speed of enforcement, right? I need it right now. I don't have time to wait till next Thursday for a meeting to ask for money. Or would you just simply >> It would be in the wetland bylaw that we were we would propose includes the
enforcement. I don't think you can just I might be wrong, but I don't think we can just come up with okay, we're going to pass a law that we're going to be able to do enforcement. Otherwise, I think maybe select board would have done that. >> This is about Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't I
was here revol the revolving has anything to do with >> this is how it would be funded is where >> the necessity to have that board correct the ability to spend the money >> especially seeing as she's pulling in or the board is pulling in 8,000 a year and
and you know just a spending limit of 15 is more than double what that would be pulling so it would put us in a significant deficit for something at that level and then you know to whoever's point there Yes, it does open it up for all the other boards, committees, and commissions
as well to parody. >> So, I guess I'm not understanding. We're bringing this because it was supposed to go in tandem with the bylaw, a different bylaw conversation. >> I will. >> We don't have a bylaw. >> Okay.
>> A local bylaw. I mean, we have the Well and Protection Act, but that doesn't always that's not giving us the protection we need. Any else questions for anyone? >> Someone want to make a motion?
>> Anybody? >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Okay. >> Right. Oh crap. >> This is where the roads are. >> Yeah. You know what? Let's to get it to the town meeting. I'll I'll say yes.
>> Select board. Any more questions? >> Just for clarification, that vote was for to recommend >> to recommend. Y >> um I'll make a motion not to recommend um approval of article what is it? Four.
>> Four. Do I have a second? >> Madam Chair, may I clarify something for the finance committee? >> Sure, please do. >> Um, you don't need to vote to approve this to get it to town meeting. That's what you said. >> After I said that, I realized what I
said. >> You cannot recommend approval and it will still go to town. >> Still goes to town meeting by >> Is it too late to change? I misspoke what I was trying to >> You may amend the record. >> May I amend the record? >> Sorry.
>> Well, it depends what I I misspoke. I I meant to say no. I apologize. I meant to say no. Finance committee does not recommend. I apologize. >> Okay. So, that changes the vote. >> Yeah. >> Your vote changed. >> My vote changed. I misspoke. I apologize. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Oh, I so want to read these minutes. >> Like War in Peace. Thank you. All right. I have a motion on the floor. Do I have a second for nay? Purposes discussion. I will second the nay.
Any discussion on the nay vote? >> Roll call. >> So my nay would be a nay on the nay vote. Is that >> so it's nigh nigh? >> Yeah. >> I I vote to not support the nay vote. So I don't know
>> is that your vote on nay is nay. >> My vote on nay is nay. >> Okay. Member planka >> nay. >> Candido I >> Carbon I >> fails with a split. So no recommendation
with the fail. Madam Chair, I excuse myself. Thank you. >> Thank you very much for making us your first stop today. >> We will move on to article five. May the petitioner come and sit at the
microphone. Oh, I'm sorry. Did you Nancy, will you be speaking to this or is this a police select board speaking to it because they actually technically sponsored it because the conservation commission did
not get it in in time with a vote? >> Yeah. Not on time, but So, it is technically the select board sponsor. >> Um, who would like to speak to this motion from the select board of four? >> Are we back
>> back? We're back. We went backwards to four because >> So, we're not we're not here. We're back. We're back on four. >> We're back on. Just to know who's reading it. We just want to know who's going to read four. >> I will read four. >> All right.
Thank you. >> And now we are to five. >> Article 5 to see if the town will vote notwithstanding chapter 32b of the general laws or any other general or special law to the contrary. Part-time elected officials in the town of
Lakeville who receive a salary or stipen shall not be eligible for participation in the town's contri contributo health and life insurance benefit plan effective 3126 citizens petition. >> Uh we'd like to hear from the citizen
and just if you could just summarize. >> Sure. And I also want to thank you for six months ago spending that time with me that special meeting. It was much appreciated. Um, so yeah, I'm pretty much the author of this. I did ask Ritz to help me with
this. Um, as the warrant reads, it's basically um to allow to to not allow part-time elected officials to receive any town full-time full-time town benefits. Um,
we also put an end date on it of March because I think it should be done sooner than later. Um, I'll tell you how this all started for me quickly is that um, I've lived here 26 years. I've served on the parks
commission. Presently, I'm the chair of the capital expenditures committee. I don't know if Katie is going to keep me on there. That's up to you. And um I've really spent a lot of time with the uh town employees during the year to understand how the government
works, how our budget works. And you know, last year the town was under pressure to find some expenses to cut, maybe find some revenue. And so I understand what they were going through. So I I've created and managed
budgets from three to $70 million. So I said, "You know what? Maybe I can help and take a look at it." I was told at some point, could have been last year or this year, that the um select board receives
uh or is offered full-time insurance benefits. So I said, "Well, that's interesting. Just let me see how much that costs." So, I went and looked at the budget and I looked for it, but I did not see it in
the budget. So, I went back, talked to Mike Golden, the town manager. I said, "Listen, I don't see these benefits posted anywhere." And they said, "Well, um, it's in the employee benefit line." And my thought immediately was, well,
they're not employees of the town, so why would it be there? But we'll go further with that. Then I was told, well, it's just not the select board who are offered full-time benefits. It's the assessors and the health board. So now
we're we've gone from five to 11 people. And so I I said, well, where are the costs? So I looked at the costs and I was kind of taken aback at at what we are offering to them.
Just to go back, this has been happening for decades. The select board did not vote for this for themselves. They kind of adopted it. Um, but it's been going on for years. I for the town meeting, I have all that history. I also did a
survey of 17 towns to see if this is normal. But I'm basically going to just talk about the numbers right now. Um, so let's look at the costs. Right now, we have three select board members who are
receiving a $5,000 buyout. A $5,000 buyout is an offer from the town to save money that if you take if you take 5,000 from us, then you're going to save us money from not taking the insurance,
which I think h it that's what happens to our town employees. They're offered that. And so, of course, my head hits me again and I go, "Well, as a part-time elected official, we pretty much have full-time jobs and have insurance offered to us.
So, why are we going to the town to ask for insurance?" Um, let's go to the health board. The health board, we have two people who receive the 5,000 buyout and one receives the insurance. The assessors, we have two people who receive the
insurance, one who receives the buyout. Now, the cost, just so everybody knows, is that we have three people on the family plan at a cost of $23,000 per person. That's what
it cost the town to to to supply that for us. Um, so if you look at what was presented at town meeting, you notice that correctly the stipens were 40,000. But that wasn't really the correct
figure. The correct figure of compensation for these 11 uh board members is 150,000. So once again, I'm wondering, well, why aren't why isn't the town voting on this every year? Because it is a budget item.
uh being as a part-time elected official, I never thought myself as an employee. And my other question was immediately was why is it that um these 11 commissioners are receiving this, but
why aren't the other 40 commissioners offered this? So there is a disparity there. We have 11 people who were being offered were getting a sip and being offered um the insurance, but there's 40 who weren't. So, that's another thing I
didn't understand. Well, I do understand that if we did that, the town would go bo broke to have an extra 50 people on the on the rolls. So, that I understand. Uh, let's just go one step further to get I think thing that spun my head is
um I apologize. I decided to do a 10-year budget on this, meaning I took I'm sorry. I took the present rate of 22,000 a year
and I increased it 8% a year, which is pretty conservative in insurance. As you know, it could go up 12%, 14%. But I what I really wanted to do was come out to the best possible scenario that if all 10 took the insurance, which could
happen at an eight 8% increase over 10 years, the cost to the town would be $3,786,000 over 10 years. 10 people get it at a rate of an 8% increase a year. If we do
it at 12%, that number is $4,760,000. So, I mean, the idea of this warrant is to let's have the town decide whether that is okay or we have better use for
that money. Um, so there are concerns that my immediate concern is this hasn't really been addressed in years. Okay, these figures uh have never been presented at town meeting
the way that the way that the way that I'm doing it. Now, you're going to mention it was in 2018. >> I'm going to mention the fact that it was in 2018 and the figures as you're saying them are your figures and not >> No, they're the town figures. >> No, not the 8% and the 12% increase
year-over-year. That's >> No, he's just he's using that as an example. >> Yes, that's an example. So, you're you're right in that that no 8% or 12% increase. >> No, no, no, no. You're you're you're 100% correct, >> but I'm just doing to see what how it's going to affect the town in the future. >> Absolutely.
>> That's all. And I listen, I know you guys, you work very, very hard, very committed to the town. So, the issue isn't that I don't think you deserve anything. I just think that this town can't afford going forward because as you know this debt exclusion is going to
do something horrific to this town whether it raises the taxes or or Mike what what would the cost of the budget be every year if we don't use a debt exclusion a million and a half a million that we have to take out of the budget >> and then we have the fire station which
you know was we definitely so things are going up cost of living and everything is going up so I'm just when I looked at the budget, I just wanted to say we need to either allow this, let the town say, "Okay, I'm good with it, then
I'm good with it." Or to say, "No, that's that's not going to work for me." And the other reason I'm doing this is that I think any compensation to any part-time elected officials has to be approved every year in the budget. It
has to be taken out of employees. It can't be put in the employees because we're not employees as a town. Stipens, great. They should receive the stipens. But if in the near future they decide, well, I think we should get this back. Well, great. Present it as uh in the
town budget and let the town decide whether we should be doing this. Um, so yeah, I mean it I'm glad I did it and I think
you know I'm guessing that um that there may be some you know feedback on this. I people have been talking to me asking questions. I said listen I'm going to bring everything to town meeting. If you want to discuss with the board or the health that select board or
the health or assessors, ask them why they take it or whatever, that's great. But this is what this petition is about. And the reason that there's an end date on there is because I think it's fair.
Some people may not think it's fair because they'll say, "Well, they got families, you know, they're going to have to get the insurance." But um Mike or Andrew, am I correct in saying that if a full-time employee
of 10 years gets laid off that they're only offered 30 days of insurance and get COPRA? >> Yes. So we got full-time employees who only get 30 days. I'm offering 120 days. So I think that's very fair.
And then going forward, we just start from scratch. Again, if anybody, if the select board or town decides that they want to get any more compensation, present it to the town and then I think we're good. >> Mr. Cameron, do you have something that
you'd like to add? >> Yeah, I do. Um just a few things that um first of all this only affects the parttime board selectment the part-time board of health and the part-time board
of assessors. So the problem that I have is is that I know that some of you have this problem already is that if you don't take the insurance you get up to a $5,000 bonus.
And I just don't think that's right, you know, to do that. I know the employees get it, but that's caused a lot of problems, you know, within the budget, too, that, you know, if you take if you don't take the insurance, you get a five up to a $5,000 bonus depending upon
whether you take the family plan or you do a single plan or whatever. The problem is is that the cost of health insurance has gone through the roof. And, you know, knowing about their jobs or what they're doing and so forth. They
have the opportunity to get health insurance somewhere else besides the town. What also is upsetting to me is that we have 39 part-time employees and those 39 part-time employees work up to 19 hours a week. And unless you work 20
hours a week, you're not entitled to the insurance. So that's a lot of part-time people. That doesn't seem right to me either. That should be fair to do that. But, you know, I don't know and I don't want to be 100%
sure, but I can tell you that all the communities around us do not provide health insurance to any of their part-time people. So, I don't think, you know, we a lot of them had it, but they eliminated it because of the cost, you know, of what what health insurance is
today compared to what it was before. So, you know, both of these committees know that you got a tough budget coming up this year. Really tough budget, you know, and we know that you got a health
insurance issue. You have to move to another company because they're dropping. I don't want to say dropping it being discontinued, you know, as of January 1st. So, you're going to go and go to another company. it's going to cost you a lot of money.
And based upon the environment that's going on right now, I know you say, "Well, it's only 8% or whatever." I'm pretty confident it's going to go up 10% this year. So, if you take that 10% and the town is spending $2.4 million on
health insurance for the employees and these part-time officials, you know, you could take that money and use it to reduce that cost, you know, for the town and the town's budget. I mean, the other thing you got to look at is that, you know, I know you don't like it or not,
but there may be a general overright coming, you know, this spring. I mean, town administrator presented a budget that is at least $700,000 and a deficit right now and based upon what's going on at the state level and
the federal level, we don't get a lot of federal money, then you know, that's going to be an issue. So, if you look at it from that perspective and you say, "Okay, I could save two firefighters or two police officers or pay for the uh
the uh health insurance costs. That's a lot of money, you know, to do that. So, uh this has nothing to do with the individual board members and so forth and so on. This is a fiscal item that should have been addressed a long time
ago and it wasn't. Any questions? >> I when you presented six months ago, I I made the same statement, so I'm going to make it again so you can answer it on the record here. I I I
I don't see an issue with trying to find some ways to cut the expenses on health insurance and special town employees, elected officials, special town employees are are still employees. Um, but I don't I agree if you're part-time, you don't necessarily need to have the
insurance. I definitely didn't like the statement. I agree. Um, and however this should fall. Um, I could get more behind it, I guess you could say. People took a position, whether it was
elected or appointed or whatever it may be, um, with the understanding they had this benefit. If we're going to end that benefit, it should end at their term, not not end on a date of random date of March 1st. They
they they ran they were elected. They were put into a position. They knew this. They were counting on that insurance. If they're here for three years, we own that for three years. We made a commitment. If you go back on your commitment, you're going to end up with a whole bunch of people not running
again. >> Okay. But what do you say to the other 45 people who don't get it? We have to make a decision. >> Well, that's a decision. But my point is I'm sorry. There's no contract with >> So, this isn't a a debate back and forth.
>> No, no, no, no. Listen, I I I understand what he's saying, though. But to me, there is no contract because they aren't employees. And if you really need to if you need the insurance and you need the instite stipen to run I mean to be a
part of a committee then you you really shouldn't do that. >> Okay. Because because just just as as the select board knows we we serve at the privilege of the people who do this. Okay. It's our civic duty. Um, now
just to let you know, there are other towns who did cut it midway because the way you want to do at the end of the terms, that's still going to leave us open to the 5,000 buyout. It's not fair to the people who are who don't take it because then they may say, you know what, they take it, I'm going to take it
for the rest of the year. Do you see how convoluted that that could be? >> Well, that is not what I said, though. What I said was they should be able to keep their insurance. I disagree with the bio. You can end the bio tomorrow. I don't care. End that all you want. I disagree with the bio. I I think if
somebody has insurance currently, they took the position they they were offered the insurance. Finom was offered the insurance many years ago. Rich will probably speak to this. And they thought that I was told they turned it down as as a practice. >> I was offered it when I was on fin.
>> Okay. I I And and as a practice, they have turned it down. And all I'm saying is is that you wanted that stipen tomorrow. I'm I'm behind you. I'll I'll carry you on my shoulders right up to the to the town meeting. It it's ending someone's insurance, current health
insurance immediately or on a specific date. I disagree with carry it through the rest of their term. I think you'll have a better response as do I agree with your premise. >> No, no, no. And this once again, you're right. I I don't this isn't about the stipens,
>> but I think my example about an employee who took a job with the promise of insurance gets their job taken away now has to pay a full rate. >> So, you're saying the the the elected official who would not be an elected
official anymore if you're making equivalencies. >> We're not laying them off. We're not laying people off over this. we're saying is that they're while they're in in their position, they get the insurance. If they lose their position for whatever reason, a recall election or they don't want again, then they
don't get their insurance. >> Simple. >> But but my point of the whole thing is just to correct a wrong because if we continue to have those three people do it, say they're on there for all three years, what's the cost >> for health insurance or for the state?
>> No. What is the cost going to be? 20 30. It's going to be another could be anotherund two two50 $300,000 over those years. >> I have some more people that would like to speak and I'd like to give them the opportunity. >> Oh, I'm sorry. But you know what? That was my question to answer.
>> Thank you. I I just think this will be debated at town meeting. >> I agree. I just that's my question. >> Yeah. And anything will be talked about. >> I just want to make one point. You know, the the stipens they get paid the board of health gets paid $1,100.
each and $2,000 for the jam. The um board of appeal board of assessors get paid $1,500 and I think it's $2,500. >> 2,000. >> So I would hope these people didn't run
to get the insurance. you know why why would you say I don't see you saying something like that but you know it it was completely different a number of years ago when the health insurance I don't say was cheap but it
was much cheaper than it is now I mean it has skyrocketed you know I don't know why it's gone up you know overall but I don't think that makes any logic that because they have a stipen and they will continue to have those stipens that they should be entitled to health insurance
until it their time is up. I I don't think that's right. >> I'm going to acknowledge uh a new person to come to the table if one of the gentlemen will >> move over here or
>> Yeah, it's a lot of information is a little confusing and uh >> identify yourself for the record, please. >> Oh, yeah. Robert Kaviki, 24 Polish Shore. I I was just uh this young man here with the glasses talking about, you know, we
have to give them >> I like this guy. >> We have >> Well, you're in trouble. >> That's my new favorite citizen or the insurance. I think that's what I understood and I agree with you to to a point but then it gets to the point
where the town doesn't have to uh doesn't have enough money especially when tonight it was brought up that we might have to have a two and a half override. Okay. And it's kind of scary. So at that point in time bang we can't give you any insurance. Okay. Um, but my
question is is the board if one of you want to just, you know, I love you people. I understand all the hard work you do and I always promote everybody to um to respect my kids to respect the board of selectmen and all the boards because
they're very important. But I guess my question is do you feel that you should get that? And if that's the case that will help me and but make a decision. >> I'll let any board member um speak and
then I'll I'll happily answer. >> I'm I'm happy with the um when the term is up and then any newly elected officials there's it's not offered. >> Madam Chair, >> um Mr. Constant may if he wishes based
on the wording of this if you wish to amend from the floor you could make an amendment to to replace effective 3126 to be at the end of their elected term. >> So that would be within allow within the bounds of the um article. So
>> so even if it's citizens petition can be a member >> a citizen anybody can amend. So, as a citizen of the town, as not a member of this finance committee, but as a citizen of the town, they could make that amendment because it's a distinction. >> As I referred before, we did make
amendments from the floor to a citizens petition to go from a three to a fivep person board. We made refinements. This is the type of refinement that you could make. You're not changing material what's proposed. You're just changing the term. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> So, just quick question on that. is that if if so the people if if we do it just say that says all right we'll do it at the end of the term what happens to so that may be three years what happens to the people who don't have the insurance and
still get the five for three years because that's part of the plan correct >> they they don't voluntarily have to give it up if someone's offered insurance then the way we followed is that if you don't take the insurance you get five
Unless they say, "I'm going to give it up." Correct. But there's no there's no legal no there's no bylaw or anything that says that that they have to give it up. So when we keep that open for three years, that's going to still leave open for people to collect the $5,000.
>> That is true. >> Except for amending the article to say that the health insurance will be carried through the end of the term. All the stipens would end on. >> This isn't proposing to change the stipen >> only for health and life insurance
benefit plan. >> I'm not talking about the stipen for sorry I'm talking about the $5,000 credit. >> Right. That's what I'm talking about. Can we change that to end the buyout immediately but keep keep the health insurance off? >> I would say that's material. >> That's material change. That's that's
all I was asking. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So you've answered all my questions to >> answer that question. You can't do that. You can't discriminate against the boards because the other employees are getting it and they would be entitled to it too. >> So you either take it away or
>> that that's was the question I originally asked way back when. >> Right. You can't take away only do it at the you could either make an effective date >> or carry it through >> carry it to the end of their >> That was my question. >> Or to to really if you were really going to do it, you would say either
everyone gets it or nobody gets it. I mean, so how can you justify the planning board, finance committee, conservation committee, parks committee not getting it, but these three committees get it? >> No, the the reason the reason why clarification, Mike, is because these
boards get a stipen. The other boards do not get stipens. So, they're not entitled to the to the health insurance. >> Yes. The boards at least the other boards >> all the other boards are the ones that get paid. No, I understand the uh >> but this is just a cut and dry for me. I
don't want to convolute it. >> I'm gonna let you so Mr. >> Okay. Sorry, sir. >> All right. Yeah. >> And there was a conversation going here. >> I'm in support with Mr. uh Constant um that you know any newly elected
officials or any um you know new terms you know start without the insurance. So >> same. >> Okay. I want to give you everything, right? Because you know all the hard work I you that you people do and a lot
of people don't realize. I guess my question again to you is do you feel that the board should have this um siphon or insurance? >> So I I'll just answer for myself obviously. Um I I think it's a it's a
good have to have and it it helps you know defay childare costs for people that are like single parents and they're using that for for babysitting or or some other things. And the health insurance, I'm sure, has been a godsend for some people that maybe didn't
qualify under other plans or had some financial hardships. Um, I think it would be a difficult uh decision for me to take someone's health care away. I don't think I could feel very good about that, but I could feel really good about
saying at the end of your term, that's it. Um, you're not eligible again um you know at the end of the term there's no new people coming on and the attrition and the falloff happens in a more organic way um in as opposed to like a
like a date that's been set but I am in favor of it >> um that's great I mean I think most of the discussion obviously will be a town meeting I just think um this is a very small town >> you know that right >> I agree and I want to give Um,
you've been standing up there patiently. >> I'm standing up here patiently. >> Mr. Smith, still a camera. >> So, this discussion tonight is whether the select board should move the article forward to town meeting. Um, it puts the
select board in a very difficult situation because if you don't move it forward, the optics are bad for you because people will say, well, that's because they want the benefit. So it's moving forward regardless of if you support it.
>> Okay. If you support it. So anyways, my big issue right now is the lack of correct information that's been provided by the petitioners. Sorry, Mike. Um, >> no, please do. So I didn't hear anywhere
where you addressed the percentages that the employees are required to pay towards the their own insurance. >> So I was an elected official starting in 2015. I was grandfathered into a 7525
split. So if I had taken the insurance, the town would have paid 75%. I would have paid 25%. for the record and because in the last two days I've heard from four people that I took the insurance. I never took the insurance. I took the bio and I feel like I earned
that bio. So which is something that I will say on town floor. However, there are other employees who for a while the split was 5050. So whatever the total cost was whether you an individual at do you know
those numbers Andrews >> 6535 >> okay so it's 6535 now so I think >> you were grandfathered at 7525 still >> but that >> two >> that's two and no one else >> no one else will be at 7525 because that
was done away with in 2017 so now it's 6535 so I think that's something that's important for people to know. I also think it's important for people to know that the state does consider us
employees because we are also required it is mandatory to pay ORA which is a forced retirement savings. So why does the state force me to pay that which I
had to address the retirement savings that I had um to transfer it into my own type of retirement when I was done being a select board member? um how can they force me to do that if I'm not considered if the law says part-time
employees have to pay ORA then obviously the state and you know what if other communities have done away with it that's great I understand the budget concerns but my hope is that someone should have the accurate information that night and I'll be prepared that
night to speak to how it came about why it came about and why those particular three boards um receive it which is you know a whole other >> up to >> okay >> in my research but just to
>> I know I don't want to have a debate that's but I just don't you know I don't know someone's I don't know whose responsibility it is to provide the accurate information for it but I certainly don't want people out
there thinking the town is paying paying 100% of an elected officials, you know, and it's not $20,000 for an individual. An individual is less. >> It's three families that's on there now.
It's $22,000 all >> I don't want to have a debate. I just want to be sure. >> Don't say there's misinformation like you were allowed to. >> You didn't even mention that there was a split. You could in people could infer the town is paying 100% of some of an
elected official's insurance. Is that accurate? >> No, it's se two people are getting 7525 at a cost of discussion. We're going to end the discussion. >> Anyway, we'll discuss that order.
>> My hope is that I don't know who's responsible. So if the town is going to take the select board, the town administrator's office is going to take zero responsibility to provide the accurate information of what the breakdown is, the actual cost for a
single plan, a family plan. Um, then I will take it upon myself to provide that accurate information that night. But >> I will be happy to work with Andrew and Lacy on that and provide it out as a factual statement. uh not only what is
currently being paid, but what has been historically being paid as well. >> And in addition, the $5,000 buyout is a completely different conversation. >> Completely different conversation. It was done not even as long ago. And
>> order please. >> Um you know, again with that, >> you know what, right? I thought we had one. What folks don't you know what we know has having been a select board member is that that buyout has actually gained us
some really great employees and department heads as a benefit as whatever. So there's a whole lot more information than than you know has been mentioned. >> Thank you. >> We will have this debate. >> We will have this debate that's on the meeting for >> I will be on the
>> say one more thing. >> You may say one more thing. Um you noticed in the petition they talked about 32B. >> So town council uh had reviewed this previous >> and 32B implies the health insurance for
the town whether it's an employee or an elected official. So you can't discriminate against anybody. Everybody has to be treated the exact same way. So that's why it's being eliminated and that includes the $5,000.
Okay? You just can't say, "Well, they're going to get the $5,000 stipen, but we're going to eliminate the health insurance." You can't do that. It's all out. And and maybe Andrew could back me up or not, but you know, we should talk to town council because I'm almost positive. No way you can do that.
So, um I know that we have talked to town council on that. Um and there's there's a two different opinions on town council, but if you wanted to >> Yeah. The opinion I've I've heard is what was just kind of said to us. So,
>> yeah. >> Yeah. Um and then there's another point just for clarification for the benefit plan to end on 3126. Premiums are paid in July of every year. Um, so you're not changing anything by 3126.
>> The premiums are paid monthly. What that does is it gives the employee until April 1 to switch to health insurance. It's paid a month. It's paid a month in advance. >> It's but it's paid bulk in July and then I believe there was a large portion
that's paid in July and then monthly. I might be wrong. >> Yes. >> Yeah. But the these board members pay monthly their premium. That's what I thought I understood.
>> Madam chair, just I'll just throw that out there. I mean, we have budgeted for this through this fiscal year and technically, right? Like we have even though it was combined. Um, so maybe that's a compromise. I don't know where this is all going to fall out, but it's been budgeted through the end of this fiscal >> and I think that would be something that
could be amended because of the correct it's a a term >> right. Exactly. It falls under the same. So there are scope opportunities, but I believe um Miss Fabian's statement about just getting um town numbers together um
to just make sure we're all on the same page uh would be an important one for the educational component of this article >> because the questions will be asked. >> Yes. Yes. And we should have as much answers as we can. The only one I can't answer is when this originated. Can't
find it anywhere. It was >> It goes way back. >> It was a very long time ago. Um, so I can't find the original intent. Yeah, you got it. >> She's got she's got it hidden somewhere. All right. So,
>> I'm going to wrap this item up and we're going to >> just just a reminder, we're voting on the article as written. >> Yes. >> Not tweet and no tweaks. Just as written. >> As written and then whoever as a citizen can change. >> Correct. Would you like to
>> I'll make a motion to approve article five as recommend for approval as written. >> Second cost I >> right I >> any further comments from the select
motion. >> I'll make a motion not to recommend support of article 5 as written. Do I have a second? >> Um, yeah, I I will second that because I >> for discussion or
>> Yeah, because I I agree with Mr. Costant's argument that an elected official, a president who's elected knowing that they have this benefit. U I understand that yes, it could be amended on on the floor.
>> It will be. >> Well, it'll be requested, >> but as it is right now, >> but but I as it's written, right? I I will second that. >> All right. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. Roll call. >> Uh just to point Just want to point out
that uh Slarkman Hunt is a retired employee and this doesn't this doesn't apply to him but just >> yes as it didn't apply to you when you were on because of I thought you had
>> the I thought it didn't you couldn't >> I don't want to talk about personal but I don't think you were eligible for the stipend because I didn't think you were eligible for the stipend >> I don't know what you're talking about >> she thought >> because of the retirement from from your
from the school system. >> No, I never took the health insurance in the town. And you shouldn't be asking me that question. >> And that's why I said I did. No, I didn't ask question. I didn't ask about the health insurance. I asked about the stipen. >> The stipen? Yeah. >> Oh, the bio. Sorry. >> No, we never had the bio when I was on
the board for the nine years in a row that I was on. For the last for the three years I was on, I never took it. Was I entitled to it? I don't know. Continuing on. >> Well, I don't I don't know if I'm going
to discuss myself or not. >> I'm at a quandry for a number of different points on this. Um, also having been somebody who has been removed from the town insurance roles due to a layoff and had to pay their own insurance, I don't think that it's fair
to uh have such a quick cut off. And that's probably where I'm going to leave this now. >> Very good. Do we have a vote >> on the motion? >> So So
>> the motion for clarification the recommendation is is not to support this >> as written as written. >> So again with the nigh nigh. Um,
>> so nay. >> So you don't support >> I vote to not recommend. >> I believe this should go to town meeting floor and it will it will go regardless is written. >> Yeah,
>> we're just voting on whether we support it. It'll go to town meeting floor regardless. >> Yeah, I'm going to abstain. from this >> I do I car I um and again it hinges on the date for
me >> same with >> all right and that >> all set >> thank you everyone >> was a good time had by all >> um >> does anyone want to take a break everyone good >> do you have anything else
>> on the agenda >> are be involved with the meals tax adoption or should be. >> I think they should be. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I offer I would love them to >> then we will be here >> give some opinion. >> Let's do it. >> All right. So, >> uh now we can cross off article number
one of the agenda. >> Actually, can we move article five to town meeting please? Get that done. >> Let let us >> someone should do it. Let us go to >> where is >> the tax.
>> What number was tax? >> One, two, three. Vote related to meals tax adoption. Um, thank you for this for the finance committee for hanging out with us a little bit longer. Um, we've discussed this um multiple times throughout the years. First time I
remember the conversation was probably around 2013. It didn't pass at town meeting in 2013 2014. Um and the reason um stated by many members was other towns didn't have it and we would be at
a competitive disadvantage having the tax. So that was one of the reasons cited uh at town meeting. Um things have changed drastically in the landscape of the surrounding towns and we're one of the holdouts at this point. Um it's
something towns usually adopt as a matter of um a fact is it's just it's been done all over the state for the last 15 20 years. Um with that I will let Andrew present and have a conversation about his vision of it and
how we can have a good conversation about it. >> Yeah, I'll give a brief um overview then I'll turn it over to Emily. Emily did the lion share of the work on this one. Um, basically when I first came in, obviously there's budget issues here. Um, select board, I think in my interview said that they're looking for
revenue streams. This is one of the easy checks in the box, I guess, from a town administration um, level. Um, I shouldn't say necessarily easy, but just something that most communities do. Most I think every community I've ever worked in has had it, and it's just it's kind of taken
for granted that we had it. Um, and so I looked at Lakeville as a community that has a lot more dining establishments than you would think. I think probably a lot more than a lot of these communities on this list. Um, >> and I think that's because of what
people considered dining. Yeah. >> Now, dining for the purposes of this is those gas station sandwiches. It's Dunkin Donuts. It's anywhere that has stuff. Whereas most people just think sit down dining and they didn't think it would be impactful as well. we're prepared for.
>> Exactly. Exactly. >> So, I'll turn it over to Emily at this point to kind of what what you're looking at essentially. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you. >> Um, so towns in Massachusetts have the ability to vote to adopt a 0.75%
tax on meals, prepared foods. Um, this would apply to the same items as the state meals tax, which is 6.25%. So the mechanism for collection if this says something the town's interested in
adopting is it would be collected by the department of revenue and returned back to the town. If I'm saying this incorrectly let me know uh quarterly. So as chairman Kandido said 75% of municipalities in Massachusetts have
already adopted this. As far as I could find most municipalities will adopt it up to the max which is the 0 Um, as far as surrounding communities go, in Plymouth and Bristol counties, there's only five municipalities that
haven't done this, Lakeville being one of them. And the range of revenue is from 2.2 million about in Plymouth down to $26,000 in Dyon. This was for fiscal year 25 revenue for both of those towns. So this
is just as interated in exploration. source of revenue. Um, if the town were to adopt it, say at the next annual town meeting, um, we wouldn't start to see revenue because there's a a reporting coming up to the state, I believe, the
end of August. We'd have to report that it was accepted. We would see revenue beginning in the second quarter this year. Got it. >> Open it up. >> Yeah. I would, Madam Chair, I would just say based on what I read, um I think
it's an interesting idea. One caveat I have is we as we say, and I don't know when this gets presented to the um to the town, but um where Okay, it says adoption of local meals tax is being explored as an additional source of revenue to help ensure Lakeville is able to maintain a
balanced operating budget without the need of a tax override. >> So I I don't think we want to overpromise and say if we do this, there won't be a tax override, >> right? That's my one comment on the on that. >> Yeah, I agree. I >> I guess my question >> we're clawing at it, but
through you, but uh has anybody done a and I hate taxes, just to be 100% clear, nothing about a tax I like. However, I agree with this because I saw the budgets. Uh but my question is, anybody done uh any numbers
to see where this would be? I I know I I always say, geez, we could use more, you know, restaurants and but there's a lot when you look at subways and pizza places and all this stuff and dumping there. There is a lot there's some revenue here. >> 24 2014 it was 30
$36,000 in the study that we did >> 2014 and I don't know. >> Have we done any type of Well, I'm going to go to Emily because Emily did all this. Emily, did you look at these numbers at all? So, as far as projection
for Lakeville, I didn't do for Lakeville, but yeah, we >> I think it'd be a great idea if we're going to present this at a town meeting to show estimated numbers and you know, if we start using some getting some more economic in town, then we probably put more restaurants in their higher end
with high taxes. But I >> we're going to get we're opening a restaurant any day now. >> Not a restaurant, but just tax people. Any more questions, comments? >> Is there a way to get that number from
the Department of Revenue? Like if it's just tied to the 6.25% tax that already exists. >> We've heard that it exists, but we haven't found it easily available. This the goal of this kind of conversation was to see if there was support. We didn't want to come with an article and then >> there's no appetite for me, the board. >> Yeah.
>> So, this would at the earliest this would come at the annual. So, >> I mean, I'm happy an official vote just to get a feel for the room on the finance committee. I mean, I I certainly something I support and I think it's worth looking into. >> Yeah, definitely.
>> Board members, any comments. >> No, I I I believe it's something we should capitalize on. Definitely. >> Pretty soon they're going to start, you know, um taxing your
coffee. But I'm just saying >> I'm just >> Everybody used to say that all the time. Pretty soon coffee. >> It's going on now. Um All right. Does that give you the answer that you need to move forward and some direction on um
how we can set it up for possible warrant article for spring town meeting? >> Yeah. Um obviously it's been done by 75% of the state. So I'm sure we'll be able to find a warrant article though. >> Yeah. I don't think that's going to be a challenge, >> right? But we'll share information as we get it. >> But I appreciate you going and doing
just what we asked about revenue sources and even though this is not easy, this is kind of the lowhanging fruit um to continue to build revenue streams within the town. >> All right. >> Absolutely.
Dan Dunham Pond Road. So, with regards to this tax, um how does that affect um sorry, how does that affect uh food vendors from outside of the town?
>> You mean like >> like food trucks? Yeah, like food trucks and so forth. >> The stationary food trucks are considered restaurants, but >> how does that work though? because they're not if they don't if they don't live here in town. >> They pay they're paying taxes. It's going through when they're doing their
revenue reporting. >> So it goes through revenue. Okay. >> It doesn't come to us. It goes to revenue and then comes back to us if if I'm saying that correctly. >> Yeah. So part of the reason why there's like a a lag I guess three or four months is the do comes in and basically sets the receipts that they'll then uh
when you buy food and then they collect it. It'll be like a different line. >> Yeah. >> Then they come back and give it to us. But if you sell prepared food in Lakeville, you'll get taxed. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. Yeah. I was just I was just curious if if there's an additional tax. >> No, the mechanism goes through.
>> It's the same. >> And just just to be clear, it's not a tax on the vendor. It's a tax on the person buying in the food, right? >> It's a tax on the food, not the person. >> Tax on the food. Okay. All right. Just to clarify. >> Yes. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Yeah.
>> Great. All right. Um, I did see our veterans agent here waiting patiently. >> Still here? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair, you need us. >> You need us anymore? >> I don't think so. I didn't say anything else. >> We're useless. Get help.
>> Was my mic hot? >> I'll make a motion to close the finance committee meeting. >> Second. >> I feel good evening. Have a good night. >> Thank you very much. >> Good night. That was a little spirited meeting. >> It was spirited.
>> Item number six, discuss and possible vote on the veterans parking space. Uh, a couple months ago, um, I gosh, maybe a year ago, um, I had brought up the possibility of this, um, and we
brought it back up and now we have our veterans agent. Um, many communities have designated park parking space for veterans. Um, and we would like to see if we can adopt something like that in the town of Lakeville for some of our
public buildings. Let our vet agent identify herself and have a conversation. >> I'm Christine Boon. I'm the veterans agent. Thank you for giving me this time. Um, as a person that doesn't live in town, that was overwhelming. Um,
uh, so with the veterans parking spaces, it's not going to be 50 parking spaces. I think each building should designate one or two um parking spots next to the handicap spots. Obviously, they won't go ahead of the handicap spots. Um I have
done some purchasing research um myself and they sell on Amazon and the highest one is $23 um for one sign. And um maybe we can ask DPW to put them in as well as all the
other signs I keep asking them to put in. Um so I would think maybe town hall, maybe by the post office. I'm trying to think of where veterans would need a little bit extra help. Um and this goes
for the dependent as well. We did also um something that I hold true is the paint your spots, parking spaces, and I wanted to possibly get the high
school art students or people with artists to really get the community involved into making these spaces uh perfected for the veterans and that is to paint the veteran sign.
>> Are you proposing like a a contest with the design and then the winner paints the spots? Yes, I have talked about it before that, you know, because I feel like um it will give the community and the schools um a little bit more buy into the town
if we do hold a lottery slashwin. I don't want to say, you know, somebody's not going to win, but maybe we could adopt those spots that people see fit to create for the veterans, but for just the signs itself,
I can go ahead and order them on Amazon with the blessing. >> Let's just be started. Um because I know you would list if I can, Madam Chair. I'm sorry. Um I mean, if we did it with one spot at
all municipal >> buildings, you know, got your building department. >> That's what I'm writing down. I'm like >> you got your fire department, your library, you see, and obviously the CLA in the um department, lease department as well in the parks. Yeah.
>> And the building department. Yeah. So, one for each municipal building in town. >> Does that sound reasonable to everyone? Like one spot? My only concern would be the quality of the Amazon signs.
>> I can I would love to order one. That's why I hesitated to order a bulk amount just so I could possibly see it and then I would bring it in and let um it wouldn't be here in time when I got the notification. But um I've seen the ones
that I follow on Amazon. Um, they're the ones that used her in Lowe's. It's the same. Um, and I talked to a Lo a Lowe's employee and they said that they order them off of Amazon. >> Can you send us the link? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> The one that you're looking for through, you know, if you could send it, you
know, send it to um Andrew and he can just >> I try to get one in time, but >> yeah, >> the two-day shipping isn't really a thing. >> No, but I think it's I think it's a I think it's a >> fantastic idea. So quality aside, we can
we can make >> Yeah, we can get behind this. >> Yeah, we can get behind this. Absolutely. >> All right. Um, so I would suggest um just as member Carboni just said that we would make we would designate one one
spot for every municipal building. Then I want to put the caveat. Do we want to do like John Pond Park? Do we want to do historical um town hall? Like I I think we might be overstepping if we do
everyone. So maybe we name them out which ones >> I think my recommendation you you that initial list you came up but I don't think we need to go. >> Okay. Well, don't forget where we vote. >> Yes. I I would agree with that. London would be nice and then the primary
>> municipal buildings. I think my opinion is >> Okay. So, town hall, police um police building, COA building, new fire um department, parks, >> well, park. Yeah, building >> and Yeah.
>> Okay. So, someone wants to make a motion pending quality check. >> Just one other comment to it. We want to make sure that if we if we're painting >> in the roads, we want to make sure that we're using something that's going to be durable. defer to the highway
department. I'm not saying we use but if we have it's okay that the high school students can submit a design but need to consider when we come time to do it. Mhm. >> So, I did do, sorry to interrupt, a cost
comparison. Um, and to paint, and I only know this because my daughter just painted her senior spot. Um, it's very expensive. >> Have to use durable. >> You have to use durable paint. Um, just one gallon of paint cost me $82.
Um, and that's special paint to go through all the weather. Um, and then if you're thinking colorful three colors, you know, especially red, white, and blue, that's going to really add up versus just the signs for now. And I would love to revisit paint.
>> Sure. And that's right cuz I thought you were doing both. And I'm okay with this style of the sign and then we can expand it later on. I would support that. >> I'm good with that as well. Anyone else? >> Then I will take a motion. I did so. >> Oh, you so moved it.
>> I second her. So move. Oh, I am so moved. >> I'm very moved. >> Uh, any further discussion hearing? None. Roll call. >> I car I >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. Let's go back to the beginning as it were. Um, we're going to go to the minutes. Uh, >> haven't done the minutes yet. Yeah, we haven't done the minutes.
>> I I run a crazy ship here. >> Um I have one correction that's ministerial and then no other corrections. >> Anybody else have >> I have one. Okay. Page five.
Um under the first motion >> y >> the voted >> do I have you as abstain? >> No I'm chair carbon I and vice chair carbon I. She's every woman. >> I will correct that.
>> Thank you. >> Oh and it is it down the one below it too. >> I do a cut. I'll check. >> I'm almost at it to send that. >> Okay, >> I'll take a motion. >> Motion to approve the select board
meeting minutes of October 14th, 2025 as amended. >> Second. >> Motion and second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. I >> carbon. I got you. All right.
Let us go to item number two, TA goals. >> Andrew, you put the most comprehensive list in the history of lists together for us. I want to see a check mark next to every single item. >> Yeah.
>> This is the same list that we voted on two months agoish. >> Probably two and a half months ago. >> Two and a half months ago. Um there's some updates on there um as well, but I will let Andrew present. >> So I won't go all go through all I think
45 as Paul puts it. Um then I added like maybe seven or eight at the very end. So I'll I'll pinpoint a few highlighted ones. Um obviously some a lot of these goals are like full fiscal year goals. They're not going to be completed in the first quarter. Um the biggest one I'm most
excited about is the website upgrade. Um, we finally got a project manager on that. Um, and hopefully it's going to launch in two or three months or so. Um, >> that's item number four, right? >> Yep. Yep. In goal number one. >> Yep.
>> Um, skipping to goal number two. Um, item three. Um, obviously we did the capital and operating budget together last year. Um, basically around March or so. Um, I've pushed up the capital until um,
September this year. Um, I want to get a good free cash number going into the operating budget to see exactly what we're dealing with. Um, when it comes to needing any sort of free cash for the budget, >> does this also open up the opportunity for possible grants for some of these
items um, for the some of the capital items that get presented? Does it give you some time to work with it instead of having them presented in March or is that immaterial? Um, I would say immaterial. >> Okay. >> Um, the ultimate goal was really to see
I want to I guess bank I guess a certain amount of money going into the hard season which I'm going to say is January to June. So we're ready kind of have any sort of flexibility. So um the capital plan is I guess more strict than it
normally would be. Um but the process is ongoing. I hope to meet with the committee in two weeks or so initially and I'll share the whole list with the whole select board when I do obviously. >> And Andrew, we had a correction on the free cash number as well that goes into
being able to use that capital. I don't think we discussed it. >> Not extensively. No, I made a correction on an email. Yep. >> But initially we thought it was a million. It's actually more like a million.7. >> Yep. >> So gives us more flexibility. Um, last
year we didn't really put any money towards stabilization or capital stabilization. It looks like we probably can this year, which is good news. Um, >> will this free up any money to service debt as well or No. >> Gives us the flexibility if we have to.
>> Yep. Yep. Um, obviously we just kind of talked about goal number four, which is to um, research revenue opportunities including the meals tax. So, um, that's ongoing. Um, there's a few community one stops, I
think, that are kind of in the cooker, I guess. Um, that probably I don't want to share until later on, but, um, flexibility involved. >> Um, a big goal of mine also is to develop a tax title for closure auction process
with the finance and land use teams. >> Um, what we're going to do is come out with a sale of town owned land policy. Um you wouldn't believe how many people in a given year reach out looking to buy town land. Um so we want to put together what that looks like. Um but then what
is really I think the focus of this one is to create a butter program and I think the Clark Shores community is going to be the focus of that initial effort. There's about 19 properties in there um between the size of a shoe box to the size of this room. So we'd like
to develop a process to get rid of it essentially. Um Emily's actually drawn the lucky straw on that one. Um but I mean we found a lot a lot of the stuff we do in this um town it's been done before. So there's there's a lot of good
um policies we can kind of legalize pretty easily. >> I'll be using that term forever now. >> Um goal number three I have uh objective one support the economic development committee. Um that's uh something Emily
and I um I think we're taking turns going to meetings. Um but that's a high focus obviously. Um it's a it's more of a it's not just a fiscal year. It's a multi-year kind of effort. Even if you draw someone in by the time they build
or do something it's it's years away. Um research and implement grant opportunities for for community onetop. Obviously, I've um talked to it with the board, but we got a grant for 94,000. Um Emily and myself are putting together
the RFP um in the next coming weeks. So, we hope to have some sort of consultant on board. I would guess probably by Christmas. >> And this consultant is going to be focusing on economic development plans and like a playbook. >> Yeah, a playbook. They're going to look
at all it's kind of like a corridor study but then also like a playbook of how we can influence local the local part of it. Um the biggest toughest goal I would say is to renegotiate the IMA agreements with the city of Taton and
also to explore the possibility of an IMA with the city of New Bedford. Um new city New Bedford and Freetown who would also be involved in that are both interested. Um and that's an ongoing conversation we're having. Um, another stakeholder in that is the schools.
They've expressed interest in um, getting water at the schools. Um, so I think that's it all they all kind all the stakeholders are kind of it's an ongoing discussion. Um, and the city of Taton I reached out to not that long after I started about potentially
renegotiating the IMA agreement. Um, and it sounds like they're interested, but they have some things that they want to see in it. Um, obviously we have stuff we want to see in our part of it. Um, and it's kind of at a standstill right now. >> I had a question on that. >> Yep. >> Did we ever get some more definitive
data on actual use of um like we always allocate um when we're setting up our water allocation? >> Yep. >> How are we auditing that that's really what we're allocating and what the person is using? And is there opportunity to have that conversation
about the allocations not you know being underutilized or overutilized in some in some instances? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um I think that conversation started with my predecessor interimm town administrator. He had reached out to Mike Gerudo. >> Okay. >> Um Taton has expressed that they would
give us any report we need for that. And I think what we had found is basically use about a half of what we allocate >> and that that was my assumption. we tend to allocate um based on the gut instinct and flow.
It's like you know septic flow instead of you know actual use. >> That's why most of our current uh water applications we take the vote that we could reserve the right to come back and >> change the allocation if the water usage shows that they don't need everything. >> That would be a really long meeting but yes.
>> Yes. I know. Exactly. Um, for goal number four, I think I mentioned it at every single select board meeting, but the class and compensation study. Um, doing that internally is quite a bit of work. Um,
that's fills up most of Lacy's day. Um, but I think it's something desperately needed. >> Um, not only the compensation, but also the classification part of it as well. Um, and then an effort that you'll see during the budget season is a townwide strategic plan. Um,
it'll probably be a focus of our meeting either in November or December to get select board goals. Um, but this will also be town department goals and we'll track them similar to how you're seeing this but with better pictures and you
probably invite people to present on their goals. I think I think the department heads would love to be able to have that conversation because if you remember when we went through the budget process last year, they were so happy to say, you know, this is what I we've
accomplished and you know, with with what you've given us, you know, we served this many meals or, you know, we were able to do all these streets. Like I I for one was flabbergasted how many streets that the DPW had on their plan um because that was three times more
than I thought they were they would be able to get to. So being able to point to their wins and even some of their you know their their losses. I think that's an important part of their ownership of uh of their departments and giving them that opportunity is really a good way to
have them cemented that you know that's the expectation and that's what we um that's what we love for them you know. >> Yeah I agree for sure. Um and then goal number five I have the most highlights. Um it's becoming clear that we um I
would say we need an on call um OPM contractor services. Um, I think Emily's doing a lot of three quote construction processes that ideally we could just have an on call person deal with. Um, cut down a lot of administrative time and obviously efforts from the
departments. Um, there's no update currently, but that's something that I'd like to do. Did it in previous jobs I've been at. Um >> um member Carboni, was there an attempt at one point in 2022 or 2023
>> to implement an on call OPM? >> Was it the same? >> Mhm. >> Everything. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah, those contracts expired I think uh the month before I started. >> Okay. >> Yep. But it was Pomroy. I get the other ones. Um
>> how was RP? >> There's three of them. It was Apex which was environmental partners. >> Pomroy was one and then there's another >> RTA >> RTA >> George >> George Ferina >> um oversee implementation of the capital plan including new fire station um it's
one of those things where um obviously we it it takes the a lot of the flare of it. We make the request for capital projects go to town meeting and get them approved but then actually go out and do them um is a lot of work. Um,
so I like to see oversee it probably better going forward, >> but anything you can do will save us significant costs. Um, you know, any of the projects that you take on as opposed to us wrapping it into um the overall project.
>> Um, even you know, even the smallest thing gets the fees attached to it um if if we're not doing it ourselves. So there's value to it. Um, and then we'll obviously I think multiple people on this select board have seen it, but
when it comes time to actually construct the fire station, weekly construction meetings that might take a focus of mine on on some stuff, maybe Emily on certain certain weeks. Um, that's it's going to be probably every week. Um, a lot of time. Um, probably one of the biggest
goals out of all of my goals is to create a facility slashtowned property improvement master plan. Uh, Paul has put that together and he is going to continue to do that through the coming months. And so my goal at the end would
be um to have a a kind of a thick capital plan where it kind of shows what a capital plan is, what the requests are, individual requests, what I'm recommending, but then also to show the community and the select board, what our assets are, how they're doing, what do
we see our weaknesses. Um >> will it also have useful life cycle information on it? >> Yep. >> Yep. Um I think it's there's probably 20 categories per building. Um, so it'll show us where we need to do. Um, it'll include quotes for stuff that has, I guess, poor um,
characterization. So, it'll be a very, I think, comprehensive plan of everything. Um, so, and then the last one is obviously Route 79 is the biggest probably focus on going weekly in my schedule. Um,
there's a lot of land takings. are currently still ongoing, but um communication for that is going to be key. Um >> do we have copies of any of the um stakeholder issues as we go through?
Um because I know >> Yeah, every question gets documented. Every phone call, email gets documented by the project team and we respond to them. >> Okay. So, is there somewhere people can log in to see that? >> No, that's all like internal type of stuff. Um, I think what we're going to
try to do is put a um something on the website where it kind of says this is what's going to happen next month, what's going on. Um, it's complicated project. It's going to take probably four or five years. So, um, it's obviously going to be a question select board will have to probably answer on
the on the streets is what's going on. >> Um, so we have all the answers on the project team. So, I would say funnel funnel that way. Um, but it's a weekly thing I have to attend and go over. So, and then some of the extra goals, I
guess we'll call them, that have been added since this is to assist with the education um to the community on the impending old colony district and debt exclusion votes. Um, we've put out one item, town clerk's office put out a handful, and we're
going to put out two or three more in the weeks to come. um >> if you could put it out with more specific language than is in theformational part of the ballot because as I mentioned the wording from
bond council not from our wording but from old colony bond council makes it look like the residents of Lakeville are on the hook for the whole project. Yeah. >> When you're reading it um it it doesn't read like you know this small portion of the project. Um, and I know that's going
to be a really difficult educational point uh for the residents. >> I agree. It's a it's a complicated vote. Um, of the five town administrators, we argued about what each question meant extensively. So, obviously the average person's >> average Yeah. They're going to be at the
ballot saying, "I don't even >> know what this means." >> Know what this means. >> Yeah. So, we're trying to, I guess, knock down the walls on the confusion. Um, we've talked about this num number of times, but we we're putting out the town council RFP that went out um two weeks ago.
>> Um, and it's due December 5th. So, um, that'll be a big focus of ours in the coming months. Um, obviously, this has kind of been discussed as well recently, um, is the SHI, affordable housing reporting. Um that's kind of fallen on
Nate Darling and myself to do and it really kind of falls on the town planner. >> Um so um we're in compliance right now with all the stuff we need to do. Um not necessarily tied to this but smart growth as well. So all our reporting is
I guess topnotch right now. Um and I guess in general a lot of these goals I mentioned this before are it's not just me it's a team of people. Um, in fact, most of these don't necessarily come for me or I'm not going to deal dayto day with, but I kind
of organize them all together. Um, so it's good team. Good team. So, um, I I think we're on track to accomplish every goal by the end of the fiscal year. Some of these I'm going to need worked on, but feel good about them.
>> Board members, any questions? >> Thanks for putting that list together. very comprehensive list. Thank you. >> Now we can't say what are you doing? What are you doing with your time? We know >> comprehensive >> and aggressive.
>> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Moving on. Item number four, discuss some possible vote to award contract for new fire station waterline project and authorize town administrator to sign any contract documents pending legal review.
Bids for the fire station water main extension were due on October 9th. town received six bids. The lowest bid being 272759 which is 160,000 less than we had >> what 130
>> 130,000 less than we had um originally anticipated. It was submitted by RFS Corp. Submissions were received by PAR Corporation the project engineer for completeness and accuracy. Do we have any questions
about the water line or about the price of the waterline or the uh or the procurement? Hearing none, I'll take a motion. I'll make a motion that we award um the water main extension on Bedford Street,
which is Route 18, contract in the amount of $272,759.7 to RFS Corporation, and to authorize the town administrator to sign the project contract contingent on its review and approval by town legal council.
>> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. >> Hunt. I >> plug eye. >> Indie I car I. All right. Moving right along.
Item number five. Discuss and possible vote on Thornike project liaison. Did anyone submit to Andrew? They're interested. >> Select board member, right? >> Yes. We're going to have a select board
member and a planning board member um just be part of the liaison and liaison meaning um whoever this person is they will sit in the meetings and kind of bring it back to the board just like liaison for the other roles and be kind
of that conduit um to get information back to the board. >> What kind of meetings are these planning board meetings? Are these thornyike meetings? >> Thornike meetings. Yeah, they would be Thorn Dikeke meetings. >> Are they public meetings? >> No. >> Oh, so they're just they call a meeting.
>> They're informational. What they'll do is they'll say we're thinking about this and then you'll bring it back to the board. >> My guess is probably a lot of those are during business hours. >> I would have to say all of them would probably be within business hours. >> Yeah, >> I'm interested. But it's tough with my
full-time job. We have no idea how many meetings they're going to call, right? >> Shouldn't be very many. Um I think they wanted to just touch base after last week's meeting. Um and then they wanted to schedule one after because they're putting together all those qu questions and answers and they want to kind of go
over that before they send it out to everybody. >> They're probably remote meetings. They're not going to >> Yeah, they're all drag us to their office. >> Yeah, they're not in person. >> They'll all be uh Zoom or Teams. >> And I'm sure they'll put out a hey, general availability. They're not going to say a meeting's 2 o'clock. You either
come or you don't. It probably gonna be >> Yeah, they asked for availability. >> I would be willing. Anybody else? I had a strong desire. >> I I wouldn't want to take this away from you.
>> I I did grow up on Clear Pond Road and and Reservoir Heights Country Club was my first paying job at $225 an hour. So, I'm very familiar with that property, but I certainly would not want to take away your love
of of these types of meetings. >> Well, I didn't go that far, but I am interested in the pride thing. Oh, you expressing interest? >> Well, no, I was just going to say that Mr. Hunt with with that compassion that you just displayed, it would be >> probably a really good fact, madam idea
for the motion to come from you. >> And I'll second that motion. So I I would make a motion then that uh member Plona be the uh liaison for the board of selectment regarding the Thornike project.
>> And I'll second >> I have a motion in a second. >> Any further discuss pending pending his availability board is way too kind. >> Any further discussion? >> You could go sit on other boards. I heard they're mean.
Uh, roll call. >> I plug eye. >> I bon I. >> Article number seven. Discuss a possible vote to approve the sign and state lottery commission application for license to conduct a one-day game
commonly called bino for the uponquit athletic boosters club on 11825 from 6 pm to 12:00 p.m. midnight. >> This is madam chair. This is the second time that they've um done this >> um because it was kind of an interesting
thing because this hadn't come in front of the board before. So, who wants to make Well, it looks like the fire chief has already provided his approval for the event as well. >> Hold on. >> All right. If I may, I'll make a motion um that we approve and sign the state
lottery commission application for uh for license to conduct a one-day game commonly called Bino for the Aonoquit Athletic Boosters Club for November 8th, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. >> Second. >> Motion in a second. Any further
discussion? >> Hearing none. Roll call. >> I do. in Carbon I to 12 midnight. >> 12 just making sure I didn't miss anything with all my skipping around.
>> All right, we're going down to the subcommittee and select board delegate update updates. We're starting with Old Colony. We have not had a meeting on the next meeting is scheduled for November 3rd which I will not be able to attend because we're having a joint subboard
meeting that night. >> Got it. >> I'll be sure to get updates >> with Freetown. Uh fire station building committee. >> Oh, that would be me up there. Um what do we have to update? >> No, we had a meeting and um we just
broke out into what we're going to be doing. will be meeting once a month and then we'll have the weekly um smaller construction meetings and it looks like we're going to start to see some activity um next door in the next month.
>> So, the turtle fences are turtle fences are up. They've been monitored and checked and double checked and triple checked. And we actually had a turtle class. >> We had to have a turtle class on how to identify the turtles and what to do when
we identify. You want me to sign you up? >> Volunteers remote. >> Uh, all right. Technology advisory subcommittee >> tenatively. So, the October meeting was cancelled, but the November meeting is
tenatively scheduled for November 10 pending room availability. >> Thank you. Uh, we don't have any updates, I'm guessing, on the communication and community outreach subcommittee. um just that we've probably put a few things out through our which I'll be bringing back to the
select board just um high level um you know what happens when information comes in and how it gets disseminated out but so far it's making it happen. >> Mr. Hunt, will you update us on the town hall building reuse subcom?
>> Uh, we met uh we discussed with the uh with the project people um ongoing situation at the town hall and their bid on how we would spend the $25,000
we are trying to uh appropriate at town meeting. We're kind of at a limbo right now until They do an evaluation and see if our plans are and thoughts are plannable
and just to give us an idea of where we stand with everything and the possibilities there in the town hall. >> Thank you for the update. Member Carboni, the EDC. >> Uh economic development committee met
last night. Um, we had uh Valerie Glenn, the president of the chamber, Cranberry Chamber, come speak to us. Um, a little bit more about what they do and how we might be able to work with each other to bring in some, you know, just kind of
some new vision. Um, we've been we talked about the our $94,000 and and what the next steps will be and how that will impact, you know, the timing of what we're looking to do. We talked about the survey. We should have our answers um solidified at our next
meeting in November so that we can um prepare the surveys to go out to residents and businesses >> and the EAC the energy advisory comm's really nothing. They have a meeting
November 4th. Okay. Okay. Any new business or old business to come before the board tonight? >> We have new business. >> New business. Yes. So, I had a supple a supplemental that I gave to the select board. There is a Mullen Hill is putting
on a 5K Veterans Day race and because of our meeting schedule, we are not going to meet again before this race is going to take place. So, I did put that information in your packets. I did follow up with everybody
who um weighs in on uh road permits and all. None have any issues. This is a self-contained event. >> Okay. >> Um and we have approved it previously, so I didn't really see I didn't see anything that would be a hangup for that.
>> Did you admonish them for submitting it late? >> Um they didn't. It was, yeah, it was more a combination of me taking over the road permits and and just seeing the the logistics of the schedule that made me go, "Oh, we need to do this today." So,
Got it. Thank you for considering it on short notice. That was no fault of anyone but my own. >> All right. Well, I'll make a motion um that we approve the public way license for Molly Hill Christian Academyy's uh Veterans Day 5K fundraising race to be held from 25 Staplehore
to be held from 25 Stapleshore Road on November 8th, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and approved with the attached route. Second with discussion. Um this will also be uh on the next agenda um to uh to ratify this vote.
So noted >> and >> so no detail required. >> Nope. >> They're not crossing the um Bedford Street. >> 105. There you go.
>> November 8th. Is that I'm on the calendar. Is that a Sunday? >> Is that a Saturday? >> Well, I the chief doesn't see any safety issues. So, okay. >> All right. Motion in a second. Roll
call. >> I did. I motion passes. uh next select board of meeting November 3rd. I will be unable to attend this meeting. So uh vice chair Carboni will be running this meeting. Uh
if you have ideas on items that you would like to be on the meeting, please send them directly to her as this will be her agenda. >> And and that meeting is at the Freetown Police Station. >> It is a joint meeting with Freetown to
discuss shared issues. The biggest one of them being the recall um warrant >> and do we have a time of that meeting? >> They usually meet right after. So it's probably
>> we'll get clarification on that. But >> because I think their meetings are at 7. >> They came to us the last time. So >> yeah, >> now we're going to them. >> All right. Um, I won't go over correspondence tonight,
but we did have some correspondence. Have it here. Nope. All right. Um, we are going to go now into executive session. uh possible executive session
pursuant to GL chapter 3A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares Bountiful Farms Jushi
uh Northeast Alternatives Buds is it Buds Goods or Budge Country provisions Buds Goods and Twisted Growers and not to return into open session. So move >> second. >> Motion second. Roll call.
>> I do I carbon I. Thank you everybody.