after the ex session okay perfect all right good evening and welcome to tonight's meeting of the lunenberg select board today is Tuesday March 18th I'm calling the select board to order in accordance with the requirements of the open meeting law please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast live over
the lunenberg public access channel on Facebook live on the public access Facebook page and will be uploaded to the lunenberg 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 I move to enter into executive session and to re-enter into Open Session pursuant to Mass General laws Chapter 30
section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the litigating position of the town and the chair of the board so declares second any additional discussion be a roll call vote Tom I
Renee I Amanda hi Michael Ray hi and I for myself we are now on Executive session got [Music] it e e e e
e e e e e e e e e e
e e e e e e all right looks like we are back on air just wait for Town manager to mute that I heard that no it's going to
be that one okay all right please 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 [Music] all right we're going to start with public comment are there any public comments from the board I have um a couple um first one is as of the caucus last week unless
someone pulled papers uh this past week there is we do not have a quorum for Sewer Commission going forward we need one more person um to be on Sewer Commission in order to have a quorum so if you're interested go to town clerk's office get
the nomination forms you need 50 signatures um otherwise you can you can also just run as a right in candidate second an um thing I want to say is I talked well I yeah I spoke with
representative Scarsdale Friday morning about you can guess school funding all of those issues um didn't tell her anything she hasn't probably heard a thousand times by now but I asked her what could we we do to help her help
us one comment she made was that she needs letters as of Friday morning she received she had received a total of 20 letters that's 20 across all six of her towns not 20 from lunenberg and I know
based on the emails I've received based on the public comment I've seen at this board school committee social media there are more than 20 people people that are um have concerned and frustrated and definitely have feedback
regarding school funding so I encourage you to send a letter to our state delegation I ask Margaret the best way to do that she said to attach the letter to an
email the letter does not have to be long um it can just be a few lines but she said it is more valuable to have a letter that's personalized rather than a form letter that just multiple people submit the letter must contain your full
name and your address um and I I think that's all so um I know it's on our agenda tonight to um discuss a letter to send to our state delegation about um the school funding issue school committee has already done
so I think a while back and the chair of the finance committee told me that that um he will also bring it forward to the finance committee so they could submit a letter as well so please I encourage you take a couple of minutes just write a
brief letter and mail it off if you need help how to attach to an email get the email address let me know anyone on this board I'm sure is willing to help you school committee um if you want to handw write a letter I'll scan it for you and email it um but again I just encourage
you to to take some action and and submit a letter thank [Applause] you all right comment from the public oh Public public comment okay no it was still board comments my name is John Bowen Jr I am
speaking tonight about lunenberg a reminder you also have to say your address to at the beginning of a public comment my apologies 162 High Street good thank you I recently moved here to lunberg with my dad John Bowen in January of last year because I was in a bad environment which caused me a lot of
difficulties in my life mentally emotionally socially and academically every school I attended which was three last year alone in seven schools over 5 years was a real challenge I had no support from people I was living with and I was abused not physically but
mentally and was told my father didn't love me I did not know that my father was in a bitter legal fight for more than 10 years all of this was before I came to lunenberg to live with my dad in my previous living situation I was told I should know what to do with my homework assignments and regular life
skills this was my whole life and I felt trapped whenever I got upset I because I was frustrated with understanding everything my mother would force me into four hospitals between the ages of 9 and 15 all time uh all the time telling me I
am the problem and I am not no different than my Father which she characterized him in a negative light to me and and my sister daily however I am speaking with you today because of my father and because of lunenberg high school I never thought I could do this a year ago why
am I sharing this with you as my father has shown me having one voice and one vote is important that I should always speak up this was how I healed from my traumatic past I am who I am today by speaking up and speaking out I want you to know that because of people here in
lunenberg my dad of course my stepmom Jean Marie PR and from school Joshua Kel Juliana hansam Lorie Shay James mcweeney coach howler Jennifer Miller Stacy Canfield and Timothy santry and all of
my other teachers and mentors and friends at lunenberg high school including Mr and Mrs Eberhart Mrs foil and Mrs Mallette and Company and all my friends at float Club in the entire class of 2027 for voting for me to ride the float with Kendra eart at homecoming
this was a great honor there are so many others I want to name just not enough time all of these people have helped this person me who stands before you today who has had an IEP his whole life and today I do not have any special needs requirements because of a good
plan that lunenberg High School formulated for me working with my father since coming to lunenberg high my first semester here I made honors my second semester here I made High honors and this past semester here I made special honors and it appears I am keeping the
ship steady this is because of the program that lunenberg high school has for kids with special needs including kids like me who come from difficult homes or abusive homes I have excelled because of the special needs assistance and the professionalism of How lunberg High School worked with my father and
with me they helped me make my life better academically and socially I have failed every grade since seventh grade and I was just passed along by other schools before that as well I thought no one cared however not today today I have
a direction I am planning on law school and then the Marine Corps I also intend to run for president of the class of 2027 at lunenberg high school and I will be looking for signatures what I'm what I'm really here today to say to you is you have
difficult decisions to make about the schools but the one thing you should support 100% is the special need Services needed for all kids in lunenberg schools I play sports and I love sports but if you cut that I'm okay with it happening or if you have to charge fees for us to have sports I am
okay with that too as well as any other extra after school activity offered by the school I am okay with that being cut or charged the fee in closing I just want to be heard that cutting any program or assistance for people with educational and social difficulties maybe some with my situation that of an
abusive home life with no support as a Survivor myself I know there are many out there and you cannot have them slip through the cracks there are a lot of us I am not the only one I ask that if you cut anything from the schools you do not cut special needs education or the professionals attached to this education
from lunenberg schools this is like removing life support from a patient who can live with some sort of Rehabilitation assistance just not in the moment thank you for your time John Bowen Jr right yes thank you thank you so much for coming in and sharing your story I'm so happy to hear that things
are working out for you here in lunenberg where they weren't previously it speaks so much to the staff that we have in our schools and to the services that we provide and how good the quality of our education is here in town so thank you for sharing your story I'm so happy to hear that it's working of
course Mr thank you if I may Mr chair also John you know as you know I've talked to your dad quite a bit we've had dinner together with with your stepmom and your father and you know as you saw I was getting a little emotional as you were hearing this as I was hearing this because you know it
takes it takes a lot to get to the point that you're at and I want to acknowledge your dad I want to acknowledge G Marie I'm sure you see the difference too I know you and I have talked you know a little bit here and keep it up Mr Jeff thank
you any other public comments from the public Mr leitis good evening everybody uh Christos ladas 49 Maple Parkway speaking on behalf of the lber professional firefighters so I've spent a lot of time over the past week going back and forth
on how I wanted to address not only this board but the citizens of lunberg as well the fact of the matter is that this town needs another override however the town consists of the DPW schools fire police and all the other departments
that make this town function day in and day out an override that addresses anything less than the needs of the whole town would be a disservice to the town both its staff and its residents the town has needs and continuing to Kick the Can down the road is a major
reason why the town is in the mess today now I've stood before this board and made you all aware of the situation that the fire department is currently in and the chief has made the necessary requests to address the immediate needs of the department however given the financial situation facing the town
these needs are understandably unfunded given the current tax base of the town and the needs of other departments it's my opinion that the three requested firefighter positions will never be funded without an override I worked in this town long enough to see the writing on the wall so I ask you this question
tonight not to cause panic but to really get you thinking what do you expect when you call 911 what is an acceptable amount of time for the amulance to show up when you're having a heart attack or a stroke what is an acceptable amount of time for the engine to show up up when your house is on fire Staffing matters
it is a fact there are houses on West Street Stone Fence Road Fair viiew Road whm Road and several others that were saved because the STA station was staffed there are countless residents still alive because of the early Advanced prehospital care provided by our paramedic service that may not have
had the same outcome had the paramedic service been delayed responding from another Community approximately 10 years ago a resident of this town went into cardiac arrest in this fairy room the reason that person is still alive today is only because our members were at the station for training had that event
occurred any other night of the week the station would have been empty and the outcome would have been severely different and that is directly from the ER doctor even after this incident it was 2 to 3 years before the fire department saw any increase in staff continuing to Kick the Can down the road
so as I stated before the town needs an override and if it takes until next year to develop a comprehensive one then so we so be it but it needs to address the whole town thank you thank you Christos any other public comments from the public all right seeing none we'll move
on to announcements don't have any Renee captured my announcements today do you have any announcements you'd like to make I do not okay Communications from other boards not seeing any scheduled meetings and hearings of first we have a special event license application for the Turkey Hill Lions Club for the use
of Memorial Drive in TC pasos yard located at 10:25 massav on May 21st 2025 from 4 P p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a car show and this is a public hearing uh so I will ask the clerk to read the public hearing
notice the lunenberg select board will hold a public hearing on March 18th 2025 at 7:05 p.m. in town hall 17 Main Street 2 floor lunenberg Massachusetts on the application submitted by the Turkey Hill Lions Turkey Hill Family Lions Club for a special event license for use of
Memorial Drive in TC Paso's yard located at 10:25 Massachusetts Avenue on May 21st 2025 from 400 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a car show all right thank you want to tell the community about the car show well um we had the car show several
years ago and brought it back last year it was very successful as we moved it down in front of the um TC pasos elementary school so there were more there was more room for cars more room for um you know for people to around we're
doing it in conjunction with the um let's see the uh the club the former te uh teen center and with the um PTO so we're excited to bring it back again this year and I've talked with the
fire chief I've talked with DPW and I've also spoken with the police chief and they are all uh in favor and and they didn't have any concerns as it went so well last year great thank you any questions on the board uh any changes from last year no I think
it was great it was a wonderful event so hopefully just more folks coming out that just to the town manager has everything been submitted that we need y all that stuff um you having Raffles do you know is if so just reminder that we there's another permit to be submitted for that the Raffles
will probably be done by the PTO and they're aware of that so awesome otherwise same thing looking forward to it Logan loves it wonderful Rene is is there rain date do you need a rain date I don't we don't have a rain date there won't be a rain date okay because the uh lunberg Business
Association has something okay so up as well so I just want to make sure cuz I didn't see one on here okay weather was beautiful last year it certainly was now you no it's gonna be beautiful hopefully not Michael R you have any questions all right I don't
have any questions either it sounds like from the town manager everything is looking good so is there a motion to approve the special event license application as requested so moved uh I think we need to move to close the public hearing oh sure that's true is there a motion to close the public
hearing also so moved second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppos no the the public hearing is now closed so I would move that we approve the special event license application for the Turkey Hill liance Club for the use of Memorial Drive and TC pasos yard located at 1025
Massachusetts Avenue on May 21st 2025 from 4 to 7:00 p.m. for their car car show/ cruise night second any additional discussion those in favor say I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously
and one more thing we have the toll booth application for the Turkey Hill Lions Club for April 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Town Center as well right yes this is you do this every year yes it's only 8 to 12 we used to do 8 to2
but now it's just 8 to 12 okay and everything looks good for this one too any questions from the board I'll just ask again rain or shine there is a rain date but I have it written down over there is it on the applic I don't date of event April 26 I
think it's the following Saturday it's a Saturday I don't see it on here following Saturday would be town meeting would really do well that day um yeah if there is one I I can check and get back to you so
okay all right any other questions all right do we still want to approve it even if there isn't a rain date on it is that okay I in my opinion I um can we approve it and then allow them to submit a rain date U with two weeks can amend it sure yeah yeah we
have plenty of time so yeah all right great wonderful thank you yeah is there a motion uh I move to approve the toll booth application for the Turkey Hill Lions Club for April 26 2025 from 8: to 12:00 p.m. and allow them to submit a rain date U within 2 weeks of said date
second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oos no the motion passes unanimously wonderful thank you very much thank you Lisa have a good night seeing you thank you all right up next we have a presentation by John Bowen on a cemetery Corporation for the town of lunenberg and a citizen's
petition town meeting warrant article that he has submitted got enough signatures for and will be in the warrant which one are we going to start with uh let's start with the warrant article yeah I talked to C are already about why don't we uh do the warrant
article first and then that way there because the um the other one will Encompass the warrant article and the reasoning behind it right all right I'd like to start my name is John Bowen 162 Highland Street I like to start you know
like I do every s up and just showing an example so this is my study of your Cemetery commission Over The Last 5 Years there's emails here there's pictures conversations Communications uh things from the DPW
and so on and so forth uh with regard to costs monies minutes okay so I just want everybody to understand that you know this isn't something that was just put together willy-nilly this is something that I've discussed over the last 2 and a half years or so and I have been
interested to present however your Cemetery commission has refused to hear it so I'm here today uh to present a warrant article uh in addition to that uh uh uh petition for uh Cemetery
Corporation um as you know a reason why we need to issue a warrant article and we need to uh move into a uh Cemetery uh Corporation here a mutual benefit Cemetery here in town uh and it's mostly
um Financial but just so that you're aware that this has been well studied these are my notes and other things so that being said uh if you can put the first slide up do you have it yeah cuz I'm a little slow here this thing's going to take me a minute so I'll just
look this way um uh just as a highlight so this is a cemetery warrant article that I wish to present as a citizen town of lunenberg the reason behind me wanting to do this is um I have a father-in-law in my wife's family who you know are very
conservation specific about uh things there also believe in fiscal discipline um in history as well as our family believes in the fiscal discipline as well and because we AB but the cemeteries um is not the sole reason why
uh we wish this to pull through it's because for the last four years our Cemetery commission has done absolutely nothing the purpose of this sworn article is to give the inhabitants of lunenberg a direct oversight including providing a clear understanding of powers and duties of persons within
authority over our cemeteries including fiscal discipline Cemetery management present and future development and maintenance of our cemeteries but specifically for the stated purpose of creating transparency protecting from waste Fraud and Abuse patronage and inurance within a division of our
government which is not financially stable on its own next slide please So It Begins like anything else with a plan every plan begins with a goal what are the goals of our cemeteries well that question is pretty easy for us to answer today there isn't one
presented this is a plan it's a sad day when an entire town department has in any key performance indicators of their own to show its benefits its direction or its efficiency and in that a plant is only as good as the foundation it sits on and right now it's sitting on Sand
and when the rain comes I'm sure it will wash it away next slide please so Mass general laws chapter 114 section 23 the first thing about our plan is to Define what is responsibility so I highlighted a number of words here
we have a board who has Soul Care superintendence and management however that comes okay subject to the approval of the Town may make regulations consistent with law that's approval of the town that means my approval that means your approval that means town
meeting approval so let's continue the person who's in charge of the day-to-day maintenance and Care is not the cemetery commission it is the supervision of the Town manager who has delegated that to the Department of Public Works Bill Bernard through his superintendent Todd Holman who is a cemetery superintendent
in town the cemetery department is a division of the DPW which means that the cemetery commission itself is just that a division continue please so in our warrant article we're asking this we adopt the following definitions to govern the powers and
duties of the lunenberg cemetery commission's powers and duties as enshrined in chatter of the town of lunenberg and in the cemetery commission's rules and regulations so the definitions are now these were taken from Black's Law Dictionary if you don't know what Black's Law Dictionary we can ask Adam Coster but it basically is what
the uh principally accepted rule is in writing legislation and how uh these words are applied Soul as in separate not as in individual as in separated care as in duty of care a legal responsibility of an organization to
avoid any behaviors or Omission that could reasonably be foreseen to cause harm to others superintendence as in the function of watching guarding or overseeing management as in to direct the transaction of
government and town as in body Politics the inhabitants of a town as it states in statute and the rules and regulations of the cemetery commission wherein it states in part which quotes from the law and subject to the approval of the Town may make such regulations consistent
with law okay as it deems expedient next slide please in that I'm going to read the entire one no go right back there to the next page you are okay oh yep that's okay go back one yep there we go I'm going to read
this okay again okay said board shall have the so care superintendence and management of all public burial grounds in this town may lay out any existing public burial grounds in its town or any land purchased and set apart by said
town for such cemeteries in Lots or other suitable subdivisions notice all the punctuation and pay attention because law is written by punctuation okay with proper paths and avenues May plant embellish ornament and fence the same and erect therein such suitable
edifices and conveniences and make such improvements as it considers convenient and subject to the approval of the Town may make such regulations consistent with law as it deemed experience exp expedient section 35b the cemetery commission as highlighted in
the chatter say the day-to-day care maintenance of the cemetery shall be under the supervision of the Town manager next slide please that's just to clarify so that you hear what it sounds like as it's spoken so law is written as it's spoken law is not written as it is written when we read it it's not how we
listen to it we listen to how it's spoken so uh no you got to go forward there we go number two and direct the cemetery commission to act as an oversight elected body for which it has been directed by Statute I just gave you
the definitions enshrined in master Journal laws 114 section 23 and as pursuant to the Charter of the town of lunenberg okay which has enshrined the supreme power and duties as supervisor of the cemetery's day-to-day care and maintenance authority to the town manager section 35b Cemetery commission
titled please next slide next slide also number three to direct the town manager pursuant to her child Authority overall Town property article 4 section 4-1 and excuse me I'm going to have to make a correction there I
believe that's 4-2 I had a fat finger I think uh section I and her granted Authority which she has pursuant to Article 5 section 51a to conjoin or merge the power and duties governing the supervisory authority of the cemetery
property these are multiple Parcels of land owned by the town of lunenberg by changing the wording of the power and duties granted to the town manager and to the Department of Public Works which the chter highlights the Department of Public Works as being supervisory over all Town lands The Words which will clearly reference with the word property
or land okay as written by adding the words including all Cemetery Land which is under the authority of the Town manager and the Department of Public Works as I said who share a supervisory duty of lands or property in the town of lenberg accepting the school department
and the Conservation Commission I just omitted the second part there for Conservation Commission next slide please section 42 of the powers and duties the town manager shall be the Chief Financial Officer of all Town agencies the town manager shall be the chief administrative officer of this
town directly responsible to the select board for the administration of all Town affairs for which the office of town manager is given responsibility by or under this Charter the powers and duties of the town man shall include but are not intended to be limited to the following and you have a very big list
please go to the next slide we're not going to read the whole list I to have full jurisdiction over the rental and use of all this is key use of all property this cemeteries are plots that's being used that is a use okay
people buy plots to put bodies okay that's a use accept property under the control of school committee article 4 section 42a next slide please section five organization of town agency this comes to the merging okay the Town manager and
the town meeting shall from time to time provide for the grouping of town agencies into convenient units for the delivery of Municipal Services the organization of the Town into operating agencies for the provision of services and the administration of the government may be accomplished through either of the methods provided in this aticle
please continue this is a section we can do we could make a bylaw okay I'm not going to read this whole thing okay but as long as it fits within law provisions of the child a town meeting May create a bylaw to consolidate create or merge
divide or abolish any Town agency so we could do a bylaw but we don't have to do a bylaw why because the town manager has this power already so instead of creating an entirely new bylaw the authority vested in the town manager act already exists we're just asking her to
act with this so that she will act and this vote will direct her to act exercising her power and Duty without having to create a separate bylaw which basically creates red tape in government next slide please section 42 powers and duties these are the powers and duties
of the Town manager to reorganize consolidate or abolish in the manner provided in Article 5 Town agencies serving under the supervision of the Town manager in whole or in pot provide for New Town agency and provide for a reassignment of powers here we are
duties and responsibilities among these agencies so established we gives her permission to be able to do so the town manager has authority to make this change on her own to make this clarification we're basically just asking her to do it with this vote next slide
please all changes this is a secondary issue which comes directly to the rules and regulations of the cemetery commission this particular section all changes to the rules and regul ations of the cemeteries shall be made under the following schedule and process and only upon approval by the majority of vote of
the inhabitants of the town of lunenberg at annual town meeting or special town meeting according to the following schedule and process a the cemetery commission listen clearly the cemetery commission shall be permitted to make rules and regulations changes not
requiring the expensive money only by submission of a warrant article at the annual town meeting or the special town meeting meeting for a vote of the inhabitants of the town of lunenberg subject to the approval of the article by the town manager 2/3 majority of this board and the finance committee next
slide please and B this has to do with the money so this is why this is separate listen to when this gets handled this can only be handled at annual town meeting because it becomes a budgetary issue so B the cemetery commission shall be permitted to make a
rules and regulation change requiring the expense of any money including expenses derived from the following funds but not limited to the sale of lots fund Perpetual care fund a Family Trust Fund a gift or donation or any and
all monies allocated or procured including the granting of any refunds only by a submission of a warrant article which shall be presented with a comprehensive collaborative written plan for its specified use which we don't
have today which includes a presentation of the director of the Department of Public Works who is the overseer of the Department of the cemetery okay uh and uh the cemetery superintendent who is the one who manages and maintains the cemetery and the town manager and then
presented at the Town annual meeting at the Town annual meeting because it's budgetary for a vote of the inhabitants of the town of lunenberg subject to the approval of the Warren article obviously same thing Town manager 2/3 your board 2/3 finance committee I think that's reasonable when somebody's going to
spend money that they have in a fund which I can explain you those numbers a little later what they are next slide please so the making of rules and regulations without the oversight particularly ones that are financially unsustainable more so the ones that leave the door open for abuse open the
town to liability so giving a commission discretion like they did recently in rules and regulations change of headstone and bench sizes can lead to enurement to a company that may be providing it it's more money patronage to a specific individual because they
have discretion they can choose for you yes or choose for somebody else no okay uh okay due to this board discretion so this has recently happened where the commission changed rules and regulations specifically to accommodate a family member of a former board member and they
did do that they changed one rule to allow a 4-foot bench to go into one location before they finalized 6 months later all the rules and regulations would had to be amended because the lawyer wanted it amended okay 6 months later okay they even used money from the
sale of lots fund for this individual to pay for a foundation installation to hold the bench an engraving on that oversized bench and even asked asked if they could pay money for flowers and Karen had to tell them no you can't use Cemetery money to buy these family
flowers for their grave so the commission used that money okay for this particular family okay in addition they the rules and regulation change only to effectuate that patronage the granting of the commission to make decisions
regarding care maintenance and to direct operations of the cemetery where the commission itself lacks experience skills to affe these specific duties is why they are a department under the DPW they are advisory to the DPW who is
skilled in the cemetery superintendent who is skilled next slide please for example a liability this is what happens so there's a liability that can happen to this town is always by a promise of 3 to 4 Ines but no less than
two grass which the finances of Manpower available are not able to sustain such rules on a regular basis and regulations that's a financial issue for the DPW okay that's also a huge financial cost I'll explain that later a liability is giving discretion over headstone or bch
sides which I explained earlier which interferes also with day-to-day maintenance and operation why cuz now you have a bench in the way you can't get in there you have to hire another person to come in and cut around this cut around you just can't run a mow or through it okay it's causing it causes an issue that's a financial issue and a
DPW concern not only does it interfere with day-to-day maintenance it interferes with uniformity Aesthetics as well it is unfair for residents who have been turned away in the past and it is suspectable abuse and selective patronage and interment to some residents over uh treating everyone
equally so there's a warrant article that's presented for $50,000 for the second part of the cemetery I just want to make clear to people there's a reason for that I have an email from your Cemetery commissioner Nancy yasco that says that I will let you move your father's grave from one place to the
other after I get that built after it's in an email I have it I'm not going to name the family but they were promised that when that's built they'll let them do it the push to build that and spend $50,000 is showing another patronage
next slide please the cemetery commission shall be permitted to use money held by the town of lunberg this is great this is what a cemetery commission should be allowed to okay all right uh see the list as included as I mentioned in reference 4B above I'm not going to read it again
only Upon A submission of a comprehensive written plan and presentation from the commission from the Department of Public Works from the secetary superintendent from the town manager and presented to the select board and finance committee meet the guidelines for those approval as I had just mentioned of this meical and be
presented at annual town meeting for finalization I think that's an efficient process next slide please okay the following actions of the committee okay of the commission which must require approval for monies include but are not limited to this is taken from the
statute okay for the Perpetual care and maintenance of the cemeteries and for the layout of any existing public burial grounds in the town or to purchase any land for E for such cemeteries either in Lots or other suitable subdivisions with proper passing Avenues to plant
embellish ornament def fence and erection therein such available edifice and conveniences and make such improvements as it deems convenient so these are the things that need proposals from people who know what they are where
they go where they're placed next slide please mass uh Mass General chapter 115 section 25 the board of cemetery commission is gifts and its quest for Cemetery investment funds in dispositions of proceeds of sales this is telling you what you're supposed to do the town treasur shall invest all
such funds in accordance with the stipulation if any accompany them it's the town Treasure's job not the cemetery commissioner's job however this town likes to adopt the second part of that which I'll get into in a minute after I really read the other highlighted part okay the proceeds of sales of lots or
rights of burial and such cemeter shall be paid into the treasury be appropriated to reimburse the town for the cost of the land its Care Improvement embellishment or the enement of the cemetery not for patronage not for enurement not for any other benefit
next slide please the secondary section of that is clear okay it says that otherwise the town okay can allow the cemetery to do that but your cemetery is not skilled to do that and to manage money but your town Treasurer is this
town treasurer is responsible for the investment of these monies which when instructed to do so will invest according to this section of the warrant article who better to know of these finances in the course distribute of the distribution an independent commission with no oversight or knowledge of the
cost without first Consulting the expertise of the DPW abiding in this law as the town has been allowing as written wherein it states here it is the second part I said I would read otherwise he shall invest them as ordered by said
Commissioners and pay the income there from upon their order or with their approval okay this is what you've been doing I can show you over $10,000 worth of waste because of that failure okay that's a failure there's no check and
balance over the last three years this commission having the stewardship has squandered at a minimum $1,431 30 I will tell you in 2023 they spent $55 $100 to do a grass cutting study cuz they didn't think that the
grass was being cut are you serious really folks let's be real here $5500 out of$ 10,000 a year that we all lot for the at toown meeting and they spend it on a grass study they spent another $2,000 on a failed wall proposition that's
$7,500 that's only two and those are in addition to the ones that I haven't shown you yet okay so up out of $330,000 they have been given by our voted town meeting of 10 $1,000 annually which has been obviously it gets grouped into what do they call that bill I forget the name
of it that where you group them all into one bill and you vote on the Omnibus belt there you go thank you very sorry can't remember all these names okay so so annually which has been grouped into the Omnibus Bill okay and this provision will stop this from happening next
slide there it is so if you highlight it I can't show you but they also bought a license recently to be be able to have access to DD214 Social Security numbers okay which are federally protected records which I've already informed the town manager and the town attorney about as well as uh other authorities
including military records okay that only certain persons are allowed to have that information these records are contained in that they have two licenses the license cost $22,000 the DPW has a license do you think that if you want to see what's in something you could say hey DPW I want to see this program can I
sit with the cemetery superintendent and go through some things I want to look at yes well I would say $2,000 have they done that no they went and they voted for $2,000 to get a license for themselves and the kicker is this they don't have an office they're not using a server that belongs to the town they're
not protected okay who what if somebody hacks her Infinity at home or on her phone is it a government phone no it has no protection and that information gets out cause of death there are people that have committed suicide there are some families that'll say oh my husband had a heart attack but you know they're the
only ones that know that they committed suicide but they don't want you to know that and these elected officials now have access to that information if this town manager has signed it but everybody's blocking me here to get that information but I'll get it on a Freedom of Information it'll be fine um and I'll
find out but there's a whole list of things here there were flower plantings we paid somebody to plant flowers when they didn't do it we paid uh landscaping company here Lake View Landscaping I have a I have a record that says Lake View Landscaping gets all the work in the cemetery that's an urit okay and I
don't have a problem with Lake View I I don't have a problem with them at all but you know you got Gatsby grounds you got you know buac Brothers you got all these other places locally in town that have a right to that information to right to access but I have minutes which I've read that say all work will be done
by Lake few Landscaping so and that's the list there I'm not going to go and read through it uh you can skip to the next slide please so we're asking for a yes vote on this warrant article which will basically clarify the process that best benefits our Cemetery operations
for the benefit of all lunenberg residents and their family a yes vote is a vote for the cemetery's efficiency its fiscal responsibility and its responsibility obviously to the inhabitants of the town of lunenberg our cemeteries have been in a power struggle
these last few years coupled with waste and spending patronage inurement and nothing getting done efficiently this warrant article require a collaboration of all parties in creating more financial accountability to us the
voters and that's why I'm asking that you vote Yes my next presentation will show all the reasonings behind that which is the solution to the reason why we can't afford $180,000 okay uh in staff labor plus an
additional $20,000 for part-time labor for our cemeteries in the current budget crisis and climate that we're in so that's my warrant article presentation my other presentation do you guys want to have questions or how do you want to handle that Mr
chairman are there any questions from the board on the warrant [Music] article just to be clear you have another presentation but it's not exactly related to the warrant article well it is related because what it does is is that it it it it's it's it's not
specifically related no so you can close the warrant article the the other one is a followup to the warrant article that shows the money okay and shows the reason to be able to fix our cemetery and that's why I placed two things on the agenda tonight because this is the solution to
the problem that this warrant article has I think the people need to hear are 28 20 yeah 20 fly through this I am this one's quick that one required me to talk to you sorry that one required me to talk to you this one will go pretty
quick is it dra it's this one's out in the main folder okay all right she's pulling it up we can do it but it's got to be quick we get the other is the other one in our folder one one is under the town meeting sub file and then this one's out in Main and
what's this is called the cemetery Corporation yes okay now this is the solution so uh again I'll introduce myself again my name is it you want me to do it again no okay so so the thing is is that um so I don't
have to look behind me if you just bear with me a second so okay so what we have here is uh I have the cemetery commission proposal um okay so this is uh we have it up thank
you very much uh you got to go back one slide it's it's up it's just that that TV has a little delay oh oh cuz see I was looking at that one that went slow okay so yeah whatever okay well it's you know hey government is slow TV's approving
it so all right this is a mutual benefit Cemetery Corporation for the town of lunenberg this is the best approach economic solution respecting those who have come before so I'll blast through this for you okay this is pretty much just explanation without you know too much enhancement uh what is a mutual
benefit Cemetery it's an organization charted solely for the purpose of disposal of human bodies by Burial cremation more generally the plot owners in the cemetery are considered the members of the organization plot owners you're not paying a separate membership fee buy a plot you're a member a member
has what votes okay that gives power to the people what laws govern a mutual benefit Cemetery in Massachusetts Mass general laws part one title 16 chapter 114 inclusions inclusive of sections 1- 51 which is the same that basically governs
the cemetery commission a governing body is the independent Management Authority of a cemetery is applied to a national Veteran Cemetery State Veteran Cemetery Municipal Cemetery Rel religious or private nonprofit these are just definitions organization of the corporations are also subject to
Chapters 155 sections 1 and 13 section 34 chapter 158 I'm not going to go through all of this uh in detail if you want you can read the PowerPoint over yourself it kind of gives a good explanation okay section 1B Cemetery corporations these are the liability of directors officers and trustees which
you don't have with just a commission but just remember having a corporation does not abolish your commission isn't that the good thing the good thing is is that the citizens still have a sex who are not members of the benefit Society of the cemeteries which are only open to lunenberg Residents so there is an asset
of check and balances skill related to need we need I'm skilled I understand and that's how this works okay powers and duties of Cemetary corporations obviously this is all in chapter 114 okay so if we go to the next
slide section five Cemetery corporations trust funds how money's handled Section 5 C fiduciary duty owned uh to contributors to the trust fund subject to section five the corporation's duty is to the trust fund contributors which is obviously the people in the members
with strict guidelines for fund expenditures strict guidelines that's the key they're regulated you are strictly governed why are you strictly governed because you're enti there trust fund contributors are entitled to All rights and practices under the uniform
Securities act that's why this brings money into control okay with with with with serious controls this isn't just oh the board said this is serious controls okay which means more fiscal discipline what is the legal structure of
Massachusetts Mutual benefit Cemetery Corporation they're incorporation Incorporated under chapter 156 a or D that has elected to be a benefit Corporation under Section 405 okay there a general public benefit which means a material positive impact on society it
creates and the environment taken as a whole is measured by a third party standard from the business operation benefit Corporation do you see how that works see that works in see there's all these checks okay a specific public benefit what is a specific public benefit well accordingly this isn't
promoting arts or anything it's increasing facilitating the flow of capital assets to entities with a general public purpose which is section six it's conferring any other particular benefit on society or the environment section 7 so it does
qualify section nine says in addition to its purpose under as a business Corporation a benefit Corporation shall have the purpose of creating a general public benefit the articles of organization May identify one or more specific benefits that is the purpose the identification of a public benefit
shall not limit the obligation of the benefit Corporation the creation of a general public benefit and specific benefit under sections A and B shall be in the best interest of the benefit Corporation now just so you know this is operated like a nonprofit nobody makes
money here but the town a mutual Cemetery Corporation classified by the Internal Revenue Services 501 C13 this differs from a for-profit cemetery company in that they are for the private use of their members though membership can be either narrow or broad lunenberg cemeteries are already reserved for only
lenberg residents it's most common for this type of organization structure to represent historic cemeteries but not only for these cemeteries we have historic cemeteries in north and south and they're available to receive resources right now only South cemetery is on the national register but even the
North Cemetery qualifies for that and this should be a priority for our historical commission well why has it not happened so a mutual benefit Cemetery of this structure provides more oversight to get things done in a timely fashion okay so that being said next slide
please in order to qualify for tax exempt status you have to file certain papers but the other curious aspect is that donations can be tax deductible you want to give we had a donor wanted to give $175,000 that could have been tax deductible then we have monies that what
they can be used for to pay ordinary expenses buy Cemetery property create a fund that disallowed from running Mortuary or funeral services right but they are allowed to sell item such as incidentals like vaults erns flowers there's a means to make money here okay
to pay for the upkeeping Perpetual care okay all right it is a private benefit no private benefit okay or profit will go to anyone individual it's it's prohibited okay you can celebrate the natural landscape you can protect local habit habitat promote green burial
advancements there's all sorts of things to do you can serve as a living healing Sanctuary I mean you got the Newton Cemetery there's a whole host of different auum cemeteries that get developed through this process what are the pros and cons let's see Cemetery commission propos regulated by Statute
elected citizen representation Cemetery cons cannot hold donations get loans raise money build interest cannot act to make changes without increasing tax money susceptible to patronage or providing inurance to businesses or individuals no over site to prevent fraud waste and abuse limited to monthly
meetings minimal members for voting unqualified elected members let's see what a mutual benefit Society can do they can hold donations raise money fund raise build interest loans they can act to make changes without increasing tax money did not susceptible to patronage because of their strict oversight their
oversight can prevent fraud waste and abuse which is highly regulated because they're a 501 c113 not a 501c3 but their donations are treated like 501c3 fulltime professional staff five qualified board makers strictly regulated membership driven people who
own plots they're the members but the citizens have a say right that's why you have the commission still voting rights for members members direct the cost and look and feel the cemeteries donations tactically got what are the conss if there's any questions I haven't found any yet so here's some of the things that we
can do in financing expend a cemetery Corporation okay to the next slide please thank you it might be hard to read okay you can take donations you can create with they call the friends of the cemetery group where you can take donations from anyone and everyone General bequests can just be General
funds we're talking 25,000 or 125,000 Friends of the cemetery could be from California they could be from England it doesn't matter they could we can get money from anywhere General bequest 1,000 to 50,000 that's people that say oh my father left this that's a general bequest my father left this and wanted
to give it okay or my mother or my friend okay sale of lots cost of lots ,600 to 3600 right now our lots are too low to be able to sustain its current state fundraising toll bbls historic toyss all sorts of stuff one $1 to a million there are some places that that
get lots of money operating expenses $10,000 to $500,000 those are grants Perpetual care 1,000 to 750,000 plus these are grants okay for cemeteries to fix the veterans portions of it to fix the historical portions of it to fix the conservation area and which is we have
some stuff you know with 100 ft which is under conservation there's all sorts of money for that we can also do the sale of goods with the cemetery benefit Corporation you can sell flowers you can sell vaults you can sell earns okay all the incidentals that come with that instead of handing it to somebody else
and use that money to actually increase the benefit to your Cemetery okay this is what we have for money okay the proceeds of sale Lots rights of burial in the cemeteries be paid into the treasury I already had read this to you money declared by written instrument to be intented for petal care maintenance
Improv improvements embellishment to an amount not less than $200 may be deposited with the state treasurer here is what a cemetery commission can do no operating expenses no Perpetual care no flowers vaults earns state fund interest only which is $1600 In Perpetual care
cost of lots $400 to $1,600 which is not sustainable they can't take a general trust funds donation and they're restricted or limited when they do take a donation they have to use that donation in the first fiscal year or it ends up in the town's overall uh budget in free cash and it basically goes to
the town's bottom line so there are Cemetery corporations around the country Hillcrest Cemetery Association in Athens Georgia I won't go through these uh makon Cemetery okay uh Lancaster Cemetery go up to 19 please okay
um okay and you know these are these are yep two more and then you know and then you can you know and and this is this is where you know these places exist and they do well across the country as well as in Massachusetts now you have the North Cemetery right here in lunenberg
okay there it is okay see how the grass is all dark because it needs care it's damaged okay it's damaged badly okay go to the next slide do you see the next slide is the South Cemetery okay yeah this was taken in the fall but you notice how the grass okay I mean look at
it it's matted okay it's damaged it needs Care Now go to the next slide wouldn't it be better to look like this let's just look at it what are the wants and needs right now your Cemetery if you look over on the far right next slide please all the way down to the bottom you'll see
$532,500 you all read exactly what that is okay that's what your cemeteries have right now okay those are the needs the wants are land leveling irrigation replace grass new curbing entrances but you're working on a little wall project a little electrical flag project a wall
repair grub control crack filling you're doing paint over tape I have two slides you're doing paint over tape okay next slide please here's your money this is the kicker your account balance right now in your Perpetual in your sale aots fund is
9439 466 your balance from fisal year is 10,661 your unexpended funds are 4,650 which is being allocated because that has to uh go to fix a uh the skirt in the South Cemetery so your actual
balance is $6,000 $11 is what you have the balance available for fiscal year 25 is $ 26895 Perpetual care gets about 1.8% interest right now they have $219,000 In Perpetual care they can't spend that money they can only spend the
entrance that's the money that goes into the state treasury okay but their interest balance right now that they have available is 2,789 6,000 20,000 you put all that together you deduct everything out of that you need from from there 96,000
what we have available what does that leave you with that leaves you with if you look down the bottom 2,439 27 okay that's out of $100,000 that's one year and you haven't even paid your employees your DPW guys you know your part-time help okay yeah get
the $20,000 that you all lot to the DPW every year and the warrant article okay so you don't even have that okay so the total available for fiscal year 2025 is $46,000 that they're holding right now they have $120,000 but they want to ask us
taxpayers for $50,000 in the capital plan because they made a promise to somebody about a lot in the North Cemetery naughty naughty and that's why this will work that's why this will work and if you review this you take a look at it and you take a good detail okay do
we lose our commission no in your eyes and ear do the eyes and ears of the community go to the next slide okay they inform of the actions of the cemetery Cor operation they bring forth Community ideas from their constituents who are not part of the membership and every person can become a member by buying a
you know becoming a friend of the cemetery I want to you know give a $100 every year maybe but but your voice still gets heard because you have a cemetery commission that has to report to the cemetery Corporation do we have to consolidate the commission with another board maybe but not necessary
but consider conservation pox are historical because why the state does that who can play a role to success by driving a dig additional individual grants and funds into the cemetery now how can the cemetery commission help to jump start the process this is the good part this is where I got told oh we're
not doing it I've been told this multiple times at our Cemetery meetings first would be to publicly support the exploration of a cemetery Corporation and then provide an analysis of the needs from a qualified organization which I'll discuss below and to pay about now hold on
$4,200 but wait a minute it's so small right now just to get it started okay from the sale ofarts account for an exploratory purpose is hiring two qualified organizations okay as well as providing resources to and for our cemeteries next slide
please did we lose us um sorry Massachusetts Cemetery Association what support organizations are there to help the commission and the cemetery Corporation for for this new change the Massachusetts Cemetery Association run by Tom Daly and Guy glotus your former who
Sheriff of wer County retired since Lou took over so they can be brought in for roughly about $600 and I've already talked to Tom Daly and evaluate all things cemeteries from looking at accounts future needs to management and Landscaping and repair and provide a
cost analysis they can look at all the books okay second would be the foundation group this is what they do they specifically develop and organize and evaluate organizations that are interested to set up a cemetery Corporation okay and what needs and costs there are to form such
organizations before getting started okay you're talking about $2,200 roughly plus the six that's why I said don't get don't get nervous about the 42 oh my God 4,200 okay it's only it's less than 3,000 okay 2500 would be the max to start then you have the New England
Cemetery Association which is responsible for collecting and disseminating of information pertaining to the operation main Improvement of cemeteries does your Cemetery commission belong to these groups no do they know about these groups groups no do they talk about these groups no they want to
talk about robot Motors to mow grass what other boards and commissions should get involved conservation PX historical all can play a role in driving additional funding and grants lastly but not leastly and I know you guys are like dying for me to end but how much does it
cost to get started probably about 2,800 as a jumping point to bring in the pros your Cemetery commission or even the DPW director Town manager has the means to authorize this spending but you know what they've done they've ignored me every time oh we're not doing that oh we don't do this that's your Cemetery
commissioner fcking at me okay all the time watch the last meeting she cut me off at the end when I started talk about a cemetery Corporation because every time I talk about it go back listen to all the meetings don't want to hear it they cut me off every single time I want to mention it so I appreciate you listening how can the residents in town
participate this is the best part spread the word that is the best method which is the best method to meet all our neighbors okay get involved organize together talk about it you know what I mean uh you know go to the cemeteries look at them okay take them in the New Direction have a vision you know what I
mean be a Visionary okay respect those people who have come before you okay and you can build it Greater for years to come this is your choice this is your Cemetery we own the cemetery the people but see I say it's yours because you have the money okay but it's ours okay
and if we're not looking at it telling you what to do you don't do it so participate I ask the community in Cemetery opportunities somebody create a Facebook page somebody volunteer to help this move forward besides me this is all necessary for the success of our
cemeteries our cemeteries are not financially sustainable they have millions I have the number $1.2 Million worth of work I couldn't identify all that here 1.2 million I shows you $532,000 of Band-Aids and you don't have
that but I thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my warrant article also listening to my presentation for the cemetery Corporation but I really do believe and I have a passionate attitude towards this that I think that when you respect the Deb and there is one caveat that I'm
going to raise that I wanted to Le for last and this is for you Mr Jeff as a former military member and this is for you as a present military member you are bound by Massachusetts general laws
bound it says shall have one veteran in every Cemetery in this town by law taking care of every veteran grave you ever see where my father's buried up in Westminster or where is it I can't
remember the those towns way out there the state veterans cemeter yes my father's buried there you ever see how pristine those Graves look good that's what this should look like with a veteran taken care of it by Statute that's why they did it and are we doing
that no where and when did money come above respect thank you very much for your time I really appreciate you all listening thank you Mr Bowen I will open it up to questions or comments from the board I have one question sure is it you
show you Illustrated or gave slides about where it's being done in the country is this being done anywhere in the Commonwealth yes so you have you have the Newton Cemetery um uh you have uh the cemetery and cambrid and it escapes me right now and I used to hang
out there uh it is um something the Auburn Mount Auburn Cemetery oh yeah yes okay if you look at these places right they look like Public Garden in Boston do you know what I mean uh like the Newton cemeter you know I I put a call in because I've been in communication with them for a while you know I put a
call in to see if I could get a hold of the president because he had a board meeting the other day but he got tied up but the thing is is that if you see they they win awards for like nice trees and nice plants and nice flowers and when they win those Awards it's kind of like getting the Nobel Prize they get not just an award they get a check do you
know what I'm saying I mean there's incentives you know what I mean to be able to have a place of peace and comfort and reflection that a cemetery is supposed to look like our cemeteries look like even though Todd homman Cuts all the grass as often as he can there's only so many hours in a month do you
know what I mean and and you know staff is all contracted out those people don't have a hot for a cemetery they're just coming in to get a check so my my question my second question after hearing the answer to my first question is why wouldn't you put
Massachusetts Cemetery corporations in your slides why would you choose to choose things and that's a good question because the ones that are nationally don't look as good as the ones that are here but they look way better than ours and that's why I did that and I'm
glad that you asked that I was hoping somebody was going to ask me that and that was done intentionally Massachusetts has a pride over their you know their value of things these folks around the country they have just as
much pride but they don't do it like people in Massachusetts do it does that make sense and that's why I wanted to show those I wanted you to see that look these cemeteries aren't doing it with a lot of money but they're looking and growing a lot better than what we're
doing with no money the reason I asked the question and just to in in response to what you just said you were glad somebody asked it what it looked like is that there are none which is why you chose things in other states would make which does not support your argument so
I would say you'd want to include the ones in Massachusetts to show that people in our own state are doing it you can include the other ones as well sure but it looks like you didn't put one because they don't exist I'm not a pro all but thank you just providing
feedback do you know what I'm saying like I'm not a pro but yes so Mass so if you go on to the massachus cemetery Association you can find out uh you know you can find out all the different associations that are you can go to any and look it up too you can look up uh Cemetery associations in
Massachusetts based on I think there's uh 425 cemeteries in Massachusetts I think that's how many there are and I think 22% of them are Cemetery corporations and remember corporation's not making money people think Corporation they're not making money
they're paying for Perpetual care that's all the money is you're paying a board of directors to basically manage okay with the skill the knowledge and the financial ability and be able to you know apply and you know and get you know grant money or to you know establish a
cost take out loans to write for loans based on what money they have we have $100,000 you want to spend $50,000 on a capital plan when they have $100,000 they they want to keep it cuz they said they want to keep the interest that's $1800 for letting that sit for a year they didn't even put the warrant
article into the Omnibus budget for $10,000 and our tax money is going to the DPW for 20,000 and the cemeter says we're not going to pay for anything the people are already given 20 grand this is why we need a different approach because we don't have the financial sustainability to get them where they
need to be and they're just going to get worse do you ever see them flood I watch them flood I live across the street they flood they flood because of the way the land is that dips the graves that's a problem and it also breeds grups so I
will say Mr chair that I'm certainly interested in pursuing this it sound it certainly sounds Rises to a level of further investigation absolutely this C corporation
yeah I'm not the expert I'm not going to be here but I'm going to say that out loud here that I think it it it certainly makes sense to investigate it further I mean I'm not the expert Tom Daly is and the guys at the Massachusetts Cemetery Association those
are the people for $600 will come here walk through every Cemetery to Todd Tom told me when I talked to him last year he goes like this he says he says yeah I just got back from England looking at a cemetery in England because they wanted my expertise this is the guy you're
getting just so you know okay and you know and and you have other people on the boards there you know over there at uh the cemetery Association guy glotus handles all the legislative stuff for the organization to get things for cemeteries you know and he puts bills in
and does all that stuff for them so Tom is a very very well you know and and Bill Bernard knows who Tom is and so does in Todd Homan they know who he is okay they can make a call and say I have a $600 check for you come in and evaluate us okay and the town manager
doesn't need any permission from a cemetery commission I just showed that to you all the town manager needs to do is we're paying $600 for that and can tell the cemetery commission you have to take it out of the sale of lots fund or she says Bill take it out of the 20,000 that we gave you do you see it's I mean
obviously you wouldn't want to overstep your you know and you know I I get it you know you want to be like you know Bill do what I tell you to do do you know what I mean but but you know like I said it's you know it's definitely something that we should we should focus on let's make you know I'm going to say
it make us cemeteries great again yeah you're right you shouldn't have said it just kidding just kidding I thought I was trying to get a chuckle out of y'all y'all look like you're sleeping so so so that's you know that's where we're at and I appreciate that Mr Alonzo and I
told you that I was going to put it together when it was the right time the right moment and the right need and right now is the right time the right moment the right need for me to have brought this a year ago I don't think it would have been paid attention to as much as it is today where we're talking about overrides and cutting things and
people suffering do you know what I mean and I think this is the right time and I I think it just worked out Amando any questions oh no sorry no I'm just looking at Michael Ray uh I have a
comment no questions I just want to acknowledge the amount of work that went into this presentation thank you um you know um basically I think between the two it's about 50 slides you had a lot of background pictures a lot of uh information and I know that this took a
lot of time uh so I just want to acknowledge that I appreciate that Mr Jeff thank you I'll Echo that too and I'll just say I have to say the warrant article is several pages so there's a lot there I want to go through it all because I want to understand what you're actually proposing that is still in
progress I mean we're talking like planning board article level of length um and I don't know the cemetery commission I'm going to go through it all and that's why I sent it to you all early and I know you can't discuss it until you first have it presented but now it's been presented so now you can
eat it and talk do you know what I mean over coffee and I mean like I said is that you know I try to give it to everybody early Bill Bernard has it Todd hullman has it you know I didn't bother sending the cemetery commission they just told me no they're not interested so I didn't even B so if you guys want to share that over there you know and
hear how I've already told you what they told me so you know that's why I thought that it was a you know a viable option here you know and you know it's like it's it's not an easy decision and it's an evolutionary change that won't happen overnight but that board needs to be
reigned in and somebody needs to give that board oversight before this is in place it needs that oversight and the oversight can be had right here at town meeting just by a direction of the Town manager instant oversight instant don't need a bylaw
don't need a chatter change don't don't need nothing if I may sure um I hear you um you know I I think that in a my opinion is that in a democracy you know we put a lot of power into elected
officials um and I think that in our community you know it's all boards like we have multi-member boards I think the town clerk is one of the few maybe is the only uh elected official um that we have that doesn't isn't answerable so to
speak to a to a group um but I think a lot of power and and self-government is the people and so I'm a little uh averse to the concept I agree of an elected official um having to uh report to uh an
employee who is hired by another elected official y um you know but it wouldn't be reporting to an employee so Financial accountability is under the purview of the executive by law by Statute not an elected board so unless the elected
board such as yourself has executive Direction over finances this board can tell what happens with the money in the meantime this board has already given the town manager the executive Direction in chat to be able to have Direction
Over the money without even coming to you and if she does come to you right it's as a courtesy which you would expect that your town manager would come to the people that hired her who are really in charge of the money when she's not here and said hey this is what we
have to do we're going to do it I'd like your support and put it publicly but she doesn't have to she doesn't you've already given her that executive power over the finances which means that all the money has to do with the treasurer
by Statute which means that would be Ezekiel okay and the finance director and the treasure which would be myen okay so that without that okay if myen goes not spending it there not spending it there she can't even do nothing because she's protected by Statute
protected by Statute she can say that is not the fiscally responsible thing to do I'm not doing it and she has to go okay and she has to come see you and then you have to come see us and then Malene has to give her position and then we have a right to give our position and you have
a right to give your position and then it goes to a financial vote to you okay if it's necessary unless okay she stands her ground but it would be your duty to change change that it would be the Public's duty to change that which would be government working properly but when
it comes to finances there is always an executive over the fin we're dealing with that nationally there's always an executive over the finances for a reason because in a time of need she can merge she can adjust she can change she can
alter do you know what I'm saying we gave her that power when we when we asked you to hire her to do that and you we gave you that power when we voted for the chter that you helped right that gave her that power okay you didn't give
her 100% unfettered discretion but you did and I had read that give her power over the merging adjusting and the uh you know how duties and so forth work coupled with statute who she hires an employee by that statute and that
employee is a Treasurer who is the ultimate decider she could sit there and say I'm sending a check here now you have a fight between her and the treasurer and the executive the ex the treasur going I'm not doing it she goes you're doing it and I'm not doing it where's the arbitration can I interrupt
for a second I'm pretty good at reading these things and reading what you wrote I I have to say that the last five minutes I have no idea where you are I have no idea what you're talking about right now I'm talking about the power of the treasurer over finances okay so the treasurer has the power in the town over
all finan how did we get to that with well because Cemetery well right well Ray raised an issue about about uh the uh uh uh elected officials having some Authority and I said that yes I agree with you that they do have authority and should have some Authority but when it
comes to finances you all elected you all hired a person to manage those finances and the statute gave the treasurer the authority over those finances to answer to do okay which incorporates her duties and responsibilities which takes the rest of
us and our elected boards off the table when it comes to money outside of school committee well there's lots of checks and balances there no doubt there no doubt yeah that's why that's why I raised that is that I agree that elected people should have power but when
there's money involved okay sometimes you have to take the step necessary okay to get the work done when you don't have people doing what they're supposed to do and no it's not popular okay but I can tell you this I go to Every Cemetery commission meeting I'm usually the only
one there or I'm on Zoom do you know what I mean I don't see anybody there so who's the people I am I'm the people and then the people come and watch it on Facebook and it gets 300 I think in November I had 2500 people I
saw watched and then recently 433 on Facebook so guess what that's a lot more than it was 2 and a half years ago M do you know what I mean so people are interested people are looking the community wants to know what are you going to do how you going to do it and how to we fix it because we want it
fixed and I'm the biggest mouth sorry guys I think we covered everything for the Warren article you got the presentation on the cemetery commission I want to thank you for your passion I app all the work that you put into it and your engagement truly so thank you thank you I appreciate it all have a
good night thank you all right moving on appointments ratifications and resignations don't believe we have any on the agenda nope I manager report sure thank so thank you Mr chairman um
the first item on the report is an update the assessor's office is preparing for their cyclical inspections um cyclical inspections are mandated by the Massachusetts Department of re revenue and require the reassessment of all properties every 10 years uh to ensure accurate data and fair property
assessments there will be a total of, 1500 Parcels inspected over the next 3 years 500 properties being inspected this year which will start in the next couple of months so um I do understand that a letter was posted online regarding these inspections um that
cause some alarm with the residents I think that some folks perhaps thought that there was another full reevaluation going on but this is just the routine um cyclical inspections so um the assessor's office has redrafted the letter which I reviewed uh today and a
new one will be posted clarifying why we're doing these and that this is um not full reevaluation that this is 500 Parcels um in addition those folks that are um one of the 500 owners or um or
less than that um those folks will be getting a blue postcard mailed to their home okay so if if you um get a blue postcard um that means that um your property has been selected for the cyclical inspection there was some question about do folks need to let um
the inspectors into their home there is no requirement um to let somebody into your home but um if you do not certain assumptions may be made about um what the condition of your home is so um I regret that those that that letter went
out and caused the alarm that it did um with the community hopefully this helps to clarify where things are with that does anyone have any question I know that this was somewhat controversial I don't know if anybody I was surprised about the controversy
because the letter again it said nothing unst standard and nothing that was not in the practice of board of Assessors for decades and the heightened alert maybe because of the the tax issue in town or maybe just the people's distrust of
everything government these days but it was to me it was over the top people threatening and people taunting you know just see if they get into my my house like don't you don't have to let them in it should have been said but like you said Madam Madam Town manager you know
then they make certain assumptions that may or may not be true that they can't you but that'll go on the on the assessed values and you know again the process has been unchanged basically for decades so um folks if there is a 2018
Subaru Impreza black um that it with license plate iwa E28 that is Joshua burlo from visman Government Solutions and he is supposed to be there he is he's not casing your home or anything anything like that so
that is the primary goal of why we put that out online so folks know that there's a vehicle um but hopefully this will clarify it uh next is uh the agreement between the PEC the Public Employee committee and the town of lunenberg regarding health insurance um
is expiring at the end of June I had a meeting with chair of PEC uh last week informally to discuss the process and um they will need to convene their committee and there's going to be new members on that committee who probably aren't aware of who's the chair now Mary
foyil okay so Mary foil I think has been the long-term chair um but there's going to be a lot of new folks so um we're going to Pro proceed with uh the new agreement and that'll be before this board um eventually uh next is uh kind of
piggybacking on the public comment for those in the community that aren't aware uh The Joint Committee on Ways and Means has scheduled their FY 26 budget hearing focusing on local aid for next Monday March 24th at 11:00 a.m. that hearing is
um out in Amherst Mass but uh is also hybrid um testimony may be submitted in advance to the committee um currently I am planning on attending um that in person I do think that showing a physical presence in the room is
important um that may change but that's you know that's the goal but Folks at home you can write a letter to the house committee on Ways and Means yourself and I would encourage you to do that may I Mr chair through you to the town manager
may I ask that you provide the zoom link to this meeting to the board absolutely uh I'll be at at my job but I will try keep it on while I'm working to hear it will it be recorded do we know I don't
know the states kind of process for whether they those are publicly available after the fact um I will say that there is um in some of the organizations that I belong to especially the small town administrators Association um that that they're
generating um some advocacy out of that group uh they're collecting um our positions and they're bringing it forward so hopefully um folks are listening to to the the serious uh conditions that we that we are in this
year um Capital planning committee is set to meet this Thursday um I know we've kind of talked about capital a little bit um and what and that they need to weigh in so that is happening this Thursday um so this is the final kind of stamp of the capital
plan um yesterday the staff enjoyed same Patrick's Day lunch um at the adult Activity Center I want to thank all the staff who were able to attend but in particular I want to thank Deb Goodell and her staff who helped set up and I also want to uh publicly thank Kathy
Clark of lunenberg flowers who when she heard that this event was happening decided to donate centerpieces for all the tables and I just really think that that's a nice um gesture to show the staff that folks in the community appreciate them so that really Kathy
that that's really great um next is uh opioid settlement funds so the town as you as the board is aware has is part of the opioid class action lawsuit and we have been receiving some of the some of the funds as different defendants are
settling um we have right now just a little north of $225,000 um and so we don't have currently a expenditure plan for that those funds so I um have started a discussion with both Chiefs um they
would like to explore the prospect of hiring a clinician which was originally underway with the grant right so can we supp can we use these funds to restore that um effort and so I'm going to raise that up to the opioid settlement
Massachusetts team and see and um bring that back here as well but I just wanted to update the board on that Mr chair um so this has come up before uh when I think when the funds were first awarded and and at my understanding is that we can but I want to raise uh a strong
concern about that uh which is you know the reason why I think this court case was successful was because so many people died um that the opioid crisis caused a lot of pain and a lot of families and you know we joined a lawsuit because I think we saw available
dollars and and a way to kind of get some recovery from the people who created this crisis for us my request is that the government uh us that we do not find a way to utilize all this money or even the majority of it but that we find an expenditure plan
that helps the people who live in our community that are suffering with opioid addiction to help them get treatment I know that the idea of you know bringing a clinician on staff that you know the concern that I have is once the money dries up and then we get used into having it it becomes an operational
permanent kind of thing or it's a loss of services for the the community um I certainly see the value in a clinician on staff but I would I think that for the family who's out there right now that's suffering to know that we can assist um in some kind of way in helping
their loved ones get treatment to me this money should be utiliz for treatment and to help out the community again who's suffering through all this tremendous loss all this heartache and pain I would like to see the funds used to support the people who are actually living with this crisis and not you know
I know that there's a benefit to the town at large but I just think there's out you know a lot if we didn't have so many people die we would never we wouldn't have the money and so I think we have to go to the source here in my opinion all right um let's see now up to
project updates so the teen room is finished um just punch list items left uh but pretty much finished um I went over there last week and it looks really good so that's very exciting um they have finished our chimney today our
second chimney so the chimney crew is now going to move over to Ritter and the roofing crew comes here um to town hall uh the adult Activity Center kitchen renovation project so as they had a little hiccup last week so as they uh
went subgrade below the slab they found a uh drain pipe that was rotted they needed to um upgrade the size of that drain pipe for the uh uh grease trap um but now they have an
extra problem um so that caused a little delay that there's uh folks coming out to kind of put a sleeve in it and see if that can be a solution um and then once that's fixed uh the plumbing can be completed concrete poured and flooring um flooring completed as well so the
kitchen is expected to reopen beginning April if there's no more um no more unforeseen problems um the secondary kitchen at the activity center is what's being used in the interim so uh master plan project
updates so um I held a meeting last week with the chair of the planning board land use director and consultant on the master plan project um there had been some comments that the master plan project was not proceeding as as
expected um the so I'm not sure what happened but the master plan was not able to join us on that meeting but where we it was a good meeting it was a productive meeting I have asked the consultant to provide the town with a status on all of his outstanding
deliverables because I think quite a lot of work has been occurring um that we're just not seeing perhaps because we're not at that time of the process so he is going to be doing that um we also are out of contract with them so we talked
about a contract extension uh through the fall the final deliverable of the scope is that this is presented to a town meeting and the vendor needs to be um on on board with us through that process so there was no issues there uh we did talk about um because we've been
paying them monthly I I had a discussion that is not resolved about um us holding back the remainder of all funds until we're not we don't have a lot of uh of that fund left there's about $20,000 out of the total I think it was 153,000 um so talked about um
withholding that until the completion I'm sure we'll have a little bit of negotiation around that but otherwise I was um I was I guess relieved uh to hear that uh the work is proceeding that the consultant is very interested in
continuing and I have offered you know whatever assistance I can I can lend to help this project come to conclusion um I think that this having a master plan that is well done that really the scope of this this plan
is comprehensive I think it will be very helpful to the community as we go through these next couple years of what the direction is and and how to get there so we'll see what happens but um I have a new uh vacancy
unfortunately um so the part-time assistant to the Sewer business manager position is being reposted um and so that that candidate I'm not sure exactly what happened but it didn't work out for them and so um I know the board just at your last meeting
made the appointment so that is back out um there are some other folks though who were interested at the time so hopefully there's not too much of a delay there um the update publicly is uh to regarding the police chief is that the screening committee held interviews last week and
the process is proceeding and the other uh vacancies are the same ones um that we have had the 10hour week position uh for the Conservation Commission though we're close to scheduling interviews on that one um still having trouble with the Lifeguard and Beach director for
those in the public that know anybody that might have the skill set Associated there and I think we're going to have a whole vacancy report shortly so I'm going to skip over the vacancies Mr chair I have one question or a comment about this building when the roofing
gets done uh there are a a handful of people out in the in the public that continually ask about the missing Weather Vein okay which is the original one is missing so there should
be no more requests about what happened to it CU we don't know and it is now gone but my understanding from the prior Town manager not the interim but our prior Town manager that I thought there was a replica that was being made or and so we should look for that so when the
roofing is done that should go up people have shown enough interest and enough sustained interest that we should find that and make sure that that's part of the final part of the project okay good point well well stated and I think um I think the
one of the proponents of that stopped me at Market Basket when I was picking up sandwiches for lunch yesterday and got my ear in fishburg over I think kit Walker was working on that when he was I think maybe yeah I think um Mr chair if I may I have two first just thank you so
much for your work on the master plan steering committee and getting the updates on the master plan and working with them that's a really positive update um and then a this is probably mostly rhetorical but what happens if we don't have a beach director or a lifeguard does the beach not
open H I would imagine I would imagine our liability would be substantial without so I just think that that probably astronomic I think that that maybe if we start saying that publicly like if we don't have applicants for this the town
beach is not opening this Summer that might be a good narrative to start having maybe we need to be posting that on our social media doing some more trying to improve the recruitment on that I know it's a difficult part-time or temporary seasonal position but that will have impacts on a lot of our residents if we
cannot open the beach because we cannot staff it I I was down with the facilities director viewing the beach house last week and I said what is so what is it like here in the summer and he said this place is Absol absolutely packed so I I really am excited to see
that and hopefully we'll get that stuffed any other questions all right thank you very much all right all right so let's move on to Old business we have discussion on budget Capital plan annual town meeting
warrant articles so tonight let's focus on the warrant so we can start going through and uh voting to add them and perhaps make recommendations on as many as we can tonight and you have physical warrants in front of you I was just going to say
I thank you for that thank you yeah I know um going through these documents uh especially on one drive it seems like it's a little laggy and yeah it's not as smooth as uh the actual uh Google app I thought the Google I was commenting I think Amanda mentioned that you have to
download CU so many things now are in there like you know PowerPoint form or word form and I was demonstrating that when you go to like kind of go through a PowerPoint and you click on something on this it like always pulls up the screen for typing and so you just can't navigate through slides I think that was
a very old action em I think I forgot to bring up was if we could have maybe Annie or whoever manages these download the actual apps then they open in the apps and they're much easier to look at okay I was going to bring this up during action items um Sorry download the app okay yeah I think
that indidual cuz I have my own personal right cuz the apps it's just a lot easier to view the documents it just that might help it's easier to sign into though it's a comet compared to like the Google drive because you know I actually use Google Drive and so it got really complicated with which account and but
you know I don't use Microsoft so it makes it easier to just you know sign into it right so everyone should have a physical copy of the warrant and as a reminder we're going to go through one by one uh we need two motions the first is to put the article in the warrant and the second is to recommend approval uh we don't have to vote to recommend
approval on all of them tonight of course um but I would like us for us to determine if we're going to include them all in the warrant tonight if possible sorry you look like you were going to say something I was I was but I was waiting go ahead would it be as a matter of process Mr chair would it be
helpful as you go through these for for me just to process-wise streamline it make all the Motions to include so that way it's up or down make all the Motions to recommend approval and that way we can probably just get through us a little more fluidly yeah we've done that in the past I was thinking about that too I'm okay with that process all right
and before you start Mr chairman I did speak to Adam Costa today um about he has he is in the process of reviewing these articles so when you get to like the assessor articles and it says see if the town will vote to amend Mass General law we know we're not so brought that up
again so he you know he um I think it was sounding like he needs about probably the remainder of this week to have final language so any articles that you're approving to be placed subject to the final language language provided by
Council okay understand um I just want to go through the timeline again so the warrant has to go to the printer by April 7th um so we have tonight tomorrow night maybe next week if we want to have an additional meeting scheduled and then the following week uh Tuesday April 1st
that'll be our last meeting so really it's three more meetings including tonight I think it's manageable but just as an FYI uh that's what the timeline is looking like and guess I'll since I'm talking so much to introduce this I'll also point out that we are working on scheduling uh Julie to come in to
present on the sap articles so that's still uh she's not ready yet they're still working on that so that will happen at some point as well okay all right that was a lot so we can just get started now all right article a authorization to hear Andor accept the reports of officers and Committees of
the Town pretty straightforward Mr chair I move to include article a in the warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those no one question um sure are we locking ourselves into which ones are giving the uh the update cuz I don't know
budget okay good okay that's not that's just a summary that's not even the article I know I know I just want be below the the vote required is not I can I just want to make sure that's just understood throughout this so I don't have to say extra throughout yes cuz
there there is a bit of that throughout okay there is there's quite a bit and some of it I'll probably call out but this one yeah it's yeah it'll change okay no recommendation at this time on on how we would uh I suggest we don't make a recommendation at this time on this why do you think we have until we
know unless you're guys I move to recommend why why would we not accept reports or committee reports of our own committees my I think what my thought was was until we know who's on it but I mean it's I hear what you're saying Tom which is it's not going to make a difference we're going to support it
anyway well we're going at least accept we're just going to accept them I move to recommend approval of article a have we accepted it yes we did yeah we voted now just I'm sorry do we finish that vote I'm I'll say I I I don't know if if my vote got so yes we'll just do it
again so there was a motion made and it was seconded to add the first article to the warrant no additional discussion those in favor say I I I those opposed no the motion passes unanimously Mr chair I moved for the select board to rank an approval of our article a second
any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously and I am writing all of these down so that we have it recorded all right article B authorization to borrow an anticipation of Revenue and to enter into a compensating balance agreement with the
bank this was I'm JY mentioned this previously and why she was including that U Mr chair I move to include article B in the annual Town warrant second any additional discussion disc those in favor say I I I I those oppose no the motion passes
unanimously Mr chair I recommend the select board um I move for the select board to recommend approval of article B second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously all right
moving on to article C authorization to expend funds and anticipation of reimbursement of State Highway Assistance Aid Mr chair I move for the select board to include article C in the annual Town warrant second any additional discussion
I just want to note that we put this one was submitted by Anonymous so oh thank you thank you point yeah all right any additional discussion those in favor say I I those opposed no
motion passes unanimously Mr chair I move for the select Bo to recommend approval of article C second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously all right moving on to article D revolving funds there's
nothing new here Mr chair I move for the board to uh in I move for this for the board to include article D in the annual Town warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those opposed no motion passes unanimously Mr chair I move for the
board direct when approval of article d second any additional discussion um so these uh spending limits are being reviewed by the finance director oh yes it's right um to make sure that they're sufficient I don't know if you want to
um I withraw the motion all right withdraw the second okay and that's to recommend approval so we're going to add it to the warrant hold off on recommending approval well when we will get these we we'll get them before Oh I would say I mean if we were
to have a meeting next week they would be yeah okay okay I don't think that's going to happen saw some faces when I brought that out all right uh that was D article e authorization to pay expenses from prior fisc fiscal year none known at this time
Mr chair I move to include article e in the annual Intel warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously I recommend that we don't make a recommendation at this time okay yes I agree all
right all right article F fiscal year 2025 budget adjustments and there are none at the time I would move that we include it at least yes in in the warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no
the motion passes unanimously and no recommendation on that one yep all right article G fiscal year 2025 close outs Mr chair I move for the board to include article G in the annual Town warrant second any additional discussion those
in favor say I I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously this might still we pass it over yeah we should pass this one over y okay all right uh article H fiscal year 2026 Capital program I move that we
includeed in the warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously over until the meeting of this got some final final meeting on Thursday all right and then that brings
us to article I lunenberg Middle High School track and field complex uh Mr chair I move to include article I in the annual Intel warrant is there a second I have a discussion all right let's talk so I'll second so we can discuss yep um I think is this coming up
at part of the the capital planning committee I would have to assume I would imagine is going to be part hold off I would that would be sure just I I have a random question for Tom is there a price tag Associated to this one I thought it was I'm assuming is that this was in the
capital well there's two issues is there a price tag would be question one and is there a qu is there a price tag that we believe we can you know have full faith in and that's that's a would be a second question okay so I don't know if the scope of this has changed
again this did not rank high enough to to be funded by the town manager's Capital planning budget M and the school from what I understand from what I see here has put it forward as a separate article again because it didn't get
funded from the capital plan so you know and this I'm not a big fan of that process understood so I I'd like to withdraw the motion and make a new motion okay I move for the board to not include article I in the annual Town
warrant well I'm willing to see what the if I may uh Mr Jeff I I would like to see what the discussion is on Thursday since it's two days away okay and I mean I'm I have no idea yeah no I understand it but I don't want to be premature okay
yeah you know in doing it I want to hear somebody out mhm all right so let's just so delay inclusion uh so um so just delay both on I yeah delay so on I it sounds like we're delaying the inclusion and we're delaying recommendation yep that's correct we'll just pass over it
all right article motion withdrawn all right thank you article J authorization to fund special projects so my question for the town manager are these final numbers these are the numbers these are the numbers okay so I would move that we include it
in the article J in the warrant second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously Mr chair move for the board direct approval of article J second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no
motion passes unanimously all right article K Marshall Park debt exclusion I would move that we includeed in the warrant article second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes
unanimously uh Mr chair I move for the board to um not make a actually can we discuss this before we discuss this before we make a recommendation so I think that there's a lot of benefit to hearing the presentation uh I think that I have enough information to make a
recommendation at this time but I but I know that I just got an email the other day that the numbers were moving and so you know I I think that may need to be solidified so maybe we delay on our recommendation till next week that's fine I would agree I would I would I
mean just I'll supersedes I think on the next three articles because of the because I want to know the entirety of their their requests I I don't wouldn't feel comfortable on any of the next three this one the municipal building or the Omnibus budget making a
recommendation tonight until we okay can I make a dual motion then uh for it to include article L and article M into the annual Town warrant yeah fine and not make a recommendation at this time I'll second any additional discussion those in favor say I I
those oppos no the motion passes unanimously all right so that was k l and m and that brings us to n amendments to the salary Administration plan position title SLG grades wait wait wait that's not in wait no do you have old it
is for me you have the older print out from when we met before you had me I do okay okay sorry about that print out wow late breaking news all right my apologies all right article n supplement to the lunenberg public
schools fiscal year 2026 operating budget I I would suggest we hold off on this one till tomorrow delay and delay is this what we're talking about for an override is this no this is free cash this is free cash I I would say we include it at least include it for
discussion purposes I mean we yeah I mean unless do we hold on let me ask you this before I do that maybe I should ask are we closer to knowing that this is what we're going to do and is it going to substantially change we know we don't
know the exact dollar amount I it's a very difficult question to answer I think the um all right then we should hold off if you can't answer that definitively then so delay and delay yeah okay so we'll delay including and we'll delay a recommendation yep all
right and I think for article o uh we're in the same boat where it's the delay and delay till tomorrow right oh we got to say what article o article o is Proposition 2 and half override this this is the one from the town manager so this is our placeholder for Town and schools if we want to decide on the
number that is inclusive of all departments so so we need to work on that too and discuss it I'm not yeah I wanted to discuss this that's definitely so this will be tomorrow right oh yeah all right so this is delay and delay yes all right so that's question do we know
if we have to have a number for in the warrant for this override so you do not need a number in in the warrant okay you do need a number on the ballot okay um that date I have it in my calendar but that's further out there is a department
head meeting tomorrow morning um I am asking department heads um is there anything that if the town were to have an override that is a need that is not a want to get that solicit that feedback so uh tomorrow night's discussion you're
going to be getting a lot of information that's probably fresh off the press new information this is not and this is exactly why I said last week that it's my professional recommendation that we are not proceeding with an override this year because we're not having the time to V it out but we are going to at least
participate in that exercise with the department heads tomorrow well I I I want to I if I may Mr chair just comment that while it may not be legally required I think it's really fall short of the preparation of somebody a town
meeting to not have that number in the warrant the booklet being mailed I think it does not prepare people and is not I would highly not recommend that I I concur I'm not interested in including in the warrant without a number right
sure and I think it's I think it's doable I think we could probably nail down yeah I think that April 7th is when it needs to go to the printer asking I know that was a question that got brought up and one other question the meeting tomorrow did you ask department heads to look Beyond next year for the
this number this is all so new information right the the override petition came in on Thursday we don't work on Friday like so this is they're getting this fresh tomorrow morning MH I think that probably they're paying
enough attention that I that some folks are thinking about this um okay all right so we're skipping over n and o is that correct those delay and then that brings us to P article P
amendments to the salary Administration plan position titles and grade when are we going to hear their presentation from the assistant Town manager on this so probably sounds like April 1st so if the board were to have a off cycle meeting next week she would be prepared for that
um but otherwise it would be April 1st okay um I'd make a motion that we included in the warrant second then delay the recommendation until the present second any additional discussion those in favor say I I oppose no the motion
passes unanimously we include it in the warrant and we are not making a recommendation toight article Q salary Administration plan adjustments for FY 2026 same situation Mr CH move to include article Q in the uh warrant and not make a recommendation at this time
second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously uh Mr chair I move that we include article R into the warrant and recommend approval second any additional discussion those in favor
say I I I those supp no the motion passes unanimously just hold on I just want to say for the public what that article was because I know that we're moving really fast which is good we're being very efficient tonight article R was holiday pay for call Firefighters all right article s
appropriate free cash to the stabilization fund this is um this is another one that's kind of up in the air right well I would say that um regardless of the any free cash transfers and moving around that in my opinion I would keep this on the warrant
I would move that we we put article s on the warrant and withhold any recommendation at this time second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously article T appropriate free cash to the special purpose
stabilization fund Mr chair I move to include article t in the annual Town warrant and withhold a recommendation at this time second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously sorry that was a delay I
know I heard it though so you're good um that was T So article U appropriate free cash to the OPB trust fund uh I think we're in the same boat on this one too Mr chair move that we well this one this one we're solid on this one this we're make my
recommendation is that we make appropriation regardless of anything else that's happening of the $222,500 I see what you're saying okay so that is not a source that because that is that is our own
imposition of money how much we put in that is our own at a time when money is of great concern I believe that regularly funding our opep and making regular contributions
is of a significant importance um when Bond rating agencies look at us um our liability is not I think it was like 2.9% funded um I would recommend that regardless of other circumstances that are occurring we still make this
contribution to the opab I I think that in the context of everything else um I would while I agree with you notwithstanding your support for this I would prefer this evening that we move to include uded in the warrant and not make a recommendation tonight until we have the final
conversation I would concur so I I move to include article u in the annual Town warrant and withhold a recommendation at this time second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously all right article V establish a reserve fund for future payment of acred liabilities
for compensated absences this is um we're going to have more discussion on this tomorrow I take it uh no not on probably not on establishing the fund so this is um this is to establish a fund that we we would
hold in reserve it can accumulate year-over-year that when folks are separating from service for whatever reason that we have a source for their um whatever their their vacation time and if there some folks have a sick
payout that we have a source for that so it's great when we can um anticipate somebody's departure well it's never great when we can anticipate the departure but budg in Wise when there's a known retirement this is easier but this is just a source that if somebody's departure is unanticipated or for
whatever reason there's not a source there is a source to pay them their OB obligations I have a question on that so I mean typically when someone moves on from a position you're going to have a period of vacancy where you have to post I mean Wouldn't It generally be true and I and I know that we don't pay sick time
but vacation time that if most staff are only carrying over from year to year their maximum are cruel for one year uh that at any one time or assumption is that most people will at most have about 6 weeks and 7 weeks and so assuming that most positions will be vacant for 6 to 7
weeks wouldn't we assume that the money should be there so it it gives an option that if it's not there because I don't think depending on how tightly you're budgeting or if that you know some not all departments have that flexibility within their budget so if the budget
weren't to have the flexibility it's a place and kind of to jump forward to the next article which is funding it I'm not talking about for this first funding anything of substance I'm talking about $10,000 so so we're starting small here but it's
establishing the fund that will live on into perpetuity yeah I'm for it as long as it's tightly managed and we don't you know that we keep we keep it close to what it needs to be balloon right doesn't balloon it to
some Amanda were you going to say something just that I you know having worked at the police department which they do a lot of them do have sick pay buyouts and and a lot of our employees that have been longtime staffers do that's not something that's budgeted for you know holiday time I mean vacation time yes that is an anticipated cost um
but even then it's it it can balloom it can there's there other things that are yeah that are involved um that I fully support having this option because especially as our budgets get tighter and things get harder we might not always be able to support that within
the budgets as they exist now Mr chair move to include um article w v article V uh and tman approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oose no motion passes unanimously sugar all right so that
brings us to article W appropriation to the compensated absences Reserve fund and Jen you said 10,000 are we are we I think the article going on that the really the money is probably could be in the motion without I would make a yeah yeah I would I would make a
motion that we include article W in the warrant and withhold any recommendation at this point second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously all right art one of these were dropping do we already remove it
okay great that's why I have the new one now all right article X transfer of funds to the OPB sewer trust fund Mr chair that we include article X annual Town Ward and recommend approval second second any additional discussions I'm just going to stop those in favor said I
I those oose no the motion passes unanimously all right article y FY 2026 sewer Enterprise Mr chair move that we include article y in the annual Town warrant uh and recan approval I would
uh I think it's exp if you would Mr I'd like to see their budget before I approve anything I think it's no it in the summary is it the number is total budget estimated revenues okay all right I'm fine okay I'll second then thank you any additional discussion those in favor
say I I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously article Z sewer inflow and infiltration stabilization fund Mr chair I move to recom to include article Z in the annual Town warrant and recommend approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I
those oppose no motion passes iously and here we go which is why I hate the letters and prefer the numbers but article I know I know article AA sewer Reserve capacity stabilization fund all right this is for $513 Mr chair I moved to include article
AA uh into the annual Town War andman approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously article BB Solid Waste Disposal program Enterprise fund I think in the budget that would this is
something for discussion so I'd like to move to include article BB in the annual Town warrant and to withhold a recom and to withhold a recommendation at this time second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously article CC
water Enterprise fund well we are the water departments I move to include article cc into the annual Town warrant and to recommend approval we know what the budget is for yes usually like 27,000 but is it going to be too different than
that probably not I'll have to get back to you on that one so just just for consistency I don't like to vote for things that don't have numbers I will withdraw the motion and make a new one uh Mr chair I move to include article CC in the annual Town Warr and withhold a recommendation at this time second any
additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously article DD public educational government access Enterprise fund Mr chair I move to include article DD in the annual Town warrant and and withhold a recommendation at this time
second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously article e flood plane Map update um so flood play Map update we have this presentation already um is the board comfortable with a
recommendation this evening I am I am I move to include article e in the annual Town warrant and to recommend approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously all right article FF accessory dwelling unit bylaw update we
also have this presentation uh Mr chair I move to include article FF in the annual Town warrant and to recommend approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppos no the motion passes unanimously article GG amending Clauses 17d 17e and
17f relative to tax exemptions are we comfortable with a recommendation this evening uh Mr chair I move to include article GG in the annual Intel warrant and to recommend approval second any additional discussion those in favor say I I those oppose no the motion
passes unanimously article HH amending Clause 41 C and 41d relative to tax exemption similar to the previous Mr chair I moved to include article HH in the annual John warrant and to recent approval second any additional discussion
uh those in favor say I I those oppos no the motion passes unanimously all right article I I we're on oh I have yep citizens petition citizens petition that's already included by definition it is yep so we're looking for a recommendation and I would withhold
recommendation we just got the presentation so I'd like to think about it I agree so no no motion on this one and that brings us to J JJ citizens petition and this is the school override in the amount of
$2,993 37 all right so it's already included but I also I would like to delay this U recommendation until we have the discussion on the other article till next week so no agreed I do have a comment I'd like to make on this one if I can
um I think that you know we've sort of been put into a position where we're we're kind of rushing this override where the school committee recommended not proposing an override this year the town manager proposed not recommending an override this year and now we are in
a spot where we are including an article for an override um I would not be in support personally um of a school only override I thank the town manager for the efforts that you're putting in um even though we have identified that this probably isn't the best case scenario
this year um to put forth a number and I will be supporting a townwide um number but I cannot support a school only override because that's going to that's going to create devastating cuts townwide and I don't don't believe it is um the best
financial responsible decision to make okay yeah I agree I mean if we're going to have an override on on the warrant this year which it looks like we are regardless we might as well uh consider Town needs as well so I absolutely agree with you and I look forward to that
conversation tomorrow night and it looks like that was the last one right mhm it was glad could be help yeah thank you nope that was I think very efficient yeah probably the most efficient we've done it in a long time all right so that was the warrant thank you very much oh
yeah sure you can count that you have all the notes um you can look at this one too cuz I recorded most of them before I switched if you want if it's helpful okay thank you um thank you all right so budgets tomorrow night uh I don't think there's really anything to talk about
that tonight not not really just that you know things every time you think you get to a uh position where okay this is what we're going to do let's move forward things are changing so like I just as I'm sitting here we got an email from the
assessors that they voted um the overlay amount at 175,000 and not the 250,000 that I was told so things change things change right the analogy I've always heard is
that it's like nailing Jello to a tree that's a one all right all right well thank you very much that's a good one it is a good one I've heard it before but not in that context so all right moving on current business so review list of upcoming vacancies for appointed boards
committees and commissions for fy2020 six uh so we're doing this because of our appointment policy and just to go over it as well uh for the board for the public and also the town manager uh per the appointment policy the town manager provides a list to the select Board of all the vacancies that there will be
this year after June 30th uh which is what we have before us the town manager will then employ a multimedia strategy to advertise all the vacancies by April 1st volunteer applications are due May 15th that's more so for the public and
then the select board conducts annual appointments the first two weeks of June so I will read through the full list of vacant that are up this year if you're interested in applying or reapplying in being reappointed to any of these positions again keep in mind volunteer
applications are due by May 15th and feel free to reach out to any of us or the office with any questions all right where's list of I have it oh okay oh all right agricultural commission there are three
vacancies one is for an associate member architectural preservation District commission there are three vacancies Americans with Disabilities commission and this one is appointed by the town manager and ratified by the select board there is one vacancy for a
member at large Conservation Commission three vacancies Council on Aging 1 two 3 4 four vacancies cultural Council three vacancies
finance committee two vacancies green communities committee three vacancies two of which are associate members historical commission two vacancies Personnel committee five vacancies we all know that Public Access
cable committee two vacancies one of them is termed to expire June 30th 2026 storm water task force one vacancy member at large and Zoning Board of Appeals four vacancies three of which
are associate members Mr chair can we be sure that the people whose terms are expiring have notification that their terms are expiring so they absolutely can do that yes all right any questions or comments on any of
that I I have questions sure okay so um um through you uh Mr chair do so the folks with expiring terms they all reapply I'm assuming and do they come and interviewed or oh yeah so that's part of our policy that I didn't get to
it's also probably the strangest part of this policy uh uh in the policy it states that any member of the select board can request for someone to come in uh so that is an option ordinarily no they don't come in to be interviewed if they're applying to be reappointed but
if it's requested by a member of the select board then we will schedule it I think we have until the inat requested but and it's not a person it's it's the whole board so it would be like someone saying i' like to interview everyone that's getting appointed to the zba gotcha okay um thank you yeah important
but has been a stand I don't know what I I don't know what the the policy where we landed but it has been traditional that anybody who's new to the position yeah would come right right of course y all right anything anything else on that tonight no thank you no all right
awesome but historically we don't really call too many people in it's just the new people I think I think the last couple years we've called in like maybe I think conservation one year if I remember correctly and and then a I requested apdc last
year all right thank you very much moving on review and potential vote on letter to State delegation regarding local Aid I'm not going to introduce this I think it's been introduced enough uh by the public comment and the town manager's report um so I dropped it into
the drive it is there I also have a physical copy as well and I'm just going to open the physical copy and read off of that and you even got the wear asses I I was asked I was asked for a formal
letter so yes you get the wear ass when you request a formal letter from the select board all right lunenberg select board demands advocacy for additional local Aid to municipalities we the lunenberg select board hereby demand advocacy from State
Senator John Cronin state representative Margaret Scarsdale and state representative Michael kushar and immediate action from the legislature to increase local Aid to municipalities whereas the town of lunenberg is experiencing an ongoing funding crisis from increased costs such
as school transportation health insurance outof District placements and other costs that far exceed the limits placed upon municipalities under proposition 2 and A2 and whereas for a second year in a row like many municipalities across the Commonwealth lunenberg is faced with the possibility
of drastic cuts to public education with a shortfall of 2 million in FY 2026 and whereas overall chapter 90 funding has remained static at $200 million since 2012 and despite the historic Investments made with the chapter 90 Bond Bill the purchasing power of
municipalities remains below what it was a decade ago due to inflation and Rising construction costs now therefore the lunenberg select board respectfully requests that our state delegation advocate for the following increases in local Aid one increase the minimum per
pupil funding level to $150 per pupil from $14 per pupil two increase the amount of unrestricted General government Aid and prioritize any available supplemental one-time funds for municipalities three further invest in
the chapter 90 program beyond the increases made by the bond Bill and four recognize the Chapter 70 formula is in need of an overhaul and act with urgency to re reform and modernize the program signed this 18th day of March
2025 so I only have two things so one of them is just a strict uh format so out of District placements out of District should be hyphenated sure that's my usual things that I find but the one
I the one substantive thing is number four I I we should make it stronger so okay we should I would recommend something in the nature of recognize the Chapter 70 formula is significantly inadequate as currently funded and in
need of an overhaul I think we have to be a little more forceful there sure yeah I like that say it again is significantly significantly inadequate current funding and and then is in need yeah I concur yep I like that too the only
other comments was I had a question does the I does does the therefore need to be capitalized like the whereas yes oh okay and the now and thei yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah all right and then the other one was uh I think that in uh the second
whereas when it talks about a shortfall of 2 million I think um in context that's hard to follow they don't know what that is as a percentage and I think that noting uh the amount and percentage I think would be helpful okay all right thank you and I I would I
I would add to Mr Jeff again just to make sure I put the context that is the possibility of drastic cuts to public education with a short fall of $2 million for a level service budget for okay
yeah okay did we want to say anything about the millionaires tax and the allocation of that money I asked representative Kush Merck about the millionaires tax like I don't know two weeks ago or someone I was speaking with him and he says that the money is being allocated
strictly to education but that it's going to 351 towns and it's going to colleges and that when you split the money that many ways it's not a lot of money right to go around cuz based on that news clip I saw last week with the
governor was that's not consistent with what I heard oh I've heard something similar that the money is not being well for educational purposes it's going to col going to Transportation local it's going to I I the mic I'm like that that clip of that interview of that
press conference well it's clear that transportation is a higher priority for the governor of the state and general than education funding is like that's pretty i't had time to dig into it transportation and education wasn't that
what they sold that's what it's for and and I was told it's generally I mean what the prior two years it's been pretty even 6040 50/50 split M it doesn't sound like this year is going to be an even split it sounds like it's going to be far from it I'd like that to
confirm that but I just but even what does go towards education from that money it's still not prioritized for local Aid right it's going to community colleges so which is great we all need that but
you know we also need local Aid it's good that we you know invest in our community colleges I mean I I have told several people this the additional chapter 90 money that we're getting this year or supposed to get yep you know if they get if if the state gave me a check
here's an extra $200,000 spend it how you want chapter 90 wouldn't crack my top 10 for lunenberg sitting here today it's out of whack yep out of whack all right so I captured all the uh
feedback here thank you very much I will revise this and then going to have to get your signatures so me tomorrow oh yeah right we meet tomorrow how convenient it's almost like it was planned yeah I know right all right perfect here we go all right so I'll make those
recommendations it's not on the agenda um but that's fine we can get it uh if you can vote it subject to those changes and just sign it tomorrow that's fine okay yeah is there a motion I move to um approve the uh letter to the state delegation as amended second SEC any
additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no motion passes unanimously all right thank you Jen great idea all right moving on minutes warrants action items uh we need another week or two weeks uh for the minutes so we're not going to vote on that tonight
warrants I don't believe we have any warrants tonight either no yeah we we should tomorrow though CU I don't think we had any last no you didn't so I actually texted during this meeting and they said we are the warrants so they did not come up today so all right good so I was wondering about that action items any new action
items yes um we've had a couple special events come forward um and looking at our current application I think that could be improved um it appears to be a scanned
version of an old copy of a PDF from 1975 that's what it feels like when I'm looking at it I know this is not something actually I can I can attest that it's not from 1975 it's like from like 20 like 2015 or something like that 2017 I am over but
we we used used the 1975 font well this is actually oh go ahead but I I was just going to say I know this is not priority right now but if we could put that on the list same thing with the boot Drive application um any of our applications even if we just have the original Word document that we could
you know reupload to the website I would like to see us standardize these processes um but as this is like the second or third week in a row we've seen this I cringe when I look at it what I what I would I would go even a step further if I can piggy back I mean I think
we should put it and again low priority but it's got to be there that all of the forms instead of having people get them download them print them fill them out scan them send them back up we should make a fillable PDF like I wish somebody would invent that and
fillable pdf online I also there was one other thing we've asked for that for yeah Amanda don't ask um I noticed on the boot Drive application it's probably on the special event application too that it looks like the application is self-certifying the applicant is self-certifying that they get police and
DPW approval I would like to see a signature or something on those especially for events where we have Public Safety that is needed um instead of the applicant just saying oh yeah I ran it by the police I ran it by the DPW usually we get an email exactly used to be should require in the application it
should be a sign off in my opinion it should be a sign off or there should be something digital sign off I am you know I am very Pro streamline these processes um but I had that note as well all I just want to ask I'm pretty sure that
there was an effort underway to move all of our licenses to open COV yes is that what's True how's that going so um the that is actually on the calendar
for a discussion in June with the um executive assistant and the Building Commissioner has been the one that's managing kind of the flow on open gov and helping different folks stand it up so uh get through town meeting and then but get them on there prior to the
licensing season as the go good yep Mr CH I do just I do recall that's why I you made me heard me Mumble a little bit so I was I think that what I understood was that was going to happen at in in June the summer right they actually they said are you do
you are you really meaning to schedule a meeting in June or was this I said yes otherwise I that is I don't put it on the calendar yes I am yeah all right thank you are there any other do you have more I just another action item okay that I already mentioned earlier but I just wanted to put it bring it up here um if we could download the
individual Microsoft apps that would be really helpful on these iPads concurrent yeah I agree how are the iPads are they are they older they're okay they're okay oh yeah they funun they're old but yeah yeah I don't know if if um anyone checks you know if
the software updates are done cuz that might also help you know if if it maintains them or you know whoever not if we could check that too when we're doing that process that might helpful I'm on my own it says update needed yeah probably it really does it really doesn't all right any other
action items any committee reports I can't see uh yes school committee met last week and they um voted on cuts to get down to the town manager budget um the
the line item budget as well as the list of the um cut positions is available on the school website under the school committee um minutes and agendas last week's meeting um one thing that they also voted on
um uh fee for school bus transportation um they're meeting tomorrow night and storm water task force is meeting this Thursday that's all fincom met last Thursday but I have
not played the recording yet uh Capital planning is now meeting on Thursday and before that is fincom so I have two to catch up on economic development committee has not met and the town manager gave my master plan steing
committee uh I attended the finance committee meeting last week uh on behalf of the municipal building design committee uh Municipal Building design committee was scheduled to meet last night um you know I'm I should say it was my error not fully appreciating St Patrick's Day and that so many people
celebrate it that was a hell of a meeting of that so the meeting so the meeting was canceled due to a lack of corn uh which the members what lack of dick I knew I knew that's such a d which
the members did communicate uh well in advance the meeting um and and it was I actually had a work convers I didn't I acknowledge I did not fully understand other than the drinking part of St Patrick's Day that it's actually a holiday that people really do celebrate and forgive me I didn't know um so it
was my error and uh we we couldn't make Quorum last night library is meeting this Thursday and uh I will be in attendance this Thursday all right I don't have any committee reports upcoming upcoming meetings we are meeting tomorrow March 19th and then April 1st and April 8th uh public
comment are there any public comments from the town manager no any public comment from the public yeah coming up Jean Marie price 162 Highland Street I just wanted to make a comment there is a rain date for the cruise um night it's
going to be uh May 28th because I got the minutes from the I am a member of the Lions Club so let you know that okay thank you thank you all right any other public comment from the public do we need to vote to include that or just because our voted
it is already included okay good want to make sure all right looking at Zoom we have Mr Passos yes sorry the picture's no good it's a little dark in here but I don't have time to turn the lights on can you hear me okay yeah we can hear you and
I'll sponsor Dave if I have to yep da uh Dave Paso's former uh Town resident of Whiting Street uh presently Jefferson New Hampshire presidential Highway um I just have a a question that
was generated by one of your members uh comment about the uh citizen petition override what does any of you on the stage there know what the procedure would be for the person who submitted
that article to withd draw does it in does it have to include uh the 50 signatories withdrawing also or just the person that submitted the article that is a great question that I don't have
the answer to I am I am not sure that well I we would have to get Town Council my feeling is that once it's submitted with signatures I'm not sure you can withdraw it you can only pass over it I believe I concur in that understanding as well the Passover yeah and I think we
did actually have a conversation with Carter and Town Council when we were having our pre-own meeting meeting last here cuz this came up as well and I'm pretty sure that we also decided that we couldn't remove it and that it had to be passed over um but it could be helpful to get another another opinion I agree
it might be worth knowing whether you that option is available because it doesn't make sense to me that a committee votes uh not to recommend an override uh accepts a budget that gets them through next year without the
override and then supports an override um so I'll leave it at that well if I made Mr chair so you know the other part of an override Dave as you know is that the board has to also accept it on the ballot um which is a totally separate question that only this board can make a
decision on so even though there may be a citizen petition that calls for an override uh without the board approving the other half of that there's no actual mechanism for a citizen to um get an override passed without at least some partial consent from the select board
and having a vote for that yeah thank you for reminding me because I had that thrown in my face about seven years ago thank you very much all right you're welcome Mr pasos all right I'm not seeing not seeing anyone else on Zoom all right any public comments from the p
uh the board no none none all right is there a motion to adjourn so moved second any additional discussion those in favor say I I I those oppose no the motion passes unanimously it is 9:49 p.m. and the
select board is adjourned and we will see you back here tomorrow night