Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it is currently very close to 3:00 of the job within a half a minute or so. Hey, we're spot on with that clock. >> Um, this is our mostly monthly meeting of the board of assessors for the town of Newbury. Mr. Sandy Wexler, absent is
Miss Linda McCammock. And, um, we have Mr. um, what is your name again? Jason as >> you're asking me like I'm over uh as our principal assessor. So uh enough turn. >> Thank you bud. Uh and
>> welcome everybody. >> Let's see. >> Yeah. So first on our agenda is review the prior meeting minutes. Uh both you and Sandy were here last time. >> So we can both sign it. That's wonderful. >> Bullet points for you. >> That was September 30th. We were here at
302. We signed a bunch of stuff. >> We did >> and we set a next date. That is about right. And we adjourned at 317. I'm going to say that we make a movement. >> Sounds about right. >> Here we go. So second. >> Second. >> Fantastic. I'm going to go ahead and accept these as presented.
>> You sir. >> One down. >> One down. >> One down. All right. Next on our agenda is uh warrants and commitments. I have for you the uh commitment one for fiscal 26 of the boat excise. Okay.
>> The sum of 18,028. >> 18,028. I do see that commitment number one. I see that as well. I also have for you the commitment book for commitment number five of 2025 for the motor vehicle. We signed the warrant last time.
>> Yes, indeed. free. >> Thank you. Sir, >> thank you. If you uh that is it for uh warrants and commitments. I have the abatements and exemptions. Next, I have two uh
abatements for you. Both motor vehicle, one for 2024, one for 2025. >> And the sums and uh are on the cover page. Here's
>> 6509. That indeed does the right thing. >> Oh, thank you. 92475 >> again for you, sir. And then finally, the cover sheet. package, sir. >> Thank you, sir.
My pleasure. And that is all I have. for payments and exemptions. Next on our list is review the annual tax rate analysis report that I to you by email. >> I remember it well. >> I appreciate you uh pointing out select
board >> select worth. >> Yeah. Um so really, you know, if you've had a chance to go through it, one of the biggest things that we have um that's really changed is we are uh our tax rate is going up for the first time
in quite a few years, but not by a lot. >> Uh going up by about 1% from 745 to 752 as projected. >> Um and our growth is down considerably from our year average. Uh so our three-year average is on the top of page
four, usually around 200 to 238 and we are rate this year about 73,000. So about 30% of what we've done in our three-year average uh maybe 35%. So one
of the biggest things is I haven't seen a lot of new development. You know, Cricut Lane hadn't come online. the 40 uh the the well was going to be the other 48 but no longer the 34 central >> project um that still hasn't closed or you know transferred um
>> and um you know there's very few subdivisions. I know the the 170 Orchard Street is probably the only subdivision uh creating four new lots that we have recorded for calendar 2025. So >> we're not seeing a whole lot going on.
So I would say that our projections for next year probably be more in line with this year, not the three-year average. >> Mhm. >> And and that's it. Um you know, just uh went through the report as we typically do and um as long as you agree that we you know um continue to agree that we
would not endorse any type of residential or small commercial exemption. >> Um then I think that is it and obviously we wouldn't be shifting our tax single rates. >> Yes, single rate. >> Yeah. We really don't have enough makes sense. So
>> that's right doesn't we don't have enough commercial to really uh do it and I do the >> right >> analysis on that to show you you know to save 65ucks. >> Yeah. I think that's a very useful part of it because you know people hear about it and think oh no it's a good idea and once you look at the numbers
>> how much do I save by giving this guy another you know500 two grand in taxes. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um and that's it. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any questions that I didn't uh answer. you know, we are all >> I think we're all good. >> We're approved. Uh, Department of Revenue, you know, our values are
approved. Our our obviously our uh growth is approved for the year and um that's it. We're uh we're up to date. >> That's good. >> Yeah, that's wonderful. >> Got a schedule. Uh November 10th, which is a Monday night, is when I'll be doing the classification hearing. >> I
>> if you need some good, you know, sleeping material and might be televised. >> I actually am just back from Florida. I can't think of anything better to do. >> 6 o'clock. 7 o'clock. >> 7 o'clock. You're Monday night. >> I'm gonna just let me just I'm gonna put it in here. Seven. I'm gonna just make a
note. >> Yeah. >> Representing. >> Yeah. No kidding. >> Shocking. >> Shocking. >> I've been >> And because of that, I think um you know, plus we're meeting so late in the month, we should probably uh you know, pass on the November meeting and uh go
to December. >> Okay. Uh but we we'll we'll do that in a minute because I believe it or not I have some correspondence. >> Come on. >> Nobody here. >> Okay. So we strike out public comment but we can we can keep corresponding correspondence.
>> Okay. Beautiful. Yeah. Let's hear it. >> All right. So I got an email from a uh it says hello board of assessors. You know I got my eyes dilated today so I'm still a little blurry on. Um, so it was to you guys and uh writing you
that says, "I have brought narrow to the attention of the assessing department multiple times now and without any notice of attempt to correct or respond regarding my outreach." This is from an anonymous uh email to so somebody that I can't respond back to. Um,
>> so just letting you know. And then so basically at the end of August, I visited the assessor department regarding the property located at 4 Handover Street. I'm a concerned neighbor and a real estate professional who saw the property come on the market. Upon reviewing the listing and knowing the property, >> there are clear discrepancies between
the listed square footage which the agent has taken from public records and the actual square footage. With minimal digging, it is apparent that the property is recorded by the town approximately 500 square feet bigger than it is actually given that actually is given that this property is on the
market and the inconsistencies severely affecting affects neighboring properties and their values. Furthermore, in a transaction appraisers rely on public records to come up with values uh on their properties. So furthermore, I've sent an email to the department requesting an update on this matter of
not received response. they have um and I urge the board uh to look at uh these discrepancies attached to the the floor plans and show significantly smaller footprint um than was listed online. >> So So we have the building as smaller
than >> we have it as bigger than what it is, but >> they're looking at our online records. We did have it bigger. We have adjusted >> and there's one area that they're saying is unfinished that we don't know was unfinished or not. I mean, he's writing
it's unfinished. I don't know. >> Have we been in there recently? >> And that's basically my response, you know, to this the we've attempted it was gated. We couldn't measure out back upon this. You know, we we uh when they came in back in the August, we went to the aerials and we said, you know what, I think you're right. We made the
adjustment in our system and you know, obviously they went and looked online, thought that they would see a difference u you know, from what the online database had said from last year to this year, but it doesn't until we update it. M >> so we had made that correction based on what we can measure from the outside but
>> not the inside. >> So regardless uh you know if if the anonymous uh agent real estate agent >> yeah or if you're you're listening you can come in get an updated property record
card and please feel free to come to a meeting. >> Yeah absolutely we could ask. >> Yeah. So, I just wanted to they wrote it to you and just figured I would uh >> So, no, I mean they were right and uh >> at least as a part of the square footage there was an area that they say is unfinished look not a garage anymore.
>> That's got to be looked at. >> Yeah, we just have to get in. So, >> yeah. >> Um hopefully at some point I believe it just if I saw correctly in the MLS is now under agreement and at some point the it'll settle and we'll be able to go. Well, that has seen some um drastic
transformations. >> It's no longer a package store. Yeah. In its life. >> Before a package store. >> Oh, before then. >> You know, ago that was a very long time ago. Yeah. Because a package store it was a package store but with several different families.
>> Okay. Yeah. It wasn't just one. >> It It couldn't be a weirder spot for a package store, you know, >> but but people knew it was there. People knew it was there. I guess from Route One, back when Route One was a popular road, but it still is now to go to Plum Island. That's how you came, right? You just came down Route One. You took a
ride on handover and then >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> You stopped there for >> rice and we had friends live right around the corner and it was not uncommon for us to stop in there. So, >> it's but it certainly has transformed. So, very very interesting. >> Okay. So, just wanted to let you know and >> Okay. Well, then we'll um we'll look at
when it gets we'll have our um sales questionnaire uh once it closes. >> Absolutely. >> Hopefully the new owners will do the right thing and and return it and then we'll learn a little bit more and hopefully they also at that point if they have questions they'll invite us in so that we can do a remeasure
with all the construction that was going on there that you know they couldn't find time to let us in. So >> it is quite curious also with the inspection process that um >> true >> we wouldn't have had the opportunity. >> Yeah. So they're under still
>> they we put you know some stuff before legislature but a property owner no compulsion to allow us on the property or in the property >> not only >> only thing we can do even with that they're not not required to >> well but you got a foundation in the ground you're going to assess that for
where this it's current >> I would go to the property but if they said don't you know you can't trespass I have no I'm not like the building inspector who has a right to be there >> um so >> interesting >> so we get to that point. We just guess, you know, we'll go to the sources that we can. >> Yep. Absolutely. >> You know, what we can see.
>> Well, what's what's the presumption? I mean, if if we can't get in and let's say it's about something like this where it's either finished or not finished, >> do we presume that it's finished because that's a worse deal for them or >> I think based I don't try to make it
like worse deal for either party. We try and say, okay, does it look like it's a finished area? >> Yeah. >> This is first floor. Looks like it was a converted garage. It no longer has garage doors. They put windows in. Um, >> we're assuming it's finished here. >> I'm assuming it's going to, you know, if it wasn't when we went, it will be
finished prior to closing. So, when it closes, you know, we'll we'll double check to to make sure that we have all the correct information, and that's when we'll analyze it even closer. Um, yeah, I, you know, I try to make sure if it doesn't look like, you know, we look up sometimes you'll see like the uh like an unfinished second floor.
>> Yeah, there's no blinds on the windows and we have it unfinished. I'm not, you know, and then it looks dark upstairs when, you know, you would typically see, you know, stuff on the walls or whatever. >> I wouldn't make the assumption that, oh, it's finished now because, you know, uh, >> whatever reason, but >> yeah, >> you know, if you see lights on and
blinds and an AC in the window. >> Mhm. >> Do you want to pick the 9th? >> Okay. >> That's a Tuesday the 9th. >> December 9th. >> What's going on >> for the next meeting? >> The 9th. >> Sure. >> We skip the rest of the month. We skip all of November and get to the nth.
>> You just pick a number. >> And you haven't heard from Linda about >> No, we just >> kind of an unfortunate situation that we do too much prying. >> My daughter was helping me move a a second floor air conditioner out of the
window and dropped it. >> Wait, where did she drop it? >> Out. >> Out. Yeah. >> Oh, that's a bummer. Did it hit anything on the way down or No. >> Okay. Luckily enough, it just damaged the AC. >> No rabbits were harmed.
>> No, I mean like it could like you might have had something underneath. Someone could have been under smack the side. >> There was nothing there. >> Good. That's a benefit. >> Yeah. Just a good hard landing. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Uh I say that
>> 129. >> Yeah. 12:9 it is. So that's our next meeting. I've got it on my calendar already. is now currently 3:15. Make a motion and I will second it right there. All in favor? I >> Okay, we're done.