All right, I'm going to assume we're recording. Um, welcome everybody to the August 18th, 2025 select board regular meeting. Uh, we will start with uh my announcement or my spiel. Uh, this
is select board chair Joshua Lavine. I will be 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. Veneathy here. Shelley Mayor Dwolf here.
Andrew Lamb here. Dan Workout here. Staff, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Lynn Simmons here. Mike Barbieri. Peggy Sheldon. We need those doors open, please. Or well, just just that one's fine at
least. Uh, 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. 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 get to the comments 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 hand icon at the bottom of the screen. The meeting moderator will promote you to panelist unmute you and give you permission to speak. If you join the webinar by 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 computer when you are not speaking. If anyone in attendance is recording this meeting, please announce
yourself now. Thank you, Sarah. I'll now begin with the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. And we'll start with select board announcements. Long Meadow Middle School building project. A special town meeting will be held on September 9th to vote on project funding for the middle school building project, followed by a special election on September 30th to vote on a proposed
debt exclusion. For additional information, please visit the middle school building project page on long meadow.k12.mma. us. And for those following along online, uh these links are clickable from the agenda. Planning board vacancy. The town of Long Meadow is seeking a
resident to fill one vacancy on the planning board. Any Long metal resident interested in becoming, sorry, interested in being considered for appointment to fill this vacancy should apply by Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 at 4 p.m. Applications are available on the town website, long metalmma.gov, on the
board and committees page. Please submit a cover letter and current resume with your application to associate planner Dean Siad dsed at long metalmma.gov and select board town manage manager administrative
assistant Margaret Sheldon. msheldon at long metal mma.gov. Interviews will be held at the long September 15th select board meeting with appointments to be made at a subsequent joint meeting of the select board and planning board. First responder night. First responder night will be held tomorrow, Tuesday,
August 19th at Williams Middle School from 5 to 8:00 p.m. Admission to the event is one non-p perishable item to donate to the Long Meadow Food Pantry. The event will include food trucks, live demonstrations by the police and fire departments, and more family-friendly activities.
Okay. Uh so, first on the agenda, we have resident comments. If you'd like to speak, please approach one of the microphones, introduce yourself by stating your name and your address, and you'll have three minutes. [Music] My name is uh Kurt Freriedman. I live at
24 Ridge Road. Good evening, Long Meadow Board of Selecmen. Although a comprehensive renovation of each middle school is less ostentatious than the proposed central mega middle school, less can sometimes be more. The choice to maintain our
neighborhood schools is the in the best interest of our Long Meadow community for the following reasons. The renovation of each school is consistent with a responsible Long Meadow long range plan. traditional community standards as well as established
sustainability standards, professional engineering and professional architectural ethical standards. The financial cost for renovation will be less than consolidation. We must consider our ability to fund other capital projects in town, including maintenance to all other schools and
public buildings. The total building square footage of the two middle schools is greater than the proposed mega middle school. The square footage per student for the existing schools is 26% greater than that of the mega middle school. The existing schools have the natural open
space of six baseball diamonds and two soccer or football fields. The proposed mega middle school will only have one plastic astroturf field. The five to 10% or more property value reduction in the Glen Brook wool swamp sector will
be avoided. The renovation of each school will will result in the collective real estate values for our entire town to increase. On average, families will have less commuting time for neighborhood schools. Our community will avoid the traffic gridlock that
will occur regularly at the proposed mega middle school. Our children and schools will be safer with our neighborhood middle schools. With neighborhood schools, busing is much less and three times as many students will be able to walk and bike to Glumbre
and Williams middle schools. Uh on average, families will have more time together. With neighborhood schools, students will have greater acceptance and greater access to extracurricular activities. The classrooms will still
have upgrades and technology and our students along with highquality teachers will receive an excellent education. Our middle school buildings will still be uh made more energy efficient and have HVAC systems that use conventional equipment
that is sustainable and more economical to maintain and repair. Due to our extreme electricity costs in Massachusetts, electrification of HVAC systems has greater utility costs, not less. And lastly, our taxes will be
less, our quality of life for our community will be better, and our children will be happier by maintaining our neighborhood middle schools. Thank you for listening. Okay. This is not about the middle school.
Um, okay. Hi, Select Board. My name is Briana Ash. I live at 65 Bernie Road. I'm one-third of Poor Things Coffee, uh, along with my husband and my best friend of 20 years, Ally. We launched Poor Thor Things Coffee in March of 2023 and
became the first peritted food truck in town in early 2024. After completing a six-month probationary period, we ensured to operate to ensure that we operated smoothly and without issue. Since then, we've worked tirelessly to grow our small, family, and friend-run
business. We currently operate four days a week across three of our five permitted locations. We're here tonight regarding the pending permit of another coffee vendor, Soal Coffee Roasters. While we're excited to see another coffee business join the community, we do have concerns about the overlap in
requested locations. So has applied for several spots, including Bliss Park, the community house, and the Blind Tennis Courts, all three locations where we currently operate weekly. This raises a couple of important questions for us. If both vendors are permitted in the same
location, If both vendors are permitted in the same locations, who in the town will be responsible for scheduling and coordination? Is the town comfortable with having two vendors selling nearly identical products in the same place at the same time? Out of respect for the
work we've invested to establish these sites, we respectfully ask that overlapping permits not be granted for vendors serving similar items. There are many other public locations in town where local coffee roasters could successfully operate without the duplicating areas we've worked hard to
build and maintain. Thank you. Good evening. Uh my name is Bill Deulio. I reside at 8 Woodside Drive and I am here to uh voice my opinion on the consolidation of the middle schools uh at the Williams property. Um
I I'd like to talk a little bit about the history of schools in town. Um Glen Brook was built in 1967. The Williams Middle School was built in 1959. Um, clearly both schools are in rough shape and need attention and not
substandard by, you know, any measure. Uh, especially Long Meadows, um, tradition of educational excellence. However, I would like to point out that all three of the town's elementary schools are actually older than the two
middle schools. So, Center School was constructed in the 1920s. Wolf Swamp was constructed in 1956 and Blueberry Hill was built in 1957. All three of these schools were renovated or done with a Renault ad um
with Senna being done in the mid9s and Blueberry and Wolf Swamp being renovated in the early 2000s. At that time, there was no outcry to tear the schools down. There was no mention of the buildings being obsolete and in need of
destruction and there was no outcry to build new elementary schools. So my contention is that the same can be done with Williams Middle School and Glen Brook Middle School. Yes, they're old, but any building that's brick and mortar
can be renovated. I would also like to point out that the building we're sitting in now, Long Meadow High School, is also older than both Glenbrook and Williams, having been constructed in 1956. And 12 years ago, 12 to 13 years ago,
when this building was being renovated and adding and added on to, there was also no outcry to tear it down and build a new school across the street on the Russell Fields and then turn the Williams High School property into ball
fields. So once again, I think the way to go is a comprehensive renovation of both middle schools. Uh we are advocating for a renovation, not a consolidation. This is the history that
Long Meadow has followed for decades, and I see no reason to uh veer off that path. The last thing I'll do, seeing as I have 30 seconds left, is I think consolidating the middle schools on the Williams property is a great disservice
to the residents of the Glenbrook and Wolf Swamp areas of town. There are numerous families in that area of town who purchased their home so that their children could walk and bike to Wolf Swamp and then when they graduate to middle school could walk and bike to the
Glen Brook. Those families are losing that ability. Thank you very much. Good evening. My name is Irene Lucelis and I live at 40 Woodside Drive and I guess um just on Bill Mr. De Julio's
coattails I'd like to talk about the uh renovate and not consolidate. The loss of Glen Brook Middle School will reduce property values in the greater Glenbrook Wolf Swamp sector by 5 to 10%
as per the National Association of Realtors and other sources. The middle school building committee never completed a real estate valuation of the loss of residential property values if Glenbrook were to close down.
For previous school projects, the Long Meadow would ask that all residents support the neighborhood schools since quality neighborhood schools protect real estate values. With a proposed combined middle school and closing of
Glenbrook, residents in the greater Glenbrook Wool Swamp sector will have their taxes go up and their property values go down. Property values may drop collectively by over $100 million in the
uh greater Glenbrook Wolf Swamp sector of our town. The loss of Glenbrook will result in the loss of open space of four baseball diamonds or two soccer fields. The construction of the combined long metal school middle school will result in the
loss of open space of two baseball diamonds and two football soccer fields at the Williams Middle School sports field. the proposed $1,200,000 Astro turf sports field with reported
$39,000 in annual maintenance and $50,000 annual restoration costs because the plastic grass lasts only 8 to 10 years. may also result in exposure to documented hazard
hazardous substances and greater rates of concussion, chronic traumatic and syphilopathy and other bodily injuries. Astroturf surfaces can reach temperatures of over 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer in the summer
sun, 50 degrees hotter than natural grass and can cause severe friction burns. The subject traffic studies in late April 2024 and late March 2025 collected data during dry and overly optimistic
weather conditions. The true traffic congestion in subfreezing and inclement weather was only assumed and never documented when the expected or known vis uh vehicle transport of students would have occurred. Although the
subject traffic study degraded nearby roads to the poorest level of service, the LOS to E or F because the study was fundamentally skewed. The traffic congestion your time. You can finish your sentence would be even worse and the public
student safety would be at even greater risk. The uh subject traffic study was not fair or objective. It did not follow established engineering strategies uh standards and the combined middle school will have three times the travel traffic
vehicles. Okay. Good evening. My name is Peter Coupe. I live at 33 Ducksbury Lane, Long Meadow. Maintain the quality of education for your Long Meadow students through our
more than half century multigenerational tradition of tried and pro proven neighborhood middle schools. Let's go. Neighborhood schools provide
the highest quality education for Long Meadow children. The demolition of Glenbrook Middle School will forever and a 50 and a 57year-old tradition of a cherished neighborhood school in the
greater Glenbrook Wolf Swamp area. Neighborhood schools better protect our property values. Neighborhood schools minimize traffic congestion. Neighborhood schools minimize busing and vehicle transport of
our children. Renovate renovation, not consolidation. Remove Glenbrook Middle School. Renovate Williams Middle School. Let us work together for the best interests of our
Long Meadow community. This is the most consequential vote in Long Meadow's history. Thank you. Hi, my name is Teresa De Julia and I will finish what Irene could not. The combined middle school will have
three times the vehicle traffic of the present school traffic which gridlock will be far worse not better. So, I just want to speak to um we have canvased the Glen Brook area because we feel that
people are being disserviced over there and we have gotten a few people that are very interested in this school being implemented, this mega school. However, I would say about 90% of the people that we canvased are not for this
school on that side of town. They realize their property values are going to dwindle. They're losing a school that their kids could ride or walk to school. So, their health is going to be affected by this as well. And in the beginning,
you guys were implementing that by having the mega middle school at the Williams site that it would be healthier for children to walk and bike ride. Well, that's not the facts because the facts are the children are not going to
be able to safely walk or bike from that side of town. So, they're really upset. They know they're going to have to either put their kids on a bus, which most parents do not want to do, and they'll have to pay for busing because they're under the two-mile limit, and
they're going to have to drive their children bad weather days. And that's going to increase traffic for this side of town. So I see that this town is being split apart, the halves and the have nots. It's not fair to the other side of town,
per usual. And they want their middle school. They want their kids to ride and bike. There was a woman who is an alma mater of Glennbrook. She just bought a home two
years ago, knowing that she could give her little children that she two years old and younger the right and the love of going to Glen Brook Middle School like she had. And she's saying, "Now, I've not heard
about this. You're coming to my home, canvasing, telling me this. How come I didn't know about this? Most of the people over there still don't know about this." So, we just found out about this, not this past May, the May before. And you
say you've been working on this for nine or 13 years. The people of this town are being disserviced. And that's all I have to say. I live at 25 Wworth Street in Long Meadow. Um, I am speaking to you tonight
as a representative of our committee, Smart Long Meadow, which is helping to share information about the school and encouraging residents to come vote yes at 9th. I am myself an alumnest of the original Blueberry Hill School before it
was renovated. I was an alumnest of Williams Middle School as it still stands today as is my mother and I also went to Long High School before most of it was demolished and the school was added on to with new structure. Um we
believe that building a new middle school centralized is a smart choice for Long Meadow. Our children deserve the best learning environment possible. A new middle school would provide tools, spaces, and opportunities our current facilities cannot. The current buildings
fall short of modern teaching standards, including classroom size. The classrooms are undersized and lack dedicated steam space. Williams needs modular classrooms and has no with no fire suppression system. Glenderberg's open floor plan
lacks key security features. One unified school improves coordination of teaching, electives, and extracurriculars, expanding offerings, and eliminating redundancies. A larger, more connected student body fosters stronger peer networks, clubs,
and activities. First class education prepares our future leaders, innovators, and skilled workers who will strengthen our community and economy. Reliable transportation timing with busing from other parts of town that are further
than walking distance will provide reliable timing for working parents. I am a parent of a rising third grader and rising sixth grader. I know from all of my friends who are working parents and need to get to work on time that busing is a solution that
they have been looking for. This is an opportunity. I see it from so many different directions as a former student, as a parent, as a neighbor to the Williamson Middle School site. It's an opportunity and I think you guys, you know, the school building
committee has been open about communication. Marty has been open and transparent. This nothing has been secretive. I've been attending things since the very beginning. Um, I felt a part of it and I didn't see this as the direction it was going, but I'm thrilled
with the progress that's been made. Thank you. Uh, thank you, Select Boore members, um, and the town manager for your time. Uh, my name is Ryan McCullum. I live at 12 Long Meadow Street uh, with my wife Moren. We've been in town for 9 years um
with our daughter Esme who's five and will be in kindergarten at center school. We're really excited for next week when she starts. Um and she's one of the reasons we moved to Long Meadow uh before she was uh alive. She's one of the reasons we moved to Long Meadow. So, I wanted to follow up on Cameron's
remarks as to why building one new middle school is a smart choice for Long Meadow. Uh first, it's smart fiscally. Investing in one state-of-the-art middle school now is far wiser in the short, mid, and long term than continuing to pour money into two aging buildings. The
state funds new construction with much more gen much more generously than renovations. Uh when we bond out for this money and we borrow for new construction, it strengthens our bond rating. Our bond rating doesn't get strengthened the same way for renovation bonds. uh renovating both outdated out
of code schools could would actually cost more and still leave half of our students with fewer opportunities and consolidation saves us money on transportation, maintenance, utilities, and even food services. Um secondly, again, we're lucky I'm lucky to have
Esme. We're lucky to have a child who might go to this new middle school if it passes, but civically for everybody in the community, it's a smart choice. Uh, Long Meadow is known for its exit schools, a reputation that strengthens our whole community and our property values. A new middle school sends a
clear message that we value education and invests in our future. There's no specific evidence that replacing two outdated schools with one modern school lowers property values. If anything, the opposite is true. You can't apply national market statistics to a hyper
local market, especially if you're misconstring the stats and backing them in. We will have more we will have more about that in the future because I know that's a contention and we've been digging in and looking really at the numbers. Uh regardless, a new school keeps me at the top of the region. It
benefits us all. It also shows us our it also shows our kids that we prioritize their growth and their future. Um this decision is both fiscally responsible and civically smart. It's the right move for our town, our property values, and most importantly our children. So, thank
you for your time. Okay. Uh, anyone else lived like to speak? Good evening. I wasn't planning on speaking concerning this middle school project, but could you please introduce yourself? Oh, I'm sorry. Richard Bontmpo, Glenwood
Circle in town. Um, a native born and raised here. recently retired from teaching middle school and high school and some college level courses and a feeder pattern at the middle school level. When they both different schools hit 9th grade, there's a lot of social
achievement that is being lost as the students get to know each other from different ends of town. There are different academic achievement because the students are more interested in in making friends that they haven't met before or perhaps occasionally.
But a consolidated middle school keeps all the students together. You don't lose that ninth grade when when they all come in together and don't know everybody. And to save them from having to do that, they grow up with them from seven eth n sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. And when they get to the high
school, there's more learning that's going to happen. There's more social and academic achievement going to happen. And we're talking about students. Yes, I know it's our children, but students has to come first. And students children are
very resilient as are parents. the parents in this town will make sure that they get to school and the students will and perhaps with car pooling and so on. Different sides of the town can come together and get to know each other
because when it's separated, it's just what it is separated. When they come up together, then there's less interruption when they get to 9th grade. More time to learn and less to get socially acceptable. Thank you very much.
Uh, anyone else live? Uh you'll get the we'll have you speak when uh during your application. Okay. Um if you'd like. Uh nobody else live and do we have anybody online? Okay.
Okay. Great. Uh thank you everybody. Um we're moving on next to interviews and appointments. And we have first uh an sorry Mr. Martin. Yeah. So there was a uh Anthony Martin
of applicant for the board of assessors was mistakenly listed under the appointment schedule. So if you're flowing in order of the um alphabetical order, he would be first for uh interview for the board of assessors. Looks like a right.
What about we have a whole page of interviews before that? Oh, assessors before. Okay. All right. That's just the way it lists on the list. You threw me off. He wasn't He wasn't interviewed. Yes, I see. So, that was the only correction from
this memo is that Anthony Martin should be at the top of the list for interviews instead of being on the appointment memo. Gotcha. Okay. He's still under appointments. Yeah, we'll get there. It wasn't a Yeah. Okay. Uh, is Mr. Martin here? here. Oh. Uh, could you please come on up to
the front? Uh, Mr. Martin, could you introduce yourself? Name and address. Yes. My name is Anthony Martin. I live at 44 Brookside Drive. Okay. And, uh, what interests you about the board of assessors?
Um, currently I am a realtor. Uh, I was licensed in 2005. I've been looking for opportunities personally to get involved communitywise. Um, prior to
working real estate full-time, I was a construction worker in Local 6 out of Boston. The territory is huge. I've traveled most of this region u working in construction for about the past 13 years. So, uh, finally got off the road
and working in, uh, real estate field full-time. And have you made yourself familiar with what the board of assessors, uh, does somewhat? I did get a bit of a, um, introduction from, uh, I believe her name's Maria. Yeah. So, you've spoken with the the
town assessor. Yes. Okay, great. Um, okay. Any questions from the rest of the board on that? Okay. And um well that's great. I I thank you for your interest and um anything you want to ask us while you
have us sometimes get that. Not necessarily. I wish I had uh attended one of these meetings uh previously. They're not usually like I've been in town for about seven years now. Personally uh my wife and I we uh moved to Long Meadow primarily because of the educational system. At the time
they were top 10 I believe in terms of a public school system. So, uh, she gave me a couple options and I said, "You know what? Mr. Martin, thank you very much. We appreciate you coming in your interest." You're welcome. Thank you. Okay. And, uh, next up for the audit
committee, do we have Mr. Scott? Okay. Introduce yourself, please. Good evening. Clip Scott, 797 Long Meadow Street. Okay. And your familiar face. You were on a different board. I see. I I have interviewed with you before. Okay. Historic district commission and since
that interview learned that I've termed out of that and I cannot serve any longer in that capacity without taking a break. Interesting. Two consecutive three-year terms. Okay. Well, I appreciate you uh looking into something else. Um, what interests you
about the audit committee? Well, I'm I'm having termed out from the historic district commission, I'm I'm interested continue to be interested in serving the town in in some capacity. Uh, I think it's good to be engaged with what's going on in the town and and I appreciate uh the opportunity to be able
to do that. uh in reviewing, you know, what vacancies uh the town has, I I ran across the audit committee and have read through the the roles and responsibilities of the committee and I think I my background fit nicely with that.
What is your background? Uh I I have uh you know my entire professional career has been in you know accounting and finance, logistics and things of that nature, general management and uh so I you know audits have been uh something
that I've done uh you know in 35 years of professional experience. Auditing is a is a regular recurring event in my life and uh so it's something that uh um oddly some would enjoy. Um any questions from the rest of the
board? All right. Well, we appreciate your interest in uh serving the town elsewhere and uh thank you very much for coming in. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I just have to say Cliff has been the chair of the historic district commission for the last several years as well and he's done an excellent job. So it's a big loss on that committee for sure.
Thank you. Thank you. We we appreciate your past service as well. All right, we have uh two applicants for the conservation commission, Richard McAuliff and uh Kieran Mke. Okay. Um is that
we'll have to reschedule. Okay. Uh and then we have a couple applications for the cultural council. Uh, Kimberly Ketchum, who I think I just saw online, and Caitlin Cronin.
And uh, we don't have Caitlyn yet. Oh, okay. You can please come up. I'm Caitlyn Conan, 206 Colony Road. I'm currently on the cultural council, currently the chair applying for reappoint. Oh, thank you for that. And uh Kim,
hi, I'm Kimberly Ketchum. I live at 220 Twin Hills Drive and I am applying for a role on the cultural council. Uh, Kaitlin, um, how long you been on the board? I think this is, um, my sixth year, so
this would be my second third third time interviewing. I We'll probably turn out at some point, so that's part of my role as chair to make sure new people come in and we keep ourselves full and keep it fresh. Great. Well, thank you. We appreciate that. Um, any particular projects you've
done that you are proud of or that you like to working on? Um well under our the former chair's leadership we survived the pandemic which was hard for um programming. So I'm really proud that as a team we did that and cleared the
backlog of old grants that we had to get through. A lot of things were deferred and delayed. So we're now transitioning to from the state 18th month cycle to the 12-month cycle. So if you're applying for a grant and we're funding it, it has to be something town members
can attend. So in the past you could apply to something that had already occurred. We changed our priorities and guidelines. You can only apply to something that's upcoming. So within the town um the town's 12 months within the state's 18month guideline. We also made
sure everything was online. So we reduced the volume of paper coming in. You could submit your application online. You could submit your reimbursement online. Great. Thank thank you for your work and your continued interest. Uh, Kim, what what interests you about the cultural
council? Um, well, my background, I think, first and foremost, interests me. I was also invited by one of my friends, uh, Katie McGonagal. She's the library director in East Long Meadow and a resident of Long Meadow. We met working at the library
and in the time that I've known her, I've become a professional librarian myself and I currently work in Billfield, Connecticut as the library business coordinator for those public libraries. Great. And so you've talked about the duties that you would have with uh with
Katie. Yes, I have. I also believe that in my time as the administrative assistant to the director of the Long Meadow Library, uh, Gene Mazars, I, um, helped with some, uh, grants that the li adult
librarian had received from the cultural council. Great. Uh, any questions? Okay. Well, I was talking to the board, but thank you. Um, okay. Uh oh, go ahead.
No, I was going to say thank you. Well, thank you. We appreciate you both coming in and uh thank you very much. To anyone listening, we uh will vote at a future meeting. We don't vote tonight on appointments. All right. Um Miss Ryder, uh for the historic district
commission. Hi there. Oh, you know, I missed one. We'll go back to that. Sorry. Thanks. Um I can sit down. Oh, yeah. Why don't we uh stay in order? God, don't want to go out of order. No, Andrew caught me. Um DI advisory
committee. Uh we have Amelia Dilva. Hi. Could you state your name and address? Sure. Amelia D Silva, 129 Normandy Road. Okay. And uh what interests you about the DEI advisory committee? Um I'm a rising senior at LHS and um last year me
and my friend we started a new club at the school called children's humaning aid club and um we aim to provide um equal education opportunities for kids in our community. So that includes kids. We're trying to aim for all of Western Mass, right? So but currently we're
focused on Springfield. And um we met with Representative Brian Ash and if funding goes through we're hoping to get around 50k to fund a free summer camp for kids in Springfield next year about 20 to 30 kids. And um throughout that
journey that took us about four or five months just to do all that work and we're still planning it out. Um we're still working on it. But throughout that journey, I realized I really do believe in um equal access for kids, no matter who they are, where they come from, what their background is. And um my neighbor
Tammy Herb, I believe she's on the board of the DI committee. Um she encouraged me to apply for the position just based off of um my passion because she knows about this project that we've been planning. Yeah. Well, that's uh that's fantastic. Very impressive. Um we appreciate you wanting
to take spend your time on with the town as well. Thank you very much. Uh any questions from the board? Yeah, it's uh hard hard to dig on that. That that's great. Good for you. Um so, thank you very much for your interest and uh you'll we'll be in touch.
Okay. Thank you. Okay, Connie. Sorry about that. Come on. I want to go on record. I am sorry I'm following her. All right. Uh, Connie Ryder, 681 Converse Street. And are you you're on another board as well, right? No, this is it.
Oh, okay. Unless I was my evil twin. Oh, okay. Maybe. Um, all right. Uh, please tell us uh what why you applied for the historic district commission. So, actually, this is a reappoint. I thought Okay, that's what I meant.
That's why. So, it wasn't the evil twin option. The the agenda the agenda is wrong every once in a while. And so, yeah. So, you know, life got crazy and in the flurry of emails back and forth, um, I think there was some confusion as to whether I was showing up
or showing up again. Okay. And so, I'm really here again. Well, thank you for coming back. Happy to be here. Um, what have you done on the in your term? What have you seen happen on the historic district commission?
So, I've seen Cliff work really hard. Um, but uh the the latest thing or mo one of the more interest well all the projects are interesting of course I'm nosy. I like to see what people are doing to their properties. I'm a realtor
Tony I'm a realtor also and um so the most recent newer thing are the accessory dwelling units. And so I worked with Andrea on um just drafting a document to uh give some guidelines
which right now is a bit bare bones. It's kind of like refer to this committee or that committee or the other because it's all still fairly new. um in my position as a realtor at the um local real estate association, I'm on the professional
development committee. And so we're just now um taking a more a closer look at like what does that really mean uh in in terms certainly in terms of historical district. Um so it's really I think too much early days. It seems like really
simple but it's not. So that's going to be interesting coming up. And then as far as what I can uh what I kind of contribute is the uh kind of a a reminder. You want to adhere
to standards, historical standards. You want things to look as they should and so on. But there's also that thought process of how does it look on a trotting horse, you know, because sometimes on historical commissions we can get
maybe too much too rigid and so you know is it in keeping and so on and just kind of bringing that perspective without getting too crazy um I think is something I've brought to the commission actually aside from you know just kind of general
real estate um when necessary, you know, statistics or whatever when issues come up. But, you know, it's so far or my first term anyway, it really has been um I have to say it's been an easy ride. The people
come in, they're prepared. Haven't seen anything crazy. I mean, it's been great to work with the residents of the town and and with the committee as well. Okay. Thank you. Uh any questions from the board? Seeing none, uh, thank you very much. We
appreciate it. And finally, we have, uh, two applicants for the recycling commission, uh, Susan Shepard and Richard Bontmpo. Yeah, come on up. They can both come at the same time.
You can just sit at a microphone. Okay, you can pull that one over. [Music] Okay. Uh, why don't you please introduce yourself? And you're both new applicants. Is that right? No. Yes. Okay. All right. I'm Susan Shepard. I live on
58 Emerson Road and I've been on the recycling commission for the past couple years and um I'd like to continue on it. Um, I think the distribution of the recycling uh containers was very impressive to watch and um, we
help we worked with DPW and answered people's questions and I recognize there are a lot of concerns with new things, but I think I think it's gone pretty smoothly, but um, I think that will be something that continues to evolve over these next um, this next year. That that
was a a big undertaking for a town commission of volunteers and I just I think you all did a great job. I know DPW did most of it, but it's Yeah, you did a lot of thinking. You did a lot of communication. So, we we do appreciate that and I um I I like my my
new bins. They're pretty. They weren't with the right size, but it was a doozy. Um Okay. Thank you. And uh Mr. Bontempo. Yes. Richard Bontmpo, Glennwood Circle. I am not on the recycling commission yet, but I have extensive knowledge of
recycling during my 33 years as a science teacher. If the school didn't have recycling program, I implemented one and if they did, I tried to improve it. um had the nickname recycle man way back in 97 from my students because I'd
always be keeping in mind recycling and and it was newer back then and now there's a lot more people on board. I believe there's a lot more we can do so that's why I'm applying for the position of recycling commission. Thank you.
being recycled means a good answer. Um, any questions from the rest of the board? No. Okay. Well, thank you. Uh, appreciate both of your interest and, uh, everyone who applied. Uh, there will be a vote on your applications at a
future meeting as I said. Uh, and I think next up we are voting on appointments. Very good. Thank you. Oh, thank you. So, I will uh yeah, I'll I'll move that we appoint Derek Parr, Candace Saraphino, Judy
Aafi, Saul Feinstone, and Don Duncan to three-year terms on the Council on Aging expiring in June 30 on expiring on June 30th, 2028. Second. Okay. Uh any further discussion on those appointments? No. Seeing none, uh Peggy,
roll call vote, please. Okay, Denise, yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shel, yes. Thank you. Great. Uh, I will, uh, make a motion to appoint Matt Cassale, Doug Douglas
Taylor, and Andrew Kisca to three-year terms on the Energy and Sustainability Committee expiring on June 30th, 2028. Second. Uh, any further discussion? And I will just uh I will pipe in a bit here. Um
anytime we don't vote to put someone back on a committee, I I like to give some explanation. Uh Mr. Tanni, I I is very smart and accomplished. Uh it's clear and uh I am just was taken back by
the town meeting um comments on the u geothermal heating for the new middle school project. Uh I've done some research into it and I've talked to some people and I I think that that is a a retrograde uh thought. Um and I'm not a
scientist but uh I I think that it is not in lock step with what the energy and sustainab sustainability committee is doing. Um so I just want to give that explanation. Uh anybody else? No. Okay. Um Peggy, yes. Josh,
yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. And Shel, yes. Okay. Um, I will move to appoint Jane Crosby to a three-year term on the historic district commission set to expire on June 30th, 2028.
Second. Anything further? All uh Peggy. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shelley, yes. Okay. And I'll move to appoint Henry
Robinson to a three-year term on the Parks and Wreck Commission set to expire on June 30th, 2028. Second. Any further? All those in favor roll. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan,
yes. Shel, yes. Okay. Uh, and I'll move to appoint Travis Lynch to the five-year term on the zoning board of appeals set to expire on June 30th, uh, 2030. Second.
Any further? Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Stan, yes. Shelley, yes. And I'll move to appoint Peter Gluji to the non- voting three-year term on the zoning board of appeals set to expire on
June 30th, 2028. Second further. Vinnie, yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shel, yes. Okay. Uh, thank you for all the motions,
Venice. Appreciate it. Uh, we're now moving on to select board comments. Uh, anybody like to speak? Benith, go ahead. Uh, thank you. I just want to really quickly comment on the distressing news that we found out last week about a Long
Public School employee. Um, you know, I we've heard a range of emotions uh expressed by town residents and school staff and I share many of those same emotions and reactions. You know, emotions of disgust, of anger, um, and
also of some confusion. Um, and I I think um, you know, as we're kind of taking a look at all of this, I do want to make sure that we take a moment to thank uh, the FBI and law enforcement who worked very quickly um, and
coordinated across states and different agencies to investigate and to bring charges. Um, I think some of you may know that I used to work uh at the FBI and worked alongside agents and analysts that worked these types of cases. And I know how difficult these cases can be
for a whole range of reasons. And uh the fact that they were able to do this so quickly is is really uh remarkable. Um and I think also if this these charges have been brought during the school year, it this also would have felt very
different. And I feel fortunate that this happened before a new school year could start and that um that you know we weren't putting more you know or we weren't putting more students you know perhaps uh you know in in some type of
harm's way. Um, I also know that at our at the meeting that was put together last Thursday that the superintendent announced that there was going to be an independent investigation and I uh fully support that independent investigation. Uh, whenever something of this magnitude
occurs, I think it's important to take a look back, look through everything that happened and make sure that nothing was missed. Um, so that we can learn from what happened. Um and also if something was missed um that that folks are held accountable for that. Um so I fully support that this invest independent
investigation is moving forward. Um, and then also this is, you know, pretty this is obviously unprecedented for our town and I encourage everyone in our community that has questions, that needs to seek resources, that have comments to
make to please do that because that is the only way that we are going to be able to navigate this together as a community um and and come through on the other side. Thank you, Vene. I couldn't have said it better myself. Uh I it's been uh a really distressing week for the the town
and I and a lot of folks that are involved in the school and uh a lot of students um including my elementary school students and my rising middle schooler. Uh having to learn about these things in from it happening in your town
is a really hard situation to be in. And I want to uh commend uh what the the superintendent's office is doing with offering uh therapy drop-in sessions tomorrow or Wednesday at at the schools and uh doing what they can to to make
sure that kids are able to process this and uh get through and go back to school and and knowing that something uh terrible could have happened did happen. And so, um, I just thank you for everything you
said. I I agree that we things moved really quickly from what I understand and I'm really grateful it did and I we're going to keep finding out more. It's the investigation is going to be a long time and more and more things will probably come out. Um, but to get the
first strike and make sure that he is has been removed from the schools, I think was really important. Uh so uh thank you to everyone who's been involved in that. Um I also wanted to touch on uh a couple weeks ago there was the Eversource pipeline listening
session uh that was in downtown Springfield. Very well attended. Uh was in a room that you could not believe how many Eversource employees were there. There was computers everywhere. They were they know that this is a big project for them and they were loaded to bear but they
were still dwarfed by uh a lot of people from Springfield and a lot of people from Long Meadow and there was a lot of people attending online as well. I know Andrew was watching online. Um it was uh I think from what we had first heard
and we're touching on this later in the agenda but they're kind of changing tech from at first it was we have to if something happens memorial bridge people lose service. Now, it's anywhere along the line if somebody's digging, they may
interrupt service and they want to make sure that the 40,000 people that would be affected have gas during uh cold times. I think that that may make sense. Um, but as we Lynn sent me a letter that we approved in 2023
saying that if this project needs to be done, we'd like to see it justified. And I I don't know if we're there, but I will tell you uh environmental aside, everything else aside, it this is going to cost a fortune. The the latest estimate they give us $85
million. It it was originally 45, then it was 60. Now it's 85. And I heard a lot of things that were questionable at the listening session, but we were told it would be$1.25 per customer per bill, and that'll pay
for it over the course of time. I just don't buy it. Um I think that we're gonna keep seeing that and this may make financial sense for Evers Source, but it for us in town who got massive heating bills last year, it's really they I hope
they they need to justify it and I know the state knows that. Um but I it was really they got a lot of tough questions at the listening session. Um, I know they had to do it, but I'm so glad it was done because we heard from a lot of
good people that. Um, anybody else? No. Online. Okay. Um, moving right on to town manager report. Thank you. Thank you. Um, so regarding sidewalk sidewalk restoration and
reconstruction, the DPW has gone out to bid for the work for with a goal of starting in September. This will be a one-year contract with an on call option. The sidewalks slated for restoration work first include Tangle Wood, Conquered, and Salem and spot repairs in several other locations. The
estimated amount of work is $800,000. in um an update on the Bliss Park playground. In October of 2024, I had announced the town's award of the land and water conservation grant to add ADA amenities to Bliss Park and renovate the
playground to increase accessibility for visitors of all ages and abilities. The grant funds became available with the start of this new fiscal year. A contract has been signed for the new playground and associated amenities. equipment has a six-month lead time and we also need to bid for demol demolition
of the current structure. Uh once construction um once a construction schedule and installation timeline is available, I'll provide that update here. Long meadow street tip project. This is the Route 5 um and Converse Street road
resurfacing intersection improvement project. So the the first one that we've talked about uh this they received bids on August 5th. The low bidder was Marray's contractors at $9,755,991. The project includes in in sorry
intersection improvements uh at the intersections of Converse Street and Laurel Street, Converse Street and Long Meadow Street and Long Meadow Street in Forest Glenn Western Drive. Improvements include new and improved turn lanes, traffic signal reconstruction, uh and work also consists of improved bicycle
and pedestrian accommodations, new signage and pavement markings. Once we have a construction schedule with um finalized by the contractor, we'll share that information. Long Meadow Street phase one, DPW engineering has been in contact with Mass Dot regarding Long
Meadow uh Street phase 1. Uh as a brief reminder, this is um the project from Converse Street to Crescent Road, and I'll get into that in a minute. Uh we learned that this project was likely to advance a year. So bid ad uh advertisement could possibly be around
July 2026. And if this is the case that we anticipate warrant articles at the November 2025 town meeting regarding easements and waterline design to keep this keep us ahead of schedule. Massd expects to have 75% design plans ready
in November of 2025. As a reminder, this was a project that the DPW sought funds for design last year, almost exactly a year ago in anticipation of moving forward. Uh because of DPW's proactive design work, our project is situated to move forward faster than originally
anticipated. Mass DOT held a 25% design public hearing May 8th at Greenwood Center. It was moderately well attended. We had done individual invitations to every a butter along the project area. Um, and at the time of that hearing, it was stated that the project would cost
approximately $11 million and was going to be advertised for construction in the fall of 27. So again, this project uh area is from Converse Street to Crescent Road. It includes modifications of signalized intersections and improvements at Edgewood Avenue, Bliss
Road, and Bernie Road. The roadway improvements include pavement mill and overlay with minor full depth widening, curbing, pavement marking, signage, road restoration, and vegetation clearing. And as I had already said, all of Butters had been sent postcards with an
invitation to attend that design public hearing in May. Chapter 90 funding. With the passage and signing of the transportation bond bill, Long Meadow will receive more chapter 90 money than originally anticipated. In FY2025, we received $69,000.
With this increase for FY26, we are set to receive $1,25,64, yielding an increase of $415,650. DPW will use these funds to continue to chip away at the backlog of road resurfacing work. They're continuing to work off the existing pavement management plan targeting larger, more
welltraveled roads. the Bay Path pilot agreement. Um, unfortunately this is not good news, but the FY2025 pilot payment from Bayath has been paused. Traditionally, the town receives the payment in May. We did not receive the FY2025 payment in May this
year. This will have an impact on our revenue pro um projections that we made for 25 and it will all lower our free cash. Uh the pilot agreements with Bayath had been updated in the spring of 2024 that were to carry us from FY25 to
FY27. There is no recourse uh for this. Uh pilot payments are completely voluntary. And um just so it's clear, the pause was um Bay Path's notification to the town that they would not be making that payment.
Uh the municipal aggregation program uh closed. The opt out date was July 19th. I have a chart in my report showing the numbers of the breakdowns of the different tiered groups. Uh the largest group is the Long Meadow Standard. We have 3,668
enrolled participants in that. Um Direct Energy is still processing about 93 optouts. Small number of accounts are still being processed and Direct Energy is working with the utility to address a few of the remaining remaining rejections. So, I'll provide f further
updates on that that we received from Good Energy. The recycling bin drop off has been taking place Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the Emerson Road pump station. However, beginning Wednesday this week, August 20th, the drop off location will be changing. Uh
so, anyone with unwanted recycling bins and totes will be dropping off at the recycling center on Pawnside Road. DPW will have signage in place directing residents to this new location. Uh the high school pool, a bid had been put out for electrical work needed at
the pool. Unfortunately, we only received one bid and it came in much higher than we had funding for. The estimate provided by our engineering firm uh at the time that we used um their estimate to prepare our warrant article was $80,000. We planned at that
point what we thought was a healthy contingency of 150,000 and that was approved at the town meeting in May of 2025. Unfortunately, with that bid response in July, uh the amount that was bid was $376,000.
The bid was put back out to see if we could receive additional responses and get a better result that would be within our budget. The second round of bids came in August 7th. The original or I'm sorry, the only bidder was Connecticut Custom Aquatics at $360,000.
They're they were not the bidder the first time around. Um obviously um this is higher than we had um funding for, but we do not want to go back out to bid again as it will delay the um the ability for us to get the work done for
the pool to open for the swim season. So I've authorized DPW to use other funding lines in their FY26 budget to come up with the additional $210,000 needed to sign the contract. And at the November 4th, 2025 town meeting, I will have a
warrant article using free cash um assuming that the select board sets the warrant with that article on it. Um needed to um replenish those DPW lines that are going to be used to sign this contract to get this pool work done. Um
moving ahead right now ensures that we'll be able to complete the work with the least impact on the high school swim team as possible. um some pool updates and uh chat and splash announcement. Reynolds pool at Bliss Park opened on July 31st. Uh I've
with that opening I kicked off a new series called Chat and Splash where I will hold office hours at each pool. Um I've done this now twice at um once at Reynolds and once at Greenwood and my last one is scheduled for tomorrow, August 19th, at Reynolds pool at 3 p.m.
It's open to anyone. You do not have to pay the pool entrance just to come and attend this program. It's just an opportunity to ask questions, bring a topic of concern, um, or just hear about what's going on in town. And with the late opening of Reynolds Pool and the reality that late August and early
September have trended warmer the last few years, we are exploring keeping both pools open past the traditional mid August closing date. Um when I publicized this report, we didn't have that announcement uh solidified yet, but Parks and Wreck has announced that uh
the pools will be open. Green will be open through Labor Day weekend, closing on Monday, September 1st. And Bliss Park um Reynolds pool will be open um that same schedule and then will be open the first two weekends in September. Um and they've also announced a really fun
program. Uh once Greenwood Park pool is closed, there is a um swim opportunity for your dogs. So if you have interest in that, check it out on the parks and recck website. Um and um we also are gearing up for the
second round of work that's needed at Reynolds Pool. That request for proposals will be released in the next few weeks. This includes the new liner, ADA decking work and remaining electrical and filtration work that's will start um over the late fall.
And couple two more updates, road resurfacing updates. Uh Caracus construction has nearly completed all of its drainage work. Mill and overlay for Shaker roads ongoing. Grassy gutter has been completed uh with resurfacing. Resurfacing on Shaker has begun and
should be completed sometime this week. Also this week, resurfacing on Long Meadow Street will happen. Further resurfacing on Emerson, Belair, Twin Hills, a portion of Canterbury and Kulie will continue in August and September. Uh, obviously, it's all schedule subject
is schedule is subject to change based on the weather and all of these updates are available on the DPW website, their specific road resurfacing page. And lastly, um, a traffic study for the Covest parcel on the corner of Redern and Williams. Um, an independent traffic
study was required by the planning board for the redevelopment of that parcel. The DPW solicited quotes for this work and a contract was signed with Pair Construct Pair Corporation in the amount of $31,000 and this will be paid by Kvest. The traffic study consists of
turning movement counts during morning commute 7 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and afternoon commute 4 to 6 p.m. There's a list of the intersections where this will take place. Uh, and an automatic traffic recorder will be placed on William Street west of Red Fern and Frank Smith to gather um a bunch of
data. And then once this report is done, it will be brought back to the planning board for consideration with the um site design application. And then um this is the very last thing. it was not in my report, but I do want to call out in the DPW's monthly report, they do have um an
information about the uh substantial number of water main breaks that we had in July and early August. And uh I would encourage you to go look at that, but we did have uh five I thought it might have been six, but maybe it was only five breaks between um July 11th and August
6th. Um and what's really important to point out was um these are these were directly attributed to the system being overtaxed by heavy irrigation usage. And uh as people already know uh areas of
our system are already um in need of replacement, they are brittle and old. And when you put significant pressure on our system, they are prone to breaking. Um if we do have another hot dry period, the only option to lower the risk of breaks would be to use water
restrictions which could include rotating um irrigation dates. Uh and DPW is also um taking this into account while they undertake paving operations uh and these other roads that I had listed in the road resurfacing update.
Um because heavy trucks and equipment on mil road surfaces can also um lead us to more breaks. uh DPW has instructed the paving contractor to limit vibratory rolling in the areas where water manes
um are are of concern so that we have less chance of failure. But during um the DPW report later on tonight, uh Sean can go into more detail on why limiting vibratory rolling has other impacts in other areas later on. So um I'll defer
to Shawn to explain that in more detail. Uh, but that includes concludes my report tonight. Thank you. You don't want to keep going a little bit? Sorry, it's a long one. Um, thank you, Lynn. Um, question. Why do you think we missed so badly on the LHS pool estimate? Do you think that
we didn't really understand what was wrong or is this really a situation where it's so specialized? I see Sean, you can chip jump in and explain to us why because it's a significant miss, right? So you know did we not understand what
needed to be fixed or is there just go ahead. Yeah. So having discuss shame news DPW director some discussions with the contractors that have been in and some follow conversations engineers I think that there was significant amount of unknowns involving uh the bonding process including shipping out and
digging into the concrete and from the bidder's perspective all those unknowns which there were several they had to assume worst case scenario and so they bid it as if it was the worst case scenario. Um, I do think there was probably some mistakes in the engineering as well, but a combination of some bad guesses in the engineering
part and some unknowns in terms of what the base of that concrete was and what they the contractor was being going to tie into. and it's a little bit more detailed, but um there was assumptions about rebar, there was assumptions about the footings underneath some of the diving boards, and all of those were
explained to me that the contractor was unwilling to risk um without bidding excessively to make sure their their butt was covered. So, can I ask a followup? Um, are you saying that the contractor of course made a very conservative yes bid because
they don't know what's under but does that mean if they find out for example it's in our favor that it's not as bad as they think that we won't be correct we're going to do better on the on the construction if things go our way and we would not pay that full price but
but yeah but we'll be on site to monitor if things if there are assumptions that the engineer made that um the unknowns that go in our favor, we will we will come in better than that price, but we can't guarantee it. And when you go, but this is you said it's the worst case scenario on all fronts. So So yeah, the contractor is not going to
take any risk. So if there's any unknowns of the engineers left and they can't do exploratory digging in the concrete or whatever, they the contractor said, "We're going to assume the worst case scenario because if it goes bad for us, we are on a timeline and we're going to we're going to be worried and we might have to hire another contractor. There might be tile
work that falls apart that we have to hire a specialized tile person to put back together or maybe we can't get some piece of this diving board and you know so they they assume the worst and for those who don't know so the exact problem is simple maintenance or
something broke the electrical system we don't know yet. So the the working the bonding tests show that the pool isn't grounded. So we don't know where exactly the bond's broken. Maybe it's a simple fix that's not going to require much, but the the the plan to get it to definitely
pass required a plan with the engineers and there was assumptions made by those engineers and those assumptions um had a high degree of risk in terms of the repair work for the contractor and this started last year. There was uh inspections done last year when they
were getting the pool up to fill and and tested and there were leaks. So that was the first round of fix. And then when they went to um button that up, they realized the bonding issue. We thought this was going to be a $10,000 fix. And then once we started to get into it,
it kept growing until finally we said, "Stop. We got to we got to get an engineer to do the plans and here you go." Or because once you get to a certain monetary threshold, we can't just keep going. We have to then go out to bid. So this is a pre-existing pool and they renovated the Yeah. So the the engineers
have also have they have standards they have to meet with their design and they're going to make sure they're covered and they're going to do their detailed you know plan and with that there comes some unknowns because they don't know what's and if this was done wrong it's it's dangerous correctly so we do need to make sure it's fixed and so everyone's doing their
job but obviously the price is reflective of that. uh only one bid, but did many people look at it and why do you think it was only one bid? Is it complicated or there's only a few uh qualified contractors in this area? Is this similar to the Reynolds pool problem? Yes. Then they're going to be similar
contractors. We we have really one or two. So there's a premium in terms of the work as well. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they probably know that they're Yes, they do. Specialized.
Thank you for keeping your eye on that. Josh, I just have a Lynn, I have a quick question regarding um the original estimate for the bid. Do we normally work with that engineering firm that gave us the bid that was so off or or
who who was it that helped us get that original estimate? Uh so this was a firm that was known to us. We hadn't worked with them a lot. Um they had done this I think was their second project with us. They're um AECOM, so they're actually one of the largest engineering firms in the world.
Um they're also one of the only ones that would call back to help us with the project. So um yeah. Okay. Because I was asking I was wondering if we would ever use them again and I was just wondering why we went with that particular company because it was such so off with the the
estimate. But um sounds like it's a specialized group and they're one of the few. Is that what I heard? I think I think yeah there were so we with um Blisspool I'd reached out to several firms and almost no one was interested in giving us a proposal. I do think after this project concludes and bliss
we'll we'll be doing a sort of a post-mortem to see where mistakes were made and and kind of learn from it. But we're in it now. I think that's great. Okay. Thank you. Uh yeah Lynette a few things I wanted to ask about uh on the chapter 90 funds.
That's fantastic. Obviously, is this uh just remind us for everyone listening this this is not a past results guarantee future. Okay. Right. Chapter 90 I know there there was a concerted effort at the state level to get more chapter 90 money out. Right.
Yes. Yes. So there's the the um traditional formula which is what um municipalities have been arguing about because it unfairly skews it. Uh and then there were two different formulas that were added on. Um that I think
shows why we we did better. Um because a lot of western mass communities end up not doing as well as eastern mass communities or more rural places don't do as well either. So next year we're not planning on we we're not going to budget for 1.1
million. We're going to are we going to go back to the old formula? um we will take a conservative approach and we'll probably budget around that 600,000 which had which is also a higher number than it's been in the last five 10 years.
Okay. Uh on the Bay Path pilot I remember when I first got on the board we talked about this a lot. I was uh and it's voluntary. It's disappointing um to to lose it. Have have you made any inroads with talking is anybody we can talk to over there?
Uh I have an email out um that I don't have a response back on yet but certainly with the um uncertainty in higher education and federal funding they that was the premise for um their pause. Can I comment on that for a second? Yes, please.
Um you know I'm I was also very disappointed that Bayath wasn't able to contribute as they normally would. I was however I think my perspective is a little bit um ambivalent. I was on the I was a trustee of Bayath and I was on their finance committee and I I don't
think it's a surprise to anybody how challenging this current environment is for small colleges. Like we see colleges basically folding or being acquired and things like that. And I I think uh Bayath is a very important institution in town and I admire what they're doing
and their mission. But I so I I I think that um I know that they have a commitment to Long Meadow and even though we're disappointed they can't give us this contribution this year. I I'm pretty sure that it's for a good reason, but I'm certainly hopeful that they will consider giving it again next
year, like re reinstating it basically. So, and they and they do pay property taxes on some properties that aren't uh that are not part of the program, right? And then there's and there's still a voluntary uh police and fire payment. Is that right? They make a don annual donation to the
police and fire department. So, yeah, echoing Yeah, it's not nothing, but I I do hope it comes back. I I agree with you. Um, and just one comment on the municipal aggregation. I'm a little surprised at the number of optouts, although it does tell me that our our
outreach worked. People knew what needed to when they could opt out, what needed to be done, and not just the ops out, people chose different levels. So, our outreach worked. And I'm glad I'm always glad to see that. Uh maybe our education didn't work because I I think if people
uh maybe wouldn't have opted out if they uh well, if they thought of it the same way we do. Um but I just want to give you kudos that it did work and people knew that there was some a deadline and were able to follow it. So, nice job on that. U Oh, and I did one more thing on
irrigation. Um, if we do have to uh take a pretty drastic step of limiting irrigation, which I know we did a few years ago, we have the bylaw in place at least to do it because we were having trouble with the water tower. Uh, what
is our if we did want to do something like that, what is the uh enforcement for like alternating uh irrigation on the street like opposite sides? How do we do that? So, it would primarily be water department staff. Uh, but we, if I recall, I
believe code enforcement can assist. Okay. I think we wrote it. Um, we don't have a massive water department. Yeah. Right. Okay. All right. Thank you, Lyn. Uh, anybody? Oh, Dan, go ahead. Thank you. Um, uh, Lynn, really
appreciate walking through a very, uh, long report. appreciate all um in particular the the pools. I did want to comment just in terms of you know I had attended the the splash and chat and it was nice to speak to some
residents uh get their feedback and and nice to know Lynn and uh the parks department also is trying to be creative here um you know an unfortunate uh pool season in particular over at at Bliss just a shortened season. So, thanks for
the creativity and extending um the season. I think that's a great idea, especially uh bringing the furry friends along in the fall. So, that should be fun. Um, one question I did have uh that um we we didn't really talk much about
uh from your report is the sidewalks. So, I certainly can understand we're we're, you know, fixing and making repairs of existing sidewalks, but for someone like myself who spent a lot of time canvasing the the community, running for public office, um there's
many instances, many many streets, I can just think of uh Massab, for example, on the south end of of town, uh Crescent Road, uh and some others where literally you you'll be walking on a sidewalk and it just disappears in terms of it
doesn't continue on to finish the sidewalk. And when speaking to some of those residents, they were confused as to why they just all of a sudden stopped uh building the rest of the sidewalk. And if we're going to
continue to put money on existing sidewalks, I think that we should be finishing some of these projects or, you know, listening to the the residents that that um are concerned about um you know, their property where they literally have a sidewalk that just
stops in the middle of their their existing uh land. So, something to think about and maybe Sean could comment on that, but it's it it is very weird to just see that a sidewalk ends and then we're pairing up other sidewalks that
that exist. So, I would just like to see some of those uh projects have more attention um because the residents also do want to, you know, see those projects finished. But that that's really all that I I had to uh say based on some of the other comments.
Thanks, Dan. Yeah, thank you. Uh, yeah, Lynn, thanks for the the long report. Just a few things. Um, thank you for taking the actions that you did with the Long Meadow High School pool. I think that's is the right call and uh we do not want
to impact another high school swim season. So, thank you for doing that. Um, I also share the frustration about the pilot uh programs. I know that this is, you know, often times before it felt like the pilot payments were not enough and now to not even receive any. I
understand the, you know, that there's bigger forces at play and that this is a an anomaly, but uh this whole the whole pilot structure has been, you know, disadvant disadvantageous for towns and it's it's it's been a source of frustration. And I know that uh Mayor
Garcia and Holo has been talking about, you know, ideas to, you know, maybe push legislatively for for changes for this. And I think that this is also something that maybe we should be thinking about as well. Um, and kind of related to that, the chapter 90 funding is great
news and I think underscores the importance of having good relationships with legislators because this chapter 90 funding increase was really driven by the Western Mass delegation and you know what we saw as um as as how we were
getting short changed out here. And I know that Rep. uh Mike Finn out of West Springfield really uh pushed for this and then you know as well as our own delegation with Senator Olivera and Sen and Rep. Ash and um you know and this was great to see. Um also just um it
seems you know I don't want to speak too soon but it seems like we're getting some good news with these tip projects on Long Meadow Street and these uh projects getting moved up. Um, and you know, I thank um, you know, Sean and Lynn for really being on top of this and kind of having us prepared for these tip
projects. You know, we were able to do these water manes before the L project because you all came to us and told us about how there was a short window to get this done. uh because obviously we don't want to have the state spend all this money and use all this uh you know
resources to redo these streets and have 100-y old water manes underneath them breaking and then us having to go back and redo those streets and uh I think it's going to be absolutely important for us to be doing that in advance of the uh next phase on Long Meadow Street as well especially with such a busy
street that so many folks use uh we need to get this right and um and then finally the Bliss Park playground ground design looks great. Um, you know, I think all of us that have had, you know, kids go and play at our elementary school playgrounds, you watch them play
there for two or three minutes, you see how big of a difference it makes and, um, just how important that was. And now to be able to offer that in our, you know, central uh, town playground is going to be, I think, uh, you know, so great for for our whole community.
Uh, I just want to one more thing before we wrap this up. Uh, Chief Stocks mentioned in his report that uh, Shirley Hooper retired. She was a crossing garden town for 34 years. Uh, which is an amazing amount of time to uh, be
trying to wrangle those kids um, that we see running around. So, um, thank you to Miss Hooper for your service and I appreciate it. And, uh, it was nice of Chief Stocks to put that in the report. Um, all right. Anything else for Lynn or on the reports? Dan, you got your hand up again.
Yes. Uh, real quick. Um, so I just want to kind of dubtail on what, uh, Ben was saying regarding uh, DPW and just being on some of the previous conversations over over the past couple years and, um, I I know Sean has really, uh, you know,
talked about focused on, you know, putting efforts around engineering and and those efforts have really paid dividends. I think I I know we've had some heated conversations as a board over the past couple years that, you know, why are we going to be
spending these funds in advance of of these projects, but we're actually seeing these projects advance forward. Um and and and it's actually costing less money overall. So, um I know over the past 101 15 years, we've been do we haven't been doing too much and we're
seeing a lot of work being done across town and um I think that's a testament to uh members of the board as well as DPW actually, you know, really focusing on trying to do things um pragmatically and we're seeing um it pay dividends and
save the town money. And I do appreciate all the patience uh for the um the members of the community uh taxpayers uh with all of the work that's being done and their patience especially during rush hour. But again, I do want to just
thank the DPW for um you know looking ahead um on these projects to help us save money um and actually push us in front of other projects um to make make sure that we can get these things done. So, I did want to just make sure I
commented on that as well. Thank you. Thank you, Dan. Um, all right. Uh, wrapping that up, we're moving on to old business. Uh, we had a bit of a an issue. We lost some items that were on
old business. Um, and one of which is the setting the warrant for September 9th. um which we talked to town council about whether we could put it on because it was really returning old business. Um but just because we like to do things
right, uh we're going to have a special remote town meet special remote select board meeting tomorrow at noon uh with that just to uh set the September 9th town meeting special town meeting warrant. Uh we are everything else we're
just pushing back. I I know one was a select board policy was what else? It was liaison assignments um rules and procedures and I think that might have been it. That was it. Yeah. So that'll be September 3rd. So those three things. So we we'll talk about the two of them at our next
meeting. Um but we will talk about the closing the warrant tomorrow at noon and that's the only thing that'll be at that meeting. Um otherwise we have approval of meeting minutes if we want to have some motions. Yeah. Uh, I move that we approve the June 11th, 2025 remote special meeting
minutes, uh, per any edits sent to, you know, administrative staff. Second. Anything further? Peggy, I'm sorry. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Yes.
Shelby, yes. Um, and well, maybe I'll do them all together. I think that's right because we had full attendance I think and all actually uh I will abstain from the June 27th. I'm sorry. Oh, okay.
So, all right. So, um I I'll move that we approve the June 16th, 2025 and the July 21st uh 2025 meeting minutes uh incorporating any edits sent to staff. Second. Second.
Further. Uh yes. Josh. Yes. Andrew. Yes. Yes, Mr. Johnson. Yes. And I'll move that we approve the June 27th, 2025 meeting minutes and that's incorporating any addits sent to staff.
Second. Uh, any further? Go ahead. Uh, yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, Dan, yes. Yes. Thanks. Okay, thank you. That's it for old business. Uh, moving on to new business,
we have their quarterly investment reports. We have uh she's on Zoom. She's on Zoom. Hey Erica, can you hear us? Yes. Just one moment. Good evening. Can you hear me?
Yes. Can you hear us? Yes. Sorry, just getting my video going for you. Hi, Eric. Please go ahead. All right. Thank you. Um, I'm here tonight to submit my quarterly report on the status of the town's cash and
investments for the period ending June 30th, 2025. As per the investment policy, the town held no long-term investments that exceeded the 5-year limit. The individual bank balances were under the $20 million bank provision. All banks
received the highest safety rating of green except for um for bank except for Eastern Bank. And all accounts were fully insured or secured. The final quarter of fiscal year 2025 has seen consistent interest rates without without any significant fluctuations.
The treasur and assistant treasur are closely monitoring interest rates and moving funds to the appropriate accounts that will optimize investments with the best return. Eastern bank experienced a change in verb bank ratings going from green to yellow. Eastern Bank's director of government banking, Heather Titman,
provided a letter stating that the change was due to repositioning of the investment portfolio by selling off low yielding securities and reinvesting in higher level markets. Um, there's an attachment with Heather's in-depth explanation and information
regarding the bank's financial position. The OPED pension Reserve Investment Fund experienced a gain in quarterly interest. The quarter ended with a net increase of approximately $469,000. The June 30th balance in the fund is
approximately $9,94,000. Also noteworthy, during the last quarter, the town earned a total of approximately $952,000 in interest. The treasur's office will continue to seek the best possible interest rates and diversify funds appropriately to maximize investment
potential while being in compliance with Massachusetts state laws and regulations. We will also continue to closely monitor all accounts to ensure the safety and security of all investments. Great. Thank you. Um so we have a in Eastern Bank we have a a very low amount
of money in there right now. Correct. So at the end of this quarter we did um I actually have been in close contact with our rep from Eastern Bank and he was able to offer us a rate that is the highest out of all of the institutions. So I have moved more money over there.
Um but I am closely monitoring the status and we'll follow the investment policy should the verb bank rating not return to green. Um there are steps within the policy we have to follow. If the rating I believe is in um yellow or goes to red consistently.
Andrew made a face so and he was on the finance committee so it made me nervous. Okay. Um, and last time we had a bank go yellow, it they had a plan to get back to green and it went back pretty quickly. Uh, do you feel confident in that happening again?
Yes. In the time that I've been with the town, there has not been a verbane grading stay at Green two quarters in a row. So, I'm very confident that it'll go back to green. Um, so hopefully on my next report, you will see that. I based on what Heather's told me and I had a conversation with her on the phone prior
to her letter. Um I'm confident it'll go back to Green. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else? Okay. Thank you, Erica. Thank you. Have a good night. Have a great night. Okay. Uh next up on new business, we
have Soal Coffee Roasters. Hi, how are you? Mike SL. I live at 44 Koolie Drive. Um about 20 year resident. I'm here representing my son Nathan Soal. Um he's 22. He has autism. He's gone through the school system here. They started roasting coffee beans back
in I think 2019 during the pandemic to give him something to do. Likes to weigh and measure things. Very small coffee roaster. They started roasting a lot of coffee beans and we decided to do something with the coffee beans. So they started going farmers markets in
Connecticut. Um five bags, 10 bags, they'd sell out. 20 bags they sell out. 30 bags they sell out. I go, "Oh, must be really good coffee." Come to find out it's really good coffee. So um they've been doing that um trying to keep him busy as he ages out of the system.
Things are limited for him. Um so they this year they started doing cold brew coffee and freshsqueezed lemonade. Um he'd been doing the uh farmers market in Wilberham, Massachusetts. It just just ended recently. Um had a successful run.
Was pretty good. Um so we're asking if he could do some pop-ups in town sporadically. Um they've done all their due diligence for insurance and board of health and serve safe and allergen safe and education and um all that good stuff
that was required. Um so then we come to this process here. Um, I did hear the concerns of the other people in town that have coffee. I met with them outside just to assure them we wouldn't be setting up next to them or in front of them. Um, not trying to, you know, that's kind of unethical. Um, and my son
probably won't be doing it like a lot. Going to be here and there when we can get him to do it. I was going to bring him tonight, but I didn't know how long it would take and I don't think he'd sit here and he probably wouldn't answer your questions. Um, he's a great kid. Um, just trying to get him to do things in his own community. Um he was working
at the JGS in town and now he's at the JCC. They've embraced him. Um so he's there four days a week. Uh four days a week about five hours a day uh doing things there. So it's been great. Well, that's fantastic. Uh thank you for
coming in. I I don't know if you watched we have started talking about this. I think that we had a we had a letter on the agenda and we so we we've been talking about this for months now. Yeah. uh because we knew your application was coming and I I think I talked to your wife about the pro the steps to take.
Um so I it sounds like you have a a really uh nice business you're doing and doing a good thing. Um so I appreciate that and I'm I'm glad to have uh more businesses in town and people uh putting themselves out there. Um, but one of the
things we've talked about is forming some sort of policy on how to how to do this and how to handle applicants and because uh, poor things was the first one to ever do it in town that I know of. Yes.
Um, certainly during my reign and so we were kind of it there was no roadmap to follow, right? And uh, one of the things we were talking about is what do we do? Do we want multiple people out of sight? And I
I don't think so because it will be couldn't overwhelm the places where these are going are small and um and I I think that it especially the same business. I I don't think it makes sense to put in
the same place. I don't I I understand it's not cutthroat competition, but I don't want there to be an incentive where somebody's trying to get there first. Uh and I explained to them, so we would we would follow your schedule like we
wouldn't overstep them. That's not not we're not like that. It's just not ethical. I Yeah, I I understand that. I think I they're I know their schedule changes though, so that's I I totally understand that you want to be you want to do the
right thing and I I I applaud that. Plus having the opportunity to do it. I'm sorry. And also having the opportunity to do it. Yeah. So I I I think to me it makes sense to have to to not have overlapping permitting. And I but I would like to hear what the rest of the board has to
to say about it. I think there's a couple there are some good spots here. um that um I don't think overlap but Greenwood um the Barnard parcel and Oldtown Hall and um
Mason Tremble over there. Is that on there? No, I don't have it in front of me so I think it was um Bliss Greenwood Wolf Swamp Fields. I'm just trying to locate that part
right now. I'm trying to picture in my head exactly. I do believe poor things is permitted for Wolf Swamp. They are. Yeah. I don't know if they're over there, but um and I I did ask at our last meeting also on the Barnard parcel. Have we gotten
any feedback from uh police or DPW on that microl? Is that the That's down at the bottom on Shaker. No, I don't believe we did. Yeah, I think we might have to still follow up on that. Yeah, I'd like to hear on that whether
that is a because people fly down there. I think that's that's a really smart place to to set up. Yeah, I think it's supposed to be 35 is the speed limit, right? I wish. Yeah, supposed to be, right? But I I don't want somebody flying down and slamming on the brakes. Oo, coffee
and then getting hit. You know, it's not generally not a busy area, but that that's my concern. Um, but I so I think that that if that if police and DPW tell us that that makes sense or is that's okay, I think it's a good spot. And I
think that um Old Town Hall I think makes a lot of sense. And uh Greenwood I think I I would be in favor of granting a permit there. Um, so yeah, uh, thank you. Thank you for coming before us tonight. And this sounds like a great business. And I the
first part of your, uh, pitch there sounded like you could be on Shark Tank. I try to give myself as many experiences as possible. He doesn't want to do it, we're going to do it. No, but yeah. No, but thank you for for coming tonight. Um, and but you know, I think I do share some of the same
concerns as Josh that of just permitting the same type of offering at the same location. When we um first allowed Poor Things Coffee to come into town, they were the first food truck that we allowed and it was actually a very close
vote. It was three to two and the two members that voted against it expressed concerns that this would lead to, you know, a lot of different coffee coffee trucks, food trucks being in town and it caused congestion and, you know, maybe some unpleasantness.
And what we said at the time, I think the the three people that voted in favor of it was that, you know, the select board controls permitting and we will control um the the process and and who gets permitted and how to make sure that it does not become a negative for our
town because I think right now it's been an overwhelmingly positive thing for our town. Um so for th those reasons, I do not think that it would make much sense for us to provide you with permits in the same place that we provided poor things. but would be completely in favor
of you um you know being permitted at the other locations you've identified and also would encourage you to even seek out you know other locations as well. Um and then also I think one thing that poor things had been doing before we uh permitted them was to they were
getting uh permits on private um you know private parking lots. Um and that's also another you know an option for you to look into as well. Yeah. So, I'm in general agreement. I think you'll agree that it's in everyone's best interest not to be in a certain
location together, for example. No, definitely not. I'm sure you agree with that. Yeah. I mean, it's hardly agree. Yeah. And I think I think that if there was a way I think there's enough good places here that you can establish yourself. I I will say that and I don't know if Lynn can answer this. If there
was a way to to make a I don't think there is to make a permit where it's basically a schedule where let's say there was a prime place in town like the community house as long as there was a way that parties would agree like this is the schedule I'll be here this day I'll be here this other day right
that actually that's what I was working on could you permit like Monday Wednesday Friday Thursday for the other party that's what a lot of communities do neighboring communities for this type of things and rotate it I think that you know I think that that's something that I personally would consider right now. I think we shouldn't
vote on that because poor things might have something to say about that. We should give them a chance to come discuss it. But I think as a starting point, you could start your business, see how it goes. And in the future, I mean, I think that as long as there's aren't not two identical kinds of businesses in the
same place. I I I I like the idea of people having a chance essentially if there was like some very coveted places. But that would be Now you've educated me that that's possible basically. Yeah, because we already community house you can't do it on election day. We already have cut out a day. You can actually so if you could
and when there's a per actually an permanent festival or an event on the perfect that location maybe some thought could be given to that just as a correlated to that. I I think that that's a great idea. I you you did mention that you may not be out there often. We don't exactly have people
breaking down the doors to get uh food permits in town, but if that ever did happen, I think this would be something we would want to have in a policy. If it's not being used that often, I I think then we would want to give it to someone else. I'm not saying that now, but Right. I can't I can't tell you like how he's going to you know, we're going to
set up on Monday and may have a run day on Monday, so it's not going to happen Monday. Yeah. So, it might be on a different day or a different spot or we have a great run like we did the Warhammers Market. We did consistently every Wednesday. Yeah. And it was hot. I mean, it was really hot, but he he sold out every it was
like I was like, "Wow." Okay. I said, "This is a blessing." Yeah. Like, "What? This is great for you, buddy." Okay. So, I think that that really that kind of comes along with what we're talking about. And we just want to bring it to this town. Like, we want to say, "Yeah, we're going to Wraham. Okay. We want to come. We're living for 20 years.
We have a lot of support because I think it's a great story." and then but I I don't want your son to wake up on a Thursday and say I want to get out there but you're not permanent for that day or poor things is already a community house. So I think so it's it's on us as parents to like you know we had to set it up. Okay this
is what we're doing like the Wednesdays in Borham. Yeah. With some effort you know going to work every day. We started JJS two hours a day. It got to four went to five. Okay we can do it. So it's it's a buildup for him. Okay. We have uh why don't we go Shel first.
Thanks Josh. Yeah I agree. I I agree with a lot of what was just said by um Venife Andrew and Josh. I think it's great for us to have people that live in our town, have a business in our town, and Mr. So, I love the idea of having another cop coffee option in town. Um,
I'm in full full favor of um of of of allowing this as long as we can probably come up with a schedule. It sounds like, if I heard correctly over the the the Zoom call that Mike, did we are we working on a potential calendar to help with situations like this? So, not
necessarily to that extent, but we began working on a draft policy because of the fact that it's really unchartered territory for us because we haven't had food truck requests pretty much ever, right? Um, and we're super flexible. So, it's not Yeah. Hey, okay, that's cool. So, we're working on making something a
little bit more formalized because all we have is a general bylaw that states written permission of the select board currently. Yeah. I think that's that's great because I'm sure we're going to have this situation come up again and for us to kind of have a standard and a format to rely on will will help us kind of come to decisions easier. Um I agree
with what we all just discussed and um you know being newer to the board is does Mr. So have to adjust his application in or is it more just what what we discussed tonight about not overlapping where poor things goes? How
does what would be the process to to keep this moving forward? We can move to grant uh on certain locations. Okay. Like the old town hall for example. Yeah. Uh any anything else, Shelik? Uh no. I actually Well, one quick question, Mr. So, is that something
that's, you know, appetizing to you to have an adjust other than what you submitted for all of the locations? Are you comfortable and you and your son comfortable with an adjusted set of locations for setup? Uh, well, I think we'd have to be comfortable with it. Yeah.
Yeah, we'd have to be comfortable with it for now. And then as it gets adjusted, as we go further and further into it, he gets more experienced at it, maybe can be readjusted. And like I said, we don't want to step on anyone else's toes, but we also want to be able to help him, you know, you know, with his community involvement. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's what
we're all saying is we want to make sure there's a healthy level of competition and fairness. Um, and also just provide the same opportunity to you as well. So, I mean, you try to get your thoughts on it. Yeah. you try to set up um in the farmers market in the Lino shops, but they said no because there's
Starbucks there. Oh, they have. Yeah. Okay. So, that's one of the things that that whole place is leased. They have an Yeah. It's not And it's not like I mean it's it's a farmers market, so to say, but it's not like Right. If I can explain differently, it's like a farmers market. Just that one thing. Yeah.
Uh Dan. No, thank you. Um, and first I just want to say I think it's really admirable um, you know, helping your son and and your son um, you know, starting his business. I think that's great and obviously it's been successful in other uh, communities. Um, I I I do echo a lot of
the same sentiments of the other board members and I and I would say that I I don't I think the the biggest problem right now is that we just don't have a policy that we that we do need to start working on and addressing. And I do want to make a um a comment as well that I I
don't I don't know if the town wants to be in a situation where we're in charge of scheduling of of vendors uh like times and locations and making sure that um you know we have multiple or making
sure that we don't have multiple um vendors like coffee vendors in the same place. I I I just think we got to be very careful when it comes to like how we're how we're regulating this. But um I I think we really need to start
looking at actually the the policy and making sure that it that it works. But I do want to say as well that I know Poor Things uh Coffee has been a a great business in our community and and we held them to really high standards early on. like they had to go through a
process if I recall where um we had to vet out these locations. Um they had I think they were on like a maybe a six-month probation period as well to kind of prove out that they were um you know operating under um you know the
restrictions or or um items that we placed in front of them and I think they've done a really good job and the last thing that I want to do is is take away from from their success as well. But I do want to figure out a way that we can make make it work for everybody.
Um so my my thought was to do something similar to what we did with poor thin poor poor things coffee and have certain um designated locations um that your company could could u leverage and then
we could come back to the table where we're hopefully working on a policy that u makes sense for everybody. But I do it is very tight already over at places like Bliss and some of the other locations. Um we have people um you know
there's a it's very popular there's people like parking on grass and I just feel like it would be overwhelming for both of the same location and scheduling would be very difficult as well and I don't think the businesses want to be trying to communicate all the time to make sure that we're that we have a
proper schedule uh in place. So, uh, I do think it's a unique situation that we're in, but I do think we need to figure out a policy, uh, to make sure that it that it does work, but I also want to be sensitive to poor things and, uh, the rapport that they've built and business they've built, uh, as well, uh,
in our communities. Go ahead, Yeah, I I I agree that I think policy needs to be developed. I think I reached out to Mike earlier today just to see if uh, what other towns are doing. Um but in the meantime I feel comfortable um you know approving certain locations uh
for soal. So I will make a motion to approve um soal coffee roasters permit for the locations at Oldtown Hall, Greenwood Park and Barnard Parcel pending LPD approval.
Yeah. Second. Uh, and anything further on that? Dan, did you want to make it I I don't feel we need to make it probationary. I I think I because we've seen it work, but
if you feel strongly about it, I I'm fully confident that they will have no problem passing. I don't know if it helps. I mean, he's been they've been roasting since 19 and getting permits from the town for a board of health anyway. Gotcha. That helps to know. So, I I'm comfortable with it, but Dan, if you
feel otherwise, uh I I don't see Yeah, I'm I'm comfortable with I just I did want to at least make the point that I I know, you know, the first time we kind of put pouring things coffee through the ringer since it was new. Um but I have no doubt that uh this business is is uh they're
going to do a good job and and make sure that they're, you know, following um any restrictions that that are in place. Yeah, we we have a pretty f thriving food cart scene in town now. So yeah, got enough to go up 100%. Um, okay. Well, uh, there's nothing further.
Peggy, do a roll. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shel, yes. All right. Congratulations. We can't wait to see you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We can get a draft policy, too.
Yeah, absolutely. Next meeting. Um, all right. We're moving on next to a U bingo permit for Willie Ross School for the Deaf. Yeah. So, I would have to say this is probably the first time you've seen this
type of permit on your agendas. Absolutely. So, it's a it's a bino permit. Um and it's uh mass state law uh general law and this is the first one that I've received in my time here. Um it goes through the town clerk's office. chief of police has to sign it and then it ultimately comes to the select board
who's the licensing authority to approve the permit. Um in conversation with the town clerk and then receiving the police chief's signature for the event for the BO permit. Looks like everything's in order. All paperwork's in order for them um uh designated their nonprofit uh
eligible. So um it's a comfortable situation for the slip board to have to vote on this permit. Okay. And um the date is for October 24th, 6 to 12. Do and that do we know anything else
about it? What it's a fundraiser for or anything like that? Um yes. Give me one second. I believe it was in corres potentially is in correspondence the full synopsis. It is a uh purse bingo fundraiser at
Twin Hills Country Club. Um, and they have already went through the uh paperwork process through the Massachusetts Lotto Commission. Um, and yeah, so it's a purse bingo fundraiser. Okay. Uh, any other questions from the
board? I hope this isn't like tree hearings where we start getting a bunch of them. Um, okay. All right. Oh, I I'll uh move that we approve uh Willie Ross School for the Devs uh bingo permit. Second.
Say bino permit say bino permit. Uh so I amend it to be bino. Okay. Anything else? Uh no. Go ahead, Peggy. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Jan, yes.
Shel, yes. Thank you. Okay. And then we have uh Ellington Street or Ellington block Ellington Street block party uh for September 13th, which is when I'm out of
town, so I won't be attending, so no one can accuse me of that. Uh I move to approve um the Ellington Street uh closure application for September 13th, 2025. Second. Nothing further. Go ahead, Peggy.
Yes. I'm sorry, Josh. Yes. Andrew. Yes. Ken. Yes. Shel. Yes. Okay. MSBA uh PSBA cover letter um which project scope and budget agreement. Um Lyn, are you presenting this?
Sure. Uh so attached to the agenda is the letter from the Mass School Building Authority. Uh this is the next set of deliverable documents that we have to get to MSBA. Um, the one that's in front of you tonight is to provide a certified copy of the vote of the local governing
body authorizing the town to enter into and be bound by the PSBA and authorizing the signatory to execute the document on behalf of the town which is required by local charter, bylaw ordinance or other applicable law uh where where required
by any of those. Uh, and so you are the local governing body. And with this, I would ask that you authorize uh me to sign the PSBA. Um, and submit this back to MSBA. Okay. Do we have a motion to uh to defer
sorry authorize um the town manager to sign this PSBA on behalf of the select board? So moved. Second. Second. Sorry. E. Yes. Any further?
No. Okay. Go ahead. Do you second? Uh yes. Yeah. Uh yeah, I seconded it. Sorry. And I vote for it, too. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shel,
yes. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Uh, and next up, the DPW budget and project discussion. Sean and Tim. Sh news and DBW director Tim Keer.
So we um he prepared a really well longer than I hoped but a PowerPoint presentation to kind of buzz through really quickly. Um talk about some historical stuff where we are now and what we're looking forward to in the future just so everyone kind of gets an idea of the the size of the projects we
have undertaken and some of the complications trying to run them. So, we definitely missed some stuff and feel free at any moment during this to interrupt to ask questions because we're going to touch on a lot of stuff and I want to make sure everyone has a chance if they have any concerns to to talk. Um, so we'll start off with the sort of
thing that's been a lot a topic we've talked about a lot recently, which is the um the water and sewer studies. Um, so we conducted a water pipe study showing significant significant deficiencies in our capital plan. um that study we use was the uh basis for our rate analysis which you guys have
have uh recently been weighing in on. And what you can see to the left is the uh the $267 million number which is the projects that um are recommended we undertake in the next 20 years. Um so obviously a humbling number. Um it's
been recommended we place we replace about a mile of water lines a year. If you go to the next slide, you'll see what we've been doing historically, which is from 2015 to 22. Um, not not very much. Um, a couple hundred feet here and there. Um, you should be doing
5,000 ft a year. Um, and then you can see a sort of uptick in in the projects in 23 and hopefully continuing that posture um to try to get in front of some of the issues we have and deficiencies in the system.
So, go on to the next slide, please. Oh, you're there. Yeah, I was there. Sorry. Sorry. So, um we had some other products we can touch upon which is we performed a we performed a feasibility study for a redundant water tank and an interconnection study um which you guys will be hearing about probably in the
next month so we can make a decision. Um there will likely be a warrant article of some sort to discuss um moving forward with with maybe an interconnection at least in the design. Um but again we'll have uh Fuss O'Neal come in to be presenting those. Um some of the other things we we've done with
the the water and sewer capital plan is try to synchronize the the highway projects, the water and sewer products to get them to work together in a linear fashion and sort of um in a methodology that makes sense so we're not wasting money and we gain some efficiencies which is why we did the L water main project in front of the L the L tip
project. It's why we're going to come back for you guys to try to do the uh the water and sewer in front of the next tip project. Um, so yeah, what's the next one? So, um, we also have a full design of the Western Drive area. Um, that's fully designed and we're going to be coming back before you to ask for
funding. We will be utilizing water and sewer enterprise funds to repave that section of town. That's a sizable project. Again, we're all in that same corridor of town, um, which does make some sense considering it was an area first developed. And so, we're we're sort of having some some level of planning hopefully. Um, we also have um
put applications in for SRS funding for um more complete asset management. We're doing a decent job what we have, but it will take more money um to get we're in a bird's eye view now to get in the more micro level. Um we have completed a rough draft of water and sewer regulations. We do need to finish, but
we're not quite there yet. We ran out of uh money in time to to complete that study, but we we are hoping to come back before you at some point with um updated water sewer rags. the ones we have are antiquated, outdated, and some of contradictory. Um, which makes it really hard to deal with residents when they
have a a request for an abatement when they're illogical. So, um, next slide. So, we have done some sewer replacement work on John Quain. We we slip line portions of forest glal and converse. And slip lining is a a type of
construction methodology where you kind of put a a sock through an existing sewer line and it and it and it kind of lines the inside of it and hardens and it's very cost effective. So in anywhere in town where we can do that in front of a sewer line collapsing we should be because it's uh much cheaper than doing
a full line replacement. Sean does that so that obviously goes inside. Does that limit capacity? No, it because it's very thin. Um, and in some cases with storm water when you do it, you actually um increase capacity even while you reduce size if they happen to have a corateier pipe with like baffling
in it. But but yeah, it's it's a great methodology and it's cheap um pretty cheap compared to full replacement. But that's not always available. If you wait for the sewer lines to uh decay too far, you can't slip line. So, it's again a place where we need to camera the lines, see where we can do
that work. And in terms of the projects we have ongoing, there will be some places where slip line won't be possible. We'll have to rip that section up, replace it completely, and then slip line other areas. Um, we did also do um the north interceptor project on Western Drive,
which was a project I think was 10 years in the making, maybe 12, but we got that pushed through. We had emergency repair, the cross country force main relief valve um down um down in the Emerson Road area. Um
and we had uh emergency pump repairs to Emerson Road pump station which you guys um heard about a couple weeks ago. We are hopefully through that. Um we did update our capital plan to show reoccurring slip lining projects which we should be doing four or five years in front of our paving projects similar to
the waterline projects. Um and getting areas where we have significant inflow infiltration where we know we need to get there and get that done before the line collapses. So we do save money but we just getting that started. We also standardized jet truck operations to hit hotspots to make sure that we're mapping
where our hotspots are in terms of backups and making sure that the guys are going out and hitting those hot spots and um we're making sure that hopefully we don't have backups. Um we have GPS in the truck to make sure we can monitor where they're going and make sure they hit those spots. Um some
road and sidewalk projects we've done, we resurface Maple Road, Woodland, Northfield Road, Berser Lane, Meadow Drive, sections of Pinewood Drive. Um we had Beta come in and give you guys the uh pavement management plan which was I think um an improvement over the
previous plans we had done. Um and you can see that it um it showed in that plan that we need approximately two and a half to$3 million annually to to keep up with paving operations and we've been getting far short of that. Um so you'll you'll see going forward when
we have you know questions about funding it'll it'll pop up but I'm we also did areas of Longwood A Meadow Road Farming and A as well as Wilin uh Lawrence Drive and they were resurfaced last year. Um you guys are obviously aware of the bond work we're doing right now the $5.5 million bond and that'll be a great
project to wrap up by end of November. Um Lynn touched upon the tip projects um Converse Street and Forest Glenn. Um we completed uh the town's complete streets policy. Um that is something
that um I think talking about extending sidewalks in areas of town, that's something that should have been touched upon then and we'll definitely revisit. Um making sure that there's areas mapped where we need to have more connectivity. Um but as part of that complete streets policy, we applied for and got another
grant um for some sidewalk work and RFBS. Um we also received multiple safe route to school grants um for Blueberry Hill Elementary School. We got a grant for bikes and we got a grant from the casino to um deal with the raised um
elevated crosswalk on Williams um was a speed bump. Sorry. So annual sidewalk projects have averaged about 500k a year. Um we had beta start a phase one um ADA study um
which we then use as a basis to apply for grant funding to do a full capital plan for the sidewalks. We did not receive the grant and we do need to update a master plan for capital for sidewalks so we know exactly what sidewalks normal condition how much cost
is to replace and whether or not we're keeping up with them. We really don't have um an updated plan in a similar manner to what we do with our our roads. Um we are awarded a massworks grant to fund design for William Street and Redford intersections. I'm happy to say
that we have some preliminary designs and we'll be coming before you guys very shortly to ask for um next steps because there's a couple alternatives that have been come up with to deal with the intersection at Redern and also the area around Big Y and um we're going to need
some public feedback in order to finalize design to apply for another grant to redo that area of town. How does that fit in with uh the Covest? So, COBST um because part of the uh criteria for the mass source grant is to have economic development. So, we
applied for the grant and said that we have this economic development coming to town and that that grant covered this design. It does not cover construction but it covers design. We have some money from shops and from Coldest for that, right?
We have money from the shops. Oh, we don't. Okay. But anyway, um it'll be um it'll be a big a big deal to to look at the the new layouts and some of the conceptual stuff because it will it will greatly improve
the safety area, the safety um sort of structure in that town. I think uh it'll be well needed. Um Lynn touched upon the uh the second tip file, the phase one tip project, which we got the um hopefully accelerated timelines for. Um, again, we'll be
coming back before you guys this fall probably to ask for money for engineering for the wateride modern and sewer side in front of that project. Um, parks and grounds. We completed three elementary school ADA upgraded playgrounds. Um, we just signed a contract for the upgrades at Bliss. Lynn
sold all my stuff. We completed full design for um, upgrades to Glen Brook Fields. We did apply for CBC money, but obviously um, we're in a holding pattern until we see what happens with that school. We completed the field uh conditions assessment analysis and the turf
analysis as you guys are aware. Um we finished the irrigation and uh repairs to Glenrook fields which when I arrived were not functioning. We've started obviously the the pool projects and we are getting ready for the second bidding of the upgrades to Bliss um which will
be another um large um upgrade and we'll be monitoring the timeline again. So, if we happen to have some issues with opening, we're well aware and hopefully we'll get that project done before um next season. But we are trying to do a lot and juggling a lot of contractors to
get this to work with cool seasons. Um we finished the tree risk assessment um tree hazard risk assessment I think two years ago, three years ago. We addressed all the trees we could at that time. We I think we spent a significant amount of ARPA money on that and we've planted several hundred new trees um as part of
these capital projects and we've gotten caught up with a 5-year backlog of stump grinding. Unfortunately, we have some more stumps to grind as we've cut down the hazard trees. Just back on the back on the trees. So part of why uh Lyn and I talked about this would be a good thing to do is uh
especially for Shelley and Andrew who may I don't think they were here for all of the uh study the studies we've received and we've heard about um and you know you you saw what we need to do on water $267 million uh
which is a lot um but then trees was I remember just being stunned by the amount of money that we should be spending on Do you have that number? I It was I want to say off the cuff it was like a million dollars or something a year. It was It was crazy. Yeah. It's got to have been more than that cuz
it was Yeah, it was I would have said, "Well, we can't do that, but that's not crazy." But yeah, it was it was maybe that I mean that is a couple years ago, but yeah. Yeah. Okay. But so that I just wanted everyone to know what we're what we're working against here.
But we I do think we're doing a good job catching up with uh tree plantings and having a a tree warden has definitely been helpful and these capital projects we undertake and we always look at them in totality holistically. So we are we're doing our best to catch up with some of the trees that we've lost over the last 20 years.
Um the facility side I'm definitely missing some of this because Nick was on vacation when we went through it. But um we um we're working on a building assessment building use assessment right now as you're all aware. um Fuss O'Neal is due to complete that um very soon at least on the buildings that um are empty
right now and also looking at staff a staffing analysis to see what we should be at in order to maintain the existing buildings we have um completed the renovation of the old adult center and move town offices last year. That was a major project and a lot of work went
into it in house to get that to happen. Um something that I think staff's very proud of. Um, we've been dealing with a lot of emergency mold and water issues with all these old buildings. It is constant. Um, Wolf Swamp LHS in our school this morning was a freezer that
went down over the weekend and there's rotten food everywhere. So, that was what Nick came back to after vacation. Um, participating in the design for the new middle school um, center school MSBA accelerated repair program. You guys just saw the the contract the library
study for remodeling that was CPC money um, just started. The contract was just signed last week. So, we'll be going through that um that renovation study and we'll be utilizing that for um the basis for more of the some exterior work that needs to happen that is um been
deferred a while. Um we've installed new air handlers at LHS. Um the Wolf Wolf Swamp Chiller and Blueberry Hill are being replaced. They're both in process of bidding now. One design, one bidding. And we've updated um the building
capital asset management in house. We didn't really have much laid out um when I got here. So, we've done the best we can to start getting everything in spreadsheets and to get an idea of what we have in inventory and then what the replacement costs are because we're still missing stuff, but we're doing the best we can to kind of update those documents all the time. On the storm
water side, we received um an asset management grant grant that Time Bond did to um go through all our coverts and outfalls and and to kind of monitor them. And what they found is we need about 2 million annually to start replacing our coverts which have failed.
Some of those culverts when they get replaced will likely have to be bridges. Um we have not been funding um storm water really at all. Um it's it's kind of a the looming elephant in the room right now. We're dealing with Raspberry. We've had collapses of banks on York in
other areas. So we've been in a very um reactive manner dealing with this stuff as it's come. Um but it's it's sort of lingering all the time. And um we we we definitely need to um think about what we're going to do in the future to get those taken care of. Um Proxy were
completed Ponstein Culver, Shady Null. Um that was their stormwater projects. Um we're under design right now as Raspberry and Inesse. Um we worked with the planning department for a long-term plan for Kulie Brook. Um worked with playing on the green infrastructure project, storm water infrastructure. Um
upgraded Turner Park Dam. We use ARPA money, I want to say around $800,000 to deal with collapsed uh catch basins all around town. So, as we're talking about being reactive, we we barely got in front of an emergency with those catch basins. It was not uncommon to get a
call from the contractor to go look and there'd be a 10-ft hole underneath Route 5 because we'd have these catch basins collapsing and we had not gotten to taking care of them because staff didn't have the capacity to do it in-house and we had never funded those repairs. So the ARPA money um definitely saved us from having a a larger issue. We still
are struggling to keep up with them as they collapse. Um it's just they're antiquated and we had a lot of heavy salt usage historically which deteriorated the concrete in those those um those those storm waters the storm water system basins.
Um we received a grant for um conceptual design for covert on long metal. We got a second grant and today we got another grant um to do work in that. Um but we have again I want to emphasize done nothing to the collection system.
So, and Dan will talk about um I'm sure some concerns he has later, but we've funded only with our road projects the catch basin repairs and some of the some of the we've done nothing to um map out in any manner the capacity of the system and to
study the implications of collecting more and the speed in which the water the storm water leave which could cause issues to other areas of town. Um, so we do need to fund u a an analysis of the capacity of our stormwater system and implement that into the um other sort of
master plans with water, sewer, and roads. So, we're doing them all in totality, but we're just not there yet. Um, just to I just wanted to um underscore what Sean just said because he's going fast and I'm sorry. Um, no. Um, so why that's so critical to map
that out is because cities and towns that did that 10, 15 years ago, they were mapping out what 100 or 500year floods looked like or rain events looked like. And that's what we should be doing. We we should have been doing that years ago um because we could have
started tackling some of these areas that we showed on models of what would happen. um not to be really dire in this situation, but you do that so that you can prepare in advance for what we know is going to end up being the reality. I was just reading an article too that
the the models are wrong that the all the hundredyear floods are 25 25 year floods. Yeah. And so are we accounting for that when we're looking at things? Well, we're not making any upgrades. So, so we know when we rebuild, we need to
rebuild for events that we seem to have every single summer now where where we get 4 in of rain in an hour and the adult center floods. I mean, that's something that like how did that get missed during design? This no one's infrastructure is able to handle the sort of storms are getting right now. But when we rebuild, we should rebuild
to make sure it's as large and as permanent to handle this stuff as possible. But then you must map out where the water's going. You got to figure out where the outfalls are, what other areas can handle it, and what you're doing to a ravine when the water jets out at that kind of speed. There has to be rain gardens or or the ability
to slow that water down when it when it leaves the outfalls. So, it's it's much more complicated. Plus, with upgrading the storm water system, you're increasing a pipe size. You're getting closer to gas, you're getting closer to water and sewer. So, it's the same design level as a water sewer project. And they all need to be taken
consideration three, four years in advance of an upgrade to a road. And then hopefully you have enough money in the storm water system enterprise fund to help fund the road reconstruction along with the uh water and sewer projects.
Um I'll move along. We um also went through the fleet list which had been um not kept up with and and went through and sort of organized the the life expect life expectancy of the trucks. We saw that we were keeping trucks 10 years longer than they should have. We had a
really bad fleet uh a couple years back. I'm happy to say that the town's done a great job investing in some larger bigger trucks and we've had some really light winners that have kept us away from a catastrophe in terms of our the our fleet going down. We had some bad trucks but we're doing much better. Um, we've got rid of a whole bunch of
surplus vehicles and, um, yeah, the fleet's in much better shape. Um, uh, other note things is, uh, give credit to Lisa and and Mark Golden, Arlene for the, um, the work they do with the trash recycling. That was a major project and we're we're still living it. But, um, I
think that it was incredibly smooth given the size and scope of what they did. Um, Lisa was worked tireless. She was doing like 20 hours a week just on that. I don't know how she did the rest of her job. Um, so if she's listening, thanks a lot, Lisa. And, um, we also changed the
drop off as part of this where the brush dump is now moved to the old garage site. It probably should stay there. There wasn't enough space inside the old recycling center to be doing that. Um, and in our look forwards, you'll see that there needs to be consideration to upgrading our recycling center at some
point. It's really not modern, and it definitely has some code issues around the way it's laid out. So, that is another project that needs to be considered at some point in the future. Um, looking ahead, our current 5-year capital plans show a need of about $12
million annually. Um, we've been getting about two for the whole town. So, you can see some of the some of the ramifications and some of the issues that arise with that and why it's so important to have feedback from you guys in terms of what projects you want to see move forward when there's all these
competing interests happening at once. uh projects to come. Western Drive Water and Sewer, the interconnection study, which I think is an important one, water meter replacement. We um are due every time we read meters now, are losing 50 to 100 at a time. They're incredibly
costly to replace. So, we'll be coming for you in the fall for that as well. Um final design for Long Middle Street, that's that tip phase one project. Um the pondside demo, we're working on the final um permitting issues associated with that. And it has been an incredibly complicated project to get through
design and permitting because of the multiple entities involved. It cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars more than anticipated because of the permitting alone. Um forest Glenn generator, we have a design for that. We do need to get a generator at the pump station a couple years back. You might remember we lost power and then we had a
difficult time getting water. We had I think was it Chris was there for 48 hours. Um Emerson Road pump replacement. Um, we're going to need to replace those pumps we just rebuilt so we don't have another issue like we just did with the wastewater plant. Um, the stormwater capacity study, which I touched upon
earlier. I think that's one that is needs to be done and needs to be included in our long-term capital. Um, sidewalk capital assessment I touched upon earlier as well. Um, I think it's important to to consider if we do end up extending sidewalks someplace that we we're maintaining the existing
infrastructure we have and not building more we can't take care of. We've got to weigh the the pros and cons of that. And um I think also talk about connectivity and what's important to do if we're going to connect sidewalks, what it is, do we own the property, is there easements that need to be taken? Um all that stuff and drainage changes too. All
that stuff has to be considered. Um center school roof and windows talked about. Um library fire alarm system upgrades. We just found out that we have some code issues there. Um we have design started to um to get some prices to do some upgrades. Um multiple athletic field upgrades. This is
important uh especially considering what happens if the school passes. We're going to lose the football field which means the practice field will have to be moved to somewhere else, likely the high school. If that happens, we'll have to talk about what we're going to do to keep those fields playable. Um we have a couple ideas, but um there might be to
be significant money dumped into maintaining that that field um because extra usage. We have a proposal coming from an outside consultant to weigh in on that, but obviously it's coming quick and um we we're going to run into to field issues very quickly. Um the football field, if you guys uh saw the
study that was put on by Tom Irwin, has some pretty bad problems and has to has to be dealt with at some point as well. So that's all going to coalesque as we lose a a school unfortunately. Um so there have to be a plan for that. Uh multiple school roof repairs. you'll see in the 5-year plan that we have a lot of
roofs and a lot of them leak and we have a lot of HVAC issues as well. Um enough that they'll eat up the entire capital project annually. Um so other Bliss Road William Street um that's says Massworks Grant. So hopefully we're able to utilize um the
design we agree upon to apply for a second Mass Works grant to upgrade that entire area and make upgrades to the storm water system there because we know that the area from there all the way down William Street is und sized. But that area of of um Williams is is
definitely um needs some improvement. It needs to be repaved badly and it needs some safety uh improvements and some additional lighting, additional sidewalks. Um it'll be an expensive project, but hopefully we can get a Mass Works grant for it. And then I mentioned the redesign of the recycling center and the renovation of Bliss uh park pool and
playground that's coming. Obstacles um is insufficient funding of our operating budget beyond the capital budgets being insufficient. Our operating budget's lacking. Um that shows in sort of um some of the field conditions that we have. We haven't really funded um adding clay and soil to
fields, basic stuff. We're doing much better now. we we at least know now and we guys have we've moved forward with some of those um improvements. I think we're we're we need some more uh obviously um backlog of capital projects and insufficient funding. Um we have
issues with DPW positions and high turnover. We haven't been able to maintain staff and it's an issue. Um insufficient staffing. Not only do we not have enough staff because we have high turnover, we don't have the numbers we probably should. In addition to that, um I think that will probably be touched
upon during the staffing analysis um with the building assessment. Um loss of institutional knowledge. Beyond all that, a lot of the staff I have are getting older and they are retiring and they know the town very well and they're also incredibly talented. Um they're people that knew how to operate
machinery and do lots of stuff that um unfortunately the generation coming up just doesn't quite have. So when we lose them, we lose the spots they knew that always flooded, the the places that, you know, might have a a vulnerable outfall. Uh they they they knew stuff and um
we're trying to get that all documented and get and get um as much as we can out of them before they retire, but it is an issue. Um and also I think that my staff I think is a great job, but any one of us leaves and we have a major a major
problem. Um, so difficulty responding to day-to-day operations. We get calls and work orders. We might have in a given day two people in the highway department or three because people are sick or on their on vacation. It's hard to do much with two or three guys. They might go and patch potholes for an hour and turn
around have to respond to something completely different and unrelated and and so it it makes the day-to-day hard. Um uptick in emergency response instance from deferred maintenance, aging infrastructure, natural events. you get a flood, all of a sudden everyone's over at the adult center cleaning out the the
bottom because water is there. Or there's one road that has a wash out and they spend the morning doing that one water main break. And even if they're not the ones responding to fix it because our men's doing it, they're the ones doing the cleanup afterwards. They're closing doors. We've got to open valves. So there's a lot of coordination with that. Um again, you have a couple
people in the department. It makes it makes the getting stuff done in a in a linear manner difficult. um increased regulatory burden, more time consuming. So we touched upon that with the pond side stuff, there's multiple permits, things you can't even imagine. Uh
addition to that, the procurement law in terms of getting a project from design through to construction, similar to the pool bonding issue, that's something that you would think 20 grand in a contractor could go in and fix and say it's a $300,000 project because we had to hire an engineer. That stuff happens all the time. It's incredibly
frustrating because on paper it seems like this is an easy fix, but once we go through the law and do it properly, it's a half a million dollars. Um, so anyways, it was Yeah, ended on a high note.
And this is um attached to the agenda tonight. Oh, it is. Okay. Just tonight. It Yeah. Yeah. Can I say something? Yeah. Go ahead, Andrew. I I I I was thinking, you know, every time I talk to you depressing and get a report. Yeah. You're kind of
like the oncologist or the ICU doctor in the hospital and you basically are delivering bad news in every conversation or report that I've pretty much had with you. And I think in your next life, you need to be a clown or something and just bring happiness to people. Um I think that this is, you know, it's so depressing, sobering,
obviously. I think that as a select board member, I I kind of realize we'll never obviously We live in a historic town where my attitude is we're never going to ever be in a situation where we're right on top of everything. I I think each of us can only hope that we leave our town a little bit better off.
And I'm sure that you and you as well and your careers want we want to leave our town a little better off than the way we found it. Um, I think that when I think about our budget and how difficult, you know, how tight it's going to be, especially with the middle school, I I do feel like this, your
department is still and probably for my entire tenure on the select board, however long that is, is going to be the department that is the closest to crisis. And I just feel like, you know, everything we do, everything we spend money on is virtuous and valuable. I
looked at your list and I was looking for things that I could pick out and say that's not really the highest priority. That's like a want, not a need. U but I really couldn't. So I I I do think though based on priorities in the coming budgets, we should try, this is my
opinion, to divert a greater portion of our budget to the DPW to try to leave this town a little better than we found it. and and that's going to be a sacrifice obviously from the schools, from other departments, maybe fire,
police, but that in my opinion, we'll do a better job uh for the town if we try to focus on that. Um so I Lyn and I talked about doing this and having you and thank you for coming.
Uh, and this is almost like a uh a retrospective monthly report. We we get the reports, we know what you're doing, but this is I wanted to show I wanted you to show us what you've done, where you've been, where we are. Um, and it it
it was very sobering, more than more than I even expected. Um, and I a lot of it does come down to that I think at least our our water rates were so low for so long, water and sewer and just artificially low and everything just
compounded and we have so many problems that should have been addressed for years and it's really unfortunate that we are we're at where we are and now everything inflation is everything is harder to do. Um,
but the the good thing is I I think that you were thinking about things very strategically and that I don't think that happened for a long time. Um, and you you asked us one of the things you want to hear from us. What do you want us what do we want you to do? We want you to do everything. Um, and because
like Andrew said, there's not there's nothing that we're just doing for the heck of it. We we have to do these things. And uh I remember in might have been two or three years ago just driving down by my house at at Bliss and I had
to pull over into the playground because I had driven through maybe this much water and that's not a that's not a a gully there and I I couldn't see because and these storms keep happening and that's what really
when we we see that I'm assuming it's taking an incredible toll on our storm water system. But the fact they tell us that the storm water has not been funded, that really that makes me nervous and that things are just going
to cascade, we're going to lose streets that because we haven't been taking care of it. And I know that that is probably not the sexiest thing for us to do, but it's it's so important. But there there's so many things. On the other hand, I also think it's really important that we don't lose the quality
of life things. Um, and my kids, my boys play, uh, baseball and soccer, my daughters plays lacrosse. I hear from other parents, uh, that they want to see us do take a do a better job with the fields. And I know among everything else, that is a staffing problem because that a little
money can go a long way on that. I know, but you just don't have the staffing. Um, I'm hoping with uh some as we continue to kind of rightsize our our salaries for your employees, I hope we can do a little better on that. But
that so those are kind of conflicting things, but I think the quality of life really touches a lot of people and that's what people see. But also we have to address things that affect residents directly. So the water manes and then
also we have to watch the things that could be catastrophic the storm water. Uh so like like I said we want you to do everything. It's really hard to to say go forth and do this. But I do I
I think that one of the things I I'm the most proud of that we've done that haven't on my time in the select board was the bonding for the um for the paving because uh and Lynn and Ian and Mike like this is the
things that I think we should we can't do this all the time obviously we don't have a lot of boring capacity but the bigger swings thinking a little bit outside the box how can we address how can we get a little bit ahead of ourselves or a little ahead of where we were because you know if you not all the numbers are up there but just just for
water means 267 million over 20 years that's a quarter of our budget. Uh and we it'll never happen. Um but we have to do what we can and if we can be creative and find ways to to do things and you're
you're always going to be playing catchup and putting out fires. Uh but to the extent we can get ahead of some things, that's what we got to do. Anything else? Um no, I agree with uh so much of that
Josh and and Andrew as well. Um I I understand that, you know, and thank you all for the for the presentation and kind of you know, I know that these are conversations that we're constantly having and it's good to see everything kind of in one place and um laid out. Um and you know and I know that a lot of this especially with roads that there
were pressures from Prop 2 and a half uh you know prior to CO and that really affected the way that our budget was managed and that you know the increased home values after uh after COVID hit really kind of gave us some breathing
room in that respect. I know though that looking at some of our enterprise funds like water, sewer, storm water that the you know the underfunded uh investment in in those areas is indefensible to me. Those were things
that we should have been doing for a very long time and we did not invest in our water infrastructure, storm water and sewer and that is incredibly frustrating and I know that we are taking steps now to get to a place where we are setting rates that will allow us
to take on more projects um and to really chip away at it and and and I and I also want to say that you know this was directly a result of the select board's actions and not of town staff and and and town leadership. Um because
I know that you guys get blamed for a lot of this stuff and uh and I just want to make clear that's not the case. I know that when I was first elected, I met with Lynn and Sean and you guys laid out a lot of this to me and I said, you know, how could this, you know, have happened? And and you know, your
response was basically, we just haven't had a select board yet that will fund these things. Um and I hope that one day we will. And you know, I think that now we do have a select board that understands uh the ramifications of not maintaining our infrastructure. I mean, you guys just talked too about when
we're already so um when when our staff and our operations already so stressed, having water mane breaks and the impact that that has on our all of our other operations. Um and to have this many water mane breaks just in one month
really highlights the the need for this. And um so you know I I'm glad that we're moving in the right direction in in in terms of that. I know that we've also talked about coming up with creative solutions and of course we can't do all of this at uh
we're not going to be able to do all of this but we have to start chipping away at it. people need to start seeing progress and I think that people are seeing progress now uh which is a step in the right direction but things like using um you know um our water main
projects to also pave our roads afterwards these are things that other communities have been doing that we were not doing previously and now with Western Drive you know we are going to do that and and I'm fully in support of doing that moving forward so that we are paving more roads because the chapter 90
funding is so limited our budget is so limited. So, we should be making use uh of any avenue that we have uh to do that. Um and and and so, you know, I I I'm just I I'm in support of continuing to be aggressive on that end to be
looking to other communities to see what they're doing to see if we can also get any ideas uh that we can incorporate here um in in how we do things. Can I just follow on? So, if you're looking for directives from us, I think
that it's pretty obvious. We need you to keep doing exactly what you're doing, which is triaging, which is basically trying to put out fires, but also list look for the worst possible situations and the things that are most likely to be catastrophic. you know basically uh
it's I think that yes we can do following on what Ben said we can definitely try to find like any found money that we get like mana from heaven for example like we should basically devote to the DPW whether it's state
funding whether it's like the oped um operational st sorry the operational stabilization fund interest you know we need to focus on that but I I I don't think you know, I you you you're welcome to come ask for money and for bonding, but I think with the middle school and
what's going to happen to our debt service, I think the reality is this big swing we just took, as Josh said, we can't really count on doing that too often. So, you know, I think your attitude should just be to just do exactly just the difficult triage and
continue to give us reports and hopefully we'll get fewer surprises and start to chip away and get a little bit better position each year. Yeah, I think on our end, I think it's important that we're able to show these projects to you and then talk about the ramifications of not doing them because they're they're not going to get done
and then that will fall back and the blame on my staff and me, which is fine and I'll explain to them, but we need to be really clear what the pros and cons are of everything publicly because there's going to be ramifications and we're seeing them as we have the broken water mains and it's going to continue to happen. I think that that is really
important to like you said come back to us talk about it and say because these are not people may not understand it's hard to wrap your head around well if I if we don't pay this money I want my whatever my street paved but maybe that money is better paid or better
spent fixing a water man so that my neighbors don't lose water. Uh both are important and both will hopefully get done at some point, but it is there's a lot of things that you are worried about that maybe people don't understand and should be worried about.
I think it's fair to say the DPW is a priority for this board. And I think that if that's not the case from the past, it is now. And you know, the more communication you give us, the more communication you put out with the public and that we also explain the public, the the better more people understand why it is priority for all of us. Right.
Well put. Um, Shelley, yeah, I I I won't talk too much cuz I know it's getting late. Uh, one, I appreciate seeing this all together holistically. I agree with what everyone just said. This was very helpful for me, especially being new to the board, to see the bigger picture. Not only what
you've done to help improve things and the wins you've had, but really what are those big challenges we have to think about as a town. And I just can't agree more with what was just stated that and I'm actually looking forward to kind of the select board and our our financial summit that we have. Um because I think that's where we're going to have to make
some difficult decisions and prioritize. And I definitely think some of the things you discussed tonight are things that we as a select board need to prioritize for the town. Uh and you're right, those aren't the flashy things that everybody love, but they're the things that are going to help keep our town uh the way it is. So um thank you
for pulling this together. I found it very helpful. And I just would reiterate to please continue to escalate things to us when things do uh when you think we need to know that things are reaching that kind of boiling point so so we can kind of be aware and have your back.
Thank you, Shel. Uh Dan, go ahead. Thank you. Thank you, Sean. Um can can you guys hear me by the way? It's a little choppy uh on the video. Yeah, no problem. Okay, great. Um yeah, Sean, really appreciate going through this. Um, a lot of the stuff's like to what Ben was
saying is are things that we we've known for just, you know, our time on on the board here. And um, I would just I'm not going to echo what everyone has said. I I agree with everyone's comments. Um, I think this is why we all get get involved with public service. It's to
make a positive difference, make the difficult decisions to make our community better. As Andrew said, leave it in a better place than than we found it. Um, so I appreciate all these projects. is one of the questions that I I did have um with with the increase of
the water sewer rates. Um I think Josh mentioned just you know field conditions and certainly something I hear a lot about and and I would like to you know while my I'm on this board I certainly want to try to make improvements to our field conditions. Um with the increased
water sewer rates, do you feel that we um will be able to allocate more funds uh to towards improving our our parks and our playing fields? So I don't think you can use the enterprise funds for the fields.
I think No, I understand that. But I'm saying if we're going to be leveraging the funds that we have for water sewer projects, oh, will that open up the opportunity to focus on fields as well? I think that some of the fields are in
the position that they'll have to be rebuilt before we can um do anything to maintain them. So, I I don't I don't know. It's like Yeah. And I I wish I could say yes, Dan. Um but the reality is we were not using
the general fund to subsidize the water sewer enterprise funds. Uh I mean maybe it happened in rare instances but it was not really happening which is why if you look on that slide you know there was very little um water work done until
2023. Um so it's not going to with the rates going up it doesn't mean we have relief in the operating budget unfortunately. I I wish I could say it did. And then just another just a comment. I don't I don't think we touched much on
this, but with all of the uh with all the water um water main breaks going on and we've seen some uh communication with residents and concerns around uh you know communication or or in some cases maybe lack of and we're not we
don't have to go into it tonight but um I I am just curious in terms of like what type of plans uh that we do have in place and maybe that would be helpful for you Sean just to kind of highlight that quickly um because we're going to see more and more of these and and we've
already seen a ton. So, I think that'd be helpful for the public to understand that we do have uh communication in place and maybe we we've dropped the ball here and there, but I I would like to hear a little more about that. So yeah, I think we should set back some of the issues communications around those
water mane breaks um people had believed were scheduled that might not have been and uh staff did during those breaks go to Facebook and then post flyers in people's um houses. One of the issues with these breaks has been that it's 11:00 at night or 1 in the morning. So
we're not putting a code red out. We're not telling everybody. I did talk to Lynn after these series of breaks and said, "We're going to develop an SOP to make sure that when this happens, there's something going up on on the town website immediately and to uh let
people know at a certain time in that area. So maybe it's 7:00 in the morning on a Saturday if you want, you get a code red saying you have a water main break." Um, but we we haven't gotten that level where we're able to do the code reds in house. Um but a lot of these breaks unfortunately have been one in the morning and we we can't knock on
people's doors and stuff but we are going to work on um standardizing something to make sure that there's a way first thing in the morning on Sunday you're getting made aware. We've been putting flyers on people's houses. So um other part Sean is sometimes get it shut down so the valves don't work. We keep
going further away from the break to get shut down more houses come. It starts off with a small neighborhood, but but our valves, if you remember, we haven't been exercising. Um, by the time we actually get ones that work, we're affecting a huge neighborhood. So, we don't even know how many people are
effective until the water's turned off. Have room to standardize how we communicate. And I think we'll we'll have something shortly. Um, thank you. just to I know what Sean and Tim are saying, but if you guys want
clarity or you want them to explain what valve exercising means and how often you're supposed to do it, they can walk you through all of that. It's um boring, but also very interesting. Um and it helps kind of highlight how the system
needs to function and and the impact it can have if we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing. Oh, go ahead. You want You want to really It's okay. Give us the 30 seconds. I'm okay. Yeah, but we
we Yeah, we need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars getting our valves exercised because most of them don't work and are broken. And if you can't isolate a small area between two valves, then you can't isolate a leak. You've got to go way bigger till you find ones that work. That's the short end of it. Is that something that's part of when you're replacing a water man? Is that
new valves? Yes. Okay. there's an employee that it's part of their job to go out and exercise the valves to test them to make sure they they go off and on and things are working appropriately and haven't done that in a long time that there was no um standard practice
within the department to do that for a very long time. Lyn, have you thought about taking a role at the DPW? We are hiring. We have room in the water department. just I think it's helpful though when you explain it because they they talk so
fast they use technical terms and it's this is like what all of us live with every single day and to understand that you know when they go out there and the valve didn't work like if there was a fire and they can't get you know something to to work and turn
right um it has serious life and um property consequences and that was on Farmington Avenue when we found out that we had one working fire hydrant on the whole street. Mhm. Yeah. It's uh you don't want to hear
that, but it's good that it's better to know than to find out the last minute. They're working now. Yeah, I know that. Um all right. Anything else from the rest of the board? Well, I thank you very much for doing this. It was really
helpful and I I think we uh are going to make it more often. will uh I know you got a long drive back, Sean, but um we will definitely call you back more often to talk about this. It won't necessarily be as long um because we'll be talking about a shorter period of time, but uh
yeah, we we really appreciate you both coming in and uh telling us where where we're at and where we're going. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Have a good night. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks. Okay. uh Springfield Water and Sewer
Committee uh Commission 7th agreement extension. Thanks. So, uh with the agenda deadline, um we thought this might come to you tonight, but um we learned Friday that Springfield Water and Sewer was not going to be in attendance this meeting. So, this is going to be likely a
September one. It's also possible that you don't want them here or don't need them here for this extension. Just as a reminder, there we're on one-year agreements and this is the seventh extension of that agreement. We sign one annually. Um before they were just
signing it in the department and like everything you just saw in the last three years, we've said that's not the way it's supposed to be. It needs to come to you as the water sewer commissioners. You're the authority on that. Um they came to us last year, right? They came to you um in December.
That Yeah. Oh, that wasn't for this. Okay. Um, it was just the overall Springfield water conversation. We did subsequently vote on an extension, but that was 2023 to 2024. So, yeah, are due for this one. Yeah. So, we'll attach it to an agenda.
Um, and if you if we can get them here, I I always think it's a good idea to have them here, but Okay. Uh, thank you. Um, zoning bylaw, amend referral flood plane bylaw. Yeah. So, um, at the last town, was it
annual town meeting? The flood plane bylaw obviously passed by majority vote. Um, talk did not pass. Did not pass. Sorry, I said pass. Sorry. Did not pass. Uh, after confirming with town council, if there is a, uh, public hearing of the planning board and a
majority vote of the planning board to recommend it, it can come back on within a certain time span. So, this is just a procedural vote to refer it back to the planning board to hold a public hearing on it. And so for the rest of the board, we have to refer these. Um well, I yes,
we have to refer these. Um but if I is any are any changes being made to the flood plane bylaw? Okay. Not that I'm aware of and for the rest of the board to uh to your memories. Um this we are out of we
are against mass state law. Correct. We're out of compliance. Yeah, we're out of compliance and we have to update this flood plane bylaw. It did not pass at the annual town meeting and there was um people down that live over on um I can't remember the name start
search with the W I can't remember the name um down past the west of Dun Road. Yeah. Uh thank you. Um down past the dump by the Springfield Yach Club. uh a lot of people there spoke against it and so I I hope this time around since we
have to do this we work with those residents to uh hear their concerns and not have that done at uh on the floor. So uh but we'll refer back to the planning board for public hearing and just to be clear if they do not have
a positive vote to recommend then it cannot come back to to you. Sorry. Y I'll move to refer the zoning flood plane bylaw to the planning board. Second. Anything further? All those in favor? Peggy.
Peggy. Roll. Beneath. Yes. Josh. Yes. Yes. Dan. Yes. Shel. Yes. Thank you. Okay. For the uh Eversource pipeline update, uh I spoke about this in select board comment. Um I don't know if
there's anything else we want to update but Venice suggested that uh since the makeup of the board has changed that we I don't know take our temperature on this. Well, no. Yeah, I thought that um
just because there had has been such a gap from when this was really in the news, Eversource was making any kind of movement on this and now they came back with this meeting just to make it clear that the Long Meadow Select Board has not changed and the town of Long has not changed its position in this regard. um
and that you know we are still opposed to the to Eversourc's pipeline and and and just to make that make that clear to folks that nothing has changed on our end. Yeah. And you know I there was what I found interesting one
thing at the uh Eversource public forum and Andrew maybe you'll you want to speak on this. There was a uh a city council member from 16 acres who asked how many of his customers would be out of service if something did happen to
that pipeline. And it was 16,000 or something. And I think his attitude was well, it's hard for me to be opposed to something where I could have 16,000 of my residents without without heat. And I am I would hate for
us to have done something where we have people in town who are freezing or out of their house for the winter because it could take a long time to get this kind of repair done. The reason I I just am still I the reason I'm still against it
is because like I said I need Eversource to justify it and I just have not heard I haven't heard enough to to get me to think that that is exactly what they're doing because the problem is and this it's been a problem the whole time.
There's one interconnection to this pipeline in Springfield right next to the Hall of Fame. You can drive by it. you'll see it. It's just a a fenced area with a big a bunch of big pipes. That's that's not being replaced. They said they're going to bulk it up, but if
something happens there, then we're all it doesn't matter how many pipelines they get, how how many pipelines we have, there's still an issue there. And a lot of customers will be uh have a problem if something happens there. And I don't think they're addressing that. And I and I think that there is
something to we've heard some things that this is a a financial maneuvering by Eversource. I don't know. I I don't want to point fingers necessarily, but that is an issue that I don't think is being addressed and I don't we I've never
gotten a satisf satisfactory answer on that. So for that reason, I am still against this this project. Like I said, I would never want to be the the person or even one of the people that made it so one of a friend or somebody in town
doesn't have heat, but I I don't think that's being addressed. Uh, anybody else? Okay. Um, so do we have a uh or how do you want to style your motion? Oh, I I Yeah, I don't know. Do we need a
Do we need a motion or just kind of I guess not. Yeah, we don't necessarily have to vote. Yeah, because nothing's changed. It was just kind of make it clear. Yeah. And the town our the really the only way we can oppose this pipeline. We could vote all we want. We could do whatever. We have the power of the
federal and the state government. There's a lot of federal laws that gives Tennessee gas. They can do whatever they want anywhere in the state, locally. Our power, our laws are generally exempt. The way we could stop this, if that's
what people want to do, and that is what people want to do because the town has voted on it a number of times, is to oppose it at the state permitting level. And we're doing that by funding uh an attorney who is very well verssed in this. And that has not changed. He's got
uh so we have $300,000 or so committed to the to the project around there from from the start. There's about 160 or so left. Yeah. Yeah, because we we hired an expert. So, we've this is we've talked
about this in this room at Nauseium, but um there's a lot of money that has been set aside to pay for a lawyer, which is really I think the only way you public advocacy, etc. But I think the most concrete way is to hire a lawyer, which
we've done. Um so, if anybody else has uh anything to say, now's the time. Otherwise, um, we'll move on to correspondence. Uh, and the one I got a number of great letters here from residents. I
appreciate we got a number on artificial turf, the middle school and the high school, which may come up at some point. Um, so I appreciate people pitching in on that. Uh, the one I we got a letter from Country Bank. Is that right? On the signs?
Yes. Did I come in when I was It's August. August 8th. So, I don't that didn't get sent to us. I I didn't see it until it hit the agenda. Uh I think to have them be able to do this. We'd want to get it on the next agenda. Um so, because it is a objects on the
tree belt, the policy actually states select board or town manager. And this is kind of how we've gone through the process with the pollinator gardens as well. Oh, really? We had more than one. Uh we had two and one you were able to um the policy for object says select board or town manager. So, um, we could,
if this falls into that policy and it doesn't fall into just a regular signage policy through the zoning bylaws, then we can definitely take this up. Okay. I would rather select board action. I would much rather it be without select board action. Um, I think my what I would just say is they would like it
until September 30th. I just think no any signs on town property in general. I think we should try to shoot for like 30 days. Not I think there actually are parameters surrounding the time frame in both the zoning bylaws and the selective policy. Great. I believe it's a um it's actually less
it's it's much less than Okay. So yeah, follow the policy. Yeah, if it doesn't have to come to us, I think that's great. Uh I know Country Bank I had forgotten they'd open there. Uh so it's probably good that they put some signage up, but I wish him the best of luck. So um all right, anybody else
in correspondence? All right, if anything you know what to do. All right, I'll move that we adjourn. Second. All right. Uh, all those in favor, uh, roll, please. Yes. Josh, yes. Andrew, yes. Dan, yes. Shelley,
yes. All right, everybody. Good night. See you tomorrow. Good night. Good night. Good night.