[Music] f good evening and welcome to the warrant
committee it's April 2nd 2025 Karen can you call the role please can't I'm going to call cuz I couldn't see everyone that was there there um so Tom is there I know
Steve what's up with the can you hear me not well kind of kind of cutting in [Music] out um Steve yep
oh okay I'm sorry I don't know what happened there um Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes I see on Zoom Al if you can accept the invitation to be a panelist when I'm
done Andrew ma present Julia yes Brian yes Aman yes Ron and
Judy here okay I'll set we have a quorum yes I'm here okay great thank you Karen uh thank you Judy so uh just continuing off from last night we're
going to start to um votes on uh on these articles we'll start with article one and we'll move through as we kind of decided late last night um we'll go through the Articles and obviously there are probably a few here that we that need some additional
discussion um we can table those but let's just get through the whole warrant as best we can uh as we usually do and then go back and uh reexamine the the articles that people would like to discuss further um so we can start with
article one uh to hear an act upon the report of the Town accountant and other Town Offices by the committee Town officers and the committee uh is there anybody like to discuss article one does anybody have a
motion as to article one make a motion to approve vote Yes okay so it's a motion to hear an act uh to recommend that the town vote to accept the report of the town and other Town officers and
committees yes thank you second seconded by Peter um Karen could we can we call the role for the vote sure y I'll start with Steve you see me
yes Lori yes yes y yes yes yes Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes yes the motion carries
thank you it's unanimous we move on to article two um it's a recommendation the town vote to amend the following appropriation voted by the 2024 annual town meeting by the article referenced in the table below for the 12- month period beginning July 1 2024 to money to
the reserve fund as we discussed last night to appropriate the sum of 700,000 and that sum would be appropriated from fund certified from the Department of Revenue as free cash would any member like to discuss this
article okay no hands being raised is there a motion as to article two in the recommendation to town meting I move that we amend the reserve fund appropriation for fy2 as shown in the document provided by the Town Administrator thank you Jay is there a
second second second by Steve Karen could we call the role as to article two Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Ryan yes I like your place
Aman yes Andy yes and then back Tom Tom she's asking yes motion Care thank you um as to article three hope so this is the town
Treasurer um enter into um balance agreements during the fiscal year beginning July 1 2025 according to chapter 44 53f of the general laws and act on anything related there to submitted by the select board with anybody like to discuss article
three authorizing the town treasury does anyone have a motion as to article three I move we recommend the town vote yes thank you as to article three uh see the town will vote to authorize the town treasury to enter into compensating balance agreements during this fiscal
coming fiscal year Karen could we call the the role a second a second second by Peter I'm sorry thank you okay okay uh Steve yes Lori
yes Liz yes J yes yes Andrew yes ma yes Julia
yes Peter yes Ryan yes Aman yes J yes Tom yes Mo carries thank you okay uh on to
article four uh recommendation the town appropriate 5,793 500 to fund the capital project listed in the warrant under Article 4 um would anyone like to discuss this article are we going to skip this one
come back to it skip okay can I just make a comment sure I I did get a a series of emails from Will on the library um generator I brought that up the other night should I forward that to to you or to the warant committee you
could forward it to me and Karen and Karen if I can distribute that to everybody I think it's worth it okay so we're going to table article four on to Article Five Article Five is a recommendation
the town of apprpriate the amount shown in the tabulation under recommendation for fiscal year 26 it's money to appropriate to the select board for the purpose of conducting a municipal audit um ending this fiscal year uh June 30
2025 would anyone like to discuss this article the amount is 7650 7 $ 76,5 any motions says to article F make a motion to recommend vote Yes for Article Five um the town to appropriate
the select board for the purpose of conducting a municipal audit for the fiscal year ending June 30th 2025 is there a second second and's a second Karen can you call the vote on Article Five please
sure Steve yes Lor yes Liz yes Jay yes [Music] Allison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Ryan Yes Aman
yes yes and Tom yes um moving to article six um this is an appropriation for the cost items not departmental budgets uh collective bargaining agreements uh reached before after this
date in July 1 uh this between the town uh and bargaining units representing all Town employees the sums to be allocated the two departments and act on anything related there to uh the wage set aside tabulation is in article six um but anyone like to discuss
this non-school Union collective bargaining agreements okay would any anyone have a seeing No Hands uh anyone have a motion make a motion to uh for the recommend the town vote Yes for article six as
noted uh to for the sum of uh the money will vote to appropriate the purpose of funding cost items not in departmental budgets uh beginning for beginning the period of July 1st 20125 the second second second second
all Karen could you call the vote Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Alison
yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes ran yes
Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes the motion hold on for one minute and we're going to reset our Zoom computer which we think is going to reset this very annoying re oh absolutely we'll take
just be like one minute we'll take a one minute break no no thank you we need a the people on Zoom might uh lose their audio of the meeting while we're res computer get it back okay I don't know if you heard that if you're on Zoom you may lose your audio briefly you will get
it back we res setting our Zoom thank you thank you we were going a little fast there slow it down I don't want to get home before 11 this your break are we live right
now you are still live okay great n candy thank [Music] you what we're going to I think we're going to eight now yeah hold on seven seven
sorry my bad Karen do you mind just um sliding I don't know if you can hear me probably can't if if you have your uh the warrant out on your computer or handheld device perhaps um there are some numbers here you should just take a quick look
at that were redone is this article article seven six seven seven seven there's a bunch of scner Errors too further up I don't know if you saw them spelling errors I thought about
I real we can't do that so I left it there'll be a there'll be a an edit we'll go through it again okay recording in progress all [Music]
right I should be back I can test hi Karen Karen can you hear us she needs a generator go she go to library go to
library new Mar libr is nice downstairs rooms very nice I had to send to theor the library closed won't be open long enough what should
this is Karen does that sound okay yeah yeah sound great much better oh great nice nice and crisp um so we're on to article seven Karen so is she yes and as are you um so
I just noted for the warrant committee the revised numbers in the tabulation um this is employee benefits post employment everything is anybody would like to discuss or have anything any comments on article
S no okay do I have a motion and I I'd ask that you do your best on the motion for the recommendation I'm I'm not going to repeat it I move that we adopt the uh recommend the employee benefits budget as laid out
in the amended version of the warrant sent To Us by the Town Administrator totaling non-contingent amount of approximately $23.6 million or a contingent amount of $115,000 less than that
okay do I hear a second Peter Karen can you call the vote steeve Yes yes Li yes yes Allison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes yes and Tom yes motion carries thank you article H
article 8 concerned it's a uh amending chapter 61 of our general bylaws known as a Personnel Administration bylaw there's a schedule set forth in article 8 and to appropriate the sum of $100,000 to fund wage adjustments effective this
July 1 um anyone like to discuss article 8 as printed in the warrant No Hands raised is there a motion as to article 8 all right I'm I move that we amend
chapter 61 of the general bylaws as set forth in the schedule an appropriate $100,000 to fund wage adjustments as is shown in the below in the document we received second Steve I've got a second Karen can
you call the vote Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes J yes
Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes
Aman yes juny yes and Tom yes motion carries thank you Karen uh article nine Public Safety
appropriation 12 month period inspectional Services fire militon Emergency Management Mima and police would anyone like to discuss the appropriation for our Public Safety okay any motion as to the appropriation for their Public Safety is
printed in the warrant in article nine these are certainly long to uh recommend so I recommend voting yes on article 9 as detailed below and summarized non-contingent recommend FY 26 amount of 16
m773 570 with a contingent recommendation FY 26 of $481,500 [Music] Liz yes Jay yes Alison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes Tom
yes motion carries thank you to article 10 this is our um General government Town departments including select board accounting insurance law Information Technology Town reports
select board veterans Board of assessors town clerk election registration and Treasurer collector um would anyone like to discuss or have any comments as to article 10 General government
appropriation uh no hands are raised I take it um and I'm going to have a motion as to article 10 General government appropriation recommend vote Yes on article 10 General government appropriation as summ summarized and
tabulated Below um sorry folks I'm just scrolling to make sure I get the right columns here uh totaling uh that's um non-contingent recommendation of uh 5, 273,000
107 with a recommendation of uh for the contingent recommendation for FY 26 of Allison yeah Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom yes motion
carries uh on to article 11 11 uh this is the appropriation for the uh boards and committees in the town boards and special committees a through H including Conservation Commission Council and aging historical commission planning board master plan implementation
committee um bylaw Review Committee with no um appropriation in our warrant committee would anyone like to comment or discuss this article article 11 anyone have a motion as to article 11
make a motion to approve article 11 as annotated here um and tabulated Below U the fund the boards and committees non-contingent recommendation for FY 26 of um make sure I get the right one here
look like 519 thou sorry 5 9,962 and contingent recommendation for FY 26 would be 45,000 second second Julia thank you Karen can you call the vote as to article
11 Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes Tom
yes motion carries thank you okay next up article 12 this is our Public Works appropriation non-contingent and contingent recommendations for fiscal year 26 um upon passage by the voters of
Milton for an override um would anyone like to discuss or have any comment as to the public work appropriation one good okay make a recommendation to vote Yes on article 12 for the public works appropriation for
non-contingent recommendation FY 26 amount of 5,926 496 would a contingent recommendation fy2 6 of 1421 157 second Andrew second Steve's motion
Karen can you call a vote as to article 12 appropriation for Public Works Steve yes Lori yes am I miss Liz oh I didn't hear you say my name I'm sorry yes
Jay yes Allison yes uh Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter
yes Brian yes [Music] Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes motion carries um as to Article 13 this
is our W this we're getting our Enterprise fund articles this is our water Enterprise fund um and this is um 8,249 uh there's a table in here the appropriation the recommendation um and i' just like the warrant committee to note the corrected
sum the 250,000 retained earnings coming off the rate user fee for an amount of 7,574 993 um would anyone like to discuss or have does anyone have any comments about
this uh no hands are raised um would anybody have a motion to consider Article 13 yes make a motion to approve Article 13 for water Enterprise um corre uh fund U with the
noted correction of seven 7 million uh 824 is that 7,574 uh 963 uh appro appropriated for FY recommended appropriation for FY 26
of 8, 24, 903 second Andrew second Karen can you call the vote as to Article 13 water Enterprise fund yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes
Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes the motion carries thank you Karen uh on to article 14 our second Enterprise fund this is our sewer Enterprise fund uh Town appropriate
8,799 n89 to the Enterprise fund and that's 738,000 $4 be raised and appropriated as follows and uh the table uh included under article 14 does anyone have uh again motion or
discussion of this make a motion to approve article 14 uh sewer Enterprise fund um based on annotate based on U the summary given by the chair um with the appropriation for
recommendation for FY 26 of 9,538 664 you Steve anyone second that Peter second motion Karen can you call the vote Steve
yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom yes the motion
carries thank you everyone on to Article 15 this is our storm water Enterprise fund and it's recommended that the town appropriate the sum of 1, 103,000 $60 for the stormwater Enterprise fund and that 55,1 125 be included in the
Appropriations from our general fund for indirect costs and be allocated and then be allocated to the storm water Enterprise fund for funding and that 1,1 158,00 $185 be raised and appropriated as follows in tab in the in the tab in
the schedule uh in Article 15 storm water Enterprise revenue and Enterprise costs would anyone like to discuss the storm water Enterprise fund or does anyone have a comment as to this article I have a comment sure was this this is the one that was in relation the
question was the um I can't think Mass DCR owes money to the town correct and I don't know if that should I think that should get noted in the notes and maybe somebody should try to approach it in the comments in the comments yeah and I think somebody should try to okay raise
it or something I'm not against this but anyone else you know followup on that I think he's right I I I I think it should be noted there and with the CPC funding as well that those there's there helping
to fund that project renovation building on land that you know they they ow the Town Money lots of money so tough yeah the the state or does the DCR pay us don't they they they pay us for the Blue
Hills water why couldn't they pay us for the storm water too they pay us for all the land we didn't get the amount last night though when I asked Nick it's not that much money but still it's still money yeah um and even what the state pays
so I mean I think it you know we could mention that in the comment Brian it's not a problem yeah we should find out how much they owe us yeah I'm C I'm really curious we can redu from our MBTA fee that we pay to the state we can take a credit for something
yeah more more local Aid something money oh my goodness a big one okay does anybody have anything else just as to this the storm water fund you G have a motion as to our storm
water Enterprise fund make a motion to approve Article 15 as noted and described by the chair uh recommended fy20 six um money is to be appropriated of 1,
12581 185 second okay uh Karen can you call the vote Yes Lori
yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter
yes Brian yes Aman Aman yes Judy yes and Tom
yes the motion carries yes Mr chair can I note something sure please I don't know if I'm looking at the most recent version but there appears to be a scrier A in the version I'm looking at uh the total bottom line says 12581 185 but in
the paragraph it says 1158 585 which uh oh that's right that is an error thanks Jay yeah which I and and it ALS Alo yeah
similarly the chart says 12360 the third from the bottom and the paragraph says 113 that's also $100,000 off yeah and when Steve when he was reading it I I'm pretty much blaming Steve I
mean I will accept all blame on this well this is the thing committee like we have the number in the written recommendation but we have the the the table Yeah but we have the file right should be oh good point good point yeah
I'm not sure which is right or wrong we have to send it to them because you can I think it's the Lesser number but it so what do we do make a recommendation to be revised and then
we if we just voted should we make a motion to unvote and then have an opportunity to revote I amended right you have to yeah once we figure out figure out what the error
is number is the coration so make a recommendation to amend the vote based on um based on an error noted um yeah it's $100,000 error in the
bottom line total for the recommendation FY 26 Oh Yeah from the recommended sum of 1 million 15885 so literally it's a it's a I I I think this higher amount is not the correct one but um I cannot answer that
specifically yeah the lower amount matches what's on the spreadsheet correct right I nice catch Jay nobody wants to hear this but this might be something for another day Andor get on the phone in the next short
time can you R you want me to yeah um wait well you want do you want me to call him yeah Karen could you just can you reach out to him I'm surprised he turn my volume off for a second but I'll call
him right now phone A friend is that your final answer thank you very much Jay F I'm sure that's what everyone is feeling in their heart right now lots of feelings because we voted on the lower amount
he he did not pick up so maybe if we just want to highlight it and um maybe come back to it later yeah let's table 15 storm water did we already vote on it though we we did so let's let's our vote let's
let's undo our vote so should we wait and see what the answer is before well the thing is I cited the number of the 1,1 15,1 185 we voted as to the number recited by Steve which is the total in
the bottom line of 1,258 185 so we voted a higher amount so so let's wait and see if that is a correct one there's an error up top right I think the error is down low so the yeah the bottom the total is wrong
doesn't match the paragraph okay in my humble opinion we voted on what was printed here which what was printed here is wrong because it's got to different things she rested our vote do we vote to I mean I don't know if it's we're going toit we're going to revisit It Anyway undo it yeah we'll
just undo it then well un undo it when we find out which number is correct the we might have gotten lucky you know okay uh K we're gonna move on to 16 this is the enhancement of the Water Systems this is a 10-year loan from the
W uh MW um 596 th000 [Music] uh I'm sorry 16 is this where we are 16 yes six
yeah anyone like to discuss this let us borrow money can I pull a can we go back what budget file are you looking at Jay uh I don't know it's to 15 I'm getting
different I one we got this week 32825 on the tab Revenue summary line 47 row 47 yeah and what number do you see 13060 okay and I I'm sorry I thought the number that you said was a different number oh okay that so I do have that
number thank you I just want to make sure I had the right thought that SS to storm water storm water yes sorry I was pulling can we go back to the last article yeah we just read this one yeah so we're on 16 now yeah so this is
voting to appropriate the sum of 500,000 $596,500 be appropriated for the purpose of financing Rehabilitation replacement or enhancement of the town's Water Systems including all incidental
costs and this is the the um funds used to rehabilitate the drinking water system through the MW local water system assistance program any like to discuss this article 16 anyone have a motion as to article 16 motion to vote to recommend that
uh $596,500 be appropriated for the purpose of financing the rehabilitation replacement or enhancement of the town's water system second as outlined in article second seconded by Steve thank you Julia uh Karen could we call the
vote as to article 16 Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Alison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman
yes Judy yes and Tom yes the motion carries thank you Karen on to article 17 this is um voting to appropriate Capital needs for the town's sewer
system um so this was Rec it's recommend we're going to rec or we potentially is going to be recommending the town me at the sum of 1,1 150,000 even be appropriate for the purpose of financing the capital needs of the Town seore system this is a loan this is a through
the MW program this would be a 75% would be used as a grant and the 25% of the funds would be in the form of a z% interest loan through the assistance program so that's an important um point in this article would anyone like to
discuss this remember it has to be paid off in 10 years it's the only caveat seeing No Hands raised does anyone have a motion as to article 17 all right take another shot at it make a
motion to approve article 17 as described so eloquently by our chair um recommend that the sum of 1,50,000 be appropriated to financing Capital needs of the Town sewer system
including costs incidental related to their of okay you have a second to that motion second Peter Karen could we call the vote as to article
17 SE appropriation yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom
yes uh so I have an answer from Nick on 15 do you want to go back to that or wait till later say committee you want to go back might as well yeah just do it now yeah he says the number in in the text in the
paragraph is a type of the number in the table is correct and the number in the text will need to be edited that's why we didn't undo the vote I knew it mentally when we're good okay so was the okay so we're all good okay all right
okay Karen what I'm gonna do is that um can you make a note of that in this war um can you strike that or red line um that number in the the text just so Nick knows
Karen yeah I'm sorry I'm searching for it I don't know why I can oh right here Article 15 yeah uh and it should be what should be one two it should be one 1,2 58,183
number now the first number should be 1 1, 23,6 right here right yep here yep should be 1 2 03 060 uhhuh and the last
number in the text the 11 581 1855 should be 12581 185 updating okay that look good yeah okay great Karen thank you so every member is
satisfied we voted to that bottom line number y okay so it's a good vote no undoing and undoing thank you Jay I've never seen an undo before it's a new one yeah thanks j i 18
18 yes this is um the yeah this is uh Rehabilitation of our storm water system and uh our recommendation to town meeting would be that the sum of 320,000 be appropriated for the purpose of financing Rehabilitation replacement or
enhancement of the Town storm water system including any any incidental costs we're authorizing the the treasurer after approval by the select board to borrow pursuant to chapter 44 sections seven and eight of our general
laws um so we're borrowing money to do this 96 miles of public roadway in the town of Milton takes the water for so would anyone like to discuss storm water borrowing make a recommendation to vote
Yes on article 18 uh for storm water or sorry yes is storm water uh Rehabilitation Rehabilitation of storm water system um as noted by the chair to have the treasurer make the recommendation uh for the sum of
320,000 um and seek approval from the select board do so second second Andrew uh Karen can you call the votee vote please as to article 18 Steve
yes laor yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Maxwell Maxwell Julia
yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes motion carries thank you next
article is 19 this is appropriation for health and sanitation the Board of Health uh this uh like others has non-contingent recommendation and a contingent recommendation and it's
uh a tab tabulation in uh in Article 19 the non-contingent uh recommendation is 6,732 the contingent recommendation override does not pass will be reduction of8 thou uh will be reduced by
$8,000 for the contingent recommendation does would anyone like to speak to this article any comments do anyone have a motion make a motion make a motion to approve um Article 19 as noted uh by the chair uh
appropriate for health and sanitation um for non-contingent recommendation of 60173 to with contingent recommendation of refy 26 of $8,000 that's a reduction of 8,000 sorry
reduction yes um second second by Andrew Karen can you call the vote as to article 18 health and sanitation yes sorry St oh still yes
yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Ryan
yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom yes motion carries okay on to article 20 this is um the appropriation for our public
library and it's um recommendation the town appropriate the amounts in the table um under the the heading there a non-contingent recommendation fisc year 26 and the town appropriate the amount shown under the tabulation under the heading contingent recommendation fiscal
year 26 two different numbers override passes or it doesn't pass um there's a slight increase in this budget as indicated uh just existing contracts
contractual wage increases very slight anyone like to speak to the library appr ration non-contingent and contingent recommendation is there a motion as to the library the appropriation is
1,974 529 and that's raised from our tax levy make a motion to approve article 20 uh for the public library um as noted by the chair uh the raise
1,974 529 from the tax levy right and the contingent recommendation is 6985 yes second seconded by Julia thank you uh Karen can you call the role as to
article 20 the appropriation of the public libraries Library Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes
Allison Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman
yes uh Judy yes and Tom yes motion carries thank you on to article 21 this is our appropriation for and Improvement of our Cemetery uh both again a non-contingent
recommendation with FIS year 26 and a contingent recommendation um I'd like to note for the warrant committee the um the change in the salaries and wages on the non-contingent recommendation uh down to uh 78414
um and the um the appropriation is in the total sum of 9 168,169 rais from the levy um it additionally recommends that the department of the cemetery is authorized to sell or exchange old
equipment um the reduction on the contingent budget if override does not pass is uh reduction in the budget of approximately 35 is $35,000 anyone like to speak to this comment concerning the cemetery budget
think no hands raised does anyone have a motion as to the cemetery appropriation make a motion to approve article 21 as noted by the chair for appropriation for the cemetery uh maintenance and Improvement um the non-contingent
recommendation FY 26 of um total of 9331 187 with a contingent recommendation for FY 26 that the override doesn't pass of 35,000 uh to meet set appropriation in the sum of
968,000 would be raised from the tax levy second that second Julia second thank you Karen can you call the vote on article 21 Cemetary appropriation
please Steve yes glor yes Liz yes Jay yes Alison yes Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom
yes motion carries thank you on to 22 this is our appro appropriation for uh Parks and Recreation of the town of Milton this again has a non-contingent recommendation fiscal year 26 and the contingent recommendation and this is to
authorize the continue use of parks and rec revolving funds pursuant to the um provisions of chapter 68 of the general bylaws of the town and appropriate the amount of $741,000 uh the reduction in the budget will be 26494 and that specifically will um is
in the appropriation for the part-time employee that manages the Wildcat den and the Wildcat Den will not reopen if the override does not pass anyone have any comments uh as to this article would like to
discuss parks and wreck anyone have a motion as to this article AR 22 make a motion to approve vote Yes for article 22 appropriation for the parking Rec uh Board of commissions um
appropriate the funding pursuant to uh for the revolving fund pursuant to Artic for to chapter 68 with a non-contingent recommendation for FY 26 of 71491 14 with a contingent
recommendation for FY 26 of 26494 four anyone like to Second Steve's motion Andrew is a second thank you uh Karen can you call the vote on article 22 parks and recx
appropriation Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy
yes Julia yes Peter yes Maguire yes sorry tired yes Judy Judy yes and Tom yes the motion
carries we prefer to use Brian's new nickname generator Jenny Jenny Jenny friend Jenny with the G goes by
Machine saying his whole Jenny From the Block thing with him yeah that's onto article 23 and this is our Consolidated facilities appropriation and again a non-contingent recommendation for fiscal 26 and a
contingent recommendation um the recommendation of the committee would be that 1, 14161 167 be raised from the levy to support um the Consolidated facilities Department the override does not pass
there would be a reduction of $52,400 um and that would affect uh that would um consolidate facilities would have to reduce their employees by one so that is article 23 non-contingent
and contingent again there would be a position lost to Consolidated facilities if the O right does not pass would anyone like to discuss or have a does anyone have a comment as to this article seeing No Hands raised does anybody have a motion to article 23
Consolidated facilities appropriation make a motion to approve uh vote Yes on article 23 um Consolidated facilities um as noted by the chair um to appropriate the sum of 1,
14161 167 from the tax levy um with a contingent recommendation um should the override now pass of 52420 anybody like to Second this Peter seconded thank you Karen can you call the vote as to article 23 Consolidated facilities
appropriation Steve yes Lori yes yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew
yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and yes
yes motion carries thank you Karen okay I'm going to go out in a limb and skip the next article table that this is our school okay and there's a lot uh writing on
this so let's uh if everyone agrees we'll table a vote in discussion on article 24 like to do okay Skip and we will go to article 25 Regional Technical School um
appropriation uh of 954346 students currently enrolled it's an increase of five from the previous year Bally year 24 there were 51 so again the amount is 954 340 to
Blue Hills to be raised from the levy would anyone like to discuss or does anyone have a comment concerning article 25 no hands raised does anybody have a motion as to article 25 Blue Hills Regional tech school
appropriation make a motion to approve or vote Yes for article 25 at for Blue Hills Regional Technical School to rate to appropriate the sum of 9543 40 raised from the tax
levy like to Second this second Andrew Karen could you call the vote as to article 25 Blue Hills Regional yes Lori
yes LZ yes so J yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia
yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom yes motion carries
okay our next article is article 26 and voting for appropriation for interest in maturing debt for 12- month period beginning in July 1 of this year that we appropriate and this is a there is a corrected number the recommendation for fiscal
year 26 5 million 711 uh 7478 so that's five I have this right 5711
478 and that um into that into meet appropriation the sum of $100,000 be appropriated from funds released from the overlay Reserve okay 5,285 429 would be raised from the levy
and 326 3260 49 would be transferred from the special purpose debt stabilization fund okay so this it obviously as we discussed last night it's all the principal and interest payable for the
town's various Bond issues and a provision for short-term interests um this tackles our fire station building project um and that's being paid utilizing debt exclusion funds is authorized under
chapter 43 of the general laws the balance in that special purpose debt stabilization fund as of March 31 was 95,9 31 um so this is the ovala reserve we discussed last night would anybody like
to speak to this article uh or have any comments that's to the table Lori what year what year are we in is it but the comment has and I don't know if this needs to be updated the balance
and the special purpose debt stabilization fund as of 3 33124 I as after I said it the um I think this is just a cut and paste of a previous um comment that's in this draft so strike that that 959 31 is not a
correct amount it could be but it's the year could be wrong could be the number is right but the year's wrong confusing um I I'm pretty sure that's the comment from last year and you can
update the amount in this year's comment um I'm not sure you're voting on that amount so Karen do you mind in this uh draft could you strike those numbers just like just Redline it just so we know I
sorry um the amount in the fund is that critical to any member of the committee no might want to have it but you just get it well we'll get the right number right right looking at like looking at each
other I feel they the the momentum yeah uh it's 20 make a motion yeah yeah wait till she is that I can't see that able to okay perfect thank you
Karen is that okay that's perfect okay okay again I don't that is not I don't believe that's the right number I can't speak to that we I that will be corrected um in our comment um but would
any like again no one like to speak or have a comment concerning this or discussion i' I'd ask for a motion I'll make a motion to approve article 26 which is the to vote um that the town
appropriate the amount showing shown in the following tabulation Under The Heading recommended FY 26 which is 5,711 47 7478 that was hard I know it is hard um andw you want second that Andrew
second at Peter Well I thank you Karen can you call the vote as to article 26 interest in maturing that Ste yes Lori yes Liz
yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes yes Peter yes Brian
yes Aman Aman yes dudy yes and Tom yes motion carries thank you Karen uh onto article 27 this is our uh resending authorized
borrowing so this is uh article as we discussed last night about borrow money that we don't use and there are three items on the table um sore roadways uh two roadway borrowing um authorizations town meeting
gave um the amount of the borrowing was 2,115 56 would anyone like to speak to this article article 27 comment no they even have a motion
that's to 27 I move that with regards to article 27 that the town vote to resend on authorized but unissued portions of the amounts authorized to be borrowed to pay cost of capital projects shown in the
following tabulation amounting to 2 million1 15,5 6 second seconded by Steve C could you call the vote as to article 27 Steve yes Lori
yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison Allison yes sorry Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter
yes Brian yes Aman Aman yes yes Judy yes and Tom yes motion carries thank you Karen on to Article 28 this is uh Appropriations for stabilization
fund Capital stabilization fund and our road stabilization fund according to chapter 40 of the general laws so this is again a non-contingent in contingent uh we recommend that the town appropriate the amount shown in the in
the tabulation for the three funds uh Under The Heading non-contingent fiscal year 26 and the contingent recommendation fiscal year 26 um and know this is all override dependent and that uh we're
asking um to meet that appropriation the sum of 500,000 $528,500 ballot under chapter 59 section 21c of the Mass general laws the town shall appropriate $300,000 um and to meet that sum will be
again uh appropriated from funds certified by the Department of Revenue as free cash and we list the uh the balance in the stabilization funds would anyone like to discuss or have a comment as to Article
28 are three stabilization funds the non-contingent recommendation is 300,000 the contingent recommendation for fisc year 26 is 22895 you have a motion make a motion to approve or vote Yes sorry uh Article 28
as noted by the chair with a non-contingent recommendation amount of for FY 26 of 300,000 with a contingent recommendation for FY 26 of 228,000 [Music] e
yes La yes Liz yes Jay yes Allison yes Andrew yes Macy yes Julia yes Peter
yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes and Tom yes the motion carries thank you article 29 okay so a
recommendation um that the town vote to establish a special purpose stabilization to be known as the operating budget stabilization fund this is for the purposes of funding the operating budgets of the town and the public
schools okay and the town vote to appropriate 2,700,000 to the operating budget stabilization fund and the sum of two million of that be appropriated from funds certified by do as free
cash and 700 to be raised from the levy now if the voters do not approve the override um no Appropriations will be made to the operating budget stabilization fund it will be created but not funded if the override
does not pass if the override does not pass we're putting zero in this correct there will be no appropriation to this fund we will create it for future funding or in
the Bel that we're going to put some money in this so if the override is approved it's 700,000 from the tax levy right including the operating override ballot question then 2 million from free cash to further capitalize the funds
it's a two3 voter town meeting on this I'm having a mental lapse about the 2 million and if the override doesn't pass we're going to take the 2 million and spend it yeah that's
um yeah I mean I think I think I'm thinking of the school the school one probably yeah remember their two 700,000 yeah so I remember the 2700 million yes but again if the override is approved it's still two million from free cash to
capitalize this and um and I you know there are other local communities that have done this heum just did it but they're override can yeah Bri is this common has this
happened before do you guys know in Milton not not I don't it it it has not happened in Milton it happens in other places and I if I can I think it makes a lot of sense because otherwise if you have an override but you just fund the budget let's say you
funded needs Etc it's going to be going your expenses are going to be going up by two and a half perc every year and uh expenses yeah your your your costs are going to be going up by more than two and a half% every year and your income is only going to be going so if you
don't have something like this then you just pay for what you got in the year of the override and every year after that you have to chip away at Town Services essentially in some way this is a way to build in a cushion so that we fund that cushion and then yeah let's say our
expenses go up three and a half% every year our our tax revenue goes up 2 and a half percent we've got some in here it's like a savings account yeah yeah it's a revenue Source actually like it's not oh we dropped the ball we it's just it's a it's a reoccurring Revenue source for
the town here here's the only issue that I have with this and the other schools related um stabilization funds which is you're creating multiple pockets of buffer that will facilitate future
fiscal irresponsibility and the special education Fund in particular is a really tricky one because on face value no one would possibly say let's not fund special ed
stabilization fund but really what that allows uh School the schools to do is spend elsewhere knowing that there's going to be a bucket to cover additional special ed
needs yeah if you remember I think two times ago when it came in and this was first brought up I said Is there going to be written policies to when this will be used like for example if out of District special ed goes up by more than x% we will pull that exact number of
dollars out of here I don't know I don't know what the policy would be I'd love to see a policy written down I before we before funded and and and before things happen before let's say July 1st I don't know before town meeting before something
yeah we could wait till you know the stuff hits the fan a year from now and then write a policy that says and we can do this uh yeah I agree especially with that I'd love to see a written policy I I think there are it's smart to have stabilization
funds um an operating stabilization fund Capital Cap Capital St stabilization funds but uh to create multiple funds that the schools or departments that are not responsible with their budgets are able to
tap gives them cushion and leway knowing that if we make a mistake it's going to be there and what what are we going do not fund well I mean for this fund specifically if you look at the five-year projection that Nick and Amy provided you can see you
know with this initial seed and 700,000 going in every year Nick and Amy have a certain amount coming out every year and it works perfectly well for 5 years um and then if we do have extra free cash in certain other years we'll presumably put more into here and that might get us
a sixth year so I don't I mean the future will never be like that fiveyear projection thought but I I I I share your worry about the special ed fund I'm less worried about this one
um I would prefer to have see a school stabilization fund and other operating stabilization fund because if I had to guess who's going to take the Lion
Share of this fund I would imagine it's schools the schools I I I wouldn't guess that I because that's not what happens so so far and they get their 2third of the
budget because they two-thirds of the expenses I mean I don't know I I would not guess that I mean yeah would you be more comfortable I don't know you know who knows they might could be going back to the well you know could General
government you know could be who knows what would happen would you be more comfortable if they remove the language the public schools and just leave it for the town although the schools no the schools part of the Town not be big but but it does specify I mean any spending
from here will have to well will ultimately have to be approved by two-thirds of town meeting and before it gets there presumably hopefully if it's approved by the warrant committee it helps if it's approved by the select board it helps if it comes from the Town Administrator maybe those aren't really
needed but they're practically needed so the select board wanted to set this up as it is to give the uh Town Administrator the freedom I I don't see this as being any different than any other Vue Source we have really well this is in the event of
a if no override am I right about that well the fund is going to be created regardless created but if there's no override yes that's right and it will not be funded unless there is an override so if there is an override there's 2.7 million going in there 2 million is free cash so it's dependent
on an override yeah the funding is right fund itself so by funding the override the taxpayers are also saying we're going to put in a cushion that we're going to draw down over the next five years to because otherwise it I don't know how it works otherwise otherwise
you have to chip away at Services over five years or have overrides way more often yeah so it's actually an additional 700,000 in tax levies right correct yeah correct correct and and when you go to
vote it'll say that it'll say 8.8 million General Revenue and 700,000 for this so this is like forever money yeah right right as long as they don't chip that I mean constantly this is probably had to bring up but I probably like this
better than the school one because the school one I mean there's no they can just oversight it they're the only ones that have oversight of their own budget so it's always there they can spend that extra money well the select board has to they're the ones that make that decision
I don't think the select board has did I select and school yeah oh okay and also I mean I I think the idea is I don't know what you mean what someone said forever money
what that means it's it's on the levy right so yes I agree with that being classified as forever money but the money is not meant to just sit there and never be touched either like it's being created to to Jay's point to make sure
that we have something we can dip into on and on over you know to get us further to the next override like we're always going to need overrides that's the nature of a small town um with no you know commercial tax based to speak
of so I I I just want to make sure we're on the same page that it's not that this money isn't going to be tapped into when you said forever money you meant they're going to keep adding money on top well I didn't say that but that's what that does next year it's going to be 1.4 million then it's going to be 2.1
million what do you mean you know if you don't draw on it like every year there's going to be 700,000 extra by the to put in yes so year two it's going to 1.4 it's going to be 2.1 but doesn't it like defeat the purpose of the two and a half% the
override whole thing with the I can't think the two that you have to have you have to vote on proposition two and a half because there's extra money that the town can draw on if they're um
overspent not sure I'm not sure taxpayers the whole point of it is that everybody meets their budget and if you go more than 2 and a half% you have to go back to the taxpayers and you have to vote on an override right that's the whole point of I think
the whole point of prop two and a half is you can only raise taxes two and a half perc unless the voters approve yes and this is going in front of the voters to approve something this year over two and a half like well we might be over my budget have a little safety valve to kind of I I think it would be that's how
I kind of I think it would be irresponsible to have an override without something like this here I know we've done it in the past somehow but and I think it's more that regardless of how in budget you are aren't our costs are out stripping our Revenue just by
things beyond our control like inflation so 2 and a half% you know cripples every town in this state and this is a way of making making sure we don't have to do an override every year to get uh to get
that extra money that we need because inflation is way higher than two and a half per. right well inflation's been higher for the last three years than two and a half% but if you go back 10 years it hasn't been it's been much below that it's really been like 1% I don't know what the average is over 10 years but it
might well that's how we've gotten away without having an override for so long I mean that's partially I'm kind of thinking about it differently today than did yesterday but I think to Jay's point like I think my understanding is this is best practice to create a fund like this so
that we don't end up in the situation we're in now so that when there are projected budget shortfalls for whatever reasons you have something to fall back on instead of having to cut Services mid year and I and I
agree and my only um hesitation is that there are we are creating one of this particular warrant has one of several different pockets of money that the schools can
additionally tap into I mean you keep saying the schools this is for the whole the whole whole but yeah Special Ed right and that's specifically for schools yeah yeah and that I would love to see a policy written down I don't know how we're
going to enforce that but and it's just additional cushion that we're giving the schools which has demonstrated a lack of fiscal control but they could have perfect fiscal
control and they still don't have control over reimbursement rates from the state inflation like so that to me is this is for those unpredictable things that are going to come up that you cannot possibly budget for every single scenario and yes that
we will have this as a safety net that's how I view it I to I look at as like a savings account yeah yeah you I don't have you have I don't have a hard hard objection
it is just in in principle yeah but I agree with Julie I mean and and Brian about inflation I mean everything is soaring and unexpected so and it's going to continue and so I don't I wouldn't say the schools are fiscally irresponsible not that you're saying
that but there's changes and we and you can't always foresee that and I and I think that this fund is really good for that I mean it's just like like I I look at as a savings account that's how I characterize it the town needs to go into it it's not just the schools but
you know um Personnel whatever equipment maybe you need generator car in principle I I agree with it I would prefer to see the schools have their own stabilization fund
yeah to be able to put limits on well the people who be voting on it right it'll be the town I mean it'll be town meeting numbers right I me so so it's not that it's um without any um
oversight oversight yes yeah so so people will vote um based on whatever request is submitted to dip into this fund so it's not like somebody can just say oh I see I need this it's going to be the town meeting that members will vote on it it's hard to vote vote
against to vote against the dra down if you're saying teachers are good with jobs right yeah I mean I think it depends I mean right I mean yeah I can't uh I'm
GNA join um Allison then Judy my see Andrew's Point um I think we um have a hard time with the tracking so like I can understand his point of having a school stabilization so that we
can kind of monitor you know the expenses because like let's say we have different Pockets like and we're already confused of these other stabilization or because the amounts obviously the same too but you know I think the
problem has been um just being able to F line because then it's to Andre Point like which I've seen numerous times is finding these pockets of of to re to be able to fund the schools like they're
instead of having different departments having their own stabilization and which we we generally have a hard time like where the other departments aren't getting you know tapped into here as much because obviously the schools um
occupy two-thirds of pretty much our budget but I think the problem is that it's easy to fulfill the needs if we're not monitoring who's what percentage is getting so like I mean even you can see
in the override the school you know many of these departments have a 2% so it's crazy not to think that most of this budget could go potentially to fund things I mean and let's not forget too I'm just curious if that will you know
inflation does isn't based on salaries so the question becomes like what can be tapped into and I it's not one of those things where you know the the town meeting votes but it's not the town voting so you know when town meeting um
could have potentially more of a um way of voting for one thing versus other thing so I I just get a little bit nervous not Tracking not having a way of monitoring kind of buck like Savings in
every Department I think we're kind of cross cross um Crossing Lines amongst each other and is it fair you know if you do percentages of that stabilization that goes to certain Department you know because overall if one
Department's only getting the stabilization is that kind of um The Right Use as well thank you Alison Judy um I just wanted to mention that
when our property taxes go up uh have an increase up to the 2.5 it's actually a higher number because in this strong um housing market that we are in and this
town um is in a strong Place Market wise for housing um so we get reassessed so we actually go up a little bit more than the 2.5% that we were paying last
year however inflation is is unpredictable it could go down it could go up if anyone's reading the Wall Street Journal the last couple of days there's a prediction that it will
have an upward Trend um then again times could be really good and it's a downward Trend um but I just wanted to mention that we actually do in a way go over the 2.5%
every year if you would have break down those numbers but it is good to have um you know as they say in your private finances have so many months worth of emergency funds
available um the tornado comes through and the roof comes off or your car breaks down or whatever there's there's a pocket of money that can keep you from debt
or walking instead of driving to the store um as an example so and I understand what comments have been made that this
is now considered a general bond for absolutely every single Department in town um including and I've heard people mention in the schools um but I don't think you can
leave out departments because I think the other stabilization fund is for a specific need in the school which is sped um it's just my my thoughts thank you I actually have a question if
anybody has the answer to does does this go when the stabilization on the bottom line in the general um funds like is it is it um place in the end totals just you know like for the overall budget of the let's
say that the schools or any Department like let's say you use portion of the stabilization is it reflected in the end of the year budget should be right the actual wouldn't that be recorded and who where was is that what
you mean Alison how much and where who drew yeah because I just wonder I just curious if um if the new special education stabilization or this stabilization will be reflected in the end of the year um
budget you know what I I [Music] don't and the reason why I ask is because then it changes the overall spending for pupil so I'm just curious um if that will be reflected if it was
used it's good question can anyone find that interesting point pretty good point because if that's not in actual totals right that would throw the budget off right so if they had a budget for fy2
hypothetically right and they took money on top of that like from the fund right and put it on top of their their budget looking at the total amount actually appropriated and utilized for that year right so for the stabilization
fund what I'm imagining is that'll be part of the annual budget process yeah and the warrant just right like right now the warrant sometimes says we're going to give a million dollars to this and 900,000 will come from the tax levy and 100,000 will come from free cash for example I'm thinking it'll say this much
will come from the tax levy this much will come from the override stabilization fund now that's not addressing the question about the special ed stabilization fund that doesn't happen at town meeting that happens throughout the year as a select board and the school committee see fit
so that I I don't know where that would go in the budgets but as far as does the department of Elementary and secondary education take that into account in their per pupil calculation I I I got it I don't know that that's on them yeah it's a good
question do you understand what that Lori do you understand that if that would be into the total amount allocated for that year it's it's in the um it's in available funds just like free cashes and then um so it would be in our total
revenue the 2 million of free cashes there now and then that comes out as we said if the override doesn't pass but if you put that into the stabilization any Department use uses it does it go does it show up
as a line item at the end of the year for them um I don't I I I don't know I don't know okay because what I'm seeing here is that's kind of important right so if it's they well I think Allison has a great point
if someone any Department utilizes the funding um and they're setting their budget and not carrying that in that number wouldn't they be off well they it probably has to get booked to the expense because they're
going to pay Sal let's just take salaries it's an easy one they have salaries and oops now the gas bill was too high they paid the gas bill but they still have to pay salaries right so they now have to take money out of stabilization and it's going to hit the
line items that you know they going to pick one well the other concern too is like stabilization already for sped is being used like you know they're they're planning on using it so it won't be able to grow so that 700's already
being you know I you it makes me a little nervous too um to already be thinking like that and I understand obviously the deficit um but not only will I wonder if it will be um added to
the overall end of the amount but um you know practices you know um thinking of using it and not adequately budgeting because you have um you know you you know that that
you do have the savings um just like any normal person so um just being mindful of that but um you know and adding that extra you're looking at almost like a 1.4 additionally so just being mindful of
these other areas that make a big difference in the overall budget 1.4 um you know so just thinking of all these these things it's a lot of different stabilization so and then overall um you know when it's not
considered in the general fund budget is it considered um at an different different different category because it's not considered part of the general so that's just a new things for us and so just thinking about it in the overall
picture of um and that changes the spending for people too so um so yeah good point Allison and anybody want to speak to that further well I kind of would like to
know the answer the answer to what I'd kind of like to know the answer to what to the whole like how does it get allocated so if we pull 500,000 out of the stabilization fund next year where's it go I I yeah I think it's just like
the same way that we have our tax levy it just it's just all part of that pool but when you pull it out right then it's yeah so it's in the pool and I and I guess it goes back to what I was saying you're booking your expenses to wherever they're happening and it just ends up that your bank account now is negative
so we have to move money from the bank the savings account into the checking account to balance I I think we'll be using this when building next year's but or or not using this in this case CU we're supposed to be building it up for a
couple years but like let's say we're in I don't know FY 2019 2029 at the point when we expect to be drawing it down then when building the annual budget you know Nick will say to himself
self I've got $4 million in here and the plan is to take a million dollars out We've Got This Much from the tax levy we've got $1 million comeing from here this is the total amount this is our budget I that this reminds me of what free cash was intended for
you know like we now use free cash as like our way of paying and that's kind of why we got into this deficit so it just we were supposed to use the preach for stabilization and now we're actually writing it in I I think you're
right I think this is I'm sorry no no it's okay we're in discussion so I mean but it just we it used to be that we used free cash now we're using free cash to pay for it for
expenses and that was never the intent when we started using free cash so now it's like now we're rewriting into stabilization by putting money into stabilization but that's what free cash was intended to do not for us to pay for the
stabilization I think um I think I see this as a more disciplined a more disciplined procedure than what we've been doing with free cash what we have been doing is oh we got free cash we got a certain amount this year here oh what do we do with it we'll spend it in this way now it's more disciplined now I expect that when we have large free cash
going forward we'll put it in here and then it's it's sort of like it Smooths it out rather than unpredictable free cash from year to year it's predictable you know we've got five million in here we added another million in free cash but we're predictably drawing down one and a half million and looking towards
okay which year will we have an override I I think it's very much like free cash but more disciplined but you don't want everybody now thinking oh we can have pay increases of five 5 to 8% everybody I I
mean I just think I think there is now that we there's a cushion that every year it's not just two and a half percent because now the taxpayers are paying another 700,000 there's an override every year if you will it's 2 and a half% plus 700,000 so you would think you're
getting they won't stay it doesn't grow it's not 700,000 more than last year it's 700,000 every year every year yes but it's every year so we're not signing we're the old well uh what you saying no we just keeps but we're B we're taking
we're adding 700,000 out of the tax lvery every year to put into this fund and now if we're not disciplined in our budgeting and our spending
practices which it's been evidence that we have haven't been it may continue so this will become just more taxes to pay for the spending habits that we currently have have had and will continue to have
because we've do you know what I understand the fear I think it's two separate things there's mismanagement of uh an annual budget which we know has happened we
hope is being fixed we've been told is being fixed and should be sorted out from here on out so hopefully that is not a reason to dip into this fund the inflation the utilities going up by a
third out of nowhere the I mean those sorts of unpredictable costs that's what I see this being primarily for and I don't know if we if we're now questioning this fund it feels a little
bit like the schools can't win like either they were irresponsible and they didn't budget properly and we should have you know a system in place for when these things happen or like we do this fiscal best practice by having this fund so that when those inevitable
unpredictable costs pop up we're not just sitting there going like gosh we got to cut $700,000 you've got your rainy day fund that's exactly for that purpose no I agree with that if it would be comfortable with that if in fact that
was the case so that it is the black swana of them type of deal as opposed to we need two more whatever or a
generator we're we're hypothesizing all of this because we don't know as I always say this committee loves guarantees and there aren't any at some point we're just going to have to go for no but but I I think um one of the
special ed is a really good example and if you're a smart household or a smart uh business entity you budget conservatively knowing that um
your needs out of state uh or outter District uh spending is unpredictable could rise and you give yourself some cushion in the budget itself not sort of look at it after the
fact and say it it's way higher than we thought and now we have a definite shortfall that we need to make make up for and uh I view the stable um
the stabilization funds as almost the type of forc savings account that you give to siblings or children that don't know how to save correctly and that that sort of a
extreme characterization and probably not fair but it it it sort of feels that way given the budget circumstance that we're in thank you Andrew I'd like to make a comment and that that's my
concern all L thank so when I hear Jay Julia that makes me feel good right I that's what I think that if I was standing there with the levers that's what I'd be doing but then I hear Lori
and you know others and I mean there I think my my isn't is like this last minute we're up against the fence we need a million bucks kind of like what we're seeing this year like we're getting well what are we going to do we got to tap the
fund that's just my my concern is is just the budget pre is the budget practicing and these the last minute stuff but like I said like that's I'm it's conjecture like I'm not I don't know I would hope that there would be
responsible they would approach this fund responsibly and use it for exactly these types of things but I said but in the back of my head I I still have this like Lor said I know I'm a little nervous that it could be I don't say abused but it could be obvious well
don't worry we have this here we have a rainy day typ thing so I don't know I mean I I I can see I can see both sides of this so easily um and the fact that there aren't like things in place well that's right um I don't know so and
that's part of the issue I think in just in general the so there's been budgeting issues and I mean I don't mean to take this into the school stuff but there's been budgeting issues which I think are being corrected but there's oversight
that has been probably nonexistent and there is um a level of leadership that will say no we cannot do that whereas pre previously it has been an open checkbook
blank check anybody wants to hire they get hired there is no form that you fill out and have it go up four levels of management to get approval but it just happens so unless those practices are
truly put in place things won't change and now we don't have a new superintendent so we don't know who will be hired so we don't know know what type of leader we will have but will any of that be fixed by
not doing this no so I you know I and I appreciate every what you are saying I'm not disagreeing it's but it's a concern it's been a number of years now with shortfalls and and unless something
changes substantially we will be still looking for more despite all of these rainy day funds we will back here to say we need another 2 million I know we had 2.7 here and we had another 700 there
but we still need more and it goes beyond the 10% increase in special ed out of District costs it's just constant spending I have a wish I have a need I
have a want let's do it and we do it and then we pay the price after this this feels unrelated to the that well that's what I said I'm kind of going down my but okay Brian um I think that you give
people a budget and you want them to stick to the budget and if something comes up I think that's special that they can't control then I think they should come back and ask you for the money somehow some way and there is free cash in there that can be helped for
that but I think there has been a problem I think sometimes with people haven't appreciated the disciplines of a budget and they'll be the first to admit that but if you put an extra money in there that they can just
have like which in three years would be 2.1 million or actually 4.2 if you consider both 4.2 million if you consider both the school and the town that's a lot of extra money to have that they can go over and there's no people will be like yeah just take it from this just take it from that and I I think you
lose the discipline by adding the extra money like you're building in extra taxes to do this buy stuff that's all so the funding of the 2.7
whatever the funding of the $700,000 only happens if the people of Melton vote that they're okay with it so if we're going to raise the people of Milton's tax ACC in order to have a
$700,000 they have to agree with it I think that the school committee has been open since that one meeting that was in the high school explaining what happened with the budgeting and I think that people in Milton are really well aware
of that situation so I think that if the override does not pass then it's not really necessarily an issue because this is just an unfunded place where you can stick money that nobody's actually stick it's an empty
checking account if people do vote that they want to have an override anyway that I think that the people of Milton would say I mean I don't know I can't speak for everybody when they're in the in the voting booth but I think that that could
be an indication that people said okay what happened happened but in the going forward I want to fund XY services in the town including the school among other things so I think that by putting
it in this particular fund I do agree that it is like putting it in a savings account but also a savings account that you have to get permission to access so it's not just like okay I put it in a savings account and I can transfer it back into my
checking account anytime I want to it's like I have a savings account and I'm a minor child and I have to ask my parents for permission so I think that personally there are some measures in place now I take your point Lori
because it is worrisome that you know if that if that were what was happening which I don't know if that were what was happening then yes there would be money there and people could say well I need that money but I think that the people of Milton would be aware of or aware of
what happened and if they vote in favor of the override anyway then I think that's a statement that's being made and I think that that money should be put someplace where there are restrictions and and checks on it in
this operating fund would be one example because town meeting members would have to agree to letting anybody have it and if it isn't appropriate to have the money in the first place and the people can vote no on the override and
that's up to everyone when they vote on the 29th Lori J I think somebody who I can't see has raise Alison um Allison then Jay me curious we're voting on this then if it's going to tell it's not even
going to town meeing and the overrides determine is determined by the theity like I I just I I questioned that before um I understand the budgets like afterwards like will go into these funds but like why are we having the vote
before Town me at the Town decides anyone want to take that I know that's kind of the whole problem with the thing is because just the nature of how the um vote is on the 29th and then a week later we
have an annual town meeting I guess that's just what the select board decided to have I don't think it's right for the warrant to have to do that though no I agree with you I think the whole thing is a little bit challenging I mean I'm actually like for all of these budget like I I just I'm not I
don't I think for the citizens and for the warrant they have the right to not have to vote on it I mean that's just my opinion I don't really understand if that's the case and this doesn't apply if it doesn't why do we have to
vote prior to it I think that's just we're getting ahead of it but I don't think it's something that we should have to do well the funds being created regardless yeah it's just a matter of it being funded or being
funded there won't be any funds in it if it doesn't go through with the 2 million regardless no no only if the override only if I'm just not sure 2 million than the 700,000 we have uh J and Lori okay
so Mr chair I'm I'm thinking about the budget process that I've seen over the past three years and the budget process that I've seen as a town meeting member over the past whatever 11 12 years and that's not the same as what I'm hearing tonight at this table we are a very
fiscally prudent town for years and I mean decades we paid more than we had to into our pension fund not because we were propagate but because we were saving it was prudent it was the financially prudent thing to do to put
more into our pension fund it hurt that was millions of dollars a year going over into the pension fund that wouldn't pay off for decades and that hurt our ongoing budget every year but we did it because we thought it was the financially prudent thing to do and as a
result we paid off for a pension faster than almost any body else in the state now we're funding our retire medical we're doing that because that is the financially prudent thing to do we could take that hundred a million dollars and a half in oped funding and we could buy
cotton candy but we're not we're doing The Prudent thing to do we put money into stabilization funding almost every year that's not money that we get to have fun with that's money that we take away from the fun things and do because
it's prudent that's what I've seen the Milton budget be for as long as I've been exposed to the Milton budget so discussions about if there's a candy jar people will grab the candy out of it that is the opposite of what I've seen in the Milton budget for as long as I've been exposed to it and I'm not worried
about that being an issue thank you jayate the comment Lori um I think that if we're setting it up for a purpose I understand that but again if practices aren't put in place we've had a number
of years of overspent or over budgeted problems that we've had to come back to the town for so we will have to take the money out we will we have to cover the costs we cannot have a problem
if there is a problem we will we're going to whether there's money on a stabilization fund or not we're going to cover the problem it's just what we're going to do just like we did last year and there was a subst IAL amount of money in the revolving fund so they
could tap it thank goodness but that has put us because there is no money on the revolving funds now it's put us into this situation so it's just if if we keep spending without the controls in place then we will continue down this
path regardless and that's true and I remember when Mark lauring was in front of us and he talked about the reporting to the select board to to the committee I I think that would help you know what I mean we can have
that conversation in December and saying hey tap the braks on those next three highes that's that's like I don't know I mean I I Jay's right correct yeah Jay's right I I I'm not disagreeing you know and I've
seen the same in terms of how we've planned in previous years uh for the town budget so I mean the select board seems like they're the the stop Gap here they're the one to say
no right they can say we we can we recommend they say no so town you have your I guess you know some type of prophylactic um you know protection there
but like I I don't I don't know that was going to be my point is you know as Liz was saying like it's it's a savings account as a minor and you need permission to dip into it and the the school committee the select board like our elected officials are the
ones who are ultimately should be those checks and balances and similar similarly to what Liz said about you know if the voters approve the override then it's you know they're approving of this stabilization
fund voters are also electing those people to oversee these those funds so to some while you know as individuals we may not agree with all the decisions that are made at a town level like this this is the process we have and these people are
being elected to oversee it so to some at some point I feel like you have to put your trust in the people the town has elected I have to say it's too bad we're not in this and we couldn't comment what do you mean like the warrant committee
it's got to come in front of us not that necessarily we approve Reserve funds but maybe we don't approve this or deny it but maybe we comment on it are you talking about the special education one or both I don't know I'm just like I'm just spit by I'm just saying like
like we could explain you know the circumstances behind why the money's coming out why they need it that kind of stuff but but again you know the select board is put in place there um
know it's the ones to to yay or nay so there's a question on the uh clarification question for me on the when this goes into on the ballot to be voted is this a separate line item or is it just one narrative and it breaks down
the overall override and this is part of that yeah the second thing you said yeah there's one yes or no yeah there's one yes or no okay I think that detail could get lost I mean I mean we're pretty we're into details we're in the weeds I don't think everyone in the town is
aware of what's going on I'll be honest with you agree or disagree I don't think it's I think I think it's a fact so I'll draw another example uh we live in East Milton three houses just got taken down I will
bet a DI of Coke or whatever you drink that no one knows there's a a building with 100 units going in there right now and when it goes up they're like what just happened happen not everybody knows what's going on in town not everybody pays $6 every week or so for the millon
times you need to understand that right it's frame of reference who what are they doing this seems like a logical choice we need to have a savings fund because Black Swan events are going to happen superintendent quit we get a water bill that they can't seem to
resolve we've got you know all the stuff happening it's going to happen it's going to happen again next year we're going to we could have another year of storms where there's more ice we exhaust that funding we need to have money we can't keep we need to I think this is smart to have a fund right we got to
protect it I mean think like I think someone said should have like a year in Savings in case you lose your job so you're not freaking out you're freaking out but not as much maybe right and you can't always be in that position so I think we're if we're going up and it doesn't go in unless it's voted
yes right so I mean I get it but I mean I don't I don't know I don't know what I'm saying I'm saying anything sorry you're saying it all I appreciate that I appreciate all these comments the discussion in general about this I mean there's everyone's
making good points it's but what are we voting on it or not well could some of this discussion be incorporated into the comment or is it too late for yeah we can I would have trust that we would incorporate all this into the comment I just see the comment that's already there so I don't know if it was fck this
is comments from Ni to help us out change whatever you want if you're the comment so I don't know that's right how about it use that as a but it would this be it's a loaded question I apologize in advance for saying this but would this be
a a hint that the warrant committee supports the override by saying yes on this I'm just asking I'm not saying we do or don't I'm just asking I see what you're saying yeah well if the over doesn't pass and nothing happens yeah that's the point it's funded because of it the over in the comment we should
make that clear because I take your point because we're having to vote before people vote on the override and so even though it wouldn't necessarily make a difference people are seeing the warrant
before right because when are they going to get the warrant in the mail I mean when when is the warrant going to be printed and exist oh that's good point before the election before the election and therefore people come into town hall and they go pick it up and not everybody
but it's available to people and so I take your point that maybe we have to make that clear in the comment and say something like this is not necessar well I don't know after we vote on whatever with the you can simply say the war that's up
to the people this is if this occurs then this that no position on the override itself well we could also just focus on the creation of the fund right versus the issue of funding it right there you go and you can mention that in the comments that even though we
recommend I don't know what we're going to recommend but that the warrant committee despite its recommendation takes no position on the override well that question is not before us right or no but we just because what you just s wellest is that by voting whatever our
vote is is that in some ways we're supporting the override and you want to make it clear that we take a neutral position yeah all I'm saying is typically speaking could be wrong it's typically when folks see how the warrant leans on an article they vote for that
how we vote sometimes because I bet you there are folks who don't read them right and they just you know just click it and the recommendation is simply for the fund creation of the stabilization so a vote for 29 is a vote for Yankee
frugality is that what I'm hearing it it's very much the it's the fiscally conservative yes it's the fiscally conservative approach absolutely can I ask May some people here seem to think it was the think itally conservative
okay Brian I don't think it conservative but is it shouldn't it be two separate is it two separate articles the override in this because I think it should be right because you could be for the override we don't vote on the town I mean the whole thing should be two separate things in my mind that's
not what this luck board put on the that's just how it's set up and that's how we I just my opinion because I think to Steve's point you should you should be able to be over override but not for this extra feel the pressure yeah no I I know that's why I made that comment this is like I agree
with you on that point I just and I feel like um go ahead I'm sorry does the warrant committee have to be neutral on the overall on our opinion of whether override is needed yeah I was wondering that I mean we're the finance commit we
we're the finance Comm now just say you know look this lower amount is terrible and the higher amount let us retain level services I don't but doesn't the budget itself speak about the override I mean the budget the line items are
saying well there's one if we have an override and here's another right so I mean the budget itself presents to some extent an opinion or suggestion on the consequences of a lack of override or
sure but as presumably some of the most informed people in town I don't think it would be unreasonable of us to have a and again there's no one's asking for our recommendation but I don't know that we need to go out of our way to appear neutral about it
either we did not mention it no we advise town meeting okay we don't advise the town who's voting on this we advise town meeting but meting just not mention it not voting on the right but I'm saying if we like I don't know that we
need to dance around you know in this particular article like not addressing the the funding and whether or not we think it should be or shouldn't be like if we think it should be yeah funded then I think we could say that I don't think that would be out of line no everything else deals with the override
but every line I mean every budget is impacted by an override or lack of an override the whole day yeah the whole day so we're now on article 29 all of a sudden it's yeah every article on here was just when someone said you know like we should appearing neutral I was like
wait do we need to appear neutral so I just wanted to clarify that I think we've been unanimous and right everything has conent on an override I mean I I can see a comment saying something like you know this is a this is a savings account you know we
believe and some of us believe that this is a little fiscally conservative approach keep in place however with a with a gatekeeper in place however there are warrant Community concerns just given the that you know we're hoping that you know
these is for emergency situations yeah we'd like to see a written policy like see policy as we come as we've mentioned previously um you know we strongly caution to meeting to watch this ball I'll just throw it I don't think this is necessar necessarily for
emergency situations okay this is smoothing okay sorry emergency and the funding of which is contingent upon the pound people voting for override in the first place and in the event of like a contract in
the event of a successful past override the warrant committee would in this if we voted that way would X to this article recommend the establishment is exactly we be established either way but the funding of it the overrides a
condition precedent to the funding of it I AG like Lori said it' be empty right didn't you say that if it's yeah exist but next year they could throw some free cash in there the override fails they'll be asking for an override next year and this will be you know a prudent thing to
have around it'll probably be cheaper next year just kidding I'm kidding things are up okay anyone have any I I think this a good discussion anyone have anything else I'd like to
say we made it so far I'd like to make a motion you want to make a motion list yes and what would that motion be that the town vote to establish a special purpose stabilization to be known as the quote operation operating budget stabilization fund for the purposes of
funding the operating budgets of the town and of the public school and that the town vote to appropriate the amounts set forth in article 29 in front of us of which 2 million be appropriated from free free cash and
700,000 will be raised from the tax levy second second thank you second Julia anybody have anything to say you had a lot to say nope Karen can you call the vote ask article
29 was that Julia that seconded it yes Julia yes thank you Ken I'm sorry sorry about that okay uh Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Alison was that a yes yeah I I think it was a yes but I'm I'm really not sure I don't know it was a yes right okay oh thank you I think it was um I'm not sure Andrew is still here
he was on Zoom for a bit he might still be on the phone I I think he may have signed off Andrew okay uh Macy yes Julia
yes Peter yes Brian uh no Aman yeah yes Judy yes Tom Tom
yes okay the motion carries article 30 this is our special education Reserve fund oh this would be easy okay anyone like to speak or have a comment concerning this stabilization
fund now this is has been set up by Mass general laws chapter 40 to establish a reserve fund called the special education Reserve fund to pay for unanticipated or unbudgeted costs of special education out of District tuition and
transportation um Jay um when I watch the uh school committee or school budget committee things one thing they say is that people are asking them how can you guarantee we're not going to be in a pinch next year or the year after and they say well honestly we can't but
we're doing our best and this is part of the answer to how can you guarantee you there is no guarantee but this makes it a lot less likely that they're going to be behind the eightball literally next year that being said I would love to see
a policy and I don't know how whose arm we can twist to make sure that's written I guess we can write it write we can write a first draft we write it and maybe I SP end up and say something about it great in our copious free time yet no but I thank you for the
comment and I I just as to Allison Lori and others who have spoken concerning the thing I mean this is unique it is special education it has been a challenge for us in the town funding uh and the costs keep going up any
anybody have a motion on this 30 closely mirror is 29 I think the issues be raised but anyone like to but there's is there no dollar amount associated with this that's correct there's no dollar so we're just opening
a fund correct yes you said you're in okay funding it nothing yeah 38% increase over there in special ed requirements you've got Rising tide for our students that are
you know social media pressures peer pressure life pressure um you got increase needs for evals I mean we got to help our school as I'm I'm in this is a no-brainer circuit to make a
motion uh to vote to recommend that the town vote to accept the um provisions of Massachusetts general laws chapter 40 section 13e to establish a reserve fund to be called the special education Reserve fund to pay for unanticipated or
unbudgeted costs of special education out of District tuition and transportation as written in article 30 thank you Julia anyone like to Second this motion second Macy second thank you uh Karen
could you call the vote as to article thir special ed Reserve fund Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Alison yes um go to Macy yes Julia yes Brian yes I think
did you skip you yeah oh I did I'm I'm sorry Peter yes okay sorry about that uh Aman uh yes Judy yes Tom yes the motion
carries okay great thank you everybody for discussing those okay 31 my favorite fund the result deserve fund warrant committee this is our favorite fund right yes right this the
one we control yeah ain't no fund like a reserve fund that's right so this is the Crooked number fund so that the town appropriate the sum of $282,200 for the zerve fund for Extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures for the 12-month period beginning this
fiscal next fiscal year and to meet that appropriation sum of 282 256 and that shall be appropriated from the tax levy the there's no override ballot question the appropriate shall be made from fund certified by free cash
um okay those numbers look good it should have been like 282 24376 cents Weir I called them out I I was going to say last night no no uh pennies in here no no a interesting number um yeah
so uh would anyone like to discuss this we know what this is about okay do I hear a do I hear oh sure Brian I'll ask a question what's the difference between this and the other 700 that we just approved we get to
approve what oh this we have to agree to being a to take it out to take out the tax levy yeah the other money this the select board would have to agree to this one they have to come to us and ask for where the gatekeeper so this is our this is our like General historical Reserve
fund that we've like always had Brian it's it's always been funded yeah so this is like the old school yeah the grandfather and it's different from like the stabilization fund for the money like the stabilization fund we have right now is like Fort Knox we never go into it but
the reserve fund it's some it's a fund of money that can be spent with the approval of the warrant committee an example a year ago the dpu their wood chipper broke they needed a wood chipper right them didn't have time wait for town meeting to approve the money so
they came to us we gave them $100,000 for a wood chipper um it's used for that and it's also used for at the end of the year when it's like oh this budget was you know $10,000 over budget it it's the it's the it's it's what you're worrying
about but it's just small it's $250,000 for the ones that go a little over budget the wood chipper request was a crazy request 100 pretty awesome it was in the end it was it was truly awesome but it was very when we were approached I think there was some concern because
of the the high number that it was we might just say no um and I told a great story too remember tell a great story because the one they had Wasing so Brian like that's it that was that was a very unique request and
usually I actually listen to it watched old YouTube I listen to it question I thought you watched live so you got be so excited questions but there about it okay Reserve
fund was a motion made no make motion no motion the reserve fund I would like to move that we fund the reserve fund at the amount of 282 256 coming from the source or sources listed in the draft second second by Steve thank you thank
you Jay Karen can you call the vote on article 31 Reserve fund greatest fund Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Allison Allison uh Macy yes Julia yes Peter yes Brian yes
Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes the motion carries okay uh article 32 revolving funds will we recommend that the to vote to authorize his use of revolving funds previously established pursuant to votes
of town meetings and to determine the program and purposes for res for which each revolving fund may be expended the departmental receipts which shall be credited to each res uh revolving fund the board department or officer
authorized to expend the money from each revolving fund and four a limit on the total amount which may be expended from each such revolving Fund in the fiscally average begins on July 1st 2025 according to the tabulation below
Cemetery conservation select board consolidative facilities planning board and select board Cemetery Department of Public Works these are created by town meeting and town meeting sets the annual withdrawal limits for each res revolving fund so anyone like to discuss or have
any comments as to this article revolving funds anyone have a motion as to article 32 I make a motion to vote Yes on article 32 you want to read the whole thing okay motion to that the town vote
to authorize the use of revolving funds previously established pursuant to vote to the town meeting to determine the programs and purposes for which each resolving revolving fund may be expended the Department's receipts which shall be credited to each resolving fund the board Department Officer authorized to
expend money from each such revolving Fund in a limit on the total amount which must be expended from each revolving Fund in the fiscal year which begins J July 1st 20125 in accordance with the tabulation below you want to go through each one no
you don't what you don't answer um seconded by Peter Karen could you if no one has any further comments Karen you can call the voting role please Steve
Steve Karen can you hear me yeah hi Karen oh okay um Steve yes oh I'm sorry Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Alison yes Macy oh she left she stepped up okay Julia yes Peter yes ran
yes Aman yes Judy yes Tom yes the motion carries okay um I think we are on Peg access oh awesome appropriate a half a million
500,000 for beg access for fiscal year 26 for cable related purposes consistent with our franchise agreements with Comcast and RCN um support and to support public educational governmental access remember we get the money we put
it in the trust we pay it out it's getting low the money's going down the money's going down people are cutting the cord we got may have to figure this out years down the road a few years down the road but for now it's
okay I believe the balance was about 450,000 is I would like to make the motion to appropriate 500 from Peg access Enterprise fund Etc absolutely I have a second sj's
motion seconded by Steve Karen could we call the Maybe please call the voting role for Peg access appropriation Steve yes Lori yes Liz yes Jay
yes Allison yes uh Macy okay she's got jul Julia yes Peter yes Ryan Yes Aman yes Judy
yes yes okay on to article thank you Karen on to article 34 Community preservation fund we already voted on them we already voted on this that's right we voted on
both uh next 36 invite trespass no oh sorry 36 is we'll do yes I would like to make a motion if nobody has anything to
say he likes to talk about this I like to know I like to I know you like sorry if anybody else wants to talk about Eagle song we we we're the ones who created all this you I'd love to talk about it the Warr the warrant committee allows this to happen
this e would you like to talk about easement 30 to 4 minutes because I love them I had I I that was his favorite subject in law school yeah restrictive covenant I like property um you like what I like
property so um I I take this no convers no discussion about this from Liz I hate that ask we just I might have missed this did we talk about this before we did uh missed it I think it was a way or something Nick no Nick mentioned this
and it just does never happen very often we do this every year it's just boring it's just every year just to give us these there I don't think it happens very often
they're surveyors of the highway so like they have the authority like you know we obviously town meeting can vote for public ways and stuff but this is um ly what was the what was the road Pine Gardens Pine Garden Way Pine Gardens way
Pine Gardens private way yeah it's like it's it's stuff it's like easements for that and um so they this has to be voted on every year just authorize the use authority to do that so just uh another one is that what's that sand lot
one down by the hockey woodlot got that was another one we started this within the past 10 years before that if somebody wanted to offer the town use of their property the town couldn't say yes until they had a town meeting so the town meeting could get yeah I can't
believe it's not a bylaw you know right most towns but anyways never mind ask it should be yeah okay could tell the bylaw Review Committee what tell the byw Review Committee no not yet J no I'm getting
put the we'll put that in the comments list I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to call on Liz next because I think she has a motion I would like to make a motion to authorize the select board during the fiscal year 2026 accept on behalf of the Town any
and all easements for the purposes listed in this draft warrant okay someone have a second to Liz's motion second Brian second's the motion thank you lest one um Karen can you call the
voting role to article 36 easements yeah oh yeah sorry so excited Lori yes Liz yes Jay yes Alison
yeah uh Tulia yes Peter yes Brian yes Aman yes Judy yes Tom
yes the motion carries okay uh next up is like trespass I was gonna I thought we maybe Green Sheet this one okay does that work we have to see what the member of the select board wants to say about it would like to see maybe talk to Peter melow
about it too oh maybe can Andrew come in as an expert can he come in in a different talk about Lum and and I will tell you I I there was another person from the town I tried to get in um to speak to this Mr
White uh I believe just to building ohion yeah and this our SK the schedule just didn't work up but um I can potentially get someone else from the town to kind of talk about it but um I think we should table and uh that's all we got I'll make a
motion to table can can I just say on that on that like I don't maybe I don't think we I doubt anybody here Andrew's Gone So as the experience or the knowledge to do this without an expert coming in and
saying this is how it should be or this is this or this or that you know no offense like an engineer good point you know how do we find that engineer how can you make pandis bl's article in here open this thing up and it's all
over who's going to determine any of this yeah I know well well the Building Commissioner I'd like doesn't exist I I could bring someone in from town we could obviously we have a resident expert um and I can discuss with Nick about someone else to bring in unless someone has an idea you know we're not
really like a public comment bot we we're not a public common body but well how we so who where would we go to find kind of person you well I don't think that's the cas doesn't mean they had an drive out
tomorrow whoever wrote this I'm sorry what Peter M Judy has her hand up yeah I just wanted to make mention of what bothers me the most about this
article and it might be helpful Tom for you to think who to bring in I worry about compliance the I mean lights lights are on at night and to determine
how much they are trespassing would be determined when it's dark outside so who in our town is going to get the phone call to come out and check on the quote
unquote trespass and police I think maybe we should hear from somebody that would have knowledge of how that would um proceed maybe um
Chief King our people don't work at nights I understand the DPW does when there's snow or trees are down or bad storms but it's not the norm for them to have um
night hours so um and then we go to the question of I know this is somewhat discussing it but we go to the question of how will that person or
people in the town um be qualified to make this determination yeah trespass so those two things combined are what
um makes me a little skeptical that that this article is fully vetted and um so I I myself would like to hear how how it would be it's one
thing to pass a law but it's another thing to utilize it there Peter oh no there's going to be a public comment at the select board Tuesday night Tuesday night at the
Art Center at the art center in East Milton Peter okay I'm gonna ask Liz yeah isn't there already a solution if I'm shining a light in your window you could bring me to court could you not
get me to stop doing that yeah well I think it would have to be kind of persistent but yes you would have a it's a trespass a trespass right like trespass you can have your your light can trespass on my property yes this
this is a article without a without a problem Mr chair solution to the problem it it if there is if there was a problem it's also kind of a nuisance maybe it is a nuisance Mr I don't like off
discussion but if we're not deciding on this tonight can can we not the point of my comment Jay was to were talking about who should I bring in thank you sorry I stepped out of the clarify issues for us that's allk I'm
not debating it I'm sorry Judy thank you Lori I I recognize you do you have I was just going to make the same comment that we were trying to figure out who should be brought in on the thing send me an email if you have somebody I I can't really
we're not in the process of just make a recommendation on that like whoever wrote this article it had to come from something and they should go to that person is well we should they must had an engineer engineer these numbers or was it just the f I don't know that they took it
from it from them in the who that is not going so let us figure out what we want to know and from whom so we can do it someone in the town took the the thing from new Marboro I get that yeah well
I'm agreeing with you so somebody in the town had to have been the one that said new Marboro let's look at your lighting bylaw and then said this should apply to Milton so who's that person coun and that person should come talk to us so maybe town counil we went through that
remember Milton should call new Malboro and ask them where they got this information up Town Council to do it these two this is light Tres this is trespass not not dark no that's this is
37 we talking about yes yeah what 37 right trespass light tresp about the dark SK dark SK was the new Mar that's they're both from new Mar they both are brought here for one specific situation
as standard that's correct right so why why are we dealing with this this is there is a there is a solution well no I agree but it's going to come up at town meeting and we should try to I just think the warrant committee should try to be as
informed as possible we should make an because I hated that thing the town meeting where people would just put forth stuff at the last minute and we had no way to chase it down or get information I don't think that's right but that's a separate thing but like we should try to get as much information as
we can before this I think agree okay no last minute stuff in the comments if we are not able to get anybody else to come in I think that that would be fine to say that we heard from Town Council but maybe list the people that you tried to
get to come in I mean not to throw shade on them but at the same time it's like we made an effort to talk to someone about this and you know there we didn't have enough information and this is sort of our perspective but I think that could be fair to say like if we aren't able to get anybody to come in
than what we've had already I agree with you okay so um I'm going to I will work uh diligently to try to find somebody and try to find you have already been though some something been trying to uh get somebody in there to kind of to
speak to a few of these issues so we can comment so when we're before town meeting we have something substance well we could also like I'll call new maloro Judy didn't you talk to new Malboro Judy um did you call that not
directly but I think if someone were to call out I can put it on my to-do list for tomorrow if you want but um um well I the question to numo is how do you enforce this law that you passed
who in your town gets the phone call right which was all I'm not debating Jay I'm just saying how do we implement this correct so it pass and nobody knows who's going to do what
right to enforce it and I think that's the missing piece in my opinion about hearing from experts about this um article so so
we call out to Numa or any one of these other places that has a similar bylaw and say who in your town gets the phone call to come out and assess the
trespass and I would guess the Town Administrator no knowledge what my comment was we don't have currently I believe anyone in our town other than the police and prior Department that are on
247 um where a call could be placed to I I think I'll call you know the animal control officer because she's going to be doing this there's no designation
of um departments or people that will help with the the enforcement of this article plus it also and again not debating but going to who we want to
hear from um there's finds involved in this who could speak to that issue how it happens and I think we heard Jay you know from M attorney Melo
that um the police would department but we can clarify that in debate um so there are just these little you know hiccups I see to this
article coming to fruition and again I go back to passing a law and enforcing a law are two different things we want to know how it's going to
be processed once it passes if it does okay that's um and I know that's a tall order order Mr chair to um you know scratch it but what how does who in new
bar new maror because we it's our new favorite Town who gets the phone call I'll call out and ask somebody if anybody's there do they have somebody there during the day I have no idea I feel like they had um it's like there's one individual that
holds like two elected positions and one staff position cuz when I they actually meet in a town hall that's yeah not in the Border or it if you know it was in passing that I I didn't zero in on all
that information but um so yeah I guess a phone call you know who in your town implements this who gets the phone call or maybe it's sort of like a
continuing you know some somebody um every night has the same light on that's contributing to the trespass so maybe you could email and say you know the last four nights you know somebody's had you
know Hollywood Sign lit up in their yard and it's you know I feel it's trespass so but if if it has to be in but but still somebody has to come
out and assess that correctly when it's docos side because light projects differently in daylight we know that right Judy I was gonna say if if you could call new malaro and work
on that aspect I will work on the live the live speaker aspect and um we can uh take able this and we can we'll rehear it obviously um after the warrant goes to print so we'll have some
meetings we have to discuss uh MBTA um flood plane East Milton overlay so there's some other articles we're going to be doing um we will include this one EXC me do you need to vote to table it we should probably vote so I think
Lori moved to table it but I'm not sure you went pass that second seconded I I'm going to do a Voice vote Karen okay all in favor of tbling this to tomorrow night yes until a date yes
certain yes I okay it passes okay so we voted on planning board no light trespass so we have articles 15 and 24
remaining is our storm water Reserve fund and article or storm water and article 24 is the school budget for fisal year 26 four and Cal Four and we did vot four we did vote on 15 the error
not withstanding because we didn't resend it per Andrew's suggestion and then it turned out that it was 4 24 appreciate this just 4 and 24 I think so productive okay yes crushed it
crushed you think we can get one of those done tonight want to talk article four 10 o'clock yes which means you're gonna have to come back tomorrow yes so can't we just come back tomorrow well I I okay so I'm
gonna say this I'm you know and I'm my comment this is kind of ridiculous but you know what if we have like a five hour discussion on schools not that's going to happen but you know time goes pretty quick I'm not going to say anything then no I'm saying like when I watch this clock and I think things are
going to be oh this Sil be laser I know it's you know it's like 9:30 and you get lost in the conversation we should have a good conversation uh about it it's huge but what do you want to do so tell me does anybody want to talk about Article 4 more than we already have or people
ready to vote on that Judy's got her hand up Judy yeah I just wanted to make a mention if I could that if we start this discussion and we feel that more time is
needed because it's now going to be eight hours talking about Article 4 um instead of adjourning at the when we set uh you know both hands are on midnight um we
can make a motion to reconvene and you name the date and the time which would be Thursday April 3rd at 7 o'clock so that's an option I just point point that out as an
option if we want to start and then continue or we want to just devote tomorrow's meeting solely to the schools that's all thank you ask a question um not trying to like
stifle any discussion but could we do is there any value in doing a uh Bob hisses like are there people whose minds are not yet made up about these two articles and that warrants five hours of
discussion or because I do think we've had a bunch of discussion already so do we want to continue continue it because there are people who still don't know where they stand take them one at a time yeah like does anybody have further discussion
they need about four and then if not can we vote and then does anybody need further thought about 24 24 I mean I guess in response to that it's been 24 hours I think Brian had a lot of
questions last night I think you said you talked to some people today I did I'd love to hear what you think right now and maybe after we hear that we'll all say it's time to vote or maybe won't I don't know I I did send an email I sent it to Karen I don't know she send it out to everybody on the library
because um it's getting late uh will did get back to me which I appreciate it was great um he said so I had the issue with the generator and he came back and said
um they had issues with he's 10 12 times a year power goes out at the library I don't want to misrepresent anything you said um and um over the past three to five years 10 to 12 outages per year
and they've had issues with it's screwed up their equipment back panel and internet U due to the surges so I said well if what you really need is a I kind of said you need UPS not necessarily a generator if there's issues with equipment dying although they do lose
power and they can't operate in there so what's CPS uh uninterrupted power supply so it's a lot cheaper and it just feeds the stuff and also you can put surges on equipment too so it doesn't burn out like everything should have a surch I don't know if it does but certainly
computer should um and he uh back and said they did they've they've worked with Consolidated facilities to insell Greater surge protections for the internal systems this has helped greatly we were looking at a PS system for the generator to be
installed I'll defer the facilities for more information but that was part of the conversation I would say I wouldn't get a generator without it because you know if it screws if the power goes out in the building then you got to start it up again with the generator it's like kind of a pain in the ass but you know you want it to have smooth flow of
energy if you get it and as for the shelter conversion it is more of a place as a cooling or warming station so his thing was basically saying that if there's an emergency then people can go to the library and
and if it's cold they could be heated or cooled down and um so I'll give you my opinion sure you want my opinion yeah so I I I I love the library I think he's great I think they do a great job there I think it's gem in
Milton I really do but um I do struggle with spending $350,000 for a generator because you have schools if there's need a shelter you have schools have generators and um although I mean I hate saying this because I think they do a great job and I don't think they ask for
much at all but this is one thing it just seems like a lot of money to spend that would be my issue with that my opinion and then I also will say since we're on it
um my other thought was on the um I mean I used to being part of a budget committee for years that would authorize like trucks that you would buy and or equipment company equipment and we would go
through an analysis we wouldn't ever buy a truck or replace a truck or piece of equipment without an expert coming in saying well you should replace this because it has this many miles this many hours and the engine's going or the transmission's going or something like that you would there' be some analysis be a sign off on it and on all this
stuff I just don't see it and I don't know that I feel comfortable saying like million dollars for a fire truck I I don't know it's only 11 years old I know they say it takes four years to get but I don't know what is the hours in four years like I i' feel like I'd want to know all this information and I couldn't
say I'm not saying they don't need it but I'm not saying they do need it either because I don't feel like I have that information that's my two cents and it's a lot of money he not cheap so that that that's my concern and I could probably say that for all the
equipment most of the equipment some of it $45,000 for a truck that's 15 years old or something I think they said or a car maybe that's not a big deal you know but the other ones I would be concerned my thing I would just feel like you need more information that's my
thoughts my my issue with the generator for the library was sure right after Glover gets it generated I mean because we talked about about the schools having to have generators it just seemed to me that somehow we jumped over the school to get
to the library yeah Peter that your comment got me thinking a lot last night about that I mean I you know it's squeaky wheel or it's you know some whatever decision was made but but um Mr
Milano said that you know they had talked about it in the committee and this is what they decided to do so and I think one of the right wrong or indifferent one of the issues with the generator I think we
um last year we did not support the generator for the library um and I think I was probably the one that created that issue um because of the schools and I think we
one went to one of the schools but um in a and last year it was stated that the library had asked for this for a number of years so it's been on their list and it continues to get pushed down and I think the
feeling um was that the time was right um to do it and Tucker was getting one and Glover usually gets what Glover wants and they hadn't
asked for anything so for the generator so I think it was but but to your point I mean I don't necess I don't disagree with why don't the schools have them before the library yeah I mean I got an
answer you know what am I going to do about it this what they decision they've made we well and in terms of like the level of detail that you know you would like to have Brian I understand that um because
I think that's you know a area of expertise for you I don't know that as a committee that's like something we are equipped to assess and for me who is not an expert on these things I'm putting my trust in Consolidated
facilities that they've been working with them and that they are advising the library on you know what's what best and so I think it's hard if we get into that level of detail with every single Department we'll never leave this
table um yeah yeah and I'd say something similar I'm not trusting consultive facilities I'm trusting the capital Improvement planning committee the they're the committee that I think does the due diligence of do you really need a truck is this truck what the town needs or is it that truck so Lori I
don't know if you want to you know Lori is our representative on that committee if you want to speak specifically general or well and I would say that I mean much like we have talked about so a number of the members have been on for nine years plus so they have been doing this
over and over and over again and I think there are you know and there is a long list I think I mentioned that last night there is a list that goes on for things that we need and I would say that Nick in his job as a strong Town
Administrator much like I have comment commented about his expense budgets does his due diligence about what the Departments need evaluating everyone's um requests and concerns and
comes in with some recommendations now you know and the recommendation for the February town meeting was the million and a half for the new school
and then it you know I was like why aren't we doing him now and then that kind of snowballed so there are big things and that was like a lot of things got taken off the list because of the so
um I think you go through the list Brian is bringing up questions that you know I never really thought in depth about that I did ask for the Fleet a report of the fleet of vehicles that we have but beyond you know what they are and how
many are around town and how old are they which the majority are older um and I know there were some issues with the Council on Aging um with a van and you know we getting a van but um again I think those
questions are great and I think it would be another level to ask for the information going forward I think I think it's valid to go through that exercise and ask Nick and the fire department and the Consolidated fac or
the DPW um I did ask him the mechanic um on those you did well that's right you did and um but I think we should ask for the information and have it be a report that is provided every year when we go through the process I think that would
be a good enhancement to the process what he said was every 15 years my predecessor get a new replace of truck I'm like maybe there's how many miles is on how many hours are on you know maybe I put some doesn't mean we need one
that's right so that's what got me concerned about that that's why I started asking about that and I guess there a warant committee that's what we're supposed to do is question it that's right no and they're great questions I think they great questions think like I didn't even know what generator on this building and I'm thinking like well like $300,000
probably like what if the power goes up so what you know I mean it goes out how my house we lost power twice in like the last 5 years for like an hour okay we we lived you know I mean it wasn't that
bad I made it well and again I do think that um if I recall Richard Wells um made a comment in his like Public Safety expertise about you being able to use the library for a shelter if need be well that's a that's a valid and that
seemed to be okay okay well that's a valid point do we need a shelter maybe hasn't happened yet but you know anything could happen what we just liveed through my only question is answers the question or not it's just based on
Peter's comment why did Glover get lead frogged like I I like to focus on our buildings and investing in our buildings and keeping them going and improving them and making them better and especially when it's to school thus the C ofan project so that's kind of just
what I'm popping around of my head I don't know that that was even discussed other than Tucker was on the list for the generators and I know Tucker was and I know the library has been ping in for this for a while I I know that yeah and I I thought somebody
in the group would be like hey what about our other Elementary School over by I would think that would just happened but well and again unless he asked for it part of well that's right and part of the discussion around you know just the the generator to keep the schools
open um and then you've got food milk you know you whatever you have in the fridge freezers you do need it probably for food yeah I don't know why Glover was never and medicine and medicine and
Medicine yes absolutely and I'm sorry go ahead if the uh Power does go out the only school going home is Glover right only kids Glover maybe Glover doesn't have power outages I don't have many in my house in
East Milton I don't know if you guys do no but I'm telling you that across the street from the library it goes surges constantly like I keep a report now because it goes out frequently so I know that they experience that and they and I think
it's the Transformer right outside of like when you drive in there's something there's something wrong yeah it sounds to me unless you you can tell me something different the generator train has left the station and there isn't much we
going to do turn that around corre well it's a capital thing we can recommend otherwise you want it to go to Glover have it go to Glover we cannot it would go to Nowhere we can add all we could say is no that's kind of what I thought
is that was that for CPC or this that's for Capital Amy said that you we would have to reconvene the capital committee yeah that would have to happen yeah but it would be we couldn't just say I want you to move it over there they would have to well but you'd have to yes you make that recommendation but if we felt
that strongly then we could make that recommendation call them and say we'd like to reconvene the capital committee and I mean that's what they would do yeah right and make a decision should have bought one generator put on a flatbed and just drive it around
people L power that would have been the cheapest option with your with your with your $45,000 Truck Yeah your fire fire truck yeah sa a million doll would save a million you're a problem solver you can start in 2029 when they get that fire TR
could possibly go wrong yeah exactly long extension words idea joking so so I guess the question is is this who we want to die on no we can't
change this right no we can say I mean that's we can mention it and say you know we would hope that the capital committee again focuses on our school buildings and finishing the schools for these reasons food medicine and just keeping the kids in class if the power
goes out may not go out but I don't know they have to go home if the power goes out I don't know well that's dangerous did you go I've never went out like the locks like would the locks even work in the door if the power was out and you didn't have a
generator I don't know oh yeah all things they're all electric locks I just feel like from a safety concern I would be good question I wouldn't really want my kid to be sitting there in the dark with no locks fire do always have to be you
always have to be it's a fire thing you always have to be able to work you could get out but you can always get out anyone anyone could get in anybody could get in in which case I don't think the children should be there isn't it if the power goes out wouldn't the lock still be locked I don't know no that's what
I'm asking I hope not you we just had a fire drill a fire alarms this morning because then the fire department has to get in yeah I don't know but I don't want to find out I don't know at least any other way other than
just asking Chief mner something but I don't want to find out practically yeah you think we're ready to have a vote on this I don't know I mean yeah I mean I tell me tell me committee what what would you like to see I'd like to know if there's a liability if um uh lights
go out and somebody in Glover gets hurt we've decided that all the other schools have a uh generator and that would have been prevented had uh there been a generator Glover as well well does that change how we vote on this
article maybe so are we ready to vote on this arle yeah I think we're ready to vote yeah okay I'm fine with that we can't change this allocation because it's already gone through right unless you say you don't want sub subract we
can subtract if we subtract it goes no they just lose it they could remet I guess but they can they do that they do what REM meat Amy said she could call another meeting of the capital committee with the recommendations from the
warrant committee that we'd like the capital committee to reconsider the capital committee spent all year looking at this we spent one night looking at it I mean you tell me you're on the capital committee I mean I think it's a valid question I think it's
um again there was not and a lot of it had to do with the fact that it's been on the list for many years the library doesn't get much in the way of capital so it's been pushed and pushed and push but Glover's a school doesn't have a
generator I wouldn't hate having them have an email explanation if we emailed and ask I don't know that they need to come in but like the capital committee to say well the reason why is because they are able to use the generator from over here and
they plug into that power and we don't know there could be a reason and again the thought was that there would be the ability to use the building for shelter yeah I know but why why the Glover school doesn't have a generator
maybe there's some kind of a reason for why it doesn't need one I don't know oh no I don't think so I don't think so either I think we should ask the question it be worth raising the question to say you know maybe how come you hadn't finished the schools or
we give I think if we don't vote tonight it's going to be a green sheet and then our reason for it being a green sheet will be well you know town we got all of this at the last minute and you know we got through 95% of it um now it's going to be a green sheet if we don't vote
tonight that's not the end of the world vote tonight um I sort of feel like I don't like if we're to make a change right now i' feel like we're shooting from the hip uh to change something that a committee worked on for a year now change is different from saying we've
got a month till town meeting we can Green Sheet it we can meet between now and then um that that's not the end of the world but if you emailed them and they were able to get you an answer today tomorrow happen oh I don't a person finished
their sentence if who's writing this comment I'm not if you were able to email them a question about was the Glover School considered and they were able to respond to your question then a person could
theoretically come back and vote on it tomorrow or I'd like to see the emails you got I can't log into my email cuz I'm having a problem Li bring back to me in a day so that was great so they I'm with Liz on this I think that's fair it gives
time to oh use your word opine on it I think lawyers that use that right you can opine on it um or think about it you know lame in terms but so right because if you're in town meeting someone may ask that question why wasn't the school considered they
may they may not I don't know I mean I V either way if we can't change it we we can't change this right they could just eliminate we just eliminate yeah yeah I'd rather see the library get something right I
mean right I I look the library I think it's great I hate saying anything I'm not trying to dis no nobody thinks that we got you nobody Pro liary anti-tr I got you I'm seems like a lot of money good point you know what I mean I
I agree like it I'm stuck on the school not having one I didn't realize they didn't so they all have it except for one yeah right and it is a lot of money I knew they were a lot of money wow one for your house is like 75,000 isn't it one
for like a small really yeah one for like a 200t house is like big Bock I have a generator up in Main and it was $1,000 that was this perfectly really propane oh propane yeah cuz I'm out in the winter time and storms come oh okay
and I keep it heated water in it so I go up and use it every once in a while and the pipes froze before I had a generator and that was only once yeah I got the generator that's an event you won't forget because I wasn't there when the
PIP it's even worse yeah worse but um the generators actually a home generator I thought they were very expensive really like the set in ones that are man I thought those were a big box I'm sorry Brian I so 375,000 seems like a lot of
money for a generator now it does it's a Cadillac of it's industrial versus you know home unit yeah it seems anyway um where are we I know anyone late all right Jay wanted to make a motion maybe I don't know maybe I'll
make a motion my computer well we have we have this article so I don't know committee I'm at your service that's good to know so I'll just wait here all right I I agree with Liz I
think we should ask information if we can't get it by tomorrow then let's vote on it tomorrow yeah yeah okay okay yeah I mean it may very well be that you know GL said no give it to the library first yeah the case
everybody's yeah I don't think that was they're not going to respond and then we just vote on it tomorrow anyway say well you know Lori who would who would you be email I'll follow up in are you sure will let us know thank you thank you very much Lor
thank you Lor for your service well clearly I didn't have a good enough answer well and then I'll ask Jay's point you've been looking at him sure there might have been a lot of conversations about it
maybe but we can why don't we give that old College try absolutely and we'll come back tomorrow yes and I'll ask for more information on the truck on the truck why not while
we're it's a million bucks should be I hear you Brian okay we need a million bucks in other places right now $90,000 for the police department so they can get the cameras and the lights the cameras
Ino yep so that's a priority is that what per you that's per year for the IT person it person just a salary position they have the money for the for the cameras they just haven't SP yeah they're doing a good job of not somebody
can actually make them work so did they have a candidate to hire or no they have no money for it I know but did they had there's got there's got to be somebody specialized in you know this it guys our police dep in the 21st
century that's like la M they'll be like dumping phones they' be doing all sorts of and I'm sure working with the fire department but I think it is a little more specialized than just like U you know it's a systems it person yeah you're doing like
devices can speci okay it's over my head so we have article four and article 24 okay remaining to be voted on
sweet okay make a motion to agour Second seconded all in favor I I I'll see you tomorrow thank you Milton thank you Warr [Music]
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