[Applause] uh good evening everyone welcome to the select board meeting of Thursday May 9th 2024 in attendance we have Denise we have Kevin we have Roger myself and I believe we have Alec on Zoom I'm here all right all right thank you Alec so as always we'll start with the pledge allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag andic for it stands one nation indivisible liy and justice for all all right right after that we'll start with the appointments and resignations we have the resignation of Don um I I don't want to butcher the name I apologize um theeni from the Founders Day committee to say that okay and the reappointment of Michael unit today mfn Regional voice water district I to vote right yes okay so I will take a motion to reappoint Michael units to the MFM Regional was waterer District so move second a motion a second and because Alex is on Alex is on zoom we're going to have to roll call it so Denise yes Kevin yes Roger yes Alec yes and I yes okay and we have another resignation of Melissa nelik from the open space committee and we do have an appointment to the 20 24 2025 serid commission uh as a commission member for representing the select board um I've served on it the planning board I know recently it was um was it Sandy overhead y his served and she she said she didn't want to I know Kevin reached out and would like to be appointed to that I'm always a fan of of somebody from the select board doing it so um you have my blessing um do we need to uh make a motion for that were there just were there anybody else that was interested there wasn't and uh Sandy obviously liveed doing the work but just for their schedule and everything came to for so she couldn't do it anymore make a motion to we appoint Kevin Schneider to the Sur commission a second all right Motion in a second Denise yes Kevin yes Roger yes Alec yes and I yes Mr chairman yes can I uh ask a question for Mike um the um will they reach out to me do I need to reach out to them like how does that work uh they'll reach out to you I'll give them your all your contact information okay I think a form we have to sign to [Applause] here are you up yeah the one in the packet you have to sign up okay um now in the minutes everybody get a chance to read the April 25th 2024 minutes so if there's any changes Corrections I'll look for a motion to approve I'll make a motion to approve the meeting minutes from April 25th 2024 second all right motion of the second uh Denise yes Kevin yes Roger yes Alec yes and I yes okay moving on to licenses and permits we have a vote to approve a one-day beer and wine license to mark hassar for a private event at the Watson Pine Arts Chase dining hall Diane Davis fcer Cafe and Mary lion Hall of ween College 26 East Main Street in Norton from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday May 17th 2024 for commencement um I think Mark is here if I if anybody has questions [Music] or or if you want me to go over kind of each event yeah you're welcome to come out absolutely thank you all that's we have another one for you too so it came all the way down right might as well check out the new the new spread um yeah so graduation is upon us I feel like it January was last week right um so Friday we kick off with um an Arts reception um that's outside the um Fine Arts Building Waton Fine Arts Building from 4 to 7:30 for roughly 3 to 400 people that will stop by um during that time uh certain just beer wine um then the rest of the events are dinners um Chase dining hall is going to have a traditional Lobster bake anyone's around that night bringing that back um so Lobster bait Mary Lions will have the 50th class dinner um Davis Spencer will have the 60 person trustee dinner and I think that was it is there one more Friday um I think that was it just the two yeah I know you have some FL plans I promise we're working on on better ones I believe that wasn't me by the way and the other one's from two years ago I I paniced cuz Jen was like you need to get these in 40 which I I I apologize for it I'm pretty sure we've seen worse so this came up in our meeting this morning and we had a good laugh about it but they were also promised to have them by the end of the week so actual [Music] for um and then Saturday is just um some more dinners in the same building and the mayor will be there at Comm but is always you better be come hungry anybody have any questions no Alec I I don't needan to figure out about you if you have a question you can always chime in got thank you sir all right um since your packets were sent out um they have received all the signups Mr chair just a quick question for Mark um are select board members invited to the lday rules Town Council that's a Prett B question and the mayor not absolutely the best part for me is the ice cream sunday bar after I'm looking at Jack's ice cream right now uh Mr chair y I will uh make a motion to approve the one deer beer one day beer and wine license to March hessar for a private event in the Watson Fine Arts Chase dining called Diane Davis spenzer Cafe and Mary lion Hall of Weeden College 26 East Main Street Maron Mass from uh 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday May 17th 2024 for commencement um and uh to approve the one-day beer and wine license to M castlebar for a private event in the pine Hall Chase dining hall and Mary line hall of college 26 East Main Street Norton Mass from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday May 18th 2024 for commencement second a motion a second and a thank you to Kevin for not making me read all that and ask for a so okay uh Denise Kevin yes Robert yes Alec yes okay and I'm a yes thank you very much thank you all very much for your time we'll see you next Friday see you next Friday see you next Friday please put right now okay now we're on to announcements uh so we have several events going on at the Norton Park and wreck um beginning uh May 17th through July 26 on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 is at over 21 pickup league for kickball anyone's interested they can contact the uh Norton Park and wreck uh tomart also we have kids swim lessons at the Town pool is going to be open um they have four different sessions each session is two weeks on Mondays through Thursday $125 per session um different levels of swimmers level one and two or a nine level three and four or a 10 adults and me swimmers are at 11:15 um to register go to Norton Park and Rex uh Norton Norton mass.org SLP Park Andre p24 swims lessons and you also can get uh Norton residents can get a 2024 season pass for the pool individual passes are $75 family passes are $100 nor nton residents are individual $100 and family $125 if you purchase your season pass before June 7th you get a 10% discount you can uh contact the Norton park at Rec Department all right there's one more announcement that I'm going to do um I guess over the past weekend I'm Brian V of B&B landscape donated mulch for the Landscaping of the police department uh after the mulch arrived Gary Cameron David Dumont Bob Kimble Roger Maran and Adam Maran took the time out of their day to spread the mulch in preparation of national Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15th they went above and beyond to assist with this project um this is really not new to them as they've been involved in many Community projects including but not limited to the food drive and toy drives um I should have said this is from Chief Clark um he would like to recognize them for their outstanding service they provided to the police department and also ask the select board to formally accept the donation by Mr be okay so that that's later in the agenda right to accept it okay all right excellent all right now we're on to new business um I put this first one on here the discussion of Rules of Order with regard to meetings um not to have a major discussion on it just to just to kind of clarify a couple quick things um I know in the past several years um mes have been kind of seemingly sometimes free-for-all sometimes orderly um I want to make sure everybody that comes in the audience has a voice and gets to come up and speak uh on almost any topic that we have on here um similar to public hearings though once the public has come up and spoken I don't think that people should be debating with the board um when we're deliberating on things um it's part of the Rules of Order so uh I just wanted to make that clear um because there was some questions about that last meeting okay and now does anybody have any questions on that okay um and I I will I mean I'm I'm not sure yet but I I know years past they had a a specific section on the agenda for for public comment and I think I think that's a great idea and I'd like to bring that back and everybody's okay with that I think the more the public can talk to us the better can I just make a comment on that and you can uh help me if you have public comment period um I suggest that you limit how long someone talks and you can't discuss an issue with them that they bring up at the meeting that's not on the agenda so you can take it under advisement and you can put it on a future agenda but if it's not on your agenda you can't discuss and talk about absolutely thank you m okay so I'm now vote to accept the M donation from B&B Landscaping um Mr chair Mr I will make a motion to vote to accept the mulch donation uh from B&B landscaping and recognition of community Assistance for landscaping at the Town Police Department and just would like to add my thank you to everyone including Mr Maran um who did that that's great stuff so that was very nice thing uh thank you I did have technical questions sure does it make sense to accept it when it's already in spread and kind of accept it I think we have to officially accept it okay yeah as a time yeah okay I'll second okay motion on a second Denise yes Kevin yes Roger yes Alec yes and I am a yes and thank you all again for that okay next up we have the recognition of the norn police honor guard's first place award for the police honor guard and the uh aqu NE Island National Police parade let's see so again this is from from Chief Clark um from the other day the nor police Honor Guard participated in the uh aquad neck police parade in Newport RH Island the parade members uh remembers fallen officers over the past year the honor guard received the first place award for for police hogr which is fantastic um hogr members were led by Sergeant James Cameron and included Sergeant Jacob Dennett Charles turut along with Patrol officers Nicholas precour Jared Morris and Jesse Anderson so congratulations that's that's fantastic jobob all right so we got an easy one next discussion vote and or revote on town meeting Logistics and special Town election so I'm guessing there's nobody that wants to say anything on all right Mr pandrew do you want to start well we we do have Jack if you're done with your ice cream I fly through these meetings quick before it melts I'll watch it for you up here creat put put it right here Denise and I watch just camer good evening everyone how we doing goinging good uh M you want to talk talk sure okay I I'll start so um I just want to let everyone know that uh we did we have been having discussions and uh that obviously next Monday we don't feel that we're ready to hold the town meeting uh with all the logistics that need to be put in place um and so um Jack uh has put a notice up we put it on the town website we will send out um an alert um tomorrow and then send it out again Sunday don't let people know that um Jack will be going there Monday with you you're going right yeah and the town clerk to uh open and continue the town meeting and I Know Jack has indicated you were looking to continue it to make 28th Tuesday because the 27th is Memorial Day um that would be 14 days because of the holidays that's the maximum correct yeah yes that is the maximum under law um that the moderator can do on his own initiative um there isn't anything that prohibits him from doing that again if circumstances should require but he obviously is under no obligation um so right now with the um the gym the auditorium the cafeteria um we can sit 2100 people so we will have to rent shares so um soon as Jack says the 28th is definite then uh I will uh uh request that uh chair rentals and um the cable studio uh will um line up the auto audio video ual company and we confirmed the school is available it is okay what what about a room for the for the child care because I know initially the room was going to be the cafeteria for the child library at the library okay um Mr J just we're talking about the high school yes okay Mr chair and we'll put a note out a notice out after we cancel this one once Jack works on that Monday next Monday then we'll put a notice out again um the school is still in session at that point I believe right and what do we do if we're continuing it on through the next day are we going to leave the room set up we have to take the bre down the rooms and then reset them up again after school so uh what we're looking at if we do town meeting on May 28th we will do the budget will be one one of the first things hopefully that we do that night so um if we don't finish town meeting on that night and town meeting has to be continued to another date we don't anticipate that we're going to have 2100 people show up the second night after taken care we'll use the auditorium like we usually do that's what thinking hopefully uh yeah it's been pry working with Mike and uh Ray cord and Lucia uh Jason Benjamin uh police chief fire chief working collaboratively to try to hammer this out um 28th is as Mike and Moren said it's the furthest out we can go with that 14-day thing um we have AV the parking can be solved for uh we can get chairs I spoke with Lucia this evening before coming in uh the ballots will be here in time um so see green lights all up and down the Treet so if everyone's on board I think we can set the 28 and and go with it personally just to play Devil's Advocate would it be would it be instead of would it be easier to push it again to the following s that Saturday I don't know what the DAT is um just so we could start in the morning and then if it if it ran long that it wouldn't have to be split into two so would it be better easier sure um my interpretation of the statute that Lauren provided is that it's based on an inability to hold the meeting less than convenience have went back and forth about weaton has a 4200 person capacity field that I absolutely think we should leverage in the future if there's another one of these votes and we kind of pre-plan that out um which I think would be just a much more seamless absolutely I was going to say the Saturday before the 25th would be a Saturday as well there's something on the 25th graduation yeah it something it's Memorial Day Weekend graduation ween is around that the high school graduation is not until the 30th High School graduation the 30th yes it's a senior night all night grad party they'll be out by 5 in the morning y May 24 so just for the record I knew the answer I just want to make sure I knew we all get that question once we leave here so I wanted to make sure it was out there for the public so they knew that a lot of dates May 18th is week Graduation May 19th they still have events even though it's a Sunday they use the Norton High School and yellow parking room for overflow so that really kind of handcuffs us there um the following week it's week night and try to give them as much time as possible and we have Memorial Memorial Day Weekend com 28 is the furthest out we can get everything seems to be one know you have the 18th I big tra meet too Mr chair does it make sense to start it at an earlier time on that Tuesday that's an excellent question Kevin and I'm open to that conversation with the board I definitely think we should allow people to be registered yeah earlier so whether we start at 6 or 7 that's probably a good question for Dr O'Neal um if we can get in as early as 4:00 or if we need to wait till 5: I don't know what the setup is going to look like or at least to start registering even if the meeting starts at 7 tell people to come early and register so that we can get going at 7: absolutely yeah that would make sense good question you could even start earlier because might be a big conversation take a big conversation you might you might be on something so Mike and I take can take that as an action to follow with talk R about how early we could get access to that space and we can maybe start filling up the auditorium first knowing that that doesn't have any set up and logistically how many people do you need people or you I'm going to have to recruit for some assistant moderators probably at least one per space um possibly moreas sizee I'm assuming we would be set up in the gym because that's where the bul of people are going to be so maybe two for the auditorium and two for the cafeteria okay so if there's any volunteers out there let me know I'm sure you'll get some and the mayor will be there and today got going to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield which is going to be 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. so I'll be there just in time the time meeting at 7:00 all right Mr chair um if there's nothing else about logistics right this second um is there anything else on Logistics U Mr chair just real quick so we're confirm we're looking at Tuesday the 28th May 28th and we'll and the time is T TB okay yeah and that'll be confirmed um what probably Monday if not before try tomorrow it needs to be done by Monday at 7: because we have to announce when we're continuing to specific date time and location okay perfect any other questions we'll go back to my next screen thank you thanks everybody thank you very much make a motion on that please uh no he he care um Mr chair yes um I would like to reconsider the vote for the special election taken on 52 at the last meeting um for that we set for the 8th of June um the whole purpose of that when I made that motion was to have that vote before we had town meeting and since that's not going to happen I would like to reconsider that vote and revote on that okay so we would need a motion to reconsider from at least from whoever voted yes on it right so you would make the motion I make that motion okay so so that's your motion is there a second if he's still on Alec I can second if you want but [Music] okay I'm going to Second just and he's probably having technical issues so I'll second the motion to reconsider um so okay so um roll call Denise this is to reconsider that V can we vote on it or I thought you said that only the S people can vote no can vote only only the yes can we just reconsidering the decision is just to reconsider okay okay yes Kevin yes Roger yes uh Alec yes he's trying to talk because I think he is he he's coming on the screen but his we can't hear him there's no VI thing on it though there's no yeah okay mic turned off or something so we'll do it as a a 40 then at this point okay so the motion to reconsider passes 4 to zero so now we would yeah so I guess we can discuss so I would like to not have that even considered anymore um um like I said the whole purpose of that was to try to have that election before we had the town meeting I think once we go to town meeting then people will have they're going to vote on whether it's the uh four and four the 6 and2 or the 1 C so to have only one election after that would make no sense so I think we should have whatever ballot we have after town meeting should have the four and the six and a half L whatever is approved to tell me whatever is approved to tell me um and I and I don't think that we can really set a meeting now because we don't know what's going to be approved at town meeting yet so I I don't just but just a technical question because it has to the budget to be approved by July 1st yeah 35 days not so 35 day notice you have to approve the ballot question 35 days before whatever date you choose before July 1st right so I think if we wait till after the town meeting we'll we'll be within that 35 day window and so we won't be able to do that so Mr chair um I spoke with uh Mr unit about this specifically the other day and he said so long as we pass the 1% budget the election can be after the uh July 1st and it would just take over as soon as we have the election it's it's not ideal but it's it's also the less messy I think of the the options because Mak sense there were I'm sorry go ahead there were a couple of scenarios that I ran through my head if let's say the 62% gets approved to town meeting and 4% doesn't and then at the election the 4% gets voted in and the 6 and a half doesn't it's going to be a messy situation it doesn't just revert back to the 4% because that wasn't ped a town meeting right we'd have to have another town meeting right so that's why I think we should wait till after town meeting if we're going to put both of them on Mr chair um yeah so the the override portion you can you can pass an override anytime you want as long as you have the base budget in place by 71 then you're good that's so yeah so if town meeting was after 71 then we'd have a big problem yeah so that's where the problem would come in so I would like to have a revote on that motion that I made back on the second so so logistically I think we have to we have to vote to cancel that date on the 8th and then I think that's what we have to do we're going to vote for a future date we can do that at a so all we would have to technically do now and you can correct me if I'm wrong is to to just cancel that 8 Days Mr if I may um because you do a reconsideration what's essentially before you is the vote that you took so right now on the table being discussed is the is the May um the june8 June um and so you're essentially rev voting that so if you do want the june8 you vote Yes if you don't want theate you vote no and that's how you get okay so we'll do it in the the positive which so so we would need so I would take a motion to hold town meeting on June 8th Town election I'm sorry on the table you don't even need to take another motion it's right there the motion that's pending is to hold the meeting on the 8th okay of June election the election okay do we need a second you don't because it's it's literally it just takes you back in time to before you voted okay perfect that makes it easier so if you vote no will not happen if you if you vote Yes then you want to keep it on the E if you vote no then you don't want to have it on the eth so we'll go through Denise no Kevin no Roger no Alec no I no we can hear you he he was can I just yeah um someone texted me and said he seconded twice but him here but everyone else so Jun off the table right correct June 8th is gone all right and we're going to wait till after town meeting to come up with an election date all right so do we have any other business all right now we'll move on to the town manager's report all right um I just wanted to give you an update on a grant award U Beth rosi did once again did a great job and received a grant of $27,000 under the Community Health Systems uh Foundation Grant and this is to help out uh providing rides to people in emergencies that need rides that can't get to a doctor you know an important uh visit and uh she wanted me to emphasize it's emergency situations like people need to get a ride they can call GATRA this is for emergency situ situations cuz they only have uh so much money and it's been working out great and helping people taking people to uh cancer appointments in Boston and doctor's appointments at the VA so it's a great program um also we received a $20,000 Grant um for the Mass Housing Partnership and this is to help uh fund work that serit is doing developing uh uh plan for us for the MBTA communities law so shed will develop uh work with the planning board and develop the district in the bylaw and bring it to town develop the town meeting article um this will be on the warrant in October and then uh they'll also file with the state once everything is completed um just updates on the 123 North and Sou Wester Street intersection so the engineers have filed the 75% submitt to the state um so this is scheduled to be on on the trans it is on the transportation Improvement plan for 2026 and they expected to go out to bid in February or March of 2026 so on that one it's been a long time but did we have any luck on I know the Traffic Safety Committee asked if we could add sidewalks to that without impacting the project itself um Del was there any movement on that there isn't uh there have to it would have to be a new project that's what I thought yeah um I was at that meeting when they were talking with suret about that and they said that if you tried to add it to that it would start you'd have to start all over again so you'd be better off to try to make a separate one and then try to get the work done at the same time yeah that's why they were inquiring separately they didn't want to impact it because the second they get in addition to it they'll just push it right back in the que so okay we on this for least five years it seems a long time um just on the vacancy on the school committee um we received two letters of interest um so anyone that is interested if they send in letters um I I would hope that you could meet um with the school committee on the 23rd their next meeting is the 23rd so we'll put out of notice we'll let people know that's interested any registered voter in town that's interested in being on the school committee can send in a letter of interest until Monday May 20th 4:30 p.m. okay and as as of the 23rd I talked to the chair of the school committee and we're going to have a joint meeting for that purpose so I'm sure we'll have our joint meeting and then go our separate ways and have our own it's going to be May 23rd 7 call I just wanted to mention as uh that the select board uh has declared May 12 12 to 18th National um police week and uh May 19th to 25th Emergency Medical Services week so thank uh all those um Public Safety people for what they do for us absolutely appreciate all right I'll just select board report in mail I I had one quick thing um Paul DPI is back and he's already hit the ground running um he reached up up to me as I'm part of the Norton Business Association and um he's looking to get a grant for helping us evil business people um partner up and and get Resources with um consultations marketing uh branding things like that for all businesses so uh as soon hopefully that goes through and I will uh keep everybody post but I he's I've said it a 100 times he's he's fantastic for this town m chair can I just go back my uh to the town manager can I just go back to the um the uh the MBTA Community stuff so I don't know if you can answer this now but like where are we as far as you know complying with all the requirements and CU I know there were some dates we needed to hit in there and all that kind of stuff so if you could just give us an update sure yeah we have met all our dates on U things that we had to do along the way and we have to uh have this done by the end of the calendar year so that's why we have on warant in October okay Mr Mr chair I just would like to say I know many other communities have used the services from ser and it's worked out really well um they have a great relationship with the Attorney General's office as well um one of the things that the Attorney General's office has offered to do is to take a look at your vla before town meeting before it gets put on the warrant and so we would highly recommend taking advantage of that um because uh there's a lot of criteria you need to hit and it's great for them to look at it first excellent and just let me say I'm glad Paul's back too because now I don't have we I don't have to be on all those meetings with surf talk that now been we've had quite a few of them yeah um Lauren do they try get turn around time for that review just so make plan for um the AG if we give them a heads up then it's going to come they they'll figure out the time so perfect yeah okay anything else all right I approve the warrant as written and favorite part of the evening uh Mr chair yes Mr SM um I would like to make a motion you look like you want to say something you're dragging this out on purpose I'd like to make a motion to adjourn second motion of second to adjourn Denise yes Kevin yes BR yes Alec yes all right and I a yes thank you everybody for coming and thank you all for Ching I know you're you're away