All right, welcome everyone to the North Middle Sex Regional School District School Committee meeting. It is our organizational meeting for the 26 27 school year no 20 oh 20 25. Oh, I'm going early. Okay, so it's May 5th,
2025 and we have uh Randy here. Uh Kenan here. Patrick here. Jill here. Alexander here. Harry here. Kim
here. And Lisa Bloom here. And myself here. All right. We will take the appointment for prompting. It is being recorded. I'll move that uh the school committee
vote to appoint Lisa as chairperson promp. Second. So everybody does know this just for this meeting only. Um typically it is the previous chair if they're still around. All right. And then we no roll call. Do
we have to roll? Nope. Roll call. Everyone in favor say I. I. Everyone opposed. No. No abstensions. All right. Okay. All right. Now we will take nominations for
chair. Oh, first I'm going to welcome this new school committee members. Let's do that and we'll go around the room. Alexander, is that what I'm supposed to do? Right. Yep. All right. Alexander, you go ahead and go first. Tell us who you are and All right. Um I'm Alex
Vancoui. I'm a um science teacher um at Longster Middle School in Pittsburgh. Um and I've got a daughter in the district. I went through the district and now I'm a school committee member. Awesome. Welcome. Cool. Go ahead, Lisa. I'm Lisa Bloom. I'm from in West Town and I have
20 year old twin girls who went through the district from first grade. Awesome. And Carrie Batterdsby is a new member from Ashby. I'm Carrie Battersby. I'm from Ashby. I have two kids currently in the district. One at Hawthorne Brook, one at Ashby Elementary. And now I'm here. Awesome.
Welcome. All right, Jill. I'm Jill Twig. I have three children uh in the district. uh one that's going to middle school and two in high school. Hey, I'm Patrick McFillips. I represent Petrol and I have two daughters, both at
um Barn Brook Elementary School. I am Ken Franchis. I'm currently a senior at North Middle Sex. I've been in the district since kindergarten. In Craven, I am from West Townsen. I graduated North Middle Sex in 1983.
I do have Don't laugh everybody. I heard that. And um and I do have two grandchildren. They're in the district here in I'm Randy Rush. I'm from Townsend. Um my three kids have gone through the district from kindergarten through high
school and they are currently all in college at the moment. And I am Lisa Martin. I have three kids in the district as well. I have a senior, a freshman, and a first grader. So, and they are all in the district as well. Also, to add, I graduated the year
ahead of Kim. Everyone laugh louder. All right. Just thank you everyone and welcome to the new members. All right. Now, we will do we go through the election of new officers. So, we have first is the
chairperson. Any nominations from the floor? I'd like to nominate Brown. All right. Anyone second? Second. Right. We do a second and nomination. Yep. Just All right. Any more
nominations? I nominate Lisa. I second. Hold on. Went that fast. All right. We'll slow down. And so any more nominations? All right. So nominations are closed. Correct. Do they accept nomination? Oh,
do you accept the nomination? Yes. Yes. And I accept the nomination. No. Everyone has a ballot. Fill out the names. Then you vote and you hand them to like Yeah, you can fold them and then pass
them to me. I don't know if you wanted to say anything. I don't know if everybody knows. I would like to hear from both if that's okay. Just because we're we have three. Oh my god. Will we read them out? Oh,
no. But say a little about about ourselves before we Okay, you go ahead, Randy. Why don't you go right ahead since you have the floor? Oh, me? Yeah. Hello. Oh, okay. Um, I'm Lisa and I think last year I was
the chair and it was a rough time as we all went through several meetings, but I think I did lead with calmness and allowed people to speak when they wanted to speak. And um and I'd like to
continue as being chair as I think that we may need more calmness going forward and more bringing our communities back together as well. All right. Um I'm Randy. Um I have been on the committee
for I think it's 16 years now. I was appointed in 2009 and I've been elected five times since. Um I have probably held every position including chair before uh on the committee. Um thinking about uh the chair position, I went back
to our policy DBD which is school committee officers which lays out the duties of the chairperson a little bit just to kind of uh refresh myself and I figured I'd go through that for a lot of the new members if you don't know what on our committee our policies say is the
duties of the chair. Um so our policy goes through and says that um the chair will have the same powers as any other member to vote, offer resolution and discuss questions. The chairperson uh signs instruments, acts and orders necessary to carry out the will of the
committee. Uh they will consult with the superintendent on the committee agendas. Uh confer with the superintendent on crucial matters that occur between school committee meetings. They appoint subcommittees uh subject to committee approval. They call special meetings of
the committee as necessary. They are the public spokesperson for the committee at all times except for specifically designated to others and they are responsible for the orderly conduct at meetings. Um so those are the basic uh rules of uh what we have laid out for
what the chair is. The chair has no more power than any other member on the committee. Um they are just the organizing u person uh to get everything going. Um, as chair, um, I there's a couple of things I thought about as far as working
towards, um, improving the school committee. Um, I see a need in the last number of years, uh, for policy enforcement. Um, I'm, you know, at fault as well, not necessarily going back and remembering all of our policies. There are a lot of them. Um, so I'll be
looking for policy vigilance and working with the committee to figure out how we can better um just police ourselves and make sure that we are following our uh policies. Um um I want to bring back um you know in-person meetings with hybrid
participation. I think this in-person meetings face toface talking to each other some of the conversations you know pleasantries before and after uh really helped to solidify a team um which we are um and there's a couple of things that I wanted to uh that I know we need
to do to come back into compliance. Uh there's a policy JIB for student involvement and decision-making uh that the law had changed and we have not changed with that. So those are some of the things we need to really work on a student um advisory council. Um I've been working with MASSE to bring in
training uh for the uh old committee. Um older members uh like myself always can use a refresher and we have a lot of uh newer members. So I think it'd be very important that we all understand what our jobs are, what the roles are, how to work together and go forward.
Um and um and then there's a number of things I'm probably going to ask for um the school committee to approve uh some positions that I think would be good. Um and some new um committees uh subcommittees like the ad an advocacy uh
subcommittee or advocacy legislative I forget the exact wording of that kind of committee. we now have members who uh actually want to and are gonna, you know, advocate for the schools at at the state level and elsewhere. Um, and just look forward to trying to help uh
outline and define the the school committee and making sure that we can move forward and document things so when new members come on that we have a way to transfer our knowledge easily to new members. Thank you.
I know. We have five for Lisa, four for Randy. Usually we read them. Oh, you want me to read them? That's been tradition on who voted for who? Yep. Okay. Why don't we just do it better?
Can it's balance? Yeah, it's discussive and then we do it by balance and it's for manufacturers keeping I think that it's just what we've always done. Uh Randy Rush voted Randy Rush. Alexander voted Randy
Rush. Harry Battisby voted Randy Rush. Lisa Bloom voted Randy Rush. Kenan voted Lisa Martin. Patrick voted Lisa Martin. Chill Twig. Lisa Martin. Kim Craraven. Lisa Martin.
Lisa Martin. Lee Martin. All right. Thank you everyone. All right. Congratulations. Thank you. Um, now we're moving on to vice chair. We'll take nomin nominations. I'm having troubles with that word. Nominations for
vice chair. I Patrick Patrick Mc Phillips. All right. I'll nominate Randy and Randy Raj. All right. Any other nominations from the floor? Sorry, it's not there. That's okay. I I have an A in my first
name. I did. My name is Emo with the silent you so I hear. Did anyone want to Patrick did you want to speak or Randy did you want to speak for vice chair or Sure. Yeah. This is my second year on the
committee. Last year was a very hard year. Um I think this meeting for first- timers was me last year and we didn't have a budget resolved. It was still welcome to the meeting. Let's make cuts.
Um, I'm glad we're leaving you not in a better place, but at least with a safer first meeting. I have the ability to make the tough decisions. I'd rather be, you know, voting on where to spend the money, but we don't have it yet. Um, I think that this would be a nice
progression for me and a good and a good step for the school committee. I'd like to move forward and and work as a team and and just try to rebuild the community ties that have been cut due to funding. Thanks. Randy, did you have anything to add? Um, following up on uh looking at
uh our policy, it's still um says as far as the vice vice chair, the vice chair really is to take over uh the position um and run the meetings when the chair is not available. Um and um but as vice chair this past
year um I think I was helpful in um being a sounding board um for Lisa um going forward. Um you know again all the things that I wanted to you know I said that I wanted to do for as chair I certainly still want to do as vice chair
or any other member on this team. I have a lot of ideas to try and keep this moving. I have the um experience um and the knowledge and the knowledge base from 15 years of things that we've done in this district, things that have worked um and uh trying to move forward.
I'm an atlarge member. I I feel that I am respected in all three uh communities um and uh I think I can uh help uh bring everything together, right? Everyone is signing on bottom, correct?
Yeah. Okay. I'll take Okay, that's You guys accept the nomination, correct? I forgot to ask that. Robin made me a little guide and I'm not following the guide. So, So, we have five in favor of Randy, four
in favor of Patrick. So, I have Perry for Randy Rush, Lisa Bloom, Randy Rush, Kim, Randy Rush, Randy Randy Rush, Alexander Randy Rush,
um, Lisa Martin, Patrick Phillips, Patrick McFillips, Patrick, Patrick McFillips, um, Jill Twe, Patrick, and Kenan Patrick. All right. All right. Moving on to the
appointment of treasurer secretary. Um, I will move that we appoint Michael Hartnett as the district treasurer for the 2526 school year. Is there a second? Second. That was Randy. Michael Hartnett has been the treasurer for the district
for as long as I've been on the committee. So, I'm happy he can he wants to continue. He knows the district. Well, Randy and um car. All right. All of those in favor? We don't need a roll call, right? For All right. All of those
in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Then we have the superintendent recommends the committee reappoint Robin Ivy as a secretary of the school
committee for the 202526 school year. So moved. Right. Do you accept the nomination? Right. Um all of those in favor. Was there a second? Second. Second. Alexander and you. Okay. She made the
motion and then Alex. All of those in favor? I. Uh, any abstensions? Any opposed? All right. Okay. And just for everybody, um, the new people, uh, the executive assistant very often in most districts is the
school committee um, secretary as well and Robin has been, uh, good enough to serve and done very well, uh, serving us, uh, for her time in the district. Yes. All right. appointment of district council for the
2025 2026 school year. Um, can this Yep. You go ahead and just make a change to the motion and not to name Thomas Nuttle but but the firm. Okay. Thank you. I think I have that in the Sullivan Nuttle
Mackoy and Lions. You do. Okay. It's just a suggestion motion down below. All right. Oh, okay. On the agenda. Yes. Yeah, on on her notes I have that. Yeah. So, it's going to um to approve Sullivan
and Nettle Makavoy and Lions P C as District Council for special education related issues and um and Hillman Hillman LLC as district
council for labor public education related matters for the 202526 school year. So moved. Do I have a second? Patrick, I have a question on the motion. All right. Um, can you um don't have it off
the top of my head, but the total amount paid for these contracts um is it retainer plus fee, just retainer, adjust fee, and when are they renegotiated? They negotiated and well, they will let us know if there's an increase annually.
They will let Nancy know that. Um, but there is a set rate and then it's determined what I'm going to go beyond that rate for extra things. Okay. So, it's flat retainer, monthly retainer. I don't know if it's monthly or I check the So, Jill
and I looked into this last year when we were trying to find cuts and it was a shockingly small amount. We We thought we'd find some cuts there and it was it was low enough that we just dropped it, but I'm sure we'll get you the phone number. Yeah. And it's not so much just about cuts. Um, and and I have only had
one occasion to work with one of the folks and they were very responsive. I think it's always good to be looking at anything that we have on a retainer basis to make sure that there's really good responsiveness and that any type of legal council doesn't get comfortable with the municipality or school district
in which they're serving so that there's always that opportunity um to to seek out other legal counsel. Not um saying that in this one at this time, but wanted that for clarification.
Right. Any other questions? Right. We have the motion on the floor and I did have a second. Correct. Yes. All right. Um all those in favor? Anyone opposed? Any
abstensions? It passes. All right. Now we have um the liaison or the subcommittees and the liaison appointments. So I just left who was on last year so you could see who was on the committee.
Obviously, I don't know, you know, who the ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch will be, but this is who was on okay for so I think we're going to not do Ashby's right now and wait and have a meeting
with their town to see how they want to proceed. I am meeting with Dave on Wednesday. All right. and then we'll we'll circle back to the committee and figure um I'd like to um ask the committee if they would add an additional subcommittee uh
to this list which would be the legislative advocacy group um subcommittee. All right. We already have a number of people that are have had interest and has started to advocate for the district and in the past we haven't had anybody um interested in that. So we
never had a subcommittee for that. So Ashby, the elementary school will bring that one back to committee. Yep. Accelerated repairs still going. Yep. I was going to say this this is like near the end. Yeah,
it's near the end. I would probably just recommend that you and I stay on that for everybody. This is the accelerated repair at Varnenbrook and at Hawthrook. Hawthorne and Cookook. Um those projects all have pretty much been done. It's all the
tying up of the loose ends at the end here. And we're thinking that October is going to be our closure to when we will be able to be done with this one. to kind of crossing the tees and dotting the eyes uh at this point.
Yeah. So, um and usually building committees do take some time, but with CO being in the center of this one, this one did take an extra moment of time. All right. So, I don't know. Has the high school finally been closed out? No, not yet.
Not yet. So, so last year you you know you all had just discussed the um the committees and then agreed to with to continue with the U membership. All right. Um with
exceptions. So did you want to continue with the membership the way it is with the exception of Craig Hansen and Brad Brooks or maybe Craig wasn't on it last year? I'm just going by memory here. Um I think we just accept it as is. Yeah.
Okay. So we'll just keep just read it for everybody. So the committee agreed to maintain the existing accelerated repairs and building committee membership for 202526. So, it will be Lisa Martin, chair, Randy Roush,
uh Nancy Haynes, business administrator, Jeremy Hammond, uh director of operations, and Brad Morgan. And I think that's all of the ones we had. Okay. Thank you.
Are we going to do everyone just all at once? One big motion or Yeah, I think is everyone all right? Could we have all of the appointments for all of the of the subcommittees? We can do it individually after we say or we can just do one large one at the end.
One large one at the end. I think one large at the end. Okay. So then we have the finance committee. So, currently on the finance committee, it's myself, Randy, Patrick, Brad, and
Nancy. Would anybody like to be on the subcommittee? I'd like to say I'd also like to say if that's okay. All right. Are you missing a seat on that, Lisa? We can have up to four members.
So, um, Alex and Kim. All right. Now, with the New Year's Cathy still on there as well, or is that Um, that will be have to be decided by the committee. We have to decide because that makes it five. Yeah, I know. We
can't have five. Yeah. So, we do have to We usually don't ever get this many on. Um because I would like to stay on as well. So, do we have an election or
um no, as far as I know, it just that the chair needs to appoint and then you know what? I can I can I can step back if you need someone to step back. Okay. Thank you, Alex. Cuz usually we do have them at 8:00 in
the morning. Yeah. And you're probably in school. Oh, yeah. I'm probably at work. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That'll be back. Okay. So that that that will work. So all right. So we have Lisa, Randy, Patrick, and Kim. All right. Do we have a nomination
for the chair? Um I'd be happy to take chair. Oh, I'm sorry. You're looking for nomination. Yeah. Yes. Do we do it here or at the meeting? Um and and again generally the chair um
appoints the the on the spot. We we used to do uh elections and then Craig read the um the fine print the fine print our policy uh in detail and it says in there that the chair Okay. All right. Well, since you have
policy you're probably head policy which is a big one. So, I'm going to appoint Kim as um chair of finance. Does that work for you, Kim? Sure. All right. And people can attend, they just can't
participate in the discussion. All right. As a school committee member. Okay. So, Kim has the chairperson of finance. So, I have Kim as chair. I have Lisa Martin, Randy Rush, Patrick McFillips, Brad Morgan, Nancy Haynes.
Yes. Okay. Did we want to put um Jeremy in this as well? Brad, are you okay with putting Jeremy? Yes. Did I think Jeremy is there? Are you okay, Jeremy? Are you're good with Jeremy?
Okay. And the committee is good with Jeremy. Yeah. Okay. Sorry, Jeremy. Since I get to appoint people. All right. Now we are moving on to policy.
Um, currently Randy is the chair. Then we have Lisa Bloom. Policy is a great one for new members to understand. Carrie, yes. I was on last year. I'd like to stay. Okay. Carrie and Jill, I'd like to stay. Okay. I was going to say
uh just for everyone uh usually I've been I've been having two meetings uh a month. Um last year seemed to work really well. one for the 5-year review and one for new uh policies that changed because of um laws or MSE MAS changed or other reasons within the district that
we needed to look at policies immediately. Um I'd also like to request um I don't know if it would be like a vice chair or a co-chair. Um, last year I had Lisa Bloom starting to take over
some of the responsibilities of the five-year review because it's a lot of work going back and forth. I'd like to keep that um that going if possible if the committee would agree. All right. So, Lisa, do you want to do the five-year review? Yeah.
All right. All right. On to the warrant committee. This is where you sign the warrants. Um Patrick has been doing that and done electronically. It's it's a great one for for new members because you see all
the money we spend. You're basically the first line of review for what's being spent, where it's being spent. So if you have if you're not on finance, but you were interested in the financial side, it's it's a pretty low time but great way to look at and review all the money and the numbers. Yeah. All right. Yeah.
I'm I'm Okay. So I have a question because you have family that works in the community. Yeah, my sister is a custodian here. So would that be a conflict of interest because he does sign the payroll warrants?
So I think I'm a conflict of interest. It would be one first signing a disclosure and second he's not making a decision about the payment. He's just authorizing it. All right. um he won't be able to vote on uh the custodian contract. He'd have to abstain from
that. Yep. And probably and he is a teacher as well. Does he's in a different district if there's conflict. So you may have to um you have to file an ethics commission with the ethics board and then we'll have to bring it
back. And I I'll work with you and I know Jill um there needs to be a public statement just so it's on record for the school committee about what the conflict is. Yeah. And it has to be we can't do it in executive session. It has to be brought forward to everyone. It's already filed. So I just need to do a statement. Yep. Yep. And if anyone else
does as well needs to has any kind of conflict. All right. So we have who Patrick or Alexander is doing it. All right. And secondary. Do you want to be secondary or I I can be I don't know how that would
work as a secondary but well sometimes if like he would go away if he can't you did have a secondary you did I was a secondary you just I thought you just never used me. Yeah. All right. So then we have
Alexander and Patrick. All right. Negotiations and personnel teachers. Um, when are we going in? When do those get opened again, Brad? About a year before. So, we're into our first year, second year, winter, second. So, this is the
calm. Yes. Calm year, right? Before the calm year. I couldn't remember what year we were in that process. Seems like the summer going into Right. I I just couldn't remember what of the contract we were in at this point. Second year. So just so everybody
understands uh it's split out teachers um and then non-eing units which are the other uh bargaining units um with no negotiations going on this year active and um it's a year a good year on negotiations to be on either one. Uh
they're usually split out mainly for the when we're actually doing the negotiations because the teachers are the largest one. They usually take up the most time. Um and it's um and then the secondary uh units there's you know they follow a lot of what the teachers do. So they they tend to go a little bit
faster because the hard work that the teachers do um going forward. Um and it's a great way for newer members to kind of cut their teeth on what negotiations are. Uh again this year we're not doing any negotiations. So, it's kind of neither one of these are
going to take much time or give unfortunately give a lot of experience in one way or the other, but it's something to keep in mind for future years when we do get to the negotiations. I think this last year we maybe had two meetings. Yeah. Or one meeting. Yeah.
So, so I am the chairperson of that and Jill is a member. Would there be two more members that would like Carrie and Kenan? All right. Um, negotiation of non-eing
units. So, Randy is the chairperson for that. Um, myself and Jill Twig are on it. Would there be anyone else that would be interested in that? Patrick, anyone? All right. Um, community
outreach. Ashby will be Carrie. Sorry, I get to a point. All right. Anyone from PPO? I think um you and I did you and I did it last year. We primarily talked to
everybody. Yeah. Well, this is the outreach. So, this is a little different than the um Well, it's the same thing as we did. Okay. So, That will be Patrick and myself. We'll do that one. Is this what Will was
doing? Yes. Patrick and um Lisa will be for I can be a backup and be the one if you want. Okay. We will put Patrick, Lisa, and Jill. Just not all three together. and then Tonesen Keenan.
I'd be happy to Kenan and Randy. All right. It's not We have those. Just kind of keep an open communications. All right. Oh, and then the legislative one. You want to do a legislative subcommittee?
Is everyone in favor? Yes. A legislative subcommittee? Yes, exactly. Nominee, we should we should probably have a vote just to Should we clear these out and then have a clear vote? Okay, let's do that. So, let's talk about the ones we
just nominated everyone with all these committees. So, is everyone in favor of the committees that we have discussed? Yes. So, can I get a motion? Uh I'll move uh
to approve the um accelerate repair and building committee uh finance policy warrant uh negotiation and personnel teachers negotiation personnel non-eing units uh and then the select board for Ashby Pil and Townsend as we discussed.
All right. And Patrick is a second. So that's Randy and Patrick. All those in favor. Any abstone opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Okay. And I will move uh that the
school committee um create a new subcommittee uh called legislative advocacy. Seconded. All right. And who would like to be on this committee?
Kenan. Sorry. But you just I've seen and Alex And since I know some about this, I will as well. Um, Kenan, would you like to be the
chair of this? We're not going, you don't have to meet that often, but sure. Okay. Thank and when I bring MASC in, we will talk to them about how this committee best works because they they do have
some stuff on that. Yeah. All right. So, Keenan will be the chairperson and then we have Kim, Alex, and do I have a motion to accept the legislative advocacy group or
subcommittee? All right. So move that was Randy and seconded by Patrick. All of those in favor. Anyone opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Now moving on to the school
committee calendar. Is that correct? Yeah. Oops. We don't have Oh, meeting calendar. So, we need to decide well, we need to figure out um what day most people can meet. because Thursdays seemed to work
for some but did not. Um, Mondays what days work best? I can do anything about Thursday. Thursday's tough. I can't do Friday. Oh, we're not going to. I can tell you right now. We probably are not transportation. No, no, no. That's
okay. I mean, all of our wonderful um administration that comes to our meetings uh would like to have their weekends as well. Yeah. What about Monday? Going back to Monday. I do Monday. Monday. Monday. Could we do a 7 o'clock on
Monday so that everybody attend? You can can't do until 7. Yeah. Okay. We can do 7 o'clock on Mondays. And various Mondays I do have meetings. Okay. So I have meetings on various days
of every week. So I become very problematic. I apologize. Is it something that it has to be set now or I know you Well, we're not going to set them tonight cuz I will work with um to find cuz we have to look
at our school calendar for next year because there's some dates that won't and then we'll bring it back to our next meeting. We just have to schedule our next meeting. Okay. And then and then I'll send it out and get approval from everyone or if there's conflicts. Are any of your Monday meetings on a a
schedule like every now? what's happening right now on the computer while she's here. Um, so, um, yeah, if we said the next one, I think that would be fine. And
then I'd be happy to do the doodle poll. Okay. So, that does it like by day. You can do an entire month of selections and by time of the day, and it does an automatic voting for you. So, it tells you how many people can make one meeting. All right, we'll work with that
and then we'll send that out. The other thing also is I'd like to bring up um I think it was two or three years ago, maybe it was only just two, I forget how many, we moved from every 3 weeks we used to have the meetings to every once a month. Um I think looking
at last year with as difficult of a budget year we had that we go back to at least every 3 weeks versus once a month. I think we're going to need more meetings. I would speak out against that. Okay. Sorry. I think having regularly scheduled
meetings then we know when it is. I think it's harder if people are involved in multiple things if it switches, right? Because every third week it could land and then something else. So then we come into this string of someone might not have it one month but then the next
month they would. Okay. And then um I would like to suggest a couple of those months have two meetings. Could we do my thought is that we could cuz sometimes it's just a workshop that we need instead of having like a business meeting where we could have that second
one be like that workshop, you know, like where we have MC come in or um cuz I've talked to the school committee um chair over at um Grant and Dunstable. they'd like to do some training with us. Um, and Lunenburgg perhaps would like to
do some training, get us together and like do a training in that session. So, would that work for people if we did like a second meeting if it was like a workshop and so that we didn't take up our business meeting cuz this is more like let's get the business done and then you know even if we want Brad or um
Jeremy or Gary to come speak, they come speak about their topic that doesn't need a vote. you know, things like that. Okay. So, I think that would be a way to use everybody's time, but because it would be great if everyone can show up to the
business meeting aspect of it, cuz that's where the votes are important. All right. So, I will work with um Robin and Brad on getting the Mondays set 700 p.m. and then I'll send
it out to everyone and work with Kim and we'll do the at the high school at doodle. So, yeah. Are they going to Last year you did half half in person half virtual and then we did the um but we we we never ended up having them in person.
Can I just So, the only thing we have to be careful of um and again I know that It's it's just not easy for us. Is it that if we do have an in-person meeting and we pro and we tell people that there's going to be the virtual option,
virtual participation, we do not have a foolproof way to make that happen. Yeah. And that could create an open meeting law violation if we don't have a foolproof way. But the high school was not outfitted with the technology to do
that. That was value managed out of the project. I was going to say the the the meetings don't have to be at the high school. Is there another building? I mean, there's so many districts and board selectmen and everybody who managed to do this. If it's another building and another room. Yes. I mean I
mean the only one that I've seen I've seen Pepper does it. They they very very the room is smaller than this area that we're sitting in. But if we're actually going to have room for the public to come in and sit if there is something that's significant that's happening, again, in person to me is always better
than remote, but we haven't had any issues to my knowledge with accessibility of people being able to talk. Um, you know, the public comment and the participation has been much much higher. Um, I just worry about if we say
we're going to do a hybrid and then something fails and we don't have um I believe Pepper was hooked up. They do use the owl as well. I believe Townson has the same thing, but they do hold their meetings in a small confined space with small numbers of people that go to
the meetings. It just we don't always have a small number. Sometimes we have a large number of people and if we can't guarantee access um I just look at the number of um public records requests, open law violations and the amount of
work that comes with those. Then let's yeah let's reach out to other districts because you know I I agree we the Zoom has been wonderful for participation from the communities. I wouldn't want to give that up. But I will say um that the
Zoom has been less than ideal for this group of people working together. I I I don't disagree and it's going to end. It is going to end, but we have to we have to figure out a solution that is about as foolproof as possible um so that we don't have problems. Right. And and
Madam Chair, and from my perspective too, um a lot of times I'll I'll have a member say to me, well, I was emailing you during the meeting. It's like I'm not looking at email during the meeting and it's hard for me to even look at the Zoom because I'm I'm actively working
taking the minutes. So, there is a lot of um um multitasking that goes on with that, you know. So, uh and we did have Pepper Media came in and and you know, you were there a few times and and their solution and they're phenomenal. Their
solution was the owl and we tested it over and over again and unless we're in room. Yeah. And I came in early and moved the room specifically this way. So yeah. The LGA is not the only room in the district that we can have these in. Right. Yeah. But we just want to make
sure that you know we're able because if we offer hybrid and somebody can't get in then it's an open meeting. So yeah. So I I believe it's going to extended now to 2027. So I'm going to
make my statements knowing that my term will be ending when this becomes someone else's problem. Um there is positivity with in-person meetings and if there's some number of meetings that we have to have in person, I think that's okay. But
I think given the world that we live in today, uh remote meetings are pretty critical. um it provides opportunities for people to participate that normally can't and nothing against TCAM or PEPAL equivalent of TCAM the hybrid did go
down during the budget summit um which technically created an open meeting violation avoid the budget summit so I think that the online is the shest way to go we have the technology for that um
I don't know where we would have a hybrid um that works well. I do sit in a lot of meetings in towns and that are hybrid. Um it becomes a little bit more challenged I would say um because then there's discrepancy for who is in
the room and who is not. So I think if everybody is on camera and we're very cognizant of it. I do say it with a bit of bias because I've been a remote um consultant for years and years and you know deal with a lot of complex things
remote. So, I do think it can work and if there's a need for an inerson meeting, we have to plan ahead for that and plan um to accommodate the public. Well, and I'm going to speak in favor of um online meetings as well because it's
easier to control your audience and control the members as well um when speaking because everyone gets their turn at the table to speak. um in person sometimes it can't be that way and people will speak over each other and
and all of us want to be heard at the table. Um I also think it is convenient for our families and people within the district to have the online version because there are so many schedules out there that they're at ball games or band
concerts or have gone on a trip somewhere and people can join in. So that's where and then people can participate in the meeting and they get it live instead of like watching a recording. I think that that's critical too. And don't we have higher
viewership? Yes. People participating online too. Yes. Which is kind of nice. It is because then people know what is going on instead of getting word of mouth than getting shown. I mean, I'm a bit I'm I'm a bit of a
lite so I prefer in person, but you know. Yeah. And I think we could handle like our workshops in person. Yeah. You know, do the workshops where we have to build on. Yeah. I mean, I'd prefer to go in person as much as possible, but if it's just going to be a logistical nightmare, I understand. I like in
person better. even with other people like seeing people physically ask questions to me is so much more heartfelt and understanding them seeing them like and sometimes they don't even pop on the camera it's just like a number like I don't actually have a face for that no it's just their voice right
not even like their name or anything like um so I prefer to hear especially people in the community like in person if they have questions rather than you know a voice you know that some you know that Robin had to let in and I don't
So when we were at the high school having meetings in person that was acceptable for hybrid like that was there like an open meeting law at the high school? No it was it it was not hybrid. No I mean in the in the pack
like when we had the So it wasn't live. It wasn't live. It was live. Well, yeah, but it was that was live with Pepple Media and um in order to do that, we have to pay our AV person from the high
school, which they're not always available, so they do it as a courtesy and so we don't have the budget for that. I just was wondering if if that worked. I mean, could it work in another location? We can't guarantee that peple media
will be at every single meeting that reason why it was acceptable is what you mean. They were the only ones that made it work. It's not something that we can do. No, it's not. When they built the high school, from what I understand, um they removed that component from to save money. So,
we don't have the infrastructure. So, what they do literally is they run a cable across the school right down the hall. down the hall to the pack so it can happen. Um, when we worked with them to to figure out a solution for this,
their solution was the owl. Um, the owl just does not work in a in a in a big room. So, I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm looking at the time and we do need to go in a few minutes. So, just a few minutes to start.
All right. I um speaking as a student from the high school like I I I prefer the in-person contact and I understand the the remote meeting is the participation is it's unequivocally much
higher. I also think that we might be over complicating the hybrid aspect of it. Maybe it's just cuz I'm young, but I feel like I like it's shouldn't be that complicated. Like we don't necessarily
need pepper community media to come in for everything. I know how to run the sound system in the high school. I know how to run it too. That's why I asked I could help. I don't think we necessarily I think you have to be Don't you have to be trained and
Yes, I'm trained as well. Can I just suggest we take this offline and try and figure it out for right now? Yeah, we'll take a straw poll. That's what we'll do. We'll take the poll and we will figure it out. All right. So, we will set an agendas for um not agenda but a calendar
for Mondays and we will I will send out information on in person. All right. And if I can just talk um I'm not going to do I'll put out something for this, but if I'd like to just talk real quick about a couple of dates for
MASC training. Okay. So, I have some dates uh from the MASC. Lisa, sorry, Alicia Malin is our field director and um so there's three different workshops that I'd like to try and hold. One being uh an inerson uh kind of retreat style.
This on the agenda? It's not. I'm just just going to give information about the training. Do you need to go over these other things at least in the next few minutes that we have uh in the consent agenda? Yeah. Yeah. You need to do this or unless you want to continue just
continue with and then um so I will uh send out um an email with everyone with dates. There's uh for Saturdays May 31st and June 28th and then more Saturdays there and then looking at two uh evening um trainings on uh you know roles and
responsibilities goal setting and operating protocols I think for a retreat style on a on a Saturday and then uh evenings for a bud something something on budget and then something on uh communication and the legislative advocacy. All right. So Randy you will send those up. Yeah. Can I get a motion on the
consent agenda that is presented in the agenda? Do I get a motion? A second. Second. All right. That is Patrick and Alex. All right. Everyone in favor?
Any uh anybody opposed? Any abstensions? Okay. Kenan is abstaining. You messed up our You messed up the paperwork, Kenan. It's okay. You You can approve this. It's It's okay. Um All right. And then
we need a a motion to adjurnn. Correct. Motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn. So move. So move. Second. Second. So I was giving it to you Kenan here. All of those in favor? Any abst Oh, any
oppose? Any abstensions? All right. Thank you everyone.