##VIDEO ID:https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/994DtmGEsi0VDYK3jJI2BJ72GfgNIpU2/media/931447?autostart=false&showtabssearch=true&fullscreen=false## <v Speaker 1>Why don't we call this meeting to order?</v> I, I just got Bob's voicemail, so hopefully he's here. So Donna <v Speaker 2>Is joining momentarily.</v> She said she just needed a few minutes, so, <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 2>But we could still start. Yeah,</v> <v Speaker 1>Why don't we start.</v> So I've got 7 0 5. Paul Connolly, are you here? Yes, <v Speaker 3>I am struggling to find out what,</v> what I need to be looking <v Speaker 1>At.</v> Yes, I called to see if he's joining the meeting. So, I'm sorry, Harriet, are you here? <v Speaker 4>I think so.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. Chris?</v> <v Speaker 2>Yes, remotely</v> <v Speaker 1>And I, I'm here remotely,</v> so we've got a quorum. We'll see who joins and when. So we get the first item out of the way. The next item on the agenda is citizen concerns. That's an opportunity for any citizen to bring the matter to the attention of the committee. I don't see anyone, by the way, this meeting is being recorded. Chris? <v Speaker 2>Yes. The meeting is being recorded by, by Pegasus.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. Seeing no one from</v> Citizens Con for Citizens concerns. We'll go to item three. Chris, is there any update on the special act? I know you were looking to see if it had a bill number yet, and there's a big process. There's a bunch of bills filed and they don't, don't necessarily all have numbers, but any update on that? No, <v Speaker 2>I reached out to Representative Linsky</v> and I haven't heard back yet, and I haven't seen a bill number yet. But as he said when he was going over the process, the, the legislature has to set their rules and then they'll set their committees and then the bill will be assigned to a committee. So just waiting for no hearing on some of that timing. <v Speaker 1>Okay. Anyone else on</v> the special act status? Seeing none, we can go to bylaw committee reports, but I don't think we, we do we have any updated reports for the people we're working on? <v Speaker 4>I asked you</v> to please drop the one on the cancel council on aging. <v Speaker 1>Yeah, we, we'll do that tonight. Okay. Okay.</v> Well, seeing none, why don't we get into, <v Speaker 2>I'm gonna say that I did reach out to the town Okay.</v> About the revolving funds, but I didn't hear back. But those revolving funds were updated as of like eight, you know, 20, 23. So I'm not sure there's much to do there, so. <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> All right. Why don't we get into warrant articles? The warrant closes on Thursday, February 20th, but if we get things out of the way this evening, we might not, we might be able to just get them in early, so, <v Speaker 2>Oh, hang on.</v> Bob's trying to join. I see him now. <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 2>You wanna,</v> <v Speaker 1>Yeah, well wait till he gets in.</v> Yeah. <v Speaker 2>Oh. And Don is coming now too. Bob's in.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 5>Hi, it's, can you hear me? Yes. Yes, I'm here.</v> And I apologize for being late. I have a situation and my camera's off because I've got, I'm here with the dogs. It's like not great, so, okay. I'm here. I'm all ears. <v Speaker 1>All right. So Donna's here, re remotely.</v> Bob, are you here remotely? <v Speaker 6>I am here remotely.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> So I've got, you added at 7 0 8. We were through the first three, actually four items on the agenda, but we are about ready to get into the fifth. So if you or Donna have any updates reporting in on any further work that you've done on the bylaws with anyone from the, from the town who's indicated they might like to see a change in those bylaws, I guess we should hear from you. If there are none, then just say that there's no update and then we can get into warrant articles. Okay. <v Speaker 5>I have no, none at this point.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 6>Yeah, I, I, I have no updates.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. All right. So we'll go into warrant articles.</v> I drafted two of them and sent them out earlier today. One is just the standard committee reports. I just copied what we did last fall. And then the other one I combined the changes for Article 21 of the bi 21 A of the bylaws, article 25, article 41, and Article 80. And then I added in if we wanted 81 81. I'm sorry, the, and I added in the zoning topic that we had talked about previously. I've got an update from Harriet that she thinks that the, the update is that the one on the council on Aging is no longer necessary. So when we get to that, we'll, we, <v Speaker 4>It isn't that it's not necessary.</v> The, the person in charge of the Council on Aging does not wish to go forward with it. <v Speaker 1>Oh, okay. Very good.</v> So, Chris, I don't know if you wanna put one of these up on the screen. Do you wanna put the committee report on the screen? <v Speaker 2>Yeah.</v> Oh. Oh, here we go. Everybody see that? <v Speaker 3>I can see something.</v> <v Speaker 1>These were also emailed out</v> earlier today, probably around somewhere around noon. <v Speaker 3>They would be harder for me to locate at the present time.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay,</v> <v Speaker 2>That better?</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 3>Looks fine to me.</v> <v Speaker 7>So</v> <v Speaker 2>We're just leaving in the committee</v> ex the committee extension and the financing, even though we don't need to take advantage of that right now, just because this is our standard, correct? <v Speaker 1>It is. And it's just the,</v> I thought about taking those two out, but then I was like, if they, if for some unforeseen reason there was something that came up and it was going to be difficult to look at and the town wanted us to look at it, we might need the second and third paragraphs on the term and on the funding. But my anticipation is that the only motion that we would make is for the report. <v Speaker 4>Well, we're not asking for any additional funding, are we?</v> <v Speaker 1>Not likely.</v> <v Speaker 4>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>So, but please not, this is, this is the Yeah.</v> Really nor an extension, please, but <v Speaker 6>No more, no extension.</v> Let, let, let us sunset. <v Speaker 1>Right. But it, these are in, remember</v> that the Warren article is the placeholder. It's not the motion in front of town meeting. If you leave it out at this point in time and you say, oh, something came up and we, you know, we want to make the motion, if you left it out of the Warren article, you can't. So that's why I left it in. Okay. But it's the pleasure of the committee. <v Speaker 2>I just made a couple of spacing, corrections</v> and added a comma, but otherwise I think it looks fine to me. <v Speaker 1>Anyone wanna make a motion?</v> <v Speaker 2>I move that we accept the warrant articles</v> regarding committee report and extension as viewed on the screen. <v Speaker 1>Okay. Second. Moved by Ms.</v> Whiteman, seconded by Ms. Berkowitz. Any other motions? Seeing none will vote this. Chris, how do you vote? <v Speaker 2>Yes,</v> <v Speaker 1>Harriet, how do you vote? Yes.</v> Paul Connolly, how do you vote? Yes, Bob. Awkward. How do you vote? <v Speaker 2>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Donna Mackenzie, how do you vote?</v> Yes, and I am a yes. So that is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 0 0. And I will show those changes and we'll get this filed. Okay. The next one, if we can put it up on the screen. <v Speaker 2>Yep.</v> <v Speaker 1>Is</v> and then we can let, why don't we just take it kind of section by section? <v Speaker 2>This, the markup on Article 41? No, that's,</v> <v Speaker 1>No, this is the one on bylaw article.</v> <v Speaker 2>The bylaw warrant article. Okay.</v> Lemme just make it a little bigger. How's that? <v Speaker 3>Good.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. This one is something that I added</v> and I can, I'll explain first of all what the art, what 21 A is, which in the first, so this is an, this is a warranted article that, I'm sorry, the title. You Thank you, Chris. The title should be changed. This should be for 21, a 41, 81, and 22, I believe. And, and a new section. And delete 25. Yeah, I i 25. You want 25? We, we would take out, right. And it should say 22 and a new section <v Speaker 2>22.</v> And a new section <v Speaker 1>And, and a new and, and a new yes.</v> And not a new section and a new article. Okay. A new bylaw article. All right. So the first part of this is on the collector of taxes. Section six is a section of the bylaws that says Accept as otherwise provided by law or by bylaw. All charges and bills issued by the town of Natick are due and payable within 30 days. Interest on delinquent charges and bills accrue it from the date of I of issue of such charge at a rate which equals the rate of interest set forth in chapter 59. Section fif chapter 59, section 57 of the Massachusetts General Laws as amended. That language in, that's in the current section six is on referencing 50. Chapter 59. Section 57 is on unpaid taxes that have not been moved into tax title. There is another section of the general laws, which applies to, and I didn't to tax title the, and I perhaps didn't word this, you know, correctly, but it, it was to add references for delinquent charges on bills that should just say in tax title, we could take out including, but not limited to <v Speaker 2>On delinquent charges and bills and tax title</v> <v Speaker 1>No in, in in tax title.</v> <v Speaker 2>What do I take out?</v> <v Speaker 1>Take out in the including,</v> but not limited to and put in n <v Speaker 6>It, it reads requirements into changing the word.</v> <v Speaker 2>So it would read in section six six to modify</v> or add appropriate references to the general law for interest rates on delinquent charges and bills in tax title. <v Speaker 1>Right.</v> <v Speaker 2>So</v> because we're, we're adding this, right? So the other interest rates that are already there would stay for, <v Speaker 1>Would stay, would stay, stay.</v> Yeah. We only referenced chapter 59. Section 57, which is unpaid bills. And the, and chapter 9 57 is the statutory interest rate of I believe 14%. What if something is in tax title? The interest rate goes to 16%. And it's a different section, I believe. I didn't want to quote it exactly, but it's, I believe it's chapter 60, section 67. But if there's any other section, I just wanted to say to the general laws, I didn't wanna restrict to one chapter or section. Okay. Okay. Then the second half of this in the current bylaw section, it section seven, it says within 180 days of the end of the fiscal year, the town collector shall publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the town of Natick, the name of any entity, COR person corporation or business enterprise, that has not entered into a payment plan with the tax collector's office. And that owes from the previous fiscal year before an aggregate of a thousand dollars or more in local property taxes assessments or betterments. So the, the, the second part of this paragraph is looking to modify the timing and the public re publication requirements, including, but not limited to changing the words newspaper of general circulation to the town website or to a print publication of general circulation or other terms. And that references to payment plans will refer to payment plans not in default and further arrears and will exclude senior tax deferrals not due for payment. And to include in the amounts, the amounts due by year. Right. Not just the total amount owed. So I may break that down a little bit for you. The, if you, right now it says in a newspaper of general circulation in the town, the charter changes that are proposed that are now up at the legislature will change the statutory definition of, you know, within our charter of local newspaper to, to be, you know, the website, you know, DPW police, signage, you know, social media, some and whatever mechanism is determined to be reasonable by the select board based on a public hearing. And that's just basically to allow, allow people about, you know, the budgets available or the town meeting or special town meeting is being called. That type of thing. It dawned on me looking at this, that the, the number of line items, I don't have the exact count, but the number of line items of taxes due that are a thousand dollars or more in balance on one of the runs that I saw as easily in excess of a thousand lines. If you consolidate those down by who owes them, you're, you're looking at like 150 to 200 entities or people and putting that on the DPW signage in front of the library or the police station would require it, have to scroll for like, you know, probably for like an hour Right. To, you know, to go, you know, to go through that. And given that this current section of the bylaw is linked to newspaper of general circulation in the town, and we are gonna, we have a charter change pending to change that. I wanted to separate this and put it on its own publication definition. That's number one. So that if the select board decides whatever it wants to do, you know, for the definition of local newspaper, this bylaw would not be affected by that. Because this could, this is a, this is a long list, particularly if you showed the, you know, the amounts by year. And then the, the current bylaw exempts anyone who has entered into a repayment plan, it should read anyone who has entered into a repayment plan. And they are not in default or further arrears. 'cause you enter into a depay payment plan, you take yourself off the list and then stop paying taxes. And then all of the senior tax deferrals should be excluded because they are, they are a particular form of agreement. They're not really a, they're not really a payment plan. They're a, they're a deferral plan and they're not due for payment until after the person sells the house or dies. And then if the other, the last thing is, if you look in section 21, there are no descriptive headers like the other sections of the bylaw. There's just section one, section two, section 3, 4, 5, 6, and seven. And I thought it would be a good idea for us to add some section headers that describe what it is because this publication of back taxes has not occurred in several years. <v Speaker 2>Really? Can we, can we just pull up that by,</v> do you mind if I pull up that bylaw? <v Speaker 1>Not at all.</v> <v Speaker 2>Probably have this submarket just faster.</v> What number is it? <v Speaker 1>21 A 21</v> <v Speaker 2>A.</v> And we're talking section seven, right? <v Speaker 1>Section seven.</v> <v Speaker 2>The town collector shall publish</v> the name of any entity or business that is not entered into a payment plan with the tax collector's office and owe. <v Speaker 1>It's not, it's not up on the screen, so,</v> <v Speaker 2>Oh, it's not, I thought I was sharing that.</v> Wow. <v Speaker 6>That</v> <v Speaker 2>Close</v> now. Is it up there? <v Speaker 1>Now it's</v> <v Speaker 2>Up. Okay.</v> So it already, so we already require communication if somebody is not entered into a payment plan with a tax collector and owes more than a thousand dollars in property taxes assessment or betterments. <v Speaker 1>Right. Right,</v> <v Speaker 2>Right.</v> <v Speaker 1>But if the payment plan has to gone into default,</v> in other words that where they, you know, they're not, they've stopped paying, you know, the, the one proposal is to make it a payment plan that they're not in default on that they're actually honoring. Right. Okay. The other thing that you can look at in the top line, it says within 180 days of fiscal year end, that's, that's a half a year. I mean, that, that's basically you're going through July, August, September, October, November, December, it gets published on New Year's Eve. Right. And that's where it can be. And that's a long time down the road. It might be the type of thing that should be like within 60 days or 90 days. Days. The whole point of the, the whole point of an earlier timeframe would be when these things are pub published, it is a potential collection tool. If someone has paid their taxes, but it was pen pinned to the wrong account, this couldn't alert them. You know, if they missed a payment, it can alert them. If their bank didn't pay the escrow to the right parcel, that's gonna alert them. Many, many years ago that actually happened to my wife and I, you know, we had paid, you know, the, the, the mortgage company was just not, or the bank was not, you know, paying the payments to the right parcel, they were crediting them to somebody else. And, you know, we saw our names on the list and I think my wife was on the school committee. It was a little bit embarrassing, but then it became very embarrassing for the treasurer collector and very embarrassing for the bank. Right. 'cause they were taking our money and giving it the, the bank was actually putting it to the wrong parcel. So it's, the disclosure of this information is helpful and it's in the current environment, it is not without consequence because the, the aggregate number of unpaid real and per personal property taxes that are not in tax title is a staggering number. <v Speaker 6>Wow. Isn't, isn't there state law</v> that governs this process <v Speaker 1>For the collections Yes.</v> For the collection, yes. Right. But the public, the, this was the last, this was, this bylaw was generated back in like 1999 or 2000 when the town had something on the order of like, you know, two to $3 million in unpaid back taxes. And it was the select board that led the, you know, the, you know, the effort to get the information and finally got it. And then this was, you know, a bylaw that was kind of developed as a consequence to that. The, the aggregate of back taxes is multiples of that number. So, <v Speaker 2>Well, I, I wanted to show this just to show that it,</v> you know, it's already there. It's not like we're adding a new section seven, we're just updating section seven for a more modern version of newspaper, but also making sure that, you know, the payment plans are not in default. And this, this one though. Oh yeah. So this, this also calls for the individual to be identified. Just like, you know what we were working on though, we've added more detail. Right, Paul? 'cause now you're, you want the amount and the year. <v Speaker 1>Yeah, well I want the flexibility to be able to add that</v> because they, you know, when you look at this section seven, the current bylaw, the collector's gotta go through all of the information. Right. And it could be like you, you could, you could end up taking out two pages in the newspaper, right. And having to publish it. It's a, it's not inexpensive if it's a file, right. A PDF and you put it on the website, right. It's, you can show a lot more information and you don't need 180 days to go, you know, to go send it to the printer. So, and then if you could, oh, Chris, if you just jump back for a sec. <v Speaker 2>Yeah.</v> <v Speaker 1>If you could scroll up in this bylaw,</v> you see section 7, 6 5, these have no captions. And part of the reason of thinking of adding the captions is causing people within the town government to actually read them. <v Speaker 2>Oh, so you're saying section one,</v> section one has no title. Section two has no title. <v Speaker 1>None, none of these sections have some titles.</v> <v Speaker 2>Okay. Okay.</v> And this entire 21 A is only on collecting taxes. It's not about any other, <v Speaker 1>Not about anything else.</v> <v Speaker 2>Anything else. So like, technically</v> excise taxes could be included in this, right? Because that's collection of taxes. If someone's not paying their excise taxes. <v Speaker 3>Well, if, if there's no titles,</v> what is the purpose of having all the divisions? Why isn't it just a big one section? It's not telling you anything why it's divided into sections. <v Speaker 1>Well, the pur the, the A warrant article seeks</v> to give us the flexibility to add the se add the section titles. <v Speaker 3>And speaking of the titles</v> further down when section seven, I didn't understand what it meant. Maybe it is not that the someplace I saw it was said of some of, of the bylaws. What did that mean? That was in one of the section titles. I must be looking at a different place now. I'm, I am dependent on what's being shown on the screen. When we f when we first started the discussion, we were say, looking at another screen <v Speaker 2>Consent.</v> <v Speaker 3>And I didn't understand that it, most</v> of the section titles at the very beginning had a phrase at the end of the bylaws. And I couldn't understand what that was adding to the section title, because I obviously didn't understand it. <v Speaker 2>You want me to go back to the warrant,</v> article proposal now, Paul? Well <v Speaker 3>We, we've actually made the change.</v> I mean, <v Speaker 1>Well there are no section titles in the current article</v> of the bylaw, but 21 A. So, and maybe go back to the draft warrant article. <v Speaker 3>Here's one, here's the thing I didn't understand.</v> It says a collector of taxes of the bylaws. What does that supposed to mean? <v Speaker 1>Oh, it shouldn't it should it just say good catch,</v> take out the words of the bylaws. That is a good catch. It's article 21 A of the bylaws, but that's all right. <v Speaker 3>Okay. I And it's the next one Pound has</v> of the bylaws too, what I'm saying. Yeah, <v Speaker 1>Right.</v> But, okay, got it. And, <v Speaker 3>And further down in calves of the bylaws,</v> <v Speaker 1>It, it's because these were all, these were all bylaws,</v> but we can take all of those out. You, it'll read better. You're right. Okay, <v Speaker 3>Well it'll, it will read better</v> and it won't put ideas into people and saying, what the heck does this mean? <v Speaker 1>Okay, so can we go back to the article?</v> <v Speaker 2>Yep,</v> <v Speaker 3>Go ahead.</v> <v Speaker 2>So in, can I, so we, we looked at section six</v> and we're gonna be adding appropriate references to the general laws for interest rates on deli liquid charges and bills <v Speaker 1>In tax title.</v> <v Speaker 2>In tax title. Yes.</v> And in section seven, we're doing a series of things, expanding the definition of a newspaper consistent with what we did the charter, <v Speaker 1>We're gonna No, no, no, we're gonna,</v> we're gonna completely switch it so that it doesn't link to the chart. It's un it will be unaffected by the charter change. <v Speaker 2>Right, right. But we're like, we're being consistent</v> with Right. Expanding the definition of, you know, changing newspaper of general circulation to a variety of ways that this could be communicated and that that communication would reference payment plans that are not default and there would be exclusions. And then add section titles <v Speaker 1>Can, and I left one thing out, Chris, I thought I would,</v> when I was typing this today, if you could, you see where it says payment plans to refer to payment plans not in default or further arrears. Can you stick in the words comma or not in the words, can you stick in comma to include amounts in tax title and do exclude the senior deferrals just so that everybody knows what a tax title is. That's when the, if the taxes are not paid or it's only on real estate taxes, if they're not paid, the collectors supposed to send a demand notice. And then if that demand notice is not paid, then the collector, it has to now go through a little bit more of a one, not onerous, but you know, more detailed process as a result of a, a recent state law change. But they actually record a lien at the registry of deeds on that real estate that's known as tax title. And that is, I think <v Speaker 3>It's a comma after that title.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay,</v> <v Speaker 3>Thank you.</v> <v Speaker 1>So tax title and anything</v> that is a tax title lien filed against it is still taxes. So back taxes on real estate break into two categories. Things that are, have the lien recorded against 'em and things that don't, but they're all still owed. <v Speaker 3>I, when you're playing with the words down here, I kind</v> of understand why senior tax deferrals is a proper name. I mean, <v Speaker 1>It's, it's, it's, you know, it, I believe that it's</v> chapter 59. Section 41 A might even be subsection something or other. I'm trying to use it, the term of art to put the citizens on notice that, but the emotion will actually be more precise. <v Speaker 3>You mean by making things that don't deserve</v> to be proper, proper names. You're gonna make something more precise instead of confusing. Confusing. It means like, seems to me the word senior tax deferrals is pretty precise as it is. Why are we capitalizing it, making it weird? <v Speaker 1>You can unc recapitalize it if you want.</v> <v Speaker 3>Thank you.</v> <v Speaker 7>So</v> <v Speaker 2>Paul, can I ask a question?</v> <v Speaker 1>Sure.</v> <v Speaker 2>So in addition to</v> the back taxes, you that at this point don't have liens on them or tax you, you like you in, in adding this, including amounts in tax title, we're including everything. Everything, correct? Right. Like, like if we didn't include the amounts in tax title, <v Speaker 1>We're just making it clear</v> because someone could, they are literally reported on different, in different accounts within the town's accounting system. The chart of account, the chart of accounts has, has them in two different places. <v Speaker 2>But if we left, if we left off those in tax title,</v> like again, those people might be let off the hook versus other people whose names are being published that owe money to the town. <v Speaker 1>No, first of all, can you fix the, it doesn't,</v> it shouldn't have a section, a new section two in it somehow that, <v Speaker 2>Just see what this looks like without</v> <v Speaker 1>Just under your cha under your change. Oh, hang</v> <v Speaker 2>On.</v> Slager wants to come to our meeting and she's been trying to get in, so I apologize that I didn't see her. <v Speaker 1>Okay, you didn't see her. All right.</v> <v Speaker 2>But I wanted to just put simple markup for a second</v> to make sure that this, so, so you just want this insert, you just want this moved in, right? <v Speaker 1>No, it should be the, the, the it, we have</v> to exclude the capital S and there should be no capital S and that should, yeah, it should be moved in. <v Speaker 2>Okay, so where is the capital S?</v> <v Speaker 1>Right there. Right</v> <v Speaker 6>There. Where your cursor is, right</v> <v Speaker 2>Where your cursor is?</v> Oh yeah. Oh, okay. I see. <v Speaker 1>And then there we go. There you</v> <v Speaker 2>Go.</v> Okay. My apologies Linda, I didn't see we're sharing the screen, so I didn't see that you wanted to come in. <v Speaker 1>So, alright, so why don't we,</v> we've had discussion on this, but is there any further discussion on 21? A collector of taxes? <v Speaker 4>No,</v> <v Speaker 1>Anyone from the public?</v> Okay. Seeing none. The next item was Counsel on Aging. And Harriet, you reported that they no longer want this, <v Speaker 4>They do not wish this. Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. But the, the thing</v> that I caught when we were looking at it, this is Article 20, when I was looking at it today, this could just be a formatting error, but the title of the section one on the Council on Aging is composition Term of Office membership. There shall be a Council on aging G Chris, can you go to the, <v Speaker 4>Where are we going now?</v> <v Speaker 1>Go to Article 25.</v> <v Speaker 2>Is is that on the screen or do I need to share</v> <v Speaker 1>It?</v> It's, no, it's now on the screen. Okay. Okay. So before we take this out, you know, I was, you know, when Harriet was saying we needed to change the three to a different number for that was on our last meeting I went to, went to write up the warrant article today and I looked at it and I was like, somehow or another, the, the, the, there shall be a council on aging is bold and part of the title that could just be a formatting thing that we have the clerk fix without an action. <v Speaker 4>Oh yeah,</v> <v Speaker 2>Yeah.</v> Because shouldn't there, should, there should be a council on aging that should actually start on the next line. Is that correct? Right. <v Speaker 1>And it shouldn't be bold</v> <v Speaker 6>And it shouldn't be</v> both. That's the <v Speaker 4>Actual, that's a scribner's error rather than,</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> All right. So we can go back to the Warren article. <v Speaker 2>Before we do that, do you want the, do you want me</v> as the secretary to mention to the clerk that an Article 25, section one, there's a scribner's error? <v Speaker 1>Sure.</v> <v Speaker 2>Lemme just make a note. Okay.</v> <v Speaker 3>You, you, you're gonna separate</v> that, that phrase so that there shall be, is gonna be on the, it's not gonna be up in the title, I presume. <v Speaker 1>That's right.</v> <v Speaker 2>Right.</v> <v Speaker 1>We're not gonna do it. We're in</v> the, gonna have the clerk do it. Okay. So the next one is contracts, town property and regulations. So this was the one that Harriet sent. Right. And so the, the, the, the way that I looked at that and you know, was that they wanted a reference in, let me call up my hard copy here. I believe that should say in sec in section one. And Chris, if you could add section three, there was an un it add references to section one and section, it doesn't have a number. That should be a three. <v Speaker 4>This there was also an addition to two as well as three,</v> <v Speaker 1>Correct?</v> Yeah. <v Speaker 3>Alright,</v> <v Speaker 1>Do one second, Harry, if I can just go</v> through this and then you can circle back and correct me. No problem. So the, the way that I was reading through the, the, the red line or the blue line was that one of the things that they wanted was to add boards, officials, committees, commissions, and instrumentalities of the town to the existing reference to departments in section one and addition. And then also to the add to the, to the, the board and official that's in section three. Right? So if you, if we, if you looked at the thing that Harriet sent, you'll see that in section one they're adding boards, commissions, committees, and instrumentalities and, and section three there where we already have boards and officials, they're adding commissions, committees and instrumentalities. So these are being, I'm <v Speaker 4>Losing you 'cause all I saw</v> that was added was, <v Speaker 1>Can you call up the other please, Harriet?</v> Chris, can you call up the thing that, that I, that Harriet sent around <v Speaker 2>That, that's this one. Right, right.</v> <v Speaker 1>So you can see in section one boards, commissions,</v> committees, committees and instrumentalities is being added. If you can go to section, scroll to section three. That section three I guess is the top of the other page. You can see that in the middle of that it says every board, town commission committee and instrumentality. Right? So the, the additions of who's covered by these boards, committees, commissions, and instrumentalities is actually happening. The, the, the request was inserted in section one and in section three. Okay. So the by, so the bylaw the warrant article actually says that. And then if you can go back to the top of the article, 'cause this will explain the next change. You'll notice that the, whoops, the tar, sorry, Chris, the bylaw. <v Speaker 2>Oh yeah. Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>All right.</v> So you can see in section one in the very last line, there is a request to have added nothing herein, however, shall affect the ability of the chief procurement officer to exercise the duties of set office to find in master general law chapter 30 B call that you know, kind of the insert one for the moment. Just put a placeholder on that, that specific language going into section one. Then if you scroll to the end of section two, Chris, yeah, there's a, there's a insert. Call it insert two coming in at the end of section two said, action shall be in addition to all responsibilities conferred to the chief procurement officer pursuant to the mass general laws. And then go the end of three, there's an insert at the air there. Nothing herein shall be construed as precluding the use of electronic records, maintenance and retention. So long as such means the methods are permissible under otherwise applicable laws. So those are three places where we're adding in explanatory language. One's at the end of section one, the other is at the end of section two, and the other is at the end of section three. I put, I, I put those in the warrant article if we can flip back to the Warren article, but IW you know, I was trying to be careful about how to do it because you, so if you, if you can, you can see Roman two, it's 1, 2, 3, 4 lines down says add language and sections one, two, and three respectively to the effect that, but alliance put in the words either with the following words or similar wordings. I didn't want us hamstrung. If counsel looks at this and says, change the words. So there, there in the, the changes would be respectively in sections one, two, and three. And I copied the first one in italics, the second one in italics. And then if you go to the next page, the third one in italics. So that, those are just being what's what we in, we intend to either do exactly those words in italics or words to similar effect at the end of sections one, two, and three. Okay. That's why. So that's, and the reason I didn't show the whole section Harriet with the addition is okay if town council or Durso looks at it and says you need a different way to word this. We're not hamstrung with these words. <v Speaker 4>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>Alright.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yep.</v> <v Speaker 1>Looking through the rest of the red line you sent,</v> there was a change change to the board of Selectmen to select board. I believe that that was a global change that was voted at town meeting not sponsored by us. I think it was sponsored before we got started, but it doesn't appear to have been made. I looked through the, the rest of this and there are references to the town clerk and his office and the officer and his employees and the, you know, work done by him. You know, that type of stuff. And they, I looked through and I said those are all kind of like gender references. So we could <v Speaker 4>Did you notice in section six</v> he wanted the preci more precise, precise requirements on such sales and he, he listed the general laws and the sections? <v Speaker 1>No, I didn't see that because it wasn't highlighted.</v> <v Speaker 4>I'm sorry.</v> <v Speaker 1>No, that's all right. I missed it.</v> So thank you for pointing that out. <v Speaker 2>Where section</v> <v Speaker 6>Is that the,</v> are we talking about a shorter period if required by statute? <v Speaker 1>No, no. Can</v> <v Speaker 4>You, it's the last sentence in section six.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. A little bit of order here</v> 'cause we, we can get through this pretty easily, but last line in section six. Chris, can you highlight that the last two lines, just highlight that. Okay, that wasn't redlined, but we want to be able to add that, <v Speaker 2>We need to add that into the warrant.</v> <v Speaker 1>We need to add that into the, into the warrant article.</v> So let's go back to the, if we go back to the Warren article. Kat, thank you for catching that because I missed it 'cause it wasn't highlighted. And so can you go to the, to the warned article? <v Speaker 2>Yeah. Right now I just couldn't, okay. Okay.</v> So far you just need to tell me what you wanna do with it. <v Speaker 1>Okay, so right at the,</v> the line that says town manager as the case may be to the exemp language and section two. Yeah. Put, put a semicolon and then add little roman numeral X parentheses. And Harriet, this was going at the end of section six, right? <v Speaker 4>That is at the end of section six? Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay, then I,</v> the first parentheses should go the other way I think. Oh, <v Speaker 2>I see.</v> You want, you want open and close parentheses around the X? <v Speaker 1>No, just a, just just a second close.</v> No, they should be second. Okay. <v Speaker 4>Six is an x Si</v> <v Speaker 1>Sorry</v> <v Speaker 4>If, if you, are you doing Roman numeral six with the X or</v> <v Speaker 1>No?</v> We're doing roman numeral 10. <v Speaker 4>Oh, okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>Because we're already at nine</v> <v Speaker 2>If you have, so here you already</v> <v Speaker 4>Got a nine there. So</v> <v Speaker 2>Is that what this is here?</v> Sale and section six? Semicolon ix. Oh, so you just need this, <v Speaker 1>It needs, right.</v> Okay. It's not, it needs to be, it needs to come up as part of that paragraph. Yeah, there you go. And then I think the cadence of this is add language at the end of section six stating, then you put quotation marks in front of the four. <v Speaker 2>Get I'm</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> Someone in distress. The I just hearing like a groaning in the background. Yeah, <v Speaker 4>I can hear that too.</v> <v Speaker 1>Yeah. Alright, so, so it stating,</v> and then everything you have in read for more precise requirements, da da da. And then as after the word of amended, put quotation marks or, or words too similar effect. <v Speaker 4>We have a couple other changes to add.</v> <v Speaker 1>We do, we we we do.</v> Let's get this one 'cause this one was a big one. Yeah. So the, and that way the, the, the words are there, but we have flexibility if they need to be worded somewhere somewhat differently. And I put the quoted piece in italics just so that it matches what we've done up above. Okay. And if you could scroll back up into that section of the Warren article. So we, you know, they wanted the gender references and they wanted the change of procurement designated procurement officer to be the chief procurement officer. And, and, and that happens in a couple of places then we don't need to call 'em all out. Then they also wanted the word rule after added after the work word, local law in section three. They wanted the, so I was making an an, an inventory of these Harriet and that they wanted to add the word and delete, add the word residual and delete the word replacement before the word value in section five. And then in to allow a shorter or longer period than 14 days if allowed or required by statute in section six to insert the word before the word sale in section six, add the town administrator or manager to the exemption language in section two. And then the last one is the one we just did. <v Speaker 4>So are you gonna list all of that? When I went? When,</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> One at a time. Harriet first then Bob, <v Speaker 4>When I went through the stuff to see</v> what was different from what was in the bylaws in section two on the last sentence. And he had added said, action shall be in addition to all responsibilities conferred to the chief pro pro procurement officer pursuant to Massachusetts general law. <v Speaker 1>We've got that.</v> <v Speaker 4>Okay.</v> We took care of section 3, 4, 5, 6. We took care of, yeah, section nine he wanted deleted. <v Speaker 2>You want me to pull the bylaw off?</v> <v Speaker 1>Sure.</v> Okay. So he wants section nine deleted. <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 2>Authorization for expenditure of funds.</v> <v Speaker 4>Wait a minute.</v> He has down section nine authorization for expenditure fund. The town controller shall not approve for payment any warrant for the expenditure of public funds unless there has been full compliance with mass general laws Chapter 41, section 52 or any successor legislation. <v Speaker 2>He wants that out.</v> <v Speaker 4>No, I thought that that was,</v> I thought that that was different. If it's, if it's the same, leave it. <v Speaker 2>Well, do you want me to pull up the,</v> let me just go to the bylaw. <v Speaker 4>Okay. We're, I think we're okay.</v> I think we're okay after that. I thank you. <v Speaker 2>No, I must be in the wrong one. Which, which one is this?</v> <v Speaker 4>We're fine.</v> <v Speaker 2>Okay. I'll go back to the, all right.</v> So you're fine with section nine? <v Speaker 4>Yep.</v> <v Speaker 1>Wait a second. Wait a second.</v> You might be onto something. Harriet. Go can Chris, can you go to the actual bylaw, not this printed version. Go to the end of section nine. Okay, there it is. That section nine has two sentences. The first sentence is in the writeup that Harriet sent. The last sentence is not, is that the, the sentence that he wanted deleted. The town controller shall exercise all duties imposed by state, including without limitation. No specified mass general laws 41 56 or any successor legislation. <v Speaker 4>He does not have that in there.</v> The only one part he has is chapter 41, section 52 or any successful legislation. <v Speaker 1>Okay. Chris, can you go back to the warrant article?</v> Since he's not part of the meeting, he may want it out. So the <v Speaker 2>Warrant article</v> <v Speaker 1>To go to the warrant article,</v> <v Speaker 4>I told him when we had finished this</v> that I would send him a copy of, you know, when Chris sends the official thing. Okay. So that he will, will approve it. We don't run into a problem. <v Speaker 1>Very good. All right, Chris,</v> after the word effect right there, can you put in a semicolon and roman numeral 11 parentheses and add the word, just modify or delete the last sentence in section nine that'll give us the flexibility to have it deleted or even, or just change the words. Does that make sense, Harriet? <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. Okay.</v> <v Speaker 2>Only</v> <v Speaker 1>Thing, sorry for all the sausage making on this,</v> but go ahead Chris. <v Speaker 2>So this isn't, you know, completely in track changes,</v> but you know, this, this blue or red or whatever is really, because, you know, we cut and pasted it, but this is, you know, we were reading it the way it should look and then this is the way it will come to you and track changes. <v Speaker 1>Right?</v> <v Speaker 2>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>But it looks like Linda Walsh lager left a meeting.</v> So let, but I, we don't need to keep track of people not on the committee, do we? No, no, <v Speaker 2>No.</v> We only need to keep track of the public if they comment. <v Speaker 1>Got it. Okay. All right.</v> So the next one, Chris, this should actually be article 81, not 80. Right. And Bob looked at your red lines and it looks like they want to add propane globally in the bylaw, but that within certain subsections, inventory control, you know, testing and proximity to water, they want it not to be applicable. And those sections were in your handout were six E, nine C, and 10 A. <v Speaker 6>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 6>Control</v> right six E. <v Speaker 1>And you might wanna say just for flexibility here,</v> 'cause we have haven't had council read it after 10 a Chris add within before the, before the summer colon add the words or other subsections or, or other sections, sorry. And then I put stick the semicolon so that way if he's missed one exception, we've got the flexibility to do it. Okay. And then the last one, which is Article 22, town council and a new bylaw. <v Speaker 6>When did you, they wanted to drop the,</v> actually the fire chief wanted when it says administrative and enforcement agent, and that's section three to drop fire department under the listed fire department. <v Speaker 1>Yeah, but then I,</v> I read the sentence and I thought it was so good. I'm glad you raised that. But if the, if you can you call up Bob's document, Chris, where you organized? <v Speaker 6>I was just, that was like, it's 81. Yes.</v> Michael, get you. I think I only have, is <v Speaker 1>This what I'm looking?</v> Okay, that's what you're looking at. So he wanted the word fire department taken out in three A, but I am not inclined to accommodate him because this, he wants to reword the sentence that says approval of this bylaw shall not be deemed a waiver of the rights of any town entity, including, but not limited to public works, fire department, building, department conservation or town entities having concurrent jurisdiction or licensing authority. Meaning that this is, like, this is saying public works, fire building, conservation, you whatever rights, whatever powers, duties you've got from some other place are not affected by what's going on here. This is actually keeping him whole for his, the way it's currently written keeps him whole for his separate fire chief authority. If we take him out, then it's like, well maybe it, maybe it does limit him. <v Speaker 6>Well his rationale was that state fire code</v> and he cited it, which I can look up if you want, gave him all the authority that he needed. So Right. He said from his perspective, he said, I don't even need to be in this. I don't even need to be part of this anymore. <v Speaker 1>Well somebody long, long time ago,</v> whenever they wrote this, said this, I'm gonna translate section three A. This bylaw does not change the rights of, you know, that others have from other sources like DPW Fire building and con com. In other words, it's res it's preserving those other, those things that he says he is already got. This doesn't drag him into it. This just says those things that he's got in the fire code are not affected by this bylaw. <v Speaker 6>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>Do you see what I'm saying? Yes.</v> <v Speaker 6>I got, I got you. So</v> <v Speaker 1>I, I thought we should not take him out.</v> <v Speaker 6>Okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>But anyway, that's that one.</v> <v Speaker 6>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. So we've covered these two sections.</v> Anybody, any discussion or comment on them? <v Speaker 6>Thank you for putting them in English. Yeah,</v> <v Speaker 1>Well I was trying to get them all inside one bylaw</v> or one article too, so that we don't end up with this a string of them. And then we just have, we get, if there are motions, they can just be separate motions like A, B, C. And then, so the last section, article 22, town council, new bylaw section. This is identical to the zoning study bylaw that we considered in the fall of 22 that we didn't put forward a motion on. It's the exact same language, I'm sorry, fall of 23 that we didn't put put forward a motion under that. I personally think given the hiccups that have occurred at every town meeting in between and the near disaster that almost occurred blowing up the whole special permit process at Springtown meeting of 24 4 and the, and the multiple changes that had to be made to just sort out definitions at fall town meeting of 24. This thing is d this thing is due for, if we can't get a passed and get a motion, we at least get the process started. And you know, we're, you know, we're, I think this deserves attention. So 'cause the zoning warrant articles have been a mess for each one of the last, I don't know how many town meetings. <v Speaker 6>It forced us to have a discussion about</v> it, which we need to have. <v Speaker 1>Right? So they need to be clean that,</v> that process needs to be fixed. I mean, it, it led to an entire fourth night of fall town meeting. I <v Speaker 6>Was just gonna say it added a, a whole night</v> that we didn't need to have it. We'd had had that stuff, right? Right. We had to delay and push it forward to give them time to go and fix the language <v Speaker 1>And it's, and it's, it, it's chronic.</v> So anyway. And so anyway, those are the, you know, that's all we have for bylaw changes. I think that's 1, 2, 3, 4 of them <v Speaker 4>Won't even take a whole night.</v> <v Speaker 1>No. Hopefully, hopefully it doesn't.</v> <v Speaker 6>Yay. There's light at the end of the tunnel.</v> <v Speaker 1>So any, any comments on this? Any discussion?</v> Does somebody wanna make a motion for the article as presented on the screen with the red lines changed? I'm sorry, with the red lines accepted <v Speaker 4>Move to accept the article that's on the screen</v> with the corrections there for they're made. <v Speaker 1>Okay, let's move by Harriet</v> <v Speaker 6>Second.</v> <v Speaker 1>Seconded by Bob Harriet.</v> Bob, is it part of your motion to say that and, and these things can also be reasonably modified by Mr. Durso? <v Speaker 4>Of course. We that.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. All right. So we'll vote this,</v> do this by roll call Harriet? <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Bob?</v> <v Speaker 6>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Paul Connolly. Yes.</v> Donna McKenzie. <v Speaker 5>Are we voting on all of these articles?</v> <v Speaker 1>All of this is one article with multiple sections.</v> <v Speaker 5>Okay, I'm gonna abstain</v> because I don't agree with the tax collector stuff. I abstain. <v Speaker 1>Okay then</v> Chris, how do you vote? Yes, and I am I, yes. So that is 5 0 1. Okay with that, I think where next agenda item is ongoing meeting schedule. I don't, I don't know that we have any need for a meeting to develop new bylaw or warrant articles for the town meeting. But we probably do need a, a meeting to deal with motions specifically deal dealing with motions. I think that on the calendar of the town, I believe, what is it, next Tuesday is the, this override discussion, whatever. That's not what they're doing. <v Speaker 2>Oh, I put that on my calendar. Lemme look.</v> <v Speaker 6>Who they finance committee?</v> <v Speaker 2>No, that now has be</v> <v Speaker 6>Select</v> <v Speaker 1>Select board.</v> <v Speaker 2>You think it's next Tuesday?</v> <v Speaker 1>The select board has a meeting on</v> public forum number two February 11th from seven to eight 30. <v Speaker 6>Yep. That's next Susie.</v> <v Speaker 1>Yeah. Right. So if people want to go to</v> that next Tuesday is not a good night for us to meet. <v Speaker 5>I could also meet earlier.</v> <v Speaker 1>Bob, I don't know about you.</v> <v Speaker 6>Well, how much earlier would earlier be? Like at five?</v> <v Speaker 5>I could do five.</v> <v Speaker 6>I could do that.</v> <v Speaker 2>Would it be better</v> to do it on a different night or is Tuesday night really the only night that's good for us? Generally? <v Speaker 6>I, I could make an early Tuesday.</v> <v Speaker 1>I'm, I'm tight at five.</v> I'm in a, I'm in, I'm, I am in meetings at Babson all day or teaching right up until I have a division meeting scheduled to end at four 30. They never do. They usually go longer. So how <v Speaker 2>About five, six</v> <v Speaker 1>Tuesday?</v> No, tu Tuesday is just not gonna be good because that, you know, by the time I, if, if the meeting goes till five, you know the, that's the one time of day that it takes me longer to get home. What about the 13th? Are you all right? You, you 13th works for you Bob? Or no, that's a Thursday. <v Speaker 6>I'm open right now. Oh well that's okay.</v> <v Speaker 1>Can we do the 13th? I</v> <v Speaker 6>Can make that work.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay, so why don't we tentatively target a meeting for</v> Thursday, February 13th, <v Speaker 6>A regular time</v> <v Speaker 1>Seven o'clock</v> and the goal will hopefully to be doing motions. If they're not ready, we'll just cancel the meeting. But it'd be nice to have motions ready to go, you know, so that once the warrant closes, the fin com can at least have something to do. You know, they've got a, they've got the budget, they've gotta get through all the warrant articles, they've gotta get, get through. And they also, under state law, they have an override report they need to make to the public. So whether or not they'll do that remains to be seen. They're kind of compressed for time. But if we're ready be, you know, with motions even before the warrant closes, then maybe we get to go early at the finance committee and be done. Take the, be take the month of March off. <v Speaker 6>Sweet.</v> <v Speaker 1>All right.</v> So we'll try and target it for February the 13th. Chris, we have minutes. <v Speaker 2>We do, we have minutes from</v> November 6th and November 21st that I sent out a while <v Speaker 6>Ago.</v> <v Speaker 1>What are the dates again, Chris?</v> I'm just calling it up here, but I'm gonna write it down. So the number November, <v Speaker 2>November 6th and November 21st.</v> Wednesday, November 6th. Thursday Got it. November 21st. <v Speaker 6>The only, only thing I saw on there is an</v> outstanding meeting. Minutes C it says which, which, <v Speaker 2>Which date is</v> <v Speaker 6>That?</v> Oh, I'm sorry. On November 6th minutes on C it says Mr. Awkward, Mr. Awkward moved to accept will only one of me. <v Speaker 1>And that, that is certainly an awkward way to write the</v> <v Speaker 4>Move to accept the minutes of November 6th.</v> That is corrected. <v Speaker 1>Okay. Second. Seconded by move by Harriet.</v> Seconded by Bob. We'll vote this Harriet. <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Bob?</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Paul Connolly.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Donna?</v> <v Speaker 5>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Chris?</v> <v Speaker 2>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>And I'm a Yes.</v> That is 6 0 0 minutes for November 21st. <v Speaker 2>Any changes?</v> <v Speaker 4>Move to accept the minutes of the 21st. Thank you.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. Moved by Harriet, seconded by Bob</v> Harriet, how do you vote? <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Bob.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Paul Connolly.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Donna? Yes. McKenzie? Yes.</v> <v Speaker 5>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Chris Weisman.</v> <v Speaker 2>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>And I'm a Yes. That is six. Zero.</v> Zero. Okay. We're caught up on minutes. Any others Chris? <v Speaker 2>No, I haven't done any others yet.</v> <v Speaker 1>Ms. Markowitz, for what purpose Do you seek the</v> floor before <v Speaker 5>She</v> <v Speaker 4>I moved.</v> <v Speaker 1>Oh no wait, Donna, go ahead. Sorry.</v> <v Speaker 5>I just wonder, I'm happy to do this,</v> but if I drop some flowers or something off to Saul, could I say it's from our committee <v Speaker 1>Y?</v> Yes. And I'd be happy to offline make a contribution towards doing that. Okay. <v Speaker 5>Okay. I'll handle it offline.</v> <v Speaker 1>Okay. Thank you Harriet.</v> <v Speaker 4>I move to adjourn.</v> <v Speaker 1>Second. Moved by Harriet.</v> Seconded by Bob Harriet, how do you vote? <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Bob.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Paul Connolly.</v> <v Speaker 4>Yes.</v> <v Speaker 1>Donna Mackenzie.</v> <v Speaker 5>Yes. With enthusiasm.</v> <v Speaker 1>You got your camera off.</v> You can't do the fist bump the way that Bob, Bob <v Speaker 5>I know, but I got the dog barking in agreement.</v> <v Speaker 1>Yes. There you go. Yes,</v> <v Speaker 2>I vote yes</v> <v Speaker 1>Chris.</v> Yes. And I'm a yes. That is six. Zero zero. Thank you all very much. We are adjourned. 8:24 PM.