We are good. >> All right. Good evening everybody. Um, calling this meeting to order in accordance with open meeting law regulation 940 CMR 29.10.
Please be advised that at this time select board member Christ Silva is attending this meeting remotely. I am expecting that Lindsay will also be joining us remotely um as the meeting progresses because they are attending
remotely. All votes taken at this meeting will be by roll call vote. If any select board members are not clearly audible to any of us or to any members of the public, please let me know and um we will do our best to remedy the
problem and we'll inform the public whether the meeting will continue. So having said that we will begin our meeting as we always do with 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. >> Good evening everybody. Welcome uh here to our meeting this evening. Um first
item on our agenda this evening is public comments. The board would like to hear public comments and if there's further action is required by us, we'll add the matter as appropriate to a forthcoming agenda. Depending upon the comment, we may, if we're able, within
the confines of the open meeting law, respond with information as opposed to deliberate on the matter. So, having said that, is there anybody here in the uh the office I'm going to say in the uh the room this evening that would uh like
to speak on public comments? We don't have the podium set up the right way. That doesn't mean you can't submit. I don't see anybody rising. Anybody online? I don't see anybody online raising their hand. I should note that uh select
mcconi has joined us. So we have a full board. Two of us uh two of our members are online as I mentioned at the outset. >> All right. The next item is um the consent agenda. We have items A through
F. Couple of cemetery deeds, use of town property for maple sugaring. uh use of town property by the IMAGO school for Fridays in April and May and the use of town property for the Maynard Pride Festival scheduled for June 7th, 2026. I
re I mentioned those all because if anybody is online or here in the room that's interested in those items, you don't need to sit through the meeting if you don't want to. Your item will have been handled through um the consent agenda. So, is there a motion on the
consent agenda? Uh yeah, good work. Uh move to approve consent agenda items A through F as presented contingent upon adherence to all federal, state, and local public health and safety guidance authorizing
use of digital signatures if approved. >> Second. >> Motion's made in second. Any questions for anybody? Seeing and hearing none, we will take a roll call. Chris, >> yes. >> Lindsay, >> yes. Jack,
>> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> I am a yes as well. >> And if so moved, move to wave the liability insurance requirement for the maple sugaring request. >> Do this separately from the third one. >> Motion made, seconded. Did you hear
those that motion, Lindsay and Chris? All right. >> Any questions on it? Hearing none, we'll vote. Chris, >> yes. >> Lindsay. >> Yes. Yes, Mike. >> Yes, >> I'm a yes as well.
>> And finally, if so moved, move to wave the liability insurance requirement for the no kings event on March 28th, 2026. >> There a second. >> What did we do last time for this one? >> Believe we waved it for the last event as well.
>> Good. I will second the motion. >> Any questions from those of you online? Anybody here with questions? >> Hearing none, we'll roll call vote. Chris, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> What?
>> Yes. >> I'm a yes. >> All right. Uh, next item is the annual town meeting topic. Specifically, the dark uh the dark sky bylaw proposal that we're going to hear
a presentation on this evening. Um before we get started, I did mention before the meeting um relative to the length of the presentation, it's like 30 salad pages and I just made it clear that you were going to allocate 10
minutes for the presentation. Have a seat. Okay. >> Make sure you introduce yourself to all of us. >> Oh, I'm happy. And um >> what's your address? >> 13 High Street. >> Okay. I think I've got 11 people working on
this. I just happen to be together presentation. Um we can pull it up. >> So we go through that pass that >> Okay. So we're going to talk about what the what we're doing, why we need a lighting bylaw, and review the
highlights of what's in it. I'm not going to go through the entire bylaw. It's five pages. talk about core cost and then give you an update of what we've done so far. Um so uh so the first thing let's go to the next one is um
what is light pollution because basically what we're looking at is reducing light pollution in so we can go to the next slide. So what it is is it's excessive artificial light at night. It's not no light, it's just not excessive light.
It's poorly aimed light. So, light that's aimed in your eyes rather than down at the ground, but where you want it to stay. It's light that um shines outward and upward, you know, shines in all kinds of directions where you don't need it as much as it shines down where
you do need it. Um, and it's light that shines into neighboring property um, creating a nuisance and um, and light that's on even when it's not useful. So lights that are on at times when it's not needed. So we can go to
the next slide. Next thing we'll talk about why it's a problem. Go ahead. Next slide. >> Go next. >> Next. >> So um, there are a lot of reasons. It's actually bad for human health. There are
studies that have shown that um cancer is increased if there's light at night. Um uh there quite a few health studies that show that if you have like light shining into your bedroom, it can increase cancer. It can create sleeping
problems. We'll go into that in a couple slides. It's bad for human safety. So there um there are a lot of examples of accidents that were caused because light was shining in people's eyes. So rather
than the light shining down where you can see what's going on, it's shining into people's eyes. And the older you get, the more of a problem that is. So um so that's an example of too much light is actually a safety hazard. Um, we've
discussed this with actually the chief of police and and he didn't agree with us. He can't he's not, you know, a safety expert, but it may sense to him. Um, and also if you've got too much light waste, money, and energy, that's
obvious. Um, loss of the night sky. If you're into stargazing, that kind of an obvious one, but also bad for wildlife. A lot of wildlife uses uh light. Um so for instance uh fireflies
use um the the light in their and that that lights up that that call them fireflies. That's that's a um a sexual uh thing. And so they don't mate if they can't see each other. If there's a lot of light they can't see each other
and they don't mate and we have fewer fireflies. Um birds use the stars at night to navigate when they're migrating. If there's too much light, they can't see the stars. Um, so there a lot of wildlife examples. I'm not going to go through anywhere near the the
beginning of that. So, um, so I'm going to pass by these because we've only got 10 minutes. So, if you can just go through. Yeah. And then here's this one is a great slide because this addresses the whole safety thing. If you look at the picture on the
left, you can see that there's a fence. There's a a building there with a very bright light. And in the the uh doorway to the on the fence, you can maybe see that there's maybe something there. But in the second picture, somebody put
their hand over that bright light and you can clearly see that there's somebody standing in that that walkway. So this is an example of how lighting act doesn't act make it any safer. It actually makes it less safe. Um
so if we can go on this is the waste energy. This is one that's just showing some examples of of what light pollution looks like in the sky versus what sky would look like if you don't have the bright lights.
You can go to the next slide. Yeah, let's pass it by this one because I did it. I'm trying to keep to your 10 minutes. >> You know, make sure I can cover the important points you want to >> I think I am. I think I am. Um, so now
let's talk about light pollution in Maynard. So, um, if you look at these scales on the bottom, the little circles, this is, uh, levels of light pollution, one being the lowest, um, and all the way up to eight being
the most polluted. And if you look at this u thing of Mayor, mayor is a level three. I think that's what my site. So mayor is like somewhere between rural and
um you know it it's not horrible, right? It's a lot better than like a WAM or surely a lot better than than Boston, but it's not at all dark either. We have some pretty light spots in Mayard.
Go ahead. Um, so this is some examples of um, somebody who was a better photographer than me went around to and did some pictures of some examples of places that are kind of really bad. And
one of the worst places is actually the parking lot right out back here. If when you go out tonight, take a look at how bright those lights are and think about whether you really need that level of brightness and look at how far out and up it's going. And I
think you'll see that there's a whole lot more light than you really need to see where you're walking and see how to get to your car. Um, and the other one to the left, bottom left is the middle parking lot, which is similar. Um, and the top one I think they corrected
because I was there and it looked like the light had gone away, but when they first built that >> new construction where the group or building had been, they had a really bad light. But I I think um Richard Aspen made them change that or whoever the
building inspector was. I think they've been required to change that. If you go to the next slide, these are some examples of what the lighting you're proposing would look like. The top one is the new firehouse.
And if you drive by that firehouse, it you can clearly see where the bays are. Um, if you're walking, it's very easy to see to walk through the pathways, but the light isn't if you're standing in
that parking lot next to it, it's not shining in your eyes. It's just shining down on the pavement where you need to see. >> And likewise, the the Aset co-op. Um, this is a picture of it when it was open. We waited until the winter when it
was still, you know, dark while it was still open. Um, and if you're parking or if you're walking into the co-op, you can easily see where you're going, but it's not shining in your eyes and creating a lot of glare. And it's also
importantly, it's not shining into the neighbor yards and into their bedroom windows. But I can tell you I live on the mill pond and there's no lights. I'm way at the upper end of the mill
pond and no lights shining my bedroom windows. So that and you know I think a lot of people have examples of bedroom windows that are near some of these problem lights um and it's shining in the
windows at night and increasing their risk of cancer and creating sleep problem. Uh so go to the next slide. So we're going to talk about what the recommendations from the dark sky. There's an organization
that's you can go to the next slide. It's an international organization called um International Dark Sky because this is something that people around the world are working on. Um and Massachusetts has a chapter of that
called Dark Sky Massachusetts. Um they had their annual meeting here at the firehouse back in November. Uh it's a very active group and there are some people have been very helpful. So the bylaw that we're proposing is based on a
template that Dark Sky Massachusetts developed and that template is also being proposed at the wall for Massachusetts and it's it's been before the Massachusetts >> Congress for several years.
the choices you make but each other really would not disagree with that because ours is based on that. >> We make little modifications here and there but nothing substantial that would make us it not in compliance with that
law if it ever passes. >> But the the things to look at for lighting is is you have light. Is it useful? Is it shining where you need it? >> Is it targeted? Is it targeted on the objects that you need it targeted to? Is
it is it more light than you need or is it kind of the right amount? Is it low enough level? Um and then is it controlled right? >> Is it is it on when it's not not needed or is it just on when it's needed and
useful? And then the other one is color. And there's um a temperature coating called Kel coating from like goes way up in like 6000s. But the
if if you remember the old car lights that were more of an amber color and then when they switched to the LEDs all of a sudden the car lights were really irritating. That's because they're a much much whiter blue color of light and
the amber lights are just a lot more um they're more pleasant on the eye. They're less irritating. They create less glare. And so one one of the things we're looking at is regulating color temperature, especially if the light isn't shielded.
Um, and we've we one of the things I wanted to talk about is we've been working with um a lighting expert who's part of Dark Sky Massachusetts. So, this guy his occupation is to design lighting for
commercial businesses. And so, he's helped make sure that anything we put in our bylaw was like realistic, that we weren't kind of doing the pie in the sky stuff that couldn't be implemented. He actually met with us with uh Justin DeMarco
uh to make sure that anything in here Justin felt like he could comply with. Um okay, so we can go to the next slide. So let's go into some of the highlights of our bylaw. Um so based on a proposal
um that's in the if you Google Dark Sky Mass, they have a template for a bylaw there and you would find that it's very similar to ours. About 75 towns in Massachusetts have some form of B lighting bylaw. Uh most of them are not
as complete as what we're proposing. There are about 10 towns that have something at least as complete as this one. Some of them have. This one is ours is the only one who require the lighting
for any new or or replaced lighting. There are about five towns that are requiring all this town to be with in compliance within five years and we're not doing that. We're just saying any new construction or replacement of
lighting. Um they're a little bit ahead of some of the towns, but they all have some form of lighting bylaw. and and I would say the 75 towns that have lighting bylaws, probably half of those are are working
on something that's more complete than what they have. >> Um uh and then the other thing I want to say is Massachusetts is the only state in New England that does not have a lady
law. The other New England states all have a lighting law. It's taken a long time to get something through the Massachusett. Okay, we can go to the next one. Okay, so purpose uh it's to regulate the use of new and replacement outdoor
lighting. Uh so as to reduce or eliminate light pollution um to enhance the safety of pedestrians and drivers, reserve the scenic and aesthetic qualities to conserve energy and resources. Um, one of the things I
didn't put in the presentation, but I think it's important, and I think this is one of the reasons that we've met with the business alliance a couple times, and they they like this by law, because if you look at the lighting at the co-op, it's actually a much more pleasant thing to look at than bright
lights shining on your eyes. So, a lot of the lighting downtown was shielded and aimed down, it actually has a much more ambient kind of feel to the town. It makes the sound feel more inviting and walkable. Um there's bright light shining in your
eyes. They're really not very friendly. Um going to the next one. So goal um the the goal is that you have the lighting. You have still have lighting. You're not eliminating lighting. It's just you have it aimed
where it's needed and it's not aimed in your eyes and for the sky. Um, it's, you know, we're looking at lighting that's easy on the eyes. It's not that harsh white light. Uh, we're
looking at targeting lighting when necessary so that you don't have lights on when you don't need them. Um, and we're actually looking at increased safety. Um, we've got a safety video. I'm going to um show it as part of a library event
in April. Um and uh the Houston Police Department did a whole safety study on lighting. And so I've got this half hour presentation from the person who did this study in Houston and they found that if you have a lighting firewall with shielded lights, it's a lot more
safe than than the glaring lights. and they've got examples of a lot of people being killed or accidents that were caused by lake glare. Um and and the other thing is this is for
new u major building construction. It's not for existing lights. So current businesses, people in their homes, they already have lighting. Um they might want to change it just because it's a good idea, but the bylaw isn't going to require it.
in the next one. So here here are some of here's the kind of highlights of the bylaw. Um so exterior so a luminere is the fixture and the light bulb and so that they're they're
saying it can't be over 600 lumens. I'm learning a whole new vocabulary that's about 40 watts. So if it's not shielded it has to be think 40 watts is what people understand or less. It can be more if it's
shielded, right? But, you know, I think of I've got a light over my porch where I enter into my house and those oldfashioned foursided lights and that's not shielded. So, I need to have a 600 lm or less light
bulb. Um, any output of a luminere on a residential property of four or less units cannot exceed 1500 lumens. But then it has to be shielded once it's less than 600. Um, and the luminance of non-residential
properties, so big businesses that have big parking lots can't exceed 300. Um, and then the maximum illuminance of a property license. We're talking trespass. So, we're talking how much light can shine onto your neighbor's
yard. And it's it's um think of what moonlight right so it's reg it's it's um calibrated in foot candles but um just something you can relate to and moonlight
um and glare um cannot create a hazard or public safety and um the CCP is that color light so 2200k is an amber light. So, we're saying it
can't exceed 2200K. We're just starting to make light bulbs for 2200K. So, you might not be able to find it. So, we said that if you can't find 2200K, you can do 2700K. We just have a neighbor supply yesterday and they have a whole bunch of light bulbs
that are 2700K. So, those are easy to get. Okay, next slide. Um, accent lighting cannot exceed 50 lumens. So, that's pretty dim, but think of Christmas lights,
they're not probably not going to be even 50 lumens. Um, and any, you know, linear foot can't exceed 2,000. Landscape lighting, luminire should not exceed 250 lumens. Holiday lighting has to be we didn't
weren't going to regulate holiday lighting other than to say that has to be turned off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and search lights guidance are prohibited unless required for public safety for adults.
Um, okay. Plus, there's no cost because we're talking only about new or replacement. And the cost of a shielded light is no more than the cost of any other light. And we've I've gotten that
information from this lighting expert who does lighting for business and he said there no cost difference between doing the shielded lights and regular lights. Um, and and the only thing I can think of is
if and it wouldn't be across many because I don't we have any of this planned, but if you had a very large parking lot and you didn't want to put up enough poles, and I've seen people do this, um, you might get a great big light and put it at one end and then
rather than aim it down, aim it sideways so that it lights up the whole parking lot. And you wouldn't be allowed to do that. You have to not light down. Put another pole at the other end of the parking lot. >> Okay, next slide. I think that's getting close to the end. Oh, where are we?
We've done a lot of revisions. We've met with uh we've Justin DeMarco we met with a few times the planning we met with a member of the planning board. We've met with Bill Ner three or four times. Um I've met with the business alliance a couple times. Greg Johnson we've met
with a couple times. Um the fire committee I've met with three or four times. Um conservation commission is currently reviewing it. Um the mayor's gardeners have looked at it
and um so the the bylaw committee um from their perspective says this is ready to go. They'd like to put it on the spring child meeting. um kind of wanting your opinion on whether you think you want to do this. You should do
a town meeting. Greg seems fine with it. That's it. That's it. Right. Thank you so much for your presentation. Thank you so much for your preparation. Um I will ask board members. I have a series of questions to ask, but I'll start with
Mike if you have any questions. >> Um just a couple comments. Thank you for your presentation. Much appreciated. Um, now I'm a person who for 10 years, one of the street lights in my street was out of action. I was very happy with that, a bit disappointed when it finally got fixed. So, um, I'm definitely an
advocate for for wanting to um, promote policies that that encourage um, dark skies. Um, I I uh, I see all the the wonderful benefits that that have been proposed here. I've also looked at what um other towns as you said there's like
over 60 65 70 towns that are being looking at this various ways. So the the biggest issue that that comes to my mind is and I suspect others will um uh chase on this as well is about um and I I think you might have
addressed this. So uh I mean for example the the holiday lights that um I put out every year so still out there. Um, so I I'm looking at the standards that are written in uh in in your proposal. Um,
so just one thing that stood out like a just a regular string of of uh lights um can be quite a lot higher than the the recommendation that you have uh was it 50 lm per I think something like that. >> Yeah. Um so the point being that um it's
going to be a real tough challenge um to turn what is um a very ludable um attempt to to uh restrict um unnecessary lighting into something that could get complicated, possibly
controversial. Um you know there are issues of you know what's he going to do for neighborly disputes? I mean all of these sorts of things which I think we have to consider in the light of of how uh this kind of intent can actually be made practical
and and worthwhile. So so that that's as >> you want an answer to that. >> Sure. >> The first first thing to remember is that this is only for new for replacement lighting. Right. So, um
if you were um a large building, you would have to go through the building uh the planning board and they would approve it and then they would inspect it. Um holiday lighting is a little different because people put up new holiday lighting all the time. And um so
one of the things that Maynard is doing is we're going to buy a light meter. I I've already ordered it. haven't arrived yet. And I've been told that it's very easy to use and we we put it in the library of things. And so if you're um the next
door neighbor, this person who has this bright light, you can at least measure the light trespass in your yard, right? And if you wanted, you could measure that, too. And then you take it to the town administrator, the one who enforces
it. um that and and it would probably end up with Richard Aspen um who doesn't work at night. Um and so for a lot of lights you could tell whether it is compliance just by the shape of the light. Is it shielded and is lighting
or is it aimed outward? You know, if it aimed outward, you don't need to come by at night. It's obvious from the the picture. Um and so if there are any discrepancy, then you would do it at night and week. um working with Chungsurd on they've identified a person
who you could hire on a case-byase basis um to do the um the measurements. And if you recall in that lighting bylaw, the person who's making the complaint has to pay for that analysis, but they could borrow the light from the
library first to make see if if their own amateur measurement is sensible or not. >> I know it's a it's a complicated measurement to take. Uh circumstances vary massively from one situation to
another. But anyway, that that's just my major concern. Yeah, like I said, fully fully in favor of the intent. Um just concerned about um the practicalities of how we could make something like this actually workable. >> Thank you, Jack.
Uh, thank you. And then I think a lot of the questions I might have had were answered by the the details that were put in the slide deck for Thank you for coming prepared and I you've done your homework and um worked with a lot of different groups on on some of the details. So, I really appreciate uh all the work that has gotten you up to this
point right here. Um, for a town meeting article, has there been any discussion on who would present that? Well, um it would probably be um me with fewer slides, but also of this lighting expert
uh had offered to come. And so if there were like technical questions, we I a little bit understand lumens and luminires and um pal and temperature and stuff, but if somebody, you know, some engineer who is an expert in this came
up with really technical questions, I'd want the expert there to help me out. >> Okay. And the bylaw committee has been through, you know, numerous wide variety of topics at town meeting as well. >> Yeah. Um and and it's good that you'll have had talked to all these different
groups who will be present in the room as well who who um you're not going to catch anybody by surprise from that list of people you've already talked to. Uh what is the plan for education and and two audiences here? One is the town meeting audience before and then in the
runup to a potential article and then two is the broader public including those who might not have attended town meeting after uh what you're hoping is a successful resolution. >> Yeah. So I've done I've done articles in the manner voice um next the next garden
mayor community gardener they ask me to do an article. I've put a lot of things on Facebook. Um, if you have suggestions for um, educating other people in town, I'd love to hear them. You might have some ideas
that I haven't thought of. I'm willing to do whatever communication makes sense. Um, what do you have some other ideas of what you think we should be doing? We had uh three different library talks.
Um >> it's not an easy one. Educated there's our educ our our um communication infrastructure is so fractured in society these days that you do need a multiaceted approach to to you know and then you need to have it repeated as well. So, it's not an easy one, but I
just want to make sure that we're thinking about it constructively, especially. >> Yeah. I I don't know what your like meaner friends or family is. And you know, some of his Facebook pages I've been posting. I haven't put any for at least a month now, but get back to it.
Definitely get medium. Then I'll get a lot more active with posting some stuff there. Um, and I did and it would probably be time to do a second voice article. Yeah. >> But if any other ideas, I'd love to hear
them, you know. >> Well, we we as a board >> struggle often with less complicated issues than this, how to get the word out about things that we're acting upon and that we are promoting >> and it's very very difficult.
>> Yeah. So the more complex more difficult becomes the more it affects people on the personal level. This seems possibly to do >> yeah becomes even more complex. So >> those are my two questions.
>> Press >> um thank you for the presentation. I I have the same type of questions that Mike had about enforcement. I believe that was what Mike said. you know, who's going to who's going to enforce this? And then you mentioned a um a meter that
would be at the library. Like are you suggesting that if I didn't like my neighbor's lighting, I could go to the library and get a meter and measure my neighbor's lighting? >> Yep. do and >> it's not that's not an official
lighting, but it would tell you whether it'd be reasonable to hire an expert if you actually wanted to do something about it. >> Okay. So, >> probably the first thing you would do would be to hopefully have a friendly conversation with your neighbor.
>> That's a I mean, that's a that's a great idea, but how many um you know, how many friendly conversations between neighbors occur when one neighbor suggests the other neighbor is doing something wrong? A and B, if my neighbor disagrees with me, you're suggesting that I pay a cost
to have someone come out and measure. Someone that you mentioned was dealing with Chumsford, I believe. >> Yeah. And you know, I I actually um asked the bylaw committee and they they said that they seen others that do that.
I I I get that and I understand that the um everything that you know is kind of before us tonight is in its infancy as far as you know where we're going and what we're doing or what you guys are hoping to do and you know what the education may or may not be. But I I'm
having a hard time um you know, not so much with the thought that if um I'm building a building that the cost will be um none, but if we start to get into situations like you're discussing about, you know, neighbors going to neighbors
and telling them the lights too bright and and these type of things, there's certainly going to be some cost involved. But it's just it's you you know you you're gonna you're gonna have people telling their neighbor their lights are too bright. Just the fact that they have to take one light off and put another light on that's a cost.
>> So to suggest that there's zero cost is in that regard that's inaccurate and it's inaccurate to suggest the measuring is not going to be free once you have two neighbors arguing back and forth across a fence. >> Okay. So, one thing about the
the neighbor, this is only for again remember this only for new lights. So, >> I I I understand that, but we we brought up the spectre of um Christmas lights and when they can be on and when they can be off and how bright they can be
type of stuff. So, if I go and if I go and if I if I'm at my home and I decide I want to light up the right side of my fence instead of the left side this year, are those considered new lights? >> Yeah, they are. >> Okay. So, so it's it's not just new
construction. It's a new light. If I put a new light on the side of my house because I feel that my dogs need more light to go out and do their business at night, that's a new light and it falls under these restrictions. Correct. >> Yeah. And so maybe that gets to making sure that our communication is really
good to it wouldn't prevent that from ever happening, but if there was plenty of education, it would be maybe less likely that somebody would put um it's not going to prevent it, but you know, the more education we can do, the
less likely it's going to be that somebody's going to put an obstructive right up. It's there's no perfect solution there. >> Okay. Yeah. Okay. >> For now, Chris,
>> I'm good for right now. Yeah. >> Lindsay. >> Um, hi. Can you guys hear me? Okay. >> Sure can. >> Okay. Hi, Kathy. Thanks so much for um for this presentation, for all this work. I know uh that you have spent a good deal of time working on this um and
it it's clear in your presentation. Um I have a couple questions. One, so is the is is is the request of us to support this going to town meeting getting onto the town meeting warrant as an article that is sponsored by the bylaw committee or as a citizens petition? H how how
would this end up on the warrant? This is a citizen's petition and I I'm I'm here because uh we thought that you would like to hear it, you know, before the town meeting and I also value your
input. >> Significant aspect just for public awareness. >> Yeah. of a citizens petition is that the select board had no authority reject putting it on at the time if it's proved by the clerk as a valid and it's
approved by town by town council as a valid >> uh article select board has no right to block it going on to >> that's just for public we do value your input your comments
suggestion we appreciate that this is not planned to come from the >> by I didn't understand that my >> Yeah, we we've met with them multiple times to make sure that we're not doing you know that we got it the right format. >> Yeah.
>> Yep. >> Go ahead. >> Um okay, thank you. That was helpful. Um my other question or or comment, I guess I'll I'll phrase it as a question. I believe that um currently the planning board using their like the rules and
regulations they have for new construction in Mayard both commercial and residential I think that they actually do apply dark sky standards. Is that correct? >> Well, what they say is that it has to comply
with what's on www.darkskynast.com. And what's there is some philosophical stuff. If I can hand you some of the stuff that's in my presentation. There's a template for by law. If your
town decides you want to create a town bylaw, um, but it's not really a it's kind of suggestions, right? And I talked to Dark Sky Mass and they said that that doesn't you really need
the town by law. You can't just point to our website and say you're off track. >> Sorry, I'm having a lot of trouble hearing. Um the sound is not amazing. >> Do you want to try um speaking this
direction a little bit? There's a mic right here. you can stay seated but >> yeah I'm looking at you away from the microphone. Um >> okay so in short is what I heard you say that yes the planning board does
actually ask new development both commercial and residential to be dark sky compliant but it's it's not as stringent as what you're looking for. Is that correct? No, the the Mass Dark Sky website just has like suggestions and good things to do and it has a template
for a bylaw which we actually modeled ours after. Um, but I I I've had discussions with the NASCAR sky group and they said just referring to our website isn't really a bylaw. It's just it's a website of kind of best
practices. But they could change. They change the website every time some new research happens. So it doesn't it's not a replacement for a bylaw. You still need a bylaw. >> Okay, got it. Um okay.
So yeah, I think I have the same concerns that other select board members do, which is, you know, and this actually I typically don't think that um an inability to enforce something should preclude us from doing it. Um, in this
case, I think because this does apply, um, I know you're saying to only replacement lighting, but in the case of holiday lighting and people replacing their outdoor lighting, it it does really apply to people's homes. The enforcement piece is tough. I'm
struggling to see how we could make that successful without it becoming challenging or ownorous, particularly for staff. Um, I wonder if it might make sense to look at this. Um, I don't know, maybe to consider this, and this
wouldn't require going through town meeting, but to think about applying these standards like starting at a municipal level. So, looking at all of our street lights, and I don't know if we need to consider light output and glare and shielding and hoods and that kind of thing, and look at our town
buildings. I think probably a lot of them are dark sky compliant. I know the fire station um has been applauded for that, but I worry about this going to town meeting. I mean, I I think if you were at the last town meeting, I'm sure you saw that citizens petition like we you know, the the the legislative body
at that meeting couldn't vote to have people shovel their sidewalks in front of their homes. So, I'm I'm struggling to imagine how um asking people to consider, you know, like their lumen's output and that kind of thing um would
be wellreceived if I'm being totally honest. So, I'm trying to think of how I don't know if I have a a recommendation right now, but to to to make this more of an iterative process as opposed to starting with all properties in Maynard um uh taking
smaller steps. the we had we talked about that and the thing is there really isn't any new construction in meters. So we just did it for municipal properties. We wouldn't
we wouldn't affect anything because it's all this only affects new constructions and any new construction that's going on in Mayard is probably already started and been approved. So it >> well it affects new construction when
the lighting is part of the new construction, but it affects existing properties when you're talking about regular practices. So, this is like kind of a combination of it seems like um regulation for construction standards,
but then also there's kind of some behavior regulation I would call it because I would call holiday lighting, landscape lighting, outdoor lighting, safety lighting, all of those things are those are choices that property owners make. So, yes, it's definitely a new construction when it comes to the lighting that is part of the
construction. But there is a piece of this that is not so much about construction. We're calling it replacement lighting, but you know, like every year at the holidays, I drag the same Christmas lights out from my basement. If next year I have to measure the lumens output, it's going to be kind of a different story.
>> Um, so we we didn't, if you remember, have a lumen's um level on holiday lighting. We just said holiday lighting has to be turned off between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
>> Well, so I'm looking at um let's see, >> you made an exception for holiday lighting. >> Okay, so page five of your proposed bylaw, there are string lights and it says such lighting shall not exceed in
total 2,000 lumens for residential properties and 4,000 lumens for non-residential properties. And so that's just year round string lighting. But if you look at holiday, if you look at exceptions, there's an exception for holiday lighting.
>> I see. Okay. Um Yeah. >> Because we knew that would be a problem. You know, people put up new holiday lighting every year and that you're not going to be able to enforce that. And actually around the
enforcement thing, I had a a much um more watered down enforcement thing in here. It was really pretty wishy-washy. And we met with Greg Johnson last week and he really wanted the more stringent
enforcement put into it. And so we pulled out some enforcement that Shford had proposed and had to back out on. So, we put the more constringent enforcement in there based
on a request from Greg. So, I'd be fine taking that that out, but you can't lose everybody all the time. >> Absolutely.
>> I think is what what we're running into. >> Um, because I think a lot of this My personal opinion is that a lot of this is education that you know we're in a town where most people just want to do the right thing and you and if if they know what the right thing is, they want
to do it and enforcement is for those few people who really don't care about that. And my opinion is maybe we don't worry about them right away, you know, which is why my initial enforcement thing was pretty watered down.
>> Yeah, I I agree with you. I tend to agree with you on that and that enforcement again, an inability to enforce shouldn't um upfront preclude us from doing what is the right thing. Um I yeah I I'm I'm not sure that this written as is would be successful as a
citizens petition at the Springtown meeting. That's like just currently my opinion. I'm only one of five of us though. So, um, but that that's that's my opinion and I wonder if more education would be helpful, um, and taking a little longer to to try to roll
this out. >> Um, so we've been working on it for two years and I've met with everybody I can think of and so back to the more education and people keep saying that to
me, we need more education and I've run out of ideas. I mean, if you can tell me who, how, and who to educate on this, I'm perfectly willing to do it. But I mean, what if so, if we postpone this a year, what am I going to do in
the next year to educate more people than I already have? I don't other than, you know, we we're we're going to continue to do the Mayor Voice articles. I'm going to continue to do the Facebook. I'm going to continue to do the library talks. Oh,
>> I'd recommend um I think the the uh power aggregation group did a really good job. Um they went to the farmers market. They had a table set up. They they had a really good >> We've been at the farmers market. We've been at we've been at the farmers market
and we've been at the um Green Maynard. We've been every time Green Maynard is there. The big thing right now is the lighting bylaw. So, we were at this the fall um fair, you know, the big uh meter fest thing.
>> So, I don't know what they did that we're not doing. >> Anything else, Lindsy? >> I want to move. >> Nope. >> Go ahead, David. >> Almost been at it for an hour. >> Yeah. Um the uh
one comment I would make um we've been talking about a noise bylaw. >> Yeah. >> Um because people are upset by >> Yeah. >> various noise which is much more I think
you know it's it's like pornography. You know noise noise when you see noise. >> Yeah. um or you know noise when you hear noise and lighting is in the eye of the beholder in many ways. Some people like soft light, some people like a brighter
light. So you're never going to get uh an agreement or most people on lighting. Noise. Everybody knows what noise is and we can't even get an agreement as to to get ourselves to get an article in front
of Tom meeting relative to noise. I don't know. And I'm in agreement with Lindsay. I think this would be very very difficult to pass at town meeting um because people would bring up personal
issues, small issues and everybody would say wait a minute that's right that's and suddenly it falls apart. >> Yeah. Um, I think you know some of the things Chris said when he mentioned putting up a set of lights that weren't there, you know, or or suddenly he gets a dog and
now he wants to put a light up back and now it's too bright and it can't do it and whatever. I mean, you know, you have those um motion sensor lights on your on your garage. I do. Um,
if that fails, breaks, and I have to replace that light, the whole fixture, I can't just replace it because now I've got to comply. And so, it may not even be the same light that I had the same. So, I go out to Chris's point now and
have to expend money on a an issue that really isn't fair because it's it's the bylaw, but it's a bylaw in you know, I just wanted to light up my driveway and I'm probably not explaining it well enough to to to get to the
point, but I do want to ask one question about something you mentioned um in your presentation because I just and if you don't know the answer, I understand. Yeah. >> Um, you mentioned on a couple of occasions that light in your bedroom at night causes cancer.
>> Yes. >> Please help me with that. >> So, there's the I can send you the study. I've got the study. There's It was just recently published. They did a 10-year study with 90,000 people and um
and they determined that people at any level of white light that was shining in the room where they slept were more susceptible to cancer. And so they do the study of
people, you know, the well and actually one of the people on the dark sky Massachusetts committee is a cardiologist. Um, and so he kind of looked at the study was a really well done study because they did all of the
leveled out all of the conditions so that you're not comparing, you know, people with different conditions. you know, it's kind of comparable sets of people and some had light and some didn't while they were looking and it's over a 10 year period. Um,
>> is there a specific type of cancer that >> any time? >> Oh, well, no. So, that's breast cancer one. The the other one, the the 90,000 people was cardiac problems. So any kind of stroke, people who had length were
more susceptible to a cardiac event or stroke. I'm mixing up studies, I'm sorry. And the other one was a um was specific to breast cancer. >> All right. Uh
I had some but I won't put them up. Um >> but I've got if you're interested I have the studies you know have that and the cardiac one is actually and I'm not a medical professional at all and I don't understand all the words but for
the study >> well and he was president of the mathematical association and he isologist Dr. M. Yeah, could just be from not getting enough sleep because you're >> that's certainly the I'm guessing that's
the causality behind those studies. either you get you lose quality sleep so therefore your heart doesn't gain the resurgence it's supposed to get through sleep or you gain issues or whatever that makes sense that makes sense to me but hearing >> cancer
>> light in the room causes cancer it doesn't make sense to me >> um except that what cancer is is cells doing things that they're not supposed to and it would make sense that maybe light would affect the way the cells behave
>> but I you know people effective causality related to interruption of healthy sleep cycles and that >> can lead to lots of stress in the body. >> Yeah. Okay. I I just wanted to connect a couple of my other comments as as a way of offering some advice and and why I
focused on who was doing the presenting and and something had misled me to think that the bylaw committee was supporting this and and so that that kind of thing worries me that you don't want to make sure you're not applying support that's not there if there was questions is is one thing and and why I'm curious about
who's presenting and asking about education is education and especially the pre-Town meeting education is not just getting the information out there, but it's for you to understand where the questions are going to come. So, by the time you would bring this to town meeting, whichever town meeting you're
hoping to bring it to, you would want to have a very polished response, >> short but informative to every single question that that my colleagues and I have asked you tonight for every single question that say the planning board or the chief of police or all these other groups go to more than you see online.
So just to make sure if you want the best chance of this to pass is to have a very tight answer to all those different types of questions and that's that's the two-way benefit of of that education that that especially pre-timeing education. So that's that's just wanted to connect that and put that there for
you. >> People on our group and I need to get them all together and come over questions, you know, >> but you if you've gone and done the homework and then talked to the planning board and talked to police chief and talked to the tenant minister and you've come talk to us tonight and you've talked to half a dozen other groups and
you've you've gotten a lot of these questions. Now, can you turn those into a quick polished answer? Can you make sure you've changed the bylaw to again you can't please anybody but have you maximized your chance of of pleasing everybody with what that bylaw looks like and and can you say yes we did have this concern and
we tweaked the bylaw to this and it reduced the concern and we acknowledge there's still some here but the overall benefit and can you can you do that for literally every question you've heard tonight >> from the planning board from all those other groups. So that's that's what >> yeah that's that's what you're going to want to do to maximize your chance of a
passage at town meeting. >> Yeah that's helpful. Thanks. I think the model that you could look at is the recent passage of the anti-rodenticide um passage which was a citizens petition right and um the person who did that Robin Shu did just the kind of things
that Jeff is alluding to. Yeah. No, that's good, good advice. Thanks. >> All right, I am going to stop this at this point. Thank you so much for your presentation um for your advocacy on, you know, on this topic
>> and um >> and I I brought cards with anybody with a card that talked about writing as well. You're welcome to have one. Sure. three of them on the table sort of one more. >> All right. Thank you, Kevin.
>> Thank you. All right. The next topic for us is contracts, specifically uh Verdonus LLC, Rockland Avenue, uh public drinking water. Welcome.
>> We have today. Hello. Hello. >> Yeah. Um, okay. So, I'll keep it brief and then we can kind of go to the questions and and you know, talk about what we're asking. Um, so for for those online, my name is Julia Flannry. I'm the environmental compliance and data
manager um for the water sewer division. >> Uh, so what we're looking at tonight is um a motion to accept the terms of the agreement um for a uh drinking water well exploration study. um particularly
in the Rockland AB area. And so um you have a lot of different attachments on board docs. Um when we look at the Verdentas Town of Maynard contract, it's 111 pages, I'm pretty sure. Yeah. Um probably didn't read all of it. Um but
I'd be happy to to answer any specific questions. But a very brief um look is what we're doing um is we have you know multi phases which Justin have gone over with you with the master plan. Um phase
one we have up and running which is 100% magnetic design at Green Meadow which I'm very excited will be going to BP this week. Um so we have that kind of up and running. We're working full steam ahead on everything. So, this next one, the reason why we're pushing this a
little bit harder is because we got a $200,000 acre mark from Kate Hogan um through she, you know, was was uh one of the people who championed this for mass um funds and we would like that money to
go toward this well exploration at Rockland Avenue. Um, unfortunately we don't have all of the funds, but we are able to start some studies and there is a lot of things at play if we don't have the water that we think we might have. So, we want to start the
exploration. Looking at the map here, we're looking at two locations under this $200,000. So, um, very hard to see, but there's a a circle. Uh, it says well one you zoom
in. Is that I don't know if that's >> PDFs are always hard to do. Um so there's a there's one called well one. Yep. Right there. >> Um so that well exists. Um it's currently not used. It was originally um
drilled in 1999 um due to the mismatch of some casings and also some failure within that that uh well we have not been able to use it. So what we would like to do is um
explore uh do another test well to actually see what what the pumping rate could be if we were to get that well to be larger. Um so that site kind of already exists and we're not doing um you know too much u exploring more verification over there. we're really
exploring is if you scroll down across the street on conservation land um which is this is all town of Vayner owned um and our and our next stop after we get this contract with them conservation and working closely with them um is uh TGP-1
so um from a linement analysis um which uh Verdentos is a hydrogeeologic company they were able to do some really cool remote sensing uh kind of looking at you see all those red lines potential areas for fractures in
the bedrock 400 to 450 ft down. Um so you know we have some some good science to back us up that there might be potential for water there. What we now need to do is is actually drill that test well see what the water is. Um and that's what's going to be covered under
this 200,000. What's not covered is we have you'll see a $450,000 gap. Um, a little bit more than that. Um, and and we need to see the quality of that water. So, even if we're able to do these pump tests, an initial grilling
and a little bit of pump test, it's going to bring you to 183,000. Um, we won't be able to test that water for quality. Something that we're really concerned about is PAS. Um, you know,
this water is very old. It's fractured. It's 450 feet down. The best chance of getting that water in town versus, you know, doing some exploring around here or in 30 feet. Um, that water is like 5 to 10 years old more degradated. So,
that's our plan right now. Um, that you know, we hope to get the ball rolling. let's even see if we can pump there because if we can't then we can start to pivot and look at some of our other potential options that we have laid out in the master plan. Um so I'd be happy
to answer any questions you may have. >> Um thank you and I recently familiar of course with some of the background to this. I'm presuming uh looking at a sort of critical path approach that every anything that we do in mainland has to
go through this route uh in terms of um you know the long-term improvement of our water supply and crew. Um is is this uh an essential step that um everything else is more or less redundant or are
there other thing are there choices about how this funding could be used? >> Yeah. So we're we're trying to follow the the phased approach that we we discussed. Um and the other phases yeah some of them do depend on you know if we have water here then you know then we go
this path if we don't then we go this path. Um you know we have this multi-pronged approach where so we're you know trying to get some some upgrades done in the dream of plant that's that's doable within our current grants um we are working on the MWR
study the femability um and finance study so that's up and running um so yeah there is this is phase two um you know phase 2.1 basically so the beginning of phase two um and yeah our hopes is that when we get some answers here of what's available um then we can
really move forward because a lot of things are based on assumptions on analysis but not on these test wells that we need to do. >> Thank you. So the $200,000 gets us the test wells but not the analytics on pest
and other quality. >> Correct. >> And we store water samples from the test wells eventually to get those analytics. Is that correct or do we need fresh anything? Do we need to do any repetition of work if funding is added on top or >> Yeah. So, so my understanding as you
know I'm not a hydro geologist but my my understanding is these are monitoring well so they get they get drilled in water when we eat it um from from those locations >> no questions for now Chris >> I'm all set
>> I'm good I'm good thank you >> question is more of a comment And I expressed this the last time and this came on. U I'm troubled by now. First off, I want to premise. I fully understand the need. I fully understand
the process and I fully understand that this is the way that we probably should move forward. My concern is $200,000 that was earmarked to us by Kate certainly for water quality. Um, but the
intent of that $200,000 was for the water filtration system program that we had and we raised rates last year by an additional 2% to cover that. And the expectation was made clear
at that water rate hearing that if we got that $200,000 from another source, we would pull back that 2%. And I don't hear any discussion about point and I know you're not the person that's going to do this, but had no discussion about pulling back that 2% and I think it's
unfair to the tax to the rateayers who we told during that mean during that rate hearing that this is to go towards the uh the filtration program and it was discussed at that meeting that there is
going to be a possibility and I couldn't say we knew it was coming because we couldn't say damn it we knew it was coming and it's like pulling the rug out from underneath the rate payers and now it's going somewhere else >> and they've increased their reinccreased
their rates 2%. That's not fair. >> Yeah. No, I totally understand. I think so. Uh for for rates um Justin will be back um with with some uh consultants u March 3rd I believe um the rate hearing will be presented. Um it's not March 3rd
is maybe the second one in March. Um so I I would bring that up there. I will say, you know, as the person who runs the builder rebate program, um, you know, it was we we got that up and running, um, in the expectation that we would have a ton of people waiting. Um,
you know, we're we're at 10 months. Um, we have about 40 to 50 people who have completely unresponsive sitting on that that funds. Um, and I'm hoping to to turn around and and try to get to the the weight list. Um, but that's, you
know, that's that's the status of of the filter they program. Yeah. >> The only thing I can really come from the program. I think you guys did a fabulous job at implementing that and getting a little money out to folks that that were interested and needed it. It's it was the rate increase we put in
specifically for that purpose >> and because we needed the money to fund the program. The money came and now it's going to sell somewhere else and it's not fair. >> There's still funding in the rebate program. Correct. >> No, >> there is we've expended all of it. >> Yes. So, it was um $100,000
um that we dedicated and uh >> Yes, I and so um you know, we had >> a hundred spots. So, it's $200,000 spots. Yeah. Um I apologize. And uh so
about 50 people have have completed that process. 40 to 50. And then the other half um have not moved. They they applied so they're kind of hold >> half is spent and half is encumbered or >> Yes. Yeah. Until we reopen hopefully in the next month the vote list.
>> Um do we have a time after which a non-response results in that money being returned and opened up to somebody else? Um, so in the program, >> so the way that we did the program, which was definitely a pilot program,
right? It wasn't we were one of the first to do it in the in the state of Massachusetts. Um, I've learned a lot of of valuable lessons through um the past 10 months. Um, and it was a rolling basis and and the problem with that is it it there wasn't many deadlines. It was just like you have six months to do
the entire process. And I think that was kind of the the problem. six months is >> um so there are steps in there. So you have to get your filter approved by me before you move to the next step. So that has um I I I've given another uh
extension deadline um which will be February 27th. Um so those who have not met that will then be removed off the list and then we will open it up to to those on the wait list um and see if any of those people want to move forward. The difference is gonna put some more
deadlines in there so that way we can turn that money around. You're you're not going to meet these deadlines then it's gonna the answer is yes. It's currently encumbered but after a certain date and you're telling me maybe this later this month, correct? Yes. >> And after a certain date some of that funding becomes unencumbered if people don't meet the timelines and they could
reenter the program theoretically if they want to. Correct. We wouldn't let people just permanently cover the funding though. How many people are on the wait list right now? >> 32. >> 32. Okay. And that would be a significant fraction of the rem like twothirds of the remaining >> correct >> of the amount. Correct. >> Yeah. So we would have more.
>> Okay. So there there's unspent money in the program. It's encumbered but it looks like at least some of it will go back and Okay. Understood. >> And then with that earmark the the very important aspect um of that is it needs to be spent um fully by
>> that is a good point as well. um in the absence of this $200,000, how would we be paying or how what would the recommendation from DPW be for paying for what we're looking at right now? >> Um so, and this is where it's hard to
get. So, grants grants earmarks, you know, lobbying and doing to try to get grants and earmarks. Um federal and and state funds, >> but those aren't guaranteed. >> Those are not guaranteed. And what we believe is that um you know if we have more data right now a lot of things are
are theoretical they're based on science but you know we have these potential remote sensing analyses and all of these things if we are able to get these wells and get some more information and yes this is a source that we could potentially do. We feel that we are setting ourselves up better for grant
applications because a lot of grants they want you to have you know we've run into this they want 100% design. They want things that are going to work. So, >> and if these wells prove able, >> yeah, >> no amount of grants are going to the full construction cost of the well based
on what we're looking at right now from available granting programs. Would that statement be true? >> No, I think we could potentially get a a new well source up and permitted um you know, for for under um you know, 600,000 um that we're that we're looking at
roughly now to get that water. So that's to get it like dug and then to get raw water out of it. To then get that raw water into the treatment plant and then treat it is a whole another uh issue and and that's where we're starting to look at those like very large numbers of 100
million and and real big upgrades that need to happen. Um, you know, the nice part about starting in Rockland is that because well one has been down, we are not using the capacity >> of the treatment >> of that treatment plant. And if the quality is good, um if the quality, you
know, if we're not trying to remove high levels of PAS and we could potentially get that online sooner, we would be able to not necessarily, you know, open up our capacity, but just get back to a baseline where we want to be um and where we expected to be 15
years ago. Um, the select board allocated the funding for the rebates program, correct? Or did we I'm trying to my my All right, let me get the actual question. Um, if if we go in the rebate program and eventually,
you know, we we open it back up to those 32 individuals after some number of months and we go through that and eventually the weight list goes down >> and that money >> to zero. And let's say there's $10,000 left. What happens to that $10,000? >> I am not sure. It's a great question. I
assume it would go back into the because it's it was allocated um as use from the water sewer under my understanding, but I would have to double check Justin on that. >> Okay. >> Good question. during the right day.
>> I think one one place I'm going with this and and is connected to David's comments is it does not seem like we're going to fully expend the amount that is currently there and being encumbered to me based on everything that we're learning here. So I'm not sure that a productive use of the $200,000 would
have been to put it on top the $100,000 and encumber it there and to wait for it. So a more productive use that still meets the goals of water quality is a productive use. And I'm not sure that there was a better one, David. So that's where I'm I'm kind of going
frustrated by the I guess the appearance of what transpired because the $200,000 was there. Did not need to increase the rates to be that's because we got it to source.
That's that's my concern. I mean, we knew, although not officially, we knew that that was coming and we still increased rates and the the rate payers have to pay it and there's no give back and we
said we would claude back when in it we got that money. That was part of the discussion and that's not going to happen. I don't think that's fair. So, any questions or comments from you guys up on the screen? Kristen. >> Nope. Thanks.
>> Um, it's I'm still having a lot of trouble hearing, but David, I tend to agree with your sentiment that um this is not really quite what we originally agreed to, but I do see the point that this money has to get spent down, it sounds like, by June 30th, 2026. So, I I
don't really know what to do. No, this my comment was at the outset, I understand what we're facing. I understand the bigger context of it, but I don't want it to be lost and I don't ever want it to be lost when we're
talking rates rates and we increase rates with a specific intent and say that that's what the intent is and the intent of that 2% was to fund that program. yet we got the money to fund that program elsewhere and we don't give
it back to the rateayer. I don't think that's fair. >> Well, I I do think the intent of the 2% was to fund the program and it did fund the program. >> But then we knew that the money was coming to fund the program elsewhere. So So when that bucket got refilled, that money should go back to money that went
to build it. >> That money came after the program. And I know that Kate Hogan words these things so that if the original >> I was involved with the discussion. I I know if the original funding does fall through, it can be used for that and if it does not, it can still be used productively in a way that is as aligned
as possible with the original goals. And I think what the DPW has done is >> dispute that. I'm not disputing that the that >> yeah, >> that it's a valuable use of that $200,000, but I do think that there was uh and I I don't want to make it sound
like it was done with any malicious intent because I I don't believe that to be true. I just think that it needs to be clear that we said this is what was going to happen and it's not and I think that just needs to be part of the record >> and I think Justin can go into more
detail on the on the right hearing with those those >> and 2% comes along wonder. So, all right. Is there a motion on this topic? >> Move to approve the contract with Verdant LLC for the Department of Public
Works Rockland Avenue public drinking water new well exploration and assessment in the amount of $200,000 authorizing use of digital signatures if approved. Second. >> Any further discussion? All in favor?
Roll call. Chris. >> Yes. Yes. >> Can't hear you. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Yes. Mike. Yes. Yes. Thank you very much. >> Thank you.
>> All right. Uh fiscal year budget development topics. Um, do you have information to share with us? >> Well, we've got the information that's in the packet. Um, however, I think how many of you were at MMA? Three of you, I
think, this year. Yeah. And were you at the Maya lunchon and or breakfast and got the number >> for healthare? >> Greg was there. I went to the Maya afternoon session. >> Okay. So, we did get our healthcare number and I think that you can see that that helped us quite a bit. Um, we're still waiting on liability and liability
comes in the way Greg is expecting it to, we might be solid. So that could be >> the renewal payment at 10.1%. >> 10.5 >> 10.5. >> Yes. >> We had budgeted at 15.
>> Yep. >> So the act >> he had reduced it to 14.4 before when we got the original range. But now that we have our >> so the actual savings, if you want to call it that in the budgetary estimate is approximately $300,000 which we can put towards what I believe
was a $400,000 number if I believe if I remember correctly from the last time we spoke. >> Yeah. >> Is that accurate? >> I think so. Y >> and we are anticipating I'm just >> regurgitating what I think I just heard from you. Yep. So you're anticipating that the savings that we will recognize
on our liability insurance will probably make up that gap $100,000 that the difference is there. So therefore we'll be balanced budget at that point based on those >> Yeah. >> adjustments. >> Yep. That 29849 will be closed. So >> very good.
>> Yeah. Very good. >> Is that is that 10.51% final? >> Yep. >> Other circumstances under which they come back and say oh sorry >> no. Okay. That's the number that they're giving us. >> That's good news. Thank you for bringing that. Congratulations to Greg for
getting us through the budgetary prep. >> Yeah, we have IA we have IA on Tuesday, insurance advisory committee on Tuesday and we'll be discussing the whole depth and breadth of all of the plans and getting some um benefits fair up and running this year because last year with all the changes, we really didn't have a
lot of time to put everything together. So, we're really focusing on education, especially on the high uh the uh high deductible plan. So, there's a lot of uh information we're going to get through. >> One other question. Yes. And then I'll turn it over Chris and Lindsay if they have. Does that get us also back to the
full level of precache that we were at? >> Good question. >> Was there any money coming out of pre-cash to fill gaps? I don't think there was. Greg doesn't like to do that. >> Yeah, >> it's good budgeting not to. So I am >> but if you remember last week we had
lost or last meeting we had lost one project in the precache but bucket. >> Okay >> I forget what it was. >> I'm not seeing um health insurance in here at all. >> We lost a bunch on free cash but I think free cash is a different process than
this. So because there isn't >> so I don't know that this would increase free cash at all. >> Okay. >> There was an estimate I think of the racial lose whatever that uh the miscalculation was on the free cash is still >> we never had it.
>> We never had the Yeah, there you go. >> Oh, >> all right. Excellent. Any questions, Lindsay or Chris? >> Nope. >> Yeah. Um quick question. I can't tell from this, but does this include a
deputy fire chief now or no? Was the change? No. Okay. No. No deputy budget. >> Um any indication on whether this is Maynard unique or this is a broader trend that all towns are seeing a better
more favorable rate relative to what they thought. >> I don't know. I do not know at all. Um I wished I had been able to go to Maya, but I was at my son's wedding. So >> my understanding from the Maya statements in January is that the number
we're looking at now is at the very bottom range of what the state was looking at. So, I'm just curious on if that whole range is shifted down and we're in the middle or if we're truly sitting at the bottom range of increases, which is still a very large increase for any town to >> absorb. It is it is um and I know that
the GLP1 drug was >> but that was factored in back in January that was already fac Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'm not exactly sure. I really would like to talk to um our rep and >> I would have to guess it probably is across the board that everybody saw
favorable results but that's a good question >> but then my question is why what's driving that so that would be the kind of questions I would like to know when you talk to >> Sure absolutely >> thank you >> anything else from anybody on that um senior center planning
>> I think we're still waiting on a signature status lease agreement espro agreement from Lexfest for the lease space. Um have they not what are we waiting on >> there? We're they're supposed to be signing the agreement and I don't think Greg got that back yet. So at least
before he left he didn't. So >> green meadow building project. Uh Chris or Mike, do you have any >> We had our meeting the other the other week and everything was going according to plan on budget. Um and I know that
there was talk about at the next meeting maybe doing it on site getting an opportunity for a tour um so that we can get a firsthand look at at what's going next. >> Uh have to look at my calendar. >> Do I have an extra number?
>> Yeah. Uh, >> I think during the last meeting, Mike, didn't um didn't Brian Hos make the comment that there's a couple or few rooms that are ready for furniture? >> Yes. >> Yes, that's right. They they have
>> made that comment at one point that they >> That's right. >> March March 9th is the next building committee meeting. Yeah. What time? Uh, usually 5:00 pm. >> Okay. Just need to be reminded. All right.
Thank you, Chris. Anything else to add? >> No. >> Okay, great. Hearing correspondences there. Motion to uh >> move to accept correspondences A through
C as shown. Second. Any questions? There was question raised um I think Mike mentioned it to me and I think Lindsay mentioned it to me about the bridge project. First off we we
verified that's all none of that money is man um except for potentially some piping or uh other infrastructure that is our own that we may need to work through. What
about traffic duty? Would that be our cut? >> Because it's likely I'm presuming if it follows the other bridges that >> it's one way for a while. >> It's very early in this process is what I'm being told. And once they get to the
25% design phase, then they'll have an open um public hearing and we're all being we can all go and and have these questions uh answered. but also Justin and Wayne Amo are both advocating on behalf of the town as many opportunities as they get between now and then as
well. So, we'll have the chance to talk through. >> Well, that was one question. The other >> that'll all be covered as well. >> Exactly. Okay. >> But then you have the other question is whether or not especially um the cleaners there and get the other businesses in that building right next
to the bridge, >> right? >> Presumably they will be massively impacted. I don't know if they've been informed yet and at what point they get informed and because I can only imagine uh like you know John's cleaners I I can't see how his business could
necessarily operate um once they start walking that bridge. I'm just guessing there will be some interruption. So I think it behooves us to to make sure that they're involved as early as possible in in awareness. Yeah, >> very very good point. And and then if
they presumably they cut the bridge in half essentially like they did with the Walpam Street Bridge and have traffic flow in one direction and then move over to the other side. But either way, >> traffic flow is going to be uh impacted. So I don't know if they have to put up a
traffic light. I don't know if that'll be a temporary traffic light to control the flow. if it's just stop signs, which could be a problem when you get somebody who is impatient on one end and then suddenly you have two guys that are impatient. >> Yeah. Yeah. I just hope it'll take less time than the the bridge over the asset
on >> Yeah. >> I mean, they could they could also do what they did on on that road and that's just close it on either side and you got to go around. >> On the Florida road, a Florida street. >> Yeah. Yeah, they might just, you know, go up Florida and around to get to the
other side. They might make you go around or just close it all together. >> John's sure that happens. It's bad for the post office. It's bad for >> it's a it's a much bigger >> family deli, >> much higher traffic road than than the
Florida bridge that be interrupted. But regardless, I think what Stephanie noted is we're in early days here. >> Yeah. Yeah. And we we need we do need to get public information out as soon as we know it, especially to those local businesses. >> Absolutely. Y >> so they can prepare and understand
what's going to happen, how they'll be affected. >> Yes. >> Uh so we need a motion on the uh correspondence. >> You have a motion. I don't think you better vote yet. >> Okay. Then we need a vote. Uh Chris, >> yes. Lindsay.
He's very against correspondence. Thumbs up works for it. >> Sorry. Yes. >> Yes. >> I'm good. I thought you was struggling with our
>> No, I'm sorry. I'm having like so many sound issues, so I've switched. That's why you see two of me. Um, so now I have to pay attention to which audio I'm using, my phone or this computer. >> Well, we're we're glad the major sound issue is fixed and we can hear you.
>> Yeah, there you go. >> That's a good point. >> Yeah. >> Uh, all right. We have uh we have three sets of minutes. >> Sorry, two. >> Only two. I will move to approve the meeting minutes January 6 and February
7th, 2026 as shown and authorize the use of digital signatures if approved. >> Second. >> Any questions or comments on the penance? Seeing none, um roll call. Chris, >> yes.
>> Lindsay, >> yes. Jeff, >> yes. Mike, good as well. Town Administrator report. >> Um, anybody have any questions on the town administrator report or do you want to
bring up the highlights? >> Well, I think the biggest highlight I think is the um RFP for the town household solid waste and recycling services. I think that's great to have that out there now and Greg's proud of it. Um, Lindsay Gear, ton of work she did on this and we're really um looking
forward to seeing how that goes. Um, I also, let's see what else. I think that, um, the AI policy that Greg's working on, um, huge and we're, we have the draft policy here, but still being kind of worked up and we'll see what we come
up with the final, but I hear that it was very big at MMA, a lot of AI discussion at MMA this year. So, it's at the forefront and we're trying to address it here at um other than that, we have to highlight our firefighters
with the dog rescue. Um I don't know if you saw them on television. Every news outlet was here. Um you can see the from the picture in the fire department and uh we're very proud of group four. They did a great job with the help from some other folks and uh Rufus is safe. So, we're very happy about that. That was
really great. They got to use those skills that they practice all the time and u very successful very proud. >> Okay. Any questions on the uh town administrator report? >> Just a comment to know very interesting to see how the use of AI in town hall um
proceeds. It's it's a tool and and like a tool that is used wisely, it can have huge benefits in terms of working efficiently and like a tool that is used unwisely can have huge risks or downsides as well. So, I'm I'm curious to see how it it is used. is one thing we should be aware of is that it's now
going to be easier for somebody in the in the public space to ask questions about Maynard Town government and how it works to an AI and it will change the category of both information and misinformation in terms of public education in ways that we can't even
predict sitting here right now today. So, it's just one more thing. We're not the only ones using it for things inside town hall. It's also going to change the nature of the conversation outside as well in in ways that we're going to have to um pay attention to on a regular basis as the use of these tools are are
changing in terms of their adoption rate and and the spec specificity on how they're used and the way information is hooked up. So, one thing I've asked Greg about on that last point is um you know, how does uh board doc or the future platform you know how does that get connected? Can people start to query
minutes? are they going to be able to start to query, you know, full video set of posted meetings and things like that. So, thinking about what happens as those things get connected up and and um are are we staying ahead of that curve in terms of ourselves as town employees relative to the public so that we
understand where it's coming and and how information is being used. So, glad to see that town staff is is thinking about it and I hope we continue to think about both the the upsides and the potential risks as as we move forward. Lindsay, do you have any comments to make because
you had written um a commentary on that to Greg and I on AI issues. No, I don't have any specific comments to make. I'm happy to see that he is already thinking about it. Um I agree with Jeff. It I mean there's only so
much of it that we're going to be able to control when it comes to like the input and the output of AI as it relates to town documents. Um, one thing and I was just going to say this to Greg separately is in the um draft
uh you know administrative um protocol that he wrote or I'm not sure what the right term is for it. Um, the thing that comes up that I think is difficult for town staff when people are using like large language models to help write emails or whatever, and I'm sure he's
saying this to town staff, but it's not really specifically outlined in that text that he wrote is, and maybe this is what you were just saying, Jeff, but any town information that you put into any of those LLMs then becomes the property
or or data that those LLMs then have access to and can use. So, I I wonder if it might make sense to just very clearly call out that anything that is not already public information, you would not ask AI to help like draft an email based on. Um, I'm not sure if that is
entirely making sense, but I think Greg's probably still workshopping that language. Um, and so I'm sure it'll get there. I and I do think one of the things you raised that uh in in your email that you
copied me in to Greg um is the use of AI photography relative to things that are issued by the town that whenever and I think it's going to be part of the proposal that Greg puts out or the mandate that Greg puts out if there is
ever any photography that town puts out on a website or on uh uh on any official platform that uses in any way AI that it's identified as such so that it's not in any way um you know uncertain to the
viewer or the person reviewing it and uh you know there's so much of it out there um you know things look real um and they're not um so that likely will be built into any policy that we have here
town. Any any photograph that uses AI in any fact would be required to identify it as such. Um even if somebody puts a a a sunset that's not real. >> Yeah. >> In a photograph. Um
>> I think the police chief just did a flyer for coffee with a coffee with a cop the next one. And he that they use AI to create it. So, we're already kind of getting on that road of saying, you know, deliberate.
>> All right. >> Anything else on the administrator report? >> I just have one comment to add uh on the um solid waste and recycling. Very pleased to see that that went down a
huge amount of work behind it. Um unlike the uh dark skies initiative I think um there are probably about 8 to 10,000 experts on solid waste and recycling in May um who will uh many of whom will be
very opinionated even though perhaps the overall cost of it doesn't represent one of the highest um bills that most people pay. Um but I I say that with a view to making sure that we manage our um well the PR and
the education around this because I think it's going to get a lot more attention um than perhaps some of the other issues we discussed that we wish did get attention. So I I know that's been recognized. I'm just sort of reinforcing um on to doing
that because we don't have that long to uh to generate the public awareness of what's coming down the PL. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. Uh chair report. Um oh no, the Boston Post came. Uh I wanted to
make a comment on Boston Post came. Um, I think everybody did hear that our past um, owner of the Boston Post came sadly passed away. Um,
Rocco, also I guess nicknamed Rocky Brenzo of Maynard, longtime resident of Len. He died on January 30th, 2026 at his home. He was 106 years young and was
the husband of the late Margaritzo to whom he was married 75 years at the time of her passing in 2017. Rocky and Marge lived in Lynn for over 60 years eventually moving to Summer Hill Glenn in Mayor and after Marge
passed away Rocky moved to Chameleia Gardens in Mayor where he lived for the remainder of his life. And um I did not have the pleasure of knowing him but uh since his passing I have seen a lot of comments about uh how wonderful
gentleman he was and I believe that that is probably true. Um I've seen the photograph of him enjoying his ride in one of the parades and looked like he was having the thrill of a lifetime 106 years of it at that. Um so we are now in
the uh using the town clerk's efforts to identify the new the newest young and oldest member of the main community and once we are able to do so we will have a
uh ceremony in which we uh will award or present I guess is a better way of putting it the Boston coast cane to the newest oldest member Do you have the pleasure of delivering that to Rocka? >> I I did not, unfortunately.
>> Did Chris, did you deliver the uh the postc to Rockco? >> I think I did. Yeah, I think I did. >> Uh yeah. So hopefully the the newest
recipient will be um well enough to visit us here live. I was going to say, are the recipients generally appreciative of >> Oh, yeah. It's a great thrill for the ones that that I've observed, there's been like four or five over the course of time.
>> Yeah. >> They they're all honored and pleased. And you know what? >> I I think it's once they find out what it is, they're happy to receive it because I don't think most know what it is. But I think we went to his I think I
went to his um apartment. He was I think he was up on Semiho Glenn at the time. You know, they were there cuz it was during CO when he got it. >> It's incredible to think that somebody lived 106 years and look back what his
life uh he saw a change in the world and oh my god. Um, so sad news, but um we will have a new owner of the
>> Boston or new maintainer of the Boston. >> Yeah. >> Uh, chair report. I um really the only thing I had on my uh commentary for this evening was I wanted to congratulate and
thank the community of Maynard for the way that we as a community uh united and came together for the whole thing with Maynard with an E. Um, I think the level of community spirit, the excitement
level that people had, the way that I mean I I went out to get a photograph of one of the signs and it was like being at Disney World. There's a line of people waiting to photograph, not only mayor people. Um, I've heard a lot of
feedback relative to um, the community outside of Main when I've been at work. Um, and people that I speak to on the telephone might say, "Yeah, you're main not know that I'm associated with
board." um and incredible response. The community itself, the way that so many people just embraced it and um things we saw were just fantasmous. Thank you to the community of Mayard and
you to see those numbers from our public relations firm. 11.5 million Americans are estimated to have seen Maynard uh somewhere either on social media or uh
video media somehow uh people that would never have heard of our community. 43 states the the messages reported in um just incredible um publicity for the town of Manor without spending a dime
and so and congratulations to the community for embracing it. So that is my comment for the chair report uh board member report. Mike >> um first of all just thank you David for for your efforts in in bringing that
about. Um I was a firsthand uh witness spectator to one of the the main breaks um last week one up by um Mason Street and uh up just above the Yeah. So yeah,
because I was working at um or volunteering I should say at Open Table and some of you saw the plug and waters coming in. So very much but the the point being that u I got an opportunity to witness firsthand the speed of the response the the speed of of obviously
traffic had to be diverted. Uh Mike was there in no time and they had people working on it. Um and it it just gave me a renewed appreciation um for you know people who have to suddenly drop everything else. Oh yeah, we got to go and do this now. Um and go
and do that job and do it efficiently. And obviously it speaks to some of the needs we have about our our water supply. But um just just wanted to thank them again for recognizing what they do in cold weather. >> Rachel
>> out there no matter what there's another one today. Yes. >> Yes. Um and in the same day that that we had the big one that you witnessed, there was another one in act the same time. The point is that it's not just Mayor counters although our
infrastructure is old. >> Yes. The uh the freezing point of water will be quite dam. That's it. Yeah. Yeah. Uh I'll I'll repeat my um thanks to everybody on this board and everybody else uh who was present and participated in the joint
budget review um a week and a half ago. Uh one thing that came out I think at a few different points of the meeting was a desire for better public communication on on budgetary issues and certainly we've talked about that amongst ourselves as well. Um I think town
meeting is one particularly large opportunity to do that. you have a a much larger group of people who are uh more um are actively participating in in the budget setting and the general direction of the town. Uh two years ago
I drafted a letter from the select board to town meeting covering uh a wide range of issues budgetarily focused um but also other things as well. It was around two pages. did not do it last year deliberately because we had the multiple override conversations and the solid
waste and recycling which was where we wanted to have the attention to the conversation and the detailed um communication. But I think this year with without especially if there's not going to be an override on the table, we might want to return to that. And um I would be glad to take the lead on on
putting something together. I'm thinking instead of a letter that we put out in the tables in the front or on there, um a short PowerPoint presentation attached to the general budget article uh that would put the current budget in context
of the longer run planning and the discussions that we've had uh as a group as a select board and the joint >> as as part of the presentation. It's here's this year's budget and here are the long-term factors that put that budget into context. I think that um would be a more digestible format. I
think it allows for good and healthy conversation with the town meeting body. I think it fits the expectations of Dick Downey in terms of connectivity to the article. Um because it is connected to the article and and the current budget that we're passing for that year. Uh and so if this board is aligned, I'd be
happy to take input for content. I can't imagine a first draft would diverge too far from from the collective voice of this body, but just wanted to put that out there. >> No objection. I uh I don't know if it requires a vote or just the the unanimous consent assuming that it would be on the board.
>> No, I I would get to work on it and bring it back. >> Yeah. Yeah. I >> have it. >> No problem. Thanks, Chris. >> Have at it. >> Well, no objection. Certainly. >> Is there anything in particular that you guys would want or would not want
covered in in such a presentation? This is what I would also ask and don't need to know that right now, but feel free to let me know at a future time. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. Volunteer. >> Yeah, absolutely. I think it's important
and it aligns with our goals. So, that's it from me. >> All right. Thank you, Lindsay. >> Nope. Nothing to add. press. >> No, just to just to reiterate on the um the you know the name change how how great that was and thanks David for
coming up with the idea and it kind of you know championing it along ends up being a great idea on the tales of Rufus too. I mean that that didn't hurt Maynard either. You know two two positive things like that in a in a you know eight or 10 day period is pretty
good for the town of Mayard but it worked on me. I have people call me from very odd places and tell me, "Oh, I saw your town on the news." You know, Arkansas, the people I I hang out with in Dallas and half the town of Maine up here where I'm
at, people say, "Oh, I saw your town. I saw your picture with some I don't want I don't want to be mean. I saw your picture with some bald guy. That must have been you, David." Wow. >> It was extremely popular and and I, you
know, to the to the naysayers who kind of had a lot to say on social media, you know, they ought to they ought to pay a little closer attention to what what you know was really trying to be done. >> We had a lot. It's not over yet. We're waiting. We're still waiting on any
reaction. We'll see when that comes. Um we'll consult as a group uh if we get the pleasure of a visit as to what the best approach might >> I think longer term it's a young team David >> even well maybe we would get the same
excitement we just rec recirculate the uh signs by the way the fire station did a wonderful thing they put up um They put the sign up in the community room. I think this was in Greg's report. And then they put a little plaque with an
explanation of what it's all about. So that 30, 40 years from now, people are looking at what the hell it's all about. It's right there with an explanation what it's all about. >> Yeah, that was the sign on the side of the truck. >> What's that? >> That was the sign that was on one of the sides of the trucks and they decided to put it there for memorializing folks who
retired. It's nice. >> Yes. >> I don't know. I don't know that I went into a uh I don't know that I went into a store in the last two weeks that wasn't selling some sort of M A N A R D um you know shirt if it was I think it
was Monday or Tuesday. >> Just so you know Lindsay and uh Chris these are waiting at your at your locations here at the >> Oh great. So, >> all right. Thanks.
>> Just don't just don't have >> Thank you. >> Wow, you're reading it. Why you're wearing it? I'd have it all. I'd have tomato sauce all over it. So, all right. I think that's it.
>> Thank you to >> I will move to ajourn. Seconded. >> Roll call. Mike, >> yes. >> Chad, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes, please. Lindsay. >> Yes, >> I am a yes. Thank you all very much. Have a great evening. See you.
>> Good to hear you again, Lindsay. >> Have a good night. >> Thanks. >> Good night. >> Thank you. >> Good night.