--------- It is 7:30. >> Perfect. All right. >> Uh we're ready to go. So, we're going to open the public meeting. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the February 10th, 2026 meeting of the Milton Conservation Commission.
Commissioner members are appointed by the select board to implement the rules and regulations of the state wetlands protection act uh as well as the regulations town bylaw uh governing the the wetlands. As a matter of formality, we invite all members of the public to
speak, to be heard, ask questions, make comments. Uh but we do ask that you identify yourself for the record. It is an open meeting. Um and that is an open public meeting and we do ask that you identify yourself uh before speaking. Uh
also as a matter of formality uh will you introduce ourselves? My name is John Kieran and I'm commission member and uh I'm going to read right across the top. Philip, will you introduce yourself? >> Philip, your school's conservation clerk. >> Arthur Doyle. Atha Doyle, commission
member. >> Charlie Bosworth. >> Charlie Bosworth, commission member. >> Don Palmer. >> Tom Palmer, commission member. >> Ingred Batty. >> Ingred Batty, commission member. >> And I think that's all we've got. We've
got our quorum, so we're ready to go. Uh, first on the agenda is notice of intent at 1386 Canton Avenue. I think we have a presenter, but I'm not exactly sure who's going to do the presenting. Is there anybody here on behalf of 1386?
Um, this is uh Solomon Chadri and Shante Acquisition LLC. >> Wait a minute. Gerard Driscoll is supposed to but I don't see him in um attendance. >> All right. Why don't we hold that then
um and we can come back to him. So, we'll move on to item two on the agenda, which is um uh alterations to the wetlands at uh 45 Riverside Avenue. This is continued from January 13, 2026, and I think it was
continued from December as well. Is there anybody here uh representing uh Mr. I think it's Hong Nuan um who I believe is the deed owner and we have return receipt requested that he's been contacted and requested uh to
appear at tonight's hearing to show cause why we should not u um well we've already issued the enforcement order so it's I guess it's to show cause why we should not implement the enforcement order and u um impose a fine uh I don't
see Mr. Newion or anybody on his behalf appearing. Um this is the third meeting that we've requested his attendance. There are two issues. One, the um alterations. There was a a building rehab, a house rehab that was done
within our jurisdiction without a permit uh either an IDA or a notice of intent. And we have additional cutings of u uh resource area brush within the resource area across the street actually on the water side of Riverside Drive. Uh we've
asked him twice uh by written mail uh to attend and this is the third one and this is by certified mail. On the last occasion we did vote to uh issue an enforcement order but we did not uh talk about any fines. Um, I
suggest at this point and we also didn't record it the the registry of deeds. So at this time I'd suggest that we >> So you did get a return receipt. >> You did get you did. Okay. So he received >> we have the receipt.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. Um, so I would suggest that we now record the enforcement order. Um, and I suggest that we um impose a fine of uh $300. And I just say $300 because
the regulations allow us to impose a fine $300 per day per violation. Uh, but I I think it would be appropriate just to impose the fine and record that along with the enforcement order. um which if if the house is sold um or if there's an
attempted sale, it will show up in the title run and that might uh be enough of an incentive to to come in and then we can continue the case uh for another month uh and then reconsider whether or not the fine should be a daily fine. Um,
I I think recording in the registry of deeds and uh $300 fine should provide motivation to come in. Um, if not, then we can revert to a a daily fine. Uh, so
that's that's my suggestion. Um, any comment on that as to what alternative approaches or if that's the appropriate approach to take? Oh, I think it's a I think it's appropriate approach. I surprising if you know he
returned the or you know the you got the return receipt. Um, it seems like, you know, we've we've made several attempts and I think a $300 uh dollar one-time fine implementation
uh for a month and and then and then you're you you're going to you're you're planning um is your suggestion to then after 30 days to re-evaluate that the fine amount? >> Yes. Right.
>> Okay. That seems appropriate to me. Any any thoughts, Charlie? Tom, Arthur, >> I just perfectly fair, >> Charlie. >> I think it's very reasonable. >> Um, I agree, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted
to uh ask whether for future agenda items, we might have this topic identified as um >> alteration. Item number two, it says alterations to wetlands.
>> Yes. >> Maybe in future agenda items, it would be um alteration within the jurisdiction of the conservation commission and possible alterations. We don't know who did those alterations across from the
property. >> That's good. >> Right. >> So, just >> just a thought. >> That's good. Philip, can you just take that note though on the uh >> Sure. Repeat it, please.
>> I I'm sorry. I I cut you off there. I I spoke. Can you say that again? >> Can you repeat what you just said, please? Um yeah, the recording might be better than my memory, but it was along the lines of um
um alteration, I'm sorry, um construction within the jurisdiction of the conservation commission and possible alteration to the wetlands at 45 Riverside Avenue.
>> Okay, that good. That do it. >> It will tomorrow, too. >> All right. So, um, is there a motion uh to do just that? Number one, to record
the enforcement order. Number two, to enforce or impose a $300 fine, and number three, to once again send notice uh for an appearance at the March meeting. What's the date of the March meeting, Philip? >> March 10th.
>> March 10th. All right. Um, is is there such a motion? >> So moved. >> Thanks, Ingred. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> Thanks. Thanks, Charlie. Any comment? Uh, actually, any comment from uh about
members of the public? Seeing no hands raised and hearing nothing. Uh, any further discussion among commission members? Hearing none, uh, we'll take a voice vote. Um, Arthur, how do you vote? >> Has her hand up, Mr. Chairman? Oh yeah
question. Is there any indication that there is a language or comprehension issue? >> Uh I I don't I don't know that. Um I'm ass I'm assuming no and I'll tell
you why. Um I'm I'm assuming that there was a building permit issued. >> So communication sufficient with the building department but not the conservation commission. Okay. >> All right. So, there's been some communication with, you know, the
municipality. >> All right. Understood. >> Any uh any other discussion? Then we'll take the voice vote. Arthur, how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Tom Palmer, how do you vote? >> Uh we're voting to issue an enforcement order.
>> No, we already issued the enforcement order >> la last month. Um, so we're we're the motion is to record the enforcement order at the registry of deeds. Number one, number two, to impose a fine of $300.
Um, and number three, to uh once again invite the owner to our March 10th meeting and send another certified letter to him. >> Uh, thank you. Yeah, I vote yes. >> Okay, Ingred, how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Uh, Charlie, how do you vote?
>> Yes. and I John Kieran vote yes as well. Thank you. That's number two. Um I haven't did um 1386 show up. I'm not exactly sure who's presenting >> I believe but I don't see him on the list. >> Okay, fair enough. We'll move on to
number three which is notice of 10 Randolph Avenue parcel um L411 and L412. whomever is presenting uh come forward please and welcome Brian. >> Hi good evening. I think uh Nate with
LEC Environmental Consultants is also on. >> Oh great >> Nate if you had something uh prepared to start. >> Nate you're on mute. >> That would help. All right. Good evening everybody. For the record, Nate Gosharian with LC Environmental. Nice to
see everybody again. Uh, presenting on behalf of the applicant tonight, the project we are presenting is a notice of intent for the construction of a single family dwelling and driveway located within the 100 foot buffer zone to IBW as protected under the Milton bylaw. Uh,
at this point, I'd like to request permission to share my screen, please. >> That's perfect. I Philip, I don't know if you can help him or not, or if you need any help, Nate. I'm not sure. Um I can see the share button here. Let's see. >> Okay, so this is an aerial of our
Locust. Um this is actually comprised of two distinct lots coming in at about 2.28 acres. It is located east of Rolph Avenue, west of Granite Links Boulevard and vehicular access is afforded via this 33 foot wide right of way which
extends east from Randolph Avenue. In terms of site composition, the southerntherly site is predominantly comprised of horse paddics and lawn, while the northern portion of the site is predominantly comprised of forested upland. That said, the wetland resources
located on or within 100 ft of this site include two IBWs located generally in this vicinity, and I'll go over them in a little more detail in a moment on the plans. And we also have a vernal pool located offsite right here. >> Right. Right where I I'm sorry I didn't
see. >> Right in here. So right right outside the the property line right here. >> I'm losing your cursor. That might be my eyesight. I'm >> Oh, I'm sorry. Let me zoom in a little bit. >> You can see you can see it a lot better on the map.
Uh the um >> Yeah, I got it. Okay. >> Okay. Let me zoom in so it's right in the center. >> John, this might be a vernal pool that we have seen before. >> Yes, >> sure is. >> When Joe Catherine is being developed.
Yeah, >> I have a memory. >> Certified by Matt Burn. Absolutely. >> I was >> Mr. Chairman, I was just going to suggest to the presenter >> that um >> the an alternative map might be
>> sure >> more helpful. And that's the one. >> Let's do that. I've got >> you know what I mean? Um >> can you see this one any better? Can you see? >> No, the one I meant was the uh the architect. >> Oh, sure. >> There you go. Back up. There you go.
>> So, this is exactly what we're looking at. Same geographic orientation. North is up. Um, what I'd like to point out here are the two IVWs that I had just mentioned. This is the smaller B series IVW to the north and then a larger A series IVW to the south. LEC actually
delineated these quite a few years ago for an eventual ORAD issuance in 2012. So, because of that kind of historic timeline, we went out back last year and rehung flags for the purposes of this filing. So also on the plan we've got the 25 ft no disturb zone in red and in
blue we have the 100 foot buffer zone which again is projecting from the IBW >> and at 2:00 is the vernal pool. >> Yep. Invert pool is right up here. In black we've got the limit of work demarcated which is uh going to be
installed upgradient of the 25 ft buffer zone. And then in terms of what the project actually proposes, we're proposing a house, a garage, an attached garage, both to be uh constructed on slab foundation. We've got a proposed
driveway. We've got a proposed stone patio, a small plunge pool, and then we've got a sloped boulder retaining wall. And obviously, we can see the 100t buffer zone demarcated in blue. And so a portion of the proposed house, a portion
of the garage, as well as the patio, the plunge pool, and the retaining wall are all located in the 100t bubber zone. Now, because this portion of the project right here is extending north into the forested upland, there is some tree removal that's proposed with this project. So, what we did on the plans is
we basically demarcated three series of trees in green, blue, or red along with the DBH or the caliper size. And if I scroll over to the right on the plan, we can quickly go over what those colors actually mean. So the trees that are demarcated in green are to remain and be
protected as needed. The trees that are demarcated in blue are intended to remain but nate may need to be removed as site work progresses. And the trees that are in red are to be removed as a result of construction or because they are invasive. And by invasive, we're talking about Norway maple or uh tree of
heaven. So that's just kind of a a general overview. A couple other items I'd like to point out about this project is dry wells will be installed to collect roof runoff and the dwelling will tie into municipal sewer and water. Uh the last item I'd like to briefly go
over to give you kind of a better depiction of what we're actually dealing with in terms of the quality of the site are a couple of pictures. The first picture right here is taken I don't know if you can see my cursor um in the southerntherly lot right in the central portion of the southerntherly lot
looking west. So, what we're oops what we're seeing here is the horse paddics with that forested upland in this vicinity where those trees are proposed to be removed and basically the footprint of the house in this location. In other words, kind of the historic
lawn. And then the next shot is at the southerntherly extent of the southern IVW looking north and is really just to kind of depict how bouldery this actually is. And one thing I didn't mention is that in the installation of the limit of work which is going to go
upgrading of the IVW obviously some of these boulders are going to have to be removed through excavation. They are going to subsequently be repurposed for the construction of that sloped boulder retain wall. So with that um I will hand it back
over. Happy to take any questions. Thank you. >> Let me ask you that. Do you have specs on the uh swimming pool and plunge pool? And what I'm what I'm referring to I I won't make you guess, but we're generally in favor of uh you know closed
I call it closed circuit. Uh so there's no backwash discharge of chlorinated or broomemide water uh going in near the wetlands and that it it's easy to dodge. You just have a closed system and you use a filter cartridge filtration. Uh so
there's no backwash, >> right? Okay. Yeah. I Ryan, I might defer you on on this question. >> Yep. Um the pool has not been um designed to uh to that level of detail yet. We sort of just placed the footprint. Um but you know, if you guys
wanted to condition some sort of uh system, you know, I think we'd be uh open to that. All right. It It's usually not an issue. Um but yeah, we do condition pools so that we're not discharging,
you know, water with chemicals back into the resource area. >> Absolutely. >> And and can you put the screen the you know the uh plan back up because >> Sure thing. >> One of the issues I I I want to be very
sensitive to where the drainage is going. Um because the access here is off the access road. Correct. >> Correct. >> Oh, isn't it a right way? >> No.
>> The right of way goes toward the access road, but it's not off the access road, Mr. Chairman. >> So, where does the right of way? Is this >> It connects with Randolph Avenue. Correct. So is that is that the existing
driveway? that is >> okay because I I know you know we've got projects going all over the place here and one of the big issues and I just I happened to attend a u a meeting of the
the planning board the the planning director for the town and the town engineer uh on 728 uh project number 728 and one of the issues that I brought up is that across the street across Randol off Avenue. Uh
we did a uh a change order approval because they changed some of the drainage. Now, I understand I'm I'm talking about the other side of Randolph Avenue, and we've got water sheds. You know, water's going every which way at this point, but I wanted to ensure that
I know there were drainage pipes going down that driveway, that uh right of way, and intersecting with a drainage pipe that runs basically north south under Randolph Avenue. And it ties in there.
And about a year and a half ago, we had a change order come in from 7-Eleven Randolph, you know, the 40B project across the street. And they changed their uh discharge pipe there. And I want to make sure that the capacity of
that drain pipe is sufficient to carry everything including the change in the discharge from 7-Eleven plus the discharge from 728. So I don't know if you're tying in there
or if you're you're putting an an overburden on that drainage. I say pipe. I don't know where your your drainage is going there. And the other thing is that I one of the sensitive areas for us is the intersection of
um the access road. You know where the gate is right now? Well, right at right at the intersection of Access Road and Rolph Avenue, um there's a pipe diagonally uh heading south or south
east, I guess. uh from 7-Eleven and it's it's discharging right at that intersection corner on the south side of the access road and that's also where 728 is discharging water. So again, it's an overburden situation. I don't know
where the drainage because you're building impervious surface here. So that water's got to go somewhere. So, I just want to pay particular attention to where that water, whether it's, you know, underground or if it's surface water, where's it going? And how how do
we ensure ourselves that we're not going to overburden the town's drainage system? >> So, so the roof runoff is all going to be tied into uh dry wells um kind of located around the building. um
the you know the driveway we could sort of pitch that um to a low point and just have it collect and sort of like a little grass pool as opposed to you know just letting it um shed you know down that driveway. Um
but in terms of like the drainage pipes that were mentioned um we we don't have you know we we inquired um with the town about you know all the utilities in the area and we weren't sent any um drainage pipes within the rightway. There is a sewer line that extends up the rightway.
Um but there weren't any drainage pipes sent to us. So I don't I don't think we we're certainly not tying into the town's drainage system. Um so I don't I don't think we'd uh you know compromise that at all. >> All right. And can you give us some
calculations that show that whatever the roof runoff calculations are that the dry wells will be sufficient to contain that and and it it's it shouldn't be a problem because you know at worst you'd have to put in some cult chambers to you know capture it and slow it down. But I
I'm just >> it is an issue that came up with the planning director and the engineering department just within the last month. >> There's something called OW on the plan. What is that? It looks like a line under the driveway.
>> It uh it stands for overhead wire. Ah, >> I'm sorry. Thank you. >> That's okay. >> Okay. Ask a question. Yeah, we're I'm inviting questions. >> Um, were the photos you showed us taken when
the wetlands were flagged? >> So, those would have been taken uh likely after or at the same time, probably coincident, you know, roughly to when they were flagged. >> Was that last May? I think I read that.
>> It was last year. That's correct. Um, was it in the May? Was it in the spring? >> So, I don't know specifically what month. Like certainly I could I could find out. >> You were there. >> Yeah, we noted on our plan as being we
fieldocated them in May at least. >> Uh, you were there? >> I wasn't personally, but our our surveyors were. So I would assume uh LEC likely flagged them in May, maybe end of April, but >> yeah, the uh bordering vegetated wetlands determination form gives a date
of May 8th, 25. >> Okay. >> Right. >> Um did you make any determination about whether these uh isolated wellins as you call them are vernal pools?
Um certainly that would have kind of been built into the delineation um you know as as evidenced by the fact that they're not demarcated as vernal pools. I would be you know inclined to think that certainly with the demarcation of the vernal pool to the northeast you
know contrasting with the other ones. >> But didn't you just borrow that from another plan? >> What the vernal pool? >> Yeah on the other lot. Um, it's it's possible. I don't know if it's it's mapped by Natural Heritage and that's
how it was imported onto the plan. Although that said, it is offsite, >> right? >> Nothing proposed on this is within 100 ft of that. That's for sure. >> Well, you know, to when you go to delineate a wetland, you can't flag a
vernal pool just by looking at soils and vegetation. The definition >> rests on other features, namely >> the habitat quality, the depth of the
water, the presence or absence of certain critters. So, I don't really get the feeling that that determination was made. I mean, it wasn't stated in the letter.
Do you know how much water was in there uh last May >> in I don't I don't personally but I I am you know I show the picture and a reflection of kind of capturing the characteristic of this >> and as one scientist who admittedly
wasn't there for this this doesn't strike me but certainly I can find out from the person who actually did flag this and I'm extremely confident that was integrated in part of their investigation when they flag these IVWs. Well, >> offer here on that point. It may be helpful. Somewhere in here, I think I
read one inch >> of water. >> Yes. >> Because last spring, if you may remember, was pretty dry. I remember vernal pools that I'm familiar with. >> We're lower than average. Um, I hear
what you're saying. I would say that to me I don't think we can review these flags until the snow is gone and the ground is thawed because that's the only way we'll have access to soils for
instance and uh I'm just not comfortable until I see it for myself. >> Well, I I think a site visit is appropriate, Tom. Um, and >> I think I think we have to wait until we
can see the ground. invited out on a on another project for the town. Um, our engineer friends from Northeastern and Marina Fernandez, the DPW director and former town engineer
and I agreed that we'd postpone the next site site visit until March 6th, Friday the 6th because because of the snow. So, you know, you're right. We're not going to be able to see anything um until the
snow is gone. Um but I do do others on the commission think that we should have a sitewalk. I I do. Uh may it's a it's a very sensitive area uh for us. We've actually been up there and, you know, we've we've had a number of trips to the area. Uh, going back to the development
of what's the name of the street coming off of Pleasant Street, uh, between Ben and um, >> Kathleen. >> Yeah, Kathleen. That's it, right? Um, and I remember this this vertical pool
was pretty significant. And uh and Nate, I I apologize if this is my eyesight, but uh does y does the map here I was looking for it in the packet, but um does the map have a measurement from that? I I believe you said it's over 100 ft, but we do have a bylaw that there's
a non-disturbance zone 100t from a uh vernal pool. >> Yep. >> Can you just if it's not there, can you add that a distance? >> Sure. >> Okay. And and the property line doesn't mean anything to us. I mean it's it's a distance from the vernal pool on
>> it's on that plan John >> that it's the blue circle in the upper right corner is the 100 ft from the vernal pool it's drawn on the plan you see that blue circle >> right >> that's in the upper right
>> okay good all right I've got it so it's going right through the >> wet got it okay >> all right so it's already there all right thank you that that's what I couldn't Hey, >> if you went back to that aerial, >> you can see the vernal pool on the
aerial. >> You see outside? >> Yes. >> Outside the red polygon. Yeah, right there. >> I see it >> like it right. It's darker. It's got water in it and uh it looks different than what's on the lot itself. So that
does suggest that that's deeper water than is in the wetland. >> There there was substantial water in that vernal pool uh a couple weeks ago when we were there. Um we we did we staked out the the house and the limit of work um you know assuming that the
commission would want us do a sitewalk. So all of that is is staked out so you can see it you know in relation to the wetland flags that are out there. I think the ground has to be thought for us to do the site visit because soils will be important and if they're frozen
we won't know anything about what's the um and I know the wetland flags that were up did you say May of 25? >> Yes. >> Um okay. >> All right.
I'm just, you know, I agree with you. We we need to, you know, check the soils. Um, but this is our normal protocol, Nate. So, we're not trying to slow you down. >> Oh, I understand. Yeah. >> But I it is our normal procedure to to
actually view the the flags and and approve the placement of the flags, >> right? And I I I don't think it's, you know, if even if we move some flags, it looks like you're well outside that which is most sensitive to us, the 25
foot um demarcation non-disturbance zone. That's that's kind of a big deal to us. >> Right. Right. >> Um >> Okay. >> All right. Any other comments? And if we continue for a sitewalk, um, you know, which you'd have to agree to, of course,
um, uh, I would like to get the the pool specs at the time. Um, and I don't think that's a I don't think that it should be a problem. Um, and I I actually don't think it's much of a cost factor either.
you know, this uh enclosed cartridge filtration system. U I think they're pretty much market competitive. A pool for a pool. We just don't want that chlorinated water getting discharged into the wetlands. >> Okay.
>> Questions from commission members? >> Uh John, it's Charlie. If I uh if I might add, if they're coming back in front of the board, it'd be interesting to know where the U dry wells are going to be located that will pick up the the roof runoff
and uh whatever catch basin um or dry well design they intend to use to pick up the proposed driveway runoff. Now, I'll say that the grading, they did
a great job on the physical grading of the lot. They're really not changing the direction of the flow very much at all. And it seems to all be ending up in the same spot uh as it is pre-design.
So, I think that part of it is is spot on. I'd just be interested to know where the drywalls are going to go before we sign off on anything. Okay. So, if we're making notes, you know, we've got the roof runoff calculations to make sure that the dry
wells are sufficient to receive that amount of runoff. Um, as Charlie said, the location of the drywall um if if I may. >> Go ahead. We um we actually we had we had shown some dry wells on our plan,
but after visiting the site and seeing all the ledge, you know, outcrop and and and stuff like that, I think they're really going to have to be sort of field located based on >> um some exploratory excavation. So, we can certainly, you know, design some dry
wells and put them on the plan, but um they may in fact, you know, uh sort of get moved around a little bit. Well, my my suggestion would be to spec out what size drywall you're going to use and just uh locate them on the asbill.
>> Okay, that makes sense. >> That would be my suggestion, John. >> Yeah. No, that that makes good sense, Kelly. Um, can we see the photo of the boulder field again? >> Sure.
You know, when they built the shelter, the animal shelter not far from here, it was also slab on grade because they didn't want the expense of the blasting for a foundation. As you look at this stone here, does
that look to you like a natural surface or does that look like where that does that look like grout from quaries is what I'm saying. Is that is that rock that was dragged out of a quarry or is a rock that is just there?
>> Yeah. So, I would be inclined to think the ladder. >> Gotcha. Yeah. Maybe we'll get a better idea when we're there. It's a >> Yeah, >> probably is nearby. If if I may just add to that, it's it's sort of a combination
of the both the two, but with the dominance being uh from test pits where they tried to find out whether or not an area was a potential quarry
>> uh in some of the locations in the past, Tom, uh we looked at some of those areas that were tested to see whether or not. They had in turn become vernal pools and the only one that was identifiable in
that whole area was the one that's on the map. >> Gotcha. >> Okay. Is there anything else? Um well, yeah, I I don't want to be too much of an optimist as to when the warm
weather will will come. Do you want to set that a date for a site inspection or u >> John? I think it needs to be next. >> It has to be after April 1st
if we want it to be thought out and snow off. >> Um All right. Well, I'm I'm trying to make less work for people, but I I agree that we, you know, we're going to be realistic with mother nature. Um, and it
may well be in April. Our next meeting is the 10th. Um, oh, first of all, are there any other questions from uh members of the commission members? And seeing none, what about u members of the public or butters or citizens or
anybody? Um, just I want to give you an opportunity to be heard in these. >> Uh, but I I don't see any. >> So, we've got a list of things. I'm sorry, somebody. >> Yeah, this is Dave Michael. I'm going to Butter at 7 Kathleen Lane. >> Oh, perfect. Welcome, David.
>> Thank you. I I don't know if this is the for the forum for this, but our property has a lot of issues with underwater underground water and I don't know if that's a consideration here, if there's been, you know, any kind of subsurface flow mapping. Um if there's been
consideration of if the placement uh the fill placement will block existing shallow water groundwater pathways. Um, you know, are there issues with the retaining wall acting as a subsurface dam or that water flowing into the properties that are that abut the other
the build site? So, that's kind of our main concern over here. >> U, fair question. U, certainly a reasonable concern. Nate, can you respond? Is anybody any consideration been given to that because and I know
we've got a lot of experience here with the animal shelter and the the 40B project. uh we've got, you know, we've got and and the development of uh Katy Lane as well. >> Yeah, I I appreciate the the thoughtful uh comment. I think in this case I may
defer to Ryan if Ryan if you had any thoughts on that. >> Yeah, I would just say that, you know, this it's a slab-on grade uh design. You know, there's no basement here. We're not going to be displacing um you know, any natural groundwater
flows. Um the the boulder retaining wall is, you know, uh more or less just a reconsolidation of the stone that's already there. It's just sort of getting restacked. It's not going to be embedded in the ground at all. Um but the the stones I think once
you guys see the site, um you'd have a better understanding, but the stones are massive. Um it's going to take quite a lot of work to just move some of them. And the and you know, the size of them alone are going to hold them in place. Um um you know and I think um one of the other commission members noted that the
the grading is you know trying to mimic the natural flows of of the you know surface runoff you know as best we can. So um I I wouldn't uh I I wouldn't think there'd any be any adverse impacts to a butters with this
project. >> What about the subsurface water flows? Those are some big boulders there. Is that a potential issue? that you redirect flows anywhere, water flows anywhere? >> No, I I mean, I don't The wall itself is
is not all that big. Um, and it's it's not going to be, you know, we're not we're not excavating out uh the the ground to to put the wall in. It's not going to be a formed, you know, concrete wall or anything. It's just it's a restacking of the the rocks that are already there is is what we're trying to
do. Yep. So, it's kind of a surface area thing, not a uh you're not digging down into the ground and building out those boulders. >> That's correct. >> Okay. And then I guess on the dry wells, I know you said field placement might be a field placement issue, but
you know, if if you encounter bedrock or slate or what happens then? Is it just is that the answer? It's just we have to decide in the field and where they go they can go and the discharge goes where it can go. >> Yeah. Well, I can I can say that, you
know, we're not going to site them in the direction of the wetland. They'd probably be on, you know, the the side of the rightway or there's there's a large area, you know, off the edge of the the driveway that's, you know, appears to be, you know, nice nice
ground. There's some grass growing there. Um, so you know, we're gonna we're going to place these in in a spot that's not going to um you know, direct uh runoff to to any you know, a butter or anything like that.
>> Um, but yeah, it will it will sort of need to be a field placement with with the drywalls. >> Okay. Yeah, >> I I appreciate the time >> and uh apologies if those were novice questions. I'm I'm new at this. >> No, no, I thought great questions.
Thank you. >> As I look at the plan, it's not obvious to me which way the water flows under existing conditions or where it leaves the lot. It just not it seems to be flat and rocky overall
and doesn't seem to have a low side. So, I couldn't tell you where water would flow on this lot. Well, Tom, I I mean, is there anything that we'd have from the Kitty Lane uh drainage plans that would indicate
that? >> Do you know we we've got the access road drainage pretty well down at this juncture because of the animal shelter and we've been up there several times on that on that very issue.
And I was originally concerned that the drainage was going to go off to, you know, more drainage on the surface of the access road, but it looks like it's going to go on the on the drive what I call the driveway, the easement. >> I really don't know. I see, you know, a
big piece of the lot is a wetland, but I don't see anywhere where the water flows out of the wetland. Well, the the the plants have some pretty clear elevation lines and in uh spot grades on them.
>> Yes. >> And if so, I I think if we take Tom like to the right of the of the proposed dwelling, uh it's the elevation is 138. Now, they're simply moving the 138 contour line appears to be about 20 ft
off the building. So that's not >> Hey, Charlie. >> Yeah, >> I I lost you for a while. It might have been just me, but I you froze for me for a while. >> Could you just repeat the last two sentences?
>> Yeah. Uh John, I was just uh explaining that the contour lines that that are pretty clear on the drawings, if you started to the right of the dwelling, uh right at the corner of the dwelling, the existing grade is is 138 139. They're
only moving that contour line over 20 ft essentially to the east. Um and then the they're they're leveling off the the the rear of the house. Uh they're basically carrying out the 138 grade that exists
there now out another 15 or 20 ft and slowly dropping down to elevation 136 134 and then it flows to the natural uh runoff. They're not not the the the other parts of the property are not
being regraded. So, they're directing the water um in the proposed plan to the exact same location within 15 or 20 ft of the existing conditions plan. So, there's no change on the surface
um directional flow on this drawing. I get what you're saying, Charlie, >> but if if there were an increase in flow because of an increase in impervious, you would expect that to be felt somewhere downhill. And it looks like
downhill from the house is the big wetland. So where does that wetland discharge if anywhere? That's where you would feel an increase in flow. I think >> Tom a question
when you said are you referring to the wetland on the map that we just reviewed. >> Yeah. On the the one that's outlined in uh yeah >> with WF flags, >> but all wetlands don't have to have an outlet. >> That's right. It couldn't it could be that it doesn't have one,
>> right? >> I think that's the case here. Just I used to hang around up there with friends when I was a a younger man, let's say. much younger. >> Yeah, Tom, it appears on the north side
of that wetland that it actually steps up to elevation 132 and a half from 130 in the in the wetland area. So, Arthur, it looks uh I'd have to agree with you. Maybe there is no no outlet specific
outlet for this wetland. I just remember though from years ago um when we were junior high school, the girls were up there in the paddics and guys of course went where the girls were. It was funny. The girls went where the horses were, the guys went where the girls were and
there was they were sort of isolated pockets of wetland. >> Uhhuh. >> I guess on on those lines, is there a possibility that there's an increase to the underground water flow? And the only reason I ask because we have a significant amount of water flowing
through our basement when the spring comes. And >> where where is your lot? Where's >> we're where seven Jill Kathleen Lane? >> Uh yeah, I guess it's not on the plan. The closest one is nine. >> Yeah, we're we're right next to that.
that I don't know if it made the the cut off of the plan, but >> I think as we understand it, when our house was built, there was some kind of underground brook or something that was built on top of. >> But but your house has a basement, right?
>> It does. >> Yeah. It would be hard to build a basement anywhere on this lot. I think >> you just >> have to blast it out of the rock. >> It I don't know. I would guess that whatever water flow
is going through seams in the bedrock rather than through a layer of soil. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Any other thoughts or questions? I And I I'll I'll do this for convenience sake. I think Tom is right
that um it's probably not going to make any sense until you know close to April, but I don't want to lose track of this and I don't want to slow it down. Um so we can put it on the agenda just as kind of a holding place for March 10th. Um but to be honest with you, the only
thing you could do at that time is give us some of the the data that we're looking for. You know, the the runoff calculations and the pool fill specs. Um um and you've already addressed the locust of the dry wells. Uh and I I
appreciate what you said and I think did as well. Uh do you want to put it on for the 10th or wait until we you know do you want to set a an April date? >> Suggestion, Mr. Chairman. >> I pass that out to everybody. Yes. Yes,
sir. Um, might we consider uh the sitewalk sometime between the 1st of April, date mentioned by Tom, and our April meeting, which is Tuesday the 14th. So that this would be an agenda item for
bringing to conclusion one way or another at the 14th meeting in April. So we have >> right that's that's the intent. I I didn't that was the intent of what I was saying. I I don't know whether to set the date now or wait until March 10th to set it. We can set it now. That's
>> agree with everybody. >> No, but no, you're you're right on the money. You're >> perfect. Let's set a date uh for the site inspection now. Saturday the 4th or Saturday the 11th. The 4th would give us a little bit more
of a window, but it's closer to >> April 4th or April 11 are Saturdays. >> Fourth is fine with me, but Ryan, you had a comment. >> Yeah, I I I was just going to say that I I know we'd love to just at least continue this to the March meeting. um
you know, to give you the extra information you're looking for and maybe we have a a warm spell and and the snow melts and we can get out there sooner. Um that that would be what I think, you know, the applicant would like to do because we do want to stay on top of
this. We we don't want to uh >> that's that's fair. >> Okay. >> Well, why why don't we set two dates? The April 4th will be sort of tentative. Um, and then we'll put it on the agenda for March 10th. And at that time, if the weather looks good enough, we can
advance the the uh sitewalk. That make sense to everybody? >> Yes. >> All right. So, we've got we'll put it on the agenda for the 10th. Uh, so we'll continue the matter until then with the ascent of the applicant and then we'll set a tenative date for a sitewalk on
April 4th, Saturday. And we usually start at 8:30 in the morning. Um, we can park I don't know. I guess we can get some cars up the uh right of way, correct? >> Yes. >> And we could get some at at the entrance
to the uh Is that open now or the gate locked still? >> It's open because they have to go to the animal shelter. >> Okay. All right. So, we we'll find a place to park. We'll get there. >> There should be plenty of uh space on site to park, too. There's a big loop
driveway all under the same ownership. So >> Oh, good. Okay. Fair enough. All right, we're good. Is that acceptable to everybody? >> Sounds good. >> Okay, we'll see you on the 10th of March. All right, >> thanks for your time.
>> Thank Thank you very much for your attendance. I appreciate it. >> Right. >> Uh, next on the agenda is uh well, let me go back and anybody for 1386 yet?
>> Uh, not anybody. Okay, then we'll go on to number uh four. Request for determination applicability, 42 Central Avenue. >> Do we have a presenter? >> Yes. President Karen Skatron. >> Hey, Karen.
>> Hi. How are you? >> Good. Tell us tell us what about your application. >> Would you like me to share my screen and show you the >> That would be great. That that would be perfect. Thank you. I apologize. This is a busy plan. >> Can everybody see that?
>> Yes, we can. Thank you. >> Okay, great. So, for the record, my name is Karen Skin Catron. I delineated the site on nine um September 2025. Um only riverfront area was flagged. The river is obviously back here. Um the
owners are requesting um only to to build up. They're only going up. They're uh putting a second story on the house. And um the existing per impervious currently is 4,220
ft. The proposed is 4,279. So, there's going to be an additional 59 square ft added to the um to the impervious. >> Is that the balcony? >> That's the balcony. Yes. >> Okay. Thanks. >> So, there is an easement that runs along
the left side of the property. There'll be no work with new no new work within that easement. There is flood plane on the site. It runs So, this line here is is where the flood plane is. The elevation is 25.
Uh, see Oops. Whoops. Sorry about that. It's 25.6. So, um,
I don't know if anybody has any questions. Basically, they're going up and that's it. Just that 59 square feet. That's the balcony footings. >> I I don't see that flood blame line. Uh >> so it's right here. So see this see this note right here? >> Yes.
>> Okay. See the arrow point runs right the other. >> Okay. >> Oh yeah. Right. >> Yeah. Erosion control is shown here. And that would be a compost sock and silk fence. >> So obviously line. Does it go
along the foundation of the house? >> No, it goes right through the house. >> Goes through the middle of the house. >> But the That's kind of weird because we know the house is up high. At least the roof is, but that's how they drew on. Huh.
I mean, it seems odd that they would say that half the house is in the 100redyear flood plane, but that is what they're saying, right? Mhm. >> That's what they're saying. Yep. So, it's a ae zone, >> right? I gotcha. >> Yeah.
>> But no fill is proposed in that area. >> No. >> Instead of just going up. >> Just going up. Yep. So, the um there's a mudroom here going up and that the house here. That's it. Just going up.
One of the issues that we have sometimes is not with the applicant or the owner but the uh contractor and we we do try to be very careful about heavy equipment uh being stored overnight um in our jurisdiction and you're awfully close to
Pine Tree Brook. Um what do you anticipate for machinery in terms of boom trucks or you're going up so how how the work is getting up? So, probably ladders, I would imagine, but uh they they can um just use the
driveway as the the driveway runs back to the garage. So, the drive the existing driveway could be used for, you know, >> I know that that's the problem that we typically have because uh we don't allow overnight storage or refueling of equipment within um a jurisdiction and
that happens. >> You can make that a condition >> 200 feet from from that. So, it's a contractor issue, but um that's that's one of our special conditions that we always include. >> Okay, that's that's fine. >> Karen, I'm assuming the only excavation
is for the footings. >> The footings. Yep. 59 square feet >> and that's it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, there shouldn't be any use for any reason for heavy equipment to be there. It'll Right. >> Sounds like it'll all be labor. >> Yeah. child. You That's That's why I
asked the I didn't know if you needed a boom truck or some kind of a scissor lift or something. >> Yeah, I'm sure they'll deliver drywall with a boom lift or some or some lumber, John, but they're usually there for 10 minutes. Um looks like the rest of this
is good oldfashioned grunt work. >> Okay. All right. Like the old days. >> Yep. >> All right. Any questions from other commissioners or comments? I don't hear any. How about a Butters,
members of the public, citizens, interested parties. >> I don't see any. And I don't hear any. Um uh Karen, could you take your your screen down? Absolutely. I can see the other
people and that I hear. No, I don't see any hands raised at all. Um hey Wendy. Hey, welcome. >> Hey John. Hey everyone. Thank you. >> Hey, good. You made it. Um, so you know, Philip, make sure you make a record that Wendy arrived.
>> So it it it looks like there's not uh any reason or required notice of intent in this case and a negative determination of the RDA is appropriate with the conditions at least the one that we don't have storage
overnight or refueling uh within our jurisdiction. Um, any other questions or comments uh about special conditions on it? That would be a negative determination of the RDA with the conditions of no overnight storage and refilling. Um, any elevator?
>> Can I can I make a remark? Uh, Karen, do you have any photos of the backyard or the brook there? >> I don't have any. I don't have I do I do not. I have an aerial if you want to see that >> of the area. You were there though, right? Yeah.
>> Do you remember what the bank of the brook looked like? >> Yeah. I I Is it I think a channel? It's a um >> it's stone. >> It's stone. Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> We were there for 36 central a >> We were there a lot. >> I don't think I was there. I've just It's just a hidden area that I'm not >> It is >> I don't have any >> I've never seen it. So, I'm just curious. It is odd that the whole
backyard and half the building is in the flood plane. That would worry me. I mean, if it was, if I was thinking of buying that house, I would think, does the backyard flood and how often does it flood? Do you
>> There's a pretty good bank there. There's a pretty good bank there. I I don't think it would flood. >> Yeah. >> All right. Well, that's I was just curious. I I agree that we're ready to issue a negative determination with conditions.
>> Right. Any other thoughts about us, members of the public, commission members? All right. Is there a motion to issue a a negative determination with the special conditions of no overnight storage of heavy equipment? And when I say heavy equipment, motorized hydraulic
equipment um and no refueling uh within our jurisdiction and I hear no other no other special conditions. So is there such a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Arthur. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Thanks, Charlie. Any discussion among commission members? Hearing none. I'll go across the top. Arthur, how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Tom, >> yes. >> Ingred, >> yes. Charlie. >> Yes. >> Wendy, I don't know if you were here for the whole hearing or not. I
>> I don't think I was, John. Um, so I guess technically I can't, but I would like to vote yes. >> That's pretty good. >> Yeah. >> All right. And I, John Ken, vote yes as well. So, you've got a negative determination with the special conditions as indicated. Great.
>> Thank you very much. Great. >> Thank you. Have a good night. Good night. >> Good night. Uh, Philip, just if if you spot uh is it Gerard? Who's who's coming? Gerard. No, >> he hasn't arrived yet. Gerard Driscoll.com.
>> Okay. So, we now go to this is 702 and apologies to the public because it says 402 Bluehill Avenue on our agenda, but it's actually 702 Blue Hill Avenue. And uh who was going to make the presentation for that?
>> Good. Welcome, sir. Good day, sir. And good day to both ladies. >> All right. Tell us what you would like to do. >> Well, we found ourselves in a position here where when we purchased this house, it did not meet Title 5 requirements
and the previous owner took it upon themselves to replace the septic system and gain all the permissions and permits. and we are now in the position of trying to sell a house and we found out that
the title is missing the uh orders of compliance from the >> certificate of compliance. Pardon me if I stumble with the term but >> certificate of compiance >> uh from the conservation commission. So, we are trying to get the certificate of
compliance for our septic system, which has passed Title 5 again this year. Um, so we can move on to our new residence. >> All right. Well, I I was interested to note that I signed the order back in
1999. So, it's legit. It's legit. >> I was there. So you can attach. >> So you're going to tell me everything I need to know about it. Correct. >> Absolutely. >> Okay.
>> By the way, I've got an audience here as you've heard. Um yeah, the one thing that we require uh you have provided and we need an attestation from a a u a professional engineer and I I'm looking at the one
from Lawrence uh silver and it says that I certify that the sewage disposal facility uh is in substantial compliance with the regulations etc as approved by the board of health. So that's actually what we need for the certificate of
compliance. So, um, there may be some questions from commission members or, uh, folks in the citizenry. Any questions? >> So, are we good to go? >> I think I think we're good to go. We
have to have a vote, so I have to wait for that. Okay. But, uh, >> I'm looking at the at the plan that was submitted with a request and it has an engineer saying that the new system was built the way the board of health
approved. So, it seems like this is overdue. >> Yes, that's the one by Lawrence Silva. >> Yes, >> he has built plan. I agree. Could could I have a question for the Walshes? Um
>> Yes. >> This is a very long and narrow lot, right? >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. And uh when you come in from 138, you go down in a little sort of low flat area, then you drive up again. Is that
so? When you come off a 138, you drop down, you hit a flat, a slow slope, probably 10 degree, and then when you get to the house, you're on level ground.
>> Do you ever have a water on a driveway? >> No, sir. I say that because on the other side of 138 is an area that you see ducks in sometimes and it's part of this same
lowland. And uh I don't know if you've ever looked at a relief map of the town of Milton, but I would say that once upon a time the Neponza River flowed across your driveway. Now, I know that sounds bizarre, but if you look at a
map, you will see from Paul's Bridge going through Curry College across 138 where you are, and then in a Town Brook, there's this this big flat trench that curves. And uh if you were to dig
anywhere in that trench, I think you would find a lot of gravel. So, I'm kind of wondering why it was that your septic never ever failed anything because I would guess that your lot has a lot of
gravel under it, which is really good for perking. Do you know why it was that your old septic system way back uh needed to be upgraded? Unfortunately, I wasn't part of the
negotiations of the new septic system because it was done to the previous owner, the Brascos. So, >> I was kind of what what happened was there was an escrow in in held while the septic was being done.
>> Uhhuh. Well, to me, you have a very interesting lot because of this history, but I'm sorry to take you so far a field. Okay. >> No, I actually appreciate that. That's
great. >> All right. >> So, is there a motion to issue the uh cert certificate of compliance? >> So, move. >> I'll take Arthur's the motion and Tom will take yours as a second. Any
discussion among commission members? Hearing none. Arthur, how do you vote? >> Yes. >> Tom, how do you vote? Yes. >> Ingred. >> Yes. >> Wendy. >> Yes. >> Charlie. >> Yes. >> And I John Kieran vote yes as well. So you're good to go. Your closing is
coming up, right? The 27th of the month. >> Yes. Yes, sir. >> Oh, good for you. All right. So, you you've got it. Stay in touch with Philip. Um and and he'll make sure you get what you need to give because I'm sure the uh you know the conveyancing attorneys will need a copy of this. Um
and you know how to get in touch with Philip? >> I do. I'm in good touch with him. He's been he's been very helpful in getting us to where we are today. Thank you. >> That's great. Thank you for for being easy to get in touch with. That's good. That helps. >> All right. Thank Thank you both very much.
>> All right. >> Good night. Thank you. >> Good night. Thank you. Thank you. >> So, we are now at the end of our agenda, are we not? Uh unless we can find
just members now. >> What's that? >> We just have the me the commissioners. We have nobody else um on the call. >> Okay. So 1386. Uh we'll just Why don't we put it all off until uh the March meeting March 10.
>> All right. That was a no-show. Uh Wendy, because we called that Fred number one on the agenda. Nobody came to make a presentation. >> Oh, the the one about the ADU. >> Correct. >> Yes. Yeah. And I I I had a question out because >> I was real curious about that.
>> The description says that you'll build a new four bedroomedroom apartment. I mean a house and then they were going to rehab the existing house. But on the plan I I don't see that. I just see the new house. >> You can't have the John, if I may, the
ADU can be within >> the uh one structure. It's possible for an ADU to be a separate entity and it's possible for it to be within a primary structure. >> No, no, that that I understand. But in
their narrative description, they said they're building a new fourbedroom house and then they're rehabbing the existing house as an ADU. >> I believe that's the >> I saw that too, but it's not on the >> didn't look like that on the plan.
>> That's right. I agree. >> Right. I know. That's why I was wondering if it wasn't in. >> I believe I believe the existing dwelling is on the plan. It's incredibly faint. I had to get a magnifying glass. >> That's the problem.
>> To see it. >> Ah, good. You're a good sleuth. >> No, looking at plans for this long author, I have a a a a magnifying glass at all times. I can't see anything anymore.
Nobody gets with anything, right? >> Who can explain? >> Who can explain why the existing house is so faint on the plan? >> I don't know. But is it a different location, Charlie? >> Yes.
>> No, the the the existing house is staying where it is. They haven't moved it. They've just put this much larger dwelling right in front of it. And you can't really see how they're connecting because the lines are so faint. They are really, really faint. It almost looks
like a coffee stain. >> Okay. >> It's almost to me, my thought was they're trying to hide that there's already a house there, but >> that's probably not what happened. >> 100 years. >> It does say in their narrative that
they're rehabbing the existing home. So, >> yeah. All right. All right. So, I just put that on for the 10th and Philip, if you could reach out to um Gerard and just say you need to be in attendance to make your presentation. >> Go on.
>> You want to ask for a clearer map too, John? >> Yes, >> for sure. >> Yeah. >> Engineering plan >> clear. Good point. I think this there's lines wetland lines on this lot and like the
other one we really shouldn't try to review them until after April 1st. >> Yeah, I agree. This is a pretty sensitive area because we spent a lot of time up there at >> what 1365 I think 1362 or 1365. We spent some time
up there. This is a secluded area and it's only accessed from the Eustace driveway. You drive up to the Eustace parking lot and their driveway starts from that parking lot.
>> Can't you get there by um the Suffach Resolves house? >> Yeah, that's exactly Yeah. Exactly. >> That's the one you right back. >> I didn't know that. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> All right. All right. Yeah. So, Philip, if you could just give me a heads up,
new map and new date, and we probably will want to do a site visit, and we can schedule the site visit on the 10th of March. >> Okay, John, somebody just came into the meeting. Leng G. >> Okay, >> I don't know who they are. >> All right, let's let's find out and see
if they have a anything to do with 1386 Canton Avenue. >> Or they could have or um maybe it's um Riverside. >> Oh, you're right. They could >> I don't know. >> I saw that name on one of the papers. >> They have to unmute,
>> right? >> Uh somebody joined the meeting. Uh and uh the title says Len G. So you're on mute, but we'd invite you to >> I just asked him to unmute.
>> Yeah. Well, >> yeah. It's the property owner at the Randolph A site. >> Oh, >> I think who is Lenor J. >> Oh, you're right. You're right. Sorry. >> Oh, that would make sense. So, it's not
It's You're right. It's >> okay. So, I guess what we've got left then is um new business. Do we have any new business? Philip, do you know of any? >> I do not. No, >> author. >> Not here, but Wendy has her hand up,
too. >> I have something. Yes. Um, yeah. I'm I'm so delighted that we that we're breaking early today so I could share this with you folks. Um, the reason why I was late tonight was because I was um part of a
really exciting meeting with the Neponet River Wershed Association. um not not as a representative of the concom but just as a as a concerned citizen of the town of Milton. And um
anyway, this is an initiative that they are um taking part in with the um metropolitan area planning commission um that and and it's being funded by um the
by the state through the MVP program. What is that? Municipal vulnerability program. um and they're looking at um basically um climate ad adaptation and res resiliency efforts in all the
municipalities in their watershed. So Milton is one of what 13 14 communities in their watershed and um they are are asking if if uh
people in the towns would be willing to serve as a liaison to have um two or three meetings in our town that would talk about um any specific specific
issue related to to climate change and resiliency. So, it's it's sort of a broad a broad ask. And so, they're looking at looking for proposals from people that were at this meeting tonight. And something that that came to
my mind um well, you guys know how much I love rain gardens, right? and and you know how I love plants and and I personally feel like there's not an issue in this world that a plant can't
resolve given the right time and place. Um, so I was thinking that that, you know, we've had a lot of interest um coming here before us at the commission with rain gardens and and I thought that
it might be um of interest to the town if if there were a couple of free workshops that um you know, just like at the library or something that um that we
could could talk about um different ideas for for rain gardens, ideas of of plans and plants and maybe have examples, pictures of successful rain gardens that have that we've seen here
through the commission. >> Um but I got real excited about this idea. Um, but before I proposed it to the folks at the Neponzit, I would I'd love to just bounce the idea
off you folks and see what you thought about it if it might be something that you'd be in support of >> and what would the title would be workshop on rain guidance. >> Yeah. Yeah. Like a hands-on kind of workshop, you know, like like um
depending on the time of year. I mean, obviously this time of year would probably be more of just, you know, sitting around um with with pictures and and and you know, a slideshow kind of thing. But maybe when the water when the weather is
warmer, we could have a hands-on sort of thing where um you know, people could get their hands dirty and maybe maybe um get up and close and personal with some plants. I don't know, maybe even like a like a a guided tour of some of the rain
gardens that we've got around town. >> Okay. Sounds like you're going to be the uh master of ceremonies on this one. >> I mean, I would love to. Yeah. >> Let me ask you this. >> Philip, you might have an answer to
this. Um because I know you've been signing us up for the different workshops at the MACC meeting in beginning of March. Um are is there anything Wendy you might know this. Is there anything at the MACC conference at
Holy Cross involving rain gardens? I I know they've had it before over the years that I've seen I've been there. Um, but that might give you some ideas because >> yeah, >> it's a big ass to get people, you know, you know, getting their hands, you know,
dirty, so to speak. And and what I'm thinking of is that the MACC runs the soil, you know, sampling, the the I forget what they call the workshop, but you get in there and you look at the hydric soils, what the colors are, you learn the color ch, get your hands
dirty. >> Um, it was a great workshop, actually. and you get to see it and feel it because it does feel different. Um, so something like that would be good, but we don't want to reinvent the wheel. It might already develop. We might have a
curriculum in place and I bet the MACC would know that. >> And you know who would know that is Kate Connley >> because Kate Connley is our representative in a couple of cases. uh she's representing us um you know as town council and uh she was the past
president of the MACC. So >> Oh, you're kidding. I didn't know that. >> Yeah. And she's accessible and she's at Murphy Hane and Tumi and it it might be a good idea to to and she'd probably direct you >> uh to the right person at MACC because
I'm sure they have a curriculum developer or you know person in charge of that you know what workshops are being presented. I bet they do. That's a That's a great idea, John. I I definitely don't want to recreate the wheel on this. You know, I've seen I've
seen some some other presentations that have been done by like watershed association people that are, you know, less technical. Um, and I think that that what a lot of those those presentations do is that they get people
excited about the idea and in support of the idea, but when push comes to shove, I think people are kind of nervous about putting the shovel in the ground and and doing this. And, you know, it's not rocket science, but there there are a
few things to keep in mind. And and I think that um you know the more information that we can give people to either do it themselves confidently or maybe hire a contractor to do it
competently. Um the better. >> Why don't why don't you reach out to I'll I'll text you or I'll email you her number. I mean, she's at Murphy Hesh to me, but but um I've got her cell number somewhere in my phone, wherever my phone is. I'll I'll text that to you, but
she's, you know, she's accessible and friendly and all that. >> Cool. >> And it might be somebody else currently at I mean, she's still there. She's on the board, but no longer president. Um All right. That's a good idea.
Other updates, just a brief one. uh our pedestrian bridge on Pope's Pond is has kind of fallen behind schedule. So, we tried to put it back on schedule. And this past week, I had a meeting with Marina Fernandez and um as um DPW
director because town participation is going to be critical for us and Professor Dasi. So, we're doing a sitewalk on Friday the 6th of March. Um and uh that's we're waiting for the snow to go so we can actually get the
location. The soil samplings are already you know the testing has been done. Um so we're at the last spec stage before we send out a bid for fabrication. Um, so we're we're making slow progress, but it started to speed up and it should
come to pass at a time where Pevely Park is going to be put in place. That has its own internal trails and those trails are designed to connect to our our project was to extend and meet the bridge to the existing trail uh that
goes towards the north side, you the trail closest to summer street. Um, and then the the next step after the pedestrian bridge is in is is to make it handicapped accessible all the way around. But we're making some progress on on that one. And AA, can you give an
update on the uh Marsh Estuary rehabilitation? >> Uh, that's also coming under the grants that Wendy was alluding to. And um the Neponset there are two things. The Deonet River Wershed Association uh
wants to work on a restoration initiative with respect to the channels and the Runnels and the marsh between the I93 ramp and a zero Harriet Street over the Quinsey line. Uh that's a very fragile
area. I think I may have mentioned in the past that it suffers comp compared to other salt marshes in that the silt that would naturally come down the opposite river uh is blocked by the um Baker Dam and has been for 200 years.
So, it's all the more imperative that that um area, which is probably close to 50 acres, 33 of which are in Milton, um be protected, um because otherwise the marsh could
conceivably drown. And if it drowns, uh there's no protection whatsoever. And um a lot of residences are at risk, infrastructure is at risk. Um this this would have an impact upon I would think
to Granite Avenue, a negative impact across Granite Avenue. Uh right now they're looking at doing this um partly because the forecast is for at least monthly flooding of lower Granite Avenue uh in the future if this is not taken
care of. And if you want an idea of >> how bad this is going to be relative to sea level rise, which is what's going to impact the uh estuary primarily, uh there's a movie called Inundation District, which is the mass
seapport underwater. And if you haven't had a chance to see that movie, it's an hour and 40 minutes long, and Nepro sponsored it last Sunday at the Quincsey Public Library. It's well worth taking in. One other thing that's going on uh John
if I may um before I forget um if it's all right with you. >> Sure. Uh there is under the um coastal zone management funding through the state an initiative that's being led by
Quinzy and involving Milton and another number of towns coming down the southshore uh through Hall to Cohasset in situ to protect the coastlines. So, um, we'll have more information on
that once, um, we get an idea whether or not there's a favorable response to the proposal that has already been submitted. >> H, can you give us any advice on how to find that movie, Inundation District?
>> It's on YouTube on YouTube or it's on YouTube. Okay. It >> may require a subscription if you don't have one. Um, I'll take a look around. >> Subscri sub subscription. >> Yahoo YouTube subscription.
>> Oh, okay. I didn't know if Nepa was, you know, >> sorry. >> Right. >> That's that was an instance where I did not say enough. >> All right. Good. No, thank you very much. Anything else update wise, new business?
If not, then uh we're off until March 10th. Right. >> Right. >> Right. We're good. Thanks all. Good night. God bless. Thank you all. >> Good night. >> Good night. Part: 2
Good evening and welcome to the February 10th meeting of the Milton Select Board. Please join me in standing and saying the pledge of allegiance if you are able. >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Our next item is uh going to be public comment. Uh for public comment, we
allocate three minutes per speaker and a total of 21 minutes of speaking time in all. I will be keeping track of the three minutes if we need to and Mr. Milano will keep track of the 21. Um I don't see anyone here in person um for
public comment. Um if you are online on the Zoom, you can raise your hand if you have something to say. Um but there's certainly no pressure to do so. Okay. Uh well then, uh I will declare public comment closed since we have no
speakers. Um moving on, uh we have a fabulous timing from the chair of our fire station building committee uh who's just arrived. We're going to be having a discussion uh with him and with Chief Madden regarding the Athetherton Street fire station project and an update
regarding the station project. A few gentlemen wouldn't mind joining us at the table. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. >> We are in our high-tech new space here, so nobody needs to be in speaking into a microphone or anything. Everything gets picked up. >> Oh, nice. So nice.
>> You know, um the fire station building committee project refurbished this space because it was a heck of a lot better for the town and less expensive. while we had the contractor here doing
>> uh the whole the work next door to do this and then of course the town purchased a piece of land for our new East Milton station. So So it's all good. We're all making the right decision. >> We'll come full circle here. Um so uh Mr. Walsh, do you do you want to begin or m chief madam?
>> Uh I'll let Mr. Walsh introduce you. So, uh, and first of all, I'm thrilled to be coming with our new select board member who is the son of a firefighter and the father of a firefighter. In fact, his father lived right around the corner for me. And times I'll be walking
over the store, I'd say hi to him. I talk to him. I never knew he was a firefighter then, and I wish I did. I could have had some interesting discussions. But um in any event, the um the the
subject matter tonight is what are we doing in Athens Street? And I think I'm sure some of you have followed some of it in the uh in the news. Uh we actually went through we the fire station building committee went through an exhaustive process to try to
decide what was the best approach. Should we try to save the building? And certainly there are a lot of people in town that recognize the uniqueness and the character of that uh old structure. By the way, that uh and I'll pass this
around if I could. That street fire station was actually built, it was in response to a tragic death of a three-year-old girl who was a member of the Salt and Stall family. Uh it's a famous family in the history of
Massachusetts, former uh governor, etc. Um, and there's a monument out in front of the Carath Street Station. It actually faces the station. It's on one of the large rocks. Uh, but it talks about her. She was killed in a fire in
in February uh 24th, 1901. And of course, there was no fire station up in that area. And there was certainly a belief, and I'll pass this around. Unfortunately, I made it took me two pages to get the whole thing, but you
might be interested in seeing it. Uh, John, um, there was certainly a belief that perhaps if a fire station had been nearby and some assistance came, uh, she was in the kitchen with one of the
helpers and, uh, a pot spilled over and caught on fire and she tragically lost her life. So in 1901 uh the town responded. It responded then and I want to see it respond now. It
responded by purchasing that land that Athens Street is is currently on and built a fire station. So now residents up there and by the way um when you think about it if the if a the the fire engines were at best horsedrawn could
have even been firefighter drawn uh at that time in 1901. Uh so to go from this location which is really where it was the closest station up there back then with those roads would would have been difficult. Um, but the foresight the
town had then recognizing that we need a station there, uh, it's still valuable. I know we got a chair of our war committee here and I'm going I'm hoping to, uh, go at his invitation in to speak to this committee in about a month to really address two questions. Uh, do we
need Athetherton station there? And do we need it soon in the next 10 years? And I'm going to briefly touch upon that. I know your time is valuable. I'm not trying to tie you up. Um uh do we need it? Yes, we do. We need it now more than they needed it in 1901 to
save lives of the residents. When you think about it, right, what do we have up in the area we did not have back then? We have a college. Many of us in town who have raised families, send our kids off to college certainly have an expectation that where they're going, there's appropriate uh
police and fire protection, right? And so we are providing that with Athens Street. And then we have a large uh senior center there, full of village. I think we owe it to those residents too to have a fully functional fire station close to them that can they can go and
act in the case of need. So uh there's no question it should be done now. the and I know the chief is is going to try to work on this, but one of the problems in all of our stations that we're rebuilding all three is uh they don't
provide the correct health safety environment for our firefighters. Their engine bays, all that exhaust fume, diesel engine, gas engines go right up to the living space. Weren't isolated. They didn't have the proper wash down facilities when they come back from a
fire. Uh they don't have all that debris and you know there's a lot of materials we use in our homes now building our homes that are toxic. Uh they didn't have appropriate wash down. We certainly do over at headquarters now and we certainly will as we rebuild these
stations. And so cancer is a real problem among our firefighters and that's absolutely uh in fact there was a recent firefighter from East Milton who lost his life his name is >> probably Daniel Thomas. >> Daniel Thomas um to cancer uh prior to
fire chiefs have battled cancer and so we really need to be able to provide that environment that they're in that's safe for their health and that's that's what we will accomplish with the new Athens Street Station. But as I touched upon it, we didn't just say, "Well,
we'll do one thing, and I, you know, only had this couple." We we went through an exhaustive analysis that came down to six possible choices, some of them not not including saving the existing Athens Street Station. And by the way, in in addition to the health
safety issues for firefighters up there, it's an old building. There's no isolation. The bays themselves, if they were suitable in 1901, the fire trucks today are too big. That the the fire engine that's up there now,
it's a very talented firefighters that are backing that in with less than three inches on either side and less than that above the above the roof. And all the equipment is getting bigger, right? No question about it. So, the bays weren't
adequate. So, we looked at a variety of options. Could we save it? And uh I I'll be happy to pass this around. The irony is all the suitable options and there were six as we finally walked around. They weren't that far different in terms
of their cost. And I I I especially was was thrilled about that because I I didn't want that to be the predominant factor in which way we were just the cost. So let's just build the cheapest thing we can do uh to put there. And so I'm I'm I'm telling you now and and by
the way I you to be congratulated for our Nick Milano our town manager here. He he has stayed heavily involved. He's attended our sessions and watched this and you know we did it we did a deep dive and the cost is not a big factor on the solution we picked. So we're going
to rehab. I'll just pass this around. You can kind of take a look at it. It has six options across the top. Uh, and >> in the packet, Brian's numbers didn't have >> Oh, they do have it. >> Yeah. >> Oh, okay. Earlier. >> Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. So,
the cost wasn't a big factor, but what we're going to be able to do and and by the way, the night that we were having our meeting to try to decide on which way we go, uh, it was it was pretty well attended, including the chair of our historical commission who came in and made a a passion speech for us to really
consider saving. It's a unique building. In fact, my understanding is when they start So, we already know it was the reason the town moved forward with it was because of a tragedy. One of the famous families of the state. Uh but then as they were building it, my
understanding is, and we can't find out for a fact that this is true, but my understanding is they started building rock using rocks to build the walls around the front of the station. And that all those rocks were donated by families throughout Milton for clearing
their fields or whatever. And so again, all that stone, it's it's uh it's certainly unique looking. It's very attractive. So we're going to save that building. We're going to rehab it entirely and we're going to the the bays themselves in order to accommodate
uh newer stations, newer uh engines uh among other things, they're not tall enough. And so to raise the entire second floor in that building is would have been a very very costly undertaking and difficult. So uh and then as and I'm sure that the the chief will address
this more for you. One of the u one of the exercises that one of our newest members Loy Walker pushed us through and terrific was to make sure that we understood what all the needs were going to be over the foreseeable future for
the fire department. Do they do they need bigger tank trucks to handle forest fires up in uh the Blue Hills? We had we had a a pretty tough one less about a year ago. >> Mhm. Um, and so we looked at that and basically we're going to rehab the
Athens Street building and we're going to add three bays and those will be three full-size bays and we're going to be able to store a lot of equipment up there um that the fire that that should be up there. It's not just extra need.
And again, I I say this a lot. In fact, I think people are getting annoyed by me. Uh but this town has a habit of building like new stations about every hundred years or so. Well, you know, we don't want to we don't want to spend the money we're going to spend to rebuild
that and then have it not adequate 10 or 20 years from now. That would not be a wise uh decision to make. So, we try to keep that all in focus. Uh by the way, just an aside, the newest building, the headquarters in Athetherton were well over 100 years old. Uh the newest
building was the engine 2 East Milton building and that actually rebuilt on the same site that that a previous fire station was on that came online in 1951. There's no doubt in my mind uh by the way that if it had been 10 years later,
they wouldn't have built there because three or four years after they completed it, the state and the federal government decided, let's sink the expressway, which dramatically changed the roads around there, the access of fire engine. Now 75% of the district that the East
Milton station covers is on, we'll call it the Milton side of the expressway. 70 and they take a full minute. This is not traffic impacted to make it from that front door of that fire station over to the post office. Well, you know, the
federal requirements for fire fire engines is 90% of them should be uh excuse me, you should be at 90% of all your locations within four minutes or less. Well, you know, even in my advanced age, I could pick up a stone in front of the
East Milton Post Office and I could probably hit the fire station, throw it across the expressway. to lose a minute to just go that far is unacceptable. >> So, let's let's stick with the Athetherton Street. Sorry, Mr. Walsh. Yeah, it's it's a long it's a >> So, anyway, um that was just a lead in.
We we're looking forward to the new East Milton station soon, and I hope you'll all get a chance to go out and experience it. So, uh again, we we feel confident that we selected the best option. It was not a huge price uh difference, and it will serve the town well. Uh, I'll let the chief, you want
to talk a little bit about the equipment? >> Sure. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And, uh, I I'd like to obviously the fire station building committee has been at this for almost 10 years now or 10 years and and, uh, to get to where we are right now is is something that we never thought we would see, especially some of the senior firefighters, the
retired firefighters that have worked here for years. Uh, to see where we are now, they they they're happy for us. and and thank you to the school board and town meeting and and uh the voters that that got us to where we are today and I appreciate it. So when I became chief, someone asked me, you know, like what
are your priorities? And my priorities were to re-evaluate everything that we do. Um for years, we've always been hampered, our operations have were always hampered by our infrastructure. Being in this building, uh we didn't have the space. We didn't have the space
that we needed to to have a modern fire department. Uh obviously with the building next door, we've we've we've gone light years ahead of where we are. We were where we were and uh you know the the technology, the space, the training, uh you know um we're so far
ahead. And so when we had some equipment that were smaller that was always kept up at engine 4, the brush truck, the boat, uh all that equipment was always kept at engine 4 because we never had any space down here. So when you when you try and look at our evaluator, our operations and what actually makes sense
and some of that equipment makes a lot of more sense here now because it it gets to East Milton. We do we have had deceased or victims in the Ponet River down in East Milton. We have had brush fires in East Milton. We do have a lot of hikers, the lost hikers uh up off of
Chikatabit Road. And so, you know, having all that equipment up at engine 4 always made sense back in the day just because that's the only space that we had. We didn't have any other space to keep that equipment. And now that we have the space here, it just makes sense here. And it just operationally speaking, it it it does help and it does
uh, you know, um, just makes sense for the fire department. So, when when they started looking at these buildings, one of the things, you know, when they were going to rehab engine 4, they kept that equipment there just because it had always been there. But it doesn't make any sense. It doesn't it doesn't, you
know, um so the smaller lighter trucks uh that would actually fit in that building, you know, made sense when until we actually took a good hard look at what we do operationally. So when you look at, you know, why do we need to add a couple extra bays? Um the
equipment, the the doors, we have a lot of equipment. Uh and you know, we have two new engines and and the new ladder truck, which I thank you for. and uh you know they're coming in this year. We have an engine coming in April and we have a an engine coming in November and we have the lad new ladder truck. Um one
of the the major problems we're seeing across the fire service right now is is a spare apparatus or backup apparatus. Nobody has uh apparatus. I'm I'm on a constant text chain with other fire chiefs. Can we borrow an engine? Can we borrow a ladder? It's just we don't nobody has it. So we have some great
equipment where you know uh Mr. the calligan down at the DVW has maintained that that equipment and it's in great shape. So when we get the new engine when we the two new engines when we get the new ladder uh he we feel myself and him and the fire department believe that
we should keep that and you know we only have one ladder truck in town right now. So if the ladder truck goes out of service then we have to rely on mutual aid. Uh this weekend we had two engines down over the weekend and uh Mr. Colligan came in and helped us. So we were short an engine. We were running out of a spare pickup truck over the
weekend because we don't have the spare engine. One uh engine two was out getting uh new uh springs. Um you know, it just took a couple of days for that to get done. So, uh the the the spare engine actually went down and we we were missing an engine. So, in our
conversations or my conversations with Mr. uh Colligan is we need to make sure that we're prepared. How do we best prepare? Uh so, we've always kept one spare engine in town. So, we have the two new ones coming in. So, why not keep
two? And and you know, it's vital to the to the operation of the fire department to make sure that we have an adequate spare uh ready to go into service at any moment. And we're going to keep the ladder truck. That ladder truck is is served the town very very well. you don't get a lot in return on something, you know, uh we'd be lucky to get
$100,000, $200,000 for it, but it's going to do uh perform miracles for us if we ever if our truck needs to go down for service. So, we need to keep that. And you know, Mr. Walsh talked about those those bays. Uh the doors are 10 by
10. Uh the fire trucks are 9 ft six inches wide. Uh so, that gives you a couple inches on each side. um when the door apparatus door opens up it goes down to 98 and the fire trucks at 95. So a couple inches of snow or ice or something like that kind of presents a
problem to us. And in fact uh during the funeral of um firefighter Thomas Stilton covered the that station up there and they had to take equipment off the top of their truck uh to fit into the firehouse. Uh so it's just one of those things that you know
it's it's moving forward operationally for the department the future again we we don't have this opportunity to build a new firehouse very often and we've gotten to so we need those that space we need that
space to to keep our operations uh to where we are today and then obviously you look at the future uh who knows what the future is going to be uh you know you look that the brush fires, we need more equipment. You know, one of our issues that for the our brush fires is
getting adequate water into the the the the seat of the fire. You're talking about a mile, mile and a half into it. And that's just firefighters. Right now, we we we have a pickup truck that has a 200-gallon tank on it that gets us in there and gets us within a couple hundred feet. But 200 gallons in a really really dry day with winds blowing
20, 30 miles an hour is not going to stop it. Uh, so, you know, one of the things that I would like to see us do is is to upgrade our brush equipment with, you know, maybe an off-road tanker that would carry a thousand gallons. You know, those are actually large vehicles and something that, you know, I I think that we need. I'm not sure how we'll get
it. We'll look into grants or or work with the DCR to see if we can uh purchase anything any old equipment that they have. But it's just something that it's a vital need. We have a lot we call it urban wildland interface. We have a lot of people live on the scar the outskirts of the Blue Hills and those homes are in jeopardy. So, we need
to make sure that we have the adequate equipment to fight that fire and to move forward in the future and and and who knows where we're going to be in the future. You know, you look at the the the demographics of this town, right? I think when we have substantial buildings coming up now, uh you know, the
population is going to increase. The recreation space up in the Blue Hills is going to become more used more often. Uh, so I'm not sure where the fire fire service goes in the future, but I I think we have an opportunity now. Um, we definitely need two modern bays up and a
street and, you know, we can't fit it on the existing footprint right now where we're going to add one and then maintain the old the two old bays and that's where we as a fire station building committee, I know um, Mr. Walsh kind of alluded to it, but maybe a a house or a
building out back will be just, you know, two bays that would store that extra equipment and, you know, has to be maintained inside. It's just, you know, I I talked to Mr. Milano earlier. I had a conversation with the Brainry Chief. We were talking about apparatus. They actually have two vehicles stored
outside right now and I just drive by and I see them covered in snow and they're just waiting to get fixed. that are just waiting their their turn to get fixed and it just they're covered in snow and ice and it's just I don't believe that's the way to operate. You know, you spend spending a million dollars on a new engine, we can prolong
these engines for 20 30 years. Why not store them inside and and maintain them properly? So, that's that's where I stand operationally speaking, why we need those those extra bays. And um if I can if you have any questions, glad to answer.
>> Mr. Just add a quick comment too. I should point out of the six options and we thought they we worked hard to come to those six options. Uh I mentioned the pricing was not dramatically different. The least expensive of those six options was 14 million just over that. The most
expensive was 19. The right solution for the town of Milton and we worked out only a $16 million option. So it's not it was by far not the most expensive. Uh and it was only slightly more than than least expensive. What was the um Are we
asking questions yet? >> We are now. >> Um what was the Did you have an off office estimate for the building and um what what accounts for the what do you think accounts for the variance and the
proposals? >> Well, the the proposals they don't all include rebuilding the athe, >> right? >> Couple of proposal was to demolish it. >> Yeah. uh you know house the fire firefighters temporarily in the engine
temporarily in back and then rebuild up front. Um we did have some ex I'm glad you mentioned this because we did have some exhaustive analysis by uh about the existing building digging down deep make sure that we're not going to run into
issues if it's sinking or sagging or any other things. And I don't know how long ago, but it probably, if I had to guesstimate, it was probably 20, 30 years ago, uh, the town reinforced the building. If you go down, there's actually, and this is something we don't do nowadays, any anyone building a fire
station nowadays does not build it with a basement below where you store the engines. And there's lots of reasons, but the most important is they're getting much heavier. In fact, the current East Milton station that we're about to retire, we had actually had
spent $50,000 to to uh shore up the floor because with the second engine was starting to sink already. So, you typically don't do that, but at Athen Street uh you know, we we're going to have the flexibility now with larger new bays built on solid ground uh to put in
the smaller equipment and it's already been reinforced with steel I-beams. I know some of you joined us on one of the tours not that long ago down there. Um, but so we did adequate testing of the ground. Is it going to be stable? Will it will it handle uh the rehab and still
be appropriate for what we might want to put in those uh the smaller bays? And so I'm, you know, really confident that this was the right solution. And I, you know, and again, you know, the town hall,
one of the ugliest buildings that you could probably have replace an absolutely gorgeous Greek revival building, right? Uh that they decided they couldn't enhance or change. We know and are comfortable that we can rehab
Atheon Street to adequately and safely house the firefighters, keep some equipment, and we're going to have new bays to handle the new larger, heavier equipment. Does that help? >> Yeah. >> Other questions? Mr.
Chief, are you satisfied with this plan? >> Yes. Moving forward and having the ability to, you know, you know, I've said this, we're not a fire department anymore. We're an allhazards rescue department where it's not just fighting fires, we're medicals,
we're hazardous materials, we're technical rescue, we're, you know, we're just we're just changing however the time goes. and and to find out where we go in the future and you know it's hard to see in the crystal ball in 10 years but from what the department has changed in the last 10 years has been just eye
opening just you know we've changed so much so um yes it it will it will it will serve it'll serve the fire department as we fit now and it also gives us a little extra room to uh you know expand or you know depending on the equipment that's needed.
>> Yeah, I asked that question. They had an override to keep that fire station open. So, they can't close it. >> That's right. >> They had an override to save that fire station. >> There was there was a >> 25 years ago. >> There was a one-man effort. It was closed for a couple years. The gentleman
who lived in the town >> ran an unbelievable effort to get that reopened. Yeah. >> So, I don't see how they can even think of closing it. >> Right. I mean, you know, by the way, we met we when the fire station building committee started, we the very first
thing we did was we did a an exhaustive analysis of whether we could properly protect this town with just two stations instead of three. And we didn't care. What we did was we said, "All right, if we just ran on two stations, what would be the best physical location?" Doesn't
care who owns the property or whatever. We picked two. We did our analysis and then we paid for an outside expert. And there was some in 10 years of history. There was some almost a hundred actual calls that we
now would not have made it within the four minutes if we tried to do the two uh which is which is the requirement and you know lives could be at stake. And let me tell you the traffic patterns then in the town were significantly better than they are now. I mean, you
know, can you just imagine even trying to get up to Fuller Village or or uh the the Curry College at the height of rush hour out here on Cantav? It would be horrendous. You wouldn't get there in four minutes. Mr. Wells, you have your hand up. You have a
question. >> Um, thanks, Mr. Chair. I'll wait. I just have a comment. I didn't want to let you end before I I can wait till the end. Let Let everybody finish. >> Okay. And just on that, M it it is the second busiest firehouse that from
engine one to engine four. Engine one is the busiest and engine four up on that side of town is the second busiest. >> Mr. Daily, >> uh, a couple questions. So I actually see in front of me seven options with the option 5B.
>> Oh, that's right. Sub option. just um is there one that you all are leaning towards that is more favorable? I see the >> I'm sorry. I thought you I thought yes, we voted to uh there was a there was it was option three, but I think it was uh
it was so it's a it's a hybrid. It was a combination of of uh the current plan to rehab the building and then to add a um a building or two bay station or a building out the back that's kind of connected to uh just store apparatus. It's no living quarter. So it's just a
you know a building that you know would would be able to house a Martin fire truck, a spare truck that doesn't have to be in service right this minute, but it still keeps it it it maintains the truck and it keeps it in a ready status. So, it would take a couple of minutes to put it in service, but that's that's
what we we've kind of agreed on. And and uh you know, I I think it was someone in this room that kind of came up with that. It was it was actually something that was looked at long ago by Chief Grant in the Fire Station building committee um when it first started and I don't know why we went away from it and
then it it just kind of popped up in the meeting the other night and I think it kind of satisfied it satisfied me as operationally speaking. It it you know Not that I don't care about what the building looks like. I just want to make sure that op that it maintains our operations and gives us plenty of room in the future to to expand if if need
be. And you know, so looking at the firehouse, it it there was a lot of people that are very interested in keeping the fire station looking the same way, you reusing that building because it is a beautiful building. I you know, uh so it kind of satisi satisfies everything, you know, that we
kind of looked at as a as a committee that night. Um, and just for my edification, uh, just a little bit of history. So, when the project was started a few years ago, there was an amount that was allocated for, I think, all three builds. >> 32 million.
>> 32 million. And I think, um, Mr. Walsh, when you came and talked to us about the East Milton Fire Station you alluded to, those are funds have essentially been exhausted in the building of the >> the current East Milton's Fire Station. And >> if I could address that because that's it's an extremely important point. When
we started the project, one of the uh strong pieces of advice we got from our uh owner's project manager was look, if you if you go out, if you know you're going to do all three stations, if you go out to the market with all three stations to be done at once, you'll
probably get the best pricing because contractors can look at and say, "Hey, you know what? We can dedicate these resources to the town for x amount of years, etc." So, we started, we marched down that path. we to develop developing building plans for all three stations
and and by the way the Athens street station plan at the time was to to rehab the existing station. Uh then what happened? We're about to go out and COVID hit and when COVID hit that dramatically increased a lot of the materials cost created a tremendous
amount of uncertainty to contractors and so again based on the and and by the way we did estimates we thought we could do all three stations precoid with the and we really have 34 and a half million whatever the number we thought we could
do all three. the funding, by the way, the the the sales pitch to the town, we said, "Look, we can do all three stations and with no increase to your taxes because a former chair of this board, Tom Hurley, realized, you know what, we've got declining debt from the
rehab of the six schools and the uh library. We know we've got to do something about these fire stations. So, if we freeze that debt and keep it, people's taxes won't go down and then you're selling it. we can say, "All right, we're gonna get you some new stations with without
increasing your taxes." And that was always the plan, but you're right. Because of COVID, it hit us, the headquarter station, uh more expensive. Uh East Milton, not as much more, but more expensive. And we don't now have the funds to also cover, uh the Athens
Street Station. >> Other questions from the members? So the estimate the estimate for this option for this build is 16 million based on a design at this time and not nothing's gone into procurement yet.
Correct. >> Okay. >> And the design needs to be completed. It's a partial design. >> What% is it at? >> I think they got to construction 60% >> 75% drawings. Uh but obviously minus the the the back building. They were 75%
drawings >> and so my understand so what's so what are you looking at roughly for project schedule >> okay so good question >> so you'd have to go to you'd have to go through procurement you'd have to get a
notice to proceed and then um so what is that >> well Megan if I could what >> what's the timeline >> what we first need to do >> is to get more funds to complete the design about a million dollars and that we hope to have before the town by this
next town meeting in the town. Uh and then in a perfect world, we hope that uh by the following town meeting, we're going to pitch the whole project so that we can start engine two uh is supposed to be completed in November. So that'll
we'll have that wrapped up and we'll be pitching to the town uh to pick up the funds to complete. >> My question is what what is your goal to break ground on the project? >> Likely spring of 27.
>> Okay. after completing bidding and getting a contract and moving would be spring of 27. I think it's like 16 months expected construction which kind of tag along with what East Milton was generally starting in the spring and completion by fall winter of the following calendar year.
>> So we'd be in town next town meeting after the one coming up voting on >> falling for the 16 million. Good. The time anticipated timeline would be complete the design with this appropriation at from annual town meeting come back to fall town meeting for approval of the total project and
have a ballot question on the state election in November. Alternatively, it could come to the annual town meeting a year from now, annual town election year from now, but that would push all of those dates further back. Thank you for correcting me, Nick, because we were we were going through
all this extensively >> but uh >> but I think at a 75% design and you know the these things only get more expensive, they don't get less expensive. I just want to say that you know 16
million it's it's probably going to be more than that. I would I would estimate >> well you can't say absolutely not right. We hope not. We we >> we try to make sure we were going to bring in a a an accurate number.
>> Yeah. >> We didn't lowball. >> It's always tough at this at this point. And I'll just add kind of to identify a couple elements of the budget that will require fine-tuning over the next couple of months with if assuming town meeting
approval would be um we have the 75% design of what had been the existing building plus one new bay. So the solution in terms of adding two additional bays whether that's connected to the building or a separate building and the cost of that temporary quarters
since the building will be renovated we will need to find and secure alternative location to stage both the firefighters and apparatus. So, that's it's a budget number now, >> but it's a budget number that we need to nail down. >> Um, do some homework in terms of in the area trying to find an alternative
location. >> Um, and then just because it's a renovation project carrying a pretty significant construction contingency in case there are unanticipated issues or risks with the actual project in terms of working on a old
>> What kind of contingency are you expecting to carry? >> Uh, it's spelled out in the materials. Um but I off the top of my head >> and we've done that for both the previous project as well and and the good news is we didn't exhaust it completely on headquarters.
>> Hope not to on East Mil. >> Mr. Driscoll, >> you think of going to Curry College, see if they have room there. >> I did reach out. >> We had we have reached out and >> put a temporary tent for the fire truck. >> We had that conversation
>> and the chief had identified a potential building even. No, we we've had that conversation internally. We've reached out to K to to kind of start that more serious engagement. Whether it's feasible or not will have remains to be seen, but it's an option on the table. >> A good neighbor. >> Yes.
>> I I I would tell you that um other towns in an effort like this have brought in, you know, a a trailer, mobile home for the firefighters to live in and and put a tent over the truck that they're using, you know. And any in any event, the beauty of
Athetherton Street is the lot is large enough that we could do that, too. So, we we will do our best to come up with uh the least expensive uh alternative to the town. >> And you feel as though you've done a a
really robust requirements gathering and this chief, this is going to fit your operational requirements for what the demand is going to be in this part of town. Yes, I I believe so. Just, you know, it's hard with a crystal without a crystal ball, you know, just trying to
figure out what the trends are in the fire service and where we're going and uh Yeah. really >> Well, trying to forecast an uncertain future is is the name of the game for what we do. >> Yes. And I and I just see the way that we've operated since I've been on here, you know, like, you know, when I said I
have to re-evaluate everything, you know, you truly have to re-evaluate everything because, you know, we were a 1950s department until we moved over there and and we were able to really spread our wings and and I tell you, the the firefighters that are over there
really, you know, they they had the fire at Craig Street and the next shift in uh they went into the the conference room and they brought up Craig Craig Street on a map and and talked about apparatus placement and how it went well and how it you know some things that they needed to work on and and uh so that right
there makes us a better firefighter and that's something that we never had that ability to do. You would all be huddled around a computer. Now we actually have the facilities to actually do something like that. So uh it it it's really working and you know and I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about just the health and safety of the firefighters you know
and I think you know we've discussed that at length in the past. So, uh, that's vitally important. We need to take care of the people that are taking care of us. So, um, and I appreciate that. So, and if I could, I'd tell you I, you know, I believe the new headquarters that we built is a
headquarters that the the entire town can be proud of. I believe when we finish the new station, Engine 2, the same thing will be true. You know, we had robust discussions. Well, can should we just do one bay and just limit the capacity to that one operative engine?
Uh, and then and the chief and others said, "Wait, you know, you got all these other requirements." So, we have the two bays there. I'm confident that the the town will be proud of that East Milton and I'm confident that they'll be proud of this uh Athenant Street uh for for
years to come afterwards. And I thank the fire station building committee. They have when we talked about exhaustive research back to you know the two firehouses versus three firehouses you know everything that I suggest you know they want to make sure
that I am actually on pace with everything else and not just asking for I'm not asking for 60 bay firehouse or or anything like that. I'm looking for real needs for the the current firehouse of fire department and the future of the fire department. And I know uh Mr. Fumbling and I talked about it earlier.
You know, there were some questions in our last fire station building committee. He said the the committee was asking those same questions or a lot of similar questions of why do we need this, why do we need that, why do we do it. So, we've done that and and they've really taken me to task on it. So, I
appreciate a couple of members that have really uh Yes. Uh so, I I do. >> John, you asked an important question. I just thought I'd point out when we were finally down to we're going to take a vote among these options and we exhausted them. There was several members of the committee quickly went
and said to the chief, well, are you okay with this option? You know, because we don't have the long-term expertise. Uh, and we felt confident we voted that night. The chief was up. >> Mr. Wells, do you want to chime in now? Your hands remained up. So, I I'm not
sure what call on you. >> I'm mute. >> You're on mute, sir. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I left it up just to let you know I was on the periphery out here. So, a couple of points. Um,
I think I've been the liaison from the select board to this committee for seven years, Mr. Chair. Chair Walsh, like a long time. And >> and we'll need a new one, by the way. >> Yeah, I know you will because I'm coming near the end. So, I'm going to just talk
about a few points, some to the chiefs and some to yours, Brian. Um, from the time Tom Hurley was my first year on capital nine years ago that the Hurly amendment was passed. Tom remained on the capital committee with us after he left the
board for at least one year, maybe two. As as you know, this was a real unique concept to be able to use the retiring debt from the school building project from the 1990s and 2000s to fund this project without create creating additional tax burden for the citizens
of the town. And that's really a a credit. There's there's nothing like this in the Commonwealth anywhere. Um to Chief Madden, I remember our first informational meeting was at Sagas. Retired Chief Afanado who was chief fire
chief back when my dad was chief 20some years ago walked in and looked at me and said, "Is this really going to happen?" And I said to him back then, "You got to have faith, Chief. If it's ever going to happen, this will be it. This will be not." And for those of you a little
historical perspective, as Chief Madden knows, you are currently sitting in the old bays of both engine one and car 8 tonight where you are currently sitting in the seats you're sitting in right now. And as
Chair Walsh noted, it's a credit to the expertise of that committee. And I have gone to not all the meetings, but I've gone to an awful lot of these meetings over the past seven years and listened. You have such a diverse um group of members, citizens of this
town, which in the beginning, as you know, chief man, the fire department didn't even have a voice in this. We we we we made an addendum to town meeting about four years ago to add two members of the fire department, one being the chief and one being a member to let them add their voice and operational
expertise to this project. And I believe that just that vote alone has helped us get uh not just the headquarters facility that lives today, but engine two that is about to come on on board today. Um, for all of us in this room tonight,
this project as much as it for is for us is for the next hundred years. This is when you can be visionary to do something that's going to live beyond anything that you're going to have control of and benefit people who aren't even born yet.
That's a pretty incredible thing to do. And for me, um, I'm extremely proud of it. is as the chief noted going back to the fire station building committee and I mentioned this Brian as you know in your meeting last two weeks ago the original plan for engine 4 was to have
that back building and keep the existing building and now that you've come back to it you are you are going to be able to do things and provide adequate infrastructure to support not just your operations but
operations for the future. So, um, I support this 1,00% as you know, Chair Walsh, we talk all the time. Um, we're so close to this. All of us on the board. We're going to do something here. We're voting to support final aspect of this
project. And I don't even know if we're voting on it tonight, but we are we are dealing with the final aspect of a project that is going to impact firefighters who don't exist today, citizens who aren't born today, and the future of this town for many
years to come. So for me, I'm very proud to support it. And I thank you, Brian, for all the work of so many people, both the existing members of your committee and the former members like Dan Clark, who found the piece of property at St. After. I don't even know how many months
on a GIS search found that little piece of property we w up buying um and and including to this and Web Collins who realized the value of the old engine 2, the existing engine 2 which allowed us to be able to tell town meeting we can
sell it for this amount of money if you give us the money to buy and build a brand new facility next to Stagulus. So for everyone in your committee Brian I can't thank you enough. They most people don't know them, but they contribute in such a unique and positive way to the
future of this town. So, I know I was longwinded there. So, thank you, Mr. Chair, and um thank you, Chief, and thank you, Chair Walsh, and thank you for the members for your important questions because you're talking about things that impact the sanctity of human life, and that to me has always been a very important thing. So, thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Wells. >> Um, yes. So, I I don't have uh much to add to to the members questions. I I do think and it won't be a surprise to to either of you that uh you know the town is is fiscally tight right now and so we're really being very conscious about
every dollar that we spend and every dollar that gets put forward. But the town has put its full uh vote of support behind this project to date. Um and I we will see uh how town meeting decides to move forward uh both this uh this spring
and then probably this fall. Um, and I want to echo Mr. Wells's thanks to you, Mr. Walsh, for your leadership on this committee and your service to the town in many, many ways. This just being one of them. Uh, but we are really grateful to have you here tonight and to have you here in Milton generally.
>> Thank you. By the way, just an aside, uh, it was actually moderator Paul Hiss who came to me and and said, you know, we're bringing a proposal to town meeting to form a fire station building committee. uh and I want you on it. And
so he was looking at the success of the six school project. We had a former moderator Charlie Winchester who headed up that project and was very successful especially persuas persuading town meeting. Uh and I had actually appointed
there was a fire station study committee formed before our building committee who said you know we've made the case we've got to redo these stations. They actually were recommending that we might since the town owned the Milton Art Center that we might use that property
in place of the East Milton station. So, uh, we were thrilled, Mr. Wells mentioned, we had vice chair Dan Clark. We did an exhaustive analysis. We put out two bids to the public for a piece of property and the ones that came back uh, didn't bode well. And and Dan said,
"Look, this land is fantastic. go can we go in and talk to the St. Agatha's uh business committee in the in the parish? Well, Richard and I both went in and we just added a little extra because we were both graduates of the
Senate School. So, we sold them and I think it's it's just a win-win. So, anyway, but a lot of people have helped uh and I I expect that we will uh especially the approach that we're taking, we will get support even in these difficult times. Look, I don't
remember ever being at a town meeting again. I've been to a lot of them. Uh that someone walked in and said, "Oh, we've got all kinds of extra money." It's either tight or like really tight. But thank you for your support. I I do uh really appreciate it and I especially
Nick Milano has been terrific and of course the chief. >> So Mr. Milan, we don't need to we don't have any uh the fire station building committee because it's a moderator appointed group, they can put their own articles forward, right? Ultimately, select board needs to vote on all the articles in the warrant to include them
all. Um, but the select board does not need to take a position on the article this evening. Um, there's no immediate action required there unless you felt you wanted to at this time. Mr. Drisco, >> is that picture of Mrs. Blue room still there with the horses coming out of the
old engine? I'd get that blown up so you can show the people what you had, what you went to. That was a no-brainer for me. I just looked at that picture on the war comm said we got to do it. We, you know, interesting enough, the uh the town
meeting that we went to to make the pitch to get funding for the let's go do the three stations, we brought and parked right out front >> the it's a was a firefighter drawn pumper truck
that was actually in at the qu a fire museum in Quinsey for several years. They closed that, gave it back. We have that again. John, I got to tell you, I'm thinking that might show up at town meeting yet. to point out.
>> Mr. Wells, you have your hand up. >> You're muted. You're muted, Mr. Wells. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to make a motion tonight to support this going forward and support this article for the annual town meeting. Um,
and I make that motion tonight. >> Okay. Motion's been made. >> Seconded by Mr. Driscoll. Um any further discussion? So this is uh just an a vote for the select board to support the article. >> Correct. >> Um any further discussion on this?
>> Uh so this will be a roll call vote. Uh Mr. Wells, we'll start with you. >> Absolutely. >> Mr. Driscoll, >> yes. >> Merty, >> yes. >> Mr. Dailyy, >> yes. >> And myself, yes. So you have our support. >> You have our best wishes for for good luck and maybe construction costs will
come down. That'll be nice. >> Think >> so. And if we can keep you, uh, Chief Madden, I believe we're going to get a quick report from you on the fire station, but Mr. Walsh, I think you are uh stage left. >> You can you can stay here as long as you'd like.
>> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Okay, >> Chief Madden, I we have been bringing in heads of different departments uh to share their um just sort of an overview of their department. uh what is concerning to them, things that they would like us to be aware of. We
obviously have talked extensively this evening about uh some of the physical plant. Uh but we really turn this time over to you to kind of give us a state of the state of the fire department. Uh and then we'll be able to ask some questions as we have them. >> Absolutely. Thank you very much. I
appreciate the the invite. Um you know, I just uh I didn't get a chance to watch any of the others, so I just kind of put some things together. Uh, and just, you know, one of the things that I look at is, you know, right off the bat is 2025, we did four over 4,000 incidents, incident, uh, emergency responses. And a
lot of people don't realize that we we do that many in in town. And and, uh, so it it breaks down to almost uh, 2,900 medical calls, you know, like 600 alarm calls. I think we had, you know, 17 vehicle fires, 12 brush fires, and 13
structure fires. um 21 hazardous conditions like fuel leaks, um 11 electrical conditions, you know, it just to break it down, you know, kind of a a busy department when when you look at it, you know, and um so
that's that's what we are. And you know, I apologize and you know, in the past, every time we've we've had a significant fire, I would always advise you uh of what was what happened that night and I apologize. I was away on vacation, so uh I wasn't at the fire. I kind of updated
Mr. Milano from from the road. >> Uh so it was just a you know uh it was a challenge but I I will say that you know that day was uh the firefighters have done an amazing job uh you know uh since the the storm and you know one of the things that we always do is we go out
and we shovel hydrants. So we ask the neighbors if you are capable and you have a hydrant next door or in your neighborhood that you want to take care of please by all means you know 3 ft around would be great. Um you know just to helps helps us help you know I know
Brainree had a fire uh yesterday the day before and they had to shovel out the hydrant so kind of put a little delay on it and I know Brainsry Police put something out and it's reached social media and I believe was on the Milton neighbors page as well. Um, but it just so happens that, you know, I think that storm was a Sunday, Monday, uh, Tuesday
afternoon or Tuesday morning and Tuesday afternoon. Our firefighters, they go out and they shovel hydrants, you know, an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, and, you know, they do it until most of the hydrants are done. And just so happens that day, they were down Craig Street and they decided to shovel the hydrant out across the street from that building. And a few hours later,
they they were called back to that that building. And uh, they did an amazing job. really, you know, extreme cold, really, really windy day. Uh, and and was an acting deputy chief. Uh, one of the deputies was off, so it was an acting deputy chief. It was his first
fire running an incident like that. And he did a really just an amazing job maintaining that. And, you know, all the firefighters came home and, you know, unharmed and and uh, unfortunately, there was a tremendous loss in the building, but both people were able to, you know, the fire department had to
actually go in and say, "Come on, we need to get out." you know, uh so they they escorted them out of the building, kept them safe and um so it's just a challenging uh environment and and they did an amazing job and they've, you know, this weather this they're still doing it. They're still, you know, today
they probably went on seven or eight runs already today and it's still cold and snowing out right now and they'll still respond. So, um they just they just do an amazing job. Um so, one of the things that I looked at is, you know, what do we do? You know, one of the things for me is training. We always
we're always training and you know talk about using the new firehouse and how do we do it you know uh this full weeks uh we do one week of EMS this month we did um medical assessments with with Coastal Ambulance uh just to you know trying to assess a patient right off the bat to
try and get the vital signs and everything else and we work with with Coastal. Uh they came in and we we worked through that. Um we have three new uh CPR instructors on the department. Um our CPR instructor had retired so we we trained three more. Uh so now we can uh give classes and and
where we go with that I'm not really sure but at least we can go in-house and we have some people I know like we've gone on over to the council on aging we've gone to town hall and and shown how to use an AED or CPR and just kind of a demo. Uh so we have some people to do that. Um,
we're always doing, you know, cold weather. We've done ice rescue. So, just nobody would be alarmed if you see us out on the ice. Once it starts to warm up and the ice starts to get a little thin, we go back out in the ice. We we do some preparatory stuff in December just to make sure all the equipment's good and ready to go. And then, uh, you
know, whenever we get an opportunity with some weak ice, we go out there to perform that that training. So, uh, you should see that coming up. Uh, we did some firefighter training. We've uh, we call Venant Isolate searches. we're able to use the training side of the of the firehouse and you know we throw a ground ladder into a into the building and we
climb the ladder and then we search a smoked out room and you know close the door and get the victim and get them out. So that's what we're training on this week. So we're we're always kind of training uh every week we have something going on. Um, so some of the projects that that we're looking for, I mean, obviously, you know, we're still working
out, we've only been in there for 2 years now and we're still working out the kinks of the firehouse, right? You know, we're trying to, you know, kick some of those old habits that we did if we didn't have the building. But now, like I said, we're, you know, when they come back in their next shift in, even though they have some other sort of a shine training, like they have, you
know, hydrants or whatever, they still went in and utilized that technology to try and figure out how to do things better and what we did right and what we could work on. Uh so we're doing that with we're using that technology, you know, to help us administratively, operationally, uh we're figuring that
out. So obviously kind of a lot going on with East Milton and the Athenant Street just trying to I involve some of the the senior leadership of the fire department to help me make these decisions and where we are and you know we there some great people that we that I work with that uh really give some good advice and we talk about and we talk through it and
you know what what we do need what we think we're going and uh so um just busy with with with Athetherton and East Milton. Um, as I said before, we have two new engines. We ordered uh the supply chain. I I know that and I know
Chief Wells has been asking for for a few years now with the new tower ladder. That's we actually have a date of September 20 of 2026. So, we're looking to that get that in. Uh, an engine in April of 26 and then another engine in November of 26. So, they're starting to come in that that that backlog of fire
trucks from all over the country uh is starting to ease a little bit. We're on pace. I I have pictures of one of them now. So, it's it's getting there. So, it's becoming real. >> Taking >> what's that? >> Chief's not describing this well enough. That tower was approved in June of 2012.
So, we're talking four and a half years, which is >> um completely out of our hands. It's really frustrating. But, um >> is it being assembled? >> Florida. >> Florida. Uh, so I know like um Senator Warren and and Senator Marky, it went to Capitol Hill and and uh you know there's
a couple companies that bought up all the fire truck companies and then it seems to everything came to a screeching halt and prices went through the roof. So I know that the you know the legislature is looking at it to >> Okay. >> So >> it's been a challenge like I said across
the fire service. I'm a group text with a lot of fire chiefs and it's like hey can I borrow this can I borrow that? Anybody have anything? It's it's really it >> it's tough. >> It's hard. Yes. So, >> however, and you should take credit for this is the most recent engine and working with the vendor that will arrive
ahead of much earlier than anticipated. Uh but we're making it work from a financial perspective. >> Where are the supply chain issues coming from with the vendors? Is it just tariffs and things like that or I >> I think it's multiple fold, right? I think the opera money I think a lot of departments across the country were able
to use opera money or some sort of >> you know everyone decided after the pandmic to invest to invest in their their fire service or their public safety and then it just became a backup and then obviously all the supply chain chain issues that happened at the time and then you know you'd get whole plants that would shut down because one person
had co and it would shut everything down for two three weeks. >> Yeah. So I know that that was a a real challenge, you know, >> and it's probably a spe it's a highly specialized product obviously and there's only four so many reputable companies, >> right? They can build them. >> Yeah. And and you look at it, you know,
like again, you know, you look at the city of Brockton. the city of Brockton was able to go up to Maine and buy a a 1975 ladder truck and you know they had the money on the spot and they were able to bring it back and they have their own mechanics and their own mechanics, their own fire department mechanics that that
can fix that. >> Uh Foxboro Fire is another one. They have their own mechanics, >> you know. Um >> we've actually used him to to repair some of the things in in a pinch. >> Didn't Quinsey buy a ladder off another state? Quinsey did and unfortunately I
talked to the the Quinsey chief about something and uh they were running their spare engine as a ladder as a uh a drunk driver hit one of their ladder trucks and and uh total it recently. So uh you know like that group text you know hate when they have an engine or whatever. So uh yeah so
>> make sure you tell these are all very electronic >> complicated. >> Yep. >> It's not like an oldfashioned truck where you get it going it stays going. This this stuff can fall down in two seconds. >> EPA standards with the deaf and and it's all electronic and Yes. It's
>> it's very complicated. >> They are very uh complicated pieces of equipment. Yes. And you know the other part of it you know one of the reasons that I you know Chief Grant before me was great you know he would have the base model so it's not a challenge. So you know our engine two and engine four
are sister sister sister trucks. You know they were five years apart the ex exact same. Uh the engine that's coming in April is the exact same as those. And then the engine that's coming in in in the fall is I ordered the exact same. So they're the exact same. And and I and I actually our salesperson uh we're very
very lucky in town. He he's a resident. Uh he's not a salesperson for the company. He's their senior engineer. Uh he and so he's been a fantastic uh find for us. you know, if some if we need parts, he drops it off because he lives near the DPW yard and and he's helped
design these trucks and we're very very basic bare bones. We didn't go with, you know, something that's too exorbitant or whatever. You know, I just wanted our trucks to match the the other trucks that we have. So, all four engines would be the exact same or actually all five engines would would be the exact same.
Uh so, you know, this cabinet holds this. So, no matter what engine you're on, it's the exact same equipment. So, um so we have those coming in. So just uh you know so over the next couple of months uh you know it's a year for fire hose. So I have to I've already ordered a fire hose for the one that's coming in
April. I ordered that last February and I'm meeting with the vendor next week to order the one that's coming in for uh the fall. Uh it's crazy that it's a year for fire hose. I I don't I don't know why. Uh you would think that they would just make a whole bunch of it and then just have it on the but I
don't know. Uh so we have the two engines and the ladder coming in. So, we'll be busy over the next couple of months trying to get all the equipment and everything else uh ready to go for that. Um, one of the things that we talked about, you know, I evaluated the department. One of the things that I found is that operationally just
administratively speaking, um, our rules and rags are are non-existent. Nothing written down. The firefighters are great. They they understand the rules and and we really don't have an issue with any rule breaker or anything like that. But when you you talk about society today and you know, everything has to be written down. We need to have
rules. So, we've actually work we're working with a company and I've got a couple firefighters, a senior firefighter and some young firefighters and and we're going to sit down and rewrite all of our rules and regs, our policies, procedures, uh you know, our standard operating procedures, our guidelines, everything. You know, how we operate. We're going to put it all on
paper and make sure that you know it's going to be a tremendous under undertaking. It's a going to be a long time, but it's something that we need to do. We need to have that stuff. uh you know it just you know you look at ISO it's the ISO the insurance services you
know the ratings you know like it it says you have to have this so for us to lower our score to you know I think we're class two or class three I I can't remember which one it is but uh you know it's something that if they say okay hey you're up we're going to adjust well we'll have all that this time I know
something that we were hammered on last time so uh we're rewriting that uh to keep you know to get us within the 21st century and and bring us up to feed with everybody else. Um, we've been working a lot with MPD. Uh, you know, we did the the Asher training over the summer, the
active shooter. Uh, we did that. So, we found that, you know, you can develop a plan, but you need to put the plan in place or practice it. And we found some holes that we really need to work on. So, I've been working I actually went over and met some of the dispatchers today and just kind of figured out some
of our holes that we we have. So, uh, we're working with MPD to kind of close those those those gaps in our communications with them and our and our coordination with them, you know, uh, you know, they do fire stuff, we do, we do fire stuff, they do police stuff and into and to, you know, this our worlds
are now doing this, you know, so we need to work better together and we've got a really good relationship right now. Um, so we'll work into, you know, trying to make sure we operate well and, you know, we talk about a a unified command versus a single incident command where even if
it's a fire a fire situation, well, we would welcome them into that that command post just because we could use them and, you know, vice versa. You know, we can help out whatever um, any way we can. Our our deputy chiefs, we run the instant command system on a regular basis. Every day we run that
instant command system. So, uh, we're very good at the instant command system. So, we can help out any any way we can with any of that. Um, one of the things that we've been working with is the new building commissioner. We have a lot of buildings going up. We have a lot of work being
done. Uh, we've got a really good relationship with the new building commissioner. We've always had a really good uh relationship with inspectional services uh and Lieutenant Battaliano and Fire Prevention and some of the inspectors. They meet uh or they meet he meets with with the building inspector almost two three times a week to discuss
projects that we have. I actually met uh I met the actually up at 582 Blue Hill A. I got my time wrong. I was on vacation yesterday and I was half hour early for everything today. Um so I went up and met with the the builders up at 582 Blue Hill A and then they followed up immediately and then uh we had a
conversation afterwards to make sure that we're all on the same page and you know this is what I need, this is what they need and make sure that we're all together. you know, when they pull these permits that we're all speaking the same language and we're on the same page. So, it's not uh, you know, it's not like they have to go to the building and then they have to go to electrical and they have to go. It's one-stop shopping, so
we're all on the same page and we're working towards doing that. And I I I'd say the the the new building commissioner, Mr. White, is is really kind of spearheading that and Lieutenant is really uh working well with them. So, it's it's going well. Um and one of the
biggest changes that we did was thanks to the federal government with our national fire incident reporting system uh NFRS um it sunseted on December 31st. So our record management system we had to um update to a entirely new system and uh make
sure that everything works. So all of our incidents, you know, as soon as we're done with NFRS, we we would submit it to the the state and the state would then give it to the to the the feds, you know, on a monthly basis. Uh this newer system, uh it's instantaneous once the
deputy chief approves it. you know, they go on an incident, they get back, they write out their their their instant report, fill out whatever information they need, uh, and then they send it to the deputy and the deputy chief, the shift commander will press approve, and instantaneously it goes to the federal government for for their record keeping, you know, how many fires, whether smoke
detectors were there, you know, how many medicals, car accidents, it they they're taking all that information and, uh, it's live. It's it's real time. So, that was a big undertaking for the last few months uh, just to make sure that we were ready to go with that. Um
that's basically the operations, the stuff that we got going on. Um we've had a really really big change uh turnover in in the department. Uh recently we've had a few people leave for various reasons. Uh young people that you would think would stick around for the 30 years, but they've decided to move on to
other fire departments or other uh things in life. And we've had a couple of uh retirements. So currently we have four members uh four new members that are in the MassFire Academy, the Bridgewater campus. they graduate on February 27th. Um so, uh once they get
out, we be lucky to have them. We really four really good kids. Um a lot of my work before I became chief was at the Bridgewater Fire Academy and they I get texts on a daily basis. Hey, that kid's a good kid. Or, hey, that kid messed up a little bit, but he got it now and he's
working on it. So, um it it it it's really good. We got four guys uh that will be on the trucks by the beginning of March. And then we have another one uh that starts uh next week with us. It'll go through two two weeks of training at the firehouse and then he
starts the fire academy on March 3rd. Uh 10 weeks from there. Then he'll out think it's May I want to say it be 25th or something like that that he graduates the mass fire academy. Um, so we'll we'll have five new firefighters in place by the end of May and then we have
going through the process of hiring three more. Uh, we've got the interviews and they're at the physical uh, you know, going to the doctors, get their physicals uh, for the department. Um, just waiting for the paperwork back on that. Um, anticipated um, time for them to go to the fire academy is probably
August or September. There's a tremendous wait right now for the fire academy. So um, that's where we stand on that. Um, you know, you know, you look at the challenges ahead of us, you know, where are we going, where, you know, and you see it
everywhere, right? I was watching a special on LA Fire Department, you know, that they're down 60 firefighters from the Palisades fire where they just had so many people retire and say, "I'm done." They just they're down 60 people and, you know, it's significant even for for LA, you know, Milton, you know,
we're down. >> Yeah. you know, we we we've got 56 on the department. So, uh you know, leave losing one or two is is is significant. So, filling these spots is is um just really important. You know, I'm not sure if you know our staffing or not, but you know, we we have uh 14 firefighters
assigned to three groups. Uh the fourth group has a 13 fire 13 firefighters. They took that spot years ago like 2005 and turned that into a full-time fire prevention officer, Lieutenant Mataliano. Uh so, that spot. So uh we have got uh three groups of 14, one
group of 13 and that basically uh then we drop down to 11 firefighters for minimum staffing. Uh and you know for the minimum staffing we've got a deputy chief that's uh the shift commander and car 2 and then uh each of the engines so engine one uh here engine two in East Milton and engine four up on Aan Street.
Each has a lieutenant and two firefighters assigned to it. Uh you know minimum staffing but again we have we do have some extras uh when everybody's in and we don't have all these openings. Uh so um and then lateral one uh you know we have one firefighter assigned uh when
we're we're at minimum staffing. Um so you know the Greg Street fire it was a challenge. It was a was 100% in the attic of that house. So that one firefighter did a great job of setting up the ladder and getting up there and putting a hole in the roof. And you know the deputy called the second alarm. So
we had Randolph ladder come on scene. So uh they assisted with putting another hole in the roof. They got a couple holes in the roof to try and let out all that smoke and heat. Um, so it it they did an amazing job. Um, so if we have everybody in, we do have a a staff ladder, but you know, with vacations and
sick and and injuries, uh, it it's a challenge to keep it at that at that staffing. So, um, you know, that's where we stand on that. And then, you know, looking forward, you know, to the department, you know, where do we go? How do we keep on utilizing that technology? How do we keep on utilizing
that firehouse? you know, some of the things that I've asked for in the last few years, you know, like how do how do we move forward as a department? You know, uh safety wise, you know, like I would love to to add a you know, a 15th person to
to each, you know, group to to put a minimum go to minimum 12 on on the the ladder truck, you know, a minimum 12 for the day and put a second on the ladder truck as minimum just that safety, you know, look at snow and ice and stuff. Uh, you know, there's a a book out there that every deputy or every uh safety and
survival on the fire ground and it lists the the 10 most deadly things for firefighters and you know, the deadly the most deadly one is operating near the fire. Uh, the second most deadly one is operating above the fire and the third is operating on the roof and you know, so you're talking about, you know, these cities that have three, four
firefighters that are operating on the roof. We have one. So, how do we get to a safer uh, you know, um, operation? Um, so that's you look for that. I put that in for the last couple years, you know, for our budget to, you know, the supplemental budgets just to see where we can go. Uh, some of the things I've
also done is, you know, in 2016, we were approved for another lieutenant. We have 13 lieutenants right now. So, we have 12 that are assigned to the shifts. Uh, the 13th is lieutenant battalion fire prevention. Well, we were approved in 2016 for another lieutenant. We've just never been funded for that that um that
position. And I would use that position right now um for a part-time training officer, you know, to run a training to make sure our training is standardized to have somebody that I don't have to pay overtime to go take a class and then come back and show everybody. You know, you would have somebody on shift that would or on duty just go take these
class and bring it back. And the other part of it, the afternoon I would actually, you know, Lieutenant Mataliano like you know he is an amazing person and I I really really cringe at the thought of him retiring. He's getting close to that age. um he is overwhelmed right now with with with that fire
prevention role. You you you look at all these buildings that are going in. He's constantly working with these developers, you know, to make sure that the buildings, you know, are going to be safe, you know, really can't control the building. All we can control, all I can control is how safe that building is for the residents. You know, you look at
Fall River, you look at stuff that has happened in the past. We need to make sure that the the sprink fully operational sprinkler is the the the smoke detectors, CO detectors, the devices, all of those are operating. You look at, you know, uh 7-Eleven Randolph A, you know, there's 90 units. You know,
he's how much time it takes for him to review all the plans. You review the site plan before project even starts. Then review the plans when they come in to make sure every smoke detector and every pole station, everything is is is in the correct spot. And then when the, you know, they have to file a report
with us on a regular basis about their safety plan, you know, uh, so, and he's constantly going to those locations to just to double check up on them, just make sure everything's operating as they should. Uh, and then when the building is complete, every device has to be
tested. So, you're talking, you know, a three-bedroom apartment or a two-bedroom apartment, every bedroom has a has a smoke detector. The the living room has a CO detector and a smoke detector. every pole station, every light, every strobe, everything has to be has to be tested. That's that's a it's a it's a
weekl long process for him for 90 units, you know. So then everything else gets put back and everyone's still doing addition. So if you do an addition on your house and you add a bedroom, well now you have to have a smoke detector and he has to review the plans and then has to go check it to make sure that you get your occupancy. Then you look at,
you know, the liquor licenses. We still have to do the school inspections. So, it's it's really a really really busy office and his institutional knowledge is is just he is such a a hope he's not watching. I know he's not watching. He's he's brilliant at at his job. He knows the
codes better than anybody else. So, he's been great. But, we he needs help. So again, that position, I would be part-time in the mornings, trained with the firefighters in the afternoon, kind of lighten the load, do the oil oil burner inspections, do the smoke detector inspections, work at the schools or something so he can maintain
uh those those those bigger projects and and keep up to date with those. Uh and then the last one that I've asked for for the last few years would be an assistant chief. Um it's it's it can be overwhelming. Uh, you know, um, you look at everything, you
know, the the the ma maintaining the equipment, maintaining the buildings. Tom McCarthy's been great with with helping out with the buildings, but maintaining these these systems in the buildings and maintaining the equipment, maintaining these trucks, it's, you know, the deputies are great, the lieutenants are great, and they help out as much as they can, and I I'll appre I
appreciate them, and I'll give them a major shout out where I was away last week, and, you know, I did get some calls, but, uh, it was more of a, hey, this happened, and I and we handled it this way. Uh so it was uh really appreciated >> when that happens. >> Yeah, we've got some really really good people that that that work over there.
So um you know you know looking forward like this this this project of writing down all the policies and procedures. I would love to give it to an assistant chief to say hey go work with the the members on this and do it you know but it's me. It's you know I'm the only person besides myself that besides
Lieutenant Mataliano that is nonoperational. We're the only two administrative people that work with the fire department. So, you know, you look at there's just a lot of things that we could do and uh you know, which just to help, you know, it's just uh and I'll say it, you know, >> I'll say it and the chief might not say,
but as we think about the department long term as well as to think about succession planning and a pipeline to get um the next chiefs ready to to take on that role to expose them to other aspects of the job um is, you know, a
long-term benefit of that type of position. A lot of departments have certainly moved in that direction where we haven't. Police department does have two deputy chief positions. Um, but it just would speak to, you know, Chief Madden came in from lieutenant and became chief and has done a great job.
Um, I'm sure would have appreciated the opportunity to see the role for a few years. Um, and I think setting up the department for that, you know, long term and future would be beneficial as well. So, I just wanted to >> planning that, you know, having a somebody else and the union's great. I love the union, but to have somebody
that's out of the union to run things by, you know, it it would be invaluable to the operation and I know that, you know, um yeah, it's it would be great, you know, just to to do that. I know I I know I um I think it was Mr. Johnson
that was at the war committee. Larry Johnson, I think it was. Um escapes, his last name escapes, Larry Johnson. >> Yep. So, he asked me for you know, how other departments are running themselves. So we kind of I gathered some information. So like need them, you know what their budget was and they have
a chief and assistant chief and three fire prevention and a and a two fire prevention, an EMS officer and a training officer. Those are all day staff, you know. And you look at Kenton, Kenton's very similar. They have a chief, two assistant chiefs, an EMS officer, a training officer. Uh you know, you look at Randolph, they have
chief, an assistant chief, two fire prevention officers, and a training officer. So, you know, you you look at all these surrounding towns where they'll have five, six people in their administration side, uh, you know, fire, we only have two, you know, so to adequately run the fire department for the future, I I really think we start
need to need to start thinking and again, you know, you look at we never went through this. And I talked to Chief Grant, he was like, where were we going to put him? We had no room for that. You know what I mean? like you know he he's uh it was Chief Larson that got the fire
prevention officer and if you ever said seen the old fire prevention officer was a closet upstairs in the second floor it was literally a closet and uh that position has been tremendous but yeah so where do we go with the fire department you know those are some of the things and you know I I think one of the things
that I strive for and I just I look and I know that we have some absolutely fantastic people the fire department is they're fil it's just filled with some really really good people And you know, I can't say that how do I improve them, but I just looking for a more professional department. You know, like
I said, when we come back from an incident, you you look at what went well, what didn't go well, what what we can work on, and you know, and I think they're really good at that. And but, you know, just doing a little more professional uh is is, you know, we have the tools. Let's let's utilize it, you know. Um, and
and just need to continue moving the department forward, you know. I don't want to be reactive. I hate being reactive. I want to make sure that our people are professional. You know, I trained at the fire academy. I taught at the fire academy for 20 years. You know, one of my the sayings at the fire academy is let no man's ghost come back
and say my training let me down, right? So, um you need to to be able to do that. You need to rely on your training and you know and so we need to adequately train you know um there's a lot of changes in the world now and and we're trying to keep up with it.
Sometimes you just, you know, you get behind a little bit, you know, um, they do a really good job, but, you know, and I'll say it right now is, you know, we can have the nicest firehouse, we can have the nicest fire trucks, which we will have, you know, I'm confident of all three firehouses, and we'll have
some really, really good equipment in the next few, you know, next year or two. Um, but it's really the people that do the job. You know, the fire truck's not putting the fire out. It's it's the people that do it. And so, um, it'd be good to invest in them just a little bit, you know. So,
>> thank you. >> If you have any questions, I'm sorry it was short, right? >> I told Nick once you get me off and talking about the firehouse and how much I love the the fire service. Uh, it's going to be tough. >> Trying to give him a time. >> Uh, questions from the members. Mr. Driscoll. >> Yeah, but Chief, the way you're
operating now speaks volume of your department and you getting by. I hate to say it. I'd love you to get all that help you want. Going to try to help. I'll try to help you. I don't know where we're going to get it, but I'm just saying it speaks
volume. You and your department taking care of everything that goes on. We always seem to get by. DBW, fire department, police, schools, you know what I mean? >> We always seem to get by. And it's a testament to you and your department.
I think it's, you know, the fire service, you know, and the schools and DBW and police, you know, like I think, you know, particularly, and I know the members of the fire department and I know fire departments all around is, you know, they do what you can, you know, and unfortunately, you say, you say it,
you know, they'll do what they can and they'll die trying. You know what I mean? They'll they'll they'll lay down their life for for you, whatever, to try and do whatever they can. Uh, so they they they you give them a task and they're going to do it. So >> best view I ever go by a fire station. The truck's parked there and they're all
just wait. That's the best view you can see. >> A fire truck not doing a firefighter not doing anything. Sitting in the firehouse is a is a good day, right? Because nobody needed us. Yeah. >> And that's truly, you know, that's a blessing to drive by and see the firefighters in there. >> Years ago, they used to sit out in a
bench. My father was one. They'd sit right out front. >> Yes. >> Other questions or comments from the members? Mr. Wells. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Chief.
Um, I'll try to be briefer on this one than my last one. So, just a couple of things. Um, you know, you and I talk a lot about operational things. Um, you know, you from the from the time you
were appointed chief, and I remember when I first came on this board, you would attend all of the fire station building committee meetings. You weren't even Chief Grant was chief then. I don't think you even thought of being chief. And I can remember both then Chair Walsh
and Vice Chair Grant, Dan I'm sorry, wrote letters to this board um support of you being appointed chief of the fire department. And in the years that have passed, you have certainly lived up to everything that they thought
you would be. And then my final point, uh we talked on the day of the Craig Street fire. Um big credit to uh Lieutenant John did a great job as you know that day you know and as I wrote in a post
and I don't usually write posts on everything Milton the days when the the incidents and and Hagerty can refer to this the one to and I'll use the the analogy of the one to two inches of snow versus the two to
three feet of snow the one to two inches of the ground balls you know, the the the the the ground ball, the easy incidents, you know, the the car accident where there's no personal injury, the you know, the burger alarm, the
it's the calls where the threat to human life is so on the precipice where whether it's the environmental elements, the nature of the call, the threat to human life, the
entrapped person, all of those things. Those are the days you train for. Those are the calls you live for. Those are the ones that separate between just okay work and greatness. And I say this to you as a chief to another chief. Take
pride in that greatness because you have some really as as you have articulated so strongly tonight, that is the greatness of your profession. That's the greatness of public safety. That's the greatness of what you wake up and put your pants and your shoes on can do to go and do each and every day. So, thank
you for a very in-depth report tonight. Thank you for everything and continue to do everything you do for this is this town. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> You're welcome. Other questions or comments from members. Um, just for myself, Chief. Um, thank
you also. Um, I think it would be, we've done this previously with the fire department. When you have your new five new firefighters, if you'd like to come in and introduce them to the town, that might be a nice uh thing to have them do in May. Okay. >> Um, once everybody's out of the academy,
or if you depending on if you want to bring a one wave in sometime, another wave in another time. We always love to, you know, see the the the men and women that that are serving this town and and thank them for their service and and acknowledge their graduation, uh, you know, from an academy or or or whatever
it might be. So, you could work with Mr. Milano on that. Um, and you and I have had a number of conversations over the years about um, climate change and, you know, and I was struck the number of brush fires and the number of vehicle fires being almost, you know, identical.
Uh, it's And certainly, and we discussed it earlier, the the um the Blue Hills, you know, are drying out and getting a little more and more dangerous every year. So, I know that's something that we talked about in uh at our uh in our discussion about the Athetherton Street
station. Um is there anything else that you'd want to add around that in terms of equipment or training or anything else? >> Yeah, I'm always looking to to update equipment. you know, it's just uh you know, when I look at the operational needs that I do believe, you know,
getting you know, they say quick water on the fire is is what helps it most, you know, and and how do we get quick water into the into the Blue Hills is a challenge, you know, and like the the truck that we have is and you know, we've had so much go on in the last few years with with the ladder truck and two
engines, new firehouses, you know, it's hard to come in and continue to ask for money. So, you know, we had a 1984 Chevy with a 200-galon tank on it. When that failed, we put it on a 2016 F F-150
F250. Um, just 200 200 gallons is not not enough. It's significant money to replace that. And, you know, you look at, you know, a tanker and, you know, when we did have that RA and and it it's on a regular basis. It's not one. The one that obviously made the news last year was the one by the by the state
police barracks and H Hotton's Pond. You know, uh you know, you look at that, we had tankers from as far away as, you know, North Fork and and Rainom and uh Dover and you know, just how do we get water into the fire to the fire and up those those hills, you know, uh so we
relied heavily on mutual aid that night. I think we had 30 different departments represented that night, you know, and the ne the following days uh to to extinguish that fire. So, you know, the challenge and how do we do that, you know, and and I know money is the way. It's easy. You can just throw money at
it, you know, uh um but it's it's hard. How do you how do you creatively do that, you know, and and you know, you look at grants and uh it's a challenge getting that a grant. There are some other ways there are some other things that we need before that you know we
need new SCVAs and that's what uh we're looking for the AFG grant to come out assistance to firefighter grant you know and so we're going to try >> that SCVA is the uh the air packs self-contained breathing apparatus you know they're about 10 years old and they need to start to be replaced and we're talking $500,000 to replace that that
equipment you know uh so so it's one of the my goal is will be to write a grant for that this year coming up and whether we get it or not I have no idea But it's it's highly competitive and it's it's really have to really take the time to to write. You know, I would love an
assistant chiefs to say, "Hey, go do that." You know, it just uh and that's where, you know, I can go to other departments and borrow and, you know, go to my vendor. They they've written some grants, you know, helped out with that. So, that's my plan is to try and get that as soon as the AFG grants. And, you know, we're not sure what's going to
happen at the federal level, right? Whether they're even going to open that grant. It's It's about six months delayed right now. So, we're not sure whether they're going to even open that grant. So, or who's going to get it or I'll be eligible for it. So, it's just one of those things you try and look for grants, you try and look for other ways
to to do it, you know, like I would love to put in for a tanker, right? Because you look at interoperability, you look at, you know, mutual aid, you look at, you know, the climate change and everything else. It screams, you know, it'd be perfect for a grant, but we we do need that SCBA to keep our firefighters safe for structure fires,
you know. Um, so yeah, you have to weigh the options in which one, you know, I'll put them both in and see if we can do it and see see if we get one, you know. So is a challenge going forward and, you know, those are the those are the changes that I'm looking for, you know, when we talk about that that space, you
know, like what what are the specialty vehicles that are going to be, you know, hazardous materials? We still have the hazardous materials for the the hospital that the trailer uh we have a tent, a decontamination tent that every fire department with a hospital in its community was given and you know we
still have that and we use it. The hospital used it for CO we set up a couple of their tents and and they used it for all their CO testing back in the day. So we still have that that stays up at engine 4 right now. We do have some of those ancillary equipment, you know, uh that we do have to keep make sure we
keep a a room for that can't be once you put it outside then the weather gets to it and this weather and just destroys everything. So, um that's why we're looking for that space. So, thank you very much. No other questions.
We will thank you again for your time uh for being Oh, sorry. Mr. Wells just put his hand up. Mr. Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. One, just one final question, Chief. This ballpark, are you referring to like a a tank
tanker truck similar to what Canton has? >> Yes. >> So ballpark, what's the cost of those about >> I I've seen some different numbers. So, you know, I've seen from, you know, a 400gallon tank, you know, we priced one out a couple years ago. like he would
get 400 gallons on a back of a of a 550 an F550 or 2500 or or 5500 with the Chevys. Uh you know like that would give us double the water going into it. That was about say 3 to 400,000 you know a few years ago when I priced it out and I've seen you know 800,000 for that
thousandgalon tanker that you know that Canton has. >> Canton has okay >> and that was again a few years ago and I was kind of looking through through that stuff and I haven't really approached it lately because I knew we needed a new engine. And I know we need another firehouse. I know. You know, so it's hard to to look at that money and and
ask for that. So, >> thank you. Thanks, Chief. Thank you for everything. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm all set. >> Thank you. Welcome, Mr. >> Thank you, Chief. I think we're all Thank you. Appreciate it very much. >> See, it was nice and short. >> Hopefully that snow was stopped by the
time you get out of here. >> Um, so our next item, uh, six, uh, we've heard from the equity and justice for all advisory committee. They've actually asked for us to push this back into March. They want to have a um they have some internal stuff and they want to
have a chat with uh I think Mr. Malone and myself before they come in. So we will just go straight to them. Item number seven, which is the fiscal year 2027 budget. Um we do have the chair of the war committee here, uh Mr. J. Fundling. Um
I think you know Mr. Funling is going to make a quick presentation. I think it might make sense for you to do your presentation first, Mr. Funding. Does it does it make sense to do it first or does it make sense to run through Mr. Milano's update to put Mr. Funling's
presentation in context? >> Okay, let's do that. >> Okay. Sorry. >> Sorry. >> Sorry. >> No, it's all good. Um I am happy to and I'll pull it up. I don't >> You want to promote Jay also? >> Yeah, I can do that. Um do you want make
introduce it at all? Do you want me to jump in? >> Um I'll we'll have you jump in with the update on where we are with FY27 and the school committee. Um the the dialogue between the select board finance
committee and school committee finance committee. We've met several times uh over the past month to address ways in which that we can close um the gap on the school side. Um, and I will let you
walk through the details of where we are with that at this time. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh, so when we last met, I think we were talking about trying to close deficit about $1.5 million. Um, that number has since improved since our last meeting, and I'll explain what has changed since
then, where things stand as of now. Um so just to recap some of the all of the budget adjustments that have come that have taken place um since really the beginning of January. Um we identified approximately $230,000 in reduction in
expenses related to debt service. Um some of it is premium savings, some of it is lower projected interest rates. The lion share of this was shifting our strategy on financing the Cunningham Collicott project um to align that debt
with the fire station project that that we were just speaking about. Um so that debt while it originally anticipated a hit in fiscal 27 will actually fiscal 28. So it is a savings in 27 but it's the money the cost will show up just a
year uh later. Um we did agree with the school department in terms of identifying some reductions on the health insurance budget by charging certain funds that um pay for employee salaries directly. So um in addition to paying for employee salaries, they'll also pay for employee health insurance.
Um state aid budget came out at the end of January and that nets out to about a $225,000 increase in revenue. Um those changes we had talked about already, but the most recent adjustment has been uh revisiting our revenue
forecast like we said we had stated we would towards the end of January um when we received our motor vehicle excise tax information for the current year. Um the trend has been for collections in 26 to to line up behind 25, but 25 was a
significant outlier year that that's um to be expected. However, on the positive front is our commitments in terms of what we're billing for folks has continued to increase year-over-year. Um, so we feel comfortable at this time increasing um our forecast for moto for
vehicle excise tax about $440,000 to $5 million. We are also comfortable increasing our forecast for penalties and interest by $60,000. Um we did dial back our building department fee revenue as we were still pretty high um in our anticipation for
for revenue in fiscal 27. Um the last several years going really back to 22 uh we were starting to permit a number of large projects whether it's the first one being 131 Elliott the Walcott Woods projects the town houses out on Canav um
through to now where 582 global lab was permitted this this fiscal year. Um those are very significant fee increases but they're one time. So we feel that it's prudent to to dial that back a little bit as there are no there's one big project in the pipeline the 648 652
kav um 40b but it's in determined when that might arrive. Um so the rest of the um revenue that we expect to see is more just kind of run-of-the-mill renovations, additions and um the new construction that happens, not large
multif family new construction. Um our general insurance forecast, so our work uh workers comp professional liability um we are trending really well particularly in workers compensation. So we feel comfortable reducing that budget line by about $80,000. So um that's
positive. And then we had talked about the operating budget stabilization fund where we've increased our withdrawal from that in fiscal 27, our proposed withdrawal in fiscal 27. So if you put that all together, I've highlighted here where things have moved up on local
receipts, up on state aid, up on the operating budget stabilization fund. So we're um about a $5.9 million in new money in fiscal 27. Um I'll speak to this for a moment. So one of the discussion points is how to
share this new revenue. Um and the next slide I'll show in terms of balanced budget proposal proposes to share that essentially at the same um amount that we've been sharing revenue in the last the most in the current fiscal year where after you take out our shared
expenses health insurance pension oped in other insurance um after you take out those mutually shared costs the remaining revenue has been split about 69 31% 69% school budget 31% town budget that ratio ratio has increased over the
last 10 years where it had been um 6634. So as school budget increases and outpace town departmental budget increases um that share tilts a little bit more closely to the schools. Um I'm not suggesting changing that ratio in any way. I'm just suggesting for the
purposes of the balance budget proposal that I put together that we maintain that in fiscal 27. What that means for a balanced budget is what you can see here today. Um by um sharing that revenue, we do get to
a place where um the town departmental um quoteunquote level service needs are met and the town budget is able to um see a 3.72% increase. Uh the school department under this scenario sees a 3.76% increase over its fiscal 26
appropriation. Um which means they would need to make reductions from their level service request of 5.2%. Um so this is um the balance budget proposal. It would ask the school department to to cut their request by a million49,000.
Um so that is that would be a balanced budget because deficit as where things stand to stay stand today is a million49 and this proposal would request that the school department um reduce that from their request and the and the town department would be level at level service. But as you can see here, from
year to year, Bulltown and schools are going up at essentially the same percentage. Um, the last budget adjustment that uh we've been spending some time talking about is one of the goals of the school department has been to increase their
reserves over fiscal 26, 27, and 28 and beyond to try to get some of their reserve funds into a stronger financial position. Um, so I've proposed moving free cash into school reserves and I I leave that school reserve to be
determined as um we haven't um fleshed out exactly the right mechanism for that necessarily. Um we did talk about trying to appropriate that directly into the school circuit breaker fund. Um that's not um an allowed appropriation according to the department of revenue. They did suggest the sped stabilization
fund which the town created at the last town meeting but we haven't put any money in. Um and since the school budget proposal does anticipate using some of their other funds um less than they could otherwise because they want to build reserves um by the town
appropriating free cash into reserves it could give them the opportunity to say all right now we're growing our reserves without impacting our operating budget as much so we can rely on those some more. Um that's the essence of the proposal. Um, and I'll note just as a side note, the fiscal 27 state budget
does include a significant increase in the circuit breaker um, appropriation. Um, an 18.8% increase. Um, and they expect that that means circuit breaker reimbursements will be fully funded um, in fiscal 26, the current year. The transportation reimbursement is not
fully funded. Um, so that should mean potentially additional funding for Milton schools next year. Um, if this this chart, it's a little messy, but the bottom line of what this chart is showing is if the schools were indeed
to offset their operating budget a little bit more rather than building those reserves because now they have free cash going into reserves. What that means is um their actual net production could be um closer to 548 rather than
the million48 because right now we're asking them to cut a million48. However, we're providing a half million dollars in free cash for school reserves. So in theory they could use um some of their other funds to offset their operating budget. Um and if that were the case, their true increase year-over-year would
be about 4.45% um rather than 3.76%. And I showed below the chart just showing that you know greater expenses coming out of circuit breaker which certainly means that their balance their ending balance would be less than they originally forecast. Um however that
would be increased by the amount of money being set aside with other reserves. I know that's a little complicated but um I think the biggest takeaways are is that the town's financial position has improved since January has even improved since mid January. Um we're looking right now at a
deficit of about a million49. Um, I propose that school department be asked to to make that reduction um to maintain the revenue share. In addition to all that, that the town set aside half million dollars in free cash into school reserves to to give them um some more
wiggle room either to to hit their reserve target more quickly or to maintain the reserve target and calendar that they originally anticipated and offset um some of their operating budget expenses in fiscal 27. Um and I'll just close just I pulled this slide from our
January 7th meeting um a joint meeting just to what we had identified at that time as what our next steps were and that we you know we've hit on all of these next steps and I know that you know when we come out and say where things stand today is a $2.5 million
budget gap and at the time we were saying school department we need to cut point by $2.1 million that was the case on January 7th but we continue to work the problem and try to wait for improved information. Um now in this year we
received good information um in that four-week time span that allowed us to share um improved updates. That won't be the case every year. Um state aid came in higher some revenue we feel more confident in. So we're able to revise those upwards. We might be in future years where that news isn't always good.
But I just wanted to just note that um we took we laid out a bunch of action items that we had planned to continue to work on this. So, I know it's it can be a tense and stressful time to work through the budget. We have certainly not made the problem go away, and I acknowledge that a million dollar
deficit is is still very real, but we continue to analyze um all of our options both on the expense side and the revenue side to try to continue to narrow that gap. Um it's going to be harder from here on in that I wouldn't expect a lot of swing either way, both
on expenses or on revenue. Um but that there's been a lot of progress in the last four month four weeks not because of anything we did necessarily but just we got more and better information about where things stand. Um lastly I just want to on health insurance that has been uh one of the bigger concerns. It's
right now projected to be a 10% premium increase year-over-year. Enrollment has continued to stay steady which is good. Um and that targeted premium increase remains on track. Um, so we're continuing to moderate claims um and enrollment, but and we received our
renewals from our providers. So everything continues to remain on track at that 10% number um that we should not expect to to be higher than that. Um so that is, you know, a bit of good news that it's not worse than we anticipated, but that's a significant cost increase
for both the town budget and for employees to share um share. So that's the overall um update as to where things stand today. um the budget coordination committee, the school the school committee finance committee, the select board finance committee have continued
to meet, talk about potential impacts of the schools to talk about this um reserves concept um and to to continue the conversation about what happens in 2829 um and beyond which I know Jay will speak to um a little bit more in depth
but um that is where things stand presently on fiscal 27. >> So can I just go ahead jump in? So, I want to um I really want to take a moment to thank Nick and Amy and Joanna
for all the work that they've done um in this process to date so far. Um it these are money is always a difficult conversation um because we don't have tons of it and
there are are many priorities that we have. We want to provide the best education that we can to our kids. We want to and we want to keep everybody in the town safe and we want to have really strong infrastructure.
Um, and this this task is going to continue to be hard and it's going to get more difficult. Um and we so part of what we've been trying to
accomplish with the budget coordination committee is to look across the town government, across the boards of the town government to have a more strategic lens and to have uh more of a rolling year-over-year lens
and understanding of the way the way that our financial model is built um and how um the revenue our revenue sources play into that model, how our expenses play
into that model and how our schools um operate are nested within that model. Um so we have had a lot of really strong cooperation um the warrant committee. We have Jay
here. He's been fantastic and um he'll come up to present in a minute. And I I really want to note that um school committee members, Superintendent Failen, they've been at every meeting that we've had um and involved in these
conversations and also um representatives from the planning board. So, um, so you know what Jay's going to present is really going to refer to our budget this year, but what
we are going to have to have some conversations year-over-year moving forward that are that are looking more broadly and longer term about how we are managing our money and how we're going to get to
make what we what the voters passed with the override last um as long as we can and it's it's up to us to really manage people's expectations um so I just I want to express my gratitude
for everybody um so far in this process. >> Well, let me return this board's gratitude to you and to member Daly. I know you guys have both been very hard at work at this and some of the conversations have not been very easy, but we're grateful for the work that you
guys have done. Uh, Mr. Wells. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to echo the same thoughts. And Megan and I had a conver and I had a conversation earlier in the week to both Mr. Daly and
Miss Hagerty. Welcome to the Milton Select Board. Now you're here. You know, you're you're you're seeing the difficulties that have existed for as long as I can remember. I think I saw an email recently from Katie Conlin, former colleague who sat on this board
and chaired the war committee as well. You know, has committed so many years. These are challenges that exist all the time and is an impassion just as a clear example is an impassioned presentation as you just received from the fire chief or we just received from
the fire chief. You could do nothing to help him because you are at level service. That's it. you can go no further. Um, anything else that you cut on the town side is going to mean an impact on not just services, personnel,
but the quality of life for the residents of the town. That's really, really hard. So, my one question, and this is to e Nick or Miss Daily or or um I'm sorry, Miss Dailyy, Mr. Daily or Miss Agy, I'm getting into your nine
o'clock time. And I want to give a shout out to Amy as well who does an unbelievable job. Um, can you just kind of because I've had several people ask me and I don't even really understand this. When you talk about reserves, why
because for my operational life, there's no such thing as reserves. What is the reserves? What is why are these reserves and why are we funding reserves in a fiscal year? >> The school department has always maintained a balance. I think is a
better way to to put it in their circuit breaker funds and other revolving funds that lets them utilize those and years of unanticipated costs. So circuit breakers obviously for primarily special education, special education transportation. So there could be years where there are unanticipated costs that
come on board. So by having money or a balance in that fund that carries over in a year-to-year basis lets them have more flexibility and and ability to to adjust in a given fiscal year. So when we say build reserves, because they drew down all of those funds at the end of
fiscal 24 and 25 to to meet their budget after um the overspending, um those funds are in tough financial shape today. So their their goal is to try to get back to to probably where even beyond where they had been
historically. Um so they're working to do that over the course of a couple of fiscal years. So spend less out of circuit breaker. So circuit breaker has a greater balance in it so that if they have huge unanticipated costs in a given year, they have the ability to adjust
for that in that fiscal year. Um so we, you know, the town builds our own reserves, whether it's general stabilization, capital stabilization. So um but that's obviously for townwide expenses. This is more just for school expenses. So rather than take four years
to get to their target, if we can provide some free cash to facilitate that, maybe they'll hit their target a little bit sooner and be in stronger financial condition sooner. That gives them more flexibility going forward on their operating budget. So building reserves, building a balance in those funds to to withstand unanticipated
costs and to to have more flexibility with their operating budget going forward is is the overall goal. Um, I think what we're discussing today is more about how much what should that target be and how do you get there is really where I think the focus of the
conversation has been less so than that they should or shouldn't have them. It's just more about what kind of goal are you setting and and how quickly you trying to get there. >> And if I may add, Mr. And my my understanding is um ultimately what we can do here is give the school committee
the opportunity to make a decision about how do they want to spend this money. So we can't put that free cash into anything that we want. We have gives the school committee the ability to make the decision of do they want to
continue to put in the same amount of money that they were going to put in or do they want to provide themselves some relief and uh and spend that money on things that otherwise might be might be caught. So, it was basically a a a helpful offer from the town to
help them make that decision. Ultimately, it is up to them uh how they spend that money or how they set their budget. Um but we've provided a little more flexibility. >> Yes, I do. So, as you recall, Mr. share.
Last year, we created that special fund and put $700,000 into it as an annual line item. Isn't that exactly why we did that? And and am I correct in that we are using all of that money
in this this year in the in their as a line item to fill one of their line items. Am I correct or no? >> Yes. Yes. So I just to step back. So what you're referring to is the operating budget stabilization fund which was included as part of the override. The $700,000. You're exactly
right. The $700,000 is recurring. Now >> we also put Yes. >> We also put 2 million of free cash into that and we're proposing to put another million of free cash into that this year. So we're going to pull some money out of that. That money will support town and school budgets generally. It
won't it won't go to just the town. It won't go to just the schools. that that is a payment that will support the town and school budget across the board. Um in addition to that where you know what I have proposed is saying in addition to that we have you know $4.5 million of free cash we could
take some free cash and help the schools in their goal of building up their reserves >> which is separate from >> separate and apart from that operating budget stabilization fund. The other thing that confuses all of this is the other thing we did at town meeting was set up a sped stabilization fund. We had
anticipated, if you'll recall, putting a million dollars of free cash into that, but the schools ended up needing that free cash to close out fiscal 25. So, we had also anticipated a separate fund um in the spring, but we weren't able to do that because the money needed to go into
fiscal 25. So, um it's a lot of similar language describing unfortunately different things. So, I apologize for any confusion on it. >> I may just follow up, Mr. Chair. >> Please, Miss Wells. Not not so much for me going forward
the reality or the possibility truly exists that this will happen or may not may will happen on the town side in one of these years because this is an exercise that as I said earlier this is an exercise I've been living through going back to I think when m going
through this when I I was a deputy chief and Mr. Walker was chair of the warrant committee and we've been using the same level service level dollar exercise now for for 15 almost 20 years. But at some point your challenge or the challenge of
this board is that the financial challenge that you're funding the schools with now is going to be a a town's need and you're going to have to fund it on that given year. In that case, using the same formula,
the pain on the school side is going to become even greater on a g on that given year. If you could get where I'm going with that. >> Yep. >> You're not wrong. >> Thank you. >> Um, any other questions or comments before I invite Mr. Funling to come up?
You want to go through >> I think I just want to tie to to one of his comments in terms of >> in a given year maybe the town's going to need some help. Well, I think we're facing that this year. We're facing We're in February. It's February 10th. We've had a significant snow season already.
>> You know, a significant 24 in snowstorm, which results in several nights of ongoing work to clear and remove and haul snow away. >> Happened on a weekend, >> happened started on started on a Saturday. So, or Sunday into Monday. So, but
we're we're you know, pulling that numbers together to provide a more comprehensive update to the board. in we've had significant free cash in recent years because we've had significant turnbacks from department budgets at the end of the year where they didn't spend their appropriations. This is going to be one of those years
where we're shaking every tree to try to balance fiscal 26. So that turn back will be minimal if anything which means free cash will be less which means we have less flexibility in fiscal 28 for maybe some of the things that we have f flexibility for for this year. So, we
have a lot of ways to to close out a snow and ice deficit, including leaving it in deficit at fiscal year end and coming back and resolving the problem in the fall when when free cash is certified. But, um, to to your point, there is there's pressures this year that hopefully we won't face next year,
but um, we're kind of in the midst of a more challenging budget year this year than we have been in recent years. Nick, we're also not really expecting on the revenue side for years coming up new growth to be necessarily as strong as it
has been. Correct. >> This year will be a bit of a question mark. I think the next two years should be decent because that's when all of the multif family units will come online and we'll capture them at 100% of their value. Um so that will but then start to drop. Um
>> but you know our other revenues this year in particular are very strong. Everything's looking very good, strong on the revenue side for fiscal 26. It's a question of um our expenses this year. >> Mr. Dy, did you have something? Mr. Wells. >> Oh, Mr. Wells. >> I was just going to say, sorry, Mr.
Molly, camp high behind stone ice. You know this is historically we have you know the last two years we we were pretty easy but when I think and miss Haggedy can will know this very well when I think through 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 in all the years before snow and ice you know we've had to run as a deficit every year going back to Joe Lynch Mike Denhei Emory Fagan and even when Kevin Mer was telling him administrator those are just but I you know I I'm I'm more concerned about something more
on the operational side, whether it's from public safety, public works, something that you hear the needs is as all the members have heard from the department heads as they come in and talk about them. One of these years, you're going to have to
actually man up and fund one of them. And and in that given year, you're not going to be able to have as much money to put to the school side. And that's a real exercise. that's going to happen whether you believe it or not. So that's the unlike
snow and ice which has an avenue to move it around. So that's what I that's the point I was trying to make to thank that's all I wanted to add there Mr. Chair. Thank you. >> I'll add I think with the confusion in the language with us having now three
different terms for a reserve fund. We have the operation stabilization fund which is townwide. We have the special education stabilization funds created last year which is for the schools and our discussion about the school circuit breaker fund. I think what the conversation we're trying to frame with
the schools is it's okay for them to want to build reserves and be particularly conservative given us coming off of the override but where do we build those reserves? Um our request has been that they don't build it in the circuit breaker since those are state funds which have been allocated from the
state. They don't involve town revenues. Those are not our tax levy and those will increase next year. And we're asking if we funded it at the town level on the special education stabilization fund or the operate operating stabilization fund that we would have
more flexibility for some of these, you know, rainy days, school things that may go um arrive, which is why we still um sit with that million dollar cap um saying that we're not going to be funding that million with funds. We're
asking to use funds and then we may be able to fund the special education um fund. I think that's where we're sitting waiting for the school's kind of final decision on that because we are trying to think of this as one budget not the
schools and someone else talk and anyone else is that Mr. funding will go through his presentation and his ideas and usage of the operation stabilization fund for the next two, three, four years thinking about when we go to an override and how
do we use these funds we already cash trying to put that all together with suggestions for what we expect and to Mr. as well as this point this conversation I've had with Molano about how do we fund some of these asks if we only think about rolling our budget for
level service for the next four or five years I don't know how long we can maintain going to stay at this level forever and never have any additions or any upgrades or any changes um in our budget we have to start thinking if we can in some ways
about whether it's the chief's asks or the council's asks or our town asks you know we don't have example a assistant administrator right now so how do we incorporate all of those things in our forecast for the next four weeks Mr. Fley
>> let's bring you on >> here we go Jay >> thank you very much Mr. Chair, my name is Jay Funing. I live at 39 Scias Lane and I am the chair of the warrant committee. I would like to speak about a very specific part of the town budget.
It's a part that has been discussed in the past few minutes. Uh and it is the operating budget stabilization fund. Um I'm not sharing things.
Interpret that as you will. I think you're good at sharing. >> Maybe not. >> I'm good at o oversharing uh PowerPoint for example. >> Uh great. This is uh I'm going to repeat some slides that I presented to the
budget stabil sorry the town budget committee yesterday. So, if you see any a little bit odd, that may explain why. I'm going to be talking about the operating budget stabilization fund and it's possible use.
Uh, this is going to be a repeat of some things that I presented the warrant committee over the past couple weeks. You're forgiven if you didn't see those presentations. I'll try to summarize them here. uh in gen to put a fine point on it is I would like the town to have a
more clearly defined policy for the use of the operating budget stabilization fund. Now first let's say what is the operating budget stabilization fund? It's been mentioned multiple times tonight. Certainly forgiven if someone either in
this room or more likely people watching from home aren't really that strong on what the operating budget stabilization fund is. Here's the idea. Getting from one override to the next is difficult. We have revenues that go up by two and a half% maybe 3% if we have good new
growth and our expenses go up more than that. We have health insurance. We have union negotiated pay increases. that our expenses go up by more than our revenues. That's been the reality of this town for well time in memorial certainly since prop two and a half has
been passed. So in previous cycles of the town to get from one override to the next, I don't have the longevity of the town that some people in this room do, but what I observed is we would pass an override and then maybe that would get us through the next year, maybe the year after
that. The year after that, we cut spending, maybe close the library on a Sunday, maybe lay off some art teachers. The year after that, maybe we close the library on a Saturday, lay off some music teachers, and then we get to the point where the cuts would hurt too much and we'd have another override. The
goal, the idea behind this fund is to give us a cushion so that we know that re revenues are going to grow slower than expenses and we can use this cushion over the years. So, let's talk about what our our specific
fund. This is established last the last spring at town meeting and it had two initial sources of funding. Town Meeting put in $2 million in free cash last May as sort of a seed to get it started. And then when the voters voted on the override, it was a $9.5 million
override. If you read the ballot, it said $8.8 $8 million is going to the operating budget and 700,000 is going to the budget stabilization fund. So every year 700,000 growing by two and a half% is going into this fund.
And uh I have a graph here of this graph. The numbers are old. The numbers date back to last spring. But this, if you forgive all the colors and bars here, it sort of shows what's going on. We make a contribution in the first year and then the orange line is how much
money we have in this fund. And you can see in the first year we don't withdraw a whole lot and the fund grows. The second year we withdraw more. The third year we withdraw more. The fourth year we draw more. All the way down to the fund is out and we ask the voters for another override. That's the goal. So we
can get from one override to the next without decreasing services. That's the idea. Any questions so far? Okay. So, what I would like is a little bit more of a concrete
policy for how we're going to use it and how we can forecast how much we're going to be taking out from year to year. Uh last spring, the forecast that was presented to this body, it had a forecast for revenue and had a forecast for expenses. And it said, "Well, we
need to subtract one from the other. That's how much we'll take out of the operating budget stabilization fund." That's fine for a forecast to sort of look forward, but then when you get to an actual year, what do you do? You can't say, well, what are our expenses and what are our revenues? We'll subtract them. You'd rather know how
much are we planning to take out of this fund. Uh, a rigorous plan would us help us set our coming budgets. This body adopted a policy, I believe, last fall, which was put some meat to it. It I quoted it here. It says prudent withdrawals
for the years 27 to 30 and make sure it's viable through the year 2030. I'd like something a little more concrete. Not something set in stone, not something inflexible that doesn't let us meet the needs, but something a little more concrete.
So, what I'm proposing is I would like to see the select board adopt a policy to do three things. One is make a plan for withdrawals for the operating budget stabilization fund that I'll call the baseline. It looks at there's an initial $2 million contribution. There's 700,000
plus two and a half% coming in each year. If you just look at those funds, what's a prudent way to spend the operating budget stabilization fund? Again, I'll call that the baseline. And then also a prudent plan for when there are contributions to the operating budget stabilization fund. What do we do
with that? I think we'd all agree that if we say, "Well, we're going to put a million dollars in this year and take a million dollars out and spend that on ongoing expenses." That's not good because that's taking onetime money and spending on ongoing expenses just under
another name. So, um, this has been discussed by Mr. Milano in recent meetings. I'll cover that. But plan, what are we going to do when we put free cash into the operating budget stabilization fund as we're expecting to do this year? then how will it come out?
And also the maybe trickiest part but also one that is essential to figuring out how one and two work is choose a date for what date we're going to plan for an override both to tell the people in the town to plan for an override but also to allow this
calculation. So, I'm going to say the first of these three steps, the baseline contribution. Again, we've got initial 2 million plus 700,000 plus going in every year. I would like to propose that we set it up so that we pay
we pay out every year so that the amount you withdraw goes up by the same amount every year. For example, if we say in year one, we're going to take out 500,000. In year two, we're going to take out a million. In year three, one and a half million. In year four, two million, goes up by the same amount.
Uh, and I will say, you know, this last point is a big point. This is not set in stone. If the budget calls for variations on payouts, that's allowed, but just be clear with the town why we're varying from the plan and put it
along with a forecast of what the impact is for coming years. So, that's the schedule. And I I know I'm talking a lot of words. Don't worry, I'll show you some numbers in the next slide. Maybe that's better or in a couple slides. Maybe that's better. Maybe that's worse. I think once we start seeing numbers, this will make
more sense. Uh, second thing is if we put free cash into this account, what should we do with it? Uh, Mr. Milano suggested something at your last meeting, which I think is a good idea. Pretty much the idea is when you put in put into the
account, say we put in a million dollars this year, then you pay it out in even amounts until you expect to have an override. For example, we think we'll have an override in four years. We could start by saying pull out a quarter million dollars every year. Now, if you
cast your eyes to the bottom, you'll see Mr. Milano suggested, why don't we have that growing by a little bit every year? That's a good suggestion. We know every year the budgets go up. So maybe instead of a quarter million dollars every year, 23%, 24%, a little bit less than a quarter million dollars in the first
year, a little bit more than a quarter million dollars in the fourth year. I think that's a good idea. One uh change I'd like to make is that I would say pay it out in not less than three years. I think that's prudent because again, if we're if we think
we're one year away from an override, then we do that thing where we stick in a million dollars and immediately take out a million dollars and spend it. We can do that. I'd rather have a little more discipline and say even if we're a year out from the override, put in a million dollars, take out a third of a
million dollars and spend that. And then even if we're two years away from an override, put in a million dollars, take out a third of a million dollars over the next two years. That'll still let us have a little bit of a cushion instead of spending all our money right as we put it in. So that's what I'm proposing
we do for the uh contributions we make. And then I'm going to wait to talk about the third point of what year should that be? I'm going to start putting some numbers together. So, hypothetical, let's say we're expecting an override. Let's say we're expecting the town to
vote on an override in the spring of 2030. Well, then you can look at the numbers here, and I'm saying let's assume there's no additional contributions. Well, we already know we expect there'd be one additional contribution, but stick with me. I'm trying to keep the math simple. You can look at the second
row there. We're putting in $700,000 this year, FY26. It's growing by two and a half% every year. Again, under FY26, we put in $2 million of free cash. So that's where we are at the end of this year. We have $2.7 million in there. Then I'm
suggesting with that, we take out $570,000 in FY27. Again, I know we've been discussing other numbers. Just stick with me. I'm trying to get through how the formula works. Take out $570,000 in FY27.
Double that to 1.1 million in FY28. add another 570 to get 1.7 million. So, it's going up by the same steps every year. And lo and behold, we end up at zero in FY30 when we're going to be going to the voters to ask for an
override. No, I'm throwing a lot of numbers at people. Does this, and I know this is also different from what Mr. Milano is talking about. I'll I'll get to that in a minute. Do the numbers make sense of what I'm proposing? >> Okay. Yes. I go to the next slide and
say, okay, what if we're still looking at asking for the voters for an override in the spring of 2030, but then we put a million dollars in from free cash every year. I don't know if that'll happen. It's no guarantee, but let's play out how the numbers would work. The
withdrawal pace, you know, row one, two, three, four, withdrawal baseline, it's the same as from the previous slide. And then I'm saying, okay, and at FY27, we stick in a million dollars and we pull out it's not quite quarter million dollars every year. Again, it's a little bit below a quarter million at first, a
little bit above a quarter million at the end, but it's about a quart million dollars every year. The next three years, we stick in a million dollars. We take out about a third of a million dollars every remaining year. Then when we come to the end, we actually still have a million dollars on this account
because remember in that final year and the year before it, we put in a million dollars and took out took it out over three years. So we're going to the voters for an override in FY in 2030. We've still got a million dollars in this account to help us through to
what's whatever's coming up. Now, if you're following that, I'd also like to lay out numbers for what if, you know, this is, I think, something we need to discuss. What if we're going to be going to the voters and asking for an override in 2029, the
spring of 2029? That would be four years after the last time the voters voted for an override. Then, similar sort of thing, we just get more money out every year. For the baseline, we get 800,000 in the first year, 1.6 6 million in the second year
and 2.4 and change in the third year. Okay. So, we're getting a little more help to the budget every year, which makes sense because we're spreading that over a shorter amount of time. And then this is putting it all together. If we're looking at an
override vote in the spring of 2029, we're putting in a million dollars every year. We get to pull out more. Uh draw your eyes to the bottom. This is, you know, the town administrator had a forecast last spring which was taking out 800,000 the first year, 1.6 million
in the second year, 2.1 in the third year. This is pulling up more in those three lines, those three years. So that's sort of the math of the various options I'm proposing. Now, one question is what is prudent for?
Okay, so now one question is I'm not going to get to that slide yet. I want to give a preface. What what year is prudent to have an a uh what year is prudent to have an override to discuss that? I am going to discuss a
sample forecast that I put together. Now, it's it's a sample forecast. It can and should and will be revised with the help of Mr. Milano, with the help of the town budget committee. I certainly want in the May town meeting when I'm standing up in front of town meeting, I
certainly want to tell them this is our forecast. This is what we think is going to happen. I want to have one in the next couple months. This one's not final. So, I just want to warn you, it'll be very tempting to discuss the forecast. What I'd like to propose is
that I think my forecast is in the ballpark of what is reasonable. And given that it's in the ballpark of what is reasonable, I think it'll help us figure out how to use the operating budget stabilization fund. You might say, Jay, should your forecast be changing this way and that? And maybe
the answer is yes. Um, but let's let's see if this is a helpful tool. So, I put together a multi-year forecast. I used the spreadsheet provided by Mr. Milano and Miss Dexter. I made a couple of assumptions for the future. I assume that health insurance is going to be high this year. It's going to go down to
a reasonable six and a half% thereafter. I'm assuming that the schools are going to have a four and a half% increase in salary this year, 3% increase in non-s salary after that. And the non-school budget is going to go up by 3% annually after that. Again, we may think this is
good, we may think this is bad. I think this is in the ballpark of what we might be looking at for the future. So given that, I want to say, okay, then what does my forecast show before we use the operating budget stabilization fund? ignoring that fund. Revenues versus
expenses. FY27. I'm saying we're 600,000 short. Uh that does fit with what Mr. Milano is saying because he's saying use um don't I'm not going to try to do the math off the top of my head, but I believe it fits with what Mr. Milano is
saying. $600,000 short, 2.7 short in the next year, 3.8 short in the year after that, 5.2 short in the year after that. So, can the operating budget stabilization fund take care of this? I'd like to look at four different examples. There's a lot of numbers on
this slide. I apologize for that. Let's look at a couple of examples. The top example is if we're going to ask the voters for an override, if we're planning to ask the operate voters for an override in the spring of 2030, five years after their last override,
then we've got the red numbers at the top. That's what the budget shortfall would be. We've got the operating budget shortfall, sorry, the operating budget contribution after that, you know, 800,000, 1.3, 1.9. And then, oh, I should have made the next line red.
Also, we have a little bit of a cushion in FY27. In FY28, we're falling short. 29, we're falling short. 30, we're falling short. We're millions of dollars short all those three years. Okay, let's then look at what if we're
that was assuming we make a $1 million contribution in FY27 and nothing more. What if we make a $1 million contribution every year from free cash if we're fortunate enough to do that? The story is better, but it's still a million dollar shortfall for three years. If you look over to the right,
the 3.92, that's these four years added together. $4 million shortfall over four years. Okay. So then what if we plan for an override in 2029? Well, if we make a $1 million contribution this year and not
thereafter, it's a lot better. Half a million dollars over in the first year, $800,000 under in the second year, a million dollars under. All told, it's $1.3 million under. The final line, FY29 with a million dollar contribution each year.
half a million dollars is in the good guy direction one year, half a million dollars in the bad guy direction the next two years. Um, we do end up with a short even in, you know, what I'm sort of presenting as maybe this is a good plan, we still end up with a $400,000
shortfall, $400,000 over three years for $150 million budget. I thought of tinkering with my assumptions to try to get that from a negative to a positive. It's pretty darn close to zero. Um, so
So that's one possibility. So I would say that thing we're going to have to decide as a town we meaning select board is the one who sets the policy but also the warrant committee will have input. Uh the town ministry will have input. Are we aiming for a
2030 override or a 2029 override and how does that affect money coming out of this? I think a 2020 I think a 2030 override plan is not going to be prudent with the needs of this town. And in fact, as I
said, I presented this two weeks ago to the warrant committee. Since then, in the past day or two, I've also been wondering, not to get too far off topic, but uh is even a 2028 override prudent? 2028 override would
not have us being just a little bit under, would have us being just a little bit over. And we heard tonight about needs from the fire department. We heard, you know, just in the discussion the past 15 or 20 minutes, there are needs we can't meet. Uh I don't like
shooting from the hip. I don't have numbers prepared for an FY for a 2028 override, which would be three years after the previous override. I don't like shooting from the hip, so maybe I should stop talking now. But that's uh so
>> is your mouth a weapon? >> If only if only um it does damn. So what I would like the select board to do and I understand that you may not be prepared to do it tonight is to officially adopt the policy. One, what do we do with the baseline
withdrawals? Maybe you like my proposal, maybe you like a different one. Two, what do we do every time a cash is contributed? What I propose is a whole lot like what Mr. Milana proposed. Do we want to put that in writing? And three, and this is the harder one, but I think
think there's an answer right in front of us, is to do this math, we have to say what over what year are we planning for an override? And I think we've got to decide that. I also will we'll end by saying um none of this this may not affect the
dollars coming out of for FY27. I showed 1.1 million. Mr. Mer is showing 900,000. Maybe we won't change FY27 for that. But when I hear my colleagues on the school committee talking about decisions they have to make now,
they're looking at is our budget going to go up by two and a half% per year for the next four years or is our budget going to go up by somewhere around four and a half% for the next several years. That information is affecting, I dare
say, decisions that the school committee is making now. So, we may think we can kick this down the road. I'd like to see a policy set on it as soon as is prudent. >> Thank you, Mr. Fun.
>> Should I stop sharing or? >> Yeah, why don't you stop sharing and then we can um open it up to questions and discussion. Mr. Driscoll, did you have your hand up earlier? It's a lot to take in. >> Sorry. >> No, it's not great product.
I don't see the town wanting to do an override. I've talked to a lot of people and they have beautiful houses and a lot of means. They just don't want to pay any more taxes. They had enough because the last override they said it
was going to be so much. It went up more. You know what I mean? These people have beautiful houses. Beautiful, beautiful houses and they've had enough. I just don't see the the people out there want
to do another override for a long time. >> I do have a couple thoughts on that. I think that it might be positive if let let let's hypothetically say we're aiming for 2029 instead of let's say we're aiming for 2029. If we decide that
now that's three years from now. We meaning the select board meaning the warrant committee meaning whoever can tell everyone in town we're three years away for an override. Let's get ready for it. Let you know this is what the needs will be. This is
what the impact will be next year. Town, we're two years away from the override. Get ready for it. The year after that town, we don't need an override right now. Um, maybe I'm naive. I think that'll go over better than every year. Do we need an override or do we not? Nope. Yes. I
think if we tell people you're three years away from voting for an override, give it some thought. Maybe I'm naive, but I think that might go over better. >> Mr. Wells, you have your hand up. You're muted. >> I want to put my hand down. Make sure I
put my hand down. Mr. D's making taking such good care of me tonight. Watch for my hand being raised. So, a couple things. Um, I hate jumping into my institutional knowledge, but having been on every Override committee since 1986,
um, to Mr. Driscoll's point about people having beautiful homes, there are also those many who particularly our seniors who are living week to week and month to month and just that even discussion of an override can alter their life and make that they
can't live here anymore. So a couple of points, Mr. Funley, you are naive in this. Number one, the the the and as you know, Mr. as all you were here when we just went through this. The decision to live with an override or to schedule an
override lies solely by statute with the select board in any given town. And here it's a town of Milton. For me, I would not want to take the vote away from a select board three, five, six or eight years away um today or even try to do
put that kind of pressure because there are so many invariables here that you didn't touch on. free cash. Yes, the last two years have been significant, but as Mr. Milano knows, in most years prior, it's between one and two million. That's what you're at. So, you don't know, you know, you can never you can
never count on free cashes being what it's been for the last two years. Second, you could have a nine where suddenly the the state budget and the economy tanks and you have 9C cuts where it affects everything across the board and that pushes things out even more.
And and I want to draw on my dear friend Mr. Walker who's sat on so many committees who came up with the idea many years ago of department heads working with level dollar blet budgets level service to try and get through to push those overrides off because the
goal and I and I know I'm near the end here of my time but I I can't stress this to you because it was taught to me in the beginning by Joe McTlect board chair and override chair that I've ever worked with is that you want to do everything you can to push that override
off even one, it means not being able to fund things like the presentation we just heard from the fire chief just an hour ago. That's the reality of where we're at. I mean, in a in an ideal world, yes, your presentation here, okay, but there are so many invariables
as Mr. Mon knows from the state side, local side, revenues, free cash that you just can't know from year to year what you're going to be facing. No one could have thought healthc care was going to increase across the board this year like
it did, but it did. And the thought that it's going to go down just like that. And I leave you with this final question from my newest role. I asked the chair of Ways and Means recently, how do you think things look five years from now?
And his answer was very blunt, way tougher than they are today. So that's the reality of where we are. So, as much as I appreciate your help in this, this is just not an exact science. It's not that simple. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that was long, but this is really,
this is probably the biggest decision we make each and every year, which deals with the finances and the operational capabilities of the town. >> Thank you, Mr. Wells. Uh, other questions from the members of Miss Hagerty. >> So, my thoughts on this, which I don't
think I've really editorialized even after having seen Mr. Funling's presentation three or four times now. Um what strikes me so I struggle with the balance between
there's a tension between having a model like this that we're constantly referring back to. I think this is a framework that we've been lacking over time to drive a
conversation. Now, a framework isn't something that we necessarily have to lock into or strictly adopt, but I think it is so valuable
to be able to see a couple of different scenarios of how that money that people voted for is going could be spent out over time.
And one of the things that was striking to me was that, you know, hearken back to the factors that are in the model. You have 10% for health insurance this year and six and a half% for it in the years
going out. And I think it was with a million dollar contribution each year, we're still at I think a three and a half million dollar
shortfall by 2050. I mean 2030. Sorry, my brain is like >> it's late. >> Yeah. >> So my numbers are going to be sloppy. >> Something something in that ballpark. I think that Jay's model
is is more optimistic than something I'm comfortable with. And this is the challenge with models, right? One of the percentages is off. And and maybe it's part of the reason that people don't like to use models often,
right? Because the model it's like it's kind of like a plan and no plan lasts impact, right? And then you've got to then you've got to move and pivot when you get on the ground. But we we just we need to see it. We
need to see this is this is a potential future. It is the truth of how potentially not that long this money is going to last. And we need to keep that
in our minds as we're making these decisions and as we're um and as we're negotiating these things because I I think I think the voters should know that the way things are
trending right now to Mr. Wells's point and to you know the point that our our mutual friend the chairman of the ways and means committee mentioned to him you know this this is going to be a
challenging five years. Um, so I'm not necessarily saying I I don't have a crystal ball and I don't know when the next override is going to happen, but people should be aware that
um, you know, we have to get a hold on our revenue and on our expenses to make it last. And and we you know, the the override is a part of the revenue conversation. So I think
I think we owe it to everybody to continue a conversation in a structured framework so that nobody is surprised when it comes up. That that's my thinking at this point. I
know there's there's more for us to have to discuss with us. I think this is a a piece of a bigger much bigger conversation. Uh Jay's numbers uh do not incorporate a lot of the
nuance to it. We don't have the schools year-over-year which is something we'll be asking for schools projection um particularly before Miss Blake um takes her leave their projection of what happens with their budget, >> what they would like to get in as well. Um Mr. Milano and the town departments
asking them as well how they see their budgets rising over the next three or four years. But I think what this is is just similar to any company in the private sector is we are trying to budget and make our best guesses going forward and it is on us within this framework to continuously update it. Um
none of this is set in stone. We're not saying it's automatically and override 29 overriding 30. What happens if we overshoot our revenue one year for whatever reason? What if we have a terrible miss and the economy tanks and things happen sooner? I think what we're
trying to get to is a better conversation around our budget. And I think to Mr. Funing's point and his response to to M to member Driscoll, it was it is better if we're able to speak to the town along the way, whatever the
result is. Um, as a resident there, I did feel that the current the last override was surprising. It felt like it I would did feel taken a back caught off guard. This is so even with our joint committee that meets now, it's so that everyone is having the conversation or
more people having conversation. More of the elected boards are having the conversation. No one is surprised. Everyone has an idea. The schools are asking for their growth rate. Can we say to them this is where you can grow and these maybe these are the places you can use state funds to expand in the spaces where it's not town related. So I take
this as the start of I know Mr. Milano and Amy and and Joanna are going to sit going to add more nuance to this model. I think this is the start of us having a better or more robust
backing or conversation about what our budget looks like consistently and constantly, not just a few months out of the year. >> Yeah, I I see your hand up, Mr. Wells. I'm just going to make a quick comment and then I I'll get to you. Um I I you
know I I'm of the exact same mindset. I I I think I do very much appreciate what Mr. Wells is saying about you know about an override. It is difficult decision that override decision that we made to
put forward uh the 9 and a half million last year was fraught and we had parents in here advocating for it. Um there was a lot of effort to just to get to that number. Uh and you know then to find that this number which actually at the
time the schools did suggest was probably going to be a little low was a little low uh and and leaves us short. Um it's it is not a conversation that should just happen all at once and then we put it on the shelf and forget about it until we find ourselves deep in the
red again in the near in the future. whether that's 28, 29, or 30. Um, knowing that other folks will be sitting in some of these seats on the select board in future years, I would be a bit loathed to say this is the day that we
will have another override um because of those fluctuations. But I think it's really worth underscoring that we will need to have another override. Not in the next 10 years, in the next five or fewer years. And that will be
the case forever in this town until we create different structures where we can get commercial and other revenue. I know I sound like I'm beating I'm I'm channeling member Bradley and her money tree with my uh commercial development,
but it's truly the the case that we will never be able to escape this override circle until we find other sources of revenue for the town. And so while we continue to have these conversations which I think are extraordinarily important and and clarifying uh for the
town's financial future, we also must be having conversations about how do we do we I mean because maybe maybe the citizens want to have an override every three or four years. My experience is that of Mr. Driscolls. I don't think that's the case. I I really don't think
that's the case. But if that is, you know, we can we can choose to not have overrides every three to four years. We just then have to buckle up for, you know, a continued reduction in town services until this town is something a place that none of us really would be very proud to call be called home. So,
while we're having these conversations of projection, I also want us to continue to have conversations around revenue sources because we can't be a sustainable town with the 94 96% of revenue coming off of res of real estate
taxes. It's just not the way the world works anymore. Uh inflation, tariffs, everything else, it's just not not a sustainable future. So, um, yes, I'm glad that we're having this conversation. I'm delighted Mr. Funding is here. I'm not really excited about
being in debt, uh, for forever, but, you know, I I'm glad that we are being honest with the with the Milton taxpayers. And um I think we should also be solutionsoriented beyond how do we spend uh you know circuit breaker funds
and over and uh and other funds uh to try to close gaps and really proactively plan for uh a more sustainable financial future for the town. Sorry, Mr. Wells, that was a little bit long for me and I will uh I'll turn it over to you. I'm I
have to say I'm a little jealous of your uh leather couch. I think of while I enjoy this this new room, the seats leave a little bit to be desired for as was suggested. >> You know, I had a I had a meeting in there the other day, so I get where you're at. So, um, couple points. So, I
and I agree with all your comments there. So, couple of things. While we may not have all the commercial dollars, in the past, I think 19 years, this town has received $22 million in private
grant funding from one single source, all made out to the town. And the other, this is more a point for Mr. funding. I do believe, Mr. Chair, that in Mr. for Rock's presentation. I think they're looking to go out in either 28 or 29 for a debt exclusion
that I would conservatively say is going to be somewhere between 150 and $200 million. And to think that you could put a get a operational ride north or south of such a vote either by
one or two years is rarely even with all my years beyond anything I could comprehend. And that's that's out there. You know that that number and that potential debt exclusion is still a
reality. And the years Mr. funings talk about is in the orbit of one they're thinking about. So that only complicates what a future board is going to have to deal with here. You are right. Overrides are going they've been here since 1986 and they're not going to go away. And as
I said previously and I know I'm being lengthy here. The best thing any select board can do is do every single thing they can in a given year. And I get and I agree with Miss Hagerty. I understand what Mr. Funley is trying to do is to try to give some type of structure here.
The goal each year, at least to me, is to try and not put it over. And as you stated, Mr. Zo, we saw last year the emotion that came into this room each and every night with with
when it came to an override. And that $9.5 million override funded zero of those town requests that we've been listening to that since Mr. the Daily M suggest that we start bringing department heads in for for department reports. Zero. So that's a difficulty
here for sure. Thank you, >> Mr. Wells. To add to your point, I think that's also one of the keys of Mr. Funley's presentation is incorporating all of those potential outcomes of the future and us talking about them now.
Right. So talking about >> I would add the school. I would add that potential. That's something that gets added. >> All of that nuance gets added in. >> It definitely puts school in context for sure. >> All right. I know it's getting a bit
late. Um I don't think we're going to be voting on any policies this evening, but u Mr. Finley, I want to thank you so much for your time for coming in and the incredible amount of thought and effort you put into this. I you know, I think your service goes above and beyond what we even expect from our war committee chair. So, we thank you very much for
for continuing to have this conversation. It's certainly something that this board will continue to uh look at and address. And um I I don't know if anyone else has any final thoughts. Um maybe let's just leave it there because we're getting it's getting a bit late. >> Thank you very much. And of course, I'm
happy to talk to any members one-on-one in a group subject to open meeting laws, groups of two. >> I'm uh available to answer any questions. >> Thank you, Jay. I appreciate it. >> Okay. All right. Now we go in one and a half speed. >> All right. One and a half speed. Uh capital budget, Mr. Milano.
>> Uh is there any change? >> Capital committee will be meeting Thursday to finalize its recommendation. Um the capital committee has recommended a one point about just north of $1.2 million of free cash to be utilized, which is a number we've been tracking. So no deviation there. We can provide a
more wholesome update um at our next meeting when we'll have everything wrapped up. We'll look forward to a fullsome update. Um I believe that we've heard from the select board finance committee and the budget coordination committee if there >> everything we've just been discussing is everything we have been working on.
>> Very good. >> Um uh item number 10 is our annual town meeting warrant for May 6, 2026. Uh please note the date for folks. Uh that is the Wednesday. Um I'm going to start saying that regularly so nobody can
proclaim to be uh surprised although everyone will be surprised. Um, Mr. Milano, anything on the warrant? >> Uh, yes. Sorry. I do need the board to weigh in on a couple of articles. If I could just um run through a couple of them, >> please.
>> Um, so the first one we talked about in concept is the Hero Act one. Um, I've I've laid out here what that looks like. So, um, one of the provisions would be to accept, uh, an a section of master law that would
allow the veterans property tax exemptions to increase by cola um, as set by as as set by the department of revenue each year. That's highlighted here under number one. That is something we've already done for the other exemptions. So, we I think there's a consensus on the select board to to move
forward with that. So, that's that's all set. The second aspect is where there is a decision to make. Items two and item three. It's one or the other. Item two would allow the town to double the tax exemptions for veterans. Item three would allow the town to double the tax
exemptions for veterans, but also those for seniors, surviving spouses, um, and those who are blind. Um, so you wouldn't do number two, which is just for veterans. Um, and number three, which is for veterans and the others. You do one
or the other. I think based on our prior discussion, there was a preference to do number three, which would double all of those. We did a little bit more research. Um, in fiscal 25, those exemptions cost us about $83,000. So, you would at least double that for
fiscal 27. Um, they were 77 uh lowest of those on for veterans um cost $30,000. Another 37 of a more expensive tax exemption for veterans about $37,000. And then 17 is for surviving spouses or
um minor children. 37 is for the blind and 41 is for seniors. So um altogether this is the um amount that may be doubled if we were to accept what is labeled here as number three. Um alternatively that number would be
lesser if we only doubled the veterans tax exemptions. Um this is something that um sounds not previously considered um but we wanted to bring it forward um in the context of the HeroAct. So it's um again just to look for the select board's take on um to to move forward
with a proposal to to double the exemptions just for veterans to double all of them or or or not to do take either action. >> Mr. Wells, >> I'll make a motion. Mr. Chair, we need a motion on this. Am I correct? Yeah, we may want to have a little discussion first, but why don't you make your
motion? >> I'll make the motion for the purpose of discussion. So, I'll make a motion that we adopt number three. Um, as outlined by the town administrator. >> Okay. Motion's been made and seconded. Um, why don't we have a little discussion? Um, is there anything you'd
like to say about that, Mr. Wells, before um >> No, I I would support that. I I I think that's a reasonable thing for us to do is as I mentioned earlier when we talked about the impact of overrides as much as to Mr. Dusco's point those who live in
beautiful houses and and can afford them there there is an equal amount of residents in this town to include veterans seniors and disabled who really truly struggle and I think this is probably perhaps one way that we can help them to stay in the houses that that they've loved for so long.
Uh other qu questions, thoughts from the members. I'm also of the mind that um that's probably the preferred approach. I like um you know including the the the blind surviving spouses and seniors. Um so if there's no more discussion on
this, we can go to a vote. Um Mr. Wells, we'll go roll call vote. We'll start with you. >> Absolutely. >> Mr. Driscoll. >> Yes. Miss Hagerty. >> Yes. >> Mr. David. >> Mr. D. Mr. Sketching. and myself. Yes. So, Mr. Milano, we'll
go ahead and take that language uh for our article. >> Winston Winston will have to bond with Tom over being called Mr. Hagy now. >> It happen. >> If that was me, I apologize.
>> You planned to see Mr. Wells. >> All right. So, the >> Sorry, Winston. The second group of articles um again we've discussed this in concept which is uh working with town council to to get the required authorizations to allow the
town to move forward with solar installations on town property. Um AP law has been very thorough made us do a lot of work to get to this point and has resulted in four articles rather than one article. Um so it's not quite
mission creep but more just um doing everything the right way as they see it. Um so the first article would be to allow the select board to um enter into pilot agreements for uh renewable energy
facilities. Um, often when you have a solar installation, um, it's it is taxable and you need to enter into an agreement with that, um, operator to determine what that tax may or may not be. Um, sometimes it's there isn't a tax and then it's rolled into the cost of
the energy you purchased or vice versa. Sometimes there is a tax payment. Um, so the article would seek town meeting authorization for the select board to enter into pilot agreements for any renewable energy facilities that are located within the town. That would be
required component for any solar um here in Milton. Um, so that's the first one and I'll go through these as a batch. Um it's a just essentially a blanket authorization for the select board to enter into these pilot agreements for not institutions but for renewable
energy facilities option for them to pay the >> it had been I shouldn't shouldn't say that it had been not necessarily tax before now as they are being caught up in taxes they want to set out a a payment in lie of a tax so that they
know what that amount is so then that they would adjust their proposed rate that they sell the electricity to us to account for it. So they look at it as we're willing to have this installation sold to you for a certain value, but they don't and they want that value
known whether it's in the PPA rate that we buy electricity for or a combination of the PPA rate and the in the tax. >> So are we setting an amount for each year >> for each agreement there may be a pilot associated that this wouldn't be done here. All this article is saying, hey
town meeting select board's asking for this authorization to do this for each installation going forward. So if we do reach an agreement to put solar on the fire headquarters, we may also need a pilot with that private solar developer. This would give the select authorization to do so
>> rather than back to town meeting once we reach an agreement and ask for their permission. >> So okay, I understand. Mr. Wells, you have your hand up. >> So quick question, Mr. Chair. What about our existing solar? So we have solar on town hall. We have solar on, am I correct, the high school? I I'm not
sure. I don't know if we have it on any other municipal buildings. Does this apply to those existing the existing infrastructure? >> We're looking at all of that with town council. >> Guess that was the million-dollar question, Mr. Chair. >> Sorry.
>> No, that's a it's an important question. >> The intention is to give the authority to the board for anything new that comes into town. We're right now working with select for installation on the fire headquarters for significant savings. That's the one that's our priority right now. So, we're seeking this
authorization at town meeting so that we can wrap everything up um hopefully in May time frame. >> You want a motion, Mr. Chair? >> Uh let's take these all as a batch. >> This is not give them the right for zero taxes. >> Correct. it's it's stipulating a tax
amount um going forward so it doesn't vary or doesn't depreciate. It's it's like a known quantity. It would be part of the overall negotiation. All right. So that's the first one. And I know these are a little confusing. So I'll use the next one as um an example
of what we need to do for each location. Uh sorry for doing this we >> these don't have assigned numbers yet, right? So they would be >> No, not yet. tacked on at the end here 24 plus was. So the other aspect that we would need
be seeking town meeting approval for is a couple of things. Um because these are long-term agreements um select board or any entity that's going to enter into a long-term lease agreement or power purchase agreement needs um authorization from town meeting to do so. So the next three articles are all
similar in which they ask the select the town meeting to authorize a board to enter into a lease um for the location of where solar might be um to grant any necessary easements to contract to enter into a power purchase agreement to buy the electricity um and kind of do
anything else necessary to accomplish the goal. So that's the core of the article here, which is again just because of the duration of these agreements, usually 20-year agreements, we need authorization of town meetings to enter into a contract of that length and also to lease a location
accordingly. The other thing that town council has asked us to do is to get town meeting authorization for each entity to use land for solar. So, now we're in the weeds on legal matters, but we purchased the town hall land where
the town hall sits and the fire headquarters sits from the church in 1935. Um, or is gifted, I should say. And so, it's held by the select board for general municipal purposes. town council's reading is that's great but you also need to now have town meeting
authorization to use it not only for general municipal purposes but also for the purpose of leasing portions of it for solar. So this is very much a legal matter um in terms of who is allowed to use the land for what. Um so town
meeting is adi or town council has advised that this is necessary for each location that we're considering solar for. Again the the number one priority location that we're trying to get the done is the fire headquarters. now. So that's why it's listed here. Town hall does have solar that we own. I think it's a prudent time to ask for a town
meetings authorization to potentially enter a PPA for that because when if and when those panels get too old, maybe it makes sense to have a PPA operator to come in and take that over from now. So uh we're not intending to do anything at town hall in the near future. They're the next project that we're trying to
get done is the Milton Fire headquarters. So again this is a number of authorizations baked into a single article. Um the crux of it is that authorization to enter into agree all the agreements necessary to do solar and this board would then be authorized to
to finalize the negotiation to u execute all the agreements um for it. So again it's more of a blanket authorization than approval of a specific proposal. Mhm. >> Um the library is another candidate um that could take solar. So we have
another article for the library um that would take similar actions um again transferring land authorizing the use of land for solar and allowing the library trustees in that case to to enter into
the agreement for uh power purchase agreement. you know, I would work with will the town would handle those negotiations, but they would retain the ultimate signatory approval of whatever that agreement may or may not be. Um, the first half of this article is again to transfer the parcel. First parcel is
the library itself. So, it's it's on it's held by the library of trustees for library purposes. Now, town meeting and also for solar the parking lot is actually held by the select board for library purposes. So in that case we're transferring it to the library trustees
for library purposes and to the library trustees for the purpose of um solar. So again technical and legal but um in town meetings reading required in order to have a valid agreement and then the rest of the articles like the one for the select board where allows the library trustees to enter into a lease a power
purchase agreement and so forth. >> Okay. Now the last one is a little bit more um >> more complex. >> Not necessarily just the history is a little bit more challenging. So I just wanted to explain it again here. So the
last one is the animal shelter is new 4,300 foot facilities does not have gas. It is 100% electric. Um so significant electrical costs in the heating season. Um and obviously the significant dollar of electrical cost cooling season.
When the town purchased the dump, it purchased it. Um this it authorized the select board to purchase it. It also authorized the board of health to execute all necessary powers on that property. So it's not necessarily in um clear who truly has care and custody of
that property. So, this article proposes to transfer um one of the big parcels up there from the board of health um to the select board for general municipal purposes and to the select board for for um solar and then it has
all the other um authorizations related to solar um PPA agreements and leases. thought this is one where town council has identified with our assistance that actually when the town acquired it maybe it transferred it to the board of health maybe it didn't but needless to say
because it's murky it's best to clear that up now so the biggest change here is taking land um having town meetings authorize a transfer from board of health to the select board for general purposes and also for um solar so I've shared this I I shared the library one
with um Will Adams and asked him to update his board. I shared this with Caroline Canella today. Asked her to share with her board to get their feedback. Um ultimately our two priorities for solar would be the fire headquarters, the animal shelter. The animal shelter being much smaller. It's
not going to be um a typical project that a company like Select that does a lot of municipal solar will have interest in. So we'll have to go another pathway. Um but it requires a little bit more paperwork and um a little bit more explanation. So,
>> check Hills. >> This is Well, right. Well, they might. No, you're right. Um, we will have to do that. >> Yeah, they don't have too much going on. >> No, they don't. They were good about the >> sun in the um >> the windmill.
>> I know. Oh, I'm aware. Uh, so those are the four articles. Really? Three of them are very similar. Um they all are about authorization to let us go do something that town meeting has or town council has identified as as
necessary actions from town meeting. Um so apologize for the deep dive but that is what the articles are proposing. Um and just don't necessarily need a vote but just confirmation that the board wants us to move forward with each of these. >> You know what Mr. Chair, let's take a
vote. I think we should things are >> okay. >> This could drag for a while. I want to make a motion to approve them as as outlined by the time administrator. >> Second. >> Okay. Motion's been made and seconded. Any further questions or discussion?
>> Just just one question, one comment, Mr. >> Yes, Mr. Mr. Chair, is that take the I don't know how the animal shelter from the board of health, but I don't remember this at all, but I'm too tired to care right now tonight. but to parlay them together collectively and maybe you you piggyback the smaller projects on
with the bigger projects such as the fire headquarters and that way you peak the interest of of I see you smiling m Mr. the dailies that ag uh poly into one bigger project and that way you create a likelihood to get one vendor to take them both on. Just a
thought. You don't have to act on that now. Just >> No, I I think that's I think that's good advice. Um so we have >> operational thinking. So >> a motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Uh we'll do a roll call vote here. Mr. Wells, >> yes. >> Mr. Driscoll, >> yes. >> Miss Hagerty, >> yes. >> Mr. Daly,
>> yes. >> And myself, yes. Um, that closes it for me for the warrant article. Sorry for again. >> No, that's fine. >> The war chair for adding more work or adding more numbers of >> here to hear it.
>> Um, uh, Mr. Milano, do we have anything on the RFP for 525 Adam Street? >> The appraiser was at the location today. Um, so we're he's working away on that. I I did put the RFP in the packet. I think at this point probably not worth
going into conversation although we there is a few pieces of that that the board needs to work through. Um >> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion with that we defer that to the next meeting. >> All right, Mr. Wells >> suggestion doesn't have >> that's a good suggestion. I don't know that we need a motion. Yeah, I
>> I right now >> I I agree. >> Yeah. >> Um and uh Mr. Milano, the MSBA feasibility study agreement. Uh yes, this does require action this evening um ahead of the MSBA board of directors meeting on February 25th. Um the MSBA
has since I put in the packet the feasibility study agreement um that outlines the agreement that the town and MSBA would enter into. It stipulates what will be studied and won't be studied. We've talked about this um a bit already. Um but the the main key
elements are that the town will be studying three options. An addition renovation of the Cunningham Collic existing facility. Um a new elementary uh K to5 building with 495 students and
a new grade 78 middle school. That is what will be studied with MSBA. Their reimbursement rate is 44.68%. So, their grant, their maximum grant for the feasibility study would be $670,000. Um, this will be voted on and taken up
by the MSBA at their meeting on February 25th, at which point um we would execute the agreement and um commence uh procurement of an ownus project manager and then the architect on the project will really start uh get it going from there. We sent the agreement to town
council, but the MSBA is very much take it or leave it if you don't like our legal terms. So uh while we did share with town council um they did say it is what it is um if the town wants to move forward. So this is the standard feasibility study agreement. The key pieces being what is the parameters and
scope of the work which I outlined. >> All right. Uh any questions for Mr. Milano? I will take a motion on this if anyone >> I'll make a motion Mr. chair to approve the feasibility study agreement with the MSBA uh Masters of School building
authority at the town >> and authorize the chair to execute the >> and authorize the chair to execute the agreement. Yeah. >> Thank you. Motion's made and seconded. Uh any further discussion? This will be a roll call vote. Mr. Wells, >> yes. >> Mr. Driscoll, >> yes. >> Miss Eerty? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dailyaly? Yes.
>> And myself? Yes. >> Uh Mr. Milano, we have item 13 is our housing production plan. A proposal and caution B committee charge and composition. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I sent the board a note about this earlier um or late last
week, I should say. Uh we have a uh planning director Liz Manning did a requested proposals for housing production plan. We received a proposal from Karen Sunborg who prepared the most recent housing production plan for Milton um for $22,000. Uh the affordable
housing trust has reviewed that and agreed to support that work um by funding up to onethird of the cost. So about $7,500. The planning board has likewise agreed to support that work and has also voted to fund one-third of the project um and
another $7,500. So um seeking select board um setting aside $7,500 out of its budget to commence the housing production plan. And also um we didn't prepare a charge and composition but the concept is that we would set up a
committee to oversee this work with a third of the membership coming from design with the affordable housing trust one third from the planning board from the select board. Um we can spell out a little bit particular if the select boards in agreement on overall concept
and um getting this work started. The town's housing production plan expired in January of 2025. So um something we're looking to have I'll make a motion to approve the 7500 from the select board budget to fund the housing production program.
>> I'll add I'll add a bit of context after the second. This was splitting the cost was brought up at the affordable housing trust with the concept being that with all three of our boards involved, the housing production plan will not just sit that it will behoove all of us who are there to actually put what we find
into place. So, >> thank you. I um so the motion was made and seconded by Minister Driscoll. Um I think it would be worthwhile at a future meeting to review a charge and composition uh of the of the committee. Um but I think in the meantime we can
certainly approve this. So um motion's been made and seconded. It's a roll call vote. Um Mr. Wells, we'll start with you. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Mr. Driscoll. Yes. >> Missy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Bailey? >> Yes. >> And myself? Yes. >> Um we move to item 14, discussion approval board and committee
appointments. Master Plan Committee. Uh we have um Mr. Chair. >> Yes, Mr. Wells. >> Would it be all right with the members if we appointed Miss Hagerty tonight and then I'd like to look at the I just saw this today. Can we come back and vote
the two members at a later at the next meeting? Would that be all right? >> Objections? >> No. No objections on this side. If if you want to go ahead and nominate Miss >> I'll make I'll make I'll make a motion to appoint Miss Hagerty um to the M to the new master plan. uh committee for a period of 10 years.
>> It's a one-year term. >> I just want to get a rise out of the night. >> I was paying attention. >> I'm glad someone picked up on it. >> Yeah. >> All right. The one-year nomination's been made and seconded. Um Mr. Wells.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Driscoll, Miss Hagerty. >> I think I have to abstain, right? >> Probably. Uh Mr. Dailyy and myself. Yes. Um to the other um applicants, we will consider you at our our next meeting uh
which is I believe the 23rd 24th >> 24th. We are looking for several more members. We need seven members of seven Milton residents to uh serve on it for a nine member committee. So if um anybody else out there please submit your uh
information to us. So the f so just as a as a clarifying question. So this is the pool of applicants so far. >> Whoever doesn't get voted in from the select board then just passes to the town to
the moderator and the planning board. >> Okay. >> Is that what you were going to ask? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Great minds. Uh Mr. Milano, any updates on the uh road diet? I checked out the mascot this week. Um they um
>> Excuse myself. >> Stay. We're not going anywhere. No discussions, but I >> I'm going in the other room. >> Oh god. >> They are um they are looking at removal of the delineators between Pleasant and Reed and Access Road potentially take
place once construction season um starts up for them and the weather's better. And then um we are we are looking at dates to to have a a more um broader conversation about long-term and post-pilot um feedback um study
evaluation and permanent or non-permanent. So likely board's um second meeting in May after town meeting um is the date we're kind of starting uh for for that. So we'll once we firm that up we'll finalize that. But those are the two those are
the two updates I have. >> Thank you very much. Um meeting minutes from January 13, 2026. Uh Miss Eert, you can come back in now if you'd like. >> Who went home? >> She just went to the drinking fountain.
Um was everybody at the January 13th meeting? Did we have everyone? I >> think so. >> Um okay. So I'll take a motion on um the meeting minutes for January 13th. I'll make that motion. >> Approval. >> Uh motion to approve been made and
seconded. Uh this is a roll call vote. Mr. Wells. >> Yes. >> Mr. Driscoll. >> Yes. >> Merty, >> yes. >> Mr. Dailyaly, >> yes. Myself, yes. >> Um so I'm just going to call members attentions to the um agenda. We've added members report here. So um because I
think the chair's report was kind of turning into a bit of a hodgepodge. So, this is an opportunity for folks to just talk about anything that they have been working on that they we haven't been able to get to uh at the meeting. I would suggest maybe this tonight we don't go into too much detail. Uh but we will start with the town administrator's
report. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of items tonight. Uh we had a new employee join the Treasury Collector's Office, Casey Clark, a Milton resident who started a couple weeks ago as um as a new management uh level position in that office. So, we're excited to have
her. um uh join us and work closely with Joanna and team collectives office. Uh we met today with um Katie Conlin, chair of the Airplane Noise Advisory Committee, Paul Hogan from the Massport CAC, our rep there, um Kevin Chrysom Jr.
from Rep. Wells's office, Senator Driscoll, uh Rep. Luca Reed, um a couple of the members of their staff just to talk about and refresh on airplane noise issues. >> Oh yeah, I'm sorry as well. >> I don't need credit for everything though.
Sorry. >> So, we talked about just um you know trying to refocus efforts around airplane issues in Milton as it has fallen a bit off the radar. Um, so we're planning to have uh invite Katie and
Paul in for our meeting on February 24th. Um, and uh work on some letters in the meantime to our congressional delegation FAA mass support just to to resurface the long-standing issues in terms of overflight issues and Milton Milton's position on them and trying to
to just get re-engagement with all of those groups um to keep that issue on the forefront as it's uh not an issue that's gone away. >> Correct. Um we had a tabletop exercise on a cyber security incident um last week, January
28th and or two weeks ago I should say at this point and um obviously there was one at Milton schools um uh on Friday. So uh very timely event for town staff. So Rob Mallet pulled that together with um an official from the state. It was free of charge for us. We're in this
room talking about a a real scenario that played out in another community, how Milton would react, uh what gaps we have, and now we're taking that next steps in terms of incident response plan. Um you know, how we would maintain continuity of operations as they
reiterate over and over again. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Um so we didn't know how timely it may or may not be, but um just know it's something we're we're aware of. we're working on. Um, kudos to Bob Patterson and his team over at school IT and then to Rob Mallet and his team here for for
getting that work underway. Um, and that's really it for me at this point. So, thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, uh, Mr. Milano. Uh, from the chair, um, condolences to the Patriots fans. Um, that I want to say kudos to DPW for the amazing work that they
continue to do. Um, this has been a more inclement weather uh, winter that we've had. uh in the last couple of years. Um and I just do want to remind folks if they didn't hear earlier, if you have a fire hydrant on your street or that's easily accessible from your house, uh
and you or you or maybe a strapping teenager in your house has the ability to shovel it out, I would encourage you to do that. Um it's uh it makes everybody's lives easier and safer. Um and we will go to members report. anything that anyone uh has been working
on that they'd like to discuss? Okay, Mr. Wells, two two Thank you, Mr. Chair. Two quick points. One is um I meant to do this two weeks ago. Um the members will recall that uh our
Veterans Day, God, it's hard to believe. Our keynote speaker on Veterans Day was a a highly decorated Army veteran native of Milton, Colonel Mark Denton. And I don't know if any of you saw it recently, Colonel Denton has been appointed the newest commonant of
Norwich University of Vermont. And I think that's a great credit to his many years of service to this country and to his hometown, which is we all saw on that day. He's so proud of he's so proud of the fact that he's a graduate built high, you know, grew up here. um great
school and um congratulations to him. And just my final point to Mr. as you know um Lieutenant Caputo has run that LEAPC the local planning committee since I stepped down. I started it in 911. I I
held the chair I didn't realize it till the other day until like 2007 when he took it over. Um, I just quick suggested to you was that Sergeant Erns that you do everything you can to get him the training that he needs particularly in unified command. It's you know he comes
from an operations background. This a brand new field for him and for these type of multid-disiplinary type scenarios. I think whatever training you can get him in command is be really beneficial to him going forward. >> Thank you Mr. Wells.
>> Thank you Mr. Chair. Uh we had no public comment so there's no need for response there. Our future meetings are February 24th, 2026th and March 10th, 2026. Uh any future agenda items from the members? >> Uh one from me. I spoke to M. Milano about this before, but I wanted to bring
it to the board um to put on a future agenda us updating our budgeting and financial software. Um, with the conversations we're having about forecasting, I think it's time for us to talk about how we do that and kind of bring our technology into in 2026 to
make things a little easier. >> Thank you. It might make sense to have the uh the treasurer join us for that discussion. >> Oh, hand it off to >> I I uh I I should add I met uh Miss Clark uh today and she seems excellent and was very happy to be there. So, great. That's a great hire.
Um, any other future agenda items? Okay. Um, do we have executive session? >> I have a brief update under collective bargaining. >> All right. In 24, we can defer for sure. >> Uh, 24
was the Oh, the meeting. >> Um, so I am going to make a motion to enter into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining. Milton Clerical Unit of the Southeastern Public Employees Association, Milton Professional Management Association, Milton Public Employee Association, Milton
Firefighters, Local 116, Milton Police Association, Milton Superior Officers, Milton Library Association. Based on my belief that discussion of this matter in open session may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the select board. Select board will not return to open session.
I have a second on that. Second, >> uh, Mr. Daly got the second in there. This is a roll call vote. Uh, Mr. Wells. Yes, >> Mr. Driscoll. >> Yes, Miss Hagerty. >> Yes, >> Mr. Dale. Yes. And myself. Yes. >> Um, so I'm going to adjourn our meeting
of the select board. We do have uh Thanks Jay. Um I given the hour I'm going to push uh our governor I don't think we have any urgent things on the governor Stoen trust. So I'm going to push that to um our our next meeting. Um
so that will conclude our uh meeting this evening. Thank you everyone for joining us. Thanks to the members. Thank you, Mr. Milano. Thanks to Hev.