standy for all. >> Thank you all in the room for joining us this evening. Thank you all online for being with us as well. The first item that we have on our agenda is public comments. and the board would like to hear public comments and if there's
further action that's required by the board, I'll add the matter as appropriate to a forthcoming agenda. Depending on the comment, of course, um the board may, if we're able within the open meeting law, respond with information as opposed to needing to
deliberate on that particular issue. Is there anybody in the room here this evening that has any comments for public comment? See nobody rising. Anybody online who has any questions or comments for public comment? I don't see anybody there.
The next item on the agenda is the couple of items for the use of town property. One was added to our agenda just late yesterday as a result of a request from Open Table for extended hours. Uh really
in response to the ongoing issues that we've got nationally uh related to issues with people who are just not being able to get the benefits that they need in order to get food. So they're seeing a big increase in the number of people that are seeking help
from them and they felt that it was necessary to expand their hours and of course they need our permission because it uh occurs on public land namely they use some parking space at front of the building and they use some parking
spaces back on the uh Summer Street parking lot. So, with that, um, I think the request is that they'd like on Tuesdays, they'd like permission to open their drive-thru two hours earlier
than previously permitted. And this is just for limited time. I believe it's just for the month of November at this time. >> That's what I was That's what I was asking, just for November. and they're looking for permission to open our their drive-thru two hours earlier at 11:00 a.m. So, their schedule on Tuesdays
would be 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. And on Thursdays, they're seeking permission to end their drive-thru 2 hours later at 6:30 p.m., meaning that their schedule and use of the property would be 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The police have
indicated that they have no issues with this. Um and again it's only for uh the month of November and there uh of course if they came to us and asked for an extension given where we're at we'd have to address at that point but right now
that's where where we are at. There any questions from the members of the board relative to this request? Seeing none are there any questions from the public relative to the request? All right, we will take a vote if there
is a motion. >> Move to approve the use of Main Street and neighbor court parking area to support open tables operation on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the month of November 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Contingent upon adherence to all public safety guidance.
>> Second. >> Any further questions or comments hearing? None. All in favor? Passes unanimously. The next item for use of public property is a sculpture installation on the Aspet
River Rail Trail. Uh jeez, it looks like there's a couple people representation of the As River Jim Rail Trail. Uh so those of you who want to speak on this, feel free to come up, give us a little insight into what your intention is to
move forward and uh we'll go from there. >> Thank you. And um >> can you give your names and even though we know who you are names and >> David Mark um and Maple Street Maynard representing a group which has decided to call itself Maynard as a canvas. Uh
we thank the slight board for inviting us to present today. As you know last year about this time we came before the site board proposing a sculpture be installed along the rail trail with approval of the site board and not from the department of public works. We're
also able to get funding from the main cultural council and they're doing it for us. This year uh we were able to have a sculpture uh with the help of the teacher of the metal shop at Aset Valley Regional Technical High School students
design, build and paint the sculpture which is now installed along the rail trailer but across from the bicycle shop incidentally uh of a bicycle and bicyclist. And we've decided to come for the site board and um
this again the group again not calling social med canvas consisting of members all the time Leo Ellen Dugen David Mark Andy Morain Steve Smith and Linda Far are here to present an idea for another sculpture to
be placed on town land. Um and we've also applied to cultural council and hopefully we'll also appoint it again this year. At this point we turn over to Priscilla who give you description of the culture and placement.
>> Um what we are aiming to do this year >> sorry where tutors collab. Um, last year we originally started talking about a sheep and it was we were talking about doing a sheep on a bicycle and we
decided that was a little bit of a stretch, a little bit too much. So, we moved back to a bicycle and that obviously went really well. So, this year the group has decided that she is a good project to aim for. Um, you're probably all familiar with the logo of
American Wool and Mill the um Aset wall would have been from the mid 1800s to the end about 1900s and then the following 50 years was asette and when I saw this logo I just thought okay we need to use that sheet somehow. So um I
designed a sculpture and the teacher at Asabet is pretty excited about building this steel sculpture. Um I've talked to him about the design. He's agreed with our plan. and it's going to be about 6 feet tall um on cement on a tube so it'll look
like it's actually standing in the grass and the location we think will work best is >> how do you describe it the acty triangle that's north of farms gas station sort of south of conquer street and uh therefore and route 27 so I got grass
here um there's plenty of room to have a sculpture place so it's well away from itself be visible from the rail trail, visible from the two roads. So I mentioned we're talking about know about 6t tall ahead maybe 7 8 ft long about three feet wide
a a super size from sheep and the real being she mentioned um the whole basis of mayor history for over 100 years was that this was a town based mill and all the new buildings we have were all built as part
of that progressive getting larger and larger and larger complex until at one point I think it was called the the started rolling mill in New England and that sort of closed down in 1950. But we feel it's important to recognize the heritage of what basically made.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And I think the idea of having it in that location as people are coming into town seeing this, they're going to say what what's with the sheep and it's a great chance to educate people about the whole history of and how literally man
um we've applied a funding to cultural council. um if they fund less than we think we need to do this the real organization will make up the difference so we have backup funding in case cultural council doesn't fund this in
its entirety and as with the other one it was the group itself that poured the concrete will again be taking care of ping the concrete and doing the actual installation with ppw blessing I think that's our presentation any questions
No, any questions from the board? >> Just a a comment that um I've been fortunate enough to have traveled around a fair bit and one of the pleasor of traveling is seeing how different towns around the world uh express themselves
through their uh artwork and uh I think it's it's just great to see mainet uh keeping on this track and with people such as yourselves willing to support it. So, thank you. I'll add that this sort of began with murals a couple years ago and we know the town has has begun to um open this
up to this idea of murals in public spaces. I think sculpture is a a good complent to that and uh I think the bicycle has been very well received. I've actually seen bicycle club stop and have their pictures taken. >> Any questions or comments?
>> No, just thank you for the work and the dedication. people like the the bicycle sculpture. So, I'm looking forward to seeing one at a at a bigger, more impressive scale. Um, and covered in steel wool as I see. >> Question. >> Thank you. >> Every question I was going to answer at
the end, >> I would uh comments made by my colleagues. One quick question. Have you spoken to Justin about any concerns about maintenance of the lawn, quote unquote, for that triangular area, given that there will be something there that
would cause perhaps more work having to use a edge trimmer versus just mowing grass? >> Well, we haven't gotten that far yet, but the thought is either if you have each of the four legs on a concrete post, then you can have grass growing
under it and will need to be sort of trimmed to edge. Another way to go is okay, let's just do a concrete slab. And the concrete slab is is so basically riding mower, which is what they use in that space. Now, moles all the grass around it. So, this is I I think something that can come up when we get
closer to installing this, but I think it's a valid question. What we don't want this to interfere with the ease of maintaining that lawn. Okay. It shouldn't be an issue because there's fencing there and there's some trees there and there's some blocks there that they have to get off and cut
anyway. If you leg it's it's placed far enough away from everything else far enough away from the trees far away from those those stone blocks that a person with a grinding mower which I've seen there will be able to maneuver around this and not be
trying to squeeze through a narrow space and be far enough away that anyone bicycle meanders off the pavement at the rail trail will not hang into it. Um the corners will not stick out. Um it won't be a tail to grab there. We're going to
try to make this electrified. We want to make this attractive. So there public can go to take a look other than on our agenda as to what this will look like if they see this and they want to say wonder what that will look like.
>> Yes. The art and trail of flowers both maintain public websites and there'll be descriptions of this on those websites and and that'll be permanently available as you may know uh with the major voice. I'm now also writing the major voice and
I'll be doing the column for the first sculpture about this for the major voice. >> Right. Thank you. >> So you're looking at the summer of 2026. >> I think depends on the timing of the students. It may be that they may not finish it in the before they end the
school year and they'll carry over into the next year student. So we don't say exactly when but >> the last one basically in store in July when you have a ceremony gradation ceremon's point about people you know want to say
oh what that what that lamb doing and see how many pe how many people look it be interest how many hits it gets on Google how many people actually you know are looking because if there's not enough, can we move it to a place where you might see
more activity? >> You know, that's very high visibility place for people on the rail trail and also for people on the two roads. It's it's we walking up and down to try to figure out spaces where snow clouds wouldn't push
snow for example uh where we wanted. So right now we think that's the best possible placement for it. I did get visit counts on my man of life outdoors because which is again one place that's been placed down on flowers. So I have
an idea that it's it's a good placement hardly consider moving it once we're planting it on >> No I I understand that. I'm just saying this so it's getting the attention and getting the education and the knowledge you're hoping it does.
>> Yeah. I'm just looking on her phone. One thing today up here at the light and go, "Oh my god, look at that." Yeah. There'll be a plaque explaining why a sheep because you know I because it's been 75 years since wool was part
of the town's business and that's a whole generations of people who don't know that. So be part of explaining history. >> Ellen knows >> any other questions if not all. I will move to approve the sculpture installation along the asphet river rail
trail as proposed by the mayor as a canvas group contingent upon adherence to all guidelines provided by the director of public. >> Any further questions or comments? Hearing none. All in favor? >> Thank you both. Thank you to the committee members. Good luck.
>> Yes, we'll keep you posted about our >> All right. Next item on the agenda is some appointments. We have nine minutes before our eight minutes now before our scheduled public appearance. Uh and the first appointment is Peg Brown for the senior center committee and I know Peg
is online with us this evening. Um Peg, welcome. I don't think you need to tell us much about yourself frequently and we also understand your interest in the senior center committee. So I don't know if there's much you need to tell us at all. But certainly if you
wish to give us some insight into why now, why this committee, uh, feel free. >> Well, first I apologize for being on Zoom, but I find myself with two meetings tonight, so I'm zooming twice
over. Uh the makeup of the senior center committee was to have two representatives from the council on aging and with the um resignation of or the end of Mary Mitskovich's term uh
rather uh we needed a replacement uh to represent the council on aging. So I will be joining Paul Guthrie um in uh attending meetings. Um I have attended
most of the senior center committee meetings since their inception. So I'm quite familiar with their work and I know that it stems from our senior center focus group that we once had. Um
this might be one of the shortest tenurs on a committee because in fact if we have a senior center lease um presented soon u I believe the senior center committee will be filing a an end of u
committee report and probably going into hiatus for the near future. So we we'll see what that all comes about. But um you know my involvement with the seniors um I'm just u excited for what's coming
in the near future and hope to be a part of that until we have our new place populated, furnished and and open. >> What do you think of that? >> I'm sorry. What does Cherry think about putting the committee into mock vaults
for a while? >> That's quite all right with me. That's all right. I think we got quite a bit accomplished in I don't know 14 16 months something like that. >> Right. So the only the only question is
the some of the conversations that have surrounded the whole thing about shortterm, medium-term, long term, right? We are we are we considering this the long term? Are we considering this the medium term still and are we you know this that committee needs to make
that decision I think before we decide to go anyway with >> we're going to comment on that in the final report of this committee because the committee is basically accomplish what the select board has put forward as
our charter uh you know to to find a a space and make a recommendation and we we've done that now it's on your side to to to culminate the uh the structure of the lease and get it signed. Uh but
in the final report, yes, Chris, we are going to address the issue of short-term versus long-term uh a broader approach to what the senior center or community center could look like. That would be that would have been
addressed sooner had we been looking at a lease that might be two or three years. But if this lease is going to be I think what I've heard upwards of 15 years, I don't know that we're going to need to look
too quickly at a uh at a larger space. Not yet. I think we have some time. Gonna move in. See how it works. See how the new space works. See if that's enough space. >> All right. Peg appointment.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. But all right. >> Uh, everybody heard Peg's comments. Uh, is there a motion? Move to appoint Peg Brown to the senior senate committee with a term expiring June 30th, 2028 in
authorizing the use of digital signatures if approved. Second. >> And I should have asked if there were any comments for Peg or any questions to Peg. Hearing none, we'll vote. All in favor? Congratulations Peg. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Peg. >> Welcome aboard, Peg. >> Thanks, Jerry. It is now 7:20, but I do want to go to the next item on the appointments list so that we're sort of clean when we move on. U skipping over the rest. The um the next item on the appointments is
actually for green metal committee. You may recall in our last meeting, we were asked to review a uh change order for the Green Meadow. And it was unusual because when I sat on the schools went up high school committee, we never had anything come to
school to the uh select board. It was all done at committee level um and approved and nothing ever had to come to the select board for additional approval. So and we are allowed to consider revising the procedure for approving the change orders by authorizing the school building
committee to approve the change orders without needing further approval from us. The change orders for this project are first reviewed and proceed from the building committee subcommittee for finances then are discussed and voted on by the entire build building committee at its regular public meetings and the
additional level of approval by the select board is not common practice unfold for senior school building projects and delays potentially latest timely processing for um and as I mentioned when I sat on this high school committee we did not have
this approval process I'm told that the fire station committee did not have this type of process. Um so I think Greg is hoping that we can move to authorize similarly um to allow the Green Meadow School Building Committee to have such.
Any questions from the board on that hearing? None. I'll entertain a motion. I will move to authorize the Green Meadow School Building Committee to approve change orders relative to the construction for the new Green Meadow Elementary School project. Second
further who got that? >> Further comments or questions? Hearing none. All in favor? >> Good. All right. We will return to item four. But now we are at 720 where um we
have a public hearing. our annual FY or our annual tax classification hearing. This one is for FY 26. >> It's Yes, we're in FY26, but I I'm in between like three fiscal years in my
>> FY the tax FY 206. >> That's correct. But you look a lot They're going to go over this. You look a lot about what happened last year and you talk about a little bit what's going to happen next year. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So, who is doing the presentation this evening? Come on up. Introduce.
>> So, we're skipping the license. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Introduce yourself to the public and um then go right into your presentation. >> Sure. >> I'm Sean Delrose, chairman of the board of assessors. With me is Steve Parker, a
member of the board of assessors. We're here tonight to present to you the options for the tax classification. I'll just get right into it. Just any time. On page three, we're just going to it's an overview of the uh assessment
periods. The um it points out that we are on a revaluation year, which means people did see their assessments go up. um those numbers came out about a month ago. There was a period in which the residents could come in and discuss those values that has elapsed. So we are
now looking at January 1st. There are value questions. Um but that being said, we are also a 653 community which means we've adopted that provision which allows us to assess new growth beyond January 1st assessment date through June
30th. So any of the new growth that we assess can be added to that levy for that period every year. Uh after we come up with all those numbers, we send them into the commissioner revenue. He approves and then we end up here for the classification options.
We got classification. Each fall we have this meeting. It's for the vote on the adoption of four items. Those four items are the split tax rate or single tax rate. uh the adoption of residential exemption, the adoption of a small commercial exemption and the adoption of
the open space discount if applicable. Uh this information been provided by the board assessors for you to make that decision. So the next page, page five is just a summary of the uh valuation history in Mayard. Just a top level
view. You can see the share between the residential and commercial industrial personal property classes. what it's broken out to in the past couple years. Now you can see the total value of the properties 2 million 500 million.
That's FY26. So if we move to the next page, you'll see the brief growth history. Uh the first chart there is the growth valuation, just the assessments on just those items that are considered new growth each year. Uh and then down
below you'll see what impact that has on the levy. Uh in terms of levy growth, the most consistent class in Mayor to look at for growth is the residential class. When we have big commercial jumps, it's great, but we can't count on that every year. There's not a
consistent industrial um construction going. So that's just a consideration to look at each year as you plan for new growth and think about that. you want to really focus on the residential trend. Um if commercial emerges grows that's great
but really the the bread and butter for manners is the residential go. Uh next page is page seven. That is a history of the tax rates and the shift that we've adopted in Mayard for the past 10 years. Obviously this year is to
be determined. You'll see last year shift was 1.31. that pushed a little bit more of the burden onto the commercial class than we had done in the past couple years, but it wasn't a big jump by any means.
Uh on the next page is a introduction and overview of the proposition 2 and a half and the levy limits which is how we come to our tax rate. So, proposition two and a half allows each town to add 2 and a.5% to their
levy from last year and that determines your new levy. You can add to that new growth overrides and your debt debt exclusions that you're going to include. So, each year we include those. This year, the
town opted to have uh two overrides added for $812,000. Uh and there's continued debt excludings that come up each year until we go through all those. Uh the next page is just an overview of how the tax rate is
shifted. Um the chapter 200 of the act of 1988. It allows towns to give residential open space property the little bit of relief on the taxing and push some of the burden onto the commercial industrial personal property
classes. Um, Maynard has opted to have a split tax rate or as far back as I can see since that this was introduced in 1988. Um, there are probably a couple years in between. Um, but the property tax burden
cannot shift beyond 150%. Uh there is a provision to allow it to go to 175% on the commercial industrial class. So they would be paying 175% of their their burden. Um that is a harder number to
hit. Uh and in this year we did not get to the 175. The max we can do is 150. And I'll get into why. So to determine it you have to uh excuse me for the 175%
you need to uh the residential share for this year meaning the residential portion of the levy can't be u can't exceed last year's residential share. So this year's presidential share
is 87.75% excuse me last year's presidential share was 87.75% this year is 85.66 66 meaning we cannot shift to the 175. So 150% is the furthest we can go.
Uh the min minimum residential share 8 8566 maximum shift of 150%. Sorry you have to bear with me as we go through this is a big page. So when you come with the residential factor and the maximum shift. So we will only go up to 150. The now we have a
minimum residential factor of 9471. You can go to the next page. We're going to look at how we calculate the levy. Uh like I said last year levy plus 2 a.5% and it'll just kind of flow right down. And then you can add in the growth
of 603940. You can add in the overrides. That gives you a levy limit. Most towns operate at that levy limit unless you have debt exclusions as we do. So we'll go to that next number which is the 43,399789. That is our total levy for fiscal 26.
That is the number we are going to adjust the tax rate based on how much we shift to each property class. So the next the next step is to calculate a single rate based on that total levy and the total property value. that came to 1735 for the single rate to
see and below that you can just see the overrides for the council schools. Next page is just a breakdown in the broad picture of what it looks like to have a single rate and a split rate at the maximum uh shift. So the top section
there would show you what the residential class and commercial industrial property class would own for tax levy at no shift and a single tax rate 1735. And then down below you'll see that shifting that burden to the
maximum changes each class on the tax levy side, how much they're responsible for that will affect their bills. So the next page is what we have for options. when you plug in the
the information from that LA4 and from the uh levy calculations, you're given a set of rates. This is a drop-own version of it where I've selected um every 10% and you can kind of see what that does to the residential
class. We look at the third column there under residential. That is the levy amount the residential class has to bear under each shift option. Uh you can see that the changes are minimal. They're not they're not drastic
for 10%. Um and you'll see that a little further when we get to the average bills. So those are just some of the options for this for the shifted rates. Uh next page is just a a look at the other communities around us. Um some closer
than others, but the it's just a to highlight that a high tax rate is not a good barometer of what your average tax bills are going to be. Uh if you look up at the top, you'll see Lincoln has a split rate 1281 residential. Their
average their average single family tax bill is $20,000. So, in May, we're in good shape with our average bill down around 9 $9,600. We don't intend to grow that in drastically. So, we're going to recommend to shift the rate again and
have pretty pretty close numbers. Uh, as you look at these different communities, the average single family tax bill is probably the best barometer uh of capture the more complete picture of what each community is offering to the residential class.
On the next page, you're going to be looking at a summary of the potential rate shifts and compare that to fiscal year 25. Uh again, this is now a a smaller incremental look at the potential shifts. U but if you look all
the way to the right, it does highlight in each of those residential and commercial industrial property columns, it does highlight what the average tax bill will do in each of those classes. So you you'll see you know just from the 131 which is highlighted which was last
year's shift the average tax bill for the residential class 10,185 shifting it another 4% decreases that bill just $40. So there's not it's not we're not talking huge numbers um between each of these u
percentage points but it is when you go up and down a list it does change pretty well pretty significantly. So that is a look at the potential shifts and what that would look like to the residential class.
The next page is a single family impact. So it's a little bit different than just a residential average bill. Uh though the single family does make up a significant portion of the town's parcels at 64%. Um so most communities will look at this
and it's a good way to compare uh your your larger class. So this is that's our largest class, but we're going to look at the single families. The average tax bill last year, like we said, 9,600. We're going up to 10,167.
not a huge uh shift or change rather um in a year where we have new overrides, continued debt exclusions um and not a ton of commercial growth. So, uh we are here to talk about these four options, but we're just going to
quickly get into them and then I will turn it over to you. Uh residential exemption is an option for the towns to shift up to 35% of the residential of the tax burden from the residential class within its own class. So that is owner occupied
homes shifting 35% of their burden to the nonowner occupied homes. Uh Maynard has 3,600 plus residential properties which is about 87% of our property, our taxable property. uh about 7% of those
have mailing addresses outside of Mina. So we are heavily residential community. Uh of the remaining only 1% are owned by an LLC which would disqualify them. Of the remaining from there just 40 but 1% again are owned by a man resident with
another main resident at rest listed meaning they own multiple properties in Mayard and would only qualify only. So that leads us to a total of 91% owner occupied properties in May and giving us really not a lot of space to shift that 35% tax burden maybe shifting onto the
other 9% of owners and like we said that's a very small group of people. So residential exemption, it really lends itself to communities with high numbers of investor own properties uh and second homes, beach communities, cities like Boston, Charlton,
Charleston, Summerville, places like that have a lot of apartment buildings, condo buildings, and you know, not a ton of uh owner occupancy, which mean like we said 91% is pretty high. So with that said, the board of assessors this year, like last year and
year before, recommends a no vote on the adoption of the residential exemption. Uh next up is the small commercial exemption. Again, a small commercial exemption is an exemption of up to 10%. But is within the commercial industrial
property class, but the exemption is only for commercial properties. So what that means is any value that we would exempt on the commercial properties would be shifted to the industrial and personal property classes. Um and within that there are kind of
hard lines to cross in terms of qualifying for that exemption. Uh you need to be assessed for le for less than $1 million and you have to have less than 10 employees at your business. Um but beyond that, the the exemption is it
was a good idea. It needs probably needs to be rewritten in law. Um because the way it's written, it allows for the big property owners to take that exemption and there's no clause or no,
you know, facilitation for them to give that money back to the business that it's intended to have. So, if you own the restaurant but not the building and we exempt the building's taxes, they're under no obligation to pass that on to the owner of the small business. So,
it's a small commercial exemption, but it really favors the owners of the properties and not necessarily a small business. Um, so within that class, we only had 13 businesses that might have qualified with that under 1 million commercial property value and only seven
of those are owner occupied. So we, you know, that's a very small number of people we could be helping with this. Um, most towns do not adopt this and I think are waiting for that legislation to be rewritten a little bit to provide some kind of obligation to the owner to
pass on if they do not indeed operate any business. So with all that said, we again would recommend a no vote on the small commercial exemption for FY26. And finally, we are going to recommend a
um tax factor of 1.31 again this year, which is the same as last. Uh the the impact on the tax bills was pretty balanced between residential and commercial and the impact in a year like I said where we have new overrides,
continued debt exclusions. um the adjustment up from the average tax bill was not significant uh in that in that scenario with the 131 shift really anything around there is good but 131 is a you know solid number for both classes
I believe and that is our recommendation so finish is just another summary of the other modes no on residential no on small and commercial and we don't have the open space class 200 it's different from chapter It's it's a different
designation. We don't have any in this town right now. So, no actions needed on that vote. That's going to do it for my presentation. Thank you for your time. Thank you coming in. >> Thank you for the presentation. Before we move into questions from the board
and the public since public hearing, I realized halfway through your presentation that I didn't officially open the public hearing. Now, I don't think that's going to be legal issue. I'm not going to make you do it again. Would you like to >> I am going to read the open public
hearing from the record so that it's there and people can say it was not presented as such as required by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40 section 56. The main select board will hold their annual fiscal year 2026 tax classification hearing on Tuesday,
November 5th, 2025 at 7:20 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to determine the percentages of the local tax levy to be born by each class of real property and the public is welcome to attend. So um having said that, having heard your
presentation, how often is the board questions on your presentation? Um, first of all, I just in a year where we don't have the um, assessor's office full, I just want to thank you, Sean, and the rest of the board of assessors for the the work that you did for this year's presentation. I thought the
PowerPoint presentation when I was reviewing it over the weekend was incredibly helpful in explaining a lot of the nuances, um, the contextual information, the different towns that were selected, all very helpful. So, just want to thank you for that succinct presentation, the explanation as well.
Um I I have one question. Uh for several years the board of assessors had been looking to bring the split more towards par bringing that down. Last year I was um surprised at a reversal in the
direction the recommendation. Um can you color in a bit more about where the board of assessors is for this year's discussion on that? You now you're recommending flat from last year. Did you discuss raising or lower? Were you guys all pretty comfortable on flat? Are you looking at longer term trends? Are
you holding your waiting seeing? Can you just give me a little bit more context on on how that discussion played out for this fiscal year? >> Absolutely. Uh we discussed it two weeks ago at a meeting. Um I brought presentation in. We we discussed kind of what we would go with for rate. Uh the
consensus, you're right, is to try and ease some of that burden, come down a little bit from the the uh residential end. the the board this year had discussed I think a 135 rate
and then the 131. Both of them have a an increase in the residential bill. I don't I think that's unavoidable this year. Um but the I like I said in the presentation the impact on both seemed pretty
uh equal I guess pretty equivalent. There there's a increase in the commercial and industrial property. There's an increase in the residential. I think the increase we went with go do uh
doesn't overwhelm either class. I think right now we're we're adding a lot of residential um projects or projects that are not directly benefit beneficial to the
critical class as as overrides. So I think in this particular year with the overrides on we didn't want to also then give the residential class a lower number >> an extra hit. In other words >> I think
>> no no he's talking about >> we don't want increase. Yeah, we didn't want to we didn't want to shift we didn't want to sh come down too far with a shift lower the residential bill beyond you know in an unbalanced way as compared to
the CIP looking at the overrides and what the debt exclusions are paying for it seemed more fair to keep them sliding at the same pace almost if that makes sense. Right. >> So, if I can paraphrase just to make sure that makes sense, is the the board overall still interested in raising the
shift, therefore lowering the residential, but did not think this was the a year to do it. >> Correct. Yeah. I mean, we're we're interested in in changing that shift going up. Most communities will go as high as, you know, is as possible. >> I was surprised to see the Hudson number
there. I didn't uh Yeah, didn't know that. But going >> it it really depends on how much commercial property you have as well. Um, towns that have a lot of industrial and commercial business going on versus just a lot of personal property tend to go all the way up to that 150 175 if
they can. Um, if you have a smaller commercial property class, you really don't want to hammer them too hard with additional tax burden every year for the benefit of the residents only. And like I said with over and dead included a
more balanced uh if made more sense to us this year you >> Thank you very much. >> Um yeah thank you I would echo Jeff's uh appreciation for the work that went into it and and uh as Jeff said I I found it very clear easy to read. I love clarity
in these kinds of reports. I appreciate uh the way you presented the information. Um, one one question I have is whether or not there is um any advocacy from the um the commercial
bodies in town as to whether or not um this any any slight changes in the rate that we're setting would be likely to uh impact their desire to to do business in Maine. Um I mean I I'm aware of the discussions that take place around the
residential level. Everybody wants to go down. No surprise there. But just wondering whether there has been any conversation about that. >> Certainly the res >> the res class does tend to talk a lot more. >> Yeah. >> To each other, to the town, to
everybody. Uh and there's a lot more comparable information out there for them. The business classes, they're not interacting with each other, so they're not typically causing a lot of stir. Uh and then as far as communication with the board, we haven't heard anything. I haven't heard anything personally uh from any of the commercial properties
regarding the rate, the shift, anything like that. Nobody's discussed any displeasure with it. I haven't seen anything like that come in yet. We're hoping they're happy enough in Mayard. Um we're hoping that the ship options we presented today don't discourage them at all.
>> Yeah. I mean, I certainly appreciate uh with so much else that's changing in rates to have some level of consistency. I suspect some people would appreciate. >> Hope so. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> No questions. >> Thank you for Thank you for the
information. >> Yeah, I would echo >> the same immediate change. >> I would echo that. I do have a question. Um I remember guess was it the assessment time that um multif family homes were hit
uh relatively hard. I think it was 34% increase. >> Yeah. Um, so this impact on them, um, I mean, I think most multif family homeowners now are aware because they saw or they might be aware, maybe some
people don't look at the assessments when they come out, but, uh, became aware somehow, and they certainly will become aware >> January 1, >> when the bills come out, that multif family homeowners will see a relatively
significant impact compared to the numbers that we were talking about, you know, uh and I think it's only fair that we raise that point and make that point uh known uh because it will become apparent to that group of residents um
and the bills come out. >> The other comment I wanted to make is on the commercial side, you know, oftentimes when we think about commercial uh businesses, we think about the larger corporations and whatever. Oh, that this won't affect them that much because they're a major
organization that can take the hit. >> Uh Maynard is made up of mostly smaller businesses. So our commercial business base is really a small it's mom and pop lack of a better phrase. Um so we have
to be cons considerate that and aware of that when we are talking about commercial rate that we're not impacting u you know Home Depot here we're impacting somebody who went into a business who's trying and really working
on a minimum margin. >> So we have to be aware of that. We want to keep those businesses. They are in many ways the lifeblood of downtown Maynard. Certainly, >> you know, some of the businesses we have now over at Crossing might be of the
larger size, but the ones that drive our downtown, which is what people are most interested in when you speak to them about our business, they think about downtown >> are the smaller businesses. So, that's something for all of us to keep in mind. >> Yep. >> Time goes on. >> So, I'll if I can, I'll address both.
Sure. Uh, with regard to the multif family value increase, >> I'll point out a couple different things. uh one, we know they're not going to enjoy that. Nobody enjoys a tax increase. But the value increase uh it's a smaller class. It's not enormous. So
percentage- wise, you'll see if there were 50% of our properties were uh multifamilies, we would have more information on them and and the jump would have been less. their values would have been higher all along the way.
>> Sparking aspect of this that we didn't I didn't get into my comment that they had they had gotten sort of favorable treatment along the time. >> It's mostly lack of information, right? If they're not selling, which multifamilies tend not to in a community like this where we're not in
overdevelopment mode. Um I work in a community where every multif family gets bought out like that because the developers are flipping the condos are very desirable. the condos are selling for, you know, double the sale price as a single family or multif family. So, we're not there yet in MER. Um,
fortunately, I think um but the multif family classes don't sell very often. Don't tend to pull a lot of permits. They're kind of just operating, right? They live there. They have a rental unit. It's nothing major. But that said, there is some information out there. There is values that we need to address.
And in that rebal year, the properties that haven't sold for five years and haven't had many adjustments made do tend to catch up to market level. Um I'm not sure what happened five years ago if we missed something between ourselves and the state. Um but it seems like at
least where I work the increase is substantiated. Multifamilies have uh increased substantially in value and desiraability. for that reason turning into condos or just having an income property. Now, um so that's one reason that those values are up. They might not
understand that at first. Um the what I would advise them to do is discuss this in January. January 1st is abatements for 30 days. You can file abatement, which means that is your opportunity to
challenge the value we have on your property. In revalues, we have a disclosure period that that has come and gone. It was a week-l long period where any resident come in and discuss their value. It gives us an opportunity to change it prior to sending to the state. We're past that. Now, our numbers are
in, but on January 1st, we can have you can file forment and we can look at the value. At that point, we'll compare it to all the sales and take a really, you know, close look at it. Um, but as I said, the the values are substantiated by the sales. I did a look uh briefly
about a month ago when resident did come in on a two family value during disclosure and had questions as to where they were coming from and I looked at the sales and the sales do substantiate where I saw most of our values coming up to. Um but like I said
abments are time to challenge that. So if you think your property is not up to snuff your opportunity to present that to us. >> Yeah. And as far as the small commercial base, I I think from the board of assessment, we completely agree and that's why we tend not to go too far
with that initiative to bring the residential tax down. We understand that, you know, digital or main crossing came online a few couple years ago. Nice boost to the town, but ultimately that is the that is a standalone. They are not representative of the commercial
class. It's nice that they're here. We enjoy their we enjoy their company. We hope for more of the like, but you're right, the downtown small business operations are the lifeblood. Uh, and for that reason, we we try not to go too far with that initiative to lower the
residential burden. We want to keep a balance, especially this year with more uh beneficial impact for the from the overrides affecting the residential classes more than anything else. You know, the current class benefits from that. They benefit from a healthy thriving
community. Uh but in terms of direct impact, the senior center and the schools don't really, you know, feed those comm those businesses too much. >> Thank you. Um this is a public hearing, so the floor is open for any members of the public that are present who may want
to speak or ask questions. Feel free. This is your opportunity, please. state. >> I just wanted to comment that one of the things we did look at was what kind of services that the town has
moved from one to you know have they increased the services to and we we increased the school res.
Uh uh when we looked at the numbers and everything came out that uh the new services the town had to pay versus having
paid for if we stayed with the same residential tax and decided that we didn't want to move, you know, further too.
>> Yeah. The Yeah, exactly. So, the the benefits of the overrides and the ongoing debt exclusions are more directly impacting the residential class and the commercial classes. And that was a pretty big consideration in terms of our recommendation of kind of keeping
the shift the same. that doesn't keep the tax bill the same but keeps the ship the same and and like we said have a more balanced impact on both classes uh in a year where we do have an over a pretty substantial override on Thank you.
>> Thanks. Anybody watching us online that has any questions from the public relative to this presentation? hearing none, we will move on to uh a vote. I would suggest that we go to the residential exemption vote followed
by a small commercial exemption vote and then lastly the the um the shift. So if anybody wants to make a motion relative to the residential exemption, >> I will move to vote no to the residential exemption.
>> Second. >> Okay. So a vote here would be a no vote in response to the residential exemption. Any questions or comments from the board? All in favor of a no vote. >> Okay, that's all set. And then secondly
is the small commercial exemption. >> I will move to vote no to the small commercial exemption. >> Same thing applies here. A vote by us in favor is a no vote. >> There's a second on that, Chris. Okay. All in favor?
Okay. And then lastly, the u the shift. >> I will move to approve the commercial industrial property CIP and residential tax rates with a sh with a percent shift of 1.31. Second. >> Any questions or comments?
Hearing none. All in favor? All right. With that, we read our public hearing at 7:56 p.m. Thank you both very much for your presentation. Steve, is that Syracuse
University? >> Your Syracuse tie on. >> We do. >> We have to do a roll call vote to uh close the hearing. >> I'll move to close the public hearing at 7:56 p.m. >> Okay. Roll call. Mike.
>> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Chris. >> Yes. >> I have a yes as well. Thank you both. >> Thank you both very much. >> Thank you. >> Great job. >> All right. We are going to move back now to number item number four. Agenda
number two is licensing. We have two common Vic licenses to approve. The first is a common vic license at Lroia 36 digital pay and we a new business I'm not familiar with. Um
so Greg what do you have on this? >> Um I'm curious if anyone you don't have to are you >> goodelcome. [Music] >> Perfect. Thank you. So like yes new business we're really excited down at at
the beta crossing as was just mentioned. >> Correct. Tell us who you are and what you're trying to do. >> So my name is Jose Malis. I am a open triangle ground which is a Brazilian barbecue. It's a Brazilian food behave like Chipotle. We have a rotisserie grill that sits on the middle of the
floor cooking out the meats and you know we carve that water and serve that way with sides rice beans and things like that. That's cool. a sit down place or is it a take? >> So, we have 14 12 14 seats. It's most take off.
>> It's a small small place. Small business. >> Yeah. >> I was talking about >> Yeah. Where is it in the um where is it in digital >> next to Verizon? In between Verizon and yours is Mike. >> Okay. >> 1100 ft location.
>> Very small point. >> Of course. >> Right. When you drive in on the right hand side. >> Yes. Correct. >> All right. >> So, Mr. Chair, just as a just for clarification, uh our colleague Greg Wilson did a great job of this. Of course, he always does. Um this is two
actions requested to the board. One is to issue a common victim license and then a second is to renew that license that he doesn't have to go back >> because that license expires >> correctly end of the December 31st. Yeah. So,
we're going to try to open probably first week in December. So yeah, this covers you just in case. >> But how many employees do you anticipate having how big is your uh staff going to be? Do you think >> probably between full times 15 to 18
employees? >> Thank you. That's the idea. Yeah. >> Will you be there? >> Yes. Not all the time, but yes. >> Um we're permitted to renew the license at this time, right? >> They filed for the renewal, right? I
mean, it's ideal that they any business Greg's been working on reduce renewals like crazy because you want to have it ready to go come January 1. >> Yeah. Okay. All right. So, we we'll um I'll take two motions and do one at a time, but um
>> am I reading one or two together? >> Is it permissible to do to do both? >> You can do both as long as they're clear that you're both as long. I will move to approve the common victular license for La Rotisseria LLC at 36 digital way and authorize the use of digital signatures
if approved. And I will move to approve the 2026 common victular license renewal for La Rotisseria at LLC at 3-6 digital way and authorize the use of digital signatures if approved. Second question
made and seconded. Any questions or comments? here in Olympics. >> Cool. >> Congratulations. >> Good luck. >> We'll be there. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you for waiting. >> Hope you enjoyed that hearing.
>> All right. The next item is the also license cafe cafe of India 155 Main Street the new owner. Is there anybody online? Yes. >> Can you introduce yourself? I have a um
we have a listing of who the owner is but I just want to be clear. So please introduce. >> Uh yeah sure. Uh hi Ka Stangi. I'm currently resing in Rivier. So the restaurant the Indian food uh they're running almost more than decades. So uh
we planning to new management. So just already have a restaurant over there. Uh we making like a new management and trying to make better the food and services over there. >> I I've just got a question. Who who is
Hari Kalia? Uh we have a two company owner like a 50% owner. My another partner I'm a Kasa Dangi I'm a 50% owner. >> So the two of you run this business. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
>> Do we need to have either or Craig? >> I think the either or is fine because it should be listed on their business license and the ownership. But and and the applicant was I think the other Sorry. I I think it's fine. >> You're making a motion based on what you're reading now by who's >> Okay. Yeah.
All right. Any questions for the new Walmart? >> Any significant changes we're expecting? >> Uh, not really. Just food is like some additional the same type of food like a more option. So, not in the other things.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other questions hearing? None. We'll take a motion. It can be a combined motion just as we just had. I will move to approve the common victular license for Cafe of India under the new owner of
Hari Tapal Tapallaya at 155 Main Street and authorize the use of digital signatures if approved. And I will move to approve the 2026 common victular license renewal for Cafe of India under the new owner of Hari Sapallaya at 155
Main Street and authorize the use of digital signatures if approved. Second question made and seconded. Any further questions? All in favor? [Music] >> Good. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good luck.
>> All right. And tonight we have two department level overviews. One from the accounting office and one from the treasur collector's office. Catch myself up here. So welcome. >> Good evening. >> Give us a little uh public purposes
introduction, all that stuff. And >> Kevin Peterson, town here to talk a little about my office, who we are, what we do, and what we hope to accomplish. >> We're just gonna share the we're again,
we're sons, Greg Wilson, so >> we need Yeah. [Music] There we go. We're getting there. >> Go ahead.
>> All right. So, the accounting office has two full-time employees. The town account, myself, which is appointed by course the town administrator as well as a finance director if applicable. um the assistant assistant town accountant reports myself
and I put up there also the retirement report town accounts required to serve as I said official member um throughout the year we have ongoing tasks as well as annual tasks uh closing the books
um this is summarized but we review the accounts for deficits salvage resolutions this takes into account but also the year end transfers um ensuring cash receivables are reconciled and up to date
and posting year end closing entries. Um the balance sheet which identifies its year end assets liabilities and fund equity balances. Uh it's also a requirement to approve the town's recash.
Other reporting we have schedule A which is a year end statement of revenues and other financing sources, expenditures and other finances uses and changes in fund balance. and in the report. Um the town
accountants office contributes mostly just their uh combined balance sheet to this. Um the IRS 1099 forms which are the calendar year end forms sent to vendors
that meet the criteria based on vendor distributions. end of year report to Deathy which summarizes the school's expenditures within the town's budget that are on behalf of the school.
Um the tax recap which reports the town's budget plan for the fiscal year including all appropriations that happened since last year's tax setting as well as anticipated and actual revenues other than property taxes.
um budget to uh throughout the year the town council office reviews and provides information to local departments. The town administrator to help with budgeting including salary and expense figures and deductions.
Um some of the ongoing tasks that we do include the weekly warrant processing for AB. Um, town accounts office reviews all invoices for accuracy, authorization, funding and proper procurement.
Certified goods have been received, services rendered, and expenses are legal and valid. Um, and then prepar for approval, print the checks and distribute them. Uh, payroll is
bi-weekly. Uh the town accounts office maintains a master file with all the town employees rates. We verify departments submitted payroll sheets adhere to the collective bargaining agreements and
personal contracts and then we also be reconciled with the federal office who imports the payroll. And then of course we submit the payroll and post the journal entries. um throughout the year. We can also
reconcile cash balances with treasurer, outstanding receivable balances and at least annual commitment and overlay balances with the assessor. And we're constantly also reconciling any special revenue funds for that
department grants for accuracy. uh reporting uh month monthly town accounts office um reviews and
prepares revenue and expended reports to departments and relevant committees uh prepare financial information as needed for special grants and contributions and the town's office also acts as
internal auditing. So uh we can conduct audits of any department and just compliance with budgets, laws, financial controls. >> Thanks. >> Before we go on, do you mind if I ask a question on the last slide, Kevin?
>> Sure. >> What's um can you describe your role or your office's role relative to the school's role in the end of the year DESIE report? >> What does that look like in practice? There's a sheet that like breaks down on
percentages of certain line items that the town pays for based on kind of a percentage of this is how much it goes. It also includes like salaries too for certain departments that do work that encompasses the schools. So you give it
a percentage. This is how much a percent reporting um the total cost for the year or fiscal year and then it breaks down gives you like a total which includes debt to like health insurance that sort of stuff.
>> And do we submit that or to the schools? >> We submit that to the schools but the schools actually submit the DEC report. >> The schools submit the report. We're providing them data by which to fill it out. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> They don't pay anything. So, we're paying we're paying the the bills for the teachers. We're paying the health
insurance bills. Those would be the biggest ones I debt >> and debt. Okay. >> But this doesn't give you insight to grant money that they're getting and other >> No, that's more like the scheduling. That's thing that they would add in with
their own data sources from um that combined with what tell me if I'm wrong. So they're they're bringing their own data sources plus what's paid through through the general fund and that goes with the desi report. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Understood. >> So he does see schedule A. So schedule A is another type of end of year report.
Um it's the big one and so uh he can he sees everything all the money coming and going. >> Okay. >> Thank you. grow. Um, so fiscal year plans um
provide consistency. So what I mean by that is to just continue to support departments, boards, committees by providing up-to-date and accurate financial information. Um, it ties in is helpful with the budget process as well.
Streamline processes. It's always great to make things easier, make things quicker. So trying ways to improve efficiency, simplify processes to help with the end of year and closing um constructive collaboration. is what I
mean by just working with departments to do what we can to help them achieve their goals. Uh long range goals are uh support the development and implementation of the town's financial policies and procedures.
Um long range forecasting so provide up-to-date and accurate information to departments and committees. uh work to provide additional reports of expenditures and revenues to uh just look at it in a different way, maybe
look over a longer span of time, you know, compare year to year. um work with the treasurer's office to improve the overall payroll process and input from other departments and continue to work on keeping clear up
to date with expenditure numbers to better utilize it. >> Okay, >> that's the end of your presentation. >> That's the end of five minutes. >> You did fine. Great. No problems at all. Um, any questions or comments from
members of the board? >> Just one on on the first slide. It doesn't Are you in the finance director as well as >> No, >> no, he's not. >> Do we not have a finance? >> You're looking at it. >> I'm just reading through this thing. I just wasn't sure. >> It's It is a position that can be filled
by the town administrator to be either the town of town or the treasur. >> Okay. If I feel like it. >> That's perfect answer. >> I think we both probably say no. Yeah, >> that's okay. I just wasn't sure. So, thank you. Thanks for all the
information questions. >> Hello. Go ahead. >> Okay. I just have one procedural question. I know uh every week or every two weeks in some cases we get the the works that uh we on the board are expected to look at. Um I guess I would
just like to have it explained as to why that happens. I mean, I'm going to be the first one to admit that when I see uh, you know, many pages on on those works that I'm not going to be qualified to spot uh the kind of errors that maybe we're being we're signing up to to look
for. Um, so I'd just like some explanation about that process. Um, and uh, is it is it truly necessary or how how does that work? It is necessary that you review and and approve it. Uh if
you'd like I can give you all >> right. >> Yeah. But why maybe why the board? >> Why the board? Why? Why? So in other in other municipalities it may be the town manager that does it. Although it doesn't matter then the name of this um
administrative support to the executive body is nothing. In some towns the executive assistant that doesn't make doesn't matter. But the form of government that you have is you are the executive body and you sign the warrants. Um, if that were to change, I don't know if that's in our bylaws or
charter. Can't remember. >> Get them stacked here. >> Yeah. >> Every every other two we sign them in this room, >> but we did have a a select board member at one time who did not like that >> way of doing it. So we started to get
them online so that people could you know um read what they wanted look at it and look at the documents because when we were doing back then we were signing everything in this table >> we just didn't have time to either you signed it and passed it on. So that's why we see it now in that format.
>> It wasn't that long. Yeah. rather than just coming in here and signing it like we do cemetery deeds and and that type of stuff, it's now online so that um we have the opportunity to remove it before gives them back our approval. It's like an evolution of the business of the
board. Some some smaller towns are much more involved in the day-to-day operations and but the the the approach to this town government through again through sort of evolution over time, different charters, different bylaws and different policies of the board. You
you've given more authority to let's say my office or you've retained certain authorities. It's just every town does it differently. So you you retain the authority to sign the warrants and uh bit back in the day there wasn't you know it wasn't that big of a tent. Now we're talking 50 plus million dollars is
the expenditures. It's it's massive. So it's a lot for anyone to sort of pick through. But that's why you have to have a lot of confidence that the the system is working. I do I mean I I function as a department head in my way. I sign the warrants before they go um before they go to Kevin's office. Um as well as my
own payrolls. I sign the payrolls for my office as well. and I and I look through it and and that requires trust and confidence in all the departments. They're all looking at all their their payrolls. They're all looking at their expenditure reports a lot. Some offices are small, some are big. Um so, um I I
have full trust, faith, and confidence is that the system is working. That's what you pay us to. But, um but it's a good question. And if at any time you see something that looks odd, don't hesitate to ask like what what is this vendor? Like, why are you paying for, you know, clown makeup? Don't don't
hesitate to ask. >> Well, we need that. >> If you if you open the vendor warrant, those get interesting. >> Oh, yeah. 17 cents to >> Oh, yeah. to just different things within that particular warrant. I find
>> you not not because of money. It's very interesting that some of the things that Oh, yeah. We got to pay for that in town. Right. >> We're very complicated business. just don't. Yeah. Stuff that normal is not the right word, but in the normal course of town business, there
are things that pop up in the vendor war that you just like, oh, >> we got to pick out of town all day all the time, >> you know, but it's a variety, but it's it's interesting. to read, but I'm glad we get to look at them. But >> I look through every every single
invoice as well. >> No, I I like as Chris was saying, I certainly appreciate the opportunity to look at the details. Appreciate >> Yeah. >> what all has to be done. Thank you. >> Which board member is the quickest to respond to your warrant? No, I'm just
kidding. Um, serious question. What in the next year, what do you what do you either hope to do different in terms of updating the processes or maybe what changes you see coming from the state that we're going to have to react to? So, what's going to be different do you think in the coming year that that has
not occurred before? >> Good question. >> Or that you hope to implement and improve that for the town? >> It's a good question. Um I I mean I see it as now as everything's working, everything's good. It's hard to know look outside that bubble and see
what else is you know what else can we do to make things easier. Uh I mentioned like the payroll maybe maybe modernize that maybe get departments or employees in their own like and then just checking it. Um, so
things like that and clear go too I mean as much as I hate love it because it's a lot of input this level entry like all that information is in software but then we're putting it in a different platform. So um Greg and I have met with
clear go too and there's a lot more capability that it's out there um you want to pay for it. Uh it's nice to have there's a lot of good reports that they can do and graphs, you know, cool stuff like that. But um hopefully
that answer your question. >> No, the mountain guy loves you because I print that thing, but I'm old, so I like to print things that have things. That's why he must he get a lot of that stuff in that barrel.
The payroll stuff. >> All right. >> Are the warrants that we see obviously not the payroll but the vendor warrants posted anywhere publicly? >> No. >> No. Just the information. >> Yeah. Just the summary expenditures are
most >> the summary expenditures by fund right >> by fund. Yeah. By account that would be a lot of information. >> Yeah. Curious. >> Yeah. >> I guess you could. Yeah. But it would be like it's it's already hard to like kind
of decipher the matrix. Like even I have a hard time like Craig Wilson and I go over the expenditure. So I'm like what what are we doing? And then he kind of explained it takes a lot. It's again it's like almost each department is its own small business and then it all comes together in a larger corporation and that plays with the school department.
It gets it's very complicated. >> Anything else? Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. >> Now we move on. Good evening everyone. Welcome. >> How are you?
>> Good evening. How are you? >> Jen Welch treasure. Um I hope to be Kevin. >> Um so this is our personnel. have uh myself uh a new staff member um named Matt Gargano. He just started just about
two months ago. Um very happy about that. We've been out without a staff member now for about nine months. So it's great. Um your longtime member Diane Donovan is our assistant. She's been with the town for almost 15 years.
For us, it's uh we're responsible for the receipt, investment, and dispersement of all the town funds. What that means is the actual cash, so to speak. Um investing it, moving it around, making sure we're getting good interest rates, making sure that
payments are going out, vendor warrants are funded, payroll warrants are funded. Um we're in charge of balancing all the cash books before we reconcile with the accountant. um with our 18 bank accounts. Um so we're just basically I don't think
basically but you know everything is the cash in the treor collector's office on top of normal accounts. >> And why 18 bank accounts that you just mentioned there? >> So we're going to get there but um >> so I think we have 18. We might be down
to 15 now. Oh no. I'm sorry. I have like 25 slides. >> We'll get >> Okay, we'll wait. Um, so the basic operations of our office is the billing and collection of all of the taxes. And
what that means is the real estate taxes, the personal property taxes. Um, although the trash is I'm sorry, you know, the stickers, we hand the stickers. Um, size, you know, the files all come to our office, we generate the
bills through an outside party, they're mailed out, and then we collect them off. water, sewer, trash, uh, state aid, and grant reimbursements also come through our office. They're, um, direct deposited. We get notification from the state or any grants, um, that are coming
through, and then we notify the departments that the funds have come in for them to use and then we post them with the accountant's help to the appropriate line items. We managed the payroll, the bank reconciliations, all the trust funds in
the town, the stabilization accounts, the oped um accounts receivables, the vendor and payroll dispersements that I just spoke of a couple minutes ago. >> Sorry to interrupt. Excuse my oped is the other postmployment benefits. >> Okay.
>> It's like uh it's like ins health insurance for retirees. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Like our savings account for Yeah. because of the liability of that insurance coverage we have to >> um all tax title accounts um those are
the people who haven't paid their taxes and are were hanging on to them in what we call tax title which has generally been an increased interest rate um and we also have attorneys that we work with as well who help us with those accounts municipal lean certificates those are
just if somebody is closing on their home they send in a letter requesting a municipal lean certificate and that tells the lender and the closers what may be owed on the property u water sewer trash and so that is taken care of during the closing so there's no
outstanding bills unclaimed still dated checks those are checks that a lot of people tend not to cash um anything over a year we have to go uh through a specific process governed by mass journal law um just
Just like the state, you know how the state has a list of all the unlimed. The towns have to do the same basic thing. Send out letters, find out who they are, try to reissue. You do everything you can to get the money to the people that it's owed to, whether it's years or not
years before you return the money to the general fund. Uh we get guidance from the division of local services, our mass treasure collector association, which is one of the largest in um the state um as far as association goes for municipal
government. Um Hilltop Securities, who's our financial advisors, and they help us with our debt management. So when we're looking to find out, you know, how much it's going to cost to borrow, we get all of our information um through them. Borrow Follow Me is our investment firm. They handle our investments, all of our
trust funds, um some of our general funds as well as um the OPEC uh bond council. They're just the ones who when you borrow the money, you have to send all the documentation over for them. They're council legal lawyers that
look over everything to make sure that the town is doing appropriate before we close on those before you guys sign on those bonds. Um Kelly and Ryan is our deputy collector. They are the ones who issue all of our bills. They mail them out at
their central location. Um they're also the ones who help with our parking tickets, our excise demands, warrants. Um they do those collecting once we're ready to move them forward in that process. Um we send them over to them and they again send out those and um
people pay online for a lot of the parking tickets and excise and things like that over there. files from them on a daily basis. And then Brown Legal, our tax title attorneys, they're the ones who um help us with our tax title request
number of bills processed per tax type per year. Um it generally has stayed about the same. Um the excise is about 11,000 bills a year. And this is us getting them out the door, collecting them, moving them forward with late fees, sending out the demands, the
warrants, the, you know, so it's the entire process going through them. So the real estate a little over 15,000, personal property about,300, and the sewer and water is about 1,700. Um, banking relationships, these are all
the accounts that we have with the different banks. Um, to answer your question, Jack, the reason why so the MMDT is a municipal government account where all municipalities tend to have a little bit of money in there, some it's
sort of offsite and it's a little bit less access, but I can move funds over there to gain, you know, better interest. Uni Bank has 12 different accounts because some of them have to be sorted out by type such as um the water sewer enterprise, you know, two separate
accounts, one breach, um CPA, um any of the building projects that are going on where we have to have accounts in escrow that we hang on to until the accounts are closed out and returned to those. um you can't have all of your
funds in you you have most of your funds in one main general account and then what you do is when the vendor and payroll warrants are going out you transfer the money from the general fund over to each individual expense and payroll because the goal for both of those accounts is to only have the money
there that you need for your payroll and your expense account. Everything else you want to put into these different little accounts that gain interest. I have one at Newbury Port um that has our best interest rate. Um I don't do anything with that account at all other than put money in there if I have it
just to get the interest on that account. But we don't have any checking or savings or anything else like that. Um by they are considered bank accounts because they are individual trusts within you know I think we have
14 maybe separate trusts within Bartholomew alone but they only send us one bank account. So we're we're only balancing that one quote unquote bank account. So each account has a different function so to speak. Um, we have
Eastern. Eastern handles our lock box. So, everybody mails, we hope everybody mails their payments to the lock box and then the money goes right into Eastern. So, we have a separate account just for everybody who pays online because that money goes right over there. So, things are se segregated. You can keep better
track of what is where and when you're balancing, you know, how much is coming in through online and you know, how much do we have for you know outstanding escrow and and things like that. So this quite a few. >> Thank you very much. The mental map of the flow was was colored in a lot. I
appreciate that. >> There's probably a lot more that I'm not thinking of, but that's Yeah, it's it's a lot, but um we've got a nice system down. So >> while we're on that page, >> yeah, I hope Kevin has come up. >> So the open that when we first started
talking about it was discussed as being similar to the Orisa pension obligation. >> Yes, it was very similar. Yeah. So, what's our oped balance? >> I do you remember top of your head? Do you do you know it's it's not a big deal. I'm just kind of curious. >> The auditor will go over that. I don't
off top my head that >> but like you're familiar with it's a big conversation because it like other municipalities some have figured out a way to do it. Most municipalities have not figured out how to how to address that liability. >> You don't have most private companies
that have obligations. I was I was curious because I knew the interest when it first came up it was multip multiples of millions. >> It still is. But >> it's only going to continue to grow because we're not putting anything in every year. >> Putting like,
>> you know, the same we put in some of our other long range accounts. I was just I was just curious. >> Not Yeah, it's I don't have a good answer. I I feel I feel like you you know you hopefully in the next however many months you'll hear from Tenzio or one of the other auditors and they'll
say that you guys keep putting 25,000 into your oped but um which which he needs to see like we we need to satisfy that that we're answerable to that liability. Um loosely talking we also have a similar
obligation to our retirees. So we so we have the pension fund that we also have to fund and then this will be the conversation with the auditor comes that if and when we meet those obligations which I don't think is that much longer. >> I don't think so. >> I think he just told me he was very
close. >> We're I think we're closer to filling our pension obligations and then the the the general concept is then we'll start investing more into our oped liability. But it's a it's a big deal. Beacon Hill needs to figure out how all these towns
are going to like solve this huge liability. It's a it is like it is like the it's like the dictionary definition of the unfed unfeded mandate from Beacon Hill. I mean like the state by saying like hey all these towns need to figure out how you're going to pay for health insurance for retirees and everyone's like whoa we didn't know that was
happening but that so everyone's in the same boat just some towns have figured it out mostly sometime. >> That was very good. Um, and then I also want to speak to how often do you go to Middle Sex Savings? >> How often do I go to Middle Sex Savings Bank? >> Right. >> Like go down there. At least three times
a week. >> Yeah. Often. So that corrects me up that. So I I often think of Jen's office as the literal bank of town hall like including dirty coins. So >> um, where did all those empty parking
meters go? >> In my office. >> Money bags literally in her office. And it's a very secure system like um I don't even know if my fault gets me into there because you don't you want to have very controlled like who can go into her office um and then they and then she
puts the money in the bank if they take it but they don't take dirty quarters. >> Yeah, just to go back. So the dirty quarters um how how do you Okay, so >> how's a quarter classified as dirty? >> Well, these are all the quarters from the perpetrators >> and unfortunately I'm being obviously
pay attention. I didn't realize that nobody was collecting the coins while we were discussing whether we were going to leave them off, use them, use them, whatever. So, people get so there's a lot of money in there. And um
Steve Ms and uh Christian and I am went out last week and started emptying all the coins. It was fun, right? >> It was fun. >> Yeah. And um so Kyle so generously took um he took some of them to the bank and then
in bank bags in a cart like a heist. And >> we all know those. >> So but unfortunately the the money is as the money's all clanging around, right? All that like you were in my office right now and you just shook one of the bags this dust comes out. And what was
happening is they were putting it in their coin counting machine. the bank >> the bank was to make the deposit course and it was clogging. >> So they literally sent me an email. They sent me an email and said I hate to say this but quote unquote can you clean the quarters?
>> So >> so they're back in my office figur how did the coins get dirty? Are those machines like >> two things? One is age just over time they just collect dust and gunk. too. If a little bit of moisture gets in there because it's outside now you're getting
mildo and everything and so like and what some some kid with a lollipop you know finger puts that bad boy in there like some children I know like now you get sticky quarters in your like it's gross the term dirty quarters
stop in my office. So Kyle is working on >> we're trying to figure out the best way to clean a giant >> gallon hot water and soap >> big bathtub. Do you volunteer? that you
to do it is put them all in buckets in like basically a big col's offering to screw holes in the bottom of it and just dump coins in there one you know and just rinse them and then where are we going to lay them to dry them I >> looks like Kyle is having fun with this challenge
>> I I bring this up to to point out that like this is a weird job and and like and as y'all know and even you're talking about weren't like you just get weird things that come up and you have to figure it out. Like little did we know that the ch that the coins were going to be dirty? So like and also
why can't the bank clean them? That's >> I'm gonna email someone I know over there. >> You do see it like when I went to pick up the bag because I was like dirty and I went to pick up the bag and I put the bag down and it was like dust and but you know they're probably so sensitive the coin machines. I got
>> if anybody thinks I'm going citizens bang at a coin machine, >> but it's what are they up to? Like >> 11%. >> Yeah, we're not want to do that. I find it fascinating that Jen's office is taking literal quarters as well as
investing like tens of millions of dollars and and as Jen maybe you'll get to this in your next slide. um he has worked with those advisors and reinvested. So we've had a significant increase to our revenue because of the returns on those reinvestments. It's
kind of like reorggaging. We like kind of refinance, but they they've done that in the last number of years. We're still seeing a lot of like significant returns on these right now. Uh I'm always like really wary about it because you never know how the economy is going to play out but
>> but it's it's always fascinating that her office does like the big things as well as on a regular basis. You're really like the her office and the clerk's office are the most customerf facing because people come in and they want to pay their tacticals so they don't understand what they're paying. So like very patient Diane, um Jen, Matt,
um it's a good team and they're doing like big big big numbers >> and cleaners. Put other duties as a sign in every job description. >> Other duties as a sign. >> I mean, but I was just like they didn't even share something like what?
>> So we still don't know approximately how much money was in all those bets. >> I don't know. >> Yeah, that's funny. >> Can we Yeah. Can they like have a town why like a gift? >> You can you can lift it up like an
Indiana Jones scene where he's like trying to grab one of the buckets is a small um trash bucket. I have no idea how they lift it. I was moving it out of the way and I was kicking it. >> I don't know if they still have it up at Bow School, but years ago when I was
there we had a drive to collect a million pennies. >> Oh god. >> I don't know if it was in your time. Uh Kevin, you remember? Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we built a box that would hold a million pennies. So, if it's still there, it might do for the quarters. >> And do you have to clean them?
>> Uh we cleaned some. Fortunately, it wasn't the kind of challenge we had. >> Fourth to eighth graders probably dirty, >> right? I introduced that distraction. I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, but >> I Yeah. So our long range vision vision
is um much like Kevin, we need to implement electronic payroll. >> So you give out paper checks >> for payroll. >> Yeah. >> Only one. >> So not anymore. So amongst the many things >> does she implement electronic pay?
>> Oh, I'm sorry. I will explain. >> But she can explain. But I also want to give her credit that a number of years ago she we were getting paper jokes when I got here. I was coming from a different town and I didn't expect it. What I got my first week here is a
check. So she implemented um besides one apparently we everyone it's all online. So it's all direct deposit. >> Yeah. So direct deposit is all online and um we also invented um everybody has access to all of their information their payroll information online as well. So it's employee support where like Greg
said before it was just a little check with your stuff. >> Yeah. And so if you wanted to see how much vacation you had left, I would have to go over knock on the door and ask and then they would look up my file and see how much that's all pass. Now I can see >> we had that before.
>> So that has so electronic payroll which is um a lot of companies now. So right now we're doing old school time she feeds, Excel spreadsheets where department heads and admins are entering every minutia hour
into an Excel spreadsheet and then it comes to my office. We're entering it in the system. We're also making sure like Kevin does that everything, you know, conforms to their union contracts, making sure that they have the available vacation sick time. It's a very manual
process and then Kevin checks it too. So it's like there's too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to payroll. So what they have now is um it could be either an app or on your laptop and an employee would log in um which a lot of companies do now and then they just
record their time. Um not only do they record their time but they can also ask for time off. So they can ask their boss say for vacation and if their boss approves it it automatically enters it into the system and gives them their eight hours of vacation. At the end of the whole, however, you know, all that
conglomerate works, the manager would go through it and approve everything, make sure everything's good, and then it would be electronically submitted to the payroll office and would check it to make that manual process and a lot
more efficient. Um, so that that's our goal. That's a big goal for um public outreach. Um, a lot of people we did this last year as well. We sent around flyers. Um we put some within the bills to a lot of people don't still don't realize you pay online which is um
a huge benefit. And if you know people go oh it costs money but it is if you use your checking and routing to pay a bill online it's 50 cents. You could pay 10 bills still only 50 cents. And I always use the line it's cheaper than a stamp or gas. So I and they go oh yeah
because also online not only can you pay online but you can set up an account online. So, if you have the account now, you have all the records of everything you've paid. You can get emails saying, "Hey, by the way, it's time to pay your cells, your real estate, your water." It's just like any like your national
grid or whatever. So, we're encouraging that as much as we can, even when they come in, oh, hey, I can't believe I got here in time. I'm like, oh, you know, you pay online. A lot of them know, a lot of them don't. So, I'm going to continue that outreach um to hopefully increase that volume and much quicker
revenue as well. So, >> that's you know approximately what percent um of uh entities pay online. >> I I'd probably say about 65 to 70 um which has increased dramatically just
in the past couple of years. I think co also changed some of that. There was a lot of misunderstanding too because even during co um even though they weren't coming in the building like they were jamming in their mailbox out front because they always think they got to come here you know so the more you tell them know there's still going to be a
lot of people who like to come in and check that's okay you know and some people say well we like to come in and see you so that's not me personally but just the slack you know what I mean they like it >> and then the last thing is that we are continuing to work towards having our
staff all certified. Um there is separate certification for charter and collector. Um I have both um Diane is working towards collector and now that I have my new assistant charter collector, he'll begin his classes next August for
>> but throughout the year we're going to all different >> and that's it. I guess that was longer than >> Well, that's exactly what I said. >> Yeah. I've never >> he wanted 10 minutes.
>> I said five minutes for five minutes. >> Quarters wasn't factored in. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Any questions? >> We can't see you again. >> Thank you. Thank you guys.
>> Thank good >> item number seven contracts gov well permitting and licensing software. >> Mr. Chair, so this guy is not only collecting dirty quarters, >> he's also trying to modernize as I
mandate all the departments to do. um all the processes and procedures of the laws. In this case, uh um Steve Silverstein, he he recognized there was um some great room for improvement when it came
to our permitting systems. And I don't remember how long we've had the current permitting systems, but through a a procurement process, Steve, and I'm taking all this under right now, Steve was able to identify a very likely much better uh approach to permitting. He's
going to go into it more, but it's not just his office, which we're excited about. It's it's more than that. Um, so tell tell the board who you are and what you want what what you want to do. Steve Silverstein, executive director of municipal services, town of Maynard. Uh,
Greg gave good context. We've had the same software system to give uh out permits, but permits exclusively for the building and health departments since 2014. um because of a bit of a a quirk, we had uh a license agreement which allowed us
to continue to pay the same amount which is pretty favorable amount but our technology is stuck in 2014 and as we know you know technology increases with leaps and bounds with every day. So, basically, we're running pretty obsolete software uh on a day-to-day basis to
manage our records, but also to uh collect fees and to understand what's going on in the world of construction in the town or who's taking out a temporary dumpster and where and how long they've had it. So, this has this was brought to
my attention from the get-go from me joining here. Uh and I resolved to change that and so here we are. Um, we led a process in line with public procurement law. Uh, we received 11 bids
and including our our current vendor who was trying to uh convince us to to update to the newest version, but we wanted to give a shot to the rest of the field because there are some other uh really good software systems that are out there and uh we think we found one and that is Gov Well. Gwell had a
favorable price and they cater specifically to uh towns like Maynard as opposed to some of the other uh software vendors in the field that you know are are looking to sell to large cities. This one focuses on small and
medium-sized towns. So, not only are they in our wheelhouse in terms of our demographic profile, but they also seem to be pretty advanced and up. Frankly, they're not a startup, but they're early in their evolution. So, they're
hungrier, if you will, which means that they'll provide us with uh what I believe to be pretty bespoke customer service because they're looking to gain favorable references. Um, but more than that, they you they're really leveraging artificial intelligence and not in a way
that's just jargony, in a way that is going to be able to allow us to automate our workflows. So, that's just a fancy way of saying when somebody wants a permit, getting them into the system and then getting that permit reported, everything checked off.
Alo when Rick Asmin has to go into the system and hilariously enough or not, Rick Asmin is who brought Govwell to uh the town of Mayor because he was at a business, he was at a building conference um last year and he was
looking to get some swag, some free pens and stuff and he happened upon Govwell and he liked what he saw and he suggested, you know, he advocated for them. They came here, they did a demo. They also uh put in their their bids during this public procurement process
and we were kind of smitten. So we had our selection committee which was composed of Jim Alexander who's in my office, Julia Planner who's in public works, Zoe Peele and myself. We uh went through all of the bids and we really we
really like Gov well and what they offer and it's very competitive um price-wise and I think it's going to be something that's seen very favorably by the users um especially since right now people especially the contractors who come in really complain that our current system
is extremely difficult to use. They don't understand what we're asking for and we're talking about customer service. It's not really very good in its current iteration. Um there is and there is a difference in price from
what we would be paying what we we're currently paying and what we will be paying. But in addition to but against that that price increase we're going to be able to expand digitization beyond just building and uh health departments.
So, public works, fire, and chief lawless had been a strong advocate of getting a new permitting system for a fire department form. I forget what she called uh what it what it what it is called, but she did promise me some money and then she reacted on that
promise, but that's okay. We're going to be putting the bill uh regardless. Um we have the money to do so through our revolving accounts. Totally cool. But they're just getting playing with her. >> Talk with me. It's difficult to hear.
She promised me money, but she reneged. >> She's also not listening to this, so it doesn't >> she didn't really react, but uh we have the funds to to uh to pay for this outright. Um it's a three-year contract
term. And uh can you explain maybe for a minute how other departments might benefit, not just? >> Okay. So, public works had a slew of permits that they give out. I believe that they use Excel spreadsheet to record who has
permits. They don't have a formal system. The town clerk or dog licenses um and other things that the clerk stamps use their own system. We have some redundancies. We'll be able to clear out those redundancies through
this software platform. Uh, so saving money overall, but also Jen Welch, who was just here, Kevin Peterson, who was just here, they'll be able to look into parcel records across the town of Mayor, which is something
they're not able to do right now. So, it's increasing transparency both externally, but also internally, which is going to be a major uh upgrade and advantage for the staff here and for residents around town. Um, >> good job. And it gives additional
functionalities like I'm saying like I was saying it will expand it to the clerk the assessor uh public works building health conservation as well uh and even planning and zoning. I mean there's a lot of things that we can
>> lic your office >> and that as well. >> Yes, you're right. All licensing. >> Common Vic. We just did >> common Vic, liquor, marijuana, pretty much anything under the sun. Fire safety like I was joking about with the people. Great. I love her. Um,
so yeah, I mean really we're going to drag Mayor kicking and screaming into the 21st century. >> So from the point of view of people applying, will they notice a difference? Will it be in any the process be in any way smoother or faster?
>> Yeah. So I mean I know I have a tendency to joke the bar is quite low right now. We without exaggeration get complaints every time somebody walks into the office. They say I don't know how to do this. So luckily we had we previously had Zoe now we have Jim who are able to
stand over the shoulder at the computer that we have downstairs walk people through the process. We're hoping to save on that manpower because the system is a lot more intuitive, but also if there are technical questions, Govwell
actually responds to them. It doesn't just, you know, uh send you to a chatbot or nobody picks up on the other end. They have live people who will respond to phone calls if there are super technical questions that say a contractor or a developer has. So we're
really talking about uh a major upgrade in service more concierge uh than what we are currently offering which was basically uh a time warp 2014 permitting software which the current vendor is and
not happy with us because basically we never upgraded and we still pay this flat rate which is like if the software stuck in you know from 10 years ago >> right and if money rather than service was the only
object and you noted that we pay 15,000 annually for full circle technologies. >> Uh is it safe to assume that even if we weren't going to change that that would go up anyway? So the comparison of uh of
that number to the to the new service would would uh what am I trying to say? I mean, it would be a smaller difference >> potentially, but it would probably it would be a marginal increase because we're really just getting same services off of of >> it's been flat for 10 years for the most part of 10 years. Yeah. And that's a I
think a contractual perk of when we've purchased it at the time. But actually, you you do raise a good point now that I'm thinking about it. Full Circle just was sold to another bidder. Um, and so if they are wise to it, they'll probably, you know, try to engage an escalation clause,
>> right? So, Where does the 15,000 come from now? >> The 15,00 we have a uh revolving MS permitting account. Um money is fed into that. If you go to the town bylaws, we get a very very very small uh percentage
of uh the fees that are paid to the town. Um I think it's currently at $10 a permit. You got to keep in mind, you know, some of the building permits are in the thousands of dollars and for every single one we're getting only $10. So that accumulates over time and
>> so so we we look at it and we're talking about you know DVW police possibly fire you know all these different groups department now are going to be on I assume that they're not on full circle
but they would be on um this new system right um is that the way it works >> yeah so so everybody you guys have your system DPW has their own. They have their own upstairs. Everyone has their own system. Now, everyone's going to jump on to gov well. That's is that the
goal plan? >> That was my intent. So, when we were going through the whole process, I invited everybody. But if they don't want to opt in, they don't have to. >> It won't be immediate, but I do expect there will be like Greg Wilson's really excited about it. So, like as departments sort of get exposed to it, I
think they'll >> right. And and so, so that is the goal. The goal is to have everybody using the same system to do all that stuff. Now then what does that do from your end right as for the the cost share is that you're not expect to eat the whole thing
if everybody is using the system once it's up and running. >> No I don't I think I think um and that wasn't really my expectation from the get-go. I what I wanted Steve to do is research where the money could come from. All all of all of we're we're a nonprofit. We're not trying to make money. our our profit margin really only
exceeds just for the sake of argument free cash which really all just goes back to stuff we have to buy anyways. So any amount of money that we're making is because it it services whatever that that good or service is. So we collect we collect a building fee because we
have to do the building inspections to in order to meet code requirements and keep the building safe. So or or Greg collects a common big fee you just saw $85 that barely covers the amount of time he put into processing all that. So this all money I think it's a not just a watch I think it's a good investment
we're making he's showing that we are making money through the fees to be able to cover this sort of service but beyond that I I think you hear your point Chris very much like the the um general um fund but um general government
general government covers um IT costs it covers the paper that we buy I see anything that's common to all the departments needs like comes through our office and I and I process those bills. This is not there yet. So I I'm comfortable with it kind of being housed
under but I do foresee in the future just being everyone's. So the the second part of the question is is there a um a defined user number or for this like when you get to say you get to 25 users do we now go from you know this this
number which is 121 do we do we do we increase or is it a set number for everybody unlimited and that was one of the criteria for through the procurement we wanted to make sure that anybody internally could get on of course external you know as many people as need
to apply a permit without any limits because that's how a lot of these places will upcharge you. >> Yeah. Okay. >> And also some of the other ones do it by module. So they would say oh fire that's different than building. So that's an additional that's actually kind of how
works in >> which is why we're limited. >> Right. Except for this one currently for three years it's static. So >> great. Yeah. >> Mr. Mr. Chair, what I'm what um I'm looking for because the contract is not
finalized yet. There was some I don't think it's materialistic, but I there was some um odds and ends that needed to get finalized through town council, but um we Steve went through this process. We we've been sitting on this excited to get the letter of award signed um and so we brought it to the board if you would
consider authorizing me to the country. >> Okay. Any questions from the board relative to what we've heard? Any further questions I should say and if not if if people are comfortable we gre the authority we should have a
move to authorize the town administrator to approve the contract with gov well for permitting permitting and licensing software authorizing use of digital signatures. >> Further questions or comments hearing none all in favor?
>> Thank you. Thank you, Steve. Very thorough explanation. >> Thanks. >> He's not done. >> And I do love Angela Wallace. >> President, >> can I before he takes, Mr. Chair, I just want to say I really appreciate Steve
taking this on. years ago, I was I was told um through a contractor that AT&T uses that um the contract that we have for the leasing this tiny tiny parcel at the top of Summer Hill where the where the where the water towers are. I actually had to drive up there with Steve because I wasn't even sure where
this thing was. So, why would you go there? So, um it's just a little fence in area and and then it says AT&T on the side and there's a cable that goes underground to the tower on the other side. But the but um it's much more complicated than I thought it was going to be. As it turns out, the town had
already contractually leased out a a triangle to um >> what was the name of the tower? >> The cell tower. >> Yeah, American Tower. >> American Tower. >> That also included where this parcel was. And that was confusing. And so it it took a while. Steve really would do
me a solid um and I delegated it to him anyways to to figure this out to to straighten out how we were going to lease property to AT&T separate from what we're leasing to American Tower and make sure that we modernized and updated these the terms which is great. It does
provide a service that government doesn't provide like cell cell tower usage which is you know obviously uh essential in the modern age um but you know it is there are still on government property so they have to they have to lease for the use of that land but it's
not very big um but it's essential yeah so to be clear this isn't the cell tower which they pay American Tower to use this is the telecommunications equipment shelter utility shelter I don't know what goes on in there, but you're willing to pay. >> If you ever want to go up there, you can
see it. >> It looks dilapidated, but I guess they're using it. So, >> go ahead, Steve. So, what what is this lease for? >> So, the lease is for 15 years as an initial lease term. Uh, and basically the long and short of it is is that
1992, I believe, was the initial lease. I had to go back into the history when it was I think it was um predecessor to Comcast or whatever it was, but it was a whole unraveling and they used to pay what I thought was an underwhelming amount. So now they're going to be
paying 150% over and that's equivalent to 35,000 in year one. The escalation clause, they went with the minimum. Good on them, but not without a little bit of resistance. They said, "This is pretty good, and you know, we're paying a lot more than we should, which means that
they put a a a big premium on getting to maintain this equipment shelter." So, that's fine. That's great. And they're willing to work with us. They're willing to work with us in so far as if we need any public uh safety or public works equipment that could go on the shelter.
I don't know if it can. It probably needs to go on the cell tower, but they're willing to to work with us. And if they get sub lease, they're willing to talk there. So AT&T is has been a pretty good partner, been pretty a pretty good on broker about it because
once this once the contract or the lease lapsed in 2022 or 2023, they were honest about, you know, getting it back out there. But we finally got it done after some hiccups, including them not responding on time for the first RFP.
But here they are and uh some sorely needed revenue for townry. Thank you. Um, we own this shack. >> No, I don't think we don't. We're We own the land, >> right? So, I'm I'm noticing the motion
is inaccurate. So, um, if this is to lease for the use of the shelter, that's their shelter. They can use it, but they they need um I'm going to for the use of a I'll just say a section
of summer hill as presided. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for bringing that up. >> I have a survey. >> No, it's in it's in there. Okay. I also made quick work of Google Maps so I can show the board where this is.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, you're right. You are we are offering a I can't I don't know how many the dimensions of this this fencing area. It's not very big. >> No, it's like 800 square feet. So, it's the use of the property on which the shack sits.
>> That's correct. I rewrote the motion. If you refresh board docs, you'll see it. But, but it's uh and similar to go, Mr. Chair, if you would allow um we're seeking the board's authorization to allow me to approve this lease. It's
still working with council, but this one's a little more complicated and um and it's we just didn't have the final lease in front of you this evening. And if so, if you would allow um for me to sign this as well. Oh, and this has already been a town meeting, by the way. So, um yeah, we this town meeting
already authorized the use of this property. >> Bingo. All right. So, if anybody is ready to make a motion on it, >> I will move to authorize the town administrator to approve a lease agreement of AT&T Mobility for use of a
section of Summer Hill as presented authorizing use of digital signatures if approved. >> Second. >> Any further questions? All in favor? >> Right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Good job.
>> Okay. Number eight. Uh we're going to go for item the economic development committee the awards funding >> thank you Armen for being here. Good evening yourself for the record. >> Yes my name is Arman 14 year pack um
chair of the economic development committee. So this year we're planning our third annual uh economic development awards branch uh on March 22nd and uh as last year you you were kind enough to
approve up to $1,500 funding for that. I am representing actually the uh the awards committee which Linda part of Steve thought of and have John Kramer and also Steve Smith part of that committee and we're hoping that you could approve again up to $1,500 for for
the awards. It's been wellreceived last year. We had a larger turnout than the year before. So that's it's it's catching on and people are starting to get excited about it. Uh we had people in attendance last year that I I use For
example, Alonzo and um from Ladukar, they both showed up and they have a brunch on Sunday. So, they were able to show up to support the award recipients. So, that was kind of that's the kind of excitement that's created. So, I'm hoping that you'll approve again.
>> What happened to the unused funds right when you used it? So, >> never came out. >> It stayed in the fun, you know. >> So, it's back, >> right? >> Well, we never took it out. So we we were we would have had invoices come to our office and then we would just pay those invoices up to the amount that you offer us. >> Yeah. So there were only really two
invoices that came in from >> I don't remember but yeah >> and then there were some people kind enough to just not want to get reimbured or whatever they provided us with. So >> questions about what was your attendance last
year? >> Close to 60. >> 60. Thank you. more than a year before. Okay. Was that about that last year? >> Yes. Thank you. Uh so is there a motion? >> I will move to approve these. Um should
it say 1500 or should it say 15? >> It's up to you >> in the motion. >> Up to >> Yeah, up to is more that. >> Yeah. Move to approve the use of up to $1,500 from the community events account for the economic development awards event.
>> Second. Any further questions or comments? >> Thank you very much. Good job. >> Thanks for sticking around. >> Uh Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. >> Mr. shar this is not very that's right
it's magic >> um >> magic is the region that we belong to um within MO that is we also are part of the magic region if you think of the um um MAPC
uh metropolitan area planning commission so but um right so this is uh the town of Washington is running on post for this magic seat as far as the MO Um mainly we are fed information and there there is some planning when it comes to
like the larger state level and regionalization planning. Um but with this I I wouldn't recommend that I I this is just seeking um you to authorize me to submit the vote and I'm going to vote for Alex because >> because what?
>> Because they're running on the post. >> I mean they they have the staff generally that's how it works. you you need to have someone that can that can like devote a certain amount of time to this. I think I think actually this is open because it was um the now the the
director of um who's taking over for Liz Rust with uh >> yeah whatever her name is. >> Oh my gosh. >> Kristen. So Kristen was from Actton and she was in this seat and now she's taking Liz's, you know, their transition. So this is open in 161. It's
really just >> That's right. U anybody want to make the motion? >> Move to authorize the town administrator's office to submit the MO board magic seat vote on behalf of the select board authorizing use of digital
signatures if approved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Thank you. >> Acceptance of the water plan that we were presented uh recently. >> Mr. Chair, this is a little confusing. Let me apologize for that. So, um,
following the presentation, we learned from public works that for the purposes of grant applications, D approval, etc. It it needed to say this water plan acceptance and so, and that's okay. Um,
it's a formality. Uh, we're not going over we're not going over it again. So, you you guys think we would. >> No. Um, I did think that there was some good public reaction to the video that got out there that people did great watch.
>> Great. >> Um, and >> which >> of the meeting? >> Oh. Oh, the at this meeting. >> Yeah. Of our meeting. Um, people watched and at least got some idea and were
directed to the website. Haven't heard any feedback to the direction of the website county meeting but um >> we'll get to that in >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Okay. U so given that this is just a formality to accept that plan that's
presented to us. Is there a motion? >> Move to accept the water master plan from the department of public works as >> second. All in favor? Thank you. I don't know anybody else
they printed in card stuff they gave out no what special was like card stock hard >> no I had no idea it was good paper >> I was expecting it doesn't you can't
even bend it to like dog bend it over and get the next one too hard it's okay >> all right planning for our um make sure I have the right top. Um
Oh, I don't >> So, Mr. >> That's right. >> Go ahead. >> I'm trying to help. I'm sorry. >> No, go ahead. just so um this has been we've had a couple of uh iterations of this on the on the select boards agendas
and because it's not there's no like urgency to this except for the select for goals and you're trying to progress on some of your your your long range plans. So um the board had been interested in setting up a building committee would be advisory to the
capital planning committee, my office, you um and the town as a whole if you will. So, um, I had done a little research. I drafted a a charge. Um, but Mr. Chair, you had said that you would prefer having a full membership.
>> I did. Yeah. Chris expressed some questions that he wanted to at least address to the to you or to the board relative to some of the issues that this might present. I'm not going to speak Chris, but you can. No, we I've
discussed it with satisfied with Okay. We talked about a couple times. >> I think I think the emphasis that it's advisory. >> Yeah. >> It is not meant to control a project. So, >> anybody have any questions on that? uh one that I had and it may be built up
to but the uh what's the mechanism for making sure that this committee doesn't get bogged down in smaller projects and and I've seen apparently that's been a problem in several towns where they you know there has to be some of a cut off
of what types of projects that they they >> don't not sure I mean so this is just this is just I just wrote municipal building projects >> so I don't So where I guess I guess that could be answered right to to my point. Where
will they receive projects properly? Who who will forward a project to the building committee for their you know their consideration? >> I I assume I would because the charter describes the capital planning committee as receiving information for the town ministers's office. So I assume it would
be the same and most of their work capital planning committee now they're sophisticated enough so that individual departments feed them. they get I I'm kind of like I get the I get the email >> that says I'm going to the capital planning committee. I like the idea. I think maybe we could allow this
committee to devise their own rules like like capital planning committee has done a great job of sort of like identifying where where they fit as well and and they're on board for this con concept too because they've noticed that if they're dealing with cop cars it's hard for them to also focus on a roof. So
like it's there's a scale issue and just time. So I think that's a great idea. I'm not I'm not sure, Mike. I wish I I wish I could like >> aware that that's something that that's going to need to be considered if if this goes ahead. >> Yeah, I think it's good. I think like
anything a charge could could evolve and so if you all decide later to put on, you know, boundaries, you could do that later. Well, I do think it's important that uh select board, whether this one or 10 years from now as this committee
continues on, um has some type of input into Yeah, we we should consider let's say a new town hall. We need to consider it. Let's turn it over to the building committee for exploration, whatever. >> Yeah. But seemingly, you know, there
might be some other smaller projects that come up that town administrator recommends to the select board. We are turning this over. Do you view this as the select board instructing which projects to for this board to look at or this the town administrator instructing
which projects? Because what I'm trying to avoid is a situation where we're a future board is sitting here and suddenly the committee comes in and says, "Okay, we're ready to go with the new um, you know, town and barn,
whatever, and the board has had no input into the fact that this was coming." >> Okay. So, I wrote it as to advising the town. Um, but they are advisory. I wrote I wrote to advise the town on That means >> so you
>> No, that's a good question. So you are the town in most respects. You you are the executive body for the town. You and then um but I wrote separately I wrote and to develop and and annually submit via the capital planning committee an
updated long range. I envision this as like the flow would go because you can't pay for anything unless you like even if they have a great idea of what they're going to for the building, how you going to pay for it? And so the charter already established a capital planning committee. So I couldn't get around that. So the building committee would would would sort of submit like any
other capital request to the capital planning committee and then that would then come to me per charter and then I submit my plans to you for charter. So I don't know. I guess we could if you want we could change it as to instead of to advise the town we could change it to to
advise the select board. I'm not sure. What is I think that I think that change makes sense. >> Yeah. Well, I think it was also so the the genesis of this >> the genesis of this was not necessarily to have like a general purpose building
committee. I don't think that is like acting as a building committee for any building. It was more about prioritization of projects. Okay. like new buildings and then also major alterations of existing buildings that
fall a little bit outside that that are bigger than what the capital planning committee typically is typically is taking on. So if the capital planning committee is looking at like, okay, we have million dollars in free cash next year and we have to pay for cruisers and dispatch software and whatever and all
that other stuff, they if if they're going to start pulling in the needs of buildings at a building level that it's like a whole different conversation. So I I think that that's what the genesis of this was about. It was not necessarily like let's have a general purpose building committee that will
just take on the management of any new building that comes up, right? It was more so it it is intended to dovtail with the work of the capital planning committee. >> So >> and then and then some because then it also advise I like the idea that like we try to get some expertise on
>> it's advising but it's also prioritization. Okay. It's so it's it's interfacing with capital planning but it's helping to it's helping whether it's the town select I'm not sure which entity is most appropriate or capital planning but it's helping to prioritize. So it's not capital planning committee
saying okay we need a new roof town hall we need a new HVAC at Fowler we need a new senior center we need a new police station we need a new DPW garage and we have a million in free cash it like the idea was no have that analysis and
prioritization happen outside of the um capital planning committee's process >> so we would give it to the building committee that we're going to charge >> they would dovetail with capital planning. >> Yep. >> Which would then come back to us. >> Yep.
>> Which I assume would then go back to this building committee to finish the work. >> No. Uh I didn't go that far because I I just wrote to advise the town on supervision of construction. The building committee themselves would not also be the green school building
committee. Like they would >> they wouldn't >> like you're not authorizing them this to approve any change orders. They're more about the prioritization at this level and then once you decide once the town says okay you've decided of these six needs we're going to move forward with
GPW garage then there's a building committee that's at the >> or not let's say because we don't have a separate building committee we're we're doing the renovations to the library so I don't I didn't unless you feel otherwise I never advised the board that we needed a full building committee just
to do the library renovations because they have trustees they've got Jean they got me like we have we do it without a separate body. But this would be helpful. Years ago, if this was if this was in existence, that would be like something that they would like sort of own an advisory to say like, "Oh yeah,
don't forget we got to fix the library stairwell." And then they would input that through capital planning committee. >> Capital planning is generally doing that. This is more just again assessing the need at the like the capital planning committee process level. Yeah. And then they would recommend like,
okay, if you need to build a new building, then you would have a project level building committee that is thinking about like similar to what Green Meadow building committee was doing. This is one step further back from that. >> Yeah. >> And and helping with the prioritization process and assessing the need. That
that was my understanding of it. Um >> but this seems to be not necessarily construction of a new building only but also improvements or repairs or whatever to existing municipal buildings. Go ahead.
>> Um three things. So, one, Ben Zowski on the capital planning committee has a presentation which will be presented at the quad board which I think once once we see it and sit with it will um give us all a clear vision of of what the kind of work looks like. I think it's a
very good base layer from which whoever this committee can iterate. Two, it might be interesting to see the reactions of the full quad board, especially the capital planning committee members as they discussed it and we may want to tweak the charge based on that. I I don't think we're going to make a dramatic change, but maybe we're gonna wait until
>> you want to wait until after. >> That's what I'm suggesting. And the other thing I I wouldn't mind waiting for is my my big question is who is going to sit on this committee? Um because that's still an unknown and can kind of influence,
but it will influence the work of what the committee at least starts off and it starts off with the culture on that. So I I think I don't think the charge is going to change dramatically from any of those things, but I I'd like to shift our focus on who who is going to be serving on this when we and maybe we can
do the initial charge with the initial group of people who will sit on it and those will sit together and make sure we set this group off on the right course. So have we put any thought is then kind of my question to who sits on it.
>> I haven't done any recruitment yet. I think it would make sense to determine what it is we want them to do and then figure out who the right people are. >> Find find five at large citizens on this.
>> Yeah. Easier than five in addition to the group that we already have sitting on various other financial capital. >> Correct. >> We'll be lucky to find >> Yeah, it's hard. I mean, it's hard. feel where are we finding volunteers now it's
probably five people that sorry yeah I probably will but I can't where >> but then we might be able to find five now the challenge is to maintain that >> but also I mean again just keeping in mind that the work of this committee if
it is dovetailing with capital planning committee it's not like this committee is meeting on a monthly basis and this is more looking at like a 10year plan and making recommendations based on like their internal process of prioritization. So, I think that the
lift is not quite as heavy as something like capital planning. Um, yeah, not to say that it's easy to find people, but I'll go rattle some cages. >> No, find some people. >> It's just tough finding people to volunteer, but so many things that need volunteers.
>> So, Jeff, you're you're suggesting we wait to make a charge even until after we hear that presentation. Yeah. And and even perhaps until we start to figure out who, you know, three, four, five of these five people are going to beat. Um,
>> but I I don't think the charge changes too much based on either of these. It might tweak. I think we're, you know, 90% of of what we'll end up with is already there. >> So, so to follow up on your point, do we do we wait to hear Well, I'm fine. We hear what what Ben has to say. You know, that's usually something of of interest,
right? But do we then wait to seek out five members for this committee until we have something to offer? >> Yes, I like rather than just say, "Okay, we're going to have a committee. We need five people." But >> usually we'll get to you when we get to it. >> It does go that way.
>> We get a project that you know requires what we what we think after we hear from Ben and what the the capital planning committee thinks then we then we set out this committee. wouldn't know if they're interested if they don't know what they're going to be asked to do >> come up with
>> because again I think that this is much more this is less traditional building committee like the green metal building opening committee or the park system building committee this is more capital planning as it relates to buildings >> municipal municipal building advisory committees
>> I I think I think too to the point that was earlier raised by vegan and Jerry Goldberg as that kind of winds down there might be a couple people there that will have interest here and and the same could be said for as you know the um green metals building committee
starts to wind down there be some more people that have a you know a background in this type of stuff that may be interested um involved I like that the name change might be something municipal building advisory committee I like that in other towns it's something like that or it's I used to work for
Westford and they had the permanent town building committee I don't know why they just I just figured building the municipal uh municipal building advisor >> advisory committee
>> because then it encompasses every municipal building of it. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Like the fire station building committee had like a firefighter on it and it had like it was was like it wasn't and they were interested in the fire station, not necessarily everything. >> Yeah. Mhm.
>> And also it doesn't suggest that you reach out to building something. >> Exactly. You're you're charged with, >> you know, Yeah. >> looking at all the needs. Yeah. I like that name as it reflects more that you're assessing all the need. >> Got it. >> You can probably building advisory would do it. It's always municipal or a
municipality. just uh well although I I as the charge points out um I wrote with the exception of school projects funded by the MSBA I didn't um I didn't want to because that's a different >> that's still a municipal building it's just funded largely by the state
>> we don't have to have that as an exception because I think that plays into this I think this building committee whatever it's called does have to know like okay people's tax bills are going to go up next year when when that new elementary school hits like and come January tax bill are going up and so like that should be factored into a long
range plan. >> So maybe the exception doesn't need to be there. It's not going to be the building committee for potential future MSBA project. We already >> I'm okay with I'm okay with with or without the exception. >> But like when we have a conversation on the after the quadboard meeting
>> perhaps weigh in on. >> Okay. I can't see that being a hand raised on the uh on on the phone call complain that you know will you take trying to use user our authority and take away our power.
>> Yeah that's >> I I yeah I when I saw that again this is a compilation of a bunch of different towns charges and I saw that I was like well that's a pretty clever they probably had similar political tensions and they probably put that >> you don't need any more political attention. Okay.
>> So, we'll put the conversation until after heard Ben's presentation on the 12th. Great. >> We have a chance to sort of hear what the other members have to say. The other quadboard members have to say about
>> what's going on. Okay. >> All right. Budget right? Hey, it's budget season, y'all. Um, uh, I got good news in Bendix. Um, so, uh, I went over this with the budget
subcommittee meeting, uh, last week and, um, I'm just going to hit I'm just going to just going to do the hits for you guys. So, like any any budget development season, um, I start with revenue and you heard a lot of what the revenue picture was um, to start out
with, including that $64,000 of new growth, new tax growth um as pointed out by the board of assessors. So that all comes into play in the tax levy um and then what what you have to play with so to speak as you go into the fiscal planning. Um although I did want
to point out that um um two things. One uh the town didn't make out very well in my opinion when it came to uh local aid that's state funds as for many many many many factors. But it wasn't like even a 2%. I can't
remember what the percentage increase. Oh, it was 1.2 is I have it here in front of me. It was 1.2 increase at the end of the day. Again, that's a that's a factor of both revenues and assessments um that the state budget provides to municipality. So, it wasn't very high. So, I kept that same 1.2% as a as a
conservative revenue estimate going into FY27. I also want to point out for revenue, I removed the expectation of half a million dollars in trash stickers because if we move to a July, I'm sorry, if we move to a solid waste recycling
enterprise come July 1st, then I won't be getting trash stickers as local receipts for the general fund. But that also means down further in this spreadsheet, you'll see the other side of the ledger is I also won't be paying for solid waste and cycling services
from the general fund. that'll be paid for from the enterprise. Okay. So, going down um uh of course, you know, I'm going to throw in there that new that that new deputy fire chief position under public safety.
And then, um uh just just going to start from the top. You can also see that I just started with an estimate of a three and a half% increase to the um mayor schools. So, that's $852,000. uh going down. You can see I I removed the solid waste and recycling cost. That
was almost a million dollar. We were up to $947,000. So that comes about and there's a delta then between what that um what we were going to be paying for in general fund and then what we were
collecting in trash. So there was some money there. However, that gets eaten up really fast when it comes to health insurance increased. Uh we were told to expect a minimum of a 12% increase in health insurance and that's $926,000
give or take. So that's a lot. Um I also did put in there the I put in a placeholder number of $400,000 towards I call it capital cash but it's like it's it's money from the operating fund that you're putting towards oper uh capital needs. So, which is something we have
identified as a as a as a town many times that we have a plan to pay for copard and we have a plan to pay for new schools, but we won't have the plan to pay for middle school. So, that's that would be helpful in that sense. The problem is even with these um
conservative numbers, I'm you know, the bottom line is still um in the red $310,000. So, this is we're still very much at the nasent stage of the budget development. Um, I feel like every week and every day really I get new information. I just got the I just got
the um retirement board's assessment for FY27. I didn't factor this in there yet. So, every day I'm getting more data or um the the department's budget request was due over the weekend. So, I will be inputting those factors soon enough. Um,
and that's just how it works. I I look at all the departments requests. I start having conversations with the departments. Um, I'm continuing have I I saw an updated local receipts from the town accountants office and you know we were high in some areas and low in other areas you know so but that's only
showing me September October so it's hard to I'm going to use that data that I can to project a whole fiscal year ahead of of revenue. So that's the game. Um, and we've done well. At fact, pointing out that
$64,000, I had only estimated $350,000 for new growth and it almost doubled. And that's good. That's the way you're supposed to do it if you're conservative in revenues and then you you hope for the best when it comes to and that's an indication of the of the prosperity of the town. People are moving to town. Housing
values are going up almost $50,000 in the year. That's a that's huge. And I my suspicion is that'll go up more when the new school opens because it'll be that much more attractive to and and the turnover of of housing. So, and restaurants and etc. That's good because
I do get nervous about new growth and our sort of like stagnant new growth. I don't want that. Um, you can see here I started at $300,000 for new growth and that's probably where I'll keep it for a long time unless the assessor's office tells us we're doing a lot better than
>> that was the number that the assessors had on there. >> They had $64,000 growth. I started at half that number for this just to kind of like so I don't can't over you can't overspend. So I where I start anyways, Mr. Chair, so that was a lot. Um, we
talked a little bit more in depth at the budget subcommittee meeting. I don't we don't need we can go into detail now if you'd like. Um, but this was only to sort of give you a snapshot of where we are. This is how we are in most budget years. There's just some big mover shakers like the solid waste recycling
and the and the and the health insurance. By the way, every town is dealing with this the and and both sides. Um, if you read the recent beacon, um, which is from the MMA, they'll talk about how fonds need to get creative when it comes to paying for their expenses and their revenues. And
so, an enterprise account like the solid waste is one of those ways being creative. Their other recommendation is to advocate to the legislature to amend Prop 2 and a half. That's a tall order if you ask me. That's not that's not
that's not an easy answer. I don't know what the easy answer is. I don't I'm not saying there is no easy. I don't know how to how the Commonwealth or the country is going to address health insurance. I don't know. Man, I wish wish we all could figure
that out. But um every town is dealing with this and we have Yes, we do have generous benefits, but we're also al like advantageous when it comes to our loss and our claims and and how we deal with it. think we and I so in other words we're on the low end of the health
insurance and we're still yeah almost a million dollars just to help insurance so increase excuse me a million dollars increase the cost and >> I I take it from a email message that I
saw that the budget subcommittee must have been inquired about uh the issue of the percentage that the town pays in versus the uh because you you sent out something saying like 75% is the typical amount that
>> Oh, that's right. So, other towns are also asking themselves. Yeah. Like, okay. So, we do a 7525 split. The town pays for 75% of the premiums for our employees. Um, and all these I'm part of the small town administrators and
they're all asking the same thing. Is anyone coming down on that number? Most talents do like and I mean most likely it was a significant number. But I can't remember the numbers off the top of it, but most towns do 75. That's how we can be attractive to like our more affluent neighbors that are paying more. >> Most towns do 75%.
>> Small towns. >> Most small towns. >> Yeah. My my suspicion is that's not that much different for all of them all all the municipalities. I couldn't tell you. >> That's different than some of the numbers we looked at last year in the spring. >> Oh, so be it. But based on the that poll
that I I showed you provided showed that I think it was in there in the email whatever you're talking about that we looked at that most were 7525 and then there was a small percentage that was >> 7030 you know 64 >> one at like 32%.
>> That poll was conducted by a different town. So I I maybe I >> was maybe it's just small towns a chunk that they took of small town. You're right. The question of the data on that. I think it's just a I think it's just an anecdote for what what like all these
towns sort of struggle with is how to provide and be competitive. Like how to provide benefits and be competitive. No easy answer. Anyways, I could talk all day about this. >> Yeah. Um no other detail needed at this point from the rest of the board.
>> No, I think it's important to point out um the deficit that you have at this point. I think if you took last year's spreadsheet on November the 4th >> Yeah. and looked at the number. Now, granted, we had an override, but if you looked at that number, have a $310,000
number. Yeah, it's not good, but it's not as bad as it was. >> No, last year. >> Yeah, that's more manageable. >> I also get better at this every year. >> Typically goes down as time gets closer and we learn more definitive numbers. >> I make decisions. >> Got to go to zero by January. >> Yeah, I go
>> there. It's zero by January 21st when my budget is due to you. Um there'll be a lot of changes between now and then lots lots of changes. Mr. Chair, I I also want to um ask if you will if there's any input for that agenda for next week's
>> Yes, that was part of what I had asked you to ask. So >> here we are. >> Um so next week we have Ben's presentation. This is on the 12th. Uh we have Ben's presentation and there was question about what else
if anything we wanted to have on that agenda or discussion. Um this building committee discussion couldn't be part of it after Ben's comment what people's thoughts are of how a
building committee would work municipal weather committee. But I guess we'd have to see Ben at the table and see if that works. >> But any other thoughts on what can be on that agenda relative to by the subcommittee? Is there anything that's
>> um No, I mean we we had seen a version of Ben's presentation um couple meetings ago um maybe an invitation to the finance committee. I think they might want to do something short, but I think their preference was to keep the time
open for conversation among the groups. One one thing that go out brought up at the budget committee meeting was to for me to give a very even shorter version than what I just gave you of some of the highlights for FY27 but that may not be the intention of this the purpose of
this meeting and because generally I don't go into that level of detail with any other group. So, um, >> yeah, >> not to say I wouldn't when this is a public meeting, but it like I this is it's your budget. So, I usually reserve those nuances for
>> your budget until you turn it. >> Fair enough. January 22nd, it's your budget. But I'm But but I So, but I could I would think I think I would hit on like I can't guarantee how much money we could set aside for capital in the
operating. I could maybe do that. It's good to get everyone to understand that there's a 12% increase to health insurance. There's not a lot of um freedom in the to operate in other areas of the budget because of that. And that's just a good message for people to understand as early as possible. >> A larger
>> That's what I'm saying. >> Yes. >> So I think u to that point I think having Greg do a very brief overview makes sense. >> I could do like a few bullets of like >> what you just Yeah. >> Yeah. similar to what we just did. >> Okay. Got it. and noting some of the
nuances on, you know, solid waste and just making sure that because that's everybody in that room is a part of the advocacy group that we want to see >> during the transition. >> All right. Go ahead, Greg. >> Thank Yes, I am. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
>> We have correspondence. We have one piece of correspondence which is uh from uh the uh >> Hannah Hbach not Hannah >> Sienna >> so is there a motion to accept
>> to accept correspondence a shown >> all in favor? >> Thank you Mr. >> Chair Minutes I'm sorry Mr. Sure. Go ahead. Senior Center. Um, and there's nothing to report, but it was it's on the agenda as it always is. There's I don't have
anything to report at this time. I'm still I'm still in the midst of negotiations with the owner and town council. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Uh, one set of minutes to approve the meeting minutes for September 2nd, 2025 authorizing the use of digital
signatures if approved. >> Second. >> Any questions or comments? All those in effect good to go. >> Administrator, >> that's me. >> Got to get me and Stephanie are trying
to do Greg's job at the same time. So, we're going fast. So, uh um I thought it was a great special town meeting. We can talk about that in a minute. Um we uh next Tuesday the town offices will be closed in observance of
Veterans Day. Um, and what else do I want to highlight? Uh, the town clerk's office is doing a sticker contest for um the I voted. So, if I hope everyone can, you know, get online, go to the link and you can you
can vote for what you want as the sticker for I voted sticker. Uh, and all all the down groups are doing wonderful bits. I do want to ask um something that came up today. So, Eversource continues to do work along Summer Street. Um,
specifically, they're using um, you know, through through cooperation with the town, they're using the B old Fowlers parking lot as a staging area for their equipment and materials. Um, that is not an easy choice. We were looking at, and I think we brought this up in past level meetings, like where else they could go. There's no easy
answer. Um, the other public owned property is Naylor Court, which is in somewhat proximity. Um we are in discussions with the project management staff and the and the less on the business lays on to Eversource today. They are willing to look at other sites
for the staging area. It wouldn't it wouldn't it wouldn't totally remove any disturbance to the community but it if if we move to Nailaylor court in particular it would reduce the distance that they have to drive the staging equipment or materials and whatnot. that
I was reluctant to advise that to recommend that in the past because we rely on nail court for I don't know mayor fest botchi court botchi tournaments etc most of those events are passed accept veterans day but we don't use the parking lot for veterans day so
um how does the board feel about us allowing eversource to use portion of those parking lots you can see like it's the kind of the standard location this is from the tenant >> what type of stuff do meet there. >> Lindsay, what kind of stuff do they have?
>> Well, I'll tell you, David, uh, between 900 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., they need to access giant piles of dirt and big giant pipes, and they have to carry them from the old Tyler building through a
residential neighborhood in like excavators steamrollers um loud loud, heavy equipment. I have a video from last night at approximately 1:00 a.m. if you'd like to see what it looks like when it goes by your house. Um I don't I mean Greg, I'm I'm curious at
this point. I think it sounds like they just have a couple weeks left if it >> Yeah, but it's even feasible for them to move. What's left? >> They said for the rest of >> they said they would. >> I had three and a half hours of sleep last night >> because of this. And so if they're I
>> Where are they now? They're down by the bridge. >> They're down by the bridge. So, they're doing night. >> So, they're driving in the middle of the night. They have to, you know, they >> So, this is this is different than where they are >> during the day. >> 9 a.m. to 400 p.m. You got to go around.
>> Well, at 9:00 a.m. to 4, if they have to drive up and down the street, it's honestly no problem at all. It's >> in the middle of the night. >> Yeah. when five times an hour an excavator goes by your house, >> it's really >> Ever said that they would try to they're
like I have to give some credit to Eversource. They're responsive. So Ever said that they would be better about you know at the beginning of the night so like 45 minutes ago presumably they took as much as they needed or or hopefully as much as they needed from college
school on summer street and moved it down to wherever they're working the bridge. My guess is they're that's probably an imperfect transition. They probably at some point they might have to go back to to get something else and move back. So this by moving far closer
to where the work is being done and this in this particular nail court um >> res loss of parking for the next week and a half. They think that in the next week and a half they'll they'll be done. I asked what about Veterans Day? There's
there's not it's I don't they can't guarantee they're going to be done in the week and a half. They are ahead of schedule and and no and the town tries to we play really nice with that resource because they are providing gas and electricity to the to the residents that I'm not providing. So, we're we're trying to we're trying to be good team
players with them and they but it's it's a it's an interesting relationship. So, um I'm comfortable and so is the town engineer and public works with offering this little square. It's like maybe seven or eight parking spaces. Um
but I was curious if the board would be comfortable in that. If you authorize me to use those parking spaces, that's what I would be that's what I would do because we're talking about art. >> I don't know for sure. What I know is behind art space is piles of like dirt and gravel and then large pieces.
They're they're putting they're replacing the pipe underground. Um and then there's other stuff that they have to do. I learned I learned a lot about um gas lines a couple weeks ago in the middle of the night. Um so I don't know if they would move the dirt that doesn't seem like feasible, but uh there
certainly are other like larger pieces of equipment. >> Well, yeah. So the dirt is more the dirt that's there must be the dirt that's still there. Steel plates now. The steel plates are all over the place over there. >> Yeah, >> I think some of the steel plates is what
they're >> piled up behind the old B. >> They also must have a lot of pavings because they have probably opened up the road in front of my house at least and then repaved it at least five times since September. So, they like open it,
access whatever they need, then they repave it and close it. So I'm sure that part of the equipment that they need is related to just that like asphalt and repaving park and that is some of what's in the parking lot. >> But I would also ensure they have the proper liability coverage because like
if they're using the old fer parking lot that's relatively minor but if they're going to be here particularly if they're going to be surrounding private cars like that's that's a different calculus. >> Well and there's also just in terms of the impact. So, there's the like traveling through the residential
neighborhood up at Down Summer Street, but the back of um the old art space building is like there are like five residences that are that parking lot. And last night from my bed at 2 a.m., I could hear the sound of them picking
heavy things up and then dropping them. So, I can't imagine what that sounds like if you're 20t away from it. >> Yeah. So, how does the board is it would the board allow for this move in the next we could say two weeks to allow the the use
of these these designated parking spaces and allow me to you know you're authorizing me to allow for these parking spaces for the next two weeks. >> Um my only thought is this wasn't on the agenda. >> True. And there might be some people,
whoever they might be, that have objections to it, whether it's the business community or other members of the community, and we didn't give it an opportunity to know that it was even going to be discussed. >> That's true. >> And that's a problem. Um, but we do things in an emergency situation when
they arise. The question is, does the board believe this is an emergency situation? >> Well, how much longer would it go on for anyway? Greg says they told him about a week and a half, >> right? So it's >> two weeks the rest of this week and next week.
>> I'm saying two weeks what they think. >> I'm okay and we're giving Greg his best discretion if if there's a counterveailing interest that that he needs to pull back the agreement with Everource. >> If we if we wait next time we meet
over I'm okay. Yes. Greg can make a decision based on his conversations with Okay. Yeah. All right. Anyone else? >> I don't think you do. You can if you want. I mean, it is a m I mean, like
public works does work downtown without you authorizing like it's it is it is it is a parking space. So, it's not it's um >> private entity taking public space. >> No, that's true. So, I would how about Yeah, do a vote. I I think that would
just for transparency and and yeah authorize the town administrator to approve the use of a portion of nano court for the next two weeks in support of resources operations and then you can say so move >> any other discussion all in favor
>> all right thank you >> thank you I appreciate it greatly >> no I hope it I hope that helps hope that helps uh Mr. Mr. Chair, the other thing I can bring up from my TA report is that I did get um some survey responses. Um and I forward them to the board and to Dick Downey, the town moderator because
he asked for it. Um as of today, I think I had 20 responses, which is fine. I mean, it wasn't a huge turnout for the town meeting in general. And I and I did a quick scan through the responses. I think largely it was a well-run meeting. Um but it's always good to kind of hear
some of those comments. So I fed him all to town to Dick County and he he reads them all thoroughly and he thinks about it and he'll bring up what he wants is how you highlighted for the next in preparation for the next town meeting which will be in May. So I'm curious if the board has any for town meeting anything we're like a
football coach we always like think we can always improve even if we're ahead by 40 points. So if there's if there's anything you think we could tweak you don't have to tell me now you can email me. I filled out the survey, but >> shocking. Um, I thought it was good and
I did definitely incorporated feedback from the last town meeting clearly into this. I thought it was great. The thing that I saw in the survey that people commented most on was just the sound >> in the space, which I don't know that there's a whole lot we can do. >> That's been a problem since that.
>> I know. I think that's just the the acoustics in there. And the only other thing I'd say is that we um further in advance for spring town meeting get ourselves better prepared to do to like try and try and bring some of the
technology that we're able to use to to make town meeting run more efficient efficiently like if we want to have a QR code to redirect people to something or if there's any like that we we think about that further in advance so that we can troubleshoot because there are um definitely ways to enable that. I did
notice when Tick put the QR code up and looked out to the audience, there were a lot of people putting their count. So, yes, and it looks like they were able to get that. So, the concern that was expressed at the pre meeting by Justin
>> may not have been that. >> Yeah, >> I don't think I don't think it was because there are first of all two networks in that building. Second of all, there are like 500 kids in that building and at least half of them have phones. So that whatever their whatever
their network system is is um probably built to be you know somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 people using the system at once. You can also pay for like a temporary boost of your Wi-Fi. You can have like a mesh. There's a lot of things you can do but obviously we need more time. So I just think if if
there we do want to think about things like that. Yeah. um to try to improve the process or streamline autonomy and we just move a little further out because then I think it'll give us more time to >> that's right >> to troubleshoot it. >> We definitely thought months ahead when we when we moved outdoors so we we can
we can be outside of which is normally we meet two weeks before a week or so before because there's not a lot of variation. That's all good. >> One thing I noticed and I don't know if if it applies to town meeting or not but I did note that the doors were closed. We address that on
>> and I think that is illegal. >> That's a no no. >> Yeah. >> So we we talked about that on staff as well. >> Um one thing us can do is when we're up there given the sound issues is repeat the question before we answer it and just knowing if it's difficult for people to hear it. That's just something
that that can help out. >> Good point. >> Thank you for preparing all this. >> That's what we do. Um uh the apparently your audio was good. people could hear from our podium very well. It's just some people are not I mean it's you don't practice talking in a microphone
very often. So people get up and they talk too far and then the WM kids have a hard time like picking up the recording. So eat the mic >> or the prior prior speaker is here. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> We got to get Boy Scouts to put it in
their face again. >> It works. >> Was there any conversation at the follow meeting about the lack of seconds and >> we didn't have the He says that if it's in the he claims that if it's in the warrant or motion is
passed as as or motion is made as it is in the warrant no second is required. You know what? I appreciate you bring >> then there was one motion that was made differently than what was in the warrant and he did see >> I know
>> but Lisa me at the beginning of the meeting leaned over to Chris and me and was like you guys need to second all of these >> I don't want to get between Dick Down the two of us like >> and then he knew something he let it
reason I'm not second. >> Yeah. So, I don't know. They >> I will find out. >> They haven't figured that out. >> Just to me just I don't you know it's his meeting. He's the >> Yeah. moderator whatever. But it just seems to I mean Lisa has to a lot of these meetings >> she has. But but she sits through many
many many towns meetings and everyone does it a little bit differently. So um but she does have a lot of respect for the town moderators for all our towns. I'll find out. I think this is she'll probably site something similar and then he'll site his thing and they'll figure it out. >> Well, I watch Middleton's town meeting
and I watched Foxboro's town meeting and they did not have >> Oh, so and Dick goes to all the town association meetings and he goes, "Are you lefty or right? Did I get you some golf clubs to >> I'm left
was interesting. They had a school vote. Boxboro was interesting because they had a vote on zoning to allow for a fire station. >> Yeah. >> Great. Did that pass? >> It did. >> Oh, good.
>> And so I watched both and I spent way too much time watching the >> Washington today on their school. School. >> They did pass that. >> No, they voted today. They were going today. So, I was my father brings me the
all the papers and I was looking at the uh you're going to have to reconfigure the weather fields. Well, one of the things you're adding is a cricket field. What you want to cricket >> that's very popular in act
>> pitch pitch whatever you call pitch. They will have one in the new school >> in actton. They use the uh state. Yeah, that's owned by the state, but they used to >> Oh, is it? >> Yep. State owns all I used to work for the state and I used to have um
Department of Yeah. Yeah. So, that's part of like the um counter residism program. So, like you like the farm they call it used to be across from the old jail still there. They It's the inmates that were good. >> I see. >> Well, cricket is designed to just
diffuse the math population. Yeah. that I mean I don't I don't get it. I I've tried to watch it, you know, they show it at odd hours on ESPN 2 or whatever and I just like what what are they doing? >> I don't get it. The same way to me
>> um >> Mr. Chair, that's all I had for the time being. It might be there might be bleachers available. >> Yeah, they're probably as old as ours, but they've been retrofitted with aluminum seating. And so there they got aluminum seating replaced in wood
seating because they had the the seats I went going to high school football games on were the they have the exact same set of bleaches we had. Well, same same press box, same everything for many many years. It's changed now, but yeah. >> All right,
>> Mr. Chair, that's all I have for the C report unless any questions. >> Um, for my report uh comments, I think last year we gave authority or we made a general motion to have it as a rule
relative to winter parking. So we don't have to bring that up because winter parking time is coming up. >> I think that's right. >> Very quick. And I think we made a motion last year to make it policy. >> I think we did. I will verify that
>> that goes into effect on whatever date, but if not, we need to put that on the agenda for the next meeting. >> But I think we did. >> Great. avoid it so we wouldn't forget because I think what happened one year is we forgot and we were into like mid
December and >> I'm looking it up and you did so you approved it last last year. Parking on public ways in the town of Mayor is prohibited between the hours of 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. from December 1st through 15th. >> So we need to at least begin the process
of getting the message out on that. >> Got it. >> So that it is made clear. uh town meeting. Again, we just spoke about it, so I don't have to go in any detail. I think it went well. Um and we have Veterans Day coming up on
the 11th. There is parade and there is a special ceremony this year u to honor families of um of fallen soldiers, gold star families. And it's really interesting.
uh people who they were able to determine still live in Maynard with relatives still here. They're going to honor those families. There's qualifications which is why there's not 44 people 44 families that were tracked down. They still have to live in Maynard. So they I think they ended up
with like 12 14 families that still have >> Yeah, it's something like that. Uh so those families will be given on an award that has been uh profit by the state and I think uh Representative Hogan will be the one that will be giving those out to
but should be a good event. Um weather right now looks like it's going to be very cold. So if you plan on walking be prepared cold weather and I am going to say a few words assuming that there is an event at that
they don't cancel due to cold um to address the veterans very short and then the um and then the ceremony will be focused on seems more Memorial Day but we chose Veterans Day to to do that
but I think the the veterans need need to be addressed. >> The the veteran group I spoke to the um downstairs name and Bob King they both have a concern about the number of chairs that
we'll have there. >> Okay. Because >> you mean bubbly. >> Bubbly. Yeah. Bubbly. >> Yeah. We want to get as many chairs as we can. But anyways, he he's worried about it because they have a certain number of chairs for the the honores of that
>> correct >> particular thing. That makes sense. >> And they're going to have a certain number and he's worried about the regular, you know, our known veteran attendees. >> And he said, you know, one of the things was like he's been trying to impress upon those guys, you don't have to walk.
You can just be there. people have the people are going to walk will walk and he'll be there because a lot of the guys don't come anymore because they're getting up in the age where they can't walk the mile and at night around which is fair. >> Yeah. >> Especially if it's cold. >> Yeah.
>> So anyway, he's he was worried about that and I don't maybe maybe maybe the guy downstairs has a better um inclination as to what the numbers are, but they were they were concerned about that. So okay, I'll I'm going to look into it.
Yeah, Bob is always trying to get folks um and one of the things to make it as easy and comfortable as possible for them. >> That's a good idea. >> We should probably reach out to um uh
what's the place over at Market Basket where the seniors live and tell them, "Hey, you're invited." Camela Gardens. I think we've done that but I'll double >> We have done that and they brought a bus over there once you know a van >> with people >> I will look into >> they have ceremony anyway
>> that's right that's a good doesn't hurt to ask >> but so if you have a contact at the uh >> a veteran service officer I don't I don't say hey you're invited >> yeah I'd like that idea
>> all right that's it for me >> no just Um thanks to those that put on and put together the um doctor retreat for a lot of people. There's a lot of people there. >> No, it didn't rain during it really.
like just >> thanks to the um you know they there was a strong presence of mayor police department out walking walking month the kids and the people doing in the fire department as well which was kind of nice. It was a nice event and it was, you know, surprisingly a lot of people
thought what's really didn't mean to very much. >> Yep. Same thanks thanks to the usual group of people for organizing down downtown trick or treat. We got a good photo of Chief Troy. They're all dressed up as a police officer. Um, but it was
great. They were out and about, you know police Uh, it was a good event. Um, thank you to everybody who came out for the botchi tournament. The planning board won it all took it all home to special permits.
>> I saw I saw those >> dressed Bill and Chris. They they they beat >> not let anyone. >> Well, it was fun. Thank you. Um, and thanks again meeting. I thought it
was great. And thanks to town administrator and town staff for preparing us so making it so easy. >> Nothing to add. My thanks again to everybody who participated in Glenn for all of those events. Yeah. So, a sub for quorum of the planning board. I think
very very good. >> Everybody was sting your time at that point. uh ditto for for what's already been mentioned, but also appreciation for um
the fundraiser that was put up for open table on the same attitude as the budget tournament. Um and just recognizing that there's there's been a fairly considerable um support from the town in the wake of um the issue with food
stamps and uh it's just an encouraging recognition of of who we are as a community. So that's great. >> Um and also appreciation for you Greg in the face of uh your family circumstances and being as present as much as you have this last uh important week. So
>> I did a good step. >> Yeah. Well, and and yeah, um but yeah, I recognize that will be challenging.