WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=8xYMKFPxJfc

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 8xYMKFPxJfc):
- 00:00:10: Disabilities Commission Meeting: Introductions, Agenda Overview, Henry Fontaine
- 00:01:36: Discussion About King Street, School, and ADA Compliance
- 00:05:13: Building Commissioner's Perspective: Third Party Reviewer Role
- 00:06:47: Concerns Over Existing Building Deficiencies & Consultant Role
- 00:07:53: Addressing Minor Issues and Contractor Oversight Regarding ADA
- 00:09:17: Discussion About ADA Parking Space & Grant Opportunities
- 00:10:48: Expected Role and Making the School Accessible for Wheelchairs
- 00:13:56: New School Sensory Spaces & Accessibility Considerations
- 00:15:56: Accessibility Concerns: King Street Project and Redesign
- 00:16:42: Crosswalk Issue at Baptist Church and Safety Improvements
- 00:18:53: Baptist Church Signage Blocking Sight Line and Acton Church
- 00:21:19: Thanking Henry Fontaine and Moving On To Next Agenda
- 00:22:26: Scheduling Regular Monthly Disability Commission Meetings
- 00:23:32: Flexibility Regarding the Town's Events Schedule Conflicts
- 00:24:41: Second Friday Scheduling Approved For Disability Meetings
- 00:25:46: ADA Title II Updates: New Deadlines & Considerations
- 00:26:51: Staff Training Needed & Department of Justice Extension
- 00:27:59: Other Municipalities and Digital Accessibility Policy Town
- 00:29:04: Digital Accessibility Policy and Staff Training
- 00:30:57: Thoughts, Suggestions and Feedback on Accessible Policy
- 00:31:57: Potential Drafts and Kicking Policy Around For Town
- 00:33:11: Roll Up the Grant and Lawyer Sign Offs Are Required
- 00:34:17: Town Administrator's Performance Objectives and Policy Moves
- 00:35:21: Contractors and Cyber Security Involvement In This Issue
- 00:36:13: Administrator's Office Helping Make Accessible An Objective
- 00:37:21: Drafting a Template and Contacting State on This
- 00:38:27: Commonwealth Information and Woburn/Methuan Commission
- 00:39:15: Town Transportation: Usage Data from Liz Shared
- 00:39:57: Missing Data: Instances When Rides Are Unavailable
- 00:41:36: Phone Calls and No Tracking Data of Denied Ride Requests
- 00:43:03: Transportation Cutoff Time and the Overtime Consideration
- 00:44:10: Resourcing Problem and Squeeze into Limited Rides and Needs
- 00:45:22: Staffing and Budget Costs Needs To Come For Money Somewhere
- 00:46:18: Positive Experience and Second Shift Early Evening
- 00:47:20: Transportation Challenges Quantified By This Grant
- 00:47:53: Grant Update: Deficiencies Audit in Buildings and Processes
- 00:48:57: A Lot Of Deficiencies in Many of These Buildings
- 00:50:10: New and Older Buildings in Need of Update
- 00:50:43: Educating Contractors of ADA Requirements Ensure
- 00:51:33: Verifying Contractors Familiarity and Final Walkthrough Needed
- 00:52:05: Senior Center Bond and Contractor Handrails Fixed
- 00:53:25: Finding Report, Funding Timeframe, and Get Money Accomplished
- 00:54:15: Backed by State Law and Recommendations To Fix Things
- 00:55:05: Compromised Game Room At 36 King Basement
- 00:55:52: Legal Money To Department Acceptance To Be Law
- 00:56:41: ADA Involvement in Process of Building and Renovations
- 00:57:46: Not a Requirement and Messaging in Town Costly
- 00:58:35: Advocated Walk Through 36 King and the Senior Center
- 00:59:26: Goodwill By Library Guy for Missed ADA Compliance
- 01:00:33: Contractors More Naturally Familiar and Vendor Options
- 01:01:06: Compliance Officer on Building & Renovations Process
- 01:01:38: Proactive and Listing People to Be and Listen
- 01:02:09: Conversation Commission Land and Reach Out
- 01:03:13: Misleading Planning to Do There with a Focus On Docks
- 01:04:04: No Mention For Commission To Come To Us There
- 01:04:51: Disturbing Areas Getting Excited For Things Not Feasible
- 01:05:39: Roads and Sidewalk Concerns Due To Disrepair
- 01:06:28: Building Or Creating Space with Logistical Challenges
- 01:07:17: Docks Homemade By People Not Safe and Liability Risks
- 01:08:20: Putting Things To A Serious Discussion With a Plan For This
- 01:08:53: How Park Recreation and What Involved With and How Involved
- 01:09:54: Guidance and Bad Advice on Who Will Be Involved
- 01:11:13: Lot of Concerns Wasting Time Asking the Select Board
- 01:12:01: Traffic is Double Triple In the Summer Time Issues
- 01:12:49: Representative From Conservation To Inform Meeting
- 01:13:05: Letter Request Sent To Conversation Team Update
- 01:13:52: Approve Meeting Minutes Action Items Policy To Follow
- 01:14:56: Pursue Finding Report Need Put That in Right
- 01:15:45: Training On June $22,000 And This Grant Deficit 
- 01:16:34: Findings What Applies The Coming Fiscal Year
- 01:17:09: Keep Projects to Taken Care Of and Put Forward To
- 01:17:40: Calendar is Blocked For Rest of Calendar Year


Part: 1

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everyone. Um, I see we have Eric, Bill, Gary, George, myself, Dian Corey, and Henry Font Fontaine is here as a guest. Um, it is 12:01, Friday, May 15th. Welcome to the

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disabilities commission meeting. Um, today we have on the agenda meeting with Henry Fontaine, building commissioner scheduling monthly calls in advance for ERIC ADA title 2 updates from ERIC town transportation data from Eric Grant

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updates from Diane meeting minutes approval action items next meeting and then adjourn. All right, let us start with our building commissioner Henry Fontaine. Thank you, Henry, for being here. Um, I know that you wanted to kind of discuss

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with us what we are looking from you, um, as far as with the disabilities and where we're going forward. Is that correct? >> That is correct. Excuse me. Um, with 550 Kingsbridge especially coming up in the

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school, it would be good to know, you know, how the board feels and what they're actually looking for. >> Okay. Um, so who would like to start with um Henry's question as to what we're looking to for from him?

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>> Pete, I was trying to get my picture here. >> Sure, George. Um, Henry is here today to find out what the disabilities commission is looking from him as far as the 550 King Street project and the

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school project is concerned. Well, I think for the for the 550 King Street, we're looking to uh make sure I I I started reading this report from the the consultants that we had here for the

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disability stuff here. And it u seemed like uh even the new building, the library, the the senior center uh seemed like the stuff with the bathroom and the water fountains uh they're not in proper location even though the report didn't

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say exactly where it needed to be, but it it it was saying that there was stuff that was wrong. I'm trying to understand >> how is it that uh these buildings just been put in and uh we got uh stuff in the bathroom uh that's not in the right

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place and so forth and so on. Uh I noticed they said u water fountains um uh wasn't passing the knees. Um but uh that just I I didn't get a chance to read it. They have to sit down

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and really go through that and see what's what. I'm just wondering uh uh if they're if they're pointing out the deficiencies uh they telling us where it needs to be according to ADA because I didn't seem to see that as a part of the

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answer and telling us what was wrong. Uh what I look forward to seeing is to make sure that uh whatever uh uh buildings that's put up at 550 that they conform 100%

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uh with the minimum ADA uh requirements there. So we will be looking to see I sent u um a email out last night to uh Mr. Morgan. Uh, and of course I hadn't heard back from because I wanted to uh

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find out from him uh where were they at with regards to the blueprints uh with 550 and uh and also with uh 410. Uh I do know a few weeks ago uh probably uh

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maybe the first week of April that he had said that u uh it was coincident that I sent the email to him the same time the day that they was looking at and he asked me was the building u uh superintendent uh going to be a part of

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the meeting. I told him absolutely he was going to be a part of the meeting. So uh he said okay that you know they're working on it uh very diligent jolene and that uh he will get back uh in touch with me uh with regards to that. So

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that's been a few weeks so I figured that we was having the meeting today. I thought maybe I would have had an answer back from him this morning uh with regards to uh where they were uh on that. So, uh, that's my concern is is is

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to make sure that they come in and, uh, we look at these, uh, blueprints and and make sure that it's putting a minimum amount of the ADA requirements, uh, in these buildings up there. So, that's that's my big concern.

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>> Okay. Um, I can try to, you know, help you back with that, George. Um, thank you for having me on board, um, members of the commission. So, um, we're going to be looking for when all the plans come in, uh, we have a third

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party reviewer coming in, and that third party reviewer is aware of, um, my concerns with the, uh, ADA requirements. So, we're going to be looking to be sure that ADA units or um

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accessible units meet the requirements, parking, um elevator, um anything that's required to be um reviewed. They're going to take a look at it. I'm also going to look at it. Um so, there's going to be eyes all over

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everything. Um I I'm a strong supporter of the uh disability of commission. So I uh I do want to plan and make sure we take a lot of time to review all the information that we get on the plans. Um I don't have plans as of yet. Um I I

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know that the uh the folks at 550 K Street are working on that. Um so once we receive the plans, we can probably start doing a review on it. But um the third party is going to probably jump ahead of me just to make sure that

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whatever um the Leoli group has provided um meets the uh requirements and then we'll probably sit down with her and and review the plans just to make sure we're all on the same page. Well, I think that's sort of kind of

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what uh uh we need to do there because uh for one uh this is a a big big project and um we need to get it right u going forth there. So

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>> to me that's the most important thing. So, I'm a I'm a little perturbed here uh this afternoon about uh the reports that's coming in on these buildings that we just built. As I mentioned earlier, I I don't see how uh uh these things are

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out of whack there. And if they are uh I think that uh the consultant that's doing the the finding of what's wrong in loan here if if something is is mounted in the wrong place would tell me where it needs to be. I mean this doesn't

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really help us to rectify whatever needs to be done because we uh I am under assume that the people that uh put it in that installed it that they knew where it was supposed to go. So, it just doesn't make sense to me.

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>> Well, some of George, some of the um you know, some of the uh information that you we received obviously was, you know, um minor things obviously. I mean, I I understand that, you know, we were

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kind of taken aback by some of the bigger items as far as the, you know, in the bathrooms, like how how would that have been missed? How was it that But I mean, a lot of this is before before Henry. So,

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I mean, >> oh, I'm I'm not talking about, you know, Henry being a part of it. I'm talking about >> the the the the the contractors that uh they're supposed to have people that that that specialize in know exactly where they're supposed to mount stuff like in the bathroom, the

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water fountain and so forth because these are the things they picked up on. And like I had point out to to Henry about that third parking space that was down there at uh the senior center, it did not have the access uh uh uh

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crossings there in that parking lot there, which uh I I said earlier on, >> I thought that was one that uh they put in because of the number of space that was down there. I don't think they they had a need for the or they always have needs, but it was not required under

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ADA. They plugged that third one in. So, >> right, >> we we sort of kind of let it went, but I told them that they need to bring it up to par, which was that uh this is a new parking space and not an old parking space. So therefore, we needed to put

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the sign in and we need to put the the accessibility uh diagonal lines on that park space, which it was going to knock out another parking spot was what it was going to do. >> So, right, >> I think that's part for the course that we just we have to do it. If we're going

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to do it, we need to do it right. So, >> that's something that going to have to be restriped. >> Right. Well, yeah. And it was pointed out in in the information that they gave to us. um to fix that. So, I mean, I think like you said, George, it wasn't

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in the plans to put that additional dis um parking spot and then at the last minute they decided to do it, but they didn't do it properly. And so, I mean, I get it. We we need to fix that. I mean, that's an that's one of those easy

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fixes. But, you know, knowing that I mean, if we look at the dollars that um are in here to to do some of these fixes, we know that the grant is going to open, the grant process is going to open up

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um soon. I mean, we could go through some of these things and pick and choose what what we really should be looking at and present it to the state for a for the next round of grants because

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we're halfway through this project that we're doing. And not to jump ahead, but you know, um we we can get go forward with that. But, you know, while we have Henry here, let's kind of stick with what we're

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looking to have Henry Henry do and what we are expecting of him. And far as the school go, uh I'm still on the same uh path there with regards to uh making sure that uh these

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uh contractors uh put in uh uh since I got information now as to what's happened to these other recent buildings that we put in. We just need to make sure that uh we don't come up with the same uh um issues that we have now with

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these new buildings with the ADA uh requirements making sure that stuff is put in the proper place uh uh with the with the bathrooms and and with the water uh the the the slopes that's involved and so forth and so on. Uh, so

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yeah, I'm I'm all for making sure that that stuff and and that is it is done right. So that's that's where I'm at with regards to these two issues. >> We we'll try to um capture everything we

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can. Uh George, we sometimes there might be a little something we miss, something like that, but for the most part, we're going to put the time into it. Having the third party reviewer involved with it is going to be a big help for us because if they find something right away, we can deal with it right away. Sometimes we have to

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deal with it in the field, too. So, um they'll give they'll reach out to us and ask us to visit them on site. Maybe something that they ran into. So, um, you know, my we're going to make a conscious effort to try to take care of everything we can,

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>> but more especially I don't know if we have many kids uh uh in the school that uh you know have uh >> u uh wheelchairs. But that's something that we definitely need to make sure

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that if uh we have areas that we need to uh ensure that a wheelchair uh because a a child could uh be in a wheelchair temporarily for whatever reason. We need to make sure that those type of things

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that they have that accessibility to be able to uh get about and do as one of the ordinary normal kids would do >> or or suddenly god forbid they could be in a wheelchair or in the future. So like planning for you know a even if

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they don't have wheelchair users right now like that doesn't mean they never will you know. >> Right. Yeah. You have to be prepared for it. >> Y >> that's all I have madame clerk. Okay. >> Regarding the school, uh the new school, I um and you know, I know they had a

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meeting the other night. I I think that was some initial discussions, but I I wasn't able to attend. I some of the things that you know, having a having a um a son with intellectual disabilities. I I was curious about the spaces for um

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you know, the the children with disabilities regarding uh sensory >> um noise overload. are there going to be and I I I know it's a huge cost to the town to have to um have uh children with disabilities that population go to other

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towns or go to other schools and the transportation costs. So I was just trying to figure out um if the building part is getting ahead of that by having that availability if we're not going to have those um the expectation to have those children go to Littleton schools

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right out of the gate. Um I would assume that we would think in the future for sure that we would want to have a space um for the people that are intellectually disabled and or need that over you know over stimulated or the sensory issues and a quiet space um

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rooms with OT and things like that. So I know Littleton's been great with that you know through the high school the program has come a long way but I I was just I haven't got a good feel for Shaker Lane yet on how they're going to address that population. Yeah, that's a good question. U Gary,

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I'm not sure myself. I'd have to get a little deeper into it. >> Bill or Eric? >> No, I have no further. This is Eric. No, no further question. >> No. Yeah, I'm just curious to learn more about the King Street project. the the

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school I did review what they share with us and talk to them about it so I have a little more familiarity what their plans are and they do have some in you know perhaps some good ideas and planning for it but yeah it will need some careful examination >> okay to make sure it happens

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>> it it happens and you know there's details I mean I'm not there's only so much I know I'm not an expert in certain things so you know having those individuals assess it but they from what I understand there are plans for that but I'm that's I haven't heard anything since we last spoke about it. So, I

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don't know where it's at now. >> That's cool. Okay. I'm just making a notation. >> And is the other Oh, one other thing is because we had talked about this too before. There's apparently a grant and some plans to redo the uh the common in town. you know, that should be in

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consideration particularly in in conjunction with with um the King Street project because, you know, just access and P because that's something I was concerned about before I even heard about that project was if this King Street project going in, you know, the the the center of town really needs to be considered the infrastructure there

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as far as accessibility and all the movement of people that are non-drivers and and drivers alike um getting through those spaces and getting in and out of that very going to be very populated area um safely and respectfully, right? And so, you know, access and inclusion

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should be a big part of considering that that redesign as well. So, >> I I'd like to mention one thing here and Gary, since uh you're the chair of the select board there.

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>> Oh, you found out. >> Congratulations. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. And uh I you know we had this uh lady that was coming from the Baptist church there uh that crosswalk there that that

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uh where she got killed. >> Can you can you further look into that uh with the state on that because >> you know they need they need to uh uh >> they need to address that situation there because people fly up there. They

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they go into they drive into this Y palent pattern >> going straight quick to the right and straight forward to the Y side of it. >> Oh yeah. >> And and they I mean daytime, nighttime,

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all the time they they just sort of kind of fly along there. >> Yeah. Yeah. I George, I think, you know, having visited and and worked in DC back and forth, the idea of um a small island in the middle, kind of the halfway point

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between two stop two um crosswalks makes sense there because it is so wide and it's a space in the middle that kind of leads up to the veterans corner there that >> isn't necessarily used. So there is space to put in a small stopping place with another uh crosswalk light and

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things like that's that's kind of where I was trying to petition with um you know RCier and Eldridge. So I am doing it and we are talking about it. It's just you know getting the state's wheels to move or it's unbelievable you know how long it takes to get things done.

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But I'm going to continue to push on that now that I'm chair as well. >> If I can just add one comment on that because I I live on Gold's Mr. didn't have for over 22 years. I used to drive uh at one point when I was driving the first year I lived here, I was hit in that spot just sitting at the stop sign cuz of somebody come some flying around

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the corner. And so one of the things that's a problem uh one of the biggest if not the biggest issue not the why obviously people at the last second will just veer off at like 35 mph without a signal. But the other problem is that Baptist church has a sign out in front

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of it that blocks the sight line for anyone on Goldster Street looking to the left to see the traffic. And so if you're at the stop sign, the only way you can actually see the traffic is to move beyond the stop sign and stick your nose or your car out a little bit and that's where accidents and things can happen. And so just that sign alone

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>> being moved or relocated would save so much and safety. >> So just something else. So think about all those elements, not just the the pathways is a huge part of it, but the sight lines too for drivers and pass and people walking. So people coming from either direction can't see what's around

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the corner and it causes a lot of issues and potentially death, right? As we've seen. >> Yeah. I mean, it might be a time to um I I don't know if anyone's aware because it's it really has just come out, but the Congregational Church of Actton is has um is purchasing that that church.

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So we're going to see new ownership in there. probably a good opportunity even to discuss things like this. So, >> yeah, they got to replace the sign anyway. So, >> yeah, it'd be a good time to do it. >> Yeah, I saw a lady well it's been a few weeks ago that that she was she was

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trying to cross there and the cars just ignore it all together and she was back and forth. She go back, she go farther, she go back, she go farther and finally somebody stopped. >> Yeah. Yeah. George, I'm not going to lie. I when I drive through there >> um >> I've had to slam my brakes on because I

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don't see that. It's such a long way to see the walker. >> If you're going left to the lights on King Street, >> it is >> you know you just it's always like startles me sometimes that there's because we don't have that flashing light right there. >> I'm in the middle. >> We have to get it fixed. I agree. And I

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think, >> you know, >> with everyone talking about the common the center being kind of revamped with 550, this is this is the time to really get it all done. So, >> okay, this is Michelle. >> Thank you.

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>> I'm sorry. Somebody was saying something. I was on the phone. >> Oh, we was just yaking. >> Okay. Sorry about that. Um, all right. Are we good with that with Henry so that

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he can sneak out or are we >> Yeah, Henry, thank you. You know, we Jim does share a lot of uh kudos that you get. So, I you're doing a great job. You know, a lot of people >> uh respect you across the >> across the town, not just in town hall,

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but across the town. So, we appreciate everything you do. >> Well, coming from you, I certainly appreciate that. >> Pleasure to meet you and thanks for your time. >> Thanks, Henry. All right, I'll give you a buzz on Monday um in the morning and we'll kind of go through I I did just

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send you the audit information. I'm sorry for not sharing that with you, but um >> yeah, I did send that to you in an email so now that you have it. >> Thank you. I'll take I'll take a look at it. Thank you. >> Okay. All right. Have a good weekend. Thank you. >> All right. Um

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so scheduling monthly uh calls in advance, Eric. Yeah. So, I mean, selfishly, I' I'd like to propose, you know, that we consider um officially kind of declaring, you know, the second Friday from 12 to 1

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like our our standing meeting time and kind of booking those uh just because for my own time management, like I find that, you know, when I have something on the calendar, uh I do much better than, you know, and I know that, you know, the

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second Mon or the second Friday of this month was actually last Friday. So we we delayed but like you know I think as a go forward you know being in a cadence of the second Friday of every month from 12 to 1 like that gives me the predictability when I'm looking at my calendar like it it just helps having it

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consistently there. So, you know, my humble proposition would be that we consider, you know, booking, you know, that time going forward out, you know, however many months uh just for consistency sake if if it's agreeable to others.

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Well, only thing I >> the only thing I would say is that uh like last week, I mean, it it it wasn't possible to have that because you had events with the town going u which was the town meeting and then you had to set

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up for the election uh which was on Saturday. So, this was last week as a volunteer. I worked every day last week except Wednesday when I did my uh TV show. But Thursday, Friday, Saturday,

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you know, uh I think the understanding was that I had since I've been here is yeah, the second week on Friday was the day that we would have the meeting. But I think we have to be

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uh flexible that wherever the the town got things that interfere with that second Friday. I think you know we just have to move it. You know that's >> absolutely George. No, I I would not suggest being inflexible. I would say just having you know the standing

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meeting on the calendars but then using that example like knowing the town meeting were was coming perhaps >> that's the exception not the >> at the April meeting we could have decided as a group you know you know we know it's going to be a busy uh time the next month you know and kind of adjust

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on the fly that way but I would you know I think having you know the benefits of having a standing meeting scheduled out in advance I think helps with consistency and predictability and that sort of Okay. Yeah, it works for me. I mean,

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>> do the best we can on the second second Friday. It's fine. >> Yeah. >> I already have the calendar that >> we need a motion or is that uh >> No, I mean I think we can just I don't think we need a motion. I think we just,

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you know, >> because we'll put it on the agenda every month, Diane, if you don't get it right. So You can put it on my shoulders. It's fine. Yeah. Um All right. Uh ADA Title 2 updates, Eric.

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>> Yeah. some new information on this um ongoing uh I guess uh consideration is that um you know we as a town of you know less than 50,000 people uh had you know been

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on the hook for a deadline of next April April 2027 uh with regards to you know making sure that all digital content is updated to be um you accessible according to the global standards for accessibility and you know

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Nancy had had been focusing on that Nancy Glen Cross and Tom um and you know the late breaking news is that uh the Department of Justice recently announced an an extension so we've actually been

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it's been bumped back uh so you know any of the larger entities that had a deadline of this year actually get the extra year until next next April. uh and we subsequently get an additional year to April of 2028 for the the

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deadline for our town. Um, with that, you know, I have been communicating with Nancy and Tom and I I encouraged N, you know, primarily through Nancy, I encouraged Nancy that, you know, let's not, you know, not take the foot off the gas in terms of the considerations and

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things that they were, you know, already starting to put in place around um, conformance with with this stuff. But you know you know recognize that you get additional time but you know still kind of continue in in the same effort. And like with that being said I also know

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that Nancy is you know one person and you know it's it's a lot to kind of add on to her plate uh in terms of you know having kind of responsibility for uh all the considerations involved in in conformance with this. So anyway, like

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what I um you know, I actually attended one of the like the state of Massachusetts has like their what they call their access team. They have office hours and I dropped in on their office hours just to kind of, you know, ask a couple of questions but also get a feel

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of what other municipalities, what other towns, you know, are confronting uh and responding to these deadlines. you know, I work professionally in digital accessibility, so I'm wellversed in a lot of the um you know, best practices, the standards, all all that sort of

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thing. So, I've been, you know, happy to to kind of um connect and and try and advise, uh you know, with Nancy and Tom's efforts. But um you know there are a couple of things that you know after kind of my early assessment here uh there are a couple of things that I

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think are you know strongly advisable uh to us as a town and I don't know you know exactly what the formal processes would be behind these but you know I I feel like you know a basic um next step

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for us as a town with regards to the digital accessibility and the you title two requirements uh that this town will you know is being held to uh is to that we adopt a digital accessibility policy in town like you know I I don't know

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that there has been or you know has even been one considered but like I think that that provides strong foundational basis uh for you know the expectations and and the understandings uh of you know how digital content in town you

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know can should and will be created. So like you know that would be recommendation one from from my part is you know and you know we could look to other towns or even the state of Massachusetts like they have policy verbiage available and you know so it

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shouldn't be a you know like a really arduous thing but like adopting a digital accessibility policy as a town I think is a you know would be a positive step for us to take. Uh and then beyond that um you know then you've got

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something to point to in terms of what the expectations and things regarding digital accessibility in town are but then beyond that I think that you know whether Nancy or Tom you know remain kind of the the point people for this

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moving forward like you know I I think it behooves us to have all town staff knowledgeable about the best practices for creating accessible digital content. So that you know conducting like trainings uh that kind of give an

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overview of the best practices around creating digital content to be accessible. Uh and it can be you know based on specific roles like whatever the person's role in town might be like there's you know certain uh ways that it can be adjusted you know to be very role

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specific but um you know undertaking um you know kind of giving a a staff training to kind of just update on the the practices that make accessible content in in digital spaces uh would be my second recommendation.

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So, you know, policy and then uh staff training are the two recommendations after kind of the early engagement that I've had uh around digital accessibility in town. And so, I'm open to any, you know, thoughts, suggestions, feedback on what might be the logical steps in kind

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of, you know, formally bringing that forward or proposing uh those things. So I I totally agree with the um digital accessibility policy forming one. So who would you suggest

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would do the staff training? That would be my question. Well, the state of Massachusetts, like I could be involved because I I'm professionally involved in that area, but like the state of Massachusetts also has resources available to us

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>> uh that they've shared and I can forward uh after the meeting probably, but like >> yeah, they've uh they've got, you know, we have resources at our disposal uh to help with that for sure. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> We can also Oh, go ahead, George.

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>> Yeah. Yeah. as far as uh getting this policy per se uh sort of kind of in place uh since you u tend to have a good grip on this. Is this

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something that you could sort of kind of get to us in a in a in a draft somewhat that um we could sit down and kick it around as to how we can mold and shape it to Leton? Yeah, absolutely. I wouldn't, you know,

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I wouldn't propose to like reinvent the wheel in any way. I would, uh, you know, I would either take a, >> you know, an existing or a template at least, uh, of, you know, some, you know, >> that's what that's what I'm saying. Some

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community already has it in place and up and running. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, that would be good because uh >> I know when I uh rolled up for this grant uh um I went to

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to the state and started there working and putting pieces together and he was sending me stuff and so forth and so on. I finally got everything together and and put it together and then I uh sent it to Diane and we sort of kind of kicked around and talked about it and

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then we sent it off to the board and um then the next thing you know we decided that we sent it on to the state and see see what the state would say about it. So, you know, they gave us some uh inputs as to what we needed to uh uh add

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or modify and next thing we know, you know, the thing went through. So, I know it is something that like he told me, you know, we got enough data that you don't have to reinvent the wheel with regards to that. So, I'm sure that there

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some community out there has this information and that >> would we have town lawyers or something that would need to sign off on this or what is there is that a requirement in our town? >> No. So, we would kind of like what we did with the ADA um coordinator and that

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policy that we put under um Eric Derba and the town administrator's office. We once we put that together once we get an approval with this uh group we went to the select board presented you know I went to them and presented it to the

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select board and asked for their approval. Once they gave us the approval it was put and it was approved as a policy. So policies can be approved by the select board. >> Yeah. We we also um you know this is some something that you know it comes up

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at a good time because we're working on um performance objectives for our town administrator and this is definitely something that um you know a digital accessibility policy for the town um over the next year. Let's make huge strides in this and seeing where we can

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get I >> I don't know enough about you know all the departments are they are they responsible for their own web you know piece of their webs website or is this is it really overarching with our ID IT

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department where we're moving Nancy out under the town administrator now for project special projects which could include this believe it or not this is kind of right up her alley >> I mean and we're leaving Tom the IT side and also we use we rely heavily now um

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almost exclusively on our contractor obviously for um cyber and a lot of our IT protections are they involved in this and do they have they you know they probably are in a dozens of communities so >> is that civic plus

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>> you know >> yeah so I don't you know are they do they have some type of a play in this as as well. Um, so I think it's, you know, I wrote it down because I I think it's something that through the town administrator's office, we can have them link up with you, Eric, and just kind of

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if we make it an objective, if you will, um, we can get a get a good move on this. So, >> yeah, I think that sounds great. I know in addition I I don't know if everyone got it but through mod like they recently started their um you know

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they're in a cadence of office hours like and they've got additional resources you know at our available to us as well to help kind of um you know provide suggestions or guidance but like you know I you know obviously like for policy

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verbiage like I would look to a similar you know a town of similar size and similar makeup and things like that. But like, you know, I think that the mod office hours could be a good source of that potentially. But yeah, I I think that uh you know, starting with a template of some sort and uh and you

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know, seeing where we can get with this. I I think sounds uh >> yeah, >> you know, I'm certainly happy to take you know, follow-up action on that. So, >> thank you, Eric. >> Yeah. And I think that uh one of the thing that uh I believe the gentle name is Jeff that we uh correspond with uh he

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always said that whatever you have an idea or need whatever he says always contact me he said because nine time out of 10 there there's something at the state that you know is already there and he can put you in touch with it. So sure

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>> that's good information to know. No. >> All right. Um, >> so my next step, Diane, will be to track down a uh, you know, a suitable template for us to at least start with for this. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Because I just was kind

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of, uh, googling the Commonwealth uh, information, and there's really there's really not a lot out there on the Commonwealth page. So, interestingly enough, cuz you know, when I did the

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pol, you know, when we did the policy for the ADA compliance and stuff, it went right to, you know, their policy, but as far but as far as this, there isn't. So, interesting. I have direct connections like on the disability

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commissions for both Wuburn like I am friendly with a person who's on that commission and also with Mthuan but I don't I think those are like larger >> like I don't those are like like for like you know but >> yeah I mean maybe like um you know I

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don't know Weston or W uh Waltham or Westford maybe or one of those >> you can always you can always cut down, you know, find someone that's a little larger than us. We can just is always

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tapered to our need. >> Yeah. >> But it's it's nice to to find something on the Commonwealth page because then you know that there's >> it's good to go. >> It's good to go and there's no question about it. But >> and somebody's champion it.

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>> Yep. Exactly. Exactly. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um, town transportation up a data, Eric, that's you again. >> Yeah, there's a a brief update on this. I uh I forwarded the uh report. It's a

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basically a spreadsheet that Liz had shared uh with me and it's it's pretty straightforward. I mean, it's, you know, it's basically just numbers of usage. Uh, and she did at the time and it's been a few months, but like when she shared that originally with me, she

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said, you know, if there's any other data that you're interested in, you you know, I can follow up and let her know. So, you know, I I hadn't followed up yet, but uh I'd be curious from anyone on this commission's, you know, thoughts on specific data, but I know that one

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thing that I would like to know from this report or from, you know, the reporting tool that she uses, like, you know, one thing I'm curious about is like I know just from my own use of town transportation,

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like you know, this is not a criticism, but like it's a reality of of the use of um the town van is that like it's probably 5050 and I've probably said this before like you know if at the time that I call you know if I have an

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appointment coming up or something like that uh in my experience it's generally about 50/50 that you know a ride will be available to me and of the times you know 50ish or so percent of the time

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where I don't get a ride clearly I don't think that's reflected in the numbers, right? My assumption is that these numbers in this report reflect successful town rides or town service being provided. Um, and I don't know if we

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have necessarily visibility to, you know, you know, I I don't assume I'm alone in having times where I could use a ride and I'm not able to get one. So like I I just don't know if that capability exists within this reporting

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to to you know to show of our residents that rely on this transportation service like are we able to see the instances in which they're not able to get the service >> right >> Eric I have I have a question so I

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haven't used the service I I'm quite unfamiliar with the process as far as when you go to sign up >> are you just looking and seeing that there's no in other words would there be a data point that could say someone clicked to get it and they we had to deny it or is

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it just you saying oh I can't get it somebody has >> it's a phone call >> it's a phone call yeah and I don't know that they're collecting the data on it like >> I Eric I think it's a question worth asking u but I would imagine >> they would have to they would have to write mark that down like when somebody

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they would have to record that as data somehow and then that might not be part of the process And I will confirm, yes, as someone who uses it somewhere around 50, maybe 60% of the time. Yeah, I get it. I tried to get it two weeks ago. It didn't it didn't work out. And then there's certain times of the day, like if you have an appointment

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after like 3:00, they don't you can't do it. >> I mean, I'm striking out more recently than I recall having. You know, in the past, >> it helps if you know in advance, but even then, you can't book them too far in advance. You can only do it like within a month. And there's >> if I don't call the first Monday of every month like all like I'm out of luck basically like you know

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>> right when it opens up right >> I I think one of the things that uh uh you have to take into consideration there's a cut off time that they uh applied to the transportation. So, you

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know, they work these people X hours and our local van, you know, uh only authorized to produce a certain amount of transportation. And if you get too close to the cut off then normally they'll said that you know

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they can't fulfill the obligation because the town will not let >> you know less run into overtime and stuff like this here with the drivers and stuff like that. So I think that's one of the things that is a hinder when

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we come to say use the local transportation where there's a time start in the morning if you got the morning you should be able to do well afternoon you you know you're probably talking a couple hours and that's about it because I think they shut down

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something like 3 3:30. I think it is three. And that's another thing, great point you make and something to consider, Eric, is not only the times you call and don't get it. It's that if I know I have an appointment at 4:00 at Emerson Hospital or whatever, I don't bother calling because I know they're not going to they're not available. So, there's that, too.

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>> Sure. >> Yeah. So, there's a couple things I think um you know, in a growing community and expected to grow significantly over the next, you know, 5 to 10 years, I think 50%'s not going to cut it anyway. I mean, you know, as a as

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a town executive leader, I want I would rather see this at closer to 90%. You want a success rate, right, >> of anything that we do. So, >> from what you're saying, it sounds like a resourcing problem. A vehicle, B, staffing, and and you know, these

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individuals I George, mark me if I'm wrong. I don't think they're not benefit eligible. No, but the thing is that if you run if you run past the allocate allocated time that they have said 19 hours a week, >> then somebody got to pay them.

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>> Yeah. >> So, this money has to come out of the budget somewhere. If you're running somebody past the time that they're supposed to be working, >> so we either hire more part-time employees non-benefit eligible, which will make the most

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>> you schedule a second shift. Yeah, that's the other. >> Yeah, that would pick up some of the slack. But >> I get the sense they from my experience, they've really tried to squeeze me in in between rides and accommodate my my needs, but it sounds like I get the sense there's just one vehicle, so there's only so many they can accommodate. So, >> well, they got more than one vehicle.

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>> Oh, okay. I don't know. >> It's just it's just that they try to keep the vehicles equal as far as the the the rides go. One go this way, one go another way that. But uh it's just that uh >> okay this will be

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>> my thing is being old transportation guy me this is an issue that came up to me then I would adjust I would adjust the time say say maybe uh to 5:00

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and have a two shift part in regards to providing the transportation. So those people that get these permits like uh for 4:00. Yeah. We could provide the service to them. >> Yeah. Okay. Let's uh that that wouldn't

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be that difficult. I mean this is even something that I believe you could we could access the senior tax workoff program if somebody wanted to be a driver. Um, you know, of course you're not going to get a ton of hours out of there, but it I I'd like to get more

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make this more of a uh positive experience. And you guys have talked about it before with different troubles getting in touch with people and things like that, but this one uh without a whole lot of effort, I think we can address this resourcing.

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And I do like the idea of a second shift, George, even if it's too, you know, early evening, 7 8:00 at night. I think >> if you shutting down at three, if we can put, you know, two more hours in, that can really help a lot of people because you the medical people, they don't

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usually go past full clock. >> Correct. >> All right. Thank you guys. This >> Yeah, those business hours are valuable to have transportation. Yeah. >> Yeah. Gary, just full disclosure, like my requesting of this data from Liz, you know, came from like the realization

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that, you know, an ability to quantify some of what we had shared or I had shared earlier with some of the challenges or frustrating experiences like, you know, starting to actually be able to put some um, you know, some data behind,

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>> you know, what is a perceived experience to this point like you know that that's really where this stemmed from. Y right. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, uh grant update. Um so, you all

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received the um information that I forwarded to you. Um, I know we um didn't have a lot of time to actually be able to read it, but um in um hindsight I should have sent it out sooner, but

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it's been kind of No excuse, but um it's been a little busy. Um >> you tell the truth, you've been busy. >> Yeah, just a little. Um but anyways, we are 50% done with the grant process

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right now. Um the information you received um is regarding the company that came out and did our um information as to the buildings, as to our outside processes, as to what we are

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lacking, um where we are deficient, the dollars it would cost us to be able to fix those deficiencies. And in looking at looking at our deficiencies, we have a lot of deficiencies. >> I mean, that's kind of

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>> I didn't get to read it yet, but it's a lot. >> I have three three to four in each one of the places that she went to. They went to >> Yeah. I I was like shocked at what we had. Um Yeah. Oh, did I lose you? Um

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yeah, I um I do not understand why we have so much. Um we >> I would be surprised if we're alone in that though. Like I think you know I think that that you know it's probably it probably feels discouraging but it's probably not that

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uncommon when a town goes through this process to find you know that when you >> Yeah. I mean, I I don't know much about I just know one park in particular that I've looked at very carefully in Long Lake Beach and I did skim to that section and all those things were things

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I've been talking about for years. So, it's not it's we've known about it or at least I've been trying to get your attention on it. But >> yeah. Yeah, it's the new it's the newer buildings that really surprise me. But a lot of these >> um

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>> yeah, we just haven't haven't been updated in forever, it seems like. So, I think we're we have to get it when we get new buildings, we have to get it right. >> Yeah. >> You know, and that's why when I saw the library, certain things in the bathrooms not set to the right height, it's like

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come on, >> you know, this that that's that's like a slam dunk. get that. >> Fixing things is one thing, but going forward. Absolutely. >> Yeah. It's it's it's a slam dunk and it should be a slam dunk from the beginning that it was in there right in the first place. And it's like that. We need to

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make sure there's the contractor, >> whoever the the the the installers or the plumbers or whoever it is, we need to make sure. That's something that I think that um Mr. Fontaine needs to ensure that these people you you know

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exactly where this stuff is supposed to go. >> Yeah. >> And if the guy can tell you yes he does or he doesn't. If he doesn't then we need to say okay this is where you need to put it. >> Yeah. >> But we we

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>> in my opinion we shouldn't have to educate the contractor personnel. We should be vetting the contract that's on board that is very familiar with the ADA requirement that his company is supposed

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to ensure that is in proper place. >> Right. Unless you unless you have one of us on the final walkthrough of a newer building. Um or you know at the very least Henry to be >> final walk through of the plan cuz by

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the by the building it's too late like it's already >> before they before they drill them holes or whatever is. >> So here's my question to you Gary. Um, have we done a final payout of bond for

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the >> That's a good >> senior senior center. >> Yeah, we're coming close to um that's going to come up in the next several months here where we're going to have a >> a um the bond's going to be fully issued. I know that was part of that was

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one of our town meeting votes, too. So, >> yeah. So, I look at the stair handrails, $1,000. Uh, wall-mounted screens, $250. Coat hooks, $50. Um, you know, tables are different.

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Um, but $2,300 just for just for over at the senior center. Those are things that we should be going, especially the the stand the stair handrails. Those should be on the

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builder, the contractor. >> I think everything should be on them over there as far as that go. >> That one, >> if the bond hasn't been closed out, I think we should for everything, >> right? But I'm saying, you know, at the senior center, like we

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>> we still let me get with Jim on that one because that that we might be able to jump on. We had just had to do with the floors. >> You're right. >> Less than a month ago. So, let's um >> see if we still have some wiggle room here. Yeah.

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>> And and as we're talking uh about this um uh finding report, I think the the things that at least I can appreciate the fact that they said, you know, what needs to be taken care and they gave a

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time frame on which which was good which will allow us to apply for funding >> to to to get these things accomplished. So they they basic everything was to me saying within a year mean that you need

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to get it fixed as soon as possible. That's the way I look at that. >> When dealing with a when dealing with a contractor that's done the work, there's a couple things. What makes it different is we have to be able to back it with this is state law, this is town bylaw as

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opposed to we would really like this where it's recommended. And that's why I need to know what the teeth are behind this recommendation. Are these things that saying you will fix this or you're going to be in violation of something? And what is that? Then we can say you got to fix this. You built it. >> Right. Right.

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>> You know, and Yeah. And then you look at then you look at over at 36 King Street, you know, the counter, >> you know, 3,000 $3,000 for that counter to fix it. you know why, you know, the fountain

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$1,500. I mean, like, >> well, the thing that's was amazing to me about 36 was this game room. >> They talking about it was compromised. The height, >> right, >> was was compromised on I don't know how much more you can't dig the floor out

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and and lower the floor and you probably can't raise the the ceiling or maybe can. I don't know. But I thought that was uh >> $15,000. >> I thought that was one that uh I'm going like, "Wow, you're talking about a game

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and and and and that the ceiling is compromised here." That was um that was a tough one for me there when they when they said in the basement cuz usually in the basement they ain't there ain't a whole lot that that you can do cuz your rafters is at a certain height. I mean,

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that's holding the rest of it up up there. And if the float is there, it's already concrete in. I mean, I don't think you're going to dig it out to to put a concrete float lower in the ground on it. But, uh, nevertheless, I just uh

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I just think that uh we can only u you know, do so much. And I and I believe the concept was that if we went into the state to get money from the state to do this and this company uh uh which is

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going to ensure us that this is the law I would say whatever they're coming up with and telling us I would say that you know based on where we're getting the money we just not getting the money from the town we're getting the money from

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the department that runs this and says that okay put your people out there and they come back they accept the report and say yes if they're saying yes to it then I take that to be law. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean yeah I mean this is

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all as far as I'm concerned so I believe this is all ADA law >> um yeah >> yeah I just don't know how you know I've said it all along. I want this commission to certainly be involved

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in the process of building and renovations, but that's just okay. So, it's part of the plans. The other end of it is the walkth through somewhere in here while they're doing it the walkth through, you know, besides

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relying on the state or having them come out like or this audit during the building process. It would be nice to have the inho in in-house resources that we have be part of the any any any reconstruct any new building

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um just to prevent these things from happening. And it's not like the contractors butdding their heads. Sometimes I honestly believe they just don't know, >> right? >> They're not doing it maliciously. No, that's the unfortunate reality is that you know for a long time it hasn't been

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a requirement and so it it you know hasn't been understood as part of it but like >> you know an observation here and and it's important that this becomes part of the messaging in town right like that this becomes part of the messaging with Henry and with the contractors and like

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>> you know because this is what it looks like >> when it wasn't born accessible like when it >> has to go act. This is when it becomes painful, inefficient, costly. Like none of these expenses would be anywhere as

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near where they are if it was just originally done >> the right way. >> Let me let me just say this here to this commission here. >> One of the thing I always fought for was for the commission to be able to do a

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walk through 36 King Street. We never did a walk through up at 36 King Street. Although I advocated for that for time after time and talked to Henry when Henry came on the library. We did that when the previous guy was

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here. Yeah. We went over there and we had a chance to walk through and he took the rule out me whatever the case was and show so forth and so on. When it came to the senior center again I talked to him and said we need to do a walk through over there. We never got a

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chance to do a walk through. I'm glad now that we have him on board and he's understanding now how important that this disability commission is to this town. >> Agreed. I was delighted to hear him call himself a champion today. Like I I think

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that's huge. >> Yep. And and has this audit gone to PMBC? >> This has not. I mean, that's another important group because they're involved with the whole process of the contracts and everything and they them them seeing

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this >> I bet would be a wakeup call to some of you know the projects that they're doing and they're considering and >> I think we need to form it to make them aware of it. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> There may be some and ask a question is

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there any uh recourse that we have here? I mean, >> y >> with regards to it >> because I mean the guy that built the library, he built the senior center. >> I know. I know. >> So, since he's so close close by, maybe he can take care of whatever it is over

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there as a as a courtesy of goodwill that they missed something. Well, that's what I was >> I was half joking, but like that when I when I was joking about like vetting our contractors, like I mean there are some that are probably more naturally

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familiar with, you know, some of the requirements and like so like just making sure that's being included as a consideration when when you know contractors or vendors are being considered, you know. >> Yeah. You want to you want to impress a town when you come in for your pitch,

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have an ADA compliance officer that works you with you, >> right? >> Or someone that's really that's the engagement that would really make this >> Yeah. >> this work. But >> well, I mean interesting from a fiscal Yeah. Yeah. They they were looking when they were

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doing the um EHS building, >> they wanted to put granite. Oh yeah. >> Oh, at the handicap box. I'm like, you can't put that there.

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Like, come on, people. Like, >> they going to get over that granite, >> right? Like, come on. >> Well, >> yeah. But I don't know. It all It'll all work out in the end, but we got to be instead of being reactive, we need to be

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proactive. And they we need to be allowed to be, you know, proactive. I think we've been proactive. It's just that some people ain't been listening to us. >> Yeah, I think it's getting louder. >> Yeah. >> So, >> all right.

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Um, did everybody get a chance to read the last set of minutes? >> I I had an agenda item. Did it not make it on to the agenda? I haven't seen the agenda and I don't know if we have time, but it's it is very timesensitive and very important.

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>> Okay, we can Yeah, go ahead. I'll just you know what I'll just do a quick statement and I can follow up on the email. >> All right. >> But it is related to what we were just talking about and another entity in town and not follow throughing on the responsibilities and us having me having to call it out here. >> Okay. >> Uh the conservation commission and the

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issue with the the the issue the thing they're considering with the parcel of land on Long Lake Lakeshore Drive. Um I'm a resident of the area so I've been watching it closely. I've been attending all the hearings that they had all the public hearings they had over the last like since the fall. And as I mentioned previously,

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um I did reach out to the chairs, Chase and Sarah, and met with them to explain the concerns I have and the things they should be thinking about in including accessibility, ADA compliance, and the infrastructure necessary to make it safe and accessible for anything they're

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planning to do there and that they need to consider that and also bring it forward to us. Um, since then they've had multiple hearings for hour and a half to two hours each and they've gone further and further in I consider the very wrong direction. Not talking about

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any of these topics, not talking about conservation, not talking about safety, the infrastructure necessary, fully focused on the the docks that are there existing, whether they keep them, the docks and access points and things that people have put there, the private objects they put there legally,

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>> whether they keep them or they replace them with other things and talks about putting in boat storage and making available to the town. And it's become this very long, overly complex grid of a million different options that they're very seriously considering about to vote on. Last I heard in March. Um, and all

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of them, none of them would make it past us even closely. I mean, none of them are even remotely respectful to people in this community, never mind, never mind the disability community. I'm just talking about just general access. And I've made it clear to them in multiple times. I've spoken to various members of

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the commission. And I've talked to Tim about it. who is the one person really validating me, but he doesn't have a vote. Um, and so my concern is there's been no mention about coming us to us there. The only things they talked about is how the the the select board has been pressuring them to come up with an answer and it's been a long time, but

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they've just taken a lot of time to go in odd directions and I understand it's, you know, I have a lot of critical feedback on this and concern out of respect to them and trying to understand why it's going this direction. I understand it's a complex topic. It's something that they're responsible for.

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they made a mistake. They did not take care of that land for decades and they let it go go where it went. And now that they're doing that, they're trying to appease, you know, certain people's interests, public interest, their own personal interests clearly in some of the things, particularly Chase's

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comments who's been leading it. Um, and so I have really I don't want to be someone from the neighborhood calling this out, but unfortunately, uh, it's going in really disturbing areas. And so people are getting really excited about these possibilities of things that are just not feasible. And so one of the things they're really focused on as I

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said is like let's put this dock here and that dock here and how many docks and how many boats but they're not thinking about the general just infrastructure that is required for this to happen. So for example there is a boat launch at the beach currently where people can access there's parking there's accessible parking. So there

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that need for people to get boats in the water is already addressed. But now that people have you know created their own access points there's thoughts of can we keep some of these and just make it public to everyone. The problem is it's along Lakeshore Drive which I know that Gary's familiar with because there's

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been an issue with with putting up safety signs and roads. >> Yeah. Oh yeah. We >> you know I spoke at the one time I've actually attended the select main my whole life. I I was there and spoke about it. And so uh we know that that road is in massive disrepair. It's very narrow. It's got potholes everywhere.

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I've actually a year ago fell flat on my face and hurt myself pretty bad walking there. So I stay clear of it for the most part. Um, and so all of a sudden you make that open to the public. You have docks all along that shoreline. There's nowhere for anyone to park. There's no sidewalks. There's no ways

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for people to accessibly get there by foot or vehicle to these spots. And you're going to let them bring in trailers and park trailers and all these things to put boats in the water. It doesn't make any sense. And so if you want to do that, if they're going to do that, it's maybe feasible to do some of these things. But you would have to have

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parking, which there's nowhere for parking. It's a very congested neighborhood. The closest parking is at the beach and there's plenty of parking at and around the beach. I've never seen it full. So, I guess conceivably could be parking, but then you need accessible pathways like sidewalks or whatever to get to these points of access points of

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the docks. Um, so I think honestly any plans of building or creating space there involves a broader discussion with other departments like the highway department or whoever manages the roads and and and there's a lot of logistical challenges there. there's power lines, different things that might be in the

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way of even doing some of these projects. So, just from assessing it myself. And so, that's an issue. But then some of the issues, the things they're talking about are literally about like keeping the things. One of the options they're strongly favoring is literally keeping the stuff that's there. And I don't know if you're familiar with this area or seen it, and

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I'd be happy to share give you a tour. Uh, but it's pretty it's people's just homemade docks that they put in. And so you have to walk over a ledge down a ditch onto an angled rusty old dock that is not only not accessible, it's a liability for the town and safety. And

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they admitted that early on. So I think their d their dialogue and discourse around it made sense. And when they first talked to the select board in the fall and then in their first meeting, they mentioned something about actual conservation and caring about the water and lake and what they should be caring about overall instead of recreation as

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their focus. um and appeasing the neighbors. But ultimately, this is a thing that's this it was most people didn't know in town that it was public land. I didn't know for a long time. Um now that it's known as public, it it's going to create a lot of challenges. And

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so, realistically, if you look at it, they need to just take those those docks and things that exist and get rid of them. I know that people are using them. My neighbors don't want to hear that. But the reality is they're they're safety risks. They're not they wouldn't meet any legal standards. they would never be constructed by the town if they

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were authorized by the town in any way and they just need to go and they've been putting off on that but that needs to happen and there needs to be a plan for that and then if they want to put things in then it's going to take a larger more serious discussion but what they're what they're planning is just it's absurd and what it makes it even

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worse is that they have legal counsel there uh for our town we're paying a lawyer to tell us lies because what they shared was completely ridiculous. There was one talk about docks putting in these rack of these racks to store boats. Let's say I don't know 20 boats

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for example and then we'll make it available to people in the town. And so they t asked the legal council the person there what's the equitable way to do it. And their response was to have a lottery that's just open to all residents equally no matter who they are without any other specific

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considerations. And that's >> let me interject something. Bill, let me interject something right quick. >> Why you telling us this? >> How much is park and wreckers involved in this stuff? >> None. It has nothing to do with them. >> Wow.

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>> It's not their land. It's conservation land. >> No, but I mean the the when you start talking about recreation, we have a department for that even though >> Oh, no. It is it is related. And from what I heard, I don't know anything about it cuz I don't fall apart and reckon what they're doing, but I was told that they're building a dock, some

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sort of fishing dock or something down there. So that should be considered in their plans. So if they're independently thinking about where to put docs and this other group is doing it, they should be communicating with each other. So yeah, that's another layer. But it my point on the occlusion thing is I think there are legal people talking about

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topics that we would be giving guidance on, but they're giving bad advice. So for example that saying that having a lottery for a certain number of boats making it open to everyone is not in not from my perspective that's not inclusive because you're not considering the fact

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that there's individuals who maybe don't have access like individuals who can't drive for example or have certain disabilities that wouldn't be able to um get there otherwise. They should have priority or people who live in a neighborhood who live right aces inches

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from where this thing is. they should maybe get some special cons considerations. Um, and there's just a lot of other I won't spend too much more time on it, but I think a lot of the things they're thinking about, they're not thinking about the scalability or the realistics of how it actually would function and if it act and meet the demand of the thousands and tens of

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thousands of people that might be interested in what they're trying to put there. So, it's a big can of words, but I I I sent them a pretty extensive uh email uh after that last meeting in March explaining all these concerns, so I can forward it to you so you can get a more articulate sort of take on what I just said.

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>> Um yeah, so I'm glad thanks for letting me throw it in there, but I don't know where they're at on it. I don't follow what they've done since, but I know they said they were trying to come to a quick decision and I don't want them to waste their time going to the select board asking to pay for things that and and do things that are really expensive and not

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feasible uh or try try to retain things to save money that aren't going to be safe or compliant. >> Wow, >> that's a whole lot. It's a whole lot. And I've been holding on to that one for a couple months because it's Well, I'm

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glad you let it out. Sorry folks, but you know I care about what happens around this neighborhood. I care about the lake and the health and safety of it has been neglected by every party park and wreck conservation commission for the last 22 years and it's gotten to really bad and so for the

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commit conservation commission not really talking about what's best for the interest of the lake and the community and really thinking about how we can just appease everyone's interest to have three to five different launching spots all along that shoreline just to put boats in and out. Um it has to be really carefully considered. um because I

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understand the interest and there may be lots of opportunities to put fishing docks and boat launches and it might make a lot of sense. However, you have to consider what what will happen if you make these decisions and if if the you can in if these spaces can accommodate that like if people are driving in from

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around town and across the world to come use these spots just like they do the beach where are they parking and how are they accessing it and how can it be safe for people because it's not safe to walk around the neighborhood now. what it would be like when the traffic's double tripled during the summer, >> you know, and I as someone who walks around there, I do worry about my

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personal safety from a personal perspective or just chaos it'll cause down there would just >> ought to have increased use on the lake. It'll just be wild, you know. >> Maybe we ought to have at the next meeting there is is have somebody from conservation come on and and and brief

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us as to what's going on here. >> Yeah, I recommend that. And if any of you other ones can can connect with them and help them do that. I've done my part to try to get their attention and they're just not listening apparently. >> Well, let's just uh I make a motion we send a letter to conservation and ask

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them to come before the commission here and uh give us an update with regards to what's going on. >> I'd second that. >> Um moved by George, seconded by Gary.

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>> I heard that one. Eric, >> I >> Bill. >> Hi, >> George. >> Hi, >> Jerry. >> I said I >> I will say when I talked to them initially, they they expressed interest in doing that and they said they would definitely come to us. So, I'm hopeful

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that they'll be responsible. >> So, be the nudge. >> Yeah. >> All right. All right. All right. So, now we'll go to approval of the meeting minutes. Move to appears.

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>> Second. >> Third. >> All right. Um, Eric, >> hi. >> Bill, >> I >> George >> I, >> Gary, >> I, >> Diane's an I. So,

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unanimous. and any action items other than sending a letter to the consom. And um Eric will follow up with the state on the um

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um digital accessibility policy. Anything else? >> Uh that and I'll I'll share resources like on the trainings that that the state makes available to >> and maybe maybe sharing that audit with some of the department. >> Okay.

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>> Yeah. PNBC and anywhere else you think that are involved in the >> Well, the only other thing is that I think uh which uh we >> short lease here for time is that whatever we have in this uh finding

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report here as to what we want to pursue, we need to get that in in May, right? >> Uh we complete um by June 30. I actually sent an update to the So I send an

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update all the time to the um I'm trying to think what the gentleman's name is. Uh Mr. George. I just sent an update this week um as to where we are because they asked for an update of where we are and so um told

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him that we were halfway through um sent him the um information with our audit and yeah so he knows that we're halfway through and we should we have a um meeting a training on the 26th with town

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employees which is required. It's a 2-hour training. Um and then we have one more training after that which is a Zoom training and then we're complete. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.

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Yeah. And then uh Yeah. So we pay we'll be paying $22,000 um about half of what the grant is. Um that'll go be paid in two weeks. And yeah, so we can pay you can pay a def

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deficit um before you get the monies from the state >> just to show the commitment. >> Yep. >> So, so we I I guess my question is so based on what the findings are, >> are we going to be able to apply for a

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grant for any of that >> under this year on the the the coming physical year? Yeah, I think there's quite a bit that we could probably I'll put together um based on what is on that report. Yeah.

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>> Yeah. I'd like to uh uh keep that money rolling and and get these projects uh taken care of since we we're in the the role now and we found out what we need to do and so forth and so on. So now is not to uh let it slow down is uh keep

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putting a little bit in there. whatever it is that we can get put together and go forth with >> that mean that the town will be that much better off. >> Okay. >> Diane, are you going to block our calendars for the second Friday time for

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the rest of the calendar year or whatever that >> I I will do that. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> All right. >> You want do you want a motion to adjourn? >> I would love that. So move. So move. All right.

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>> Seconded. >> Who's pick? I'm sorry. Who seconded it? >> Eric did. >> Okay. All right. George. Eric. All right. Eric. >> Hi. >> Bill. >> Hi.

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>> George. >> Yes. >> Gary. >> Yes. >> And Diane is a yes. >> We are adjourned.