Okay. Okay. It's 6:30. I call this meeting of Manchester by the Sea SL to order. John, yes. Here. And yes. Kathy, yes. Brian, yes. And Jeff, yes. Okay.
Yes. Here. This meeting is being recorded if anybody cares. Um, are there any public comments on non-aggenda items? here. Well, actually, well, we had some um
citizens come up to us at the booth um on the table at Festival by the Sea and just a couple of comments. Um one was a question around um the Pleasant Street and Pine Street intersection. Um they love the paving and etc., But they
were wondering why the crosswalks were located where they were and was wondering if the job is complete or still in process because the resident said that the natural flow of the sidewalks is uh crosswalks is different
than the children where they cross when they're coming from Walker Road onto Pleasant Street. It's like in an odd place like they have to go down to a cross a couple of extra streets. It didn't seem natural to them. They were curious as to why the placement was the way it was and I had no idea. So,
okay. Um, so I just it would I think it would be good to understand if that's in process or not. And then um items not on the agenda, we can talk about it now or action items that's coming up right after. We have on an um on the action item list
the review of White Street Beach parking. Um but that's not until September. and residents have complained evidence of people camping out overnight. Ah, and so I didn't know if we wanted to if there's anything we need to discuss
sooner or if parks and wreck or the police between amongst themselves they can deal with that on their own, but I I don't think any of us really want um camping going on over time talking always to happen there. Yeah. But I it's you know I just think
if we're going to talk about it by the time you talk about it in September it's kind of too late. Um so I just wanted to bring it put it on because we put it on late right because we see what happened because we thought we were going to have more patrol
parking attendants and they'd be able to get out there more often. But it looks as if they come go on a regular schedule which is perhaps not ideal. Yeah. They shut show up late and leave early. Well, we don't we don't enforce parking, resident parking overnight. And
it seems like Singing Beach has a sign, no overnight parking, but White Beach does not have that. So, I don't know if it's as simple as putting up a sign and is saying that apparently it's on some website where uh up and down where do
you where you can park? You know, usually people who are parking overnight find a Walmart. Okay. Because they allow that. But Todd was saying that there was some and I could be wrong. I think that's what No, I think I I think I remember him saying that there was a website that directs people that park there.
Yeah. So anyway, I just put on the radar because the pictures that I saw were of a non United States. Yeah. It was a French uh plate. I don't even know how these people got here. So I just I I feel it was appropriate to wait until September. So I don't know how you want to handle it, Tony.
Well, the chief is back tomorrow. Uh, so I'll be connecting with him and Chuck will be back later this week. So, as far as like improved signage goes, I think the three of us could get together and figure out what a better approach might
be with that. Um, for the public, I think if if you if you see something, call the police station and we'll send a cruiser down there uh to deal with it. Um, as far as added uh enforcement or a parking attendant,
that's a that's kind of a longer term discussion. Uh, because obviously there there'll be funding needed to support that, right? Yes. Does this particular issue look like something that was talking about signage
in West Beach? There I've heard on a couple different occasions that there should be a handicap practice, right? I Oh, it's Chris Thomas. But you you were Yeah, you were with us. He's been one on my case. Two of us were there. Yeah, they I think that comes up in September as well. Yeah. Handicap parking.
A handicap sign. Really? Right in front of the uh access to the beach. So, the handicap because otherwise people will park right in front of that walk, that access spot, and then it's hard if you've got a wheelchair or something to get out there. It's gonna be hard anyway because that's
like soft in there. Yeah. Yeah. I understand. It's other than it's all it's big rocks. Trying to tie it up right now, but that was we'll put that on. Then my last item um as I signed a cemetery deed this morning again. I
thought back to a meeting a previous select board meeting that we had where we talked about items that should come off of the plate of the select board because it should be delegated to the people who actually make the decisions. So, I went through all my notes and I
found that we had a list at the November 21st, 2022 meeting of items that were supposed to be investigated for perhaps, you know, things we don't need to talk about or sign anymore. So, cemetery deeds was
one. The tree hearing was the second. Is that something that could be delegated to the tree warden or the town administrator? The dog hearings, that was the third. Um the fourth item I took note of was national grid presentations.
Um and then the fifth item was committee interviews. It would it be better for a couple of people from the select board to interview committee candidates and make recommendations to the broader board? Would that would that be more effective or not? So anyway, no
decisions on any of these, but I just again, anytime we're kind of rubber stamping somebody else's decision, it's really not um it's usually a sign something's not I think on the on the cemetery, we just have to sign a book. There's no I think it's a land is a land transfer,
but in in other towns, the select boards don't do that. So the question is is there another approach that we can take because somebody's making the decision on these plots and it's not us. So anyway just looking for discussion on final decision
all in agreement with trees dogs. So that was my list. Thank you. If we well I think we need to discuss this in when it's been not when notifications. So, this was just my list. I put on a action item list for a
future meeting, but that those were the items that I recalled. I couldn't remember if there was others. Sounds good. Yeah. Ju just add them to the action item list. I do it over there. I signed them. So, I and I I I'd have to look back to see if the town
administrator act gave me that authority or if it was just a select board vote to give me the authority at one point in time. I'm sure that could solve Mhm. Um this one too, but this wouldn't be a bylaw issue, would it? I don't think so. I think it I think the
select board probably has the uh default authority because it's town own land, but I believe you would have the ability to a simple vote to transfer me as the signatory on those um would probably work.
uh if we do a retreat um later this month or or early next month where we talk about goals and things of that nature that we could kind of talk through some of those items. Uh back to the Pleasant Street. I'll
check with Chuck on that too if it if the job's done. I'm assuming that it's a um traffic standard type site lines element, but I'll I'll talk with them. Yeah, it could because on the on Pleasant Street, the sidewalk is only on
one side. So, the resident was saying why why wouldn't those students continue on that side as they walk up Walker Road, but the crosswalk is on the opposite side. So, they have to go like so they got to go back and forth. So, it's just a little gives me the exercise.
Yeah. These little suckers. Along uh along the lines of comments at uh at the festival, I had two people speak about the walkway back here and markings for that, but it's not obvious enough. We got a sign.
just the sign is there's a sign, but people of course look at the sign and they see this big fence which has been slid back on a driveway that looks like an industrial access driveway and said, "Is this right?" And I know I think I had spoken with Chuck a number of months ago and I said,
"Look, just paint a walk." It's not welcoming. It's not it's not people aren't sure. And furthermore, you get to the end and of course you're not going to make a sharp left. I mean a a straight left. And if you look down there, of course, that road, that path jogs to the right. So
you look at it and like it goes nowhere. It just goes to there's there's a uh So you need some private property there, too, though. Yeah. Well, you have there's been easements provided and so we need an arrow at the you know, they should paint something on and I sent a note to Chuck
last night. Just paint a sidewalk thing so it looks like a sidewalk and at the end put an arrow and say turn left. You'll get there. It's only what, 20 yards, 15 yards, and then you're tripping once. Yeah. But it does feel like you're cutting through somebody's back. Yeah.
Well, I agree. And and I think the biggest thing is you just look that way and all you see is a a wall or a a screen. You don't see, oh, there's the exit, right? Yeah. The end. I agree. So, um, that's something that I think DBW
can somehow. Anything else? Okay. Nice. Right. Assume that anyone who is we will put up
a hand if you want to be heard. Okay. Um there is no chairman's report. Um, do we have anything else that we want to put on action items? Okay.
Um don't see we'll do set but I'm maybe not first item is the interview will do set well Debbie generally gets in touch with
the folks Right. Yeah. He said he would be on. Maybe that was him earlier. I don't think so. I don't think so. Going to get in such trouble.
Well, um we could uh skip him in case he shows up later in the meeting. Um, if you want, we could do we could take a vote on the other two uh folks for now.
Well, why don't we take a vote on um Matt Matt Burggeron, Joseph Bean, and the in fact the whole list under item two. Matt Burggeron, Joseph Bean, Gordon
Brewster, Andy Oldman, Kathy, and U. Jeff Bjer. energy auditor as backup. Okay. Kathy is probably nominating herself as I don't think I should nominate myself. So I would welcome John. I would Yes. Okay.
I think Anna suggested we do all in one motion. All in one motion. So John Okay. All right. I will do that. Okay. that I move that the select board appoint Matt Berseron and Joseph Bean as at large members on the facility planning committee for terms to expire
on June 30th, 2028 and to appoint Gordon Brewster as planning board representative, Andy Oldde as finance committee representative, Kathy Balatada as select board representative and Jeff Bodmer Turner as conservation commission representative with Henry as the conservation commission backup member to
the facility planning committee returns to expire on June 30th, 2027 second discussion. John, yes. Answers, yes. Kathy, yes. Brian, yes. And Jeff,
yes. Okay. The next item is Woody Kelly. Um, and I think the explanation here is pretty clear. We talked to him some time ago.
He started, he was the force behind having a conservation a a community preservation committee. Um he's back in town and there's now an open
slot for him. Um that's you. Ah that's me. I move that the board appoint Woody Kelly as an atlarge member of the community preservation committee for a term to expire on June 30th, 2028.
Second discussion. Jeff, yes. Brian, yes. Kathy, yes. Ann says yes. John, yes. Um, the next item is the financial management review from the BLS. And I
think Kelly brought this up and yes. So, so, uh, Department of Revenue, their division of local services, um, their financial management bureau, uh, offers a number of free services to
municipalities. Uh, Manchester by the Sea had a financial management review performed in 2012. We spoke about it at the finance committee meeting a couple weeks back. Um the finance committee welcomed the idea of uh requesting an update to that
uh to that review and it requires a a vote of the select board to make the request. Uh this is it's not an audit. Uh it does not come with requirements. It's just simply recommendations after taking a look at um you know a number of
different departments or uh our bylaws or our process and making some recommendations for us to consider. How long is the process? Um
I'm guessing I I think it's a couple months. I think it's like three or four months. And I think that they're they were about uh I say that because when I spoke with um someone over there, they said they were
uh you know three or four months behind. Uh if we to put the request in, it likely wouldn't start until another three or four months from now. Okay. All right. Um the other it's over 10 years since the other one was done. That
certainly predates all of us here. I don't know what was the disposition. Is that something that comes down the pipe and then is put on the shelf? I mean, I looked through it. A number of the recommendations I think have been adopted. I'm not sure if that was the driver or otherwise there was an kind of an overlap with some of the operations
uh the findings in the operations um uh audit that we had. But um will these guys look at the 2012 report? I assume they will. And say what have you guys done? There were like 30 what 30 31 findings
you know and it looked like some of them are done others we wouldn't necessarily know but um is that going to be integrated into that I think so yeah I think we we can ask for that that they um include in the updated report things that we
accomplished since the last report or recommendations that we they should I mean that should be their almost their starting point I think Can we um uh direct them to dive deeper into a particular area or is it just kind of
they're comparing us against other benchmarks? So I I I've never been part of the initial process um the startup element you know uh I guess describing what the scope of the work is going to be but I think that
we have that ability to ask them to take a closer look at certain elements. So like for example, one of the things I'm interested in we've talked about for a couple years is the optional services that we provide um or even some of the some of the
mandatory services are what should be fee based versus tax funded by taxation. Um, it's one way to keep our taxes under control is making sure we're leveraging fee based options
wherever we can and are we doing enough of that as an example? Yeah. Or the fees we're charging for the mandatory services are they um in line with what other towns are charging? I don't think that would be part of
low low. Yeah, that is certainly something that we need to look at. I don't know if that would be part of this process. Um, but that may be they may have an alter, you know, another offer of service that could get a little bit closer into our fee structure and how it
compares to similar communities. Uh, we talked about that at the finance committee meeting as well, right? um taking a closer look at that especi you know and we did that just recently in the hunt with uh inspectional service fees that was a big one that
uh just tends to get uh away from the market quickly. So it's that's one that you you try to look at pretty regularly. Yeah, I see where uh Jake is already looking at his fees
according to his demand. I read in the report, I think Andrea was here for that. I think somewhere in the report it said, "And the person has only been here for six months, something like that." So, have you spoken with her about this at all?
Okay. Yeah. All right. So, she's she knows what the finding where are the recommendations for? Yeah, she's with her uh audit background uh she she loves the idea of having them come in, you know, with and it's not a
real audit. It's just recommendation and it's a free service. So, she's she's on board with it. Nothing's free. Was coming out of a text. How long has the DLS been doing this? In other words, have they got a number of towns? Are they all right? We're in a
second or even third. Probably there's a three-month back. I don't know. I'd have to look. I'd have to look look back but on their website you can look at all the reports that they've performed then on the uh I did look at the web I went there few seconds and then in my
eyes over yes but I guess maybe down at the end it was that okay yeah I recommend that um you bring this up again as the date that
they were coming gets closer so we can can make recommendations as to what we want to hear, what we want to look at. So then yes, I'm ready. I move the select board request services from the DLS Financial Management
Resource Bureau for a financial management review. Second. John, yes. And says yes. Kathy, yes. Brian, yes. and Jeff. Yes. Okay. The next item is the scoreboard for
Brook Street Field. Um, and our requirement is that we accept a gift. Is there any discussion? When this um was brought to my attention, I first asked, you know, is this is it normal that this would be put
in front of the select board for a vote? uh it is norm it is part of you know when you're accepting a gift that is financial uh municipal finance law that requires a select board to accept a gift um but it's also town property and I
believe that's part of your uh tradition I think is to uh to vote on uh accepting that and it being installed it still I believe has to go through the conservation commission process Mhm.
Um, so your vote obviously is is conditional. Conditional. Yep. There was, you may know the history better than I. I believe there used to be a scoreboard there and this is going as the same location. Same location.
Yes. I don't still be there. Further discussion. Uh I move that the uh board accept the gift of a new scoreboard and approve the installation at the Brook Street Field conditioned upon conservation commission
approve. Yes. Brian, yes. Kathy, yes. Ann says yes. Yes. John says yes. Right. Um number six is the special event permit which um
you're not Yeah, I think the Rotary got ahead of themselves too. Nice. Yeah, they have some more details to work out. Um, but I do think they'll be coming back before us soon. Good.
Um, and finally, um, the um consent agenda. Any concerns with that? Or I'll make a motion.
No. All right. I move the select board approve the consent agenda items listed. Second discussion. An says yes. Yes. Kathy, yes. Brian, yes. And Jeff,
yes. Okay. Um, we skipped over the liaison updates because I can't read. Um, did you put Yeah. Um well the meat and potatoes of the
planning board was they had a long discussion with Kathy Kathy McCabe on the downtown visioning project. Um they went over some of the stuff from that uh for that uh public forum. I
think we're all there for that. Um they went over some of the goals. Um some of it was uh some zoning possible zoning changes to allow mixed use by right downtown. Um
possibly active first floor use for property with street frontage. So it would be commercial and then residential above. Um, some talk about parking, increased visibility, which John talked about with
the path earlier. Um, and parking out back here behind town hall. Um, develop and distribute parking maps. Uh they talk some about business recruitment um development
of a business welcome page um support development of new popup businesses and new entrepreneurs and and these popup businesses I thought that was kind of interesting. They had like a She talked about I think you were there
right Tony talked about like a 300 square foot space that people could have like a little popup business for like a week or a month or something like that. So thought that was I don't know how it would work but all the time like Julian Edelman had one
for like few weeks or something. Sen on the the old city hall. Yeah. First floor. Yeah. I don't know where to put it. Oh yeah, you empty storefront. Yeah. Well, that's up to landlord. That's true. Yeah. But but we could encourage the
land find some way to encourage landlords like Jim Brown has already they mentioned this at some of the chamber meetings we attended as well. So I think they're very open to it. Yeah. Sound it seems like a interesting idea. Anyway, um
and uh just some other improvements uh informationwise uh business maps. Um a down someone talked about a downtown harbor walking trail, which I
think would kind of go back into that when they talked about Masanoma Park when they had that Yeah. that whole redesign. So I think that I mean whether that's um how you feel about that but
and uh and also trying to grow existing businesses. So that that was pretty much about it. Seems to be a little string outside there. Well, I think I think the next steps of trying to figure out who's
going to take what pieces of this and you know, it's not going to be all planned because the the shift is doing right. It's doing a lot. I think it's I think it's more of a dip in chamber, but collaboration. Yeah, they did. I mean, early on she did
mention said somebody's got to spearhead all of the stuff in terms of programs and promotion and all of that. Who's going to take ownership of that? It seems like it is DIP, but that really is kind of a big responsibility. That's kind of like almost and they're working on their revised
charter. They won't be meeting again until Yeah, that's correct. But um at some point, you know, committees can only do so much, right? So at some point there needs to be a lot point of contact to ensure continuity regardless of how
the committees I think that um the chamber Manchester has always been like the stepchild of the KPM chamber for a long time at Gloucester and stepchild yeah but now that I mean it's it's kind of big with IPS and I think that having
Jim Brown as the president of chamber has brought Manchester to the forefront I think the uh I mean we had a I think was a very successful festival by the sea. You know the one local business had a record day. Okay. Uh
I mean you couldn't get that you couldn't avoid the the weather up anything better than that. Uh but I really think that's a it's a DIP working collaboration with the uh the chamber. That's their mandates. Yeah.
Yeah. I not yet. I think Oh, see I mean people pay to be members of a chamber for a reason. Oh, the chambers mandate. Yes. I think hoping that the planning board will take it over is
I think they got enough on the plate. I think the I think the effort there was the DIP uh committee was presenting to the planning board, you know, some of the discussion that they've been having and the findings that they've received or that they've seen themselves and the overlap with the planning board is the
zoning element, right? Yeah. Yeah. I think the DIP knows to stay away from zoning, right? Yeah. interested. I think I think if the DIP comes up with a plan and then comes to the planning board, can you tailor some zoning to allow this
plan to develop is the way it goes with the idea dip and in conjunction. You know, we had talked I had talked to you earlier about some kind of uh uh cultural uh fund that we could set up that would
uh for instance uh I don't know how we' fund it. That's beyond my uh purview. But if you wanna uh say there is an open uh a vacant storefront somewhere, maybe there's a some store owner or landlord
can come to this cultural or whatever you want to call it cultural council, but there's no funding there. Well, what about CPA? Okay, but I'm saying something that's really quick. I want, you know, uh if we can come up with $5,000, can you match this
$5,000 so we can do a 10, you know, and have something going on? And I go back to what was the uh the Porchfest in Magnolia, which is a big thing. I guess it's uh it started in in Stville, I guess. And uh I walked around, it was great, you know, but I don't know who paid for
what. Uh but maybe there's, you know, if we had some seed money available to get this up and going and every year because people look forward now to the festival by the casino that was all that's got nothing to do with
Manchester, but that's an event that people look forward to. Uh you know, the the carnival coming up, wait until the cardboard boat race. Okay, these are events that people, you know, start to embrace. Is the carnival happening?
The carnival. Uh, okay. That'll be my liaison update. Well, I don't want to cut into your liaison update. Okay. Well, you just did. All right. I know the the carnival is going to be scaled back. The the harvest fest is going to be scaled back. The carnival will happen. Uh, the boost is found that
it was and wasn't as profitable for the amount of it wasn't a return on investment they were hoping for. Uh, so Tai is running with the harvest pot. He's going to scale it all back. He's going to uh invite vendors over. Uh but it's going to be a much it's not going
to be what we we you know the last two years but the the carnival itself was always the driving faces will run the carnival part of it and then T will run. So they'll be coming to us to
Yeah, I think uh my understanding is they already apply. I haven't talked to Cheryl about I know that Emily and Kavanaaugh had filled out the paperwork. So, it might be this month that the uh with pox and wreck to go through them first. Uh and then Tai is looking for some
guidance as what he wants to do. So, he's going to set him up with Debbie at some point as far as some permitting goes uh for liquor licenses, etc. What's interesting is that uh the uh this year Because you this year
there was no beer tent at the festival. This is the first time in Yeah. seven or eight years. Last year at the carnival the the beer vendor wasn't coming back. It wasn't profitable. So I don't know exactly what what Tai is looking to do, but it seems to me that
they don't work. And you and I also chatted about that being pinned into a little area that you can't wander around. It kind of is counterproductive, right? as far as uh I mean I didn't you know I was walking out of the French Quarter when they said you couldn't take your drink with you I didn't leave the
French Quarter drink I'm not leaving so uh but that's different if it's the French Quarter I couldn't leave the French Quarter and walk into New Orleans properly. Uh but so these are things that you know I'm going to mention it to Tai when I see
him. Are you sure you want to go this route? But and he's looking towards uh Deb for some guidance as far as the licensing and insurance system. Going to be an apple pie contest. And I there
won't be a dunk tank. I'll tell you that they lost money on the dunk tank. Apparently I wasn't as big a target as they wasn't as big a drawer as people wanted. So that also wraps up my uh um I had a nice meeting with the MBTA
advisory committee director and the associate director last week. So um I went into the meeting, it was kind of a last minute meeting, just a week's notice. And I kind of thought we I was going to collect feedback and and bring
that to the meeting, but then I thought I just want to find out how to engage with these people, right? And so, um, it was a really good meeting. Um, so a couple of things. I did request wrership data because I think it would be helpful for us to have real data rather than
anecdotal data about who uses the stop here and and how often. Um, but then I found us discussing more regional transportation. items and this is where I do think we need to engage. So, for example, um
there's a climate committee, right? We talk when we plan uh talk about our climate challenges, we always talk about the fact that the station here is going to be underwater at some point. Well, that's not something we can fix ourselves, right? We need to partner with other communities. there is a
climate committee and I do think um you know Tony we might want to have somebody representing Manchester because I I I told them look you can you know do whatever you want along the Rockport line but as soon as that that track goes underwater you lose Gloucester. So you
know we we all need to work together. Um the other thing we talked about was um the parking. So, their website says that the town owns the parking. I was like, I
don't know about that. So, they checked while we were at the meeting and MBTA owns the parking, but they weren't sure who was managing them. Who is managing the parking? And people can park there for free. Doesn't cost, but is anybody actually managing it? Seeing if those
people are on the train or are they using it for beach parking? Because we do have a parking challenge. And if no one's managing those spaces, that's a lot of spaces. So that also might be something that um we should engage with them on. The other item was um we talked
about regional transportation discussions they've been having with other communities and one of the things they mentioned was um connecting the commuter rail to the blue line which would be kind of the holy grail for the sea coast um by putting in a commuter
rail station in Wonderland. Mhm. So apparently the river mayor is really pushing for that and he could use some support. So I talked to Tony. I'm like, you know, if you can get more ridership usage on the
line, people going to the airport or to the aquarium, whatever, um you can alleviate some of that traffic we all hit on 128 South just trying to get through Beverly, you know. So there are a couple of regional items that if we may want to partner with other
communities rather than thinking of that commuter rail station as just something that's there for singing beach, we could have an impact on transportation for our community by thinking outside of our community. So that was my main takeaway. I'm looking forward to getting some of the data from them so we can really
understand who's using um who's using the team. But that was that. So, Wednesday there's a municipal coordination call that I'm on with the MBTA. Awesome. I wrote down those four things. I'm not
really I'm not sure what the top what the topic of conversation or how the flow of that meeting is going to go, but if I have an opportunity, I'll bring those up. Yeah. I mean, really connecting to the blue line would be the holy grail for the se cause. You the tracks run in parallel, you know, and it's just it's
ridiculous. You can see Wonderland. What are you doing as you as you ride on the train? And it would be such a big deal to to connect those two. Did you go to the Wonderland Ballroom? Is that even there anymore? I don't think so. I'm in that area quite a bit and I haven't seen that in quite a long
time. The ride. Um, yeah. Well, I chatted with the seniors today. They did ask questions about where the condo docks stand and I'm not sure are you in the middle of that or is I had a conversation with Jim Brown
Saturday. Uh and Jim is knowing his cousin as he does and you're getting to know okay is uh Jim is doing some red lines on his
own. He's uh modify and get everything together and he's just going to drop it in Russ's lap. As we if we recall the PNS got stalled as soon as uh he got a hold of it. Russ got a hold of it and we are now he's been promised. I'm I saw him at
Dwy's uh going into Dwy's no the jazz fest a couple of weeks ago. I'll have that this week. That was what two three weeks ago. So, I think that now that Jim Brown is taking the lead on this and I will touch base with him in the next day or two to see where it's at.
What are they? Do we know what they're changing or fiddling with, I should say? No. No. Except that if it's Russ, he's going to fiddle with everything. All right. So, you weren't here for the last go round. I will want to see that well in advance
of this discussion. You know, our board discussing it. I'm a trustee for my condos. my second go around with condos, there's stuff that has to make sense. The documents have to align with how you want to run the facility. So, I will be looking for certain things and if
they're tinkering with that stuff. No, I think it's just, you know, the big item was the uh voting. That's ex We'll talk. Yeah, we've already agreed to change what we talked about in the PNS because if that that's that gets into a whole can of worms and I've been down
that road. So, we should talk off, you know, with Tony maybe. Okay. All right. So, um let's just say that it's in progress. We can't really say anything more than that at this point. I did I did tell I think in an email or
at least with Todd Crane and Jim that, you know, we want to start a serious fundraising in September. So, we have to have Yeah, it's not guidelines, you know, and we have to have something September. That has to be really finalized. Yeah, it really does. Part of part of
the story. So, that's happening. Um the uh dialer ride with Kada starts tomorrow. So, we'll see how that goes. They got they've got I signed up and I will take a ride within the next probably two weeks. A ride to nowhere. Maybe I'll go
to the Cheesecake Factory or something. I don't know. But I will see how that uh how that goes. But uh they do have some promotional initiatives to try and get the word out. They certainly had flyers with the with the seniors. They're on
social media. They obviously have information on the Kada website. I think they have flyers here and we sent them a uh an address list for seniors as well. So they can do a mailing. They can do that. Yeah. So you need you need to register with them. So whenever
you call they say I know who you are. I've got whatever the basic information is that they need and uh uh they can what's the requirement? Pardon me. Senior. No they will take anybody. It's just that
who needs cheesecake factory. I'm not going to the cheesecake. But I'll go someplace just just to ride and then get a ride. have a bump toe and you can't drive. Hey, that's not a bad idea. Yeah. Where do you want to go? And
I'm thinking of doctors, right? Yeah. Okay. I should I should pick up there. Well, just see uh see what the story is. Yeah. So, uh that's going along. uh the library. Um well, Jack Burke got around
on Saturday and he made some observations with regard to the library as you probably know with regard to uh the generator there which uh was installed and hooked up not too far not too much, you know, not too many months ago, but it was kind of an incomplete
job because there was some construction involved that left construction debris and mounds of earth and other things like that. Um it was kind of by bushes etc. But nevertheless it should have been all cleaned up. So uh Chuck has been informed. It'll be
taken care of I think within the next uh week or so. Um that's the um historic district commission. There's no report on that. And DPW is wrestling with trash. Yeah.
Mr. health meeting, but it would seem as if there was anything particularly that they were going to talk about. They it was a specific sub seic system and reappointments and I think the appointments were pretty clear. Um, I
will try to get to their next meetings because there hasn't been much as much progress as hoped on the two Desmond Avenue property and this a kind of a desperate message from
from Michael's son saying, you know, I'm working at 2 in the morning and trying to move stuff out, But I'm not getting there. I I spoke with Wendy just before the meeting tonight and there was more email exchange today. Uh I I'll I'll
definitely give them credit on communication. Yes. Um as well as their attorneys communicating pretty regularly with ours. Um so there is there's more information being um right passed back and forth. Mhm.
Um progress uh is it's construction. Yes. I think you know to that point I think they're trying from what I can read they're also trying to incorporate their expansion. So there is there is you know
and I think that they are moving in that direction. We know they're not living in there. Uh I think that should this is my opinion but it's you know people house a decision on their own is that status quo and let them keep chugging along.
As long as they're moving forward um we have filed yeah I saw that and um December was August 8th. Yeah. Um, so there's communication going back and forth with our attorneys and their
attorney about a joint petition to postpone Okay. the receiverhip hearing that's scheduled for Friday. Yeah. Okay. Um, and I believe the board of health will be making that official decision on Thursday at their meeting.
Right. Um, but part of that is some other elements that, you know, they're looking for from to Desmond Drive as well, you know, trying to kind of work with, but also keep progress moving. Do we have a signed contract for the
roofing work yet? Nope. And we haven't seen any anything related to plumbing and nobody in town has been through that facility through that house. Correct. That's another element. That's three issues that are
has been tender. I'd like to see one of those three before we let go of that meeting on Friday. I agree with you on that. It's not our decision, but I'd like to see at least one of those three things done. Otherwise, we're uh just being sent along.
Yeah. which I can I think I got the You're not alone in that. That's the impression I got. So, Thursday morning, we'll see. Okay. Um the
school committee is meeting from August 19th. Um I think um and the finance committee is scheduled to to meet again in October. So
pretty light leaison work for me. Uh I'd like to attend that August 19th meeting with you if that if you can I sent you an email today I sent you something back introducing you to the major players. Great. And I didn't introduce you to them so
much as them to you. Okay. Great. And and u Yeah. Um I'll let you know that when I know for sure that they ordinarily meet at six in the high school in what's in my age would have been called the
library. What's it called now? Is that medias? Medius. No. That's not that. I don't care. I'm sorry. I ask. Okay. Didn't realize it would be that long.
So, time ministry report. Yep. Uh so since as well today I attended the um event with at the American Legion with the Chelsea home uh with Senator Tar and
uh Chief McNeely and Lieutenant McCoy were there. It was the 80th anniversary of this event. Um and it was a it was a great time. They were very excited to be there and Senator Tar presented them with a citation. Um, since uh we met last, of course,
we've been dealing with Republic and the trash issue. Uh, again this week, our DPW will be doing uh curbside collection of recycling on Thursday for Monday's route and Friday for Tuesday's route. Um, I believe the added transfer station
hours have been helpful. Um I did speak with someone at the festival by the sea about uh you know maybe some improved signage and um guidance at the transfer station as to I think the flow of traffic has been
was fine before we ran into this strike issue and now all of a sudden you have a lot more residents attend you know going to the transfer station and so the the flow of traffic is backing up a little bit. So, I'm gonna again I'll talk with
Chuck and probably we'll we'll meet with Black Earth on that. Uh we also had a meeting a care meeting uh that's a regional emergency management group uh in Rockport um
couple weeks ago. That was really good to meet all the different players and talk about um you know our regional shelter operation and different action items that we're hoping to pursue. uh as a group moving forward, met with the friends of the Council on Aging with
John. That was a great introduction. Um obviously a lot of things going on in that area. I attended a Harbor Management uh meeting. We also had a uh with Senator Tar. We had a meeting with Masdot and state police and some of the
neighboring municipalities about wrongway driving on 128 and starting to kind of talk about what types of solutions uh could be presented that the legislature could help support
uh through funding and uh see if we can really correct some of a lot of the wrongway driving issues are uh drunk drivers s or seniors uh who, you know, it's not intentional. They just don't know uh which way they're going. And so
trying to come up with better ways to prevent uh you know, those those accidents that are occurring. Um I had a tour of the water uh and sewer treatment plants with with it was uh 90 degrees.
No, it was great. It was great. I love I love seeing that stuff and it really helps understand you know the these major capital projects that we have and uh meeting the meeting the staff and they do a great job. I mean that so where again I keep going back to uh
where I come from in the hot we just our water came from MWR and our sewer we just uh sent to Lynwater sewer treatment plant we didn't treat on the island so to see the complexity of the system and
and Chuck is I mean he just knows like the technical details uh he it's really impressive um and we have a great team with Woodard and Karin and the folks over at uh the treatment plant. So, um it was good. I was glad to glad to be
able to do that. And then the Festival by the Sea uh was a great day as you mentioned and I toured the library with uh Cynthia on actually on Thursday prior to that communication. So, I had already
started talking about some of those issues and uh I'll follow up with Chuck when he gets back. And then the planning board meeting. So, that to that point, so the planning board meeting they've and that zoning uh element, they did say that they may
be considering a special town meeting in November to take that up. Um they were going to in their meeting in September, they would confirm. Uh we have as on the town side, we have some things that we could add to that uh
warrant if we do have a meeting, but um really trying to see what the planning board wants to do and if they want to move forward with the with that with the zoning change, we'll add some things on. If they don't feel ready, I think we could wait until annual town meeting in the spring.
And I also met with the uh affordable housing trust as well uh to because we're going to be speaking with uh Senator Tar and Secretary Augustus about um the Powder House uh project and things that happen there and and some of
the other you know housing elements that uh the big topic there is our housing authority, not just ours but many towns are just under uh funded and don't have the resources to maintain, you know, the
properties they have. And um while we're supportive of expanding housing, we also have to make sure that we support the one the the housing that we do have, too. So, we'll be talking with Senator Tar and Secretary Augustus about that.
And that's my update. I don't know if this will Will, are you on the phone? If if not, um, if if one of you want to if I if I could schedule a time to meet with Will, we could do that between now
and the next meeting and recommend, you know, or I think that sounds like a good idea. Perhaps you and Kathy would talk to him and then um although he's not appointed, he should
be involved and we will appoint him when we have a chance to talk. Good idea. All right. Good. Yeah. Is there a time that the this group is not been invited? Nothing's been waiting until they were waiting until they were waiting the night. Yeah.
They're 95% of the board now, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. You should just go ahead. So that may be happen in the next two weeks then. There's nobody who's obviously in charge of it. It's probably Chuck, right? Yeah. So when Chuck gets back, he should rally
the troops and Yeah. Yep. Get that started. Okay. Motion to return. Second. All in favor? I