We're going to enter into executive session immediately to uh review the consider considering the purchase and exchange lease or value of real property if we believe that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the
negotiating position of the public body. This this evening we're going to be specifically speaking about 6163 Summer Street and we will enter back into regular
session at 7:00. There a second. >> Second. >> Roll call. Jeff, >> yes. >> Lindsay, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> I have a yes as well.
We are going to open up our meeting. But before I do, I need to uh I can find it. Uh make a comment. Uh in accordance with the open meeting law regulation 90 940
CMR 29.10, please be advised that select board members Christa Silva and Mike Stevens are attending this meeting remotely. because they are attending remotely. All votes taken at this meeting will be by
roll call vote. Make sure please that if any select board members are not clearly audible to any of either Mike or or Chris or to any members of the public, please let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to remedy the
problem and we'll inform the public whether the meeting will continue. Um so having said that we will open our meeting with uh the pledge of allegiance. Please join me
in the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
We've got quite an audience here uh online. Welcome everybody. It's nice to see you. I hope that you stay around for the as much of the meeting as you possibly can, but uh it's always pleasure to have people join us. And there's people here in the room as well
and it's nice to have them here as well. Uh first item on our agenda is public uh comments and I want to say that the board does welcome uh public comments and if there's further action that's required
by us we'll add the matter as appropriate to a forthcoming agenda. I say that because depending on the comment, we may if we're able within the confines of executive of open meeting law rather respond with information as opposed to needing to deliberate on the
matter. In other words, we can't deliberate on something that's not doesn't appear on our agenda, but we can certainly respond with information if a question or comment should raise a question for us that can be answered without deliberation. So having said that, is there anybody here in the room
this evening that has any public comments that they would like to raise? Seeing none, we'll go online. Any of our guests online desiring to speak in public comment? If so, please just raise your hand uh
electronically and give your name and address and speak up. I don't see anybody raising their hand, but I don't see necessarily everybody that's online. So, please jump in if you are. I don't see anybody. I don't hear anybody. So, we will move
on assuming that we are good to go. All right. Uh, one of the things that we do as members of the board is have the um the pleasure of awarding the Boston Boston
Post Cane to a Manard resident who is identified as being u the I don't want to say the oldest, but the one that has lived here on Earth the longest and as the most experienced in life. And um
when our prior Boston Post can uh recipient or owner, if you want to call it that, um passes away, we then have the pleasure of finding and identifying our newest recipient of the Boston Post
can. And that's what we are here to do this evening. Uh we have identified that and excuse me if I get your name wrong, but I believe it's Carmela Sarah. No. Is that correct? You need to you need to unmute yourself.
Now it's P. Now you're allowed to do that. >> I think you've done it. >> Yep. >> Hi. Is that Carmela that I'm seeing on screen? >> Yes. Hi, welcome. Thank you for joining us this evening. It's a pleasure to have
you. Can you hear us? Okay. >> He's saying can he you hear him? Okay. >> Yes, I can. >> Okay, great. Welcome. As I mentioned, I'm going to read the proclamation that has been written on your behalf and
signed by the members of the board and that you will get a copy of uh to hang proudly in your home, I'm sure, once it uh once it comes to you. Uh but I will read the proclamation. Whereas Carmela
Sarah No was born on April 28th, 1925 in Belmont, Massachusetts and spent many years in Medford before moving to Maynard. First in 1959, then again, and remained since 1976,
nearly entirely at 25 Randall Road. And whereas Carmela married Jusphi Joe No on August 12th, 1961 after first meeting him at the River Beach Dance Hall. And she shares two children and a grandson along with many
nieces, nephews, and a great great aunt. And whereas Carmela attended Medford High School and Walden Business School and had a long career in sales and management in the clothing industry including the country store of conquered when its headquarters were in the
mannered mill. And whereas Carmela, like her entire family, is an active community member, joining clubs, social organizations, in volunteering for the conquered museum, as well as her grandson's school's parent teacher organization. And whereas Carmela
celebrates her 101st birthday on April 28th, 2026, and we wish her all the very best. Now therefore, we the managed select board do proclaim April 21st, 2026 as Carmela Sarah No Day
in the town of Maynard and do hereby congratulate Carmela Sarah no on her attaining the Boston Post can as it is presented to the oldest living citizen in the town of Maynard. And this proclamation is given in our chambers
here this evening on the 21st day of April in the year 2026. Congratulations Carmela. I look forward to getting you the cane and having you at least receive it and see it. It'll be a pleasure.
Congratulations. >> She does have a a little thing to say. Could she >> please >> please have her say it? >> You can mute it now. I can read it. >> Well, hi everybody. >> Thank you. Thank you to the select board
of organization. Main has been a home to my family for many years and we've always loved it. It's close neighborly feeling. We look forward to Christmas parade every year.
Coming from the city, I was drawn to May's warm hometown atmosphere and it has meant a great deal to us and to me. Thank you.
People are happy. Very good. >> Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to meet you and see you. Congratulations, as I say, and uh we look forward to getting the the proclamation to you. >> We got a motion.
>> Oh, yes. A motion to be made as well. >> Move to approve the proclamation in recognition of Carmela Sarino as the town of Maynard's newest recipient of the Boston Post Cane. >> Second. All right. Because as I said earlier, we have to take a roll call vote. We'll start with Jeff.
>> Yes. >> Well, go ahead. >> Yes. >> Chris. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Mike. >> Yes. >> I'm a Yes. as well. And um Greg, there's
a couple of typos on this. >> I know. So before we get them before we get it out, um I'm going to need to I'm sorry. I got all sused, >> Lindsay. I apologize.
>> That's okay. >> So, okay. So, thank you so much and thank you for joining us. We're pleasure to have you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And way bye. >> Bye. >> Take care. You
We'll get that corrected and off. Got it. I'll be in touch about how we deliver. >> Yeah, it's fine. I mean, we don't She doesn't keep it. She just receives it. >> Yeah. Yeah. No. >> Yeah. And we got a picture and it is all
right. We now have an Arbor Day proclamation um that is here um in honor of the upcoming Arbor Day um which we are proclaiming uh Saturday, April 25th as Arbor Day in May. Uh I
think that'll probably be be read by whoever is able to attend the Arbor Day event. So I will leave that to that event. Uh so I will take a motion to recognize the uh >> I will move to approve the official town of Maynard Arbor Day proclamation as
presented authorizing the use of digital signatures if approved. >> Second goes to Lindsay. All all in favor? Jeff? >> Yes. >> Lindsay. >> Yeah. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes.
>> I am a yes as well. All right. We now have consent agenda items. There are quite a few A through J. That's 10 10 consent agenda items. Use
of town property for the annual Memorial Day parade which is scheduled for May 25th, 2026. Please put that on your calendar. Tree City USA application. um the Aronap Sellers LLC farmer winery
application for the Mayor's Farmers Market, which is a repeat, which is why it goes on the consent agenda, and then a number of cemetery deeds um that are on our consent agenda. So, is there a motion to accept consent agenda?
Move to approve consent agenda uh items A through J as presented contingent upon adherence to all federal, state, and local public health and safety guidance authorizing use of digital signatures if approved. >> Second.
>> Any further questions or comments on any of the consent agenda items? Hearing none, we'll vote. Chris, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Jeff, >> yes. I'm a yes as well. All right.
The next item is item seven, which is discussion on the Hol Brook intermunicipal agreement for regional dispatch. Uh I'll preface this. Thank you, chiefs, for coming again this week. preface this by saying that several months ago, I
guess it was, we had a presentation here uh from a representative from the uh regional dispatch in Hullbrook who outlined for the board the issues, the favorable issues that would come into play if we were to regionalize our
dispatch with a group that works out of Hullbrook. Um you know some questions came up at the time just so people aren't concerned about this. Well Brook you know that's 2530 miles away. In reality with dispatch does not matter
where people are located. As a matter of fact many communities have dispatches that are far wide away from where they may be and one would never know because you're calling 911 the answer comes up and they are answering it as if they are
here in town. So the board asked questions at the time, got some answers, felt comfortable with the process. There is a need for uh a regionalization approach in this that would benefit us in many ways. I think there's also it's
also important to say that it's not necessarily necessarily the case that that anything will be moving from here because it's very like it's very possible I should say likely it's possible that things could be here as dispatch here in May uh for this group
anyway. So with with that as a preface, I'll turn it over to the chiefs and you can comment both of you as to why you're here tonight and then the board can take the action we need to take. >> Sure. Well, thanks again for having us back. I know like you said, we did speak
about it uh previously kind of explain the the regionalization process. Director Hook is actually is here as well. He's he's runs the the over center now. He's online there. So he can um speak as well if he can add. Thank you Sarah for joining us.
>> Um you know there's a lot of benefits for it and we talked about those previously um with the regionalizations um you know monetary wise safety wise staffing wise um the state's kind of going that way with with regional dispatches kind of pushing towards regionalization regionalization in
general public safety I think is a really good thing um for for a number of reasons and some of those I just kind of mentioned. Um, so we explored this option, met numerous times with direct hook, myself, Chief Wallace, Greg with and uh the hook and we've just kind of
thought that this was the the way to go potentially in the future. Um, there is a set of homework right now. They're looking to to build one up this way. Kind of hold authors kind of what they're talking about and that they're working on that that process there. We'll speak to that director kind of talk about where that may land, but
certainly up in this area. Um, so if there was any deterren dispatching coming from homework, it would would be up this way prior to that. We're not going to move down to that facility yet. We wait till that other facility up this way is built and kind of up and running before we move on to that. Um, this IMA
that we're looking to to sign off or agree on just kind of helps with the process right now just kind of um allows us access to maybe certain funds and grants sooner, but will the center built with that IMA in place. K, you have anything to add? Um, he said everything
I would have said. >> All right. >> Uh, members of the board, do you have questions or comments? Uh, if we were to approve this, when would the cut over date be? >> Yeah. I don't think we're even close to a cut over date >> approximately.
>> Yeah. Um, director Hook might be better person to answer that, but I'm thinking like that would be years in the future, not something that's going to be immediate. >> Okay. director, do you have any comments on that? >> No. Good evening, uh, Mr. Chair, board
members. Um, hope everyone's well. Thanks. Thank you again for having me. So, cut over date. Um, it really depends like the chief said, um, you know, we're in we're in the early phases of uh
building a second center. Uh, that's going to take at least probably two years. Um but however, if there's an immediate need uh due to staffing or whatever, we certainly can um we can uh
make that happen in the meantime. >> You good? >> Yes, I'm good. >> Okay. >> Chris or Mike, anything? >> Not from me? >> Nope. Nope. I'm good. >> All right. Uh we've already talked about
some of the budgetary issues relative to this. Greg, do you want to just touch upon any issues of concern or thoughts that you have how how this would affect us in the immediate or long-term future? >> Sure. I mean immediately it would be helpful to have their support um both from a personal standpoint and
potentially a technology standpoint. So we you know we continue to make investments as we will until until there's until it's transition in whatever fashion. Um yeah, we we'll continue to make sure you know 911 calls are still picked up. We still get on still the same rapid response that we
always um do through the combination of this partnership. No, I think it's a good deal to the town and it's and the state is as chief alluded to heavily incentivizing this. So the town's not paying anything for the first couple years. >> All right.
Any other questions or comments? If not, I'll take a motion. I will move to authorize the town administrator to approve the intermunicipal agreement with the town of Hullbrook for regional dispatch services for a term through June 30th,
2030 and an option to renew for one year thereafter as presented. >> Second. >> Any further comments or questions? Hearing none, we'll go. Chris, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Lindsay, >> yeah. >> Jeff, >> yes.
>> Nam, yes as well. Congratulations. Congratulations, Mr. Hook. We look forward to working with you and getting this up and running. >> Thank you very much. >> I appreciate it. Thank you both. >> The next item is the board of registars
for a democratic nominee to the board of registars. Um, we have that the board of select or select board in town is the appointing authority for a list to be submitted by the Democratic and Republican town
committees of the political parties. Um, from the members of which a position is to be filled containing the names of three enrolled members. Uh and they their role is is guide uh guidance guided by Mass General laws where they're responsible for maintaining
voter registration records, conducting the annual street listing, certifying nom nomination papers and petitions and performing certain statutory election duties such as overseeing recounts, post election audits, and counting
specific absentee ballots received after election day. Um some administrative tasks are carried out by the town clerk's office but some actions require a formal vote or decision by the registars and they are performed by the board itself. So having
said that there is a move there's a need to reappoint I believe Janice Jones from the Democratic party. Janice are you with us tonight? >> I didn't think she was going to be >> oh I thought was able to now. All right.
Uh so Janice is not able to attend. Um so I know Janice, she's a um I'm sure she's qualified for this. She's a wonderful woman. Um and I'm sure she does fine job with the uh with her role. So if there's no questions, we'll take a
motion to appoint. >> I'll move to approve I'll move to appoint Democratic nominee Janice Jones to the board of registars for a term from July 1st, 2026 to March 31st, 2029. >> Second. >> Any further comments or questions?
Hearing none, we'll vote. Chris, >> yes. Mike, >> yes. >> Yes. Jeff, >> yes. I'm a yes as well. Thank you. And uh do they get sworn in? >> Uh although I mean she so she just needs
to be she just needs to be notified with the upcoming >> upcoming election. >> All right. We now have a uh request for a one-day liquor license from uh
from Barrels and Vines for the Mayor Jazzfest at Mayor Court on June 21st, 1955. Welcome as always. >> Hello. >> Good to see you. This is the second meeting in a row you've been with us, isn't it? >> It is. Yeah, I'm back.
>> Good to see you. It means things are happening over your place. So, >> yes, that does mean things are happening. So I think it's actually June 13. >> Is that what I said? >> No, we have the title wrong, but we correct. >> Oh, okay. Sorry.
>> June 13, 2026. >> No, you're right. Uh so okay tell us a little bit about what you're doing and uh >> yeah so similar to Amy's um who has been at the Jazz Fest in the past our goal is to have just a table with a canopy sell
wines by the glass will be sitting right next to Amry so that way the alcohol I think we'll be the only two which they are serving alcohol and we'll be segregated from kind of the rest of the the venue so that um we can monitor the alcohol consumption and there will be no
no one allowed to take the wine and the beer off of the kind of grounds of the event. >> Y so that's our goal. >> Thank you. And and the board has made it clear over the years and I know I see the the map but just so the public is
aware um we rever the memorial park especially the monument area. So, we like to any alcohol or similar type products to be kept away from the memorial aspect of Memorial Park. And uh
based on the map, you're as far away as it's possible with being able. So, >> and I think that location makes sense because it's right against the sidewalk as well. Yeah. And so, again, we'll be positioned next race so that the two of us will be responsible for monitoring alcohol consumption there.
>> Yeah. and the police have indicated they have no issues and so the public safety issues are taken care of. So I think we're good. Um so is there a motion? >> Move to approve the one-day special
license for the sale of alcoholic beverages by barrels and vines at Memorial Park in conjunction with the Maya Jazzfest June 13, 2026 authorizing use of digital signatures if approved. Second.
>> Motion's made and seconded. We'll vote. Chris, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Yes. As well. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you everybody. >> Thank you.
>> All right. The next item, uh, I guess Greg, I'm gonna turn it over to you because I'm not really sure why it's here for us, but >> consent to sale for H Hallstead, which down at May Crossing is apparently selling.
>> Um, and I think it has to do with their um, affordable housing units of some type that is requiring us to approve. did not go to the affordable housing trust, but I don't know if that's necessary or not, but they asked for us
to approve it. So, if you have nothing else to add, that's it. I mean, but this when there's a sale like this, it sort of provokes an opportunity to ensure their compliance with the regulations for the affordable housing. So to the hard work of municipal services
including our William Denser you've met and the >> I'll screw it up again. William Michael Mark Dam the formality we're hearing to every
time he comes though um but they did a great job. They reached out to our regional housing um services office who we we sort of rely on to ensure compliance and they did their due diligence found out yes they they are keeping up their reporting the regulations which then gives us the
confidence to recommend that you do approve consent to sale. It is it is relatively procedural but again it does allow us to make sure that they're in >> so presumably they're going to change the name of that place. So, that will be the third name I think we've had since they
opened and they'll put up a new sign, I would imagine, goes down at the end. Um, and those will all have to be approved by the planning board presumably >> with our with our signage. >> Yes. >> Okay. Any questions or comments from the
board members? >> Hearing none, I'll take a motion. Move to approve the consent to sale for H Hallstead at Mayor Crossing to Bell Acquisitions LLC as presented. >> Second. >> Any further questions? Hearing none, we'll vote. Chris,
>> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Lindsay, >> yes. >> Jeff, >> yes. And I am a yes as well. >> All right. Thank you very much. All right. Are we going to do the energy
bill? We're gonna do that if you go unless you want. >> Yeah. I was expecting we might have Rebecca here. >> Okay. >> Oh, hi. >> Hi, Mr. >> I didn't see you online. There's a lot of people there. >> It's a lot of people today.
>> Yeah. So, Rebecca, thank you for joining us. Uh you're going to brief us bit, I guess, on the um omnibus bill, Master Energy omnibus bill and how it impacts us, etc. Uh and where we're at. So take it away. Got the floor.
>> Okay. Thank you. So um this is a House bill that passed uh in February and it's titled an act relative to energy affordability, clean power, and economic competitiveness. Um the court's press release reports
it's going to save tax rateayers over $9 billion over the next 10 years. And it includes some near-term and long-term uh cost relief efforts. So, um it's going to move now to the Senate, which is drafting its own version. So, um there
will be some a bunch of changes before this is passed and um it'll likely change in the months ahead and timing is unclear, but um I wanted to give an update on where it stands now and um and what that could mean for Maynard. Um
there have been some advocacy groups including uh Lisk Massachusetts which is um mostly for uh low-income housing and uh Massachusetts area planning council started um to work to make sure that the Senate keeps funding uh to energy
efficiency and decarbonization programs. Um so I wanted to sort of my summary is kind of focused around that. Um so those would be sort of the nearterm cost relief efforts. Um they include some billing adjustments as well as returning
energy efficiency funding to customers in exchange for budget cuts. This includes alternative compliance payments paid by utilities to fund state energy programs and a $1 billion cut to Mass Saves current uh 4.5 billion budget for
the years 2025 to 2027. Um there are also some long-term efforts in this bill to promote to pro promote energy expansion and diversification uh by removing barriers to wind, solar and storage projects. And these uh these
items will help increase energy supply in the state to help meet the demand and drive down competit competitive pricing. Um so for context, Mass save which is uh where the budget cuts are being proposed
is um is funded through our energy bills and it makes up about 10% of the cost on our energy bills. Uh this will if there is a cut it'll have a pretty big impact in Mayard. um 64% of residences have already uh benefited from Massave
expense incentives and there are um and they could continue to participate in the program and and receive uh further incentives in in the future. Um, I think if if they're if they do do a $1 billion
cut, it'll greatly impact the tail end of it, like the tail end of that three-year plan, uh, where the money hasn't been spent already. Um, and I'll add that the town of Maynard also benefits from this program, including a $1.4 million energy incentive for the
Green Meadows Energy efficient design. Um, Massave estimates that they save customers an average of $2.7 for any every $1 spent uh by improving energy efficiency. And then this also has an impact on everyone whether you
participate in the program or not because rising demands for electricity especially at certain times of day are one of the primary drivers of rising energy costs. So, as demand rises and supply is m is limited, the price is going to go up for all customers.
Um, finally, mass save cuts could impact Maynard's ability to plan and maintain capital assets as massive incentives are often included in the upfront cost estimates and could create more financial risk for qualifying capital projects.
uh cuts to energy programs could also impact Maynard's ability to ensure that climate change adaptation and mitigation best practices are represented in their planning. And that's what I've got for you for for a
summary. Um are there any questions around around the bill and what it can mean for Mayor? >> Quick question. um because of where we are in the project >> um there's no danger is there to our um
our incentive or grants that we received already on the green metal school for our energy approach to the school >> um I can't guarantee I don't think there's anything guaranteed because you know there's nothing has been passed but
um it would probably more likely affect s future grants that we could receive and they would probably do their best to honor the ones they've already >> so >> dedicated. >> Any questions from board members?
>> I have a a question. As I understand it, the um there's quite a lot of resistance um in the Senate for these uh for this $1 billion cut. Um and and also it it hasn't been scheduled yet to go through the Senate. So, uh, I'm not familiar
enough with the workings of the the Massachusetts legislature to know how far out from now are we likely to see any change. And what are your thoughts on whether or not um you think that the the mass save program will in fact be significantly amended by the time it
comes around, whenever that is? >> Um, I I don't really know more about that than what I've presented at this point. it. I think I I'd say I know about as you much as you do at this point. Um I've reached
out to uh several uh groups to try to understand like when we could see what the Senate bill looks like. It it sounds like it we're still a couple months out from that. >> Okay. Yeah. So waiting game to some extent.
>> It is a bit of a waiting game. I think, you know, if we wanted, we could reach out, but we could also wait and see and and just keep this in mind moving forward. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Oh, do you say we all said? Okay. Thank you very much, Rebecca. It's always a pleasure to have you. >> Thank you. I I think I have one more thing to present as well. the HVAC. >> Yep. The town hall HVAC. So,
>> I have some slides for that. So, I'm going to um >> I'm going to share my screen if that's all right. >> Yes, you uh should have permission to >> Okay. Excellent.
Okay. Can everyone see this? All right. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, um, this is an update on, uh, the town hall project that Justin and I have been working on. Um, as you may remember, we came to you in the fall
because we were, um, applying for a grant to upgrade the the HVAC and prepare for electrification. Um, unfortunately, we were not, uh, we're unsuccessful in getting the grant. Um, and so, uh, we're working to try to
figure out how to move forward. Um, so I'm I'm going to go into a little bit more detail than we did in the fall just to sort of understand like what what needs to be done, what is sort of an added measure. And then um, we have a
request that we can there's been some funds allocated to this project already as a a community match and uh, we'd like to the funds to remain allocated to this project. so we can um complete the capital work that needs to be done and then hopefully pursue some smaller
grants in a more sort of peacemail um way to to get the rest of it. Um so the capital projects that are due for replacement, we've got aging electrical panels and also aging duct work. Um and then there's a rooftop unit is what it's
called. It's if you look at the if you stand outside of town hall, you'll see there's a big box on top of the roof. Um, and that is providing cooling and ventilation to the top floor of town hall and has reached its the end of its useful life. So, uh, it it could fail at
any time and we'd like to be prepared to replace it with something more, uh, energy efficient if possible. So, um the past green community grant project we're um we took these capital projects and
we're hoping to expand the electrical capacity while replacing the panels to prepare for electrification and then also replace the rooftop unit with a heat plum pump pump equivalent and at the same time uh install heat
pumps in the town hall basement and uh keep the green community's funded boiler as backup and also as a cost costs saver to operate on cold days because when it's really cold outside, it's more uh cost effective to use a boiler instead
of a heat pump. Um we would install a building automation system that automatically switches between the two systems based on temperature. And um at this point, we've applied to green communities three times. And um each time we reviewed our application with
our contact, but we were still denied. Um in our debrief with our contact, we they cited high cost the high project cost um because the request included capital expenses outside of the decarbonization scope.
So we're hoping to use those funds to um cover some of that capital cost. So, a little bit of background on the program. There's um there's sort of two pathways we can go to do this project. There's a traditional grant and we could
apply for a traditional heat pump grant or a traditional building automation grant or we could apply for a larger decarbonization grant. And that's what we've done in the past is tried to sort of do a catchall and do a larger project with the the decarbonization grant. Um
because we've received over a million dollars in the past from green communities, we're considered part of the milliondoll club. So we can only get 150k a year from the traditional grants, which in the past we were able to get around 250k.
So um the decarbonization grant opens us up to more money, but it comes with a 2-year grant freeze. So, that's something to keep in mind as we're trying to figure out, you know, how to time these grants. Um, we've pursued grants for this project and and were
denied, as I mentioned before. And then, um, also in our debrief, we we sort of looked at their calculator and how they determined if a project is worth pursuing. And we learned that like only about $250,000
would even be competitive for a project based on their metrics because they do it based on like dollar per carbon saved. And with the the carbon saved here, it would only be about $250,000. So that's why we're proposing switching
to more of a peacemeal strategy, targeting the $150,000 traditional grants for elements of the project instead of just trying to go for the whole thing with 500,000. Um, so a brief overview of the systems.
We've got sort of three sections of town hall. There's the first floor, the basement, and the police. Uh we haven't really looked into the police as part of this project, but there's um seven rooftop units that provide everything. So gas, heating, gas heating, cooling,
and ventilation. Um and those are are still in okay shape, but will probably start reaching the end of their useful life in a in a few years. Uh the basement is also a ways out. um they've got what I'm going to call condensing
units and that's kind of basically central cooling and those are really good um candidate for doing a heat pump system and what it would be called as a VRF system. So in the past we'd included it in our application to sort of make it
a larger decarbonization project but we could wait for a while to look into this until we could get a grant to replace them. And then the most pressing stuff is the first floor where we've got the aging rooftop unit and um and hot water
heating. I'll add the basement also has hot water heating. Um so the rooftop unit at the end of its useful life, there's also duct work associated with that that needs repair. So um we've got a few options here. We could just do a
like for like replacement or we could do um what I'm calling a heat pump rooftop unit which is what we've applied for in the past where it's um I've got another slate on it so I'll I'll get more into it later but it's it's a very similar setup but just has a heat pump or we
could do um what's called VRF which I will get to in a later slide. So again, our required upgrades are the electrical pa panels which are aging and then um our duct work. So, for the electrical panels, we could we'd like to
take advantage of um this replacement to expand the electrical capacity for um the event that this building does eventually uh become fully electric cuz um cooling will pretty is pretty much is
already electric, but heating requires a larger electrical capacity. Um so, that would help us prepare for that. And then uh duck work is uh is just kind of leaking and um it's resulting in like
a lower efficiency and less effective and you know we won't you know if you have leaky duct work it you won't the air won't necessarily go where you want it to. It might leak into a different space. Um so uh that just needs to be repaired and replaced. So there is an
opportunity here as well to think about um do we want the current system or do we want a new system that might need a different uh duct work configuration. So um there are some pros and cons to heat pumps um and and I think there are more kind of things just to keep in
mind. So, um, if if operated correctly, they have a similar operating cost to a current our current system, uh, as energy prices are today, uh, but lower carbon emissions. So, I I don't even know if it's a pro or a con, but it it
it's just kind of a a neutral. Um, but, you know, it's worth keeping in mind, electricity is more expensive than gas. Um, and heat pumps will raise electricity costs in winter, but they'll also lower gas costs. So sometimes that's a bit of a shock when you get um
your electric bill and it's higher and you kind of have to think about, you know, how how does this look compared to what I was paying for gas before? Um the way that we're proposing this, we um we would keep our uh gas heating alongside
a heat pump. So it would kind of diversify our um it diversify our our HVAC portfolio. uh in town hall. So, you could choose to use the gas or you could choose to use
electricity based on your rates. Um and that rate may lower in the future. That they recently added a heat pump rate for for residential. So, there's no saying that that couldn't happen in the future for commercial as well. Um and the the heat pump rate is lower
than than the normal electric rate. Um, in addition, they uh heat pumps also qualify for grant funding. So, it's always great to take advantage of this. So, for the first floor, if we were to go to a heat pump system, there are a
couple options. The first one is a heat pump rooftop unit. So that's this image on the left, which it this is pretty much the same setup as what we have where there's like a box on the roof with a fan and cooling and and it goes
it's distributed by duck work. So you could probably reuse some of your existing duct work depending on how much needs to be repaired. There might be some resizing that needs to happen. Um or you could go to what's called a VRF system. And this you might have se you
may see in um it looks very it's a very similar setup to what you would have in your home as a heat pump. And um it's just have like it's just heating and cooling the air directly instead of um delivering hot or cooled air into a
space. So you don't need duct work for the heating and cooling. You'll still need some uh because we need to ventilate the space, but it'll be much smaller because you're only sizing it for ventilation instead of air that you're recirculating uh to heat and
cool. And it's also nice they've got a lot of different configurations that you can put into a space. So, I think you can see like there's that little um square that could just go into one of the panels above your heads in that room and and it wouldn't even look very
different. So, timeline and funding. Um I apologize for the messy slide, but I wanted to make sure everything was here. Um we have some and dedicated funds and funds that we're anticipating
um asking for in town meetings. So we've got um the 2025 article and 2023 article as well as what we're requesting for the 2026 article and that totals a little above 500,000.
Um there's some work the electric upgrade and duck work is going to be um can't get funded by the grant but needs to happen to keep town hall operating well. Um so that'll total about 300,000.
So that's that town obligation where the the grant won't fund. And then there's um additional projects would be the rooftop heat pump unit and controls that could switch between the heat pump and um and the gas system. So there's um
sort of the simple version is a little under 50,000 or has been estimated to be a little under 50,000 and then there's a more complex system that would have added benefits and allow for more remote
control. So that's the uh 140,000. Um and then we don't have a at this point we don't have a a recent estimate for the basement heat pump or police HVAC, but that's something that we would look into in the future and hopefully uh
be able to apply for grant funding for that as well. Um so are there any questions on that? Um >> if you are if you are aware and if not Greg may know um is all this on the
radar of the capital plan. >> Yes. Hback has been because we've been trying to figure this out for years. Yeah. It's a priority one. >> Yeah. So so our as the unit above us right now is what she's referring to the Hback above us and it's failed already.
So we which is not pleasant at an influence um employees, customers whatot. Um so it does need to be addressed and what Rebecca is working very hardly just to do is identify how to best do that and sort of take advantage of these grants. But either way we have to we have to address that.
>> Yeah, David, the tranches of local funding has been based with a coordinated approach from Capcom and our department identifying those grant opportunities. Unfortunately, as you heard Rebecca talk about, three years in a row, we've coordinated with DOER, the
Department of Energy Resources, which we've worked with for years in our green communities, and the decarbonization net zero goals, the goalpost keeps changing um year-over-year. And um when we talk about all electric systems um in the
past, what Rebecca was talking about when we went for pretty much an omnibus grant, which was about half a million dollars, that included our entire electrical service line uh improvement and upgrade. And the only way to support an all electric unit is to upgrade its
electrical service. And now they're not looking at that as a grant opportunity, which comes at a cost of >> Okay. All right. Uh, Mike or Chris, any questions? >> No. >> Uh, no questions. Just appreciation for
the work and expertise that you're putting into this and trying to make something happen. So, thank you very much. It was a a thorough explanation. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> Questions? >> Um, one one question. If we have the heat pumps and also are maintaining the
heat system for the coldest winter days, does that incur additional long-term repair costs that we'll need to keep that um back? And and then um similar well, same topic, do we have any does it change the ventilation
calculations of the rooftop or the RV um the the variable unit if we need extra ventilation to maintain that gas heat source in the basement? So the whole goal, Rebecca, do you want to take this or do you want me to take? >> Um, I'd like to take it if that's all right, Justin. >> Absolutely.
>> So, uh, the first question was, um, how will that affect long-term maintenance costs? Is that correct? >> Um, because we have two systems. So, I think the idea is that once the boilers fail,
you could look into running solely on a heat pump. So, I think that would depend on timing and how it's sized, but um >> think of the duct work or anything like that. >> So, the the boiler units are fed through piping units. So, you would just
disconnect the boilers. Part of the reason that we have an apart grant as well is the boilers are actually at 50% of their life and they were funded by DO. So they look at as but back to we have to replace the AC units and by changing in the heat pumps we're
essentially it's like for light cost and we're adding the heat source to it. The BOS system would shift the burden to the heat pumps. I got it. I got it. Thank you. And then the ventilation question. It wouldn't change any need for ventilation if we're going to use those
boilers after. >> No, it it shouldn't. I think ventilation's going to be the same no matter how you you heat and cool your your space. >> Thank you. >> Quick question, Rebecca. Um if you know I've got at home I've got a heat pump
that is um it's essentially when it gets cold I can switch it over. >> It's always the way it works. I can switch it over so it works off a gas. >> Is there anything on the commercial side that's exactly the same way? so that we
really don't need to keep the old perhaps aging infrastructure that we've got and get a newer um you know >> hybrid >> heat pump. Yes. Yeah, that that is an option. >> Those is that was that one of the
options? >> Um so we could do a heat pump rooftop unit that has a gas that that is a hybrid. So >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I I think the um I'm not
sure about the VRF setup, but the the the rooftop one, we could definitely do that and just >> that's something at least to consider if >> Yeah. >> to Jeff's point that it's going to be maintenance on an older piece of equipment that perhaps we get a newer
piece of equipment that actually has a built into it. You follow what I'm saying? So David, one caveat to that is prior to this year that was not a grant funded opportunity because the state wants us to go to an electric system. >> Yeah. >> And so that was recently the feedback of
the current goalpost that continually changes. So we never explored that because it was against the the goal stated. >> We're not looking to see why we didn't do it to see if we can see now. >> No, but it opens up different opportunities. The only other caveat I would say is please be reminded that the
town did adopt an optin stretch energy code that advances all electric units. >> So for us that kind of moves us in that direction. >> Yeah. Um but if you have a situation where it's very inefficient because of extreme cold and you have an opportunity
to work it off of a uh gas unit, it makes sense. I got to say, and this is just total aside, the u the heat pump unit that we have at our house is so efficient. It's just it's amazing how
how much nicer it seems to be than what we had before. >> Oh, good. I'm glad it's working well for you. So, if I'm reading ahead, no, if I'm reading this correctly, assuming we get the grant for 115, assuming the time
meeting article um passes um uh and we're about to discuss that, will be set on the plan through all the 27 activities and then we're looking at grant funding for 28 beyond. >> Yeah, we still have the bid.org,
but those are high cost, but yes, anticipate that. Yep, I'm good. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Rebecca. >> Thank you. >> Have a good evening. >> You, too. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> All right. Uh, we've got two items under Department of Public Works. First is the seasonal annual non-essential outdoor water use restrictions. An annual thing that we do. Um, and
It's always nice to be able to say or it's always important I should say to be able to say that this is not something that is done because you know people will say look at all the snow we had and all the rain we had it has nothing to do with with that we're obligated to what
it's our what what's it called? Yeah, I withdraw >> our overall >> um no it's it's we're obligated to do it by the state but so what we will do is put a non-essential water use um restriction which prohibits
uh what every day of the week Monday Tuesday and Sunday non-essential water use permissible Saturday and Wednesday before the hours of 9:00 a.m. and after the hours of 5:00 p.m. >> Correct. So we have two days of the week
that it's permitted. A non-essential use is permitted on Saturday and Wednesday before 9 and after 5. >> That is correct. >> All right. And this is the same restriction that we have every single
year. So it's nothing new. Um, it theoretically could be a uh an item on our consent agenda, but because it's so important that we want people to be aware of it and take note of it and understand the reason behind it, it's not. So, any questions from the board?
>> Chris or Mike? >> No. >> Make a motion. Move to implement a declaration of seasonal water use restriction pursuant to the town of Maynard's water management act permit special condition six seasonal limits on non-essential
outdoor water use hereby granting designignate authority to the department of public works director to implement restrictions processes effective May 1st 2026 >> second. >> Any further questions or comments? Hearing none will vote. Chris
>> yes. Mike, >> yes. >> Lindsay, >> yes. >> Jeff, >> yes. I am a yes as well. Great. >> All right. Now, we'll move on to a discussion with Solid Waste and Recycling Enterprise.
Um, it's 8:00. I want to make sure that we don't that this is u, you know, we don't go way overboard with how much we talk. So I don't certainly don't want to stifle a conversation, but I also don't want it to drag on. So um efficiency
isn't is uh is desired. So I'll turn it over to the two of you. Lindsay, thank you for coming. Thank you for all the work that you've put into this effort since your arrival here at town hall. Very much appreciated. And um so I'll
turn it over to you guys to to speak. >> Excellent. Justin Marco, public works director. I'm joined by Lindy Gar, our new solid waste management coordinator. Um, Lindy's going to take the lead on this um overview of our long awaited solid waste and recycling program
launch. Um, Lindy, it's all yours. >> Thanks. So, with respect to the agenda that you have tonight, I'm going to keep this very high level, but please don't let that uh hold you back question.
All right. The the first slide I'm going to go over is about background information. And what I really mean by that is just a quick review for anyone in the audience as to what is driving the need to revise our program. And
there are four main things that is you know the United States has extremely high solid waste disposal and recycling costs. Unfortunately, Massachusetts leads the nation in those five parts. Um, the
reason for that, in case you're curious, there are many reasons, and I have experts behind me in the audience who can chime in, but the ones that that struck me are that we only have five waste to energy facilities in Massachusetts.
That's where our trash goes, one of them. And then there are only about 15 landfills left in Massachusetts and only three in our region. So when you're having to drive further to get to those disposal facilities, it jacks up your
costs quite a bit. And then there's a lot of competition because these remaining facilities have a monopoly on um on the industry. So that's what drives it up so much in Massachusetts.
And as these costs are rising, we have had in our town sticker price revenues that have not kept pace with those rising costs. We've paid them out of the general fund as as you know. And
um unfortunately solid waste and recycling has become the number two contract area in terms of money for the town and it's really putting stress on the budget. Um, I should also say something that I learned in this
capacity is I always assume that recycling brought a lot of money into the town and since 2018 when the commodities market has been faltering, we no longer are able to offset our
solid waste costs with the recycling revenue. So you have those two things, rising solid waste costs and not bringing in much recycling money to to offset that and recycling has become so
costly that it significantly heals of our trash budget here which you know it's an eye opener for for many of us. So how do we bridge that gap? more and more towns, cities are moving toward
enterprise funds, which was already approved. And in order to effectively utilize that, you really need to have a program that matches the actual cost rather than subsidizing it. So the goal is to make
sure that all residents that what they throw out in their trash is directly related to what they paid for their trash. And the more you get away from it, the more you deincentivize people to do the right thing.
So the the last trend I want to mention that is driving this is that we've been used to manual trash and recycling. um manual trash pickup and that's slow and it's inefficient and so the industry is moving toward
automated you you know the robotic arms that we often see in town. Now, the other thing is that the industry has a shortage of drivers and collectors. Because think about if you know, just
imagine, you're throwing 4,000 bags a week. Your shoulders are going to give out. You're hopping down the stairs of the truck. So, the whole industry has a retention issue. And so, that's another reason why the the hauling industry has
moved toward this. they can actually use truck drivers who stay in the truck most of the time much more efficient and then they're actually able to hire people you know and and retain them. Um any questions about that part of what's
driving this? This is recap of what you've heard before but I think it helps to understand what's causing these high costs. Um the next slide I want to move to are the recommendation timelines. And again
you know this already um but we've been looking at this program for a long time back in 2021. Justin saw these trends hitting and you know brought them up to the select board. you created the solid waste
management and recycling task force in 2023 to look at this and this is the perfect time for me to mention um for other residents who are looking that and watching this program. Uh, I want to say a big thank you to those members.
Juanita Treyird, Meg Sopkowitz, Klene, Lisa Tuat, Chester Osborne, Orian Green, and Justin DeMarco. And a couple of them are in the room today. They really put a lot of passion, energy, and um, analysis
into the program that they they recommended, and we're lucky to have them. All right, moving on. Um, these are the next slide are the actual recommendations and
the last time these were presented was in February 2025. So, I'm just going to give a quick refresher here for everyone. The main recommendations are that we have two main options for residents in town.
The first option will be to have weekly trash collection and that would be using 35gallon carts. A cart is a fancy industry term for a garbage bin that has wheels and a hinge lid and that's
necessary for automated pickup. The other choice residents will have is to have every other week trash pickup. the same size cart, 35 gallons. And then along with that, both of those options
have a 95gallon recycling cart that again is bi-weekly. And that is purposeful because one of the mechanisms to drive behavior change is to change the environment. So if you have a smaller
trash cart and a recycling cart that's almost three times as big, visually, symbolically, you're indicating to people that recycling is very important to the town. So those are the the main pieces of it.
I do want to talk about two additional things. The first is that, you know, even when you're being very focused on recycling and doing the right thing, holidays come, you might have a
party and you need a a bit more space. You can use an overflow bag. These are meant to be used occasionally, not all the time. And that's the the orange bag that you see in the visual. And then the other
thing we realize that, you know, large families, they might need a second trash cart. They might even need a a second recycling cart. Everyone will have the option of if they want to signing up for a second trash card or a second
recycling cart. And I think I covered just about everything there. Any any questions? Okay. The next thing I wanted to mention is
that Justin and I worked really hard to negotiate down the prices so that we could add several additional options and one of them is that during the surveys people had mentioned that they would like to
have more yard waste pickup. So, we've kept the traditional three times a year, but we will also have a yard waste drop off location. So, that's a new service for residents. The second is that we'd like to add a
central food waste drop off collection that would be available to residents. So in the state when when you work with the Mass Department of Environmental Protection, one of the biggest things they say you can do is to encourage
composting because food waste is very heavy and it can make up about 30% of the weight of your trash. And we get build by the weight of our trash. So that needs to be a long-term goal for us. composting or some way of reducing
food waste rather than having it thrown into our main garbage stream. And then the last, and you know, I heard this idea from various venues, but um Lindsay, I know you were a big proponent of it as well, is to have some downtown
trash recepticles. So Justin already has the the trash recepticles ordered and um they will be picked up twice weekly by ER. So those are the additional services that we look at. >> How do we prevent residents from dumping
their public trash >> won't necessarily prevent it. Um the receptacles are the same size as the ones that we have in the parks. The difference here is we're going to have to have overw watch and monitoring. Right. Part of the task force's recommendation was really an intense
audit program not over the current system but the future system which is actually why we were able to hire here. We will have a part-time individual and the salary based is for the potential of two part-time individuals for auditing and program management. This will also
come as not only will this individual audit our curbside residential program, but they'll also audit the downtown and work with uh the business alliance and economic development team because this is something they're looking forward to as well to make sure that u these
amenities are added for those passive users, not abusers, right? And that's something that's always a risky gamble with um public opportunity areas like this or public parks. We've had some success, I would say, over the past several years with Memorial Park not
being abused. Um, that's why location matters as well. Downtown is a heavily watched area. If we were to put receptacles in areas that aren't commonly used, that's usually used. >> What does TYP stand for?
>> Typ general trash bin locations on the map of downtown. >> Is it on the map? Yeah, it's from the GIS. Um, it's from the GIS program. So, I don't over
Yeah, that map was RFP and that map was developed >> with the planning team over several years of research and development as well. So, we were able to actually acquire that from table of those locations. >> Now, I'm curious to though, so I'll find out. I'll let you know.
>> Um, can I ask about the so the food waste drop off? So we would have a composting center in town somewhere >> and what would be the frequency of drop off for that >> if you don't know yet that's fine. >> Yeah and and that idea was actually floated by the task force and so I'm
going to turn to oneita and ask if you have any details that you'd like to share is the chair of the task force. >> Yeah my name is Wita Traver. Um, in my day job, I work for the city of Newton managing their trash and recycling
program and I have experience in uh putting out public space drop off receptacles for composting. Um, in Newton they have three drop off points that are available to the public 24 hours and
so it can be done. It did not cause any like rodent issues. There's never been an odor complaint. Um that program has been in place for two years at this point and we've heard next to nothing which I think we all can agree that no
news is good news in a lot of um uh public ongoings like this. So um they've been quite successful. We have like a registration program. Um so it's it's just a bin and you hire a service to come and pick up from that. So it's not on-site composting or anything like
that. Um, and so based on experience, I would recommend one bin for a town this size. Um, somewhere centrally located is ideal. Um, the bin could have like a locking mechanism on
it so that it's not used as trash. Um, and then what we did in Newton is we we put a QR code on the bin. you needed to register to um to get the code to it's just a basic combo lock. It was very um
bare bones and that way we could get data on how many people registered and also capture email addresses to contact people that are using the program if we ever needed to. Um it hasn't come up yet. Um but it's been really successful. We have like 800 people in Newton that
are registered to use that program. Um, and we certainly think of a drop in our tonnage because we we know how much work we're doing those percentages. >> Does it disallow out of town people from utilizing? >> Yeah, I can take this. We we have a
control. So, we'd have a sign up application process. We would only give the code to those who are committed to our pilot program as well. So, it would be controlled space to point. We would use a locking mechanism. We would have a third party which is essentially black earth compost manage this this site. Um
our team will also audit and manage this site on a regular basis. So that is phase one 1A. Once we launch the curbside program we're going to move towards that as a pilot approach as the task force has discussed with
love the downtown trash bins. Um, do we have any ability if we or do we have information know if twice a week for that volume is going to be enough and then do we have any way to get an extra pickup following you know parade or other major event that we know in advance is going to be a big draw to
downtown. >> Yeah. So the way we've priced our RP and so what you don't see is the contract in front of you today is being developed but the way we priced our RP was really for a lot of unit costs because trash is publicly procured is exempt. We went
through the RFP process to open it up, but we have the ability with the way that we designed the contract in an RFP is to just acquire more services at a unit cost price and adjust our model too. So, we can have a three-year contract and we can adjust it annually based on whatever we have to change for
our case. So, we've done that leg work in. >> So, if after a year it's not working, we can adjust the terms you're saying. >> Yep. And just like water and sewer, we would adjust the rates if we needed to or if c certain services weren't working
down as well. >> And how are the locations for the downtown? >> So those recommendation >> Yeah, I mean nothing's locked in stone. This map was provided. So, Julie Planner, prior to working for our department as the as the um as the
compliance uh coordinator, also worked with Bill Nemeser and the planning team for a very long time with the economic development team in Mayor Downtown's business alliance to identify locations that worked based on the downtown business needs. And that's where this
map comes from. At the end of the day, what we asked DL Harvey to do was pretty much look at this map, give us a unit cost price on three locations to be picked up twice. If we tweak the McDonald's one down to Franks and PC, none of that's going to change the
price. As long as they're centralized in this location, we move those around. What I would say is, you know, I know Steve's really excited. And I hope I hope he gets this. When this if this gets approved in totality, we would most likely work with the EDC and the
business alliance to make sure that we identify the appropriate locations that they >> can back up to the food waste process. How's that paid for as far as pickup and everything else? Is that through the program that we are creating for solid
waste as it is? >> No, it is not included in these rates. So, we're going to launch a pilot program to see based on the task force recommendation. We need to acquire our customer base in interest and we need to have that price point which tends to be
lower. Mike Stevens did a little leg work for you on some of his response on what Black cost some of our >> I don't I don't know if that went to everybody or not >> and that's okay. Yeah, but so did the tests. You Laurian was Black Earth uh customer for years. the centralized
location we're trying to price point in black earth will actually provide a lower price point. Will it be cheaper to have a centralized drop off for someone like Lenny uh Lindsay if she doesn't acquire now than it would be to have their curbside collection program and so
that cost would be based on application our control pace. So we would have an application process and we would acquire our price points based off whatever the need is. >> All right. I just wanted to because you know if there was a subsidy involved people get upset. >> No subsidy at this point.
>> No. And and also um I I mentioned the Department of Environmental Protection Mass D. They often offer grants to help a town pilot composting programs like this. >> Yeah. >> So people would pay for the central
compost as they use it as a separate fee. >> Correct. Yeah. And so that would hopefully incentivize somebody who's looking at a weekly cart pickup to maybe go to the bi-weekly cart pickup. >> Yeah. And that's more efficient than and I don't even I'm saying this without
knowing this exists partnering with Black Earth. Like do they do municipal partnerships? >> No, really. >> Black Earth their business model is not designed for that. you know, maybe 10 years from now or maybe even five years from now that will change, but right now
it's it's not set up for that. >> We utilize them as a preferred method, which is what most municipalities do. So, we do one of our one of the task force's major recommendation was a more aggressive outreach and education program, which also came with the fact
of onboarding staff and uh ensure that that we're consistently going out there. and encouraging residents to do what's called diversion program. That's essentially what we're asking them to do is look at alternative sources to divert certain materials that go into solid
waste, whether it be organics, textile bands have come into play, mattress bands come into play, but you know, Wita can talk about kind of more advanced progressive communities where they have uh repair shops where they're talking about making sure that we're not throwing out certain pieces of equipment
that could be repaired in a friendly manner. Swap shacks. All of this was discussed and part of that was really part of a phase two approach but um in this program curbside collection is phase one centralized refuge for a pilot program for organic diversion was phase
one. >> Yes. >> Sorry one last question. Um, this is all just residential, right? Like our pickup for the schools, dumpsters at schools and municipal buildings is totally separate from this contract with El
Harvey or is that >> No, it's included. >> So, the cost that people are paying is also paying for school dumpster for anything else. >> Correct. And part of the reason that that's in there is because the um the current program it's 50% subsidized
through general fund taxation and then the powers to be stakeholders a community. Um the task force as you may or may not recall um we phased out general taxation but certain aspects have changed with your overall budget and now the stakeholders want 100%
offset. So in order to do that you can either general taxation and subsidize the municipal. We can have that conversation. If so, that needs to be in the budget. If not, our approach is for 100% offset and that's what this approach is. So, yes, your municipal and your schools out within residence costs
increase to pay for the school's trash >> just like our current and it makes up a small part of the budget in terms of add
costs. We know what the costs are for each. So if we had to if we wanted to have a conversation more than open, >> but that's not fundamentally a change from the old programs, the new program. >> Correct. >> Correct. Correct. >> But if we wanted to phase different approaches, we could. >> Understood.
>> Um so the central food is a pilot program that could be an additional cost at some point if successful, but the three time a year yard waste and the downtown trash build, um downtown trash bins are factored into the rates we're looking at tonight. Correct. Right. Okay.
>> Yes. So, same idea with trash downtown. It's subsidized by every consumer on this because it's 100% and it's fine. >> Yeah. And Justin has said this in a couple of different ways. I think the important part to emphasize tonight is
that the task force designed this program to meet the needs of the majority of residents via the weekly trash pickup with recycling and the every other week trash pickup with recycling. And then you'll always have
outliers. But when you implement a program, you're trying to meet the needs of 75% or more of the population that you're serving. And we're we're way above that based on your needs analysis. So I just wanted to point that out. It
doesn't mean that this program will stay static. This is just phase one. You've seen some, you know, additions during phase one, but as we analyze, follow up, hold people accountable, recognize the role models in town, we'll have a lot of
data that we can build upon and then we'll know what our budget is because this first year, these are projections. And so, we need to be very careful because if we incentivize certain things too much, we could blow our budget, you
know. So we need to just be cautious this first year. Monitor, get data and then we can think about what we want to do in years 2, three and in the future. >> I can add one more caveat too. So so think of our water and sewer enterprise
funds. They all take fun municipal and school water and sewer as well. It's a policy practice that this town has used for a very long time. um based on the sheer fact that we have adopted an enterprise fund to to Lindy's point it allows this program no matter what
variation to be changed on the fly right so if there is a uh revisiting of price points that can be done it can be done in a quick manner unlike our current program um so we're adaptable and flexible within this program which is uh very advantageous for us moving forward
as we start to continue to see that fiscal cliff that we're dealing with improve general taxation, capital improvements, etc. So, this allows this program to morph. Um, we have pointed it that way in our RFP, so we're very flexible.
>> Um, so the next slide is about the financial planning process. And this really is meant to be a bridge into the hard numbers that Justin is about to show you. I what I want to point out here is that we issued a request for
proposals for two main reasons. One so that we could have transparency about the you know the numbers that were coming in. um two to create competitive pricing because um we've worked with Eel
Harvey for a long time and we just wanted to make sure that we were getting the best prices possible by issuing an AR and um a side benefit that we didn't think about at the time is that it
exposed Maynard to the larger you know community of waste management haulers. So even though this time Eel Harvey ended up being the sole proposal, I still think that issuing an RFP was a really good thing to do on on many
levels. Um, in terms of moving forward with with EL Harvey, they've rolled out many programs like this. more and more communities are moving this way and we've had many conversations, negotiations with them
about pricing, customer service, education, outreach, those kinds of things. So, we're we're very well satisfied. They're well regarded in the industry. So, um, and along with that, there are other smaller contracts that
we worked really hard to get the prices down on, and that's how we were able to fund some of these extras, so to speak. Um and then in terms of looking at trends, we analyze what have the costs been in the past, how can we project
them into the future. And we also know that people have choices, not just choices within the program, this program, but there are private haulers. So we looked at their pricing and we are
sitting in a very good position in terms of our overall annual rate as compared to others and um we also compared to other towns as well. So with that unless there are questions I'll hand it to Justin to dive into the
numbers. Yeah, >> I I do have uh one question just a big picture one about why uh there was only one um uh proposal from Eel Harvey and Sons. Um is that typical of this region?
Is are there other factors? I just get concerned when there's only one company presenting and I'm not knowledgeable about the waste industry, but it would be helpful to maybe have a picture as to why there's only one. Yeah, Mike, we discussed this in the past and what I've what I've been charging the board to
understand when it comes to solid weight and recycle not just in New England but in country you really have all the goofies. There's only so many. Massachusetts is publicly exempt from procurement practices. So you essentially kind of have what I call the
trash mafia. Um it's been around for generations. It's still here to stay for the most part. um us in the industry, you know, Wita works very hard in her lobbying efforts. I've seen it for years. Part of what we can do better is actually create RFPs, which is what we
did. Um most communities don't even do that. They have direct conversations with with uh trash callers, but they work in regions based on logistical locations, right? So price points for real Harvey if their if their um fleet location is closer they can drive down
fuel cost compared to other competitors. Um there was a number of factors that played into our RFP. We're on a tighter timeline than we wanted to anticipate due to onboarding Lindy and some delays on the upfront that didn't allow our RP to be out there very long. Um but our
price points were competitive from a known uh marketer which is you know Ivy knows this this area very well knows Maynard very well and was able to drive down the price point and scare away alternative um competitors. That doesn't mean we didn't engage um when he engaged
with with another rep. Um so did Lindy. We actually had two interested parties who pulled the RFP um and then at the last minute the second party um bowed out. Lindy did have an overview conversation with them. Um, and they indicated that they needed two years to
prepare for this. And the reason that that's the case is there's a lot of upfront capital with taking on a program like this. You have to buy new trucks. These aren't cheap vehicles. Half a million dollar plus pieces of equipment. If you don't have the facilities to manage it, that could be another a
couple of million dollars. So, a lot of these um these contracts don't shift often, but what we can do is when we adapt new programs like automation, when we have known processes that we currently don't have, like a customer
base, if you're unaware, my next slide's going to go into some of the risks we have. Our current pay as you grow program, we don't actually know how many customers we have or don't have. We don't track that information. So, that's a gamble. That's that's where a lot of the assumption numbers came from. Um,
without a customer base, it makes it very hard for a uh a new vendor to take on a uh contract of this magnitude without a known quantity. The Ohio Harvey roughly knows what they're picking up now. So, they felt more comfortable. But in about three years,
the task force has already described this. This was a three-year window towards our program modification automation. We do believe that in year two we're we're going to take on another year RFP, get out in front of this for a much longer period of time and open up
the door for opportunity of competition again. That's our goal. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So I think I'm on the next slide. >> Yes. Residential. >> All right. So So I'll kind of preface off of what I just said. So, you know,
the task force looked at this, you know, inside out, up, down, left, right. So, we spent many hours and many meetings talking about not just the program, but pricing points, pricing models, and making sure that we're competitive. We're not only need to be competitive
for affordability of our consumers, we also need to compete against the private market. So, unlike um open competition on the i.e. municipal market. There is bright competition on the localized uh residential market where um there is
essentially small mom and pop vendors who will offer opportunities to try to acquire Jeff's services or Lindsay services but not our totality service. And they do that with very competitive price points that we also had to make sure that we were under. Um a lot of
those private haulers um typically provide 64gallon solid waste and 96gallon per cycle or a combination of 96.96. They tend to be the heavier haulers. So they target families and that's something that could
be um going to be a challenge for us. As Lindy also talked about, the price points really had to target the majority while also being very sensitive to those who um wanted alternative services like bi-weekly incentivized reduction. All of
these things play a major role in our price point models. Um but again, we really had to target the totality of what our potential customer base was. the task force when we originally put together um our recommendations to the board, we acquired quotes that have been
now I would say over two years old and we did not believe that we were mo most likely going to hit the same price point. But as you may recall, if you look back in any of that documentation, our um weekly service was priced at 75 and I didn't think we were going to hit that point anywhere there um because
prevailing wage and fuel costs change, right? Um so our our centralized price point roughly was around 75 and then we incentivized reduction and and weekly pickup to bi-weekly and we also incentivized um the addition of
recycling carts and had to provide alternative services to make sure that we don't lose customers which is the second cart and overflowbacks. That price model essentially is what you see here today. The reason that we provided two, our recommendation is for
the 75 base model um with the 4545. The reason we provided two is one of the biggest concerns that we have is when we shift now from general taxation subsidizing this to no general taxation without a known customer base. We put at
a financial risk of failure, right? And so we don't have alternative funding sources if we don't get these variable price points at that anticipated customer base. So our contingencies are very low to keep the price point down. We are sensitive to affordability in
this town. I am well aware that we are struggling with our price points for water and sewer based on our large capital brewing plants as well as real estate taxes for some of our other large capital and operational costs. this is another service that will hit our our uh
constituents wallets. So, we were very sensitive to affordability. The the concern that I have that I really want to make sure the board truly understands is we have to be prepared for that contingency to fail and what is our secondary and third option. So, Greg may
come to you later tonight. We discussed this in totality about earmarking some free cash for the potential offset of loss revenue. And if our price point is too low and our contingencies fail, we may actually also have to look at general stabilization come special town
meeting. But we're still very confident that our price points won't fail. We just want to make sure you truly understand that you don't have contingency if they do. And so what are those alternative options if we don't get the customer base that we need? Um, so that's something that we we took
into, you know, extreme sensitivity, which whenever you launch a new program. We're we're essentially asking all of our consumers to change their way of life, we want to make sure we retain 100% of those. Now, if we lose a lot due to the
sheer fact that it's a change and they don't want to deal with a municipality and they want to go to a private entity, that will change our revenue projections based on our press points. So that's something that we took into consideration, a high consideration that we needed to penetrate this market not
like a municipal government agent but like a capitalistic individual and we need to acquire as many customers as humanly possible. And so that's why we're actually recommending the lowest price point that we can based on based on the two revenue. >> So I got a quick question. >> Um these are these assumptions are made.
I skipped ahead and and as you're not supposed to do when you're in school, but the uh and saw that your projected revenue was based upon a total of my math is correct 2,300 households where 860 of them would go to
tier 1 3,440 would go to tier 2 and I get the fact that you know you're assuming that a certain percentage whatever my question is 4300 what's the total number of households in Mayard as is and is this
assumption being made that 100% of our users are going to use utilize it. If that's the case, it is going to fail because not 100% are going to use it. So what's the number to start with and then what's the percentage on which you're basing? >> So I need to so for years we have to
provide an annual report to D. Uh I've managed that for about five years. Lindy uh managed it for the last year. She did fantastic. It's great. Whenita probably does it for Newton as well. We use what's called an LER from our assessor's mapping which indicates residential,
commercial, etc. We currently sit at over 4,500 residential uh houses and we average about 4,300 is our known commodity rough assumptions for our solid waste program. David, we also did a very lucrative survey if you recall
under the task force where we also acquired a lot of these assumption models as well. Um and our success rate on the survey was I want to say it was close to >> Thank you orient there. >> It's about 75 76%.
>> Yeah. Our survey response and then as part of that survey it indicated where you >> of the town responded to your survey. >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Yeah. It was it was the most successful. Me if me was here she tell you how excited she was about it. Yes. It was very successful for us. And um but
within that survey we also identified do you have private dollars? Are you on the town's municipal program etc etc and so that's where we were able to back up a lot of these assumption models but David we are not looking at 100% of our residential base going onto this service
>> that answers my question. Go ahead. >> Excellent. >> What is this? So you're recommending the $75 per home. The 80 per home was that just you just numbers? knowledge to show you the contingency differences. You'll see in a couple.
>> Yeah. So, if you Yeah. If we can continue. >> If we go to the contingency comparison. Thank you. >> So, typically for a program like this and and any project, you've probably heard me say there's contingencies. I typically like to have 15% to 20%
contingency depending on what the what the market and commodity is doing as a whole. So what you have in front of you is 10% is usually the bare minimum of contingency for any any program launch which is the second tier. Um but going
back to the sheer fact that we need to penetrate this market and we need to acquire these customers. We want to come in at a lower contingency. But that's why I prefaceed with making sure that the board Greg Johnson's been briefed on this, you know, wholeheartedly. is probably tired of me saying this is that
we also need to make sure we understand that if we have to we may have to acquire free cash we may have to go to general sub stabilization for year one. Um this also goes to some questions Mike had and I'm sure Michael will ask those questions too is once we also have an up
and running program model we'll be able to rejigger or change the rates. So if we're seeing that we have a heavy uh use rate factor that's disincentivizing reduction in solid waste, we can change our rates yearly like we do our water
and sewer, right? And start to manipulate that pattern of use back to where we originally wanted it within the task force was to reduce our tonnage. But with some unknowns, we need to make sure that we uh acquire as many customers as as possible at the launch.
ask my questions about the >> yeah about the the incentives here. So, and and I appreciate the the dialogue that I've been able to have so far with with some of you. Um, so at the moment with the the numbers that are coming
out, if you are a low user of trash, like one or two bags a month, which I believe quite a lot of people are, you are going to see a much more substantial increase in your rate. Now, I appreciate that what we pay for trash pales into
comparison with our taxes and energy costs. So, I I get that. Um but for somebody who is a very low user uh maybe one or two bags a month they will see um about a 100 uh to $130 increase in their
uh yearly bill. Um whereas if you are a heavy user um then you're going to see a reduction under the system. I appreciate that uh this does not take into account the fact that people were paying uh previously through the what you might
call the hidden taxes, you know, the burden that was on the town on top of the stickers. And I also appreciate that uh recycling is a component of this and and I was informed about the the complications of recycling. However, I am just concerned that the um the
presentation of this to the community will look at um you know very low users being penalized whereas high level uners users are going to see a reduction. Um could you please speak to that as to uh and and I know you've considered this. I
I just want to to hear the discussion in a public forum like this. So um Lindy did respondse to Mike and Mike asked these questions to us in advance which is we wanted to have this open right so everything goes back to the sheer fact that we need to make sure
that we provide a program that meets everyone's needs and that was always something the task force looked at from those who are very low users to those who are high users and making sure that we don't price down our high users to competitors which is a private market and making sure that we acquire as many
customers as possible. So one of the biggest factors when it comes to the bi-weekly option is the sheer fact that the tonnage is actually so solid waste tonnage you heard Lindy talk about there's a cost to get rid of solid waste there's a cost to get rid of cycling well then there's a cost for
hauling it's really the truck um out of our entire program we actually have the most price control over our solid waste tonnage which actually is the lowest cost of this entire program our recycling commodity market is starting to rise as you heard Lindy talk about where it's actually starting to become a
little bit more expensive than even getting rid of sol. We are in a luxury that we've been part of a 20-year contract at a very low price point that is set to expire in the next two years for the town of Mater. Uh but we still have that price control when it comes to
hauling. The contractor still goes on the same streets unlike recycling which is a townwide bi-weekly. The deal Harvey still travels the same streets whether Jeff next to David gets bi-weekly and David gets weekly. So the same fuel
cost, the same driver cost, all is still part of that program model. So essentially, yes, you are seeing a reduction in that bi-weekly, but it's not as simple as a half for half because there's a lot of costs that still apply to even offering that program that
aren't just a complete wash. And so that's where that price point kind of came from. But again, the totality of this really comes back to we need to meet the revenue requirements of the totality of the contracts and we need to make sure that we don't price out the
higher tier and lose those residents to alternative functions such as the private market because they actually bring in the most revenue. So this is a delicate balance. Now I am sensitive to that Mike. I think as you know and the board knows is we price our water and
sewer on a tier process for our lower affordability tiers to make sure that we're um we're really sensitive to the cost of living for those who are on a fixed budget compared to those who are not. But unlike water and sewer solid
waste you can easily opt out. You can't just disconnect your water and sewer. So we kind of have that customer base. seem to to sound kind of harsh about it. They're at the will of of the board when it comes to that rates. If we price point out our our higher users, our
family members, um that may need a one to two style barrel, then we risk what our totality of revenue is and we could be in the red and that's something we're very sensitive to. Now, if we have a program in a year that has known uh
customers, we could potentially change that market based on what we see for revenue coming in and our expenses going out and we can shift or reshift that incentive tier one, tier two alternative cart like we do our water and sewer activity.
So may may I just reiterate one important thing that Justin said at the beginning and that is it was eyeopening for me. I'm one of those I put out a bag of trash every other week and so I just
assumed that my cost should be half and that's not the way it is. And it's not just in Mayard. Oneita found this out in Newton. All haulers, even when you're doing every other weight pickup, to your point, you're doing the same route, you
have the same fuel cost, you have the same, you know, everything. So, we don't get a price break for people who are putting out trash every other week. And so, you may wonder, well, why aren't
there why aren't their costs half? we're charging the actual cost that is, you know, it it's um on our town bill for that. And then in addition to that, because we want to recognize them as
role models for recycling more, the the task force incentivized that a bit. And with our negotiations, we were able to bring that cost down for the every other week people even more by it was it 14%
or 16%. So we've worked really hard to incentivize the right people, but we still have to pay for everything as a town even when it's every other week picked up. >> Right. But if if I heard you right, the
overall the uh the the amount we pay is dependent on the weight of uh solid waste removed, right? So if somebody's produ even even if the trucks are coming down the street every week, those who are light users are still contributing to reducing the overall weight um of the
amount we deliver. So, I would I would argue that um sorry, recognizing that changing people's behavior about this kind of thing is is extremely difficult. Um I'm just concerned that we're not yet doing
enough to um adopt a policy that will really try to change people's behavior to uh to drop the amount of the waste especially given that you know the current situation the the heaviest users are going to be paying less. Um
>> I just want to make it very clear there's three price points to the totality of this program. There's the truck driving, there's the tonnage of solid waste, and then there's the tonnage of recycling. Out of all three of those, the cheapest situation that we
pay is the tonnage of solid waste. And so that is the reduction of cost. So yes, you're essentially getting picked up at half the pace, which is half the tonnage, and that's actually why you saw that price reduction, but the totality of cost of falling is the same whether
we offer bi-weekly or not. The only way to drive that hauling cost down is if we made the entire town do bi-weekly trash and bi-weekly recycling. And that's something that we wait we vetted in um in our task force and we do not believe
the town is ready for that. >> No, I appreciate that. Yeah. >> And and I I think we all have the same goal as you, Mike, to incentivize behaviors. And you know in our perfect perfect
world we would like to get people used to the idea of how can I reduce the amount of trash and recycle more or reuse or reduce you know via composting and incentives are one behavioral level
that you can use. There are five there are five others that you can use as well. peer pressure, changing the environment. I'm reading from my, you know, from my psychist, finding strength and numbers, using the
data to to show people that this is the way we're moving all kinds of things. So, incentives are one way of doing it, but there are five other levers that you could tweak as well and trying to get people to to change their behavior.
>> Yeah. And so what I would I I'd go back to is Mike, I actually am 100% on board with where you're going. That's something that we want to continually strive to. Um our outreach and education program um is something that we're going
to launch heavily, not only at the beginning of the program to to make sure that we get a successful program, but throughout the next several years. And our strategy as as you heard me maybe say earlier was when we talked about this at the task force was launching a program in a three-year window with the
idea year two to re-evaluate this program and see you know look at failures look at successes have a strong customer base which is a baseline that's needed go out with an additional RFP and at that time we should have a very strong education and outreach program
we'll also be able to see where the markets are going in about two years our wind waste contract which is our tonnage disposal maybe a new contract hopefully we need negotiation skills at the shop and I will help her as well whenever she
needs it but we're as a collective a 20 town collective renegotiating that that large scale scale contract um there's a lot of changing that will happen in the market in the next two years and we'll re-evaluate and see where that goes but again I go back to the way that we set
up this enterprise fund after year one, we can look at what our customer base is and if we can if we see that bi-weekly is something that our customers want to strive for or is a price point feedback loop that isn't where it needs to be, our next year's price arrangement could
be tiered differently. um especially with known customer quantities. The gamble is just the risk of the unknown and the sheer fact that we don't have any general taxation to subsidize the failure. Do
>> you have a question? >> Yeah. Um on the ninth slide, so you're assuming 5% increase in revenue each year. Is that based on we would just raise the rate 5% every year? So the we just gave you a five-year projection
model. Um again this is this is a high level projection unlike water and sewer. We don't have no customer base. So this is just a projection model for planning purposes only. But again like any recommendation I would look at yearoveryear rate reevaluations and
adjustments based on whatever the need is. So to Jeff's point, if we wanted to add more services, we would make a adjustment to the budget and then maybe reflect the rate adjustment. If we had, let's say this is the opposite, right? So I'm coming at this from a very conservative risk perspective, but let's
imagine that we sold more overflow bags or that we had more customers than our 340 or we had more secondary tiers. That's excess revenue. By that time, that would hit what's called retained earnings, just like water and sewer, where we we could use that offset
revenue to handle any expenditure increases without adjusting the rates. And if it's very lucrative, we could readjust rates down. It does happen. And so if our conservative model is actually too conservative, we can adjust rates down. Now, I can't make that promise
until we know, but that's >> I I rarely believe that governments ever reduce cost, reduce the rates for anything. Anyway, one thing I think it's important to point out at this stage when we're talking about futures, uh,
and even this year, uh, because I think I just came to realize this this evening, uh, when a question was raised to me by the public by a member of the public about why this wasn't a public hearing relative to rates. And that raises the issue that um for future
years um I learned tonight that the rates for this are not to be determined by the resident elected officials at the select board level, but rather by appointed officials at the board of health. That's concerning to me. Not because I don't trust the members of the
board of health and that I don't trust the the decision-making process that will go on there, but there's no direct responsibility to the voters and to the folks who are the ones paying the bill. Again, that's very concerning to me and I think that needs to be highlighted to
the residents when they're choosing to vote for this or not. that the future of this program will be determined relative to rates will not be determined by your your elected officials, but rather by an appointed official through this board.
Of course, we appoint the the board of health, but I think that's significant and important to point out because I think it's only fair that the elected officials are the ones that are responsible for what they're burdening our residents with. Uh, not an appointed
board. I don't know of any other fee. Well, I guess we do have some fees. We're going to talk about some later that are created by uh appointed officials in town hall. Uh but we approve them. Um and town meeting gets an opportunity to approve them as well.
So, I'm concerned about that. I I don't know if there's a way to rectify that or change the process so that it becomes uh that the um this um enterprise fund is also controlled by
relative to rates by the elected officials at the select board level. >> Yeah. So, so what I would say is based on the charter and the bylaw. So, town council's ruled on this, right? So what I'm hearing, David, today is >> so the town's only going to vote on the
the expense, the budget. So if anything, we would change potentially the way that we read the our our endorsement on the on the control, correct? On the article, you just want to make it clear that rates are approved by the DO, right? >> Okay. I think we can kind of clarify something.
>> Yeah, I think that needs to people. The only way to rectify moving forward is um engaging with town council to rewrite a bylaw. That town meeting would then approve at a subsequent town meeting that would shift authority of rates when it comes to sanitation back to the
select board. So mayor's a little wonky. So most communities sanitation falls under the board of health for years been approving the rates the stickers. So the so the sticker rates in general um were also approved by the board of health. As
you recall, I've br every time I bring this program, I bring both the BO and the SB and always say it's a joint approach and a joint blessing. Even you'll see it in the motions that I brought forth is the board of health officially authority wise through
bureaucracy is the one voting on it. But because you are also the CEOs and you control the budget, you control the the the department that manages that uh program that I wanted your blessing as well. That's exactly I'm not at all
being critical or uh you know about our board of health, >> but I remind everybody that just six years ago when we were undergoing the whole issue with COVID and the board of health is put on on the spot. It's an unelected board that gets put under a
heck of a lot of pressure that is unfair. We're the elected officials. We should be the ones that are burdened by rate setting, not an not an appointed board. Because then there's what's the incentive to have somebody volunteer to be on the board of health that's
supposed to be helping people with their with really peripheral issues relative to the town than to have a situation like this. And quite frankly, who who who tells them who directs them but you? >> No, it's them.
>> So So who who has the authority to tell them what's going on? I think that I think it needs to and I think we should start it from the outset that it should come from the select board should be the this rate setting uh board for this program going forward. I think it's only
fair to the public and I think it's only fair to call us. So in the interim outside of a bylaw right now the way the bylaw reads is the board of health >> I understand by the bylaw may read that way. Now let's change the bylaw maybe even before we we move forward with the
program because I think we need to have the rate setting coming from the select board not from the board of health. >> Well I so if you want to change the bylaw we would have to put it on time meeting like >> we're not changing the bylaw for this town meeting. Perhaps not. Then maybe we
shouldn't vote on this for this town meeting. But we have >> We're not hold on. We're not voting on this for this time meeting. We've already voted on this at time meeting. This is the only thing up at this time meeting is the overall budget. Am I mistaken on that? >> Correct. >> But the rates themselves are going to be determined by what we do with this.
>> Yeah. If you don't set the rates, you're essentially asking to continue our current pay as you throw program, which means you have to re-engage 50% of the total cost. So, let's say this tonight we're going to we're presumably going we're going to approve this and it's just me talking. So, >> think it through.
>> Um, we can make it so that as part of and perhaps we can't, but at as we commit to changing that bylaw immediately so that the next time a rate comes up, which is next year, it's determined by the select board, not by
the board of health. What what I would also encourage and I know the board of health is here. I don't know if you've I would ask that they set up their meeting because it is their rules and regs and they have the ability to change their rules and regulations. They could adopt that the select board they could
disperse their authority to the select board on rates. The way the bylaw reads is very simple is they are in charge of sanitation setting rates and policy. And that's how legal put it is. That's how the bylaw is. the bylaw if you want confirmation I can't answer that right
that would be engagement but that would take next annual cycle I don't think you know we can see how that goes but even in the comfortability of >> so you could potentially do it at special time I think you can >> and I think when people start hearing this there very well may be a citiz petition to do it because I think people
are going to be upset >> but interimm I mean if the board of health felt comfortable they would have to change their regulations to allow the select board to be the adopting prior to the buy. Um, again, that would take um that would take time and I don't want to
put them on the spot do that. >> I also want to I I appreciate your sensitivity to that, David, but as context, but I don't think you need need to say this potentially. I'm speaking to whoever's listening. Um, there are a number of regulatory bodies that are not elected that do have a significant
amount of um jurisdiction and empowerment in the town planning board, for example. They have a lot of influence over the direction of the town development and and people's profits and livelihoods. Um the board of assessors, they appeal. None of those actions come
to the select board. But you have an opportunity every year to appoint or not to appoint the bodies that represent those and or to advise the bylaw committee that your preference is to amend the budget. I'm sorry to amend the bylaws which don't have to go to town meeting. I'm just saying as a this is
not an insignificant authority that is on the board of health, but it is not unique. >> Correct me if I'm wrong. A resident appeals their um assessment to the board of assessors and they're unpleased with it. Where does the appeal go to?
>> Uh well, that would be the state. They go to the the state um court of appeals. But I'm depends on the bylaw. I am the noncriminal killing authority in some instances. So it I you're you're not wrong, but this
is the form of government that the town has right now. >> And I'm advocating that that for this particular uh rate because this is coming out of people's pockets directly and there's an appeal process that's been set for historic relative to
people's uh tax rates and their bill. Sure. >> The appeal process there is very clear. This is brand new and I believe the the rate setting should come from the elected officials not from we set the tax rate and then if people appeal it if
they they set their appeal through the the uh board of assessors who actually tax the individual home. >> I agree. I and I didn't mean to get into the the dynamics of those individual examples I pointed out but you're you're right that the that the it is it is not
taxed. I would say though um I just want to clarify yes we are only asking that the board approved what you'll see the motions in a minute but we're not we're actually the reason they're showing you the rates at this level is because even the budget is is built on these rates so
to do the level services that the task force recommends that the negotiating team negotiating with Harvey is reflected into the rates which creates the budget which we're taking to town need it's all it's all integrated So you really can't separate it.
>> Yeah. What I would say is if if >> part of the reason that I wrote the motion the way I wrote it was that I'm looking for both lessons. I my you know speaking for the board of health and I'm sure they can speak for themselves if they want is I felt that they're willing to move forward with the select board's
endorsement of the rates and or the right and that was always a collaborative approach that we took for several years in developing this program model where Lisa served on our task force as the leazison for the board of health as well. They've been engaged in this process since day one.
>> I'm not disputing what has been presented here tonight. if we year it's future years I'm concerned about and I don't believe >> I don't believe that >> the future years should be upon the board of health I believe it should be with the blackboard maybe I'm alone with
that I think I think I have the pulse of the residents relative to how who they want to have controlling um their out of pocket expenses per se and I don't think it's an unelected point >> so tonight you're looking for the rates
to approved this year, but you want to see >> going forward. I believe we need to change the the bylaw if that's what's required. And I think it should be we should take it as an obligation. I know this isn't part of you, but I'm speaking to my my colleagues that we should take
it as an obligation and put it on put it on a uh a town meeting warrant immediately. >> Yeah. I mean I would I'm as a agent of the board and the program manager solve waste I would work with Casey and the BH to make sure that that is essentially
written in the way that both parts are working >> I'm going to follow >> just to take some of the steam out of the room because we've set this up as an enterprise fund there's not as much right and this is not an enterprise fund like water or sewer where there's massive long-term capital infrastructure
needs rather we're doing an RFP for waste haulers but there's there's a lot less room here to, you know, set prices up and down. It's simply a cost-driven proposal that needs to be balanced out and we're not even subsidizing any more partially from the general fund. So, that removes another degree of freedom
that would require the the interactivity of board of health or ourselves. So, I think that gives me some some some a lot of comfort and hopefully that can also reduce the burden on the board of health in terms of knowing what rates to set because again there's there's limited decisions relative to some of our other
budgets in terms of capital and flexibility on on spend. Okay. >> So, we're at the last pretty much the last slide which is just to Lindsay's point was a projected forecast model just to show that there's an increase in
expenditure. So, we're looking at a three-year contract with deal. There's three years of cost escalation. And what would the revenue driver be if we were to move up at a 5% factor? Now, a lot of that isn't driven by the expense. It's driven by the risk factor in regards to
the contingency. But to my point, once we have a successful first year launch, we'll have a known customer base and this model will change. We just wanted to make sure that we showed the public that this isn't a static cost escalation happens baked into the three-year
contract and where there will be a projected forecast of revenue that has to meet that expenditure cost. That's really what this slide is for. And then we we wanted to end with community outreach and education. You
know, we've developed a comprehensive multi-channel communications plan because different people like to receive their information in different ways. So that we we want to make it accessible to everyone and and that's what that
diagram is is meant to meant to show. So we'll do some in person, some online, we'll go to events, um we'll have signage, we'll use social media, we'll be updating the website, you know, town
alerts, anything that we can think of. Um you know, newspapers, things like that. Um, and then the last page shows some visuals of where we're ready to send out our our first flyer to
people, a mailer to all residents just explaining at a very high level. Um, what's going on? Um, there was a publication in the Maynard's voice last week and we'll be at town meeting. We'll be at
the farmers market. we'll be all over the place. People will be tired of hearing from you eventually, but I think the more you repeat, the more people understand these are revisions and um it's nothing to be scared of. This is
just an evolution of our current ASU throw program. The the main change that people will need to get used to is actually adjusting the rates to what the actual costs are. And I was just at a conference two weeks ago talking to
about a dozen other sustainability coordinators who said there's always a lot of push back in the first three to six months especially when there's a steep um you know hype that people aren't getting used to. You know our $2
stickers are like prices so to speak. I mean, I know it was funny, you know, 22, but but the they they still don't come close to being near the actual cost. And and that's a that's a tough
pill to swallow. >> So, go ahead, my my my biggest apprehension is that July 1st is not that far away from today. And I've been been nervous every time I haven't seen this topic on on the agenda for last
several meetings. If we approve today, what is the earliest we can have everything set up where a resident can go and sign up for July 1? >> So, you want to kind of go through your timeline? >> Yeah. So, we have everything ready to roll.
>> So, if you approve the rates today, you know, people could sign up as early as next week and everything is ready to go. >> People are the the website. I have everything ready to load onto it. I just
need to have a vendor at at that. >> Okay. >> So, people will be hesitant to sign up without knowing the rates. I I've done a couple of unofficial focus groups saying, "Hey, you want to sign up?" >> But my I want to get this if we're going
for July 1st. I want that up as soon as possible, which is why I'm >> mailing Yeah. >> is ready to launch tomorrow. >> Okay. which is a blast out of if you're unaware of this thing's coming without press points because we we needed another press points. Our second mailing is going to follow a week or two
immediately after with outreach and application process, QR codes, everything prior to town meeting and that's going to come as a townwide mail. And then every two weeks after that, you're going to get that same code over and over. That mail is going to keep coming out with maybe some revisions
because sometimes people see the same exact thing and they start to open it up but it's going to be like second reminder and so we're going to start to build our our application process >> but people will be able to sign up and they'll have the rates available before May which is only a week and a half right thank you my question
>> so that's why the rates are >> and just related to that in terms of like administration of this program given the short education timeline what I anticipate, I'm sure you do too, that in the first couple months, as is the case when you roll out any new program,
you're going to get a lot of phone calls and a lot of people who have questions. So, do we h have like what's the plan for that administrative? >> Do we have the resources? >> Wait, currently, I mean, this all falls within DBW, correct? You already don't
have the resources. You need to tell us before. So, how how are we going to manage that? >> So, um that's Lindy's number one job. Um, at first, you know, when I when we were going through the task force, we really wanted to see this position a full-time position, knowing that
administrative workload, but Lindy has taken on this role um like a champion. Um, puts in more than part-time. She's a community member herself. Um, she knows that she wants to see this program be successful. Like anything else, what we
do in DPWs, we don't have the resources, but we shift to the priority of the day. And so yes, you may see some services um that we do from a day-to-day perspective come and get second fiddle to the idea of our staff shifting to supporting during the first month or two of the
launch. Um and we'll also add that the task force. We did a lot of pre-work. We um created the application. It will get tweaked a little bit based on the model changes based on the contracts. We did a lot of pre-work. We also have provided
Lindy has um onboarded a visual uh design outreach education person. We already have a lot of resources to support what we need um in order to accomplish this. Um and also the support that we can provide Lindy to accomplish
this as well. Um so we believe that we'll have a successful launch. Um but time is of the essence and I would say that some of my push back on the race wasn't based on your theological perspective David I assure you that it was based on the sheer fact that time is
of the essence and so PR for us is very important and it will be hard to sell a product if we don't know the price point. What is the process for first off I should know it for water sewer somebody leaves town moves out um do
they get a rebate? >> So no this is a quarterly bill it's an opt-in process and we're going to allow a one-time exchange per year they will get a quarterly final flip over. So like with water and sewer if you were to leave in between a quarter in a quarter
you look a baitment you essentially get a final read flip. So, what you'll do is you'll pay um the quarter um post, which means you'll owe it even if you leave, and the new customer will come in as an opt-in. They're not they're not tied into a physical piece of infrastructure.
So, yeah, there could be a laps in gap of a week or two where somebody that's leaving town for a sale may actually pay for that full quarter. Um but our customer base is not based off the dwelling like water and sewer. It will be based off of the consumer. Um so,
yeah. So then we would d we would and I don't mean this the way it's going to sound. We double bill because the new person then signs up. We're getting the bill from the person who moved away and we'll get the bill from the new person. >> That's unlike water and sewer. >> Correct. Because water and sewer is a situation that stays with the dwellings
and because the sheer fact that we have multifamilies and so with water and sewer we build the owner with our solid waste program we're building the consumer. And so we don't own we can't bill the owner or lean the owner if they
don't pay their bill. So that's another risk factor here as well. But we also want to open this as we currently do with our pay as you throw to any renter. So we don't want to necessarily disenfranchise renters to this program. Um that we do want to build our customer base. But going back to that is we've
already pre-built the skeleton billing cycle process. So there's some backdoor administration as well. The challenge that I really foresee at least for our department and our resources is really going to be answering a lot of questions, Lindsay. So, our job is to make sure that we have a very aggressive FAQ. Um, I will say I'm not going to
volunteer. My team back there, but Wita has been part of this. I know is itching to get back in as well and Lisa and her team have been great to work with and so I know that we can count on some of our task force members even though they're not blessed as a task force to continue to assist us in that. Um, and really
outreach education up front will help reduce the cost. I mean, excuse me, the calling. >> And how does the new resident um, say the old resident is a one is an every other week, and I know there's different bins for how do we arrange who they
switch out bins and everything like that? >> Yep. So, every time somebody signs up, there's a master list that Indy controls and that's going to be unlike water and sewer. Some of the issues that we have with PR is we don't have emails and phone numbers for our water to our customers. When we online or on board
any new consumer, we're going to actually get multiple uh names, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. So, there can be a back and forth communication between Lindy and each customer. Um, but when you're talking about an offset is Lindy once somebody actually is done with our program, Lindy would send out
Yel Harvey to collect that bin because all of these carts are owned by Yel Harvey. We are leasing these through this program. None of this infrastructure is owned by the town. And then as a new customer comes online or does not come online, we're actually going to send out door knockers on the final read. So if you aren't aware, you
can vol you can sign up for this solid waste program. So we want to acquire the new resident and when they come to us, they'll be sent to a master list and a new billing cycle. They will choose what option they want and then they will be delivered a new set of carts. That cart will come with an a sticker like a
registration sticker on your car. a numbered categorization with their approach and that is what will be audited. And so Lindy will do advanced auditing weekly to make sure that the customer list matches the location, make sure that our hauler is being
accountable and they're not picking up bi-weeklys on weeklies. All of these things are still ripe for fraud that we need to stay on top of, which is why the task force always envisioned support that >> and people who have proactively
purchased a year's worth of stickers. >> Yeah. Um Justin thought about that ahead of time and so we are going to have a buyback program where you can trade your
stickers for the equivalent amount of the orange overflow bags. So >> yeah, so there'll be a like forlike match without an exchange of fun. So again, protection of >> go and that'll go on for as long as somebody saves their stickers.
>> Yeah. Yeah. We know what the stickers are, but we're going to try to do it really heavy at the beginning. But what we don't want to do is keep it lagging. But, you know, if a resident came in and said, "Oh my god, I found a bunch and I was cleaning out a house. Here's what I got." We can do something like that. But
there's even more. Did you want to add the >> Oh, yeah. And and people may wonder, well, I have a trash can and and now you're telling me to use the issued one. What do I do with it? Well, you know, you can use it in your yard. You can pass it along to a friend, but if you
truly don't have a use for it, we'll take your trash cans. And we want to have fun contests like the ugliest trash can, the most banged up one, you know, the most pristine one, those kinds of
Yeah. And that all kind of follows falls under the communications piece as well. It's not just communications right at the beginning. It's all along and you know the first year is apparently how long it takes to get big set of things. >> Yeah. A lot of the overflow bags come at
a situation where we can also incentivize program much. >> One last question. >> Um if somebody realizes that they're in either the bi-weekly or the weekly and then they say, you know what, I don't
need that. I want the other. How easy is that process to switch? >> Only once a year. So that's we have built in enough um situational aspirations here of tiers that allow you to flex. So David, if you and you and your family said, you know what, we're
right. We're doing bi-weekly and then you're realizing like it's not working, then you're most likely buy overflow bags at that point because we don't have the administrative staff to be flipping on the fly. Um, so we're going to encourage that upfront application process to be very thorough with Lindy
having a communications of making sure that they're aware of what that looks like a little bit and guiding them to what the most appropriate um situation can be, but there is always the ability to go more. It's going to be hard to go less. To Mike's point, I am sensitive to
it. If you if Lindsay got two barrels and then realized we probably really only need one, you're gonna have to wait a year to put that over. >> I I'd be more concerned about the person who loses a spouse, person who has other
uh devastating house issues that may need to change their their situation. to to to say you have to >> I would say at least our policy as long as I'm your DPW director even though we set rigid policies and procedures we
always allow for flexibility in any situation given the circumstances and if someone came to us with a hardship we do everything in our power to work with them just like we do water and sewer payments. Um, so something like that came about, you know, we would encourage
that residents to come to us and we would have conversation. We just don't want to encourage consistent flipping every quarter back and forth every which way because that's a huge administrative burden. >> And I I absolutely agree with you, David. When there's an extenduating
circumstance, we we would always um veer toward the humanistic, you know, the the heart-based approach to that. And um but we have tried to learn from others mistakes. Other towns have gone the road of letting people change on a quarterly
basis. There's no better way than to get another full-time staff member if you wanted if you want to do that. Um they really advised us to only do it once a year because otherwise it becomes a full-time job just to manage all of the changes. So
>> any questions for board members? >> Yeah, I have a question. How much the um orange bags, these extra bags, how many gallons are they? >> 35, I think, or 33. >> Yeah, 33. >> Yeah. >> All right. So,
and those are those are going to be $8 a piece. >> Yeah, those are your last option, Chris. >> Yeah, I understand the last option piece, but So, those are $8 and that's equivalent to what is now a $4 barrel with stickers. So that's that's
doubling. So So there's some there's some price issues. Um there's definitely going to be some people who are going to um know they have an opportunity and want to get away from Eel Harvey and then they're going to find out that they their the cost of their 35 or 33 gallon
bucket is is doubled when they need it. Um so there's a potential for an awful lot of people to walk away from town trash. And if that potential comes true, what who makes up the who makes up the
shortfall? >> Chris, I'll go back to the lower pullbacks. You cannot use the overflow bag unless you are on a tier system. So those are those price points are in excess. >> So the the question really isn't about the $8 bag and the orange bag. The
question is if a certain number of people for whatever reason and you can argue what the bag is going to be for and and what it's not going to be for. The question is if a number of people that are fed up with the service level of EF EF hobby today, which there's
plenty in town, and they walk away from this and find alternate alternate, you know, alternate means to get their trash taken away. Who makes up the difference? So that goes back to my earlier conversation of contingency. So the price points the price point it's don't
don't let me interrupt you from a long rant. The question is if a number of people don't sign up for this program to make it profitable or break even who is going to make up the difference and how >> the town as I discussed earlier the
contingency is based on >> so so that's that's another problem and and of have we done a survey to find out if you know asked the town folk if they're interested in this program what do they think and what what what is that like have we done any pre-ressearch.
>> So yeah, in our original survey at the task force, the popularity of current Yale Harvey on the current program was actually 80%. The popularity was 80%. So yes, we understand there's a lab minority out there, but the survey results were astronomically in the direction that
people were satisfied with the program. >> But that's the but that's the that's that's the program as is. That's not That's not the program on the table being proposed. That's the program as is that says if if if David or I or anybody
else in the room has four bags of trash on a given week, we can get our four bags of trash picked up. >> That's correct. Yeah. And you can still do that at this program as well. The difference is this program incentivized reduction. But Chris, the price points
that we put out there were competitive against private market. So we evaluated multiple private market venues and our two barrel system which is equivalent to their 64gallon 95galon is almost 50% below their competitive price point.
>> So if we lose people to a competitive market we're losing them because they wanted 96.96 weekly and they're willing to pay more for it. You're you're you're kind of contradicting yourself because you've just told me in two different sentences
in within a three minute period that the orange bags are not to be used that way. But now I'm assuming that I asked the question if I had four bags in any given week that the orange bags now they can be used that way. >> So you want to use four bags. You would
buy three excess bags at a price point of $8 a piece on top of your $45 program. Excuse me, your $75 program. That price point is allowable to be there. Now, if you were to get that on the private market, you're talking about
something larger than anybody would offer. That's more than 96 gallons per week. So, even if you went to the private market, you're essentially overflowing their barrels. their price points are still higher than ours using
any one of our tiered approaches. That's why we had the conversation in regards to the sensitivity of making sure the highest tiers weren't too high and making sure that we also incentivized the reduction of solid waste. Our
program, as you see it right here, is cheaper to a consumer than an alternative private option, unless you are a consistent 96 gallons of trash a week consumer. >> Well, I I think to I think to Mike's
point, it it's cheaper for some, not cheaper for all. And the and the all are the ones that you have to worry about. Well, but but we're not talking about the previous store versus the later. We're not talking about amounts of trash. We're talking about a private hauler now
versus the public. In that case, it would still be cheaper because I think the private hauler would still have all those fuel costs that were talked about earlier. So, if you're comparing private to the town service, that should >> it should still be cheaper on the town side. >> But to Chris's point, Chris, if you're
talking about compared to our current program versus the new price points, you're absolutely correct. The difference here is the previous program was 50% subsidized of a channel taxation. This program is now 100% 100% self-sufficient. So no matter what
that's going to drive up the cost. Now the task force did have a conversation about a phase general taxation approach. But as we discussed, you know, financial stakeholders move to 100% program model here. And so that's the revenues meet the expenditure cost. That's where we're
at. Anything else, Chris? >> No. No. >> Mike, any comments? >> Um, I do. I'm afraid I'm going to take a backward step here. I know it's a little bit late. Going back to the um tier one
and tier 2 comparative rates. Um I I was using the um projected revenue model that you had in your presentation. So, I looked at uh if the tier one rate was $150 instead of 180 and the tier 2 rate
was $310 instead of uh 300. Um it would go some way towards um alleviating that extra burden on the super low uh users um but still generate the uh approximately the same amount of
of revenue assuming those projections are at least reasonably um on target. Um could you just comment on whether or not that kind of a change could be considered and and if not why not? I'm assuming you're talking about when
you switched your tier one to 120 and your tier one to 100. I'm just looking at your chart. >> Yeah. I mean, I I was just now I I suggested 150. Uh I mean, I've got the numbers for a number of different rates, 150, 120, 100. Um, but even just looking
at the 150 and and again, this is accepting um the the situations that you've both described um very well. I appreciate that. Um, but I I've still got an itch looking at these um tier one fees for
super low users and I I just uh I'm concerned that they they might uh have reason to not enroll either. But um >> so Mike to to your point up Mike to your point if you shift the lowest tier lower you're essentially
shifting the highest tier higher right that it's >> by $10 a a year. >> Correct. Right. And so to Chris's concern as maybe a heavier user, what is $80 a week for one automated car do to
you as a consumer? Does that scare you? And if so, does that price point you up? And so part of this goes back to the conversation of as long as the revenue matches our expense accounts. I'm not opposed to any rate modifications that
the board sees fit. The only concern I have is to Chris's concern that he brought forth is do we price out the higher echelon that then choose to go to the private market. >> Right? >> We have no competition when it comes to the buy bi-weekly market. Now, I know
that's a disproportionate price point to that you have brought forth. The problem I have is my concern, at least for the board's consideration, is how many units can we lose before we go in the red?
>> And if we price tier 2 and tier two plus out, then we're essentially driving customers and consumers away from your your excuse me, your municipal program to a private entity. The other consideration, Mike, is if you shift the
rates down like that, you'll have some households move between tiers and you'll lose revenue that way too in that model. So, >> yeah, I mean, I I recognize that at this point because we haven't done it yet, it's a significant guessing game and I appreciate also that as we learn more in
the first year, we'll be able to adjust accordingly. Um, but all right, >> I agree. I I also think that the points that you were making like uh emphasizes why I think it's incredibly important for this board to be making good decisions on rates
because we have we have the theoretically we're the ones that are speaking to our constituents and learning from them about what their needs are and what their desires are. And and just as a comparison, I I won't use this private hauler name. Um, but
there is one private hauler, they offer monthly service for $30 a month. So at 360, it's already higher and that's a monthly pickup. Um, their bi-weekly is
40. And then their weekly service is 50. So 50 time 12, we're looking at around $600 annually. And that's why when we say that this program compares favorably, the lowest price I could find, and this
is what we need to watch out for, was 430 because it was sort of like that Verizon Comcast battle. We have the best thing to lure you you in. And the best thing is an introductory rate at $430.
And the closer you get to that, the more you risk losing residence. And no, it won't stay at 430. It'll shoot right back up to their normal 500. But people are creatures of habit, and you don't want them to sweat. The >> things that I hear from, and I don't
want to draw this out because it's 9:30, but the uh things that I hear from people that have private ballers that say that it's beneficial for them, is you're not limited to how much you can toss away. And I know that that's counterintuitive to our desire to have
people limit what they toss away, but people like the opportunity, like the ability to be able to get rid of whatever the hell they want to get rid of, including mattresses, including, you know, dressers and drawers somebody will pick up for them. Whereas, if you have a mattress in Maynard, it's like it's it's
like going to the FBI to get rid of it. You know, you have to figure out how the hell to do it because you don't know what to do. And I don't know if that's dressed in this. I don't know how those big ticket items are are moved and how if it all it changes and you know now people are used to just throwing on 100
stickers not knowing how many they need to put on there in the first place. I don't know how people will get rid of that type of >> so we haven't picked up bulky waste in several years because there's a there's the the municipal market in IEP is changing. So mattresses we offer a
program we offer recycle center drop off we also offer a curbside collection program through a third party. All of this can be found on our website. All of that still stays the same. But to your point, David, the task force looked at this holistically and knew that we were
never going to compete against those who wanted to essentially throw out 96 gallons a week. The model was never designed to compete at that level. To kind of go to Mike's point and some of ours was diversionary programs to drive the cost down, which is tonnage, etc.
And so our model was never designed to compete against that which is why we don't need 100% of our consumers. Those consumers already left our program years ago. And so what we don't want to do to and I am very sensitive to Chris's concern is I don't want to see us drive
more consumers away from our municipal program to a private program because to Chris's point, if we don't meet this revenue requirement, we're going to have to make it up with general taxation. And so the price points were looked at very very methodically in this um against
several factors and we need to make sure that we onboard our estimated consumer market so that we meet this. That's why the two scenarios were based on contingency models and making sure that I highle the understanding of if we don't meet these contingencies what's
our break glass in case of emergency. when the task force took this on. That's why we looked at this as a phased out general taxation program from our original recommendation. But again, policy has shifted and we're working within the parameters that were set forth to us. And so this is what we
have. This is the price point that we're at. Um I'm open to alternative general taxation conversations as as you've heard me talk about when we're talking about large scale improvements in water and sewer. Doing it on the back solely of receipts can sometimes be cumbersome.
We're running this program solely on receipts and we need to acquire the most customers. To Lindsay's I mean excuse me to Lindy's concern. We also have to compete with a changing customer base. To Chris's concern, we're going from stickers to a new program. What's to say
that you're not going to make that phone call to somebody else? and are they going to entice you with that Verizon deal right at first and then we lose you as a consumer and eventually you get predatory markup. We saw this with our rebate program. We know that there was predatory plumbers out there. We
indicated that on a public meeting and unfortunately some of our customers ran into that. We're prepared for that as well. That's why we target the lowest price points we can work for. >> Would you ever, this is my final question, I promise or final comment.
Would you ever anticipate um lack of a better word free cash in this in the sewer program? And if so, then aren't we overcharging? >> So, in this hallway program with the contingency, a 2% factor, it's it's
$100,000 and that market is contingent upon many things. So, so we'll have a So, you heard the triad of costs, right? So we have the hauling cost which is a controlled contract but we still have our tonnage cost and our recycling cost
and that changes. And so we base that model based off of what our tonnage has been over the last three years and what our recycling commodities have been over the last three years. But the reason we also need contingencies is if we actually have more consumers going to two barrels compared to what they're
doing now, we may see a spike in the tonnage costs. We may see a spike in recycling cost. So that contingency still has to be there. But because it's an enterprise fund, David, any excess revenue earned automatically hits retained earnings. The retained earnings
go into the share policy factor that we do with water and sewer. They can be reinvested into the program. They can be set to offset future program service increases like Jeff was indicating. If we want to increase services, they can be used to implement phase 2 programs. So you talked about mattresses, bulky
waste items, other alternative functions. The task force looked at that and our phase 2 program was to advance our recycle center to a more robust cycle center that wasn't just open on the weekends but also is open during the weekdays. A relocation of opportunity
and advancement of different services. It can be reinvested there or it can be used to offset rate adjustments in future uh future years. All of that. Again, to your point, if it if it's the board, I'll always include the BO in the board until the the bureaucratic policy
works its way out. I always encourage both parties to make sure that you're aligned in that program. We would never spend the money outside of the enterprise fund because legally we can't. That's why we got into an enterprise fund. So, we can't buy Cop cars with it. We can't do anything. I really understand that
>> again it's it's the use of essentially what I consider taxpayer money being spent elsewhere especially if you have retained earnings >> well yeah elsewhere only this work program it's I get that >> where it's spent >> obviously that's a good problem to have
we hope to have that problem where we where our consenty is there um because if it's not then then the program isn't solved so that's >> I'm using it as a point strictly >> you're totally totally right. But I I'm just sort of picking up the ball where they've he said many times and and we'll
get to it shortly is the precash to subsidize if you will to support sort of give this equity that any new business might need. Um which is what this is. We're starting a new business town. In other town recreation enterprises would be totally in the back of the DC paper
recreation. It's the same thing. But in other towns, they'll use precache for or general tax support. So what they're what Justin has spoken to me about is using that precar and and shortly you're going to tell me
is that something you want to do is sort of give an equity to this program. But James, you're concerned with if after year one there's let's say $100,000 of retained earnings. So because you're the CEOs, even though the board of health adjust the rates, the free cash
allocations is still you. The retained earning allocation is still you. So the board has control over that. It still has to reertified like everything else through our processes through DR. Um and so you would reallocate that money based on the enterprise funding right here.
>> Yeah. I my belief is that the entire fiscal responsibility of the program should rely in this chair not in location and maybe we can hear from the board of health members who are here as to whether or not they agree with that
assessment because I think all of them are here online. I think it it's it's a no-brainer in my eyes, but you know, so anyway, I do want to thank Kathy. I I didn't realize you were online until just a few minutes ago. Thank you for
being able to be online with us and the other two members who are here. Thank you both for being with us as well and uh your participation on the uh board of health. So, okay, that's it for the presentation. Uh we're now at quarter to
10. We're moving along. So, uh, we need to move on to the next item, the next item on the agenda which is associated with this and that is the >> David, could I just quickly add one thing? >> Yeah. just a a recognition of the solid
waste and recycling task force who put uh incredible numbers of hours into this meeting and all I saw was rigor and really trying to explore so many possibilities and I think they should be commended um for their efforts and their
contribution to this discussion. So thank you very much. We actually have a motion on this particular topic if we need to >> to before we get there. I want to second everything Mike says. I think this this team has brought a fantastic amount of information. You've answered all of our questions tonight and then some and many
more that I know we haven't even thought of. You guys have looked at this from every conceivable angle over a long period of time. I think there's still a lot of tension. I think that's coming from two big factors. one is that we're we the select board are removing part of that subsidy and so the price is going
up from there and and we've been talking about that since probably last fall and certainly solidly since the TA's budget recommendation three months ago. Um and so that's one big factor is is the subsidy and we're doing that because of huge increases to our health insurance premiums for town employees through
through absolutely no fault of any being in the town. Um that's something that the entire state is facing right now. two, just the sheer cost of services as we talked about the beginning is going up as well. And so the program that we're moving towards is more reflective of the accurate cost of the service. And
we're still able to provide a discount relative to private haulers due to the efficiency bonuses of having all of us collectively join onto one program. And I don't think we should lose sight of that fact that this is the most efficient that is reflective of the service and the hygiene that we've set
up with the enterprise funding allows us to get there. And so yes, it's it is going to be an increased cost, but that's because we're dropping that subsidy and because the pure cost of solid waste recycling is going up. And neither of those are the fault of anybody in this room. That's just a collective problem that we have to deal
with. So I want to conclude again by thanking the solid waste uh and recycling task force for all the work and for Lindy and for Justin and for the board of health. I know this is a lot of information. I really appreciate the work that you guys have put into it. Yeah, I would echo this comments
>> now. Let's go get the word out after a motion or two here. May I? >> Do you have anything to say before we close? >> That's what I have to say. >> No, >> no, I'm good. >> So, can I do these both at once or should I separate?
>> You can do them combined, but keep in mind um the particularly the second one um you're looking for the board of health to also do it. Now, the board of health your meeting is open. you were posted jointly, but if you leave after this, you should take a vote to adjourn your part of the meeting. But you but
this vote, you can make the motion, but they should vote in addition. >> So, we'll do both and then we'll have them pause and have them take the motion. >> You can do it either way. You can have them do it separately, but you can do it together. >> Okay. Uh, I will move to approve the solid waste management and recycling
program model as described for fiscal year 2027 FY27 as listed in exhibit A effective July 1st, 2026. And I will move to endorse the solid waste management and recycling utility rates for fiscal year 2027 FY27 as listed in
schedule one effective July 1st, 2026. >> Second. >> Any further comments? Press. >> Yes. Hi. >> Yes. >> Wednesday. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. As well. >> Great. You like because you did both, didn't you?
>> Yeah. So, you on you. >> The board of health has to make essentially the same motions that we just made. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I have to open a meeting though first, right? >> No, your meeting is open because this this is a this this agenda was closed for both of you.
>> Okay. Okay. All right. Um, all right. So, I the board of health will make a motion to approve the solid waste management and recycling program model as described for fiscal year 2027.
Sorry, I'm losing my voice. as listed in exhibit A effective July 1st, 2026 and to endorse this rates as scheduled one
as provided >> uh you >> solid waste management and recycling utility rates. >> Okay. Yep. Solid waste management and recycling program as described in schedule one. Second one, effective July 1st, 2026.
>> Effective July 1st, 2026. I thought I read that one. >> No, it's >> a motion. Is my board of health there? >> Lisa. Okay, Mora. >> Well, is there any discussion? Because
we haven't had a chance to speak. >> I agree. I had no chance to really deliberate upon this and there were a lot of issues raised tonight that I was not aware of. we really haven't had a chance to look
at this whole program in the past um and to deliberate as a board of health and I agree with Dave Gavin that the rate setting probably should should be um you know
allocated to the select board. Um so those are my questions. I would like to see more flexibility within the plan. uh it sounds quite rigid other than extenduating circumstances.
Um so at this point I you know these are these have been the issues that I have on this point. So I don't know if I I don't I don't feel comfortable approving it at this point but
uh if somebody otherwise does >> no I agree that we did not have any discussion on this. We weren't um given any information before last Friday um for this to discuss it as a board. Our
next meeting isn't until next week. Um and and there are a lot of issues that have come up tonight as well. Um but we can just I I agree too. I think
Dave is right that something's got to be done with the fee scheduling for this. Yeah. But um suggestions from the select board. >> For the record, I'm not opposed to moving the fee scheduling over to the
select board. I just want to make sure that we have time for a discussion independent of the merits of this program. So, I'm absolutely okay if if we want to move if we I I would like to get this approved >> mainly because so much hinges on on getting um having enough time for people
to sign up and transition the program. U but on having a longer current conversation and setting that up for the P schedule to move over the sideboard, I'm absolutely open for that discussion. That can't happen until we have we change by law. >> Well, >> well, hey, David, are we are we asking
the board of health to do what we don't do, which is to vote on something and make a decision the first time they see it? >> And as um yes, but >> so I mean that the next question would go to to Greg. Greg, what's the what's
the danger of allowing the um board of health to discuss this at their meeting as far as these two motions and vote at their own meeting about these things? >> It sounds like they're uncomfortable making this decision tonight based on
the fact that they just got the information Friday and they haven't really seen it before. >> I I will say I don't think the board had any more information. We also just got the information Friday, >> but I >> Okay,
>> I understand. >> Well, but we but we we might have got that PowerPoint and some of that information Friday, but we certainly have been discussing this for the last year and a half, >> right? There's a comfort level that in order of exposure, if you will, that the board of the subboard you've had. That's
true. I would say as Jeff did say it, but just so I'm just gonna kind of repeat what he said that the every day you don't approve a rate is one less day that they have to advertise and you have one less opportunity to sign more people up. So they can send out a postcard that
just says there will be rates posted online. You will be able to sign up, but people, as Lindy said, will be reluctant to sign up because they don't know what they're paying. So if every day you don't approve a rate, you you will not likely get registrance and you may and
you every day you increase your risk of solveny as of July 1st. Could I have one comment Kathy for the board of health as well? So Lisa was a main member of our task force and it was the liaison for the board of health and I am aware that I also presented to the board of health
on a couple of occasions over the three-year period. um this program has not changed since all of those conversations and all of those presentations. Going back to Chris's Chris's uh indication that the board has been updated as much as the board of
health has been updated on this program and its development for the past several years. So um to Lindsay's point, the this memo went out to the board of health the same exact time and it went out to the select board including this presentation. Casey's also been engaged
with Lindy and myself on this program as well. I also sent the D and our liaison to work with Ivan for over a year on rules and regulations to meet the private contract of uh process. So I do
find it a little alarming that this program is coming as a shock to the board of health at this time. >> We Justin we knew about the program coming up but we didn't know how far along it had been. We had been asking the questions and we also didn't know
about the fee schedule. We had discussed this at our own meeting for several reasons, but we never got any quote answers because last time we spoke to Lindy was when they were putting out the bids. So, um, we didn't
have any idea what the fee schedule would be. >> You can't see in the room, but Mora had raised her hand. >> Oh, that's okay. Well, and Kathy's right. I mean, we heard a synopsis of this. We did not hear the details and we
did not have a chance to ask these questions. I didn't realize that we were involved in this meeting. I would have had questions during this meeting myself, >> but I had to wait for Kathy to open our meeting. Uh, so it was unclear to us.
And as Chris said, it it sounds as though you're asking us to vote on something that we as a as a group have not had a chance to discuss. And yeah, sure, I know you want to get it done, but you know, on the other hand, I don't
want to just vote on something when I have unanswered questions. And when is our next board of health meeting? Like next Tuesday. How far behind would that put you if we wait a week to approve it?
>> Could I just ask a question? Is there a reason that you don't feel like you can ask the questions that you have right now >> because you're in a meeting board of health meeting and these are the people who can answer. when I was kind of led to believe that I had to wait just
like somebody said Kathy has to open the Kathy thought she had to open our meeting that we were not in our meeting. >> So now that we're all in the meeting, do you feel do you have questions that you want to have addressed right now because now we're all a lot of questions but I'm still
prepared to vote I without discussing it with the rest of the board. Um, but again, I'm asking is a week too long to wait for our vote? >> I mean, the only thing I would say is it just eats into the PR. So, if you're if
you're comfortable with residents having two weeks to sign up, it just erodess our potential customer base. It uh, you know, it makes it very tight for PR on this. >> Well, then I Well, whatever. The motion's been made and when the vote is called for, I will justain.
The the only thing I would say is this because I know this is a very complex issue and we brought it to the board and the select board at the same time in the past. Part of the reason I wrote the motion the way I wrote it was that the board of health felt confident and comfortable because the select board is
either voted and the select board has felt comfortable because the board of health is reviewed from a sanitation perspective. So essentially that's why I was looking for a joint collaboration. So if you feel differently than the select board on the rates, then I would encourage you to go back to a meeting
and change the rates. But if you feel comfortable with where the select board went with the rates, then I think if both their endorsements, the endorsement of your >> and you know my understanding is based on the way we started this meeting that the board of health has control over
this whole process that the select board has no control at all because based on the bylaw it belongs to the board. So therefore from my perspective the board of health does not feel that they're prepared to negotiate and discuss and deliberate tonight that again as a
resident looking on to your port of health meeting you should not and call your meeting to you know take the leadership role that you have as with this under our bylaw which I might disagree with but that's the way it it runs that this program is run by by the
board of health meet next Tuesday make a decision based on your deliberation next Tuesday and we move forward assuming that you move positively. So we're not here, you know, while you deliberate for another hour and with brand new information to yourself. You're trying
to process. You guys don't sit you're not appointed to deliberate in this manner too often and that's why it's unfair to put you in the situation now from my perspective. I was totally under a different um >> yeah your mindset is different from from
you were here as a listener from what I gather >> and it's not so much the race but the policies surrounding the race you know the flexibility in inflexible I had a lot of other questions people that you know again want to pause it
>> um just all things that we you know probably discuss but it's not being successful if we wouldn't have someone to answer them like so just didn't you know what I mean that's the only thing is like come to our meeting
>> well we had a task force >> yes and we made a recommendation to the board of health that adopted it >> as well >> you know I'm fine with whatever you know lives here with the rest of the board
Kathy, do you have anything to say? >> Um, no. I'm just still reading. Um, no. I I think we should just let the vote stand for tonight that we took Lisa and I agreed to schedule one. Excuse me.
Right. We voted affirmative. >> I don't think you voted. the the court did, but the board of health has not yet. >> Oh, okay. I didn't call a motion. Okay. Sorry. >> You read a motion. >> In light of this, the I had some major
surgery on Friday, so my mind is still kind of wobbly. Um, but all right. Um, so I'll read that again. Um, >> you have read the motion. It's been seconded. You open deliberation. You can call.
>> So now we have to make a motion to vote, right? >> No, you've already done that. You just have to make call call for a vote. >> All right, I will call for a vote, Lisa. >> Okay, I I vote to approve it just because I'm comfortable with being on
the solid waste task force and having gone through a lot of reiterations. Um, so I I just I vote yes. >> Okay, Mora, >> um, a good point. I really need to abstain. I'm sorry. >> Okay.
>> I mean to ad yes, but I really there's questions I need to discuss. >> Right. Um I'm a yes and then we can still um so it's two yeses and one abstained.
Um and we will still to my board we will still discuss this next week because as Justin said we can bring it up again. So >> program that don't work like if I have one reservation about the entire program was just the overflow bags because I
don't want to see a lot of bags for rodent control purposes like fromective like if I had a hesitation but it it was that >> yeah but >> yeah I have a lot of questions regarding
the rodent control with some of the bins and dumpsters around So, >> and the fact that we're renting the dumpsters, I'm sorry, renting the bins to if we decide that that size is not appropriate, like you know, based on feedback from the program, we can change
the size because like just that we don't own the Yeah, we don't own the trash bins. So, if we need to go up with not necessarily up to 96, but if there's like an intermediary size that we could go up to, we can certainly do that. So, we gave ourselves like that flexibility. Yeah,
>> we're trying to be green mater and if that's not working then we can, you know, adjust. We can make adjustments as needed. I think that's why I'm also comfortable with it because for that factor. >> Yeah. And Kathy, I mean, if if your if your board wants to invite me or Lindy to your next meeting to go over the
program and answer any questions, we'll be happy to as well. Um, Lindy's also working with Casey. So, if you also have questions that you just want to get to Casey in advance, please please bring them on. Kathy is raising her hand. >> We have a meeting next Tuesday, Justin.
>> And I just want to say that, you know, I'm not opposed to the whole thing, but just like I said, I'm not a person that just go to the polls to vote for whatever name looks good to me or what all my neighbors are voting for. Okay. I want to have questions answered myself.
I want to know that there's some flexibility built into this. Like she said, like Lisa just said with the bags and things like that, can we limit the bag for how the extra bags? Um, you know, I'm a very low usage user and I
leave this city for leave the town for several months or a year. I don't generate any trash for three months. >> Okay. So these areas for me when we're talking about the low usage, you know, >> I would say that deliberation went on
for over 50 years. >> You're you're you're more than entitled to this opinion and I and I appreciate you're speaking out like this. I I think it's you've been appointed by this body to ask exactly the question that you're having. >> Thank you.
>> But I I would recommend Kathy because of this type of coffee. Mr. If you if you if you would like to close your meeting now, Kathy, you can vote to adjourn the board of health. >> Okay. I will make a motion to close the board of health
of this meeting of April 21st by the board of health. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? Lisa? >> Great. >> Got to be roll calls. >> Okay, Lisa.
>> Yeah. Okay, Mora, >> close it. Okay. And I'm okay to close. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for letting us, you know, just >> right. >> A little bit of say
>> that's great. >> There's more to talk about. >> All right. We need to move on to the next portion which is contract. >> We don't have a contract. So there
>> there is no >> it's not yet close. >> So that will be coming up next. >> All right. So then we move on to the uh the lip application for one summer street.
>> Thank you Lindy. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. I want to say this. See, >> the What we're going to what we're going to speak about now is a uh an approval of a process that has gone through the
affordable housing trust. And uh I want to express a little bit of of concern. You know, this is going to benefit Jimmy McDonald at one summer speed. benefit. It's mayor to a degree because it gets us over the uh the 10% relative to
affordable units in town. >> But I'm concerned that we're giving Jimmy McDonald a an approval on something here yet he owes the town a big completion of a project. Um and we need guarantee. And and I heard earlier
tonight uh in one of the discussions that he's apparently coming forward with another proposed housing development uh on River Street or something that I heard um I'm concerned that we don't have guarantees from Jimmy that he's
going to finish that um that prominade and we gave him uh parking spots and we gave him uh accessibility accessibility to the building before he completed what his requirements were. And we've had a
number of times in the past with uh the development where we've had situations where the town has had to push push push. I don't know if it's wise for us without getting a guarantee from from Mr. McDonald at this point to finalize
this until we speak with him and get such guarantee that he's going to complete and make that state certain. And I don't know if we're allowed to put a condition upon an approval like this relative to another project, but I'm
just concerned that town of manager is sitting here with fences up at a at a gateway to town that was promised to be completed and then we get an email this week that said, well, he says he's going to try to get to it by the end of the spring. We've seen this before. I've
seen the movie before and I don't think we should um move forward in a way that's that's going to give any benefit to another program before we're guaranteed that we've got the guarantees from the prior uh project that's gone forward. So, that's the way I'm going to
preface this. But what we're here to do theoretically is to approve a lip program application that will allow Jimmy to move forward with his project at one summer street with some affordable units. Um, and so that's where we're at. But that's my
concern with approving this at this time. Uh I don't think there's a rush necessarily, but um I wanted to put that out out there on the floor before we got into a lengthy uh discussion or a vote on it. I don't know how the rest of the
board feels about it, but that's the way I feel. >> If you if you allow, Mr. Chair, before the board speaks, I I will look into what leverage the town the board may have over the teammates. That's probably not. Um, yeah, you do have an easement agreement with with McDonald. >> Yeah.
>> Um, so I can look into that. >> Um, so would you recommend that we put this off? >> I I'm unfort isn't on anymore. I I'm not I'm not familiar enough to know unless it's in the the memo, but I'm not familiar
enough to know the the timing of this as you said. Like is there an urgency to get this? >> I'm sorry. I I >> say again >> I don't know if there's an urgency to have this approved this evening >> based on the discussion that was held between me and a member
uh including Rick of the um of the the trust there's no extreme urgency as a matter of fact um the sense that I got from the trust was that the board's
making a big mistake by not mandating that some of this stuff that we've required that isn't being done and I think those comments were not from the trust members per se as members of the trust but rather as residents of mayor >> I see so I am curious if we can I
already wrote this in my notes to ask council if we could tie in any way this sort of action to another problem that has to be the problem maybe I I really have no idea >> I I don't either and I don't I certainly don't want to do anything that is
illegal or in any way improper. >> I just want to get Mr. uh McDonald to commit and we we do have authority at that property. For example, we we could say theoretically, we gave you parking
spaces. If it's not done by July 1, that those parking spaces are withdrawn from your ability to use town property >> potentially, right? because that's our property that he's waiting on. >> The access is what you were and so right then and you got potentially angry
tenants but I know what you mean. >> Yeah. But we got to get do something to make sure that that gets completed and that's I don't see any progress being made and yet we're we continue to give you know whatever whatever you need. Yep. We move along and so again Tom
would you like to have a wonderful conversation? >> Yeah I want to hear what the board members have. So, I'd be curious to know if that's something that we can do from council or whomever we need to ask. >> Um, I'm not opposed to that because I have long complaints that we don't have
much leverage over um developments that lag in the way that the McDonald's developments have lagged. >> And as far as I know, >> uh, the McDonald's have had all the permits that they need since early September of last year. Didn't believe
that. I believe it was September 9th I think sometime around then. So um >> no I I'm I'm I'm as this guy I have grown impatient as well. But I found this I'm more excited as you like it will be a beautiful amenity to
>> Oh yeah. I want I want it to be completed >> and completed well and properly and >> both the interest of McDonald's and now the new business that brought like there's yeah
>> so it's I guess Mr. >> Yeah I just want to provide a little bit of context to the lip application. So the reason that this is kind of critical for safe harbor for the town and of course it's it's subjective how urgent it is right it may not be extremely
urgent it all is relative is Jimmy owes us one unit there we're buying a second but in buying two affordable units at this location we get all eight which will us put us well above the thresh so once it's done once everything you know is signed still
delivered >> I get that but we have safe harbor on percentage of land. Anyway, I know that would be litigated, but we we would argue that and that would be this would be resolved long before that issue would ever would ever become problems in my in my perspective
>> because the the impetus for the buy down was from the town side. Jimmy >> absolutely true has been like take it or leave it. You know, he claims that the affordable units are less desires to him. So, but it but that's equally
valid. you know, the land, we do have the land area calculations that we could always fall back on, but as you just said, you know, they're a little bit more tenuous in terms of cases. >> I just I just went to have a discussion and you know, because it's it's
it's the only leverage we have. Are would you I'm trying to help but tell me about are you asking to are you indicating to chair u postpone this >> table and but I don't want to board is post it's up to the board
>> I'm okay with tableling this for now >> what you what' you say >> she's okay with tableling it >> yeah why wouldn't we I don't think we can tie it to I don't think we can tie one to the other legally in in that regard but we can certainly delay delay
action until we have a discussion about the prominade. You know, I might get to it by the end of spring. That's not really an answer. >> Yeah. And that's the sense I got. I spoke with Greg when that came through
saying we've seen this we've seen this movie before >> many times. >> Mike, any thoughts? You're on mute at 4 in the morning. >> Yeah. There we go. No, I just echoing what
Chris just said. >> We'll move on with the table >> the memorandum of agreement with the mass laborers. We spoke about this in our last session. >> Correct, Mr. Chair. Um, so I'm excited to present to the board for public
ratification this meg agreement with the Luna DPW workers. Um, fantastic work especially by administrator Stephanie Dugen. >> Thank you. >> She's like detail oriented in a way I could only dream of and um so fantastic.
So here we are um presenting it to the board. I fully recommend um ratification and DBW Union Lite those guys are very patient, very very cooperative. So I I appreciate their um their support and their professionals at the table.
Is >> there a motion? I will move to approve the memorandum of agreement MOA with the Massachusetts Laborers International Union of North America Luna Department of Public Works Labors Union Local 1156 units A and B
for a term of July 1, 2025 to June 30th, 2028. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? Hearing none. Crest, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Wednesday, >> yes. >> Jeff, >> yes. I'm a yes as well.
BHP on call engineering services contract. >> So Mr. Chair, this is a pretty regular one. However, um I have proposed and the board has you know sort of gone along with the recommendation we move towards a full-time town engineer. But even with
that, we would need support for engineering services. So this this sort of indicates the longtime relationship we've had with BHB. I think it's been very good. Um so I recommend you approve this. You know, they would basically be
supplemental to my my plans to hire questions. Questions, Mr. Chris? >> No questions. >> Mike, any question? >> Nope. >> All right. Motion. >> I'll move to approve the extension with Vaness
Hangen Burland, Inc. PHP. That's new me. uh for on call engineering on call engineer consulting services contract 1402 for a term ending June 30th 2027 as presented authorizing the
use of digital signatures if approved >> second Chris >> yes >> Mike >> yes >> Lindsay >> yes >> Jeff >> yes >> yes as well um I did not realize there was an L in first
>> I I've seen it spelled out a million times Now that I think about it and I just never had >> I knew it was Vanas but I didn't know it personally. >> Look up an embarrassing video of me doing the same thing two years ago. >> All right. Article acceptance. We now
have a number of controls that are presented to us tonight. Uh is any has anything changed from what we saw the last time? most significantly um the well no not no
not significant >> we did get an email today on the >> item right >> we go to that budget subcommittee meeting but not at work >> so you're correct so although the articles are are largely the same um the
debt number changed I I mentioned budget >> I got an updated number on debt from our over time again. So you'll see that in there. But again, it's it's paying for the 100 gold. So the the revenue that's going from that just pays off those costs. So that that ref
um and then >> but that's just to be clear, it's something that is we knew this was happening is just happening earlier than anticipated >> earlier. I don't I couldn't say that necessarily. I mean, when we went to the town to ask for the um authority to take
on the debt for this, we tried to tell the people what the average household cost was going to be. We never said it's going to start next week or or two years from now. And now I was never sure when to tell. We're never sure. But um >> so what's the implication just to be clear?
>> We're going to start feeling the the cost of the elementary school. >> So we're going to see people will see the increase in their tax. I mean it was coming sort of incrementally the large correct this is the large trunk >> the board heard from the treasure cl a
couple couple weeks ago about um and then there were some questions about the dog licenses bylaw um and so the the billman and the bylaw committee and the the town clerk work together to have those uh addressed if you will and
then they're in the bylaw and then um races >> address anything in the bylaw I don't Did they? >> No, I don't know if they did, but I just >> We got an email on it this afternoon. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um, so no, I don't I don't recall
the bylaw committee changing their proposal and then um you heard from solid waste and then the Okay, so here's the questions to the board. Does the board want to because this last article which is AK transfer capital stabilization that's with the
that is a scenario in which you transfer you use precache to supplement the solid waste recycling program which is originally I thought might be the case if we were going to delay the start of the program but as
you heard this evening the recommendations to begin the program July 1st. However, Justin Marco has alluded and I now especially with the board of health sort of I know they approved it, but they have some budgets. I do think it would be helpful to have
that set aside if you will of I think it's $210,000 from precache as a reserves if needed for the so for >> and then if if we have move if we do move forward uh we with the pro the project for lack
of a better term. Yeah. >> Um then that money would revert again to free cash. >> We don't spend it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Just like other just like this capital outlay. Yeah. >> There's a number of items we spend. >> Sorry. Where is this in the draft control document?
>> I'm not sure if it Oh, so I'm saying AK. If you look at AK AK, the last one, >> correct? >> Stabilization. It says that's for police cruisers, >> correct? I know this is really complex. So, okay. In past um times we've met, I
went over in the warrant, there was two versions of the pre-catch article. One column was if we didn't do this whole >> trash thing and the other column was let's do the trash thing of $210,000. I'm saying a heys if you do column two of using
>> I see. So you take just some free cash and in order to get the police cruiser you're taking it from somewhere else. >> You got it >> to get the second. I know you're you're you got it. >> So So that's the second creature by the way because she's that thing. >> Um and and I also want to point out and
this will come up in the planning bit. Um Dick Downey had not we reached out to him but he just hadn't gotten back to us in time to know if he wanted that particular article summary. So me and Greg just put it at the back of the boat because we didn't know where else it >> and if the money gets um so the the free
cash uh transfer would be you said 200,000 >> it's 210 >> or whatever amount it is that's basically just like a buffer that goes into the enterprise fund that we're transferring into into the trash solid waste and recycling enterprise fund and if it doesn't get used
>> then it's then it's not transfer it into I set aside. >> I just I just want to clarify because if it because then it would be retained earnings >> because then it would be retained earnings. So we don't want that. So we would just set it aside as a just in case. Yeah.
>> Next year the pay and so I would so you can pull from multiple accounts to pay an invoice. I would pay out of that if needed. >> If we need to. I think that makes sense. >> I'm okay with that because I've already come to terms that I've already told certain people they're not going to get
the free cash if we do this item. So like um and those people have agreed. So I I'm I would recommend that at this time especially after this evening's deliberation. So really what you'd be telling me is that go with column two
for the preach. Um, it's too late for us to talk about this for too long, but personally, >> well, we could set up we could set up another meeting if we had to as long as people in the Douglas. >> Yes.
>> Yeah. The issue is that we cannot name like the the in the article the reason for raising the fee is because costs have risen, but we can't name what the cost of the program is. It's no the costs are spread across multiple different operational areas. So we don't know how much it costs to administer
this program yet. We have to raise the fee to pay for the program. >> I see that. However, >> so to me it's not like not a good enough argument to raise the fee. >> But it's not our article, right? So I I I agree with you in terms of >> I don't think it is. I think it's >> that's what I'm saying. You're right.
It's the bylaw to defend that question which I I agree with you. >> I would I would absolutely right. to either I or you someone should reach out to Bill and say like we did >> two weeks ago. >> Yeah. Like >> also I mean like but call the finance committee
this maybe they didn't but then it's also that is part of the responsibility is to ask those questions. So but this evening you're being asked to accept this article and I'm not I'm not trying to detract from >> Yeah. That's right. >> Yeah. So Mr. You
you are being asked to accept these articles and then secondly you're being asked to approve them. >> Yes. And so we will do first the article acceptances. Is there a motion? >> Move to accept and approve the following draft controls. Draft control E general
fund budget fiscal year 2027. Draft control N general fund capital outlay. Draft control AC solid waste and recycling enterprise fund budget fiscal year 2027. Draft control AF bylaw amendment dog licenses. Draft control AK
transfer from capital stabilization as shown and forward to the finance committee for review and comments. >> Second. >> Any other questions? Hearing none. Chris, I saw your mouth move. Yes. >> Yes. Mike.
>> Yes. Lindsay. Jeff. >> Yes. Yes. >> So, those have been already incorporated into the And we have the warrant itself to approve. And we've already signed as
part of our signature earlier tonight. We signed the approval in the uh >> I just have to delete the one column. I'll I'll I'll read the comments of the precach. >> Um but I in the cash. Yeah. And then um
Greg and I had two questions for Dick and or town council, but town council is looking at this right now and it was the type of votes. One one was uh I can't but it's what's that >> generally?
>> Yeah. And then is transfer the transfer is >> whether or not they have to be secret ballot or >> exactly >> is that documented in the warrant somewhere. >> Uh it says something like uh whether so yes. So if it's because I think it's in
the bylaws >> if it's a prior vote it's x amount if it's >> no I know that but whether or not it's actually in the warrant. >> No it is. >> Okay. if it's secret or not. >> All right, that's where >> that's true. But whether it's twoird or
so like >> Yeah, that's in here, too. >> We could change. >> I know, but I'm thinking is very um he likes to do it. >> Okay. >> So, if we vote to approve this and it needs to change, what happens? >> No, I'm only I'm changing it from two/3
to like you're >> So, our motion tonight needs to be as amended for discussion. >> Sure, that's okay. But I I I would strongly recommend you because we need to get this to the publisher. >> Yeah. Oh, we have to approve it. I get that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> But you're you might change two things
that you just discussed. >> That's correct. >> So, does everyone get that? >> All right. So, we'll take a motion to approve with those amendments. >> Move to approve the warrant for annual town meeting 2026 as presented. Authorizing use of digital signatures if approved.
>> Second. >> We don't want to say with those amendments. You can say as amended as amended I'll not >> presented with amendment >> with amendments authorizing use of digital signatures of
>> press >> yes >> Mike >> yes >> yes >> yes congratulations >> planning >> Mr. Mr. Chair, what I'm asking on the board tonight is um can you see in the
um documents how it has like the list of so this I do every year and I kind of take a stab at which which of you want to say what I didn't pick. >> Um I just I like the chair to go first
generally and then any at the bottom I I threw you in there Mr. Chair as the uh transfer position so you can wrap it up. Uh yeah, I don't have a problem unless Jeff had talked about doing a presentation on the budget
and I don't know if you wanted that to be very prelude to your to a budget presentation. It makes sense to do that. >> I would be happy to do that. >> We switch that.
budget. Chuck then can introduce his budget presentation if you don't. I'm not putting this on you if you don't want. >> Yeah. No, that's what I had planned to do. >> That's what I thought the plan was. >> This set solid waste conversation. >> So, I'm giving you article seven. >> Yeah.
>> So, give Jeff Article 7 from me? Anybody else have any concerns about what they've been assigned? >> Lindsay's got water. >> Lindsay's got all the water. And >> you don't get the dog. get my chance to speak my piece.
>> Uh Mike, you've got the sewer. >> The coloring numbers don't match on this. Just, you know, Greg, when you're looking at like your little legend over on the right, >> the colors for each person's number do not correlate across the board on the left. They do for some. McDavid is
correct. Jeff's is correct. Mine's correct. I think >> probably because I use this every year. >> Yeah. I don't I don't think that matters anybody but but >> Chris and Mike, you all set? >> Yeah.
>> Okay, we're good to go. >> Okay, very good. Thank you. So, >> uh the planning meeting that whether or not this was addressing that or not, um I will be traveling that day.
So, uh I will be on route home from a wonderful graduation uh from Syracuse, New York. So, um I hope that somebody else either can attend on our behalf, >> whatever,
>> Chris or Mike or Lindsay or Jeff. >> What's the date? >> It's on the Monday. >> May 11. Um, and what is the meeting? >> It's just Jake goes over what the the planning is, who's going to say what, who's going to be the backup, who's
going to be the expert testimony. >> What time is it? >> Noon. It usually takes about 20 minutes because Dick is very much. >> I am available to go to that. Nobody else is. >> But if somebody else would like to go, I'm fine that too. I don't prefer.
>> Is everybody okay with Lindsay attending or does anybody have a desire or ability? >> Totally fine. That's fine. I won't be back from uh here by then. So >> I'm currently free, Lindsay. So if you can't make it, let me know. I can make one. >> I apologize.
>> Mr. Chair, I also want to mention um the nominations for the performance recognition program closed yesterday. >> I will be sending you, Julian, and tomorrow >> and then we'll have to have set up a meeting of some kind. >> You you generally it's the three chairs. Yeah. And usually I know how many there
are not that. Okay. All right. Thank you. Send that along. I'll reach out to them once I get it. >> All right. We're gonna skip over codes of conduct because it's 11. It's 10:30 at night. We're going to skip over yell at you for extended on codes of conduct.
I was making a bad >> I will apologize for it. >> Uh nothing to report, Mr. Chair. center. >> Go ahead. >> We we've met with Lexus and we and we've told the 20 which is our IT like what
we're it's it's mic. >> Uh the Green Meadow School is next. We we went Greg, were you there? >> I wasn't. So, how'd it go? >> It was wonderful. U you know, I can't wait till the next time we go where we can see a little bit more because right now it's still roughed out, whatever.
So, you you see a few rooms that look like rooms, but then you know, you have steel beams. You can't really tell where the hallway is. The hallway you can tell shouldn't say that, but rooms, not all of them are clear. So, uh, but a good idea of what it looks like and whatever.
So, I thought it was good. Very cool. >> Any comments, Mike or Chris on me or Lindsay? >> Oh, >> no. I appreciate the OPM and his team taking us through. >> Yeah. It's pretty It was cold in that
building. >> Freezing cold. Yeah, >> I think the I think the um that room the room leading is the uh cafeterium in the gymnasium is got to be the largest indoor space in the town of Mayood.
>> Yes, >> I think so. >> I feel like that's the future town meeting space. >> 500 or more person capacity >> huge >> and it very own ballroom. Yeah, it's enormous.
>> Is combined with the cafeteria. >> It's got like a soft wall that can >> cool. Yeah, it's a huge bigger than >> Oh, I mentioned that while we were there that this could be uh but there might not be the capabilities of doing close.
They unfortunately don't have parking like right at that building for the number of people that per fire code will fit in that space. So, you know, you have to park over Crowd and Fowler and stuff like that. >> We have a great advantage. >> It's a great space and the school. Yeah,
it looks great. >> You know, it might look smaller when the walls go up because, you know, rooms look smaller, but I It was It was pretty big. Um All right. Um we'll move on to correspondences. There were two
um main corner store. Didn't they just arrive here to get that? >> No, they got the whole because they did a home decision. >> They got All right. >> They got all the alcohol, so they don't need this. >> Okay. So, they're they're relinquishing their wine and malt. >> Correct.
>> And then a DPU letter. >> That's right. >> Uh any questions on the correspondence? If not, we'll take a motion on that. >> Move to accept correspondences A and B as shown. >> Second. Uh, we'll vote. Chris, >> yes. >> Mike,
>> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Yes. As well. >> Town administrative report. >> Thank you, Jeremy. Very, very quick. Some cool stuff happening that the departments have put on. There is a typical uh that mayor PD is hosting. It's they've already done one. Um, and
this is the second one also at AIA. That's something. And then um especially proud of this at risk committee which is composed of a number of different departments and they're hosting a grill and gather um which is funded by school.
That's at May 3rd which is a day I think and that's at the gun club. So that's that's very very proud hosting that. And then the townler um has listed a couple new businesses. And then of
course the fire department is busy, but you'll hear more about the fire department because the chief likes to have the new firefighters come to present themselves to the board. And unless there's questions, Mr. Chair, not for me. Anybody have any questions?
All right. Thank you. We would I would have taken a picture and sent it to you of the uh of the interior. >> Oh, I can get >> No, I mean, you know, with the tour with people wearing their hats and else. >> Oh, man. >> A lot of fun.
>> The time report's already done, so >> All right. Uh chair report. First off, uh Jeff and I had a real fun afternoon Friday of last week. We interviewed with a high school senior who is doing his
senior project essentially on engagement of uh town how to engage people but the town government how it runs greatly and uh so he he asked us to come up was a fun experience I think we had I think he knew what he got himself into
he let us start talking so we had a couple of laughs and uh but it was it was good um and I I really think the young and enjoyed himself and uh great was engaged and uh so apparently it's
going to be on the YouTube channel. >> Oh, that's great. >> But it lasted about >> Oh, wow. >> Yeah. It wasn't like a five minute deal. Although they cut it down, so my DJ might be five minutes. We >> It was It was quite a quite a bit spoke.
He had a a whole outline, whole agenda. So, thank you, Jeff. And it was fun. And um thank you to um what's his name? Ben. Ben was going to UMass Amherst. >> Great. The other thing is also related
to Jeff. Um we got um this is a surprise for you. >> We got invited to go to Maynard's um whatever it is Mayard day >> town takeover at the Worcester Red Sox >> and they asked me to come and you know
do the first pitch and I said no. Jeff didn't get his opportunity. So Jeff, if you will please take the honor and throw out the first pitch. >> I would love to, but I'm going to be on big >> continue to conspire me against me. I
really appreciate the the gesture that they are very kind of you, but unfortunately I've already >> You will never do it. >> I I just Yeah, >> I I >> I was so excited to be able to say you got your >> It was a very kind gesture. So, thank you. >> All right. Well, I will let you know if
uh if I want to let you know. >> I'll let you. Um so anyway, put that on your calendar. Mayor Day of W at the Worester Red Sox. Again, I'll probably I probably will do it. I just need to verify the date >> if we want to go with that. It's so So the DJ emails all of us individually and
then you email. You coordinate through him or through you >> coordinate. Okay. He said the invite that you get >> that's why it was so confusing last year because he I was like interfacing with him and
>> the invite you get I think we each at least I did >> you get one this year too. >> Yeah. >> All right. All right. >> So he invites everybody. >> Wait a minute. June 24th. >> Yeah. >> I thought it was May 24th that I might be able to make. >> Sorry. Okay. All right. >> Vacation.
He's texting his wife. I'll check I'll check I'll check in with my work calendar tomorrow and make sure all right very good this morning for some reason >> that would work well that work well all right uh Chris anything
>> yeah oh yeah I was um going up Route 62 earlier and um I saw them pouring cement in front of a liquor store >> Oh really? Yeah, they had a cement truck in there filling their pad in. So, there's some sort of progress going on
in the uh in the front. I don't you know, I don't I couldn't see what they were doing there. A bunch of people standing around, but they were working in front of that um liquor store. >> That's progress. They're they're putting the door.
>> That's it. That's all it is progress. >> Is that it? >> Yep. >> Thank you, Mike. Uh just a quick shout out to the uh tree committee, Steve Smith and Neil Patterson. They were out on uh Saturday
morning planting I think it was five more trees in Main Street and I think Nason um and just the ongoing work that those guys put in to uh to try to bring more canopy to uh the main streets. So just a
public thank you to them. Is >> that it? >> Yep. >> What is it? 4 o'clock in the morning for you. >> I'm not even looking. >> But yes. >> Yes. >> Um, also just want to thank the tree committee. I know they were out there
really early on Saturday planting and also again thank uh the school Green Meadow Project OPM and his team for giving us a great tour. We were kind of a a an unruly group. People kept wandering away.
>> Follow us. >> Um so thanks for that. Uh and just a reminder, sign up for the Mayor Voice if you haven't. Incidentally, they posted about the trash, solid waste, and recycling. And that was their most clicked on link ever so far.
>> Sure. >> So hopefully we have an informed constituency in that act. back to chat. >> Uh, two things. I'll I'll second my my thanks to to Ben and wish him luck on on all of his endeavors. Um, but I'll I'll note one theme I kept coming back to
when discussing that was how much I do enjoy working with this group in particular and the wider, you know, finance committee and school committee. But what I was able to say repeatedly about this like board um is that we disagree well. Right? In a democracy, you have to disagree. And actually, I've seen a lot of groups that aren't healthy
because they agree all the time and not everyone's, you know, comfortable speaking up. But this is a group that I think, you know, is is perfectly comfortable getting what they want out there and asking the questions and and doesn't take offense and to a disagreement and is able to move to the
next item and and have the same level of rigor on on support of uh whatever that issue is. And that's not true of all select boards either. So, I'll just um repeat that back to this group and and say how grateful I am to work with uh each of you uh on this configuration of the board and and previous
configurations of the board as well. Um the other thing I'll say I've been um working for a long time to get information from the schools on the revolving funds and we've seen that and so um it was coincidental it came through in the context of the stabilization fund but what I did for
the budget subcommittee and and uh Greg had put it back in in one of our um uh uh agenda items tonight was simply to plot out the total for the revolving all the revolving funds we got in that memo and look at them over the years and you
can see what that trend. Um, regardless of what it looks like right now, I think it should be important to incorporate that into our annual planning process when we review those numbers because as the total of those funds draw down, that gets you closer to conversations about
overrides and that and that's multi-year planning, which is another factor we talked about last Friday. So, I think it's it's healthy for us to um look at that number on on what the total amount is on an annual basis and the expenses and the revenues and then to ask the school committee what is their plan
acknowledging that they're not going to be able to have as solid of a plan for that trunch funding as they will for the general fund. But they are still clearly using it to support their decision to make hiring and firing decisions which does impact other parts of the general fund including the benefits line. The
last note I'll put on there is that there are still another chunk of funding that they're getting through grants and um that are not included those revolver funings. And so if you look at the orange bars on that graph that shows um that's grants and revolving. And so those revolver accounts add up to about
50% of that second pool right there. So >> where is that document? >> It um was in one of the article. >> Oh, was it was in board doc? >> It was in board docs tonight in a weird spot. I also if you look at >> yeah it was in the I know where it is. >> I know >> I also it's part of anything I got to
the budget sub committee I said to everybody >> so it was in article 14C and so I put those two there but if you look at those orange bars that revolvers they only add up to about half of that so you're not >> still looking at the full picture of that context there. That's it for me.
>> Thank you. That is it sir. A motion to adjourn. >> Motion to adjourn. Second. >> All right. Well, Chris, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. Well, good night everybody. Thank
you to