[Music] --------- Rip it.
Uh, good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the May 13, 2025 meeting of the Milton Conservation Commission. Commission members are appointed by the select board to implement the rules and regulations of the state wetlands protection act uh and also the Milton
town bylaw governing the wetlands. uh we have two issues of u formality I guess and the first is that we um introduce ourselves uh and the second is that we invite all uh citizens participants
homeowners uh interested parties to participate um ask questions make comments but we do ask that you identify yourself for the record uh since we're in compliance with the open meeting law uh so we'll start with the introductions my name is John Kieran let me read across the top uh Steve, can you go
next? Sure. I'm Steve Ibis, conservation agent. Arthur Doyle. Altha Doyle, conservation member. Philip Driscoll. Philip Driscoll, conservation clerk. Charles Bosworth. Charlotte Bosworth, conservation
member. Tom Palmer. Tom Palmer, conservation member. And Wendy Garpo. Hi, good evening. I'm Wendy Garpo, also one of the commissioners. And I'll speak slowly because I just saw
Hans Van Lingan and he's almost on. I'm here. Where are you? He's all right. He's on the second line. All right, Hans, good evening. Can you introduce yourself? Hi, I'm Hans Van
Lingan, commission member. Ah, great. Thank you very much. and a small adjustment to the agenda. I'm going to call number nine first. It'll be a very short um presentation. And uh Charlie, can you help me? I I don't see Steve on.
Yes. Uh I'm here, Mr. Chairman. Oh, by uh perfect. Uh thank you. Can you just uh tell us what you're looking for for the project at 131 Elliot Street? Yes, I will. Thank you. Uh my name is Stephen Connelly. manager for 131 Elliot Street LLC and we're
requesting uh an extension permit for the order of conditions. Uh and the purpose of this is to uh to finish the work which is the planting of five 4-in caliper trees at locations to be
termined by the town of Milton. And uh once we've received these locations, we'll plant the trees and then we'll return to the commission with a request for a certificate of compliance for the project. All right. Thank you, Steve. And and by
way of background, a year ago, we extended the order of conditions for one year. That year expires on May 24th of 2025. And pursuant to the statute, uh, an extension can be requested as long as it's requested within the existing time
period, which it is, and that's why Steve had to come in, uh, this evening to ask for it. Uh, additionally, those trees were part of a a long long ago resolution of an issue for tree cutting at the site. This is a mixeduse
development at Central Avenue and Elliot Street. Um, and I think that Steve was working with Chase Berkeley. Um, and I think we have to now get uh, Marina involved. And so we and we can weigh in on this as to what would be uh, an
appropriate location for these trees to be planted throughout Milton. This they're not going to be planted on site. There's no room there because of the landscaping plan. These are to be planted elsewhere. We don't have to address that now. Uh but once Marina uh Fernandez has been involved as director
of DPW and still town engineer as well um uh then we can all take a take a shot at our suggestions for location. So this evening we're only going to vote on whether or not uh we can extend this for an additional year uh in order to comply
with the conservation commission's order to plant these trees somewhere in Milton. Um, are there any comments, questions, suggestions by commission members or anybody else or members of the public?
Uh, yes. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm wondering if it's possible that these five trees might be placed in the nearby proximity of 131 Elliot Street, like in the surrounding neighborhood, because I
know that the that that that u that that neighborhood really did um love and appreciate the large trees that were on that site. And um I think that perhaps those immediate neighbors might also
appreciate some of the new trees to be placed there instead. I I think that's a great suggestion and maybe uh what we can do we I don't we we don't have to decide that this evening. This evening we're only uh deciding whether or not we can extend the order
of conditions for another year. But, uh, Wendy, my suggestion is that you correspond with Marina Fernandez, uh, take suggestions from members of the public, uh, but certainly from conservation commission members as to appropriate locations and then we can
put this on the agenda for next month as to the actual locations. Okay. That is that acceptable to you? Absolutely. And Marina Fernandez, is she the the new environmental coordinator for the town? No, she is not. She is the
director of the DPW and she is the town engineer. My apologies. Still acting. She was the town engineer and still is until replaced, but she's also she took the position that Chase Berkeley had previously. Okay. All right. And she's accessible
and uh responsive and I'm I'm sure you'll be able to coordinate very quickly with her. Uh any other comments or suggestions, questions, members of the public? Hearing none, seeing no hands raised, uh I'll make the motion myself to uh extend
the order of conditions for an additional year, which will go from 52425 until 52426. Is there a second to that motion? Second, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Any discussion? Uh roll call vote. Arthur
Doyle, your vote. Yes, Tom. Yes, Wendy. Yes, Hans. Yes, Charlie. Yes. And I John K and vote yes as well. So that's unanimous. Uh thank you very much. Thanks Steve for appearing
tonight. Um and uh we'll be back in touch with you. Next on the agenda is number one uh which is Milton the Ponet Eststerary Survey Project. This is a presentation by Apex Environmental.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I'd like to welcome uh to our meeting Tom Callahan. Uh, for those of you who do not know Tom, he is chairman of the uh community preservation committee and um has been a
solid supporter of the estuary project. the chief engineer for um environmental partners uh Jamie Vallet with whom we have been working is away at uh present not returning until tomorrow
evening. So she will not be with us. So what I'll do is give a a brief review and then if it's all right turn it over to Tom for any questions and then elicit a couple of um pieces of information from him. Uh we received a very generous
$75,000 grant uh from the CPC uh to uh do a significant study in this area of the town uh that is very environmentally sensitive and um had been acquired by the town in the early
1960s but had um not been u tended to for preservation and recreation purposes which is essentially in shorthand the purposes of the grant that uh the conservation commission was awarded. Uh
three major steps have been accomplished uh through the grant. One, the entire 33 acres uh has been thoroughly surveyed. Notices of intent uh went to all of the butters for that purpose. Uh second um
it has been staked and notice notices of intent went to all of the immediate abutters for that activity as well. And uh the um engineers have been drawing up a proposed set of plans uh for the use
of that area in three contexts. Uh, one is a pathway along the abandoned uh, New York, New Haven and Hartford uh, trail which extends from the intersection of
Thistle Avenue and Granite Avenue along the line of the President's Golf Course out to uh, essentially the Quinsey uh, border. And since uh that time we have also had
uh through funding from the conservation commission a conservation commission sign posted there within the past 3 weeks and uh at two other locations in the area of concern with respect to this particular project.
The uh second area of activity would be the abandoned road from the end of Riverview Avenue extension out to what's called Black Rockck and the Milton
Quinsey line uh runs across that about twothirds of the way out to Black Rockck. Uh Tom, so that you know, we have had a working group um in the past among not only departments in town such
as the DPW represented by Marina, but we have also had engaged with us the chief engineer for the city of Quinsey, a member of the Quinsey Conservation Commission, a member of the Quinsey Planning Board, and a re natural
resource officer in the city of Quinsey. Uh the land on the other side of the line in Quinsey is not owned uh by the city. It is owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield. So we have diligently uh been in
contact with them and obtained permission uh to do the sighting and surveying along their property as well. Uh a hope in the future is to have a a trail. I'll send you under separate
cover um a photograph from January 15th which shows you in the snow how heavily trafficked that area is even in the dead of winter. And then u there's a a second conservation sign uh near by that at the
end of Riverside Avenue. The third area is at the end of Thistle Avenue uh where there is an entry that has a gate on it to what's called uh the canal which was
um dug probably as part of the uh quarry trade and bringing stone out to Mount Hope Cemetery in Boston. um that is a trafficked area with respect to uh fishermen and we're
looking at ways to mitigate the traffic to preserve the marsh because the marsh suffers due to the Baker Dam. Ordinarily, if that dam was not in location, silt coming down from the Neponsa River would replenish the salt
marsh, continuing to make it a very healthy estuary. The dam prevents that from happening. The only silting takes place with small residue that comes in on high tides. And uh we hope to have uh
trailing in that area as well as uh an opportunity for a canoe and kayak launch site. Uh a couple of parking spaces and again there is now a conservation commission sign at that location. We
hope to have um this finalized um very very shortly. We'll have a working group meeting later this month and uh then um do two things and we'll need your advice on both of them. Uh Tom, one is uh to
file a report that we owe to the CPC for this particular project and getting an idea of how you would like that report uh prepared and presented would be very very important to us. And secondly, uh the possibility of entertaining an
application for the first of the three activities which we've designated as the trail from the Granite Avenue uh Thistle Avenue out to uh the Riverside Avenue extension. So that's a brief overview of
the work that's been uh conducted there. We have a whole series of maps and supporting information and Tom we can get that to you and any other parties that um are interested in it. We'll also be having a public hearing uh in the site like we did oh last s two summers
ago uh which the CPC had members attending along with members of the neighborhood and members of the conservation commission. So um at this time let us uh give you an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have of us.
Um thank you Arthur of uh thank you for that update and briefing and and congratulations to you and the commission members on on the and advancing this uh forward. We were very proud uh unanimously uh and I I I have
to call out Wendy. Uh I proudly serve with Wendy on the CPC, the community preservation um committee and um but the members were unanimous in supporting this project and and we're really excited. Uh the sitewalk was um very
much appreciated by the way and and uh for those of us I've lived here 30 years and hadn't been out to that part of the marsh. uh said that um that was um really educational and really helped um
put a uh you know place this in Milton and also place this uh in terms of its importance uh to the estuary and to um the region even um with with you know in partnership with Quinsey and Boston's
efforts as well. So um I don't have specific questions. I I applaud you on your work. Um, we do have a deadline of May 30th for the initial eligibility applications. Um, and so we'd encourage
you to get an eligibility application in. Um, that is a first round for those members who might be unfamiliar with our process. Wendy certainly is very familiar with it, but um um the uh we we do a two-stage process where we invite
eligibility applications, which is pretty simple, straightforward application just to determine um whether a project may or may not be eligible given the CPA guidelines uh statewide.
um that can only be spent on open space, uh parks and wreck, affordable housing and um and uh historic preservation projects. So, this undoubtedly would qualify your work in this area, but uh
but it is an important stage of checking the box there. And then our final application um once your approved eligibility is approved would be due September 26th this year. Um so, So you have some time over the the
spring and summer to put that together um for um for our consideration in the fall and into the winter. Um and again we would make recommendations again to town meeting uh next for next May. So
but um yeah, I think the work you're doing there is great. Um obviously um it's a nine member committee and uh we'll all uh weigh our applications and and um we do have limited funding about a million dollars is available this coming year. Um but um that's that's
kind of where we're at. Thank you, Tom. Um it would it not make sense for us to have a report uh to the CPC prior to submitting an application? I think um yes, I think you could do that simultaneously. I think you could
include the report as part of your eligibility application. I I think the committee I Wendy, you know, I mean, I know Wendy's on both committees, but um I to me I think that would be very helpful so that um that um you know, do
it just simultaneous with the application. We try to make we try to make it user friendly as much as we can. We know we're all volunteers here. So, um so I don't think uh you need to worry about uh getting it in in advance of the
um application, but a but a simultaneous report slasheligibility application I think would be um very acceptable. That's very helpful. Thank you. Much appreciated. Um, may we ask if any members of the
commission um have questions of Tom or about the project in general at this time? Uh, I I have a question, but it's probably more to you, Arthur, in terms of readiness for a joint meeting because it sounds like Tom, yeah, you would
support a a joint meeting, conservation commission, and the U. Community Preservation Committee um for the public. Um, Arthur, do you have any kind of timeline for when do you think that could take place? I would think
um June or July would be ideal. Um but that depends upon people's vacation schedules. We had the last one in the summer and that one seemed to work out okay. Maybe Tom and I can put our heads
together with you, John, and um come up with a date um and have a joint meeting of the CPC and the Concom with their respective postings. Would that Oh, absolutely. We We just
need to move it forward in that direction. So, I want to make sure that we don't just come up with an idea. We need to implement. Yeah. I thought maybe we could come up with a calendar date after we have the next working group meeting. Perfect. Marina and the other people if that makes sense. It does.
Good. And and possibly invite um the people from the city of Quinsey as well as representative of the Nepon City River Wershed Association and Tom. We've been working very closely with them on this because of the major project that
they have underway that encapsulate this work as well. And uh in the ideal world, we'll be over our MBTA hurdle because um we want to take a look at not only CPC money to be fair, but also um monies
that might be available through coastal zone management and other resources. Right. And I'll include that in the report. So just to be clear, the joint meeting you're talking about is a would be a site a site visit. Yes. Okay. All right.
Yeah. Yeah. That yes, I think again it was appreciated last time and I think we we would um look forward to it and you know some member not every member was able to make the sitewalk. So you know maybe we'd be able to um you know the state might work better for some or work
for some of the members who weren't able and we we'll have at least one new member joining our committee from the housing authority too. And as soon as we have the working group meeting behind us, then we'll get back to you with some possible dates for a joint venture out
into the wetland. Sounds like a good plan. Wendy, you Yes, please. Um Arthur, do we have a an ETA for when the final report will be ready from the consultant? We're hoping
within a month's time and that would include the cost estimates. for the proposed work. Um, and is that the the consultant, my understanding is the consultant would be able to join us for that that sitewalk.
Is that is that the case? We can ask them. Uh, they know about the uh May 30th deadline for putting in an initial proposal for the CPC, which is why we want to have all the cost estimates in advance of that.
because the application form does require that we indicate a a cost estimate. Um, speaking of of cost estimates, um, Tom, would you be willing to to share with with the commission
um the concept of the CPC bonding so that um the committee might be able to fund larger projects? Yeah. Um great great question um Wendy and and great or great prompt for me to
do that. Um we the the community preservation committee recently um along with town staff the town treasurer, the town accountant and the town administrator met with Stuart Sagenor who is the executive director of the
statewide nonprofit community preservation coalition. um they provide support. Um Milton is Milton like most of the CPA communities that have adopted CPA are members of the um coalition and they provide a lot of u
support for us um as a local CPC uh technical assistance um a connection to other communities um that have passed CP CPA. Um anyway, Stuart uh came to us and
did a excellent uh presentation on bonding. Um many of the towns, over half the towns that have passed CPA have have bonded um based on the CPA revenue stream. So essentially taking out a bond
uh dedicating a portion of the CPA revenue stream towards paying off that debt service over time. But it, as Wendy indicated, it does allow us to consider uh potentially larger projects. Now, of course, we don't want to
um bond um so much that we have no uh discretionary money every year to do new projects that come come before us. Um so we have to be um careful with with our bonding decisions. But but um we um I
think Stuart uh if I can speak for myself, I guess I Stuart uh reassured us that the um the challenge of bonding is not so much a big mountain to um to to climb that many towns have done it.
There is expertise uh in some of our surrounding communities. Um, it was great having the town treasurer and the town account, town administrator there because I think they asked Stuart some really good questions and I think they walked away feeling reassured that
Milton could indeed do this. So we're we have not made any commitments to to bond uh this year or in the future even. But I think um now that we have a little bit of a you know we're we're three years into this uh CPC um effort um we are
feeling a little more comfortable as a committee. I think it's fair to say Wendy um with with the with entertaining the the idea of potentially bonding down the road. So that that could stretch the million-doll revenue stream we have um
to to to like I said potentially consider some larger projects. So So just however there I know there's other projects in town that are already um thinking about our ability to bond too. So, um, again, it will be, you know, a
competitive situation, but, um, but it I think Wendy, that's an excellent Alexa, excellent point that we should, um, continue to to spread throughout um, town that that, um, you know, that's something that we can do. And, and it's
um really easy with the town's existing bonds. It's it's really wouldn't really be an administrative a huge administrative cost to do it. Thank you. That's very helpful because we are looking for as many funding sources for this because this is an
ongoing phased in kind of project that we have. Right. So a bonding situation might be actually particularly you know a good fit with a phased in project like that. Correct. All right. Thank you. Any other question? I think there's a hand raised
by Chris Lyman. Are you there, sir? I am. I I don't believe I have a hand raised, though. Okay, that may that may be an artifact of my my cursor. Sorry, Chris. Thank you. No problem. Well, that's helpful. And
we'll we'll be looking forward to reports back from Arthur and we'll work the the working group will be driving forward a date certain so we can uh plan for a joint meeting. And it's not just, you know, members of the committees, it's it's the public. This this is a
potentially a big deal for the town. So, we look, thank you, Arthur. Thank you, Tom, very much. And thank you, Wendy. Thanks all. Thank you. Thank you, Tom. Thanks, Tom. Thank you. All right. Next on the agenda is uh climate action planning committee report.
Arthur, I'll defer to you on on that one. Thank you. The report was previously uh shared with all members of the conservation commission. Um you may recall that uh from earlier meetings. There is one takeaway that uh we deferred to this meeting and that is
whether or not uh the conservation commission would recommend u uh a communication um to its beon's three state legislators. two in the House of Representatives and one in the state
senate in support of uh legislation that is currently in committee that is designed to uh accelerate the um wetlands restoration in Massachusetts. Uh historically
Massachusetts has lost 40% of its salt marshes and overall salt marshes and of of non-salt or freshwater statewide uh
wetlands have decreased by one/ird which is an enormous loss. With the increase of uh storm water and um rising sea levels, there's a um need great need uh
to restore the salt marshes and other wetlands. To that effect, the uh legislation that is in committee would call for uh doing a number of things uh exempting certain projects from the
requirements of chapter 91. Uh providing general permitting uh relative to certain invasives. uh wetlands restoration streamlining and the permitting process and uh piloting
innovation in uh coastal wetland management. So um the question before us as a carryover is whether or not uh the commission thinks that uh it ought to send a communication to our three
legislators uh supporting this legislation. And again, the impact is to streamline uh coastal restoration in the permitting process and accelerate uh the work that needs to be done.
Great presentation, great idea and um you know author and I have talked about this before and I had um perhaps uh given evidence of my own skepticism because I've seen legislation um being crafted and drafted and revised
and edited and stuff and it's it's a scary process. So um I said to him, Arthur, it's probably a great idea, but I'd really like to read it. and Arthur was good enough to send me the bills, the Senate bill. Um, and a couple of
summaries from the uh I think it was from the MACC. Um, and uh, it was actually a very easy read and it's really straightforward and it's uh, it it narrows the permitting
process and it tries to elimmit the eliminate or at least limit uh, the bureaucratic obstacles in the way of uh, permitting wetlands restoration. And I I was much impressed and I will fall on my sword on this because I should have
immediately sent it to everybody. Um and what I suggest is um I'm enthusiastically in support of us passing a resolution asking our legislative representatives to support this. Um and I I went into it as a cynic
and I came out as a as a true believer that uh I don't see any downside to the legislative proposals. It's to streamline um and make easier the process of getting permits to do exactly what our mandate is and that is to uh protect and
enhance the uh natural resources. Um my suggestion is that we all read it. Um and I will endeavor to get that out to you tomorrow. Um but so that there's no delay on this. I don't know. The legislative process is lengthy. Um, so I
I think we'll have time, but what I suggest is that if I can get this distributed to everybody, the this that I'm talking about the actual legislative bills and then the synopsis from the Mass Association of Conservation Commissions. Uh, if everybody has a
chance to read that, I I think tonight we're going to schedule some sitewalks, which for the public's benefit, those are public meetings. We could actually if everybody was in agreement uh we could vote to pass a resolution at our next meeting which will be less than a
month from now. I don't know what date it will be but um that's my suggestion unless people have already seen it. Um but I was much impressed and uh I I would endorse the suggestion that we do pass a resolution to support
it. Has anybody else seen it? I don't know if if Tom or Wendy or Hans or Charlie if you've seen the bills. No, but um I would vote for it on no word of you and Arthur.
I bet Steve's seen it. Uh sorry. I have I've just been too busy these days. No time for light reading. Right. Exactly. Although I would like to see it. Yeah. I I think due diligence suggests that everybody actually put
their eyes on the bill. Um yeah, I don't know if anybody else Hans or Charlie, have you have you had an opportunity to see it? I have not seen it. I have not. Okay. All right. I I think it's a worthwhile read. It's uh it's actually pretty quick
and I and I don't suggest that for purposes of delay. I think we could actually move this along pretty quickly. uh if we put it on the agenda for the sitewalk which will be probably within a couple of weeks. Uh any other comments or
suggestions or um members of the public that would like to ask a question or weigh in? Um it it actually makes sense because one of the problems with the big projects for as an example restoration
of marsh it's a regional effort. So the marsh land that Arthur and Tom Callahan were just talking about. We we've got a private land owner Blue Cross Blue Shield. We've got the city of Quinsey. We've got the town of Milton. And right across the river, it's the same
essentially the same marsh area the city of Boston. So we've got right there you've got, you know, different permitting avenues. And that's one of the problems that the sponsors of the bill saw. It's it it's a mess because you've got, you know, engineering
departments for the cities. You've got planning commission in the metropolitan area commission. we've got all kinds of uh different entities and sometimes that creates inconsistent results. This is an attempt to streamline it um and make it
a single permitting process which seems to make sense to me. Um but again, if if you read it, it's a pretty quick synopsis and you can see it and um I think it would be a worthwhile read for you.
All right. So, is there a consensus? I don't think, you know, we need to vote right now until we see it. But if we can just continue this discussion until our next public meeting, which will be the sidewalk, uh we can get the the data out to you, take a look at it, and we can
vote it at the next meeting. That'd be very good. Okay. All right. Good. So, we'll we'll continue that. Thank you very much, Arthur, for that. And Arthur has been the driving force on this um All right. Next on the agenda is
number three, certificate of compliance 21 low circle. Mr. Chairman, I received an email this morning. This applicant would like to move to June 10th meeting. They have a family emergency. U understood. Thank you very much. So, we'll put that what what is the June
meeting date? June 10th. All right. With the uh request by the applicant, we accept that continue this until June 10th. Uh number four on the agenda is notice of a 10:30 Curtis Road. Do we have a presenter? Uh yes, good evening chair and uh fellow
commissioners. Devin Hal from Bu Associates here on behalf of the owner and applicant uh the Unquity House Corporation. Um if it's okay with the chair, I just have a uh a brief presentation I would like to share tonight. Oh, that's great Devin. Thanks.
Steve, can you help uh uh sharing the screen share? I hope to. Yes, I can always count on Steve to to help me. So, that is true. Well, Steve gets it going. Um so
we did uh uh file um with mass D. We have received a file number um for this notice of intent um uh 046 uh
0650. Um I sent an email to Philip this morning with that confirmation as well as the uh the green cards. Okay, great. Thank you. Are you trying to share now? Yeah, I'm still not seeing it. It says I can send
a request. I don't know if that helps. Uh allow. Yes. Thank you. That that I think did it. That did it. I see the option now. Good. Good. Um so so ha as has been stated uh
we filed a notice of intent for the unquidity house which is uh located at 30 um Curtis Road. There we go. Just get my laser pointer up here. Um so the property itself uh uh
the house um it's located right on the Madapan line. Um the Neponza River um follows right through here um which is the uh dividing line between Madapan um and the town of Milton. Um on the left
hand side you have Blue Hill A um Curtis Road which kind of loops uh down to Elliot Street. Elliot Street continues down this way. Um and Cliff Road on the right hand side of the screen. Um uh the property itself um 30 C Curtis Road is
outlined in yellow here. Um and really the uh northerly side of this um image um really generally follows along the Neponza River um the major uh natural resources part of this project. Um we
did identify uh three resources uh for this notice of intent. The Neponit River, as I stated, kind of generally follows this uh northerly property line. Um there's a non-jurisdictional stream that we had identified in the field. Um
it we had identified that there's a uh a pretty large covert um right at this corner of the property. um that takes uh probably a large portion of um the off-site
neighborhoods, but we did not identify um excuse me any uh resource areas upstream um of those coverts um to make this um a jurisdictional stream. So that's why we had identified that as a
non-jurisdictional um stream. Um there is also a FEMA flood plane um which is assigned an elevation um which we've depicted on our project plans. Um so the reason why we are
filing for a notice of intent um is really to repair um some erosion that we've identified um on the property. Um the first uh work area um is located right here kind of circled in orange. Um
it's located right next to a uh service area. Um and what I've done on this uh slide here is included some photos. Um the I can't recall if we had uh as part of our informal meeting with the commission walked over to this area. Um
but along this existing edge of pavement uh there's some uh pretty significant erosion that's occurring. Um so this is looking westerly towards this parking lot here. um from down in this service area. So you can see that erosion kind
of follows and continues along the edge of the pavement until it kind of looks like a portion of the water may spill towards a catch basin that's located within the surface area. Um but primarily just there's just a lot of erosion. Um the
reason for that is there is no curb line here. Um, and that's what we're looking to establish uh within this this first work area is to install uh new uh Cape Cod Berm on top of this existing imperous so there's no increase in
imperous surfaces um to make sure that this water as it falls along this edge is directed into this catch basin um without causing erosion. Um, one thing I I would like to note is that uh the commission expressed um some
interest uh in water quality. Um this property uh built I want to recall about 40 to 50 years ago uh lack of storm water management um other than it was really catch basins connected together um to
the outfall. So no water quality treatment um as part of this existing development. So, what we're proposing to do is uh retrofit this catch basin um remove it and install a new water
quality unit in its place um which would uh provide treatment where no treatment uh exists today. The uh second uh proposed work area um is located on the eastern side of the building. Again, outlined in orange here.
Um when we were actually first uh brought onto this project to help the uh owners and applicant um I had crawled under the fence here um through a large portion of erosion which
is the result of a collapsed covert. um just to try and see if I could find where the culbert was collapsed, if there was any um indication where um the the pipe actually was um underneath all the debris up here. And
that's when I noticed that there was a large amount of trash and debris piled up um against that that fence line. Um you can see it kind of extends. This is the non-jurisdictional stream. um up
in this direction. Um so that fence line is generally right along the property line and that that uh embankment is just it's it's full of trash. So what we're uh requesting permission from the
commission is to uh number one repair the collapsed covert. Um it's for a um elderly uh housing facility such as this. It's an important aspect um and safety concern um that we want to make
sure that we can we can get that repaired before you know a sinkhole or something like that um forms and could be a trip hazard to um the residents. Uh the the second thing that we are requesting um is
to remove all this trash um within this embankment. um you know be a good steward that we you know identified this this big issue here um and rebuild it uh with rip wrap provide that stabilization
uh along the uh the Neponet River. Um, similarly to what we were proposing uh with this catch basin on the western side, uh, we would also propose to, um, remove the existing catch basin that's
kind of located central of this parking area, replace it with a water quality unit, provide that uh, uh, treatment to storm water where none exists today. uh before it kind of everything goes this way towards the Nepons
River. Um the the last thing that we would be requesting to the commission um is that uh trees have been identified in the field with flagging um which would we would be seeking to um remove. Some
of them are extending over um into the uh development area. Um and just with uh elderly residents, uh we want to ensure that there's no safety concerns as people um walk along the uh the river here. Um it's important to note that in
what we've noted on the plan is none of those trees um we would propose to stump. Um so the roots would stay in the ground to ensure that there remains good stabilization um along the river. Um with that I will turn it back
over to the chair and answer any questions or comments there you may have. All right. Well, one of the things you mentioned uh Devin was you indicated a non-jurisdictional stream. Um we're pretty sensitive to jur
jurisdiction and uh we and for the public's benefit um please understand that the commission had a public meeting and we inspected the site which was very very informative. So we've been and seen all the things that were mentioned by by Devon and he did so very accurately uh
including the trash that's that's right up next to the fence there. the collapsed culvert is an issue and we happen to have been uh doing some work in the adjoining property which I think is 531 Elliot I'm I'm not sure the number but I think that's close um and I
don't know if that's an intermittent stream or non-jurisdictional stream but I suggest it doesn't matter um I I wouldn't want to declare it non-jurisdictional because uh I think that area is probably within 200 feet of the deposit bank I'm I'm not sure of
that, but uh I don't think jurisdiction is going to be an issue. Uh the same with a culvert. Um I don't know where that water is coming from. That's that, as you said, could cause a sinkhole in the parking lot. Um so I'm just trying to stay away from the the verbiage
non-jurisdictional. I think we've got it anyway. Um and I I don't want to declare something as something other than an intermittent stream. Um, so I think it's it should be a non-issue is what I'm suggesting. Um,
the other issue is on the tree removal. Uh, we do have a tree replacement plan, but it doesn't apply if it's maintenance. If the trees are dead in in creating a public hazard and certainly you could take them down and that would be a recognized exemption from the
wetlands protection act. Um but if it's done for other reasons you know construction of you know rebuilding the culvert or for some other you know reason even aesthetics uh then we would look to have some kind of a tree
replacement component to the plan. Um we've seen it and I and I don't necessarily think we need to go back and see it again because we are familiar with what you described but I would is is there a tree survey? I've got the
book in my hand. Um, have you identified the trees that you anticipate taking down? Uh, at at the last time I was on site, I um, which was a few months ago at this point, they had not yet been
identified. Um, you know, there are some trees that, you know, even just looking at, uh, this plan, you know, this photograph here, you can see there's some trees and vegetation. So I don't recall what the um we have not to to first answer your question we
have not done a tree survey um but there would certainly need to be some level of trees and or saplings depending on how we will define it um that would need to be removed as part of this um this repair work.
I guess I would go ahead. I I I would ask, you know, is would would the commission offer some relief um to that uh to the tree given that, you know, the the reason that we're proposing this work is, you know, it's
not like we're trying to expand the parking lot or or something of that nature. We're we're just trying to be a good steward of the land here and fix some erosion that's occurring down into the um into the river.
Well, I I think the answer is yes and no. Um if it's part of your project to remove trees, um they that falls into two categories. One, we have a a performance standard which requires replacement of trees uh
not necessarily on site, although it's preferable to have them on site and it's basically to replace the uh the sum of the circumferences of the trees that are taken uh to be replanted. Now, obviously, if you had to take a big tree, you have to have, you know, two or
three small trees to be replaced. And we calculate that at $500 per tree. If it's a question of taking down a dead tree that poses a a falling hazard for the residents, whether they're elderly or not, um that that would fall into the
maintenance category and would not require tree replacement. But we try to be pretty consistent in in the application of this performance standard. So I I think the answer to your question is if they're dead, you can remove them. if they're
not and it's part of your plan to you know even though it's a great plan by the way um because we've all been there in Scotland and I think there was a general consensus that this pretty good idea particularly fixing the culvert which leads me to a question and that is
at the end of the meeting that we had on site there was some discussion about some state grants that are available for culvert repair and I didn't know if you had any success in finding that because I I did mention a cost, you know, $500 per tree that you're replacing. Um, so I
am we are sensitive to costs, but I was hoping that you were able to find some state or even federal grants um to assist in the in this project because it is a good project. We we have not been able to find anything. Um I I just would
also I I'd be remiss if I didn't state that you know we we think we've you know in understanding the position on the trees there is also significant cost um associated with these water quality
units where you know we may be only talking5 to $10,000 say of um curb replacement along this edge of the pavement. the water quality unit itself um those are running about $25,000 right now
each. So in water quality units alone we're looking at about $50,000 um worth of financial burden to you know this HUD financed um um project and you
know I I guess What I'm asking is, you know, for for what we're doing in the water quality standard, could we receive some um flexibility in your tree ordinance? as well as understanding that you know I
I think the alternative is if this project becomes too uh economically burdensome um to get funding for this project um I I think that the risk of not moving forward
um wi-i with with this is it's a bit of a a concern. Well, I I don't mean to be unsympathetic uh because I am, you know, sensitive to cost and I know this is a a
notfor-profit organization and it's, you know, a valuable asset to the town of Milton. Um but but I'm I'm not persuaded by saying that enforcement of our tree standard, which we try to do
uniformly, it would be a reason to stop the project. I I'm not sure that's a persuasive argument with me. It might be with some of the others, but I I don't think it's a big ask to stay in compliance with our tree policy. And as I said, if it's public safety, that's a
no-brainer. Then the tree should come down. I mean, if if it's in danger of falling down and clunking somebody on the head, then we're with you. Well, the I guess if if the chair would allow um you know the the other consideration
that we had, you know, and the whole reason for this this slow repair work is, you know, we've we we're uncertain on the extent of that trash um extending up along the edge of the
embankment. And we just, you know, right now it's the the retaining wall is the fence line. Um so we had you know we we had viewed that as another um safety concern and that's you know that's what's necessitating some of the trees.
I think if we if we separate the two issues where you know we um we're doing the slope work which is you know to what degree it's a public concern I'm not sure. Um but we think it's it is of a public concern to
rebuild that embankment. Um, and certainly if there's trees that are alive outside this area, um, I I think it would be fair, um, that those would need to be part of the tree replacement. I guess that that reinforces the need
for tree survey so we know what you're talking about. Yes. But I'd like to hear from other commission members u because I don't I don't want to put form over substance but what I do put forth is that we need to be uniform in our application because we get you know we
get applications from you know non-governmental organizations from schools from hospitals to churches uh we try to be good to everybody but we try to be uniform with everybody I know and Wendy I I know your
hand's not up, but you're a tree person, so what do you think? Uh, thank you, John. I I agree with you. Um, I think that consistency is really important in us implementing our our tree policy. And
um um I I also um I think maybe this this conversation might be premature since we don't know how many trees that we're talking about. Anybody else thoughts, comments,
questions? Yeah, John, if you don't mind, I have a a question for the design team. is the what what make and model um of the water quality unit are you're proposing?
Uh it was a storm scepter uh 450i. So one of the the one of the smaller ones. Yeah. Okay. Well, those ones are on those water quality units are on the less expensive
end of um pre-cast water quality units. So, at least you didn't specify the most expensive one. We we have heard some pricing come back on. We've recently had to use some much larger units and those were up in
the $80,000 range. So, it it certainly it certainly has a range on it and depending on the type of um treatment you're looking for. Um, if it's okay with the chair, I think it, you know, we we can certainly do the
tree survey. I don't I don't want to anyone to think that we don't want to do it. Um, just for clarification, what is the DBH on um the trees? What What is it? That's diameter at breast height. Yeah.
Is that what you mean? Yes. That's what it is. But we we actually the way the way we adopted it, we actually went with circumference at breast height. Although everybody always when we're talking, we always say DBH. And a lot of the plans show that it doesn't matter mathematically.
Um I have a tape. You can replace DBH or CBH. I I have a tape that measures measures circumference. So, it's easy enough. Yeah, it's it's easier than coming up with a caliper. At least in my my I got a tape measure, but I don't have a caliper. And the other thing in
diameter is sometimes difficult when you've got some misshapen trunks as to, you know, if it's more oblong or eggshaped than than it is a circle. So, easier for us. I I won't bore the commission, but we were
recently measuring a tree where it took two people to to get around the tree. So, We we were not looking to remove it. Let me be clear. Good. Yeah, I bit my tongue on that one. Yeah. It's like that story in in England
where somebody cut down the the Great Sycamore and uh Long Hadrien's wall and they were just both prosecuted, the two guys that cut it down. And that was a gigantic tree that had become a a uh a national monument, I guess. No, no,
you're not going to see on the news for that. Good. Good enough. Uh thoughts from commission members? Um maybe we could do is go out and take a look at it. Uh I know we've seen it, but after the tree survey, that would that would
be pretty helpful to me. I know. [Music] Can I could I just ask I haven't really poured over the plans. The fence that we see here in the inset photos
um holding the garbage back, what will replace that fence? I assume there'll be another fence. Is that right? Um let me go further. Might it's a little bit easier to see these photos. So you can actually you may be able to
see a little bit better. There's this kind of rusty old fence here. Yeah, we would be proposing to remove that that second fence in its entirety. Um so doesn't look like you can say that. Yeah. Yeah. There's no need for the
retaining wall fence anymore. Um we would be looking to just maintain uh I don't have a good photo. Um a a gate. It was one of the comments um during our sitewalk to have a gate um to maintain access down to the river. Um so
we would maintain this fence up at the top of the slope putting the five foot wide gate to allow access down to the river. I think I see a shoe in that picture kind of the middle like the bottom of it. At any
rate, congrats on the great photos. You really worked your flash to get these photos. They they they turned out a lot better quality than I than I would expect. I can thank iPhone for that. There is like beautiful trash.
I I tried to look up the some dates. You can pull out. I think there was like an old Miller Light can in there or uh Cola can I want to say it was it wasn't even a a logo I recognize anymore. Well, you know, this is a investment in
the property, which is always good to do. Really? Any other thoughts, comments? Wendy, your hand is up now, I see. Yeah. Thank you, John. Um Devin, you you just mentioned um
about about possibly having access to get down to the water. Um is that um in the context of when you said that, was that for for you and your team or was that to um actually facilitate
access for for the residents of that community? it I wouldn't expect it to be for the residents of the facility. Um this would just be a gate for long-term if you know for example someone needs to get down here and um you know when if
the commission approves the project um and there's a new covert down here to be able to get down there um inspect the covert maintenance um that kind of stuff. So it I I I wouldn't say it would be I would not expect it to be used by the residents.
I know certainly not in its current state, but I know we had sort of done a little brainstorming and and um visiting when we were there for the sitewalk, but do you do you think that
there's enough land there that um if funding were not an issue that there might be able to be some access down to the water itself.
I I I don't think it's a we we I had a discussion with my client on it. Um it didn't seem like it was something that in the short term um there was much interest in trying to get that access down. Um it it may not
look like it, but there are some um topographic issues just getting down here. Um and the river does um you know, there is some some bare ground here. So I'm not sure how high that that water
can come up. You know, we've obviously mapped the, you know, the mean annual high water line. Um, but we wouldn't want to put a a you know a gravel path or something like that um right along the kind of the velocity zone of that
river and then have it get washed away. What about something like like um terracing to get down to the water? Again, assuming that cost was not an issue,
if if cost was an issue, I can assure you I could come up with some engineering way to to get access down there. Um, I think it's just it really comes down to it. It just my from my conversations with the client, I just don't think it was something that we
want to pursue at this time. Yeah. I mean, I certainly understand that, you know, when we're looking at the topography of the site that it is challenging at best, um, and would require some significant engineering,
but but the perspective that that I'm looking at it is that there there is really very little access to the river itself in that in that area. And
um and I know we had we had talked about um you know different funding sources that might supplement the work that the um that the owner is pursuing. But
really this is just um you know from my from my limited experience in grant writing in conservation projects. This would be just such a sweetheart of a project for
something like a 319 grant. Um, which is significant money. Um, you know, a couple hundred,000 that, um, perhaps more that, um, could be available through,
um, state and federal that state and federal grant program. Um, and I understand that the um that the owner may may not, you know,
be in the position to move forward with with something like this um on their own. But that is a a dialogue that um I for one would love to have um with them
and provide whatever assistance and technical support to um at least explore submitting a 319 proposal for something like this. What I can do is obviously the
commission's not going to um well I don't want to speak for the commission but my take is the commission's not going to take a vote tonight. Um so we can I can certainly have that conversation um with the client um and and let her know that.
Thank you. And and also to to be clear, a 319 project, funded project, um would it it would also um help pay for the cost of of the storm water treatment that
that you're proposing here tonight. I'm not ignoring you. I'm just writing this all down. And Wendy, that could be a phased um plan as well. I mean, just simply putting a um a gate in the fence to
provide, as I understand it now, it's it's basically maintenance access, but that same gate would be the like the the gateway to a 319 project to provide a walkway along the river. Even if it's not done, you know, this year, it could be done, you know, next year or something. Yes, exactly.
They have more significance than we think. And there's there are other funding sources too. I mean this this is also um you know the type of of project that might be
um um suitable for funding from the community preservation committee in town as well. Um but in that case it would just be for the the access and the rec recreation component but not for the the engineering and the storm water um
treatment that you're proposing tonight. All right. Any other uh thoughts, questions from commissioners? I don't I don't see anybody but because of the screen sharing I don't see everybody. I don't see any hands. Any comments from members of the public or
otherwise? I want to just make one more remark, John. Um, it's it's not really feasible to have a linear path along that bank because it's covered with large
boulders from all this property down nearly a cliff road and particularly immediately downstream. It's just a big rubble of large rocks. Um, so unless you completely redid the bank, you couldn't
have a walkway. But right at that spot, you could have perhaps a very good overlook like a sort of a fenced in benches or something and there's something similar, Martini Park and up Truman Highway where
a a sort of sitting area is perched above the water. I think that could work in that spot. And uh I really like Wendy's idea to get something some more access out of it somehow, but I I appreciate it. It might
be a long-term idea. All right. Um planning ahead. I I don't think we're in a position to vote, and I would suggest that uh assuming we have the ascent of the applicant that we continue this, but not for a long period of time. But I um I would like to see
the tree survey done and I um I think we're going to have some other items for a a sitewalk, you know, later in the agenda anyway. So, does anybody think that they would like to see the trees that are designated? So, if we can get
the survey done and fast enough that we could have a sitewalk, the whole purpose, Devin, is not to slow you down. Uh, so we'll we'll, you know, as soon as you can do the tree survey, we can get there and check it out. Oh, certainly appreciate that.
Um, what how long do you think that would take for you? Honestly, I don't I we're we're in Boston, so it I whenever the commission wants to do their sitewalk, I can get it I could commit to getting it done before
then. Um, one of the reasons I say that is I I know the commission's busy. Um, my schedule on weekends is filling up very quickly. Um, so I'd rather get something on the books that works for everyone.
All right. Well, anticipating we're going to have some other sidewalks. Uh, uh, let me just read across the screen. Uh, now you're in the top left, Steve. are you available or not available on any particular Saturday mornings? And Devon, we we typically do
our sitewalks on Saturday morning beginning at u 6:00 a.m. Right, Wendy? That's late. 8:30 8:30 8:30 available. Yes, the next next couple of weekends. Absolutely.
All right, I'm available. Arthur just left. Philillip, anything? I can't do this Saturday, but any other is fine. All right, Tom Palmer, I'm generally available. Okay, Wendy. Yeah, you're on mute when Wendy,
sorry. Um, uh, sorry, Philip, but my preference would be for this Saturday if at all possible. Although I don't I don't want to exclude anybody, but I I I'm with you, Devin. The summer calendar is filling up really
quick, so sooner the better. What What's the date on Saturday? 17. Yes. All right. Now, just let's be practical. Devin, is that too too soon for you? We'll get it done.
All right. Hans, you're on mute. Saturdays are are particularly challenging for me this time of year through probably the end of June. Okay. Um I'm coaching soccer and all all the games are in the morning. Un
understood. Hey, you take the team with you. Um good educ education. Um Jolly, how about you? The next two Saturdays are booked. Uh, but I can always go by the site once the trees are flagged and see
it for myself. Um, okay. So, and I Arthur, I skipped you. I went by you on the screen. What about this Saturday? Arthur, you're on mute. You're You're still on mute,
Arthur. It was having some difficulty unmuting. I have a tickle in my throat. So, I've been avoiding your having to hear my coughing. Allergy season. Um, we have a first communion in the family on
Saturday, so I think I'd have to pass. That's a big deal. All right. What What about uh the next Saturday? The next Saturday is Memorial Day weekend. Well, that's early, isn't it? Yep. 24th. Yes.
Yeah. What's What's the next Saturday after that? That's June 7th. No. No. I I I don't think so. It can't be that fast. May 31st. 1724. Oh, did you say 2nd? Is that what you said, Arthur? 2nd. Seven. Um,
no. 31st is Charlie, right? 31st of May is a Saturday. Okay. All right. Okay. Uh on the 31st. Is that what you said? Alpha? 31st is fine for me. Okay. And Tom, you're okay
with that? I'm on mute. You're 31st is good for me. Okay. Wendy, can you do that one? Yes. All right. Great. Hans, I said I I already talked to you. You bet that works for you, Charlie. Yes, it does.
All right. So, let's let's set it up for May 31st at 8:30 at 30 Curtis. Okay, that was that was going to be my only request is I have a event, but it's later during that day, so that works for me. Perfect. All right, good. So, we'll
see you then and we'll be able to look at the the tree survey and uh move on from there. That's great. Yeah. Do we need anything else or because I'd like to be able to know move it if we can uh for a vote. It's a public meeting. So, any other questions
that we need Deon to, you know, fill in the blanks? We should ask them now. Hearing none. Seeing none, we'll continue this. Just really quick comments from the citizen. Yes. just I I just I think it's worthwhile to
consider um the value of invasive versus um um native plants. So, if we're talking about, you know, trying to have the conversation about tree replacement, um, if if majority of those plants are are invasive or or don't have high
ecological value, I think that the we we might be able to have some leeway on on how we apply the standards. That's called the spark that starts the prairie fire. If you're talking about Norway maples, which is a tree,
um I'm I'm I don't know. I'm only looking at 33 years of uh we've included Norway maples if that's what you're talking to talking about. Um I don't know. Why don't we postpone that issue? All right. Just trying to help out. But
the tree survey will have the the species of tree as well as the size and location. Correct. Yes. Correct. Yes. Um, okay. So, we're on at 8:30 on site.
We met there uh previously, so we're good to go. Devin, thank you very much for your courtesy and presentation. Of course. Thank you. Thank you, uh, everyone. All right. Thanks. Next on the agenda number five, notice of intent, Max Yulan, Memorial Skating Ring. And thanks everybody that's, uh, waiting to to
speak. So, I appreciate your patience. Good morning. Uh good evening, Mr. Chair. This is uh Tom Kio from AECOM. I'm here tonight on behalf of DCR uh representing the skating rink ping lot resurfacing and uh storm water
management pro project. Hey, welcome. Thank you very much for attending and for your patience. All right, you're welcome. I am attempting to share a screen. Please let me know if it works. It looks like it's gone. You look like you're in. Yep. On the right.
All right. So, here we have the Ulan Rink. Um to the east or to the west rather is Pine Tree Brook with its 200 foot riverfront area that extends partially to within the parking lot here. There is a bordering vegetated
wetland associated with Pine Treebrook and that casts the 100 foot buffer zone um through about half halfway through the uh parking lot. Probably takes up about 60% of the parking lot in its entirety. Uh VCR would like to come in
and resurface this parking lot. It's in really rough shape. And while we were out there doing our site inspection, um, we made a, uh, a little discovery that no one had ever looked at in the past since it was probably paved the
last time. Um, there's no storm water management whatsoever on this parcel. Um, when you look at it, the lot is extremely flat, so with the naked eye, it's pretty tough to tell which way flow is going. And for the longest time,
people just assumed that this catch base in here was for the parking lot flow. But we actually have the 42 foot contour here, the 41 in the back, and then the uh 40 right along the edge. So, this
catch basin only catches what rolls in off the street, and then the entire parking lot sheet flows right out the back towards the wetland that borders Pine Brook. Um, so in order to remedy that, we've looked at a few options and
we came up with shrinking the size of the parking lot here in the back end. So, we're going to remove a couple thousand square feet of pavement um in this area, shift all the parking spaces forward, and install a long linear um
infiltration basin in this area here. um we've managed to fully meet um a majority of the or we've fully met the applicable standards uh within the storm water management uh policy. Um and we
can come down here to sign so it's going in that area instead of like trying to push it out or move off to the side uh especially here to the left hand side of the plan which would be the south. It's just heavily wooded. So, in order to install the basin in that area, we would
have had to cut down uh numerous trees over, you know, a 4,000 5,000 square ft area. So, instead of that, we're just removing asphalt. We're pulling everything back. We have the long linear feature here at the end and a uh
spillway. And I will zoom in, so bear with me for a few seconds here. And as you can see, here is the existing tree line to give you a little perspective. um we're not venturing out into that tree line uh with the basin. So the
grading everything will be done basically from where that guard rail and the edge of the pavement as it currently exists moving towards the u the street in the parking lot. Tom, do you do you have a a distance there from the wetland flags to the
spillway? Uh it is fairly close. It's less than five feet in some areas because it's right at it's a toe of slope wetland. So, the parking lot was built up. Um, I'll zoom in a little so you can get an idea of some
contours. And we jump from 40 right down to 37 in the uh in that wetland area in a matter of about five feet, six feet. Okay. All right. This
seems like a a just a from a jurisdictional point of view that makes a difference to us. It sounds like a great project, so it shouldn't be a problem, but we have a 25 foot non-disturbance zone that we would have to address separately. It's a separate
vote for us and we'd have to show that there is no significant adverse impact on the resources that we protect. That that's that's a specific vote we have. Well, Understood. While it's in while the activity is
occurring within 25 ft of the wetland, it's occurring in an area that's 100% disturbed. It's already asphalt. Right. Understood. Yeah. So, it right. We did address that within our notice of intent. uh the variance and you know
it's a conversion of an imperous surface to a um pvious surface at this point within that area that's not going to require vegetation removal. Right. As I said, I think it's a great great project.
All right. Um, that's it. It's a relatively short presentation. It's a ripping up asphalt, putting it in infiltration basin, but I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. All right. Can you tell me what the ownership is of the
land where the where the rink itself is, where the building is? It um I'm going to switch figures. I'm going to go back to the environmental constraints figure here and shrink it down. So if you see these purple lines here, Mr. Chairman,
yes, that is the lot that the rink in the parking lot is on. So it's one lot both side of the street with Unqui Road cutting through the middle of it. Uh it's one continuous parcel. It's um I
forget off the top of my head, but I think it's 60 some odd acres and it's all part of the Blue Hills Reservation. Perfect. All right. And this is uh you'll think I'm a nag because this
goes back 20 25 years or so, but um we had a a bit of a goound with DCR years and years decades ago because at the top right hand corner, see where the yellow uh outline is of the building in the parking lot? Yes. They they dropped the
ice uh shavings from the Zamboni and they used to drop it right in the wetlands. Oh. But it so we went round and round and they put boulders there and then they finally put a guardrail right right there and and so that the deal that between the conservation
commission and DCR was that you'll keep it on the as I'm looking at I guess it's the south side of that yellow line. So yes there is a guard rail what's that? Uh there is a guardrail now
um out in that area to make sure this Zamboni can't just go drive in uh you know cross country to drive right into the wetlands. Yes. But they've been good for the last 20 years or so. So I salute them. Thank
you. All right. That's that sounds like a uh a good plan. Um would anybody like to go out and see it? I don't I don't need to. escape where the parking lot is. I I had a couple of remarks.
Shoot. Um on the plan we were looking at before this one showing the parking lot. Could we go back to that? Of course. Yes. Do you see where it says upper left
grass restoration? Um, could you just point me to It's just a label up in close to the top of the image on the left restoration right here. Yes. Yeah.
Now there's no grass there now, right? Isn't that the case? No, it's it there's it's mostly poison ivy at this point. I would disagree. I would say it's mostly Japanese knweed. That entire corner is
also really thick with a knotweed. All right. When I was out, I didn't get past the poison ivory. I basically uh I stopped my sight inspection right then and there. Well, as you go along the back side of the lot to the right, eventually, yes, you do get into some
trees, but that that filled edge you were talking about at the corner, the left where it goes around the corner, it's completely become a thicket of nweed. Now, um, as you say, there's a guardrail there. When you put in this
basin, are you removing the guardrail? Yes. Yes. because the guardrail is at the edge of the pavement. So that will come up and the guard it will be relocated right to the new edge of pavement. All right. Now as a wetlands
person you know about invasives and I would think that you know that this is a really obvious and uh robust takeover of a public area by an invasive. But your
plan really doesn't propose to do anything about that. Is that okay with you or do you think you could uh do something about it? Well, DCR does have an invasive management program for the
Blue Hills in its entirety. Um yeah, the way they will have to be diligent here. I I agree with you completely after they lman seed this area here. They're going to have to be diligent to prevent the spread of any invasives that come up
here. They're gonna have to properly dispose of any, you know, any soil that they excavate. It might have risomes in it. Um, as well, right? Yeah. You know, I think I think that's very good. But the fact is all the area where you're
not working, namely the slope down of the wetland is that has is the area that has been taken over. So you may be successful keeping it out of the basin, but you will not have improved it at
all. And so yes, I hope that part of this project could be dealing with the narweed. Earlier we were discussing permitting requirements that have made restoring wetlands difficult. This
admittedly is just a fill slope, but it's right next to a wetland. And I would say the notwheat is only the second invader here because the fragmias was here and gone and spread out into the wetland to the north. So I'm just
saying that there is another issue here if you're looking at it from a vegetation standpoint. One more comment I have is around the back of the building, you are extending the batuminous
pathway all the way around on the back side. Yes. And uh I think you said in your report, well, that's sort of a safety issue because there's two emergency exits on the back side of the building. Now, I would agree with that, but I would just point out that you can
walk back there today. if you do, it's entirely shaded by trees that are along the wetland edge and it's all gravel and it remains open almost by itself because it's shaded and a gravel base. So, I
would just say that uh if you were looking for something to save on so you could deal with it in days of species, I'd say it's not really obvious to me that you have to pave this area in back considering that the footing seems to be
good anytime you come out one of those doors. I that's if correct. I No, I agree with you. walking back there is no problem, but it's emergency exit and somebody who has a wheelchair or if an emergency crew
needs access um a you know a stretcher or anything like that, they wanted the paved surface. That was a request directly from the rink manager um for this project. It was not something we intended to do when we originally started to address storm
water management, but yeah, I I don't have any problem with it. It's just a little extra that didn't seem to be critical. So, um do do we need to see it? I drive by there all the time, so I
know what it looks like. I don't have to see it. This is Yeah, I agree. This is a good project as far as storm water and better treatment, but it is one of the worst sites in the Blue Hills for invasives, I think, or one of the most
obvious ones. So, I don't really know how to get rid of knotweed. If I was hired to get get rid of this notweed, I'm not sure what I would do, but I would say it needs work right there. I have uh I have been tasked with that
very unfortunate item in the past. Um and it is a multi-year multi-season um heavy chemical laden process um in so it's that's the way it's done
nowadays. Yeah. So, I could talk to DCR um in regard to their overalls uh invasive species management and perhaps as we're doing this work here, we could put this on the uh you know, bump it up the list
for their priorities. Well, it is a I think an opportunity when you're working right there. That would be a good piece to add. Yep. I would agree. and I will I'll talk to that with DCR um and come in in the
past rather than broadcast spraying. Um I've done this in Quincy over at the uh Granite Corey uh site that's over there. And they actually went and injected the stems of each with basically the uh the
Roundup is the common name for it rather than cast. Yeah, I I would support adding that. I I think if you don't do it, there's be no improvement in that respect. Let's let's um find out is that is that
doable from your perspective, Tom? I everything is doable. Whether it will be successful or not, I I do not know and I wouldn't hazard a guess at this juncture. Um I you know I the one site that I I've
worked on for five years was the New Bedford Harbor cleanup and salt marsh restoration and five year we started treating the knotweed and the frag in year one and we were still treating the same areas in year five and we had we
had not eradicated the species. Wow. Right. We we had shrunk it quite a bit. I I can't tell you that it wasn't uh partially successful but five years in we we were not totally successful.
Well, somebody needs to advance the science here so it becomes doable. So So Tom, what what are you suggesting though? Because I I don't want to impose some kind of a condition that blows the whole project because I think it's a good project. Um yeah, I If DCI says we
can't do it, if if they're willing to give it a try, God bless them and and everybody's happy, but if if we get push back, is this a condition procedent from your perspective? We I mean we can
attempt I would hate to have removal be a condition that you have to adhere to in order to get a certificate of compliance because like I said I just don't have a lot of faith in 100% eradicating it. What I think we could do is have
um you know DCR contact Steve and um you know work out a plan as part of their like the overall Blue Hills and invasive species management um to come out and address you know parts of this
area here. [Music] um you know cuz they they do have the conservation management plan that's been approved uh for Blue Hills just in the you know a wider scope of things. So they're authorized to do a whole lot of
work under the management plan. Um and invasive species removal is one of them. So I think they could probably work that out with Steve rather than tying it to this particular D file number. That would make very good sense. This is
Steve. Yeah, I would be okay with that, too, because we don't really have a magic bullet to say you'll do this one time and problem is solved. Yeah, we we haven't been issued
flamethrowers yet. True. All right. So if you can live with that, Tom, is that acceptable? Yeah. Yeah, that's I think consulting with them and seeing if there's a way to combine the work, that would be fine. I think when you're there and you're
working, you could perhaps uh do what you do, namely inject all those stems and uh would how long would that work? How much would you remove? I don't really know, but it would be a start. All right, Steve. Um, have you seen the
site? Are you comfortable? What I'm really leading up to is do we need a sitewalk? I do not. I mean, I grew up there. So, I used to skate where the parking lot is. That's before the building even existed. Um, I I've seen the site many times, John. Okay. Most
recently about a month ago. So, all right. I I don't think we we need it. And it the wetlands line seems to be to a slope. So, I I don't think it's an issue of of u you know, soils or um I'm comfortable without a sidewalk.
However, I ask everybody else, Hans, you've got your hand up. Um I I don't need a sidewalk. Um I been dropping my daughter off there for camp for years. Um walked around it who knows how many times. Um my suggestion on the
invasive species side um I would just ask that in the SWIP or either that or in the oral conditions we have some language in there on um contractor um um maintenance of vehicles. So, uh, truck
wash, um, leaving the site, any materials so that any any seeds or any of the, um, maybe contaminated soils are are maintained on site. And then also um it
would be helpful if like you said DCR had would provide us at under separate cover um information on on where this wetland area sits in the overall plan for invasive species control.
Very good. Yeah, that that truck wash is important because I know the seeds get transported by the trucks and it it helps uh the uh Japanese weed expand its presence. Um but that's uh and I think
Steve, you've got language that would um you could just kind of block and copy on that. I think we use that same condition for uh 107 111 Highland Street. Yeah, the memory. Exactly. I think we can just block copy and Tom for the up that
that's it's an easy I know it it puts the owners of the contractor but just you know wash your tires and and uh you know secure the any kind of a soil transport that you're using because those seeds will go everywhere very quickly. Exactly. Especially with the
ryomes as well um for notweed it right. All it you know it's a little filament like a hair and that's really uh you don't need much more than that. So when we excavate, we cover the material with a tarp in the back of a truck for transport. So uh we don't have that
stuff just blowing around the neighborhood. All right. Good. All right. One more question quickly. I did read through the report. You did the DP um routine for mapping the wetland line, including
doing a sample site upstream and one down slope of the wetland line. But I could not find on any plan where you had said where the sites were that you did the work on. There was an one upland and one
wetland site. Oh, you know, I apologize for that, Tom. They should have been located on this figure. All right. I I looked at all the figures looking for and you you didn't miss anything, Tom. It was not there. Yeah.
Um, I know one of them was done here on the parking lot and then the other was done in this area over here. All right. I was just um I thought they were done right. I just couldn't figure out where they were done. Oh, you didn't
miss it. That was uh We forgot to put it on. All right. Thank you. All right. Is that something that uh at time you think should be put on a plan? So, because we're going to have in our file, you know, the approved plan. So,
um yeah, if it's easy, just, you know, it would be uh only take a second, I would think. Yeah. Yeah. Where there's there's no wetland alteration here, uh Mr. Chairman, so it's not, you know, the top priority where
you'd have a wetland alteration and a replication and you're looking to mimic what was impacted. Uh but we could basically just add them to this figure and email this right to uh Steve. Yes, that would be helpful. That's that's
very good. All right. Any uh other comments, questions? Hans, your hand is still raised on the computer. I don't know if you meant that or not. No. All right. Any I can't because of the screen sharing. I can't see everybody. Anybody else have a hand up? Whether it's a
commission member or member of the public, butter or otherwise? Um so then with that said and with the agreement to the have a special condition for uh the contractor to ensure that there's
no you know spread of the the risomes or seeds for truck washing and the addition of the plan uh that we just discussed. Um, those are the and and if you don't know, Tom, we do require I don't know how long this project's going to take
place, but we do require that any um overnight storage of uh mechanized equipment, not limited to, but particularly those with hydraulic hoses. Uh there'll be no refueling or overnight storage within our jurisdiction. That
parking lot, you know what's jurisdictional and what's not. So, it's important to us that the contractor know of that condition, that special condition, that they don't refuel or store overnight within our jurisdiction. Yeah, that that will not
be a problem. Um, as you said, there's there's ample room to make sure we move everything outside of the commission's jurisdiction on the site, and the work will be done um not immediately, but as quickly as possible because we have a very limited
window of when that rink is closed and when the town wants to use it for other purposes. Um, you know, so we we have to get it done this summer. Understood. Well, with those conditions, is there a motion to approve this uh
notice of intent and issue an order of conditions? Second. All right. Was that your motion? I I didn't make my will, but Oh, I thought you did, John. No, I was I was asking for one, but motion.
Okay. And is there a second to All right, good. So, Charlie made the motion and seconded. Is there any discussion among commission members? Hearing none, seeing none, I will take a roll call vote. Um, Arthur, how do you vote?
You're on mute. All right, Wendy, how do you vote? Yes. Hans, how do you vote? Yes. Tom, how do you vote? Yes. Charlie, how do you vote? Yes. And I, John, Karen, vote yes as well.
So, that's unanimous. Uh you've got your order conditions with those special conditions. Um and I look forward to uh cleaner water going into Pantry Brook. Thank you. We'll do. Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. Take
care. Thank you all. Thanks. Next on the agenda six, notice of intent at 20 Brookside Park. And uh thank you for your patience. I know it's it's it's a a long agenda. Hi there. Um I'm Henry Mlan. I'm
architect here representing you and Kristen Donnelly at 20 um Brookside Park. And I've got some slides to share. I can Oh, that's perfect. Henry, can you assist in that, Stephen? Uh yeah, he should be able to uh put them up right
now. Go right ahead, Henry. So, excellent. Excellent. Right there. Okay. Um, so this is the site plan. Um, if I zoom in a little bit, you can see this is the existing house. It's actually a two a double lot that they
both loan. Uh, this is the line of the limit of the 100year flood in the green and the 50 and the 100 foot buffer tree brook. And um you can see that the ex the whole
house is actually within pretty much that um 50 to 100 foot buffer. And we're just looking to uh add on an addition in this area right here that um I can go to the next slide um right in this area here. um
with a wraparound deck. Um there is currently a deck there now which you can see here which is and I have some pictures but this is basically um in pretty bad shape and needs to be taken down. It's sort of rotting and the new deck will tie into the addition. It's a
double layer deck actually. It steps down a little bit. Um we just went through a process with the um ZBA and we're approved for a variance um because there's a 20 foot setback here to the lot line even though there's a lot of open area here and there's a lot lot
here and if I just go back one slide this is a look from the town GIS um showing the driveway and then the lot um as I say goes out this is town property here but it's all green and
this is of course the the flood flood line of the 100year um uh limit. Um again, the existing deck and the existing garage back here. Um so just going back to the first site there and then this is the addition that we're
looking to do. Um let's just go back here. This is a couple of pictures from the site. Um looking from that area, the northeast actually um northwest and then the next
one gives you a view of that deck in the back entry which we will keep but we'll be rebuilding this. There's a look at the tree line here and another view uh here from looking at both and then back across that tree
there. So again, we're just looking for relief to um I think Steve has been out to the site. We we've had the um the wetlands have been marked um and um we're excited to be through the ZBA process and and um if you like I
can show you some 3D views of the house which are just a view from the front. We're we're sensitively trying to tie it in to the neighbor. So the view with the decks in the back and then front from the house and sort
of the addition sort of goes away from the the street view over there. Now what's going on with the back deck? Can you back up a slide? Sure. Um so the the back deck is
currently right here. Um John and these are the steps that come up that I showed. This is the drive back here in the garage. And we're keeping those steps, but we're kind of pulling the deck around there. You can see actually the old deck there. And this is a new upper section of the deck and then a
lower section. The addition actually steps down um about a foot from the house just to uh get a little closer to the landscape. So you can see that with the 3D views. Um and there's the step down there.
Yeah. Ah, yes. All right, understood. Uh, and can you can you show us where the erosion controls are going to be? Yeah, this is the line right here of the um uh erosion control, the sock essentially. go from
the garage right along here and all the way through um even onto the property of the is you know this is the that little yard that's sort of extension of their yard but it is town property right out here
understood. All right. Do you know what kind of equipment you'll need for the addition for the work? Um well they'll be you know doing a you know backho here just to you know pull up the um dig down and put the addition you know we are doing a basement here
that's going to be you sort of a truncated basement but there'll be storage down there and because the house um steps up about almost 4t from the grade um we we're going to sort of sensitively address that issue with some
stone you can see it there but Um, but this is going to be stonework here. Let's go back wrapping around the corner just to tie into the rest of the foundation of the house.
Oh, yeah. And this this uh this area of the brook is all h hard walls here. Correct. This is not uh believe and and I think you Donnelly is on board with this. He can explain a little bit but I think there was um a
Whoops. Sorry about that. Um there was some re work done on this section here um uh maybe few years back by the town um on the brick walls there. So, um, but it's, um, you know, it's pretty well
tried over, um, you know, let me just go back here. It's and it's very close to vertical. Yeah, vertical. Yeah. No, understood. And you're not doing any
work there. Um, correct. Absolutely. We're we're back from that. Yeah. And as I say, the whole house is essentially um within the um the 100 foot buffer um as it is right
now. Okay, understood. And I think you heard we had a discussion uh read the last applicant DCR about um storage of equipment, refueling and storage of equipment outside of our jurisdiction. So, I'm not sure, you
know, how long it's going to take. I know you said a backhoe. Um, but it's it's a problem for it may be a problem for the contractor, but the order conditions will specifically state that the uh hydraulic equipment uh any
mechanized equipment um has to be stored overnight outside of our jurisdiction. So I just make sure that your contractor knows that outside of the jurisdiction of the Oh, okay. Out of I'm not quite sure. I understand what the jurisdiction
of the conservation commission. Okay. So I don't know what if they're going to try to use a staging area or something, but that's that's actually I mean that's our our regular standard. Um, and that's a 200
foot jurisdiction next to Brookside Park. So, it it'll require some discussion um with your contractor. In other words, to move the the equipment off 200 feet away from, you know, another 100 feet down
the street is what you're saying, correct? During construction, even overnight. Obviously, not when they're doing the work. Yes. Obviously, when they're working, they they need the equipment, right? Yes. Yes, they do. Okay. And and the and the Yeah. Okay.
That's Well, certainly that'll be a discussion when they go for the permitting and they will um that will be passed along to the building department from you in in writing of sorts. Oh, it's part of the order of conditions. It's it's going to be recorded in the
registry of deeds and it'll be up to you to make sure that the contractor actually has a copy of the of the applicant. I didn't mean to put it on you, Henry, but you know, the applicant is uh required to give that order of conditions with the special conditions
to the contractor. Okay. And we'll have a pre-construction meeting, Henry. Okay. Agreed. With with the contractor. Yeah. And he he or she will have had to read the order conditions because there's a quiz. Yes.
No, he's a great guy and he'll be very um you know um manageable. So yeah, Matt Henry is a fine. Yes, he's a great guy. He's done a lot of work in Milton and Yes.
Yeah. Good news. Any questions from commission members? I I don't see any hands. Um how about Butters, members of the public. I can't see them because we're screen sharing, but up I see Hugh Donnelly.
This is Kristen Donnelly actually. Um the homeowner. I just Henry, maybe maybe you've got it, but I'm just trying to understand um what it means to store the equipment outside of the jurisdiction. Is there a defined
jurisdiction? Yes. Yeah, there is. It's two that's a a perennial stream. So the jurisdiction is 200 feet. If it were an intermittent stream, it would be 100 feet. So you just have to park it out that not you, but the contractor would have to park it uh 200
feet away from the brook. The red line that's overnight, right? Right. This is 100 ft here, Kristen. Exactly. It'll be have to be further up the street and conversation with the neighbors or with the
contractor. And as Steve says, we'll have a precon preconstruction meeting. Pre-construction meeting. Yes. Okay. We can review all that with Matt and make sure that you know and and it may be that they can do it all in a day and be done and then it won't be an overnight.
So yeah, got it. Thank you. I just wanted to make sure I understood that. It it it shouldn't be a problem. The only time it becomes a problem if if the contractor ignores us. Usually the homeowners are fine and say, "Okay." But that's why
that pre-construction meeting with Steve is uh is important just so that they know that, you know, it is a it is a condition of the permit, but it's it's workable. It's not going to be an obstacle for you or it shouldn't be anyway. Okay. And does that need to
happen um at a certain cadence in advance of construction starting or like can it happen on the site the day construction starts or like does it have to happen three weeks before or That's a fair question. I like to see the I like
to see the site once the erosion controls are in. We check the erosion controls and then um review the orders at the same time. Okay. So, that's that's when you just give me a call. How's that? Or an email.
Sounds so simple. I try to make it as simple as possible for everyone involved. That's the erosion controls will go in very close in time to when they break ground uh you know, a day or so. So, it it is close to the to the beginning of the
construction. Ju just have to be sure that it happens before you begin the construction. Okay. But after the erosion controls are put in place and I think that's easy. I mean they can put the erosion controls in in you know a few hours. Yeah.
And John, I think uh Bill scheduled a Saturday this Saturday walk of the site. Is that right? Um that's all been scheduled or is that necessary? Uh it it isn't for me. We don't I don't think we need a sidewalk because this is
top of bank that we get the sitewalks usually come about um if we're looking at where the wetlands have been delineated and we like to verify the wetlands but this is that's why I asked it's it's a hard bank there. It's a wall and we've been there many times. So you
you you take a measuring tape from the top of the wall and it's easy. So we we don't need to verify that. Great. So, no site visit this week. No. And by the way, that that so that everybody understands that site visit is
uh what is it? June 2nd. May 31. May May 31st. Yes. I just wrote it down, but it's it's not We talked about this Saturday, but it's not going to be this Saturday. It's going to be Saturday, May 31st. Okay. But I should ask the commissioner, does
anybody feel that a sitewalk is warranted? I don't again I can't see everybody but speak up if you do. I think what you said earlier John is appropo. We to this site we've been down there in the past and know the vicinity
pretty well. Okay. So the answer to your question Henry is no. We don't need to see it. Great. Super. All right. So this is a I'm sorry. Well, we'll just we'll have we'll coordinate
with Steve on that visit once the um once the sock is in place. Sure. Yes. Yeah. Great. I I had asked before when Kristen spoke up uh if there are any abunders or members of the public that wish to be heard, ask a question, make a
comment. Um and and I can't see all the people. So, I can't see hands that but I don't hear anything. Steve, can you see people? I cannot see any other folks. No. Okay. I see Arthur, you Philillip,
and uh Henry. All right, Henry. Henry, could you take your screen down just so we can see if there are members of the public? Stop share. Here we go. Ah, perfect. All right. I don't see any hands. I don't see any hands. Okay, that's great. So then I I think we're in a position uh
we've got a notice of I mean a uh a D number. Um correct. I'm looking at it here. So I think we're ready for a vote. Um, is there a motion to issue an order of conditions uh with the special conditions that we've announced, the
erosion controls and the no storage overnight, no refueling, etc. Is there such a motion? I'll make that motion, chairman. Okay, Hans, you made the motion. All right. Is there a second? All right.
Arthur seconded it. Is there any discussion among the commission members? Seeing and hearing none, um we'll go through a voice vote. Arthur Doyle, how do you vote? Yes. Wendy Garpo, how do you vote? You're on mute.
Yes, I'm having some trouble with my computer. My apolog Hans, now do you vote? Yes. Tom, how do you vote? Yes. Charlie, nut vote. Yes.
And I John Kier and vote yes as well. That's unanimous. So you have your order of conditions and just, you know, stay in touch with Steve for that pre-construction meeting. Definitely. All right, Henry. Thank you very much, Kristen. Thank you very much for your patience. Thank you. Thank you. Have a
great night. You too. Um, okay. Next on the agenda is uh certificate of compliance Boston Gas Company. Molly, is that you? Uh, yes. Hi. Uh, good evening everyone. Uh, my name is
Molly Lennon. I'm with TRC. Um, I believe I'm joined tonight by Erin Morski Cahill from Boston Gas Company. Um, yes. So, we submitted a request for certificate of compliance for the Milton
TIG Station culvert replacement project. Um this involved the replacement of three culverts under the access road leading to the Milton take station. Um these culverts hydraologically connect wetlands on
either side of the access road. Um, and prior to work, we installed erosion controls, which included straw waddle around the perimeter of work, and we put uh steel plates in the road over the
culverts to allow for vehicle access. Um, the work took about a month and a half. Um, which is a little longer than we anticipated. Um but that was due to higher levels of precipitation at the time. So groundwater levels were high.
Um once construction was completed um all disturbed soils were stabilized with straw and the native seed mix was placed on top. Um so vegetation reached greater than 75% coverage uh later that growing
season. Um so yeah, all work was completed in compliance with the order of conditions that we received for the work. Um and there were no deviations from the original plan. Um the asbuilts were included in the request for
certificate of compliance. U happy to answer any questions you all might have. I I I do have a couple um because I I understand that this is uh in the original order of conditions uh the commission was to
receive um construction reports, regular construction reports, and I don't think we received them. Am I correct? Um I just I sent this over earlier today to Philillip and Steve.
Right. But the but the construction reports were to be given to us during construction. Correct. Yeah, I believe so. This must not have gotten sent over. Okay. And and and I am looking at the PE
um from Stephen read because I already say that the uh substantial compliance letter has to come from a uh a PE and I think that's Stephen M. Is it read or reader? Read I guess it
is. Am I correct? Um for the the asbelt plan. Yes. Well, for the civility compliance, we require the engineer to u attest to the and I know you did. I I didn't mean to
go right by that. I know you attested to the uh completed and substantial compliance uh from the environmental perspective which we appreciate. Um but we we uh rely on the u the engineer stamp
which I see that we've received here. It says April 25, 2025. Um but Steve, I I have I have not seen the construction report. I would actually like to see it. Um, but and that's not
just I'm not trying to put form over substance, but the these were pretty important to us. Um, and that drainage is is a pretty special area for us because it it shoots down from the the golf course and
crosses the road or goes under the road. And Tom, have you have have you been have you been to the site? I know that's I haven't lately, although I did see the pictures in the report.
Yeah, I'm I'm I'm looking at the the pictures here. They actually look pretty good. Um, but Steve, have you done an inspection? I've been to the site about a month and a half ago. Yes, site looks good. Yes, but I don't see anything on my
email. I'm looking at my email. Uh, just just for your Go ahead. Uh, sorry. I sent it at like 4:30, I think. Yeah. No, I don't have anything from you.
Okay. Or or Erin. No, I spoke to Aaron earlier today about that. She said she would send it and I don't have anything from Nor do I either of you. Okay. Philip, do you have anything?
I don't have anything either. Okay. Well, I'll look forward to it. Okay. Sorry, I sent it at 4:50 today. Oh, you might have sent it to my old email. Oh, okay. I might I think that's the
case. sofameton.org. No, I don't have that email. That's not my email. Okay. My email is Steve Ibvisgmail. I'm sorry, but they've never dained to give me an email address in the town.
Okay. And I will send that right over. Sure. Thanks. I'm not complaining. I have enough as it is. We could get you one, please. Oh, I'm not sure I'd want one. Oh, I bet.
Molly, I didn't receive it either. Philip Crystal. Okay. Is yours Pristomelton.org? That's me. Yes. Okay, I'll forward it again. Sure. Thank you very much, Molly.
Yeah. So, I I'm I'm just looking at the order conditions here, the and the special conditions. Um it's a it's a provide 43 provide construction inspection
reports 44 project reporting on a bi-weekly basis a preconstruction meeting with representatives I assume that took place Steve uh project will be done Okay. So, we just My understanding
is we didn't get any reports. Um that's correct. So, I I' I'd certainly like to look at them. Um and I and I don't mean to slow you down at all, but I I I prefer to take a look at them. Um
because I you know, it was a special condition, but I I I also don't mean to slow you down. So we could actually put it on the agenda for um the 31st of May. Yeah. And you don't you don't have to be there. I just like to have our file complete because we
don't we don't have the reports. Um yeah. So I I don't I don't see an obstacle or a problem, but I'm just maybe I am a form of substance guy. I claim not to be, but I I really would like to receive the reports for our file. Yep. Um, now any any questions
from commission members? I mean, the p the pictures look good. And Steve, you said the the site appeared to be appropriate. Yes, absolutely. Okay. So, why don't we if you can just, you know, redouble your efforts to get
the email connection, we'll get the report. And Philip, if you could just send out those reports to I don't think they'll be bulky. um send those out to the commission members and then we can put on the agenda for May 31st and I don't think it's if we had a problem we
you know Steve will call you. Um but you don't have to show up on the on the 31st. It's a public meeting so we can take a vote at that time. Um, any other suggestions or comments or
No, Erin said that she could she could bulk them with digital copies. So, that's that's a wonderful way to go. Yeah, that would be help. That that'll allow us to complete our our file. Sure.
Any thoughts, questions, comments? All right. Um, so do we give your ascent to continue this until the 31st of May? Molly, that's a question to you. Oh, yes. Yeah, that's fine. Okay. Okay. It's
okay. All right. Uh, thank you very much. Uh, and we'll we'll contact you. As I said, you don't have to be there. So, I I don't expect any issues or problems, but we'll uh either Philip or Steve will call you after that uh public
meeting. Okay. Okay. Perfect. All right. Thank you very much. Grateful. Thank you so much. Yep. Next on the agenda is notice of attend at 405 Blue Hill Avenue. Hi. Who's presenting? I bet you're gonna gonna see Debbie Anderson right now. Hi
Debbie. Hi. How are you? Very well. Yourself? Good, thank you. Um, so I'm Debbie Anderson. I'm here representing the owners of 405 Blue Hill Avenue. Um, one of the owners is here.
Um, if we do have any questions. Um, so I don't know if you're familiar with this, um, site. Um it's basically a single family house that was in the process of being um
reconstructed and um the owners had a building permit and then were told that they needed a wetlands permit as well. Um so I was hired to go out and delineate the um the bordering vegetated wetlands that um border on an
intermittent stream along the back of the property. Um, so the site is a 20,500 square f foot parcel on the westerly side of Blue Hill Avenue and it's developed with a single family
house about 1,200 square ft in size, constructed in 1950. Um, prior to them starting the work, um, because they had started, um, some of the the demolition of the existing structure,
um, there was an existing, um, one car garage detached, um, and it was a single level home. Um, so as far as what they did demolish, they did go down to the foundation um, and part of the
structure. I can share some photos and such in a bit. Um, and they had taken down the existing garage. Um, so I went out and I delineated, as I mentioned, the border
vegetated wetlands along the intermittent stream at the rear of the property. And um and then there was pretty much a a stop work until the um the property was delineated and we did file the
notice of intent that we're reviewing tonight. Um do you want me to share the plan at this point? No, that'd be great. Thank you. Sure. Okay. Can you see the plan? Yes. Yes, we can. Okay. Do you want me
to zoom in a little? Yeah, that would be helpful. Okay. Let's see. Where is my zoom? Oops. That's interesting. We don't want to look at that. Even though it is adorable.
See, try again. I'll try again. I know my plan has disappeared. It is It is late in the day. So, just give me one sec that backup.
No, we we are used to computer glitches. Yes. Okay. That is an older plan. This is the narrative NOI. Okay. Well, this is the plan that I
have. Okay. Um, will this will do. Um, we don't have a D file number. just to get that out of the way. Right. Um so this is the existing structure. Um as I mentioned, part of it has been demolished down to the
foundation. Um and there was previously in this area an a um detached onecar garage. Um so the garage was removed prior to the stop work. Um and the um
the building is um is basically um down to the foundation closer to the 25 ft buffer zone. Um so as you can see the wetlands um go along the the rear portion of the property um follow along the um
intermittent stream and come up to um right about here on that um side of the parcel. So the 25 ft buffer zone does come out to this area. um part of the
existing foundation is located in that area. Um they were not proposing any additional ground disturbance um or any work within the 25- ft buffer zone. Um this proposed porch um and second floor
balcony is no longer part of the um part of the application. So no work would be taking place in that area. Um the work that is proposed is to construct a new
um twotory garage and a um kind of um mud room breezeway kind of connecting that to the existing house. Um let's see. Um so to infiltrate the roof roof runoff from the um
additional imperous area um the groundwater is very high on this property. So a traditional um coldte system wouldn't work. Um so our engineer is proposing um this rain garden in this
area and there's more detail on the other part of this plan as far as plantings and um and seed mix and that type of um of information. Um would you like me to share some pictures?
Would you find that helpful? Um yes, but I just before we move on. Sure. I I I know I would like to see the wetland line. Um and I I suggest that we should take a sight walk on this on the 31st. Um but I I'm concerned that if
we're asked to approve a plan that it's got something on the plan that's not part of the proposal that that needs to be So that is on the other plan that I was trying to pull up which um it was it was revised by the engineer to remove
that. So, there is a note on there to remove that from construction and that's the plan that was submitted to you. My apologies. Um, all right. Thank you. Thanks. Sure. Um, in addition, I think that I had um checked off on the WPA
form that this was a perennial stream, which it is not. It's it is intermittent. All right, good. I caught that today, Debbie. Just FYI. Oh, thank you. Appreciate it. Yep. Um, sometimes you used old forms that have things checked
off that you don't want to be checked off. That's right. Yep. Um, so this was the filing. I'll go down to the end where the pictures are so you can get a better idea of where they are in the process.
Okay. Yeah, this is an interesting uh wetland because it's a sloped wetland, comes down the hill, right? Yeah, I know. I was um talking with the engineer and he was he was talking about how it slopes towards the road as opposed to
towards the wetland, which is is unique. Um so when the project was stopped um this is this is the front of the of the house. Um and this is along the left side of the house. So they were just bringing it
down to the foundation and in this area. This is the back of the house. Um and so it still has the foundation. and they had started um constructing on top of that um when was stopped. That's
kind of a closer up look. So that's the um the portion of the house that's closest to the wetland, the 25 ft buffer. Um this picture is also down the left hand of the house. This is the rear of the property. So the intermittent
stream channel runs along the back. There is a lot of woody debris in it, but that's Yes. And that's a good thing. Chimney. Well, yes, to some degree. Um,
so this is looking from the wetland behind was behind me. And that's the rear of the house currently. This is the driveway. So the the garage had been demoed
previously and that's just of the stream channel. Do you know where the well end discharges to? Ah that's the $64,000 question. Yeah.
Right. And does it have a low end? Where's the low end? The low end is a point down gradient. So it goes into the ground. It goes goes it basically goes into the ground. Not into a pipe or
something. I did not see one. Did you see one? No, I I did not see one either. No. Um and and none of the none of the GIS maps um picked up on that either. Right. It's odd that you have a stream
channel that doesn't It just ends. True. It's the wetland is not a stream channel. The wetland is is a BVW. The stream channel goes off to the eastern I'm sorry, northern side of the
property. So it it flows away from Blue Hill A. Um it parallels Blue Hill. So this Yeah. So if this is the property, so the wetland, you know, came up towards the
street and along the rear of the property, um, is where the stream channel is. So it flows northwest. Yes. Gotcha. Right. Okay. And there's
and there's a larger wetland upgradient off property off site. Yeah, it really is pretty big. It's like the size of three oz lots or something. Yes, exactly. Yep. Yeah. I was surprised to see it up there, but you know, that's
what the glaciers did, right? Land on the glaciers. Doesn't perk at all. No doubt. No, no, no. Had very high groundwater. Yeah.
[Music] So, how how does the stream appear on the USGS? Yeah. Oh, that's a good question. I didn't take a look at USGS. Oh, I I do have USGS,
right? And it didn't Yeah, it doesn't show up. Yeah, I'm not surprised. Yeah, it's really small. It is. Yeah. So, you know, I was just curious
when you said there was a mistake when it was checked off as perennial. Was that just like a blocking copy from another form or did Exactly. No, I I knew it. I I always look at the the GIS and USGS maps before I go out to
a site so I know what I'm I'm looking for. Um, so that was just left over. Yeah. wetland science. Yeah. Got to know what you're looking for. That's right. What What have other people seen
on site so you can find those those items? All right. Other questions? I I I think um I verify the lines. We should um put this on the sitewalk agenda for the 31st. I' I'd certainly like to take a look at
it. 12 wetland flags. Yes. Um, do you want me to go with you on the sidewalk or are you um I'm I'm my preference would be to have you
there, but I don't want to drive up the to be blunt, I don't want to drive up the cost for the homeowner because I'm assuming that nor am I trying to take work away from you, but um you don't have to be in but you know there could be some questions on you relocating a flag or something. I I don't know. We
sometimes do that. We're, you know, Steve speaks highly of you, Debbie. So, um I I wouldn't expect relocation to be an issue. Um but we do our tradition for at least the last 33 years is to have
the commission verify the flags. I see. So, your choice, I guess. Although, applicant's choice. Okay. I I'll talk to them about it after. Um I know that they are anxious to get going on this because I think
they've been stalled for two months at this point. Um if you're there and we need a flag moved, it's a lot easier. Yeah. Just to let you know. Yeah. What time I'm sorry, was your site meeting
planned for? Well, we start at uh 8:30. But that's at uh 30 Curtis Road. I we've we've actually done that site before, so I don't think we're going to be there very long. That's really just a tree survey issue and an opportunity vote. I
I would I would think that we'd be uh at 4:05 by 9:00. Okay. If I get there by like 8:45, we Yeah, that'll be fine. All right. All right. Any any questions from other questions from
commissioners or members of the public about us or otherwise? I don't I know the owners were were wondering if there was any work that they could do during this interim period.
Um I I think the simple answer is no. I mean, you're you're already at a 25 foot and the picture showed some disturbance there. I know the demolition was there. So, you're they're operating without a permit. Well, there wasn't any Yeah, there wasn't any ground disturbance per
se um in the 25, but it just went down to the in that area. Um, you know, I'm sure they understand, but I did say that I would I would ask so. Okay.
And I just wanted to make the another note that this wetland is above the upland here on this site. It's really interesting. Mhm. We see this kind of thing in Marshfield as well quite often actually. Oh,
really? Yep. near the North River [Music] where you'll be chasing a wetland line and then it'll disappear and then it'll pop up 200 feet down gradient. Wow, that's challenging.
Oh, extremely I'm glad I I stick to stick to this area. Right. All right, then. So with the ascent of the uh applicant, we will um and I suppose I should have made that a question, but I certainly think that
in order to get the data that we need, we need to see it, right? And we don't have a D file number anyway. So, okay, you could call it makes it easy. No vote without a number. All right, so we'll continue this until uh May 31st at
about 9:00 on site. Is there enough room in the driveway for us to park there or I don't know what the Blue Hill A looks like. Yeah, there's there's several several spaces. So, probably um cars on the on the on the side of the uh
Blue Hill A as well on the west side of Blue Hill A. All right. Good. All right. Good. Thank you. So, this will be continued to the June meeting. No, we can we can do it on the 31st. That's a public meeting. Oh, I see. That we can
vote. It'll be Saturday the 31st of May. Oh, okay. Okay, great. You don't you don't have to wait until the next, you know, regular meeting. That's great. Okay. Thank you so much. We will see you there. All right. Thank Thank you, Debbie, very much. All right. Take care.
Night. Good night. Good night. Uh, next uh number nine we've already done. That was the first one. That was the extension of the order conditions for an additional year. Number 10 is certificate of compliance 17 Woodlot Drive. Um, and I would ask uh Arthur
Doyle to uh take over as chair. I have to recuse myself and for the public benefit the I have recused myself from day one. This is a a development for uh PY or by PY development and my firm
represents PY development not not in this case not in Milton but in other issues. So I have and will continue to reduce myself from this. Can somebody um uh give me a text when you're done?
Arthur, would you take over, sir? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Steve, uh could we um borrow on your background information with this particular Sure. Um the situation here is that
there is no um order of conditions for this specific lot. There was an order for the entire development uh but not for this lot. There's nothing
within 100 ft. no wetland resources within 100 ft of the lot. So that my suggestion is that the commission uh provide a what what I would call a partial order of conditions. I mean a
partial certificate for this specific lot excluding the rest of the development. Um that's the way that's the way it the order was written for the entire development. That's a previous discussion that I
recall. Um did you have a question? Did you say there's there's no wetlands within 100 ft of the lot? That's correct. There is a um a built um
retaining basin directly adjacent to the west side, but that's not a jurisdictional wetland. There was something that was built for the development.
There was something built for the development, but it's not on the lot. That's correct. It's adjacent to the lot, and it's it's basically a drainage structure. But so that applied to that property
before it was subdivided. The the structure was not there until No, I know the the the property prior to subdivision was where the permit was applicable to. So when it was subdivided into the individual lots, that lot itself is non-jurisdictional.
That's correct. So there shouldn't we shouldn't issue a permit or we shouldn't be able to issue a permit or uh or or certificate of compliance for it. We we don't have any say.
Okay. If that's true then what what does the owner do about the bank or the proposed owners do about the bank issues? So the bank So there's a So there's a lean on the property. No, I believe
somebody wants to purchase the property and the bank the bank is saying that there's a there's a covenant on the property from an order of conditions. No, they are looking for a certificate of compliance. I've never heard of that before. Neither
have I. And I haven't spoken to anybody at the bank directly. Uh do you suggest that I do that? Um does that make sense to the rest of the commission? No, I mean this should be Charlie. Tell
me if I'm wrong here, but this should be their attorney being knowing how to do their job. Uh I agree. Yeah. Well, without knowing all the facts, Hans, in in what was included in
their initial application because there could be a reference to this. Yeah. And it could be just caught in the language of the original application. So, when the bank goes to release it or the owner asked the bank
to release it, they want the final from that's going to be filed with the registry of deeds. And if this lot isn't uh specified, if it was originally specified in the original documents, then they can't get it cleared.
Does that make sense the way I I phrased that? Yes. That's that's up to PY, right? Well, it depends how it was written by the conservation commission in the initial application. If the conservation
commission included this lot in the initial application, that may not necessarily have been the entire vault of the uh developer because maybe it was never should never have been considered part of a
jurisdictional um review for this subdivision. was similar to other subdivisions where the roadway and the storm water management and those aspects were part of the application and then
the individual house lots where required would seek I think NOIs right NIS that's correct that's okay that's why I'm so confused well yeah and
without seeing the original documents Hans it's it's tough to make a an assessment. Maybe this is uh something that the attorneys are going to have to give us some guidance on. I'm okay with that. Yeah, I am too. This
conversation u leads to the fact that we need to have more information before we can make a decision on this. Does that make sense to everybody? Yes. Hans, are you comfortable with that? Yeah.
Wendy. Okay. I do not. Tom, yes. Okay. So, we will continue this. Yes. Let's let's continue till the 31st. Okay. And in the meantime, we will uh
get additional information as discussed during the course of the meeting. All right. Let's bring Mr. Canon back. Thank you, Arthur. [Music] Does anybody know what that weird horn
sound is? I was just about to ask that, Wendy. It sounds like an air alarm. Like an air raid. Probably my computer. Yep. Right. I can Okay, John's on his way. I think that's
what it is, Wendy. Your computer. It's Tom's Tom's computer. There it is. I I thought it it happened every time we mentioned John's name. What's that? Computer problems.
The airate siren noise. Mr. Chairman, just so that you know, we will be continuing uh this item uh to the meeting on the 31st of May, awaiting additional information uh that would enable the commission to
make a substantive decision. Uh great. That's good. Thank you. Um does um let me let me ask a a question because the first inquiry for this house lot came to me and the issue was is it a private lot
or is it within the development and essentially that translated into is it a separate order of conditions and a subsequent sale. So, I got a call from the attorney saying, you know, can we get a certificate of compliance, but when I
realized where it was, um, I I passed it back to to Steve and said, I, you know, I can't participate. But when I first got the inquiry, my understanding was that there was a a sale pending and I thought it
was the 16th of May. Uh, is that am I wrong? Sounds right to me, John. Okay. The only the only reason I say that I don't I don't know if I don't even know if the applicant was there. I
have I have no idea, but the 16th was in my mind. So, I don't know if the 31st is going to help anybody. I don't know. And I don't see anybody here. No, there was nobody here.
Okay. All right. All right. So, let's move. You don't have enough information for a decision and there was nobody here to represent this. Yeah. Understood. Um, so that's
531. Um, all right. Next is number 11. Request for determination of applicability 39 Hurlcraftoft Road. Do we have Yes, we go. Hi. Hi, my name is Caitlyn Thomas. I am the home homeowner of uh 39 Hurlcraft Road.
Thanks for seeing me tonight. Um, thanks for your patience tonight. Oh, hey. You know, I was looking for something to do. So, um, glad to be here. Uh, so we are looking to create usable space in our attic for the purpose of a playroom. Um,
this project does not include any modifications to our existing footprint. Our home is approximately 50 feet from the fence that then marks off our backyard. The marsh in question is
beyond that fence. Um, again, there are no modifications to the existing footprint. The only the biggest part of this project is going to be to put uh uh two dormers so that we the height is up to code. I have specs of the backyard as
well as pictures of the plan, but I don't want to show you anything that isn't already in front of you there. Um so the big thing for us is that there's no change in their footprint. Accurate. Correct. But I I don't know if
is is there I mean are you taking heavy equipment? Do you have some kind of a boom truck or get them high? No. No, we wouldn't require that. And if that were to happen, um, none of that would, you know, it would really be on our lawn as
opposed to it would, we have about 50 ft of lawn in between the marsh, you know, so our our land, you know, we have a pretty sizable backyard that would not nothing would be even close to the marsh in question.
Okay. Would you like to see an aerial shot of the lawn? That that would be perfect. Sure. I'm going to share my screen and I'm not going to make you look at my work that I promise I wasn't doing while we were on the
I had um I brought up this app called Measure My Lawn here. This is our This is the house. It's uh just under 50 ft to the fence and beyond that fence is the marsh. So you could see that the
footprint here would not be modified and we have a very large open gate area here that if any equipment would be required it would come through that gate and would come right over here where my cursor is. Is this helpful for your
determination or should I pull something else up? Uh it is for mine but okay. Yeah, quite helpful. All right. Um this is a request for determination of applicability.
Correct. Um, and if if we were to uh issue a negative determination, and I I'm not getting it yet because you're going to get questions from other commission members, but typically what we would do is if we issued a negative determination, which means you don't have to file a notice of intent, but
we'll attach special conditions. One of the special conditions that we'd attach would be that your contractor has to agree not to store overnight uh their equipment or refuel their equipment um uh in our jurisdiction. So
that's really sometimes it's a contractor problem, but you know typically they know that if they if they do the work in Milton they understand it because we've been pretty consistent a long time. The contracting company. Sure. The contracting company that we're using is
Finback Construction and they've done 39 jobs. I did pull up that information in Milton very recently. So, they I'm sure are very familiar with the um specs in question and I would be happy to um
reaffirm that um as I'm committed to the cause as well. John, I just looked at the town's GIS and it indicates that there's really no part of the lot that is not within
200 feet of uh Gulibbrus Creek. So, the equipment would have to be on the street, which is more than 200 feet. Overnight that is right. Yeah. I think I understood your time. his hand that that Herlcraftoft itself is more
than 200 ft from the Greek. Yeah. Good. Okay. So, it's it's uh shouldn't be a problem. All right. They just can't store it in the backyard, you know, you know, close to like 50 feet from the marsh. That that's where you can't store overnight. You could move it through
there, but you couldn't store it or fuel it there. Don't really want it there anyway. Good. Right. Um, questions from commission members. I I I know where you're located because
I'm I live down the street from you. Um, you know, I thought you might do you have the big gated house. Do you have the house with the gate? Gate? Yes. Yes, I do. I do. My kids My kids play there. You've probably seen them in your Ring Cam kind of. Uh, there was a beautiful
deer. There was a beautiful deer in your lawn and my two kids were pressed up against the gate. I don't let them go any further, but they were like in the bushes looking at the deer. So, yep, that's user. So, u commission questions,
members. Um, uh, John, I do have a question, but it's but it's a it's a funny question. Are those bald cypress trees behind you? They are. Yeah, they're um it's I work at National Geographic and I changed my Zoom background uh to uh to showcase the
programs that I'm working on currently. So, those are good. Good eye. One of my favorite trees. It's a good one. Yeah. What's not any other questions from commission members? Wendy? No, I was just commenting on the cypress
trees. Oh, all right. I can't see any um I can see Chris Lyman, but um any members of the publics that have a question or comment. Um hearing none and and no questions from the commissioner, I I would suggest that we issue a a
negative determination uh with a special conditions of no storage of uh mechanized equipment or hydraulic equipment overnight and no refueling within our jurisdiction. But um other than that, I think I don't think we need erosion controls on this. It's all
interior, correct? I mean, I know some that don't will be exterior. Anybody think that we should be have an erosion control in the back? No. No. Yeah. I shaking your head, Steve. I I I don't, but um I'll I'm
shaking it. No, that's what I thought. Okay. All right. You said do you agree, Arthur? That it's not needed. Okay. Okay. Good. All right. So then that overnight storage would be
the only uh special condition for you. Uh is there such a motion? So moved. Thank you. Arthur, is there a second? Yes. Second. Thank you. Thanks. Any discussion? Hearing none, we'll take a roll call vote. Author, how do you vote?
Yes. Wendy, yes. Hans, yes. Tom, yes. Charlie, yes. And I John Kieran vote yes as well. So, you have a negative determination of applicability with that special condition about storage and refueling and other than that, you're
good to go. Well, thank you, neighbor. Um, do I wait for some sort of official documentation before we begin this work? How does that proceed? Uh, actually, we might be faster than normal because we now have our resolution. Philip, do you
know whether or not the electronic signature resolution has been filed in the registry of deeds? Um, I don't believe it has. I'll check. Um, I'll check. Okay. Because we do need to get that signed. So, the answer to your question
is, we all have to sign this negative determination. So, sometimes it takes a few days. Uh, I mean, I could sign it tomorrow. Um, okay. And but we have to have enough signatures on there that show the uh the majority of the commission voted actually with
unanimous. Um, okay. But we're trying to speed that process up. So, we just voted to go to electronic signatures, but we're not quite ready for that yet. All right, but it'll be we should be able to do it by Friday. Fair enough. Thank you all very much. I appreciate your time. Okay. All right. Thank you. Bye. Good
night. Thank you. Good night. I won't be there tomorrow, but Thursday I'll be there to have things signed. Okay, great. Um, next is 12 notice of intent Randolph Avenue, Route 28, Chikatab Road. Ed, for the public's
benefit, um we were there at a sitewalk uh when what was the date that week or so ago? Um and we did collect uh a lot of data there. We had an opportunity to see the uh the wetlands delineation uh looked at some of the issues, vernal
pool, etc. Um and the purpose of today's meeting is to gather additional information and ask additional questions. And Chris, can you get us up to date? Yep. Yeah. Um so I know there I know there was a tree question um when we
were on the site um about I think somebody asked how many trees were being removed on the site. Um there's 80 total trees being removed on the site um with 64 of those being within DCR land and um 10 being within Mass DOT
uh state highway layout and then four on private property. Um and then I know there's another question again about stockpiling um specifically in the parking lot to the Blue Hills reservation there um which is closest to the Verna pool. Um and as as I said in
the field also also that DCR is very against any stockpiling of any material on their on their own land themselves. Um so as long it I I don't see a problem with having an order of conditions that stated no stockpiling. And I know you guys have had heard all night that you
guys also don't um prefer having equipment, you know, stored overnight um within your jurisdiction, which I don't I don't see being a problem either um with DCR not wanting anything stockpiled or stored on their property. Yeah. Can you go back a step there to
the uh the 80 trees? You said 64 DCR 10 was 10 10 Mass DOT highway layout. They're within the the state highway layout. Um and four with non on private properties. But of the four on private property, uh is that the the land that was taken by
eminent domain or I assume that's how they got it. Uh that corner house. Uh I believe two of them are and then two of them are directly across the street from that from that property. Okay. So So technically technically I guess they'd be mass DOT property trees
now. So it's a p it's a private it's a private par or a public parcel. Got it. Okay. So, uh, trees stockpiling and what did you say there was a third? I believe those are only two questions. I believe, if I remember correctly, you brought up
um, from our site visit. I I believe everybody was fine with um, the wetland flagging. From what I remember, there wasn't any issues with the wetland flagging. I believe the big issues are just the trees question um, and really the the stock buying close to the Verno pool.
Okay. So, on the the loss of trees side of it, we do have a performance standard for the town where we require replacement um not necessarily on site but at some place. That's a lot of trees uh with a lot of measured circumference.
Um, and then you can either plant the trees or um, give us give us the money. The money is is figured at $500 per tree. That's a Is that Is that a local is that a local bylaw? Just for a question. Yes, it is. And I know you're the state, so does
that do you get exempted from the local Yeah, ma mass duty is exempt from all um local bylaws. Uh it um it's actually a performance standard that we
apply to well under both um because it's always been a condition of the uh the wetlands protection act. We've never actually, you know, litigated that very issue, but we've
always said if you want a permit, you know, that's a condition of the permit and without distinguishing. I know some people do distinguish say it's a it's a bylaw uh issue, but we've actually never, you know, gone to had a cage fight over that uh that issue whether or
not it's one or both or either. Um yeah, I just I I I know that the trees being held through the MEEPA process because this is an within it's a obviously a different permit, but um it is an environmental justice area. So we have to file an EI an EIR for this
because they are public shade trees since they are on DCR land. Um and I know mitigation with that is being worked through that process. I know there is some landscaping trees being added. Um, I don't know again if it's going to fulfill the whole 80 that's
being removed, 64 of those being public with considered public jade trees because they're on DCR land. Yeah. Let me let me talk to Peter Melo on that because I' I' I've had the discussion not an argument, but we've had the discussion before as to whether
or not we could imply that as a condition for a wetland permit under the state regs uh just as within our discretion. uh and I've always considered it as such. It's just our own performance standard as opposed to uh under the bylaw, the town bylaw. But let
me check with Peter. But so others I mean is um concerned with that as well that is public shade trees. Let me what's the anticipated mitigation for the public shade tree removal under me?
Um I I know it is adding vegetation and tree plantings. Um I our my company is not publicly or personally involved in the MEPA process. It's through Epsilon, another subconsultant. Um so I know they're working on that. Um but I know
just from our landscaping plans we received, it's not fully measuring it, but I I also know the project is in the benefit of the public itself. Um adding both access and safety. Um, so I know it's a pretty I would say it's a process that's
kind of moving through where that seen as a benefit towards the towards the community itself in an EJ community. Understood. Well, I'm I'm I'm at a loss because I've always in my head anyway said it's under both the Wildlands Protection Act. that
is the performance standard that we've applied traditionally in custom and practice for many decades um without distinguishing whether that discretionary condition is under the state or under the the municipal bylaw.
But I'll defer to um Peter Melo on that issue. That's our town council Chris. Um but in terms of moving this along, are there any other issues other than that? Uh in terms of uh issuing an order of
conditions, I we've seen it. Um we've talked about it. Um I know any concerns. Uh Steve, do you we've addressed the stockpiling, the vernal pool? Um, no. I think I think we should have a nice um
uh site meeting or a uh pre-construction of course. Um typical, you know, with a quiz, of course. Right. And regular reports like we got
from Exactly. regular reporting. Could I just mention something Chris may not be aware of and namely when we count trees to be replaced, we only count the ones that are in our jurisdiction. Correct?
Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah. So, of the 80 trees you named, only the ones that are within 100 feet of wetland would be ones that we would normally require to be replaced. So you guys don't you guys don't include
an endangered species habitat as you're just just a question if not because we're also with I know most of the sites within endangered species habitat also. That's a good question. Yeah, very good question. Yeah. No, I mean I know in my head I
haven't. I've always looked for the wetlands delineation for jurisdictional purposes. Um Yeah. Right. That's a fair question. But having said that, do you know from among the 84, how many would fit within our sort of what
I'll call the traditional jurisdiction of 100 feet from the wetlands and how many will fall of that? I do not I'm trying to get to the plans right now because we do have them um delineated there at le or they they they say what is being taken down, what
is not. Um I'm trying to get I couldn't get you like a full number. Um, but I would say there's there's probably at least if I'm saying like just from eyeballing from the plans, I'd say there's probably at least half of those trees would be part of within that
100 foot buffer of BBW. All right. Well, I think we've got if that's the only issue we could delay and and our purpose is not to delay. I mean that's we tried to move things along quickly but we could delay this until
May at which time I can get a a weigh in from Peter Melo um town council on this issue and um secondly we could if you can give us an exact count on how many fall within I
know you said about 50% but is there any way you can do that without I'm not suggesting you send out a team and you you know, take a picture of every tree, but can you is that something you could put onto a plan? So, so it is on a plan on the plans you guys have. If you if
you look, we call out each tree which one's being removed specifically. Um I I it's from that plan. I guess I could count them, but they they they are on if if you go I don't know if you guys have the plans um necessarily in front of you, but each each tree that's being
removed is called out as being removed. um on the the NOI plants that we gave. All right. Well, we don't have to slow it down for that. Um because we could make a condition uh to follow our tree replacement plan. Then we can consult
with Peter Melo and he says we can't do it then I guess it's void. Um but if we can do it, it's already in place. So we we could issue a condition at least for voting purposes to approve the order of conditions with the special condition
that the that our regular tree replacement plan be complied with. And then if Peter tells us later on we can't do it because it's just under the uh wetlands town bylaw, uh then so be it.
I'm not suggesting that we vote for something that's illegal, but I um I think that would be the most expeditious way of doing it. Um so that's that that would be my suggestion that we do it one of two ways that we vote
today to do it in accordance with our regular custom and practice that each of the trees within the jurisdictional land. So it would be half of the 84 uh but they replaced by the sum of the tree circumferences
replaced. Um yep obviously I would also like to point out that the project can be viewed as a limited project. It is eligibly limited as reviewed as a limited project also um under
uh three CMR 301 310 CMR 10.53 um section 3 subsection F because it's a um maintenance and improvement of existing public roadways but not limited to widening less than a single lane and adding shoulders um and correcting
substandard intersection improving inadequate drainage systems. Um we do meet all the performance standards of the wildland protection act but under under that also it can be viewed as a limited project. All
right. So unless there are other issues that people haven't brought up, um I I would suggest that we take the vote and sort of extend our jurisdiction as if we we had the authority to do it to order
it if it complies with both state and municipal law. And that'll give us an out um to get to Peter Melo and he can give us an opinion and if we can't do it, we can't do it. Um, so it's almost like a a conditional
vote. So I'd like to be able to protect the shade trees as much as possible. Sounds like MEEP is doing the same thing. So we might the same the same place. Yeah. Yeah. And DCR I mean it's been it's been a six-y year process of bringing all the agencies together. I
mean we're trying our best to not you know obviously disturb this is very environmental sensitive area obviously. Um, so we've tried our best to not impact it to the m maximum extent practicable. Um, but sometimes it's just how how it how the intersection laid out
kind of in the area it's in. All right. All right. So I I think that gives us an option that we could we can vote tonight and say that um one of the special conditions to the extent that it
complies with both state and uh municipal law uh would require the you know the replacement under our performance standard which is the the the sum of the circumference at breast height of all the trees removed to be
replaced. Um, and the financial equivalent of that would be at $500 per 3 and 1/2 in caliber tree planted. Um, and that would be a special condition that I would
suggest, but the language that's sort of a caveat there is to the extent uh that it is in compliance with state and municipal law. And I understand the state might the state may preempt or trump the uh the municipal law. I
shouldn't use Trump. I should preempt is better. U so that would be my suggestion that we do it that way. Then we can confer. But so that it's in place. If we can do it, if we can't do it, then it it so states
to the extent that it's in state law. I'm completely fine with that. Again, I think in the same interest of just trying to make sure the project doesn't get delayed and keeps moving forward like you said, I'm I'm fine with that. Okay. Anybody have any other suggestions from that?
Uh Chris, go ahead. This this is Steve Ibis. Um just thinking about access into the work site and how have you thought about uh access in
and access out and you know under bad bad uh weather conditions washing trucks etc etc. Do you have a do you have a spec on that in the in the documents?
I don't know if we have a specific spec you're talking about like I mean mass has standard specs about um you know not putting debris in the active roadway. Um especially when it comes from when it comes from tires. I know there's definitely standard specs for that that
are included in all bid contracts that MDT has. Um it's in their it's in their boilerplate language. Um, so that'll those will definitely be included, which includes, you know, like you said, not tracking mud or dirt into and out of sightes and active roadways. Um, so, you know, obviously goes
into drainage systems or anything like that. Um, so I know they definitely have standard boilerplate specs for that. Okay, good. Uh, any other special conditions? And Tom, uh, I want your take on the proximity of the vernal pool. Should we
have a separate special condition that says that you got to, you know, stay out of that 100 foot area? Well, that's our our bylaw, which I think is is
waved. I would say that the users of that pool are coming from Chikataba Hill. They're not coming across the intersection. They're not coming from the parking lot. They're not coming across Shikataba Road. So, I really
think it's not particularly vulnerable to work in that area. I think uh its survival depends on the woods to the souththeast of the pool going up the hill remaining
undisturbed. And uh there is no proposal for that. So I think there will be a minimal impact from the loss of upland where these trees are going to be cut if they're in that corner. But other than
that, I don't really anticipate impacts. All right. But it should be included, you know, within the don't pack your uh backo road excavator within 100 feet of the
vernal poolool. Um I get the municipal part of it, but I I think we can exercise discretion and particularly because it's, you know, DCR and and DOT and MEEPer and I think we're probably going to be heading in the same direction on
some of these. Um yeah, I I can promise that if if you don't use your discretion, DCR def definitely will. It's It's been told it's been it's been told to do DOT specifically. Okay. All right. Any other special
conditions that people can come up with? Wendy, anything for you? Arthur, we talked we talked about uh regular reporting, didn't we, John? Yeah, that's mentioned.
Yeah. along with meeting pre-construction meeting, regular reporting, right? And and you've got an environmental monitor on site, right? There. Yes, there will be. Yeah, there there will be um Yes, there definitely will be. I know there'll also be a
wildlife scientist um obviously because it's an endangered species habitat. Okay. So with with those conditions that have been mentioned and I know Steve you're taking notes on this I'm trying. Okay. Yes. All right. Thank you. That's
what I'm doing. All right. All right. So if you have another special condition, please speak now or forever hold your peace. [Music] Um, hearing none, and without having to repeat all the things that Steve just took down by note, um, is there a motion
to approve the order of conditions with those special conditions? I move that we approve it with those conditions. All right. and and one of them I I don't know if you put it down there but the erosion controls I I think that's
obvious but that's um but you know that something as vague as appropriate um uh erosion controls all right so the motion was made by Tom is there a second Arthur thank you for the second any
discussion among commission members hearing none Arthur how do you vote Yes. Wendy, how do you vote? Yeah. Hans, yes. Tom,
yes. Charlie, yes. And I, John Kieran, vote yes as well. So, you've got your order of conditions with those special conditions that we discussed. And I'll um I I'll get a hold
of Peter Melo right away. And um I think you're probably right um in terms of the state versus municipal bylaw, but I think we're probably going to end up at the same place given the role of DCR and MEPA.
Yep. So, looks like we're good to go. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Grateful. Thank you. Have a good night. Take care. Yeah. Good night. Uh next is uh approval of meeting minutes sitewalk April 525 and then
we've got in the next breath uh the approval of minutes from uh April 8th 2025. Um I don't I don't have any comments on them. Anybody? Nothing yet. All right. So let's take them one at a
time. If uh if there are no revisions or amendments, um is there a motion to approve the minutes of April 5, 2025? That was the sitewalk. So motion anybody? Okay. Thanks,
Charlie. Um a second for that. Second. Thanks, AA. Uh minutes of April. They're doing the vote, John. No, no, I am. I'm just I'm do comparing. I'm just comparing.
No, no, no. Hold the hold the vote. Okay. Because I'm looking at the agenda and it says approval of meeting minutes for sitewalk held April 5, 2025. And then I'm looking at the minutes and it says April 4,
2025. So, one of them has to be amended. And I I don't have a I can look at a calendar. We know it was a Saturday. Um let me go to April five. April five. It's April. It's April
5. Okay. So the meeting minutes have to be revised to say um 05 April 25 at the top right hand corner. Thank you.
Okay. All right. So, with that revision, the motion's been made and seconded. Um, all in favor and I've got to go roll call. Arthur, yes. Wendy, yes. Hans, yes.
Tom, yes. Charlie, yes. and I I John Karen and say yes as well. Uh next on the agenda is the um 8th of April 2025. That was our regular
meeting. Um any suggested revisions on this? Uh if not I would I mentioned in in article three the um first paragraph at the end it said Charlie noted that a
large tree 4 foot diameter came down across a pathway. That's a pathway between the building and um hopef was cut at the pathway. I just mention it because I was there about three weeks ago and I didn't think it
was cut. It was hard to get. It wasn't. It wasn't at all today. It's gone. Oh, good. All right. By the way, if any if any of you are interested in what an elm borer Well,
forget it. I won't go on. I I just found some interesting insect life in that cut down tree. I think it was a double trunked swamp white maple. And one reason it went over was the trunk went in the
direction opposite of where its roots would have been, but it did not have them because the other trunk was where those roots would have been. So it didn't have the anchoring on that side, namely on the northwest side. And
perhaps a big northwest wind came through and blew it down because It wasn't dead. It was a And I hope Yeah. I hope the trunk that remains now that it is leaning oddly, I
hope it will survive because it was the biggest tree in the area. Okay. Going back to the motion at hand, uh, no other comments or revisions on April 8th, 2025
minutes hearing. None. Is there a motion to approve the minutes? Thanks. Thanks, author. Second. I'll second. Second. All right. Thanks. Um, and no discuss. Is there any discussion hearing?
We'll take a roll call vote. Arthur, yes. Wendy, yes. Hans, yes. Tom, yes. Sally, yes. And I, John Kenan,
uh, yes as well. Um, and that takes us to new business. And then, uh, an agreement after new business. Uh, Steve, do you have new business? Uh, one item.
Um, remind me of the number on Cantonav across from the suffet resolve house. Mr. Sabry 1620, I think. Yeah, I don't think is that high or is
it 12? It's down by 1200, isn't it? I thought it was like 12 something. Maybe it's 1260. Maybe I got my numbers wrong. We did 1365 which is up the drive in the suffic resolves house. Right. Okay.
In any case, I had a call from Mr. talk uh earlier this week and um actually late last week, forgive me. And he asked, well, no, he actually told me that he was putting down turf in the
rear yard and I wanted to uh let the conservation commission know that I said to him, I'm not sure that you're allowed to put turf down. I think it was for seed grasses in that rear yard that goes
from the large house down to our friends who built the uh basketball court. Oh, sure. Okay. That's the house that Marian represented them. Yes. Yes. And it backs up to Mr. Vo who had a sports
court off of Blue Avenue. That's correct. That's correct. and and I said I'm going to ask the commission about this because I'm not I'm not comfortable with turf being that's that's Bolster that's
Bolster Brookke yes that runs right alongside and that is a perennial um yes that's correct I just wasn't comfortable with turf frankly um how does the commission feel the
reason for your discomfort state. Uh, not it won't be native grass. It'll be some other, you know, hybrid. That's what I'm worried about. Wait, wait a minute. I I Are you talking about artificial turf
or No, you talking I'm talking about grown turf. You know, they saw that you you roll out. Oh, okay. Yes. Yeah. New Jersey sod or Connecticut sod. Uh, how does the commission feel about that? I'm just asking the
commission for recommendations. I feel from my experience both in my own properties and when I worked in construction that it adheres better and it retains soil better. There's less erosion. The sod.
Yeah, that's my point of view. Okay. Okay. Anybody else? Our experience I agree, Arthur. I I would go ahead. I I would I would agree with what Arthur is saying, but
also I agree with you, Stephen, in that um I don't I'm not familiar with any sad that is um really um has has grass types that are specific
to this part of New England. Um, when I've used when I've used it in a pinch in the past, um, I've overseeded it with a more native turf type tall fescue seed.
Um, but it does um it is instant gratification and and I think that it also uses less water to get established than a seated lawn. Okay.
Thank you. I appreciate your time on that one. All right. Good. So, it sounds like we're okay with that. I mean, I'm I'm okay with it. Sounds like Yes. When When you first brought it up, I thought it was he was doing like a putting green with artificial
turf. Okay. You know, I shouldn't call that stuff artificial turf because it really doesn't resemble turf at all in my opinion. True. Right. True enough. All right. Any other additional business, Steve? Not from me. Are there
anything? We're good to go. Motion to adjourn. Yes. Yes, please. Yes. Yes, please. Right. It's late. All right. Thanks all. God bless. Uh, good
night. Good night. Thank you all. Night. [Music] Hey, boy. [Music]
rip it up. Rip it. Part: 2
[Music]
Red meeting of the Milton Select board. Uh it is 702 and I would like to call us to order. Uh please join me and stand if you're able for 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. [Music] Thank you. Um we are going to proceed to uh public comment and uh for citizen
speak we all lot 21 total minutes of time. Uh individuals are asked to keep their remarks to 3 minutes or shorter. U Mr. Milano will keep track of the uh time overall. I'll keep uh track of the 3minut time and I will give you a quick uh warning. If you are um when when you
hit 2 minutes and 30 seconds if you are speaking online from Zoom I can tell you from personal experience um you will not hear us if we're trying to warn you. So maybe have a look at your Zoom screen because you'll be promoted as a panelist and we will start waving at you so that
you know that your your time is up. Um so uh with that said, do we have anybody uh sign in? Do you are do we have people in the audience who would like to speak? Okay. [Music]
Don't worry about it as long. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Um thank you very much. Uh, welcome, welcome new members and thanks to all for doing public service. My name is Margaret Carols. I live at 19 Gibbons
Street. Um, former director of the Milton Coalition. Um, so I'm just going to give very very brief background for the benefit of our new members about how this how we got to be here. Um, so, uh,
we found out, uh, late last year that an article was being prepared for the February 2025 town meeting, um, that would make changes to the bylaw that forbids the sale and consumption of alcohol on town owned property. Um, consulted with some public health
professionals here in town and, uh, made a presentation uh, at town meeting outlining impact on youth substance use. Uh, long story short, the result was that alcohol sale and consumption is now allowed in town-owned buildings
um through the one-day permit process, but is still prohibited on town owned land. We were told that this was not an acceptable outcome by some people in town um and that it would be coming back to town meeting.
Um, and indeed the select board uh scheduled a public hearing at the April 8th select board meeting and some colleagues and I uh presented there or made some public comments there um outlining some of the best practices that we believed would adequately reduce
the risk that comes from the public sale and consumption of alcohol especially in outdoor spaces uh where there might be teens and children. Um, and we then worked with um, some other people in town to include those in a draft of the
bylaw that we shared with Mr. Milano after he shared a draft with us. Um, we also shared it with some people in town we thought might give us some feedback um, you people who might be opposed to the changes that we were making, but we
didn't really hear very much. Um, so I'm here to say that we have an article ready. Um, but we'd really like some more kind of going back and forth with people in town because I don't want to get to the floor of town meeting and
have this be a I don't want to make up legislation on the floor of town meeting. I'd really like some more time to hear all voices and and um get some more input. So, I'm asking that it be
not in the May town meeting, but pushed off to a future town meeting. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Do we have anyone else in the audience who wishes to join for a citizen speak? I don't see anyone online
with their hands up. All right. Uh so, that will conclude our citizen speak. Um I we're going to do a little shuffling of the uh agenda. Um the first thing we're going to do though is um just quickly recognize our former select board members uh and do a quick
introduction of our new select board members. Um I felt particularly for Miss MTO uh who served uh three years on this board um very diligently uh attended every meeting. I think I don't think I was ever at a meeting that she wasn't at. and um very thorough with uh her
review of the minutes and materials. Uh she worked very hard for this town and I just wanted to make sure um that we uh as a board collectively acknowledged the work that she did for Milton that she continues to do on the board of health uh and wish her the best in her uh future endeavors and I would invite any
of our uh members uh to say anything else about Miss Must if they have thoughts what you said. Thank you for her service. Yep. And uh I I I won't go to the same lengths for Miss Bradley because uh we knew that she was leaving and we um we collectively cried over her
departure uh a couple weeks ago. Uh but of course uh we do recognize her u continued participation in in much of the town's work um both through town meeting and and uh as a volunteer. With that said, I would like to warmly welcome our two new select board
members, Megan Heggerty and Winston Daly. Congratulations to you both on on joining this board. and I would like to give you the opportunity to introduce yourselves. Um, and Megan, maybe I'll start with you if you'd want to say a few words. No, I'm excited to be here.
Um, um, my name is Megan Hagerty. I'm um, a resident at seven Willoughby Road in Milton. Um, I'm also a town meeting member in Precinct 2. And I'm honored um, to have the confidence of the voters of the town of Milton. and I promise I
will work as hard as I possibly can for um everybody in the town. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. It's a little it's a little nerve-wracking being up there. Honestly, watching all the meetings are very different. It's a very different kind of setup. So, Winston Daily, uh new
member to the board, town meeting member in precinct 2. Uh I would first just like to thank all the voters for the huge turnout we had um in this last election uh from the override to all of our boards. just incredibly impressive and incredibly happy for the amount of
civic engagement we have here in town. Um I thank them for, you know, trusting us with this role. Do not take it lightly. Um the power that we've been given and the ask for our leadership and I hope to serve the town as best I can over the next three years. Thank you all. Congrats again. And I I think I
would be remiss if I didn't point out I believe Mr. Daly, you're the first uh black person elected to the select board. So I think that is Oh, damn. All right. fantastic uh sign of progress in our town. So, congratulations. Not the first immigrant, unfortunately. We learned Dennis, right? So, I'll take
number two. Yes. Yeah. Um so, again, congratulations to you both and and welcome to the board. Um so, I'm going to move uh without objection item 12, uh which is the proclamation declaring declaring May as ALS awareness month in the town of Milton. Um up to number
four. Um, and I would uh warmly welcome uh Heidi Vaughn to come up to the front and uh share a few words about May as ALS awareness month. Thank you very much. Um I'm Heidi Von. Am I supposed to give my address? Is
that the You don't have to. Okay. I was diagnosed with ALS uh two years ago when I and last May I asked to recognize May as ALS awareness month and they were gracious enough to do so
and I'm very grateful that this year um be here just to speak a little bit and express my gratitude. Um many people know ALS as Larry's disease and um there's many ways that you can you can help our cause. you can be
educated, you can fund raise, and you can advocate. And so I suggest if you're interested in any of that, ALS association is a great place to start. Um, we definitely still need all efforts going forward to a cure. In the meantime, helping all of us with ALS and
our caregivers have a good quality of life. So, thank you. Thank you for your continued advocacy for ALS and for your presence here. Um, so, uh, I've asked, uh, Mr. Cohane if he could read the proclamation. proclamation. Whereas emitotropic
lateral sclerosis, known by many as Lugar Garri's disease, is a progressive fatal neurogenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, making even the simplest movements, walking, speaking, and gesturing difficult. And whereas
approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year with a new diagnosis every 90 minutes. And whereas ALS strikes people regardless of race, ethnicity or social status and currently has known cause, means of prevention or
care, making diagnosis difficult. And whereas finding the causes and cure for ALS will prevent the disease from robbing hundreds of thousands of Americans of their dignity and lives. And whereas on average patients
diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years from the time of diagnosis. And whereas people who serve in the military are twice as likely to develop ALS leading to the US Department of Veterans Affairs recognizing ALS as a
service connected disease. And whereas ALS awareness month raises awareness of the dire circumstances faced by those with ALS, acknowledges the terrible impact this diagnosis has on affected individuals, their families, and the
community, and recognizes the importance of continued research to eradicate this disease. Now therefore, we the town, the Milton Select Board, do hereby proclaim the month of May as ALS awareness month in Milton, Mass. Together, we join ALS
patients and advocates in spreading awareness, and embracing hope that advances in science and medicine will soon lead to a deeper understanding of the disease, new treatments to enhance the quality of life, and a cure. given this day of May 23rd, May 13, 2025,
signed by the chair of the select. That's amazing. Thank you so much. You're very welcome. Thank you. I I'll add too, I think Mr. Cohane and I both learned uh we neither of us were aware of the statistic around uh the veterans uh and their um their diagnosis rate. Yeah. So I think it's u
it's great when we do something like this trying to educate folks and and we learn uh as we do that. So thank you again. You want Yeah, these they're both. Uh so next we're going to have a discussion about uh committee
assignments. Very exciting. Um we um so I'm going to wait for Mr. Milano to come back here. But uh essentially uh at this at the start of our select board terms um we're going to review um the uh committees that folks are on. Um in some
cases we may need to appoint new folks. Um in other cases people may just want to continue in their roles. So um Mr. Milano I don't know if you want to add anything. Uh sure. Context. So, I think um just in
terms of the new finance committee piece, I don't have a recommendation or or suggestion around that quite yet. Uh it's been something we've been working on with our colleagues on the warrant committee and school committee. So, I think if we could pause on the new warrant committee, select board, school
committee, finance committee conversation. Obviously, I'm open to take any feedback that the board has at this time, but maybe um revisit. Yeah. So, item five. Oh, yeah. This guy. Yeah. we can revisit that on the 27th once we have a little bit of opportunity to to coordinate with the other folks. Um and
then I think feeding into that is how the select board finance committee structure will move going forward. So perhaps those two we would put um hold off for now until um those conversations we come back with a proposal for this board to consider around that. Um
otherwise uh nothing to add beyond what you mentioned only that uh Mr. as well as we did connect with him um and he's currently serving on the capital improvement planning committee and the Milton landing committee and would um would like to continue to serve on those two committee he informed me that of that as
well. Um thoughts or suggestions from from anyone? I think, you know, I think it's a good idea to um unpack uh what the possibilities are for new um updated finance committee membership and
representation. Um you know, it's something that, you know, I think is critical um for us to navigate through the next um three to five years as a town. Um so just looking forward to that discussion. And I I kind of I agree too. They're
both tied together. Yeah. And then in terms So in terms of the So we there's two finance committee essentially, right? We've got our own select board finance committee which hasn't been in session in a bit. And then there's this idea of the of the new
joint uh group. So we're waiting to hear back from the warrant committee. uh we were trying to coordinate with the warrant committee and school committee to have an internal conversation about perspectives on it to try to come back to this board with a proposal and how to structure that. Okay. Um and then work
with this board. Um obviously we can we can talk about the other appointments and make those decision. So there's not nothing there is action right now. Right. Um okay. So but we we could still proceed with an appointment to our own finance committee. Yes. My only point
there was depending on how we structure the new one, perhaps it's redundant to have ours or not, but that's up to the sport in terms of how the sport wants to proceed. Are they kind of one and the same? I don't know the people that serve on one should serve on
the other. I just just a thought. Yeah, I don't know. Other thoughts? Yeah, I would think that as well that whoever's on the selectboard finance committee would just join joint committee. Yeah, historically doesn't that finance committee have some overlap or some interactions with the other boards?
Yeah, we had made it a kind of a a practice to meet uh occasionally with the school committee that the goal here obviously is to more formalize that. Um but I think I would agree that naturally that would overlap would make sense. Um, the other thing I just wanted to mention, I I've heard from multiple members of an interest in the finance
committee. So, one other item to discuss here would be whether it's a two member committee as it's been, it could conceivably be a three member committee. Um, it means we just have to post a meeting slightly different and noting that the full select board could be present if all three members show up. But that is an option and something I
want to flag is I know that that's that's something that's come up to me. want to share that as well. And and and I have enough to do, so I'm happy if you want to be, you know what I mean? Whatever. I'm not going to whatever works. I think it tends to be a
little easier to have a two member finance committee just because the members can they can converse although no, they really can't converse about finance committee stuff unless they're an open session. So it does for them it won't make a difference if it's a two or three person committee. Um and then
traditionally when we were a three member select board was there just one person on the finance committee. The board did not have subcommittees at that point because any combination of two members would have been a quorum of the entire board at that at that time. [Music] Um well how do folks want to proceed? We
want to talk about um finance committee appointment now and then that might help inform when we hear back from the warrant committee and the uh school board about uh or we want to postpone that. I I would rather that we spoke about it now interest and then move
forward from there. I I would express that I have personal interest. I have I have personal interests too. I I talked about it a lot. So you got to keep those promises. Um so uh the two so uh Winston and Megan
are both sorry Mr. Da M are both interested. Um and John you're okay to step down from that. Yeah. Okay. Um I think that that's uh that's fine. And then I think my my understanding would be that they will
convene as a finance committee and sort of appoint the chair between the two of them. at uh at a future finance committee day. But I think having a finance committee up and running as quickly as possible I think makes a lot of sense. So Okay. Especially because it hasn't been running exactly. Yeah. Do we have to
vote on this? Uh we could Why don't we do go through them and then we can do I can read them off and the board can vote at like a package. Great. Um so we then our next uh committee is the select board policy committee. Uh I'm currently on that uh and um Miss Bradley was uh
was my partner on that work. Uh we met I think a couple of times. We had some substantive discussions around basically just the policies and the workings of the select board. Um so I think it's a useful committee to have.
I'm happy to maintain a presence on it, but I'm also happy to step aside if uh there's two members that want to um take this on. I wouldn't mind being on it. It's been one of my pet peeves in the you know just stuff. I'd love to get
involved in it. Um and so it's traditionally two member board. Mr. Milan commencing anything for the policy. Nope. You got it. Um any any interest on the policy committee? I'm happy to to to keep it as a as a job of mine.
Okay. Um next up uh we have the trustees of the affordable housing trust. Um I'm currently serving in that capacity. Um but I have done it for two years. Um I'm happy to uh stand aside if somebody feels um strongly about working on
affordable housing. Don't all jump at once. So with I'm I'm happy to keep going with it or sorry, go ahead. um with the affordable housing trust and then is there overlap with that with the town
farm review? So the town farm you can correct me if I'm wrong Mr. M but the town farm review committee is a ad hoc committee that's supposed to expire at the end of June and it was formed for the purposes of reviewing the proposals that were
submitted for the dur for the RFP for the town farm. So, um, there's there's a representative from the affordable housing trust on the town farm review committee and there's a member of this this board, the select board trustees who serves on that committee. So, um,
this there's Tom Callahan from the affordable housing trust is represented on the town farm review committee and then Miss MTO is representative from this. Yeah, chairs, since you've been on it two years, I certainly do have an interest in affordable housing. So, I would I would love to join that. All right. I'm happy to uh I'm happy to to
step aside. It is a great group of folks and I think you all enjoy working with them very much. Um we know that Mr. Wells uh wishes to continue on the capital improvement planning committee. Um does anybody else wish to nominate themselves for that? Um or are we happy
to uh continue allow Mr. Mr. Wells uh his uh capital and planning committee? It's okay. Okay. All right. Um for the climate action planning committee we have designated uh Mr. Ron Israel um his
term is through June and he's um been working away with the committee. So no action that the board needs to take. Yeah his terms through and my understanding is he's happy heavy there. So um okay no action there. Massachusetts Port Authority Community Advisory Committee. That is a mouthful and it's vacant maybe because it's a
mouthful. And I saw uh Katie Conland during town meeting and she um reminded me of this appointment that the select board um does make an appointment to this committee um primarily dealing with FAA and and airplane related issues. The the town has not been represented in a
little while. Um so she's advocated that we do find an an appointment and it could be a select board member, it could be a resident, um it could be potentially staff depending on how um that works. So no action necessarily required tonight unless a member has an
interest in serving on it. Um but she just did remind of the urgency of of um appointing somebody to that to that committee. So for that committee um I'm definitely not going to participate in it due to my state role and I probably you know if we had to vote on um a
member to nominate I would recuse myself. Okay. Um so my any any other thoughts from the board on this one? Okay. Um, so my suggestion might be um since this is an issue that folks in
town some some some folks feel very strongly about the airplane noise um that we may want to consider doing a appointment to this uh board and um advertising for the for the position um so that we could consider um a community
member. Do we have an idea, Mr. Milano, about how often this group meets? I believe it's quarterly. It's not um a lot, but um the work can be um time consuming depending on the effort, the level of effort and Milton
would seek a decent level of effort from this representative. Okay. Um does that sound like a good path forward for this one? Let's leave it open for now and see if somebody wants to. Okay. Um so, Mic um Ms. Must was our select board member on there. So, this is now a vacant,
um position. Is this another one of those committees that ends? That's a good point. It is supposed to end in October. Um, but the select board has a seat on it up until October. Okay. And it may continue in some correct.
That is also true. They could come to town meeting to request it to continue. They could go to town meeting to request it to continue. Okay. Um, so so work through October. Anyone interested in that? I actually would be interested in this. [Music]
Is that fine for the other members? Great. Um, Milton Landing Committee. Uh, I know Mr. Wells is on this. We have two um members that can join this. Um, this there's I and I I I will add that I spoke with Mr. Wells uh about this over
the weekend. Um he where he expressed his interest to continue to do this work. There will be some interesting work happening in this space because of cleanups needed in the Neponsa River which is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Um both on the freshwater side and then ultimately on
the saltwater side uh of the of the river. Um so is there uh anyone feel like taking this one up? You'd be interested. Okay. Oh. Um, next we have um Meg board of
directors. Um, Mr. Moleno, do you want to give us a quick tour of Meg? Sure. So, this is the nonprofit that oversees Milton Access TV. Um, the select board has one of the I believe five board members um is a select board uh member or designate. Uh, Miss Mto had served in
that role since she was elected to the board. Um, so they meet I believe about monthly um and and help moni manage and oversee and administer um Milton Access TV. Well, I'm I'm happy to pick that one up
unless other folks are jumping at the bed. Okay. Um, pilot committee. I think we all know this is payment in lie of taxes. Um, that was Miss Bradley. Um, and this is a um, Mr. Milan, do you want to tell us just uh, a little bit about
the pilot committee? Sure. Since I've come to Milton, we've um, this this committee was pretty active um, several years ago. Um, and then as the pilot payments, particularly for Milton Academy, um, were increased, the committee uh, was less active. We met, I
think, once or twice since I've been here. Um certainly a place to continue to revisit and continue to um push particularly with Milton Hospital um around pilot and ensure that Milton Academy and others um continue to make payments to the town. Um but it's a
place for uh more meetings and more work uh than than has been currently going on. And who else um who else comprises that committee? Uh a few residents and a representative from the board of assessors. I have interest in this committee. Um,
certainly. All right. Is that okay for everybody? Uh, and we have two uh appointees to the school building committee. Uh, Mr. Cohane and um Gwen Hoffman. Um, I my
understanding from uh from the school building committee is that they definitely want to keep Mr. Hoffman on board given his um length tenure and expertise. Um other how are folks feeling about this one?
I mean if you want I I saw a volunteer Michael Zulus volunteered. If you wanted to put him next I'd be happy with that. I'm happy to put Mr. Zulus on the on I think that would be nice. Um and uh I will say what I mentioned earlier is
that if any other former select board members are interested in committees as being being appointed to them, we'd be very happy to consider them. Um, so do we have to have a select board member? We know, right? They could be design. They could be designates. I think the intention was to have a member who reports back. Although now with the new
fangled school building committee, I'm on there exicio member non voting. I'll stay, but whatever. The only makes sense for us to have two designates. That's a good point. Instead of I mean instead of somebody who's at the Yeah. Yeah. And the and we haven't necessarily
advertised that we would post this position. So there haven't been other applications, but people may not know it's an opportunity. So maybe you would revisit in a couple weeks or if the board is is thinking it should have a member on it. That's a loop to go to. What? Maybe we'll should we revisit it?
They're not meeting anytime soon, right? Uh they just met last night. Yep. Okay. So I don't think for not till not between now and our next meeting. Right. Okay. Which is next meeting next week. Okay. So, let's we'll come back we'll circle back to that one. Um, town farm review committee. We spoke about this
one a little earlier. Um, my thinking on this one uh was that it was helpful to not have somebody who was either on Empic or um the trustees of the affordable housing trust because they provided a different perspective because both the um the affordable housing trust
and EPIC were represented on this board. Okay. Um but I'm happy to self nominations or nominate someone. Again, this is this will be the committee that will meet um it will end in June. So, it's not a very long time.
I should note procedurally um we the select board should meet as the governor sto trustees to make that appointment. You're correct, Mr. Mr. Not take action although and maybe not even discuss it really. Um yes, we we won't discuss that. Um that's a good reminder though for um us to put a uh Governor Stoen
trustee agenda item in on a future meeting. Okay. And finally, youth task force. Mr. Cohane, you've been serving on that. I'm been guilty. I've been so busy that I really haven't. I'll try to give it better effort. I've been just
everything else so many hours in the day. I'm willing to stay and try to do better. If anyone else is interested, I I maybe we'll open it up. I would want to join a youth task force. I was as a citizen. I was a member when it first started.
Okay. So, I would love to find out where it is now. Is that all right for you, Mr. Cohen? That's fine. That's okay. Yeah. So, we'll put Mr. Dailyy there. Um, and that brings us to the end of our list. Um, so Mr. Milano, do you do you um want to read through them? Sure. Uh,
so I'll just read by last name. Um, select finance committee, uh, Hagerty and Daly, Select Policy Committee, Zol and Cohane, affordable housing trust, Daily Capital Improvement Planning Committee, Wells, um, Master Plan Implementation Committee, Hagerty,
Milton Landing Committee, Wells and Cohane, MEG Access, Inc. Board of Directors, Zo Pilot Committee, Daily, uh, no action on that school building committee, youth task force, daily, and a member can just make that as the motion. And then I think we skipped a
climate action or did we? We purposely Oh, we did. Okay. Because we're on hold. Yes. Okay. His appointment goes through the end of June. Okay. Does anybody wish to make the motion? I'll make a motion that we accept these appointees.
Uh, anyone want to second? Second. All right. Um, any further discussion on this one? Okay. All in favor? I I opposed. All right. Unanimous. All right, let's go to our next agenda
item cover up my uh we have um discussion update approval special town meeting June 16th 2025 warrant articles Mr. Milano thank you Mr. here. Uh, so we listed the warrant articles at the um bottom of the agenda. I did print
hard copies in case anybody wanted to see those and they were in the packet um published and I know we've had a couple conversations about these um before town meeting uh last week. Um but I just want to preface this with you know one kind of overarching comment where our
turnaround time here is very limited. uh the calendar and the demands on the warrant committee have been high between the February special, the May annual and obviously this June special and the intention of the June special town meeting was the MBTA communities um zoning stuff. So I think in thinking about what articles ultimately we do
move forward um it might be helpful to keep that in mind and and things that maybe we can not bring forward at this time maybe it might make sense to do so. Um so the first one on the list is to appropriate additional funds to the reserve fund. Uh this was $300,000 that
was set aside in case the school department um needed additional funding for the fiscal year 25 budget. Uh we did appropriate $700,000 to the reserve fund um at the annual town meeting. This that leaves $300,000 in free cash
unappropriated. If we don't appropriate it, it'll close out at the end of the year and contribute to next year's free cash. If we appropriate it to the reserve fund, it's available to be spent um by the school department if necessary or other boards and departments uh if they need to before the end of this
fiscal year. If it's not spent, it'll close out to free cash and contribute to next year's free cash. So mechanically there's not a big difference um with appropriating it or not but by appropriating it we have it available if necessary for the warrant committee to
um recommend transfers out of it um in accordance with what would be extraordinary unanticipated costs. So my recommendation is that we do bring this to the town meeting that we appropriate this last free cash into the reserve fund. Um, and I would characterize this as more of a time-sensitive article
because the town meeting would need to act on any appropriations of this nature prior to June 30th. Um, so that's that's the first one. Any questions on that from Mr. Milan? Okay. Light trespass. Uh, thank you. Uh,
light trespass. So, as we've been back and forth on this um several times between war committee and town meeting, uh what I provided in the packet is the the third version that uh former member Aaron Bradley had presented at town meeting and um
submitted to the moderator and others as an amendment. Um, I did distribute kind of late today um some further um requests or suggested changes um for consideration uh from a resident, but um
I I think where it was left was we would try to get it back, but I I just want to defer to this body on that in terms of what version and what to bring forward. Any thoughts? I I just feel like I'd like to get it right. But if there's a
rush, okay. But, you know, if there's not a rush, I just at the last town meeting, things came up that were I think people got confused about a lot of things and in the end voted for things that they really weren't sure they were. But, um, that's just my two
cents to just put it off until we get it right. It has huge implications. Huge implications. But if there's some, you know, I I don't know everything and if there's some urgency to it, then we could put it on. But just
other thoughts, are there major substantive changes being proposed? Um the changes we got late this afternoon were um I didn't have a lot of time to sit with them so I can't really speak to
them um in depth but um my understanding it looked more like it was uh clean up clean improvements than anything else. Um, I can um I can pull it up and share it if it's helpful conversation. On the one hand, I
appreciate wanting to be ready whenever we bring articles to town meeting because it's been a problem in the past. people have been confused, but also at the same time as well.
Um, we we have to have, you know, products that are complete. Um, so or at a at a certain point we have to um sort of end the debate.
Yeah. My understanding is this is the version that we never got to. All the town meeting members did not get this version the last town meeting, right? Because the green sheets were completed. So correct. I was I'm guessing that these are the final edits and this is final version that member Bradley wanted
to see a town meeting. So if this is this version corrections I would be offering it forward to putting town. We never got to this version last. Other thoughts?
Uh I I I I I tend to agree with um Mr. Dailyaly. I think um I mean I we we all witnessed uh well particularly Mr. and I did uh with with member Bradley. [Music]
Um that's fine. Um my uh so I and I had a chance to look at the um the cleanup language um briefly as well. Um I you know we had a public hearing on this one. We had a
couple of folks uh including some Milton Academy students actually that spoke really um in in favor of this. We had nobody um speaking against it. Um and I know that there are you know I think there are some questions around how does this work? I think that would be a good
discussion to have on the floor of town meeting. Um but uh my inclination is to put it on the warrant. Um but I think so Mr. Milano, if we voted to put it on the warrant now, um or we're going to have
to My guess is we're going to have to reopen the warrant uh next Tuesday. Correct. Right. Yes. Yeah. Um so I think given that we would have a week to review the language again, um my suggestion would be that we move it forward and everybody
have a look at it and then if people have substantive problems with it, let's discuss next week uh again and then if we decide that we need to take it off, we can take it off. Okay? Does that make sense? Uh, yep. I can on that. No, I can uh distribute the revised version um
again just and include it for ahead of next week's uh meeting packet as well. Okay. Um then uh the accept MGL chapter 40 section 57 and amended general bylaws to allow denial revocation of licenses,
permits for failure to pay municipal taxes or charges. I know that you regailed with this one a little bit. revealed us with this one a little bit earlier, Mr. Sure. Uh, in summary, this would allow the town to um deny or revoke licenses or permits for failure to pay primarily property taxes or other
municipal charges. Um, this is not um particularly timesensitive. Um, it's not like we have chronic problems. There are a few handful of problems um in terms of um failure to pay taxes, but it's it it would not be critical to have it done in
June rather than in the fall if that's um you know a factor in terms of determining whether to put it forward. The the article is pretty much a copy and paste of the statute. Uh you have to create a new bylaw except the statute. Um the state law specifies the exact language um that the article must have.
So it's pretty straightforward. There's not a lot of editing we really can do other than to specify the amount of time um that must elapse for the failure to pay taxes before we would start denying um licenses or permits. But again, I wouldn't call it as a critical action item um for June if there's interest in
in reducing the workload for June. How um is Milton an outlier in in having not adopted this yet or are there many other municipalities across the state that have adopted this? It's a good question. I don't have a good answer on that. I would say that it's
getting there's been a trend for more communities to adopt it and get on the books recently. Yeah. Um it's how it came to our attention and the treasur's attention. Um but I would say more often than not they have them but you know there are other penalties for failure to pay taxes whether it's charging of
interest moving to a foreclosure or other ways. So this would just be one more tool that we would have uh to entice is there is there a lot of evidence of the efficacy of adoption of this or like have in the you know in the
community of municipalities have have towns cited you know it that it having a big impact on collections. having been in a community where it was in place before um but it was a much more commercial so it was more about you know
maybe small business owners and small landlords who are problematic you know 99% of our taxes are paid on an annual basis so we're talking in in terms of Milton we're talking about a small um small group or small pool people who aren't up to date um it was
helpful for us in those instances and our community but I I can't speak to more direct experience on that Okay. Do you know the thinking around for clubs and associations? Why are they exempted? That's just the state law that we're not
allowed to we're required to exempt them under the state law. I can't speak to the to the rationale or whatever what the legislators legislators wrote when they created it, but that's that's in there. That's lifted directly from the state law. And with this, most of our
tax is being paid up. I'm new. It's happened to me so many times. Um, so with uh as you said, most of our taxes being paid annually, what how would this six-month period impact us?
So, we do it would it would be easier to process this on an annual basis, but if somebody's if a property owner has gone six months without payment and then does a big renovation to their house, I think that's something we'd want to try to prevent from happening in that in those kinds of occasions. And so a six-month
lag um we felt and the treasurer felt was a decent amount of time in order to to get up to date. And I'll also note that um the law and the bylaw that we would have to put on our books does um specifically require that we offer payment plans um as as an alternative.
Not demand full payment right up front, but offer payment plans as as an alternative um to to get the um denial lifted. Thank you. Mr. Cole, any thoughts? I This is I see
this as Nick's. No, you know your item and if you're comfortable with it. And how does our treasurer feel about this one? Oh, yeah. It's not my item. It was brought to me. Okay. She flagged it as I thought it with a number of other items. So, Joanna deserves credit for
flagging it um and bringing it to our attention. So, I I I'm I'm of two minds about this. On the one, I I totally understand the desire to, you know, limit the amount of work being done at the June uh special. On the other, if it's a pretty
straightforward um process, it helps the town in terms of a revenue um perspective, and it's a pretty easy win. It's kind of nice to have those articles at town meeting that are quick yeses. Uh makes it makes us feel very productive, I can say, as a
town meeting member. Um, but I'm open to board suggestions on this if we would want to defer it or if we want to uh keep it on here. I would want to move it forward if it's, you know, a light lift. Help our treasurer and any collections that may come up see any any
benefit in denying it or delaying it. Yeah. I mean, I I think, you know, now more than ever, we need every tool in the tool box. And I like keeping our treasurer happy. So there you go. There you go. So let's
maybe keep it on. Okay. Um the acceptance of property tax exemptions for veterans and the elderly. Sure. Uh this is there are three clauses. So um let me just pull it up here. Sorry. So I have in front of me one
moment. General laws chapter 59 section 5 outlines all the tax exemptions. Um and some of them are statutory, some of them which means all cities and towns are required to offer. Others are local acceptances where the town meeting must accept them. Um in reviewing the list of
exemptions that we've accepted or not accepted that are applicable in Milton or aren't, uh we identified three that um have that apply annual cost of living adjustments based on the consumer price index to um three exemptions that are
offered in Milton. um are required to be offered in all cities and towns. The first is uh for the elderly, which is a $500 exemption. It's clause 41. Um the second is to um veterans, which is clause um 22 through 22 through 22F,
which is varying levels of exemptions based on um service connected disabilities in military service. And third, um for um the blind and other um impaired individuals. So these exemptions are
already required to be offered in Milton, but they're set at a fixed amount and that amount does not change. Uh what this acceptance would would say, okay, for those um various exemptions, they're going to be increased annually um by the consumer price index and set
by the department of revenue. So um it'll allow for an annual adjustment to these rather than having them stay fixed forever. As we know, you know, we're increasing property taxes by the limits of Prop 2 and a half, which says that prop the levy will go up by two and a half%, but really tax bills are going up
closer to three to three and a half% annually. These exemptions have stayed um static um until and unless they're adjusted um by by the legislature really or through this mechanism to allow for an annual adjustment um under the COLA. So, um that's our recommendation at this
time to allow those exemptions to float essentially um annually questions. I do have one, Mr. Mala. Um do other So, is it specifically you tie it to CPI? I'm just wondering about like with Prop 2 and a half would has
anybody ever thought about just tying it to the two and a half% increase? I I'm sure, but uh the state law specifies at how it would be um spelled out. So, it's um it's it's set by the Department of Revenue, which
is based on the consumer price index. Okay. I had a feeling that there was a a rule there. Um but it seems pretty straightforward to me. And and is this one uh timesensitive given the fiscal year? Uh yes. Uh in order if the town accepts it um by June 30th um it would be in
effect for fiscal year 26. So then it makes sense to me to keep it on the I see a lot of nodding here. So I think we're okay with that one. Is that both of those I guess? Um property tax exemptions and then the MGL chapter 60 section 3D. Oh no, that's the voluntary donations. This is a little bit
different. This would allow us to put on tax bills a voluntary donation to an elderly and disabled taxation fund. Um so taxpayers would have that option if they want to take advantage of it. The money would be um held by the town under the control of a new committee that
would have to be set up in accordance with the statute which is the chair of the board of assessors, the the treasurer collector and then three residents. And that committee would then determine on how to um dispense disperse the funding um and what the rules and
the program requirements would be. Um, we found that this is, you know, a couple 20,000 maybe $30,000 a year in some other comparable communities. It's not going to be um based on those experiences a significant amount, but it's it's something and it's voluntary.
Um, and if it's accepted by June 30th, then it could be in place for next year's tax bills depending on the printing cycle. Um, any thoughts about this one? I think it's a great idea. Okay. Yeah, let's let's keep it on there.
um the alcohol on town property. Correct. As we heard from Margaret, um there are two versions in your packet. The first one is the one that I I drafted based on some conversations with the select board. Um the second one is was reddrafted um and submitted um to
address some concerns raised. Um I think uh there are some additional requirements around advertising the type of cups and um and food requirements. And the main or one of the bigger differences between the two is that um as draft well as edited is it would
require that alcohol service and consumption take place in a designated location um at an event that's only 21 plus. So it' have to be you know um a separate area. Um that is one of the the differences and then there are some additional requirements um in the second
version. Um so we haven't had a lot of an opportunity for dialogue. You know the time turnaround time as we've been talking about between um April and now and the town meeting has ch been challenging on that front. Um so I really up to the board in terms of the
steps we want to take to resolve this and trying to get some of the town meeting. Thoughts from members? I I'm I know our absent board member wants this to go through, but I'm I'm I've always advocated for let's get
these right. So, I can't I can't vary here. So, that's my comment. Yeah. I mean, those sound like there are some pretty substantive um differences in the drafts. Um is
there is other than just trying to correct for the February um you know article um in confusion is is there a reason that we would definitely want this on the June
warrant? Like are we under time pressure to do this? Well, I would say no. uh and that you know there's not and you know there's nobody lined up. Is there is there something planned that our local businesses like is somebody looking to have like a October fest or something?
Oh, sorry. Go ahead. M the Chamber of Commerce was kind of pushing for this to be solved quickly because of their events, you know. Yeah. And were they planning on something, you know, just specific event? I don't know. Okay. So the the so the two examples that were
discussed and I'll mention again and those have been questioned a bit I think would be the Halloween event in um in Manning Park and East Milton. Um the tree lighting. So I think treelighting time frame probably still actionable whether it's a fall town meeting or not.
Um the other event um that the chamber worked on last year was a welcome back event um in September. So the first Friday I think after Labor Day they held an event. Um, so I think those would be those are more fall time frame, but those are examples of events where I
could see this request being made. Um, and Mr. Milano, in terms of the timing of this though, if it if it if it goes to a June town meeting and passes, we still have to wait up the AG to sign off on that. Is that correct? Correct. We would need to get a certified copy submitted to the attorney general's
office. They have 90 days to review. So whether you know that would push us to at least say October before we would have hear back based on the turnaround time for something like that. So it that's a good point in terms of the timeline might be tricky anyway.
Any other thoughts on this one? No, I mean I think that's just the timeline is is helpful to understand the impact of that. Um [Music] although to to your point, if we're going to chat again next week or meet
again next week and there's a little bit of work that happens between now and then and people feel comfortable with it moving forward, we could revisit it then. I'll just note that the more that waits till next week, the more likely we're going to have a lot of green sheets at town meeting. I think that's going to be unavoidable at this point in
terms of warrant committee recommendations not being printed in the warrant but being provided separately on the website and at town meeting itself um just with the turnaround that's going to be something anyway and we're probably racking up the number of articles that that will be the case for
uh the warrant does need to go to print really by midweek next week with the final articles and as many recommendations and comments from the warrant committee we have the warrant needs to be in mailboxes for June 2nd, which is 14 days before June 16th.
So, my thinking on this one, I I I I tend to agree with Mr. Cohane on this one. Like, this is one that we really want to make sure that we get right. Um I think uh it with the lighting bylaw, we had a couple of positive comments. Um those of you who I know Mr. Cohane was
there for the um the Miltonwide discussion. there was definitely a lot of discussion and feedback. Um, and I think that that was the absolutely right step. Um, but I do feel like there's room for a little bit more discussion
and um, you know, I it's hard for me that the Halloween stroll is like just for kids, but you know, I understand you want to make it for for adults, too. Um, I I just feel like if you're in East Milton, there are plenty places to get a drink. Um, if you feel like that's what
you need. Um, so my inclination on this is if we're not going to hear back from the AG until October anyways, I don't know how much outdoor drinking we want to do over the winter. Um, but uh I think this one could wait till the fall. I also tend to think that this one will
have a lot of discussion on town on the on town meeting floor and then if we're doing that plus the green sheets, I think it's just going to make it very confusing. I agree. I think clarity for this particular article, given what happened the first time we went through and the varying confusion and folks not sure
what what it all meant, this is definitely one that we should get absolutely right before we bring a four time meeting. So, it's another week or um next time we meet, I think it's valuable that we table it. Yeah. In the interest of full disclosure, I
don't drink. I should recruit myself. Neither do I. So, yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm not drinking right now, so Well, I think I there's no if if it's probably not possible to implement by
October anyway, then what's the harm, you know? Yeah. I think let's get it right and then next summer can be um you know, and we got a full slate. That's another big Yeah, the uh the last article is looming in this discussion. Um
Mr. Milano, the East Milton Overlay district. Thank you. Uh the planning board submitted this article. Um they had really targeted the uh annual town meeting. We're ready for the annual town meeting, but um we encouraged them to hold off and tried to strip any other
article that was not um budget related as much as possible from that annual town meeting. Um so they've submitted it, requested this to move forward. They've had um years of work on this overlay um with their consultant MAPC.
They had a um a form as recently as I want to say March um in East Milton just to present the final version. Uh the zoning language, the zoning map is in your packet. Um so um I think their request and uh preference is for this to move forward um to
June. And just to describe the zoning, it's um three stories of mixed use and East Milton on um specific parcels uh adjacent to Adams and Granite um in kind of a a limited geographical area is
mandatory mixed use too. Yes, correct. Uh any thoughts from the members? No, I agree. moving forward. Having watched the forum and looking at what we have here in the war and our information packets, I think this is a great article. Yep. I agree. And um Nick had
brought it to my attention today that I'm within a certain distance from this. So I have to recuse myself. Fun. Yeah. Um well uh but we're not voting on it here. We're just including the So you can recuse yourself from the comments, I think. But yeah. Okay. But just so you
know, we'll include it in the uh in the warrant. a flood plane. Yeah, the flood plan. This is um this one is actually time sensitive as we have to update ours language around the flood plane by I want to say it's a July deadline July 8th I believe. Um so FEMA is notifying
everybody in Massachusetts with new flood maps. Um so it's more of a housekeeping item where we're updating some definitions and other requirements within the zoning um to account for the latest flood maps um from FEMA. Uh this has been reviewed and already submitted by the planning board. Um already met
with the warrant committee to go over it. Um so uh just request that it continue uh forward through the process here. Anybody see a reason why not to allow it? I think this makes a lot of sense. Okay. And then uh MBTA communities
multifamily overlay. Yes. Um so we have we have a separate item on our agenda for this one. Do you want that bounce that to the do you want to bounce it to that one or it? Yeah, it does matter. I just say in terms of articles specifically, um I think the conversation is going to just kind of talk about MBTA community's big picture.
The articles, we do have articles submitted. Planning board's meeting currently. I'm aware they may be talking about potentially changes or final edits or withdrawal of some of the articles. So, I can provide an update to the select board as when that happens. But I think for potentially for the discussion tonight, it's helpful to steer clear of
the articles as they're still being potentially worked on. We don't officially have them quite yet. Okay. So, let's uh defer the discussion on the articles themselves. Um and then maybe what we can do is move to item number eight,
which is MBTA Communities Act status and next step. [Music] Where'd you Well, um, so there's a couple of items, just a couple of quick questions that I
have for you, Mr. Milano. It would be, I think, helpful for for folks. Um, my understand I know Mr. Cohane and I both were interested in attending the meeting with HLC that happened a couple weeks ago. Um, but we were unable to. Um my
understanding of that meeting uh is that uh at the beginning and the end HLC confirmed that we are a rapid transit community and that all of their commentary would be reflective of that status. Is that correct? Yes. Uh HLC addressed it at the outset just
basically saying you know as a reminder that they have the regulations classify Milton as a rapid transit community and their comments and discussion were um going to be more technical responses to the zoning. And I'll and I'll just note that the conversation from there was kneedeep in zoning and technical issues.
Um it was a very helpful conversation on um some of the items that the planning board's been wrestling with through this process in terms of uh some district locations, district sizes, uh mandatory mixed use. Um but it was um HLC did reiterate that and then moved on to the
technical conversation in terms of the zoning um more detailed zoning questions that the town had. Thank you. And then and I'm sorry to to jump in. Usually I know chairs like to speak last. I'm so used to just jumping ahead. So I'm jumping ahead. I'll I'll get better at this. Um just one more
quick question though. Um my understanding from watching the planning board meeting uh I admittedly did not watch all of it but I watched some parts of it. Um is that the planning board had voted to send a 10% plan and a 25% plan
uh to uh town meeting for this June. uh is that that was that's which I was delighted about but is that but that may not be the case any longer is that so yes on Thursday May 8th they did so vote they had that the 10% plan the adjacent
community plan has been kind of fully um prepared for a while now um the other 25% plan um rapid transit community um plan had been finalized to an extent on Thursday night and the planning board
did vote to submit Um however um there were tweaks being made in terms of the district parameters in terms of F floor area ratio units per acre and other things to um that may result in in some edits between what
they saw Thursday and what um they were being sent tonight. Um and I did hear from the chair who mentioned that the board may discuss whether to submit the 25% plan at all or not. Um, so that discussion, um, I expect to be taking place, um, currently. Um, so there
may more to come, I guess, is the best way to put it. Um, and we'll have to see what the planning board's action is this evening. Are we going to have a runner come through the door to tell us? Checking the phone. So, uh, yes. So, um, thoughts from folks,
Mr. Cohane. Um, I mean, you know, everybody knows where I stand. I feel like a 10% plan is right for us. I I feel like it's we're fairly classified. I I worry about future impacts and I
would be remiss not to say so. That's my feeling on it. I just feel like we've been unfairly classified. And I know we talk about the law and everything, but there are even challenges to it, both from a the unfunded mandate and and Senator Driscoll's comments and, you
know, the fairness of it and the accuracy of it. Um, I just that's my feeling. I feel it's a fair plan for us. And I also he also made me a little more scared when I heard him mention that you know once we
get on this status level in the future as things go we grow from this not from 10% we grow from 25. So I just think it has a I think it it's been mentioned before and I've mentioned it before maybe not as drastically as the
expressway coming through Milton but I do feel it has that kind of will have that kind of impact. That's my feeling. Anyway, uh other members. Yeah, Miss Hecker. So,
um I just I have a lot of questions, this is the time to ask them. So, at at the top of my mind right now is um you know, if we have rags that have been promulgated that have us as a rapid
transit community, what is our path? what is our actual pathway to having a lower designation? Right? So,
um you know, I'm I'm confused about what that looks like, what conversations have have actually been had. Um, you know, I myself, um, you know, during the campaign was definitely a proponent for negotiation,
but it seems like, um, I can't tell if that period of negotiation is actually still open. Um, so that's that's a question. And then
two, if we have um if we still do have the opportunity to negotiate the designation, what's what's the pathway or what's the vehicle? Because to me, you know, just in in my
experience with state regs, it seems that since this is written, you know, I think in page 18 of that document, it says very clearly that we are a rapid transit community, therefore we're 25%. We would the the housing and
livable communities would then have to reopen the entire regs process. Um, and you know what what would then be the timeline for that to happen? Has has
anyone agreed to that um to get us to 10%. I otherwise I I don't understand how this would actually happen. Um, you know, for me personally, like I don't have there's not like a number in
my mind. I'm I'm not um dogmatic about 25% or 10% like I I want I I want us to to get the best deal for Milton and also be in compliance
with the law because we have a pretty tricky um fiscal state that we're in right now that we can't um you know we can't afford to to lose grant funds. Um, and then you know the other question that I have
is you know how can the planning board approve a 25% plan and take it back? Um it it's just it it just it this is this whole process is feeling very
chaotic to me and um you know I I would like for us to get um get together as leaders and uh and bring some order to it. That's my that's those are my thoughts.
Are those rhetorical or would you like um I don't Yeah, I mean if in terms of the that's my understanding and I just don't know if if there's something I don't understand in well in terms of the negotiations um and again Mr. Milano you can jump in and
and correct me or Mr. cohain or anybody else. Um we have not had uh in 2023 in the fall um we sent I think two letters um from the select
board to HLC asking both about the status of Milton as a rapid transit community is related to the trolley and uh I think no I think it was just specifically related to the trolley. Um, and we were told,
uh, you know, and my my feeling about the trolley has always been that it's been historically underinvested in because it serves a largely black and brown community and um, it's shameful the state that the trolley is in and plenty of people use it to commute into
town. Uh, so many of whom are not in Milton uh, but they're residents of Madapan Dorchester, but they nevertheless still depend upon it. Um, I also feel strongly that Milton has role play in solving the regional housing crisis. Since those two letters came
back and we received uh no uh we basically were told no on that then um we had our uh town meeting referendum the lawsuit. Uh there has not been any substantive discussion about the
classification. There hasn't been any dis discussion other than HLC reconfirming that we're a rapid transit. So there hasn't been any debate or discussion about that with HLC from the town of Mill. You know the other the other point in terms of that timeline I would add is that during
when after the decision the court decision came out at the SJC level when HLC instituted the emergency regulations this board um submitted public comments stress you know making the argument around the classification kind of first and foremost
and that was you know a reopening and a new opportunity for regulations to be changed between the time when the emergency ones were put in place in the 90 days before the final ones are um prom primeated, excuse me. Um so our public comment well wasn't answered
necessarily by HLC. Um but it was we did submit it and the regulations were essentially unchanged from emergency to final in terms of how they addressed Milton uh specifically. [Music] And and so Megan, I think that your
question I'm sorry, Miss Heerty, uh your question I will endeavor to be more formal. Um I think your question about um the actual pathway to negotiation I think is the is the real key point here.
Um we have today it's the 13th of May. Happy anniversary mom and dad by the way. It's their anniversary. Um, we have a town meeting in essentially uh almost exactly a month, right? I think we start on the 14th. Is that right? 16th. 16th. 16th. Sorry. I
don't know why 14th keeps popping in my head. So, we have a little over a month. Um, I I share your your question also about the 25% um plan. To me, it's um if the if a board votes in a particular way, it's very I I I don't understand
how you can outside of an open meeting decide that the board has done the wrong thing unless you've talked to a majority of the members of the board, uh which would have been a violation of open meeting laws. Um that said, um I think it would make
sense for the select board um rather than the planning board uh to go to HLC to have uh have a discussion um whether it's with uh the secretary or his representative um specifically around uh
the uh the status of the trolley and our uh in our status and uh I know that lots of folks would like to be in that meeting. Uh my suggestion is that the chair and the vice chair would be the two members that would go and have that
discussion. Um I think again I it's no surprise to Mr. Cohane that he and I are on different sides of this. I think it would be helpful for both of us. We wear the same shirt. We we really work on being coordinated. Um, but I think it would be helpful for
both you and I to be in the room and then report back out both to this board and as well as to the the broader Milton community. Um, and so if you're okay with that, Mr. Kane, and if Mr. Daly and Mr. Eerty are okay with that.
Yeah. Uh, I have a few questions. Yes, please go ahead. Let's I didn't I didn't wasn't trying to put a st final stamp. No, just trying to get up to speed on where we are. Uh, so when was the last select board
planning board meeting? Have we had one? Those two bodies, whether it's public or an executive session or not a joint public meeting since October of 22 on a different matter. We have not had a joint meeting on this issue. So that that's that's a concern that I have
immediately around what the planning board is working on, what we've got here in front of us, whether we're voting it on on warrant or in other because there are questions that I think as a board we have to ask the planning board, right? Other than us just watching their meetings and trying to understand the thinking of where these things are
because 25% or 10% I have a lot of questions about the layout and what was chosen, why things were chosen. you know, we can't keep continue using UTIL's time, but regardless of whether 25% or 10%, I'll get to that in a second. We have to have time to bring this to the community, right? The
community hasn't had input, right? I'm encouraged by watching the East Milton overlay and seeing folks in East Milton that got to go in review over time that started in 2021. It took that many years and had that many meetings of people asking questions and having input. And for us to be here three years and those
two bodies haven't met, I think is concerning. Um, I would like if we got that meeting on the books to ask what the planning board is thinking to ask what are our ways forward before um the both of you are able if you're able to go to HLC to get some information about the meetings that have been had that we
could not share publicly like what has been said. We're sending a 10% plan. Is that just for review? Has the state asked for a 10% plan? What are we thinking in terms of the trolley? And what are the opinions on our town council where some folks are still, you
know, I don't know if support or community. We're all out there. We hear these things from people, you know, from our friends, constituents, citizens, um, about the trolley temp subway or not. What does our town council think about this? I think we've kind of rehashed and gone over this a lot, but I'm not sure
where we are together as a board in terms of thinking what what do we bring to the community, whatever the communication is, because if let's say we're at 25%, we have no way around it. no matter what we put forward, the community is going to have to agree to it. Nobody wants to be in another referendum. So, I'm worried about our process and the communication between
both of those boards and putting that together. And then the other side of what do we do with our zoning and our changes and what are the options we have if we put forth a 25% or a 10% plan. Um, other communities have had it forward
and they've been able to change their zoning over time. Um, some communities said, "Oh, we we didn't expect." We've seen some blowback, some negative outcomes we didn't expect, and we're able to take that back off the table. I don't feel any of these things are completely written in stone with the 25 or 10. And I think that communication
piece is also lacking around what this all means for us to build, what's our net new builds. You know, I look at our 25 and the 10 and what we have in front of us now, and the 10% really overburdens a certain section of Milton. Um, and I don't think that's a section
that I'm okay with putting 750 new units in or 900 new units because it's most convenient, right? So, I think we have a long conversation that has to be had that we just haven't had in the last three years. So, you know, before we're going to the state, I think us as a town
that we need to sort of, you know, tighten up our own arguments, our our own sort of misgivings about what this all means and which gives us a better standing before we we're at the table with the state to say what we're hesitant with and where our issues are instead of it sort of being very ad hoc
and just at a moment, someone has a call, someone doesn't, we come back with not enough information. And truly, if you're in the town and you voted for this for or against this two years ago, do you have any more additional information than two years ago in that vote? Right. Have we provided you with anything as as as these boards? No, we
all kind of feel a little stuck at this point. I I mean, I agree I agree with Mr. Dailyaly on this. It it um it's just coming down to the end of all of this, it's just feeling very chaotic.
um you know and I agree I agree that there are changes in um in some of the plans that folks probably haven't seen. Um and again there's this confusion of whether we're
eligible to be 10% or or whatever. Um that it it's it's it's confusing and I think We we should be able it it would be nice
if we could um get some more control and alignment among all these pieces and make sure people understand what is in here. And I think it's I think it's you know I I I think
it's you know the planning board I know they do a lot of work to to to put these things together but it's um it it's it's just been a very chaotic
process and the and the you know the just the confusion around um where we're actually headed with it is to to me disappointing. Um go ahead, Mr. No, I just want to a couple of specific questions. Um to your
point in terms of can it be changed? Yeah. I mean, if the town meeting vote on something on June, there could be amendments and changes to it in the fall. So, it certainly could be a living um overlay that gets tweaked and adjusted as you know, we see react, we see responses, we see the development
community's response or any other factors. Um, and I I would just tend to agree in terms of the overall approach here. Um, has been so focused on trying to come up
with districts that might limit impacts that it has been approached more as technocratic kind of approach in terms of where is a district and where can we limit the number of units and structure it to, you know, affect some neighborhoods but not
other neighborhoods. So I I think that's been you know in terms of a a planning driven or approach versus a more technocratic approach it's probably certainly a place where the whole process could be improved and you know happy to coordinate in terms of if a joint meeting is something that would be
helpful. Um I think it'd be um you know prudent to do that and sooner rather than later as well. I I think the other curveball that we have obviously is in terms of what are we going to finalize for June and I think right now we don't know and the question is do we try to
have that joint meeting as soon as next week or as soon as I think if that is something of interest I I think kind of working through that kind of game plan would be helpful um so that we have clarity a from the planning going on what articles are truly being submitted
and b um the boards can can converse and make a game plan together. You have thoughts about this? One of my discoveries in my my freshman year has been just that that and why I was
pushing for the, you know, the two school committee, two select board, two warrant committee because it nobody's talking to each other, right? And and in these critical issues, it's so important. You know, we we went to some of the finance committee meetings and you came and we could answer it right
there. right then and there like you know it's I agree it's it's y especially an issue this big right yeah I so I I think but I think everybody's making really excellent points
um in terms of the timing um so I think I think Mr. Dy's point about also having public hearing is really important as well because I don't think the public has had a real opportunity to look at I mean obviously we haven't even seen the 25% plan yet. Um so nobody's really had
an opportunity to consider it. Um, I I am very worried about and in fact I would probably encourage this board to think twice about having a uh town meeting in June if the only plan that we have is a 10% plan because I
feel like that would set a it would not we would not become be able to go to the state and say that we're coming to you in good faith to have a discussion if we're locked into just one plan. That said, I think having a joint meeting with the planning board to
understand their process and I think to get questions from them both answered from them as well as their questions that then we could sort of have an informed conversation with the state where we've got questions from the planning board. We've got qu our questions. We also maybe have we can
solicit public questions that could be answered and maybe we could provide those questions in advance to HLC so that they could give us some you know they could give some thought to it and we could maybe have a document that says okay here are all the questions that we had here are the answers we can still have a conversation with HLC uh about
finding out if there is an actual path to a negotiation because my reading of the situation is that there isn't but I would be happy to be proven wrong on that and I think the only way to do that is through collective discussion and dialogue. Um so what do folks think
about for timing? I think the meeting between us and the planning board is as soon as possible. Um you know one thing I know this is radical but that was mentioned is that we could put town meeting off a week or
two. I know I'm just it seems like time is critical here. Members aren't going to be happy about that. Well, I I'm just this is how much time do you know we we got a week otherwise being planned. Yeah. And I we got a week. I did just hear that uh the planning board did uh
vote to not submit um a 25% plan but it submitted the only the 10% um plan that was previously worked on. So how forgive my ignorance what does that do for us in town meeting? If we vote for a 10% plan
in town meeting, it's a vote to do what? Because the state has not indicated that they will accept a 10% plan. So what are we voting on? I think the to characterize what I have heard said in in terms of an argument on that side is to to demonstrate in good faith that
Milton is willing and and able to zone multif family housing at a level that it feels is um reflects its classification um and that you know further conversations can happen after that point. But, you know,
to put a step forward to say this is what the town can do. Um, I that is one of the convers one of the points I've I've heard. Um, so I I don't I might not be doing that argument justice, but that I think is conversation tonight a piece.
And we don't know what the rationale was for approving it on Thursday and then taking it back tonight. No, I mean I don't know whether it was as folks got more awareness of where the units were located, the zoning was located, maybe there was push back that
was unexpected or I I can't speak to it. Um and maybe we'll hear more um when you have an opportunity to either meet with them or or watch the meeting back. I but I can't I would only be guessing. I did sit in on the meeting and the meeting they seemed I know they voted on
it but it seemed mushy like I don't know how to describe it but other than that well sometimes we have to do things that we don't particularly enjoy doing the sense that I have you know my take on I sat in on it so this
with that decision and again we're guessing because we're not watching the meeting we're not there to put only one plan in front of town meeting I think handicaps us even more because town meeting is
another group of people elected by citizens of the town to have a conversation and a decision there's possible that if we have put 25 or 10 both could have been voted down the town meeting right after it's shared the planning board could have shared they could have talked about their reservations um others could have shared
and maybe that doesn't pass I I think one of the things I'm most frustrated with is that we continue to only have these discussions in one board and no one else gets a chance for input. We're in front of one board. There is a secret
meeting that we do not hear anything about where we do not get any actionable information, just intentions or here's what I think is possible. And the rest of the town for two years, we've not been able to say anything. I I I don't
know how we're handling our responsibility to the folks in the town around this whether they want to do it or they don't. We've not we we're taking it out of their hands. And the the other piece to the timing of the town meeting is that if the
intention is to to move forward with only the one article for July 14th deadline to be back in compliance, Mhm. presumably the town would still be non-compliant at that point even if a 10% um warrant article is approved because
the state HLC is looking for rapid transit compliance by July 14th. So if that's a factor in thinking about the town meeting date and timeline, there may not be a rush to June 16th necessarily if we're still going to be
out of compliance on July 14th. um if it's if there's only one 10% plan being brought to the members at that time. I also I mean if we are in fact as was told to you in the meeting
that you had with HLC recently if we are in fact a rapid transit committee community and we turn around and approve and submit a 10% plan to the state I worry that that
damage is or could do any further damage to our negotiating position and ability to work with the [Music]
state. Because one could say that submitting a 10% plan that we know is not compliant is not actually good faith. Yeah. I I I I'm sorry. Go ahead, Mr. B.
From another negotiating thought and position, it could be a strong position that says this is what the town believes. I mean they have offered they long ago offered to meet with us to talk about an adjacent community status but
have done zilch. So why extend that offer if nothing's to happen? Who extended the offer? They did. Right in the beginning when we met with them, they offered to meet with us and talk about that's what how these meetings started, right?
I was not privy to that conversation that that's Well, how did these meetings start? Which meetings with HLC? Rep. Wells and Senator Driscoll coordinated a meeting with HLC in February, I believe it was. And his comment at this meeting was that they
agreed to talk to us about adjacent community. You can look in these meetings. I know it happened. So that was my understanding was negoti but then but then you know and presumably that happened before the ap was it April 17th
that and it also happened regs were promulgated. The date was prior to the final regs being promulgated because and be and before the public comment deadline because the comment made was, you know, we've received your public comments. We're still in the comment period. So, we won't, you know, we can't
speak to that. Um, and we'll be issuing final regulations um soon. But we, you know, we're talking about a negotiation and they however it came about the conversation about us becoming an adjacent community was they agreed to
that and we went and got nowhere. [Music] I would say that that conversation we never got the full details of the conversation. Never got away. We never got the full details of the conversation. I think the most we got was that we could not share all the details. It's very similar to the one we
had recently with um uh Mr. Fehee and uh Chair Hall where we can't get all of the details about what's um Mr. Milano was there as well. So I think without in writing of the state saying Milton is
now a 10% adjacent community, all we have officially is that we are rapid transit and we don't have anything on paper or publicly from the state. It's only been Milton representatives that have said that. So that is what worries me about what we've
been told versus what has been actually said. I also think that in the two years that we've been working on this, I am disappointed that we don't have multiple plans that we don't have in theory multiple 10% plans or one or two 25% plans. We had an original one that went
through town meeting became the subject of the referendum. We don't have another one since then and we don't have anything that we can put in front of the community to explain what all of this means. So even if we had a 25% tonight, we still wouldn't have time for public comment. We wouldn't have time for
edits. We wouldn't have time for an explanation. You know, I listen to the planning board meetings and watch those. And at the end, so many residents are confused as to what it means for their street, for their homes, for place and pace of the building. None of that has
been shared. Like we have a we have a responsibility for our neighbors. And then the second piece with the state about what we have. I we we haven't put anything together. So, if I if I might just share a couple
of thoughts. I I uh I I don't want this board to be in the position where we're doing the planning board's job. Um uh I wish the planning board was doing the planning board's job. Uh I I agree with you uh Mr. daily wholeheartedly that not
having any uh 25% plan is uh not u not acceptable after the amount of tax dollars that were spent uh on uh a second round of consultants um with UT. Of course, the first round was funded by the state. um to not have any plan. Um
and and I tend to agree with Miss Heaggerty strongly that going to the state with a 10% plan like like it or lump it, that's not that's how uh that's when my kids were in kindergarten, that's kind of how they negotiated with
me. It's like, can we do this? No. Well, that's what I want to do. Well, we still can't do it. Um we need to be able to go and show that we're able to work in good faith. Of course, we can zone for multif family. We already have multif family in this in this town. We need to be able to go and and show them that we're actually
willing to put in the work, but we're going to need to have some discussions about why did we just have to have an $8.5 million override because we don't have enough commercial development intended. Can we include more mandatory mixed use, which I was encouraged that the discussion with HLC indicated that they might be some there might be some
flexibility on that. Um, I think we could go and ask about can we get a deadline push back and task the planning board uh in our open meeting with coming up with a workable 25% plan or two and having public comments on this because I
think it's uh this is not how uh democracy works. Um it really isn't. Uh and as much as I I I hear you Mr. Cohane and saying that this is how the town feels that we're 10% that's how some parts of the town feel not the whole town feels that way. And I think if we
gave them both plans, we could say this is how some of the town feels. This is how some of the rest of the town feels. Is there a place that we can meet in the middle on that? Like that's how you that's how you go and negotiate. You don't go in with one with one plan. Um so my uh inclination is to not have the
uh special town meeting uh in June unless we like just want to do a couple of the articles that we need to do for fiscal year reasons have a one day. um go to the state and um and ask them hat in hand for more time and then have this
discussion with the planning board and require them to give us a 25% plan. It's not acceptable. I I was very happy to put a 10% and a 25% plan in front of town meeting, have the discussion. I personally don't think the 10% plan is what we're going to end up with, but I
was happy to to do that. But to just have a 10% plan is not acting in good faith. Um, the other thing I I really would like to do um is to submit a letter uh to submit an action plan to the state that says that we are willing to get we are willing to do a 25% plan
um to go forward with an action plan. Well, I and you correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Milano. It doesn't say 25%. It says that we are willing to submit a compliant plan and that will give us the time and the space to also talk to the state about what does compliancy look like. It doesn't tie us to the 25%
number. just ties us to being compliant, which I think everyone has a shared goal of being compliant with state laws so that we can start getting some state funding in for our schools, for our council on aging, for our first responders, for everybody that's missing
out on uh on critical dollars. Um, but I I think to have a town meeting where we're negot we're going to spend time uh talking about a plan that we know the state as it is right now will just turn around and say no would be a poor use of of tongue and time and
resources. But I you know that's those are my thoughts and I'm happy to continue this [Music] discussion. I think perhaps on the kind of to move to immediate next steps so we
could coordinate whether it's a joint meeting for next week or just a select board meeting for next week um to take this conversation further um I guess that's question one. Uh I know the planning board is meeting Thursday um this Thursday or next I'm sorry they're
meeting next Thursday. Um this board typically meets Tuesdays. we could see if the planning board is available Tuesday if there's an interest in having a joint meeting kind of right away. Um or alternatively if members are available we can see if we can join their meeting. I just would note again
with the timeline in terms of getting that warrant ready um sooner is better. So whether it's Monday of next week as well. Um but if that is the interest then that is something I can try to coordinate tomorrow. Um if it's of interest um to this board uh as kind of
the initial step we could take the final action on the other articles and have you know a limited agenda to MBTA communities discussion and um finalizing the town meeting warrant articles. Could Could we take two tracks as you suggested? Reach out to the state, see
if we can get more time at the same time trying to get these meetings together so that we can involve people. I I don't, you know, I don't know. I'm just I mean, I think we're going to have to let the state know that we probably are going to need more time and maybe that's part of a cover letter on an action plan to say
we're going to be compliant. Uh we we we're going to work towards compliant compliancy. we want to have a discussion and is there any way that they can give us a couple of weeks or maybe a couple of months to you know to fully go through this process. I I so I think
that's a good idea Mr. Cohane. I I I also think I think having I I would say you know the planning board wants to meet when they want to meet. I think we usually meet on Tuesdays. I think we should ask them to come to our Tuesday meeting next week if if everybody's able
to come to the Tuesday next week. I'll make it. Um, is that a yes? Okay, I'll make it. Um, if they can't if they I I they owe it to the citizens of Milton to be here uh to answer some questions about their process. Okay. And uh I think in the
meantime, I'd like to make a motion um to authorize Mr. Milano uh to prepare the action plan letter. uh and according to this discussion uh include a cover letter uh that gives uh the specificity
of our timeline and our hope uh to sit down with HLC uh in an informed way you know in the next month so that we can at least have this meeting with the planning board first um to discuss where we are.
Does that sound okay to everybody? Yeah. Does anybody want to second it? Thank you. Oh, sorry. Sorry. I would have seconded. Um, so all in favor? I I Okay, so that's a unanimous decision. Can I ask just uh
just clarification for myself? So, where do we stand on this town meeting was put together specifically for us to do in MBTA communities, right? Yes. Um, what are our options here or this is is that something we should just wait? No, I think that's a good that's a good
question. So what we have right now is a 25% plan with the zoning parameters, draft zoning that were done, maps, district parameters such as height and density levels and floor area
ratios. Yeah. Um that were prepared by UTIL at the direction of the planning board. What zoning language that I worked on with staff um using the information prepared by UTL. So theoretically there is a prepared
warrant article based on the direction for the planning board's meeting on May 8th that UTIL finalized late this afternoon um this evening really. So there is an article that exists kind of in the ether in a way um that reflects the work the planning board's done that
reflects the 2023 warrant article language with tweaks to revise to to reflect kind of the current um iterations. Um it would need to be for it to get to town meeting needs to be by submitted by the select board, by the planning board, citizens petition. Those
are the ways it gets to to town meeting. Otherwise, what we have in front of us is an article submitted by the planning board, a single article at a 10% compliant act community adjacent community level that is ready to go to town meeting. Um, so if the interest is
in having a compliant article in front of town meeting, somebody needs to take the work that's been done, submit a different article, or there's just nothing else ready. I guess that I guess sorry for a very long wayed answer, but it's either this thing that
exists or that has to get put on the warrant some way, planning board, select board, citizens action or there needs to be an alternative option drafted and put together very so that that would depending on our conversations we have after because not knowing the planning
board's uh rationale, we can't say. Uh but that could potentially put us in a situation where the planning board has a 10% plan and the select board or citizens whoever has put it up has a 25% plan and we're presenting both at town
meeting but the planning board would not be doing the comments on the 25%. They don't be doing comments on the 10th. The planning board presumably would not support the 25% but that would be reading into what they're actually in the future based on be their language
and their their plan. reflects where things stand as of today that UTL produced at their direction. And it just it would look bad for all of us in in all the boards for that to be the situation. I I totally agree. Okay. And that is essentially how we got to the
2023 article is the select board wasn't doing planning. It just kind of said at some point, all right, Tim Zerwinsky, whatever you have now, we're just going to use that. And that's why it was submitted by the select board in that instance. And again, it wasn't kind of a
select board effort. It was more just saying take what you have and let's go with it from now. And I I do just want to comment in terms of, you know, the planning outreach and the planning process here is we have been working at a at a level below because we don't have a planning director right now and that
partially because of decisions I've made in terms of hiring and and not having the applicant field that we think is is right for Milton and then holding off in hiring because of the override related issues. So, I do at least want to acknowledge that um the staff support to the planning board is more limited than
it it typically was. Um Tim took head-on a lot of the public outreach that happened around the 23 article. Um it was more him than the planning board in that case. Um so they are working at a little bit of a um deficit deficit and and I I I think
that's important to acknowledge as well. And you know, we could take a more hands-on approach, but I've kind of taken a step back from that, but we can certainly um try to add more if necessary. I I appreciate your um taking some responsibility for that. I I want
to state I think um I know uh that I I am of the belief that the one of the reasons we are unable to secure the sort of person that we would like to have like Tim Zerwinsky who was fantastic um is because of the way and manner in
which town employees have been treated by the planning board which I think has been very unfair. um both employees as well as consultants um have been treated unfairly and if I were a prospective job um if I was looking at that as a prospective job and I watched one of
those meetings I wouldn't I wouldn't put my CV in there. So, I would like to call on the planning board publicly to please put together a 25% plan that we can vote on so that we can have a town meeting that we can negotiate with the
state in good faith. And please, I think we're trying to model on this board. And I think that you can see that from John's position here, my position. We have to be able to work together on this. And holding our breath and demanding that the state do things is
not going to get us anywhere. It's just going to continue to drive us down this path. Don't get your information off of Facebook. Talk to your neighbors. Talk to your friends. Really learn about what's at stake here because we're in a pickle as a town and it's not going to go away if
we don't negotiate in good faith with the [Music] Commonwealth. Any further thoughts on this one? No, I'm I'm I think what's said needed to be said. Okay, I'm agreeing.
All right. Um, so I don't there's no other action for us required other than this will obviously be an agenda item for us next week. Um, so moving on, uh, town council RFQ review process and timeline. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh,
so we have a request for qualifications out publicly now for town council services. Um this covers two scopes of service. Town council which is uh general municipal services that Peter Melo provides presently from Murphy Hen who you all know. Uh the other service
is labor council which is primarily human resources labor relations um work. Uh we've requested qualifications for both scopes. We've not specified that it needs to be separate firms that will be providing the services. Right now Murphy has 2 million provides both town council
and labor council. Andy Wah is the lead for labor council. Um proposals or qualifications are due May 21st. As we've sketched out kind of the game plan when we talked as a board about doing this um it was with a an eye towards a
July one uh start date or continue date if if MHDL continues in the role. Um, so we would be looking for interviews by the select board of town council finalists for a date in June. Um, so I think we could do that one of two ways.
We could find a Tuesday evening or another evening and carve out a few hours. I'd expect, you know, at least three firms and representatives to be interviewed. Alternatively, we could find a work day and and post a day meeting, a working meeting um and and
have MATV record it and we could broadcast it live, but it could be um a daytime meeting. So curious in terms of feedback on that. Um and what I would suggest is depending on how many applicants we get. Um maybe town staff
if there are um like a number of applicants we would whittle down a short list and bring the short list to this group um in order to recommend which uh firms would be interviewed. Um so that I think would be the game plan is see how many applications we get. I don't think this group needs to interview six
different firms and we can present um three um roughly three I think ideally um but I we would want to find um a date and a time that works for this board in terms of interviews and you should probably try I'm sorry we should
probably try to early June because we're they're due May 21st. We got to hire them 71 to give us a little time to digest. My my question was um so the question period ended last week. How how
robust was that you know as a indicator of potential interest and the potential number of firms that we could end up seeing come in? Um how did the question period go? We didn't receive any. Okay.
But I think it so procurement of labor council at town council is exempt from procurement law. So there's not a very uh regimented uh request for proposals process that we have to follow unlike some of our other procurements. So we've
laid out a pretty um low-key kind of request. You know, give us your qualifications, tell us who your key personnel are, tell us what your approaches rather than going too deep into the weeds on, you know, certain categories. So I didn't expect a lot of questions because the the RFQ is pretty straightforward. So are you are you also
saying that not many firms are used to responding in this type of format? I think you'll find more that the field is is limited. Yeah. Okay. So there are a few firms that provide these services. MHTL obviously being one. Yeah. Um KP Law has the lion share of cities and
towns in kind of eastern Mass. That's another firm. VTO and Costa is a is a firm that has a number of communities. Harrington Heat. There are other firms that like focus on Metro West and western part of Massachusetts. So I would say I would say five have expressed interest. Okay. Um and so I
think we would see applications from maybe five. And then labor council. Some of those firms have labor counsel within them. There are a couple other firms that provide labor council services and only focus on labor council. So it might be a little bit of a different pot or a larger pool really if some of the firms
that provide both apply for both. And then we get some labor council only firms that apply for that side of um the work. Would we contemplate if we had um a firm apply for or or like potentially
splitting? So if a firm had both capabilities, responded with um responded with a proposal for both capabilities, but say if we liked another firm's labor practice or labor
proposal and they only submitted a labor proposal, would we potentially consider splitting? Yes. And that we called that out specifically in the RFQ document to say that I missed it. While we are soliciting both and firms are welcome to
apply for both, we're not the town is not committed to only hiring one firm or or committed to having two separate firms. So, I think we've we've left all options open. Okay. Depending on how the discussions go and how the applicants um Okay, that gives us a lot of options.
Correct. Other questions? I think from a timing perspective, I I agree with Mr. Cohane. I think early June would make sense. I also have a feeling that we don't necessarily know what our Junes look like at the moment and so we may want to
revisit the um the looking at looking for a date um maybe at our the 27th the 27th meeting. Yeah, if that makes sense. I just want and that's helpful and just to put on your radars and to be thinking about whether an evening meeting or if there's four hours on a on a Friday
people can carve out, we could try to do it that way as well. Um or another weekday really. That sounds good. And I I I I think having um town staff whittle it down a little bit too would be helpful if we do have a huge list of folks.
Um anything else on this? And not for me though. Thank you. Um Mr. Milano, uh discussion approval towns of Randolph and Milton's Milton Veterans Service uh district agreement. Uh yes. So in your packet is an updated agreement between
Milton Randolph for veteran services. Um the towns have provided a joint veteran service officer for more than 20 years I believe. Um and along the way the agreement has been um misplaced, lost uh
folks have lost track of it. So we're supposed to renew it on a regular basis. That renewal hasn't been happening. Um so between Brian Howard and and myself and then his assistant town manager Monica Lamboy and uh assistant town administrator Nick Connors almost said my own name there. Um we work to get
together an agreement that reflects how the district has been working. So uh in terms of cost cost would be uh reflected the same. 60% of the cost is borne by Randolph, 40% of the cost is born by Milton. Uh the individual works three
days in Randolph, two days in Milton. Um available to both communities um you know five days a week. um you know expected to to participate in all the necessary uh events um in both communities um in the way they're kind of staggered. It works out that way that
um that is possible. Um so the agreement again reflects the current operating status the current operating relationship and we're seeking to have that approved um by this this by our town and then the town of Randolph town council will also take it up um in May.
In terms of uh veterans agent, I was in Randolph uh all day Tuesday last week with uh town manager Brian Howard conducting uh final round interviews and we're moving to reference checks. So hope to have an announcement uh to share uh soon on a on a replacement uh veteran
service officer. Thank you. And I know many of us worked very closely with Mr. Cook um who uh has retired um and I know that there was some discussion about having uh you know is there a possibility of doing a part-time position just in Milton and I
think you've explained both previously and just now how we share this position with Randolph. So, it's it's um not something that we would do uh sort of independently as a part-time, but rather split so someone has a full-time job. And the state law and state regs require
that towns have a full-time veterans agent if they're not part of a district. So, if the town were to leave the district, we would be required to hire a full-time veterans agent. That's why a lot of these districts exist because towns find it helpful to regionalize. And and I'll just add to, you know,
we've been working more closely with Randolph as of late. We did apply jointly for an energy manager grant through Massave which we were awarded. So we will have another um you know joint individual and energy manager um that we'll be posting for shortly. Um that will be another shared regional
effort between our towns and hopefully that you know regional effort regionalization opportunities will continue for us. Any other questions? Hopefully it be nice to have them in place by Memorial Day. So I will need an approval on that one. Um, so I will uh
Does anybody like to read the motion there? Here. Uh, move to approve the veteran service district agreement for the towns of Randolph and Milton. I second. Okay. All in favor? I I I
Okay, that's unanimous. Thank you, Mr. Milano. Thank you. Um, so I might uh given that we're already at 9:00, let's u maybe postpone our discussion of the select board retreat date because again I think our June's calendars are a little influx. We
may have more time, we may have less time, but um let's let's postpone that. And we did move article 12 up earlier. Um we have uh the application to use town green and Baron Hugo Gazebo. Um, anybody I'd take a motion on this one?
[Music] Um, a motion to approve um the application um to use the town green and Baron Hugo Gazebo
um for the uh flag day celebration for Genevieve Dave. For Genevie Dave, sorry. Yeah. for on which date? Uh on Saturday, June 14th, 2025 from 4 PM to 6 PM. Do we have a second? Second. All
right. All in favor? I I Okay, great. Um you guys will get the hang of those very very quickly. Um town administrators report. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um you know, obviously welcome to to Mr.
Daly and Miss Hagerty. we've had the opportunity to spend some time together, but that turnaround between the town election and town meeting makes things crams us in. So, welcome aboard. And obviously, our office and staff are here uh to assist and the goals you wish to accomplish over the next few years. And
um I would also like to thank um Aaron and Roxan for their service. It's, you know, in this world you expect the bosses to change, but to be sitting here with only one left who appointed me is kind of um it's it's a strange world. So Roxan and Aaron have also were here, you
know, since I started um got spent a lot of time together. So I really appreciate um our partnership and the work that we did together and I know we'll be seeing them around um which makes it not um too challenging but um I just wanted to thank them uh personally.
Um, town meeting, town election is obviously a whirlwind. So, between the IT staff, town clerk staff, um, Lynn and our office, Nick Connor's, um, warrant committee, the work that they put in, um, you know, it's we appreciate everything that they do. Um, you know,
it's a lot of hours and a lot of time away from families. So, we recognize that and, uh, thanks everybody for the work and, you know, luckily it was only a twoight town meeting, but, uh, we'll probably be back in June for a night or two. Um, so thanks again to everybody who makes those town meetings work. Um,
and then you know obviously happy Mother's Day day to all the mothers out there. Um, and I've never given my mother-in-law a shout out even though she's watching my kids every Tuesday night with my wife. So Mary happy Mother's Day. So um, Milton resident so I feel like I had to give her one at some point in my career here.
Absolutely. Uh, that's it from me uh for this evening. Okay. Uh, chair's report. I I don't have too much. Um, I don't think that we have had an open meeting since uh the uh high school production of Greece, which was fabulous. I think they
sold out every show. Um, so uh kudos uh to the to the high school uh drama department and all of the kids and adults and parents that uh make those amazing shows possible. Um uh I want to make sure that we extend a
congratulations uh here to um Miss Dylan uh who is our first female uh town moderator. So this is really a lot of firsts happening in Milton right now which is fantastic. Um and I you know I don't know that the warrant committee got a very formal thank you from the um
from the select board. I you know it was a quick uh town meeting. Um, so I did want to thank them for their uh their thoughtful service. Uh, and um, I will say Tom Caldwell uh, I've known for uh, our our two kids are have been friends since first grade. So, it's always
lovely to spend time with him in a non looking after the children uh, fashion. I think he's uh, he did a great job as chair of the warrant committee. Um, and the f the final thing I'd like to offer from the chair here is my sincere commitment to really helping to improve
the tone, the dialogue, the community feeling in Milton. Uh, I think that there are some really tough times happening right now for a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Um, and I think we owe it to ourselves, uh, to the town, uh, to work, uh, cooperatively,
but to work and to make sure that we're leaving Milton a better place than the way that we found it, uh, the way that I was taught, uh, when I camped with my, uh, my mom and dad as a little kid. Um, I think that's a great way to live your life. And so, my goal is that, uh, hopefully in my year in this chair, um,
Milton will be a slightly better place uh, than it is today. Uh, not to say that it's not a great place right now. Um, but I also open the floor to anybody else if they have um upcoming events or anything. I guess we'll meet before the Memorial Day, correct? Event. Anything else that folks need to
be aware of in town? Okay. Um, future meeting dates. So we said uh now next Tuesday which is uh the 20th Tuesday would be a conflict for me. That
would be a conflict. Yeah. I'll be flying back that night from the west coast. Okay. So um so one thing that was discussed also was the 22nd the uh I think you said the planning board has a meeting scheduled. I just don't know um
if they have like site plan stuff already scheduled for that evening. I can if is Wednesday night available the 20 1st or is the 22nd preferable? Um we could also try to meet at 6 if necessary
on the 22nd. So if I could do either the 21st or the 22nd I think um Mr. Milano, why don't you um check with the planning board to see what would work for them. Okay. Uh and then let us know. But if the 21st and 22nd both work, then um we'll be
flexible that way. If the 20th is the only day, I would I would have to come in hybrid. I don't know how how manageable that is, but you'd have to be remote. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's I think for this conversation, I think the 22nd. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Uh
and then we've got uh the 27th also. Um, and I will add here um that we um sort of lit on the second and fourth Tuesdays um because they tended to work for for everybody. Um and so if these
dates for now look fine, great. Um but if Tuesday nights are problematic for folks uh for any particular reason and we want to sort of rethink them, I think we should have that conversation with Mr. Wells. Um, but I just want to leave it out there that this was kind of it was engineered around like my calendar,
Aaron's law classes and like Richard had a had a conflict on the first Tuesday. So, there were a couple of things that were out there. But um, so there's if you know there's going to be sort of an existing um conflict to let us know and then we can we can think about do we want to start having these at a
different date because we're not bound by law to have them on the second and fourth Tuesdays. That's just kind of how it's set up. Um, so then we also have the June 10th. Um, and as of now we have a a special town meeting June 16th, 17th, and
18th. Uh, future agenda items. Um, I think Mr. Milano, um, we said that we we'll need to meet as the, um, Governor Stoen trustees, correct? Um, I don't know that the next Wednesday meeting would be the time to do that,
but maybe um, 27th perhaps. The 27th. I think it would be great too if we were meeting um maybe that we could u I guess the governor stoen trustees have to ask the committee to convene so we can't do that here um but is that right yes they're
meeting to on Thursday night the comm the review committee okay do we want to see if they might be available to come in and report to us if we're sure meeting at that time too okay I can do that um since their term's almost up um any other uh future agenda items for folks
Um, one thing I would like to add, I don't know if this goes on the agenda just for future discussion, is do we currently have a scheduled for departmental meetings with the select board where we're having either DPW or others coming in to sort of give a report whether that's quarterly or monthly about what's happening with
different departments in the town. We have not we can certainly make that something that we can set up with some of the bigger departments is is DPW of interest to get things rolling and and maybe in June. Yeah, I think all of them just just so we, you know, for us and also for the town to know, you know,
each of the departments and what they're facing or what they need for that. Yeah, maybe you could drop a schedule for us, Mr. Milan, of like what that might look like. Try to rotate folks in. Yeah. And rotating it around. Um I I And thank you, uh, Mr. Dailyaly, because one of the other things that I' I'd like to uh
encourage us to do um over the next year is we went through this whole process of appointing folks to committees. I'm hoping that committees will um report back uh to select board because I think some of the committees we hear from pretty regularly, others we don't. Um I'm not saying that every week we have
to have a have to have like every committee report, but I think in a similar vein of having some sort of rotating or if there's some special um decision that's been made um to have those uh committees report out. Okay. Um, so maybe um we can think about if there's a committee that needs to report
that that might be too fast to have somebody report in the next two weeks. Um, any other agenda items? And and just so if there is something you'd like on the agenda, we try to prep it and get a draft in front of the chair
and vice chair by Thursday, distribute the draft to the full board by Thursday, midday um, of the week before meeting. Um, and then we would post the agenda by 11 on Fridays, sometimes earlier if I'm
not too late on doing that. So, that's generally the timeline, but if there are agenda items that you're you would like to be considered, you can ping me, you can ping Ben, however you Mr. Zul, excuse me, however you do. Um, it's going to take me a while, too. I I have a running tally of things that are
coming up for the next week, future things. So, if there there are items you want me to throw on that list for um discussion, just let me know and we'll um we'll make sure to do that. Are there like criteria that we're looking for for like what's a good agenda item? Nope.
Okay. No, there's no sniff test. Cool. If you think it's important and that sport should discuss it, then we will put it on the agenda. I I I'm not Unless there's like a real time crunch and we might ask you to to and there's, you know, it's not an urgent thing. they might ask you to bump it, but um I I want everybody to feel like they have
the ability to bring items forward. And that might also happen from your committees, too. Sometimes your committees will say, "Can you tell the select board or ask the select board X?" And so, um one item that, you know, I I think you're probably going to pull this forward anyway, but um the discussion
about you know, the the joint finance committee composition would be for next time. Yeah, I think I don't expect that we couldn't have a conversation about that on the 27th. I think that is ample time and then we'll be able to um check in with everybody and come in with some
kind of a proposal and for reactions to and and conversation around and um the finance committee now could decide to meet before that as well. Um you guys can have your you guys can have a meeting and um and discuss it there and
then come come back to this and tell us what you you think as the finance committee. So you've got the power. Can we can we invite other people to our finance committee? It's an open meeting so anybody anybody can go. You can Mr. Milano can can coordinate and can help
you with that. Get a guest list. Um and do we have are we doing I was going to say I think with Mr. Wells is not here I think we can defer 19 and we'll include that on the 27th. There's nothing um timesensitive. Okay. At this moment on these items. So I I will take a motion
Mr. if you'd like to make it. I'll motion to adjurnn. Have a second. I second it. All in favor? I. Okay. Thank you everybody. This concludes our meeting. Thanks for joining. [Music]
ripa. Rip it. Rip it.