[Music] Good evening everyone and welcome to the June 30th, 2025 meeting of the Milton Select Board. Please join us as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. So, we're going to engage in a little
parliamentary um shuffle here. Uh we're going to uh recess from for a meeting of the Governor Stoen trustees so that we can uh hear a report from uh the fantastic uh town farm committee uh which I've had the pleasure of sitting in on the last couple of meetings for.
So uh I'm going to make a motion that we recess uh from the meeting of the select board uh to open a mo meeting of the governor sto trustes. We will return uh to the select board meeting. Okay. Seconded by Miss Hagerty. Uh voice votes fine on this. All in favor? I I Okay, we
are recessed. Uh and then I have to call the uh Governor Stoton trustees to order. Uh so I've now done that. Uh so we are in order and I believe we have uh the chair of the committee here to give us a quick presentation. So would you
please join us Morgan and and uh fill us in on the deliberations? I was there for some of them as I said but not for all of them. You guys have been working on this since January. Well, I would suggest that it's clear that chair zol was not there for all of them. If he called it fantastic. So, um we we have
worked hard, but I I I have no prepared uh minutes here or our agenda. You've you have our recommendation. It's short and sweet. I do want to commend you though as trustees and your predecessors for forming the committee. I think one
of the greatest criticisms we've had is that we were not heard and you certainly gave us that opportunity. We we talked an awful lot amongst ourselves. We talked an awful lot with as many people as we could engage with. So you've certainly taken that away. I
also want to thank Nick Connors for maintaining decorum and peace amongst us. He did an excellent job and kept us on track because we were getting derailed very regularly. We did want to deliver something actionable to you. We didn't want this
to drag on. We wanted it short and succinct. We know you're busy. We tried to distill everything into as succinct and a short uh uh recommendation as we could. It's really only two points. So that's all I have. If you have any
questions on those two points, please. There's some very very qualified people here with me. Yeah, we had an excellent group and I can say that a lot of even though it was a short report, I can tell you word for word, it was definitely um very
thoughtful uh and um came with a lot of discussion. So, I think there was there's a lot of really good compromise that went into writing. So, I would welcome I've had the opportunity to sit with this group and ask questions already. Um, so I'd welcome if anyone here has questions for the committee. I
do not for me. Okay. Well, maybe I will ask questions and so that we haven't wasted your time. So, it it seems to me that um well, there there was not there was not like a broad consensus across everyone
on a single plan, which is probably not surprising considering, you know, there's never broad consensus among anybody about something that's that specific. Um, but I'm wondering as chair if you might share some reflections of things that you learned about maybe the either the site or about the neighborhood or about the uh idea of
affordable housing. Yeah, I I I would just say I do think we had broad consensus that affordable housing is essential in the town. We disagree on whether the scale is
appropriate for this particular site. Some of us disagree that the site is appropriate. We had to become educated about it. It's not easy for us to understand what 60% of AMI actually means. Is it really
poor in this area of the country? So, we had an educational process that Nick guided us through a lot of the time to understand exactly who was going to be living here and how was it appropriate for Milton residents. We felt that
there's an opportunity here to do something very special. We just are not sure and I don't think we're still sure that the scale of it is correct and that it's aimed towards the right people. The and I use that word very broadly. We
don't know who the right people are. Okay. But we felt there were some brilliant ideas. you know, could it be guided towards teachers, firefighters in the community? Would it attract talent to the town, administrators,
um, any of the people that perhaps would be qualified to live here, younger people, maybe this is an opportunity to improve the quality and and the breadth of
people we would attract into town. But also there's an element that we feel it doesn't really help the poor. Could it could we get lesser numbers and have more or a lower AMI? We didn't
understand the mechanics behind the RFP basically. So there was a huge uh educational element and we haven't been working long. It's only been 6 months really since we got organized. So but we did as I say want to bring something to you that we felt you could work on. We
don't don't want it to be stalled. And we did use the analogy that everyone loves puppies. We're we're we're we're firm believers. We were unanimous that affordable housing is a very very needed concept in the town, but perhaps not here and not on this scale. Okay. And
and again, we were divided but not on that particular topic. I feel that was the sense that I got from the last couple meetings that I sat and also had the uh opportunity to go on a site visit which I think was helpful for it turned out we you got a pretty big
number of folks that came out for that site visit. great site visit led by Steve of course who's our local historian and knows all about the site and is a font of knowledge and helped us understand and was really the architect of that second recommendation that we
keep the character of the site in the way it was meant as a town farm so maybe what if if we don't have any direct questions for the committee it might be an opportunity for us to I don't think we have to come to any hard decisions here I think probably we want continue to reflect on the report and
have some thought, but we could have a a discussion about our own reflections on the report uh and what we might think of as next steps. [Music]
I'm just guilty of being new to this and caught up in so many other things that I'm I apologize, but I'm not the best prepared at this point in time. That's totally fine. Um uh I don't know uh Mr. Daly or Miss Heggerity if you guys have
thoughts about the site or what we might want to think about doing next. So this committee was charged with reviewing the RFP process and then also thinking of alternative uses uh that their charge ends today. Um so again we thank you for that. We may decide that we want to uh
think about a different set of um uh requirements for a future RFP. We may want to decide to go ahead with the existing RFP. We may want to convene another committee and have them look at the site. I'm not so keen on the third. I feel like death by committee is is a
thing. Well, also to you know, if we've gotten to a certain point in a process with this, you know, would that would that option necessarily restart everything? Like I think uh we we want to have some action come out of this,
right? And I know that uh you guys were in touch with the there was one remaining uh proposal on the on the because the proposals were submitted last fall or last summer was even longer. Yeah. Yeah. Even longer than that. Um and so with obvious
fluctuations in the market, uh maybe we could say um we were wondering if the prices still held. One of them still held but one sort of withdrew. Is that that's that's correct. Yes. and and we were appreciative of the fact that the developer of the one remaining RFP is a
town resident. We thought that was a huge plus in the sense that he would have a sense of uh belonging in the town and a sense of place in the historical context for the site. Was was there a discussion with the developer about the potential to reduce the number of units
if that was something that would be economically feasible for for them? We didn't get there. We actually make that a recommendation for you guys to further dig through. And uh my understanding too, and you might know more about this, Mr. Dailyaly, is has this come up in the
affordable housing trust? Have you guys been discussing this? It has not. So I've only been on one AHD meeting so far since I've joined. So this was not a point of it, but I know when we were talking about this before with there only been one RFP left. Now, we had initially thought of going back out for
an RFP, but that may have some costs and some time constraints as well. So, you know, I'm not sure if it's if sticking with the one that we have left is the best way forward. Um, but perhaps if we were going to be able to have the units
reduced, which I know was was a main point of concern, perhaps that would be the way forward. But it's been what, a year and a half now. It seems that the market changes, you know, maybe going back out would be the way we should do this. Is it would there be a way to do that,
Mr. Milano, that would um I I you can't give advantages to anybody, but some for for someone who's sort of stuck with the process. Is there any there's not really anything we could offer them other than Yeah. share some new ideas, but be evaluating what comes in from whoever
comes in and as it stands as was submitted. And when uh when the committee was talking about potentially reducing the number of units, was there a sense of like what would a number that would be range? We didn't get to that stage
either or chair, excuse me. That's totally we we were just interested in seeing if those levers could be changed. We could take it from something like 80% AMI to 30% AMI perhaps and does that impact the economics. We didn't get into that discussion but we would love to
understand that right and AMI for those who are watching at home uh is average median income which for our easiest sake is actually about $100,000 in Milton. So you can think of 60% AMI as a salary of $60,000 a year for the household. Um or
30% being $30,000 a year and Okay. So it seems to me like Yes, John. I just was wondering speaking of times when there's never unanimity um the committee unanimously recommends trustees undertake a feasibility study is that
what we're trying to decide here I think that would be part of an RFP process would be um so for example if we were going to if we decided that we wanted to reduce it from 35 units to 25 units for example then we would want to look at a feasibility of how does that affect
traffic how does that affect um utilities. Um I know there was some concern about runoff as well. Um some of those things we sort of put in the initial RFP after feedback from uh the local residents there. Um but I think that would is is that No, just just to
to back it up a little bit. We're we're slightly concerned that the infrastructure isn't adequate for the site. It's a quarter of a mile down a dead end lane and we don't have bus routes and we don't know if the obviously the lane is narrow. It's a
single lane road. So, we were trying to think that if the town could get a traffic assessment study done to see would that neighborhood support uh the the 35 units or whatever would be
proposed by the trustees. Um we were also interested in uh access to the site. We had discussed um proximity to bus routes and that would appear to be uh in or around a twomile radius. So so
that that was what we were trying to get to. We feasibility study is very very broad-based. It's slightly nebulous. Mhm. So, but we were just trying to throw ideas out there that perhaps you could get some of the town employed advisers in just to I I think appease or
assuage some of the concerns of the residents because obviously we live on that street. There's 12 houses. If you're going to put in 35 units, we have visions of quadrupling the traffic count. How does that impact can't navigate a clock on a a school morning?
That kind of stuff. So that that that wasn't necessarily addressed I believe in the RFP. So in the committee's uh review we're saying 35 units. Was there a conversation about the size of the units? Is we're talking about reducing
these are these onebedroom twob is that out there? Was there an idea of how many people 35 units means in terms of families? Cheryl and uh Tom were very good because they have a background in
affordable housing and you know helping us understand that it's not all three-bedroom units. So it wouldn't be 35 families per se. There would be a mix of studios, onebedroom, twobedroom, that kind of thing. But we didn't get into
the nitty-gritty about what that would actually be in terms of a traffic count. We kind of punted that back at you guys. Uh, and in terms of AMI, we're talking about AMI for combined in in the units, right? Combined income at 60 or 30%. I
think it's I think that's what it ranges from. I think it ranges between 30 and 60%. Okay. Well, um, any other questions or discussions on this? I don't want to drag out the point. Um, so it seems to me like we might want to do a couple of
things. Um, and then I'm totally open to suggestions on this. So, one, I think, um, we should maybe, uh, talk to the developer first to see if he has an idea
about, um, units and what would be feasible so that we don't have to go through an RFP process again. Um, but if that seems like it's not going to be workable with his plan, then we might have to put another RFP out. Um, I think
it'd be helpful to get the Affordable Housing Trust's input on this. They do have some um resources and they may be able to uh help defay the cost. uh you know, if we decide that we want to reduce it from 35 to 30 or 25, um we
could see if there might be some opportunity there from the affordable housing trust to help support that. And then once we kind of have that information, I think we would know what might work best
next. And then we'd want to have another open session where residents would could come in and also kind of hear the discussion about what would another what would a what would standard proposal look like a reduced proposal and I don't know if we can do the what's the traffic
uh question would be one I'd throw over to you Mr. Milano if it's been punted to me I'm punting it back like a rugby match. Well, it's one of those, you know, chicken or egg things like you don't you wouldn't want to do a traffic study for a 35 unit project if there's no intention to build out a 35UN
project. So, it it that's why often you'll see them kind of after something's been proposed, but I can understand the concerns. It could help shape the number of units the road could could accommodate. Um, so we could look at having one of our consulting
engineers submit a proposal and get a sense of what that might mean in terms of cost. Um, but again then then we're talking about who's going to fund that work, whether the trustees should be paying for that work. It's a pre-development cost associated with the land. Um, but also we try to hold on to
that funds to go to, you know, to what we can actually with it. Yeah. I was just thinking if you know we could do it as inexpensively as possible. It'd be nice to know what it could support. I mean instead of coming out with a plan for a certain amount and then not
knowing it' be nice to know. Yeah. So I my recollection is when we put the initial RFP together was it was done under the guidance of the affordable housing trust uh folks who had that experience with affordable housing projects. And basically there is a sort
of a floor for for a developer of like what no longer becomes possible. And I think so we kind of at the time I think we thought the floor was around 30 32 35. And um and there's also the the
added factor of the of as long as we're below 10% affordable housing in Milton were susceptible to 40B developments. So, um, and I know with a couple of projects that are online with this, that will get us very close to being a 10%. So, we no longer would have the 40bs.
Um, so I I just I I I kind of agree with Nick and that it I I hear what you're saying like I like the idea of a spitball estimate, but engineers are very lousy at doing spitfall estimates. They they are very precise individuals, which is why I'm not an engineer. um and
they may not necessarily have that uh ability, but we could certainly ask if there's I don't know if we want to ask if there's somebody that we could ask if it's possible to get some sort of a back of the envelope traffic study. I can ask her. Um and then I think we don't have
any like on call contracts with like planning. We do, but it would be Yeah, it would be an on call. you know, it' be a cost sometimes, you know, these I would say between eight and $15,000 depending on what we're asking them to look at. Yeah.
I'm I'm thinking more off the seat of the pants like a 20 foot road handles x amount of traffic or you know what I mean? Whatever the you know I don't know maybe that's asking I hear what you're saying. I think part of it too is just
knowing I I also live on off on Canton Road. So I, you know, at 6:00 in the morning versus 8 in the morning or Saturday versus a a Wednesday rush hour, like it's it's radically different. So um but maybe if Nick, you could just find out what that cost might be and
then um and then do you know Mr. Daly when the next meeting of the affordable housing trust is? Yeah, I check the calendar here. Put you on the spot. Take a minute. Sorry. Uh July 15th I believe uh pending right
now. And then I think our next meeting is currently slated for was it uh July 8th, right? That's the second Tuesday because tomorrow is a Tuesday. We had penciled in the 8th, but there was summer availability issues. So we're
definitely locked in for the 22nd. Okay. Um well, let's see about the ETH. Maybe there might just be some proform stuff that we can do and then maybe have a more substantive meeting. So, um if the affordable housing trust meets on the 15th and can provide us with maybe their
read on this as well and their thoughts about additional resources that might be available. Um then we could reconvene as the governor stoen trustees on the 22nd uh to continue the conversation then at that point too. we might at least have
ideas about what a traffic feasibility study would cost. Uh if not having something that's back of the envelope/se pants. Does that sound like a good I you know just to share my own personal opinion here. I think, you know, I I agree that
affordable housing is is critical in this town. I think a lot of the developments that we've seen have been a result of the fact that we haven't been sort of planning it out. And I I um having been to the site, I think this site can support some affordable housing. I I hear the residents concerns
that 35 units may be too many. Um, so you know, in the spirit of sort of compromise and making everybody, you know, everybody has to give up a little bit of things, you know, if we can give up 10 units and then and get some support from the affordable housing trust and have some reassurance for the neighbors that the, you know, that the
traffic situation wouldn't be out of control and if in fact there might be ways to utilize the project to improve uh the road or improve the facilities around there, that might be of of use. I'm not familiar with the residents. I'm just looking at the committee that we
formed came back to us and unanimously said we should do a feasibility study. That's where I'm coming from. That you know I know the the committee was composed of several abutters and uh Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Um and and we are very grateful for your service and for your leadership on that on that
committee. So with with the with the comments also on just infrastructure overall to the site should I mean I know we're going to do a traffic feasibility study. should we get and should we consider getting an outside opinion on
the um on the infrastructure to the site? So we will and it's what I wrote down in terms of complicated but yeah and it gets back to specificity to dictate what the
anticipated flows would be, what the water demand would be, what the demand on the street would be. So it's it's again um you know DPW can certainly provide analysis of the existing infrastructure. Yeah. Um broadly in terms of whether it wouldn't be able to support a new project um but to get to
to really nail that down you need to know what how many units how many people you expect and all those. So that's the kind of level of specificity that would typically um come later in the process. But you know in order to try to get some answers we could find out we could try
to set like a couple of scenarios right I mean the general sense was what that the well 35 was the original 35 units was the floor so yeah so that's the other question too is we could ask um what's Ralph's company name again I
forget the name of the they have a LLC that formed for this company we could ask sorry to refer to Mr. parent uh informally, but we could ask we also need to ask him to maybe provide some we could forward him this report and ask him to provide some thoughts and then
and I know sometimes when you're looking at a development part of the development cost uh is infrastructure improvements to support whatever is being built. So we could maybe get some clarity from Mr. Parent on on what that would be. Sure.
It also be nice to have some if we're asking them if 35 is a break number, can we have some numbers to back that up rather than just a comment that 35 doesn't work? Less than 35 doesn't work,
you know? Yeah. Yeah. Also too, I mean, I don't know if um if the Commonwealth has any grant programs to support affordable housing developments like this, you know, if there's like a mass works for affordable
housing or something like that. That's not in my area of expertise when it comes to the Commonwealth. So, I don't know. Can we test you that with that also, Mr. Milano, for a little homework? There certainly is, but it's an annual program. There are some others. They've really migrated everything to one annual application
under the onetop program that's out um that closes in June of every year. So in terms of a longer term time horizon, there are programs out there that would support that kind of upfront infrastructure um project. Okay. Well, it feels like we have a
pretty good consensus about next some next steps and information gathering. Anybody else any thoughts before we close our meeting of the Governor Stoen trustees? Thank you for doing this. Thank you again for your service. Um, you were released for now and we may call back on
on the committee uh depending on how things move forward. But again, it was so important to have that group of folks together and I know there were there was a lot of intense discussions around this and and we're we're very grateful for your volunteer service and hopefully the outcome will be something that everybody
will feel if not great about at least good about. Well, we all appreciate having a voice. So, thank you guys. You're very welcome. Thank you. Uh, so I'll entertain a motion to close uh the um the meeting of the governor so trustes. Oh, we have to improve the
meeting minutes. Thank you. Um so we have the meeting minutes from March 11th and May 21st. Um so as I don't know we can approve the March I would wait yet. Yeah, we can't approve the March minutes because um we don't have a quorum uh because uh Mr. Mr. Mr. Dailyy and Mr.
Hagerty weren't here. So, we could approve the May ones, though. Or we want to just wait till we It's up to you. Yeah, that that would be Why don't we Why don't Well, let's knock one off since we can't. So, so we can do that. I I'll take a motion to approve the meeting minutes from May 21st. I'll second. Okay. I've made the motion and
it's been seconded by No, it's totally totally works. Uh, Mr. Go. So, uh, I think this is just a voice vote. So, all in favor of approving the minutes? I I I Okay, that's unanimous. Uh and now uh I will make a motion to adjurnn um the governor stoen trustees. Second.
Seconded by Miss Hagerty. All in favor? I. Okay. And we are back to the select board um for public comment and I don't see any public comments. Uh correct either online
or in person. So, we'll just give folks a minute in case they were wanting to put their hands up online or in the room. All right. So, we will skip public comment. Um, and now we have discussion update approval. Uh, Susan Milikin and
Steven Gister regarding the Neponza River Super Fund project public hearing and comment letter. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Gester. You're welcome. Thank you. There's an electronic copy of that. Thank you. I'm just going to roughly go through
this quickly. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Excellent. I'm sorry Richard's not here for this. I know this is his baby. [Music] Well, thank you, Select Board, and Mr.
Milano. Um, I just wanted to briefly get you up to speed on what's been going on with the Loa Ponet uh river site uh EPA site. And I I'll give you a real quick overview and then I'll uh dive a little bit into this, but not too much detail. It's very very detailed. And um so just
to start off so the lower the Ponet River the bottom 3.7 miles from the Baker Dam up to the confluence of the motherbrook and the and the river are all were designated a super fun site in March of 2023. So it's been about two
and a half years I'm sorry 2022 was added to the national priority list and activities began uh on on on the river at that time. um the activities to date. Uh well, first let me just tell you about so I'm a member of the KAG the citizens advisory group as long as along
with Dr. Susan Milikin in town and I've been part of it since their first meeting they conducted the EPA conducted just to get people educated a little bit about a year and a half ago. We formed the committee about a year ago. uh probably 15 to 20 residents of uh two in
Milton. Rest of everybody else is Hide Park and mostly Hide Park right now because that's really what it impacts out of the gate and then we've got a few Dorchester and Matipan people on board. Uh probably grow the the the KAG as we as we get down river and it has bigger impact on Milton and Dorchester. Um so
we meet monthly. Uh we discuss different things. The EPA usually comes in and presents to us. Uh the EPA has hired per the KAGS will a company called Sko and they basically advise us and help us coordinate as a as a as a KAG. Uh it's pretty common at a super fund site to
have a CAG set up for the citizens to be able to give input into the EPA and this is I'm learning all this. This is my first time through on this. Uh and um they've been very helpful and they come to our meetings. They help us manage our meetings. They help us organize as a group. Uh we have a couple different subcommittees. We have a technical
subcommittee which I sit on with some engineers. Uh primarily a couple gentlemen that are part of the Nepons watershed association that are very knowledgeable about this area about in that area. They also have an outreach uh subgroup that is trying to get the word out every to everybody and really just
getting that activity going as we speak. Uh just because it wasn't a lot to talk about. Yeah, it's a super fun site, but now that we start having details and we start having an understanding, we're trying to communicate, you know, what exactly is going on. Um, so the super fund details, like I said, it's a 3.7
mile stretch and the the EPA's been doing some uh uh remediation work on the side of the river. Uh, Lewis Chemical uh was about two years ago they started on it and finished that. It's a 1acre site on the Hide Park side of the river. Not part of the super fund, but not part of
this activity. It's kind of a separate entity that goes on, but was actually one of the major causes of pollution into the river. So, that was cleaned up first. uh they finished it uh I think it was fall of last year. It was about a year project. It cost somewhere between $3.94 $4 million to clean up that one
acre. So it's very very highly polluted with PCBs primarily. Uh that they they have since started on also further down the river on the same side of the river in Hide Park on on what they call the um um I'm trying to find the name of it here. Um anyway, it's a it's a it's Riverside
Square. So I think there's like a kind of a strip mall there. it's behind that activity and in the 80s they had dredged the river and tooken all that polluted soil out of the river and dumped it on the shore and basically they're remediating that. I don't I haven't seen the overall dollar value for that is but it it said it's at least a year project
and again they're digging and hauling away and so the recently they completed the upper one mile of the river and they what they call is an e uh environmental evaluation and cost analysis report that report is somewhere around I think it's 423 pages of tables and data and all
kinds of data and things and very very interesting but you'll see in the packet I handed out there's a summary of the of what they did a little bit about the river and a summary of the four four options that they presented to us uh about a couple weeks ago. And so the process works and when the EPA has
finished uh they finished their analysis of a section of a river, they come up with recommendations on how to clean it or what their recommendations are. They came up with four different options for this part of the river. And the first option is basically to do nothing, cost nothing, do nothing, which you know we
all know is not not a solution. And then they came up with three other options. Option three and four uh uh have as part of that removal of the TNH dam the the um Tileston and Hollingsworth Dam which is a mile down and basically that's where they divide it up one mile to that
dam and then 2.7 milesi is the the second phase which is from that dam down to the Baker Dam down off Adam Street and they have uh completed the um taking of the samples of that as of last fall. They it was about a year's activity. Uh
a couple of us went down and visited them on the river and they were taking samples in the river on the side of the river, water samples, soil samples. They actually did a bunch of muliks. They actually uh plant planted them in there and let them grow in the river and then take them out and actually do analysis of them and how much pollution they
absorb. So very detailed uh study going on. We're hoping to see that report by the end of this year, which would be, you know, kind of a sense of how polluted is it below the TNH dam up to the Baker Dam. But the above the dam, it's very, very contaminated. The EPA's commented unofficially, it's one of the
top three most polluted rivers left in America that hasn't had any any remediation done to it or very little remediation. So, it's up there. According to them, it has very high visibility, which is which is good. Um, you know, from a funding perspective. uh they've mentioned to us but they won't
share the details. There's 70 companies or former companies or companies that added to the pollution over the course of the last 50 60 70 years. Some of them still in existence and they're going through the process of trying to uh get as much money as they can to help with the cleanup of the river. So, and they
they don't really share that. All they shared with that was is uh in November of every year they go to a board. I can't remember what it's called, but there's a certain board where they present what they would like to do to the river option one through four and then also what what what the funding is
and they try to say, "Okay, here's where we're at." Uh trying to recuperate that money from the polluters through the years. So, we have no idea where that they're at. And their their other comment was is well, if the money's not all the money's not there, then they'll go to the federal fund, which has been there's a fund there for cleanup and ask
for that money there. So, again, have they haven't shared a lot about that. um will they come if they don't have all the funding come to the state? I don't I don't know how the whole process works. They haven't shared that with us yet. Um but but there the current ask is that they they submitted the ECAP on July
9th. They're having a a Zoom call or a virtual meeting to go through the data package and they have a presentation. I think um Mr. Milano forwarded you guys a link to a 17minute video which is basically somebody just walking through a slide deck which is kind of uh much
more detailed than what I'm providing but not not the same detail you'll read in 423 page documents. So you'll have a chance to go through it and it's it's very well done actually very nicely done by the EPA. Uh just released it last week so we we just we just got it. And the idea is um they they give 30 days.
The KAG has asked for another 15 days beyond that because it's only if the 9th to the 13th, we have to respond by the 13th. So there's only a couple days in there. We've asked them for at least two more weeks for us to digest presentation digest what they they told us and then give us an opportunity to respond. So we
think it's going to be two weeks beyond that 13th date that we'll have an option to respond to it. Uh the EP the EPA unofficially has recommended option four. Of course, I mean that's, you know, the way to go. Basically, what they said is if they they take any of the other options, option two or option
three, it doesn't fully clean the river to the same depth or the same level and they may have to go back and do some additional remediation, especi especially after they've done the downstream work and it and you know, and then the other discussion we've been having is what about downstream over the other side of the dam and out into the
out the Yeah. And there was a study done uh I think Mr. Milano in one of his pres papers talked about that. I think there was 12 samples taken a few years back and it was polluted for sure and if it's you know some of it's going over the dam for sure and the marsh is a perfect
collection point for for pollution. So so I think that would kind of be the next step after they finish coming out with the eco for the bottom phase two part of overall. So um and so what I'm trying to do is just get the word out that this is available for people to
review. I'm going to start leaving these brochures around town so people have a chance. I've talked to the CEO at Council on Aging. I've talked to the Milton Times. I've talked to some other organizations just to get the word out there that, you know, what's going on and you have an opportunity. Longer term um is is they're more asking, you know,
what do we want to do with the water the river when it's done? It probably will, depending on which course they take to remediate it and how they build it back up. It could change somewhat the course, the way it moves. Uh do we want to put boat ramps? Do we want to put canoe ramps? Do we want to have, you know,
picnic areas and those kind of things? So, they're not I don't think they're looking for that exact thing now, but they just want to start us to get involved with the process. And also, the DCR has been part part of this in the Ponet Watershed and they're all we're all part of the KAG and we talk about these things. So, they're really just
looking for the town to start to participate in, you know, kind of the activities that are going on. So, um, I'm h I mean, that's kind of all I didn't really, you know, come up with any formal presentation, but I'm happy to try to answer what I can. I'm not I'm an engineer, but not an environmental engineer or so, it's kind of out of my
out of my realm. But, uh, I got to say, I don't I can't compare to other ones, but the the the EPA has been spectacular to work with. They've been great. Um, they're very open. They're very, um, tell us all answer all our questions. that go out of the way to to go to our meetings to come to our meetings and
they work some pretty long days because they're on site during the week and we have our meetings at night and they're they're up and up and about you know at 8:00 at 9:00 at night with us. So it's been a you know a good experience for me. I've lived in Milton 28 years in the same on Canton AB on the other end of Cantav and I pretty much walked the
river almost every single day and you know I've heard when I moved in it was polluted but don't drink don't fish there and certainly don't drink the water but not not to the magnitude and uh I think the primary what they found is PCBs is is but there's all kinds of heavy metals there's all kinds of other
carcinogenics and bad things that are in the water but the PCB is is the main the main thing that needs to be cleaned up so thank you thank you very thorough uh questions from from the members. Um it seems to me that sort of as you get to RA3 there's
discussion of removing the dam. Yep. So that is like seems like a major like that's a pretty big project, right? And DC does DCR currently own the dam? Yeah, they own the dam and they they said it would add about a year onto the project to do because they have they have to
clean on the upside of it very thoroughly and then they have to demolish it and take it out and and do it. It's a pretty big to-do. Yeah. Yeah. Um and has has DCR weighed? I'm sure they're going to submit their own comment. I don't know if they have officially weighed in, but they in all
our meetings they said we need to take it out of there cuz it's or we need to essentially rebuild it cuz it's in very bad condition and it really doesn't serve any purpose at this time. They did some there was some discussion in our last meeting about what the water levels would be and how that would all change.
Yeah. And one of the consultants that we the technical committee brought in just to give us they read it through and gave us our opinion their opinion and they were concerned about they didn't the EPA had not done a good enough job of looking at the the modifications of the water levels when the dam's gone and how
does that impact water flow and my next question was going to be so over the winter we had the flooding on the trolley tracks which presumably correct me if I'm wrong I thought it had something to do with the dam itself Um,
am I wrong? No, it did. So, they and would this would this help? I don't think situations. Yeah, I think it's so far up a river that it doesn't really impact down below. The the answer that I heard about the flooding was they had replaced all the all the all the wood on the top of the dam there. And so, the
water level's been significantly higher over the last months. And that wasn't the cause of it, but they said because of the water level so high, if there was an impact in in the water flow, which there was because of the ice, it backed it up. The comment from the DCR, that's only the second time that's ever
happened in the the history of them of that type that magnitude of flooding, but I, you know, I would defer that to the DCR. Exactly. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I'm, you know, I wonder because the the dam the the Baker
dam was broken for a very long time, right? And it it took a, you know, a good part of a year to get it repaired and fixed and now it's back to what they consider normal and the water levels up significantly from what it used to be. So, yeah. Yeah. Other questions? Not being an engineer
either, but you would think if a DM was taken out, if anything, the level would go down. Yeah. You know what I mean? Because there's nothing to hold it back. Right. Right. And for the TNH dam, um it's not a flood control dam, so it's not serving a purpose in terms of
protecting um those flows. And and in fact, in anticipated heavy rainfall, the dam is is lowered purposefully so that no water really builds up behind it. So um it's managed to a degree and it's lowered and ahead of big storms or ahead
of big rainfalls to let the water flow over it. And is the TNH just looking at the map on the last page. The TNH dam that is that Milton right there or is that it's actually Hide Park. That's why
Milton starts just below the dam on on this side of the river. That's what I thought. Yeah. This the site the cleared site if you can make it out right next to it that is what's been colloquially referred to as the paper mill site in the MBTA community zoning. So that that
site has been reszoned for 179 units under the um approved rapid transit plan. Um so you know in terms of the super fund cleanup and everything in that area might make that site more um
potentially attractive um down the road. I think the the idea of having a nice cleaned river with a great waterfront and you know kayak or canoe access or something that that would be really lovely. Uh and um a nice change.
So, one I know I'm sort of channeling Mr. Wells here because I know how much he cares about this and particularly the the landing. Um, and when when he and I were speaking about this must have been like last year or something. Um the the the marshland as you were sort of
alluded to earlier definitely contaminated is and I know they're since they're working from as far upstream as possible going down just assuming that that means that things were going to get churned up and sort of head down. So is is there going to be a long term is
there sort of a commitment to then after this work is finished looking at what happens beyond the into the into that salt marsh there. Yeah. So right now there is nothing you know beyond that. I mean, I don't know if the town should start to petition the EPA or not. I can ask I'll ask that question at our next
meeting, which is actually tomorrow night. Okay. I'll ask that question on, you know, kind of how do we continue the process. I I think the um Ian Cook who who's the president or director of the uh Nepons watershed has been on top of that and he probably has an answer. I'm sure they've thought about it, but
otherwise it's kind of like whack-a-ole and you pop up over here instead of over there. But and it gets down now now we're in Boston Harbor and it gets starts to get into that impact of that and what what's what's going on there. So yeah, I don't I don't I I've asked that question but I nobody's really
given me a good answer. It's like let's you know deal with this piece first and we'll we'll work our way downstream. So Mr. Client, you would even think there would be some monitoring during the process too. I I believe there is. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Y yeah. And the other thing is that there's a ma there will be a
major impact when they when they start this but you know we're a year away probably at best maybe two but from actually taking the material and moving it out from the river and how many truckloads and so on and I know for the for the Lewis chemical one it was coordinated with town and I know for
sure that they were coordinating with the police department and DPW in regards to the the Riverside area. I think it's 10 trucks a day or something. And I don't know if they had final they just started hauling in May and how much of it goes through. I think it's just barely touches Milton or a couple Milton
roads. But I do know that they were because I asked a question. They said they were definitely coordinating with the the traffic uh it's not Lieutenant Alba, but whoever the new traffic uh lieutenant is and the the DPW with Great. Yeah. And so from for us, we're
we have this uh a letter here. Yes. Yes, I drafted a comment letter that um has the town supporting the for RAA4 alternative which includes the removal of the dam. Um the letter also notes that um it identifies the paper mill
site that I just referenced. Um the full document that the EPA produced does identify the paper mill site as a potential staging and loadout area for the entire cleanup. So, I think if that were to become the identified site, there's there should be some conversations about what those impacts
might look like. You know, the transportation access makes sense because you can go down Truman and out and get out to the highway from there, but um it would be be a significant um impact potentially in terms of if that's the load out staging area for this
entire cleanup. Um and where that's where the dam is, it makes sense. However, um I just note that the town would expect to have continued dialogue and communication about that potential usage. That's great. And then I did um
as was alluded to here um speak to the efforts that the town has had in terms of Milton Landing in terms of the testing we've done before uh with uh Boston and Quinsey and the results we've gotten that show the contamination in the saltwater side below um the Baker
Dam and just the recommendation from us in terms of how do we get the EPA to focus on it was just to ring it up at every opportunity you can. So, while this report has nothing to do with that, it's an opportunity to to bring this up. So, I've done that in the letter as well. It's always good to flag things
early. Um, so, uh, we have this comment letter. Uh, any any further, uh, discussion on this. I'll take a motion on the letter. Somebody is. Was that letter in the package? Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Oh, our computer's restarting over here. So, That's all. Oh, it did. Sorry. Yeah. No, no, no worries. No worries. It's 18% of the way there. Um, all right. So, uh, so, u, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to move to approve the comment letter to the EPA
regarding phase one cleanup alternative of the Neponet River Super Fund project. Great. Have a second. Second. Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. Um, any further discussion? All in favor? I I opposed. Okay. you'll have your letter and please
let us know how uh what how this continues to progress this very loop for sure. So I was uh with Mr. Wells I was keeping him in the loop as we were going but certainly we'll keep you in the loop. Thank you. I'm also going to make sure I reach out to the planning board too with the zoning and everything. So that would be wonderful. Could be some
impact there. Okay. Thank you sir. Yeah. Thank you. All right. Uh, next item in our agenda is the MBTA Communities Act uh and district compliance application. Um, I just have a very short thing that I would like to read real quick. Um, if
the board doesn't mind and then we can uh I think we well we'll see what we have to we have to discuss the application letter. Um, so and I uh I worked with town council to put this paragraph together. So, uh, I wanted to address some of the conversations that the select board had
over the past couple of weeks in executive session around the MBTA Communities Act. Obviously, those conversations are all confidential, but I can share a few things. The first thing I want to do is thank Tom Dohy for his volunteerism and the time he's dedicated to the town on this issue and many others. There were a number of
rumors circulating about this process. The select board could not make any decisions prior to our meeting on Thursday of last week, and any suggestions to the contrary are not factual. The last remaining question about our classification status was answered by Judge Gilda in his decision to dismiss the taxpayer lawsuit last
Thursday uh in which he referred back to the SJC decision that confirmed HLC's authority to set the status and Milton's designation as a rapid transit community. So that's I just wanted to say that obviously what we talk about as I said uh in here in executive session
is is privileged. Um uh but uh I felt like it was important to read that. Um Mr. Milano, do we have we are going to go through the application here? I did distribute the district of compliance application um in terms of what has I've
been able to fill out. Um so what the application looks for is a description. Um you have to repeat where HLC has uh categorized us and our obligations under the statute and the regulations and then describe each of the districts in detail
pulling from the compliance parameters that um are produced by um UTIL in terms of their work and the planning board's work um that went into it. So we describe each of the districts in accordance with the application. It asks some additional questions in terms of
the affordable housing components and requirements um and then ultimately does seek um a letter from the town clerk that says that there are no other zoning bylaws um that are newer than this. Um so that is a draft of the application
that I've shared with the board. I would note that we're not submitting it. Uh I don't expect this week. Uh there are a bunch of materials that are required that the town clerk still has to prepare. Um that go with any zoning bylaw not particular to this. Um so I
would expect that to go in um uh early next week hopefully, but certainly ahead of the July 14th deadline. Okay. If we retain our meeting on July 8th, we could potentially review. Are is everybody here going to be around
on July 8th? Yeah. Yeah. So maybe um we can re review it one more time before we um we've approved because I think it would be nice to have all of the eyes dotted and te's crossed. Sure. And the main missing material is the it's called it's referred to as the form seven which is a form that has to be prepared for
any zoning bylaw. Um so that's what is not yet prepared. Okay. Uh so we can discuss now uh MBTA communities if there's anything that folks would like to bring up. I just I have a few words to it. Okay.
Um, reservation of rights are three words with more significance at this point than I think most people realize. Town council recommended including those words in our action plan at the time it was filed several weeks ago.
But there was resistance to include those words in our declaratory judgment case that was going to be filed by Tom Dy, a local attorney, and caused him to resign as he believed that we would not have cause without that clause. I
realize some are concerned that the 25% plan is the best path forward, but the fact is we really don't know. So, I feel it would be reckless of us not to include a reservation of rights clause in our submission. And here again, we're
asked being asked again to submit a 25% plan. And I would ask others, as others have before me, that we include a reservation of rights clause in a cover letter to our submission. So, I would like to propose a motion that we include a cover letter with our 25% plan
reserving the right to challenge our classification at some point down the road. Uh okay. Is there a second? Uh in in the absence of a second, um we'll just move forward. Um but thank you for for sharing those thoughts. Um
other uh any anything else? I I know Miss Hagerty, you probably don't want to um uh participate in this discussion. Uh Mr. Daly, is there anything you'd like to add? Uh there's one thing. Yes. uh that I would this has obviously been contentious and it's going on for a
while but I think where we stand now uh with this being submitted in the coming weeks what I think we as the select board hopefully in collaboration with the planning board should be working on is the town comment and whether that is town halls or whatever uh format we're
putting that together where we discuss with the town what this zoning means. Uh there's been a significant changes since this uh was initially proposed. Uh we have new sites, we have new neighborhoods, uh new people who may not have been paying attention as much as
all of us have been. And I think we uh they deserve the right to understand what all this zoning means and they deserve the right to have questions on zoning. And I think we should not look at this as a set it and forget it. Uh, I know that's been said before that if we zone that we're not allowed to change
that and I do not think that is correct and I think we should be going out um and setting together a plan for town halls, public comment and sharing this with um all the folks in Milton that would like to be informed. I I think that's is a an important and
excellent suggestion. Um I know um previously when we worked on the last 25% plan the planning board had hosted a couple of uh public forums. We know if that's the if they're planning on doing the same uh for this. I do not know. I
don't have an update on that. I can between now and the next meeting I can connect and and provide an update. I think the idea of a jointly hosted um information session with both boards would be both I think helpful to have everyone there and also a nice display
that um that we're working together on on this. And uh my understanding is that uh the planning board also just voted on Thursday to uh to undergo the uh economic analysis for the plan u which could help us raise the percentage of
affordable housing uh that's set within Yes, that's correct. We have a scope of work from MAPC that would um study the zoning to uh with an economic feasibility study analyze whether additional um limits of affordable
housing would be um supported by the zoning and by the market. Um so the zoning as written um takes advantage of the 10% requirement that HLC did allow at the regs. The language also says that if if we get a study showing 15% is allowable, that goes into effect
automatically, MAPC scope of work will look at 15%, 18%, 20% as well as consider potentially more deeply affordable rather than keeping it at the 80% AMI. So there might be an opportunity to craft a bylaw to change the affordability requirements within it
if it's backed up by this study. So that work will take place over the summer into the fall. So possibly ready for the October town meeting. It might be a stretch, bud. Possibly. Yes. Okay. We don't want to throw a bunch of material at the warrant committee at the 11th hour again. Correct. So,
but you said that if that was the case, the the percentage would automatically go into effect anyway. It's automatically at 10. If we get the market study to show 15% is allowed, it automatically goes up to 15. To do anything beyond 15 at 80% AMI would
require a bylaw change. Okay. Okay. What's that mean? Um, so then I think so if we're going to meet on July 8th, um, I think it would be worth letting the planning board know that we would be interested in in
jointly hosting a couple of information sessions. I also would recommend that we may look at a couple of different venues so that we at least get to not be not that I don't love the council on aging, but it might be nice to do something in East Milton, might be nice to do something that's uh easier for the
residents in uh in different places to get to. Um but maybe did you have a sense, Mr. Dailyy, of how many of those you were thinking about? I think that would definitely that would depend on our schedule but one or two maybe you know Milton Arts Center in East Milton
maybe the high school if we think they're going to be a lot more attendees the high school can be a lot of parking you know not as big as a town meeting but uh yeah something along those lines. Um I think if we're going to do it in the summer before school starts we're going to need to have one or two because
people are going to be away and so being mindful of that as well. Sure. That makes sense. Maybe we could look at just sort of general availability of the high school and the MAC um for a couple of those days. And probably
I would think like a weekday evening would be a would be a good choice. Okay. Um and that's something where you know even for for our board like as long as we could get three of us there I think that would be good knowing that people are traveling over the summer and same for the planning board.
Okay, great. Uh, one follow-up question. I haven't had a chance to look at the the planning board's last meeting. When you're saying 15 to 18%, you're talking about is that percentage townwide or are we thinking about changing the percentages for for different projects
or we're saying we want to be affordable in the town? So, uh, what I meant was it's for, uh, applicable projects under the MBTA communities. Okay. Only under the new zoning. Yep. And, you know, as a lot of
the zoning addressed, um, you know, making it easier easier to build, you know, a three family. So, those would be not included in the affordability requirements would be any of the larger sites that allow for greater density. Um, any project 10 units or more would
require to be 10% affordable as it stands. If we're able to dial that up to 15%, then it would be eight units or more would have at least one affordable unit and and therefore for each of the projects. Um, and then the study will assess if there's a way to increase that
to 18% to 20%. Or maybe keep it at 15% but go from 80% of the median income down to 60% of the median income just for kind of round numbers. um studies. Okay. And the goal would be to get to our needed 10%. In the term, uh we're
guaranteed 10%. So, no, I think in terms Yeah. Yes. I'll just note that if all of the projects that have been approved in terms of the 40Bs are built out as designed, then uh we will be in excess of the 10% required for the subsidized
housing inventory. Okay. without any changes on MBTA communities whatsoever. Um, where that will change again is once the 2030 census numbers are done and our housing unit number changes because right now our 10% is based on 2020 census housing units. So, we're in good
shape for probably once every assuming everything is built out as proposed, we will jump over that 10% um likely until the next census. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Um so we'll review the application
on the 8th and vote on it. Um so uh item number six uh antibbias training. Um Mr. Milano, we received um uh an email from Miss Beverly, Mrs. Beverly
Ross Denny, who I think most of us know uh and respect very much as a former member of the school committee. uh uh suggesting uh antibbias training. Do you want to um maybe provide some uh remarks about both the letter as well as what
this would entail? I don't have anything, Mr. Chair. I'm happy to look into some options for us that we have through our insurer. We have um programs that we've the town in terms of town staff have certainly taken advantage of in the past and have brought out um and we could there are
options for us if that is something that the board would like to to consider uh from there. Thoughts from the members? So this is feedback or recommendations that all elected officials receive
antibbias training. I think it was um do all town do all town employees receive antibbias training? Not as a regular kind of part of the job but we have engaged with Maya for various types of
training um in recent years and and made it available to everybody to attend and sorry MA is our insurance. Yeah, just you know I think in in the year 2025 like most organizations
I I know in in state government annually we have to update our um inclusive leadership training, antibbias training, you know, it's just kind of standard that I think if anyone's asking my opinion, it's
something that that we should all be doing. We are asking your opinion. Yeah. I think it's kind of like bare minimum. Yeah. Well, I would say I think uh some elements of this have come
up in a lot of different uh iterations. I think um at town meeting I've heard the phrase representation matters often. Um I think we have all of our no before trainings that come that happen that where we're doing these things electronically
um in a lot of ways. So um I think absolutely we should look into uh what our options are for antibbias. I think this would this just be for town employees or we doing this separately for electeds? I think the suggestion was to do it both for town employees as well
as for the elected board. So um planning board, select board, school committee. Yeah. Um, I think given the incident that's kind of the incidents that have kind of led to this, I think it's important that we do at least that we start researching what's
available to us in terms of our relationships. Mr. Clay, you have any anything? Never never hurts to learn. I I agree. I actually I I I'm a big fan of antibbias training. I'm sure nobody is surprised to hear that. Um I I uh you know there's a number of
online um antibbias trainings that you can sort of engage in individually. There's things that I've you know that I've done through work um as required. Um I do think it is kind of a bare minimum thing. And if anything it just helps uh folks to think about what it
feels like to be in somebody else's shoes. And I will say that antibbias refers to a whole swath of of different things. It doesn't just refer to race. Um, and uh, for that reason, I think it's really important. So, I think it would be great if we could look into see um, would it be through Maya most
likely? Yes. I I mean, that would be um, a quick um, option for us. It might not be a five-star one. Um, but we can see what they have and I can report back from there. Yeah, maybe report back on what they've got. And then I you know we have some individuals who live in town
that work in this space as well and there may be some interest if there is um you know a citizen who maybe has qualifications here um that would want to provide some some insight. So um that might be helpful. Okay, we'll do who
would the would there be a good committee that's in existence that we could get some reference from as well? I would think that would be the equity and justice committee right? Yeah. Yep. Agreed. Maybe we could ask them if they also have thoughts.
Okay. Um, anything else on this? My vest. Moving along. I was switching to the vest. The vest. Done. Um, so we are going to uh so item number seven, fiscal year end updates and transfers request to increase revolving
fund spending limits. Mr. Milano. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, so we had previously, was it our last meeting? It might have been our maybe two meetings ago, talked about um, how the fiscal year end was shaping up. I did include
in the packet an update as of June 25th um, in terms of where things stand presently. Um, in terms of revenue, we remain on track to exceed our forecasts um, again as we have the past several years. Um the projection right now is
about a $3 million in uh excess in revenue over forecast. Um so uh again everything remains on track there. Local receipts have been strong. Um property tax revenue remains um high collection rates there as well. Um and
since we talked about that a bit already, I'll I'll leave that there. In terms of on the expenditure side, as again we've talked about previously, uh the pressures on the budget this year um have been in our employee benefits, particularly in health insurance as we
had um higher numbers of enroles than the budget um could absorb and snow and ice as we've had a um more expensive winter um than we had the past couple years. So where that stands in terms of closing out the year is that um we had
a,265,000 in the reserve fund. Um the warrant committee is um the warrant committee controls the reserve fund has to approve any transfers out of it. They have approved a million dollar transfer out for the Milton public schools. Um they did at their meeting last week uh which
leaves $265,000 in the reserve fund. Um Amy Dexter and I met with the warrant committee last week to talk about um the same forecast on where we expect things to land. Uh we uh told them we informed them that we'd be requesting 265,000
from the reserve fund um for health insurance. Uh so we would uh draw that reserve fund down to a $0 balance and then in order to balance the rest of the budget. Um we would uh recommend various appropriations transfers uh to take
money from budget A to budget B um based on where uh departments will end at the fiscal year end um unspent dollars. So, uh, the legal budget, the select board budget, the police department budget, um, and a few others are anticipating
pretty decent turnbacks. So, we'll, um, seek to move some of those monies around to to move it where there are deficits currently. Um, to take money from one budget to another requires the approval of both the select board and the warrant committee. Uh the warrant committee uh
voted to designate Steve Ry um as the member who has the authority to sign off on these um as long as they're in keeping with what we presented to the war committee last week. Um so where that leaves us is we'll have a meeting next week. It sounds like July 7th, July
8th, excuse me. Um so we can try to have more exact numbers in terms of what we expect to move and where. Um and I we can present that on the 8th or the select board can vote to designate a member to sign off on these um designate
the select board finance committee to um give the final approval to them as a finance committee. Uh so there a couple different options how to handle it. Um since we do have meeting between now and the deadline to take all these actions which is July 15th, we can revisit on the 8th or if the board feels strongly
about um setting a making a decision now it can certainly do that. Well, it seems to me this is a a finance committee charge. Um, are you guys going to have a meeting before uh in the next week or two? I don't think we have a meeting set, but
we can get one on the books to Yeah, if we are if we're set with with signing off on this, I think we would arrange a meeting so we can go through the books. If the board's comfortable with that, the board I would think tonight should vote to authorize the selectboard finance committee to have
authority to approve any necessary year-end transfers barring any deviations from standard. Okay. Uh I'll I'll take that as a that language. I'll take it as a motion if anyone wants to make it or I'll make it. Um well, because we're
charging the the finance committee. I mean, I'll make it. Yeah, I'm happy to, you know, to to pass the buck as it were. So, they'll review it and sign off on any moving funds from pot A to pot B so long as it doesn't disrupt the, you
know, the already existing plans for for government just to if the select board budget is under by 200,000 and the police budget is over by 100,000, then we can move 100 from one to the other. A second. Okay. Uh, any further discussion? All in favor? I I You guys
should vote because otherwise we don't quit. All right. Um Okay. Sure. Uh item eight, we have uh Milton budget coordin coordination committee charge and membership. Mr. Milano. Sure. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Just in terms of updates since we
talked about this again probably about a month ago and then um didn't discuss it at the town meeting uh select board meeting. So, we incorporated a couple changes since um that last discussion, which was to have the committee report back to um select board um school committee and w committee in terms of a
recommendation on its charge and whether it should continue into fiscal 27. We added the um one resident to be appointed by the select board, one resident to be appointed by the school committee. Um and those are the two main changes that have been changed. And I
know did we we didn't officially appoint Mr. Walker to that? not yet position. Okay. Um so any further thoughts on this uh committee from folks? We've discussed it at length. Um so I would uh accept uh an
approval or I'd accept the motion to approve the um the committee charge and membership. If anybody wants to make that I I'll make a motion to approve the committee charge and membership. Great. Okay. for the um Milton Budget Coordination Grant and seconded by Miss
Hegerty. Um any further discussion? All in favor? I um would it be out of scope to u I know Mr. Walker wanted to be appointed to that. Should we wait for a future meeting or I was just making a note. I I what we could do at our next meeting is actually appoint both the
members of the select board and the and resident who will be serving. So I'll put that on the next agenda. Thank you. Uh all right. So uh item number nine discussion approval contract with capital strategic solutions for a financial and operational review.
Uh thank you Mr. Chair Mr. Milano. Um this is something that had been discussed. Um no I'm looking for it in the packet. Did I not include it in the packet? Does anybody remember seeing I don't remember seeing this in the packet. So
now I just moved right to the What is this? Yeah. Okay. I will describe it and then we could approve it on the ETH. Um if the board is open to it or the board could approve it tonight. So, uh, we had talked a couple months ago with the school committee about the benefits of
having, um, not so much an outside audit, but more of, um, you know, a municipal public administration type firm come in and and talk with staff and review processes, procedures, um, controls and offer suggestions for improvements, offer review software
that's being used, identify places where improvements could be made there. Um, so we sought um, proposals to do that. We received one from Capital Strategic Solutions didn't receive responses from a few other firms that we reached out to. Um they're a firm that had done a
similar project to this in Marblehead, I believe recently. Um and have retired folks on their team that would come in with tons of experience to be able to talk to staff and identify um potential rooms for improvement, what's working well, what's not working well. Um and
the cost is $28,000. um which we would be able to with where the budgets look right now be able to absorb under fiscal 25. Um so I apologize that I did not include it. Um
but that is the broad scope and I'm I was just trying to pull it up so I could describe in more detail the three things that they're really focused on looking at. Um give me one moment. What is the end product that this
engagement seeks? Um a summary report um a road map for improvement and then a presentation to um to stakeholders um as we kind of see fit. So something to hold and look at but also time to sit and
engage. Um and this is primarily with the schools or is it also with No, we've we've I've broadened it to be town and schools to incorporate all of us. I think the opportunity here to to do that I think um is helpful and it's you know
we're you know this came up because of how the the year played out but we all acknowledge that there are things we can all do better and differently. Um so to go over you know financial policies, adequacy of budget development and monitoring um you know analyze our
policies and where we need better policies in place internal controls and operational pro uh practices um town school communications organizational structure HR payroll processes in terms of both the process that we use the software and technology
that we use or don't use um and then to take it all together into a report um that provides both short-term and long-term recommendations. Um, have we done one of these before and when? The only kind of correlary was that in 2013 the department of revenue did a
financial management review of the town um and identified more like governance suggestions. So like um you know appointed treasur versus elected treasurer um and um budget document
suggestions and town meeting suggestions and and suggestions for the warrant committee. This is more about kind of getting into more of the nitty-gritty in terms of how, you know, staff are working or not working and how systems are working or not working. Um, how long
would the project take? Uh, they said 3 to six months depending more on terms of engagement with the town and and how long it takes to get um meetings on the books and and information shared. And we would share this with the town once completed. Yeah. Meant to be very
public. Can I just ask so I know that given the events of um you know the start or it's like uh what was it February when
all of the the school budget issues were coming to light or January. Um, so will So it seems like the scope has expanded to the town and like that's always a good idea to have a health
check on processes and procedures and systems. Um, so in terms of the decision to expand the scope, will the school department still get the focus that it needs?
um if the town's processes are also lumped in with it. Yes, because it's pitched very much as town and schools. Um the lead on the project um comes from a school's background and an extensive school
finance background. Um, so that has been part of the main like the question that I'm asking is no I understand they're going to get to pay attention give MPS the attention that it needs and not you know like if if we have a problem on the town side like it's not going to divert
from the primary focus of correct MPS. Okay. Do we need do we need school buyin? Are they I've met uh I mean so it it came out of some of those joint conversations that we've having all along. Um when the proposal came in, we shared it with
them. Um we shared it again uh in the last couple weeks and I met with the superintendent to talk about it and he's on board. Superintendent on board. Um so I I think it would probably be responsible for us to look at it before we vote for it. Um so uh but let's put it as a July 8th uh uh item and then um
I don't think that it that will make a week's difference I guess in terms of getting operational but it's a um obviously it's much needed I think uh and I guess my my question would be to um is there what would be the role for
our big budget committee or what are we calling it the the coordination committee yeah MBCC um MBCC like is that are I would think that that would be a body that might be
involved in that or it feels like the more natural place for it to land so everybody hears the same information um and can have the same kind of feedback. People can report back out from that. Okay. So we'll um we'll consider that on July 8th and we'll stand stand by for the for the agreement. Sorry about that.
No problem at all, Mr. Milano. Um okay item 10 uh discussion approval liquor license. Mr. Chair before we move. Yes Mr. Daily I just want to stay on that last point just this this current announce. So if we if this if we move forward with this audit and the
report lands with this new finance committee. Do we need to put in the charge of the finance committee that they make suggestions or they're responsible for implementation of the suggestions? Like how would that work? because we're going to have at least one person from most of the elected bodies
in town. If we get a report that has let's say it has 10 suggestions. Yeah. And we think four are things that we should move forward with. What would be the the path for that? Does the fin does that committee then present to the select board? Does it then present does
he move forward to the warrant committee? Do we Yeah. Well, also too, it's just if you know, um I want to make sure that the school committee feels appropriate um ownership
of this as well. Um, you know, I wouldn't I think this kind of treads an interesting line between the bigger committee and the school
committee. Um, in terms of like I I would hate for there to be findings from a report that you know really the school committee needed this definitely for sure at this time. Not saying the rest
of the town government doesn't, but I would hate to um have decision making outside of them. And for them it, you know, it just in terms of people's lanes, right? If if this were an
expanded lane, would the school committee feel the same level of ownership over the recommendations and implementation? I guess is the question. I don't know if there's a good answer there. I just note that this larger committee doesn't have the authority to change anything. The
school does. So, it's more about having as long as that's Yeah. as Yeah. the school committee need if or in ter by the flip side, this committee can't necessarily direct town and departments to change. So, it has to be, you know, um everybody has to take ownership for
their piece because ultimately that's who's um has the authority to make the implement changes. Yeah. Yeah. And then ultimately the authority sits here at the select board for for the whole kitten kaboodleoodle. Um so I I think those are good questions. It's something good to keep in mind as we move forward
with this. I just know all too well how government works. Yeah. You touch it, you own it, right? Um or someone might not own it, right? It could could turn into a hot potato. But got just got to ask that question. It's something for us to keep in mind, I think, as we read through what Mr. is going to send to us
and then as we think about both this committee as well as our continued you know fiduciary responsibility of the town how how we'd want to interact with this uh group all set great uh moving along um discussion
approval update liquor license zones per request of the joint committee on consumer protection and professional lensure for the home rule petition for five additional liquor licenses house bill 4089 Mr. Milano. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We discussed this briefly before town meeting one night, but I don't have
um a map. And just for people watching, uh the town did approve a home rule petition at town meeting in February to authorize five additional liquor licenses anywhere in Milton um for Milton. Um, and the feedback we've received from the committee that
oversees these bills in the legislature has been our request to refine where in Milton these licenses might go. Um, so we owe a map essentially that identifies where in town these should go. We have not prepared it. So I'll kick that to July 8th if that's okay with the board.
And my remembrance from our discussion um in our at at the school was that uh essentially we're just thinking that this is a map of where we have existing commercial um uh zoning. So that so nobody's going to have a restaurant pop
up next door to their house. It would still be subject to zoning. Yes. Right. Okay. Yes. Um All right. So then we'll uh look at the map uh on July 8th, which is suddenly filling up a little bit. Um then we have uh discussion uh update
October 27th, 2025 fall special town meeting potential warrant articles and timeline. Uh yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I put um hopefully in the packet a timeline of what it would look like to get to that uh Monday, October 27th special town
meeting deadline um with the warrant closing in early August, which would give the months of August and September and really the first couple of days of October for the warrant committee to review um vote on and write comments on
the warrant articles. Um, so again, that's a deadline of August 8th to submit any articles to the select board um for inclusion on that warrant so we can get them to the warrant committee. Um, there's nothing um I'm aware of
outside of the lighting bylaw that's been discussed and um and not yet acted upon as well as the one about alcohol uh in town land. Those are the two kind of outstanding warrant articles that were
at town meeting but not um getting any kind of final action. Um so if there's others that this board is interested in um please let me know. Um and then we should also talk about as a board next steps on those two articles what that might look like um and what process
that might look like to to get into versions that uh should be submitted to town meeting. based based on our experience with the last go around. Could we frame this and put it up on the wall tattooed? I like the dates. Um so I
you know on the lighting bylaw I felt like that one was pretty close to being wrapped up. Uh it just felt like it was more of a worry I think about the time that was going to take uh on the floor
um than the language itself which I think had gone through some revisions. So um and um our former member uh Bradley was um kind of the the point person on that. Um, so would it be
do we have that language for that was the most recently updated? So maybe what we can do is forward that language that we have now uh to member Bradley, former member Bradley and um and ask if there's any other changes that she's aware of to
that language. Um and if not, I'm not going to say July 8th for that one because I feel like we've already plugged a bunch of stuff in that. But we could we could do that one on the sec the second meeting in July. Okay. Um and then for the unless and I'm open to
suggestions on that too. No, I agree with that. Yeah. Okay. Um and then for the um the the probably more sensitive topic of do we want to have um do we want to extend the a right to have a
one-day liquor license beyond town buildings to including outdoor town property? Um we did have a well we had a public hearing on both of these um prior to prior to um uh Mr. Daly and Miss Hagerty joining. Um the lighting one had
really no um citizen comment other than they thought it was a good idea. The liquor license one to me seems like the one where we had some thoughtful input from the um uh
uh who who miss Carol was was representation coalition. Yes, the coalition. Thank you. Um and it's it seemed to me like we were going to think about adding some of that language, but it might be helpful to circulate a redlinined version of it where we have the additional language. And and these
were suggestions like having tips trained bartenders um having u uh bracelets. Yeah. For folks, having having areas to the extent that it was possible um where uh liquor was uh not just liquor, but I well I
guess liquor was was was permitted. Um, and then I I think if we if we could circulate that now and then also have that as a discussion on our July 25 meeting. Uh, is that what it is? July 25th. 22nd. 22nd. Um,
then I I would think that would give us is everyone will be We know that everyone's here for July 22nd because we did the He's not Oh, Mr. Cohen's not here. Um, so maybe um maybe we could look at it on July 8th.
Uh, and then Mr. Cohane, you know, if you've got questions or or thoughts about it, you can make them then. We won't necessarily have it finalized, but we could at least start the discussion then. Uh, and then if we agree to it, then we could maybe we don't have to put it on the 22nd or if we want to make
more changes. I know that Mr. Wells also wants to comment on it. Have we I feel like the so we have had a lot of really thoughtful input. We also I feel like with this particular item have struggled with the you know making the rounds with
the stakeholders. Yeah. Do we have a good sense that everybody has seen the most recent version before we take it up? I think that's a good question. Make sure that we are sort of done with it. So I think what we could do is because I
feel like what happens is we get close to town meeting and then people show up and say but you haven't spoken with us. So the board of health had thoughts about it, the Milton Coalition had thoughts about it. The Chamber of Commerce had thoughts about it and we've
heard from all three of them. So I think you're making an excellent point, Miss Hagerty. So, what we could potentially do is on the 8th just look at the language and then circulate it for public comment and then have it have it again on the 22nd and if people have
additional thoughts they could come in there and then we could certify it and then everybody gets two bites at the apple and in addition to the previous bites that they've had, five bites at the apple. It's just a core at the end of it. I can do that.
Um and then uh members other um articles suggestions for uh the fall town meeting. Okay. Yeah. My guess is that um through the process of not to get too back into the MBTA community's discussion, but um
with the input of citizens and and the town halls, my guess is there may be at some point some refinement to that. Um, but given the timeline, it probably won't happen in that fall town meeting unless there's something that's glaringly obvious that
everyone's missed. Okay. Um, but you you may want to have a hold on there if if for some reason we get the um economic feasibility study back, right? That would allow us to move up the uh the affordable housing, right? Nope. That's a good thought.
Okay. Okay. All right. going once, going twice. How long do you want town meeting to be in October? And I'll just I should have flagged, but um MIP's term and charge does expire at the fall technically at the fall town meeting
whenever that falls. So um there may be an article potentially related to Empic, but I haven't received anything quite yet. So I think I we are discussing that. So we're right now Empic is working on its final report. Um and
you know going through the last sets of of um action items and uh we should probably pick a date in the fall for us to come back um in report. Okay. To the select board prior to town meeting.
Okay. To start that conversation. Yeah, that makes sense. Okay. So maybe September sometime. And then I don't know if the um the climate action uh planning committee I know that Mr. Hasha is hoping to come in either on the 8th or the 22nd so we can give him the
dates for those but I don't know that they're thinking about anything for the warrant. Yeah. I don't I don't believe so but I can check it. Be worth asking. Okay. All right. Going once. All right. Going twice. Let's move on to town council and labor council update. Potential
recommendation for labor council services. Mr. Milano. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh no recommendation uh tonight. We completed um interviews with five labor council firms over Tuesday and Wednesday. And then on Thursday um we
interviewed town council firms uh with a group um that included myself, assistant town administrator Nick Connors, the chairs of uh the conservation commission, the board of appeals, the planning board, the town moderator, and the town clerk. So I think that was all
the everybody covered I think in terms of those uh types of bodies that would interact regularly with town council. Um so we discussed a bit in terms of how we felt the interviews went. We're doing some follow-up homework on the firms that have applied, the attorneys in
particular that have been identified as lead for the town. um doing some reference checks and then we'll reconvene as groups to uh circle back and um deliver some feedback to the select board. So, no recommendation tonight, just an update that that
process is underway and um moving forward. Great. Um well, now I know why Mr. Walsh is here. I think we have a discussion about the future use and disposition of the East Milton Fire Station, 525 Adam Street,
and request for proposals, process, and goals. Am I guessing that you're joining us here, Mr. Walsh? Thank you. My kids, for the record, think a boba shop would be the best use of this planet. I asked them as we were driving uh into
East Milton yesterday. And that was their verdict. So I hope that's that's what you've got lined up for us. Bubble tea. Well, actually, Mr. Chairman, if you would, I' I'd like the opportunity just make a couple of comments. In general, this is the first time I've had the opportunity to address the board with the two newest members. My chance
to say welcome. Uh, and I wanted to explain very very briefly where we are and a couple important things coming up. So, um, quick update. I I think as you know the headquarters are done and the headquarter station is done and we're the FSBC fire station building committee
the fire department we're all very proud of it. We think it came out terrific and if you haven't had a chance to really see it and go in I'd encourage you to do so and if I could help you with that a tour I'd be happy to do that. Um, so one thing the the East Milton station
commonly referred to as engine 2 has actually the new one has actually begun. If you've any if any of you have gone by, you've seen the fencing and you've seen a lot of piles of dirt, but it's really uh slow moving stuff right now. The the uh the had to do a lot of work
with the dirt, make sure there was nothing dangerous underneath where they're going to pour it. Had to really work to confirm where the utilities would come across the property, utilities that will will serve both the new fire station and the
existing uh St. Agatha's rectory which is right next door, right close by. And so even though that work has started, the fire station builder committee feels it's important to have a groundbreaking ceremony. And one of the reasons I'm
here is to invite you members of the select board. We think it's going to be in three to four weeks. In the groundbreaking, we'll we'll really be about it'll be starting the pouring the pad and building the structure. Right? That's that's the point. Uh I will be
happy to get the date when it's finally nailed down to Miss Milano. And honestly, I' I'd love to see the opportunity for any or all of you if you could attend. you know, the East Milton station significantly smaller than the headquarter station, but significantly more visible. Uh, and you know, we've
got a very active East Milton community, and I think it'd be terrific if we could, uh, get as many of you do to attend that groundbreaking. And just as the course of the project at that point, it'll be about 12 months to completion. Uh, and we'll have two other ceremonies.
We'll they have a capping off ceremony. We did this at the headquarters, right? The highest beam at the at the building. It's a very quick thing and of course the ribbon cutting which we hope will be in about 12 months. Um now interesting enough I know you have the item on the agenda for the old uh East Milton
station wanted especially for the new one very very brief update that station is the second station that's occupied that location and I don't find that many people know that it came on board uh and it's 1951 to 1952 right in that area.
Uh, ironically, in 1954, the state and federal government decided they were going to sink the expressway. So, that that station was built before the current configuration of streets around that sunken expressway. And I got to tell you, there's no doubt in my mind
that we would not have rebuilt that station there had they foreseen that. And why? 75% of the East Milton Engine 2 district is on, for lack of a better phrase, the Milton side of the expressway versus the Quinsey side. And it takes on a good day, the fire engine
a full minute to get around right over to the post office. And even at my advanced age and withering capabilities, I could probably hit the post office with a rock from the Eastbuilt fire station. So, and losing a minute, the national standard for all fire stations
is to get to 90% of your residents within 4 minutes or less. So, losing a minute is a big deal. And frankly, that's on a good time. They lose a good minute and a half anytime it's around morning or uh evening rush hour. So, the new location, by the way, is
significantly better for that. They if they if you can v kind of visualize it, they if they come out of the station right on Adam Street, a very wide straight street with very great lines of sight visibility and they'll have a light there, but they can go left and then quickly take a couple of different
rights and get to up to most of the 75% significantly faster. for the folks that are on the Quinsey side, they come out of that station and take a right on Squanam Street and they can get in fact that's another large street. It's not as
congested as Adam Street is down by East Milton Square and they can get quickly up to those things. So, you know, I it's one of the reasons by the way there was no ambiguity about we had to do the headquarter station first. The the control systems and everything were all there and some of them were really
archaic. I mean they had a like a ticker tape system. We kind of did a film at town meeting at one point. But in any event, but this doing what what was the best second station? It's really because of that problem of not being able to quickly serve the the area they're
supposed to in a timely fashion. Um, so I'm here both as an individual and as a member or a representation of the fire station building committee to tell you we want you to sell the old East Milton station and for very selfish reasons,
we'd like to we we're going to need more funding. When we started seven plus years ago, we were going to do all three stations at once. both our owners, project manager and the uh architects that we were working with said, "Look, if you put out to bid all three
stations, you'll get a much better price because it'll be a nice long project for them." And so, we're we were about to do that and CO hit and co did two things that that are plaguing us even to today. The first thing it did is it drove up drove up the prices of a lot of the
materials, especially with the unknown future. Um, and then it also drove up the cost of borrowing. And so we had a funding formula for the for the fire stations, which was terrific. It's a special purpose stabilization fund that
says as the retiring debt from the six building school project and the library retires, we froze it and said that will fund the stations. Well, the station's more more expensive now and the cost of money is more expensive. So, we really really will need, you know, as much cap
more capital as we can get. Uh, and so I'm lobbying heavy that you will strongly consider selling the old East Milton station and allocating it to the fire station so that we can complete a there's there's also no doubt in my mind to be fairness and I I've talked to Nick
more more than once about this. We're probably going to have to find another funding source to complete the Athen. We thought the special purpose stabilization fund was going to do it uh complete all three stations. It doesn't look likely now. We still don't know. There are things that can happen to our
favor. Uh but there's no doubt we could use the proceeds of the old engine too. So, uh I think I've hit my main Oh, and I have a strange question. I there are areas in town as I travel around that I
that I'm recognized as being a fire station guy. Um and I I know of at least one serious inquiry, someone that would really be a serious buyer and for the old station if you sell it and I don't know who do I
direct that to. I I Nick. Okay. I I don't want to feel that. I know you probably have other uh folks and yeah, I I think that's it. So again, welcome. Thank you. I hope that helped a little bit on the fire station project.
Thank you. And I am very serious. By the way, uh you're all residents of Milton. If you haven't had the opportunity to kind of go in and tour that, uh Mr. Milano knows how to get a hold of me. Be happy to take you on a little tour. You you it's it came out terrific. you know,
even from little things, if let me just the glass doors in the front. We went around and looked at some 12 stations that were recently completed to get ideas and we we stumbled across that and the fire chief made an ex at that town made an extraordinary first thing he did
he said, "Hey, do you have a garage door? Are have you ever had a garage door for your house?" And I have for more than 30 years. He said, "You know, sometimes they break, don't they? You go to open them up and you can't open them, right?" And that's happened to me. He said, "Well, when ours break, you know,
not being able to open them is a problem. We got to get there quick." And there are actually, you can even Google and find it. There are cases in the country where a fire truck has had to drive through a door to get to the to to a to a call. So, in any event, those doors there, they're they open like a
biffold and they just won't they're designed they cannot get stuck closed. And they also are incredibly much much easier. They're all all of these doors are so large, whether the old overhead doors or those five biffold. Um they all
have an electronic op option to open them, but sometimes that who knows power fail that fails. And so this chief of this other system walked over. He said, "Let me show you something." He grabbed the door and he was in his 60s and he easily opened one bay and they had four bays. Then he closed it and he did a
manual lever and he grabbed it again and he easily opened all four bays. And uh that's a big safety advantage. And then especially where our headquarters is located, there's a there's a nursery school or on
one side and one on the other side. The council on aging is right behind it. Town hall is right in front. It's a busy spot. And having all that pure glass wall for the firefighters to see out before they ever make a move to come out of there just adds a whole level of
safety. And with that, I'll stop my my uh my pitch on behalf of the fire station. It is a beautiful station and uh you're right to wax poetic about it. Um and and we thank you for the update. So, uh questions from the members.
If I could just Mr. Chair just to add to kind of put some additional color on this. So in terms of where we are at is with 12 months, 14 months that this building will be out of use, it's time to start thinking about what we want to
do there. Um, you know, you heard from Mr. Walsh in terms of, you know, sell and and move on and use that additional proceeds to help a future capital project in particular Atheton Station. um you know, if we're going to do an RFP, then we'll need to think we just
want the expectations clear in that and and the goals clear in that. So, folks are responding to what uh we're looking for. Um if it's not to sell it, it's to lease it. So, we have an option, then we need to kind of make a decision around that. Are we going to require that the building stay? Do we have attachments to
the building that we want it to stay or are we okay with no restrictions if we sell it or lease it? Um those are kind of the two big uh go no-go questions. Um and then ultimately any kind of sale where would or a long-term like a 99-year lease that's effectively a sale
that kind of land transaction would require a town meeting vote. Um so in thinking about the timeline to get to town meeting um as a you know scheduling question in terms of do we go to town meeting request authorization to sell it or long-term lease it and then we do the
procurement or does the select board want to do the procurement and say okay we pick somebody now it's subject to town meeting and deliver kind of a done deal to town meeting. So there's different ways to sequence these um and different ways to to game this out, but
we need to kind of g start engaging on those conversations earnestly. Um not necessarily obviously this evening, but thinking about that timeline as we saw with the town farm RFP. These can take a long time, but uh we do want to keep the wheels of government trying to move
here. Um, so we have resolution on this project um, one way or the other. In in keeping with what others have said, trying to get community involvement, is there a way we can somehow do that? Let people know maybe
some kind of an event at the art center. I don't know. No, I agree 100% with that. And it's again getting to the point where are there any things that folks are are we just open it up to kind of broad feedback? do we want to go in with, you know, the board's inclined
more in this way? What kind of feedback do you have about that idea? So that again, that makes sense. It's smart to do. We would want to we would certainly want to enroll that in. It's just a question of what and kind of with what how much detail do we go out so that there's actually something to respond to and think. I'm just thinking it it be
it's always nice for any anything to go out before decisions, right? you know, so if you can go out there before the decision, I know in the case we have here, we're behind the eightball because it's already been made, but this is a case where we where we could and um I'm
happy to do whatever I I can, it's my neighborhood to help um set something up. Yeah, you can talk some more. No, I think that's a I think that's a good suggestion. It it' probably be good to get like the chamber to weigh into like what do they think about? Y um and then
for all of us I think we should be think be be thinking about do is it worth doing a like a 99-year lease like we're doing with Town Farm or or a total sale. I think whether we keep the building or not those are all uh the building I
can't imagine some some people have bizarre attachments to things but that building's not great. Mr. Walsh. Yeah. If I could just um when we after our project started, we actually became aware of a problem at that station. And in fact, we had to spend some $50,000
shoring up the floor. And when that station was originally brought into service, both the first time and in in this particular building, it had two engines. In fact, at one point, it actually had a ladder truck before Prop 2 and a half. uh that station right now
cannot support two fire engines in those bays. We spent $50,000 shoring up the floor, but it's still not strong enough for two fire engines. So, at some point, someone, you know, depending on whatever use they they determine to be, we'll have to do a real analysis and decide what, you know, what they can really do
with that building. Firehouse Subs was a name that came up. as long as there's bubble tea there. Um, so it sounds like, you know, there would be I totally agree with Mr. Cohane in terms of like thinking about the um, you know, getting some resident input on
that. So maybe we should be working towards a date in September, October once people or folks are back kind of right after get through the start of school trying to do something over at the art center or something just in and keep it broad. You know, there's a future reuse kind of visioning and
feedback type conversation. Yeah. And and I think, you know, it would be that would give us a little bit of time to at least get some sense of what the market might hold if we wanted to sell this the site. Um, you know, because I know, for example, the youth task force may want to think about that as a as a youth
center. Um, and then what would that what would we lose in revenue in terms of creating that versus finding other space for a youth center? So, I know they'll there'll be lots of interesting ideas, no doubt, that will come up and not just the neighborhood, beyond the neighborhood. Yeah. Yeah. And I
should have noted we did do um we tried to do an expression of interest phase where we put it out to say give us your thoughts and your feedback. Um and we've had good conversations with folks who are interested. Um people have been reluctant to put an a proposal out there
or even the concept of a proposal out there for because we haven't engaged in much of a process. They didn't want their name tied to something that's just kind of concept. They didn't want somebody else to steal the idea. So it left us in kind of a tough spot. But we have had um you know one-on-one conversations with a few people are are
interested in potentially purchasing um the station, but we know that would need to go through a public vetting um before any decisions are made. Yeah, I think maybe if we could target end of September, early October. Okay. And just, you know, in the meantime,
we'll start just percolating the ideas around if folks have if there's like a something on the town website. Maybe if people just have ideas or thoughts about what the old station could be, might be a good way to get some of the ideas turning, but we will um we'll definitely
take the recommendation very seriously from the committee in terms of the money. I could take just one more thing, brief amount more of your time. The one thing when I stress about the beautiful new headquarters that I I was remiss in not mentioning, an extremely important
part about that building is the absolute increase in safety and health features for the firefighters. Just isolating the engine bay so the fumes aren't rising up to where they sleep and eat uh to to dress down areas to wash down areas etc.
So those are all things there many things that are important but that clearly is an important feature of new buildings and we all three of them need it. I I did the tour I saw that the wash down area was pretty impressive. Pretty impressive. Yeah. Yeah.
All right. Well, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Walsh. Thanks, Brian. Thanks, Brian. Um All right. Did I miss the inclusion of the I saw for the So our next item is the town administrator's evaluation. Um
in the packet I think there was a there was the addendum for your uh for setting the next uh evaluation for December 31st, 2025. Um what there's where um we have an
evaluation from yourself and Aaron Bradley. Um that's what we've received so far just for me and for from Eron. Okay. Um well uh I think that we can't um there there are uh consequences for
you on the pay side. Um I know what my evaluation was. Did Did Carla turn in anything that we can do we have anything that we can improve? And just since there was only the two of them, we didn't take any um do anything with it. So or she rather. Okay. Um, was Roxanne
also included in that? Did Roxan not submit a redness must not submit before she had left the board? No. Okay. Was she asked? Well, she was asked last year too. Oh, I see. Last year. Okay. And uh and this year um
Well, she was we were having these discussions before the election. Um because Mr. Milano's pay depends on this evaluation. Um maybe um Mr. Milan if I come into the uh well
I first I would say Mr. Cohane uh if you can do anything for Nick uh in terms of submitting any kind of evaluation. My I had spoken and and it just that the the the period ends today,
right? And so I'm just saying the period ends today. I should have a little bit of time after today to put it together. I don't have anything. I don't have anything. This is for last year. I don't have anything to do with that. I just started. They're just like these two. They don't have anything to do with last
year. This this year, correct? You you would have had like May and June of last year. So, but they're not doing one for this year. Okay. Let me talk to I'll talk to Carla about it uh on Thursday and see. No. And I think I know that you
only have the you only have two months. Yeah. And then the next evaluation date was December 31st for that reason. Moving forward, correct? Moving forward to try to reset it, right? Winston S and I would participate in the next next one. Yes. And to the to the extent that you
have interacted with Mr. Milano for May and June, you would provide that that guidance. There's not like a perfect solution to this between the election cycle and the fiscal years. Yep. Um I I'll ask No, no, no. You're you're you're right. You're right, Mr. coming.
Um I uh I was just thinking in just in terms of like having one more input even if it's just for a month, but that's um let me see what uh and then maybe could you ask her to reach out to um Mr. Wells and Miss MTO one more time. Sure.
And then either way, let's put it on our July 8th agenda and I'll whatever she's got gotten to whatever she and I can cook up. Okay. we will we will have uh at that point and do you need us to approve the amendment language? Yes. Yes. This will just formally change the
cycle to get away from the issue we're describing here now. Uh so the way that would work is we'll do the 25 fiscal 25 evaluation and then we'll come back and go through the process again in six months just to get it to a December to December time frame. Got it. Um, so I
would take a motion on uh the amendment language there if anybody is so inclined. I'm I'm also happy to do it. I'll um Mr. Chair, I'd like to move to
um amend the employment agreement um approve the amendment or sorry, approve the amendment to the employ to the employment agreement with the town administrator regarding the section five employ performance evaluation. Great. Do
I have a second? Second. Uh and uh all in favor? I. All right. Um, so I'll looks like I'm going to have a a busy day at town hall on Thursday. Uh, just in time for the fourth. We are now at uh
board committee appointments and reappointments. Uh, I would be very happy if somebody wanted to speed read through the motions here. Want me to if you'd like to do that? Do I need to say something ahead of time or just start reading? Motion to
approve. Right. So right right here you could just do the you could just read this one here. Okay. Unless we have any discussion about this. I did talk to on the on the um affordable housing trust. I confirmed um that everybody who is on there currently
is reapplying uh and interested in reapplying. So correct. That's pretty much the only one that I looked at all. So just all together you can just do the proposed motion here. I move to approve. Move to approve the following individuals to the affordable housing trust for the one-year term. Shawn
Bentley, Thomas Callahan, Kevin Krisen Jr., Kathleen Conland, Julie Kramer, Eric Hokinson, Warren Lizio, and Matthew Morang. Can I get a second? Second. All in favor? I. Great. And we've already
appointed Mr. Daly to that committee. So then this then you go to this next one. uh move to reappoint the following individuals to the airplane noise advisory committee for a one-year term. Kathleen Conland, David Goodine, and Raju Pat.
Going to get a second. Second. Second by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I I move to approve the following individuals to the Council on Aging Board of Directors for a three-year term. David Cornish and Yavon Ready. Second. Seconded by Mr.
Daly. All in favor? I I move to I think you went backwards actually. I pulled my pages weird. Yeah, you got two pictures. Sorry. So, here we go. Two. Got you. Um, move to appoint Sher Paulo as associate member of the
Council on Aging Board of Directors for a one-year term. Second. Second by Mr. Daly. All in favor? I. Move to appoint the following individuals as advisory. Move to appoint Marie Zinus as exeic
member of the Council on Aging Board of Directors for a one-year term. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly. All in favor? I I move to appoint the following individuals as advisory members to the Council on Aging Board of Directors for a one-year term. Caroline Kinsel and
Sarah Trung. Uh second by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I I move to reappoint the following individuals to the Milton Landing Committee for a one-year term. Richard Burke, Ted Carroll, Thomas McCarthy, and Nicholas Milano. Second.
Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I move to reappoint the following individual to the Shay Tree Advisory Committee for a one-year term. Nancy Chrysom, uh, Marita Manning, Cronin, Moridori, Fiona, Javon, William Madden,
and Fred Taylor. Second. Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I move to appoint Helen Russell to the SHA tree advisory committee for a one-year term. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly. All in favor? I. Move to reappoint the following individuals to the sign review committee for a one-year term. Lawrence
Johnson, Deborah Azerad Sabona, Laura Simonei, and John Zikowitz. Second. Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I I move to appoint Steven Gentiel to the sign review committee for a one-year term. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly. All
in favor? I I move to reappoint the following individuals to the Equity and Justice for All Advisory Committee for a two-year term. Rabbi Alfred Benjamin, Sarah Myyrie, Sarah Porter, and Ralph Parent. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly.
All in favor? I I um move to appoint Jonathan Bulery to the Equity and Justice for All Advisory Committee for a two-year term. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly. All in favor? I I
move to reappoint the following individuals to the local historic district study committee for a one-year term. Andrew Hoffman, Larry Lawer, Ryan Mlan, and Brian O'Halerin. Second. Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I I move to reappoint the following
individuals to the payment in L of taxes pilot committee for a one-year term. Jennifer Hine, Matthew Keswick, Nicholas Milano, and C. Robert Reits. Second. Seconded by Mr. Daly. All in favor? I I
move to reappoint the following individuals to the traffic commission for a one-year term. Uh Marian Driscoll and Steve Gester. Second. Seconded by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I move to appoint the following individuals to the youth task for for a
one-year term. Griffin an Angus Christina Lily Hook and Rachel Posar. Second. Second by Mr. Dailyaly. All in favor? I move to approve the Yeah, you did it. I did it. And with many many thanks to all of
those town individuals, including you, Mr. Milano, who made a couple of appearances there uh for your time and dedication um in volunteering for the town. We really really appreciate it. And the uh quick reading of that is really to just emphasizes how much we
appreciate it. We don't need we need to really talk about it. We just appreciate it that much. Um, so we have discussion approval meeting minutes May 27, 2025. Um, do any uh any comments on the minutes or I'll take a motion.
Uh, move to approve the meeting minutes dated May 27th, 2025. And we were all present for that one. Yes. So, uh, second seconded by Mr. Cohane. All in favor? I, uh, town administrator's report. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, we sent out a
note through uh the town website and elsewhere about tax bills uh starting to appear in mailboxes. So, those are sent out at the end of last week uh starting to arrive um today. Uh just and in case you notice a change, it does incorporate
an estimate for the override that was approved by voters in a town meeting earlier this year. Um the reason for that is if we did not incorporate any change then all of that change would have been felt on the final tax bills. So um it it was adjusted from the
preliminary the preliminaries are adjusted from the prior fiscal year to account for um the estimate for the override approval. Um so um there are resources if you're looking for assistance um through the assessors and the council on aging and others um on
the tax burden. In additional news, um the assistant d planning director or assistant director of planning and community development, Cheyenne Frraasier, um has given notice that she'll be leaving uh the town um as well the state. She'll be moving out of state. So, uh we wish her the best of
luck. She'll be with us for another uh 3 to four weeks and leaves um towards the end of July. Um so, that segus nicely into our job postings. We do have the town engineer posting still out there. um a director of planning and community development as well as the assistant
director which we will post. Um hopefully we can close on a planning director soon um and then staff up that department back to where it um where it needs to be. The uh new veteran service officer um
has begun um or has has been in Randolph but will start in Milton next week. Um Alex Ortiz um they're cleaning out his office right now in the Council on Aging. Um so we look forward to welcoming welcoming him. Um and he should be um again working as of next
week. In addition to that, we have hired a new building commissioner um a former commissioner in Bridgewater and West Bridgewwater, Michael White. He'll start July 14th. Um that position has been vacant since December. Um so again, we're excited to to get that office as
well back up to full staffing where it needs to be. And um that concludes it for me, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Uh the chair's report. Oh, I should ask any questions for Mr. Milano for his from his report first.
Um I the news about Cheyenne, it's unfortunate. I know that she's pursuing a professional opportunity uh by going to law school in Texas, so we understand that. Um she's a law school grad. Law school grad. Sorry. No, she's taking the bar. Um and and congrats to her for for
that. Um I just I feel like I issue this every couple of months and it's always worth to some saying it is um for all of our residents to just remember how hard uh and dedic our our our town staff work
on behalf of this town, how dedicated they are. Um we are really grateful um Mr. to you and to all of the other folks uh that do the hard work keep keeping this town running. Um we had a presentation from DPW last uh uh last
meeting. It's probably worth thinking about who our next and maybe you and I Mr. Cohen can talk about who might come in for a future meeting when we do an agenda planning session. Um, but uh it's really uh you know in a time where
people can be pretty nasty to each other. I think it's just really important to remember you know you can send me nasty messages is is fine but please be gentle and kind to our town employees who are doing the very best that they can do um to to keep this town uh running and uh and we're we're again
very grateful for that. Thank you. uh for my chair's report. Um I just want to it's so successful uh even with a little bit of threatening rain um Saturday and Sunday um sessions out on uh Governor Hutchinson Field. Um thank I know the
Copeland Foundation is involved in that. I know Mr. Wells is very involved in that and and many many other uh volunteers um both for the music festival on Saturday and the Celtic music celebration on Sunday. Um and so thank you to everybody who came out to that and made it a great success. Um
also this weekend uh this past weekend we uh there was a dedication of a bench um to Milton resident Kate Middleton who passed away last year around this time uh on Turner's Pond. Uh and I uh recommend if you are going on a walk on Turner's Pond, there's a a lovely bench
um that's set I guess on that would be on the south side of the pond um with a quote that was selected by her daughter. Um it's a very lovely location and and there was a good turnout of folks um at that dedication. Um I'm trying to think of what else we've done in the last
week. I don't know that there's that much else. Does anybody have anything else that they'd like to shout out? Um I know there was um we talked about the water man and uh sinkhole and everything. There was a the the DPW and
the fire department had a very busy uh weekend. I think that was was that two weekends ago? Um and so we we're grateful for their response to all those um late late activities. Um so that being said, I don't think we have
anything for public comment response. Um future meeting dates, we have July 8th and July 22nd. Um future agenda items already filled up. It's pretty much filled up. I And I I know that we we were going to put Mr. um Mr. Hasha and
the and the climate justice committee on one of our July meetings. So that might I might suggest to him the July 22nd meeting for their presentation. Um and then I know for the first executive session we can skip it. Are we in for this second executive session? If
we could. Um yes please. Okay. So I am going to uh propose that we uh move to adjourn from open session and enter into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining. Milton Clerical Unit of Southeastern Public Employees Association, Milton
Professional Management Association, Milton Public Employees Association, Milton Firefighters Local 116, Milton Police Officers Assoc Milton Police Association, Milton Superior Officers, Milton Library Association. based on my belief that the discussion of the matter in open session may have a detrimental
effect on the bargaining position of the select board. The select board will not return to open session. Can I have a second? Second. Seconded by my by Mr. Dailyaly. This is a roll call vote uh to move into executive session and adjourn. Mr. Dailyaly, yes. Miss Haggerty, yes.
Mr. Cohane, yes. And myself, yes. That will conclude the open portion of this meeting. Thank you everyone for joining us. [Music]