WEBVTT METADATA Video-Count: 1 Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=-uHHYZEN3Sk NOTE MEETING SECTIONS: Part 1 (Video ID: -uHHYZEN3Sk): - 00:11:12: Meeting Commences: Roll Call and Procedural Explanations - 00:13:09: Announcements: Citizen of the Year, Earth Day, Shredding - 00:14:51: Public Comment: Water/Sewer, Fiber Project Concerns - 00:18:32: Kudos and Plaudits: Police, Fire, and Community - 00:20:24: Select Board Comments: Fiber Project, Statute vs. Charter - 00:22:51: Congratulations and Committee Board Appointments Approval - 00:25:58: Conservation Commission: Reassignment Discussion and Approval - 00:27:54: Presentation: Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvement Plan - 00:33:19: FY27 Capital Plan Further Questions: Cameras and Funding - 00:41:28: Presentation Begins: Town Manager Budget Proposal Overview - 00:46:23: Technical Difficulties: Slides Not Syncing with Online Viewers - 00:51:05: Still Fixing Slides: Old vs. New Tech, Diversion Topic - 00:54:43: A little more chatter, finally getting slides aligned - 00:57:02: FY27 Highlights: Vehicle Leasing, COLA, Health Insurance - 01:02:10: Challenges: School Budget, DPW, Revenue Shortfalls Discussed - 01:05:57: State and Federal Funding Uncertainty Discussion - 01:11:32: OPEB Contributions and Free Cash Allocations Overview - 01:18:15: Free Cash Allocation Process and Snow Removal Buffer - 01:22:18: Deeper Dive: Salary Adjustments and Street Light Savings - 01:27:00: Budget Deep Dive: Veteran Benefits and Budget Busters - 01:31:59: Liquor License Approvals and Correspondence Review - 01:35:13: Meeting Minutes Approved and Water/Sewer Discussion Starts - 01:44:01: Rate Setting Discussion: Fixed vs. Variable Rate Impact - 01:45:58: Board Member Discussion: Options for Utility Rate Structures - 01:48:33: Utility Bill Inserts: Informing Residents About Rate Changes - 01:51:07: Motion to set Fixed Meter Rate - Option 3C - 01:51:22: Effective Date Clarification and Rollcall Vote - 01:51:58: Sewer, Stormwater Rate Motions and Vote Results - 01:54:05: Transitioning to Municipal Fiber Project Borrowing Considerations - 01:54:20: Financial Director Presentation: Municipal Fiber Project Borrowing Options - 01:57:36: Explanation of Fiber Project Financing and Cost Impact - 02:03:30: Private Utility Coordination Challenges and Make-Ready Costs - 02:10:03: Projected Tax Impact and MMWEC Clarification Requested - 02:12:15: Make-Ready Costs, Gateway Fiber Delays and MMWEC details - 02:21:11: Education Materials, Take Rate and Long Meadow Advantages - 02:24:54: New Business: Public Shade Tree Hearing Decision Appeal - 02:25:11: Tree Warden Explains DOT Project Impact on Pin Oaks - 02:28:00: Board Discussion on Tree Removal at Town Entrance - 02:30:58: Risk of Tree Collapse: Analysis and Tree Committee Opinion - 02:35:07: Traffic Lane Width, Microburst Concerns and Tree Vote - 02:39:18: Review and Approval of Draft Town Warrant Articles - 02:39:33: Free Cash for Snow and Ice Funding - 02:43:39: Borrowing Authorizations: Center School and Fiber - 02:43:58: MMWEC Joining Discussion and Capital Plan Changes - 02:45:14: Library Fire Alarm Panel and OPED Funding Discussion - 02:48:27: Fiber Project Explanation Update & Repayment Details - 02:50:43: Capital Article Review and Storm Water Policy Discussion - 02:53:30: Financing Articles, Prior Borrowing and CPAC Review - 02:58:30: Historic District Bylaws and Snow Shoveling Bylaws - 03:00:12: Cryptocurrency Machine Ban Discussion - 03:01:31: Amendments to Zoning Bylaws: Sign Regulations - 03:02:41: Seasonal Liquor License Approval - 03:04:26: Opioid Litigation and Motion to Adjourn Part: 1 1 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:29.440 Are you guys all set? >> Uh, yeah. >> All right, stand by. In 5 4 3 2 1. >> Good evening. E evening everyone. Welcome to the March 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Long Meadow Select Board. Uh, 2 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:45.760 this is select board chair Josh Lavine. I will be confirming that all members and persons anticipated on the agenda are present and can hear me. Members, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Dan Workout >> here. >> Beneath Mavathy >> here. >> Andrew Lamb here. >> Shelley Mayor Dwolf >> here. >> Staff, when I call your name, please 3 00:11:45.760 --> 00:12:00.399 respond in the affirmative. Lynn Simmons, >> she is here. Peggy Sheldon >> here. This open meeting of the Long Meadow Select Board is convened in person and via Zoom webinar as posted on the agenda and town's website identifying how the public may join. 4 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:17.200 There is no chat or Q&A function. All the materials for this meeting are available on the agenda posted on long meadow ma.gov. The public is encouraged to follow along using the posted agenda unless I note otherwise. This meeting will feature resident comment. For residents attending the meeting in person, please raise your hand when we 5 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:33.120 get to the comment section of the meeting and I will call on you to approach the microphone. For residents participating in the meeting via Zoom webinar format, please use the raise a hand icon at the bottom of the screen. Meeting moderator will promote you to pan unmute you and give you permission to speak. If you join the webinar by 6 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:49.519 phone, dial star9 to raise your hand and star six to mute unmute. Residents who wish to speak will identify their names and addresses only. Each individual is afforded three minutes for comments. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that some attendees are participating by video conference. Please remember to mute your phone or 7 00:12:49.519 --> 00:13:09.279 computer when you are not speaking. If anyone in attendance is recording this meeting, please announce yourself now. Seeing none, we'll move on to the pledge of >> allegiance. Algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under 8 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:31.440 God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. do that. >> Uh, starting out with announcements. Citizen of the year nominations. Nomination forms for citizen of the year awards are now available and should be submitted by Friday, April 10th, 2026. 9 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:46.480 The awards are presented yearly at the annual town meeting. Citizens are encouraged to submit award nominations for a citizen, community, organization, and/or group who deserve recognition for performing a service or act beyond what is normally expected in service to the town and community. For additional 10 00:13:46.480 --> 00:14:01.600 information on award criteria and to submit a nomination, please visit long metalmma.govvic alerts. Community preservation committee spring application cycle. The community preservation committee will now be accepting applications. 11 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:17.519 Sorry, I lost my will now be accepting applications to be submitted by April 7th, 2026 for possible consideration at the 2026 fall special town meeting. The application form and information about the community preservation act process can be found on 12 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:33.600 the community preservation committee page at long meadow ma.gov. Long me Earth Day cleanup. The Earth Day Cleanup event sponsored by the Energy and Sustainability Committee and Recycling Commission be held on Saturday, April 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. For additional information and to sign up to 13 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:50.600 volunteer, please visit long meadowmma.gov/earth. Free paper shredding event. A free paper shredding event will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 9:00 am to 11 am at the Long Meadow High School parking lot. More information on the event can be found at Long Meadow Ma.gov. 14 00:14:51.199 --> 00:15:22.320 Okay. Move on to resident comments. Tom Shay 81 Green Meadow Drive. Concerning the water and sewer, substantially better process this year. Ian and Lisa did a nice job. I agree with option three to be fully funded operation and maintenance. The DPW did a 15 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:37.920 very good presentation to justify that. Definitely in favor of increasing the fixed fee portion as detailed in my email to you. I think the water and retained earnings balances grown a little too quickly. Could maybe take those back a half, but whatever. for 16 00:15:37.920 --> 00:15:53.440 next year. You've got a good base, but you need to calculate the fixed charges, roughly 50% of overall charges, and decide how to recover those as a percentage through fixed charges. Otherwise, the increments are arbitrary. Quarter review by Ian and Lisa is a 17 00:15:53.440 --> 00:16:10.800 great idea. Fiber, good to see is produced dead schedule allowed by Mass General Law since the two previous ones by fiber spring were not allowed. There is no financial model need a 20-year source and use need assumptions and many other things. There has been no 18 00:16:10.800 --> 00:16:26.000 involvement of finance committee. When will a public information session be scheduled? The original model or the latest model by Fiberspring was minimal at best. What will the impact be 19 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:43.199 on Long Meadow's debt ratings? S&P has already said Long Meadow has too much debt for its current rating. corporate governance. How is this going on the warrant? Mass General law says Fiverr must be done through an MLP. Select board can be the MLP. The select board cannot be the MLP until there's a 20 00:16:43.199 --> 00:16:58.720 charter change. An MLP is a separate and distinct entity from the town. Lack of disclosure. August 2025th, Long Meadow, excuse me, South Hadley Gas and Electric said that we have submitted 21 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:15.679 poll applications, but there is another company ahead of us that will push up approve our approval process back by 6 months. The other party's territory and ours may or may not overlap. This is very concerning and never disclosed. The push back can be longer than 6 months if I 22 00:17:15.679 --> 00:17:31.280 assume it's gateway makes ready payments essentially a block while being reviewed and then a priority construction period. November town meeting for funding was also in fiber springs minutes. I don't know why that didn't 23 00:17:31.280 --> 00:17:48.640 happen. Status of gateway. What is the status? There's been conversations last July which you heard about at a meeting last February. Basically, at the end of the day, this thing is not ripe for a warrant. There needs to be a full 24 00:17:48.640 --> 00:18:06.799 financial review and a 20-year model. How many years of negative cash flow are there? Is the 491,000 owed back to Long Meadow in the model? Because I've been told that's up to debate. It just doesn't work. And if you put 25 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:26.120 that on the warrant, I don't think you're doing it properly. I didn't even take my full time. That's how bad it is. >> Okay, we'll move on to uh Oh, anybody online? 26 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:49.679 >> No hands up. Okay. Uh moving on to kudos and plaudits. Uh staff recognition. March 11th, 2026, the trial for defendant Salif Alin Fozy concluded. If you recall, on April 14th, 2024, Fozy threatened threatened the Jewish 27 00:18:49.679 --> 00:19:05.120 population on social media while posing with a firearm in front of the JCC on Converse Street. Due to the diligence of the Long Police Department, the in incident was investigated and Fozy was taken into custody less than an hour after being identified. Fuzzy was ultimately charged with multiple 28 00:19:05.120 --> 00:19:20.559 offenses including hate crimes and last week was sentenced to 2.5 years in the house of correction. He will then be placed on 5 years probation. He must stay 500 yards away from the JCC in Yeshiva. We want to take a moment to recognize the hard work that that was contri that contributed to this case. 29 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:35.440 While involvement varied, each of the LPD officers involved contributed to the overall success of the case. Incidents of this nature have a significant impact on our community and their efforts are very much appreciated and reflect well on the department council on aging meals on wheels and 30 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:51.919 fire and police departments. We would like to recognize the outstanding efforts of Cecilia Roslin Godhack uh adult center outreach coordinator meals on wheels volunteers middle police and fire department for their recent coordinated wellness check on a local senior. Thanks to their collaboration, the team identified a senior in urgent 31 00:19:51.919 --> 00:20:08.480 need of services. Their timely intervention likely had a significant impact on this individual's well-being. According to LPD and LFD personnel on the scene, the senior resident likely would have faced dire consequences had Cecilia not reached out to coordinate the check-in. Their dedication, teamwork, and compassion exemplify the 32 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:24.640 very best of our community services and show the meaningful difference that can be achieved when multiple departments and volunteers work together. Um, Lynn, thank you to you and Mike for putting that report together. That's great. Any other kudos and plots before we move on? 33 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:42.480 Okay. Uh, any select board comments otherwise? >> Go ahead. >> Thank you. Just to respond to a couple of things that Mr. Shay just asked about what's funny. I don't understand. Okay. Um, so just a couple of things to respond to. So, I think a lot of this 34 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:57.440 we're going to respond to just when we talk about the uh warrant article as well as when we talk about the Fiverr financing, but uh two things I just want to respond to the corporate governance um comments. The this has been explained to Mr. Sheay over email multiple times. 35 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:14.320 Uh this is just a basic legal principle that uh state statute supersedes town charters and bylaws. It wouldn't make sense if a town charter could pass a law that was in violation of the state statute. Uh that just doesn't make any sense that towns could then create laws 36 00:21:14.320 --> 00:21:31.200 that could violate state laws. Um what the state statute says is that the select board or an MLP board is in charge of the municipal light plant. The select board is the MLP board currently. The reason why we're having a charter change is because the state statute 37 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:47.760 allows towns to choose how they want to populate the MLP board. And so that's why we have asked the state legislature for permission to amend our town charter so that we can appoint members to a municipal life plan board and have them populate the board. So this is just 38 00:21:47.760 --> 00:22:02.480 basic. I think you know you can ask any attorney that you know in your life. These are just basic legal principles. Um the the second part about uh Fiber Spring having something in their meeting minutes about um or or Shell having something in their meeting minutes about 39 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:19.600 uh a November uh special town meeting vote. I mean that's that's maybe what they thought would happen. Not sure. Uh I don't know why it was in their meeting minutes. I don't know what I didn't attend the meeting and so that has nothing that re really is relevant to us. We have ne we never put that on our 40 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:34.720 special town meeting. Um, and I think a project of this size, it'd be inappropriate to put it on a special town meeting. And so I think it's being done correctly to have it at our next annual town meeting after um, you know, design engineering has been completed. So, uh, the rest of it, you know, I'll 41 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:51.280 we'll answer in due course. >> All right. Thank you, Ben. Uh, anybody else? Shel. >> Okay. Nothing for me today. >> Oh, Dan, I'm sorry. Your hand was behind me. Um, uh, yeah, I just wanted to 42 00:22:51.280 --> 00:23:07.280 actually, uh, Shelley's husband, I wanted to cong congratulate, uh, Damian Dewolf for completing, uh, the FBI National Academy class. Uh, this is an very intensive 10-week, uh, intensive training for national and international 43 00:23:07.280 --> 00:23:22.640 law enforcement uh, leaders. I'm sure Shelley is uh, relieved to have her husband uh, back home now. Um, I just wanted to congratulate uh Damian for uh his completion. >> Thank you, Dan. I appreciate that. And I 44 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:39.440 got to make sure Damian's watching so he sees the shout out, too. So, thank you. >> Okay, great. Um, moving on, we have a committee appoint board and committee appointments. We have three 45 00:23:39.440 --> 00:24:03.360 that we interviewed at our last meeting. Uh, do we have a motion? >> Yes. I Oh, sorry. >> There you go. Fire away. >> Um, I'll move to appoint Ethan Kendrick to a one-year associate non- voting term expiring June 30th, 2027 on the 46 00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:19.279 conservation commission. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? Peggy about to do everything by roll vote. All right. >> Tell me. >> Yes. >> Yes. Workco. >> Yes. >> Benathy. >> Yes. >> Andrew. >> Yes. >> Josh. >> Yes. 47 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:35.360 >> Okay. And I will move to appoint Matthew Delson to the DEI advisory um group for a one-year for a sorry for a three-year term expiring June 30th, 2029. >> Second. 48 00:24:35.360 --> 00:24:50.720 >> Anything further? >> Yeah, just real quick. I I I meant to speak up last time. And I just thought um that his testimony was very, you know, courageous and um we get to have a lot of um folks in front of us that want to uh serve on different committees and 49 00:24:50.720 --> 00:25:06.080 I just was really I was really touched by his um his life experience and just, you know, courage to to step up and and serve the the town. And um I I did mean to say a couple words last time, but I think we all probably felt the same from 50 00:25:06.080 --> 00:25:21.679 from that. So, thank you. Well said, Dan. Thank you. Uh Peggy >> Shelard, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Josh, >> yes. And I'll vote to appoint Gary Gay 51 00:25:21.679 --> 00:25:38.000 to the Historic District Commission for a three-year alternate term expiring June 30th, 2029. >> Second. >> Anything further than Okay. Go ahead, Peggy. >> Sh. Yes. >> Danco. 52 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:58.799 >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. >> Josh. >> Yes. >> And we have a a letter uh from the from Concom and this is not something I've ever dealt with. So if you could go ahead L. 53 00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:14.400 >> Yep. Uh so uh as you'll see in the letter there's two members. one is a associate member and the other is a full member. There's been some scheduling conflicts and the associate member has actually been the one attending um mo the majority of the meetings uh whereas 54 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:31.200 the full member has actually not been there as often as I think he probably intended when he first applied. Uh and so between the chair and those two members there's been discussion about swapping their appointment and both were agreeable. it would work better for the conservation commission and give them a 55 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:46.799 full voting member that's uh able to attend all their meetings. So, it's just a reassignment of terms. >> Okay. And so, that's um I guess it's not out of the course of what we can do. It's within our power to do that. Correct. We don't have to interview. So, 56 00:26:46.799 --> 00:27:05.039 >> if everyone's comfortable with that, I think that makes a lot of sense. >> Uh we can go go ahead with a motion. Do we need two motions? >> No, just one. It's fine. Um so I will move to reassign um 57 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:20.640 Leah Far to the sorry so she's going to be moved to associate >> no fulltime >> full-time member and then Richard McCulla to associate member right yeah okay so I will move to reappoint uh Leah 58 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:39.039 Farr to um a full-time member and reappoint Richard McCulla to an associate member. >> Second. >> All right. Anything further on that? And those will expire 2028, >> I believe. So, >> okay, great. Um, go ahead. Thank you, 59 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:54.080 >> Shelard. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then moving on to presentations. Uh, first up, we have the fiscical year 60 00:27:54.080 --> 00:28:09.120 2027 capital improvement plan. Okay, that was quick. Um, thank you. I don't have a formal like uh slide deck for you tonight. Um, at least on this I do on the budget next. Uh, so your capital plan um again this year is going 61 00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:25.039 to be presented by me. Um, we're pending a charter change that's in its third reading in the Senate. So hopefully that makes its way through and then you'll have a new constituted capital planning committee um and a process that will coincide next year. Um, so attached to 62 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:41.200 your agenda is a is my recommended FY27 capital plan. Um, it was revised from what was originally sent to the capital planning committee in January and the revision relates to a change to balance the FY27 budget. So, I'll go back to 63 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:56.880 FY26 um to have this make a little more sense. Uh, in FY26, we had a budget shortfall and in order to balance the budget, we reduced the capital plan and changed how we were funding two projects. they were uh going to be borrowing projects with the debt service 64 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:13.039 paid for out of the ongoing capital line item. Uh and so when we started building the FY27 budget, we had the hole from FY26 to fill if we wanted to meet the full capital planning policy, which was 3% of general fund revenue, which was 65 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:31.039 about $2.3 million. uh as the budget came further into focus, we realized that it would not be possible to present you a balanced budget without the use of reserves while meeting that uh increase in capital. And so tonight, uh what you have is a essentially a level funded 66 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:49.200 capital plan from FY26 numbers 1.556 million. Um, and I can go through the list of projects with you. Um, and explain, you know, how I ranked them and and how I, um, assigned dollar 67 00:29:49.200 --> 00:30:07.039 amounts to some of them that were not necessarily the full ask of the department. >> Thanks, Lyn. Um, I have a question first on the uh sidewalk replacement, which is something we always like to throw extra 68 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:22.559 money at when we can. Uh, so that's down from the request about how much how many miles or feet of sidewalk will that cover the 190? >> Uh, good good question. It depends on 69 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:38.559 the extent of what uh the sidewalk repair is. if it's just a resurfacing or a curb cut, not a curb cut, I'm sorry, a curb, uh stop ramp, uh stop bar, things like that. Um uh we do also have the DPW director here 70 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:55.720 tonight, too. So, if you wanted spec specificity on how far that would go, he might be able to do that off the top of his head. >> I guess well, my my follow-up question, I guess the better question is, are there any areas in town where this is specifically uh planned to be used for? 71 00:30:58.399 --> 00:31:14.640 Sean Mandus, DP director. Um, yeah, actually the section of Forest Glenn is one that pops out. We're not going to be able to get that covered by the current TIP project. So, we're going to allocate funds to finish that kind of area as a whole, but we have a significant backlogs of sidewalks. I can give you a 72 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:31.279 a big list. I have I actually went over it with Tim today. So, um I can follow up and give you a list of the sidewalks that are backlogged and an idea um about about what we're going to be doing in the future. >> Okay. I think yeah, if we can see how big the backlog is and if we need to allocate more, which if there is more, 73 00:31:31.279 --> 00:31:54.960 it'd be good. All right. Thanks, Sean. >> Um and then obviously, as always, there's a lot of requests that we we couldn't fulfill. >> Yep. Um, was there anything that uh was a late cut that we're going to try to to get next time around? 74 00:31:54.960 --> 00:32:11.840 >> Um, one of the ones that you'll see on here was for the center school parking lot. Uh, this was one that we we did want to address, but um, with the upcoming work that's about to take place there for the roof replacement and windows, um, this was one that we felt 75 00:32:11.840 --> 00:32:29.279 like we could defer. Um but this is one that we do want to get done in the next couple years. And um some other ones um I mean certainly the need greatly outweighs what we have available for funds. You've probably remembered from last fiscal 76 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:44.480 year capital plan that the police department was on there as well for needing exterior work. Uh there is a design that's in process and that is um really going to dictate the extent of what we can do there. Um I am also 77 00:32:44.480 --> 00:33:01.120 looking for uh legislative help with some funding there and um potentially making an ask of the capital stabilization at the fall town meeting once we know really what's available to us for um for funding and how far we 78 00:33:01.120 --> 00:33:19.919 want to go with the work that's needed. Thank you. And then uh my last question before we move on to Andrew under it is is that the um the cameras that we've pulled back on a couple times? I know that that's uh smart cash or sorry free 79 00:33:19.919 --> 00:33:36.559 cash is >> um yeah so there's network equipment projection equipment and then the Long Meadow Police Department network enhancements. Um, so all of that, um, the projection equipment is for the schools, network equipment is for both town and schools, 80 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:52.000 and then the LPD network enhancements are for obviously the police department. >> Okay. Oh, this I thought Okay. I don't know why I thought there was >> We did do cameras last year. Um, >> I thought they got pulled off, didn't we? >> We did, but we ended up um funding them through uh free cash in the fall or 81 00:33:52.000 --> 00:34:07.039 there was a late a late fall article for it. >> Okay. All right. I knew I was missing something. All right. Thank you. And then the last one I would just call out here is um center school, the front entrance architecture. This is to cover a portion of the project that needs to be addressed uh but does not fall into 82 00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:23.679 the MSBA accelerated repair. It's not eligible. So while we're there, we're going to do this work. >> Great. Uh thank you. And that by architecture that's like the kind the cement at the bottom where the drainage is. 83 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:38.720 >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Great. Um Andrew. >> Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to share a few things. Uh Lynn was kind enough to kind of go over this very detailed fashion with me earlier. Um and I just wanted to say for those with interest, it's I appreciated the balance budget this 84 00:34:38.720 --> 00:34:54.000 year. I know it was really difficult and I see that you basically prioritized the things that you felt we needed to accomplish, which I think you have the greatest knowledge of even more so than us. But some of the things that I had asked about for those with interest um 85 00:34:54.000 --> 00:35:10.560 you know we're using free cash some of the leftover free cash to cover some of these. I assume that those are like your secondary second tier priorities. One was interesting where I questioned what does Williams alternate field usage maintenance mean. It actually doesn't necessarily mean the fields at Williams 86 00:35:10.560 --> 00:35:26.960 per se. It's the fact that there's fields around town that will be used more because of the construction at Williams and it's kind of in the anticipation of using those a great deal. So, um, would it be fair to say that you use free cash essentially to do 87 00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:45.280 what you felt was the second tier priorities? >> Um, yes. I don't I maybe you're giving me a little more credit. >> Um, but yeah, I guess that would make sense. And um uh thank you for pointing that out about the Williams field maintenance because as we get to the 88 00:35:45.280 --> 00:36:01.040 warrant article, you'll see that um the actual article calls it something different because this list is generated in the fall. So we have quite a bit of time between then and I just didn't update the title on the list here, but you'll see the title updated in the warrant to better explain what it 89 00:36:01.040 --> 00:36:18.520 actually is. So, it's to deal with the overuse of the other fields as a result of Williams coming offline and then also start some work on um some necessary uh design redesign of some of those fields as a result of that overuse including irrigation. 90 00:36:19.680 --> 00:36:38.480 >> Yeah. I just wanted to point out that you know you made you know you're we're funding 1.5 million but we're also using free cash to kind of do additional things to try to help. Yeah. essentially. So, >> anything else? Um, do you want to talk about the five-year plan now or is that 91 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:54.320 a separate >> Sure, we can. Um, we can. It's uh really just a it's it's mostly for um I mean it's for everyone's knowledge, but I look at it more as um keeping track of all of the assets and inventory that we 92 00:36:54.320 --> 00:37:10.640 have um facilities and infrastructure so that we know on the it's on the horizon that you know you don't just buy it once and and forget about it. You have to keep track of it. Um, and as I've pointed out last year, DPW has made strides in improving that five-year 93 00:37:10.640 --> 00:37:28.240 capital plan. Um, it's a sobering number to see, but I'd rather see it and know what's there than ignore it and pretend that it's not coming. Um, and so we just we'll have to have some conversations about what is the priority and how we're going to tackle it. But I think that all 94 00:37:28.240 --> 00:37:44.880 in um collectively between the work of the select board, my office, the departments um we've done a really good job prioritizing and going after different buckets of money because if it's just if we just relied on capital, it wouldn't get done. Um and I think 95 00:37:44.880 --> 00:38:00.079 it's been great that you know, it's a testament to the work you guys did last year with road resurfacing. You were able to tackle a lot um in a very short amount of time. And the same goes with a lot of these other projects. We're looking at all sorts of different ways to fund things. >> So, 96 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:15.520 so the fi as a five-year plan, this isn't a plan of here's what we're going to do. Here's we're keeping track of it because if you look at the bottom line, it's $28. >> And they're just best guess estimates for the price. I mean, none of us know what, you know, a window is going to cost in five years, 97 00:38:15.520 --> 00:38:31.359 >> but it's really more for just tracking purposes. >> So, it's looking at what we can what's out there, what we can pick off and plan for. >> Yep. >> Okay, great. Well, I think that's that's a very useful exercise. So, thank you. >> Uh, anybody else? >> And just kind of piggyback off of that, 98 00:38:31.359 --> 00:38:48.000 I think that's what also made the road paving project uh such a good one because we were using 20 25$26 for paving that, you know, uh, went a lot further than if we had waited for that same money. So, >> absolutely. >> Yeah. 99 00:38:48.000 --> 00:39:03.280 >> Josh, >> go ahead. >> Um, and Oh, that's great. Um, and Lynn, I really appreciate and and as well as Ian, I know I met with you earlier or last week. We spent considerable amount of time going through the budget. So, appreciate everything. My one thing I 100 00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:18.160 wanted to talk about was the ambulance. I thought that was um and just kind of the work that the select board did with um making sure we hired two firefighters um to support that. And maybe you want to touch on on that and and how we have the 3% 101 00:39:18.160 --> 00:39:33.920 um we have to pay 3% for the billing as well and how it's almost a double-edged sword. >> Yeah. Um and I can also address it during um the budget conversation, but for the purposes of this um I can talk about it in terms of the ambulance the capital replacement. So, the way it's 102 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:50.079 been set up, um, which Ian and I inherited, uh, is that you, we project what our ambulance receipts will be, and anything over that that comes in higher, luckily it has, uh, is what goes into the ambulance fund to build up to replace an ambulance when it's time to 103 00:39:50.079 --> 00:40:06.000 do that. So, that ambulance fund um has a balance of whatever amount it is right now. I It's on one of my sheets here. Um and then we'll add we keep adding to it with those additional um ambulance receipts that come in over what we've projected in the budget. 104 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:22.560 >> And had we not had the the two additional firefighters EMT with the raise in calls, we'd be missing out on opportunities to to support um you know, individuals in the town and surrounding areas as well. >> Yeah, absolutely. We we're seeing a 105 00:40:22.560 --> 00:40:38.720 major uptick in um ambulance revenue and it's we're running two ambulances full-time now because we have those extra positions >> which is exactly what Chief Rigney told us was going to happen. >> Y >> so kudos and applauds to him. >> Yep. >> Okay. 106 00:40:38.720 --> 00:40:55.359 >> So do you want me to just talk about process a little bit here? >> So normally uh normally this would be the fin the capital planning committee presenting it to you. Um I'm presenting it to you. So now it eventually becomes your plan. You um don't have to make any votes on it tonight. You can um go 107 00:40:55.359 --> 00:41:12.400 deliberate, discuss, uh and then think about it. You come back on the sixth and you can either adopt it as is or modify it, but ultimately it goes into the budget um or into the warrant uh as capital projects that get listed out below the budget. 108 00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:28.640 >> I know this is a time of year where you see a lot of us in your office um you Mike and Ian. So, uh, we appreciate you doing that and, um, talk more on this. Anybody have anything they want to talk about in the capital plan before we move on? >> Okay, great. Um, 109 00:41:28.640 --> 00:41:43.680 let's go on to the, uh, town manager budget presentation. >> Okay, so this I do have a formal presentation for. Are you able to put that on the screen? >> You're driving, so want to share. >> I'm not in the Zoom, so if you just 110 00:41:43.680 --> 00:42:15.200 bring it up um, the what I emailed you. No, it was a PowerPoint that I emailed you tonight or a couple hours ago. >> Mhm. >> Okay. So, if you download it and then share it as a slideshow. 111 00:42:15.200 --> 00:43:03.200 >> Absolutely. screen. >> Thank you. All right. So, it's um just have you. Thank you. And I will advance slides. That's right. All right. 112 00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:19.760 See if this works. If we're I'm testing out the presenter being the one to uh >> You want to go to >> Yeah. Where where is >> You want to start the slide? >> Yeah. Where is that? >> Top left. >> Oh my god. >> Oh my god. Here. 113 00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:36.240 >> I can't read it from here. >> View. >> That makes me feel better. No, we're good. We're good. Yep. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Your eyes are a lot younger than mine. >> Okay. All right. So, um, as you all know, we we are here tonight to talk 114 00:43:36.240 --> 00:43:52.560 about the FY27 budget. Um, just a quick review, we started this budget process in December of 25 with a joint meeting uh here in this room with the select board, school committee, and finance committee. At that time we made some projections based on revenue expenses. 115 00:43:52.560 --> 00:44:08.560 Um what we kind of thought at the time um also at that time I'll point out here at the bottom we were pres uh preparing for a 3% general fund revenue um uh policy goal for the capital plan. Um unfortunately as I just previously said 116 00:44:08.560 --> 00:44:26.720 we were not able to meet that. So in December we were projecting a budget deficit of uh $1.3 million. Okay. So, some highlights before we get into the low lightss. Um, the uh FY27 117 00:44:26.720 --> 00:44:42.079 budget is balanced without the use of reserves. And I felt like it was really important to highlight that first because this was a really challenging budget. And you'll see as I go further on, we had to make some pretty serious decisions on um projects that we really 118 00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:58.000 wanted to keep moving forward, but uh did have to put a pause on in order to not tap into those one-time funds. Um we are going to the full um 2 and a half% and the budget will be able to main current level service. 119 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:14.720 So, a breakdown. Um, the way this really comes together is by looking at what our projected revenue increases are. We started getting much firmer numbers in late January when we got the governor's budget. So, this is based on the governor's numbers. And then once we 120 00:45:14.720 --> 00:45:32.000 started getting in uh some of our uh non-negotiable costs, which uh primarily is health insurance, that is a big driver. uh and then retiree health insurance and our retirement contribution. So, as you'll see, um our revenue is projected to increase 2.5 million and our 121 00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:50.160 non-negotiable expense increases. So, again, employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, retirement contribution, the amount that we're giving to the schools and the um collective bargaining agreement increases total 2.9 million. So off the 122 00:45:50.160 --> 00:46:08.079 start um we did not have any uh surplus to work from. Uh so we were looking at cuts to offices and and where we could make this work. So this just summarizes a lot of what I said but also includes the enterprise 123 00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:23.920 funds. I'll skim through this because you feel free if I'm going too quick let me know. But a lot of this you've already um >> received. Yes. Uh, quick question online. The slides aren't moving for us, so we're not seeing any of the slides. 124 00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:45.920 We can hear you just fine, but the slides aren't following your >> really sharing. >> Yeah, >> thank you. We'll see if we can troubleshoot that. >> Yeah, >> maybe you have to reshare. >> How about now, Shel? 125 00:46:45.920 --> 00:47:05.599 >> Yes. >> Yep. It's working now. Thank you. >> Okay, >> that's weird. Okay, so uh here we are just exp uh showing you the summary of expenses. Um this is just pulls directly from the budget documents, but it shows 126 00:47:05.599 --> 00:47:22.160 you where we were uh in the current fiscal year and then uh what we're projecting and it shows the percent changes there on the right. Um it may um look a little different than that slide of that breakdown that I was showing 127 00:47:22.160 --> 00:47:38.079 you, but you can see some of the decreases. General government and DPW, for example, um those are not truly I'm sorry, those absorb um the collective bar some of the collective bargaining because those two departments have unions as well as public safety. So 128 00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:56.280 those are um not necessarily uh the true cut. It's based on the cut and the um increase. I'm not explaining that correctly. >> Can you try to get that to full screen again? >> Sorry. >> Can you try to get that to full screen on what 129 00:47:57.359 --> 00:48:13.280 >> an option for that? >> I think if you >> um >> you might be able to drag it option. >> Is it doing it off of this? >> Wait, I might be able to do it. You see the magnifying glass? >> I cannot see. 130 00:48:13.280 --> 00:48:36.559 >> Bottom left. >> Like how do you get rid of that screen on the side? >> Bottom left. >> Drag the border. >> Yeah, you should be able to to share option. Share settings tools. No, it's 131 00:48:36.559 --> 00:48:51.440 >> that you. >> No, >> no, it must be a >> It's not a zoom option. It's a >> PowerPoint thing. >> I can't read it. >> I only have two options though. Okay. >> No, it's not a zoom. That's That's a zoom option. Go up to Can you go up and 132 00:48:51.440 --> 00:49:09.119 hit F11 up above >> in PowerPoint? No, it's not a zoom option. >> Josh, >> close that. Go to Hit PowerPoint. Click don't not there. Click on PowerPoint up above and anywhere. And you just said F11. 133 00:49:09.119 --> 00:49:28.960 >> No, not there. >> That's a zoom option. Don't don't click up there. Click on >> settings where should be just click on click on the slot >> and then press F11. >> Try F11. >> And then just press F11. >> The key F11 134 00:49:28.960 --> 00:49:59.760 >> on your laptop. There's a F11 key at the top of the >> zoom. >> Can you read that from here? >> Oh, sorry. It's F5. >> What? >> F5. >> I don't know what's going on here. >> Can you hit F5? No. 135 00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:27.720 >> What the heck? >> Let's give him that five. So that's not it. >> Okay, we'll just try to hit share slide or show again. What is it? >> Screen recording. >> Yeah. F5. >> I mean 136 00:50:33.920 --> 00:51:03.400 Just minimize it. If it keeps loading, just minimize it. >> Josh, just minimize it. It'll keep popping up. trying to get you. Yeah, >> it wants something. Whatever F5 was F11, it wants it's not doing that. 137 00:51:05.200 --> 00:51:38.480 >> Okay, so Zoom >> presenter view >> just start slideshow. Agreed. >> Slideshow. >> That's fine. I can click through. >> Let's see if this works. >> And is it are sharing still? 138 00:51:38.480 --> 00:51:55.319 >> Control delete. >> Just restart. >> We switched to paper slides. I don't know. >> God, that made me feel old. Hey, there we go. Is it switching slides for you, Shelley? 139 00:51:55.680 --> 00:52:12.720 >> No. >> Sorry, I couldn't get it off mute. No, it's not. It actually, from my view, it looks like the intro slide, but then I can see all of the presenter notes to the um left-hand side of the screen. >> Holy crap. Okay, 140 00:52:12.720 --> 00:52:41.920 >> it it looks like it's in like um note note sharing mode. I think I know what it is >> versus like online presentation mode >> I figured that out afterwards. >> I was like, "Wait, did I not say last?" >> I didn't get it at first, but thanks. I 141 00:52:41.920 --> 00:52:59.040 had some memories from middle school along those lines as the aggressor and the victim. Frankly, >> I remember somebody uh did it to another kid in my middle school and think that really hurt the cockiness. >> Yeah. Just go. 142 00:52:59.040 --> 00:53:26.000 >> Yeah. >> Should we reg town with our stupid things we did when we were young? >> Pass the time. >> I think I' I'd get run out of town, that's for sure. Oh my god. I forgot we changed 143 00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:54.720 the order of the agenda. >> Oh gosh. >> Where's the ninja class? Pioneer >> and it's like it's like a ninja warrior class. >> I did um I took my kids to their 144 00:53:54.720 --> 00:54:12.640 birthday party at the movement terrain ninja thing. >> Yeah, it was fun. But I did and I I messed up my hands for like six months. I think about Bloodbuster trying to do like the salmon run. >> It's fun. Those are cool. 145 00:54:12.640 --> 00:54:34.839 >> Yeah. Yeah. They're doing like the monkey stuff. >> Yeah. Yeah. Like >> I got to watch for this show. >> Farmington folks that in my class. >> Oh, really? >> Miller's 146 00:54:43.359 --> 00:55:18.480 Jacobs. >> I think I need all the kids that just said hi to her. Okay. >> Okay. This should work. Uh so um as I was saying uh expense summary just uh again summarizes all the expenses that make up the budget. 147 00:55:18.480 --> 00:55:46.960 And uh you can go to the next slide Peggy. The slideshow >> from current slide that second one on the left. >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Shelley, were you able Oh, go back one. Shelley, were you able to see that 148 00:55:46.960 --> 00:56:05.880 change to items of note? No, it it's still on the expense summary slide. >> Okay. So, Peggy, minimize your SC. Hit escape. Minimize your screen. >> Hit escape. That button. >> Oh, 149 00:56:09.119 --> 00:56:40.880 got two screens up. That's why you see what's happening. Bring them all up. You should be able to see that items of note now. >> No, >> no, it's it's still on the expense summary 150 00:56:40.880 --> 00:57:02.559 >> slide. now. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Items of note. Yep. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, um this is going to just dive us into kind of how this came together um and some of the issues that we are 151 00:57:02.559 --> 00:57:19.920 having. Um, one of the um, one of the actually the highlights that we're able to keep and implement into this budget is a change how we're going to upgrade DPW and fire department administrative vehicles. Uh, we're going to enter into a fleet leasing program. Uh, we did 152 00:57:19.920 --> 00:57:35.839 pilot this with three vehicles at the DPW um, currently. Uh, and so that two of them have been received, the third one's on order. Um, this is going to allow us to turn over those outdated vehicles at a much quicker rate and be 153 00:57:35.839 --> 00:57:53.359 less costly for us in the long run. Uh, previously we were only funding these vehicles through uh, capital or free cash. And as we saw on the previous slides and as you heard in my last presentation, there just is not enough capital to make all of this stuff work. 154 00:57:53.359 --> 00:58:09.680 And um the fleet is was aging at a at a rate that we just could not support. And the cost of vehicles since really coming out of the pandemic has just increased so drastically that um one truck is $100,000, one basic truck is $100,000 155 00:58:09.680 --> 00:58:26.000 and you know that's just not sustainable. So, uh, we're really looking forward to this new way of, uh, managing the fleet and, um, it's been much easier to, um, prepare for what we can expect for costs on an ongoing 156 00:58:26.000 --> 00:58:41.119 basis. Um, the other thing that I'm I'm happy we were able to do in this this budget, uh, was implement the cost of living assessment for nonUN staff. So, historically, this has been funded through a separate article at town 157 00:58:41.119 --> 00:58:57.280 meeting. uh and has generally not been applied until sometime into the fiscal year. Uh it was a couple things. It was not transparent and it was not easy to um uh navigate for us. So what we are 158 00:58:57.280 --> 00:59:13.280 doing is we built a cola into the operating budgets for the departments that have non-union employees. Um the colas for union employees were already built in. So, we weren't talking about a a large amount of staff, but we did um want to make this change. It's it's 159 00:59:13.280 --> 00:59:29.680 definitely more transparent, but it also shows that um uh it it allows us to prepare what a cola is going to be and also for staff to know what it is that's coming up for the new fiscal year for them. Um and then, as we talked about already, the health insurance is really one of our 160 00:59:29.680 --> 00:59:45.359 biggest drivers. Uh we projected in December a 7.5% increase and it came in at 11.2. 2%. So it was much higher than we initially projected. Um that really was not um of any fault of ours with 161 00:59:45.359 --> 01:00:01.920 that projection number. Uh our uh health insurance increases have always been 7% or below. We have not had anything even close to 11.2%. Um we're certainly not alone in that. Many other communities across the 162 01:00:01.920 --> 01:00:17.520 Commonwealth are facing the same thing. we just uh were able to prolong how how long we had before we had these double- digit increases. Um we do not have a general fund budget contribution towards OPED. Uh this is the first budget year 163 01:00:17.520 --> 01:00:33.599 that since I've been here that we have not had one in our operating budget. Um but it was a result of needing to balance the budget. And uh one thing also for transparency purposes we have created a new emergency management division nested under the 164 01:00:33.599 --> 01:00:49.040 public safety division and we have consolidated the westcom assessment into that line. Uh historically the westcom assessment had been split between police and fire and we've now um uh combined those into the westcom assessment line 165 01:00:49.040 --> 01:01:07.280 so we can really track the cost of of that going forward. And I did put a note in there. Um the last year that the town operated its own dispatch out of the uh fire out of the police department was fiscal 2019 and our total budget that year was 223,000. So we are above that 166 01:01:07.280 --> 01:01:23.839 about was that about $50,000. Um but this service that we are getting um is is heads above what we were able to provide before. >> Next slide. on that last point. Yep. >> Um >> stay here. 167 01:01:23.839 --> 01:01:39.599 >> Is that in line with uh inflation the 223 to 987? >> No. >> Okay. That's still above that. And um one of the things that you and I talked about uh was there's plenty of room in Westcom if we 168 01:01:39.599 --> 01:01:54.799 want if different communities want to come in which would lower our assessment. >> Yes. And is that uh is that something the Westcom is actively trying to do? >> Absolutely. Yeah. Tours are happening all the time, conversations with other communities, especially as other 169 01:01:54.799 --> 01:02:10.160 communities budgets get tighter. It's very financially advantageous to consider regionalization. Um as we benefited from the state 911 grant to to regionalize those other communities can do that, too. We had five years of that. >> Okay, great. 170 01:02:10.160 --> 01:02:44.720 >> Thank you. And you can go to the next slide, Peggy. >> It's not changing. >> Not moving. >> No. >> Advancing again. It's stuck this way. Same freeze. on my screen. 171 01:02:44.720 --> 01:03:10.960 >> I don't want to blame Shel for this, but I guess we would have had to do this anyway. >> Might have to escape again. And >> there. >> Yep. Um, no. FY 20 27 challenges >> eight. 172 01:03:10.960 --> 01:03:25.680 >> Yeah. >> 8. >> Yeah. >> Can we just leave it like Shel? Can you see that? >> Yes, I can. >> All right. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, um there were obviously a 173 01:03:25.680 --> 01:03:43.680 lot of challenges. Um but I wanted to call out just a few here. Um the school department increase. I know they get a lot of flak sometimes for their massive budget. Um, this 2.6% increase is the smallest that we've uh provided for since FY2021. 174 01:03:43.680 --> 01:04:00.960 Um, they have been very good partners in shouldering some of this. They also are fully aware that uh the next few budget years are going to be very tough and are um willing to participate in any discussions that we have related to uh 175 01:04:00.960 --> 01:04:16.480 how we can kind of get through that together. Um in no go back uh so the second bullet there um in FY26 we made significant investments into 176 01:04:16.480 --> 01:04:31.760 DPW. It was to the tune of about $700,000 and this was to try to further a lot of the work that had been done on reports and studies and you know calling out deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs. Unfortunately, a lot of that did have to get rolled back 177 01:04:31.760 --> 01:04:48.960 in to balance for FY27. Um we're still going to be able to maintain services. We just are not going to be looking to make improvements on some of those studies and reports that that did detail, you know, uh, significant needs. 178 01:04:48.960 --> 01:05:06.079 Um, it I will caution though that this means that in FY28 and beyond, it's going to get tighter and tighter and harder and harder to um, continue to say that we're going to maintain services. And this last bullet there, um the cost 179 01:05:06.079 --> 01:05:24.720 for us to do business is just outpacing the amount of revenue that we collect to keep going. Um we usually talk about this in in terms of our limited revenue sources um while costs grow. It's we just um are unable to find new 180 01:05:24.720 --> 01:05:40.000 revenue that and this isn't a Long Meadow problem. This is a municipality problem across the state. There are just so few revenue sources that don't um go after the same people over and over uh that just can't keep pace with the 181 01:05:40.000 --> 01:05:57.839 actual cost of of running a business. And we're a municipality, but we still have employees and we still have overhead and we still have employee benefits that we have to pay. And those are going up at a rate that our revenue is not keeping pace with. Next slide, please. 182 01:05:57.839 --> 01:06:15.039 So, some things that um Ian and I talk about all the time that we're considering and we want to make you aware of as well. Um this is just these numbers are based on the governor's budget. We are still uh thick in the state budget process and there could be changes hopefully towards um a better 183 01:06:15.039 --> 01:06:30.000 direction for us, but we'll be watching it nonetheless. Um we're hoping that our unrestricted general government aid number comes in higher. Uh we could have changes to chapter 70 which could be generally has been an increase. We're at the minimum level right now. So 184 01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:46.720 hopefully it just goes up. Um we're also continually watching the federal uh uh landscape just to see what's going to happen with some federal grants that we do still have. Um we did lose that brick grant I told you about a while ago. Um it did sound like maybe there were some 185 01:06:46.720 --> 01:07:03.920 changes to that and and we maybe could see that funding. So we are still watching that. um and things that are out of our control, including economic uncertainty. The uh upheaval that seems to be going on everywhere, is generally not a a good um financial indicator for 186 01:07:03.920 --> 01:07:21.119 us and things. Uh so we're watching that as well. And then ones that we've put on your radar before, but continue to be here with us are um our local receipts. So, the MGM surrounding community status funding that comes into us. It expires in 2031, 187 01:07:21.119 --> 01:07:37.920 2030 something. Um, it's coming up quicker than we think. It's about $300,000, a little bit more. Uh, and that will be revenue that just goes away. Um, we have a public health excellence grant that is funded through FY27. They had previously committed funding 188 01:07:37.920 --> 01:07:53.599 through FY uh 2035. They are rolling that back now and they are not committing to anything past FY27. So, we'll be watching to see what happens there. And the um pilot agreement payment that we were receiving from Bayath is still paused and that's 189 01:07:53.599 --> 01:08:13.440 about $63,000. Next slide. >> Uh on the MGM money, can you remind us what you're we talked about anticipating that that dropping out. Can you can you tell us how we're doing that? Um, so we our goal had been to 190 01:08:13.440 --> 01:08:30.319 start reducing the budget by an amount that was slow over time so that by the time we got there we had weaned oursel off of that. >> But we can't. So we're going to be in a worse position trying to >> I mean we could but what are we willing to to do? >> Cut now. Right. 191 01:08:30.319 --> 01:08:46.400 >> Right. Um so just giving you the the balance here of what we have for reserves. Um you'll see that the free cash amount 1.58 million. Um that's what you'll see in the warrant discussion next about um 192 01:08:46.400 --> 01:09:05.600 funding a lot of our projects out of that 1.5 million. Um operating stabilization has 8.3 million in it. Peggy, you can go to the next slide. And these fund balances are also um you can find these on the uh overview 193 01:09:05.600 --> 01:09:22.799 document of the budget at the very very bottom. Um but all of this will be posted to the town manager page as well. So this just tells you where we are. And don't be alarmed by that ambulance reserve of zero. We just bought a new ambulance. So that number should be 194 01:09:22.799 --> 01:09:41.279 zero. And I think the last slide just talks about the timeline here. Um so obviously tonight is the presentation. Um it's up to you whether you want to call in departments to have some budget hearings and then April 6th is a joint meeting with finance committee and you'll vote 195 01:09:41.279 --> 01:10:04.400 on the FY27 budget. >> Okay. Thank you Lynn. Um, Ian, anything to add before we jump into questions? >> Uh, sure. Just to really piggyback on what Lynn talked about with uh future considerations, uh, Massachusetts Municipal Association 196 01:10:04.400 --> 01:10:21.600 put out two reports uh, back in the fall and winter talking about perfect storm. And these papers talked about how municipalities across the Commonwealth are really struggling when it comes to both generating new revenue, which Lynn talked about, but also state aid as a 197 01:10:21.600 --> 01:10:38.159 whole. Um, if you look at the last 20 years, state aid has actually declined on an inflation basis when it comes to what communities are getting in terms of their dollars from the state. So, it's something that um our advocates are looking at and are pushing our state 198 01:10:38.159 --> 01:10:53.199 legislators to give us additional funds because we know how important it is as local leaders to have funds available for us to take care of projects. So, it is something that is on my radar and as we look at future years, it's very 199 01:10:53.199 --> 01:11:09.840 important for us to kind of do better projections to figure out what our ultimate costs will be. I think with our financial forecast that we did in the fall, it's something that I'll look to do again this summer going into next budget year so that we can get a better handle on where we will be at the start 200 01:11:09.840 --> 01:11:32.960 of the year so we can better plan for what's to come. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um move on to Are you ready for question? Oh, go ahead. Um, thank you, Lynn. You know, I I know this is a really difficult budget. I really appreciated the cooperative 201 01:11:32.960 --> 01:11:47.440 spirit with the school committee that you mentioned as well. I I generally support the budget and I just the one thing that I had brought up with Lynn in a conversation uh was this idea that we don't put anything into OPED. For those who don't know, OPED is our like 202 01:11:47.440 --> 01:12:04.080 contribution to the future uh commitments we make to our employees with their health insurance and things like that. It's obviously important to kind of fund this uh fund so that we'll have the money to do that. And all towns are kind of far behind, but in 2013, 203 01:12:04.080 --> 01:12:19.840 this the select board made a policy that we put 25 basis points every year from the tax levy into this and increase it up to 2%. And this year, if we actually stuck with that policy, it would be over $600,000 we' be putting in. So, I I 204 01:12:19.840 --> 01:12:37.199 talked to Lynn and I honestly felt like it would be nice and good uh and prudent to make us like a almost a token or just a small contribution from free cash of maybe 50,000 bucks. We have $1.5 million of free cash that she could allocate and 205 01:12:37.199 --> 01:12:53.040 she said um she could make that happen. Um but I didn't know if any of my colleagues objected to something like that. Um, but I thought that that would be a good thing to show that we're not just entirely kicking the can down the road and not thinking about it. I didn't want this to be the only year we'd ever 206 01:12:53.040 --> 01:13:09.040 not done anything towards that. >> Yeah. Um, I I think that that is well just to I think re-qualify what you said, we can do it. Uh, you know, we can we can ask them to do it, put in our budget, but if we want to do it that it's up to us. 207 01:13:09.040 --> 01:13:23.679 >> That's true. >> Yeah. And I I think that that is >> I think it is a good idea. I agree with you. We have a policy in place for it. It's um and Lynn sent us free cash allocations today and so we can certainly discuss how we want to do 208 01:13:23.679 --> 01:13:40.320 that. Um because I I think that it is a good idea um to show that we're because we talk a lot about kicking the can down the road and I don't think we should be guilty of it. So I think but we have to figure out where our priorities are and where we where we're willing to pull 209 01:13:40.320 --> 01:13:55.199 back a little bit on that. But I thank you for bringing it up because I I do agree with you, >> Dan Bern. >> Sorry. Yeah, I know. I agree with you as well, Andrew. Um, obviously this was a conversation that you and Lynn had. Um, is there um 210 01:13:55.199 --> 01:14:11.440 something behind arriving at the $50,000 number or >> it's totally arbitrary and I felt that it was like the small, you know, obviously I would love for the number to be bigger. In ideal world, it would be part of our budget to be honest. Um, I after extensive conversations and thinking about what had to be sacrificed 211 01:14:11.440 --> 01:14:27.360 to get to where we are, I felt like the free cash wasn't it would be another warrant article basically like the other free cash items. But I felt that at least that would be the easiest and the least painful way of making this gesture basically. Um, and it it could certainly 212 01:14:27.360 --> 01:14:43.760 be more, but I think Lynn literally went through all of the choices that she did with free cash with me. And obviously, as you can imagine, they're all very um, you know, valuable things. Um, the numbers that she allocated them 213 01:14:43.760 --> 01:14:59.600 certainly could be moved around and that's probably where the 50,000 or 100,000, whatever we whatever we direct her to do, uh, would come from. But um >> Oh, and and just on that, one of the difficulties in 214 01:14:59.600 --> 01:15:15.520 looking at our free cash for this is because we have a big n our biggest number on our free cash is a number we don't is still could still move >> the snow and ice. >> Yeah. Uh DPW, do we Let's say we got no more snow. I'm not going to lie. And 215 01:15:15.520 --> 01:15:33.760 when are we going to know how much our number is for this season? >> 450,000 right now, I think. >> Okay. 450,000 >> over. Yeah. So, we're pulling pulling that in. That's fine. Um it has to be 216 01:15:33.760 --> 01:15:50.159 paid, but we that is the number if we don't have anything else coming in. >> We got a little bit of buffer in case there's a bill that hasn't come in yet, but we're pretty confident. >> Okay. Well, that's good. Let's hope that nothing else happens, but you never know. >> But to answer your question, beneath it 217 01:15:50.159 --> 01:16:04.640 was arbitrary. >> Yeah. Um and then um you know I and I not recalling all the details of this um you know perfectly but um I I feel like at one of these years that we made an OPED contribution using free cash at the 218 01:16:04.640 --> 01:16:20.320 special town meeting um after we kind of got a better handle on free cash numbers. Yeah. >> Um I mean would might that be a better option than maybe um doing it now for our annual town meeting? >> We've done that quite a few times. Um >> but it's because we pulled back on OPED, 219 01:16:20.320 --> 01:16:36.880 right? Uh yeah. So we were filling in the gap. >> I think it was like we made a little bit of but then like we were below what the policy suggested. We're far we're not even pretending to approach it this time >> and then to like make up a little bit of difference with the extra free cash. >> Right. Right. Okay. >> Yeah. >> So Vene, one of the reasons for choosing 220 01:16:36.880 --> 01:16:52.159 to do it in the fall is you allow yourself the ability to reertify free cash. So if there are if there are additional funds that are available come uh 6:30 those are not allowed to be spent until free cash is certified in 221 01:16:52.159 --> 01:17:08.560 September October time frame. So that usually allows for a full year of free cash to be available versus using what is remaining after special town meeting in the fall of last year. Mhm. >> Tricky thing about free cash is there's not always free Correct. There's not necessarily free cash, 222 01:17:08.560 --> 01:17:26.400 >> right? That's the >> And um what's important to note is the tighter we get with budgeting, the less free cash there will be. >> Yeah. >> So that would so so that statement it would make it more make more sense for us to use free 223 01:17:26.400 --> 01:17:41.679 cash at our special time meeting as opposed to making a part of our budget right now. Right. Um, so you if you use free cash right now, I you wouldn't be putting in the budget unless you want to you then you're changing you could no 224 01:17:41.679 --> 01:17:58.159 longer say the budget is balanced without the use of reserves. >> I wasn't suggesting it being part of the budget to be honest to use. >> Yeah, exactly. like with along with her other half dozen things that she wants to do with free cash. >> It would be ideal for it to be in the budget, but it's a difficult 225 01:17:58.159 --> 01:18:15.440 >> um and you could there's nothing preventing you from doing in the fall, too, if we have a nice surplus of free cash again and uh >> we're adding more. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Right. Yeah. >> So, we can you you sent us I think that was today you sent us our free your free 226 01:18:15.440 --> 01:18:32.480 cash uh suggested allocations today. Uh so I I think we can stew on that a little bit. We don't have to make a decision today, but there uh there are a couple things on there that I we can certainly look at. >> Um but otherwise, every 227 01:18:32.480 --> 01:18:47.120 there's 1,600 bucks left over, but every everything else has been accounted for. Um yeah, I think if unless anyone wants to make a decision tonight, I think we can all stew on a little bit. >> I did have one question, but first Andrew, thank you for bringing that up. 228 01:18:47.120 --> 01:19:04.640 that seeing that number is really >> mindboggling really to see that. Um, but in terms of the local receipts, I think it was like 388,000. Is there a trend in any type of receipt that we're receiving that's helping drive that number higher? 229 01:19:04.640 --> 01:19:20.000 >> Um, motor vehicle excise has been a pretty healthy increase over the years. Um, that's that's one we've been watching. Um, ambulance is is definitely the biggest. um that is that uh we just got the February closeout and they've 230 01:19:20.000 --> 01:19:36.320 already met their goal for the entire fiscal year. Uh so that that's pretty substantial. Um we don't see that changing for 27, but we're not we never budget to that full extent of what we think it's going to be. Um but we are 231 01:19:36.320 --> 01:19:51.280 going to watch it very closely over the rest of this fiscal year and certainly all of next. Um, in terms of other receipts, um, those are really, >> yeah, >> those are the biggest. >> I almost fainted when I got the excise 232 01:19:51.280 --> 01:20:08.480 tax bill for my wife's car. So, yeah, >> if more people buy new cars, we'll we'll be all right. >> Yep. >> Um, all right. I had some um line item questions that I think I know the answers to, but I think it'd be good to 233 01:20:08.480 --> 01:20:25.360 call out so people can get an idea if they're looking at this and watching the video uh down the road. Um one of and a good exercise is usually to look in the column Z and find a big number and then ask what's going on 234 01:20:25.360 --> 01:20:40.640 there. >> Um so the assistant town manager that went up quite a bit. >> Can you explain what happened there? Yes. Uh so as as you may recall um we had a change in position in the office and when uh that when Karin left and 235 01:20:40.640 --> 01:20:57.040 before Mike joined um we restructured the position and really uh took away uh some of the duties and um we're kind of taking a year to see how it shook out in doing so. um realized that uh the work 236 01:20:57.040 --> 01:21:13.600 actually didn't go away and if anything um taken on more of the true assistant town manager work as opposed to the planning and community development work. And um uh it was not a true reflection of the job duties. And so in polling, assistant 237 01:21:13.600 --> 01:21:30.480 town managers in the area um realized we were significantly below what the market was paying. And so this was a um adjustment to reflect that um what the position really costs. >> Okay. And speaking of adjustments, uh a 238 01:21:30.480 --> 01:21:47.120 lot of the salary adjustments on our side, if you look at them, they're between four and 5%. >> Yes. >> So why is that? >> Yep. Two reasons. Um one is uh that cola that I talked about before, that was never built into the budget previously. So the number in prior year budgets 239 01:21:47.120 --> 01:22:01.920 would be lower um because a cola was never built in. Um additionally, as you recall a couple years ago, we did a wage and classification study which um gave us all new wage scales and almost all employees have steps eligible. So those 240 01:22:01.920 --> 01:22:18.800 are a 2.1% step increase. So that that's why you see that number there. >> So those are some of our non-negotiables. Uh yeah, the step certainly the cola for non-union is negotiable, but >> um okay. And then I'm looking on uh at line 241 01:22:18.800 --> 01:22:33.920 335. Uh there is a decrease in the uh street and traffic lights, a massive decrease. And uh I thought if you could explain what what that was. >> Yeah, this is one we've been spending a lot of time looking at. So this relates 242 01:22:33.920 --> 01:22:50.400 to the fact that the um street light account is no longer purchasing net metering credits that they cannot use. So this is a result of the um amended net metering agreement that we have that we now cash out those credits instead of applying them to accounts. So DPW is no 243 01:22:50.400 --> 01:23:07.840 longer paying for credits that they can't use. So that's showing that drastic reduction there. They're truly only paying for the electricity. >> And where are the past credits? The past credits right now are still in a check at a in a check with Eversource. Uh we need to have a conversation about um 244 01:23:07.840 --> 01:23:24.080 whether we want to continue the fight with DOR. Uh legal counsel feels like we have a very strong argument. They have other communities taking that argument to do and to the attorney general's office to create that revolving fund. um or do we want to um put our energy into 245 01:23:24.080 --> 01:23:41.040 just taking the the payment from Eversource, letting it flow to free cash, and then allocating it to um projects that we see fit. >> Yeah, I'm looking at um on page eight starting on the 400 under DPW, uh 246 01:23:41.040 --> 01:23:57.440 there's a couple big reductions in looks like maintenance articles like fence and turf. >> Yep. Uh so turf uh this is one of the ones that is helping balance the budget. Um not because we don't have a need but because for FY27 247 01:23:57.440 --> 01:24:13.360 we are we've reduced that amount to balance the budget but the plan is to use the revenue that's been um building in the cell tower account. So years ago, town meeting voted to create a special revenue account for the Bliss Road cell 248 01:24:13.360 --> 01:24:29.840 tower and we receive um monthly rent payments essentially for the space. Um it that money has not been touched. There's about $175,000 in there. It can only be used for grounds related purchases or uh budgetary items. So they 249 01:24:29.840 --> 01:24:46.639 they will be essentially supplanting the budget with that. You also put fence repair as one of the things you use for free cash, right? Yeah. So, supplementing this with >> fence fence repair and the playground um were two items that were added in the FY26 budget because they really should 250 01:24:46.639 --> 01:25:01.520 be annual operating expenses. The town owns a lot of fence does need to be maintained. Uh we have not been budgeting for it except for FY26. I've cut it out of 27 to balance us, but I've got two article or one article to fund 251 01:25:01.520 --> 01:25:18.239 both of those with free cash at the um as you'll see in the warrant that we can discuss. And >> that's an example of the goal to take care of what we have. >> Yes. Um and then just one the you know the the cut for the high school pool 200,000. It looks like that. That's 252 01:25:18.239 --> 01:25:35.760 that's how it shows on um the spreadsheet here, but really, if you remember, it was the influx of money at the fall town meeting to um take care of the pool to to fix the high school pool. So, it's not truly a reduction. It's just going back to what it was. 253 01:25:35.760 --> 01:25:52.960 >> Uh and then line 595, uh if anyone's looking at this, it'll jump out. There's a cut in veterans benefits. Could you explain that? >> Yes, thank you. Um, so we really took a hard line, um, looking through every single line of every person's budget and 254 01:25:52.960 --> 01:26:10.159 comparing the projected FY27 budget to the current year-to-ate budget in 26 and what they turned back for 25 to to see if there were any um, consistencies. And that line was only 33% spent and we're more than halfway 255 01:26:10.159 --> 01:26:26.719 through the fiscal year. And so we started digging into that some more and uh historically that line has been turning back 15 to $20,000 a year. The budget the benefits were kept there because it's really hard to predict if a veteran is going to move into town that needs um services and qualifies for 256 01:26:26.719 --> 01:26:42.800 chapter 115 or um veterans that maybe were not previously needing benefits that already are in town now are needing benefits. And so it's hard to predict. So they've kept that buffer. We're not in the position anymore where we can keep significant buffers like that. And 257 01:26:42.800 --> 01:27:00.159 so we made the decision to cut it. And if a veteran comes in and does need something, we um will not turn anyone away, but we'll we'll um figure out how to to fund it. >> Okay. Thank you. And then last, when I was going through this and I just if 258 01:27:00.159 --> 01:27:16.000 anyone wants to read spreadsheets, they can see like the 638 and down. Those are budget busters. Those are >> y >> it's one uh over a million bucks in increases just on three items. So it's 259 01:27:16.000 --> 01:27:34.639 very tough to balance a budget when you have that kind of increases. So uh nice work and you know we we all thank you. Um anybody else have any specific questions on the budget? I just had one one one question and I'm 260 01:27:34.639 --> 01:27:52.080 not sure if this is even like my first time going through this process in this way. And Lynn, you and I talked a little earlier about this. Just hearing the challenges kind of balancing this budget this year, knowing that the coming years are probably going to be even more challenging for us. We talked a little 261 01:27:52.080 --> 01:28:09.440 bit about our strategy for for the budgets in the years forward and how do we go about kind of establishing that strategy so we can kind of best use and I may get some of these budget uh items wrong like the the free cash the 262 01:28:09.440 --> 01:28:26.080 stabilization fund um you know there's options there and so how do we have that strategy and that plan to help us move into 2028 fiscal year 2020 29 when we know it's only going to get harder. Um, I know we talked a little bit about 263 01:28:26.080 --> 01:28:42.239 that, but how do we best do that? So, much like I think the select board has done uh prior to me getting there has really had a plan to help us improve in certain spaces. How do we do that from a budgetary perspective? >> Yeah, that that's a great question. Um, 264 01:28:42.239 --> 01:28:57.920 and I'll answer it a couple ways. Uh, one is, um, I think we've collectively been been kind of talking about that, not maybe as directly as what you're asking, but in terms of the update of the financial policies. Um, I know Ian and I are really looking forward to the 265 01:28:57.920 --> 01:29:14.639 DLS training that we're going to go to, and we we hope to bring you back some really robust and best practice based policies. So, I think that will help chart some of that course that we need to to be on. Um but secondly um this budget has given me a lot of pause in 266 01:29:14.639 --> 01:29:30.159 terms of what are we going to do next year and the year after that and um it is much bigger of a conversation that needs to be had and so I know I've talked with a lot of you about my idea um to form a budget task force and I am 267 01:29:30.159 --> 01:29:45.360 working on that and I plan to bring you something more formal at an upcoming meeting to really kind of kick that off and and launch it. Um, I've seen it in other cities and towns when they are at the um crossroads of a significant budget problem. You really need to bring 268 01:29:45.360 --> 01:30:00.480 more people together to figure out what are what are our uh core goals and what are we willing to to cut or um what is absolutely not on the table to cut and how do we come up with more money to fund it. Uh, but I think that we all need to be having those conversations 269 01:30:00.480 --> 01:30:16.320 and uh the free cash and our stabilization fund need to be part of that conversation as well. >> Yeah, >> I didn't think about this before. Would um do you have the school committee or school side of it involved in that? 270 01:30:16.320 --> 01:30:34.159 >> Absolutely. Um I have had conversations with the superintendent and the business manager. They are um happy to participate. They have to be at the table. They're our largest department. Um and uh they will also bring the ask of of um um my ask to have school 271 01:30:34.159 --> 01:30:51.840 committee representatives there as well, not just uh school leadership. And then I will likely make that same ask of a select board member to participate um as long along with finance committee members and then general public. >> Yeah, I I love that idea, especially with the general public. I think Lynn, 272 01:30:51.840 --> 01:31:08.000 you brought up a really great point. Um, and we talked a little bit about it earlier, but just helping all of us understand what those kind of what is our town's priorities and what are some things that we may be willing to pause on in difficult budget years and then 273 01:31:08.000 --> 01:31:23.679 how do we plan to kind of deal with that. I I love the idea of having that budget task force and um spending a little more time on a strategy for the years forward. I think that can also help us just communicate with residents, helping them understand maybe why 274 01:31:23.679 --> 01:31:39.040 certain decisions were made and and um and then two, just thank you for putting all this documentation together. It was really helpful going through this the first time and seeing kind of how it differed from last year to this year and and where we're making changes. So, I appreciate all the effort you and the 275 01:31:39.040 --> 01:31:59.760 departments did as well. >> All right, great. Um, so it looks like there's nothing else. Uh, so we'll be considering this again at our next meeting. Um, and if anyone would like a department to appear, um, let me and Lynn know and we can work on that on the 276 01:31:59.760 --> 01:32:17.440 agenda. All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Oh, and Ian, anything else to add before we move on? >> No. >> Look really eager to All right. Uh, we have two one day liquor license applications. >> All right. I will move to approve St. 277 01:32:17.440 --> 01:32:32.719 Mary's one day liquor license application for April 11th, 2026. >> Second. >> Okay. Anything further? Peggy. >> Shelley may >> Yes. >> Vanco. >> Yes. >> M. >> Yes. >> Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. >> Josh. 278 01:32:32.719 --> 01:32:47.600 >> Yes. And I will move to approve uh the Long Meadow Adult Center um uh one day liquor license applications for April 2nd, 2026 and April 30th, 2026. 279 01:32:47.600 --> 01:33:01.920 >> Second further all those in favor I'm sorry go ahead Peggy May >> yes >> yes >> yes >> yes >> yes. 280 01:33:01.920 --> 01:33:21.360 All right. Uh, moving on to sorry, moving on to correspondence. Um, we have a there's a request from some residents along Meadow or sorry, Glen Meadow uh to be able to bring alcoholic beverages to the dinner table. Um, which would be a violation of Glen 281 01:33:21.360 --> 01:33:37.440 Meadow's liquor license. >> Um, Lynn, has this I mean I think I know the answer to this, but have we run this by town council at all? Um we have not but it it's not I mean I can't but uh I I don't know 282 01:33:37.440 --> 01:33:54.960 >> and they there was a question is that the residents should have been notified were they I don't recall what was the notification for residents I I presume they posted it >> yeah well it was posted uh in terms of whether they if they were next door and 283 01:33:54.960 --> 01:34:10.320 considered in a butter they would have received a notification um but if they actually lived inside Glenn Glenn Meadow. Uh I'm not I don't know that they would have I don't know what Glen Meadow did to inform there. >> Okay. Yeah. I I think it's it's 284 01:34:10.320 --> 01:34:26.400 unfortunate that this is um that some residents do not want that and I I wish we had heard from them. I but I think we would have had people on going both ways on that. So um but we we should respond and explain 285 01:34:26.400 --> 01:34:42.639 the the limits of the license on that. Um then we have a request for a tree hearing uh which will be coming up at a future meeting. Uh anybody else on correspondence? 286 01:34:42.639 --> 01:34:58.159 Okay. Uh moving on town manager report. I I presume your budget presentation was in lie of your report this week. >> Um >> or do you have anything else you want to add? >> Oh, I thought there was a report. Maybe it didn't get attached. Um I'll just defer to the next meeting. 287 01:34:58.159 --> 01:35:13.760 >> Okay. Uh, any questions on anything for Lynn on any of the monthly reports? Okay, great. >> We have a minutes to approve. >> I will move to approve the March 9th uh, 2026 select board meeting minutes. 288 01:35:13.760 --> 01:35:30.080 >> Second. >> Go ahead, Peggy. >> Shelley may >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Beny, >> yes. >> Andrew Lamb, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. All right, moving on to uh moral business, water and sewer right 289 01:35:30.080 --> 01:35:50.080 discussion. Uh Ian, is this you? >> Yes. >> Right. Go ahead. >> Uh Peggy, this should be a uh >> PowerPoint. >> Oh, I'm nervous. >> So, round three of our discussion. >> So, that's a charm. At the uh at the 290 01:35:50.080 --> 01:36:07.280 last uh water sewer rate discussion, uh the select board asked Lena and myself to come up with some additional rates for the water enterprise system. Kind of a 3A, 3B, 3C that looks at um using more 291 01:36:07.280 --> 01:36:24.480 fixed rate revenue um in terms of uh the two options available which is our variable rate and our fixed rate. So what I return to the board with if you look at FY27 water proposals is those three options. So looking comparing from 292 01:36:24.480 --> 01:36:40.159 FY26 to the three options in 27 you will see option 3A was the original um option three proposed at the last meeting which looks at a 4% variable increase in our uh rate and a 30% increase in our fixed 293 01:36:40.159 --> 01:36:57.520 rate. Option B is half of the increase in our variable rate and a 40% increase in our fixed rate. And the final option is our option 3C, which is keeping our variable rate flat and a 75% increase in 294 01:36:57.520 --> 01:37:14.400 the fixed rates. I'll call attention to uh the six um WAT quarterly base charge at the bottom of the fixed rate options. This is something new for FY27 as this is one singular pipe and Sean 295 01:37:14.400 --> 01:37:29.280 can correct me where it's we have a connection with Springfield. Um this is the only pipe in town that requires this size pipe and we did some comparative data to determine what that fixed cost should be and we came up with a 296 01:37:29.280 --> 01:37:45.360 quarterly rate of $4,400 for that pipe. >> Who pays that? US or Springfield? It's the one scenario where Springfield's our customer. >> Okay, good. >> So, uh, looking at the revenue options on the right, 297 01:37:45.360 --> 01:38:00.960 >> agree to this. >> Uh, looking at the revenue options on the right, uh, looks at the different uh, consumption and fixed rates and how much revenue that generates. As I've explained in the past, uh we like to build in a cushion just to make sure 298 01:38:00.960 --> 01:38:20.199 that there are um building in um caveats for rate variability. So each of the different options has some um wiggle room in case there are differences. Um, looking at the three options, 299 01:38:24.480 --> 01:38:49.600 looking at the three options, these all include uh funding a retained earnings of $250,000, which was the original goal of the select board for the water options. >> Oh, okay. All right. Um, just a note for the board, um, the quarterly base charge 300 01:38:49.600 --> 01:39:06.000 for, uh, the six watt is showed at our annual versus our quarterly. So, our quarterly would be the,00 just as a note. Um, moving on to the next slide, looking at our FY27 sewer proposal. So, our sewer proposal is did not change 301 01:39:06.000 --> 01:39:24.000 from our prior discussion. So, the board has the ability to recommend a 12% decrease in our variable rate for FY 26 to 27 with a coinciding 25% increase in our fixed rate for um sewer. Um the 302 01:39:24.000 --> 01:39:40.080 revenue factors on the right side show a mix of consumption and fixed rates um including the $250,000 in retained earnings as the board has um as a goal with an additional cushion built in for rate variability. 303 01:39:40.080 --> 01:39:55.520 Moving on to our storm water proposal on the next slide. Um this is the first um slide for the stormwater proposal as we are still in the um stage where the storm water enterprise is subsidized by 304 01:39:55.520 --> 01:40:12.159 the general fund. So we present it as a balanced budget. Um you will see that there are two items in the estimated revenue. The tax subsidy and the storm water fees. Um within that there is a percent of the operating budget that covers the storm water fees that is 305 01:40:12.159 --> 01:40:27.920 represented by the tax subsidy. As you can see um over time it increases in terms of how much is covered. So as we move towards 100% enterprise funding uh storm water fees will become a larger 306 01:40:27.920 --> 01:40:43.040 percentage of that um total revenue. Each year it increases approximately 4.11% as per the select board policy. Uh the one equivalent residential unit um increases 307 01:40:43.040 --> 01:41:00.400 um from 974 to 1132. That includes uh 2% allowance for abatements, write-offs, and credits as we have done historically with allowing for abatements and write offs for the storm water rates. Um, as you can see in the bottom, how we 308 01:41:00.400 --> 01:41:17.520 calculate what we have for storm water fees, we take our FY27 um, equivalent residential units times our billable units of 7,475 um, to get our total revenues generated. 309 01:41:17.520 --> 01:41:34.320 Moving on to the next slide, we look at our comparables. So looking at the water, this is comparing our low users to our average users to our high users for FY25, 26, and the three options proposed for 310 01:41:34.320 --> 01:41:49.440 FY27. As you can see, I'd like to highlight that if the board were to choose an option C, um the low user would actually see an increase in their rates for FY27 311 01:41:49.440 --> 01:42:05.199 um more so than um the average and high users. And that's simply because as we move towards more fixed rates um low users do not have um the or low users are still using the same amount of 312 01:42:05.199 --> 01:42:22.480 usage. So their fixed rate makes up a larger percentage of their revenues or of their bill. Um in terms of the overall options there really isn't that much of a difference in terms of option A through C when you look at FY27. I was 313 01:42:22.480 --> 01:42:39.600 very curious myself to see this as I wasn't sure if there would be some variability rate to rate. So I wanted to just call this out for the board. Moving on to sewer um we look to see that from a low average and high user um 314 01:42:39.600 --> 01:42:54.719 with the decrease in the variable rate for FY27 each of the different users will see a decrease in their rates accordingly. So this is something that we should be um well received by the residents as 315 01:42:54.719 --> 01:43:11.520 there's been a lot of work as to um forecasting and projecting what the sewer rate has needed in terms of addressing our capital needs as well as um giving us the ability to take on more work in our operating funds. Finally, 316 01:43:11.520 --> 01:43:28.239 looking at uh the combined data for all rates. Um, I apologize for the colors. It just makes it easier to see. Um, we look at our low, average, and high uses again for FY25 through FY27. As I alluded to earlier, there really 317 01:43:28.239 --> 01:43:43.760 isn't that much of a difference in terms of the three options comparing uh our FY27s A through C. And finally, um, with all of that to be said, um, just as a note to the board, 318 01:43:43.760 --> 01:44:01.040 the motions that would be made tonight on the next slide, um, take, uh, take advantage or are affecting our April billing, which would be our Q1 billing. So all of these rates would be set for Q1 through Q4 of FR27 319 01:44:01.040 --> 01:44:16.960 instead of having the issue that we've had previously where we would be in Q1 sitting rates for Q2 and not taking advantage of those new revenues for next year. So, I really want to thank the board for um being able to go through 320 01:44:16.960 --> 01:44:34.400 this process when we did so that we can set the rates accordingly and um look at next year. >> All right. Thank you, Ian. I I want to thank you for uh putting this together. I think through the sessions, you now have a a good way of presenting this 321 01:44:34.400 --> 01:44:49.600 that we can use going forward. it really it helps to visualize it and uh give us an idea of how we can uh create the revenue we we need. Um so thank you. Uh 322 01:44:49.600 --> 01:45:04.880 I I I think moving towards continuing to move towards uh higher portions of fixed rate is a is the way to go. And I and overall I I totally agree with you that 323 01:45:04.880 --> 01:45:23.119 from two years ago to last year was a big jump. We're not going to see as much of a jump this year and people will be happy about that especially with the sewer rates going down. Uh I don't know how granular people will get but I do think for I'm in favor of um option A to 324 01:45:23.119 --> 01:45:42.400 give our lower users who are I think are might be people who are trying to be more uh costconscious um to give them the ability to really be master their own destiny and keeping their their bill low. Um, and so the 325 01:45:42.400 --> 01:45:58.800 and the increase the fixed rate will will continue to go up and we're going to have to keep doing that. But we can kind of uh blunt the impact a bit by keeping the uh increase more on the fixed sorry the variable rates while 326 01:45:58.800 --> 01:46:18.960 still increasing the the fixed rates. So if anybody else would like to chime in uh that's just my two cents. Yeah. So, I was actually kind of thinking about it the other way of um going with uh 3C uh because I I know 327 01:46:18.960 --> 01:46:34.800 that our goal has always been and I know Dan was kind of the biggest proponent of this um when we started talking about this a couple years ago was to move this fixed rate up and um you know in kind of seeing the price differentials where they are right now, it almost makes more sense to me to move that fixed rate to 328 01:46:34.800 --> 01:46:50.560 kind of where we want to end up with. um you know in the long run. Um and so uh that's kind of how I was thinking about it um of just you know if we're making these drastic if we're making these you know significant moves towards where we want to go like you know kind of why 329 01:46:50.560 --> 01:47:09.600 stop here and let's make the let's take another significant step towards that. >> I'm agnostic. I think we're raising the same amount of money um in all three options. the rate was pretty much going to be the same. Maybe you should just choose the one in the middle for since 330 01:47:09.600 --> 01:47:25.920 you beat each one of the ones on the end. I'm good either way. >> Uh dinner, >> I mean it's kind of a crapshoot if you ask me, but I think we're getting what we've accomplished. Um my only my only other point was when I was looking at 331 01:47:25.920 --> 01:47:42.239 when we're looking at the motions just in terms of the utility bill insert, but I think maybe we'll talk further about that. I just I'm curious what that would say. >> Sure. >> Because I think it's important for the >> the residents to know like why we're on this um this path forward. So I think 332 01:47:42.239 --> 01:47:57.760 that's important. But uh yeah to Venise's point and what we've we what we've said during the whole process is making sure that budgeting moving forward we have a fixed rate that we know from a budget perspective that we can put it against our uh neverending 333 01:47:57.760 --> 01:48:15.600 projects that we have and we exactly we know and have a good idea of what type of dollars we're raising uh against the projects that we have in front of us. So, I think we're in a much better place than we've been in the past and um I'm happy that we're no longer um you know 334 01:48:15.600 --> 01:48:33.679 using funds to pay down the rate and we see infrastructure which was crumbling previously and will continue if we don't address it. So, I just want to thank everyone for their for their efforts on this. So Dan, to your point about the utility bill inserts, these motions are 335 01:48:33.679 --> 01:48:50.400 kind of generic just to hit the main points that both Lyn and myself need in terms of what the board needs to approve. If there are specific language or guidance for the utility bill that you want inserted, I would include that the motion. >> Okay. 336 01:48:50.400 --> 01:49:05.840 Yeah, >> I don't obtain a motion, but I just before we get to that, beneath I'm defin certainly not saying I disagree with you in any way. Um because we it is still a 30% increase and we have been making significant jumps and I I think we all 337 01:49:05.840 --> 01:49:22.480 have the same goal. Um but just the ways of going about it and thankfully this year it is a much we're >> we're pretty close. Yeah, it's it's and it's the three proposals that we have come down to out of our original three 338 01:49:22.480 --> 01:49:39.760 are not not too far off. So, nobody's uh I think it's not a large disagreement. Certainly don't feel that strongly about it. Um but since you feel so strongly >> Oh, no. I don't feel strong. I I just I just wanted to say that that's how when I was reviewing all this uh you know 339 01:49:39.760 --> 01:49:56.159 >> we're not going to have a duel but Shel has >> I don't see her picture anymore so didn't see if she had a hand up. Shel did you want to speak? >> I was I was going to I was leaning more towards three option 3A um simply because of kind of increasing that fixed 340 01:49:56.159 --> 01:50:12.639 rate. Um I think we were just all maybe slightly in different positions. So, I'm not sure where that leaves us from emotion, but um I I just wanted to share that I I kind of was leaning towards the 3A option. Um if I'm if I'm interpreting 341 01:50:12.639 --> 01:50:31.320 that correctly, that we're increasing the fixed rate a little bit higher and it's lowering the variable rate if if I'm correct. Right. That's the highest fixed rate increase. So you're you would be uh 3C. 342 01:50:31.760 --> 01:50:50.320 >> Got it. Okay. So that I flipped it. >> Well, Shel, now you now you have to move in favor of option 3C. >> Does she have to read all the numbers for the different Okay. >> No, >> no. It's uh So you can plug in the motion below with I believe 0 and 75. 343 01:50:50.320 --> 01:51:07.840 >> Yep. And then the uh variable rate. >> I I can uh make the motion if uh You know, Shel's on Zoom, so it might be a little bit more difficult. Um, >> wait, did what what motion here on the line? >> No, no. I I can make the motion, Shelley. Um, 344 01:51:07.840 --> 01:51:22.080 >> okay. >> Um, I'll move to set the fixed meter rate at a 75% increase and the variable rate at a 0% increase, which would make the water rate uh 6.49. 345 01:51:22.080 --> 01:51:38.880 >> Second. >> Anything further? Just as a note, um I just want to ask Lisa, um when do these need to be effective as of? >> It'll be effective as of April 1st usage, but it won't be until the bill in 346 01:51:38.880 --> 01:51:58.560 August. >> Thank you. >> Okay, I see nothing further. Uh thank you for clarifying. Go ahead. >> Is there a second? >> May. Yeah, >> sorry I wasn't unmuting. Um, yes. >> Thanks, Danco. 347 01:51:58.560 --> 01:52:15.040 >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Angel, >> yes. >> Josh, >> no. >> Um, all right. So, that passes. Thank you very much to everyone. Uh, Ian and the DPW team and everyone else involved. We >> You have to do the other ones. >> We have to do the other ones more here. 348 01:52:15.040 --> 01:52:30.080 >> All right. >> I was so excited we got what we want. All right. I'll move to set the fixed um and sorry, I'll move to set the fixed meter rate for sewer at a 25% increase and the variable rate at a 12% decrease for sewer which would make uh the sewer 349 01:52:30.080 --> 01:52:47.199 rate 455 including a residential summer two quarter 55 unit cap. Second. >> Any further? Shel. >> Shelley. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Mati. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. It's too early for me to be losing 350 01:52:47.199 --> 01:53:02.560 my mind already. >> I'll uh move to set the storm water rate at 1132 per equivalent residential unit uh with an annual rate of 135.81. >> Have a second. >> A second. Sorry. 351 01:53:02.560 --> 01:53:18.880 >> Anything further? Thank you. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Okay. And I will move to apply the same discount used for storm water to the warm to the water fixed meter rates and 352 01:53:18.880 --> 01:53:34.800 sewer fixed meter rates. >> Second. >> Anything further? All those. Go ahead, Peggy. >> Shelter Wolf. >> Yes. >> Dan Warco. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. >> Joshine. >> Yes. >> Okay. And I will move to approve the 353 01:53:34.800 --> 01:53:48.800 utility bill insert explaining the increases in fixed meter and variable rates. Second further >> chor. >> Yes. >> Dance work. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. 354 01:53:48.800 --> 01:54:05.679 >> Yes. Uh and Lisa, when would this insert go in? >> There'll be the May bill so we can bring it to you. So you'll see it before that. >> Okay. So, right at the beginning of the heavy watering season, although not judging what's going on outside. 355 01:54:05.679 --> 01:54:20.080 Okay. Now, can we move on everyone? >> Thank you. >> Thank you everyone. Appreciate it. Okay. Um and then next up, we're moving to municipal fiber project borrowing considerations. 356 01:54:20.080 --> 01:54:38.800 >> That would be me again. Um uh I have a memo for the board as well as some um debt schedules. Um I'll just go through the the memo. 357 01:54:38.800 --> 01:54:55.119 >> Go please. >> Uh the select board has requested information from the finance director on the presentation of the municipal fiber project from Fiberspring. On January 5th, 2026, Fiberspring presented the select board a project summary and financial review of the buildout of town-owned fiber internet system. 358 01:54:55.119 --> 01:55:10.639 Fiberspring's presentation used the 30-year borrowing with total project costs of $27 million. Attached to this memo is a spreadsheet with different borrowing general options. These options are all based on a 20-year fixed term with an interest rate of 4%. It is important to note that the interest 359 01:55:10.639 --> 01:55:25.520 rates can vary if the town seeks short-term borrowings as well as interest rates demanded by current economic conditions. The borrowing for this project is proposed at a debt exclusion. No estimated tax impacts have been prepared as part of this presentation. A debt exclusion would be 360 01:55:25.520 --> 01:55:42.480 done under chapter 44 section 8. Specifically, it reads for establishing, purchasing, extending or enlarging a municipally owned gas or electric light plant, community and town television system, or in our case, telecommunication system for 20 years. General obligation bonds do not have the 361 01:55:42.480 --> 01:55:58.000 option for a balloon payment after 20 years, then refinancing to a 30-year term. If the project if the town were to pursue this project, the overall borrowing would be impacted by the take rate. Take rate is based on the number of connected customers within the service compared to the overall service 362 01:55:58.000 --> 01:56:14.719 population. For example, community has 5,000 households. 2500 connected customers would be a 50% take rate. The more connected customers, the more the project is able to recover in costs and reduce future borrowings. If the project surpassed a 40% take rate, the town could see savings in the form of reduced 363 01:56:14.719 --> 01:56:30.000 borrowings in the future. With that being said, I'll highlight the uh spreadsheets that are attached. The first one is just a baseline for the board and residents to see. This is not a option that we would pursue, but just 364 01:56:30.000 --> 01:56:46.320 to see what the overall borrowing would be. Um, at $27 million uh at a 4% uh rate over 20 years, our total payments would start at $2.4 million and decrease over the life of the loan. Uh the next 365 01:56:46.320 --> 01:57:03.679 five schedules look at the phasing of the different um construction over a five-year term with the first one being a 6.4 million borrowing starting in 2028 interest rate of 4%. uh this would be about 578,700 366 01:57:03.679 --> 01:57:19.760 in total payments. And moving along through the different phases, there are different um borrowing requirements as um presented by uh fiber springs for each um subsequent fiscal year. 367 01:57:19.760 --> 01:57:36.080 Finally, uh the last page, page eight, looks at if the community determined to do the fiber hub first. The fiber hub being the initial um station as well as the surrounding area. This would be a $6.5 million borrowing at a 4% interest 368 01:57:36.080 --> 01:58:03.440 rate would give us a total payments of $585,000 the first year. um and then declining payments subsequently. >> Yeah, I I can uh jump in there. So, um, no, thank you, Ian, uh, for presenting this. And I think, um, you know, just to 369 01:58:03.440 --> 01:58:20.639 kind of provide context here, uh, to this memo, um, you know, when Fiverr made their presentation, what they provided us was the model that they used, um, when they financed their project to do, uh, 20-year borrowing with a 30-year uh, immortization period. And the reason why they did it, they 370 01:58:20.639 --> 01:58:36.560 were able to do it that way is because they borrowed through MWIC and through their MLP. And so doing it that way because this is a project that will obviously um bring in revenue and bring in cash flow, it makes sense to do it that way because the cash flow that you 371 01:58:36.560 --> 01:58:52.800 start generating can end up taking care of that balloon payment or make a significant uh you know dent into that balloon payment. Um and then that keeps the uh burden on residents um and taxpayers at a minimum because we can't 372 01:58:52.800 --> 01:59:08.320 borrow through um and we you know I thank Ian for doing his due diligence and you know meeting with Emwick and and talking to them about this um you know it wasn't an option for us at this time um to say to the people you know to our residents that we can finance this 373 01:59:08.320 --> 01:59:24.159 through emwick um and borrowing in that way. Um, and also it's not something that fits into the budget. And so because of that, this has to be done through a debt exclusion. And I completely agree with um, you know, and Ian looked at this, our financial adviser looked at this and, you know, 374 01:59:24.159 --> 01:59:40.000 and and me too with uh, looking at the statute. I think the statute's pretty clear and saying that with a debt exclusion for this type of um, borrowing, it needs to be limited to 20 years. And so what you're looking at now is taking a look at the financial model 375 01:59:40.000 --> 01:59:56.719 that uh fiber spring presented and you know which Ian has looked at and you know he's looked at all the assumptions and everything um and just adjusting that amorization period from 30 years to 20 years and then looking at what that brings us to. So, um, you know, so to 376 01:59:56.719 --> 02:00:13.280 update it from 30 years to down to 20 years, you're looking at a 40% take rate, um, being 8.7 million, um, in terms of, uh, you know, uh, property tax, debt exclusion, you 377 02:00:13.280 --> 02:00:30.880 know, funds to, uh, close the gap. Um, at a 50% take rate, it's 5.1 million, and at a 60% take rate, it's 3.3 million. So that range of how much this could cost our taxpayers is between 3.3 million to 8.7 million depending on the 378 02:00:30.880 --> 02:00:49.520 take rate. Um and I think um you know with EWIC which was an interesting conversation. So Mwick is an organization that um most that that a lot of municipal light plants if not all um utilize to borrow uh through. uh it 379 02:00:49.520 --> 02:01:04.080 provides you a lot of advantages in terms of you know um the uh I guess the efficiency and the support that they provide a town's financial team um they provide a pool loan program um that 380 02:01:04.080 --> 02:01:20.880 towns can make use of but the thing that um is is how the way the network works is that the backs stop is not property taxes the back stop is energy rate payers so the difference that would be made up is through an increase in energy 381 02:01:20.880 --> 02:01:38.080 rates instead of uh you know property tax increase and most of these towns have their own energy um you know entities so it makes sense for them to do it that way. Uh we obviously don't have that but what we do have is municipal aggregation and you can actually do it through municipal 382 02:01:38.080 --> 02:01:53.920 aggregation. Um, and right now I, you know, the numbers don't work for that to make sense because obviously there are not, um, you know, there are much fewer people in town enrolled into municipal aggregation than there are, you know, 383 02:01:53.920 --> 02:02:10.320 our whole tax base. And so you'd be putting more of a burden on a fewer number of homes. So it doesn't make sense at this point. What we have seen though is that our enrollment in municipal aggregation has been increasing since it rolled out. Um and 384 02:02:10.320 --> 02:02:26.080 what Mwick's financial folks told us was that the way that this works, it could make sense down the road if um enough people sign up for municipal aggregation in our town. Um and if enough commercial 385 02:02:26.080 --> 02:02:42.159 businesses sign up where the rates may make more sense for us to borrow through uh Mwick and you know using the energy rate uh payers uh as as the backs stop as opposed to um going through the debt 386 02:02:42.159 --> 02:02:58.000 exclusion. Now, the way that we are borrowing for fiber, uh, by doing five different borrowings, it gives us time to kind of take a look at this and adjust if we need to. So, you know, a couple years down the road, it might make more like if we get to our third or fourth 387 02:02:58.000 --> 02:03:13.679 borrowing, it might make more sense for us to do it through Mwick than using the debt exclusion authorization. Um, and so this is just something that we will have to monitor. like the MLP will have to monitor, the finance director will have to monitor, um bond council will have to 388 02:03:13.679 --> 02:03:30.560 monitor. Um and I think you know the charge for everyone would be how can we do this with putting the lowest amount of um you know um tax burden on our residents. Um and that should be the charge for this. Um so I think that's that's important to note. Um the other 389 02:03:30.560 --> 02:03:47.599 thing that I wanted to um talk about was um the the last kind of piece of information that we you know don't have definitive uh for our financial models is the make ready costs. Um fibers obviously did uh design and engineering. So they went to every poll in Long 390 02:03:47.599 --> 02:04:04.480 Meadow. They took a look at the condition of the poles. They estimated what the make ready cost would be. And you know, the number that they used in their financial models was that it was an average cost of $2,000 per poll. And now they um you know, are kind of airing 391 02:04:04.480 --> 02:04:21.840 or I guess you know, they're being very conservative with this because they don't want to uh you know um have it go the other way. Um but that's kind of the the um you know, the the way that they approached it was to say this is going to probably be about $2,000 per poll. Um 392 02:04:21.840 --> 02:04:37.520 if if you know this has been a whole new world to kind of uh get a peak into but the world of private utilities I I think after going through this experience and working with Eversource and everything um you know it just makes me even more 393 02:04:37.520 --> 02:04:54.719 uh I guess committed to uh the notion that we should be disentangling ourselves from these private utilities because it is really like a black box and they kind of just do whatever they want and they don't feel any need to tell you anything. Um, and you know, I mean, I think just today we're seeing, 394 02:04:54.719 --> 02:05:10.000 you know, Eversource start this construction on Laurel Street right before our L project, even though they knew for years they needed to do it and they knew for years that we were starting the L project, but they decided to wait until now to do it um right before we were starting it. And this is kind of the experience it's been with 395 02:05:10.000 --> 02:05:26.159 these make ready costs. So, Fibers has been on um Eversource saying, you know, we need to c can you move this along? can you give us uh can you process the applications a few weeks ago? They get back to Fiverr and they say somebody 396 02:05:26.159 --> 02:05:42.960 else has put in poll applications um and we uh forgot to ask them for checks and so they have just been sitting on these poll applications which you know they again they don't tell you anything but of course and I think it's gateway 397 02:05:42.960 --> 02:05:58.400 fiber um they put in these pull applications uh didn't even ask them for their checks or payment for it and they've just been sitting on it for who knows how Um, which is just incredibly frustrating because last year they told us that they would have make ready costs for us uh by 398 02:05:58.400 --> 02:06:14.719 quarter 2. Um, now when we met with Gateway Fiber last summer, um, because Gateway Fiber was complete unfamiliar with the public hearing process, which is just, you know, the routine process that utilities have to go to go through 399 02:06:14.719 --> 02:06:32.000 to get um, permission to use public rightways. Um after we explained the process to them, we told them, you know, you if you've got poll applications, go ahead and initiate public hearings. And what they said to us was, well, we don't want to do that. We want to see where it 400 02:06:32.000 --> 02:06:47.199 might make sense for us to build out and then, you know, we'll make decisions about where we'll build out and where we won't build out. So, um, again, it's just a complete unknown. We what we do know and you know what they told us was that they had put in pole applications 401 02:06:47.199 --> 02:07:03.199 in East Long Meadow. They got make ready costs determined that it was uh not feasible and they withdrew all their poll applications and now East Long Meadow you know gets to just move ahead with their um town on fiber. Um when the 402 02:07:03.199 --> 02:07:20.400 municipal fiber task force met with go net speed goonet speed had told us that they put in pull applications in Long Meadow about four or five years ago. um looked at the make ready costs and decided to pull out. Um they did the same thing in Agawan as well. Um there is no town in Western Mass where a third 403 02:07:20.400 --> 02:07:37.040 party has come in and completely built out um a a town. Um and so what is you know and the Springfield City Council I think I talked about this uh you know during the January 5th meeting too. The Springfield City Council had this long discussion um last summer too because 404 02:07:37.040 --> 02:07:53.119 you know with these companies there's really nothing you can do to block them from coming in. Um you know these polls are owned by third parties. It's kind of between those third parties and whichever third parties coming in. And you know what the Springfield City Council said was the same thing that the 405 02:07:53.119 --> 02:08:09.760 that the Musil fiber task force said is that um you know it's you're kind of putting the town in a really really bad spot if you're allowing some company to come in and build out just the profitable areas of town because then no one else is going to come in and build out the less profitable or unprofitable 406 02:08:09.760 --> 02:08:25.840 areas. So then you're just going to be kind of out of luck. And we've seen this happen in you know East Hampton and Northampton and Lello um and everywhere. So um so you know that part is it's frustrating because there's nothing that you can kind of hold them to or there's 407 02:08:25.840 --> 02:08:42.400 you know they can tell you one thing but they don't have to do it. Um and so you know I think that really the only way to kind of go about this is the same way that um that East Long Meadow went about it. It's the same way that West Springfield went about it because they had the same issue too with Gonet Speed 408 02:08:42.400 --> 02:08:59.040 and Gonet Speed ended up uh withdrawing their applications. It's just for the town to decide whether we want town owned fiber or not and to vote on that because if we um decide we don't want town owned fiber, there's really nothing else for the town to do. I mean, it's just kind of the wild west. It's like 409 02:08:59.040 --> 02:09:13.119 utility companies and we'll build out maybe or they maybe won't, but there's no really role for the town after that. So, um so yeah. So the so fi ferspring 410 02:09:13.119 --> 02:09:31.679 has also um you know they have uh sent a letter to Eversource about um you know their delay here and they've requested the Eversource uh process or poll applications at the same time um or or even before this other entity uh because 411 02:09:31.679 --> 02:09:48.480 you know they might be in violation of some regulations uh for not um for not processing them in a timely manner. Uh but you know that's something that needs to play out and that's something that ever source needs to needs to move on. Um but so make ready costs like I said 412 02:09:48.480 --> 02:10:03.920 we don't have the exact number for it but fiber string was conservative in their estimate for the financial model so you know I feel comfortable going with what you know they provided as their estimate for that. >> All right thank you Ben. Um I had a 413 02:10:03.920 --> 02:10:20.880 question for the uh finance office. Is it possible I know there's a number of scenarios here and some different moving targets. Is it possible to do a uh projected payment impact like we did for the the middle school >> estimate tax impact? Yeah. 414 02:10:20.880 --> 02:10:36.560 >> Yes, that's possible. >> You think that would be useful? >> Oh, yeah. I think that Yeah, I think and I think that that would really kind of I think put into perspective um you know what the would really help folks understand what the tax impact is 415 02:10:36.560 --> 02:10:53.280 here because I think people keep seeing this $27 million number as the project cost but of course that's not what the cost of the project is going to be for our taxpayers. Um so I think that would really help. Um yeah. >> Is it possible to do like I and I this is requiring a lot of speculation 416 02:10:53.280 --> 02:11:10.159 obviously uh at different take rates. >> I don't know if that >> you have to do that. >> Yeah. I mean yeah we'd have to do that if we want to give an accurate projection but >> well I mean you could do it worst case like >> sure worst case scenario I guess is we >> borrow money and then nothing ever happens. But 417 02:11:10.159 --> 02:11:26.719 >> Venice shared the numbers actually. So thank you Vene was very informative. Um, a few comments I have. Um, so we know now it has to be a 20 20-year loan and basically the to me the number that matters to the town because it's a complicated situation. It's not 27 418 02:11:26.719 --> 02:11:41.280 million. Obviously, it's less than that. And before when fiber string came, it was a 30-year loan. It was going to be like, if I recall, 1.5 to 4 million depending on the take rate. And I came to this meeting wondering what it was going to be. Now, Veneath basically shared it with us. It it goes to like 419 02:11:41.280 --> 02:11:58.880 3.3 to 8.7. And so really Ian you would just know what if we borrowed 3.3 million what would it what would the you know average town owner change the property tax etc. So that will be very helpful. Um I I think it would be 420 02:11:58.880 --> 02:12:15.679 helpful to explain if you think it's relevant beneath or maybe Lynn what emwick is. I I think 99% of the people watching or and those not watching have no idea what we're talking what you're talking about. I didn't know until today. If you don't think it's relevant or we want to save it, that's one thing. But I thought as you were discussing 421 02:12:15.679 --> 02:12:30.719 that, I'm thinking people don't know what you're referring to. Uh, another question, will we not have make ready cost by the town meeting, do you think, >> or is that possible still? >> So, um, so I don't think that we'll have 422 02:12:30.719 --> 02:12:46.719 make ready costs by town meeting. Yeah, I don't think >> And I understand you're saying that the proposal was conservative, but >> yeah, >> that's that's important. And then >> my just so I understand, I'm sure others have the same question. Are you saying that this gateway company got their poll applications in before us? So we have to 423 02:12:46.719 --> 02:13:02.800 wait and that's kind of why we can't we we're just waiting and we can't get this stuff >> right. So yes so so Eversource the way that they handle it is whoever comes to you know whoever comes pull applications first. So we don't know if you know how many pull applications gateway fiber put 424 02:13:02.800 --> 02:13:17.360 in or >> but how long are they able to I mean is there a period of time after which they say there's no action they're not doing anything now it's your turn. That's what we're saying is because we're saying Eversource should have done something with these. They've just been sitting on them. They didn't even realize that they 425 02:13:17.360 --> 02:13:33.280 didn't even get payment from them. >> Um, which is incredibly frustrating. Um, so yeah. So, so we're trying to make the argument that, you know, we've we've waited. This is frustrating the town's ability to make decisions. Um, and they should they should move along forward 426 02:13:33.280 --> 02:13:49.520 with this and, you know, and process our applications and give us the make ready costs. Um, so, uh, you know, like I said, this is just incredibly frustrating with the way that Eversource handled this. Um, as for Emwick, um, Emwick is on the town warrant and there's a little explanation, um, 427 02:13:49.520 --> 02:14:06.719 associated with that. Um, >> and I don't know, Ian used to work for Emwick, I think, so you might uh, be able to explain. >> For the warrant, too, this better, but yeah, but basically it's it's a it was created, I believe, in the 1970s. It's a public corporation that's just um was 428 02:14:06.719 --> 02:14:23.520 created to um allow municipal light plants in Massachusetts to um you know get better rates for funding to make funding more efficient to provide uh better um resources to communities. Um 429 02:14:23.520 --> 02:14:39.599 and so part of it is is they have a whole team of folks that work on this. And so um you know it it puts less of a burden administratively on the town. Uh Emwick does a lot of that work. Um and then also they have a pool loan program 430 02:14:39.599 --> 02:14:55.920 which they well you know I guess the idea is that they pull with other MLPS to get favorable rates. Um and so there's really no downside to you know joining. Um we can decide whether we want to utilize it or not after we join. 431 02:14:55.920 --> 02:15:12.960 Interestingly, you know, we would if we I think if we vote in May, we would be the first MLP to join that's um that does not have its own electric light plant. Um so we'd be the first fiber only um MLP to join. And so they um told 432 02:15:12.960 --> 02:15:29.360 us, you know, they're basically kind of they're excited about this because this is kind of, you know, they're going to look into different ways that they can be helpful because they don't assume that we're going to be the only uh one. I think East Long Meadow is also considering joining as well and I'm sure there's going to be more soon. Um, so 433 02:15:29.360 --> 02:15:45.040 there are a lot of things that you know potential opportunities I think. Um, and Ian, I know that you were in on that meeting and, um, I know that's for you too and kind of providing this debt schedule. Um, I think part of the reason why you did that was because I think you 434 02:15:45.040 --> 02:16:01.679 were also aware that uh, potential opportunities could, you know, give us a lot of, you know, different favorable borrowing options. Yeah, go ahead. >> Well, since we're talking about it now, I just my feeling is generally like we want we should obviously all of us want 435 02:16:01.679 --> 02:16:17.199 to do as much as possible to give as much information to our town at the town meeting. And I think that we will have some numbers, but we won't have certain things like make ready costs. I'm worried that 436 02:16:17.199 --> 02:16:33.040 it's not it's already kind of not ideal that we don't have the specific numbers, but I was just a little worried as somebody who literally just crammed on what Mwick was today that it gets comp it's a little complicating things a little bit. Like I people in the town reading, they're not going to know what 437 02:16:33.040 --> 02:16:47.599 it is. They're going to come and see that it's the article that I saw was positioned before the fiber article and someone's going to have to explain to them this is a thing we could do. There's no cost to do it, but it might 438 02:16:47.599 --> 02:17:04.800 be a way and we're kind of doing this as an alternate way of possibly getting a loan which would be based on not the collateral is not your property taxes but it's your electricity rates. um which I think is a lot to unpack when 439 02:17:04.800 --> 02:17:20.960 you're already there to talk about fiber. Why are we talking about this? You know, so I I wondered if it was something we could just do that after like if the town approves fiber then do this later as a and then that would give us the option instead of like muddying the waters so much. That's just was my 440 02:17:20.960 --> 02:17:37.760 impression after a day of even considering this. >> Yeah. No, I mean I think that makes sense. I think um we could flip those articles and it's almost like you know wow then it becomes a very relevant conversation. >> Yeah. Right. Um and I think um and I and I think I mean you're completely right in that um you know some of this a lot 441 02:17:37.760 --> 02:17:54.639 of this is you know and if you look at other warrant articles for other towns that have done this the level of specificity is not near the level ours is at. And I think because of because a lot of these towns understand that, you know, the finance director, the MLP, 442 02:17:54.639 --> 02:18:10.080 that they're going to be managing the take rates and everything as this project goes, as these borrowings happen and be making these decisions where they're, you know, leveraging different uh ways of funds. I think that, you know, to say that this 3.3 to 8.7 443 02:18:10.080 --> 02:18:26.800 million u that that range is like the worst case scenario. I think it's it's kind of like, you know, the best way to present it, you know, is say like, okay, this is what we project. We could possibly do better if we get better, you know, borrowing terms and have options through Mwick, but like this is what we should 444 02:18:26.800 --> 02:18:44.639 expect. what my my worry and I wonder if it's possible to get Fiberstein to come in here to give us an updated proposal. Um, so if you think about like worst case scenarios, a situation where it's a 20-year loan and then they let's say they come and they said, "Okay, just 445 02:18:44.639 --> 02:18:59.920 throw out the proposal we sent you before we gave you before with 30 years. Now the subscriber rate's going to be, I don't know, $110." And then my concern would be well now that's going to not be 446 02:18:59.920 --> 02:19:14.960 as affordable or not necessarily cheaper or a lot cheaper than Comcast and then you might have this negative spiral where it's not working because people aren't subscribing and then take rates low and then so that's that's why I wonder maybe if they would be willing to 447 02:19:14.960 --> 02:19:31.280 come at an April meeting to kind of just so when we go to town meeting you know this is we can tell people okay it'll cost the town maybe between 3.3 to 86 and that'll be this amount on everyone's average tax bill, but this is what the subscriber rate will be. And everyone 448 02:19:31.280 --> 02:19:46.960 make your own decision based on your own situation. I think that would be >> that would be good if we could accomplish that. >> So this 3.3 to 8.7 is based on a $90 >> Oh, it is per month. Okay. So that's so like nothing has changed from their only variable. From their um it's just changing the amortization period. Yeah. 449 02:19:46.960 --> 02:20:03.600 >> Yeah. >> So you know if we wanted it to change it lower, we could make the sub, you know, the MLP. Yeah. Could decide that's up to could do that. I think the way that we presented it or you know fire presented was $90 because it just seemed like a manageable number that would get people 450 02:20:03.600 --> 02:20:20.880 to you know buy in and uh but you know that's it's up to us. >> How much is it in South? >> South I believe is 75. But you know that's that's kind of the difference is that um the places where they have their own um electric and light plants they 451 02:20:20.880 --> 02:20:37.600 own all their poles. So places like um Westfield or South Hadley, they have prices around $75 because they didn't have to do any of the uh you know the the yearly pole uh fees and all those things. Um and and so we're we're more 452 02:20:37.600 --> 02:20:55.600 in line with where East Long Meadow is. Um so East Long Meadow is saying that theirs is going to be between you know 80 to 90 um because they are you know more similar situated to us. Yeah. Yeah, a lot to uh you know, I just went over a lot, but so yeah, you know, feel 453 02:20:55.600 --> 02:21:11.439 free obviously anyone can um uh you know, ask any questions, happy to answer them. I think we're going to be coming out with more stuff to um you know, educate the public about this. Um, Fiberspring has um developed marketing 454 02:21:11.439 --> 02:21:27.359 materials um and so I think at maybe our next meeting um we can put that on the agenda to take a look at and approve and um so they've developed like mailings and social media um posts and everything like that. So um and possibly like you 455 02:21:27.359 --> 02:21:43.760 know social media videos as well um to really just educate folks uh about about this you know project. But you know what I will say too is that because this is new to Long Meadow uh you know it's this is something that you know I think 28 456 02:21:43.760 --> 02:21:59.200 towns in Western Central Mass have done already. So um you know while it may seem risky and all that to us you know this is something that's it's tried and true tried and true model um and it's and it's worked over and over again. Um, so and I think that's be important to 457 02:21:59.200 --> 02:22:14.640 kind of uh educate folks too about that about you know this is not something to necessarily be that scared of. Uh, you know the the risk I don't think is as high as maybe people initially feel like it might be just one quick question and thanks for 458 02:22:14.640 --> 02:22:30.080 putting all this together and um I appreciate it. Um, I I think just the take it's all about the take rate, right? I mean so in terms of rolling this out I mean do you foresee gaps period of time where you know one year 459 02:22:30.080 --> 02:22:46.880 two year where we're stuck at 30 40% take rate just because of the infrastructure or the polls and and we don't and we're we're in a standstill or are they in are they ensuring fibers that um we're going to be able to start just moving to different neighborhoods 460 02:22:46.880 --> 02:23:04.240 and and really rolling this out uh more quickly to help with the take rate. >> Yes. Uh so yeah, I I think you're completely right. It's it's really just all about uh the take rate here. And I think the initial pilot area the fiber spring uh identified is um neighborhoods 461 02:23:04.240 --> 02:23:20.399 that are surrounding the shops because the fiber hub will be um you know next to where the the tower is. Um and what they identified were just closely or you know densely populated areas that were just all poles. So, I think with that 462 02:23:20.399 --> 02:23:36.240 first pallet area, I think it's um I think they would be able to connect around 1,600 homes um to get this going. Um you know, South Hadley, 5 years into their uh buildout, they are at 55% take 463 02:23:36.240 --> 02:23:51.520 rate. Um you know, a lot of this is word of mouth. Um, you know, we've been talking, uh, you know, in the summer about getting a website for folks to express their interest, um, um, in Fiverr so that they get, um, so they can 464 02:23:51.520 --> 02:24:06.960 get so that they can get um, uh, you know, reached out to when it becomes available in their neighborhood. Um, we did receive some feedback from South Hadley themselves and from some other communities that in communities where they put that kind of website out before it's actually available, it kind of 465 02:24:06.960 --> 02:24:23.520 caused confusion because people were like, "Oh, I thought this was a done deal. I thought uh, you know, we we already had this." Um, and then it just ended up causing more confusion and frustration. So that's what we did. So the website is ready, but we decided to uh, you know, kind of hold off on publicizing it until, you know, if this 466 02:24:23.520 --> 02:24:39.520 passes. Um, but I think, you know, that'll be just kind of a a connection, you know, a marketing point if this passes to say, "Hey, you know, this is the website. It's ready. You know, sign up and, you know, you might be connected as soon as next year." Um, because the first homes would be, uh, you know, possibly be connected uh, next year if 467 02:24:39.520 --> 02:24:54.000 this passes. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Van. Did you memorize all that? >> Man, it's been a lot of work for a few years. So, >> thank you. Appreciate you. uh 468 02:24:54.000 --> 02:25:11.040 continually keeping us updated and having good information for us. >> Thank you. Appreciate that. >> All right. Um moving on to new business. We have public shade public shade tree hearing decision appeal. I'd like to approach. 469 02:25:11.040 --> 02:25:28.800 Thank you very much for waiting. Appreciate your patience. >> All right. Good evening everyone. I'm Leah Wner. I'm the tree warden and conservation agent for the town. So, um just a little bit of background, the um as you guys already previously mentioned at one point, the um DOT tip project is 470 02:25:28.800 --> 02:25:45.600 coming through that's going to take place Western Drive Long Meadow Street and um Forest Fun. So, within that, uh project plans, they were submitted to me and the Springfield Tree Warden. Springfield had to do a hearing as well as Long Meadow. Um the only two the only 471 02:25:45.600 --> 02:26:02.080 removal proposed by DOT is the initial pinnoke as you enter along Meadow Street um north um coming off of the 91 south. Um the second pinoke uh just beyond it. I highly recommended that DOT include 472 02:26:02.080 --> 02:26:18.640 that in their hearing. It is one that is incredibly likely to take equal damage if um as the original Pinnoke. Um so they moved forward. they understood um my evaluation there. So DOT submitted a request for a tree hearing. That tree 473 02:26:18.640 --> 02:26:35.040 hearing was held Thursday, March 12th. And I had received a few objections prior to that meeting as well as at that meeting plenty of thoughtful questions from the residents who did attend. Um there were some questions about the availability to redirect the street 474 02:26:35.040 --> 02:26:51.280 center line in order to take more on the other side's tree belt. Uh unfortunately, DOT did mention that if that were the case, uh the street coming off of 91 off of the highway and under Route 5 would be uh more of a curved street. Uh keeping that and maintaining that straight lane way is definitely a 475 02:26:51.280 --> 02:27:08.319 more favorable um um setup for something coming off of such a highly trafficked area. So, what I did in my review, uh you know, these plans were presented me to me. um they were not uh they were at 100% not for my ability to really have 476 02:27:08.319 --> 02:27:24.960 any push about changing the plans. So instead of reviewing them under that scope, I reviewed them under the lens of if these trees were to remain, what impacts would exist after the fact. So one of the thought uh one of the other good questions that were asked was could we maintain the trees, keep them there, 477 02:27:24.960 --> 02:27:40.319 and see what happens after construction and how they react. um especially oaks, they're going to still look totally fine for a couple of years with some slow decline. But the main issue is uh where excavation is going to take place about two to three feet uh from that tree's 478 02:27:40.319 --> 02:27:57.040 trunk uh and directly into that critical root zone. The tree is going to act as a hinge. Uh so you get one wind event and the tree is just going to very likely to hinge over and that would head towards the direction of the house and the sidewalk. So um for those reasons uh 479 02:27:57.040 --> 02:28:13.439 between grading um you know heavy excavation heavy compaction um the trees will die over time or if not become subject to wind throw. So um that is why the town is back requesting an appeal for the removals that were objected to 480 02:28:13.439 --> 02:28:31.120 on the 12th. >> Thank you very much. Um, and Andrew pulled up the Google maps and >> just is can you I didn't is this is this the tree we're talking about? >> There are two. So, >> are there's one on the tree belt? Is there another? >> There are two on the tree belt. So, if 481 02:28:31.120 --> 02:28:47.359 yes, you were at uh 32 Long Meadow Street there. The first two trees. Yes. >> And then it's to the left. >> Um, the first two within the tree belt. So, that one directly I think in the center of your screen is the first one. >> These two would you say? 482 02:28:47.359 --> 02:29:03.840 So >> there's a pole. There's a pole in between both of them. >> These two. >> So the first the first two on the tree belt. >> The f Yes. The first two on the tree belt. My contacts are good, but not that good. >> So um yeah, I I looked at this. I drive 483 02:29:03.840 --> 02:29:21.280 by it every day, but these are and I I absolutely appreciate what you do and what you said in this that you are trying to within your means do what you can to protect the trees. Um and absolutely agree that this is the entrance to our town. These are some of 484 02:29:21.280 --> 02:29:37.280 the first trees that people see and we are a tree tree city. Um but there are there are lots of trees behind. This is just trees on the tree belt. Um not to diminish what they are. They're beautiful trees. Um but I I'm getting some work done on my house and we had an arborist out and he was explaining 485 02:29:37.280 --> 02:29:53.120 things to us and protecting the trees. and when you work this close um unfortunately that I I I always defer to you of course on your knowledge, but um I would not want to be in a position where these trees have 486 02:29:53.120 --> 02:30:10.800 been weakened and something happens where somebody gets hurt or property damage better case scenario. But we we don't want that. We we've had a lot of uh tree hearings on unfortunately where we have looked at trees that we are they look may look 487 02:30:10.800 --> 02:30:26.319 fine to us but to a trained eye they're not and and that's something we have to worry about. Um and so unfortunately I I have to agree with you. Um and I but I appreciate the the thought that you put into this and that 488 02:30:26.319 --> 02:30:42.399 you talk to residents and are doing what you can to protect the tree. Uh this is something that there's a street project that's being done for the betterment of our town and to make traffic better and uh make our streets safer. We have to continue with that 489 02:30:42.399 --> 02:30:58.720 with the trees. >> Um Andrew, >> can you comment a little bit more on the risk that you believe there would be if we left these trees, which are gorgeous. I think we all agree. um to see 490 02:30:58.720 --> 02:31:19.840 like you basically made it sound pretty definitive that they would collapse eventually and we deal with this a lot in medicine where it's like oh you know there's no there's no definit totally understand if I live near this tree I'd probably be one of those people 491 02:31:19.840 --> 02:31:35.120 who objected and said let's just try like what's the worst that can happen the chance it's not going to fall in my house the ants. Any tree could fall over. This is just me speaking as a third person. Any tree could fall over at any time in any windstorm, you know, like the these are very um majestic 492 02:31:35.120 --> 02:31:51.280 trees and I would be it would be quite a shame actually to let them go. And I'm not and so I I'm looking for more of your educa your to educate us about like when you say it could hinge and fall over. I'm sure that's true, but is it 493 02:31:51.280 --> 02:32:07.439 also possible that it might survive? Okay. Uh that's that is a really good question and I also um would like to mention that of course I don't want to remove the trees either. You know I love them. Oaks are very tough for me to put out for removal. Um so just reviewing it 494 02:32:07.439 --> 02:32:24.319 more under that realistic lens that arburst lens is what I had to go into when reviewing these trees. Um so part of the training I did in 2024 I had my I received my track. So that's a tree risk assessment qualification. So in that training and through that exam um yeah I 495 02:32:24.319 --> 02:32:39.600 worked closely with ISA arborists. They walked us through um different ways to evaluate tree risk. There's a couple of matrix matrices you compare. So there's um likelihood of failure likelihood or impact of failure. Um and at the end you 496 02:32:39.600 --> 02:32:57.040 come up with your risk rating. Um, so when I looked at this, and I would like to say DOT did hire an arborist to do a full arburest report of the trees along the construction pathway. Um, that arborist did come up with, um, both of these trees having high impacts from 497 02:32:57.040 --> 02:33:13.200 construction. Um, one of the things that I really focus on in terms of the root system, um, is those two trees specifically have historically been poorly mulched. So they do have two mulch volcanoes on them. I would be a bit anxious, of course you don't know 498 02:33:13.200 --> 02:33:28.560 without digging into the tree of the trunk to really know, but I'd be anxious that there is some beginning of trunk rot or root rot at the base of those roots right at the um the where they enter the ground because of that um almost suffocation of the mulch really 499 02:33:28.560 --> 02:33:44.800 being up on the tree itself. Um tree roots also only grow about 12 to 18 in uh below the surface for the most part. So, um, any kind of excavation, you know, there's oftentimes that, um, thought that there's a tap routt that kind of just holds it down and holds a 500 02:33:44.800 --> 02:33:59.920 tree anchored in the ground. Um, that there is one when they're very little and then once it starts, the root system starts to develop, the tap routt kicks out to the side and expands um, in conjunction with the other uh, structural roots. So that tree in itself 501 02:33:59.920 --> 02:34:17.040 already having a um an improper mulching system. Um you know a tough grade and would experience an additional grade change to meet the um the tree belt with the proposed roadway. Um any kind of construction impacts from that compaction over that root system, 502 02:34:17.040 --> 02:34:32.960 getting rid of those macro pores, getting rid of the air in the area. Um all of that combined. Can I definitively say the tree will fall over? No. Is it a risk beyond an acceptable level that I would be comfortable with? I would say 503 02:34:32.960 --> 02:34:50.880 yes. Um I did also have the Springfield tree warden. We just walked it together, the both of us. He's also um ISA certified. I myself am IA certified. Um and we all kind of came to the general conclusion that unfortunately um that the trees are the construction 504 02:34:50.880 --> 02:35:07.600 impact is going to well exceed the risk. That's acceptable. I think just to go on that if you if you had said I think the trees would could have a chance I I would defer to that I think so I um that was a great question but uh I >> is the road going to be is the road 505 02:35:07.600 --> 02:35:24.560 going to be widened there or is it is it is going to be >> it's not just going to be improved and it's going to be the boundaries are the same. It's it's actually be closer to the tree. >> Correct. >> Two lanes there. >> You're putting two lanes there going south. >> Yeah. 506 02:35:24.560 --> 02:35:40.800 And so the tree belt will be significantly less. >> Sorry. >> I think partly what you can't sorry partly you can't really get an idea of is the elevation change until you're out there to look to see just how much we're digging how close to that tree. >> I see. 507 02:35:40.800 --> 02:35:57.040 >> And to go a little beyond any if we leave the tree in an area where there was less targets, it'd be a little bit maybe easier to but that's the busiest road in town. So you're going to hinge that tree and put it in a way going to fall towards the road. So the road is going to be much further closer to that new curve. 508 02:35:57.040 --> 02:36:14.240 >> Is the tree belt would you say like going to be half the width that it is now? >> I actually have plans. It's going to be pretty close to at least there and then >> literally going right up to the tree >> and then it's going to narrow. So it's going to have two lanes to get through the lights and then narrow >> into one merge into one. Sorry. Um, and 509 02:36:14.240 --> 02:36:30.960 also I I was my street had the micro burst a couple years ago and it was uh really I I was not at home and I got home and I said, "Wow, dodged the bullet there. We don't want uh" And I I see my neighbor uh who was 510 02:36:30.960 --> 02:36:46.800 >> didn't dodge the bullet. >> Didn't dodge the bullet. I think it hit your garage, right? >> Yeah. So, yeah, we and thankfully nobody got hurt, but uh it was we really got lucky. But that does remind me to um have you is this something that the tree committee has discussed >> as well? 511 02:36:46.800 --> 02:37:03.439 >> Um so I don't know if there's any tree committee members in online there's um Bill Sefeld behind me who is a tree committee member and Lou Cornet was at the um at the hearing on the 12th. He just couldn't be here today. Um all in a general understanding, you know, there was certainly some some similar tough 512 02:37:03.439 --> 02:37:18.800 questions that I heard at the hearing have heard here today. Um is there any way around it? But there was the general understanding that um unfortunately if this is what is it's got to be um we never want to remove trees um we always want to replace. So 513 02:37:18.800 --> 02:37:35.840 >> so the tree committee was in favor of removal as well. Thanks. >> We had multiple public hearings about this. It's been a sevenish year process. So everyone's had a lot of notice and DOT does everything possible to make sure that there's not um issues at the end like they would stop construction. 514 02:37:35.840 --> 02:37:52.080 So, everyone had a chance to to talk and we did do everything possible to design the road to limit the impact to the trees all through there. This was the least invasive way to design the road to meet the DOT standards. Okay. 515 02:37:52.080 --> 02:38:11.240 Any other questions from the board? >> Okay. Thank you very much. We appreciate it again. Um and what action what are our uh options for action when 516 02:38:11.600 --> 02:38:28.080 I I don't remember what we uh what we can do here we are upholding no denying the or we can deny the objection is that right >> you can overturn Oh >> yes so for select boards um you guys can 517 02:38:28.080 --> 02:38:44.880 overturn the hearing of the tree warden Um, so if you were to vote tonight and to do that, it would take effect immediately. Um, in cities like Springfield had the same issue. Their mayor is allowed to do it under Mass General chapter 87. Um, here in Long Meadow, it would be you guys making a 518 02:38:44.880 --> 02:39:01.439 vote. >> So, what what is our vote? Sorry. >> To overturn uh the decision made on the 12th. >> Okay. Oh, because there was an there was an objection. >> Correct. >> Okay. Which means we have to have a hearing. Got it. I forgot my Mass General laws. 519 02:39:01.439 --> 02:39:18.160 Okay. So, I would entertain a motion to overturn the hearing result for the two pin oak trees located at 32 Long Meadow Street. >> So moved. 520 02:39:18.160 --> 02:39:33.120 >> Second. Anything further? And >> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Lamb. >> Yes. >> Yes. With regrets. Thank you very much again. We appreciate 521 02:39:33.120 --> 02:39:52.560 you coming in and your patience. >> All right. 9:30 >> draft warrant. >> Let's go. >> I can handle it any way you want. I can speed through and just I'll keep going unless I hear questions or 522 02:39:52.560 --> 02:40:08.800 >> I think if it's something that we is part for the course you can just say that jump right ahead. Yeah. >> Okay. So I will jump all the way to article three um just the free cash for snow and ice. This is what we have estimated at as um invoices have come 523 02:40:08.800 --> 02:40:24.240 in. Um we don't anticipate to go any further and as you heard from Sean earlier there's a little bit of a buffer in that number. Can just to bring us uh back to or we kind of glossed over it but the time bond study 524 02:40:24.240 --> 02:40:40.960 on having flat uh funding for snow and ice. Uh do you recall that? >> Um I don't but we uh budget the minimum amount required. >> I don't remember what they they were advocating for. Does anybody remember that? 525 02:40:40.960 --> 02:40:56.880 >> No. It was obviously I don't remember but it was something flat like always having the same amount no matter what. >> We always do 125 >> but we're always wrong. >> So um Mass general law allows what are 526 02:40:56.880 --> 02:41:12.399 called legal deficits. Snow and ice is one of those where towns as long as they set either equal to or greater than the prior year's appropriation for snow and ice are allowed to deficit spend. the article that is in front of you is the 527 02:41:12.399 --> 02:41:29.920 um way to uh make whole that deficit. >> I'm not saying it's it's wrong. I just wonder if that's if it's the best. >> Are you wondering why we're trying to be more accurate every year? Because always I think it's because of this rule that if you increased it then you'd have to keep it that way. 528 02:41:29.920 --> 02:41:46.080 >> Correct. >> Yeah. And I understand that. But if >> if next year we do 150 >> and it's 600. No. No, no. If we if it's more and we don't have the free cash to do it. >> So, the other option would be um if it's not paid through free cash, you can 529 02:41:46.080 --> 02:42:02.720 raise it on the tax recap. >> Okay. >> So, those are the two options available. >> So, there's never going to be a hole. It's just a matter of how we do it. Yeah. I'm not I'm not saying we're doing anything wrong. I just wonder it was recommended to us. We should look into it because I I don't remember what the recommendation was, but if there's a 530 02:42:02.720 --> 02:42:19.439 better way to do it, uh we should at least look into I mean, I I think you make a good point. It could be more accurate and a more prudent way to do it to actually try to get a little closer to the actual snow budge. I mean, you could probably give us I'm not asking for this, but you could give us a each 531 02:42:19.439 --> 02:42:36.319 year for the last 10 years how much under the actual cost we were. I'm sure it was under significantly under every single year. Not even, you know, even the lighter years, but >> we have had years where it was pretty close. >> I actually have that in the uh financial forecast >> and keep it where it's at. Yeah. Yeah, 532 02:42:36.319 --> 02:42:52.800 this year was crazy. Obviously, like last year >> we had a bunch of small storms that so it was also weird, but you just don't know, >> right? >> Yeah. All right. >> Well, just food for thought. >> Yep. And if we do increase that number up from that 125, it cuts into that whole budget conversation we're having 533 02:42:52.800 --> 02:43:07.600 on where where are we pulling it? >> Yeah. No, I'm I'm comfortable with that. Maybe maybe we are flat. I don't know. So, just uh I don't know. Go back and >> Yeah. >> Look at that meeting. >> Yep. >> All right. Thank you. Uh, article four is free cash funding for the revolution 534 02:43:07.600 --> 02:43:24.640 uh 250 events. >> The budget is still 10,000. We just put in a 2,00 just in case of surprise. >> Yeah, I didn't object to that. I >> I think it's great we're doing this. So, yeah. >> Uh, five is another free cash article. Um, this is for both fence repairs and 535 02:43:24.640 --> 02:43:39.600 playground maintenance. So, total 70,000. Uh, article six is the borrowing for center school. Uh this is um an authorization language is provided by MSBA or I should say u approved by them. 536 02:43:39.600 --> 02:43:58.080 Uh this is to fund the borrowing for the roof. Article seven is the town joining Mwick. There's two draft um languages in there. We can choose which one we would like the longer version or the shorter version um with the explanation that we 537 02:43:58.080 --> 02:44:16.080 that was prepared. Can I ask a question? So, do we feel like it would be okay to move this to after the next article, which seems to make sense because I'm a little concerned this is going to be a confusing long discussion that is only 538 02:44:16.080 --> 02:44:31.600 really relevant if the next article passes. >> Um, >> is that not I suppose it could be I mean, yeah, it doesn't matter to me which where it goes. You guys can tell me what you want. I think swapping at the very least is a good idea. 539 02:44:31.600 --> 02:44:58.560 >> Yeah, I agree. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Uh, article eight is the borrowing authorization for the municipal fiber project. Right. Nine is the budget. 10 is the um capital plan with the different funding 540 02:44:58.560 --> 02:45:14.960 sources called out there. Uh as you'll see under funds from um the treasury, we've changed it to Russell Field and High School practice field design. That is uh the two field locations that will bear the brunt of Williams being offline. >> Could you say that again? I'm sorry. 541 02:45:14.960 --> 02:45:31.040 >> Yep. uh the Russell under um the capital article uh funds available from the treasury. We've retitled that Williams field one to Russell Field and High School practice field design because those are the two locations that are going to bear the burden of Williams being offline. 542 02:45:31.040 --> 02:45:47.600 >> Gotcha. >> I meant to ask this when we were looking at the capital plan. Why is the fire alarm panel at the library so expensive? >> Yes, that's >> um that's what they cost. >> Really? >> Yeah. between electricity um upgrades or the up uh electricity uh connections 543 02:45:47.600 --> 02:46:03.359 with it and then wiring it up. >> That's like that panel that shows the different zones and >> Yep. >> Wow. Okay. >> Lyn, did you We're past the free cash articles. Do you feel like you have enough? Do you need us to explicitly tell you about adding 50,000 for OPED or 544 02:46:03.359 --> 02:46:18.399 Yes. >> You want Okay, >> we would have to pull it from something. >> Yeah. or deplete down to 16,000 left in a free cash free cash balance. There's 76 remaining. >> Oh, but Oh, I thought you had 75 towards uh the L project. 545 02:46:18.399 --> 02:46:35.279 >> That I don't that's like a lingering. >> I don't know what What is that? >> We didn't fund that. I don't >> No, that don't you don't have to worry about that. >> Oh, because the bottom line you sent us had 1,600 bucks. >> Yeah, we didn't fund that. It was I think DPW is a little worried about cushion on some of the L project work um 546 02:46:35.279 --> 02:46:51.359 and not having enough buffer but I have not heard from them again about that. So >> okay >> but it seemed from our prior conversations that we could take like 10 from a few other like five other places >> if you want to. Yeah, you just have to tell me what you want to do so we can add it in. 547 02:46:51.359 --> 02:47:06.560 >> So there's there's 75 grand right now though. Yeah, >> that is either that we could use for this or it could be a buffer or it is a buffer for >> snow. But we feel pretty good about that. Okay. So, we need to but we knew 548 02:47:06.560 --> 02:47:23.040 we'll tell you at the next meeting. >> Yeah. I mean I if you want me to add an OPED article, I would prefer to do it now. I don't necessarily need the dollar amount, but we have to like add it in. >> I Well, I Yeah, I think so. 549 02:47:23.040 --> 02:47:38.160 >> I agree. Yep. >> 50. >> Everyone good? >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Just pull it from Andrew >> a little bit from every your discretion >> still. >> Pull it from the select board salary. 550 02:47:38.160 --> 02:47:54.160 >> So if you're if you're looking for some recommendations, what I would likely do is um I'll pull probably 20 or 30 from the fence and another um 10 or 15 from the playground if not a little bit more because there is five grand in the operating budget. I'll come up with um >> whatever you think is 551 02:47:54.160 --> 02:48:11.200 >> 50 so that it's not an impact. >> And do you still think you think we should keep the 75 cushion on the free cash? >> Doesn't hurt. >> Yeah. >> Whatever whatever we don't use rolls to next year use free cash. >> So then if there if it really was free free cash, we can put it towards OP. 552 02:48:11.200 --> 02:48:27.359 >> Yeah. And I'll I'll likely drop the um Russell Field down a little bit because I between that and the cell tower money, I think we're going to be okay. Okay. And it's that is spread over multiple years too. It's not just one season. >> Good idea. Thanks. Thank you. 553 02:48:27.359 --> 02:48:44.479 >> Sorry. Actually, um there was there was something in the fiber article that I just wanted to um highlight really fast. Um in the last sentence of the explanation, um it talks about the MLP board paying the town back to cover the expenses of the pole applications and design and engineering. So when the uh 554 02:48:44.479 --> 02:49:01.920 this article was at the I think it was the '04 uh sorry 2024 uh fall special town meeting, the explanation for the article said that the town would pay back or the MLP would pay back the town for these expenses at the first uh debt 555 02:49:01.920 --> 02:49:19.120 borrowing. Um which you know I don't know if it ever actually I can't recall why that was put in there that way. it never really made sense to borrow an extra 491,000 that our town like taxpayers would be on the hook for 556 02:49:19.120 --> 02:49:35.120 uh to just pay the town back. Um and so none of that was binding because that was not actually part of the motion. It was just part of the explanation in the article. Um so I think you know we should we should change that and um offer an explanation that says that this 557 02:49:35.120 --> 02:49:50.479 will be paid back. you know, I think it's worded in a financially respons responsible ma manner that does not overburden Long Meadow taxpayers. Um, you know, I think a couple of different options for that. Right now in uh fiber in the financial models, they have um we 558 02:49:50.479 --> 02:50:06.399 have set aside $50,000 for an MLP manager um compensation um yearly uh which I don't think that we need. And so, you know, that could be a place where that's already in the financial models. Instead, we could say that $50,000 goes back uh you know, the MLP 559 02:50:06.399 --> 02:50:22.960 will pay the town that $50,000 over the course of 10 years um you know, each year until it hits that $491 or you know, the MLP board can say, you know, once this uh becomes cash flow positive or something, you know, uh then they'll pay the the town back that amount. But I 560 02:50:22.960 --> 02:50:39.399 think that's um that's important to kind of explain to our residents because I don't I don't really see the value in us borrowing an extra 491 um to just push that you know as part on our taxpayers as part of the debt debt exclusion. 561 02:50:43.359 --> 02:51:00.160 >> Right. Um uh article 11 is um the transfer of the operating stabilization fund interest uh into the capital stabilization fund. This is one that was started last year. Um article 12 I do need a little bit of 562 02:51:00.160 --> 02:51:16.720 um consensus on. So this is um also a capital article but it would be funding the storm water capacity study and catch basin repair which are two capital items through the use of retained earnings in the storm water fund. The reason that I 563 02:51:16.720 --> 02:51:31.920 need your attention on this one is it will drop us below the storm water policy 500,000. We've done it before for um most of our water sewer projects we've gone below. Um, but I did want to call this out because it if you do 564 02:51:31.920 --> 02:51:48.399 approve this it, you know, we we would be below the policy for a little bit. >> And what is it dropping us to? >> So, we are currently at 683878 in the enterprise fund retainer. >> So, this would get us to like four >> a little bit less. Sorry. >> It would be like 565 02:51:48.399 --> 02:52:04.960 >> 280 or something. >> Yeah. Like 300,000. It would cut it cut it in half essentially. >> And then um what would the the rate we just said? When would that what's the outlook for getting us back to our policy? >> It it depends. I mean the way the storm 566 02:52:04.960 --> 02:52:21.200 water is built, we built like a balanced budget. So unless there's turnbacks or additional revenues generated, it would be, you know, quite some time before we see um the storm water retained earnings 567 02:52:21.200 --> 02:52:37.600 um come back to that level. It's not It's not as um rapid as the water or sewer would be. >> Okay. Well, we could set the rate to raise it get there a little quicker. >> Yep. >> And these are both this a study and a 568 02:52:37.600 --> 02:52:51.840 repair or >> catch basin repairs, which really should be in the operating budget, but >> Okay. And then it's a study for uh a future project. >> Yep. >> Okay. Which we always hear is good to 569 02:52:51.840 --> 02:53:08.319 have in the hopper. So, okay. I think we should I'm fine with it. I think we should with the idea that let's take a look at the storm water going forward and have a plan on that and how to uh keep it up because if it 570 02:53:08.319 --> 02:53:30.640 takes a long time and the projects that come out of there are this expensive as they all are, we should have an eye towards building it up quicker so we can uh have money available when we need it. Okay. Um 13 is our standard um district 571 02:53:30.640 --> 02:53:48.319 improvement financing article. Uh 14 is um uh this one. Yeah, I'll let you do this. >> Yeah. So 14 is the ambulance capital account. What that is is previously the ambulance revenues would go into an 572 02:53:48.319 --> 02:54:04.960 ambulance fund. Uh the do has said that the ambulance fund as it previously was was not allowed. So we had to close out all the excess funds to free cash. Um this would create a capital account similar to how we have the firetruck 573 02:54:04.960 --> 02:54:22.080 fund where the uh select board could allocate um free cash that comes from ambulance revenues into this capital account funding future ambulances. Because right now what will happen is 574 02:54:22.080 --> 02:54:38.880 any excess revenues from ambulance would close to free cash instead of closing to the ambulance fund. So Chief Riggney has asked me to designate going forward um any amounts associated with this as he would like to see them stay within the 575 02:54:38.880 --> 02:54:57.359 ambulance fund. >> Okay. >> I'll let you do 15 and 16. >> So 15 and 16. So if you recall from our discussions from water sewer, I had talked about um capital closeouts related to prior borrowing 576 02:54:57.359 --> 02:55:14.080 authorizations. Uh do allows municipalities to close out funds from prior borrowing authorizations to use towards equal or longer term borrowings. Uh articles 15 relate to prior borrowings that were close out and go 577 02:55:14.080 --> 02:55:33.840 towards um the water manes project upcoming. And article 16 would go towards the slip lining project. >> Keep going. >> Uh so article 17. So going back to fire. So this article would resend article 13 578 02:55:33.840 --> 02:55:51.439 from our 2023 annual town meeting. Um when we originally um authorized the fire truck, it had to come with a borrowing authorization in order for us to get the contract in place for the fire truck. Um because we now have the funds available with the most recent 579 02:55:51.439 --> 02:56:08.640 capital funding, um we will need to resend the borrowing in order for us to pay for the fire truck. Okay. >> Um 18 and 19 are our standard revolving funds. um they they are reauthorized with a spending threshold or a 580 02:56:08.640 --> 02:56:24.479 cap of the revolving fund amount. So it's the adult center and the athletic field signage and then 20 21 22 23 24 25 um are all uh community preservation 581 02:56:24.479 --> 02:56:54.960 articles. All right. Um 26 is a cleanup um to um sorry let me get my notes on this just because I'm jumping ahead faster than I was prepared. Okay. Uh 26 is to give authorization to 582 02:56:54.960 --> 02:57:11.520 the historical commission to administer the bylaw. Um the uh in the description you'll see the original intent of the bylaws proposed in 20 in 2006 but was amended on the floor of town meeting and passed to create a standalone um 583 02:57:11.520 --> 02:57:25.200 building demolition committee. The committee's current structure calls for four at large members and one representative from both historical and historic district. Uh the committee's business fluctuates based on uh infrequency of buildings that meet the 584 02:57:25.200 --> 02:57:42.800 definition and um uh does the committee does not have active membership and they struggle to find people. The historical commission however is active um and they have discussed having the capacity to take on the authority originally assigned to to that group. 585 02:57:42.800 --> 02:57:58.640 >> Okay. Um >> and can I just ask a question that we passed on the two CPCs? >> Yeah. one I was glad that there the CPC money to improve like the pool amenities. That's I think a great use of that. But then one question I had on this Bliss Park clay courts renewal 586 02:57:58.640 --> 02:58:14.479 project. $71,000 for the project. You know, >> how do they came up with that number? Like is it something we're hiring someone to do or Okay. And that's how much it cost to like >> pull like survey the public and >> Yes. >> when they give us they'll like have a plan, right? Like did for the other 587 02:58:14.479 --> 02:58:30.960 courts or the other fields. So yeah, I'm looking forward. >> Oh, it's more than just those four tennis courts. >> No, no, I'm sorry. They did um the the presentation we had two years ago. Same. They looked at all the fields and said same group. You mean >> I don't know if the same group, but same idea. So they'll they'll do a survey. 588 02:58:30.960 --> 02:58:51.279 This is what I imagine. >> Have like a hearing or something. >> Do a survey to have public input, whatever, and then say here's some options and then we can go from there. >> Thanks. >> Okay. uh 27 um amendment to the historic district commission bylaw. It removes the consecutive terms provision in the 589 02:58:51.279 --> 02:59:08.479 bylaw right now. So right now uh if you serve more than two consecutive you're not allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms. Um this has been proposed by the commission to keep some continuity in their operations. Um they've struggled to keep vac to fill vacancies. Um and they've had people 590 02:59:08.479 --> 02:59:24.080 who've wanted to stay on have to step off because of that. >> Why why was that in there? Um, I don't know, but it's been in there for a while. >> We'd have to go back to the creation of it to figure it out. >> Okay. 591 02:59:24.080 --> 02:59:41.920 >> Um, article 28 is one that you may remember from the Falltown meeting, the snow shoveling bylaw. Um, we have spent a lot of time internally working on this and reviewing, you know, the data that's come in. Um, we've clarified snow and 592 02:59:41.920 --> 02:59:58.319 ice occurrence in the def um definition section, clarified how the fine schedule works. We've uh added the chapter 85-6 of the Mass General Law that allows us to assess the cost of snow removal um and ice on sidewalks. And we've clarified how code enforcement will 593 02:59:58.319 --> 03:00:12.800 educate prior to enforcing fines with the exception of repeat offenders. I will also have a full complement of the building department staff and code enforcement at the meeting to address some very specific questions that might come up. 594 03:00:12.800 --> 03:00:29.760 Okay. And 29 is an article that um has been requested by the Long Meadow Police Department. They will be at the meeting April 6th if we need them to be to uh answer specific questions when you vote on articles for the warrant. They've had uh ongoing topic uh ongoing discussions 595 03:00:29.760 --> 03:00:45.279 both locally and nationally on this topic. um they've been, you know, keyed into what other communities have happening. Um and most recently, the town of South Hadley added a similar bylaw last fall. It um this again comes from Chief Stocks and Detective Barry. 596 03:00:45.279 --> 03:01:01.760 Uh there are several concerns regarding the presence of these cryptocurrency machines, including their potential to facilitate unregulated financial transactions and their frequent use in fraudulent schemes that target target vulnerable residents. Um, by implementing this ban, they it will 597 03:01:01.760 --> 03:01:16.479 provide better protection to the community from these risks and ensure local regulations reflect our commitment to public safety and financial security. Um, and this is just something that LPD hopes we consider putting on the warrant. 598 03:01:16.479 --> 03:01:31.200 And article 30 is an amendment to the zoning bylaws sign regulations. Chapter 315 was amended in 2024 to clarify language and remove redundancies between this chapter in relation to 599 03:01:31.200 --> 03:01:48.319 chapter 242, which is the uh billboards and advertising in the general bylaws with the occasional request to place commercial messaging or logos on commercial properties. The intent of this amendment is to clarify that commercial messages or symbols are not permitted to be placed on warning or 600 03:01:48.319 --> 03:02:03.279 directional signs. >> Is that a hearing on this already? Um, it might be to tomorrow night. Um, I'm sorry, it might be on the 31st, >> but if it hasn't happened yet, it they have multiple meetings scheduled. I 601 03:02:03.279 --> 03:02:22.399 actually I think it's April 15th, >> okay? And that brings us to hopefully the end. Oh, no, citizen petitions, but >> those aren't ones I can really speak to. Well, nothing we can do about him anyway, 602 03:02:22.399 --> 03:02:41.439 >> right? >> Okay. >> And then Lynn, can you just uh remind us of the schedule for this? So, do we have to close the warrant at our next meeting? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> April 6th. Then, uh, finance committee votes on their recommendations. We 603 03:02:41.439 --> 03:02:58.160 insert those into the warrant. It gets a final run through by three of us and then it gets sent to the printer and it gets distributed I want to say around April 23rd. Just as a note uh finance committee is intending to be at the April 6th meeting 604 03:02:58.160 --> 03:03:15.760 and they will meet after the joint meeting to vote for the articles. So they'll take care of that that evening. >> Great. Thank you. Lyn, I just had one question because I know we talked a little bit about the the fields and with the Williams. Um, is this maybe an opportunity for us to to look at Bay 605 03:03:15.760 --> 03:03:31.760 Path and and trying to see if we can leverage some of their fields? I know parking is kind of an issue, but >> I mean, we no longer have the pilot in place, right? And just wondering if that might be an opportunity for us to to help during this uh growing stage of the 606 03:03:31.760 --> 03:03:47.680 school. >> Yeah, that's an that's interesting. Yeah. >> Has that ever been asked of that before? >> Um, I have been I've heard that yes, there's been conversation years ago about that. 607 03:03:47.680 --> 03:04:05.359 >> Okay. Worth looking into. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Good question. Um, so sounds like we're all set on the warrant. We want to move on to 608 03:04:05.359 --> 03:04:26.240 Seasonal liquor license renewal. >> Pretty straightforward. Um, it's your only seasonal license. Clubhouse Cafe. Um, and all is in order. >> Ben, didn't you ask something about Franconia? 609 03:04:26.240 --> 03:04:42.560 >> Lynn is like, "Don't bring it up." >> He did. Dan did. It was a really great question, and I wish I had a good answer. Um just to remind people the question was where do they pay their meals tax? >> Well now then I started thinking as well 610 03:04:42.560 --> 03:05:01.040 for water sewer as well. I mean >> they probably have a big pipe going to them. Let's the fix be gigantic. >> I am just >> that's easier for us to find. Um yeah that that's very straightforward. >> I mean if we find another one of those large pipes again quarterly 611 03:05:01.040 --> 03:05:17.040 >> 100 bucks right now. >> That was yearly. Yeah. >> 4,400. >> But >> yeah. So anyways, yeah, I mean I think there's more to come on that, but well, no on the on the uh >> D. Don't throw at us at a good time. >> Yeah. >> No on the receipts for uh >> Yeah. Just to close the loop on it. Um 612 03:05:17.040 --> 03:05:33.200 do will not divulge uh who pays meals tax and where they pay it. >> Really? So I keep going back to Lynn. I'm like, how is this possible? How can they say there's really no paper trail? I don't understand. >> We get a lump sum check. So they they won't 613 03:05:33.200 --> 03:05:49.760 >> it goes to our treasurer. I called do and I asked if I can verify myself as a government official in order to make sure that it's confidential information and they would not provide it to me. >> So >> and I engaged Representative Ash's office. >> Oh great. >> Y 614 03:05:49.760 --> 03:06:06.000 >> and they were not able to get the information either. >> I'm sorry I asked. >> No, it's a great question and we didn't want to know how much. We just wanted confirmation if they're, you know, uh, straddling multiple municipalities, like where are they paying them? >> Yeah, we'll get to the bottom of it 615 03:06:06.000 --> 03:06:22.000 someday. That'd be great. >> All right. >> So, you just need to vote on that liquor license. >> I will uh move to uh approve Clubhouse Cafe LLC Franconia's all alcohol seasonal um license. 616 03:06:22.000 --> 03:06:41.040 >> Second. Shel. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> We've got opiate litigation still, right? >> Yes. I didn't close up my computer. >> I'm anticipating a easy vote on this. 617 03:06:41.040 --> 03:06:57.120 I'll entertain a motion to authorize the town manager to sign six remnant defendants participation forms. >> Second. >> Um I Lyn, you sent I I don't think this is necessarily public knowledge. So, we we've received information on it. 618 03:06:57.120 --> 03:07:13.200 >> Uh we're not going to discuss it, but it has been uh everyone has reviewed it. >> Wait, wait. So moved, right? >> Yep. >> So moved. >> Second. You second. >> Oh, yeah. We got that. I think uh go ahead. >> Shelter Wolf. >> Yes. 619 03:07:13.200 --> 03:07:28.000 >> Yes. >> Mathy. Yes. Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. >> Yes. And entertain a motion to adjurnn. So move second. Go ahead. Yes. >> Yes. 620 03:07:28.000 --> 03:07:35.479 >> Yes. Hope you feel better, Shel. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Have a good night, everyone. Thank you.