representing greater than 20,000 physicians of the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts branch of the American College of OBGYn. Across the country, providers of reproductive and gender affirming health care are working tirelessly to preserve the health and well-being of their
patients. Unfortunately, at great personal risk, our patients are losing access to evidence-based care, and they're frightened, and so are we. Unfortunately, those outofstate threats have begun to impact providers and patients in Massachusetts who are
worrying about how the care that they provide here at home may threaten their safety either in the future or if they travel out of state. This law sends a strong message across the Commonwealth, affirming our state government's commitment to protecting access to
life-saving evidence-based care. The Shield Law 2.0 know strengthens critical patient privacy protections while achieving the right balance, one that promotes safety and trust while supporting exceptional clinical care. It truly reflects the very best of what
medicine and the commonwealth stand for, autonomy, dignity, and the right to timely, safe, and respectful care. So on that note, I truly want to extend my sincere thanks on behalf of myself, my institution, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the American College of
OBGYn to Governor Healey, Attorney General Campbell, Speaker Mariano, State President Spila, Senator Freriedman, Chair Day, the Legislature, and every advocate who made this moment possible. We applaud you for defending these values and ensuring that
Massachusetts remains a beacon of access, humanity, and highquality care where providers and patients can be safe from intimidation. Today, we can say that the government's got our back and we really appreciate it. So, we're honored to stand with you and we look forward to continuing this work
together. And next, I'd like to uh introduce Dallas Dooker, the vice pro exe executive vice president at Fenway Health. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Smith. Uh, it's a true honor today to celebrate
a law that will save lives, including my own and so many other trans people who I know, so many trans kids out there who go to Fenway Health every day among so many other organizations and receive life-saving care. This law will save
families. It will protect families and remind our country what leadership looks like. A deep thank you to Governor Mora Healey, to Senator Cindy Freriedman, and every single advocate, policy maker, and survivor who made this possible, who
raised their voice, and made today possible. With this law, Massachusetts is not just responding to a crisis. We're rising to meet it with courage, with clarity, and with conviction. At a time when gender affirming care and
reproductive care are under attack across the country, this Commonwealth has made something crystal clear. We will not back down. Our government will protect our providers. Our leaders will
protect our patients. And we will be a refuge to protect the fundamental right to health care. No matter who you are or where you come from, this law does what our systems too often fail to do. It wraps care providers in
protection rather than suspicion. It lets us focus on healing, not legal threats. It defends clinicians from politically motivated investigations. It strengthens data privacy. Ensures parents parents won't
be punished for loving their children. It ensures healthcare won't be weaponized. This isn't just policy. It's a principle and it's a declaration that this commonwealth will be a beacon. That when others turn away, we open our doors. And
that when others so fear, we stand in solidarity. This law is hope made real. So let's celebrate it. Let's defend it. And let's help lead this country forward. Thank you all so much. Hope is what carries you. Hope is that
voice that says get up. Even in the midst of the chaos, it's the light in the dark place. You got to hope for something. I hope in God because of his grace, he gave me a second chance at life.
My recovery journey started when I had to take care of my grandson. That's when I had to make a decision to choose him. It was in that second chance to be able to raise him. And it was a dream come
true because I haven't looked back since then. My role as a peer advocate, it allowed me to find my purpose. Now I use my living experience to identify with others to
help them in their recovery pathway, whatever that looks like. A lot of times we'll go to our grave never knowing our purpose. And I found purpose in this pure advocacy work to be somebody voice that's voiceless. And I'm able to give them hope. The same hope that someone
gave me. Now I'm able to give it back and it keeps my recovery going. I'm just so grateful. It's that gratitude to be able to wake up in the morning and watch the sun come up. I'm just so in awe of his creation.
The trees, the flowers, the water. When I'm at the water, I really see my eyes on him because I was so distracted. I still have struggle. I I still have problems. But even in those moments, you
have to have hope. So if you're feeling hopeless, if you're feeling like you're in a dark tunnel, don't give up. Your story is still being written. [Music]
[Applause] Hi, I'm Shante Low, the American record holder in the women's high jump. As an athlete, it's very important to prioritize mental health. Your mind is probably the most underrated but strongest muscle to get you over the
hump. Every single day you high jump, you have to end in a failure. It brings me peace that there's no failures, but instead we use those opportunities to grow forward. And so I started this ritual. Plant the seeds and pull the weeds. The seeds that
I wanted to plant were the things that brought me comfort and joy and peace and hope. But pulling the weeds, any type of doubt, any words of discouragement, pluck them up, burn them, throw them away. They have no business in your
mind, in your heart, in your spirit, in your life. The doctor told me, "I'm so sorry. It's breast cancer. I thought that it was over." And I'm talking to my husband. I wanted
to stop hurting. [Music] I'm crying. And I say, you know, I'm so sorry that I'm going to leave you here with our children. And he looked at me and he was kind of
perplexed and he's like, no, you have been a fighter your entire life. Now is the time to fight. All of the times where there were these little setbacks where I fought for my mind, I fought for a solution, I fought
for hope, I built a muscle of resilience. So now all of a sudden where I'm thinking that it's my last days now replaced with hope. >> Yes, this fight will be hard. But what will it be like in the end when you ring
that bell? [Music] I have this bell made to signify resilience. Just like the last lap of a track and field competition where the bell is rung to signify that this is the
final lap. You're tired. A lot has happened. You've run a very, very long race. You can't even imagine going any further. When you hear the bell, it represents that now is the time to go after the prize.
My goal is the finish line, and I've come too far to stop. [Music] [Applause] IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT. HEAD OUT EARLY. 11 p.m.
>> I I didn't even drink that much. No. Uh, no. We're actually not waiting for Josh. So, we can start at seven. >> Yeah. All right, stand by. >> No problem. >> So stand by
in five, four, three, two, one. >> Welcome to the October 6, 2025 meeting of the law select board. This is select board vice chair benith mathy. I'll be filling in uh for the time being until our chair Josh Lavine is able to get to the meeting. Um I will begin by
confirming that all members and persons anticipated on the agenda are present and can hear me. Members, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Dan Zoro >> here. >> Shelley Mayor De Wolf >> here. >> Andrew Lamb here. And Josh, do we have you on Zoom?
All right, there we go. >> All right, great. Glad to have you on board. Um, and then staff, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Lynn Simmons >> here. >> Mike Barbieri >> here. >> Peggy Sheldon >> here. >> Thank you. This open meeting of the Long 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 comment section of the meeting and I will call on you to approach the microphone. For residents participating in the meeting via Zoom webinar format, please use the raise 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 star 9 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. Okay, great. And we'll begin with the
pledge of >> 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. >> Okay. And now we'll move into select
board announcements. The Community Preservation Committee is seeking new grant applications for possible consideration at the 2026 annual town meeting. Applications should be received no later than November 13th. The committee has also voted to change their procedures to now accept
applications twice per year and to accept progress report submissions on a semianual basis instead of quarterly. For additional information, please visit the Community Preservation Committee page on long memma.gov. The Long Meadow Cultural Council seeks grant applications. The deadline to
submit applications is October 16th. Mass Cultural Council funds and manages a network of 329 local cultural councils across the state representing every city and town in the Commonwealth. Each council awards money based on individual community cultural needs assessed and
set by LCC members. More information about the application process can be found at longmma.gov/civic alerts. The fall special town meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 4th at 7 p.m. in the Long Meadow High School gym. The select board is set to close
the warrant on October 20th. For additional information, please visit long meadow ma.gov/town meeting. And finally, the town offices will be closed on Monday, November 13th in observance of Columbus Day um or indig indigenous people's day. Um and
with the conclusion of announcements, we will now move into resident comments. Is anyone here to make a resident comment? All right. And whenever you're ready. I just want to make sure I don't go into three minutes. >> I've got my stopwatch running, too.
>> Um, so article four, million-doll revolving fund. Revolving accounts are for recurring revenues and expenses. Mass Division of Local Services appears to say a bylaw change is needed to establish this type of a revolver. In any event, this taxpayer money should be
used for any of the following. Offset utility expenses, the original intent, deposit the money into a capital stabilization fund, and taxpayers decide usage on a two-thirds vote. Individual capital items are always approved by taxpayers at town meetings.
Or third, set up utility stabilization fund. The low constellation PPA rates will be rolling off to higher rates. And then the nuclear option. Either you or taxpayers at the town meeting can reduce taxes. Articles 15 and 17. Western Drive. They should come after each
other. 11 million is huge money for a small street. In June, DPW had said the road was bad for years and was waiting to do water and sewer repair work. Road repairs and renovations are chapter 90 taxes or bonding and should not be paid with water and sewer funds.
Emerson Drive was recently done and separated the costs and this is how all past projects have been done. Look at the select board town meeting, excuse me, select board town manager policies on water and sewer enterprise funds.
Sorry, it's been a long day. Water enterprise funds are used for operations, repairs and maintenance to the potable and firefighting water distribution center systems included in this category are repairs and to the water tower. Not allowed use of funds. Repair maintenance capital or other
expenditures that is unrelated to the potable and firewater. Need to bifurcate the costs. Water and sewer rates do not pay for asphalt, paving, and other related costs. Road repairs have nothing to do with providing water and sewer services and
are not correlated to water usage. You've been concerned about water rates. How much further are you going to burden water and sewer? You're now seeing some of the behind-the-scenes detail that went into the invalid water and sewer rates approved on June 16th that was not approved at the town meeting in May.
Article one, $400,000 settlement. You should be prepared to give citizens background and answers. What was the logic of suing for 4.7 million of damages, spending a million on legal fees, and then setting settling after over 5 years for 400? I'm actually going
to go back. Miss Simmons did a great job of settling with the contractors on delay damages and work resumed after the former town manager left a disastrous situation. Article 8, firefighter overtime.
Why are em uh in April the finance committee had the following issues and we're told that's the way it's been done. Sorry, >> about 10 seconds left. >> Okay. Why is EMT overtime requested in the May article similar to this article not being charged to the ambulance fund? And two, why is the budget budgeted EMT
overtime not being charged to the ambulance fund? Ambulance fund is supposed to be self-sufficient. I have faith in the fire chief. This is an accounting issue, but it should be charged to the ambulance fund. not being paid from free cash or
regular town funds. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else here for resident comment? >> I think you all are here for presentation, right? You're you're on the agenda later. Yep. >> Um anyone online? >> No. Okay, great. Uh next up, we have uh
board and committee interviews. And so we've got three interviews to conduct tonight. Uh two for the historic district commission and one for the audit committee. So, we'll begin with the audit comm audit committee. Uh, Tiffany Pignater, if you can come up to the microphone
and um, thank you for applying for the audit committee. Um, and if you could just begin by uh, you know, giving us your name, your address, and just kind of a little bit about yourself and why you applied for this position. >> Yeah, sure. So, my name is Tiffany Pignitaro. I live at 102 Academy Drive.
Um, I am a licensed CPA in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I started my career upon graduating college as um an auditor with a public accounting firm outside of Boston and worked five years in um public
accounting as an auditor and left as an audit manager. Um I then you know worked a few years at a publicly traded manufacturing company as a controller and then left there to work in municipal government and I am
actually uh spent the last five and a half years at the town of Al uh town of Ellington, Connecticut as the finance officer and treasurer. So um the audit committee is pretty much what I was put on this earth to do. Like it's I it's
municipal and it's auditing. So, it's it's great. Um, I think I have a lot of experience and background and different perspective that I can bring to the committee. Um, I've also been excited to kind of get involved in Long Meadow. Um, but with my schedule in Ellington having
to attend all the night meetings, um, I think this would be a low impact commitment that I could make to get start getting involved and um, offer my expertise to a committee that, you know, might need another member. So, >> great. Thank you. Uh, any other
questions from the board? >> Yeah, it's been kind of a ritual that the chair of the audit committee every year comes to us and says, "We need more members to get more." Now, I think we might actually have a full committee. So, >> this is like my jam, so I'm looking forward to it. Yeah. And thank you for your time. Obviously, I know it's a busy.
>> Yeah. And thank you for applying and uh we'll be voting on your appointment at our next meeting. >> Cool. >> Great. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Nice to meet you all. >> All right. Uh, and next we have uh two folks that are that have applied for reappointment to the district historic district commission. Uh, Ann Slick and
Sarah Morgan. I see Sarah's online. I don't think I see Ann here. Um, >> hi. >> Hi, Sarah. Thanks for joining us. >> Yeah. >> Great. Um, >> just for some background too, Sarah is actually a current member of the
committee as in an alternate role. um they do not have a full membership right now because they had some people that had either um stepped off the committee or they termed out. Um and so Sarah is switching or seeking to switch from an alternate member to a full-time member
for a new term to be to end in 2028. >> Great. Perfect. Uh thank you. And Sarah, uh if you could just begin by just uh giving us your name, your address, and just why you're, you know, seeking reappointment to the historic district commission. >> Yes. So Sarah Morgan, 977
Long Meadow Street, and I've been on the committee now for about a year and a half and absolutely love it. Um I love being involved um in all the historic aspects. I have a historic home in the community and it's just a pleasure to work with everybody and just make sure that we're following the rules and
guidelines. >> Great. Thank you so much. Um any questions from the board? >> No. All right, that was easy. >> Thanks for joining us. We'll let you go and we'll be uh voting on your appointment at our next meeting. >> Thank you.
>> All right, thank you. >> All right, and uh we'll follow up with Ann Slick, um to get her interviewed at an future meeting. Um and with that, uh we will now move into select board comments. Um does anybody have a comment
they'd like to make? Everyone's just gearing up for the long meeting. Carl, I think Josh, you got a comment? >> Uh, yeah. >> Okay, go ahead. >> Uh, yeah. Um, I I just wanted to speak about the uh special town election last week. Uh, the town I was very grateful
for the select board and the town clerk and Lynn on working on getting the uh having the early voting. Uh, it got over 700 people which I was very happy to see. Uh and then the election day itself was very smooth. Had a lot of great
volunteers. Uh and I was really happy to see things work so well. Uh and this was really a bit of democracy and action. You know, there was two very uh vocal and had advocates on for yes and no. And
uh I had a couple chats with people on the day of that were still making their mind up. And I I think that that's the way it should be. Um and but I'm very happy with how the vote came out and I'm looking forward to working with the other members of the middle school building committee on moving forward the
school that uh the entire town can be proud of. Um and I I will just the the my only disappointment is that I wish we had a a bigger turnout. Uh this is the most money the town has ever spent and hopefully we'll have to spend for a long time and I I just wish we'd had more
engagement. Um, we had 27% which is good. It's a good for one of our elections, but uh overall uh I just hope we can see more people out for future elections, especially on big ticket items like this. Uh, but that's just
thank you to everyone involved and I appreciate everyone's hard work. >> Great. Thank you, Josh. I can't believe that election was just last week. Um, okay. Nothing else from the board. We'll move into applications. Um, I'll entertain a motion to approve the Long
Meadow Adult Center Community Funds, uh, two applications for October 14th and October 30th. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Any further discussion? >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Oh, actually, do we have to roll call because Josh? Yeah, sorry. Sorry, Peggy. We got to do roll call.
>> Roll call. Um, >> yes. >> Durko, >> yes. >> Shel, >> yes. >> Andrew, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Okay, thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Um, and then we've got a uh road uh a block party application.
Do we have anyone from from Felmouth Road to speak on this? >> No. Okay. All right. Well, um, hopefully everyone's had a, you know, chance to review the application. So, I will entertain a motion to approve the uh, Bmouth Road block party. >> So, move.
>> Second. >> Any further discussion? >> Roll call. Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Andrew Lamb. >> Yes. >> Josh. >> Yes. >> Great. And anyone here from First Church to speak on that application?
Okay. Um if not, then I will entertain a motion to approve the First Church block party application. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? >> Okay. Peggy. >> Yes.
Yes. Dan, >> yes. >> Andrew, >> yes. >> Josh, >> yes. >> Okay, great. Now, we will move into presentations and guest speakers. So, uh the first uh presentation guest speaker that we have on the agenda is from Fussen O'Neal to present on the Mass
Works grant design. So, >> if you all can grab a mic, thank you all for joining us. You guys can, you know, kind of get started whenever whenever you're set. And um you know if you're not planning to just please uh introduce yourselves at the outset.
>> Sean do you want to any opening remarks or let us >> No, you guys can go right. >> Mr. Vice Chair, thank you. Uh members of the board. Good evening. My name is Nicholas Le Point. I'm a project director with Fussen O'Neal. Uh with me I have Aaron Keegan, a project manager with Fussen O'Neal. We're here on behalf
of the Long Meadow Department of Public Works to give you a design update on the Williams and Bliss Road uh circulate traffic circulation improvements and uh specifically um present to you a couple of alternative concept alternatives that we
have tonight. Um we're very enthusiastic and excited to share with you. Um this is part of the Mass Works infrastructure grant that the town received um related to the development of the Covest parcel on Williams Street. Um and this is kind
of the first time process to kind of get your feedback and hopefully um get some consensus to move forward the design. So really excited to hear your feedback tonight. I think it's been a long time coming. So, I'll turn it over to Aaron and he'll kind of run through uh our presentation and we can have an open
discussion about it. >> Thanks, Nick. Again, my name is Aaron Keegan, project manager of F O'Neal. Um, and I'll start by saying that u we're really honored to be able to work on this important project for the town of Long Meadow. Um, next slide, please. A little agenda. We're going to go through
the Mass Works program overview. Uh, then we'll talk about the project purpose, the existing conditions. We have a couple of concept plans to show you and describe. Uh then we'll give you our opinion of construction cost and the project timeline. So, uh real quick, um
as many of you know, the Max Works program is a state grant program that aims to fund infrastructure to support job creating development. And the town of Long Meadow won a grant uh last year to support the infrastructure around the Cvest development at uh Bliss Road,
Williams Road and and Red Drive. We um we are presenting tonight a project that the design was funded partly with that Massworks grant. Next slide. Um so the first project purpose is to align with the the goals of the mass
works program which is to you know build sustainable infrastructure around job creating development. Uh also another project purpose is that it aligns with the town's uh complete streets priority plan which was passed last year. Um project number one on that
plan was calming and pedestrian and bicycle improvements uh at Red Fern uh I'm sorry at Williams and Bliss. Um and then product number six was safety improvements at the intersection of Frank Smith, Red Fern, uh and Williams. So the the Massworks project that we're
trying to design uh meshes really well with the priority uh priority plan. Also, the long range plan uh that I know has been um underway here at Long Meadow. Uh it fits with the transportation circulation section of the plan. There's two tasks that uh task
number five it is invest in new or enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. That's exactly what this project is doing. And then uh task number 11 implement traffic calming. That's that's another objective of the project. Okay. So this slide shows the roughly
the uh design project area. The red outline is is more or less the project limits. A fairly big area. Uh we'll start on the right uh page right. That is the uh signalized intersection of Red Fern Williams and Frank Smith. Uh it includes the what we're calling uh the
potential roundabout which is today uh a stop controlled intersection that's kind of a triangular shape in the center of the project area uh just east of the the Big W gas station. And then we're calling the triangular circulation area. That's Bliss Road, Bliss Court, and Williams uh Williams Road. Uh and that
um today is uh as you know oneway circulation um and that's that's our project area. Next slide please. Yes. Thanks. A little about the existing conditions. I'm sure you're well familiar. Um but some of the things that are deficient about the infrastructure today. If we look at the
intersection of William Street and Redern Drive, the signal equipment itself is a little bit outdated. uh the pedestrian buttons, for example, the pedestrian ramps themselves don't quite meet uh current mass standards. Next slide.
Um additionally, uh back one. So, additionally, if we look at the uh the cross-section of Bliss Road, William Street, it's a two-lane cross-section at the moment, uh which is, you know, 30 30 miles per hour speed limit. We find that the speeds prevailing speeds are a
little higher than than 30. Uh there's one particular dangerous situation for pedestrians that is a kind of a recurring safety concern. Uh when you have a two-lane cross-section, one one way each direction. Uh a pedestrian can step out, one vehicle can yield to the pedestrian, not the next vehicle coming
along, sees a stop vehicle but doesn't understand or see the pedestrian crossing and then what happens is what we call a courtesy crash. So the second vehicle will sometimes hit the pedestrian because it was blocked by the the stopped car. So that's been a concern. Um, additionally on Bliss Court
Road, you have this kind of merging area that we would call weave. Um, you have people turning left on Bliss Court, people turning right from Bliss Road, and they're trying to change lanes and at speed. Um, so that can be a sideswipe situation.
So, getting to our first uh concept, the first part of the project, uh, we have uh redesigned the intersection of Red Fern, Frank Williams, and William Street. And two of the big safety upgrades that we're we're presenting here, every movement will have an exclusive left turn lane with an
exclusive signal phase, a protected signal phase for that left turn movement. So, that's going to be a big safety improvement. It's going to reduce the severity of crashes. Right now, if you turn left, you have to yield to oncoming traffic. There's no exclusive uh pedest left turn phase there. Also,
this phase uh this this concept includes uh 8 foot shared use paths at the perimeter of the intersection. So, it could be used for a shared use bike path off-road. Right now, uh there are no bicycle accommodations at at the intersection. Um last thing is it would
include safety timing upgrades. So, depending on the the new development that happens at that corner, um we can rettime the intersection to optimize the uh the uh decrease the delay, optimize the performance. All right. So, uh back one side, please.
The alternative number one. Uh, back two slides. Thank you. That one. All right. So, now we're moving on to kind of the the middle of the the design area. Um, you can see in the center U where there's currently a stock control triangular intersection, we've placed a single lane
roundabout. Um, we found that it fits pretty well and it it performs very well in terms of track traffic operations. Uh, and what you're going to get for a roundabout there is uh reduced uh crashes, um, less severity of crashes. you you won't have t-bone crashes. They're all every vehicle is moving in
the same direction. Um it's going to be a lot safer for bicycles and pedestrians. And so that's an option for you at the center of the project area. Moving on to Bliss Road and and the cross-section of Bliss Road and alternative number one. Oh, back one, please.
>> Um so the cross-section of Bliss Road in this alternative is kind of the the least impactful in terms of changing from what's there. we would essentially keep the two-lane cross-section at a bike lane on the road with no buffer and keep the existing curbs the same width as today. So, this is a little lower
cost. Um, it it doesn't go all the way in terms of the potential uh safety changes that could be made, but it's it's an option for you. You can see at the the intersection of Bliss Court and Bliss Road, we haven't changed it too much. We're adding a a truck apron uh that a truck could pass, but a vehicle
will be discarded from going over. We're narrowing the lanes for for regular vehicles to in attempt to calm traffic lower speeds. Um so it is an upgrade. We have raised crosswalks u to help uh slow vehicles down and increase yield yield rates at the crosswalks. Um but more or
less the two-lane cross-section and the intersections at Bliss Court Bliss Road are somewhat similar to the way they are today. Moving on to alternative two. >> So this is if I could just add that's like the bare bones >> bare bones option. um really minor work.
You do get a shared use path in front of the tennis courts too, which um I think is closing an important network gap and some sidewalks along Big Y. But we call option one is other than the roundabout, it's very uh not invasive, not a lot of
change for the town. >> Thanks. Uh back to option two for a moment. Uh back one side. >> Yes. So option two would be uh more more transformative. So, we're going to a one lane crosssection in this alternative on Bliss Road uh and on Williams Street.
The one lane uh is sufficient for traffic circulation. You will get a um you know lower speeds. It will be a narrower feel to it, but it is still enough capacity for for the the traffic that's there. We are putting a a separated bike lane. So, this bike lane is actually 6 in elevated at at curb
height and it's separated from the travel lane. So, that's kind of the most safety you can provide for bicyclists. Uh, of course, the sidewalk remains where it is now, separated from from the bike lane, uh, closer to where the the shop's uh, parking lot is. You can see at the intersection of Bliss Court and
Bliss Road, we're introducing a different kind of geometry here. This is a what we would call kind of like half a roundabout. Now, what this is going to do is you'll have to actually uh, yield to traffic there. So, it isn't going to produce the kind of weaving movement. um
one one car will yield and allow the other to go through. You don't have to stop there if there's no vehicle there, but it's it's a it's a safer uh kind of kind of design. Um and um we think that it'll calm traffic and reduce reduce crash rates, reduce sideswipes. Again,
there's a shared use path on Bliss Court in front of the tennis courts. And on William Street, we have one lane um all the way to the roundabout. Moving on to alternative three. So, this alternative, it it shares the same cross-section on Bliss Road. So, that's one lane. We got the separated
bike lane. The difference here is that we've kept the triangular intersection at the center of the the project area. Uh we've got William Street is one lane, but then it opens up into two lanes to give you that extra left turn lane uh as you're you're getting to that um that kind of triangular intersection in front
of the gas station. So, this is sort of a um a hybrid of uh one and two, if you will, um keeping the the intersection at the center of the project area. uh similar to what it is now. Again, raised crosswalks. Uh so, you're definitely going to get some some pedestrian safety improvement here. Um we do have some
separated bike lanes. Um it's just that the intersection remains uh similar to what what it is today. Okay. So, let's move on to opinion of construction cost um for the signalized intersection. So, this is just Red Fern, Frank uh William, Frank White, Frank Williams, sorry, and
the U William Street intersection. So, that's one to 1.2 2 million depending on the selected land configurations. The triangular circular improvements, so that's Bliss Road, Bliss Court, and William Street. That alone would be
option one would be more like you're in the 1 million range. In option two and three, you'd be getting more towards the two and a half million. So to really change form the cross-section of the road, alternatives two and three, it would be more costly, you know, than than alternative one.
And then the roundabout is is kind of an add-on. We think it has a lot of value, but if you were to include the roundabout with the overall design, you're looking at adding a 300 to 600k u you know extra we have we have to add that would that's a lower price than if
you were to do the roundabout by itself or later on as part of a different project. So there is kind of economies of scale of adding the roundabout to the overall overall project. Um so we're looking at a back one slide. Thanks. Uh the combined total you're
looking at 2.3 to to 4 uh3 million and uh as we understand it this is a um a mass works construction grant that the town is is uh interested in in applying for addition in addition to other possible funds. I'll let I'll let Sean speak to that. But I do want to add that
the cost that we're showing doesn't include any simultaneous utility upgrades which the town could pursue, you know, together with this project. For example, storm water or um sewer. You could you could upgrade that at the same time while the everything's under construction if if you choose. So,
>> and the the mass works program is typically up to 5 million. So, strategically, this project has kind of been created for that should the town pursue that um on its own. And also to add that roundabout, that's a very good deal. I mean, if you do that by
yourself, it's like 1.5 million. So, it's like half off. It's it's a it's a quite a savings to include that now rather than go back and do that later just because of utilities and the mobilization. Um thanks. >> Okay. And uh believe this is our last
slide. It just gives you a sense of the project timeline. Um we are we've gone through 25% design or I'm sorry pre-25% design. >> Uh we have concepts we have full um size concepts you can look at more closely. And what we're looking for is a
preferred alternative to move on to 25% design. And we are scoped to finish 25% design this year. Uh we would then move into 75% design uh in in winter of of next year, February of 26. We're aiming
to wrap up and have bid ready documents by April of next year. And that would give you a chance to apply for the Mass Works construction grants which would be in May of of next year. >> Great. Okay, that's it. >> Great. Thank you so much. And Sean, do you have anything you wanted to add?
>> Yeah, I just as backup, we're looking for the preferred um design from you guys. And this will likely be the only Mass Works grant we're ever able to apply for because they're this is driven by um growth from businesses. So, this is unique opportunity to apply for this grant um probably one time.
>> Okay, got um great. Thank you. And just if there is a chance we could apply for the full grant and would not be awarded all of it in which case there have to be a decision made if we were to take another funding source like chapter 90 or our town's capital funds to pivot in to cover any deficit. Um we might get all of it but just just be aware that is
also a possibility. >> Okay. So it's not all or nothing. They could say we are going to fund a certain percentage. Okay. >> Great. Thank you. Um all right. Any questions from the board? >> Um great presentation. Thank you. Um, so
with obviously we have the shops there on on both sides, Big Y, the gas station. Would would there have to be any um changes to the like the curb cutouts on with any of these options that we're talking about? >> Uh well, so the first option, no, we
would keep the curbs the same width. Uh with options two and three, you would see a change in in the curbs. It would be a little bit of widening. Um and plus there would be that bike lane kind of just elevated. So there would be more road construction with two and three
>> and no closing of driveways. So go postto um Lola is that that would all those those egresses access points would all remain as is. We're not not proposing any access management. Yeah, because I'm looking at, you know, where Lola's is or Friendly is years ago when you're pulling out there, that's where the
rotary, >> right? That one we're putting a splitter on, I believe there to help kind of clean that up a little bit, but we're not going to shift that over as part of the roundabout um because it's mostly right in right outs. Um that that one would probably be the most impacted, but
generally the footprint would remain um the location. >> That is a high accent cluster area as well. >> Yeah, you have gas stations right there. fixing that axin cluster with this. >> Yeah, because you'd be pulling the gas station out of that kind of integration
that that conflict point there and you'd have to go around the circle and then really you'd only be as you pull out of Lola's you're only really just looking at people coming down William Street versus now you're kind of looking at gas station Williams. It's a little tricky now. So that would be an improvement.
>> And then for number for number two you call like a half roundabout. Mhm. >> So, I'm guessing that that would help. I see a lot of people go the wrong way sometimes. They're turning down uh from Big Y to go down Williams. Yeah. So, I
think that would cut that off. Is that what you're referring to? >> It would be harder to make that mistake with >> Yeah. Like much harder. You'd be like stuck or you'd have to go >> like around almost. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. No, thank you. >> Thanks, Andrew. >> Thanks a lot. This is very interesting
uh to all of us. We're also intimately, you know, knowledgeable about any resident in town knows these this thorough affair very well. Uh just some initial thoughts. You know, I think the and questions my my the intersection at Williams will redern. I think that that that sound made a lot of sense. I think regarding the roundabout, you know, I I
wonder do we know what is the police reports as far as like accidents at that spot? Like we're all so familiar with it. I've never I don't know. I've never really seen an accident there, but like is that something that we think is a very high collision spot like when
you're maybe turning around? I mean, that's all you can really do. Turn around basically. Is it because maybe people don't yield? >> Speaking to the data, I don't have it in front of me. Um, I can get that for you. I can say it's not a it's not a high rate, but there is enough there to be
concerned. Uh, it is a conflict point. Um, and again, not to be dismissive, three weeks ago, we had a girl hit uh on the sidewalk in front of Lola's. She was traveling east on the sidewalk on our bike and someone had was coming from at
that point looking to go straight across into Lola's parking lot and she was the operator was looking right to see if she could do it. >> I see the traffic >> and by doing so, she didn't wasn't cognizant of traffic >> what's in front of her. She was looking right, not in front. >> Correct. So, >> you know, now he was that one instance.
Yeah. To be the catalyst for this, but I it because it's so topical, so recent, that's what comes to mind. We see a lot of that. I think a lot of times people are looking straight ahead or looking right and not seeing what's happening here. But I if you'd like, I can certainly >> Yeah, I think that that would be very valuable. I mean, I I'm clear I'm very,
you know, well aware of the benefits of roundabouts and how it's much less fatalities when you're moving at a slower spa speed. It will slow things down. And I think that before we decide on what to put there, we should know what the data really is because frankly in a roundabout you could I mean the
benefit of roundabouts is not that you have fewer collisions I believe it's that they're at a slower speed. So you're still in a situation where you're looking to oncoming traffic to see when you can enter and not necessarily looking ahead. You could do something like you know very very regrettable of course. So um I think that would be
really interesting to see if there's accident spots right at that spot. Um, I really like knowing this idea of the courtesy crash term because I have personally been very concerned about that spot. Um, for a while I've personally seen, you know, exactly what
you described. One guy, one person stops and then the next car comes by and almost hits like a kid. So, it sounds like so I was keen to see what solutions there are for that situation. And it seems like the solution is literally just one lane. Is that basically the only thing that we can think of for
that? Because one lane will slow. I don't live on that side of town, but I'm sure in the mornings there's a ton of people trying to commute coming from East Long Meadow. It will get congested if we inter if we introduce a half roundabout that probably will that yields. I'm kind of concerned just from
the first we really heard heard of all this, but just off the top of my head, will it slow the um egress from that road and then start backing up down in front of the shops all the way back to the next the intersection behind? So, regarding the courtesy crash, are there any other thoughts on how one can
eliminate that or reduce that risk? Like, we probably do we already have a blinking light there or I'm not sure we do. >> So, there are two things that you could do. the raised crosswalk. Um, that's going to increase yield rates and even the the second car coming who may not
have seen the pedestri the rectangular rapid flashing beacon which is the the pedestrian presses the button and you get the flashers, right? >> So, you can do both of those things. Those are, you know, okay, >> proven safety countermeasures for pedestrians even with the two-lane section that will give you some more
safety uh, you know, enhancement. >> Okay. I mean, Sean, do you think that just knowing that spot, if we dropped to one lane and put in a half roundabout, that's going to slow the traffic and back it up in the mornings? I >> I would doubt given the numbers, but I'm not I don't have the data in front of me. We do have um pretty good numbers
from the school study and the new one happening at the developer. So, we could probably talk and and discuss whether or not they would take on that. I my my guess is it it would have less of an impact as as as you would think because even though the cards the cars are slowing down, they're not stalling
trying to wait for tools to merge. So, you're still going to keep moving, I think. But I'd prefer that the professionals weigh in rather than me just >> I'd love to, yeah, get everyone's, you know, your expertise, but also our town's, you know, experience with on the ground, you know, what's been happening. I mean, I do think the weave, you know,
those of us who have taught our kids how to drive in this town, that's definitely one of those moments where you're like, "Okay, let's let's game let's game this out before we actually do this for the first time." But, um, yeah, I mean, I think that this is a nice way to solve that issue, but we just want to make sure we don't have any unintended consequences from it.
>> So, we'll get back to you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, the the roundabout to I I I live in town. I live on Pinewood. >> Oh, great. the the roundabout IC is a really big gateway feature as well. Not just from the traffic, regardless of the
data, we can we'll get you all that. Um I think it's a nice spot to really calm people as you get into the circulating around Big Y right now. You can kind of just fly right through there. Um so I think there's a lot of non-measurable
uh benefits of that roundabout at at Lola's that are beyond that. you know, there's near I think there's a lot of near misses as uh as was mentioned, and I think it's going to solve that, but I think it really you get a lot of space back in front of Big Y for landscaping
and um other pocket park opportunities, room for bikes and pets. Um there's a lot of other benefits of that roundabout to to consider. >> Actually, can we go back to the slide just so you can talk about the green space that would be gained to I don't know which slide that would be. >> The town owns all of that and it's not
it's all public right away. >> Sure. Then was it slide one or two? >> Uh, next slide, please. >> So, it's just an interesting feature that you you end up with a roundabout, but there's like a little park created between the gas station and the new intersection that doesn't exist now. So,
be a space you could actually >> It also gives um pedestrians a place to rest in between crossing the intersections. Yeah, we are proposing there's no crosswalks there. Now, I think it's kind of a long gap between like if you're at Red Fern, you have to walk all the way
down to Big Y in front of Max Max's to that's a long stretch of not being able to cross between Big Y. Um so, we're proposing crosswalks at Lola's um or at
this new roundabout that will safely be able to get you across. I think that's a huge um benefit. And you know there's an opportunity for um park. You could put a monument or a number of different >> different features in that in that space. >> And that crosswalk goes from the lolas
to the other >> across to TD Bank. Exactly. Yeah. >> Yeah. Because there are a lot of people that cross there. >> Yeah. The other thing not shown in here that needs to be added once the preferred design has come up with this new lighting. uh a lot of the area doesn't have lights on the crosswalks and we we need to be cognizant of that
and add some in some places that doesn't exist. >> Yeah, there's the shops lighting which is proposed to be retained. Um and even that sidewalk is in great condition. Um even that whole tree belt, keep that but then adding some more uh that that lighting is not sufficient for for the
street or for the pedestrian um some of the pedestrian systems. So we would want to look at that for sure. Sean. Yeah, >> keep going. >> Keep going. >> Keep going. Maybe 13. Sorry. >> 13. >> Y. >> Okay. So, the area that Desh Sean was mentioning, if you look at the
roundabout, you can see the distance between the uh Sher's path that's on the left hand side of the roundabout and the property boundary of the Big Wag gas station. So, there's a gap there and that could be Yeah, you can go ahead and point that I think. >> Um, and so that's
>> here's the no. This is the nose of the gas station right here. And the town owns almost all the way back to here, this red line. So there's a very large area in here. >> So the town owns part of their parking lot. >> No, the park the parking Yeah, it's like
the bumpers are basically touching the town property. >> Can you um delineate where the current road is that curves around? >> Sure. The current road is here. >> I see. So the roundabout is not is further down to the east. Exactly. Yeah. Here's the This is Lola's current
driveway. We're retaining that. >> And so here's the current uh left and through. So you're taking that whole >> That's a That is a tricky spot because people are coming towards you from your right. >> This is the park. >> And then >> Exactly. So this is now you're forcing them to go around and enter the stream
of traffic. So all you're doing now is you're just looking right through. You don't have to worry about any of this anymore. >> Interesting. And >> yeah, some of this is all a cart, too. So, you can take if you don't like this, you could kind of take that out and put
back or keep same thing up here. Um, so there's certain things that you could do with these um different options here. >> And does the third alternative have that same uh layout for that roundabout? >> Yes, >> it does. Okay. >> Okay. Next one.
>> Yeah, that's interesting that you brought that up. We were waffling with this. We there is an option to also put a to kind of if you could visualize a circle right there in that triangle. >> Sorry. >> You could keep that bottom lane and it
could be a right turn only lane into TD. Um Oh, I guess yeah, it would look just like number 12. You you could also keep a lane that goes into TD Bank kind of into uh Jersey Mike. >> Is there a way have we done? We must have done a zillion traffic studies
lately, especially with the school and stuff. But my concern is there a way to quantitate. So there's there's traffic from East Meadow commuting in the morning. There's school all going to the high school from this side of town from to the new middle school in the future from this side of town. We're basically
the roundabout will slow things. Very advantageous, but also it's going to slow things. Then this is going to be one lane instead of two lanes. It's going to slow things. And then this is going to slow things right here. So I'm just wondering if there's a way to quantitate knowing how much traffic goes through there every day. >> What was what's going to happen?
>> So we have the data for option where number one the signal the roundabout. I don't believe we analyzed this Aaron. Yeah. So you're right because right now you can kind of just whip around go here or you can whip around and go straight. Now if you're
combining those two volumes into a single lane. Um, however, it's still free flow. So, you're not stopping. >> So, no, no, you're just going straight through the left. This way is still a free flow. Bliss Road yields. >> That's Bliss Road.
So, the circulation remains unaffected. >> So, from a traffic flow, that's good. >> This is we do have the level of service on that and we do have the volumes here. Um, typically one lane can take 14,460
vehicles per hour at a free flow speed. I think it's like 45 miles an hour, which is this not. So, I can't remember what the 30 mph speed is for one lane, but it's a lot of cars. >> Um, it way more than is out there. I believe the peak hour volumes are like
700 cars an hour through there. >> So, we're looking at being able to handle more like 900 with one lane. So, we have two lanes. 900 as opposed to what did you say before it was a number? No. >> So we one lane in I have to double check the numbers. >> Yeah. It's what you just said. >> I'm pretty sure it's 900 vehicles per
hour per lane. >> So we have two lanes. That's 1,800 vehicles an hour. >> And you and your sense is that we don't have that. This is not even close. No, I think the average daily traffic on that road is what like 7,000. >> Uh >> and then the peak hour it's like 700.
>> Yeah. Williams is about 5,400 and then uh sorry, Williams is yeah 5,400 and then Bliss is 8,000. >> So 8 that's 8,000 a day. So they're in the peak we look at the peak hour condition >> much less than per hour >> which would be more in the 700 vehicles an hour. So two lanes is like
dramatically over capacity. >> I see. >> From just a pure level of level of service for the vehicles, but there's perceived congestion, right? people feel like, oh, the lines, you know, there's a little more cars in the
road. That that will feel, but from an actual analytical standpoint, >> yeah, that's exactly what we need your expertise for because, you know, that's exactly my >> novice thought when we're just looking at this. People are going to be coming out of the big Y or the shops and we're like, oh, I need to get into this lane, but there's so many cars or we're backed
up all the way to the intersection that we're improving. But >> so those are very valuable things to me. >> We're we're very we're very much less concerned about internal. The biggest concern is when you install a roundabout, a lot of times these cues can get long and the worry about is the
queue to the to the signal, right? >> Which can cause gridlock. So we did that that analysis is already complete. We can share all that data with you. This is more of a free flow condition in here. So it's just confirming that the number of lane the lanes can handle the volume
basically that we already have which I can off the cup say that that one lane is definitely more than the volume can handle more than volume that is there >> but we will get you all those numbers. >> Thanks. >> Great. Anything else? >> I hit two. One was the Q area. Um because I was curious with the
intersection. How come what prevented having a roundabout there? Is it space or >> just land? Town does not have the land to do it. Yeah, the footprints. We did have an we do have an option. I think we show a circle down there. >> Um, >> we could we could, but it would be a $4
million or $3 million intersection. >> I figured, but I had to ask when you said the Q data. So, that Q data would answer some of my questions. And then Sean, I was thinking um with the storm water and your strategic uh presentation a few meetings ago with this particular
area, was this one of the areas that we had big concerns about the lack of storm water? >> Luckily, they're under contract to do storm water design in the next phase. So, we'll be able to look at that and whether or not we really need to get into it. So, as part of this massworks engineering, there's a storm water aspect to it as well. >> Okay, great. So, we could look at that
information. Yes, it's coming as soon as as soon as we have the preferred design. Then we can look at the storm water layout, right? >> Yeah, we'll include the storm water piece with the preliminary design plan. We just didn't know where the catch basins are going and you know the pipes. >> Excellent question. >> This was one of the areas we were super
concerned with and so that's helpful. >> Yeah, it gets chased down towards Yeah. towards >> Great. Thank you. And Josh, I know it's uh you can't see the slides, but just wanted to give you a chance to pipe in if you had anything.
Uh, no. My questions recovered. Thanks. >> Okay, great. Thanks. Um, so I agree with Andrew that, you know, obviously what you guys have laid out for the Williams Red Fern, that's seems like a no-brainer and it seems like something that we should move forward with. So, it's obviously just kind of figuring out what to do with these
options here. Um, and going back to the timeline that you all provided at the end, I'm curious what it looks like after that. So after we apply, how long does it take to hear back? When would construction possibly begin? Those s
sorts of things. >> Is it November? We got the award last year, >> I think. So >> I mean, you'll you'll know like Yeah, this time, but unofficially, yeah, unofficially you'll know in October, but in November is when the >> award >> next year. >> Okay. So October 2026,
we'll find out whether we got the grant and then we would then >> they'll finish design. >> Okay. Month >> they finish design, >> wrap things up. Yeah. >> And then we'd go out to bid. >> Okay. And for spring, summer.
>> Okay. Um, have we been in touch with Kulvis Group to see where they are with their plans to just because obviously we this would be great to get this completed before they are developing that. >> So funny you should mention that. So, we
had hoped to wrap up the traffic study that the planning board asked for um this summer, but because of timing issues, some other stuff that'll be wrapping up the end of this month and be presented to them along with the storm water analysis that was done I think November 5th, the day after town meeting
um at which time um we'll be sharing the data with both. So, make sure that whatever is done kind of works if you know what I mean. So, Kovas doesn't have this, but they know this is happening. We're waiting on your um your decision for next steps, but we'll be telling both engineering firms about it and the
planning board and yeah, it'll be incorporated into whatever happens at that site. >> Okay. >> So, >> yeah, we've taken into consideration their rough numbers already like in terms of that intersection specifically. So, like horizontally things won't
change at all. Like that intersection can handle double the size of cold dust. It's more of like what are the signal timing like the really nitty-gritty? You know, oh, does her driveway move 20 feet? Do we need to add more green time on that signal? Little things like that.
>> And then the coordination, as Sean was saying, like making sure their sidewalks match our sidewalks. >> The planning board still needs to weigh in on what the final design looks like, and we would have to come back if it changes much to this, >> but >> Okay. Okay. There's stuff to happen.
There's definitely coordination that needs to happen, but >> nothing that will affect really the what you saw in that screen right there from a you know >> what the final product's going to look like. >> Okay. >> Great to most people. >> That makes me feel better uh to hear that. That's good.
>> Um I will So right now this is kind of the feedback stage that you're looking for from us. >> I guess what did you all have in mind exactly with this? When does like when do we need to make a concrete decision? Is this something that you guys are going to do like public presentations
and get input publicly from like what's the what's the process here? >> This is that this is the public presentation of it. Um, and as they mentioned at the beginning with the complete streets project, uh, prioritization plan that was just
updated and the long range plan, this is weaving in a lot of that public comment and, um, making those recommendations based on some of that as well. Um, we I think I don't want to speak for the
um uh consultants here, but I think in the next two meetings or so, if we could hone in on exactly what you want them what you think we should uh be moving forward with, that would be helpful so that they can meet that December deadline. >> Okay.
>> All of this really is just to keep us moving forward so we can apply for that next round of mass works. >> Okay, great. Um And you know, originally I had the same questions as um Andrew about how it would be helpful to have accident data
to understand how far we should go, how much we should invest in this. But I think as we've kind of talked about this more, it seems to me at least like the second option with the roundabout seems like it has more benefits. Um, and I
will just say that, you know, right now I'm leaning towards that as as as what I think might be the best option. The raised lanes for bike lanes that you all mentioned, I think that is something that also makes a lot of sense to me. It also I think kind of
it it it really it meshes with how we were thinking about the tip projects on Long Meadow Street and increasing bike lanes there. Um, making that more accessible. And I think, you know, as the years go on, you're just going to see folks using, you know, um or you're
using bike lanes more and more. Um and to get that into place now, especially if we can get it all covered through this grant, that that makes a lot of sense to me. Um I would mention the bike lanes. I think you know how people are going to
in this town use bike lanes. I think shared use paths are more appropriate to be honest. how actual like the function um seeing you know shared use paths most of the people in this town those are their uncomfortable elementary school age kids using riding you know they're
riding the sidewalks now you just kind of want a wider facility for them and that's a shared use path >> what we presented is I think a nice medium because we were really trying to avoid turning this into this mega project and totally reconstructing the whole area you need
to move all of those utility poles almost all the trees would have to come down. You have to touch all the sidewalks. It would turn this project into something large that I think this town it's at way outside of the the grant for mass works. But I I do want to be clear that we did consider uh things
outside of the sh of the the bike lanes. >> Okay. Um so would these would these shared lanes um would they also be raised? >> Yeah, that these would be off street bike lanes. Um, I just wanted to make note that we did consider other options
such as a shared use path, which would be a 10- foot wide >> fac, you know, basically a glorified sidewalk. >> Yeah. Okay. >> That that bicycles and pedestrians could use, which if we had unlimited funds, I think would be the would be more appropriate, but um I don't think you
you'd end up building anything because it would cost $20 million to build. So, >> great. It is an option I just say for the for the board to consider I suppose. But >> I have one question as far as the public this is kind of the public information
and I'm new to the board so I know what I'm asking is appropriate but we do have a town meeting coming up. Would it be possible to have the consult consultants outside and just like the school did when we had town meetings they weren't on the agenda but they were there with plans to answer questions and just for
people to see. I don't know if that's something we do, but we have a lot of people coming in now of the town meeting in early November. That might be a way to have more communication with residents so that they can see what we got to see here and then ask questions with with some of the folks we asked to do the studies. I don't know if that's
possible or if I'm asking something. I was just thinking I know the schools did that when we were talking about the middle school. So, that might be a great way for residents just to get their eyes on it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. We'll re we'll connect and see if it's something we can put together. Yeah, let me know if you need any help
from me. >> Anything else for anyone? >> Did we get some feedback from the the DPW and the police chief? I'm just curious like your thoughts. >> I think we agreed with the preferred alternative that you also mentioned, but there's no real issue with us for maintenance and I think I think it's a
great opportunity to uh change the downtown area for the better. >> Chief's thoughts are going to pass. >> Uh, no. This is something I've been asking for, not asking for, but I've been a proponent for for many, many years. I think that area has become pretty
saturated with some uh some restaurants and shopping, which is awesome for the town. I love when I when I see a new place come into town, new business, but I also lose a little bit more hair every time it happens. I know it's causing uh more people to show up. So, um, and I've been asking
for one lane in that area, especially on the list side for quite some time. I think that, uh, it's a it's a mini highway there now. Uh, we're doing our best to enforce it, but we were just out there last week doing crosswalk enforcement and it's it needs to be addressed. I think so. I think we're all
aware of that. So, I'm excited that we have an opportunity in front of us. >> Yeah. Thank you. I mean, I think uh when I mentioned that the second alternative with the roundabouts seemed like the best one, I think uh Nick when when you mentioned that coming from Redford
Williams intersection and you're getting kind of close to Big Y like around Lola's like that does always feel to me like the most dangerous part. Um and that is really when people are flying and to be able to mitigate that I think would make a big difference just as Chief Stocks just mentioned as well.
>> Okay. Um anything else? Okay, great. Thank you all so much for your presentation and we'll make a decision here in the next couple meetings. >> I'll leave these in Lyn's office for you guys. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um we have a another
presentation uh from Angela and Richard Schiff and you all can come to the microphones. Um as Angela and Richard are just getting settled in. They are town residents who made a request to the select board chair
and uh at his discretion the the chair has provided I think 10 minutes tonight for a presentation and um so I will I don't know if you all PowerPoint or anything or >> uh we we we don't we we had Peggy um
scan and and I guess email it to you folks. I'm a selectman and I thought that was the easiest way to there is a huge wealth of information on this and I'm Richard Shield. This is my wife Angela. Uh we're not actually residents
as such. We are residents up in New Hampshire. However, we're property owners here uh at 124 Benedict Terrace. Um and basically we we we got notices from Eversource that they were going to
change to smart meters and uh so uh we ended up contacting them and after about 5 hours of being on hold etc. we finally we got an answer uh that you can opt out of these smart meters. A and the reason
being is that uh uh if you search smart meters online you will find there's a wealth of information out there of why not to use them because they have lithium ion batteries. Some of them, we don't know whatever source exactly is
using because it hasn't been disclosed, but they're using a company called uh um AMI, and that's the uh the company that will actually probably install them. Uh but if you search or read through some of
the material I I enclosed, you'll find that um Okay. Well, well, well, number one, I I I guess this is what what we finally learned, but this this involved five hours on the phone and we finally got an answer. So uh we were told we
were told at lower levels uh you know of supervisors at people at lower levels we were told that that there would be a one time 40 um I'm sorry we were told that you were be allowed to opt out of this
and uh uh but we didn't get any answers until hour five and then we were told by a person up in New Hampshire that that this was a one time there would be a one time $42 charge and $34 a month added to
your bill just to opt out. Now, Connecticut passed uh allowance smart meters in, but they it it was no fee smart meters. In other words, you wouldn't have to pay to opt out. And these can be for health reasons. And and
I'm sorry, but we gave a little bit of bad information at the top of this. This was our thing we created. This was just backup stuff that we that we had sent you. But there are two House bills and I gave these >> a House and House and Senate bill and
and and I gave these to to Peggy to disseminate and uh it spells it out very clearly that that uh what they're trying to do is for safety reasons, people's health uh um and because you're being irdiated
by uh uh microwave frequencies. possibly because like I said, Eversource needs to reveal what exactly their meter does because if it's lower frequencies, it's it's not as dangerous as it is if
it's higher frequencies. And we we all are getting radiated all the time by our electronic devices, Wi-Fi, etc., our cell phones uh our children's um uh you know games you know uh uh
>> baby monitor >> and then baby monitors and on and on and on and I actually I just want to get people aware there are all sorts of I happen to be an engineer that's how I happen to to have this stuff but there's
all sorts of devices to measure this this this stuff uh which I have measured and uh all of a sudden you get a pulse and a a frequency appears. We're being every one of us are being radiated by that all the time. And and if you
understand you know like setting your computer up for example uh you know uh you'll find all your neighbors wifi are available at your computer. Well that means it's coming in those are being
bombarded by all of that. Um, so >> Ben, this is Josh. It sounds like like we're getting very far off topic here. >> Yes. Well, well, what we're requesting, Josh, is uh uh we're requesting that the
that the select board uh call for a uh moratorum uh you know based on that the Senate and the House, Massachusetts Senate and House, they have Senate Bill 2306
and House Bill uh 3551. and that we are asking that that the t that the uh the board would would uh uh come up with a moratorum until after they vote. They are out of committee at this point. That's why we got messed up
with the numbers that we gave. Uh but they are finally out of committee. So it means there's a lot of people interested in doing that. And I've been I've I've uh disseminated a copy of each here. But uh I would suggest you read it and
you'll you'll see there are safety there's safety reasons as well as the cost because the state the state does not feel that that somebody should be uh uh penalized because they don't want this thing in their house.
>> Well I I'm not sure we have the ability to do that. >> Other communities other communities have done it. Uh even states have done it and countries have done it. You got to look online. You got to look at that stuff. There is a wealth of support.
>> I I understand that I states and countries I I could see. But uh utilities have they are not necessarily governed by us uh because this their state sighting boards uh that we've learned from on the Eversource pipeline
issue. So, I'm not sure that this is something we could even entertain at this point. >> Okay. Well, uh uh researched to see I if if these devices were were uh uh by uh you know approved under the National
Fire Code. They're not. This is for the safety of the of the town's residents, the firefighters, all of us. The younger somebody is like an infant or a pregnant woman or a child, the more risk depending on the frequencies of these
radiation. So the the reason I put you on the agenda is um because you you mentioned that you had some information and we do have the information now and I thank you for sending that. Um but it seemed to be focused on fires
and we're talking about something very different than that. No, no, because the fires are part of this. This is a huge subject. This this could be involved, you know, for for you know, we could be involved in this for hours. The the fires are a problem because they have to
do with lithium. A and you know, as as look at Palisades, California, they had smart meters. that the the companies were out there taking a smart this is all public knowledge that they were out there taking these meters off and they put them in a vault. They wouldn't let
the insurance companies get a hold of them. I mean, you got to you got to look at the information. I mean, this is a safety thing, but you know, and it it it truly is it's real. It's not it's not false. It risks the firefighters. There's special ways of fighting a
lithium fire as well. Great. Um, well, any any other questions from the board? >> Yeah, I'll give you chairman duties here. >> Let me let me pull up my agenda. Finish up. Yeah, I mean if if you have any concluding thoughts you want to share,
uh you can. But I I don't think that there's any questions from the board at this time. >> Yeah, I I would urge everybody to to read this. This was sent sent to you. This is what we printed up. It has a huge amount of information and uh I I'm very capable of talking about this
because I'm an engineer. I have real time experience with RF radiation, you know, working with the US government and know being a ham radio operator and just being an engineer in the companies I've worked for. So I I know what I'm talking about. What it what it does is it
ionizes the nucleuses of of your cells. Your cells have a nucleus. It ionizes that. It can cause breakdown of these cells. It could cause fires in houses because RF radiation tra the higher the frequency it has what's called a skin
effect. It's it it travels on the surface of conductors. It can actually find its way through insulation particularly in older homes, you know, where you have wire that's in the ceilings that people aren't pulling their ceilings down, especially these
beautiful old houses. So this is why I I decided that I I would I would come and ask the board for a moratorum, but I think it did I think it should have further looking into because this is a serious safety issue >> in many aspects. >> Thank you very much.
>> You're very welcome. Appreciate it. >> May I just add one more thing? >> Sure. >> Um communities, local communities can put a temporary moratorum until the state legislature makes their vote, which I've been told is expected December, January or February. So, it is
possible for the >> Long Metal Select Board to do that. >> Thank you for your time. >> Yes. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> And if you have any questions, we we included our phone number on the back of that piece I showed you, D. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Um, okay. Uh, moving on next to correspondence. Um, any comments from the board on any we've received? for uh Lyn and Mike the pollinator garden is that uh something do we need to
>> have we granted you the ability to take care of this now I don't recall >> yeah it says that in the policy so I believe it just comes forward to the board as correspondents and then if you wanted to act on it at a specific meeting you could or you can just you know the town manager um act on the application
>> great uh and anyone else Okay. Um, moving on to town manager report. >> Thank you. Just pulling it up here. This new sk the new flow is turning me on.
Uh, so a staffing update. Um, the health director has resigned. His last day will be October 24th. We've posted the position and it's been shared with the other communities that we provide public health services for, which are Hampton, Wilberham, and Mson. Uh, and we will be
working to fill that position as soon as possible. Uh, police station exterior evaluation. We just signed a contract um, or I just signed a contract with Fuss and O'Neal for $13,500 to perform an on-site evaluation to document existing conditions. They're
going to prepare a memo to summarize findings and make recommendations for repairs and upgrades. This will include an opinion of probable construction cost. This is the first step that we have to take in order for us to build out an RFP for future repair work uh
which we would need um funding for. Um as was mentioned in select board comments, we had a very um great special town meeting, I'm sorry, special town election on September 30th. There was a
total of uh 3,490 votes. Uh and the um um I'm sorry. And then we had 741 ballots cast during uh early voting hours. So really great turnout. Um and I'm I'm glad we were able to pull together those early voting hours
quickly. Um a new website redesign is underway. This is um through our company Civic Plus that we have our current website with. Um it's uh included in our contract. It's going to refresh the homepage, updated site navigation and
interior pages, and enhances um ADA compliance and mobile responsiveness. The project team is made up of town staff and a project manager and art and an art director from Civic Plus. This uh might seem like we just did this not long ago, but it was actually three
years ago now. And um website uh visuals change very quickly. So, it's incredible to see um the the differences between our 2022 site, which we're see now, um to what uh we'll launch with this new refresh. So, uh kudos to Mike uh for
leading this effort and then the rest of the town staff that he's um had join him to help make these decisions. We're excited to launch this later on in the fall. And um some good news. The conservation agent and tree warden Leah Gregorov
received a student scholarship to attend the Arbor Day Foundation's 2025 partners in community forestry conference. This will take place in Nevada. And uh she's going to be gathering with um individuals, communities, and organizations to explore innovative
solution solutions, share insights, and collaborate on the future of urban forestry. That concludes my report tonight. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you. I remember when we launched uh the current website, so that was a huge change. I'm excited to see what you
come up with next. >> Um all right, anybody else for questions for the town manager? >> No. >> Okay. Uh we have moving on to old business. Approval of meeting minutes. I'll entertain a motion uh to approve
the September 15, 2025 minutes. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Any further discussion or corrections? All those in favor? And uh entertain a motion to
approve the se September 18th, 2025 special select board remote meeting minutes. >> So moved. >> Second. Um, and I for further discussion, I just noticed that I am not listed as a uh member present,
but I I was there because it says my name later. So, we can fix that. Uh, anything else? Uh, all those in favor. All right. U, moving on next to updated recommendations related to the new recycling cart program and leaf program.
So, we have Lisa Just you, Lisa. >> Um, so I'm Lisa Oxen. I'm the DPW business manager. Um, we have a sort of a lot in front of you, so probably best to take it in three parts. We have the carts, we have um what's going on at the
recycle center, and then our LEAF program for the fall. Uh, so our carts were distributed in July. um all 5,000 like 540 households received two recycling carts. Um since then we have
had a survey uh for anyone who wants to swap. So if they got the default size and that doesn't work for them or some people who actually ordered sizes and when they got it realized that wasn't going to work um they could sign up. Uh since that time we've had 297 homes sign
up on the list. It's actually 414 carts that need to be swapped. If we were to do these carts, um I have about 147 on hand right now. And then of what's coming back, 44 work automatically and
then there's some that we would have to buy a lid for. Um it estimated at about $11,000 to purchase the extra carts and lids to do these swaps. Um, we do have the funding still from the town meeting approved for this project um to perform
these swaps. We do have some options of if residents could come and pick them up. That's obviously the easiest for our department. Um, our department could try to do these swaps, but I mean it's not going to be the easiest or we could hire someone to do the swaps. Um, when you do the swap, we do have to log the serial
number so that we know which household has which cart. Um, so I guess we're looking for if we want to move forward with allowing these swaps to happen, make these purchases and which direction do we want to go with that. Do we have a sense of how many people
are did not know about the choices versus are not happy with what they picked. >> I would say of these swaps, majority as in like probably 95% are the defaults trying to switch away. So, they were ones that didn't know they could sign up
and did not sign up in the time frame. >> Okay. >> And why do we need uh new lids? >> So, if someone got a 64 in yellow and they want to move up to a 96, there's people who want it in green for their bottles and cans because they have the
48. So, when I bring in the 64, if I put a green lid on it, we can now give it to a household that wants it in bottles and cans. Okay, that seems like a a cheaper way to do it. >> Yeah. So, a lid is about $15 where a
whole card is more like $60 depending on the size. >> Well, anyone else wants to give thoughts, please go ahead. >> Yeah, I I do think we need to allow these swaps to happen. And I think um Lisa, you mentioned somewhere else in
your memo about kind of maybe publicly saying that there's like a deadline. Um, and I think that that's something that we have to do. I think I propose October 17th. >> Yeah. >> Um, that seems kind of soon, but is there a reason why it's so soon? >> Um, so carts will take six to eight weeks to come in. So, we are going to
start running into winter and I think from when you distributed your trash carts, they were sort of winter and it sort of warped some covers and weather starts to play a factor. >> How are we going to tell the people that there's a cut off if they didn't know about it? >> I know that. Yes. Cuz blasting what?
Facebook. It doesn't matter. >> People are never going to reach. >> Yeah. >> At least they now have carts to make. >> The hope is at least they've been living with the cart for a while now. So, if it hasn't worked, they've probably called and complained or they're trying to find a solution already. >> I mean, I just had a conversation with
someone last week that said, "I didn't know I could swap." >> Yeah. So, >> Oh, I know. >> Yeah. Um Okay. And then Sorry. Uh, and then um my other question um
um actually you know I I can't think of it right now. I screwed you up. >> Yeah, you ruined my flow. >> Just a question. Um, so I I think that um actually when you look at the numbers, it's only 5% basically of people who are asking to swap, which I
think is a is a testament to the recycling committee and how good a job they did with like getting the word out um and letting the program kind of play out the way it did. >> So I think that, you know, we we should definitely do the swaps because, you know, the 11,000 bucks it
is not that much money, but and if you there's no way, you know, some of these people are being accommodated just from a swap. It's hard to say, hey, this other group of people, you know, you have to pay a fee or something like that. So, I think that makes sense, but I don't really want to I don't want to pay an like like I'm sure it's very
expensive for a company to deliver these again. >> Yeah. >> And so, ideally, I'm sure you agree it's best if people will come get them. There might be a subset of people who can't get like a truck or like a minivan or a friend to help, but maybe what do you think about, you know, and I don't
really want to occupy the DPW's time delivering unless we really have to. Do you think it's possible to start out with like come get it and see what happens? What do you think we could do? >> I think that would probably be the best to just for what we have in stock now, start seeing how many people can come
and get it. So like by appointment or invitation of we have what you need in stock and then based on what they turn back in could we give it back out um to see how much we can get down before the next then the order comes in and then you know see to move from there. Yeah, I think the way to phrase it might be you
can go swap it right now, but we won't have new ones or DBW availability to deliver to you for a while. And so maybe that's a way to be and it's true, but we can see how much we can knock down that number. >> All told, I mean, we're we're saving a
lot of money with this contract. We still have the money. 11 grand is not not the end of the world. And uh I I agree that this is sometimes we got to bite the bullet and provide services. And we you know we knew that there was a bit of a quick turnaround on making the
choices uh for the the first time but people didn't know anyway and people don't know apparently months and months later. Um but yeah, I I I support that and I think that's that's the right way to do it too. I I know that I I could I probably
couldn't fit the biggest one in my SUV in the back. Um that's what I was thinking. >> Yeah, even with all the seats folded down. So we might there might be people who are despite best efforts are unable to do this and then maybe we can figure it out from there. But yeah. Um so and
October 17th, you think that's really that's the last day we should go >> on the swap for the winter basically is the thinking. >> Yeah. Because eight weeks from there is going to be >> December 17th. >> Yeah,
>> I see your I see what you mean >> because it it is pushing back people who need the cart for holiday season and stuff. The hope is to get it to them sooner but then delay the people that are waiting that have signed up since day one of once they got the cart.
And how are we going to give notice for the swap? >> What does it cost to do like the reverse 911 call? >> Those are free. We did that the last time. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Those are It's included in our general contract. Um I we would do that. We
would do um electronic message boards. Those are usually really um >> widely seen. >> We already have one out at the front from the previous election. >> Yeah. Yep. Um, so we would program those with a message, um, >> newsletter,
>> social media. >> I I know the reverse 911. Every time we do it, I people complain to me >> because like I personally get y >> I get it five times >> and but some people still don't get it. So, >> um, >> I'm not sure this rises to the level of a 911 a reverse 911, but personally, I
mean, there's a little bit of a c like people don't pay attention when it's really something important. Yeah. if you'd overdo it. I mean, that's just >> I hope we're not at a boy who cries wolf yet, but >> it's a fair fair point, though.
>> Is there anything that we can do with um with waste management in terms of the next trash pickup that they could leave something? I'm assuming not, but >> if they're literally going to be at your driveway and >> for it would cost us money to do that. >> You have nowhere to put it too.
>> How much? Well, like on the trash bin. I mean, they they'll put a notice on a trash bin if you're using the wrong bin, >> but what how much would that cost the the town >> if they stopped at every house? >> It might be a crazy idea. I'm just trying to think of any any other way that we can communicate.
>> Um I I don't know that they would actually do it because I think they would it would impact the route timing too much to stop at each and get out. Um >> so we would need to come up with some other solution. Um, I mean, unless you talk to them much more frequently.
>> I feel like they would have a charge on it if we wanted to. Even if we made the tag and gave them the tag, I still feel like they'd be like, "Okay, $2 a house, >> which is another 10 grand." >> Yeah. Yeah. >> To do a mailing to each house is about what, $6,000, I think.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. I don't be in favor of that. >> No, we 911 calls fine in that case. Yeah, I'm just providing Yeah, just so you know, we we've deployed different measures depending on the severity of what the message we need to get out. >> Um, but despite all of those best
efforts, there's always someone who doesn't know >> they can buy one later, which means >> we've actually gotten really good feedback lately about the call. So, unless I'm not hearing all bad, >> you got good feedback. >> It's good. It's good naturatured grief, but yeah. Why did I have to hear it six times?
>> No, understood. People do hear it though. >> Yeah. No, they do. Yeah. And and we're still testing some things out, too. So, there's ways we can check off that you don't receive it on your home phone, business phone, cell phone. There's ways we can go about making making it so that it only goes to your primary contact in each household. So,
>> well, at the risk of belaboring this too much, I Lisa, I think you're right that probably most people who aren't upset with this called to find out. And so there may be a couple who don't even think it's a possibility, but they most people have probably at least called. >> Yeah.
>> So, >> and and the possibility of switching will always be there. Like if somebody if yours gets damaged, you need a new one. There's a way to get it basically. So it's >> Yeah. >> So moving on, the next would be it doesn't need to be determined tonight, but the price would be if someone lost
theirs or wants to swap later. I would think that if we're doing a cut off of the first order potentially moving forward because you missed all the opportunities, it could be that we charge them. Um, >> so this might be a dumb question. When I lived in DC, we had everyone's trash in
the same place and people would steal trash cans all the time. How do you lose them here? >> One lady has already lost her yellow bin. I don't know. She goes, "It arrived and now I don't know where it went." I I >> Okay, >> I'm sure they can get damaged though. I mean car and then in the winter the
winter is going to they're going to come by and some plow is going to destroy it or the trash month but I mean for the most part it's it's losing them or when the house sells the person takes it with them too. So is there this is this is the price
just to buy it right now or price. Is there any administrative costs we should work in? >> Um if >> it would I did add um for shipping on to those. So it's sort of averaging of what a truck of them would cost, but obviously we'd have to be buying them in
batch batches to get them at this price. Um and then if we were delivering them, I know other towns have charged a delivery fee as well. >> Yeah. So I think we should work that out, right? >> Yeah, too. If your question is whether we should charge, then I I think we should. I don't think it should be pretty much at cost. So, we're not
trying to make a profit off residents, but work in the actual cost and knowing that you're not going to be buying hundreds at once. It's going to be like >> a few, right? >> Yeah. We'll have what is left from these swaps. Um I'll have extras of lids and
things like that. And then I usually have a little buffer too of the just so that if anything happens, we have them. All right. Then at the recycle center since we've had the carts, we've been implementing that cardboard is accepted down there. We got a larger rolloff
dumpster to accommodate all the cardboard. Um since we have also allowed residents with no pass to enter to use the cardboard. Um they've also had a dumpster for the bottles and cans which actually has not um fully filled since
July. So, um, that one hasn't even been emptied yet, but the cardboard is filling on a weekly basis. Um, there is a hope that when people get the larger cart, if they're asking for it, they won't need the recycle bin down at the recycle center. Um, but we are making a recommendation that at some point, like
at the turn of the calendar year, we require a pass to go and use the cardboard. Um, it is costing us $325 per empty. And um certainly the workers are also directing more traffic right now because of it. >> So my problem with this is and I watched
the video when we started this. We said if we get these bins there will be a place to drop off cardboard that we said that at town meeting. And I understand it cost us money. Um but we told people that information so they would vote for
this. And I I don't like going back on this. And so I I understand I think that maybe there's something I I talked about when we first started uh talking discussing this is are we
are the people taking advantage of this? If so, yes, it's I know that from uh from talks to the town manager's office that is the case. Um, so are there other ways we could address this or maybe make it so it doesn't have to be emptied
every week? >> Um, but I is it if it's from people from out of town, can we get a different sticker that's just for cardboard? If you're a resident, you can get it or um do we should we have a limit per user?
uh that maybe isn't enforce on everyone, but if if our dump staff says I see this guy all the time, he's he's running a business and dropping these off. Uh but we I I think we have to figure out a way. I don't think we can just say you
need a sticker. I I feel very uncomfortable with that because that's that makes us we change the game and I don't like that. Andrew. >> Uh, so I I agree. We definitely told
people that they could do this um unlimited. So I was wondering a few questions. Uh, you know, I think one of the reasons to have a pass would be to make sure non-residents aren't taking advantage of this because they all know
it's free. So, that's one thing that maybe if we mitigated it, we could reduce the amount that's going in the dumpster and maybe not have to empty it every week. I also think and Lisa and I talked offline uh today and I learned a
little bit more about businesses that might be surreptitiously or quite overtly dumping large amounts of huge boxes of cardboard. And I wondered if you knew like I'm sure that's limiting the amount of space for residents which is what it was intended for. So it
sounded like from what we had spoken before like there is an actual uh delineation that it should be for residential use but it's hard to enforce or it's not enforced. So maybe ways to mitigate the cost would be find a way to have some sort of sticker that's for
those who don't already have a sticker that maybe even at no cost just to notify people that that you are a resident and secondly enforce have staff enforce um like no businesses dumping to fill up the dumpster. I mean do you think that
would make a difference knowing how much is in there? Maybe we can basically cut the costs from 325 a week, which is $16,000 a year to every other week just because people are just using, you know, the small boxes that they're ordering from Amazon and such. What do you think about >> Yeah, I mean I certainly they could come
to the DPW and we somehow verify they're a resident and give them some type of pass for cardboard only. Um that could be free. Um certainly if a business is dropping off the cardboard, it is filling up more than a resident is um with the bigger bins. I mean, I do want
to encourage residents to get the bigger bin if they have extra cardboard because they are supposed to cut it up anyways if you bring it to our big dumpster. It's sort of for the facility, they don't want big cardboard. It gets, you know, in the machines. Um, so it's sort of not supposed to say, "Oo, I have a big cardboard. I don't have to cut it up
if I just bring it down, right?" >> And a lot of I've heard feedback that a lot of people just bring all their cardboard cuz if I'm going, I'm just going to empty it all versus using curbside. So, I mean certainly it's encouraged to use your curbside cart, cut it up will help the space at the recycle center.
>> So, can you speak to this idea of businesses using it that has been seen? Yes. Like how much >> of the dumpster would you estimate if you know is like this of like you go there and like the first day it's like half full because >> I know on Saturday we're half filling. Um it it gets emptied on a Thursday. So,
Saturday would be the first day that it's you know open and empty and it's half full by the end of Saturday. Um, >> and there's people very large box also like something if you get usually if you get a refrigerator it gets delivered they sort of take the cardboard with you. They said there's a
lot of appliance um fullsize boxes too. >> Do you see a problem with actual enforcement with the staff saying >> this isn't this is clearly >> so a lot of times the person comes in they go oh just cardboard. So they sort of just wave them through and don't check the cardboard. So by the time it
gets into the dumpster, it's too big. It's not flattened. Um we had a problem when it dumped that the big stuff like stood up and got stuck and so then nothing would fall down. Um so we are having issues with it emptying too. >> So again, do you think that there's going to be do you think our staff could
basically enforce that >> or is that going to be difficult? Like if you got if you have someone come in with, you know, >> five like huge things that's from a players table or like a a decking thing and it's clearly not someone who bought
five pool tables last week. >> Is that still a challenge because it's you still have to challenge the person? We have we have ongoing discussions with people that work down there and we're trying to to do better to train them, but it is a difficult task sometimes to um to get the people that work there to
to deal with there's a lot of cars coming in and out. They're doing the best they can and then there's there's some training issues that we can certainly try. But um >> well, what if we enforced the size that can go in? You know, we're supposed to cut it down even at the dump. >> So, what if we just enforced that? Would
that be too much of a challenge? >> I think we're going to run into some challenges. How about only the egregiously large like 10 foot by to three foot? >> When we got the new um roll off, it is like a coupe style. So there's just little doors. So I hoped that had deferred some of the big of just throw
it over the top. Um but I guess still since the coupe, we're still getting big stuff in there. The only way that would work is if we had a dedicated person stationed at that um cardboard container >> because people come in, you don't see their cardboard probably as well >> or someone goes to help and assist
somewhere else on site to with with something and then someone just goes in and dumps their cardboard. >> Also sometimes the person on staff is not actually on station. >> You might have one person at the gate and another person's um >> the bulk. >> Yeah. the bulk and then someone else
comes in, you know. So, it's it can get busy down there on a Saturday and hard to um hard to monitor, but we we are taking some steps to try to be better monitoring and communicating with the staff what's expected of them, but it's it's there's some work left. >> Just one more question regarding the
sticker. Do you have a sense of how many people who are recycling cardboard already have a sticker? >> Um I did ask and they sort of said, "Oh, once I say cardboard, I really don't look for their sticker." But if they had to guess, they said around 50%. Um, I looked, we've sold 2,989
stickers so far this year. Um, so about 54% of the town has a sticker. And last year we got up to 3,043. So >> anybody else who's got a solution? >> What are what are other towns doing in this situation? I mean, I assume Um,
some towns have like by appointment only at their DPW. Uh, you know, if you moved in and you have a bunch of moving boxes. Um, some towns have you can buy a second recycle cart. Um, so you would have like 296s in those single stream towns. Um, I
have started conversation with Waste Management on what if we said second carts and right now they're saying it would charge us $10 per month to have a second recycle cart per house. Um, so I sort of said $120 dollars per year is high comparative to our contract. We pay
a dollar per blue bag. So I said, "If a guy can get out of a truck for a dollar, why should I be paying you 250 per week to press a button to pick up the cart?" Um, they sort of said they'd think about it. >> So that's actually interesting. Um,
having a second recycling cart and you can charge the resident the cost, which is $10, $120 a year. I think that that's a massive amount of recycling for anybody like 296 cardboards and it could obiate the problems we're having with
policing this and making trying to we're trying to avoid abuse which is a detriment of everybody and it sounds very difficult to stop it. So, a way to take away the free, you know, this that is an interesting
idea to me. Anyway, >> would they charge us automatically per house? So, it's not just who has the double every house. You >> No, it would be I think I would provide them how many I've issued out as a second one. Yeah. >> Okay. >> I mean, have we identified the bad
actors and had conversations with these people? Um it's well the ones at the recycle center sort of know because right now the rule is you can just come with your cardboard. Um those who have been leaving it out at the curb have been getting a tag from waste management
saying you can't leave extra out at the curb. It has to be in the cart. Um that usually does get us a phone call and we at least can have the conversation with those people of either sign for a larger cart, use the recycle center. >> Dan, are you asking who is going to the dump and >> Yeah.
Do you know what business it is? >> Yeah, it's probably common knowledge. >> Yeah, >> I mean I I I think maybe a couple thoughts. If we knew who the per the bad actors were, we could take the mo take the moment to just challenge not
everybody not always, but those people should know be known. And I I should also say that if if we didn't do something at the dump, we could still after Christmas like have some sort of day or where we do do it, you know, because that's like the most packages or
something like that. We could have those kinds of amnesty type ideas. Well, I I think that I would like to maybe explore with uh Chief Chief Stocks potentially having somebody there to
watch uh watch the recycling center one Saturday and >> especially if we know who is dumping refrigerator boxes and uh saying, "Oh, you know, that's not what it's for." >> We we do have a camera, so we can make
some phone calls and maybe it'll help. >> Great. Yeah. >> Would it also would it be possible just for a couple of weeks to have an extra staff? I know we talked about staffing being short, but is it possible to have extra staffing that is just at the recycling dumpster where convert not
chopped up in the right side, someone can say, "Hold on, this is the last time you're going to be allowed to do it. Next time it has to be this size or else you're not going to be able to allow." And then if you do see the violator, that's when it's like, "Hey, I'm putting you on notice. You're not going to be able to dump here anymore." Like I'm wondering if you could have a designated person to see
>> Andrew maybe. >> Yeah. >> What are you doing on Saturday? >> You guys are volunt are volunteering time already. So maybe on your weekends, you know. >> I just didn't know if that was possess. >> So we do have a union. We have to follow some of the rules within them and there is some some train that needs to happen
for people that are down there. um it does become we enforce some stuff and then all of a sudden a couple months later it tends to go back. So it's been an ongoing okay issue. >> I do think that is the end solution though is someone that's that's that's down there and making sure things are
done in a in a for more formal way. >> Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, I I will just say that I agree that I don't think that we should be char or requiring recycling stickers for folks to um you know, get rid of their excess cardboard. That was a commitment we made
to them. And I think a lot of these options I I don't like that we're putting more on our residents in terms of having them take extra actions or causing greater inconvenience to them. Um I and I this should not be their this
should not be their problem. I think if there is if there are bad actors that are most you know responsible for this we should not be like um you know punishing the entire community or making it more difficult for everyone if we can try to get the soling these you know bad
actors first. So, it sounds like the consensus on the board is try the resident stickers and let's see if we can clamp down a little bit on this program, but we want the program.
>> Yeah, I think that I think to clarify, I think that we should continue it and this, you know, pay the 325 a week. See how the additional like in 8 weeks the additional large ones might decrease the amount. try to stop the worst actors,
please, and reassess essentially. I mean, it's my hope that we can start doing this to a point where it's like the dumpster gets emptied every other week, you know, and that would be great. And then I think we're committed to continuing it. I don't really know if we need the residential this the free
residential sticker for cardboard. I don't think I'm not sure we've >> I mean, it seems slight. >> Yeah, it seems like ownorous. >> They have to do we have to do you have to show a license at least when you go in there? do that. But that's another thing to ask. >> They haven't been asking residents. I do know that
>> cuz I know when I drive stuff down, I have to stop. I have to I write a check if you have to deliver. Like so I think like people wouldn't I just don't know how much that would back things up. I know it gets busy on the weekends. But even at least just seeing a license to say, "Hey, at least it says Long Meadow on there." >> I think that would be another I mean
people probably know about this from other towns, right? So I think getting a license for cardboard is if we can do that once you show them we're doing it you do a good job like >> you know broken windows policing kind of idea right like like you know for a few
weeks and then they'll realize they can't come anymore. >> So if we can if we can get a sticker a vinyl sticker that's cheap it'll be much faster than checking ideas IDs because right now they can just say there's the sticker. Maybe one way we can do it to I mean just to reduce the onus on
residents is when you go you get it if you show us your license we'll get you don't have to go to DBW the sticker we'll have it here this way it'll be easier for you the next time. >> Um >> yeah, you know it gets sent to every household. Everybody gets a sticker.
just something to make this as painless as possible for our residents because I really do feel like we made commitments to our residents on this program and I don't want to keep adding more and more. >> Yeah, I think that's the easiest way is when you go the people at the at the dump will have if we have a sticker like
this then they get it there and we can tell everyone you can get it there free and that way going forward you just see it and you don't have to even ask them anything. Sean, do you think that's a a reasonable ask of the the staff that >> We'll we'll figure it out. I think um just to make sure they look at the ID.
>> So that that will eliminate the non Longo residents using it. >> Yeah. >> Um yeah, >> there's another part of this. >> Yeah. Well, just few updates that the recycle center will be going to fall hours on November 1st. Um, Waste
Management's automated trucks are expected to be in town by the end of the year. Um, with that, we are going to have to do a little bit more education to make sure that the carts are out facing the correct direction so that the cart can just be picked up and um, dumped. Uh, it's like a hug mechanism
that will dump it. Um, if it's not close enough to the road, if it's not facing the right way, it will not dump. Um, so we did make tags. Um they do have that waste management will hook onto the handles of anybody who's not putting it out the correct way. So hopefully before
the truck is here, everyone learns out and towards the road. Um uh recycling just for to know that the market has um gone in the wrong direction. Right now we are paying 79.85 per ton to recycle. Uh last year we were
between 20 and $30. Um so it has more than doubled. we are still doing better than trash and we're still doing better than single stream which is more than what we pay for trash. Um so while it's not ideal, we are still in the best uh we can be for recycling.
Lastly, we have is our leaf program. Um, so with the new waste management contract, the price to pick up the curbside leaves, which we normally sell a bag, um, residents put it out, we've done three Saturdays in the past. Um, the price has gone up to $7,623
per day that we have waste management do it. Um, if we were to do it for three days, again, this year it would be $22,869. Uh, last year the bags were sold at $5 a roll, which is 50 cents per bag. and revenue was $11,000. Um, so we do sort
of need to make a decision. Are we still going to do three days of collection? Do we still want to sell the bags at $5 a roll? Um, to make sure that this program isn't, you know, costing us when only so many houses choose this option. Other people bring their leaves to the uh,
West Road. We open up the leaf site with a sticker or some people have a landscaper do their leaves. >> When you say historically $5 a roll, how long has that been? Since the beginning. >> She's saying since the beginning. >> 1783.
>> After we started sucking up the leaves with the vacuum >> 10, 15 years. >> Why are they Why are they plastic bags? Is that >> So they're plastic because most towns do the paper bags. They then leave the leaves in the paper bags to decompose.
We mulch up the leaves and spread them throughout the field. So they can't be in the brown bag. So the clear bag was made so that we can see that it's leaves. It doesn't fall out, fall over, and they do open all the bags and then, you know, it gets mulched up and spread.
>> What happens to all the bags after? >> Um, they're in a dumpster >> that Yeah. I Every time I drive by a yard that has 150 bags, little tear comes down. It's such a waste of plastic. Um, I mean, the the
reasoning makes sense. I just I really hate it. to make a suggestion. So, I I personally don't think we should we should lose the town should lose money on a service like this. I mean, I think that going from doing it two Saturdays to two Saturdays
instead of three is an easy way to help. So, that will take your cost down from like 22,000 to like minus 7,000 something is like 15,000. And then I'm thinking to make up the difference, you can slightly increase the price of the bags, which you know, inflation has been
significant. Things cost a lot more and at least get us closer to breaking even. You know, again, not making a profit on a program like this, but not losing money. And so maybe I would suggest doing that calculation, suggesting letting us know what the bag cost might be and then we can reassess it.
>> Problem is we got to get bags for sale soon. >> How's the timeline for that? Well, we normally put them on sale October 1st, so we're already late to that. Um, usually our collections are like November, I want to say it's like 8, the Friday before Thanksgiving or the
Saturday before Thanksgiving and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving week. Um, >> so so maybe this year we just come up with a reasonable increase, whether it's $6 or $7 for the 10 bags and then we take a loss this year and then figure it out for next year. So this, you know,
but less of a loss to mitigate that loss is a suggestion. >> But certainly two Saturdays of three seems like a no-brainer. >> Okay. >> When there's such a deficit, >> when are the uh three Saturdays scheduled for now? >> We have not scheduled though because
>> or like typically >> typically I'm going to say like the second Saturday in November, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving is usually the first week of December. Yeah, I mean that makes sense to me to get rid of that first one um and go down to two.
>> And the fact that roles haven't gone up in 10 years is it is n time to to do that if if nothing else. Um I I would be I don't know for after 10 years I think
doubling it seems reasonable to me. Um, and it might lead to less use of it, >> which would be and >> better for the plastic. >> Better for the plastic. If we have fewer pickups, that might we might lose a little money because of that. Uh, still,
but um I I think that that's a good that would be a good starting point for me. >> Ian has something to say. >> Oh, yeah. Just real quick, Lisa, is that 2200? Is that historically consistent? Does it vary year to year? >> It's pretty close. Yeah.
>> Okay. >> For how many bags sold? >> 2200. >> It's about 693, Andrew, if you're trying to do the math. >> So, six, you mean $6.93 >> if we were to break even? Yes.
>> Yeah. I think I think $7 then is a rare reason. I mean, I think it sounds like 10 might be a little much. >> I think people have a really hard time. >> Yeah. Se $7 seems clear that we are breaking even on this program. Thank you for doing the math.
>> Is it cheaper if fewer people use it or is it just >> we're paying like a per day to have the labor up there on the trucks? >> Okay. I think we did leave in the contract we do have the right to like go out to bid again for just this program if we wanted
to in future years. Um we're just running close on time this year. >> So if we had two pickups and it was $7 a roll, we would be around even. >> Yeah, that's what it sounds like. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> I think that's a very palatable increase. It's not It's more modest than
doubling it. I could have gone up 50 cents a year for the last 10 years. It would be right >> 10 bucks now. But, you know, it is what it is. Um, yeah, I'd be I'd be fine with that. >> $7. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay.
>> All right. I think that's all I need for tonight. So, thank you. >> Do we need a vote on this? Um well, if we could just quickly recap to make sure October 17th is the cutoff. You're okay with any and all methods
we're using to notify residents, >> not mailing you. Yeah. >> You're okay with the reverse 911. Okay. Yeah. >> Um and um preference to pick up priority at the DPW and then delivery or we'll
regroup after that to figure out. Okay. Just making sure I'm following. a lot of topics. >> Yeah. >> And drop to two Saturdays and $7 for >> Y. Oh, in future carts, we're going to figure out all in cost so we're not losing money.
>> And don't let businesses dump cardboard stuff >> or the business that we've been discussing. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you, Lisa. >> Thank you, Lisa. >> All right. Um, let's move on to fiscal year 2026 ambulance rates.
Uh we don't have Chief Frignney here, but we heard a lot about this last week. This is actually the numbers he gave us, correct? We just did a vote on it, >> correct? Yep. It was a presentation and now this is the actual vote on the rates itself. >> Okay. Um you want to talk about this
before we move on to a vote? >> No. Oh, sorry. Yeah. I was just going to say quickly that I think um you know for the reasons that we talked about and basically that this will have no actual impact on our residents and um no financial impact to them that this makes sense for us to increase these ambulance
rates. So uh I will make a motion to increase the ambulance rates um according to Chief Riggney's uh attached memorandum. >> Second. >> Second. >> Um okay. Any further discussion? Uh, actually I I just was driving back um
from Eastern Mass and I southern Eastern Mass. I drove through Summers and they have a giant electronic sign in front of their fire department says how many calls they've had >> that continually updates. And I I don't know if we want a a big neon sign there, but I think it might be kind of useful to have some way for people to track it
because it does you you say, "Oh, wow. They I think they were almost 3,000 to date." Um, so it's I think a kind of a tangible way to see what the fire department's doing. a ticker on the new site. >> Yeah. New website, >> old school stuff. Yeah. Um All right. Uh
all those in favor. Okay. And uh next up, we have a response to Freedom from Religion Foundation Recomm community preservation application. Um and what this is, this has been on our agenda a couple or
in correspondence. I think maybe the first time it didn't make into correspondence. Um, but it was sent to the members of the board uh about the first church uh renovations that were
paid for by a CPC or CPA grant. Um, and I appears somebody from town and I don't know if we know who uh it is, not that it matters. Um but a concerned resident brought it to the Freedom from Religion Foundation with some questions on
whether that was a appropriate use of uh public funds and uh we've heard back from the Freedom from Religion Foundation a couple times following up and uh at I asked Lyn at some point to bring this to town council and uh we did
a little bit of on crafting response and we went back and forth on it. on uh or did council do this or did we just No. Okay. We had talked to council earlier when it first came up that's what it was. >> Um and so to say under the Massachusetts
Constitution and case law, there are there's a a balancing act that you have to follow on this and there's factors you can follow. I know that CPC uh took those into account. They had uh was it Steve Weiss drafted a white paper for
them. Um and then it it was so it was discussed at length. Town council weighed in on it and so uh in order to uh hopefully put some closure on this from for the Freedom from Religion Foundation and also for the town
resident, anyone else who's concerned about whether this was an appropriate use of funds. Uh we decided to put this letter on and so we could discuss it and vote on it if we are comfortable with it. Yeah, thank you. Uh, yeah, I just to
kind of um just piggyback a little bit off what you said, I think the chair of the CPC first started looking into this almost a year before we even voted on it and um it was um Mr. Weiss who's also an attorney and I think he looked into this question pretty deeply and we talked to town council about it. So, this was
something that was really looked into thoroughly and was made sure that everything was above board obviously before it's brought to town meeting. Um, all right. Anybody else? Uh, do we It's new. We have it under old business, but this is the first time
we've actually discussed the letter, right? >> I think it just came up during correspondence, so maybe that's how it found its way to older business. >> Um, I I guess I've been thinking about a long time. Sounds fancy, too. I I'd be
comfortable voting on it. Um, but I we can also wait until next week if uh or until next meeting if everyone would like to do that. >> I'm happy to vote on it. >> Just tell me what are we actually voting on this letter? >> Oh, we're adopting it and then we'll sign it. Oh, so the if you look back at
correspondence, maybe not from the last meeting, but they >> couple meetings. >> Yeah. So, yeah, we're just responding and saying >> Oh, so we're just voting that this is a response. >> Yeah, we're we'll sign this. Yeah. >> The the correspondents came to the select board. So, if you want to respond to it on behalf of the select board, it
needs you. >> Thank you. That's the part I was guessing. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> And so, I'll entertain a motion to adopt uh this response to the Freedom from Religion Foundation letter. >> Second or sorry.
>> Yeah. >> Second. >> All right. Uh any further discussion? And all those in favor? Okay. Uh moving on to new business. Um so the Greenwood Center has uh well actually Lynn, why don't you describe it
or Mike? >> Sure. So we go over there a lot more. >> Yeah. As we um built out Greenwood to um uh consolidate municipal offices. We also uh made sure to add adequate meeting space and um we were fortunate enough to work with LCTV to create a
satellite studio. Um there's been more and more demand for boards and committees to meet and have LCTV have recording andor live capabilities. Uh and so the Greenwood room at Greenwood Municipal Offices is has been built out
for that. Um and it's ready to launch if the board would like to relocate there. We um have a very nice setup. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Feel free to stop by too during the work hours or there's plenty more meeting tomorrow if you you know happen to you check it out. But um otherwise,
yeah, it's a really nice setup. It's got the beautiful maple seal in the background. Um >> I think I I asked you about it like six months ago when I saw the seal. I said, "Oh, here." >> Yeah. >> Um >> yeah, I I I personally like leaving my house at 6:58 and getting here on time,
but if I had to drive across town, that's okay. Um it it's I I think it'd be nice to have a place that's a little bit our own. Um and so if everyone else is comfortable with that, I I talked to uh I ran to Sarah from the reminder at
uh the election and I said, "If I put if we just changed the address on top of a agenda and then started holding meetings there, you're our best customer. What would you think?" And she said, "I would not have seen that. It would show up here." So that's why I said let's discuss it at a meeting so that everyone
gets a heads up. >> What do you think? >> And I think the added benefit is that for our town staff, they're right there with their offices and I think that makes it much more convenient for them. >> One of the big motivating factors besides the convenience of it uh for us is um we had quite a few meetings in
this room that were over capacity and so uh the Greenwood room can actually hold a lot more people. Um it's a little bit more comfortable. I wouldn't say we could hold 85. That was a stretch when we had the municipal aggregation meeting, but um it's certainly more than
the 15 or so we can get in here. >> The public 15 public. >> We've gotten great feedback so far from all of the public meetings we've had, whether it was in the Bliss conference room or the Greenwood conference room. The other conference room is a little bit more of a smaller room, but they're both set up for virtual and inerson
meetings. And yeah, thank you to LCTV for getting that um hybrid set up there. Um so we're ready to go whenever. >> Okay. Well, not seeing any objections. So, uh in two weeks, that's where we'll be. Looking forward to it.
All right. Uh next up, we're moving on to the draft special fall town meeting of Warren. >> Okay. So, this is um definitely a draft. Um although it is in pretty good shape, we did not spend any time um putting
them in a specific order yet. We just our our our biggest priority was to get everything on a page so that we could start talking about it. Then we can figure out where the order is going to be. Um there were some changes made late
today that I think maybe made it back out to >> No, I don't think so yet because it was late this afternoon. I'm just going to share my screen with the updated. >> So that might be a little easier then. But um we're we're hovering around twows for the number of articles. That will definitely change based on our
conversation tonight. Um we really just treated this as a catch-all right now. So do not look at this and think where did you come up with this? Like we just anything that we've continued or talked about and maybe we're uncertain about we put on here so we didn't lose track of
it. Um and so do you do you want me to like walk through each one and just give an overview? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So starting with article one, this is the um this is the settlement funds from the DPW matter. Um when we received those funds, they came in as general
revenue because that's how they have to come in. Um and they are they've hit our free cash balance. So if we want to designate these funds, this is how we would do that. Um and I know we had talked about this a long time ago. Um and I I had expressed that my hope would
be that we would designate these to go towards the demolition of the old facility. Um and so that's how I've written this article. Um certainly, you know, if you disagree, we can do any you guys have the privy to to do what you want. Uh but that is what this article
is. Uh, article two, um, this is for furthering design on the phase 2 tip project for Long Meadow Street. Um, you've heard about this before, but this is the one that's been expedited um, a little bit sooner than um, we initially
thought because of some other projects falling off the list in the Western Mass area. So, we are very well positioned to be able to get this um, moved up on the tip schedule, but we do need to finish this design work. Uh just quick question. What's the um
timeline for the design? How long will the design take if it passes at >> time? Okay. So >> sorry. Is the water section I'm trying or the >> uh just the um water and sewer design work?
>> So it's going to happen simultaneously with the rest of the road design to get to 75% but it's not a complicated design. >> Okay. Right. Thank you. Um, so article three is one that is
similar to what we do every fall it seems. Um, we end up essentially supplementing our capital improvement program with free cash um to purchase equipment that um was not able to be funded at the capital planning time. And so this article funds um a new lawn
mower and a new sandpro machine. Total of which is $70,000 for both pieces of equipment. And the explanation goes into more detail on the specifics. >> So the sandpro like that's I'll just use for an example the the two bliss
baseball fields which could get really bad. Yep. >> Will this will the Sand Pro can it rip up the grass that's in there or >> is it >> So just to replace what we already have in kind. It's not going to do a lot more. So it's just we have the one we
have is busted up. So we're we're behind. >> Okay. Yeah. because it looks like nothing ever touches those. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, that would be more work than we have staff for right now. >> Okay. >> I've heard that from you before. >> Thanks.
>> Okay. Um, article 4. Is it Can you make that bigger? >> Oh, yeah. >> It's I mean, you can't read that. >> I can barely read what's on my laptop. >> All right. So, article four. This one I anticipate we'll we'll have to have some healthy discussion about and also um I'm
sure you're going to have a lot of questions that I might not have answers to tonight. But essentially what this is is um the creation of a revolving fund uh to support clean energy initiatives. The money to fund this revolving fund is
coming from two sources. One is um I have been talking for feels like years now about the adjustments to our net metering agreements. Um we finalized one um that you voted on in May, I believe it was. Um and we have
been negotiating with um Nen and Eversource since then. We received um a surprising bit of news from Eversource that um initially we were going to redistribute out the massive amount of
solar solar credits that we have been accumulating on our street light account. We were going to redistribute those out to other accounts. Um the issue with that is that it's $865,000 and it will take a very long time to um
deplete that amount and we're still acrewing credits. Um so that was a concern of ours. We also at the time were planning to do some energy projects that we were under the impression that we could finance through those credits
and we have been informed by Eversource that you can't do that. Um, we've pushed back a lot because that's counter to what's happening other places and we're still the response they gave to us was what surprised me and that's that they would prefer to write us a check and
cash out all of our solar credits. So, that's $865,000 that they would like to send us a check for. If we do not set up a fund to direct that money to, it will go to free cash. Um, not free cash for um this
number that we're seeing here now, but it would be free cash that we would then allocate in the fall of 27. Sorry, fall of 26, FY27. Um so in working with our energy consultant and town council um
what we have here is a revolving fund to support those clean energy initiatives which was keeping in line with the idea of using those solar credits to finance the projects. Um these however are unrestricted funds so you could do
something different with them if you wanted to. Um, and this is why we need to have a conversation because this was my idea in talking with um our energy manager and our um town council, but it it's ultimately your decision. Um, and
so the the sorry, let me get back to the two pockets of money. The big pocket is the 865,000 from Eversource to cash out the credits. The smaller recurring funds are um the cash out of the new um net
metering agreement. That was the agreement you guys approved in May where we are in partnership with AWAM. And so what the way that works is um Eversource sends us a check once a month. It includes Long Meadows solar credits, Agawam solar credits and the
administrative fee that we need to pay to ever to newen. We take the money in and then we cut the checks and disperse them out. Um, roughly it depends on the um the tariff that's coming in for the
solar credits that month, but over four months we have $274,000. So, it's a healthy amount of money. Um, that is a 20-year agreement with two five-year renewals. So if those renewals are exercised that recurring funds um
are in place until 2044. >> What kind of let's say we did establish the fund. What what can it be used for and what are do we have uh guide rails? I looked at the statute and it doesn't it seems to be pretty broad. >> It is. Yeah. Um so if if we go with this
energy initiatives one it would be um projects that would um reduce our use of greenhouse gas emissions. Um it could um make improvements to you know LED lighting upgrades. Um really kind of
just like a mass save type thing that you do at your house. It'd be projects like that for municipal and school buildings. But we we're establishing what >> the fund is for and so we can >> have that as broad or as narrow as language as we want. >> Can I see something?
>> Go ahead. >> So um I honestly don't know. So it's established that this is money we can use for anything we want. So I'm not sure why we would restrict ourselves and create a fund when we could use it for anything we wanted. For example, so if if it goes to free cash, we can use it
for for something in the future that we find is our top priority. if we go to put in the operational stabiliz stabilization fund if we want. I personally think you know a few meetings ago we said like any you know we should prioritize the most important things
with any found money. So maybe um energy initiatives are one of those priorities if you tell us that that's that's what you think like I think when we spoke last week you mentioned uh mini splits at Greenwood would be a top priority for you. I think we all have said how important the DPW is to us. And I
understand after thinking about it, you know, you can't just you can't really support the DPW without recurring funds. But I think that if we have recurring funds, a segment of this, we should definitely prioritize the DPW. So I think that I don't see the need to restrict create a fund that has
restricted uses when we can use this money for anything that we think is our top priorities. And that's what I would recommend we do. like we basically either take this money and you tell us, you know, what you really with this found money what you really think is the
best way to spend it now for the town. Um or we can put it in the free cash and let the town decide later um how to use it basically. Um that's my two cents. That was going to be a similar question I had was about not restricting it because I know there are things we've talked about even in just the past three
meetings that we said were a big priority for us and if we do have the flexibility to use that that could be a big help. What's the benefit of creating this that does put a restriction on it? >> Uh so the revolving fund has to be
somewhat specific. I don't believe we can create one. And I'll defer to Ian, but I don't believe we can create one to just say Long Meadow Priorities or something like it has to be specific enough so that we can make a determination that not we, but the accounting and auditing can make a
determination that it's an eligible use. >> Okay. >> Um, a revolving fund, the benefit of it is that you're not going to town meeting for each expenditure out of it. But we could do something like a revolving fund for energy efficiency infrastructure and
>> DPW >> DPW like we could make it we could >> broaden it broaden it that way or is that not the way it >> we would ask that you give us as much instruction as you could and then we would take it back and verify that that would work >> because it's more of a discussion with
department of revenue to determine the legality of the revolving fund because depending on the specificity of it is where they would say yes or no whether or not we do it. >> Mhm. >> Is it true that, you know, to be honest, there's I don't think there's anything wrong with going to the town with
deciding how to spend large amounts of money. I I think I'm seeing I recognize that it's easier for us to be more nimble perhaps, but if we're spending $100,000 on certain things, it's a town warn article and, you know, it just there's a benefit to having it vetted a
little bit more and have having it approved as well. I mean, I just feel like if that's the only way to get it to spend the money in the that towards our highest priorities, which maybe now our highest priority is the DPW in the future might be something different. >> Yeah. >> I think that gives us the most
flexibility even though it might be an extra hurdle of literally asking the people for approval for it. >> Sure. And I I um I didn't mean to imply that that would be why I wouldn't want to do the revolving fund. It's more about the timing. Tow meeting is twice a
year. For example, we had an AC um failure at the police station this summer. We if we had this energy revolving fund, we could have >> repaired that >> brought in a company and swapped it out with something much more efficient and
gotten them back up and running quicker. If we had the revolving fund to do that, if we were using town meeting, it would be an article on this. >> To add to what Lynn's saying, it's also the timing of when free cash is certified. So there's only one time a year that free cash is certified to
allow for that fiscal year. So once that period closes, we have to wait until the next fiscal year to have access to those funds again. So it's really a matter of how fast you want to have access to the funds. The funds would be essentially in the same place where you could use them
for any legal purpose. It's more of a restriction of being able to access it out town meeting versus otherwise. Mhm. >> To me, it sounds like if we want to do this for the benefit of being able to use it, which thank you for clarifying that, >> it would be better or more in line with
what we've said is our priority if we had a revolving fund to benefit the DPW or capital buildings basically instead of just specifically energy. It seems to me if you said we did it's for the buildings, it's for the DBW, you could still accomplish your energy initiatives, but that gives you much more freedom to spend. >> Yeah.
>> On things that we really think we need to >> Yeah. in this day and age basically. >> I agree. >> Um, yeah. So, so this million dollars you said came from kind of two different pots. Um, one pot was like the
240,000ish and that accured over four months you said. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And so we will like expect that to continue acrewing at that rate until >> until 2044. >> Okay. Um and then the 800,000 um how long of a period did that approve over?
>> Um from when we swapped to LED street lights, so early 2020. >> Okay. All right. So that's bringing in like 200,000ish. >> It's acrewing still. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> We are paying for those credits out of a DPW line item.
>> So just I mean not that it matters for this conversation, but we do pay for them. Yeah. Okay. >> Uh yeah, I mean I I when I saw this too, I was wondering what the benefit was of creating a revolving fund for just clean
energy projects because I I share the same sentiment as I think what Andrew was saying and Shelley as well that I don't really see the benefit of restricting it. Um, and and I guess, you know, besides um and I
guess I would also want to know, you know, is there a is there an issue here with the timing of us needing to make this this decision about the revolving fund? Obviously, it's just if we put it off until May, we just can't access it until May, but >> do we need to make this dec? Are there any other cost?
>> Yeah, great question. Um, so what will happen, and Ian and I spoke about this earlier today, um, what will happen is we'll continue to take the fund, the monthly funds in, they will continue to go to general revenue. Um, the my guess would be that, um, we would say to
Eversource, cut us the check that will also go to general revenue. So those amounts will hit free cash >> for November, >> next year from now. Yeah. Um, so you you could wait until the annual town meeting in May and set up the revolving fund.
Um, and then we have a fund at least set up. Um, I don't know if we have to fund it at the time, but >> no, >> we would have free cash left anyway to do that. Um, >> you don't specifically have to fund it at the time. You can, but it's more of a matter of creating the fund first. That's the more important, too.
>> So, it's not incredibly timesensitive. Um, I have not committed to Eversource yet, and partly because I was skeptical. I didn't want it to seem like it was too good to be true. But the more I've sat with it, the more I feel um more comfortable having them
cut us a check and having it in our control than leaving it with them. I just I >> Yeah, >> I'm happy to get the money for the town. >> Yeah, I actually like the timing of the November. I mean, we really don't know what funding is going to be like next year. I I think this gives us ex if I'm
thinking about this right, this gives the town an opportunity to leverage money on things that are important to us. If we wait till May, I don't know. I just think the way things are changing, this gives us a little more flexibility to make sure our town has what it needs
when it needs it. I mean, I I don't have a problem bringing it to the November, but if others think we need more time to research it. So, do we have to describe within this article what the options might be for ideas of what we might fund?
>> Um, yes. Um, we wouldn't necessarily need to give specific examples. It could be broad enough. Um, and I think if there's enough consensus here to work to bring for me to bring back to work on language
that's to broaden to fund DPW um and building infrastructure related projects. So, for example, if we had had this and we have a couple hundred,000 to fix the high school pool, you could have used it for that. We don't even have to have a warrant, right, article for that because you could have just used it
right for that. >> Yeah. >> So, that kind of stuff is going to be constantly happening to us. So, I think that this is a this allows you to be nimble and it's I don't think anyone's going to disagree that >> which also means it'll be gone like that though.
>> Yeah. because you can spend it without our disc without consulting with us. >> Yes, but we could put some parameters in there. Um >> interesting. >> We could put some stuff in the explanation um to put some parameters in there if you want, you know, expenditures over a certain dollar
amount to come to you for approval. We could create that. >> So, we'd have like a separate policy for this. Yeah. >> Yeah. Like the reserve fund for the finance committee. We do something similar for change orders on large projects which you know those are big dollar amounts. Um certain thresholds go
to certain levels. Um >> I just I wasn't worried about you putting it away. I was just saying if we if it can use for anything it will be used for everything >> and it just won't last long. And I'm not I I certainly understand every what
everyone's saying. There is something to not that just because it's tidy to tie that these are solar credits to clean energy but clean energy it's not it saves us money too. It's something that
sets us up for the longer term. If the mini splits is a replacing an AC with a mini split is a great example. Much more efficient and you have a little bit of an installation cost, but in the long run it lowers operation costs. >> Uh so, >> and we can still use it for that.
>> Yeah, >> we can. But I'm just saying if we if it's >> if it's everything if it's anything, it's everything. >> We do have codes for in town, right? That when we do work, we have to meet certain energy thresholds, too, right? like we were just meeting with with Paul on that. So there are things that we
still have to abide by that meet energy standards. Um so I I agree with what you're saying. >> Um Josh and I think that I do like the idea of having a policy for maybe over a certain amount. I think that can help build transparency with uh residents
too. If it comes before a public meeting, they'll kind of know larger dollar amounts that we're spending on. But to your point, we don't have to wait till the one of one or two of the town meetings that we have. >> Yeah. And like how far can we go with this? Like can we say that we can put
this money towards like paving roads? >> Um so that was going to be my next thing is to say um this is a great conversation but ultimately do is going to tell us how broad we can be and how specific we have to be. >> We get more guidance on that from buyers
next. Yeah. >> I mean, even things like, you know, we've got a building study coming up. >> Yep. >> And if we decide to do something with one of those buildings, like this is a seems like a pot of money that we could leverage, you know, I I just would want, you know, all
those options available. >> Yeah. >> All right. Everyone comfortable with this one? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Thanks. >> And you have all the information? >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay.
Uh so five um is a work in progress. Uh we need town council's help on this. Um and he's started reviewing today. So this would be to accept uh MGL4U which authorizes um municipal fines.
There's a lot of different chapters in uh or sections in 40u, but essentially this is here for two reasons. I'll speak to one and then I'm going to ask Mike to speak to the other. One is um for those of you that might remember when we did our code book um editorial and legal
analysis, we found an issue with the sidewalk clearing bylaw and we were charging $25 for a fine, but state law only allowed $10 or the state law we referenced in it only allowed $10. Accepting this chapter allows us to go
up to $200. Uh so we could decide to go back to that 25 if we wanted to. There was a lot of um um I you know a lot of comments from people that oh $10 is nothing like that's a
silly amount. So um you know we that stuck with us um and especially with code enforcement who's tasked with going out and making sure the sidewalks are shoveled. So this would fix that. Um and then the other one relates to um fines >> um >> for leans.
>> Yeah. So, a fine, well, I guess I'll um fines like the building department or code enforcement assesses a fine on something. Um 40U would allow us, there's a section in there that would allow us to if that fine was not paid to lean the property. Right now, we can't
do that. >> So, would we be in theory taking 40 on the whole? >> I believe so. Oh, it's section two that talks about local acceptance. >> Yeah, this is something I think we still have to run by J. There are different like uh for instance, snow removal is
section five, >> but he said that 40U has to be adopted entirely in order to then um accept the provisions of all the other sections. So, we just have to get a little more information, I think, as to >> how we specifically accept all of the provisions of the additional sections.
>> One of the things, you know, we're I always think of uh our small town, one of the things we have to do is appoint the municipal hearing officer. >> Yeah. It's like an admin judge. >> That's me. That's me. It's in my contract. >> People could appeal appeal fines to you. >> Yeah, it's already in my contract. >> You're not busy enough. I mean, as long
as it's not us. >> We talked about it already. Yeah. Mike and I drew straws. >> But it wasn't my contract. >> Yeah. Okay. Um Well, I guess we'll >> Yeah. So, this may also trigger some bylaw changes uh that we did not prepare
for this warrant, but we're waiting to talk to Jay. And is this something where e-code will help us out because we if if we're pointing to old codes, it would automatically update to this. >> Oh, that's a good point. So, the reason why this is coming about is because our
general bylaw specifically doesn't say in accordance with MGL85, which is the Department of Public Util or the public works, which authorizes the fine at $10. But the bylaw was written based off of that statute. So, that bylaw would have to be reworked in order to be in
accordance with the new statute that we're trying to accept, >> if that makes sense. >> So, this one's a work in progress. We'll be back next time with more. Um, the next article relates to the easements that are required for the Long Meadow
Street um phase one tip project. Um, so this um would fund would actually exercise um those easements and then fund it. This is to allow that work to continue.
This is also generally once the easement process plays out. That's really the last local step. Um, if you remember, you you just dealt with this not long ago. >> And there were 70 easements on that one. I think there's 11. >> So, what part of uh Long Island Street is this?
>> This is um >> from Congress to Crescent, >> right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. another stop. >> And we did do a 25% design hearing. We um invited every single property owner
that was impacted uh by this project. Um we did an inerson meeting at Greenwood. It was lightly attended. Um but there was adequate notice and >> good conversation.
>> Yeah. Yeah. uh article seven which is a different one that's than you have but um this is the one related to the high school pool. So this to to fix the high school pool to sign that contract we took them funding DPW used the streetlight account
to um provide a funding source to sign the contract. Uh, and so this would transfer money from free cash to the streetlight account so that we have enough money to keep paying those bills for the rest of this fiscal year. And the pool work is ongoing and is um
anticipated to be complete by the end of this month. >> So the street light account is to uh fix street lights. >> Um, this No, this is to pay the bills street lights. Yeah. Mhm. >> And it's also the account that's used to
buy the solar credits. >> Okay. >> Okay. Um article eight uh for fire department. Uh so this is two pieces in one. One is um the overtime account. They are um
they're going to run short. We could wait and transfer in May at the annual town meeting. Um but we already know that they are going to run short. So that's why this is in here. Um and then the other piece that's in here that we
um should talk about uh was when Chief Riggney was here giving his department overview um spent a lot of time talking about staffing levels. This would fund the addition of two full-time um firefighter paramedics to start in uh January.
So we can have some discussion on whether or not you that is the you know intent of the board to put that forward. Um but that is why that is here. Okay. Um article nine for CPA funding.
This is um really just to correct an error. Uh at the annual town meeting there was a warrant article that was part of a consent agenda for the CPA admin funds. um it listed the wrong fiscal year in the warrant that was
mailed to the households. The motions were correct, but because it was part of a consent agenda, out of out of an abundance of caution, we are putting forward an article that fixes that fiscal year. >> I think whichever select board member
had read this consent agenda should have caught that. Uh there's Mark. >> Um article 10 is the um is funding the CPA buckets. This is a standard one we do every year. >> And just for those watching, I think the
article number is off by one. Yes. Because of the uh the new copy. We added one more article was a new article three, I think. >> Yeah. Wait, did I >> Oh, you know what? I clicked on your website one. >> Yeah. So, we haven't reflected that new one yet. >> So, I wasn't working off the live one. Okay.
>> Sorry. So, I'm sorry. There's a new article 3. It's a bill of prior year um for um uh the work we were doing, the secondary work after the IT study. We rolled right into a a payroll project.
Um the bill came in for that consultants work after we closed the fiscal year. So, we need to pay that bill. Um so, that it it's $16,000. Okay. that that you'll see that on the a
new draft that'll be circulated to you, but that was the one that was added late today. >> Okay. Um All right. Um 11, but I guess it's probably >> 12 on yours. Okay. So, this is for Bliss Park playground. So, um we received the
Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to um replace the playground at Bliss Park and do some storm water improvements and ADA upgrades. Um it was a $1.6 million grant. um of which uh 824,000
roughly is um reimbursed by the federal government land and water conservation fund. Um this grant is still operating. We still have these funds. Um we applied to the CPA grant for the
match, the 824 match. Um and they gave us half. We applied to the federal funds infrastructure office. That is a new agency created by the governor. Um they were assisting communities with grant
federal grant matches. We applied to them. Um they have not replied. Um repeated requests including attending an in-person event where I badgered them about the money. Um I don't believe they're going to make good on that
match. So, um, this grant, uh, you the grant is open now. It's a fiscal 26 grant. We need to get working on this. The playground, uh, has been ordered. Um, we need to have the grant match available. So, this
would fund the 400 or 356,000 that we need to come up with. >> So, when would we receive the federal funds in theory? >> Uh, it's a reimbursement grant. So, >> at the end of the project? >> No. Um, we will certain benchmarks like first invoice, second invoice, as soon
as we've contracted for the playground. So, as soon as we get it, we'll submit for reimbursement. >> So, I guess my question was really when do we find out if this goes away and it it could be could be early before we put a lot of money in.
>> We haven't lost it yet. Um, we can keep waiting, but the >> No, I'm not saying we should. I just want like if we can find out once the design is done and we spent money on the design and but then if we apply for reimbursement and we find out that >> oh no that's not
>> sure >> it's no longer a thing. So it's not um it's not just radio silence right now. There are quarterly reports that go to land and water. Well, they go to the state the um do >> DOE >> I think. So um that's who it flows through. Um and so we've been in
communication with the grant administrator there. >> Although they haven't responded the past six days. >> Uh no, that that's the state office, our local state office. Yeah, they we don't directly speak with the federal agency on it. State does. Okay. Yeah, I just want to make sure we don't get the rug
pulled >> out. Just check on that, but I believe the reimbursement process is also quarterly, but it may be as invoices are available as well. I know they have a certain time frame that they have to reimburse, whether it's 45 days after submission or something like that, but
we can verify that. >> Okay. Um, article 13, um, reminding myself. Oh, this is to um replenish the accounts that were used for the special town meeting and the special town election. Um all in it was
$50,000. Um most of that is to um reimburse the reserve finance committee reserve fund. Uh and then the town clerk um had extra costs for election workers and um >> pole pads.
>> P Yeah, thank you. Pole pad rentals. Um, and then we needed to use some additional money from the IT department um to help pull this off. Hey, 14. Um, oh, okay. Um, this one is for the
center school um windows. Um, we are we have submitted an MSBA um accelerated repair application. We are still going through that process. We they had 90 applications. We made it down to the cut of 41. We've done
on-site tours with them. We feel like we're very well positioned to get this grant. Um we have to commit our feasibility study money by I want to say January. Um and so this is on here. Uh
if by November 4th we find out we don't get it, I think they vote October 26th. um if we find out we're not in the running then we'll just not we'll just take no action on this but if we are in the process um this enables us to stay
in that process. The nice thing is uh we have 300,000 or $292,000 sitting aside for the window project that was a CPA grant years ago um that will be used to take care of this feasibility study.
This language is specific MSBA language that they require. Uh article third 15. Um this is to fund the uh DPW um collective bargaining agreement. This was the um uh adjustments to the wage
scale. Uh and um also included in this article is the funding of a cola for non-UN personnel. Uh when we initially prepared our 26 operating budget, the amount we had set aside for a cola uh to make everything balanced while we saw
how it all shook out um is actually not enough to fund a cola that um is uh respectable to distribute. Uh, and so this would add to that funding and actually give a cola that is keeping up
with market conditions. >> Question, could you remind us what would happen if the town does not pass this? What was in what was the stipulation in the agreement? >> If this town does not pass this accepted, >> I believe there is additional cola on top of the DPW
um cola for 26. Basically, >> it's less than this. This is something they were willing to accept the will of the town basically. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. Um Yes. Um besides the you know with the collective bargaining
conversation aside um we've settled and and we're moving forward with that new contract. Um but town staff collectively who bargained at the table um felt very strongly about this um in support of it because we want
to address these vacancies and this was based on a comparative analysis of other communities. This will position us well. We won't be the top pay, but we won't be the bottom three anymore. Um and so we do feel like this will make a
big dent in um attracting and retaining people. Okay. Uh article 16 um this is so 16 17 18 we have Sean here for these um but these will these are all uh water sewer
projects. So this you've heard a lot about these in the past um these specific projects and now it is the actual uh funding of these projects so that the design can get finished and they can get put out to bid um for start
of during the next construction season. >> So maybe Sean can answer this best and Western obviously doesn't have a lot of people on it one side of the street. Why? What is the importance of Western
Drive in in the project on the whole? >> Sure. So, that was one of the areas um where we had tremendous amounts of water main breaks. It was labeled by Time Bond as a high priority area during their initial um report given two years ago. It was also one where we knew we had to do the road paving and we didn't want to
do one before the other. So, combining the two projects and doing them in order this way seemed prudent. Um so, also town was sort of built out from from like that that Springfield line out. So that infrastructure is the oldest. So this is sort of the logical um way of
going about it. Unfortunately, we have a lot of other projects happen in the same area, but um that those lines are in terrible shape. Similar to Emerson, if you might remember, we had like 17 breaks on that little road. So it's it's long overdue. >> Yeah, I remember from the study, I mean,
the water manes were overundred years old and >> Tigabond were very concerned about If you look at them, it'll break. >> And we're past the options with the um I forgot the term for slip line. >> Yeah, >> that we'll do that in the sewer section. So, the water lines can't be done. It's
not allowed legally, but the sewer sections that are in good enough shape to slip line will be slip line. We figure that out by cameraing the the areas. Some of it have to be pipe, but the areas that we can save, we will. >> So, is that something you figure out as you go? >> We've already done that work. >> So, article um 16 is the water. It's 8.5
million. Article 18 is the sewer slip lining and that's only 2.5 million. >> So, it's a significant cost savings. >> But the laterals for all this stuff has to be replaced, too. So, it's not just, you know, going to the road, it's everything on each side. So, the whole the roads will be destroyed as a result
of it. >> And then, um, the one sandwiched in between there, which will probably move around. >> Yeah. Um, uh, is the water meter uh, replacements. Um, this has been on the capital plan for
since I've been here. Um, and um, finally getting to the point where it's past a priority. >> We're losing between 75 and 100 meters every time we read quarterly. And so it's creating a little bit of issue trying to get back to those houses, get permission to go in. Plus, they're
already outdated. Um, so we I don't believe this is the full replacement. I think it's only half, but we need some in inventory, too, so we can keep going. >> So, when you do um estimated reads, does that are are you conservative in your estimates or
>> we go high and then we reimburse later if we get >> Okay. So, this will be more accurate, but it won't necessarily make us >> Well, we'll build a read. >> I was going to say if they're dying, you you can't >> Yeah. We go by and we'll have 80 or 100 houses with no reads. Yeah. So, we're going by right now with the vehicle.
This will make it so we don't have to drive by. Yeah. >> And they're they're they're beyond their useful life anyway already. So it's it's really um expensive to have a company come in and do it for you. So it's not just us doing it.
Anything? All right. Uh the flood plane bylaw. This is article 19. >> Um this is coming back. Um this is really pretty critical at this point. Um, but Mike and I have talked a lot about this and Mike has spent a lot of time working with both Dean, our
associate planner, and Leah, the conservation agent, to strategize an uh, education plan, so that the voters at town meeting go into the meeting already understanding what this is. It's not um, as dire as it was made to seem, um,
meaning impacting of people's property. >> Yeah. And this is I I wrote in here just for um, discussion purposes that it's pending. the planning board public hearing tomorrow has to receive a unanimous uh recommendation from the planning board in order to make its way back onto the warrant. So assuming that they give a unanimous um just because of
the time frame that it's been out of town meeting. Um so assuming they give a unanimous uh recommendation on the article um Wednesday morning mailers and uh social media and butters notifications will go out to anyone who's a flood plane zone essentially. Um and there'll be a workshop in late
October. I don't have the exact date on me right now, but late October there will be a workshop at the Greenwood Center um hybrid um where people can come and learn more about um exactly what's happening, exactly what's changing. And we're also getting really strategic in how we um write the
definition and description as well because it's um on top of what we're doing to make sure that we meet the model uh Massachusetts State Flood Plane, it's it's more just describing what is changing with with these um updates this year. So it's this
essentially the same exact bylaw that was brought to town meeting >> which was defeated because the butters or flood plane residents >> spoke against it. So if we can get >> so those residents are getting engaged directly which I think is a very positive.
>> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Thank you to Dean and Leah for coordinating that. >> Okay. And now um 19 or I think it's 2021 and 22. These are ones that you will need to decide. These are carryovers
from discussion we had in June. Um essentially um uh 20 is uh adding a recall petition. I have had a lot of conversation with town council. Um
recall through a special act can be in select board positions can be included. So we have to decide this. The way this is written is without um select board. Um so you could do that um if you want
to. I did not do any more work on these because I was not sure if you wanted these to stay on here. If you do, then we'll work them up a lot more before your next meeting. Um so that 20 is recall. Um 21 is uh to remove the
housing authority as elected an unelected body. Um and then 20 two is to remove planning board as an elected body and so these were conversations we had over this. >> So can you remind us what in regarding
21 with the recall what stipulations would there be and why is it that we used to think that we couldn't include the select board >> but now we can >> act I believe >> yeah I um I had thought through what I
had read and conversations I had um that it was only possible through a charter review commission. >> Um town council feels otherwise and that they're the attorney. So um through a special act we can do it.
>> So would this specify what would happen to have what what would be required to recall people? >> Yes. >> Can you clarify what that So in this um well this example would need to change because it excludes um um a se it
excludes the select board um but you could there's many examples from other communities um I think it's 15% or there's different thresholds you haven't chosen that have to be met which one you you right now you just want to know if we want to proceed with this
>> and and you'll suggest some like would this specify the way it would happen or just >> Yes. And I I don't believe that would be changing. Um, one of the areas that you could change is whether or not someone needs to have a reason for petitioning
for recall. Some communities require it and some do not and some require that it be vetted by town council to be a legal reason. >> So, that is a slippery slope and I was cautioned against needing a reason. Um,
but you guys could if you wanted to. >> So, this is 250 voters in 25 from each precinct. At least 25 from each precinct, which I think spreading among the precincts is a good idea. I don't I don't know. 250 doesn't seem like a lot of voters.
>> I'm sorry. Were you saying it's 15% of voters? >> Um, I haven't read this fully in a while. Um, there's different there's different steps. There's the initial petition. There's initial signatures to get um the recall in front of you and
then >> in front of a town for a vote, right? >> And then you have to within so many days you have to schedule um a special town meeting. >> So is it >> and then there's an election.
>> Is it the to was it 15% of voters what the 15% was? I just don't remember. signif the reason why it's >> says recall procedures. >> I think when we copied it over it didn't format in the way that it used to. So we'll have to go page numbers in >> Oh, that's somewhere different. Okay.
Sorry. I don't have that on this. >> I I'm not against adding a recall provision, but I I think I'd be in favor of it. I just want to make sure we're doing it right and like I've thought about it and I'm I'm a little worried that we're not giving ourselves enough
time to to chew on this. >> Yeah. Jay expressed some of that today in an email that he thought um >> act was too quick or thick or something like that. Yeah. >> And then we also might be more of an annual town meeting which >> Yeah, I think you're right. the annual
town meetings and that we also have more of a turnout for as well >> in theory. Like I I this one especially this meeting we just had a huge town meeting. I'm really worried that this there's nothing that's going to fire people up to be there. Um especially
these which will probably would be late in the uh warrant. I I'm I'm worried that we're going to have a real small percentage of town making a pretty big decision and I'd like to make sure we >> and and that's fine. Uh for I think May is fine, but I also think like this
isn't given what's gone on in the last calendar year. I mean, I think that it wouldn't I think the vast majority of people would find no objection to having a process that we lacked. >> And sure, you know, so and I think that, >> you know, I don't I think it's
responsive to kind of consider doing it in November myself. I mean, I I certainly think the select board should be included. Um, but I I don't know the legal I don't I mean this is now that we're actually looking at it, I'm not that familiar with the legalities of it and rushing it if that has any ramifications that are negative. But
>> is Yeah. Is having any procedure worse than having or better than having a bad procedure? That's just what I'm worried about. >> You mean giving us time to kind of talk about how >> Yeah. >> it would happen? >> Is how much time would we realistically have one more meeting to discuss this? >> Right. Yeah. Yeah.
>> We have to close it in two weeks >> and I don't think it the timing it would matter. Meaning this won't um pass in time, you know, go through all the steps before >> the May meeting anyway. Okay.
>> Like so I don't I don't think >> be like instantaneous now, >> right? Um so I I think you're you're okay because it still need to be reviewed by the attorney general. If it was it was formatted as a special act, it would still need to be reviewed by the AG's office prior to being submitted to the legislature anyway.
>> Okay. >> We just didn't want to forget. We hadn't had this conversation again since June or early July. Um and then the same goes with the housing authority and planning board. I thought that when we talked about this
during the summer that it had come up that we couldn't make the housing authority uh um unelected. >> I remember that too being supposed to >> Yeah, I'm trying to remember that conversation.
>> There was um there was a conflicting bylaw with the charter. Well, I'll have to look back at that, but there was something that conflicted in the bylaws to the charter that stated the composition of the housing authority and it was different. So either way, we were going to have to do whether it's vice versa, we're going to have to do a bylaw
change to accompany a charter change or charter to accompany a bylaw. There there was there was something there that I just I can't think of right now, but >> I think it had to do with the composition, the makeup of the board. >> Yeah. because I thought I thought it was
spelled out in MGL that it had to be elected and had to be elected with a certain composition. >> Yeah, because there's three elected positions. There's one government appointment and there's also one um >> tenant >> tenant member. >> I'm remembering this now and I think it has to do with it being a town or a
specific size town, something like that. But I'll go back and refresh my memory and it'll either stay on here or it won't. And then Yeah. I I mean my thoughts on those two are I think go along with the um the recall provision.
>> I I also think that at least in in my mind the ball has gotten rolling a little bit on a charter commission. I I know that uh I heard from somebody who wants to gather the petitions or the signatures to petition
to follow the statutory way to make a a broader change. And uh another thing that Lyn and I have talked about, I know Shelley was interested in as well was having um uh I can't remember what's the >> form of government form of government committee. Yeah, formal government
committee come in and tell us uh about other forms of government and uh and I I definitely do not want to say we shouldn't do make our current form of government as good as possible while we're doing it, but I think there is on the horizon. There's going to be a
bigger conversation. Um but as as Andrew said, people want this and we should be reactive to people wanting this. Um I just want to make sure we're doing all these because these would be uh pretty big changes and I want to make sure that we we're not just doing it
without a whole lot of thought >> and I think that's actually that's very appropriate especially since like you know we should if we're considering the planning board I think don't think we've formally asked the planning board members actually exactly what they think not that you know I I'd be curious like
I think some are maybe for it some may not be >> I know Bruce Cold is very much against I know that. >> So, we should hear them out as well. So, that's a reason to take our time, I guess. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Anything else on the board? >> Well, I mean, I I I think that Okay. So,
I I think that these articles need to be voted on together, like the the recall, the planning board. Mhm. >> Um, >> you know, I I honestly I I think I'm feel more like Andrew does that I don't necessarily think that this needs to
wait until May, but I would like to just have this in better position. And if it is possible to get this worked up about what a recall would look like where we can discuss this in two weeks, then I think we should do that. Um, >> yeah, I mean, if we're going to do
I'm still I see what you're saying. Definitely. I'm if we're at a point where like the town manager's office can give us a kind of a plugandplay like here's what >> other towns do. >> Yeah. Here's what other towns do. Here's
like an example and all you need to do is fill in the percentages or the number of voters something like that. Then we could look at it. But that's I still think that's a lot of work for two weeks. But um if it can be done then yeah I'm happy to take a look at it. The
other two I I do not I I don't think they're necessarily part and parcel. I think those are different changes. >> Yeah. I mean there are different changes but I think it's you know all part of kind of the same effort of like rethinking how you know just how we're electing folks and holding accountable.
And I think if we're talking about, you know, getting people to come to a town meeting, it's kind of under that, you know, that that saying that of like this is an opportunity to kind of have your voice heard about how we hold folks accountable, how we elect folks, you know, and kind of like take care of that
in one meeting as opposed to maybe separating those articles out, you know, two different meetings. >> And if it does make it, I think it probably should be pushed up too rather than the at the very end. And I know this is we're just kind of putting these together, right? But >> y >> um yeah, I think that would probably
drive more interest early on in the meeting as opposed to at the end. >> Yeah. And I will say I mean I think the interviews that we had for the planning board that we had five or six really good applicants just makes me feel even more so that the
planning board should be appointed. Um you know I know that you asked them whether they would have ran and they I know some of them said they would. I know I I don't know if they actually would have uh because if I mean I think you just kind of look back at the record and see you know how this works. Last year we had a school committee
appointment that brought out a lot of great candidates and it's just kind of a pattern I think that when we put out um you know uh when we're filling it by appointment we just get more candidates. >> Another way to think of it, Josh, is again we're not deciding that this is what's going to happen. We're giving the town an opportunity to debate it
basically. And I think I I and I I I'm still I'm I'm still okay with going to May if legal legally like this isn't something we want to whip together like on the fly, but um if we could come up with something that was reasonable like that Lynn presented with us next time.
If we could get invite the planning board to come tell us their share their thoughts if they have any then if if we felt like confidence that legally we made a good choice especially if other towns have done a certain way and there's precedent for it then then we can I'm curious I'm very curious to
see what the debate would be like on the town floor. My my issue with that is that that you know that's that's a legislature and that's supposed to be up for debate, but I would say 99.5% of things we put on the warrant pass. And
so >> but this is one that I think would actually be debated. >> I to a certain extent. Yeah, I think so. But >> and it might not even pass. I probably would, but >> I think it would. Why? And that's why >> and and that's why I think words should be comfortable like >> right >> acting because this year has been very
>> talent. Exactly. And that's I do not like I don't like putting things on there and I think I've gotten I've learned from my years going to town meeting that you can't just rely on we can't rely on the conversation
getting to uh swaying people at that point. and especially some people just tune it out and moving it up in the warrant does help >> but you know especially the >> same token you made this point before which is actually very good like you don't want to go there and with
something that's halfbaked and then get it voted down and then in the future it has like a bad taste in your m you know it's like it >> it's probably better to do it right >> I don't know what is
really bothering me >> I mean the town in the right way might be, you know, >> I'm ambivalent, but >> and this is something that is very fresh in people's heads why we need this. >> Um, but that's all the more reason to to do it right. And so, I know like, you
know, I I certainly come into these things with open mind. I think you guys have convinced me that maybe we should uh maybe it is more important, but we just got to make sure we have something really palatable at the next meeting. >> Yeah. I mean, I I I would just say like two things. I think the first is that obviously other towns have this in place
and so we can just draw from other towns. It's not something that we're like creating, you know, wholly new. So that gives me some amount of confidence that we can maybe have something um at our next meeting to discuss that looks like it's in good shape town meeting. And then um and the second thing is that
yeah, this has been talked about for a good amount of the year. people have been already thinking about this and I think that, you know, we do have a responsibility to, you know, move these things forward and bring them to the town. Um, and not just say, oh, you
know, this one incident was kind of, you know, pass this now. We're going to kind of forget about this or delay this. You know, I do think that it's incumbent upon us to show forward momentum and, um, you know, to be acting on these things. just so we can close out the housing
authority um conversation before. So Jay gave us um uh insight to that back in June when we were first discussing it. So we can't make the housing authority appointed because the statute says that they're elected and there's a certain there's a list of elected officials that can be converted to appointed and
they're not on it. So that's why he struck it. But however, we do um need one bylaw change to match the 2022 charter amendment. So that's still outstanding that we need to bring back eventually. All right. And then um are we not going to
put the specialized stretch code on the warrant? >> Um so the uh energy and sustainability committee is meeting Thursday night. They are discussing it based on the um public information session they did and
then um they will make a recommendation to you all if they want it to come forward. I know Shelley's talked to uh Andrea and Sai and Andrew as well that maybe all maybe all five of us I don't
know um but there the meeting was not I think Andrew was >> I was the only attendee >> only attendee which this is something and this is where I know the Andrew and I discussed what happens if something
doesn't pass it's very hard to bring it back >> and So if this is something that's very important, um the outreach just hasn't happened and maybe people are not that interested in it. >> Well, and we uh I met with Paul and Lynn
last week, right? Last week they're flying by. Um and Paul is going to attend the meeting on Thursday night as well. We talked about some of the things they want to put forward in that stretch code. We we want to talk through kind of just feasibility of enforcement, timing, education around public. We we we're trying to partner with them to come up
with a different timeline for for kind of coming forward with the stretch code. Uh but again, I think we got to have that conversation on the 9th um with the group to see what they ultimately decide. But we are encouraging them that way, Josh, to say, "Hey, I think there's got to be more um resident outreach. We have to do more education. Probably have
to build a little bit of a longer timeline there for that because this is a it's a big stretch code um that they want to put forward. Uh so we we are partnering with them to help them avoid that, bringing something forward, leaving people with a bad taste in their mouth. Um, but we're trying to help them
see that maybe there's some more things they have to do that could position it better going before our warrant. >> Uh, so we'll see where that conversation lands on the 9th. >> Okay. Thank you. Good update. >> Yeah, I s I just wanted to make sure that wasn't us holding us holding them up because I know that when we discussed
this a year ago, we asked certain questions of them. And I think they've answered those questions about this um replacing the current stretch code. Um that the effective date would be 6 months after um adoption. Um and that you know they would have members there
at town meeting to answer questions. Um so and and then also I think you know Andrew mentioned that a year ago that he would have liked them to do public outreach and they did it. They can't be faulted forever. It's just there's zero there was like >> there's just not a lot of interest in
learning about it. And it's a the diff I mean we can all learn about it but it's a significant there's a lot of requirements right and people need to understand what it is because if you go into a town meeting without knowing what it is >> there's always going to be someone opposed and they're going to be very
adamant about whatever they believe and it's you know people should kind of know what it is before it's put up in front of >> if you put in a gas stove you have to have solar panels under construction more people if you if you
>> any fossil I mean I'm happy to tell the the um the meeting is is televised so people can go learn about it but >> there's a lot of >> if you burn if your house burned down you wanted to rebuild if you put in a gas stove or any fossil fuels in the house at all you have to have solar panels
>> I think like if somebody said that at the meeting people would say well I'm not going to vote for this and that's not necessarily the outcome we want >> and that's not actually as as I've spent a lot of time actually since then learning more about it. That's actually not that's exactly what someone could
use to kind of have a quick sound bite and get people to rally against it. But the reality is it's just trying to steer people towards all electric, right? Like mini splits, things that are very efficient. >> But if you don't understand that because it's a second order thing to understand that you just grab something like what
you just said and that it's alarming. >> A town meeting sound bites can go a long way. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> Okay. We're going to talk with them on the 9th and we'll see where we land. >> Great. All right. Anything else on uh the warrant? All right. Uh Chief Stocks,
thank you for waiting. >> Sorry. >> Did not think it would go this long. We could have moved you out, but >> thanks for having me. >> Thank you. Um so we're talking about ebikes and e- scooter discussion with a possible bylaw draft, but we are not going right to a bylaw. We wanted to
have a preliminary discussion first. >> Yeah. So, um, so again, thank you for having me. Um, this has been a topic that's kind of been percolating for a while now. I think we've all gotten, um, concerned citizens. I'm sure you guys have heard from it. I've heard from
them. Um, as you can see, the proliferation of ebikes and motorized scooters in town. Uh, these kids are flying around town now. Um, pretty dangerous. Knock on wood, we really haven't had an issue yet. But I think um we should probably get in front of this
and try to get ourselves kind of aligned as far as what we want to do in town. Um it's you know it's it's such an issue commonwealth wide, I'm sure nationwide, but um I only really keep a pulse finger on the pulse of the Commonwealth. Um the Mass Chiefs of Police issued a um like
an advisory kind of letter kind of giving us guidance on how to address these um issues. Um, typical Commonwealth things. Uh, nothing's quite as clear and easy, uh, as we like it to be. Um, but basically, I won't bore you
to tears, and I know it's late. So, uh, ebike is classified as a class one or class two right now. Um, other uh, states have three and four, but basically it means class one is uh, basically it's a a bike that has pedal
power um, and it can't go over 20 miles an hour. Class two ebike is could just be just a like a throttle basically on the handlebars. Um anything after that falls into moped motorized scooter as a catch-all. Um so basically what we're
seeing in town as I'm sure you guys are aware um you know these ebikes by state law cannot be on sidewalks. So there's that misnomer right out of the gate. I think parents are buying their kids these ebikes and kind of letting them free and thinking we'll just stay on the sidewalks you'll be safe. Um, so right
out of the gate, we've kind of got a violation right there. No ebike is allowed on the sidewalk. Um, and that's state law. Um, additionally, ebikes have to abide by all motor vehicle laws just like any other bicycle out there. Um, the other area I I found is a little bit
uh convoluted right now is the uh motorized scooter bylaw that we have in town that was passed some years ago. Um, I don't realize I don't think we realized at that time where we were going with that or how many scooters are going to be in town, but as it's
written, a motorized scoo scooter, believe it or not, you know, kind of includes those little razor scooters that kids have. That's technically a motorized scooter, which means you have to be 16 years old with a permit and a helmet. And full disclosure, I'm not out there enforcing that because uh, you know, it seems like every other
household has at least three of those. Um, so what I'm proposing, and I spoke with the town manager about this briefly, um, if if everyone was on board, but I think what I'd like to do is kind of do like a full blitz kind of campaign first and foremost, do an
educational kind of thing. Social media, uh, if I can maybe do a, we call them bike rodeos. My sergeant, San Sergeant, Danielle Rex Bernach, is really good in getting out in the community. Um, maybe try some kind of like just grassroots effort to get just education out there.
Um, obviously it's it's my lane and my domain to enforce these things, but um, ideally it starts with the parents. I I think um, you know, whether intentional or not, I think a lot of parents are just buying these kids things, not realizing what these speeds can be, and
they're not educating their kids on, um, you know, the the laws. And these kids shouldn't have to know it. when you're 10, 12, 13 years old, you really I don't think you need to be bored to tears with the paperwork that I see, but maybe an educational campaign right out of the gate should be helpful. Um, and then
from there, you know, if we can bring in maybe area, you know, I don't know, bike uh stores, maybe kind of make it a full swing kind of thing where if I can get it done, it's it's get the social media hook into these kids so that we we get it out there. Maybe work with the schools. I don't know if the superintendent O'Shea would work with me
on that and kind of get the messaging out that way. I think starting there with education first and foremost. I think the last thing um any police officer wants to do is chase down a kid on a on an ebike or a scooter and start and that that's clearly going to have a I think a detrimental effect and I don't
think that's what anyone's in in you know wanting. But um I'm here I'm all ears. Love to hear your feedback but I know it's something that you know it's it's it's been uh kind of on the on the horizon. We're getting closer to I want to do something a little bit more than just kind of you know keep my fingers
crossed. So >> yeah, that's really that's why I wanted to have this conversation because I I was walking down outside of the um the football stadium. So I got dropped off my kids. They went to go get ice cream
and I was walking back and two teenagers on bikes came ripping past me in the dark with no lights on and it just they didn't hit me but it was close and someone's going to get hurt and that's that's really I don't want that to
happen on our on our watch and when there's something we could have done about it but I what I'm worried about is that we've already reached critical mass. There's so many out there. I was the other day when the schools were closed, I was driving best uh big Y and on the side of it on the um Williams
side there was it look a biker gang on the the little the ebikes but there was probably six or eight kids uh just hanging out and like sitting on their bikes and looking like they were Harley's and they're and then they're all getting on the sidewalk riding
together. I I know that from talking to Lynn. The first thing she asked me is, "How are we going to enforce this?" And I said, "I don't know." And that's why I wanted to open up to the board and talk about this because education is great,
but I don't know how much these things cost, but if a parent buys their kid a $2,000 ebike, they're probably not going to say, "Okay, you can't use it anymore." Especially if they can't use it until they're 16. So,
but if they're out not following traffic laws or on the sidewalk, which they shouldn't be anyway, and they hurt somebody, then what could we have done? And I don't want us thinking that that way. Um, yeah. Do we want to you giving
tickets to kids? No. But, um, I I don't know what the next step is. Yeah. Ask them who their parents are, giving them a ticket. I don't even know if that's possible. Maybe we need a bylaw for that. um or confiscation
putting if uh we see it being written what we're going to take it. You can pay 100 bucks to get it out of lockup. Uh that's a lot of work for our police department and as you say it's not great for community relations but um we have to do something I think because they're
I I'm sure this is happening all over the state. So I was wondering if you know also what other towns are doing for enforcement. What are you hearing? So they're taking the same approach as I just indicated kind of thing like again um you know police officers unfortunately part of our job is to to
be the enforcer at some point. Um but you know Long Meadow and many communities are all based on the community policing aspect and that's really our cornerstone. So you know I don't want to sound like a a guy that always shies away from enforcement but I if I can get to the same you know goal line um by doing the right thing and
maybe just doing the learning phase but you're right Mr. living. It's it certain times maybe a ticket will be in place. The other thing I would also suggest is potentially uh maybe put this on a little bit on town council, see what their feedback is about implementing certain bylaws. Um the framework as far
as enforcement is pretty much there as far as ebike. Like I said, anything up to 20 m hour is an ebike and it has to be, you know, treated as just like any other bicycle on the roadway, but it can't be on the sidewalk. A pedal bike can be on the sidewalk. Um, where it gets a little murky is those things, those bikes that are going over 20 miles
an hour and >> so a pedal bike going over 20. >> Yes. >> Now it turns into a Yeah. It turns into a motorized bicycle which then opens up a whole new framework which is and again and the way that motorized scooter the the Commonwealth actually intentionally created the uh the definition of a
motorized scooter to be kind of all-encompassing. Uh class one and two like I indicated earlier is just a pedal bike with no more than 20 miles an hour but maximum speed. Then everything falls into motorized scooter, which is like those, believe it or not, those one- wheeled skateboards, the razor scooters.
I mean, all those little things that a lot of these kids are just enjoying and they're getting quick out there. But, um, you know, those things all technically fall under motorized scooter, which um, you know, opens up a whole new thing. So, again, I I'm not trying to I agree with you 100%. Uh I
don't have the perfect answer right now, but I was like I said in in consultation with Lynn um and some of my counterparts in other cities and towns try that initiate uh the initial just campaign. So let's let's just I mean I'm talking a full blitz like let's get it out there. Maybe that thing which I've heard there
exists like that for open forum or I don't know what that is but maybe they can pick up on it and they can that seems to get a lot of uh chatter. So, if I can kind of tap that, >> I do think education, public education, even through the schools, however we can do that, because I have talked to
parents and I do have family in town with young kids. I don't think all parents realize some of the laws that are already in place. For example, some of the ebikes that go really fast shouldn't be on sidewalks. I don't think all parents are aware of that because they're thinking of it as a bike regardless of how expensive it is and
how fast it goes. I don't think everyone's up to speed on Mass General Law like like some people are in this room. So, I do think education could be really helpful and also education for children because I think what they're not thinking about is not only do these bikes go really fast, which I'm sure is really cool. I think what they don't
realize is they're also really heavy. So, when you do kind of collide with someone, it's not like a regular 10-speed bike colliding. There's actual harm that can happen. So, I'm sure there's a way for us to educate families in general in the town around more responsible ways to kind of operate
these that could help with some of what we're seeing because I do know people are saying, "Oh, I didn't realize so and so's bike wasn't supposed to be on the sidewalk. I got to talk to them about that because I thought they could ride it on the sidewalk." So, that if we could kind of see if that helps. Um, I
do agree there's probably something else we will maybe need to evolve to, but I think a educational program is a great starting point. >> Yeah. And I didn't mean to imply I don't think it is because you're right. Like if it went through, especially if Marty sent out an email, there's going to be a
lot a lot of it is just ignorance. A lot of parents are going to say, "Huh, I had no idea." Um, so that's absolutely a great start. and anything else that you all can do to you have a great relationship and in the community people respect our police department and our I
think if they can and you have a good way of telling people things in a in a calm and kind manner I think that would be that would be very helpful. >> Yeah, I agree that um I think the approach that you've outlined is is the way to go. I I guess my question is what is going to be the focus of the
messaging? um you know it's not it's not as simple as saying like you know don't smoke cigarettes or something you know so like what how are you going to like message this? >> So again um you know what I've learned in my five years now is and I've I'm not taking full credit for it but I I've
kind of I've really tapped into the social media thing. Not to sound like a broken record here, but um obviously that's that's my conduit to get out to the community. And then even the the naysayers I'm finding and not anecdotally I was going to tell I told this to Lynn earlier. I said, you know,
I we did a a crosswalk enforcement last week and I put video out and by the way, >> thank you. Thank you very much. We got tremendous feedback, but there's always that group that's the naysayers.
And I'm sitting there and I made the mistake of reading some of those. I was like, "Are you kidding me?" The negative feedback and at first I was taken a back and then I realized that got people talking about it. So regardless of whether they liked it or not, to me, I I I hit the mark because it got people thinking crosswalk and maybe the next
time they drove through that area, they they'd be cognizant, maybe slow down. So like it or not, like me or not. I don't get it worked, I think. Um, so to that point, what I would do is something similar to um, yeah, I don't know if I can talk my guys. I mean, technically
could direct them to it. Maybe doing a video of bike safety. That's tough. Um, but something to the effect of I do want to get something where you get the attention. Um, I think this is a hot topic that it, you know, it's made it here time. U, I think this has been on a
lot of dinner table conversations. I think this is happening. And and there was an uh a news story out east where a kid got hit and there's video of it and it was pretty dramatic. Um >> so that got you know it's like so I don't want to go that way. I won't show that video but I think it's enough. It's
at the forefront where we got to do something. So I'd probably take a messaging of hey you know parents are you aware of this? Maybe do bullet points. Um and I don't know if we can do a video mic again. I don't know. We'll see. And and so like would the so would the key points or you know the messaging
be you know get these ebikes off of the sidewalks? >> So it would be hitting the point of of like like we had discussed some people just aren't aware. You know there are some parents out there that may just be completely they don't care. But I don't think that's the case. I think the majority of people like you say are just buying the kid a bike thinking this is
safe. It's healthy. I'm getting the kid outside the house. He's he's away from the gaming sensation. He's out there you know on his bike or her on her bike. But I think it's that I just got to tap into that. Are you aware that these bikes can go this speed? Are you aware this bike can't be on a sidewalk? Are you aware that they have abide by the same rules
of the road as a car? You have to stop and stop signs. You can't just go zipping across um you know crosswalks and and intersections. So ride on the same side of the street at night time, have lighting, wear a helmet. Um it's a lot of information, so I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet, but um but
I figured I'd start there. Like I said, maybe perhaps unfortunately our first responder night, um, you know, we did that last month, so that would have been a good time to hit it up, but it was just one of those things. Uh, we did a a bike helmet handout, I think it was last year or two years ago where we had someone donate a bunch of helmets. So,
uh, but I can try to do something like that again. But again, it's just again, it's that it's the classic law. I don't think sound too corny, but I'm thinking let's just get down there on the streets and um either put a tent up at the shops. Um, maybe on a weekend we're running out of good weather, but something to that effect. >> Yeah. I I agree that I think that this
is uh this is something everyone's talking about and people don't really know what's going on with it and I think >> receiving any kind of guidance people would be receptive to um and receiving like the facts and and the laws about it. >> Yeah. >> Without trying to be super repetitive
like I'm I hear from it a lot too. A woman just a couple nights ago reached out to me and she's like what Shelley was saying she's going through mass general law and it's very conflicting. Um, but I think what Josh was saying too, like if if you can get to to Marty
and and get Marty on board to if he's doing a blast or >> even the school committee gets engaged with this too. Um, >> because I mean I don't think any of us have we don't have the perfect answer. It's still new, but I mean yeah, they're all over the place. To Shel's point,
these are like three times as heavy as a regular bike as well. >> Yeah, >> I think there's probably lots of opportunities to communicate. I mean, we're going into winter, so hopefully >> kids won't be scooting around like that, but beginning of spring, schools maybe would want to partner with having pamphlets that go home or maybe it's
part of like a spring assembly to say, "Hey, remember if you're riding your bike or your scooter and ebike, you have to be careful." Just kind of those re those iterative kind of reminders to families that or I know there's adults that ride them too, anyone really. >> Yeah, we did discuss that the timing,
the season. Um, but to your point, the winter is coming, so that may alleviate some of the the concern and complaint for a while. So, I may do like a like a step like, okay, we'll do an initial kind of plant the seed and then come springtime, rehit it up again and just keep at it and let uh just notification
be out there for the community. >> Less uh less Christmas or holiday gifts of ebikes. possible. >> We're going to reduce them off the streets. But >> for real though, like if you >> Hey, think about before you buy this for your kid. Think about it. They're not going to be
>> Well, I did have one parent say, "If I knew that, I would not have bought that bike. I did not realize it went that fast and I did not realize they weren't supposed to be on the sidewalk. I wouldn't have spent all that money." And then they said, "But I did, so now what?" Right? >> So, I think there there's a lot of families in >> dress up as the Grinch,
>> the ebike pack. That's my nickname anyways. So you know >> um so moving forward I I think if discussions with town council or other chiefs if and town manager's office can look at this if there are other if there
is a bylaw we should consider to make even just to make things more specific or clear to people I think that could be useful. So because if if if right now you have to look at a couple different places to kind of get the information
together maybe if it's all in one place even that would be helpful. Um but uh you know enforcement is not I think rightly is not your focus. Um so right now we can look at education how how to
best accomplish that. No, I agree. And like like I said, the only issue with the bylaw would be, you know, we can't enact something obviously that conflicts with state law. So there is quite a bit of framework framework in there as far as what can and cannot be done. I think the uh loopholes are like certain areas
of um we don't have a lot of in Long Meadow per se, but it's the you know the the trails and woods and things like that. Um we could either ban them completely or allow them with speed limits and things like that. But I don't know if that's really germanine to our
issue that we're speaking of right now. We're we're more concerned about the streets and the kids and the cars. So, but let me do some more digging on that one. >> I know my wife just sent me a message. Wednesday is back as bike to school day. >> So, that could be a good time to >> There's usually meet up points. I know
that center meets up at the library. If they can have somebody there, it doesn't have to be a police officer, but somebody just giving information there, that could be really useful. >> Yeah. No, it's a good idea. Does taking an inventory or like having these bikes registered, does that does
that do anything for, you know, like like when you register your vehicle and and pay an excise tax? >> Honestly, we've gotten away from that. Um, that was something that was big in like the 70s and ' 80s. Uh, they used to put a little sticker on the bike and it was a couple bucks. I think there was some revenue generated from it and it
assisted us. If you found the bike, you could, you know, track the owner down. I think we've gotten away from that. I don't know if we I can't remember the last time we've done that. Um, not a bad idea. Every, not to bore you, I know we got plenty of time. Um, every ebike has is supposed to be manufactured
by law, has to have a a decal on it indicates its speed and its power source and all that. Um, so, you know, if I can get this this campaign out, let people know, hey, shouldn't go over 20 miles an hour. Most of these bikes are going over 20 miles. >> Good. So, they can just look at and say, oh, wow, this says 30.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So again, another piece that I can put out to say, "Hey, by the way, did you know?" kind of thing. So >> yeah, that's great. >> They're buying aftermarket stuff, too, and adjusting it. >> Oh, wonder. >> It's not just like the bike is coming that way. There's just go on Amazon and
you find everything you need for it. >> Huh. >> Interesting. >> Yeah. Anything else for cheap stocks while we have them? >> All right. >> Thank you for staying. >> Oh, thank you for having me. and we'll see you next time. >> Yeah,
>> put you earlier, >> but now it'll be old business. >> Old business. That's right. Yeah, >> that's right. >> Much earlier. >> Um, >> thank you again. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. Anything else from the board before we No. All right. >> I'll move to ajourn. >> Second.
>> Second. >> And uh anything further? All those in favor? >> Thanks everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you.