All right. It is 6:00 on Monday, July 27th, calling the select board meeting to order. This meeting will be recorded and broadcast live over the Lunenburg public access channel, on Facebook live, on the Lunenburg access Facebook page, and will be uploaded to the Lunenburg access
YouTube channel after the meeting. The agenda lists all the topics which may be discussed at the meeting and are those reasonably anticipated by the chair. Votes may be taken as a result of these discussions. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for
discussion to the extent permitted by the open meeting law. Do we have any public comment from the public? >> Yes. Where would you like me to stand? For the camera, whatever, you know, get my good side. >> is here. >> The mic is here. >> The mic is over here. Okay.
So, I'm Tim Murphy. I am from 97 Island Road and among other things, I am town moderator. Uh I understand that there's a need for a meeting and I just wanted to share, as I already told you, chair. Uh I know some dates have been bandied about. Um I
am available on Wednesday night, too. I am not available Thursday night, three. Um I know that there is a process in that this the the statutes allow to have the moderator replaced when there is no moderator. In fact, I know that because
that's how I started this job 18 years ago. Um however, the situation is a little different than it was then because we now have as a part of our charter that says there is a deputy moderator who shall stand in for the moderator
whenever there is a temporary absence by the moderator. So, I know that there's another process. I know that the chair may have already spoken to town council and I'll talk to town council about that. Uh but my thought would be that the deputy moderator, if I'm
unavailable, would stand in. But I just want to make sure everybody doesn't think that I'm going to be obstructionist in any any way. You know, I'm the least important thing that you probably have to discuss as far as when your meeting should take place. So, again, either the
deputy can take over or the statute can take over, but either way, my absence on the 20th or on the 3rd uh should not be an impediment in any way. So, I just wanted to be here to make sure that was on the record. I wanted to hear what the discussion was and and where it's going to go. Uh and obviously, if I'm not
there, I will meet with whomever uh for whatever small help I can give. >> Anyone else on Any Anyone on Zoom? Nobody answered. Okay. Any public comment from the board? >> No. >> No.
>> Okay. Um New business. So, as we wanted to take on take these on in order, the vote for the petition special town meeting and opening and closing date of the warrant. >> I believe so, Madam Chair. I think everyone has a schedule, right? I think you dropped it also in the in
the folder. >> The one that was embedded in your email? >> Yeah, the proposed schedule. I went over this with town council. He said it met all of the requirements, all the timings and notices and postings that we need to meet according to charter and bylaw and all There's also
the 45-day um time limit for Mass. General Law when it comes to citizens petitions special town meetings. And so, this is compliant with all of that. Uh we started this process The start date for the 45 days is July
20th. That's when we received the petition and turned it over to the town clerk who then verified or or certified the signatures um on the 21st, so 24 hours. And then we are meeting today to set the the date of the meeting.
Um the schedule has us having a special town meeting on September 3rd. The primary is September 1st. Um needless to say, town clerk would prefer not to have a special town meeting on September 1st.
I went through a few possible scenarios with town council. We were able to shave off a couple of days, but we couldn't get it to the week before. Um I don't know. That would be August 20 something. I don't know.
So, I'll just quickly run through the schedule, I guess. If anyone has questions, um the legal ad needs to be posted in the ledger for 5 days prior to the warrant closing. So, we're meeting today so that it can
be sent to the ledger tomorrow. The ledger needs whatever they're going to put in Friday's paper by noon on Tuesday. So, town manager would send the legal ad to the ledger tomorrow. And then it would run in Friday's paper,
um which is the 31st. The warrant then would close the following Friday, August 7th. Monday, August 10th, the select board would finalize the warrant sign the warrant for posting. We could accept During those 5 days, people can submit additional articles. So, we would need
to Those would need to get um signatures verified by the town clerk. And then we would sign the warrant for posting. Oh, >> Madam Madam Chair, I just want to clarify, if I may. Um in terms of the warrant being open and
people submitting articles, they would only require signatures if they're petitioning. >> Yes. >> So, this is for petitioned articles. So, once the warrant's open, we may I don't know if there will be >> articles >> coming from departments or other
but I just wanted to put it out there in case there are those that are listening that might have an article that they were also going to put forward. >> I think there may be some in the waiting room. >> Oop, thank you. >> And I think a citizen's petition for special town meeting requires 100 signatures, I think. >> It's 50 or 100.
>> Thank you. >> Um Okay, so that takes us so we would need a another special meeting on August 10th, which is a Monday. And I think we would need wet signatures on that, too, then. Right, for posting of the
>> On the warrant. The warrant needs wet signatures. >> So, we would need to be in person on the 10th. Um then the booklet or the postcard and a small batch of the warrant booklets would go to the printer. They
require 5-day 5-business-day turnaround. So, we would expect those received back on August 18th. Um the public hearing notice for FinCom So, FinCom needs to have a public
hearing for any finance financial articles for any town meeting. Um and the notice for that public hearing needs to be between 7 and 14 days. So, FinCom needs to hold their public hearing
somewhere between 7 and 14 days that posting in the ledger. So, the the schedule has FinCom um posting the public hearing notice on Friday, August 14th, which means they can hold their public
hearing between Monday, August 24th and Thursday, August 27th. August 27th is the 14th day. So, they we cannot go later than that. Um and then of course the notice needs to be mailed to residents minimum of 14
days before the special town meeting. So, 14 days before it's September 3rd is Wednesday, August 19th. We expect the postcards to be returned from the printer August 18th. So, you can see the tight It's not a lot of wiggle room. That's why we were only able to shave a couple
of days and not a full week. The town clerk was fine with um holding the meeting on September 3rd. Thankfully. So, are there any questions about the schedule and the requirements? >> So, after hearing from the moderator
that he's not available on the 3rd, but he was available on the 2nd, is there any way to wiggle room into the 2nd concerning concerns with rooms or dates? >> We haven't even checked the rooms for the 3rd yet that I know of. >> We did schedule it for the 3rd. >> You You checked with the list today? The auditorium? >> They're reserved.
>> Okay. Um I don't know if we can get it in the mail 14 days before. But um so, I I raised the question cuz I knew moderator was going to be away um on the 3rd and I asked town council
and he said apparently Kathy town clerk was aware of this too. I guess it's happened in the past. They um town clerk opens the meeting, calls for um a vote for a a deputy. We I think town council town council
called it a temporary moderator. We have a vote and then carry on. And town council said that he could, you know, walk town clerk through it. Kathy said she's done it before. Um I don't know.
Rob Bowen I think is the deputy. >> Right. >> Do you know his availability? >> I do not. >> Okay. It It be good to to confirm that beforehand. Before setting the date. >> And we have to set the date >> Then
then we can ask for and have a recess and I can try to reach him by telephone, but we have to set the date today. >> Go on but we hope that he's available and that could be could be any exactly there are people with time and experience.
>> Or I think the town clerk I don't know. >> I mean if you wanted to take a recess to know I can try to reach him by telephone now. >> His cell phone goes to voicemail. >> I'm not too worried. I think there's a long list of people who would be able to
step up but I think it would be good to make certain people aware and see if they're >> Any other thing that town council confirmed was that the pre meeting meeting that normally the moderator holds that we can invite anyone to that
meeting so that includes who would serve as we would anticipate would serve as town meeting moderator for that meeting. Um So I think that's that's all I had for this schedule. So if we stayed with the schedule as I just
went through the warrant opens today. >> You could either open it today upon your vote. I had it drafted as open tomorrow morning but I have to turn it tomorrow morning and then close we'll have to
have town hall open on Friday. August 7th until 5:00 p.m. to yeah Friday August 7th at 5:00 p.m. if anything comes in. >> I don't know if anyone else was able to find any other ways to trim this.
>> If we open the warrant tonight does that push that back till Thursday instead of having town hall open on Friday or is it Friday night or what? >> So, the reason that you're opening tonight is to get the legal ad into the ledger tomorrow for publication on Friday.
Um, that's opening it tonight versus tomorrow doesn't change anything. >> opening town hall on that Friday, cuz it's usually not open on a Friday, right? >> If you Oh, I see. If we did not open town hall on Friday, August 7th, you would be pushing the warrant closing
date to August 10th at 5:00 p.m. And so, you're actually adding you're adding a day on. But I I don't have an issue being at town hall myself until August 7th at 5:00 p.m. That's fine. >> And is there any concern about opening
it um, today? >> Tomorrow morning? >> No, today. Is there any concern about opening it like >> We need to get the legal ad to the ledger tomorrow >> But yeah, that but it doesn't make a The only I don't So, let me see. It's just that I'll have to change the way that this is
drafted. Um, I think Hold on, let me see. I just have it I can just change it to the time of your vote. I just have it drafted as the select board also voted to open the warrant for submission of articles on July 28th. But it does I don't think you're getting any I don't think it I think it's a
distinction without difference. I don't think you're getting additional articles between now and 8:00 a.m. tomorrow that you wouldn't get tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. >> Yeah, but it doesn't help our timeline any. >> It doesn't change the timeline. >> Okay. >> It's the all the legal ads and their time that they need to run is what's
driving a lot of this timeline. >> I mean, we could post this in the Sentinel, but >> So, that is an option. >> Because that's daily. >> Correct. >> We can post in a daily. >> I don't know what the cost of that is versus posting in the ledger.
>> I'm sure the cost is probably de minimis in comparison to the poll, but um I think then you're having a situation where have we I don't know. Have we posted there before? Are people looking for it there? Were they >> It'd be good to have consistency.
>> Yeah. Were they typically looking for it? I mean, it would it could possibly save some time because you are not posting on a Tuesday for Friday. I don't Have you posted in the Sentinel >> you'd also post it in the Ledger later and then the dates would not line up for
some people and they'd wonder why and then you have to explain this cuz you posted earlier in the Sentinel. >> Oh, I don't think we'd be posting in both. It would be >> And I really I think it's important to post in the Ledger, too, cuz a lot of people are going to read the Ledger more than they're going to read the Sentinel. >> No, but um we were looking into it last
week and up until a certain time, they can post it the next day. >> The next day. Okay. >> I think we should stick with the Ledger. >> I'm good with that. Okay, is there any other discussion on the schedule or are we set and ready to make a motion?
>> Okay. >> I second. >> I'll I'll move I move that in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39 Section 10 and Article 2 Section 2-5 of the Town Charter, the Select Board determine
that it is received a written petition signed by the required number of registered voters of the Town of Lunenburg requesting a special town meeting and hereby vote to call a special town meeting to be held on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lunenburg Middle High School
Auditorium. I further move that the warrant for the special town meeting be opened on Tuesday, July 28th, 2026 and that the warrant closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7th, 2026 with all proposed warrant articles to be submitted to the office of the select board by that deadline.
Second. >> Okay, any further discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? None. Motion passes unanimously. Do we need anything else with the special town meeting or should we move on to the primary? >> Nope, we'll post the legal tomorrow.
>> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Um the state primary election warrant. >> I'm good. Thank you. >> You're good? >> I just wanted to go over the meeting. >> Um we voted on the special town election
warrant last week cuz I wasn't sure if the protocol required but I did just cuz a vote doesn't hurt. Do you want us to vote on this warrant as well? >> State primary election warrant? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Would anyone like to make a motion to approve the September 1st, 2026 state primary election warrant?
>> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Opposed? Motion passes unanimously. And our last Last item is ratification
of the Teamsters Union Local 170. This is the DPW collective bargaining agreement. Is there anything to say? >> Um I don't think that there is anything further um to add after our executive session where the board voted on this. We were waiting on some paperwork. We have that
now. It's as discussed. >> Okay. >> Is there a motion to ratify the Teamsters? >> We'll make a motion that we ratify the the contract with the Teamsters Union Local 170 DPW collective bargaining
agreement. >> Uh second that motion. >> Any discussion? >> No. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? None. Motion passes unanimously. All right, so we are meeting again tomorrow our normal meeting time and
place 7:00 Town Hall in the blood room. This will be a joint meeting with the Lunenburg Municipal Building Design Committee. It'll be a workshop. Um David Blackwell will also be presenting on some programs he learned about at a recent conference sponsored by Mass
Save. And then our next uh regularly scheduled meeting will be uh Tuesday, August 4th. Okay, with that is there any public comment from the public? Don't see any hands. Any public comment from the town manager?
>> No. >> From the board? >> No. >> No. >> Okay. Then Brian, you're up. >> Make a motion to adjourn at 6:18 p.m. >> I will second that. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Okay, and we are adjourned. Have a good night.
>> Good night.