I pledge aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all um now that we've started M Madam
chair I would like to discuss I have an item that could not be reasonably anticipated by the open meeting law posting deadline that I would like to bring up and it's it's simple it's it's not really difficult
um what is it um well I'm glad you asked um it it has to do with the the bcac flag issue and I don't want to discuss it right now but Al I want to askask is to put that on the next agenda
so that we could I'm interested in possibly trying to reach an exemption for them or something on top of the flag process that we've already policy that we already voted yeah I I I want to I want to I want to include the bcac into
as maybe an exemption to the policy that we already have in place and I'd like to put it on agenda so that we can discuss it um okay is that okay um I'll take it under advisor but yes when I set the agenda Joy can you make that note he
requested that please thank you thank you and that's it um your question oh here's liely come on in my clock is different that's okay we know that we
[Laughter] know appropiate [Music] okay do I have a regular size suit yes you do that other one's over there not baby um no so we have an updated warrant
so this is this is the updated warrant okay because it's we move things around we have plugged in some numbers so thank you everybody to the entire board thank you all for coming in here on at 5:00 so we could vote our warrant it would have been a very late night if we had stayed
um last week so what time's Pizza getting delivered I so I'm just gonna we have no public comment tonight I'm just going to go through and we're going to take our votes um and they're all going to have to be roll call um we have selectman Walker is participating this
evening um remotely due to an illness that he cannot physically make it here tonight hi Jeff and we have a policy that we passed in 2015 uh I mean 2017 that allows remote participation if you otherwise can't physically make it so Mr
Walker is going to be participating remotely therefore all of our votes will be a roll call vote and that's under 940 cmr2 940 CMR 29 thank you and can we just do a quick test to see if we can
hear Jeff a little louder the speakers yes Jeff can you respond that if you hear me okay I'll I'll keep we can hear you on the laptop I'll keep trying to on the speakers can you say it again
Jeff I can't hear him can you say yes okay fly I'm gonna try to transfer you over to the speakers so it's a little bit louder go ahead and try again yes can you hear
me wow thank you it down Joy Jeff is in the room okay so article one is to meet in our respective voting districts on May 13 um 2025 and the polls will be open
the article is be before you um if there's anything that's significantly different I think I'll bring it to your attention otherwise it's just as we went over it on Tuesday evening so um article one I will entertain
a uh oh I'm sorry um I need clarification question one Tracy what is the town shall the town of new be allowed to assess an additional how much money in real estate it's going to be $400,000
$400,000 that is going to change okay so I'm going to read this um Precinct one is Firefighters Memorial Hall three Morgan AB Precinct two is the Newbury toown Library zerol Lun Street um the positions are all listed that are
on the ballot and the following ballot question is question one shall the town of Newbury be allowed to assess an additional $400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of fully funding the education assessments for the fiscal year beginning July 1 202
five um roll call vote um I have a question yes what we're voting on is whether or not this question should go on the ballot not whether or not we agree with the over we're voting on article one on this is going to be on the ballot do actually do
we even recommend article one I think we do yeah recommend recommend not recommend or abstain for the for the finance booklet for the question not for the for the article for the article yes what so when we vote on an article
we're saying we vote to put it on the warrant and we approve of what the article says but this is this isn't the article law no the article is to meet in our respective districts so the select Bo has to vote to put an override
question on the ballot if you don't approve it it doesn't go on the ballot but 15 is the article for over no 15 is the appropriation of the funds so the
question um that you're voting on right now is to approve it going on the ballot only the select board can approve a ballot question if you approve it then I'll notify the town clerk she'll make sure it gets printed on the ballots for
the um yes um the the article that you're referring ref to is is the actual appropriation so the town meeting would be making the appropriation because remember it's two steps right has to be
appropriated by town meeting and the um the override the that allows us to tax more than the two and a half% I think you I think Bill answered my question so a yes vote would be would be you agree with the override and you
agree putting it on the B okay on this one I think we could go over two and a half% no on this one I think you're agree to put this question to the two and a half to let town let the people vote for two and when we get down
to the other one it's rais appropriation you may think differently oh am I on camera okay so if you don't want to see the ballot this ballot question then you vote no on this if you want to put to the people and allow them the
opportunity to vote on this you vote to allow to have all of it like all of this the all these positions are going to be on there that clear yeah kind of okay Leslie do you have any questions
NOP okay so I'm going to do a roll call vote um Leslie Matthews no uh Bill de Mayo yes Dana Packer no Jeff Walker
yes Alicia Greco is yes okay thank you uh article two is to receive reports of the select board um school committee and regular other committees and all other Town Town
officers um is this the one we don't have to you don't have yeah we don't vote I knew there was one of them this is the one that we don't we don't need to um recommend we're just going to receive reports um article three to see if the town will fix the salaries let if I can
just jump back on that one y uh on article two um I think it would be in in the best interest for the select board to receive um we will receive reports yeah
um as a as an entire board and not just as Town Administrator and uh well this this is so in your packet um so now you have to remember
this is town meeting there are leg there are legislative body in the their packet there's reports select board gives a report the uh the school committee may give a report um I believe the um
Finance Comm finance committee gives a report the planning board's going to give a report so this is just saying that town meeting is going to allow those reports to be given to them right so the the community can expect reports in the town meeting from these different committees correct I I that what that
says that's all that those reports are specific to annual town meeting Town Day committee is going to have something there's going to be yeah it's not talking about reports in general for what happens during the year and they may not be reports some people may not give a report right but if they are
they're here so we don't have to recommend it's just that by town meeting voting to that they're voting to accept those reports article three is to see if the town will fix the salaries and compensation of certain elective officers as follows um I need a roll
call vote Leslie Matthews no um Alicia Gro is yes Bill de is yes Dana Packer uh yes Jeff
Walker uh Jeff Walker yes okay then we have U article four and this is the budget this is the um uh 2,436 55 um operating budget for fiscal year 26 um I'm reread that Alicia
2,436 55 and0 thank you Leslie that's our total budget um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend second
second okay all in favor leely Matthew um discussion sure uh what's the increase from the prior year again about 31% i
3.1% y 3.1% over last year but that just recall that that doesn't include the $400,000 that we're overriding for education okay so it be slightly more than that yeah I I have a question about that it
doesn't the budget in the override I mean one is one is what we're going to spend whether the override goes through or not it's not going to change that number because that's what we're spending the override we would be have additional
revenues it wouldn't it wouldn't it wouldn't adjust the total budget would it so well technically it would because what's going to happen happen one of two things is going to happen so it's it's kind of we're we're dealing with if then
scenarios so the Triton school committee has voted an amount and has provided us with an assessment the Essex Tech and Whittier are just dealing with estimates at this point in time when you add up what they
need and the percentage of that increase we don't really have enough this year is a very difficult year we've got subst ancial increases in um benefits health insurance um esss Regional retirement those Transportation yeah there there's
all sorts of increases that we're dealing with so we need to override the confines of proposition two and a half to balance this budget as it's presented if rowy passes their override I think
their override is about a million dollar and Salsbury passes the trit budget and newberry's override fails then we're going to need to call a special town meeting and we're going to need to make a significant amount of
cuts because we don't have enough money to fund this budget as it's presented let me ask you this question then Tracy so if we call a special town meeting to adjust adjust the
budget there's there's no guarantee that it will be accepted at the special town meeting so we might be still looking at the same scenario so what will happen is we will not get our rates
certified we won't be a AAA anymore uh probably not but the Department of Revenue won't certify our taxes our tax rate we can't send out our bills it would us basically if would it be like uh a
shutdown as of July 1st yes because you you have to have you have to have a balanced budget don't we go to a 112th budget the school would go to a 112th budget now if if um Raley's override fails
newbury's override fails and only one of the communities passes their budget then the Regional School District has to go back and look at their presentation and make the adjustments so remember you need two of the three communities to
approve the so assments there would at that point there wouldn't be any budget at that point in time correct until all of the three Towns come together and and vote two of the three need to approve
you yeah a majority majority okay yep to but we would call a special time meting I would call A special to meeting right away with an alternate budget that would yeah so that we would we would not I would not the town of Newbery
we would have yeah you have to close the town meeting with the Balan budget yeah quick question is wiia and is besides Triton are the in the education number are the estimates in that number yes okay good that's right yes right okay
Leslie Matthews yes at Le Lea Greco is a yes Bill Deo B Deo yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker Jeff Walker yes thank you okay Article Five is to um raise an
appropriate sum of $200,000 to be added to the stabilization fund uh Leslie Matthews entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend Article Five is there a second second okay Leslie Matthews
um in we be just because I want to understand all of this a little bit better before I just say yes or no um the $200,000 would be added to the stabilization fund for any other action
uh what are the actions so um you've probably heard me say over the past that the the warrant and the articles are just warning the inhabitants of the business that's going to be coming before them the motion is what dictates
and this particular item Article Five I think we touched on it the other night we likely wouldn't have the 200,000 that we would normally put in right now with our budget balanced we only are going to be able to put $50,000 in this year so
if I recall I think Dan know you may have that motion um so when you make the motion even though the article says two 200 up to 200 the motion that would be made would be to move to appropriate
$50,000 because that's all the levy capacity that we have available so this is just language but basically we only have a $50,000 um fund at this point in time okay we like to try to
put the the goal of the stabilization fund is to put enough in so that our Capital plan our Capital Improvement plan can keep moving forward even in terms of economic downturns you want to keep that moving so that we're not deferring maintenance um over long
periods of time um so we we try to make a commitment to put money into that fund every year as the budget gets tighter um you're you're seeing that we're not going to be able to put as much right because you can see the numbers going up and down on a daily basis yep the
stabilization fund is like our savings account right we're putting money aside in that no I I understand that I just want to I just wanted to clarify that um you know the actual dollar amount and what we have on hand and what we're
going to be able to you know it's going to be different go to the bank Clerk and say I'd like to make a deposit today yeah and normally what you'll see is a high amount in the article and if
the numbers are different it's usually because it's lower in the in the motion you always wanted over generate uh as far as the numbers are concerned but those basically aren't the actual numbers correct okay so Leslie Matthews
is that a yes to recommend yes okay Bill Deo Bill de Mayo yes Dana Packer yes Alicia greo a yes Jeff Walker Jeff Walker yes okay I'm not bothering you with my questions
no no that's your job article six to see if the town will vote to transfer from available funds the sum of $200,000 to fund o other post-employment benefits is there a motion to recommend this motion to recommend article six is there a second second okay any
discussion on this one I'm going to ask another question the post employment benefits would be as far as pension um and um health insurance is would be concerned that's what it is
okay it's it's um health insurance benefits that communities are required to pay um past the um retirement so when when members of the town of Newbury retire after you know a 40-year career
they um the town still pays their portion a portion of their health insurance so what is the percentage on that right now it's 7525 split uh 75 the town pays 75 the individual page
25 okay okay Leslie Matthews is that yes yep uh Alicia gr is a yes Bill Deo yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker yes okay article 7 is to see if the town will vote for the uh transfer appropriate the
sum of 65,8 one from the receipts Reserve cable television Peg access to fund our Peg access programming that we currently have I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 7 I'll second that uh any
discussion discussion is will it be appropriated only for the peg access special Revenue fund and not to support anything else yes that's all it can legally do this this is essentially the same article that we put in yeah and
usually it's about 85,000 so I can see we've cut a couple of corners and that's because we have um that's the only way that's the only way we can we can use that money because it's in that account this way okay Leslie Matthews yes okay Lisa Greco is a
yes bill is a yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker Jeff Walker yes thank you article 8 to see if the town will vote to authorize total expenditures for the revolving fund for the recre ration and the municipal waterways um I'll entertain a motion to
re recommend motion to recommend article 8 second okay Leslie any discussion on this one um just wondering if the um the Waterway funds will be
uh see the municipal Waterway funds Improvement is that what we're it's both of these these are two revolving funds so the monies that are going that are generated into these funds doesn't come from the taxpayer it comes from fees and US user fees for the Parker River and
the rec the recck fields so this is just allowing them to use their monies in their revolving fund that they generate this next upcoming year from their user fees okay okay Leslie Matthews yes Alicia Greco is a yes de May yes Dana
Packer yes Jeff Walker yes thank you article 9 is to see um if the town will vote to raise an appropriate or transfer from available funds um the amount before you $338,000 to operate the ambulance
Enterprise Fund in beginning fiscal year July 1 2025 I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 9 is there a second second okay uh any discussion on this Leslie this is again this is same thing
it's they receive receipts to run the ambulance fund so it's the same thing Leslie um yes Leslie Matthews is a yes Alicia Greco is a yes D de is yes Dana Packer yes yes okay article 10 to see if the
town will vote to transfer from the ambulance Enterprise free cash the sum of $85,000 to pay the lease of a fully equipped ambulance is there um motion to recommend motion to recommend article
10 is there a second second okay is this a um a reup on the lease for an existing it's a second year payment on a lease that we've already approved okay thank you Jeff thank you Dana I try and pay
attention yeah you do Leslie Matthews yes okay Alicia graos a yes gilo yes Dana Packer yes CH yes okay article 11 is to see if the town will vote to transfer from free cash the sum of $1.8
million for the specific purposes in the items is four items there's the um Morgan nav fire station upgrades the DPW dump truck purchase Elementary School roof replacement and uh elementary school hbac replacement I believe we
discuss these at our last our last um meeting I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 11 is there a second second okay thanks Jeff discussion any discussion on this
discussion have a discussion uh I proposed last year that we appropriate $2 million last year for the hbac roof h HVAC replacement and my thought process
back then was to take that out of our uh I I'll call it's the town hall account you could also call it Municipal Building account and um my my argument this year
is I believe that if we let's just say we take $500,000 out of these expenditures and where you want to take that from really doesn't matter let's say we take
$500,000 out of the 1 million to finish the hbac program and instead of taking it out of free cash we take it out of the Town Hall account um I I believe that if we if we move the money around
in that fashion then the override the $500,000 override is it necessary to fully fund our education so that's my that's my take on that's your logic that's my logic okay
um I'm the $400,000 needed for the education operating is it's part of our operating budget that number is going to continue year after year but we don't need it this year our
policy we do we we need an additional $400,000,000 this year and we're going to need last year we needed it last year we well it's nothing new right um our policies are not to use one-time source
of funds which is from a savings account free cash could be considered a savings account the town hall that is a savings account our financial policies are do not and it's poor Municipal Finance to take a one-time source of funds because
next year but that's that's not true no it is true no I just want to I just want to add free cash we all know where free cash comes from free cash comes from an appropriated amount of money that went towards you you can pick any expense you
want I'll give you an example of the the school down on uh the lower green the school roof okay we appropriated $100,000 out of taxpayers money to replace that roof bid came in at 55 so we have we have 45,000 left over that
went in the Free Cash correct that that that money that money was never specifically B Capital Improvements no no no well free cash is is the monies from free cash are used for Capital improve improvements where that violates
where that violates our policies is that the monies that came from the lower green roof that's not a revolving Revenue Source that's not a consistent Revenue source that we're not going to be putting that money into free cash
every sing single year because we're not going to be replacing the roof every single year no no but that's just one example we we do that on on a lot of different things that's the difference between a capital expense a one-time use of funds that the money are going to be used to fix the a we're not going to
have an HVAC replacement need next year we're not going to have the roof replacement need next year we're not going to buy a dump truck next year it's very important for sustainable Municipal finance that we have a generated
dedicated source of Revenue so that we can every single year consistently hire police higher fire fund our school budgets it has to be that's the operating budget it it's operating it's revolving it constantly
goes it is where it's against our financial policies is to take one-time source of funds which is a savings account and use that money because next year your budget Builds on it our budgets don't go backwards next year
it's going to build build on it if we wipe out all of that money on our operating account eventually you're going to have to cut your operating budget you need to make sure that you will you have a one-time source of you need to make sure you have a consistent revolving account to pay for your
operating budget so I am opposed to what you're saying so my question is going to be if the budget comes it's appropriated for $100,000 and it comes in at $55,000
how how do you explain to everybody how the the $45,000 other dollars are are spent town meeting made in appropriation they made a $100,000,000 that's appropriated right the bid came
in and it only cost $50,000 so we take the 50 the $100,000 never gets only half of it gets spent the other half stayed in free cash which is like a bank account free cash is free
of encumbrances it's not encumbered it's not dedicated to C certain items it's only dedicated as to how town meeting spends it that's the that's what free C cash is it's not free free cash can only
be decided on expenditures on an annual basis town meeting spends the money right right yes so in other words any any money falls into that all money's Town town meeting is the legislative body they appropriate
the money so you can't Tracy can't write herself a check out of free cash you know in December and say I'd like a Christmas bonus I'm going to give myself this you just can't do well that's why I want to bring this forward at the to meeting and and and I there's a lot of
moving Parts here going on I mean I know that uh Tracy had said that we got like $2.5 million in free cash right now uh we're going to have about 500,000 left over if if this budget goes goes goes
the way it is and Erica mentioned you know drawing that down to that level will certainly affect our AAA Bond rating which is which is where it could jeopardize what we where we might be at and we all know that in the near future
I mean granted we we we are probably going to need an override in the future to to run our government I I understand that but but at the same time we are also on top of that going to have to come up with some debt exclusions to do
some of the capital planning buildings that we've been talking about right you know and and and so I'm I'm just I'm just trying to get the public to be able to swallow an override this year and then possible dead exclusions on just a
we're going to have a lot of dead exclusions we have we still rent We Rent One fire station right we rent Our Town Hall we're still paying on the police station aren't we well that's a debt exclusion that's already already passed um we rent um the Council on Aging space
and this the the Triton high school project they're going to be going for a build that and so so town meeting to get back to the $5 million that has been set aside town meeting has put that money aside for our big Capital needs Town
Halls you know buildings and stuff I'd say a $2 million HVAC system is a pretty big Capital need I would agree with you if we didn't have the money in free cash I would agree with you but we have it's we have the money in free in free cash it was a planned expense it's been
through Capital planning it's been on our Capital plan um the um to to to bait and switch for lack of a better word tell toown meeting we're going to put this money aside to solve
our Capital needs and then slowly dribs and drabs it away a million dollars here half a million there so that the Town Hall's eventually I mean town meeting is going to eventually have to and the taxpayers going to H eventually have to pay for our capital needs because
they're real Jeff and Daniel one of the other things for me is that as much as I'm not you know jumping for joy for an override we've been told by the schools
that their budget is going to continue to go up every year hence forth and the talking between 5 to 7% so if we don't do something so we have the reoccurring funds we're going to be
taking it out of our whatever makeshift accounts everything you know it's just the name of the game right now it's not sustainable to do it another way unless it's like when we did the roads we check did the you know uh
override from the roads and we have you know it's just the way it is and that's how I look at it and I don't like it but it is what it is and if if the if the rating agencies see that we're using one-time funds for to plug holes in our operating budgets that's going to
negatively impact our financial standing as well so there's there's there's ramifications yes um one thing I just wanted to follow up on what you were saying earlier so if if as proposed in the warrant you you use free cash to
fund those projects or if you take it from our Our Town Hall build account either neither of those actions are going to negate the fact that we need a $400,000 override for our operating budget correct both of those accounts
are savings accounts correct okay I the $400,000 uh override would for operating budget right would be for municipality or for school for education education yeah and and then that will be you know
e marked for Education which makes cool you know it has to be yeah no I I get that yeah I I have a real concern about I have a real concern that this override is not going to pass well I I
then we cross that bridge I I want to do everything in my power I can so that the Triton's budget isn't dependent upon this override listen I know how it's worded and I don't I I be honest I don't think
I don't think you can even change the verbage corre if I'm wrong but if the override does not if it's on the warrant written the way it is and it does not pass at town meeting at town meeting that then and and Rowley doesn't pass then we're going to be sending Triton's
budget back to Triton Triton will be Triton will if they don't have an operating budget Triton will be making the cuts I but if we don't pass our override and Raleigh passes it and sawbury passes it we're fed our we're given our assessment
and we make the cuts in our other part the other half of our art branding budget to make to make that up so and one things is when we look at it from the other end and Tracy correct me if I'm
wrong but I don't think I New Growth which you know ties back in 22% I don't think our new growth is what it was either is it no it's slowing car receipt you know all that I don't think well Jeff it might surprise you
but I I read the numbers on the Triton budget the last five years the Triton budget's gone up about 3% on average the same as our budget it's that's Notre not true last year was over 7% I'm not sure last year was six and this year hold on
hold on Dana I'm going to say hold this now because I want to vote this get this warrant because we got to get it post um we can have that conversation about the Triton budget at another time so Leslie Matthews are you a yes or a no on
article 11 uh yes um I'm a no on the dump truck well it's a it's a consent it's a no okay um Alicia gr is a yes Bill yes Dana no okay Jeff yes okay the next is article 12 to
see if the town will vote for to transfer from the stabilization fund the sum of $250,000 to purchase the three items before us um can I have a motion a motion to recommend article 12 is there a second second second okay any
discussion on this one I I just want to you know I lesie had the question about the stabilization fund and the money going into it yeah and I just wanted to add to I just wanted to add that that lesie that that that one is
really kind of required contingent upon this one so no what what's the balance in the stabilization fund before this article right now it's 330,000 66 right so there's enough in there to for this so if that fail that we only put 50 in there right okay the thing
that you need to understand about stabilization is it's a majority to put the money into it but it's 2third majority to take it out of it so we need a two-thirds majority at Town town meeting to to be able to do this y so Leslie Matthews is that a yes on article
12 article 12 we're taking money out of our savings account to buy firefighter gear to buy a chest device and to um make Elementary School interior r i mean the what kind of reations are we doing for I think
they're doing bathrooms and bathrooms and flooring yeah they need it yes okay Leslie Matthews a yes Alicia Gros a yes J yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker je Walker yes okay Article 13 is
to see if the town will vote to transfer the sum of $ 5,987 7 from the opioid settlement special revenue account this is something we had money put in in free cash for this and now there's been clarification coming out in the law we
have to set up a special Revenue fund for that that's what this this does so I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend itical 11 uh 13 rather is there a second second okay
Leslie yes Alicia yes Jo de yes yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker yes okay we have uh article 14 is to see if the town will vote to transfer the sum of free cash of $42 to pay for an outstanding bill from
two from 2004 um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 14 is there a second second okay all systems what is that like to uh that's
our website provider okay Leslie yes okay Alicia a yes Bill yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker yes thank you Article 15 is to see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $400,000 for the
purpose of paying its full assess share of the Triton educ of the I'm sorry to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $400,000 for the purpose of paying its full assess share of the education assessments for the fiscal year beginning July 1st
2025 required to fully fund such assessments and thereby approve the district's budgets for the year um District's plural uh provided that such appropriation be contingent on the approval of a lemi limit override question under Massachusetts general
laws chapter 59 section 21c um or take any other action in relation there to this is this is the raise and the appropriate of the additional $400,000 for the override um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion
to recommend Article 15 is there a second second okay discussion any further discussion on this this 400,000 is in in addition to this is the the same it's the same one all right it's so
this is just kind of redundant no this is the rais in the appropriate this is town meeting spending it the first one we voted on was to put it on the ballot question and the second time we're voting on it we're asking town meeting to appropriate it raise and appropriate it spend it wasley Matthews joh I'm
sorry I have a question okay discussion discussion um Tracy have you figured out um the impact on the average assessment assessed house I have good question
B I think um initially when we were considering 500,000 it was about 180 and now it's down to 134 doll a year on the average property which is valued in excess of 00,000
that's the median price o all of a sudden I'm a millionaire you believe it my only discuss I have a a comment and that is I I believe that
Brian would like us to try and pass the school budget without the override they already voted their budget right right I'm just saying I believe that that is his thought process because I think he's also very afraid that ours in rowy isn't
going to pass and then it's going to go back to him so I I agree with Brian I would very much like be able to right and I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just I'm just trying to do anything in our power that we can do to prevent that from happening because if we could
prevent that from happening then it would be approved here and it would be approved in Salsbury so it doesn't matter what R does that's what happened last year we can't push it again this year that's what we did last year we did that last year yeah yeah we bed from Peter and P
Paul and we got it past okay so the so the math says that at um $134 that's equivalent to $34 a quarter or $258 a week that's the impact theage I
what I would have to save and put aside sacrifice yeah okay Leslie Matthews yes okay Alicia Greco is a yes J Deo is yes Dana
Packer no Jeffer yes is it yes okay so the next we have some bylaw changes so article 16 is to um repeal um an a bylaw that is conflicts with the
acts of um 2008 which sets up the Town Administrator form of government um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion recommend article 16 is there a second second okay any discussion on
this one yes okay right now Tracy you're the procurement officer corre um will Joy be taking the course and take over that position um I don't
expect her to right now um the town accountant has taken the course and just passed it as well because I remember David took the course yes yeah but we like to have two people who are you know well trained and educated in all PR
caring issues at least um Joy's welcome to take it as time in the future but it's on my radar obviously there's a lot of other courses I'm taking right now so Joy to the
World I was thinking the same thing okay that's what I call her Leslie Matthews yes uh Alicia Greco is a yes gild Deo yes Dana Packer no uh Jeff
Walker yes I'm I'm going to um if I can just retract just um um to see that the powers and duties set forth and I know you have are one and
then the Town accountant Town accountant is the other but to get joy on board to take over that rule from you um to free up
your duties at this point in time so procurement I know you have so many free minutes procurement we can get into big trouble if we don't do procurement correct correctly so it's important that that I understand that
okay article 17 to see if the town will vote to amend its General bylaws by adding chapter 77 entitled short-term rentals um and they went over this um at our last meeting so I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion recommend
article 17 is there a second second okay um Leslie um this one's a little bit W uh kind of Wishy was for me for uh different reasons but um because I feel like it's
a a really broad spectrum of how to handle it um so I'm going to say no okay Alicia gr is a yes Bill Deo yes Dana Packer no and Jeff Walker Jeff Walker
yes yes this is an opportunity for us to realize some pretty significant revenues which is what we desperately need I know I was just curious is there any details it doesn't new report do this doesn't new report do this so they don't leave
money on the table building inspector has notified me that we have over 170 registered um short-term rentals in town and there's likely significantly more and we can place a tax on those so that
it it becomes a revenue source so to the people who are renting them they they pass that that cost on to the tenants okay well like that's not what this article is about yes it is yeah this is Peg access M no no article
177 short-term rentals 17 you're in the draft well what I'm looking at Chang Dana all it is is shortterm airbnbs verbos I put all the money ones up front and long would it did you make any other
mistakes for these to be implemented so this is oh okay no yeah you want me to re revote this what's that want me to revote well I haven't voted yet yeah you did you voted now voted no for 17 yes already vot I think
you yeah let's revote this please okay okay so I'm going to go back to like Tracy was saying um this is an opportunity for us to get some significant income in a Falon like you were saying like the males tax thing it is exactly like the MS tax Steve manin
actually brought this to us as well and this doesn't impact new taxpayers it's the people that rent these units yeah no this this is this is a great idea I'm I was looking at the wrong okay so I'm GNA go back thank you Tracy I'm going to go back and I'm going to uh vote article 17
short-term rentals again Leslie Matthews yes is a yes Alicia greo is a yes is yes Dana Packer yes is a yes and Jeff Walker is a yes okay that's article 17 so article I didn't hear Jeff I'm sorry
Jeff can you just revote yes thank you okay article 18 is to see if the vote will if the town will vote to re revoke this is the peg access one this is the peg yeah so what this will do is it will just change the accounting for
the money and like um for the peg access money will go into we'll be we have a municipal model now the accounting for our Municipal model will will be the same as every other community that has a m Municipal model and it will free up this money to as Frank Visconti from the
finance committee said you know it's dead right now it's sitting there as dead dead Capital so um I'll entertain a motion to recommend article 18 motion to recommend article 18 is there a second second okay
um Leslie Matthews no um Alicia greos a yes J de yes Dana Packer no discussion uh did you have a question I
do have I do um that I don't think that the peg access money has been um put in the right light as far as anybody being able to take it over and
use it for what it had originally been the Inception was and I know that you were on that original committee however however in that amount of time there has
been no guidance to bring it forward and use it for the for the recommended reasons so that's why I'm voting no okay um that's not true that's what you believe and I believe you do believe believe that but that's not the truth I
want to know the truth then the truth of the matter is that we need a dedicated um passionate residents to come and volunteer their time to film our
meetings and to do public um education and governmental programming and we have tried we have an internship program at the school it's not for a lack of trying it's just that it did not organically
grow in the town of Newbury similar to how it grew in the town of Salsbury and the City of Newburyport it's not wrong and it's not right it just didn't happen so well I'm going to disagree with you on that because I don't think that
anybody from and I've only been on the select board for two years but but I haven't seen 1 ounce of anybody coming forward exact to direct that from leadership what do you mean from leadership it's not from leadership it's
not leadership's role it's not leadersh role the leadership we should have leadership will bring the people to the Forefront and we will guide them in the direction of how the program is supposed
to go and then you hand it over over to them to continue the program so why haven't you done that Leslie we're not allowed to what do you mean we're not allowed to if it's leadership's fault I I would be more than happy but we've also been told
we can't even be Liaisons no we can't do the work but you could build a committee Dana was going to build a committee this year how how did how did that go for you Dana I don't see anybody well I we've we've had discussions about
who's we the board the board yeah and I and I there's a difference between like the media committee versus the the nonprofit okay those are really two different entities and I
think Mike came forward and actually requested to be put on the agenda to build the the media committee which which is not the nonprofit but I but I I I he was rejected to be put on the agenda no he can volunteer anytime he
wants we have he wanted to be put on the agenda he never got the opportunity we have a volunteer program for Peg access we have it it operates in the town of Newbury we have no volunteers well here's here's what I think I I think
that if if we allowed Mike to move forward building the media committee you're talking about organically grow through that the nonprofit would organ Al grown from through that has grown yet okay we we haven't allowed we haven't
allowed him to build the committee yet but would any of us that sit here tonight beow we not allowed to sit on other boards committe that's right it can't be us and see that's that's where we're
falling through the cracks is because there's no leadership in to build these committees and it's even like the the Newbery Town day we're not allowed to do any of this stuff and I think most of the people are looking for the
leadership and we're not giving it to them well the Newbery Town day is growing just fine they actually came came back I another spin on Peg and and and that is I I disagree with Frank
and the the peg this is why I don't like this is because the only the people that subscribe to Comcast has invested in this no no one else it's it's not a tax it's a fee that's been imposed upon
people who buy Comcast from Comcast and that's how this has been fun subscriber fee so to me it it's not fair for us to to do this money grab from that those fees and spread it
out along the entire town can't look at it like that because that's what the law allows our money though it's not Town other community yes it is it belongs to the town of newy is the check written to the town of newy Tracy it is yeah it belongs to the town of newy the town of
our checks go out to contast the the town you pay the subscribers pay Comcast the Comcast for the to be allowed the right to come into the town of Newbury and and go into people's homes they pay the town of newb that right and you
granted the you let them go through the contract and and gave them permission to write it up that way to take to build the people of the community and and now we write the check out to Comcast and
they write it out to you or the town the town yeah yeah not to you I mean but it so it's it's not it's so there it's not taxpayer money it's our money it's the town of newbury's money did did we vote
on this already Yes we already voted right yes I think I think enclosure I think it's it's it's going to go to town meeting right and and and it will be discussed there again that's right and and I believe that you know maybe maybe
from that maybe we can generate the nonprofit well we didn't happen last year but we'll try again this year if we couldn't get people from leadership stop looking at Tracy right now if we can get leadership from this
board to encourage people so Leslie lead but we we're we're we've been styi from being on any other kind of comme I can't even sit on the new just I think Alicia just empowered you to lead yeah has
cilon take the Baton take the Baton we were we were told not to even be on the um Newbery Town day you don't have to sit on the committee to find some people that are interested in in serving on it but you need more than just one one
person does not make a committee okay so next they're looking for a committee they're looking for people that are going to lead them in the right direction and answer their questions if if we're not if we are not not part of that
leadership and only the the like the back of the room then our our words mean nothing okay Article 19 to see if the town will vote to accept general laws on 18 chapter 59 section uh five this is
the um exemptions for um veterans exemptions Article 19 I'll entertain a motion to ex to recommend I recommend Article 19 is there a second second okay um any discussion on this one I I I'll just add
that this this is this is the property tax exemption for our disabled veterans uh the town has already we approved it already prior to the hero act being
being being created by Mory in the state and what this does is it just copies what she did for the hero Act and the the big the big difference between what we've done already in in both Article 19
and article 20 is is it allows the exemption to come under the the Consumer Price Index is is is the big difference yeah which which I think is great that's specific to Article 19 Article 19 is
definitely Consumer Price Index effect what you described what we already did is article 20 all right so Article 19 is the Consumer Price Index Leslie do you recommend Leslie Matthews yes Alicia greo is a yes Bill yes Dana Packer yes
Jeff Walker Walker yes okaya we did vote article 18 right Jo yes we did yeah okay article 20 is the is the exemption under the her the hero act I'll entertain a motion to recommend
motion to recommend article 20 second okay Leslie Leslie Matthews yes Alicia Greco is a yes de is yes Dana Packer yes yes okay article 21 is the um the
dogs and other animals this is to um help the regional dog officer um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 21 is there a second second okay um Leslie Matthews no
got discussion yes this is why we're going to get a thousand people coming to coming to the annual Tom meeting what's what's your because it's about dogs no I know everything we do about dogs every well there not a leash law so Leslie Matthews you're a no I'm a
no okay Leslie Matthews is a no Alicia greo is a yes B de is yes Dana Packer did did we we we we talked about the uh whether a dog is neutered or Spain that was removed was that removed out of
here yeah yes so so was that what we wanted it not to be in there in other words in other words okay all right so that's been that's been fixed discussion well yeah that's what I'm that's what I'm kind of doing right now
[Laughter] dogs dogs are other animals now does that mean that excuse me people that own geese or chickens or any other kind of animal
cannot no this is this is under chapter 56 which is dogs and other animals yeah but the bylaw change is specific to dogs but it says other animals well because it's coming to chapter 56 which is dogs and under and other animals but this
change is only for dogs so the heading is dogs and other I'm going to recommend that you um amend the the the title of the title of that because if it says other animals it's other
animals why it says dogs and other animals and it should just say animals but that's the chapter of our bylaw so what are the other animals the bylaw change that is on the
that's on the warrant for town meeting doesn't pertain to any other animals it's only dogs it falls under the bylaw heading section dogs and other animals but the change is only to dogs is that clear because it can be
confusing do you understand Bill yes you understand Dana I think so yeah Jeff do you understand yes okay I I understand I just think that for a clarification that it just should say
dogs not other animals because but that's not the chapter of the bylaw chapter 56 dogs and other animals that's what chapter 56 covers the part that we're amending only ref to dogs
rewriting that okay I M yeah um the chaining or Ching do to a stationary object is that off of your property that we're talking about or is that other words can I have a dog run in my backyard and hook
my dog up to her I think that's illegal now you kidding me I I think that I I I don't think dogs are allowed to be on run runs so yes they are oh I mean in a run but not on a what do you call those things that they used to run back weed to
have or or just a steak in the ground with a chain on it and I hook up my dog to any person own can I not do that anymore that would have to be heavily policed that's that's 56-8 I'm looking at yeah I see it here yeah and then the
one underneath that too confinement I can't put my dog in cage no no it's it can be created does it say crate or cage it says as defined by Mass General loss SE chapter 40 section
174e do you want me to pull that up please I mean that doesn't make any sense either and then and then the next one I you know I understand the motor vehicle because I think it's the same thing as a child child yeah you don't want you don't want to leave your your dog in your car whether it be summer
winter or whatever you know I so I kind of understand that one but the but the chaining or tethering in the confinement I'm a little confused about all right I'm going to let Joy look that up in the meantime we're going to move on to article 22 we didn't finish the vote on that one yeah we're going to come back
and vote that one article 22 is um bylaw some more bylaw changes this is um to change the name from Board of Selectmen to select board and bylaw to bylaw I'll entertain a motion to I'll write down these Joy a motion to
recommend motion to recommend article 22 is there a second second all right Leslie Matthews yes Alicia greo a yes Mayo yes yes Dana Packer yes
okay article 23 is the zoning bylaws as these all were explained to us by the planning board um which is the flood insurance is that correct the flood is this one I is
this the flood overlay no this is that's article 24 I think yeah this is article 23 this is um yeah I'm I'm I'm it's changed from one to the other I'm making sure I'm looking at the right one 24 article
23 article 24 is the flood it's the other one oh so okay the 23 is is turned in that's the General provision the general Provisions y okay so I'll entertain a motion to ex recommend motion to recommend article 23 is there
a second second okay um Leslie Leslie Matthews yes Alicia greo is a yes J de yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker yes okay um article 24 is the flood
insurance I'll entertain a motion to or the flood the flood maps I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend article 24 is there a second second okay Leslie Matthews I just discussion yes just for
the for everybody out there watching uh this this is one of the ones that's required by law by law now so it's something that we really kind of have to adopt right I just want to throw that out there thank you okay Leslie Matthews yes Alicia goes a yes Bill Deo Bill Deo
yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker je Walker yes okay [Music] um 140 174e talks about no person owning or keeping a dog shell chain or tether a
dog for longer than 5 hours in a 24hour period and outside from 10 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. unless tethering is not for not for more than 15 minutes and the dog is not left unattended by the owner guard or
Gater so it it's not just a blanket you can't kennel or or I believe the word was what canine or tether right but it's more specific about timelines overnight unattended so th this was my understanding that
this is to bring us accurate with B with Massachusetts General Law changes was part of it and the other part of it was to try to help the regional officer bring us all current okay so I I do agree with one
thing though I mean the average person reading this isn't aware of what Joy just said about the restricted for hours and times of day and length of time you take it at face value like Dana did to say oh I can't I can't have the
dog teed so we when we do the um finance committee Appropriations booklet we usually put in a rationale we can add that information if you think that would be helpful I do and the same with the confinement
Clause yeah one's a tether and one's a confinement can we ensure that the police chief and the uh animal control officer attend um T meeting so they can answer these types of questions thank you and the other thing if you look at our bylaw chapter 56 it says dogs and
other animals but it's dog dog dog dog dog there's no other animal right animal it's only dogs so to you to that point you have to get rid of the other animals because you don't know if somebody has
an alpaca or a rooster yeah you're right don't talk about me that way all right so you're Dana Paca all right so for um your name article 21 which is the dogs and other animals I have Leslie Matthew
as a no do you want to keep that vote as a no I I want to keep it as a no until town meeting until town meeting and because I need to have other animals eliminated from the the warrant the
language okay can we can we do that can we make that change now okay I'll entertain a motion Leslie you move it move to change dogs and other animals to just dogs I'll second on chapter
56 in article 21 article 21 I'll second that um see my passion on animals roll call vote Leslie Matthews yes this is on the change on the change y Alicia greo is a
yes de yes Dana Packer yes okay okay now on article 21 itself Leslie Matthews do you recommend this to town meeting or not article
21 I recommend the amendment to chapter 56 chap uh and chapter 109 um no you want to recommend this article 21 okay Leslie's a yes um Alicia
Gro is a yes Bill de Mayo is a yes yes Dana Packer this is on the dogs right y article 21 uh yes Jeff Walker Jeff Walker yes okay thank you everyone okay article 22 I have the votes article 23 I
have the votes now we're gonna move to article 24 we we article 24 that's the insurance r Wait a minute maybe I'm backwards [Applause]
here wa uh 24 to see if the town will vote to adopt the Essex County flood flood insurance is that what you're looking at one more 25 article 25 where's article 25 do we not have have votes for 24 I
only have a motion in a second for what was Article 24 the flood insurance insurance it's it's the very top of the top of the page it's um a mandate 22 23 keep flipping then I go to
25 uh it's article 23 MS [Music] 19 2021 don't can I you want me to read that yeah to see if the town will vote to adopt the Essex County flood
insurance rate map F FM issued by the Federal Emergency Management agency FEMA for the administration of the national flood insurance program effective July
825 and to amend the town of nuis zoning bylaws article two and I don't know Roman numerals by amending the provisions of the flood insurance flood haard overlay District
um with new language shown underlined and basically is it's just yeah that's the article 24 okay so um I'll entertain a motion to
recommend article 24 what do I have regulations of overlay District okay so do I have a motion in a second you do um Bill motion and second okay this is the flood insurance okay roll call vote Leslie Matthews yes Alicia greo a yes de
yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker yes okay so next we have article 25 to see can I just I want to clarify we so we voted on the the flood hasard we just did that one in the accessory Apartments we we've
voted on that one already we moved it yeah because it got moved okay all right and and I'm looking for and the next one I'm looking for is the site plan review because that's another required one so which article 25 is special permits yeah
25 is the special so I'll entertain a motion to recommend article 25 motion to recommend article 25 um is there a second thank um okay roll call vote Leslie
Matthews just [Music] reviewing um this is the one Matthews is um uncertain at this point well do you want to bring it to town meeting or
not no no okay Leslie Matthews is a no Alicia greo is a yes de Deo is yes no D Dan Packer is a no Jeff Walker je Walker is okay so that's article
25 so then article 26 article 26 the marijuana no that's all part of the special currence okay hold on I like to call it read article 26 is site plan review um I'd like to uh entertain a
motion to recommend article 26 motion to recommend article 26 is there a second second okay Leslie Matthews discussion yes I just want to say that this is article 26 is also required by Mass state law M so we really don't have a choice okay
Leslie Matthews excellent point yes Alicia greo is a yes yes Dana Packer yes and Jeff Walker yes okay and then article 27 is
go this is the um accessory dwelling uh customary home occupations General regulations the general yeah this is to amend um see if the town will vote to amend article 10 section 97 under the Zub Newbery zoning bylaw so
their bylaw changes um article 27 which is no use it's makes it our bylaws consistent um leslee Matthews right Al a motion to recommend article 27 motion recommend article 27 is there a
second second okay Leslie Matthews this is going to say that no use which requires a special permit under the table of use shall be permitted as a customary home occupation Leslie Matthews is a yes Alicia greo is a yes Bill Deo yes Dana Packer is that
so so this is this is is this part of the special permit we've they've updated the all of not all of them they've updated most of our bylaws and they're going to tackle the table of use regulations next year
in phase two um this just says that if you require a special permit you can't sneak it in under a customary home occupation if you require a special permit you can't Sak sneak that customary occupation oh I've already
beat that one that's what this one says all right I'm I'm the yes okay um Jeff Walker yes here yes can we go back on that just for a second article 27 yeah the you were saying sneaky you know
I but if you're running a home business out of your residence you're basically saying that that's a a no if it's required under the if a special permit is required under the table of use it
cannot be permitted as a customary home occupation if if special is required yeah that's what these are bylaw changes if the special permit is required under the under the table of use you cannot
use it as a customary home you need to get a special permit you can't just say well it's not required can I go back on my yeah do you want to vote no yep okay Leslie Matthews is a no on that [Applause] one change my okay Dana it's not one of
the requirements Article 28 to see if the town will vote to amend article 10 again this is the accessory Apartments um by omitting it in its entirey and replacing it this is um Article 28
um I'll entertain a motion to recommend motion to recommend Article 28 is there a second second okay um discussion yes now this one this one is the the little handout that we got from Kristen M and
it showed it had a bunch of houses on it and it showed where you could add on your your accessory dwelling is is that what this one is referring to yes that's what this one's referring to correct
accessory Apartments of the town of Newber zoning bylaw so so it it it allows if let's it would allow me to to put an apartment in the basement of my home and I wouldn't need to get any special permit by right by right you're
allowed to do it by right to do that that's the Massachusetts General La that that's what this one is all about so that basically is saying that um it has to have a common area within the original residence no no she showed
separate units and the pass out so you can have an out building that you she showed separate separate buildings on the same lot y yep over your garage your basement being changed well we don't we don't even have it
right now no this is M has been passed the the law or we're going to have a bylaw having an out building on my own property and I had originally thought about putting an in-law apartment into it um but I was denied because it didn't
have a common area not anymore yeah okay and and I I just another another comment about this is they they it talks a lot about like Title 5 for example if you wanted to if you want to do any of these you your
your your home would have to be brought up to Title 5 and this is just one regulation your home's got to be brought up to Title 5 which is for those who don't know it's it's your sewer system and for example let's say your original home we're septic well let's say your
original home you you you're approved for three bedrooms or let's just say you're approved for four bedrooms but you are only and I guess I guess this is I I don't really know what I'm talking about but if if you if you had four
bedrooms but you but you're only using three or you wanted let's say a bedroom is classified as just having a a room with a closet in it is is what closet it's got nothing to do with bathrooms it's got to do with bedrooms then then you could add this accessory drawing
unit to your house without having to increase your sub so everybody okay that's what everybody's different everybody's home is different everybody meets this criteria differently this is a bylaw that's requireed that we have to I'm I'm going to go backwards a little
bit right now it's how bathrooms Dana it's irrelevant to this here this what you're H what you're saying we can have that argument on town meeting floor do you want to bring this article 28 yeah I'm meu I'm not trying to argue no no I mean I don't mean argue fight I mean you
know discuss okay I'll entertain a motion do I already have a motion in a sec okay uh Leslie Matthews do you recommend or not re recommend this I recommend okay Leslie Matthews is a
yes Alicia Greco is a yes is yes okay yes D yes Jeff Walker Jeff Walker yes okay and then article 29 is the final one
ad it's Administration yes so okay yes article 29 is to see if the town will vote to amend article 11 section 97 11 of the administration part
of our zoning bylaws um I'll entertain a motion to ex to um recommend motion to recommend article 29 second okay Leslie Matthews yes Leslie Matthews is a yes
Alicia greo is a yes de is yes um Dana Packer yes yes okay and I believe that's the end of it correct I'll entertain a motion to adjourn still
Pizza motion to adjourn motion to adjourn Leslie Matthews yes Alicia grco yes yes Dana Packer yes Jeff Walker okay thank you