Evening. I'm calling the Lunberg Finance Committee meeting of Thursday, March 12th, 2026 to order. In accordance with the requirements of the open meeting law, please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast over the Lunberg public access channel and on
Facebook live on public access Facebook page. Uh there are also a toll-free phone number if you want to join and there's a Zoom link if you want to join. Uh both of those are on the agenda that
can be found on lunenbergmma.gov. And with that, if we can stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Uh, are there any announcements from anyone? >> You had an announcement. I'd just like to let the board know, first of all, good evening. I'd like to
let the board know that um the free cash was certified this week. >> Absolutely. >> Um for the general fund, it's 3,354,370. And I'd really really like to thank Karen Brochu. um she put together the audit or or the um free cash submission
to the um state and she did a really good job of course and we just really like to thank her for stepping in to help us out. >> So thank you. >> Excellent job. >> Thank you. >> All right. Any other announcements? >> All right. Um any public comment from
the public? All right. Um, any public comment from the committee? All right, moving right along. Any town manager or finance director reports? Nope. Excellent. Look at that. We're halfway through the agenda.
All right. So tonight um we have a um several presentations. So what the order I think we'll go through is DPW and then sewer. Um then we'll do land use. Uh then we'll let trust funds do
any other moneyed articles and then go back to the rest of administration unclassified debt service. So, um, for, uh, I think Linda and Mileen, we're
probably going to be about an hour until we or hopefully an hour until we get to the your sections. Um, you're free to stay on or if you want to drop off and come back on, that is that is also fine. Um,
and with that, I will um turn it over to Bill for the DPW and then the sewer. And do you want me to drive or do you want to drive? >> You can drive. >> Okay. All right. Uh, DPW share. All right. Over to you.
>> All right. Thank you. Hi. So, good evening. Thanks for having me here tonight. Um, this is for the Department of Public Works budget presentation. And again, my name is Bill Bernard, the DPW director. So the DPW
um we have the highway division which is the roads and all the pertinances on the roads. Uh we we take care of the pavement management, storm water, bridges, culvage, trees, roadside vegetation maintenance, landfill monitoring, recycling and trash program,
Lake Shirley Dam, winter operations, cemetery wastewater and fleet management. So we take care of quite a bit. Uh the next slide is our organizational structure. So at top is the DPW director. We have a executive assistant
that's shared with facilities. And then we have our highway superintendent. Under him we have um five people. In the winter we hire intermittent uh heavy equipment operators as needed. We have our mechanic. We have our cemetery
superintendent. And in the summer we hired seasonal hope there. Then we have our sewer business manager. Under him we have a assistant and we have a tax write off clerk.
Um so this year in my budget I'm asking if we could add a part-time clerk for the DPW and facilities um to help with our executive assistant. um that person
would be part-time and no benefits. Um the work that they would do would include assisting in tracking and spending and and and spending in different contracts and spending per facility. Uh assist with the accounts
payable, time sheets, filing and and and much more. It's um right now the executive assistant is kind of overworked. So we we do need the help. On the next slide, it just shows some of
the the trends where we're spending a lot of the money and and the the first graph there, you can see we're spending a lot of money on pavement management every year and and snow and ice has been the spending there has been pretty high.
This year it's it's even worse with all the snow. And then on the other chart, um you can see the storm water spending kind of up and down there, but it's it's it's on the rise. And
um the last couple years I've been here pushing to get money for trees, which thankfully I got. So we we've spent a bunch of money on trees in the last few years. Um during this winter, we didn't have any trees come down, so it it made
a difference for us. So just bill in the future I think what we were looking for on this was some kind of metrics associated with things. So as an example for trees you know I know we had a 5year tree plan if we go and do another 5year tree cutting plan
and there's a thousand trees on that you know you kind of want to show that you know we're cutting 200 trees a year. Um storm water you may do things like >> you know catch basin you know cleanouts per year you know. Okay. So we're trying to get towards the metrics associated
with that so that we we kind of show the not just the dollars so that we can kind of tie the dollars to it. So >> um all right good to know. So the next slide it's just a overall look at the
budget 3.178 million which is higher than previous years. Uh this budget covers all of our needs and all of the um mandatory work we have to do. It also adds that one person, the
part-time person. Um, it funds restores the payment management money that was uh reduced last year and it adds money for the MS4 permit compliance for storm water. So, we can
get pretty close to compliance with that. >> Which which lines are those under the numbers? Well, as we go through, okay, >> I'll talk about them specifically. So, >> uh, and then I have that note there in the yellow. The, uh, town manager
presented her preliminary budget. Uh, this is slightly different. The, the difference is this restores the pavement management back to the 650,000 where it should be in quotes, right? and the town
manager's budget only shows 279,000 for payment management. >> So, just a question as we go. Um, sometimes the ask doesn't reflect what's in your current budget, the town manager's current budget that's been presented to us. Are they aligned or is
the ask different than the >> just on this one? So the difference between the preliminary budget and this budget only differs in this one line. >> Okay. >> Just the payment management plan.
>> But the ask is now in your budget. >> In the past, we've had department asks that were not reflected in the town manager budgets. So the ask in terms of the part-time person is in the budget. The ask in terms of the increase to
drainage is in the budget. >> The ask in terms of the um additional monies for storm water is in the budget is in the preliminary budget. This is the only deviation between the two is the payment management line. >> Okay. So when you come with your final
budget, it will be in there. No, I am not supporting the payment the this increase in the final budget. >> Okay, that's what I'm getting at. >> Oh, yes. I am not supporting the restoration of the pavement management plan in the final budget. >> Okay, thank you.
All right, we can move to the next slide. So, I broke it down by um department. So, the first one is trees. So the only in I am looking for a slight increase there is in the salaries. Um
the reason for that is the DPW right now their collective bargaining agreement expired in FY24. So they're negotiating a new agreement now. So obviously their rates are going to go up. So I'm just looking for a
little extra money to to cover that difference. All right, the next slide is general highway which which covers a lot. So, um I am looking for an increase in the drainage line. Um there's a lot of
drainage issues in town, right? I get a lot of calls on that, you know, flooding issues or people getting water in their yards, that kind of stuff. We've been trying to take care of a lot of that. So I we have been spending more than than the budget. So I'm looking for a little
increase there. Um the street lights we had a couple years ago estimated 30,000. We're actually spending more than that and 24 and 25 and this year it's it's going to go over again. So we're looking for a little
increase there. The big increase here is the 340,000 in the storm water line item and that will get us pretty close to compliance with the MS4 permit and that money would be used for catch basin cleaning and
sweeping of the roadways. So that is mandated by the federal government um when not where we should be. Um I do have a couple metrics on that. Where did I put it? Um,
so just doing the work inhouse, the best we've done in the last 3 years, we've done 30% of the work for the catch basin cleaning and 22% of the work for the sweeping.
So, we're not even coming close. So, we we do need some money there to hire contractors to get this work done. And then the other one which we would just been talking about is the pavement management plan. If we were going on that regular schedule of increasing by
50,000 per year, we'd be at 650,000 this year. You're not getting it done because you don't have enough money or because you don't have enough staff, >> the storm water, >> the 22% on sweeping and catch basin. >> Yeah.
Well, both, right? So if we had more staff, we could get it done. I did a little spreadsheet on that. I think three people working pretty much all summer on catch basin cleaning and sweeping. I think we could get it done.
Three new people. So I I can't do it with the staff I have now. It's just it's we're too small. It's only five people, right? So to do the sweeping that that's two people, one in a sweeper, one in a dump truck. The catch basin cleaning can be
one person. Um but we also have the roadside mower that should be out pretty much all summer. So that's four people already, right? So you can't do much with one person. >> Yeah.
>> If I dedicate everybody to to that work. >> Okay. I want to just be clear if it's an issue because it's not funded enough or it's not staffed enough because those are two completely different. >> Well, we have two options, right? Um you
could give me more staff or we can contract it out. So, I did I did a spreadsheet on that. I think it'll cost us about $100,000 less per year to contract it out. So, I think that's a better way to go. >> I agree.
>> All right. So, >> all right. Any other questions on this slide? >> No. >> What What's the cost on the street lights? Cuz the street lights are all new. >> Yeah. So, that's um it's the electricity
charges on it. >> That's just the electricity charge. >> Yeah. Weren't those green light weren't those off the green LED? Yeah. Yeah. >> So, is that just we estimated it too low? I dropped too low. Or is this >> It didn't go down at all.
>> No, it's Well, I don't know what it it wasn't in my budget prior to the change to LEDs. Excuse me. So, I don't know what was paid beforehand, but when we changed over to LED lights, it they dropped into my budget. So with
the first year we estimated 30,000 I think we came in at just over 30,500 and then last year was 35,000 or where did it relive before? >> I'm not sure. I don't know.
So it just showed up >> in my >> It was not in DPW, I think, until we changed over uh through the green communities and bought the street lights. It changed converted to LEDs and then it went to DPW.
And before that, it was either in general government or facilities. I'm not sure which. probably general government >> those facilities are pretty new >> and was part of >> it was not it was not in DPW to convert it over to new
>> okay it may be an opportunity as we kind of rebalance where all our our electricity credits go to as well uh because it seems like we have more credits and we're applying properly according to Chris Ruth.
>> Yes, that's correct. We need to balance out the solar credits somehow. >> Yeah. Okay. >> All right. The next slide is garage supplies. We can level fund that. The next slide is the highway salaries.
So, um, these are the salaries for the highway crew from FY24 and for the the other crew from FY26. So, again, the highway crew is negotiating a new CBA.
We're not sure what their new rates are going to be. Um, myself and the clerical union that we're at the FY26 rates. We don't know what's going to happen in FY27 yet. the clerical unions, they're also negotiating their CBA.
Uh on the next slide, which I I talk about that um to give us an a rough idea of how much money more money it might cost, I I just added um what did I do
here? A 3% increase for the DPW workers in FY25, 26, and 27. bumped them up 3% each year. I bumped up the clerical union by 3% and the the SAP employee me
by 3% and I looks like it's about 50 almost $52,000. Um just to give us a rough idea how much more salaries will be. So when you say FY25 and 26, are you
saying there might be a retro? >> That's a possibility. Yes. Because they haven't had a CBA since 24. >> So I know the guys hope there's a retro. We're in negotiations. We'll see where it lands.
Okay. All right. The next slide is the snow and ice budget. Um, I think we started this last year just to increase it by two and a half% each year just to close the gap between, you know, the budget and what we're actually spending, but
not going too crazy because we can deficit spend for snow and ice. >> Okay. And I I think I heard we're about 800,000 this >> that's about where we're at right now. Yep. >> All right. The next slide is our traffic
signs. Um, so the electricity charge again, they they going up, so I bumped that up just a little bit. Uh, the line painting, I actually pulled that one down. So
that line there, we're going to spend on the stop bars and crosswalks. The long lines I put into the um the paving contract so that can come out of the pavement management line. So that
reduces this line right by $12,000. All right, the next slide is the vehicle maintenance. Um, I am looking for an increase in our purchase of service line item. And if you look back, you can see in in 25 we
spent uh $20,000 on a $5,000 budget. It's um you know, costs are going up. Um so that one there we spend the money on. Where is it? Here. Uh outsource
truck repairs. Right. So if there's something we can't do inhouse, we got to send it out. That's where the bulk of that money is being spent, right? And that line items used for shop supplies, inspection stickers, and
other stuff like that. And somehow the police and fire falls under that same department. I'm sure they talked to you about this already. >> They did. Yeah. They will look for an increase in the fire department purchase
service. And the next line item is cemetery. Um again the salaries it's it's under negotiation. We don't know. Um the seasonal salaries I'm asking for a very small increase there.
Um what else? And then everything else is level funding. And then the next slide is the recycling program. So it we had a a much bigger budget last
year. I'm asking um it's estimated to be $350,000 this year. Took a harder look at at what we're actually doing. We I think I show it in the next couple slides. We're We're not spending that the 470,000.
I think we get away with, you know, 363. So, big cut there. The next slide is the um the trash program, the pays you throw. It's kind of self-funding. It's about 500,000 per
year. And the next slide I have a couple graphs that show that. So on the next slide is the the slides. You can see on the top in the blue is the the trash, how many tons of trash and the associated cost with that. So
trash is going up, how much you know people are throwing away. And on the recyclables, you can see it's it's actually coming down a little bit. So you know how much people are recycling. So the prices are coming down a little bit. Our friends at D don't appreciate that.
They want to see these graphs going in the opposite directions. They want to see trash down and recycling up. But that's where we're at. And the funding sources. So most of the funding source for DPW is the
operational budget. Uh we do have chapter 90 funds which can be used for road projects can't be used for maintenance and I'm always looking out for different grants there. The next slide shows some of the
grants we have now. Um we had the small bridge grant of $600,000 from the state for the Flaill road bridge. I have an asset management grant for storm water from the Mass Clean Water Trust. That's uh $60,000.
So, we're trying to map our storm water system. Um I just got notified today of a a grant for a uh speed feedback trailer which I can use different places.
So, should be getting that this summer. Um there's other grants out there applied for. um a mass community cover grant for $150,000 for engineering for the cover
on Grid Street at Easterbrook. Hopefully we'll get that one and I will be applying for another Master Complete Streets grant for sidewalk construction for Chestnut Street um Highland. have um
that'll connect like the sidewalks from the high school over to Marshall Park and do some other um sidewalk repairs. I'm I'm going to be asking for a million dollars for that. I have a cost estimate of a million dollars to put in and
repair the the sidewalks. Then the next slide, I got two slides on chapter 90 spending and it they they kind of hinge. It's two different schemes based on the pavement management, right? So the pavement
management line item is reduced. I'm going to have to use more chapter 90 funds for pavement management and do less of the drainage and um cover replacement projects. And that's what's showed on this slide. And the next slide
is the opposite. So if the pavement management line is restored, I don't have to spend as much on spend as much chapter 90 funds on pavement management. I could spend more on the drainage and cover projects. All right. So, I'm not caught up yet.
I'm still looking at the implant. Okay. So, between the two of these, cuz I don't see them side by side. >> Yeah. >> Um, are there additional projects in the second page that weren't on the first page or is it just accounting for pavement management plan?
>> So, the the first page in that like this third out years, right, the three outer years, the drainage pro uh projects go away, right? that all the money is going to be spent on pavement management. On the second one,
those projects come back, right? The drainage projects come back. Spending on pavement management is less. >> Okay. And then your assumption is that you're not getting additional funds from the millionaires tax
in the out this year and going forward. >> Yeah, it's so it's not a guarantee, right? So, I didn't put it in there. And in the chapter 90 last year, they gave us double, right? I think this year they're going to give us double, but is that going to happen again? I I don't
know. >> So, I just the >> When do we know that? >> We have this. >> Oh, we already know for sure. Okay. >> This year, meaning 27. >> Yes. I'll get that for you. >> Okay. So, that'll change this a little bit. Spending plan a little bit, right? But going forward, do we know if we're
going to get the double? I don't. We don't. So, I didn't put it in there. >> Well, if we continue with double, I mean, that's 1 six million over the the period here. Almost 1.7 million.
>> Yeah. Yeah, that'd be a great help. And we could get some of these other drainage pro projects done. Yeah. Okay. And none of this assumes a storm water utility. Correct. Okay.
Right. So the the next page is kind of a a recap, you know, again talking about the payment management line, how it relates to chapter 90 funds, right? like we're just talking about, if we have pavement management restored, then we can do more drainage work. And if we
don't, we can, right? Um, then the other big driver here that bumped me up was the the $340,000 in the storm water line to get us into compliance with the MS4 permit. Right? We don't restore that. We we risk
fines. Probably not, but we risk them. And um the town's water bodies will be impaired or continue to be impaired. >> Do we know in towns that are being fined for that? >> I've only heard of one and I I think
they kind of told EPA, "No, we're not doing anything." Right. So, we've done a lot of the initial work, right? We have our bylaws for new construction. um we've done that. We've we've done
some of the cleaning, right? Um some of the investigations we're supposed to do. So, is EPA going to come down on us? Probably not, but there's always the risk. So, I guess my question would be
if they did come down on us, is it like just slam drop the hammer or is it like you guys got a year to get in compliance or we're going to come down on you? It would probably be a letter saying you have to do XYZ by this date. >> Okay. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. I don't think they're just going to come in and say here's your $5,000 a day fine or $50,000 a day fine. Okay. >> Is there anything good in your notes? >> That's it. Well, this is the chapter 90.
So Jen is this this year 718,000 FY27 718,000 and we typically get around 415,000. >> Would you say 718? >> 718. Okay. All right. Are there any questions?
>> Yeah. Why um why wouldn't we prioritize the storm water management as far as street sweeping and catch basin cleaning over doing roadside mowing? Roadside mowing is not mandated.
>> Why would we prioritize it? Yeah, >> because we're mandated to do it. >> You didn't have enough employees and that the roadside mower has to go out all summer long. And I'm saying roadside mowing isn't mandated. Storm water catch basin street cleaning is mandated. Why wouldn't we work on
that? Even means in in conjunction with bringing in contractors to we get caught up at a point where it becomes manageable. >> But to again to do all the catch basic cleaning and sweeping,
>> I think it'll take three guys full time. >> Mhm. for like three months, right? I can't dedicate the crew to that, right? We have other work to do, too. So, we >> try to do as much as we can. >> Some of that work can be done year
round. >> Then have to all be done summertime. >> You can't really sweep in the winter. Well, catch bas depending how dry it is, but catch bas and cleaning unless you know like this winter would be tough, but we had dry winters where
>> it could be done. >> But I guess I'm saying why would we prioritize that over uh roadside mowing? >> We try to mix it up. We try to do some of each. Right. >> I understand this is me. Nobody nobody calls my office saying, "Well, I do get
a few calls. You know, you didn't sweep the road, but I do get a lot of calls. I can't see coming out of this intersection. Can you cut the brush back?" >> But you do you do that every year? >> Yeah. >> You're saying the brush every year the
brush is growing back that much? >> Oh, yeah. >> Well, maybe in some parts of town, but I don't know about all parts of town. But, >> right, we're not getting every road, you know. We prioritize certain roads >> and certain intersections. We try to get those and
>> yes, but this MS4 permit has been mandated. It should be looked at as more of a priority. >> Good point. >> Right. And >> I mean it it's also less than one man year to do those catch bases. And you
said three FTEEs for three months is not even a man year. I don't know. >> And you're already doing almost, you said like 22%. You're already doing >> that was our best year. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> Right. That was when I had a full staff. Nobody was out injured. >> Mhm. >> All right. I like the idea of outsourcing that. I mean, you don't have the equipment, you know, you're not paying for um, you know, long-term benefits, health
insurance, retirement, etc. So, and and it seemed like you were under spent on some of those lines anyways. So, it seems like it's something that could just be handled. Go hire someone to to do those services.
Are you saying within the existing budget or without adding or >> without adding? I don't I don't think so. Catch basic cleaning I think I estimated at $108,000. I don't even have one of my line items isn't that big.
It would probably come out of general highway purchase of service. That line item is only what 45,000. So that's not even half plus all the other stuff that we got to do out of that line item. >> You would use chapter 90 funding.
>> You can't for maintenance, but you can for something else >> projects. Yeah. I mean, your actual spending on storm water for 23
and 25 was 48K and 59K. >> Yeah. And >> you're increasing by 340K for >> catchwater basins, clean and sweeping. >> Yeah. And you said it was 108K
>> for catch bas and cleaning only. >> How much does it cost to sweep the roads? >> I mean we have 100 roads. What? >> 3 340 minus 108. So about 240,000,
right? 230,000. >> Isn't there only so many miles that are that are mandated to be clean though? It's not the whole town. >> Yes. So that's the the mandated miles >> is is how many? >> It's um 72 miles times two. You got to
do it twice a year. So 144 miles. So how would you fund outsourcing of the catch basin cleaning? >> I'm sorry, what was that? >> How would you how would you fund outsourcing of catchbas and cleaning? by that additional 340,000 I'm asking
for. >> That's part of that. >> Yes. That's catch basin cleaning and sweeping. >> Would you expect that number to go down after several years of doing this? >> No. No. It's mostly labor cost, right?
>> It's supposed to what? >> Labor, right? There. >> Yeah. But the cash is clean. Couple guys in a sweeper and dump trucks, >> right? >> Yeah. Annual basis. >> Slightly faster, but you
>> It's paid by the miles typically. >> So, I don't think it'll go down. >> So, 144 miles at 240k is $1600 per mile. >> Yeah, that's the going rate. I don't think so.
>> I got it from Massock contracts. >> All right. Send me that source. Send us that source. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> You all right? Sorry, Jake. Anything else?
>> Uh, my only other thing is the part-time admin regarding facilities. Uh, facilities were separated from DPW. Why is DPW sharing an admin with facilities?
>> When it got separated, they didn't add a admin for facilities. So, the existing admin is now shared between both. Well, I think that's something the town manager should address. I that should be separated.
>> Well, I think he and Chris both talked >> he and Chris both mentioned that of having increasing the >> right asking for Chris was asking for it also for part-time admins.
>> Your ask is aligned with what Chris asked for. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Right. I guess I'm saying why isn't it under facilities? Facilities were separated from DPW for a reason. >> So to clarify the additional part-time
person would support the functionality of both offices but primarily DPW. Um it is a administrative um convenience to just continue to fund these positions out of one operating
budget and is really a distinction without difference by taking it from one and moving it from the left hand to the right hand. So um the offices work closely together. They work under one union contract. Um there are a lot of
reasons that that com combination of services to both departments continues to make sense. Hope that answers. >> Anything else? >> No. Right. Thank you. Anyone else? >> All right. Thank you.
>> All right. Next up is Bill for All right, let me um pull it up. Let me just >> Yep. Me too. Sideshow. All right. All right, I have your org chart up. >> All right, so >> Okay, key services. Sorry.
>> So, this presentation is for the sewer enterprise. Uh, so for anybody who doesn't know, this is to my left is Andrew Valier. He's our new, well, the year now sewer business manager. Welcome. Yeah,
>> I'll have him answer all the questions. >> Feel free to ask me anything. >> All right. So, Department of Overview, the key services. The sewer commission bears the responsibility of overseeing the sewer enterprise um fund planning
for future planning for the future, development, and implementing rules, regs, and policies. Um, under the town charter, the DPW is responsible for the day-to-day operations and care and maintenance of the sewer system.
Um, so, uh, to note, the town does not have its own sewer treatment plant. So we send about 88% of our sewer goes to the city of excuse me Lemonster and the other 12% goes to the city of Fitsburg.
So we have intermunicipal agreements with them to do that. On the next slide is our organizational structure. So the sewer commission oversees the the
like I said the the whole department. The DPW director oversees sewer business manager who has an assistant as a clerk and a lot of our work is outsourced. We have an operation and maintenance contractor
and then the highway crew will assist only when needed. Mostly emergencies, right? Because we're here, we can respond quick, but um after that our operation and maintenance contractor jumps in and takes over.
Uh the next slide shows our betterment. So when they put the sewer in, if you want uh a lateral at your house, you had to pay a a betterment. So the that was almost 20
years ago. So they people could finance the betterment over 20 years. So the betterments are dropping out, right? Um you could see that in in 28 they like a sharp drop, right?
That's the blue line that's dropping. Um the other line there is the debt service. So that's what we owe to um Fitsburg and Lemonster. And fortunately that's dropping too, but
vitamins are dropping more than that service. So we're kind of in a negative there and and in 29 and going out further. So, next slide is our disposal cost to Lemonster and Fitsburg. And you can see
that's steadily climbing, right? Um, more people are coming onto the system. Lemonster and Fitchburg are charging us more and unfortunately the system's getting older. There's water sneaks into
the system. It's called ioni infiltration and um it's inflow. So somebody has their sump pump pumping into the sewer system which is illegal but it happens. We have to pay for that clean water to
get cleaned right and then the next slide is our retained earnings. So they've been going down. So to balance our budget and to try not to give rate increases to our customers,
we've been using retained earnings the last couple years to balance our budget. But uh we feel we're at a point where we're getting too low. So this year we're not going to dip into our retained earnings to try to level that graph out.
So the next slide is our overall budget uh just shy of $2 million. So because it's an enterprise fund, we have to show our expenses and we have to show our revenues and right now we're
we're pretty close. We're showing a budget surplus estimated about $26,000. Um what drives our budget is mostly disposal costs. That's where a lot of
our money goes. Um the shrinking betterments that I talked about and we're not going to use our retained earnings, right? And the other driver would be our operation and maintenance contract. And then the other one I should have put on there too, it's um
more of capital repairs. So our system is approaching 25 years old. Kind of at the design the end of the design life for some of the equipment in the pump houses. So we've been trying to replace pumps, replace controllers, replace
rotten pipes. So we're spending some decent amount of money there. So the next slide shows our expenses on on the left and that beige color and our revenues on the right in the green color.
Um I think the next few slides kind of dig into it more. Right. So the next slide is our start of our expenses. So, of course, our we have the salaries, right? So,
again, the salaries then they're not nailed down because they're potentially um um cost of living increases in FY27, we hope. So, those will probably go up slightly,
although I've calculated them up a little bit. Uh the next slide is all our spending, right? So you can see the first line item is, you know, 88 899,000. That's what we're paying Lemonster in Fitsburg.
You know, we're sending them our surge. They're cleaning it up. That's what we're paying them. Um couple of small increases here and there. Electricity like DBW, those costs have gone up. Um
water charges, small increase there. Engineering services, we we want to increase that one. Um, last year we we had what $30,000 and then D came along and said we
require all this information and we have to go out and hire an engineer $80,000. So we blew that budget pretty bad. So this D wants more stuff in the next few years. So we're going to be hiring that
engineer again to help us. So, so we got to bump that up a little bit. Uh, posted small increase. What else? Everything we we try to keep things
level funded as much as we could. Uh, the last line item line item, the capital plan, that's where we're making our changing out our pumps and our pipes. and um we put $200,000 there to
do some of that work this year. Then the next line item is uh the debt service and uh money we have to pay the oped. And the next slide is gets into our revenues. Um a lot of these some of
these well pretty much everything is estimated. Everything is estimated. Um the big change here is user charges, right? If you we went up from last year over $300,000,
but last year we used $300,000 in our retained earnings to balance the budget. Again, we want we don't We don't want our retained earnings to tank. So, we have to go up on user charges. The way we did that is is we're
going to have a rate increase. And I talk about that in a future slide. Uh the next um slide shows some of our other revenues. I don't know if you have any questions on those. The the last line item there,
the FBU's current year budget, that's our retained earnings that we're not going to use this year. So, you can see it's zero. Last year was 30 307. And the next slide is a chart showing our revenues where they're coming from.
And you can see most of the revenues come from user charges, right? 71%. And the next biggest is better. But again, the betterments are going down. So in future years, it's going to come
out of user charges, right? And then our next slide, it talks about the rate increase. Right? So without the rate increase, we estimated the use charges at $1.2 million. That gives us a deficit of almost
$200,000. we could take it out of our retained earnings, but the the commission felt like they we didn't want the retained earnings to go down anymore. So, we're we're going to do a rate increase.
So, with the rate increase, our budget, we're showing a slight surplus, $26,000. Of course, it's all estimated. So, >> so is that about a 20% rate increase? Uh the next slide shows that
>> 16. >> So um oh it's coming up. So Lemonster increased their rate that they charge us by 16%. In FY25 we didn't do a rate increase. We we
swallowed that. They limit is going up again and or they went up again 3% in FY26. Um Fitsburg increased their rate by 7% in fiscal years 24 25 26 27 28 29 so they're going up every year
right so on that chart there it shows the history of our user charges so right now we're at 1585 we're proposing to go up 16% to 1838 but on the minimum charge now we're at
133 we're only going to go to 139 which is only a 5% increase. Uh the reason for that is um the minimum charge rate now covers 800 um,000 cubic feet of water. So if you're
a single homeowner and you're not using 800, say you're using 500, you still you still get paid uh charged at 133, right? So we figured most of the people getting minimum are are probably elderly or or
people empty nesters, you know, people like that. So we figured cut them a break a little bit, don't go up as much on them. The next slide is the the summary. So again, we have increasing costs, decreasing decreasing betterment
revenues. Um we're not going to use our retained earnings to balance the budget and all that results in a user rate increase. >> Bill, how many people are on the sewer system in this town?
>> We had just over a thousand. >> A little bit over a thousand. Yep. How many? >> Over a thousand. >> Over a thousand homes. >> Yeah. >> Well, thousand users. So like um arrive there's hundreds of apartments there,
right? So if you count all those as one as individuals, it puts us over a thousand. If you count it as one, you know, we're 900 and something, right? on on the infiltration. >> What's your build to the users versus build from
Lemons or Fitchburg? Like what's the what's the percent of infiltration? >> That's very hard to tell, right? Cuz flow is different every day, right? Um >> yeah, but like I mean you you you have a
certain amount that you can bill based on what the users are using, right? And then you get build so much from Fitsburg and Lemonster. Have you ever ratioed that to see what >> We don't and and it wouldn't be,
you know, a one:1 ratio because some people are on wells, right? So they get the minimum charge. They might be using way more than 800, right? We don't know. So it's it's hard to nail down that INI
number. Okay. The way to kind of do it would be to do an engineering study, right? You go out at night when nobody's, you know, taking a shower and and flushing the toilet and you can do some flow readings
at night. That kind of gives you an idea, but again, it's not 100%. We are trying to manage it. So, uh, we did get some ARPA money. We have a contract now that's addressing some
manholes that uh have been identified as having the highest INI rates. >> And how do you identify those >> that through engineering studies? So there was a couple studies done over the years and you know we targeted the the
worst manholes per the studies. Okay. Yeah, you'll never get zero ionites. It's it's just impossible. >> Yeah. I I was just curious if I mean is is it like a you know a 2% thing or is it a 10% thing? You know I I think you
could like just look at the bills and kind of estimate off of and you know kind of >> get a rough idea of what that actually is. >> Yeah. >> Just curious to what it is. You know what I mean? It's, you know, if if it's a 50% thing, then we have a serious
problem, right? It's 2 3 4% that's really nothing that you can do much with. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, to take a closer look at that. >> I know we've looked, we have our flow meters, >> and we can see the data every day,
right? So if you look at that chart and compare it to the weather, usually the day after the or during the storm or after the storm rainstorm, you can see a spike. >> Yeah. >> So you know water is getting in. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
>> Cuz you have a flow meter for Lemonster and a flow meter for Fitsburg. >> We do. >> Yep. >> And that's what they charge us based off of. >> What percentage is going to Lester? What percentage is going to Fitsburg?
>> Lemon says 88% Fittsburgh's 12. >> And which is which is which is a lower lower cost facilitator. >> Um I believe it's Lemonster. I have that here somewhere. Yeah, it's Lemonster. They're almost
half of what Fitsburg charges. So, we're sending it to the right place. >> Yeah. 88%. Right. >> Pitch bank just did a big capital improvement though, didn't they? >> Or one of them did. >> They've both done some capital improvement. Yeah. And we have to pay
for part of that, right? That's part of our debt service to them. Yeah. >> Do you still have the issues with the clay pipes in the Wham district? Theoretically, yes. But how do you prove it? That's that's the hard part, right?
>> Any other questions? >> Um, I had only one that I thought of. Does the How do you account for health insurance in your budget? >> That's uh Yeah, let's see.
Oops, I lost it. Let me find the slide with expenses for salaries. Does it have it there? >> I'm the only one on it. >> Right. I'm trying to think. We do account for
it. Which line item does? It's got a funny name. It's called That's the line item grant indirect cost. >> I don't know why it's called that, but that's where we pick up the health insurance cost.
>> Okay. >> And and then we have to pay the accounting treasurer collector's office, you know, cuz they collect our money for us, right? So we pay them a portion and and it includes their fringe benefits and that's picked up in that line item.
>> So your requested budget is lower than your FY26 budget. Oops. >> However, both are higher than your FY FY20. Whoops. Where's the first slide?
>> Uh no, we're about 100,000 more than last year. If you go which >> like the the third or fourth slide. >> Wait, what is it called again? >> What slide is it on? Sorry. Maybe I got >> So FY27. Whoops. Where am I? It's one of
the early slides. Where'd it go? I lost it. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. I'm looking at like the 10th slide. Total expenses. >> Yeah. >> In FY27, we're 1.98 million. 26 we're
1.82 million. 25 we actually spent more 2.14 million. What what's the name of the line again? >> It's slide 10. Um it's the grand total
of expenses. I think it's slide 10. Yeah, I got you. Under expenses, it starts with limits for Fitchburg usage and electricity charges. Which one of those? >> Oh, for the grant >> as health insurance. >> Oh, the the one there at the bottom
grant indirect cost, >> right? So, grant indirect costs your requested budget is 106,353. >> Yeah. FY25 actuals were 104
and FY26 budget was 122K and health insurance is going up 8%. Yeah. How did that how did we calculate last year? >> Off the top of my head I can't answer you but I will I will get >> just check it I guess. >> Yeah. Especially where it's an
enterprise fund, you need to >> Mhm. >> I just wanted to make sure that it was covered. >> Yep. >> Okay. All right. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. >> All right. I think Brian, you're up
next. I may have to find your presentation. >> Did we get that? Was that emailed to us? >> So, it's in department presentations, general government, and then land use. And I think we may have gotten it on
March 3rd, >> but we pushed the Sure. All right, welcome Brian. >> Good evening. Brian Jingris, building commissioner, town of Lunenburgg. I've got on my left Jamie, conservation
agent. On my right, Steven Wallace, director of planning, economic development. I'm going to do the presentation, but for questions, we'll each answer for our own departments. We all know best now what's going on in each. Um, so land use comprised of three different departments, conservation,
building, and planning and economic development. Um, that's a little different than how was presented last year. We had a land use director overseeing everything. um conservation, review and enforce your compliance with Mass Wetlands Protection Act, local
wetlands bylaws. They issue permits for uh work near wetlands, waterways, flood planes, conduct site inspections, monitor ongoing projects for compliance. Uh provide guidance for wetlands management, erosion controls, and habitat protection. Advise the public on
environmental regulations and best practices. Building department, we're the ones that issue all the permits. We're enforcing state building code. um conducting inspections, reviewing construction plans, maintaining records, um providing guidance to homeowners, contractors, and and developers on
permit requirements. We also advise planning board on some matter regarding storm water um and zoning regarding their ANRS and other applications come in. Uh planning on development that's new over last year was land use. Their
focus is going to moving towards more economic development. Um so prepare, update, implement master plans, zoning bylaws and subdivision regulations, view and process applications, special permits, site plan approvals, storm water permits, subdivision of land, um
coordinate long-term economic development initiatives and business attraction retention. um conducting studies for housing, land use, managing grants. Um he Steven also staffs planning board and economic development
committee and they facilitate public engagement and community workshops. Um moving to your organizational chart, this is where things have changed from a year ago. So town manager is overseeing
three distinct department heads. Each of us in some fashion also have a border commission interacting. Um you've got the conservation agent with conservation commission administrative assistant which we'll discuss later changing a bit. Um myself building commissioner
with administrative assistant then I have assistant plumbing electrical plumbing gas inspectors and their assistants as well under me. Uh director of planning economic development has administrative assistant also gets answer to the planning board. Um and zoning board appeals is then
shoved in here as well with us. Um I'm going to jump to the next slide. So we got service trends by fiscal year. Um I have specifically on here building activity. I didn't pull in the planning activity or conservation activity even
though I have numbers for them because what those two departments do essentially drives your building permit issuances in a lot of ways. Um so as their activity es and flows, building department tends to as well. Um as we're looking through building permit
activity, you're going to see a fairly steady yeartoear issuance within 20 or 30 permits. We're not jumping hundreds either way. went dropping 20% here and then jumping 10%. Um, pretty much everything has been steady. Building
fees saw some concerning waves in FY25 with FY26 coming back up. Um, when you look at these numbers looks drastic. Honestly, that's a difference of issuing permits for five or six houses.
It's not a difference of hundreds of permits. There can be a difference of three or four permits that'll drop you 30 or 40,000 or increase in the case of one project that may come this fiscal year could increase the permit take by 200,000 on one permit alone. So kind of hard because the number stays so small.
One little change tends to drop things dramatically when you're looking at a chart. Um so next slide is the FY27 budget request. This is where there's some changes starting to happen from what is on here
now. But what we're looking for with this presentation is a budget of $447,963. So 1.77% increase over the prior fiscal year. Um increases primarily are driven by your um cost of living step increases
off of several um staff um staff levels. Um we do have where are we? Um sorry just a minute on your salaries
clerical it did drop substantially. Lisa Norman having retired dropped a lot off of that. she'd been here so long between longevity and her step those dropped. Um, with that salaries clerical line item, we're currently working on looking
at some consolidations. As of today, there is no more conservation administrative assistant effective July 1st as part of starting to make these changes. Um, going down through the expenses, the only expense line item that is any
different in here, there's now a purchase of services that is funded at $2,000. That is your mapping for zoning changes and zoning proposals where we had no funding mechanism prior that when Steven is getting up before town meeting with 20 zoning amendments or something
and we need to start making m actually drafting maps and getting presentations together. That's what that line line item is for. Um otherwise you're looking at level funded. We're not looking at massive increases anywhere huge asks. Um
we're trying to chip away as best we could with the expenses anywhere that we could at this point. I said we are discussing actively discussing organizational changes which will bring clerical line item down at least. Um want to jump to funding sources. It's
an interesting chart. I pulled this together. kind of curious how it was going to show. Um when you look at land use holistically with three departments all kind of mashed in there. Um you've got 16% of our funding ultimately is
derived from the general fund. The rest of it 75% of it made from building permit fees alone. Um the number this was derived using the FY26 FY25 and FY26 projections to pull it
together. So, you're not down to the penny. Um, it's giving you a general idea though of how much the town really puts in versus how much we get back. >> What is the sheet metal line? Is that like recycling or something? >> What's that? Uh, sheet metal. That is duct work.
You have a It's another specialty application that comes under the building department. I didn't lump it with the um, sorry, really tiny on my paper with the specialty permits. I can explain why specialties look so small. Um, but that sheet metal is something
the state came out with 15ish years ago. It's a special license and if you install any type of sheet metal roofing or duct work, you're actually supposed to pull a sheet metal permit that falls under the building line. Um, those specialty permits, that's your plumbing, gas, electrical,
that is the town's share of the percentage. Um, with electrical, we pay the inspector 82 and 12% of the permit fees. and breast is retained by the town. So when you add it all together, it was about 4% of the actual operating cost. So those are the departments.
Um that's about it. I said I kind of talk fast and mostly I'm sure it's going to be questions. >> All right. It was some beautiful buildings. >> Yeah. I'm not an artist. I just directed
it how to how I wanted it to look. >> All right. Any questions? Have you seen a decrease in the number of like new construction permits for the town? >> So this year we have some contractors holding back a little bit. When I say
holding back, I mean we five to 10 new constructions a year. So we're not talking hundreds anyway. Um I have one property, he pulled the permit, now he's going to sell it. He's nervous about building. I have another one who's holding back until the mud's completely gone and he's going to walk in with a check. I looked earlier. We have about
$18,000 in I guess building permit receivables, if you will. These are projects that are shovel ready, but they'll walk in with a check the day they want to start taking. So, they're just kind of holding back. Um, planning does have some interesting stuff coming which may be a driver this fiscal year,
maybe next. um kind of hard to gauge where that's going to go. But what I am seeing is more of a renov kind of a renovation remodeling economy again and it it's a wave. I mean Lunenburgg it's such small numbers it's hard to say oh we're going to jump by 500 new
constructions or something. It really does stay fairly small but I am seeing more of the renovation side. Um, interestingly looking calendar year to calendar year, the numbers are consistent with this time last year, but we're not seeing any of the solar
permits. We're seeing more renovation work. Um, with solar credits dropping off the start of the year, calendar year, you're not seeing the solar permits, which were the driver in the numbers, not necessarily the dollars, but those are dropped off, but our permit numbers haven't dropped. Um, we
did see an influx of uh weatherization work during the winter, but that's fairly typical. But I'm getting we're getting renovation work again and we're going to see additions which still any given day I'll have three or four people call asking for setbacks because they're
working to design this or design that. There's some accessory dwelling units coming. We did permit a few last year. Uh a lot of people are working through septic permits now or sewer connections as well and trying to resolve the utility side before they permit those. There is stuff out there.
>> One of the things that's holding back the building community is the cost of building supplies and um that's going to be an issue for the foreseeable future. But I did look at the number of building permits issued for new housing units over the past five
years. And over the past five years, we've averaged 10 to 15 building permits for new homes. So, it's not like we're being inundated with um new home construction at at the moment. All right. Any other questions?
>> All right. Great. Thank you so much. And nice to meet some new faces, too. All right. So, next up we'll go to trust funds. Um, they have an artic a moneyed article. Is it you have
>> Yep. >> Um I did put this in our share drive. Um >> what's it under, Chris? >> It's under trust funds, but it's up a level from the department. >> Okay. >> Can you find that? Sure. Thank you.
All right, John, bring us through this. All right, you go to FY27 trust. >> So, it's not in the departments, it's in F12. What is that? >> Under budget. Under budgets
material. >> You find it >> working on it on that side. It will be under FY27. Yeah, >> it's in the FY27 budgets then trust funds. >> Okay. >> All right. You ready, John?
>> Yeah. Just Did you get it? >> Yeah. So, in that same folder, there's the Warren article itself. >> Mhm. Um, and then there's also many supporting
documents that um were emailed to us, but I also put in that folder. All right. >> All right. Everybody ready? >> Yeah. >> Sorry. Um, I wasn't connected to the internet.
Uh, my name is John Bowen. Uh, I'm here on behalf of the board of trust fund commissioners um to present and explain a warrant article requesting the appropriation of $14,252.39 for the legal investigation of several long neglected municipal trust funds.
The request is narrow. It's specific and directly tied to our fiduciary responsibilities under Massachusetts law. The purpose of the appropriation uh is to fund approximately 40 hours of professional legal investigation to
determine donor intent, verify legal compliance, and establish whether certain trust funds can still be administered under their existing terms. Many trust funds have missing donor declarations, obsolete purposes such as references to pull houses or uh
reference beneficiary organizations that no longer exist. As trustees, we cannot lawfully distribute funds without knowing donor intent, nor may we uh modernize outdated restrictions uh without this investigation.
Uh so in this presentation I'm going to go over uh a couple of things. The first thing is can you go to slide two? Uh that's the uh the legal framework. >> Are we there? I can't see. >> Yeah, we're there. >> Okay. >> Three mass general law.
>> Yeah, it's not. I know. I I have a hard time seeing distance with these. So uh Mass General Laws chapter 206 section 16 uh are our fiduciary accounting requirements. Uh this is to maintain
accurate accounting uh and ensure lawful administration of the trust. Then we have uh Mass General Laws chapter 203E section 805 which this is prudent trust uh administration and this is to act prudently, carefully and consistently
uh with the donor's intent. Now, I sent you all a plethora of information. Some of it was uhformational to let you understand the direction of what we've been taking this fund, this uh commission's duties to as well as the specifics for what the warrant article
is. And I separated both uh with uh numbers for you to be able to follow along in those documents. And I understand that it's a lot of information, but there's a lot of work that went into this. Uh the third point is Mass General Laws chapter 203E section 807. This is the
delegation of trustee duties. This allows the uh trust commission to delegate specialized work uh but only allowed to do it to qualified professionals. So, we're in a predicament uh when it comes to us making a decision or somebody else
making a decision based on these trusts uh because the law does not allow us uh to make those decisions because it wouldn't be prudent for us to be able to make those decisions on our own or to allow uh influence from other boards uh or statements from others uh even the
executive in what this says or what that says. And I'll get into a little bit more of that uh later. Uh could we go to um could we go to the next slide? >> So just so you know these statutes they clearly make they make clear that uh
that legal obligation the legal investigation that needs to be done. These statutes clearly state that it's not an optional thing. It states that it's required and I'll explain why it's required and something that's been neglected for quite some time here in
town. Um so the purpose of the appropriation uh is required for legal investigations in Cypray groundwork. Uh for those of you that don't know what cypre is, it's
basically a format in probate court um which I'll go over uh in a little bit. It's a format in probate court to kind of make adjustments not to necessarily the donor intent but to modernize or you know maybe something is outdated and it you know uh or it's not uh clear and
needs to be clarified. Um and I'll go over the reasonings between there are two times that there are two different ways that this can happen. One is making a filing in probate court and two is that can be filed through the attorney general's office of public charities. um
they have both come with specific parameters and specific identifiable requirements of when one has to be this way and when one has to be this way. And again, I'm going to go back and reiterate that the statute makes clear that I am not the one to tell you, okay,
that this is how that works. That's required for a legal investigator to be able to tell you exactly what that is. That doesn't mean a lawyer. I want to make that clear. I spoke with Adam Costa. Okay. The legal parameter here is
an outside investigation team hired by the town attorney. This is nothing that can be done uh by the town attorney himself as far as the investigations are concerned. And we're bound by statute to have this done and the town is bound by
owning uh and receiving the management of these funds. And I'll go over some of that in a little bit as well. So part of this is to correct missing, outdated or incomplete donor declarations to resolve obsolete purposes like one fund says poor houses.
Uh we have an inactive American Legion post in town. We have two funds uh that are both with the name American Legion. One we have a piece of paper on of declaration which needs to be repaired and we have another one where we have no declaration.
uh ensure compliance with state trust law and donor intent. And I highlighted some of the laws um for you. If we could go to the next slide. So these are a list of funds that we have. We have the Nadaniel Day fund. This is called the worthy poor fund. Uh
its purpose is tied to poor houses. Poor houses are obsolete. Um um it's not just tied to poor houses alone. I sent you the declaration that was written by Nathaniel Day. um or at least presented by his executive uh
where it outlined what the funds are to be used for. But again, I'm going to stress this again. Pursuant to the statute, I cannot be the one that says this is legally what this says for me to hand out this money. Okay? This is legally the process. I'm not allowed to
do that. The select board's not allowed to do that. The town manager is not allowed to do that. Uh you're not allowed to do that. Nobody's allowed to do that. not without the proper investigation. Uh and that would fall under the duties of the trust fund commissioners which under the trust fund commissioner's powers and duties. We
need to be stewards and take care over certain trust funds and their declarations and if there are questions then they should not be handed out until those questions are resolved and that's going to come through an investigation and this should have been done long ago.
>> So you said town council can't do that. No, town council cannot do the investigation. Now, there are some functions that town council can do like, you know, uh on retainer and stuff like that, you know, he can probably do uh what we call uh cypr pro uh you know,
filings at the attorney general level. Uh he may even be able to do a filing in probate court uh for that. But if there's any kind of investigation, stuff like that, that has to be handed over to professional uh investigators. So, I have done a lot of research. I went
through uh a couple of boxes of record information that Mileen had in her office. I went through every single piece of paper. I got a lot of information. I've shared a lot of that information in my meetings uh uh before the public. Um and uh I've I've made a
number of different inquiries. However, just because I'm able to do all that research, I even cons I even question maybe grab some interns, bring some interns to do some work and so on and so forth. But these would not hold under statute and the statute that I had read to you which was 203E section 807. Okay.
It's the delegation of work. The delegation of work has to be given to qualified professionals. A trustee is not allowed to just manage a trust and say, "Oh, this is what I think it says." Oh, well, it says this, but it doesn't say that. Well, that's in there, too. That is not for us to make that decision or determination. Okay.
>> What makes it a what certifies someone as a qualified investigator? So a qualified investigator is somebody who is trained and skilled in investigating trust funds specifically for the effectuating of a side prey filing. >> But is there an official certification
that they get for that? >> So here's the thing. No. So it's a legal field. It's a special it's a specialized field. Okay. This is what these folks do. They're uh I I mean I'll explain it a little further. you know, like forensic accountants or somebody who can do forensic investigations, somebody
that's good at doing research uh at the uh state level uh for, you know, historical archives, things like that. At the probate court for wills and trusts, there's a specialized uh investigation that gets done. It's kind of it's it's more or less of a in-depth
detailed forensic investigation. Now, I'm not envisioning that these are forensic investigations that require a lot, and that's why the number is quite low. What I'm envisioning is is that the investigations need to be conducted, and if they're conducted at $350 an hour,
that basically comes up to about the $14,000 and some odd uh uh dollars of what we're asking for. But I'll explain to you how we came up with the 36 cents. So, I explained it to the slight board and uh uh uh Miss Town manager, you
know, she was like, "Oh, you read my email." I go, "I know, but it actually fits the right number what we're looking for, so it's okay." So, it actually highlights a particular point. And I'll get into that in a little bit as we go through the document. Just I I just want to make sure that you understand that this is a specialized thing. This isn't
something that just you and I can do. >> So, you figured out it's it's a 40hour thing of of work. I figure I I'm figuring out just from all the information that I've been able to find and plus my ability to find information and I don't know if you watch my meetings or not, but I find a lot of information and I'm one guy.
>> What's the Okay, all this work is done. This we the town spends $14,000. We get a qualified person. They figure everything out. What happens next? Well, that's where I sent you the FYI in
your uh treatsy I'm going to call it in the plethora of information that I sent you with regard to our operations and our functions that we have developed over the last nine months. Uh the members of this board, okay, we developed an application. We developed a process for approval of application. Uh
we've even submitted a bylaw request uh recently. Okay. To be able to hand off the issuing of those applications and and uh uh I'm sorry, not the issuing but the approval of those applications through a process and a policy of which we put together over the last nine
months for the trust fund commission. So with that, I sent you all that information to kind of just highlight to you. I said this is not part of the presentation but it is part of the solution to any question that you might have like you just did Tom which is that
uh we need to be able to be sure okay it is extremely clear as trustees okay this is just like somebody who has your revocable trust and you appoint them as trustee you have a certain amount of things to say now if you say this but
then you say that you know inside the document it's contradictory or it creates a burden that needs to be corrected and the way it needs to be corrected is the language needs to change. In order to change the language, you have to get approval. But before you
can go for some kind of approval like that, you must investigate and exhaust all the relevant information to make the presentation. The attorney general is strict, judges are strict when it comes to this. They specifically look at donor's intent, okay? uh for everything
with this. Okay. But when you're netting out money to different places, this is where you you know and you say, "Oh, well, it's it doesn't have to do that. It has to do this." So, if you watch my meeting tonight that we had, we discussed that. We discussed uh the uh
fund, which is the uh American Legion fund, post283 fund, which is in 2013. So it says eligibility and this was a communication I had with the select board on Tuesday. Eligibility is what is eligible okay to be a member of the
legion. So selectman lateman brought brought up brought up to me that well cuz he googled it and he says oh it's anybody after uh 1941. I said well that's great I could google it too but that's not a legal document. So I contacted the American Legion. I got a copy of their constitution. I went over
that in my meeting today. It's cumbersome. Okay. The document also says that uh it should be reviewed by uh the veteran service officer. That puts a burden on her. There's a giant rabbit hole here in this document. Stockman takes you down a rabbit hole of
misunderstanding. If eligibility is what you go for and you read the eligibility requirements, just watch my meeting um uh of their constitution. Okay, it's quite in detail. It basically says you have to file an application to become
eligible so they can prove your eligibility. Then you can bring that to us that you went to the American Legion first even though we don't have a post here in town to get your eligibility. And if they say you're eligible, then you bring that document back to us as a veteran and we're going to help you. Do
you know how well that's going to work for a man with post-traumatic stress disorder? >> Not well. >> All right, let's get to it. So, uh, so we have, uh, the beneficiary organization, uh, no longer exists post
283. Uh, the American Legion Poor Fund, uh, it's inconsistent historic documentation. There's no documentation. Well, how do we hand that money out? I We don't have a declaration. Uh, the Susan Howard funds, it's missing. last time it was shown a
record. I have a uh uh Miss Padulla who was here from 1953 to 83 and was the executive secretary uh had ledger writing uh uh ledger a ledger mentioning the Howard funds. Uh and our investigation has shown that those funds
you only supposed to use the interest. Where's the rest of the money? There's a problem. Okay. The rest of the money is supposed to still be This is the Susan Howard's poor fund. She also had money go to the library. Uh I found that record.
Um the gazebo fund. There's no donor de declaration found. And if anybody lives in town knows the original gazebo's on the corner of Oakav and Main Street on the guy's property on the right in the back. It's big and green stands in the corner. But we have a gazebo fund. But we have no donor declaration. As
trustees. I can't give you money without having a declaration. I can't say oh it says gazebo. >> All right. I think we got let's >> so so that's that's the key. So >> the nano day fund uh is an income only donor intent needs to be clear uh and
the purpose for it is outdated. It requires equitable deviation for modern equivalent for charitable purposes because it's not completely clear in its statement. uh and documentation only exists uh um through the historical will
that we have but that's all it says but that needs to be adjusted like I said that can't just say that and we just pick out of it what we want the post 283 fund uh the post is dissolved the purpose is impossible why
the way it's written uh it may require probate side pray due to the fund's age because it's under 20 years if it's older than 20 years less than 75,000, we can utilize the attorney general, but the attorney general could refer things to probate court. Even so, uh the
restrictions are tied strictly to post membership. Uh there's some additional things in there. There is a statement that says or Lunberg veterans, but they still have to be eligible under the Legion Constitution, and that's the problem. It's a giant rabbit hole. There are two sections of their constitution
that would require eligibility and one of them would force the people to go and try to become a member and prove to us that they tried to become a member and then we leave it on uh Michelle Durky, our veterans affairs officer to be able to answer to the question
and she has no business with trust documents. Uh attorney general uh administrative pathway most funds under 75,000 than 20 years are eligible for AG review. The administrative equitable deviation or side prey is available. The
exception to this would be post 283 fund cannot use the ag pathway which I just explained. So the fiduciary and legal risks as a result of the town not taking care of this. The town could be liable if distributing the funds without verified donor intent. There are two
dispersements, one in 2008 and another one in 2017 on these documents and those were done not properly. Um uh the mislication violates Mass General Laws chapter 206 section 16. Those are
accounting standards. Okay. And uh any inaction uh taken or any action taken on these trust funds and as trustees we're not allowed to give them out until this stuff is done until this work is done. And any inaction uh that is not done,
okay, can trigger attorney general intervention. If we feel that the town, you know, is is is not moving forward on this. You know, we have a fiduciary duty as trustees to notify all parties that would be concerned. And that would also be the attorney general's office of public charities.
The other issue would be failing to correct outdated purposes. That violates section 805 of Mass General Laws. So, this is why we're trying to move on this and this is why we're asking um why the appropriation is required. Trust funds
cannot pay for their own modifications. Uh we can't use the money within it and that's where the 14,000 came. That was the actual number if you look for the worthy poor on your share center. Uh Jen wrote it to me and I misinterpreted as that's a cost and I wrote 14,000. I put
it in there and then when I did the numbers it basically kind of came out to roughly about 40 hours worth of work which is what my anticipated number was. So I just kind of left the number the same. So you >> 40 hours for all five >> 40 hours covers all five. >> Yeah. Covers the investigation for
almost all five. I mean that's the that's the estimate that I'm giving. But again this is this is going to be done on an hourly basis. There's no way to charge this. You know I mean you can't get a guy to say oh I'm going to bid a contract. It's not like that. It's an hourly basis type investigation because
it's a forensic investigation and that's the way it works and it's done by lawyers. Uh it's done by people who are trained in doing this kind of research and how that pans out and how that works out. The town is the one that's responsible for the management not the fund itself. This isn't your irrevocable
or revocable trust that you have for your own house and your own family with your own appointed executive. Okay? I'll give you an example. My wife's family >> I think we understand >> has has a trust. They have a trust. >> John John, we understand. >> Okay.
>> We have a lot of business in front of us. I think we understand that point. >> I understand. Well, if the town doesn't do it, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the trust donors, not to the town and the
community, to the donors. That's what we've been elected to do. We've been elected to get the money out to the town to the people because the donors requested it and demanded it. So what we're trying to do is avoid ourselves from being put in a position
and that's why we're requesting. In my closing, okay, these funds require modernization to remain lawful and usable. The appropriation protects the donor intent and compliance. It also prevents financial, legal, and fiduciary risk. I just want to uh just touch base
real quick and let you know, okay, um that outside of uh these issues, okay, the trustees without a legal investigation, this is the risks, okay, of the failures. The trustees risk mislication of restricted charitable
assets that can get us in trouble and we can be held personally responsible for issuing money without having something proper. The investment decisions may not align with the donor restrictions, meaning that we have to be careful about how we use the money. If they say only
use 4%, we only use 4%. And like I said, we have that sidewalk fund. I have an excerpt from a article in 1931 that I got in a box and it says to use it for this like this. Okay. The attorney general also may intervene upon their
own for any mismanagement. and then the people who have been involved over the years will be investigated and looked at with regard to that. Now, in addition to that, okay, uh this evening my board uh put a vote of no confidence in our board
and in the select board to be able to execute and exercise uh properly the function that is necessary without the professional expertise. That puts us, okay, at a complete standstill from
giving out $84,000 to Lunberg residents, to Lunberg veterans, to Lunberg poor to do sidewalk things for the sidewalks within one mile of the town hall, okay? To do sidewalk repairs, to possibly maybe fix a gazebo, okay, and you know,
and to do those actions, okay? our hands are being hamstrung and we can't sit there and say, "Oh, well, we want the approval of the select board for this because that's going to give us credibility. They're not the professional to give that credibility."
And this is why we said tonight that there is no confidence that this can get done. Okay? And the democratic process is failing. The people in Lunberg out of $85,000, $84,000 what we have there on the numbers, it's failing. And we can't fail the people no more. This fund has
not properly operated in 60 years. And I made a mention of this before. A member of the select board said to me one time uh earlier when I was elected to this board, "Oh, that board only meets once a year to give a report." And that's been the problem. But I appreciate you for
hearing that, but I'd like to take any questions if you have any questions. It's pretty cut and dry and straightforward. We're bound by the law. We're restricted in the democratic process. We can't move forward without your approval of of $14,000 to get the process started. The management does not
come out of the fund. It can't come out of the individual fund. This is not, you know, your revocable trust. The town took it on. The town is responsible for managing it, not utilizing the proceeds of the funds to manage it, which is what the town has reiterated. And anybody
will tell you that that's not true, not according to the statute. >> I think we got it. All right. Are there questions on it or comments? I have one. >> Sure. >> Um, what exactly are you looking for? Are you looking for routine compliance to be reviewed?
Like what how broad is the scope? Because in certain scopes, town attorney can as long as they're representing the trust um your your group. We can't, the town council can't, but in certain instances, if we're just looking for compliance,
then you can request it. >> Yeah. It's not comp. It's not compliance. It's literally having the trusts redone. >> Okay. To modernize. Yeah. Because there's no post 238. There is no American Legion poor fund declaration.
Can't give that money out. No declaration. The American Legion is no longer here in town in the way the document is written. Okay. Puts a burden in a rabbit hole on everything by utilizing the rules of eligibility for the American Legion. You have the worthy
poor fund which sits here and directs money to poor houses. We don't have poor houses. Okay, hold on one second. Let me let me just intercept for a second >> in our shared folder this all those documents. >> I read that. I read that. >> So look at the 1901 Nathaniel Day worthy
poor. Right. So it says uh you know this should be used by terms in the improving uh the condition of the worthy poor people living out of the poor houses in each of the said towns of
Shirley and Lunberg. >> Right. >> So this money is to go to people living in the worthy poor town houses. And we used to have them. We had I we actually >> Well, can this person that's that you're hiring rewrite? >> No. So what needs to happen now is there
is an intent on this to help the poor via some mechanism but the mechanism to help them no longer exists. So the cyp prey allows you to take the original intent and bring it into a modern standard. >> So I sent another document to folks
today just like kind of a >> a real quick what what cypre is. So I would recommend that like folks kind of take the time to understand what side prey is, what these five are and what the problem is. So I
will say like my opinion is there is a problem. >> I agree. >> Okay. So and I think these five funds need to be used properly. I do think um when the town accepted the fund, they accepted the responsibility associated with that town. and someone back in 1901
donated $1,000, which is the equivalent of over $35,000 today for this purpose. So, the town the town is on the hook for for dealing with this. Now, what I am concerned about is that we've have a clear path to
resolution and the funding associated with that clear path to resolution. Mhm. >> And I do think that like I I'd like to hear from our own attorney, you know, our town council as to the path of that. I'd like to know whether his firm has
these professional investigators. I'd like to hear from from a legal source on what the cost to fix these five funds would be. Um, and you know, one of them is is over that 20 years old. So, you can, you know, go to the attorney
general and seek for this. This whole issue with like um the worthy poor is something that's very common because there were a lot of grants that were given to the worthy poor back in the day. So, it's not without precedent. Um, I think there's actually groups that
will help you work through this without a cost because they understand the need for it and the original intent and there's probably case law etc on it. >> There's actually I think case law associated with the fact that the town is responsible for this and has a
fiduciary requirement as John said for it. So I think there's still research required to get from where we are today and the problems that were identified by the commission of trust funds a value associated with that and that one that
can be worked through the the town executive board and our attorneys etc to to get to resolution on this. So what I'm saying is that I recognize the problem that you've put on the table. I think your estimate is I don't have
confidence in your estimate only because I mean it's kind of your opinion based on your research versus an attorney. I also feel that we need to work a little bit better on that path to closure. So my recommendation would be to not put
this forward at annual town meeting and push it to special town meeting and work to a better estimate and um approach to to closing the issue. So that that's probably where I stand as of right now
on this. Um, I did spend some time today, you know, talking to to Jen as well as to um, you know, researching, looking at these documents you sent as well as uh, listening to the um the, um, select board meeting on the 3
where you you presented on this as well as asking some other folks around town some things. So, that's kind of my recommendation on it. But before we leave, and maybe not everyone had the chance to look as much as I was able to do over the last couple days, are there any other questions?
>> Has anybody asked for these funds recently? I mean, the last >> Nobody knows about them. >> Okay. So, the issue with us not dispersing the funds if nobody's asking for them, then that's not a issue today yet because no one's asking and no one
has been. So, it's not a vital thing. If somebody was asking for it today, then I'd say, "Okay, we have we have to do some things to make sure we whatever we do is right." But if nobody's asking for them, then we have some time we can kind of figure out what's the best path.
Because I guess the ultimate thing from what you're saying, Chris, is that we we figure out how to get all these five trusts set up uh so that they're set up so that the trust can manage it because
right now we don't have enough information or the purposes aren't valid anymore. So >> you understand the cost, >> right? Right. >> I think you said the last time they were tapped was 2008. >> No. So 2017 the worthy poor was tapped and that was sent to a landlord here in
town. In 2008 they sent the money to the individual. Now that's a no no. You don't send money a check to a person. And in 2008 that's that's that's fraud as far as I'm concerned. It's just on its face. Do you know what I mean? And then before that
the last dispersements that I'm able to find is in 1977. Now, that said, I mean, there is $89,000, a lot of which can be used for veterans in in the poor. So, it's not to say that there's not a need. So, I don't
want to pump this indefinitely, but I do think we should put the trust fund and the town in a position where it is aligned properly to the the current intended needs. >> The town has an obligation to the beneficiaries to fund it. The town has
an obligation by the law to fund it. As trustees, you put us in a very terrible predicament as trustees. Okay. If I place a vote at my board to notify the attorney general of a mismanagement of 60 years of funds and one of them is
possibly fraud. I have a duty. We're agreeing. >> But we just want to make sure >> I know I have a fiduciary duty to do that though. And that's the thing is you're not understanding. The law says if I if I see it, >> John, we understand. >> Yeah. If I see it and I don't do something with it.
>> But in what timeline? >> In what timeline? Is there like a if you see it, you have one year, you have 90 days, you have 60 days. >> This board has not been properly staffed in 50 years with elected officials. So the timeline is of an essence that it gets basically something gets while
there is a volunteered board here elected. >> Okay. But not legally. We have some time to align with this the the town. >> Oh, I'm not I'm not I'm I'm obligated legally most certainly as a trustee. If I see it, I have to say it right away. That's the statute I just read. >> Yeah. I mean, I'm not a lawyer, but one
of them says like disperse $400 a year. >> Okay. >> And that is something we accepted as a town. We're not doing I think they are obligated to do things like that. So >> try to avoid all that kind of like get money, get the investigation going and at least say, "Look, the town's doing something."
>> So again, I I think we understand the issue. >> You know what I mean? Like let's do something before we get in trouble. >> Yeah. So we we still have a lot of business. I um I think we understand the issue. I think we understand the request. We understand how you arrived at $14,000 now. >> Um I
>> Yeah, that was Sorry, Jen. Thank you. >> We'll deliberate on that at, you know, and make a recommendation. Um, I think my initial recommendation is that my initial thought on this is that $14,000 is a little bit of a >> pulled out of my butt kind of number.
>> Well, it is because it's an hourly it's it's build hourly. There's no there's no way to gauge. >> There's no way to gauge a number. So, we have to start somewhere 40 hours and then we make a determination from there. And then the town manager would be the one that's responsible for the issuing
of that out of the general fund. You know what I mean? and with a plan, right, with a company that does it. It wouldn't come from our board saying, "Here's $15,000." This would come under the fiduciary responsibility of the executive. >> Okay, I think we got it. Any other final questions?
>> No. >> Right. John, thank you for all the research you did in this and the passion you put into it >> and um for briefing us tonight. >> I appreciate all Thank you. Thank you. All right, >> I get the
>> Who's next, Jen? All >> right. I have a lot of documents open. >> Uh, >> me too. >> I can drive. >> You want to drive? >> I Let's see if screen sharing. Oh, I'm not logged in. I'm sorry. Sounds so should work.
Okay. Good evening. So tonight I'm going to start with presenting the remainder of general government. I do have um some folks online specifically um the treasurer collector Mileen Malari
and Linda um Chaika the assessor although it says McUade on here um and we also have Cara Merritt finance director um town accountant in the room. Uh before I start going through general government, just an update on where
things are overall with the budget um with the full budget restoration numbers um of the school of 28,456,277. the adjustments made to the revenue that were discussed at the tri board, adjustments that um have been made
already to the preliminary budget and additional ones that are going to be identified tonight. The total um deficit right now is $3,123,989.3 uh portioned out. That's about 1.24 million on the town and 1.9 million on
the school. I believe Jerry Lewis at the matter. >> What What's our What's our typical annual intake for taxes? >> Our our property tax levy. >> Yeah.
>> Um I'd have to go back to our prior presentation for the prop. I >> I think that you should review the revenue um budget that was presented previously for that. So the estimate on property tax is 36,332,000
in total revenues 49,750. >> Thank you. Unless there's been a slight tweaking >> there'd be tweak on the revenues from that one. >> Yeah, but not 75,000 on motor vehicle excise and 100,000 on the investment income.
>> Okay. So general government uh this budget includes finance committee, select board, town manager, accountant, treasurer, counselor, assessor, IT which has presented previously, town clerk,
APDC, land use, physicals, town report, reserve fund, salary reserve, and central purchasing and will include one additional um economic development line. Uh the preliminary budget as presented
was uh $3,25,5124. The current budget uh with the changes indicated as we go forward is $3,225,72125. So this budget carries land use also that you heard earlier. So, starting
with you folks, your budget is $1,575 um to cover your advertising requirements um your membership um in associations and uh attendance at any annual conference or associations.
So, small decrease here. Uh select board. So as you all know we have a five member elected select board who appoint the town manager um and then the town manager appoints staff to support the functions of the office. So contained within the select board budget for um
staff are the executive assistant and the human resources director currently titled the assistant town manager HR director as well as some u minute clerks. Key services provided by the select board. The ex the executive powers of
the town are vested in the select board. The board serves as the chief policymaking agency of the town. They are the licensing authority for many license types, liquor, common victer, auto sales, special events, hawkers and pedallers. They're the appointing
authority over uh many boards and committees. uh as well as some staff, accountant, constables, town council, ZBA, conservation, historical personnel, registar of voters, election officers, COA and other multiple member bodies responsible for the coordination of town
meeting through the preparation of the warrant specifically and the annual town report. The human resources uh element uh of that department through Julie is responsible for recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, classification and
compensation comparisons, job descriptions, union negotiations, PEC negotiations, performance management, personnel policies uh for the town manager and select board, currently procurement, the senior tax
workoff uh program, creation of employee engagement survey, oversee the management of employee benefits and assist the town manager in any special projects. You have some data there on what our hiring volume looks like. So, new hires
uh since 2024, 73 um little more than 30 a year in 2024 and 2025. Separations since um 20 2024 are 52.
number of positions advertised since 2024 is 59 and there have been 20 uh senior tax work off employees since 2024. I do want to just take a minute to talk about the senior tax workoff program for those that are watching. Um
we do have openings. We have five openings available. Um, this is a reduction for those that are eligible to come in and assist the town with various types of work, whether that be filing, drafting documents, uh, could be some manual things, and you get a direct
reduction on your taxes. >> The new hire numbers include seasonal hires. >> They do. >> Okay. >> Um, but there are um, the majority of those are staff, like actual staff changes. Um, obviously not all full-time.
>> Okay. Okay. So, the proposed operating budget um for the select board is $21,895.33. This is an 11.99% increase.
Um, we're going to talk about it more in a moment, but the assistant town manager position uh that lives within the select board would be retitled human resources director with the assistant town manager position being added to the select board. The board committee clerk line um
in that salary are not minute clerks for folks that support the select board's office. Those are minute clerks that support other boards and committees across town. contracted services. John Gilfoy public relations contract has been pulled uh back entirely under
the select board. Um we talked about that a little bit during the preliminary budget, but that um had not initially been funded in last year. um and to pay for it got spread out uh with public safety and and the select board office
but now is back contained within one budget as well as HGV software uh which assists with minutes uh legal ads uh we are uh running short consistently in this budget. So there is an increase for legal ads. The actual spend is between
$2 and $3,000 a year. Um, I think when I looked earlier today, we were at about $1,800 already expended thus far for this year. Office supplies, um, in addition to supplies for the office, there's if there's a community event, we'll hit this line, uh, for those
supplies. Example, last year was the touch a truck event. Uh, some for some basic supplies there. uh dues membership. We pay for the ledger. North Central Chamber of Commerce, Nishoba Valley Chamber of Commerce, membership for the town and the municipal
association in the humanate uh human resources association and state house news services meetings covers uh town meeting supplies and attendance at MMA conferences for select board members and the staff development line covers the annual member awards and annual
appreciation day. Are there any questions on the select board before I switch to town manager? Okay. Town manager budget. So, town manager uh serves at the pleasure of the select
board as the chief financial officer for all town agencies. Um directly responsible to the select board for the administration of all town affairs for which the office of town manager is given responsibility under the town charter. So um joint appointment over the finance director, town accountant
with the select board, over the assistant town manager, police chief, fire chief, DPW director, facilities director, building commissioner, director of planning and econom economic development, and then uh the finance director also has two departmental director reports under her, the
treasurer, collector, and assessor. So, the proposed budget um for the town manager is $442,353 and is a substantial increase of 44.88%. This budget has been revised from the
preliminary budget to include funding for the assistant town manager position for a full year, which is an increase of $60,000 over what was presented at the preliminary uh budget presentation. I'm going to go over that uh in a little bit more detail in a moment. Uh but
first, expenditures. The contracted service line is funding for small contracts uh especially around um recruitment services, but wouldn't need to only be used for that line. Um it's a place that we can go if we need small consulting services. Our legal expenses
are the general legal services of me, Talerman, and Costa as well as labor council services of Mark Terry. uh formerly of Mick Okonnell now of Stoman, Chandler, and Miller. Um and I have not seen any proposed um proposal yet from
our general counsel services. So I I'm not sure if we're getting an increase, although we do have a substantial legal activity ongoing. Um that I think could possibly result in us getting potentially an increase um if our hours are really driving up. And we have small
decreases to the mileage um dues membership and meetings and school lines of the town manager. I just the former town manager was a member of the uh which is an international associate uh international association membership is rather
expensive. It's not an organization that I belong to. Um so we were able to adjust quite a bit in the dues column. Okay. So the assistant town manager position uh the cut I still have in here X the current assistant town manager HR
director position was created in not X in 2016 um splitting the combined position has been discussed informally for several years. Uh the current assistant town manager performs mostly HR related tasks as well as some procurement.
We have many HR related initiatives that are ongoing including implementing vacation acral system, standing up a sick leave bank, implementing annual climate service survey, an improvement of the overall employee experience. So as I said at the preliminary budget, I
had requested $60,000 to fund the position beginning January 1st, 2027. Recognizing the needs of the town, I've decided to uh restructure the current staffing in the office and the difficult decision was made to restructure the
staffing within my office so that I can fund this position on July 1st at least in part. So specifically the position of communications and IT director has been eliminated. uh this elimination of this position will be a service decrease as
the level of our external communications will be diminished. I'm not saying they will stop but I'm saying that they will be diminished. Uh there will also be an operational impact to the departmental staff as it relates to the management of their website web pages, IT and graphic
design needs. But um so due to the reconfiguration, the net increase of the assistant town manager position for FY27 to the town of Lunenberg is $60,000 as opposed to $120,000. How do I see the role of assistant town
manager functioning? Assist with the executive management responsibilities of the town. take over the procurement and contract administration off the current assistant town manager HR director so that she can focus solely on our employee related initiatives, assist
with project management, policy implementmentation, assist with capital planning and capital initiatives, assist with departmental initiatives as well as departmental supervision. And it also provides a succession planning capacity that there's somebody in the office um who
who knows much of the role. All right. Any questions on the town manager's budget? Okay. Town accountant. So this the select board appoints the
town accountant and the um town manager appoints the finance director. They are one in the same person. They oversee uh treasurer collecting, treasur collector's office uh assessing, accounting, procurement per the town charter. Now, they oversee procurement,
but they're not responsible for procurement. So, I just want to be clear on that because I know I just talked about procurement. The uh finance director's office is the last stop to ensure that every uh element of procurement um has achieved compliance, but the processing of bids are not
handled by the accountants office. So the key services are coordination of all financial services and activities of the town, maintaining all accounting records and other financial statements, payment of all financial obligations, receipt of all funds due to the town
from any source, maintenance of all property valuation records and systems. Rendering advice, assistance, and guidance to all town offices and agencies in any matter relating to financial or fiscal affairs. monitoring throughout the fiscal year of the expenditure of the funds of the town
offices and agencies and coordination of all financial transactions associated with the procurement of all goods, supplies and materials by the town offices and agencies with the central procurement procedures under Massachusetts uh 30B. So this is from the charter the duties of the overall uh
office of financial services. Specifically the town accountants portion alone uh represents $354,5468. There is a $2,000 small reduction since the preliminary um budget. So in
addition to paying the town accountants uh finance director's salary which is contractual uh the there's two other salaries contained within this department and those are of the assistant town accountant and the payroll and benefits coordinator. Not much to note um here for their
expenses other than the uh large increase in audit costs. Um, so we had uh budgeted previously $40,000 and now you'll see that that's $65,000. I think um you may recall that the auditing firm that the town once uh
utilized um had been absorbed under a series of consolidations within the industry and CBiz is um the new firm, same players largely but new firm with a larger cost. Um we have attempted to uh
go out and see if the other main competitor um for audits uh is able to take on the town of Lunberg and they do not have capacity and have refused. >> Any questions about the accountants budget? >> Should the auditor have caught the the
free cash issue we found ourselves in or why would they not have? Is it just a timing? Are you talking about the uh school the decrease? >> No, no, I guess I'm I'm talking about like free cash was just certified. >> Oh, okay. So, thing you've explained.
>> Yeah. So, it they chase each other. So, the the what they are auditing. So, what what we are about to engage in is the audit of that closure that just occurred, the closure of FY25.
So the auditor is coming into audit once the books are closed for the financial year. We did not close the books for the financial year. There was no finding that we did not close the books. We knew we did not close the books.
>> But you gave an indication that it was been going on for more than a year. >> No. >> No. I just missed. >> No. So um the the uh books should have been closed by no each year by November
30th November 30th of each year. Um for and that did not occur. So there was no qu we knew it was not occurring. We knew why it was not occurring. Um so it's not something that needed to be found. >> I thought you said there was something like monthly reconciliation. So when
when they per So that was the monthly reconciliation that was not occurring was during FY25. So they will find that when they audit FY25 there we're about we actually have a call tomorrow to start the engagement
now that the books have have closed and what I am anticipating is when they conclude that audit they are going to give us um probably findings and management recommendations telling us that we need to um put in certain um
mechanisms operationally so that that does not occur again. >> Okay. And then is there any I want to ask >> you sure? Okay. I guess I'm just wondering if some of these findings would lead to potentially bond rating
impacts because it seems pretty significant some of the things that >> I think that in talking to and we can have that conversation again tomorrow with the auditor in talking to the auditor um pre-engagement when we knew we were going through some of these difficulties
um they represented to us that the fact that we had brought back Karen Brochu the fact that we engaged the services of Eric Kinerf CPA during the trouble times should indicate that the town's awareness once the problem was realized
and taking immediate action to start to correct. Um hopefully that will help not have such a negative management review. I think that they're going to say things though like there needs to be an actual protocol that each and every month there's sign off for um that the prior
month had been closed out and balanced things of that nature. Good question. Okay. Treasurer collector and Mileen is on. So maybe you'll have a question for her. Um so the key uh services of the treasurer collector's
office are to oversee the town's collection revenue, maintain town funds, invest funds in accordance with Mass General law, oversee debt repayment schedule, uh the cash flow, provide information to taxpayers,
collect and process receipts for town departments, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes, and sewer usage. Reconcile town's bank statements. Process refund abatements and overp payments. Process and record notice of takings and
foreclosures. Uh process munip municipal lean requests. Prepare financial reports to the department of revenue. Um and uh also I'm I'm not going to go over everything, but works with the deputy collector uh which is Kelly and Ryan for
collection of delinquent excise taxes. All right. So there's two budgets here. One is the treasurers, one is the collectors. The treasurer collector, the department head, a portion of the salary lives in one budget and the portion of the salary lives in the other budget.
So, um my treasurer collector receives the treasurer's salary here in this budget and the collector's salary in the next budget. We have um one assistant treasurer and uh we did reduce uh $4,500 from the
preliminary budget um in the expense lines, but you'll see that it's a very small expense uh budget of $7,375. On the collector side, it's an overall $120, uh66210
budget. Here there's a little bit uh more of a reduction based on actuals. So we reduced uh $8,300 uh from this budget specifically around contracted services. There was $10,000 uh I'm sorry $7,000 reduced there. Um
we're just we don't need to have that much. Um, and the that $10,000 line covers the contractual services of Kelly and Ryan, the deputy tax collector, as well as Unibank uh services that they provide for our continuing financial
disclosure. Um, are there any questions for the treasur collector? >> No questions. So, one of the things we had talked about at a prior meeting and I don't know if it cures is there possibilities of opt out for mailing of
tax bills as well as um direct withdrawals for for um payments of of excise and >> so I that question did not get to the treasurer collector. Okay. >> So, Mileen, if you know the answer, I'm
going to rephrase the question for you. So, I'm going to if you know the answer, great. if not if you can research the answer and respond to the finance committee. So the question is um we mail paper uh tax bills and is there a
possibility that folks can opt out of that mailing and basically get an email bill? That's question number one. And question number two is can they just opt out of billing altogether and just get direct withdrawals set up direct withdrawals from their banking.
>> Mileen, we don't hear you. Although I see that you're talking. >> Might need to unmute. >> Maybe a room problem, too. Oh, we can't hear Mileen. She's trying to answer a question. Okay.
Well, Mileen, if you could if you don't know the answer to that question or if you do, um if you could either find it out and just uh circulate the response to the finance committee. Um I do think it would be a cost savings and convenience if allowable.
>> Yeah. And then Libby, we can't hear in the room. Um, >> do you know if it's on theirs or >> You should be able to hear the Zoom. >> Can you hear the Zoom people? >> What? >> Can you hear Zoom people? >> No, almost a little more, but you should
be able to >> Can tax bills? Can people get like email tax bills instead of paper? Can they opt out? And can they get um direct? >> Yeah, that's the question. Legally, and can they get a direct withdrawal from their bank account like automatic
payment set up? Do you want me to wait a minute or keep going? >> Um, you can just go, I guess. >> Oh, >> Eileen's raising her hand. >> Yeah, Mileen, I just We can't hear you. You if you you can go ahead if we can hear you.
Yeah, we still can't hear for some reason. >> Can is is there anybody else on Is Linda on Zoom? >> Linda's on Zoom. Linda, can you try to talk? >> You can see her talking. >> Yeah, you can see her like microphone working, but there's no volume.
>> It's something in there then. >> I think >> it happened at tri. It >> did happen at trio. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Um, >> I don't need an answer on that right away.
>> No, no, no. I need to write I need to write a note that I need to email Joe Tol about the sound issue. >> Oh, >> we could also test it before each meeting just to make sure. I mean, we shouldn't have to, but it's
important that we have communication. >> Well, that's why we put on all of our agendas right at the top that if you really want to be here, >> comment old school. >> Yeah. And just Mileen and Linda again, we we just can't hear in the room for some reason. So, I know you both have your hand up and you are trying to
answer us, but unfortunately, we can't hear. >> All right. tax office. >> Some of that can be done through uni, can it? Online bill pay.
>> You can pay your bills online. Yeah, I think that that was um I think the question is different though. Can you opt out of the pay receiving the paper? So once you receive the paper, you can go online and make the payment. I think the question is can you opt out of
receiving the paper all told so that we can cut that expense of the mailing. All right. So assessing budget. So the assessing department is responsible for accurately determining
the value of all real and personal property located with the town of located within the town of Lunberg for the purpose of taxation. Assessors are obliged by the Department of Revenue to assess all property at the full and fair market value as of January 1st of the
calendar year for the fiscal year that runs July 1st to June 30 of the following year. Little confusing, but that's that is the law. The updated property assessments are submitted to the Department of Revenue each fiscal year for their review and approval
before the tax rate can be set by the town select board. And the assessors are responsible for the maintenance of all real and personal property data records within the office. They process abatements on real estate, personal property, and motor vehicle excise tax.
Uh chapter land classification. So that's land that's placed into a non-t taxable status. That's either open space, recreation, or forestry. uh real estate tax exemptions, real estate tax deferrals, personal property,
um charitable organization forms, income and expense forms, requests for a butter list, and they perform cyclical inspections. So the assessor is a full-time employee serving under the finance director and there's also a three-member elected
board of assessors responsible for um many of the decision-m within the department um especially around processing of um abatements and exemptions and executives or just only exemptions in executive session, right?
um administrative assistant 32 hours a week and then there's a part-time data collector at 19 hours a week. Um here's some data on abatements. You can see starting back in 2023 there was a
large amount at 427 abatements. Um but you'll see the more normalized numbers of 24, 25, and 26 at 42, 37, and 27 abatements, uh respectively.
Uh real estate exemptions. Um so there's a variety of exemptions, uh veterans exemptions, senior exemptions, and blind exemptions. In FY26, they processed a total of 123 exemptions for a total of
$83,000. And in FY25, 128 for a total of $129,000. The senior means texted exemption was not approved for FY2025. Um, so we don't fully understand what
the impact of that will be as people are just starting to apply for that exemption. And the real estate exemption application deadline for those watching uh requiring an exemption is April 1st of this year. >> Just kidding. >> So the total assessor's budget is
$297,44069. Um this is actually a uh small increase of 0.04%. Uh we did uh make some adjustments um in the in the expense lines. Um but primarily we had talked previously about
that special assistant to the assessor, a temporary position at $27,500 uh to come in and perform work required by the Department of Revenue that we are obliged to complete before the next full reevaluation.
Um because this is temporary in nature and based on our budgetary constraints, um the finance director and I have discussed that we're going to move this out of the operational budget and use uh some one-time sources to fund this uh to get it out of operations where it might
continue for another year or so. Um but it's not going to continue in the long term. And that's about that on assessing. All right. So the IT budget update um just to show the change from uh the
last time there was a presentation you'll see that the salary line um has been reduced to zero. town clerk. The town clerk's office serves as the central information point for local residents and citizens,
responsible for all I just want to stop on that. So many people say the town clerk is I think all town clerks learn this at town clerk school is the hub of government. So it truly is though a lot revolves around the town clerk's office. So they're responsible for all elections, census, and voter registration as well as overseeing the
polling face and the conduct of all elections and elected related activity and records all actions at town meeting. Um they administer the oath of office, maintain appointments and resignations for all town officials. They issue
licenses and permits such as marriage licenses, business licenses, business license renewals, dog licenses, and requests for vital records. Um, two quick points on this. Um, I think our dog licenses haven't been touched in a
long time, and those dog license fees probably need a look, uh, cuz they're quite low. And, uh, I see Jean giving a thumbs up. Um, and then the the other uh point that I just want to raise is if
you have not heard um TC Pacios building um I'm just going to kind of take a little segue here um cuz we're talking about election locations. So, uh folks have been hearing about the windown of TCP and potentially when that's happening. Well, with all of the melt
that we have experienced on Monday, I received a call uh from the facilities director and there is uh absolute water pouring into several of the classrooms of the decommissioned portion of the building.
So thankfully it is in the decommissioned portion of the building and thankfully the school uh did school department did relocate when they did because it would have been directly in their office spaces. Um long story short there was a uh drain
that was clogged on the roof. So there was a lot of standing water but there is a large seam that is ripped in that roof and so the the water is quite impactful. All that to say, um I don't know how much longer anybody is going to be able
to occupy the TC Pasios building now uh with this new uh condition. And so one of uh the activities for FY27 will be that the uh elections need to be moved from the TCP building to the
schools. um just a highlight of coming attractions. >> Have we identified where the um machinery can be stored to make that happen? >> Um so there probably will need to be the
purchase of a small trailer um that will just hook up to a truck to keep some of the stuff that's non- temperature controlled um in the trailer. the technical devices and the things that need to remain temperature
controlled will actually come into this room likely and be stored here >> in here. >> Yeah, they're not big. So, those big bins are empty and then there's a piece there's like a a device that locks into them. So, the most of the large items
can be stored in a trailer. >> I'm assuming it needs some type of security. The secured part are the devices that come into this building. It's lit. The rest is just an empty black plastic bin. >> Okay. And we have the proper means to secure it here. Okay.
>> Yes. >> Okay. So, the organizational structure, we have an elected town clerk under which a full-time assistant town clerk serves. Uh perdm election workers and part-time registration and census workers.
Uh there's a couple different budgets that we'll go over. So the town clerk's total budget is 147,9565. Um you will not see many uh changes of any significance within this budget.
The elections budget, however, of $21,575 does have an increase of 94.37%. Um, that's because 2026 is an election year with the primary on September 1st and the general election on November
3rd. So, you'll see this is common. We're not going to budget at this high level every year when there's not an election. And so you'll see this account or this line ramp up when there's an election year and then ramp down when there's not. >> Do you know if the Save Act were to be
approved if there'd be there? I would assume there'd be ramifications on the clerk's office. >> Yes. And I don't know what those would be, but we can ask Kathy. >> Okay. Sorry, can we have someone on Zoom speak
one more time? >> Linda, can you try to talk? >> Can you hear me >> a little bit? >> Can you hear me? >> Kind of. Yeah, it's >> okay. >> I think it's in there. It's not.
>> It's soft. >> Let me turn up my volume. >> It's in there. >> Oh, no. better. >> Yeah. I don't think it's Well, >> I don't think it's coming into >> Yeah, I don't think it's in here. >> Okay,
>> I'll try to talk as loud as I can. >> Okay. In a pinch, I think we can hear you, but I think we may just have some um pack technical issues. >> Okay. >> They probably want more money.
>> Thank you. Oh, I see a typo on the top of this page, but um it's a $500 increase, not a $500 total budget. So, the next budget is uh registration and census for a uh
$21,450 uh total budget with a $500 increase, 2.39% increase. Additional funding sources for the town clerk. So um there are uniform polling
hours cover uh gives provides coverage for 3 hours of extended polling for certain elections. Um the elections covered in 2027 will be the state primary and the November general election. That's a uniform polling hours is a state mandate. So this is
reimbursement to comply with that mandate. And then as well as early voting and vote by mail and inperson early voting is required for most uh state elections as well. So we do receive reimbursements on those.
>> Do we is that totally covered? >> I believe that they are totally covered. >> Do you know? Okay. Well, I believe that they are totally covered. Okay. Okay.
Okay. APDC has a small budget of $500 which has been used in the past for advertising physicals. Um this is an increase of $2,500 uh for a total budget of $6,000. Uh we
had spoken in the public safety budgets about physicals uh in those departments also being under budgeted. So these are the physicals for non-public safety employees. So anybody that requires a pre-employment physical not of public safety. But we were running short in
both. We are going to look and see if we can find another vendor though to see if there's a a more cost um costconscious option to send people for this pre-employment work. Right now we're using uh Haywood. Okay. New line for economic development
committee. Uh $3,100. Uh this is to support their annual town official meet and greet which invites the town staff, elected board members and volunteers as well as local organizations in a casual setting to form and facilitate uh connections and
relationships. So uh there is a article on the uh town meeting warrant to create a revolving fund as well for the economic development committee. Their goal is that they would like to um solicit sponsorships and collect donations in order to put on events such
as this. But uh in the case that they are not able to collect such donations and sponsorships, they want to fall back so that they can put on this event annually. Um and it is a request that I support which is why it is here. Uh the town
report. So this is a uh line that was greatly increased uh by 128.57% because it was not properly budgeted. So covered under this uh line are the annual town report estimating 200
copies, the May town meeting booklet to print and mail at $7,500, and the special town meeting warrant to print and mail, which is typically a little smaller, which is why it costs a little less, $6,500. Most of the cost of those
um is in the booklet, is in the printing, and is not necessarily in the mailing. It's the book, it's the printing costs. All right. Finance Committee Reserve Fund. Um going to talk a little bit just a food for thought. I'd like to hear the
finance committee's uh reactions to some things about the finance committee reserve fund. So right now I have it level funded at 185,000. So as you're aware, but the public may not be. Under state statute, the town can establish a reserve fund such as
this to provide for extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances. So unexpended things that come up and they require a vote to transfer money from this fund into a departmental line requires a majority vote of this body. Uh, according to the Division of Local
Services, quote, during difficult economic period, a higher reserve can meet the expectations of more frequent TR- transfer requests from departments that struggle with lean budgets. During periods of revenue growth, when departments are giving more spending latitude, the likelihood of fewer
requests justifies a lower reserve balance. So if we look back in prior years, FY25, $158,149 was transferred. In 24, $239,573
was transferred. And in 22 is uh $20,000 was transferred. Now, earlier in my presentation, you heard me talk about going through um specifically the treasurer collectors department, the accounting department, and shaving off
$1,000 here, $2,000 here, $10,000 there. If as we continue to do that, I I think that I'd like to consider raising this line somewhat so that we do have some cushion and buffer should we have gone
far too close to the margin um in in reducing the budget. So that's just food. Any initial reactions to that thought? >> No, I mean I think I've said this before. I forget if you were town manager at the time or Carter or
Heather, but to me this is like just a program management technique of like management reserve unknown unknowns that pop up otherwise you you start to get into this very conservative budgeting. Um and
you know with the extras in the conservative budgeting maybe you say well I'm going to spend it because I have it. So I think this is a good fiscal practice. Um I would encourage you know challenge budgets even to be given to folks versus what they asked
for and then if there is you know unknowns come before the finance committee >> and you know and asked for the money and I mean so far I don't know that in my tenure you know there's been four or five of these that have come forward. we've always given it um and I I just
think it leads to maybe um better um program program project management type decisions which I kind of view this as very similar >> right and that that same effort that we went through of those you know I'll call
it death by a thousand paper cuts if you will but just those little surgical scalpels we haven't done that everywhere I mean we've done it initially but this is the second pass through we're tightening it through So I I anticipate that you're going to see similar reductions in other budgets as
well like that you've already had presented. So um we are getting closer to the margins. So I think that if the finance committee would be willing um to entertain un unforeseen things it might be a way that we can
uh reduce the overall budgetary deficit. you know, even like the prior discussion from um trust funds, that could be a reserve request, you know, if there was a need for that. >> Um so I yeah, I'm like I said, I'm an advocate
for for increasing it. >> Okay. The next uh reserve account is the salary reserve account. We've talked about this a couple times in the context of um people's wages, but I think that it does still have um some
folks a little confused. So, just apologies if you feel that this is redundant, but the So, first of all, the salary reserve has not been adjusted for FY27. I do not have enough information from the ongoing collective bargaining uh
negotiations in order to do so at this point. So what will the salary reserve cover funding for colas for the employees under the salary administrative plan? Those are all your non-union employees.
First year of collective bargaining agreements and any other potential salary adjustments. So after town meeting either approves the article for the increased cola for the SAP or votes the first year of the contract article.
After town meeting, the funds are then transferred from that salary reserve into the departmental lines. Anticipated salary reserve for FY27 anticipated a cola for anticipated cola
of 3% for the SAP employees. And as you have heard throughout numerous negotiate uh numerous presentations, there are active collective bargaining negotiations with the DPW clerical and firefighters. DPW contract did expire in
June 30, 2024. Before I go on, are there any questions about the salary reserve? >> Just to verify though, Bill put into his like for his budget, he put in 3 + 3 plus 3%. So like the anticipated is built into the budget and the reserve is
>> in the preliminary budget that you have for me. >> Yeah. >> It has their current wages. >> Okay. >> So they're today's wages. >> Okay. >> With no increase. There are some estimates in Bill's budget around other
contractual um obligations that he's estimating. Um but any potential increase for the any unions will be in the salary reserve and have been removed from the
preliminary budget. >> Okay. But and then if you do um agree with the unions prior to the town meeting then you'll go in with >> it will still be in the salary reserve.
>> Okay. Because if town meeting doesn't vote the first year of the contract, >> if town meeting, so there's a warrant article for each union negotiation. If we don't know what town meeting will do, we can make some assumptions around what
town meeting would do, but we don't know what town meeting would do. So that money lives in the salary reserve until town meeting takes that action. >> Okay? But we can if we know what that amount is though, we can specifically call out X dollars of the salary reserve
will be transferred. That's that's typically done within the motion for that article. >> Is that enough to cover retroactive pay? >> I have not adjusted the salary reserve for FY27. I do not have enough
information from any of those three bargaining units in order to make that adjustment. So this is last year's number. It has not been adjusted. >> Are the other ones in there? Have they like 2024 is a long time ago. That could be quite a bid, you know, payback. But
what about the other two? >> Are they more currently? >> So So just a little bit. I think that maybe there might be a little um confusion of why DPW is so out so long. It >> happens. So they are they were in a
different bargaining unit through June 30th, 2024. They decided to leave that bargaining unit and so there was a period that they were not represented and they did not bargain with the town during that period. Okay. They are now represented by the teamsters local 170.
Um and their representation so it's not all the way back until the beginning of the fiscal year. They actually obtained representation in like I believe it was October of of last year. So we have to
negotiate around the retro and what will be covered. Um but that's why they've been out of a contract for so long. So you can't by law you can't leave one um one union affiliation and go immediately
into another one. uh and you have to go through a process for the state to get involved and to certify the the uh commencement of the standing up of a new union. >> Yeah, those are current contract years. >> So the other two contracts both expire
June 30th. >> Who pays for all that in that case? Does the teamsters I mean pay for that? any fees associated with negotiating with the state or >> I it's just it's a function of a state
agency. >> So now so that's just an administrative function where they submit paperwork and information to the state. The state asks the town for paperwork and information. We get back to them and then they >> they give a green light. >> Okay. Um but the the union has um the
union members have representation of a business agent uh that is paid for through their dues to help them negotiate with the town. So the town is represented in those negotiations with the labor council and then they have a business agent. >> Yeah, I just mentioned that interim
crossover. Okay. >> The teamsters do assist them with that paperwork. Yes. Okay. Okay. So, central purchasing uh level funded at $91,500. Um office equipment maintenance,
equipment maintenance, manage print services, that's copier contracts largely and postage. As a reminder, in FY26, all postage was consolidated across town departments into one single central purchasing line. This has seemed
to work well. Um, so with folks not having little bits of remainder money and and it's all just in one spot, um, we do not have capacity in this upcoming fiscal year right now to make the change. However,
I would like to start doing more of this type of consolidation for certain supplies within a central purchasing line um, and have that centrally managed so that these are the supplies that you get from the town of And I think it will
just uh lend uh to similar cost savings where there's not all these little drips and drabs of office supply money. >> Did schools come over into this too or are they separate? >> No. >> Okay. >> Who manages that? >> I didn't hear the question. >> Who manages all the office supplies?
>> Uh various folks in my office. So uh now so Cara McCarthy the IT and communications director was doing the manage print services. Um so all of it will fall uh now onto my executive
assistant. But like office equipment if somebody needs a desk you know or a new chair or whatever they'll ask for not a chair the chair they're taking out of their office by desk. It's really desks, cabinets, things like
that. They'll ask for permission to purchase one and then based on the request and the available funds that's processed through our our office. Okay. Veterans Administration. So the veteran services office. So I'm
sorry that is the conclusion of general government on CL general government. So the rest of what we are going to talk about is not contained within that general government category. Okay. Uh so Veterans Administration,
key services offered uh by the veteran services officer, uh outreach to veterans to educate them on benefits and services, referrals to programs, but primarily applications and processing uh and legal
requirements of the chapter 115 benefits program. So, Chapter 115 is a Massachusetts state program um that veterans can um cover their some of their daily living expenses, medical costs, rent assistance
um as well as some other costs. So, the total budget uh for veterans agent is $90,750. Uh the veterans agent does receive a stipend. The large amount of uh this this budget
is the $77,000 uh for veteran benefits. So right now uh we are serving uh seven uh folks under this program. Uh I looked at actuals today and uh we are running a little
hot. Um so I I did see something that appears to be one time in nature um in the account. If that is not the case, I'll have to come back and uh make an adjustment here. Um otherwise, I think it will it if if it will be fine at
77,000. >> Don't we get reimbursement? >> We do. It's it's tail trailing reimbursements. >> Meaning, >> so they come after the fiscal years. They they're trailing. So they come into the revenue side the year after.
So 25 and 24 we were way under under budget >> that and that's why I reduced the budget last year. >> Do you think there's folks that just don't know of these services that >> um there's a lot of education to
veterans around the chapter 115 program. It's I think it's more of an eligibility. A lot of folks aren't eligible. >> Okay. >> Okay. Band concerts. uh level funded at 6,000. This is payments to performers. I
do want to just state that at the um at the tri board when we had originally discussed this, an issue came up around um how that's being paid. Um we're going to make sure we're compliant uh with payments going forward. Um so that they're
they're they're either going to be employees that are paid under and that we're taxing them or we need to do something different with the band. um historic level funded at $1,000. And lastly, um but certainly not
leastly, uh is the intergovernmental assessments at 2,6335,339.93. This is an increase of $238,289.95 or 9.94. And you see that all but $111.95
of that is from Wester County retirement and is non-discretionary. All right. Any questions on that one? All right. I'm going to flip over to >> That seems like that could start to
become unmanageable. It is going to be >> um >> yeah there's that 10% every year is gonna >> yeah I mean it's up 35% >> going to keep >> over three years. >> Oh >> sorry we just one more time. >> I don't know if there's anyone left.
>> Yeah I don't think we need to unless it's public >> unless none wants to talk. All right. Okay. So, >> could probably go off mute and provide. >> Okay. Sure. All right. So, general government unclassified budget. This is
u our insuranceances largely 4,500,42459. We go through each of these lines in the coming slides. So the budget includes liability insurance, workers compensation, group health insurance, group life insurance, unemployment
expenses, Medicare town share. Changes from the preliminary budget. Uh we were at $4,312,000 $312,412. Now we're at $4,500,42459. Uh that was due to my error which we
will go over in a moment. So liability insurance, I have reduced this slightly from the preliminary budget. Um liability insurance at uh $230,000. Our liability insurance covers our
property and casualty. Um we pay roughly $160,000 for property casualty. Uh former town manager um Heather Lemieux negotiated a rate guarantee thankfully. Uh, so we are guaranteed through FY27, but we have no rate guarantee through
FY28. We have $160 million of contents with our in and buildings and contents of those buildings and coverage. Sorry, I said that wrong. $160 million in coverage for our buildings and contents. There's equipment breakdown, crime,
general liability, automobiles, law enforcement, public officials, and school board. We also have a policy of for $60,000 to cover our injured on duty for police and fire employee bond peri uh premiums. Clear gov in the past had
been paid from this line. Um it was not initially budgeted in FY26 and as you know has been eliminated for FY27. We have a $5,000 training line here to cover risk management type trainings across the organization, whether that be
uh procurement training, munus trainings, um what have you. Um we have a smaller cushion for policy changes um and so this budget with that reduction is a little less conservative. workers compensation.
I reduced this slightly from 145,000 to 135,000 uh based on conversations with our rep. Um we also have $22,000 in credits. Um so we are able to apply those credits uh
here as well. So conservatively 135,000 group health insurance. So, group health insurance represents the majority of this budget. Total increase of um $193,44027.
The budget line covers town active employees. Um throughout this process, I've been budgeting u and talking about these costs um based on our enrollments of 20 of November of 2025. We're not changing that much that I've been
changing those figures that I've been budgeting off of. I've done that just so that there is consistency and transparency as we talk about the changing health insurance budgets over time. It's based off the same enrollment numbers. So, there are 55 uh town active
employees that are covered. Uh we have $14,000 budgeted for the opt out plan uh currently budgeted at five town five school employees. Um if more folks opt out that'll only benefit so because it'll be a higher cost coming
from another line. I've budgeted open positions and contingency at six blueare elect and six blueare individual. This is the PO plan, the high cost plan. Um because remaining funds from this budget uh can be used to balance out the snow
and ice budget, snow and ice deficit before hitting other available funds. So this year we'll have a couple hundred,000 here that we can use to balance out um that snow and ice budget so that we don't necessarily have to go all the way to free cash at town
meeting. We also use an insurance advisor services uh which is that insurance cost control retiree health insurance. There are 67 town retirees. Uh we estimated the
insurance premium um based 16% Medicare blue for seniors 19% for medex. Those rates don't adjust until January. So we don't know what those actuals will be. And then there is a Medicare supplement. All retirees
um receive $96 per month. Um they receive it two times a year as a Medicare supplement. So school retirees, there's 203
retirees there. And then PEC expenses. So, I uh did not accurately count those Medicare supplements uh when I initially budgeted this, which is why there was an adjustment from the preliminary budget. Life insurance. Um the town of Lunberg
offers employees the opportunity to purchase $5,000 of coverage and pay 75% of the premium. Uh, so the town is paying $5.96 $5.96 and the employee pays uh $1.99.
Unemployment level budgeted at 10,000. Um, depending on uh what this budget shakes out to be like and if we are anticipating um layoffs, we may have to address this
unemployment line. And then Medicare. So this is really Medicare taxes required by law, 1.45% payroll deduction. Uh this budget line will be revisited once all salaries are finalized. So just an update on PEC negotiations.
The town and uh its employees negotiate health insurance through the public employee committee. Uh the PEC is comprised of a representative of each bargaining unit, town and school and a retiree. The PEC and the town are in
active negotiations uh regarding the agreement for FY27 and beyond. If there are changes to the current benefit structure, those changes will need to be finalized no later than March 31st. and changes to the agreement will impact the
town and school active active and retirey plans. So, not the that's really the young retirees, we'll call them. So, the retirees that are on town active plans is who it would impact. Anybody under that's not Medicare eligible. >> Um, so we do have some
>> retirees on active plans. So practically speaking, next Tuesday the select board has a posted uh meeting that includes an executive session around the PEC. I understand the PEC will be convening their memberships to vote the following
week and so I expect that the details of this agreement um will be able to be shared publicly quite soon. But it should result in a cost savings uh to the town if the membership agrees or w let me say this it will result in a cost
savings if the members agree. And that is um that is it on that presentation. >> Any questions? >> Okay. I don't know if you want to go over
warrant articles. I know it's on the agenda. Um, we have a draft or or we can read them and save it for next week. That's your pleasure, Mr. Chairman.
>> What do we have next week? >> So, let's talk about next week. Next week. >> Oh, right. Um, town manager had a proposal. Next week is supposed to be the public
hearing. Uh, but town manager had a proposal that we push public hearing a week. It's been posted. So, we'd have to open it and then to a date certain, which would be the next week. And that we actually do
tri board next week during our time. Um so we had talked at the tribe board about when the next meeting would be that would allow us to um have those final is discussions with tribe board. Maybe give us a little bit of time to
digest the warrants. Um and then we would have the public hearing on the 20 two weeks from today 26th. And if if for whatever reason you weren't ready based on the discussions
that come out of the tri board and next steps if there's not if there's still not that final number so to speak public hearing you can continue to open from date certain to date certain to date certain. >> So I think that that would allow the public hearing to have probably better
information. >> Um when do we need to have something if we want to get it in the book? The book will be mailed to the printer on April 8th. >> So,
>> so anytime before April 8th, April 7th. >> Okay. So that would allow us to have a public hearing, talk about what we want to have in the book, and then start to deliberate on um
I guess at that point we would also want to take as many votes as we can at that meeting. And then my expectation, here's what I'm thinking on the book is that we put together somewhat of a benign
statement on the um finance committee report and then have an update more towards town meeting with more deliberations and more analysis and you
know kind of thought going into it. Um because I think it's going to be very challenging us for us to get anything other than a this is what's going on this year and I think we we'll know at that point what is going on this year and then you know have a QR code or you
know another mechanism by which to get out a more detailed um committee report if we want. One year since I've been on the board we did not have anything in the book because we just ran out of time to to get it in
there. So I think that's a good idea. >> All right. So is everyone in agreement that we could do the tri board next Thursday in lie of a meeting and then have public hearing the week after
um and take our first stab at at going through the warrant and and doing votes. And we would have one more meeting still >> to to finalize votes. Yeah. And while I pull up the calendar,
>> just recognizing that this hasn't been discussed with the school committee or select board yet in terms of scheduling >> because it really was just that your meeting on the 19th was the more logical day to have the meeting next week. So if
if you were not willing to move, there would be no point to have that discussion. So I will do that tomorrow. >> Okay. So, >> so if we don't if that is not the decision of the tri board then we will continue with the uh the public hearing
and I think that just gives us you know one less meeting that we have to fit into our our schedules. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Um, so why don't we'll you posted the warrant articles or you
emailed them to me? >> You have them, I believe, in your in your SharePoint. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. And so, just so everyone's clear, those are all the select board has taken no votes on anything that has been will be included in the warrant. So, this is
not a draft of the warrant and there's a big disclaimer on the top of it. These is this is just a a running list of things that have been uh submitted. Um again, as always, a lot of times the
details are carried in the motion. The articles themselves can be somewhat um benign and not really give an indication of monetary amounts, but those details are in the motions. You'll see on that document if there's something highlighted in yellow, it's from last year. It hasn't been adjusted yet for
this year. So the warrant is closed, right? To >> So March 16th is next Monday at 4 p.m. is when um the subject for the subject matters must be insert must be delivered. So that's the last day though
for any petitioned articles to come in. I have not received any petitioned articles as of yet. >> Okay. So then the only other board or commission or petition article is the one we heard tonight. The rest are more the standard.
>> No. >> Oh, >> but I don't know that they have monetary impact. >> Oh, yeah. That's >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. With monetary impact. >> You you have you're going to have some articles. There's articles from me that have a monetary impact. So, for example, so I don't just want to say no, but Okay. Yeah. Okay.
>> Okay. >> All right. Uh, so that I think everyone's kind of in agreement with that plan. >> Mhm. Okay. Um, okay. So then did we want to have any additional discussions on either what we
talked about at tri uh potential uh two and a half override or now I guess probable 2 and a half override or any prior department briefings. It's getting to be 10:00 so we may be a
little tired. Well, Mike wasn't there. So, did you have did you watch it? Did you have any comments about the triborg? Did you see >> I'm not fully caught up on the tri board yet? >> Yeah. >> So, >> cuz I know we had all had an opportunity. I think you were all there,
right? You were there. >> I was not there. >> Oh, you you were not there, too. Okay. >> I watch I watched most of it. >> Yeah. We had our say. So, >> yeah. So the kind of the the executive summary of it is um we stropold and
everyone agreed that the warrant should contain an override. That was not to say that everyone agreed that the override that they would personally vote or recommend the override, but they all agreed. Everyone there agreed that it should be on the ballot at least one.
And then we had another discussion about should there be one override number or multiple and that was kind of split. Um 76 and the seven was for >> one or two >> one >> for one. So seven people thought it
should be one I think including the entire school board. Um and six people thought it should be two. one that gets you to what we thought what I thought originally would be kind of a level service which is now being called the core service and then a second that gets
you a little higher. So um I think everyone also kind of thought that they were willing to support the decision either way so that if it was one and you thought it should be two you would still support the you know the one going on the ballot and and that sort of thing.
no one would kind of, you know, die on that hill kind of thing. So, >> and vice versa. >> There's a lot of discussion about how once we decide once this decided what it's going to be, how do we reach >> educate this educate the public about it and there was questions about that.
>> Yep. There was only one person who commented both in the beginning and in the end for public comment um kind of in support of of going forward with it. Um and then just I think general good collaboration across the the committee.
So I I I will say personally that I think the tri board was a really good thing. Um this year especially um I think it's helped us to get through meetings like I know it's 10:10 today and we had a lot on there but if we remember back to last year there were
some that we ended after midnight. >> Yeah. >> Um I think the tribe board helped with that. Um, but also helping with that, I think, is the the new superintendent and school business manager as well as, you know, Jen having a year under her and
you know, and a finance director that to me, I think I trust the data a lot more than I I did last budget season and partially the one the one before. So, I think a lot of progress has been made in that. Yeah. And we may not all agree,
right, on all what should be in or what should be out, but at least um we're having a good discussion. So, that's my own personal opinion. Hopefully, you all agree with that. All right. There were two sets of minutes. I have not had a chance to read
them. Um we could um also try to approve minutes if we wanted. Well, we can just do it in in two weeks. >> Yeah. Um we're getting to the point where we should have them. You kind of have three meetings is the general um thought. Um Jen, can I ask you one
question on minutes? Uh we've only seen one set of tri board meeting minutes. >> Oh, that's probably accurate. >> Okay. But we take a lot of pride in having meetings up minutes up to date. >> Have Danielle do do try if
>> she asked if she should be doing them. If >> so that's between you and her. >> Okay, fair enough. >> Okay. >> Can Can we start doing the AI minutes thing? >> I mean we >> Oh yeah.
>> Oh, is she sitting? Oh no. >> So I talked about um in the select board budget um in contracted services something called HGOV. >> Yeah. >> That is the AI minutes for AI service for government minutes. Um, we've been
using it now for I don't know. I guess it's it started to be used before I got here. We've been using it more. Um, it's getting better. It's not there. And it requires a So, it cuts down the time that it takes the
human substantially to complete the minutes, but the human still has for a meeting of this length, the human still has at least an hour of work in it. So, um I don't in my personal opinion I don't think that the software is yet at
the point that we should add additional users onto it for the additional user fee. I think if the software gets when it not if when the software gets better I think that we could look at bringing that townwide but to me the expenses wouldn't justify it where the software
is. >> Does it have to be like a government approved? >> It's not. No, this is just it's um it's not government approved. It's just is built to capture meetings like this.
So, you identify the speaker, it tags the speaker, it just has kind of the cadence of a governmental meeting type minutes as opposed to a business like an AI summary from the Zoom AI summary would not create minutes that would um
stand up to the open meeting law. So that's really it's compliance with the open meeting law um that it's trying to achieve. >> Yeah. I was just curious cuz we have these little ones at work and we can have meetings up to 10 people and it nails them. I mean they're pretty impressive.
>> Yeah. So it's it's structured for the this type of meeting minute um being specifically on camera coming from YouTube. >> Gotcha. Good. >> It's getting better though.
And again, I think I said this in a prior meeting, AI does a really good job of going through prior minute minutes and and actually um some, you know, answering questions related to what that was. So,
>> um All right. Any committee reports? All right. Any actions or topics for future meetings? >> I had one. >> Oh, sorry. Just briefly, um I just listened to sewer commission met, I don't know, the other night. Uh I guess
the the driving range down by Wham, somebody's looking to develop that. They were at sewer commission talking about how to connect the sewer. I think they said they had like three ANR lots, but they wanted to do like eight. So,
anybody in that area uh may want to pay attention to sewer commission and planning board regarding development of the driving range. >> Did they indicate what four >> house lots? >> House lots. >> Yes. >> How many did they >> Well, he said he had three ANR. He was
talking to the sewer commissioner to see exactly what it would cost to connect. That'll determine how many I guess additional houses >> you want >> because because that area I know the the driving range is not part of the high
density area so that cannot be developed into apartments but I do know it can go to house lots I don't know >> okay I said be going I'm sure well sewer
obviously because he was talking about potentially putting an article on to um expand the silver district area on town meeting. >> Guess I'm getting some neighbors. >> Good looking out. >> Anybody in that area interested in in that should pay attention.
>> Maybe if we could negotiate a parking lot for the town beach, that'd be good. >> Yeah. Right. >> Um so just confirming confirming the 19th is going to be a tri board meeting as opposed to a finance meeting. >> Don't know yet. >> Well, either way, Jen will tell us. >> Okay. >> No later than we are meeting on the
19th. It's just a matter of what it's going to be for. >> Yeah, we will have a meeting on the 19th. >> There'll either be seven of us or 17 of us. >> Okay. >> All right. Um Okay. So, any public comment
>> from anyone? >> Yes. Oh, hello. This is Joe from Public Access. >> Hi, Joe from Public Access. >> Hi. Really solved the problem. It was not our equipment. >> Okay. >> Can you hear me? Okay. You're in the in
the room though. You're in the back room, not on the run in our room. >> Yeah. Was it my fault? >> Yes. >> Well, I believe that you're supposed to click on allow individuals to unmute
>> on the back end. >> Okay. >> I believe that was the problem. They were unmuted. Okay. >> Right. But I think it was a setting in the uh in the Zoom. >> Okay.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Joe. All right. And with that, I'd entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved. Second. >> Right. All those in favor? I I Right All right. We're Thank you all.