Thank you, Marian. That was perfect. Um, so, uh, it looks like both finance committee and, uh, select board have, uh, aura. Um, uh, the, uh, we have, um, Chris and Melissa from, um, select board on Zoom. We have Karen from select board in the room. I neither of you can
probably see each other, so say that out loud. >> Uh, let's first call finance committee to order. Um, okay. >> So, starting on Zoom, we have um Ed >> here, Jeffrey >> here, >> Henry >> here, >> Joe Mcdana >> here,
>> Maryanne >> here, >> and Joe Carneahan here. Uh, Chris, would you like to do the honors for select board? >> Yep. Thanks, Joe. Um, I'll call the select board to order. I'll take attendance as well. Karen Rose Gillis.
>> Yes. Um, Melissa Murphy, >> yes. >> Karen Herrick, >> not sure if the mic picked that up, but that was a yes in the room. >> Oh, for Karen. And Carlo's not there, I don't think. I don't see him. >> Nope.
>> Nope. Okay. All right. Thank you. >> All right. So, uh, let us, uh, begin. Uh, welcome everyone. Um, nice crowd of town staff. Good to see you all. Um, thank you for coming in in the evening when us volunteers can be here. Um, so
first order of business is public comment. I think we have uh he's one of those. Um, if you could uh please come forward >> come come to the podium just so I think that way RCTV will see you. >> Stand on TikTok. >> Uh, we don't have the in room
microphones. So I'll I'll um >> we were okay last week without them. >> Better without them. >> Okay. >> So I'll just repeating sorry one second. repeating a technical detail from last week. Uh we not by choice didn't have the in room microphones last time.
However, the consensus was that the audio quality for participants on Zoom and RCTV was better without them. So, I'm just going to project my voice and I'm going to ask others in the room to please do the same if you can and I'll repeat things for the mic if I have to.
Sound good? All right. Please uh name and street and >> hi everybody. I'm Rosemary De Benadetto. I live on Hayes Road in Reading and I've been here since 77. I attend the Pleasant Street Center for different classes almost every day. I'm here tonight to congratulate the pickle ball
people who have raised a lot of money and they're doing really well. I'm also here to ask for the $80,000 in APA funds that the Council on Aging had transferred to the Pickleball Group to help them out. I'd like it back to the
COA group so that we can spend it at uh at the Pleasant Street Center which is in dire need of funds to run the programs there. Pay for the instructors. The instructors are under a lot of uh pressure and I think we're losing two of
them already going to other locations. the I I realize that they we can't have monies handled here, but uh I think they also are being forced to get their own insurance policy, but you have to have some f flexibility with the instructors
who have been there for many years. Kelly, who teaches yoga, not yoga, Zimba, Zumba, has been there for over 20 years in the same room teaching and she's going to leave. She's going to she's going to leave. I think we have to retain her. The woman who teaches palm
is going to leave too. Palm is pom poms and that's a great group. The group is actually going to the Celtics in April to perform. This will be our third year performing via halftime. So we're losing some excellent teachers, but I want you
to transfer that $80,000 back to the Council on Aging and so that they can use it as needed and definitely use it at the center. We have a great group of women who are running the center. They're knowledgeable. They're dedicated. They're hardworking, but
they're scrimping for pennies. You're talking about pennies when you when when it's a need for uh the 60 plus community that makes up a third of Ready citizens. So, please do this for us. Thank you.
>> You um I see a hand in the room. Uh Karen Herrick. Okay. Um Karen Herrick select board and leazison to the finance committee but I'm also the liaison to the council on aging and I I did want to make the finance committee aware that I believe we're
having some budget issues um with elder human services from now through the end of this fiscal year that I've tried to start making people aware of and um whether it's by that mechanism or another um it's a it's a pretty significant cliff and it's symptomatic
of what we've been the budget issues we've been having all along. Um, combined with Mariter Cabin needing ADA upgrades and having been closed since last September and needing funds for that. And um, so anyway, just just appreciate your attention and um,
especially in light of the the staff's done a really hard job, I understand, of tightening budgets, but we're still having some shortfalls. Thanks. >> Thank you. Um, believe I saw a Zoom hand from um, Ed,
if you wanted to comment on something that was not on the agenda, so this is the right time. >> Yep. Thanks, Joe. Um, greetings from London. Um, uh, sorry for not being there in person. Um, um, I I wanted to just kind of make a brief statement and,
um, um, you know, after a week of reflection, and I can't believe it's only been a week. Um, I I I wanted to kind of share my um uh my regret um in kind of going off topic during my liaison report last week um and kind of
sharing my you know kind of feelings and displeasure and shock um around um the town manager negotiations. um um it wasn't the right time for it um and um time or place for it and I certainly
meant no respect to the chair, to the vice chair um you know in those comments and and certainly to the to the interim town manager. Um my my greatest concern is the you know kind of the welfare of the town. Um I I you know and I and I you know kind of perfectly re you
realize that the the town is is is bigger than you know kind of one position or one person um but in this situation you know kind of feel that it's it does have a you know kind of a cascading effect um um to staff um you
know and you know we have been actually we are um uh super fortunate to have a staff that cares deeply um about reading and um you know kind of we know firsthand you know from you know from
from accounts um the positive response to to mass leadership. So um you know I I wanted to extend my um my gratitude to them um you know and um uh um you know for their you know kind
of thoughtfulness and and and dedication to their jobs and um you know kind of in light of you know kind of um you know current situations um and how that you know it does really kind of positively impact um uh reading um I I I feel
strongly um that some transparenc currency is needed um from the select board. Um I hope the release of the executive session minutes will help. Um um I also think we need some you know and and I expect we'll get some further understanding and some clarity on the process going forward for the for the
next town manager. But um um and I'm I'm committed um to staying involved and and and and paying attention. I hope more more do the same. Thanks very much. >> Thank you, Ed. Got another public comment here in the room.
Rio, 692 Pearl Street, member of the conservation board. Uh, good evening, chair and members of the finance committee. First, we want to acknowledge that we've heard clearly the fiscal year 27 budget is essentially set. We
appreciate the work Jane, Sharon, and this committee have done already. You're hearing from us now because we moved quickly after positive feedback at the select board's February 24th meeting where Matera and the need for a permanent conservation operating budget
were discussed together. We took that as encouragement to bring forward a structured transparent proposal for future years. Here's the context. Conservation and trails have been productive. We've done it through
fragmented non-recurring funding, whether that be grants, earmarks, ARPA, shared budgets along with DPW and volunteer support. And it's not smart small dollars. We're
operating annually at around $40,000 a year. Give you some examples. Fiscal year 2024, total $41,500. Fiscal year 2025, 46,300.
Fiscal year 2026, 39,550. This supports trail signage and kiosk, boardwalk work, invasive management, the terra cabin, and the community garden, and the remainder of our 1,000
acres the town owns of land under our stewardship. The problem is that this patchwork interferes with planning and investing for the future. So, we're proposing a simple recurring base, $20,000
for conservation and trails, $5,000 for conservation operations, $5,000 for trail priorities, and $10,000 for planned capital
improvements and deferred maintenance. And it minimizes future reliance on the prior town administrator funding path. Importantly, this is largely a shift of existing funding into permanent operational line
items. Less than $7,000 in net new funding. This also opens a constructive discussion about conservation related fees currently flowing into the town's general fund because even a modest percentage of
those fees dedicated back to stewardship could offset the net new portion of this conservation and trails line item. We're optimistic and we want to work collaboratively with FINCOM and town staff
to shape a responsible sustainable approach in future budget cycles. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Damn. Good job. >> Looking around uh see another comment in the room. Brian, >> is this the motion?
>> Yes. Brian Mo Brewer Lane um also the chair of the conservation commission. I just wanted to touch on a few points that Rick brought up. Um what we're talking
about is lumping together some funds that already happened but happened in a haphazard way that would allow us to do planning. Some of the things that we've been working on and need to continue working on have to be done consistently.
For example, Rick mentioned invasive management. These things take years to identify, eradicate, and go back and work on again. And if we can't be sure that we're going to have money in a given stream, makes it very hard to do the
planning and the execution for that. Likewise, we're working hard on restoration uh at Bear Meadow. And my fans calling me excuse me. And yes, I said fan this one. Um so
we're working hard on restoration of bare metal. This is a place where we got a study done from Mass Autobon and we are working towards executing against that plan. So first was to do a thinning of the trees in there and now we have to
replant with the species that we want. If it's not done in a timely fashion then what happens? Invasives take over. So this is something where we have to have the money to plan to execute to get the replanting to continue what we've
been doing. So that's what I wanted to emphasize is putting money together into one recurrent stream to allow us to plan and then execute against the plan. Thank you. Angela, please Angela Vinda Orchard Park Drive. Um I am
asking that when um the part of uh services um for the um senior center and programming for the senior center when that comes up that you pay close attention to it. I have heard that there
is um that the the budget for um programming at the senior center is has run out and that um it it might have might be underfunded for next year. I looked on the I I looked um in the the
town manager's proposed budget and I wasn't really able to tell um what specifically goes to that and so I haven't I haven't spoken to anyone and I haven't verified that but I have heard from people who have who have said that
and I think it's really important um you know that I know that um ARPA money went towards um programming at the senior your center, but I think the ARPA money has run out and I and I think that it's very important that, you know, we have a
new we we have the town has committed to um a senior center, a recal center. Um we're not built yet. It's not built yet, but it really is important that um programming for the seniors be properly
funded. they are a third of the population. And um and so when you're when you're looking um through that portion of the budget, just um maybe you can explain what's going on and and ask
questions, but it should be at least level well it probably should be more than level funded if they've already run out of money. But whatever it is, can we get some sort of guarantee that we won't that that for next year we the seniors
won't run out of money for programming? >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. Chuck Terron. the conservation administrator and I just wanted to uh just add some uh context to what Brian and Rick had said. Um so what
we're looking for is to combine some budgets. So we have an operating budget in public services of $2,000. Each year we go to the select board and we ask for some money to uh to do some work around town and that's about $6,500.
And so what we're asking is if that $6,500 with the permission of the select board could be permanently moved into the public services conservation item line item and to build that up. That would probably be somewhere around when
we're done $11,500 because we're also combining what the trails committee usually gets each year which is about $5,000. So I'm the liaison to the trails committee. I run their budget. I'm the leison on um conservation administrator. I take care
of their budget. So when all that gets added up, we're about $6,500 away from our total ask of $20,000. So that's the details behind the total ask. So I just wanted everyone to know and I know
the select board's here and I'm not sure if they agree that going to the select board and asking for money each year along with other groups in town is the best way to do that. And uh that would help us understand that we're going to get the money. We could do some planning
and we would have at least a little bit of uh a little bit of uh money to uh plan for next year and future years if that if that could happen. So I appreciate that. Thank you. >> Thank you. I'm looking for other public comments. I
don't see any hands on Zoom. Oh, I see uh Chris on Zoom. Thanks, Joe. Um, hold on, let me put my hand back down. Um, I don't disagree with any of the the previous Oh, Chris Haley, 71 Tennyson Road. Um, I don't
disagree with any of the previous speakers, including Ed as well, if for that matter. Um, but once again, FinCom as well as the select board and town staff have to come up with a a way to pay for all of the stuff that's mentioned. And it's not a tall ask, but
it all comes out of one piece of the pie, which you know, we'll be dipping up um in the future. But just one other point that I'd like to make is as much as I'd love to make a permanent thing for conservation, like Chuck just mentioned, there's like eight or nine
groups that have to come for that $20,000. So any money that we're going to just permanently set aside reduces it for everybody else. So, we just have to be thoughtful and just plan that accordingly um in the future. Do I agree that conservation should have $6,500? Of
course. Like they they get more in volunteer money spent than the $6,500 that we'd give them. Um but you know, there's only so many pieces of the pie that we have to do and you know, that's why FinCom and everyone else will be
able to discuss this. So, thank you, >> Chris. Any other comments? All right, seeing none, let's move on with our agenda. Um, so it's only been a week since our last meeting, so that doesn't give us very many opportunity to
have uh racked up uh liaison reports, but we do have an opportunity for that. if anyone uh on the finance committee has something to share from their respective leaison assignments. Uh Ed,
>> of course, Joe, right? Um you know, why why wouldn't I get a chance to to to add to that? Um so just a quick thing, one thing actually that I admitted from last week um and and apologies uh to the committee. Um but from uh Kilum school building committee um one item that I
forgot to mention is that um um super fortunate that the school committee elected or or nominated um uh Carla Nazaro um um as their liaison to the Kllum school building committee going forward. um this is a you know kind of a
um you know really a huge positive as she's been you know kind of super capable um in in leading the committee um and I and and really that continuity is is is welcomed and uh and and her expertise she's been she's got her
fingerprints on you know kind of a lot of what's been going on and so um um just wanted to make sure that the folks were aware of that as well I will I will say the CPA for my part the CPA study committee did meet since our last uh since FINCOM's last meeting.
Had an awful lot of meetings lately and uh yes um you know retrospecting on our presentation to uh select board and and preparing for a presentation for I believe it's article 13 on the uh town meeting warrant which this committee will of course
discuss next week when we get the warrant. Anything else? Jeffrey, >> the school committee has not met, but I did uh note that they do have a lot of meetings scheduled, mostly executive session next week to start discussing
and interviewing candidates. So, they're going to be hard at work next week in particular, which we appreciate. >> Anything else? All right. So, I don't have my my usual motion assistant Emily was unfortunately able to join, but thankfully Maryanne
can help me out here with um uh because next on our agenda is the public hearing uh to uh review the town manager's recommended budget for FY27. >> Okay. So, legal notice to the residents of the the inhabitants of the town of
Reading. Please take notice that the finance committee of the town of Reading will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 at 7 o'clock PM in the select board meeting room of town hall, 16 Lel Street, Reading, Mass, or available remotely on Zoom to solicit
public input on the town manager's recommended budget for FY27 prior to a finance committee vote upon completion of all town budget presentations. The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity
to provide input on the budget and priorities outlined in the town manager's recommended FY27 budget. A copy of discussion documents regarding this topic will be in the finance committee packet on the website at www.readingmma.gov.
All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing in person or remotely via Zoom or may submit their comments in writing or by mail by email prior to 6:00 p.m. on March 4th, 2026 to town
manager readingmath.gov. And at the time this was posted, it was by order of Matthew Krenelis, Esquire, town manager, just to match whatever was legally posted in the paper two weeks ago. >> Yeah. Um, so I guess move to open the public
hearing. >> Second. >> Thank you, Maryanne. Thank you, Andre. Um, calls for a vote. Uh, starting on Zoom. Ed, >> yes. >> Jeffrey, >> yes. >> Andre, >> yes. >> Uh, Joe McDonald. >> Ran, >> yes. >> And Joe Carneahan, yes.
>> Uh, I would love to hear about the budget. >> That's what we're here for. >> So, it doesn't seem like we have an order of what you wanted to take. So, I was thinking we could do the budget book in order. Um, but we do have at least one um party that won't be here for next week's meeting. So, they would like to
present in in the earlier part, which is the police department. Um, because neither the chief or the deputy chief is available for the meeting on the 11th if we don't make it all the way through. So, we definitely might want to take them first. But, I figured I'd start by giving you kind of some updates of where we are and go into shared cost and then
maybe we could start information. You know, I believe this is the public hearing where we're supposed to listen to the public and then we would close the public hearing and move on to the rest of our agenda where we cover the budget. Is that >> So, we my understanding is that we do the presentation and then if there were
public comment during I mean the difference between this and our normal meeting is that normally the public can only comment during public comment but in a hearing we have to hear them. >> Um, >> fair enough. >> That's my understanding like that. >> I think that's right. Y that's right. >> This whole committee does it a little differently. >> Uh,
>> okay. and and I'm sure it works for them. >> So that's great. >> So I figured I would start with the financial forecast and let you know what's changed since our financial form. On page 14, if you could turn to that, please Jackie is our financial forecast.
>> Is she Jackie in the meeting? >> Y was Maddie and I was gone. Oh no, it's Is it 14 in the >> It's 14 page number 14. Yeah. Definitely. >> So, when we met at financial forum, we
discussed um a 3% operating budget and we talked about um the town taking a 2.75 to give 75,000 over to the school to give them a more um manageable budget for them. 3.43. Overall, I think they end up being at 2% because they take
their um out of district special ed down. So, the net amount is about a 2% operating budget. I mean 2% increase in their overall budget, but their operating budget goes up 3.43. So it's kind of a reallocation of funds upward. Um and so we had um agreed to that. Um
and it was at 6,750 in free cash, which was a whopping number that none of us were comfortable with. Through a couple adjustments, but we're able to cut almost $300,000 off that number um because we had adjusted some timing of
debt. Um Joe Huggin had come to me and said, "Hey, there's something you have on here that I can wait a couple years for, 65,000. Can you push that out?" I did that. So that helped us. So we had about $300,000 of savings. Um but then when we put our budgets together, once
the department heads put their budgets together, I found that we were $321,000 over. And I felt pretty comfortable we could do the 2.75 because the salaries came in at two under 2.75, but the expenses have been so lean for so long that there were a lot of asks. So we
went through me and Matt and we cut that budget down the best that we could. And we were still falling short. Um and so I was like, "Okay, we're going to have to look at the non-union staff." And I had said, we had planned a step in a 1.25%
COLA. maybe we go with a straight cola at 3% and reduce it by point6 to get some of the money that we need. And when I put that out to the department heads, you know, they were willing to accept that, but most of them felt badly for their non-UN staff because they work with union staff that were getting much
higher increases than that and and thought, is there anything we could do? And the chief of the chief of police had come to me and said, you know, we recently had um one of our cruisers um totaled and in their budget every year there's two cruisers that is funded
every year. And he said, "Maybe we could take the money you need for from the non-union away from my cruiser line because I'm going to get two cruisers. One's going to be funded by insurance and the other one can be funded by the budget." So kind of a happy medium that we could get to. He's still getting two
replacements in the year, but one only one funded by the budget. So, he let us take $60,000 away from his budget so that we could restore our original plan of a 1.25% COLA and a step for the non-UN staff. The one thing I could not
fit into all of our cuts was this $80,000 that we had for um com computer aided dispatch for public safety. So for both fire and police, we had a very old and antiquated system and the licensing for that new software that we purchased
recently was $80,000 that wasn't there before. And so what I decided to do is since we had accommodated cost, um I decided to put that 80,000 as a a community priority because we all every department, town and school, you know, benefits from the services of public
safety and that did not exist prior. So, I put that in as 80,000 because it would be covered under the accommodated costs and I got a balance because I could not cut the whole 321. I was just shy that 80,000. And I figured you guys would be okay with it because I still brought
down free cash by 200,000 by doing that. I was at about like $280,000 of savings. I took 80,000 and put it in as a community priority. And instead of having 6,750, we're looking at 6,550 of free cash. Nonetheless, still a whopping number. still a number I'm not
comfortable with, but better than what we were looking at when we last met. So, I wanted to make you aware of that process and how good every department head was about some very hard cuts that we had to make to get them there. And if you look at the budget for the town, um
there's on page, what page is it? What page is it? Overall, the budget for the town side for the departments without the shared cost was going up just 1.7%. So, we really went as lean as we could go. And so, like I feel like we all
worked hard to get there because we're just trying to get at least one more year that we don't need this override. What page is on? Do you see it? >> I'm right behind you. Oh, I have it in my packet. Let's see. It's on page
23 in the packet. The overall increase for the town departments came to 1.7%. So in order to do the 2.75, our expenses, all of our expenses, every department probably saw a reduction in expenses unless they were one of the
ones that had an ad like technology that licensing falls under technology. Um, and so we did cut a lot, very painful cuts. I don't see how we would make it next year if we didn't do an override. I just every year I feel like I'm cutting
more and more money in expenses and there just isn't any buffer left there to cut. We don't have and I feel like it's kind of evidenced in the fact that when we go back to town meeting we don't have any buffer for the unexpected. We're we're having to ask for more things when we go to a subsequent town
meeting. And I just think that it's important that we recognize that it would be really really difficult to go into fiscal 28 without an override. That's just my opinion. >> I concur. Um, so anyway, moving on. Shared costs start on. So that was what
I wanted to give you as information of what's changed since we spoke last. On page 19, we start our shared cost. And you can see that shared cost are up 17.7%. The big hitter there is um capital and
debt and benefits. So our benefits were up 14% in this budget. um at least health insurance was up 14%. >> And 11.1 in total. So the big hitter in there is you know there's pension, there's health insurance and they come out to 11.1 but really health insurance
went up on us 14%. And then also capital and debt. You see capital and debt go up 42.2%. And we have the first debt payment in fiscal 27 related to the first tranchet debt for our excluded projects. And so that makes things look really strange when you look at the overall picture. You know, even when
you're looking at the budgets as it goes up 7.9%. It's because we're charging for the debt service. It's an in and out. They net out. Um the reserves obviously stay the same. Vocational schools, we have it at 2.9, but I feel like they that's an area that we always get surprised. We just don't
know in advance. Um and last year, I think um the Metro school went up 49% over the prior year. So increased enrollment plays a part in the fact that they had a 10.18% budget last year. They have an increase of 10.18. Um and then
we got a bigger piece of the loan than we would have expected because our enrollment is up. So every year they're allocating all their expenses up based on your proportionate share of enrollment in their school. And because it's a new school, if I may add, >> um because they're building a new
school, it's more attractive to students because they can go in there first year as a freshman and stay for those four years. You see? So, >> so you do see that that's a line item that we do tend not to know enough about at the beginning and you might see adjustments later. Um but some of the
adjustments in in recent years have been rather large. So, I just wanted to point that out. Moving on, we have the like the details rel related to um retirement and all of the benefits. Um so you can see health insurance 14%, Medicare
11.95. This benefits area is an area of concern because it just a lot of things going up in double digit. >> Joe, Sharon, I know I've talked about this before, but on the pension side, >> Yep. I I know we're trying to be fully
funded by like 2032, but like at least for next year, could we look at trying to go out further because we don't we >> I it's not in that control. >> No, no, no, no. But I don't know what the process is to to look at it like do we have to does someone have to go to
the retirement board? So, I'm on the retirement board and every two years they do a um actuary study to see what our liability is and then we get an updated funding schedule and then they get a a host of options of what they can do, you know, push it out, whatever. And
the last two years, because it only counts for two years and then they do a new one, we were up 8.33% which also disproportionately hit the general fund to the tune of like 16% the first year. I went back to the board when we were doing this and I said that really hurt because inflation hit around the same
time and we got hit with a 16% on the general fund like can we bring some relief back to the town because I've got this budget blowing up and inflation in double digits on so many lines and so they pushed out I think another year so I think we're at 2032 and we were at
2029 you we we are doing the best we can at the same time you are mandated to be funded by 2040 and so it's a vote of the board to to make to adopt that schedule. And so I'm only one vote on that board, but they were sympathetic and they brought it down to 5.3 from an 8.3. So
they thought they were doing something to help us and they did. Um, but if they pushed up too far, then we're up against it because if if if our investments don't perform well, we could really be up against the 2040 mandate. And we don't want to be we don't want to find out what happens if you're not funded by
2040. But we're still in a very good position. Knock on wood. >> But it's not up to me. It's a boat of a five member board. I did what I could. I got it down to 5.3. >> So every two years is we have an opportunity to look at that funding schedule and I made our arguments and I
ended up with a 5.3. So that's where we're at. I mean, so I have to accept whatever that retirement board adopts. So >> it's mandated. So we don't have a choice. >> Yeah, we have to do what they say. >> We have to do it. It's mandated. So my question is for um Oh
>> no no no I know it's like mandated by 2040 but thank >> no the loss is we have to whatever that that board adopts we have to pay >> to pay you I saw Mar have the same question go ahead >> same unemployment
>> yeah same question why unemployment so high >> yeah so so unemployment it's jumping up a lot is Is it is it a explanation of the invoice is coming up high or what's going on? >> I have the same feeling. I feel like
it's go growing every year and and you would think unemployment is solely based on the decisions that we make to lay people off on the town and the school side, but there's more to it than that. So, what I learned this week in meeting with our consultant about unemployment is that, you know, if we have somebody
leave on their own accord and go to work somewhere else, you would think we'd be off the hook with their unemployment. But if they end up on unemployment within 15 months of leaving, we get a percentage of their unemployment. So sometimes, to no fault of our own, we have to pay toward a percentage of
somebody's unemployment that we didn't lay off because of just the way it works. We don't pay into like we're kind of self-insured for unemployment. So because we don't pay into the pool, that's like that's the reasoning they're giving us that when somebody is pulling from the pool and they were your
employee within the last 15 months, we have to pay a portion. So, I think that's part of what's making it climb because maybe unemployment is up and some of these people who leave us for a better position may end up getting laid off somewhere else and then we end up with a portion of their unemployment.
And because we're self-insured, we pay our portion in its entirety. It's not like we just pay a certain set fee every month and we're all set. Um, it's based on what's actually going on with our employees. But in some cases, we learn that that's not always just based on our
decisions. So is that it was unsettling response for me as well. >> I know it's a line item that's it's been very unpredictable. >> Yeah. >> Past few years. So when we see things
like that we're trying okay what is a way to like flatten out the curve you know because it goes up and down. What he had said to me is if we wanted as municipality, we have the choice to be self-insured or to join the pool, but in order to get into the pool for two
years, we'd have to pay 1% of our gross payroll and then it would drop down to 0.2. So, we'd be paying a monster number to get in. And I can't imagine it would ever make sense. >> 900,000. >> Yeah. It's like a like a million dollars or something. It's a ridiculously high number because they know that, you know,
you could go back and forth. You could say, "I'm going to do self-insured now, you know, to our benefit." Well, in order to make sure that you, you know, you get that, you know, you don't just get the benefit of being in a pool when it works for you. Um, they make it hard for you to get 1% of gross payroll for
the first two years and then they drop it down to 0.2. So then even at 0.2 of our gross payroll was like $192,000 a year. So it's still more than what we're paying now. So, it's like it's hard to know what the right choice is, but I don't think going that direction will help us. >> Um, one last question for the for the
health insurance. I know that line item has also been up and down a lot. Uh, I know the town has a a buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy bu buy out or from opt out from from the health insurance >> have you guys looked at the amount of money that you are incentivizing folks
to opt out at all or is the same as it was for >> we're kind of in negotiations with the PEC right now for plan design and any option that might save us on health insurance but no decisions have been made yet. We were in a three-year contract after Bob left. So, this is the first
negotiation. So, we had a three-year contract. So, we were under one that we hadn't had a negotiation since. So, >> currently in that process to see if there's a way that we could save money on health insurance, whether it be plan design or changing some elements of, you
know, it currently one of the things they're talking about is um the PO and the HMO may be making it more expensive to be on the PO than it is. There's not much of a nexus between the two. try and make the that more desirable for more people to go to the HMO because it's
less expensive, you know. Um you're just trying to work all different angles to try and figure out is there a way we can keep this number under control because two years back to back having double digit growth doesn't work. >> Um one it's more of a comment for for Shan and Jane.
>> The last one was allegedly the last question. I know this is not a question. This is more of a comment. So every time I see a line item like that and I've worked on the health insurance a lot. I know the ins and out. Uh it's uh it's the biggest expense that the town has. Okay. And every time that you have the
biggest expense, you kind of think of ways to mitigate that increase. And I urge you to look into creating a benefits reserve fund. Okay? And and when you and I know every time we talk about creating something, well, what's
going to fund that benefit reserve fund? And maybe we come up with a way that part of the new growth for the town goes and funds that benefits reserve fund to maybe keep that under control cuz I have a feeling that line item is going to be like pretty
expensive in the future years. Uh but just just a food for thought you know benefits reserve fund maybe you come up with a way to fund it with the new growth just that little you know maybe it's it's something to look into it. Sounds like a good idea.
>> So just building on on the health insurance question but in a different direction. I remember um years ago and this may be like you know eight or nine years ago mentioned with health insurance increases that we also could have got into some state pool but then he would
say oh by staying where we were you know we were at 7% and the state pool is at 10% so we did better. Am I misremembering? Is there also another option with health insurance that >> we always have options? Yeah, like the GIC or >> Yeah, GIC. That's what it is. What What
are the rates on that? And would that be worth considering for us or is it even worse or >> I feel like this is an acrosstheboard problem? I don't think it's necessarily who we're with. It's it's across the board. And they blame a lot of it on GLP1 drugs that, you know, you have this
number that's doubling every year of people um going on GLP1. And so they eliminate it from the program as of July 1st. >> Well, that's what a lot of private insurers have done. >> And so, um, but even with that, we still ended up with a double-digit number. I mean, I think it's just it's it's
outrageous how much it's gone up. And it's across the board. And I think that they said the benchmark for the GIC was higher than where we were. So, yeah. >> So, that I couldn't remember. >> So, it wasn't like we could switch at this point and get a better deal through another provider, but right now we're in contract with the PEC. So, we have to
kind of work with them to come to some agreement about what what can change and where we can save some money. But for now, since we don't have an agreement, I've got it at 14 because I've noticed enrollment is up by like one and a half% in the in the in the health insurance
and we just received a 14% increase in the medex which changes at January. >> So, so I want to have a little buffer built into the number. We haven't had buffer in a while and I keep having to ask for more money for health insurance because if there's an increase in enrollment you know sometimes people opt
out some people come back on and it just it's hard to know what's going to happen during the year. May I make a comment on it? >> I'm all done. >> Okay. >> GIC. Yeah. So, I was fired back then
when we did the research and we looked into the um the government insurance. There's a few things. Okay. First of all, that type of insurance is horrible for employees. Okay. It's when you compare it to what the town has, the town is one of the best insurance in the
market. So, but it's not just a number. It's also an incentive for folks to come and work for the town. It's one of those benefits that you get for working at the town. So, it's not just the the amount of money that you that you that you save
by switching. However, the government the the one that they offer and I speak about my experience cuz my mother was on that insurance compared to what the town has, it doesn't even offer half of the things that the town insurance offers.
and it's very bad for your employees. And this was something that we evaluated back when uh Bob was a town manager. We looked at all of their co-ayment. We look what they covered and they it was not something that you want to offer
your employees and we even did like we thought about like how many people would leave just because of that because it doesn't cover anything. You pay for it but it's not covering much. Joe. >> Yeah. I mean, I guess tied to that too,
I mean obviously I agree like we want to be competitive for attracting and you know retaining employees, but have we looked at like um as part of the plan redesign like the allocation of like the you how much we we pay? >> Definitely looked at that as well. >> And like do you know where we are versus
like our peer group? >> I feel like we're less advantageous than our peer group. It's a typical Most of the ones I saw were 7525. We're 7129. So, I feel like we're we're kind of in the ballpark of everyone, but we're on the lower end of what I saw.
>> Okay. >> Thanks. Do we want to move on? >> I think so. That meant I I understand people had a lot and you understand why people had a lot of questions about that one line in particular. >> Yeah, absolutely. Because I have those same questions. >> So, please continue.
>> So, in each page after that, you get more details about what makes up these costs. We can go through that. Income reserves regional vocational schools. We talked about that. And the state assessments which aren't voted at town meeting but are deducted from our
state aid. So they're always included in our budget. So they're you're able to see. We always budget them up two and a half and we address them kind of as we know the actual state aid number. We would also address this um state assessment number. On page 23, we have the town department
budgets broken out with the increase for each department. And as I said, 1.7 overall technology looks large at 8.2, but that's where that $80,000 sits that we discussed that I made a community priority. Everybody else's budget, it looks very, very tame. Like we're doing
everything we can to get as much time as we can out of this budget. And as far as shared costs, that's all that we have, unless we have questions. I could go into the finance department
budget or we could start with police. However you want to do it. >> Are there any other questions on shared costs? >> If not, we can certainly take public safety out of order. That's >> I think if you want to do yours first and then we can go in order of the book and >> what page is public safety in this budget or
>> let's see. We'll get there. Hold on. >> So I think the the presentation for >> Karen, if you're leaving, I should probably give uh Chris a heads up to a journ. >> Wait, I've got three people in line. >> Uh no, you're sorry. I'm wrong. I when I get home. Sorry, I didn't want to be on. >> All right, select board is still and
still in session. Thanks. >> So, Mr. Chairman, just um the format that u Mr. Krenell has presented to department heads for their presentations this evening is just to go with this document and speak to it and then um answer questions. So, there is no formal
presentation from any budget >> page department. >> Jackie has >> Oh, she has it up there. >> Jackie, what page are you on? I think she's >> 59 50. Uh, no. Yeah, somewhere in the high 50s. >> Yeah, I definitely have >> 61. >> 61.
>> Thank you. >> Sorry. 61. >> One second while everyone frantically scrolls. >> All right. Um, >> all right. I'm there. I'm on uh this is Yeah, please. There we go. I'm on the
same place as I think. So, >> please thank you for taking us out of order and I appreciate the department has let us go first. Like I said, the deputy chief and I have conflicts next week. So, we wanted to um just ensure that we could get up and speak. Um I'll
just keep it quick. Um we are a we work hard to strive to be one of the best police departments in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Um we are a very community oriented police department. I think anybody that follows us in the press, social media, anything realize we're very active, very out there
engaged in the community and we've gained the community trust. We've continue to have the community trust and backing from the community. Um, with that also, we've been very fortunate. I want to say out of about the past 14 hires, we've only had to send four people to the academy. The wrestlebin
transfers over from other police agencies to us which is a huge safe cost savings to the town because the police academy is six months long and we hire somebody we're paying for the academy paying for other equipment and paying the salary while in the academy and if
we're down a body or two or three we're paying overtime to back fill the shifts. So we're taking police officers experienced police officers from other agencies bring them in. a quick training to kind of learn our CAD system, our computer to dispatch system, our report writing, our policy procedures, learn the town and get them out there. So,
it's a huge cost saving and reading is a big draw. They um we are um very well respected and with our among our peers and we do have people come in. Um with that, we are currently full staffed with that. Uh we do have a officer who's been
deployed since July um in the National Guard. Uh his orders are till December 31st, 2026 at a minimum. Um we don't know how long it's going to be after that. We do make up the difference in his salary between the town of Reading and the uh National
Guard salary. That's a standard. Um that shift is at minimum. So every time now somebody takes off, there's an overtime. Somebody has to go to training, somebody has to go to court, somebody else sick, somebody's on vacation. It does a cost. at one point this fiscal year, just so you don't um everybody's heads don't explode in April when I go in front of
April Town meeting. Um and I'm asking for a lot more money because my budget is shot for overtime. Um it is because we were down three dispatchers and four police officers at one point and it takes about 5 months to train a dispatcher. So normally in the past I've
been able to cover a lot of that with open salaries. Um we've been and we've been able to cover that. We have not paid able to cover that anymore. Um, raises have gone up and it's no criticism. We're glad our employees are getting raises. We're glad they're getting great contracts. It helps us recruit better people and better
qualified people here and we can actually pick and choose. Other police agencies are not having this. I can name some surrounding towns near us that are down 11 bodies, eight bodies, nine bodies um because they're not recruiting the people we have. We're recruiting because we have great benefits. It's a great town to work for. We have a great reputation. And um with that though, our
overtime because we've been keeping to what we were allowed to keep to for our budget, we're not I can't I can't sustain it anymore. And that with and I'll have a bigger presentation for April time meeting that with covering all the events that happen with police
overtime. That was never funded for us. We just can't continue to do it. Um but we hopefully at the end of June, we have one officer graduating academy. We had two laterals that came over. We'll still be done. one body. We have all three dispatches hired. We should be better,
but we're still going to be short in pretty much every single year. I'm probably going to be going in front of April Time meeting asking for funds to cover. Um, so not to be a downer, we're talking about funding and everything, but that's kind of where we are. We are anticipating a retirement in 2027. Um
and I just as you can see we're put in there we was just a small portion of what we cover um for community policing programs and just to be clear the officers a lot of times this is the officers go on shift andor they're going
for what's called compensory time it's not for overtime they get compensary time so they get some time off benefits from it compens compensary time cannot cause overtime so they usually leave an hour early from the shift because we have overlaps built into the shifts they usually leave an hour early, come in an hour late. If there's if the shift is at
full staffing, they can take the night off, that kind of stuff. So, these programs aren't costing us money. And not to mention that they're also funded. Um the woman's um League of Reading donates a couple thousand dollars to us every year to help sponsor RAD. Uh the
Trooper tomorrow memorial fund has been um is going to be uh fully funding our youth police academy. Um all the businesses donate for our ice cream citation program. So, we have been um able to help self-und a lot of what we have and um not cost a ton of money
while we're still engaging with the community. Um and then we continue to focus on training and emphasis on deescalation training. We strive to be one of the best trained agencies. We do not want to become the least trained agency and only train at the state minimum. That's what we're trying to
avoid. We think the town of Reading expects well-trained police officers, professional police officers, and you need to train to that level. Um, we have a great group of men and women for this department and we continue to offer some of the best training out there, but we want to be one of the highest trained departments, not the minimum. Again, we had some stuff worked on the contract,
so there's like payback time for certain benefits they got where the officers come in on their own time. It's a certain amount of payback time. We've worked a lot of things to kind of keep the money there, but it's the cost of the contract raises with what my overtime budget's been funded for. It it's just it's not sustainable.
Okay. Um, deputy, do you want to add anything to that at all? >> Just everybody knows Deputy Chief Amadola. >> Okay. >> I was going to do that. >> No, I guess I have nothing to add.
>> Sorry. Um, I don't know if anybody had a question about that before we go into some of the the numbers. >> I don't see any hands on Zoom. Uh, please continue. Um, is Maddie or Jackie? Is Jack in Jack? >> Jackie, go down just a little bit if you
don't mind. >> Oh, Ed has made me a liar. Uh, Ed. Yes. >> Sorry about that, Joe. It's really hard to find the uh the raised hand uh function. Um, so um just a quick thing. Thanks, Chief. Deputy Chief. It's always
great to hear from you, Deputy Chief. Don't let him occupy the microphone if you if if if you if you don't have to. >> Yeah, I'll go sit down. Thank you. Um just a couple quick things, Chief. Um you you you talked about um you know the
the overtime um and you know the the staffing and and um I I know you kind of briefly mentioned you know kind of why we're at full staff, but just I is have you been able to kind of like pinpoint is it just you know kind of is it a reputation thing? Is it just benefits?
um you know why you know why we're so um you know um appealing to uh to candidates is it is it um is it just something that we could I just interested in how we could lean into that more if we need to or is this just you know kind of a curiosity on my end.
>> So I'm going to answer the deputy chief. You seem to like her answering better. So which one do you want? >> Um honestly I appreciate the question. Um, one thing is we have a town that supports us and you don't see that in a lot of areas. I think it's the hardworking staff that we have and the
fact that we do a a tremendous amount of community outreach and we've we're out there. We're visible and we do a ton of programs. We do a bunch of social media. We're very active out there and I think we've gained the town support. The town's always supported us. Finance committee support us. Town meeting supported us when we've asked for
things. They've been very great about um helping us. Um, we have a great group of officers. We're listed as one of the more respectable um, departments out there. The deputy chief and I are very active within chief's organizations. Um, I'm the vice president of Middle Sex
Chiefs. The deputy chief sits on um, a bunch of committees want to be in the training council. She's involved in accreditation high up on the board for that. So, we kind of are well known throughout within our own um, peers. And I just think it's a supportive town, a great staff to work for and the town writing does have a great reputation for
that. And as a result, we're actually in the unique benefit of we have trouble narrowing down who we want sometimes. We could be interviewing six, seven police officers for one position. It's a great position to be in. Other towns aren't having that. And we've been very fortunate to have that. I think it's just a combination of being supported,
being funded, and um and people come to us because they want to do the community outage they're doing and their agencies aren't doing that. >> But we also civil service. >> Oh, sorry. Go ahead. >> I'm sorry. So we've been out of civil service and what what you know as policing in itself is down numbers um and you know there's not 500 people
trying to become on every department anymore. These uh officers are now looking at your contracts. They can see it online. They ask us for it. So we really have to keep their contract up and well and give them things outside the box like you know trying to work out
um if we have extra people on that shift and things like that. So they really do look at our contract. Being out of civil service though is huge and it's very helpful for us. >> Yep. With that being out of civil service, we can recruit the best of the best and we've recruited out of state officers to leave their agencies to come to us um and surrounding agencies to
come to us. It doesn't make us very popular the chiefs, but it's what it is. Sorry, not sorry. >> Yeah, Mr. Chairman, >> just just to add to that, um you know, the chief and the deputy chief are excellent managers and their staff like
working for them. um they have created programs that are interesting for police officers. The drone program, the motorcycle program, the therapy dogs, the K9 program. So, it's a it's a versatile agency where that also attracts candidates and and we've heard
that come out in interviews. But, you know, their management style is um to be complimented and it's a big part of the spree to core in their department. >> Thank you, Dan. >> You're welcome. You're welcome, guys. I I I teed that up. I teed that up to Jim for say that about you guys. >> Thank you.
>> No, thank you. No, it it really does cost money. U the police world's small. We have a lot of friends on other agencies and um the police officers are very unmotivated in some of the towns that just can't fund them the way they need to be. They don't have these extra programs. There's not a lot of movement in the department. There's not a lot to,
you know, go for, look up to here. These guys love it. There's a lot of things that keep them um busy and occupied into loving policing like the drone unit, K9. So, and it does cost money though. So, you can see the difference on towns that are funded well and towns that just don't have it to give their PD.
>> And with that, sorry, with that though, we we got a grant for the Canine program. We got um we had seizure funding funding that we used to fund the drone program. So, we we we found ways of doing it without hitting the actual tax dollars. Um so, we've been able to kind of fund those programs and those abilities for other officers to come in
with that. >> Um the these are just questions because I don't understand them and the change. is nothing bad like how come crossing guards is down and patrol officers is down and even parking enforcement like this minor amount are you just shifting
m human hours around so for crossing guards we were I think at one point we're up to 19 crossing guards we've been every year re-evaluating working with the schools we have a great partnership with the schools we've been working and evaluating the crossing guard posts um having the traffic safety officer go out there and count the amount of people we're crossing and
we've actually narrowed it down to 15 crossing guards >> and two in front of school and there's a couple outliers that need it because of West Street or different areas, but um right now we've narrowed it down to 15 crossing guards. We've met with the schools, we've talked to schools, the individual principles, the superintendent, they're on board with it
and so we've been able to cut some of the funding. Now, we work with Sharon. Sharon was able to take some of that funding and throw it into our overtime line to kind of help fund the training and overtime. The park enforcement officer, she only works 32 hours a week. It was funed at 35 because of the traffic rules and regulations for her to
come in one day for a couple of hours. She actually can't afford anything cuz most of the hours are 2 hours or 4 hour parking. So it's kind of a waste. So we have her for 32 hours and she flexes her day of the week. >> The patrol officer seems like a significant >> Yep. >> That was an internal shifting. So what
happened was is within our line items um we had we had a separate line for detectives and we have what's called them. No, what happened was we have specialists, traffic and safety officer, community service officer, our armorer, fleet manager, and the person does license to carries. They were still in patrol and it got confusing sometimes.
We're budgeting stuff. So, they're considered specialists. Detectives are specialist, the school resources are specialists. So, we moved them out of patrol to move them into the detectors line. That's why the detectctor's line went so up so much, but the patrol officer line went down. It's the same amount of money. It was just more of a internal housekeeping internal
housekeeping thing, if that makes sense. >> Yeah. No, I'm just confused you more. Yeah, when I look at the overall change. Thank you. >> Uh Ed has a hand up again. >> Ed, one question. I'm sorry. >> No, it's it's it's one question, but it's in 14 parts. Um but uh no, I just
had two follow-ups. Um thanks, Joe. Um, uh, Chief, when you were talking about the the self-funding, you know, kind of options and and the things that you'd kind of documented before, is there, um, uh, something like, you know, how is that shared? Um so that you know that
you can get those is that you know like is there you know a kind of a a specific you know kind of mechanism that's that's used to you know so that you those funding options are you know people know about them or you know whether it's grants or businesses or whatever that
that you know you mentioned the women's you know um um league um does that like is there you know kind of um you know a facility that's out there where where where where that's at you know not advert ties, for lack of a better term. I just out of curiosity. So,
>> we try to do is we um when we get a check from the women's league, we try to have their executive board come out and do a photo with us and do social media where they're tagged and we're tagged on our social media so people aware of it. Um we same thing with the Trooper tomorrow foundation. We have been having them come out. We've been doing some social media posts with them, thanking
them. Um any local business that donates anything like Harrow, I neglected to mention Harrows. When we do the senior citizens dinner, Harrow's restaurant is donating all the food to that for us. And um so it it's um it's one of the things we we praise them, we put them
online, they post it. We try to put articles out, press releases out, we do it. So we try to do as much as we can um between press releases, social media, them tagging us, us tagging them on their social media. We really try to get out as much as we can. >> Yep. That's good. I just you just
curious. It's it's it's fantastic. I just didn't you like it sounds like it just happens organically and that's great. Um um I kind of have like kind of one and this is probably like an unfair question um but but for you and then kind of tangentally to Sharon. Um I'm
I'm I'm really interested in the kind of the the whatifs um you know in case things you know kind of happen in the future but um and I know you mentioned that you know there's you know there there is an impact you know kind of to overtime you know kind of based on
staffing issues um um um you know with the with the one officer that's that's um you know in the guard. Um h how do we have any kind of metrics as far as what it looks like if you were down another officer or or two officers and
and how that you know kind of um uh negatively impacts you know kind of like the budget and and kind of what position that puts the you obviously it puts us the town in a bad position from a public safety perspective but then there's also probably a knockdown you know kind of
budget impact and so just kind of curious you know, kind of as we start to look at what what we're where we're going to be at in the future, if we've got some numbers um that kind of show that, you know, uh from a budget perspective,
>> I can I can respond a little bit to it. >> So, one thing I I will say is that when we have overtime incurred, when it's an open position, we're not paying two people. when you have somebody who's out like who's, you know, on injury, let's say, or like you have somebody in the guard, we're paying somebody to cover
overtime because that person's not there and we're paying that person. And that that's where problems really lie. When there's um a situation where um you're paying more than one person for the, you know, that same spot kind of because you're paying somebody who's out on um disability their their pay and then
you're having to cover their their slot with overtime, which is a time and a half. So that's where things start to snowball on you. But in some cases when you have open positions causing the overtime, those open positions offset some of the overtime overage that you have because you're not paying anybody
while that position's open. So it's a balancing act and it's it's difficult and we've definitely seen people ask the question. I always wonder if if it would make a difference if we had like a more flex officer that could cover some of these shifts. like if you added one officer, could you bring overtime down?
It's really hard to say. It's it's really unique to what's going on that year in terms of who's out on injury, who's out, you know, on the guard, and and how many of these positions are open causing overtime. I mean, time and is going to drive it higher than what they
might have been paid, right? But but yes, but then in the inverse though, it's it's not just as easy to say, okay, well, you know, we're going to have one less officer and then we get to save that money because you have you because there's a cascading effect that
you have to backfill the hours and so there's now you're you have more overtime. So, you know, it's not just, you know, if if we ever put in that unfortunate position where we had to do that, it's not just a strict, you know, kind of easy line item. Correct.
Correct. And also Ed, it's my concern to be the effect on the mental health of the officers. It Yeah, over time is great. People like it to a point and 100% >> a stage where like we were down to those offices. We were ordering in at least one or two shifts a week and that's people that are on the days off or
they're one weekend off in four weeks and now they're getting ordered in from midnight to 8 in the middle of a blizzard. Um it's yeah it's the mental health effect of that too and the wellness and the morale really and that makes us less attractable of an agency as well. >> We can't really um also plan for it
because we have three different shifts with three different staffing minimums and you know we have officers from step one to seven. So depending on who covers that open shift it it it varies so much. >> Thank you for that clarity. It it it I I I knew it was more complicated than
that, but I I I um I think it's important for us to make sure that we're, you know, kind of as a community kind of well on the same page as far as what some of those, you know, just uh financial impacts are. And then everything that you, you know, um you relay, it kind of talks to, you know, um
how it, you know, affects staff, how it affects public safety in general. So, really appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thanks, Joe. Uh question. Um if I recall correct the contract are expiring for all of your union contracts
on 2027 right? >> Yes. So June 30th 2027 dispatch patrol officers and supervisors are all >> you guys started planning on that at all or >> we usually start talking in the fall. Yeah, we start talking in the fall kind of um we usually have a couple meetings
in advance like is there anything crucial that we need to discuss any issues and then they and then we get some guidance of what raises can be and um but we usually start talking in the fall. It's I'm very lucky I have three extremely reasonable union presidents and eboards >> um who are understanding a lot of my
staff does live in town so that's great. So they can understand they they're thinking of as writing residents and staff. So, but yeah, we probably my guess is fallish we'll start kind of sitting down start conversations and usually in December January we start really ramping up >> and um so the new school that's and the
the recal center with all the community events and all it's going to go on there do you expect any new hires or you will you be able to maintain those with the current staffing that you have now or so I'm not going to lie at some point I'm going to need to increase staff um we're
at 461 offices from me um at some point with all the apartment buildings going in and it's not just the apartment buildings is actually I'm going to credit Chief Nelson who's actually made the best point people >> been like that for 10 years we have 46 um but he brought up the fact that it's
not just the apartment buildings it's all these single family homes getting torn down in the two and three units that are being built people I think overlooked that in five or six of those two or three units can equal a small or mediumiz apartment building and I think that gets overlooked sometimes with the population growing and I don't think
that's always captured sometimes. Um, at some point, yeah, we I know they did a manpower study years ago. I'm I'm old. I've been on the job 31 years. Um, years ago when I first before Home Depot, Jordans came in and the manpower study said it was supposed to be at 50 offices. We're at 46. Um, at some point,
if you call 911, we're going to come. If you need emergency, we're going to be there. What's going to happen though is we're going to become so busy responding to calls for service, emergency calls, the proactive stuff. And what I mean by proactive, not just community policing, I'm talking traffic enforcement, um, that kind of thing. Um, being active out in there, being visible, driving around
the communities, that's going to be impacted. We're not going to be able to sustain the proactive part of it. We're just going to become a reactive police department at some point. Um, and it's just it's the reality of it. And that's what happens with that though, there's an impact. Traffic accidents go up because we're doing less traffic safety.
Your car insurance rates go up. If there's more house breaks, more car breaks, your car insurance goes up. Your homeowners insurance goes up. We are voted one of the safest communities. Our officers are very visible, very active out there with lower crime rates has lower numbers for everybody. So it is a direct impact on on insurance rates for
the people that live in town. >> Makes sense. >> And and um I haven't followed too much, but the the computer a dispatch system >> was was that was that on the capital plan sh was it removed or >> Oh no, it actually was purchased probably two years ago.
>> Two years ago. >> Yeah. >> Now do we need a a subscription? Is it subscription based or no? >> So we have to pay that $80,000 licensing every year. >> So So okay, so that moved from >> this is the first year we're being hit with it and so that's and so it wasn't
an existing line already. So >> and just you know the computer dispatch program um we replaced a system we've had since 1985. >> We use function keys caps locks. We had a blue screen. It was archaic >> bas. Yeah. And so this is um it's for uh
it's for the police and fire. >> And and this might sound not reasonable, but I've heard that when things like this happen, they talk about regionalizing like things like is there such a thing of regionalizing dispatch centers at all? >> It is. I'm going to tell you, I will
fight that tooth and nail from Fincom, Select Board, and Tom meeting. >> It is awful. And if you talk to the police departments that have done it, >> it's awful. And it does not save you the money you think it does. Because let's say we join a wreck, we join a regional dispatch center with a bunch of other towns and they say, "Oh, we don't use
your CAD system. We use this system." >> So, >> so you need and it's going to cost you $100,000 to have on board with that CAD system. And then two years later, they decide, not us, hey, we don't like that CAT system anymore. Which system is this one? Now, it's going to cost you $200,000. And if you're going part of the wreck, you have to pay for it. Um,
it's also because the dispatchers can sometimes cover the desk for us if a big emergency is going on until we get extra bodies in. That means we can't have officers leave the station anymore. We can't leave the station abandoned. So, it means I'm probably going to need not probably going to need five more officers to cover the station of a full-time desk officer. Um, not to
mention if you join and you leave to come back, the 911 stations that we currently have paid five for the state, they don't pay for them anymore. We have to buy them to go back to our own dispatch center. And I also from the community perspective, you lose that one-on-one. You got some random
dispatcher who's never been in Reading taking phone calls. There's something going on. They don't realize that Maine and Pearl is touched at two locations, one by Rocky Road and one up by San Hill. Um, it affects dispatch. It affects our ability to get information. Our dispatchers know certain people. We have certain people we deal with regularly. They know like, "Hey, we got
a call from this. Hey, just remember that so and so, this person has autism. Our officers know it. Our dispatchers know it." You lose that one-on-one connection as well. So, if that's a suggestion, >> I'm telling you, I'm going to publicly fight that. Yep. I heard of them and I'm like, "Okay, I'm going to ask the chief to see what's his opinion."
>> Well, we heard that. I know most people are saying, "Well, North Reading went North Reading never had dispatchers." So, we want to be clear. Their police officers have always covered their desk, so it's probably a win for them because their police now are on the street, but they've never had dispatchers. So,
>> and this is more comment for Sharon. Um, so I know this is a a it's a police related expense. So I don't know why. So okay technology. >> Yeah. Why is in technology? >> So this is sorry this is this is police
and fire. >> So it's this is for both of us. Yeah. And because it's a techn sorry I'm ch because it's a technology based piece. >> We couldn't do this without Kevin and Jen, >> right? >> And um >> yeah I'm looking out for Kevin cuz his budget goes up because of that. Yeah,
he's going up top of us, but um it's a necessity, but it's honestly we couldn't do it without Kevin and Jenn and it's help. >> Okay. >> It's all centralized that you can look in one spot to see all our technology costs. So, >> so unfortunate for Kevin because something that he didn't actually decide to do impacts his budget.
>> That's why he's not talking to fire chief. So, >> all right, that's all I had. Thank you. >> Uh Joe, you have questions quickly hopefully. Um for community events now, you're charging back. I know there's trade-offs to the community for this, but you charge back for like police
details, correct? >> Some of them. >> Some of them. Um, that's a discussion I'm going to have at April Town Meeting. >> Um, >> not Matt, his predecessor, >> um, decided that we were paying for all events, >> certain big events were starting to view
as private, but town. Yeah. That >> and it kind of got to the point where I I'm not going to pick and choose what I'm covering, what I'm not covering. If I put that on that town manager, I shouldn't be making that choice because it gets very ugly for me. >> Yep. >> Yep. I'm going to fund you. No, I'm not
going to fund you. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Um so large events, yes. Um it's become the point we're paying for a lot of things that I'm just not budgeted for. >> Um certain events, yeah, they're town events. Absolutely. We should be covering them. There's a lot of other events that aren't town events that we're paying for to cover with police
details and we're not billing them back. >> Right. And I hate to suggest this, but um for parking tickets, speeding tickets, all that good stuff. Like I know it's probably a small amount, but we could raise the the the amounts on those. Are they covered by
>> We can't touch speeding tickets. That's a state law. And we're at the highest for parking. >> Okay. Yeah. Just >> I think only we started getting creative. We found in the law you can double the parking tickets. So if someone is in a >> late fines or something if they're still continuing to violate it, you can hit
them again, take it at them again, but we're at the max um of what you're supposed to issue the first time. >> Okay. And do we have any sense like compared to other communities the amount of like warnings versus >> So you're not going to like this answer. >> Um >> and I I didn't bring this up. So
>> I I I'm I'm a fan of warnings. Um I think it's about educating the public. Um also if I whack you with a speeding ticket, who wins? The insurance company. because they're going to jack your rates for the next three years. Um, I don't think it's great for community policing. I say it's great. We have certain standards like if you're this speed or over, it's an automatic ticket. We're
very consistent with that. That way, it's always it doesn't matter who the person is, they get the ticket. Um, I'm not a fan of um, first of all, we can't I can't tell an officer to write money fines. It's illegal. Um, I can't put a quarter on them. That's illegal. Um, but it's I'm a big fern of warnings. I
believe it's it's more about educating the public. If you're an idiot driver, we're going to get you a gun. and our system keeps track of it and we'll then we'll ticket you. But for the first time interaction, I don't want to hammer some 16-year-old kid or some 80-y old woman that took a went the wrong way down the wrong one way accidentally. I don't want to take some 16-y old kid that just got
his license is now going to lose his license because he only had 6 months and he rolled to a stop sign that and he didn't come to a complete stop and now we whacked him and he loses his license for 3 months. I I I'm I'm not a believer in that. I think that's very anti-productive. Um plus not to mention I can't order my office to write
tickets. It's illegal. We looked at all our services though like fing we do fingerprinting for certain uh licenses. We do license to carry. We're at the top of all of it. The only thing that has wiggle room and I hate to say it. They're going to watch um the like the
compost deep the depot sticker and the employee parking passes. That has no laws with it. You can do whatever you want. But all of the things that we pay our services for, we're at the top. >> Um I am going in front of um the select board at some point to make a presentation. I believe it's them. I
don't know if it's the um I got to find out who would actually would do it or the bylaw committee. We're one of the few towns that actually doesn't charge for false alarms. Um false alarms. Most agencies I did a whole thing in Middle Sex County. I heard from all the chiefs. I'm just putting it together for a presentation. And if they if you have
three false house alarms more or more a year, then you get cited $50, $100, $150 um for doing it. It als it forces compliance because I can tell you there was one business for example, we must have had one weekend like 19 alarm.
But it forces people to fix it. For us, we have to take every alarm like it's legitimate and we have to send a minimum of two cruisers to it. So, it's a lot of cost of service for us that are needed. So, I am working on a presentation to kind of I'm looking at the force compliance, but it can also um be a
little bit of a >> generate Yeah. generate revenue >> and the amount that you're do you have an amount that you're asking for at town meeting like not to maybe you don't want to disclose that now or >> my daughter told me to start with you guys. cuz you can only get better from that.
>> I'm just trying to think. >> I mean, I I was thinking of that because I'm looking I'm >> How much is he asking for for overtime? >> Yeah. >> 250,000. >> That's okay. That's >> that's the article. >> There's an FY26 overtime line on the screen right now, but we all know that's
not actually what ended up happening in FI26, is it? No. >> Like, I've been able to kind of >> I think we're almost there. >> Work with it. Um I've been able to kind of work with it where it's um using open salaries and stuff. I just I can't self sustain that anymore. And it's also it's also emergencies, too. Like we had a SWAT call out in the summer with armed
individual who's intoxicated, threatened to kill himself. We weren't sure if the parents are still in the in the house. SWAT came out. Our officers were barricading off. We had to evacuate some houses in the neighborhood. That means our entire shift is down there. So Mel Rose Wakefield and Stoneham will cover us temporarily until we get more bodies
in. So we have to back for the shift because we still have to cover the town. When the fire department has a massive fire and they're having stuff going on, just like the James Road one we just had, there's so many interlocking streets and everything. We had to have most of our shift there. We had a back fill to cover the shift. Plus, we had to add detectives to come out to work with the fire marshals to investigate an
arson possibly. >> So, there's storms. We have massive storms. We have to hire extra dispatchers, extra officers to make sure we have enough bodies on the road to go to these type of emergencies. So, there's a lot of emergency situations, too. I'm hoping we're not gonna be as bad next year with the the the staffing
>> given the full staffing. >> But we are going to be over. I'm just being honest with you. We're gonna be over. >> Looking around. >> Are you done with me? I know >> cuz we still just passed the whole thing. >> I'm not I'm not I'm not asking people to ask questions, but you have questions. You should ask them. Go ahead. >> It just came up. I saw in the newspaper
that I think it was Chelmsford just announced that they had body cameras for all their officers. And I wondered what your position is. And >> so if I was an officer still in patrol and I hate I miss being a cop. I hate being of a desk. I still go and make traffic stops. >> I would love it for my protection. >> Um it's actually been proven not what
people thought it would be. It's actually clearing more officers from false complaints than it's actually jamming officers up. >> I'm 100% for it. We do have to negotiate with the unions cuz it's a um it's a uh what? >> Change of work. >> Thank you. Change of work conditions. That's why I have the deputy head. So
don't say stupid stuff. Um it's a change of work conditions. So we would have to negotiate with the unions. It is not cheap. A lot of people think it's buying the body camera. >> It's not. It's the back system. >> Once again, >> Kevin's
software license Kevin's stroking out right now because his budget >> um we would actually the software we need to keep all the records and the public records request. They have shown the agencies that have it, the public records requests go through the roof with body one camera footage and we have
to have somebody sit there and redact it. It's not like a report. We can actually have like social security and on dates of birth automatically redacted. Somebody has to sit there unless it's a three-hour scene. They have to sit there and listen to the whole three-hour scene. Bookmark where the stuff they have to take out. So if it's anything medical, a juvenile,
domestic violence, um, HIPPA related, all that has to be redacted. Then they have to burn the new copy. It's not expensive. I need another administrative person to do this. And like I said, Kevin's budget is going to go through the the roof because the software we're going to need to pay for in the annual subscription to pay for it.
>> And a new uh very good negotiation with the union to get that. Yes. >> Sure. >> I mean, you just said that you would love to have the camera because it it clears things up. So, wouldn't it actually >> It's >> Wouldn't the union be happy to see this? Because >> I'm going to be honest with you.
>> No, I'm going to be I'm going to be flat honest. It's about half and half. The one concern is there's some from very generic language out there. One of them coming from our district attorney who wants a policy that is unacceptable to us on body one cameras. And that is that if there's an incident, you can't review
that body one camera during writing a report. >> If there's video footage, why can't you when you're writing a report, did the person step off on line like did they on the drunk driving arrest, did they step off in line seven or like step eight or step seven? And the officer's concern is
like, look, I recall a step seven and they watched the video court in a step eight. Am I going to get janned up because I wasn't truthful in my report? >> And that's the concern. And we've been fighting with the district attorney about that for a while now. And like this is why unions are reluctant against the party one cameras. They want them to
protect themselves by all means. That's what they're reluctant about is like what's what's the why? And that's the concern is um and there's some very like the post commission which regulates us. There's some very generic language that hasn't been settled yet about body one cameras are reviewing them when you can't review them. They want officers to write the reports before they review
them like but we watch the booking video before we write a report. What's the difference? So that's why we just have to other than that I think they'd be >> I think our officers u would feel safe and trusted if we were you know we would write the policy but they're afraid that the post commission can change that or the district attorney. So, I think
that's the reluctance with some of the unions. >> And I understand that if you're like, why like if you had a camera on you and you're like, "Okay, hey, what happened at that meeting?" And you're looking back a week ago. Oh, I think this happened. Um, I think Sharon said this and it's Jane. Like, oh, so you don't know what happened. Jane's one that said it, not Sharon. If you could review the video, it's like, "Oh, that's right.
Sharon said this." Not like it just it it doesn't make sense to us. And that's the reluctance. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> But again, it's not cheap. >> Yeah. I was going to say it's a moot point till we can pay for it. >> Yeah. >> All right. like that. >> Um, any other questions?
>> No, I don't see any more questions. >> All right. Uh, Jackie, can you just go to expenses? You guys, you good with expenses? We've we honestly we tried to go. Um, the police cruises, as Sharon explained, I do need two cruises every single July because we do run them 24/7
and they they get the garbage beat out of them. They're they're hot swapped means that like the day shift goes in, evening shift takes it, overnight shift takes it, dayshift takes it. By the time we retire them from the fleet, there's usually about two to 300,000 miles on them. About two to 300,000 idle mileage
on them. They're beat up. Um because we had a car get totaled and insurance bought us a brand new one. I was able to kind of at least offset this year with that. Um ammunition is the next biggest thing. Um the cost of ammunition is going up. We do do we do two minimum two
range days a year, 8 hours. Um, we're very proficient with the weapons, less lethal, the less lethal rounds for the 40 mm, the taser cartridges, the shotguns. We want to practice with the equipment that we have. So, we're very proficient in it. So, that was a cost increase, but we kept it at a bare minimum. Um, like I said, we're not we
didn't go crazy with any of it. Um, next would be dispatch, I believe. I think we jumped to dispatch and not the co Oh, sorry, I lied to you. The coalition. Um, everybody knows Erica, um, Jess and Tanya. Um, they've been fantastic. They do a tremendous amount of work and a
tremendous amount of follow-up work that's so people don't fall through the um the cracks. What they do and the benefit they are to the police department is incredible. Um and they just get to they make sure that when we they the officers notify them what's going on. Officers notify them when
people need help, substance abuse, mental health issues, parents seeking advice, they do the followup for us. That follow-up is missing in the state. They take care of that for us. So we wouldn't be able to have as good of the police department and people families would be struggling frankly if we didn't have them doing what they're doing. And
the outreach and the public health clinician, mental health clinician, she also meets with the officers regularly and checks in with the officers and um and sits down with them after those big events. Um she's she'll meet with the officers, go ride alongs with them. Um officers respond to a suicide uh sudden
death and anything. Um especially the younger officers that uh like the deputy chief and I both former military. We were kind of used to seeing dead bodies and stuff. Um, a lot of the younger kids coming out of college aren't. And so she kind of checks in with them, make sure they're doing good, meets with them regularly. It's been great for staff,
dispatches. Well, dispatcher. There's nothing worse than a dispatcher taking a call and walking through CPR cuz you feel helpless cuz you're just sitting there and they kind of walk them through that. So, she meets with the dispatchers as well. And uh, she's been great. But the coalition, we couldn't do what we do without them. Um, Jack, I don't know if
you can go up to Again, the only thing we ask I asked for extra $250 in supplies for expenses and it's just the salaries. I mean, that's >> Yep. >> That's it. So, and then dispatch, again, dispatch
is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Um, they do our 911 regular business lines for police and fire, dispatch calls, dispatch fire and police. Um, they also do what's called EMD, emergency medical dispatch. So, when there's a call going on, they actually walk somebody through first aid. It's a computer program where
they type in answers when they're on the phone, they type in answers to the question, like, is the person breathing yes or no? Depending on your answer, brings it to the next screen, and they can actually walk people through life-saving first aid until the fire department and the police department get there. Um, it's not an easy job. Uh, we have a lot of turnover in dispatch
because it's not made for everybody, but we have 10 civilian dispatchers and one head dispatcher. Um the reason his salary is down is because we had a head long-term head dispatcher after the serve for 22 years with the town that retired. Um we have a new dispatch that came in. He started at a lower step. That's why has the savings there. Um
everything else is salaries, unions. Um and the only thing we ask for them is an extra $1,000 in technology and also fee increases for um emergency medical dispatch. So again, I we kept it bare bones as possible. Any
other questions from anyone? I don't see any hands. Um, thank you both very much. >> And I'm leaving now. The deputy staying up. >> All right. Hand the >> MC back to to to Sharon and Jane. Where
where would you like to go next? >> Go to administrative services. Just go in order. Yeah. So, we're just going to start at the administrative services which is page 26 of the book 31 if you're looking at the
starts. I'm just sliding down here 26. Yes. >> So, um I'm just going to go through really broadly. Um administrative services is the divisions of operations, human resources, the town manager's office, the town clerk's office, and
elections. What's impacting the budget this year is elections. Um, this is really a level services budget. Instead of funding one election, we're funding three elections this coming year. One thing that we would like the fincom's opinion on um going forward is to
basically stay at three elections funded annually. Um because some years we have and we've had more of these lately, we have extra elections, unexpected elections that were not special elections. Um and so that impacts the
budget, especially in those years when we only have one. Well, actually any year there's a special election, it's an extra election that costs money. Um we so that's that's a huge factor. If we keep it at the three elections funded annually, then the years that we have
one election, we can use those extra funds to um do maintenance, update equipment, election equipment has to go through mandatory maintenance and so forth. That's not currently funded. Um pole pads, the um the ballot, you know,
boxes have um I think what is it a 10y year? Yeah, >> a 10-year window. and they're coming up on their 10-year window where they have to be um updated. So, that's probably an FY28 number, but if we carry three elections in FY28, it'll just do that. But what it will really do is it'll stop
this up and down every year that sort of makes it look like the budgets um out of whack when it's really just these election factors. And you guys have you all have experienced and you've seen this before. So, it's nothing new. Um so if we go down to
um administrative services wages, you can see it's going up 5.5% but there's a huge increase in election workers. Everything else is um within the the classification schedule. Um operations is only going up 1.6% 6% because a
long-term employee left and it's just been um it's not going up because the replacement the the employee that came in is at a lower salary. Um expenses are down. Um the town clerk
office has a cut there. Um but that's not related to elections. You can see elections are up 9%. Operations is up 9.8% because that's where the postage for elections is carried. >> Okay. Um so that is
the the high level look at um operations uh human resources the same thing within the classification schedule and then training budgets been cut um nominally. Um it looks like 11% but it's $550.
So let's see. >> What are the three elections we're having this year? >> It'll be the state primary. the the so there'll be a primary in September, there'll be the general election, there'll be the midterms elections in November, and then the the town election
in the spring. >> So, in April, September, and November this year. >> Okay. I forgot about the state primary. I know there's always April and there's always something in the fall. >> It's the state primary. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, moving down. Well, so if you
move down, you can see the operations division and uh you can see that where that 1.6% 6% increase comes from and that's again when the classification schedule with a savings for um attrition and then the postage line is 20% almost
21%. Um and that's just election mailings with mail in ballots and stuff like that. That's what drives that. So um the town clerk's office is uh has a cut for their professional technical services. Um, and other than
that, it's stable. Let's see. Town manager's office. Moving down, um, this only had the town manager's office only contains wages for the town manager position itself. Um,
this number we've just we we explained this to the select board earlier in the year. It's just a placeholder number until that contract was determined. Um, so they're going through some changes which we know. So that I think they'll probably see a savings in this line, but we've we haven't touched it and it'll be
amended when that contract is complete. >> Um, >> Jane, just um awkward asking this, but if they do like a a search, right, >> where would that come out of? Would that come out of >> Wouldn't they hire a consultant for a search? You mean they've done that? >> Yeah.
>> Yeah, we have. >> Sounds like we have hired um an executive search firm. It was $13,000 um when they hired Fidel and it was um just under $11,000. Just under 13. Just under 11,000 when they hired Matt and um I
think Sean's left the room. There you are. No, you're over there. You're hidden by Sharon. >> Neap HR. >> HR. >> There is um I think we determined yesterday $13,000 left in the town manager reserve fund.
>> How convenient. So that's >> what's that >> almost >> Marian said how convenient. Uh if if the town manager reserve fund happens to have $13,000 in it, >> right? It just sort of works. >> I think we say I think the Katie estimated might be 15,000.
>> I think you're right. This point why that wouldn't have gotten more expensive since everything else did too. >> Everything's gotten more expensive than the last few years. So yeah, that would probably be more expensive. There is $13,000 in that. So that's where it comes from. >> Andrew, you had a question. >> Yes. Quick question on the first line
item, the insurance on the u on the budget summary. You have mentioned that you anticipate some savings in there, >> but I see that the line item is still maintained at 25 $25,000, but not some alone. >> It's a it's a 2.5% increase that's
maintained in here. That's sort of a a general like level funded but increase. That being said, we're currently we've been negotiating with Maya to lower our property and casualty insurance. So, they initially offered something like
2.5 to 4% um as a reduction. They we we said we need more. They came back with an 8% reduction. Um and we had that meeting yesterday. It was yesterday. Um so we anticipate a savings of about
$106,000 um that we can reasonably get from that and that includes us adopting some policies some other risk management issues. So it's it's a savings that we see but we haven't gotten that we haven't signed that renewal contract so we are not putting it in the budget
until we can realize that. So we think that we will come back in November to realize that for the FY27 budget >> and also they didn't break it out for us. So >> they didn't break it out. So that they gave us the rate like with workers comp and property and casualty and then it wasn't broken out by fund. So I couldn't
realize the savings in the right spot yet. So once we've settled the contract, we'll get numbers that I can put in the right spot. >> That's right. So we can't we can't split it out. This is their timeline is different than our timeline budget wise and so it doesn't really align but yeah it looks like we should get some
savings. >> Awesome. >> What is the finance committee budget item for? Not getting erased. >> What did you say? >> $5,000 rate. >> We're not getting paid for training. >> No, the finance committee line is for
audits. >> Audits. Auditor falls under finance committee. Where are we? >> 77,000. And we just signed a new contract with them and they hadn't really increased our rates and they gave us a little hit as well. So that I
incorporated into your budget. Okay. So, we reduct we did a reduction in the town council line and the labor council line >> just because we're staring at it. It says town council line. >> Council. >> Oh, there's a scrivener's error. I love saying scrivener. So, thank you for
giving me that opportunity. >> I love a scrivener's error. Actually, I don't. But so, we missing an end. >> What page is that? That is >> That's on page >> 33. 33. >> I love I love an edit. >> I bet you already get that. That's not even a word. Um, it's a thousandpage
document. I have and it's um it's in a it's a table and it's I think it's copy pasted in. Yeah, it's a >> MGR isn't the word either, right? >> Turns out no, MGR is not a real word. No, >> let's spell checker flag.
>> Um, so that's uh that's property that's um administrative services in a nutshell. Questions? >> Very good. >> Looking around for any questions like to see everything like that. Yeah, the Yes. All right. Uh let's um
>> All right. Uh let's keep going. >> All right. You want to move to technology, >> please? >> All right. Let's move into technology. >> We're not trying to make this take more. >> No, I think Well, the police department did us a great favor by going early and just with tremendous detail. I think we'll um our staff are here all tonight.
I think that we can go pretty quickly through the tables and they can answer questions. >> I would Yeah, we had the police chief wear you out. So, uh Oh, that's a dare. >> I'm joined here tonight. Thank you. Thanks for having me here. I'm Kevin
Fura, uh, chief technology officer for the town. Uh, Jennifer Aayashua, the assistant department head is here, uh, technology manager. Um, and you know, the the budget
uh jump for technology is to do with that $80,000 increase for the computer rated dispatch software subscription that hits us next year. Um, Jennifer says that uh I like to point out the fictitious part of this
presentation. uh we only went up 2.1% in expense or overall budget. Um if you take out that 80,000 uh that's not reality, but it's just to show we put some effort into chopping expenses
down >> in a time where it's difficult to do that. So some some accounts we gained efficiencies by changing the solutions. Um and other in other ways we we just you
know we we we got a little bit more creative and um and in some instances we locked out by locking into three-year contracts uh for the facilities work order system for instance. Uh we committed to them for three years and saved some money on that. Um, and so,
you know, we we were proud of the work we did to get down to the 2.2ish percent, but the um, computerated dispatch does make our number eight 8.2. So, >> you don't have to keep harping on it.
>> The, you know, just to highlight a couple of things that that might be a question to people. uh the the decrease in landlines and wireless phones is because we we're
moving we're leveraging less expensive technology to get greater redundancy and a lower price. Um and that's it's taken a long time to get to the point where we're starting to see our numbers go down, but next year is is the beginning
of that. And I' I'd be hopeful that we even see it lower next year. Um, professional services, we we um you'll see a decrease in what we have there and an increase in um some seasonal employee
time. Uh we are basically leveraging our seasonal employees to get some of the tasks done that we were outsourcing in the past. So that's that's been a nice um advantage for our department because
we're you know we have some sharp seasonal employees that are doing tasks at a lower rate that we had consultants doing for us. So um that's a that's a change from expenses to salaries.
uh some of the things I'm nervous about. >> But I'll ask I want to ask a question about that particular line because it's a um there's a curious contrast between the you know uh the actuals and the FY26 year the FY26 year to date is in line
with past actuals and the budget is way bigger than that um for FI27 and for that matter still or FY26 for that matter 27 like not the same number of digits. So talking about the professional services >> professional services line. Exactly. The one that that has gone down but has not
gone down. And I mean is is there a reason why that's I mean >> I think some of the professional services that we anticipate come to us in the form of projects that are captured in other um accounts. And so
maybe a good way to illustrate what I mean is uh if we have security changes that are necessary and we also have a firewall project that um was approved last April um that that need for that
professional services time doesn't show up in our professional services line. It gets it gets taken on in the project. Um, and so you're talking about like trends from past years. Um, the
the amount of money that we use for professional services is impacted from year to year based on what we need to do. Um sometimes it comes out of the uh the line that we have shared with DPW
for um our fiber optic network maintenance. Um and so it it depends on the conditions that year. If we have if we have an amount of money that can that can um
if we have tasks that can be accomplished through a different account than the professional services account isn't hit as hard. I don't know if what I'm saying is coherent without giving like specific examples >> possibly. It sound Let me try saying it
back to you and and that'll mean you know that'll reveal how badly I I misunderstood what you said. Um, so the the um it sounds like professional services covers a lot of things. It's sort of a a backs stop in a way because there are things that might be covered
in professional services but end up getting covered under other things in many years. But if there's something which is you know like for example there was a firewall project so security stuff was there but then if there wasn't that project this year that could have been
professional services kind of a thing is that >> yeah I I think we anticipate spending a certain amount in professional services and I I I'm a little hesitant to change that because the conditions change so much
from year to year especially after co it seems like we're circling back and and addressing things that had gone unressed because priorities shifted. Um, but it's I I see what you're saying though. You
know, you see $3,000 in a previous year and $40,000 budgeted. >> That's where's the extra 37,000. >> There's likely $37,000 worth of professional services time. It just might have come in the form of a capital
project. Um, you know, I I I guess I could go into some examples of projects where where it would be >> that that's that that's good. Thank you, though. I mean, it's it's obvious obviously it looks, you know, I'd be much more concerned if the relationship were inverted and you were, you know,
budgeting uh much less than the previous actuals because then I'd be afraid we'd be in trouble in the future. Here it's, you know, >> Yeah. You know, and I met with Sharon or I had a back and forth conversation with Sharon. I think the timing was unfortunately in January about maybe
changing um >> categories >> some categories, some account descriptions. Okay. >> Uh some things that are more in line with how I see them. >> Um but it was it was unfortunate timing because I'm asking her right in the middle of budget season and you know we
had already uh we had already presented this to the select board and it wouldn't have uh it wouldn't have been great bad timing. But I'll probably have some uh changes to my categories for next budget. Cool. Thank you.
Um and the I mean some of this stuff is laid out pretty clearly. Some of it I'm a little anxious about as we move forward. PC hardware is a good example. Um to see uh solid state or memory and solid state drives increase, that's not
something you can anticipate. So the end result is less um we we buy less than we were expecting. Um we have situations across the board. Uh Microsoft licensing we have an expectation that we're after
our three-year commitment we're going to be hit with a an increase. Um I had a conference call or I had a call with um Microsoft this morning and I'm just begging them like can you give me an
idea and they can't that the reseller has to and he can't give me you know they can't give me an idea until it's close to expiration. So in a lot of ways I have a lot of uh unknowns headed in my direction. Um, but I I think we've
we've positioned ourselves in a way that is uh a little bit more um tight to what reality is going to be um for this FY27 budget. Uh I'm I'm
worried about the unknown. So So I guess I could probably I don't know how much like specifics I should go into. Maybe I could take questions about, you know, where where the questions lie from for my my accounts and my budget. >> Uh Joe,
>> um it's not a big item, but the document storage is that like I'm assuming like cloud is that that another one where you you more data is going to be stored or is it the >> Yeah, no, that one actually is self-hosted. Um, that's uh we got $80,000
last fiscal or last fiscal year through a grant for an upgrade to our electronic document storage system that we self-host. With that upgrade comes a a change in the version of the solution that we have and so an increased
subscription. So it goes from I think it was 18. >> Yeah. 17 to 20. 17 which has been you know we did have a spike um for for some professional services
actually related to the project. Um in 26 um but the first year that our subscription increase hits is 27. And so that's the explanation for it. And it was it was more cheap and you felt
better to do that onsite than to just put it in the cloud or >> Yeah, the cloud solutions are definitely more expensive almost without exception. Um the world seems to be going to them. The computerated dispatch system that we're in the process of moving towards
is cloud-based. Um with that comes additional costs. You're not paying me to take care of the servers. We're not paying for the server infrastructure, the storage, the network, all that stuff. Somebody's paying for it and that's the that's the cloud vendor. And so that's how they can justify charging
you more. Um with that cloud solution though, we get um some advantages that I can't provide. Uh the thing that the vendor or the what the vendor would like to point to is down in Florida when they
had a lot of agencies that were wiped out from a storm. Uh the agencies that were customers of theirs were up and running in in hours versus weeks because they didn't have a flooded data center that they were physically, you know,
replacing hardware and bringing systems back up. It was cloud-based. So their agencies just connected to it and and so you gain these indirect benefits through cloud but it comes at a price. Uh >> yeah. So >> but you're comfortable you you have the
redundancies in place and the you know data center support and >> yeah you know it's an interesting time though because it's a time of transition between self-hosted and and cloud-based um and each decision is uh unique. the
document storage decision there is a cloud solution it was cost prohibitive the grant was for a self you know for for our conditions and uh and it's it's less some of the advantages of the cloud
solution are less important for a document storage solution as long as I have it protected you know backed up um if if there were an outage that we suffered because of a comparable able storm. Uh it's not as uh not a life
safety thing. So >> it's not available. So >> no, I trust your your judgment. >> Yeah. But everything every it's a case by case. And just quickly on the on the hardware the like the end of life I'm assuming you have some policy to not constantly
replace PCs and all that or >> well we did and uh co really um created a splash that we're still recovering from and so to describe what I mean by that is we had a lot of in-person work being done here in the
town town buildings and that changed uh to a lot more mobile needs, a lot more laptops, a lot more remote work needs. And so now we're fiveish years past that. So some of those things that we
deployed then are aging out. Um, and we've gone from a less expensive desktop solution to a more expensive mobile solution. um we're stretch we're getting more time out of some of the hardware that you know you say we have a hardware replacement cycle and let's say it's
5ish years uh we have machines that are 8 to 10 years old um easily and that's just because um it's a little like spinning plates here I have to address the things that are most important if a machine is still capable of doing the job we're leaving
it in service much much longer than what we expected when we bought it. So, >> uh we do buy hardware that somewhat anticipates maybe that extra time that we're looking to get out of it. And so,
um we're not we're not in a bad bad spot. People seem to be um we're not losing manh hours like the employees aren't losing hours because of equipment reliability issues. Uh in those instances, we pivot and replace that.
So, but it it is it's a weird question for me to answer because I'd like to say, "Oh, yeah, we're on the six-year replacement cycle. Next question." You know, we're just it's it's odd. It's up in the air. >> Excellent. Okay. >> Uh Kim, do you anticipate any grants
coming up in 2027? Because I know you you got a few of them. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Compact is one of them. I don't know if we we applied a couple of times there, but um I think you can only apply three times there, but >> I think it's every other year that >> every other year
>> we're Yeah. And um I I think I have something here in my narrative about grants, but yeah, I I love the thrill of applying for these grants and getting awarded them. and you know the document storage system we had we'd have to be standing in front of you probably this
year asking for money to upgrade our document storage system because it was on borrowed time to have received that 80,000 to do it without an impact to the budget. I just love that. And so in a comparable way I have 150,000 for a project that's going on right now to um
strengthen our fiber optic network in town. And so, um, increased strand count, increased coverage area, and there's just a whole array of services that leverage our fiber network in both the town departments and the school
departments. Um, RCTV. Um, I just I could talk at length about how the town's using that um that resource. Um, we also got $70,000 between three different grants. um and
they're like security related and and and we also uh apply for and have been fortunate to receive um a cyber security awareness training grant every year that I don't know the value of it but uh that's one of the big vulnerabilities
for a for an organization is um not necessarily targeting the systems that have been sort of hardened but rather the end users that u you know to click on a link or interact with a threat actor. So
>> with with the new recount center going in there, do you anticipate you're going to need more people for that or you going to handle it on your own? >> Um well, you know, we >> unknown for now. >> There is I guess there's an unknown amount of technology. I know what we what was asked for. It's greater than
what we support at the current um Pleasant Street Center. Uh, it's further away, which my staff members are uh already thinking about like the commute difference between walking to a building and getting in your car and driving. Um,
so >> that's funny. >> Um, I don't know. Uh, it's it's one of these unknowns that uh I I'd have a hard time uh putting in an extra full-time employee in anticipation of the unknown during this year. But if you want to
suggest it, >> it's one of those things that, you know, it's going to impact you in the future, but stop thinking about it. >> Yeah, I think it's very comparable to Joe and facilities like he's um >> um so the it
is item or >> intern? >> Intern. >> It's another screr intern or >> I guess I'd call that a seasonal employee. I don't think Sean would want it to say it intern. >> I think it's supposed to be IT clerk. >> I think we train it clerk. Yeah. That's the >> um
>> that's fine. I just wanted to ask like what it was for. It's a clerk that makes >> it's seasonal employees like the DPW >> and the the total sharing you probably >> Yeah, I just fixed that. I just noticed I was there. >> I think you fix it. >> Thank you very much.
I think we're I don't see any hands on Zoom. Oh, Jeffrey. >> So, the the public safety software Sharon, you made this a community priority. Is that just for this year or is that going forward? >> So, we frequently use a community priority to just build it into the
budget. So, it ends up sitting in the accommodated cost area for just the one year and then it comes into the actual operating budget for the next year because you've got a standing budget line. Adam, it is in his budget, but we show it in the um accommodation. >> But then in FY28, we'll see that
>> not no longer a community priority because it >> No, it won't be there anymore. The other thing I forgot to mention when I was doing the shared cost is the savings on debt. I didn't reallocate um I I allocated it towards reducing free cash and I brought our capital down to four
and 4.48 instead of 4.75 choosing not to do more capital so that we could use less free cash. I was looking at something like I don't think I told them that. So since that came up I just fig I'd mention it. >> Thank you. Thank you very much.
>> All right, the next department is public services. >> So, public services has an administration line. Um, it has a community services department and it has community development. Community services incorporates elder and human services, veteran services, and
recreation services. The um the growth of the whole department is 1.4%. um that's mainly driven by a reduction in veterans services. Um so let's go through
I'm going to just drive down here to community development first. Okay. So the uh wages here are expected to be um they're 5.8% partially driven by inspections. Um we've increased
inspections. Um, we're gonna have two big buildings that are going to be >> inspected. Um, and we run that division with um, all part-time inspectors. We have a building commissioner, we have a new building commissioner, but we run
that all with part-time inspectors. Um, they're all former building commissioners from before when they were working before they retired. So, these are highly capable individuals. Um, let's see. So anyway, you can see where the uh
increases here in the um building inspector's line. Everything else is according it's all according to the um >> classification. Those are parttime inspectors. Sorry. Like they're not shared. >> We don't share them with another.
>> No, no, they they come in first thing in the morning. They're here for about an hour to answer questions and they go out and do inspections. >> Okay. and they work they tend to work a few days a week versus like a partial day typically. And Andrew can answer any questions related to that right now. Um
moving on to we we've done a cut in our economic development line. We've done a small cut in conservation. We just last year added $2,500. We cut it $500 this year. So that was some of the conversation that came up previously um where the conservation commission would
like to move some of that money that's currently allocated by the selectman uh by the select board and that money is held in the operations budget that is allocated in the administrative services line. Their request is to move the
conservation commission portion and the trails committee portion to this line um in the future. So that's a conversation that is because that's allocated by the select board that the select board have to you know talk we need to talk about that >> be rude to take money out of their
budget without asking them that >> I think yeah so um that but that's you know it's certainly it's an interesting conversation that that line item hasn't changed in years it h despite the upward inflationary pressure that we've seen that line item that's in operations has
not changed so they're just trying to allocate those funds to different departments and the reason that was done previously I I believe it was Bob Lerure was to some some of the committees weren't really using the money in a year but they were getting an allocation
whereas another committee like conservation could use that money. So it's sort of like if if one if one committee doesn't need it then it can be aortioned by the select board and the select board makes that decision. um somewhat similar to what the chief said earlier, manager didn't want to, you
know, pick and choose. It was sort of what was the need at the time and it was brought to the select board by each committee. So whether or not that model is a good model that we want to continue to pursue, we haven't we haven't addressed that for FY27, but it certainly sounds like it should be. What
I will say to the conservation commission's credit and to Chuck Tyrone and the trails commission is they're sort of magical where they take a very small amount of money they're allocated and they can do a lot with it and that is really remarkable because of the volunteer service and and the way they
work there is something of a multiplier effect but the very small investment on the part of the town. time. >> Um, yeah, >> subject, not it's more of a comment than what with all the public comments that we at the beginning of the meeting. And I've worked with Chuck. I know he's he's
fantastic, but when you when we talk about stability, they need $20,000 that they're asking to put into the operating budget. And I was thinking the new uh buildings that are going up, they all have solar panels. Okay. And when we talk about conservation, you know, uh
solar panels, so there is a reduction in the energy of those buildings. So the idea, maybe it's a crazy idea, but we probably should look at um what the savings from that from the solar panels that are going in there would be and
then fund the 20,000 gap that they're asking for. Just a pretty interesting idea of funding operating budget. uh line items and and you don't you're not dependent on on the general fund. >> But there will be >> I assume there's a savings though. Isn't
there a hu a big investment up front for the solar? >> But it's going it's going there. It's already approved. It's they're going to put the solar panels anyway. It's already it's part of the plan. >> So they going to put them there anyway. But there's there's a cost saving associated with the solar panels. >> Hasn't that already been factored into
the costs of running the building though, too? >> We don't know. I don't know. That's that's probably depends on how much energy they use, but it's a way of funding this $20,000 and getting off the general fund. >> Both of these buildings will come a lot more energy buildings they're replacing.
>> Um cuz they're bigger. >> They're bigger and they're all electric buildings. There's more technology. >> So So that's going to eat up the savings. >> We're going to need to add more. >> Right. Yeah. It's it's I I appreciate the the creative thinking, but yeah, it it is a um >> yeah,
>> if it's a savings relative to a hypothetical non-existent gas powered version of recal, >> right, >> which doesn't exist and we're not currently paying for. So saving money relative to that unfortunately doesn't save money. >> The solar the solar panels will sort of be like a net metering, right? It'll
it'll just filter through and our and our and our electric bill >> that line and accommodated cost won't go up as much. >> Correct. But it's still it's less money that the general fund has to pay. So that justifies their 20,000 that they're asking for. >> It's a smaller increase than the general funding that 20,000 by the way.
>> What and I am >> amazing things. >> They do and I am too. I think what their their initial ask is to take the 6500 and the and the 5,000 which is 115 and add it to the two. So that's, you know, 135 and then over time
>> build it up. >> Build it up would be the more, you know, the more sustainable way to get to that number. >> Um, and so that would be a a 0% change. It would just be moving that money from one line to another. And so I will work with the select board to have that conversation.
>> Not that I I'm advocating for CPA, but you're the CPA expert. Would CPA money be able to pay for some of the stuff that Chuck Tyrion wants? because it's conservation >> quite quite possibly there many of the like like new trails or or you again
improvements to pay for like replacing you know the tree clearing and that kind of stuff >> I mean that that is the kind of well so so the tree clearing stuff has been town forest rather than conservation which is a whole other thing conversation that I assume that that's also somewhere stuff but I'm just saying did you what
they spoke to do you feel like CPA could if it passed could cover a lot of that >> probably some of those things yeah Okay. New trails. >> Yeah. This is one of those things that that in the in the context of CPA arguments where people talk about are we already spending money on things that are CPA eligible? Yes. When we spend
money on conservation and trails, we are often spending money on things that are CPA eligible. >> Okay. >> And the CPA Joe has like a is it 10% every year has to go towards isn't there like a >> uh yes of the money risk CPA it's it's it's 10% has to go to each of it's
>> the dimensions are are open space. um uh affordable housing and uh historic preservation, recreation and conservation are in the same bucket. >> So, and given the amount of money that reading spends on our much appreciated
and much participated recreational programs, uh I expect that that's going to be, you know, the words 801010 have have been said. um where open space is probably going to be the 80 a lot of the time given that's how we've spent that money in the past.
>> Good. Okay. >> Um Okay. And then we took a small cut in economic development. So just moving down. >> Um >> can I ask a question on the veterans uh services? >> We haven't gotten there yet, but yeah, we haven't gotten to veterans. We're still we're still in community
development. Um and so I'm just moving down. We're we're headed we're headed there. There's a lot of information about the departments. uh sorry the divisions that gives you more information. So moving to community services community services um is seeing a a smaller if you look at
so you got the the administrative side the director you got elder and human services wages are going down 1.4%. >> We are now on page >> I went way down 44 >> okay >> or 49 in the packet. All right.
>> So, um, elder and human services wages are going down. Everything else is related to the classification plan. The reason that the wages are going down in elder and human services is because the grant is going up. We have held the positions in that in that department.
Right now, we haven't funded. We are down one staff member in that department. We have an interim director. the former case worker is serving as the interim director. She's doing a fabulous job. Um, so we are we are funding it at FY27 uh level level funded.
>> Can I ask because I was looking up something earlier the grant when you're saying going up is that what's called the state formula grant where we get $15 per senior citizen. So we're spending that all on salary, not on programs.
>> That's correct. the way that it's always been done and has been constructed for a long time has to put this the the grant here now >> I mean given what I was hearing could could the grant money go towards the
programs that everyone's are saying oh we're losing our programs ARPA's gone >> so this is so as we're doing with the FY27 budget we've also been looking ahead to FY28 and when recal opens and also talking about what's an override budget going to look and how do we want to structure these
things? What is it going to look like when we talk to the community? >> So, my philosophy is that you have one-time funds go to one-time costs and you have recurring funds go to recurring costs. So, I think the general fund
should be supporting the staffing in elder and human services and the state grant should be funding the expenses line. >> So, you know what I mean? So the programs like cuz we >> like 100k roughly. >> Yeah. 16,000.
>> The thing I saw said we had 6669 people who were considered seniors in FY25 for a grand. >> That's easier said than done until you do because you've got to find 116,000. We have to the thing the thing about money is that it's the most funible of
things and if you take it away from >> you know Yeah. If if you're not funding salaries with it, you're funding salaries some other way. Or rather, you're not funding salaries some other way. >> Well, and and what happened, right? So, a lot of ARPA funds, like I think
$800,000 of ARPA funds were put to elderly, >> which you can't. That's not sustainable. It's terrible. Like, you can't have that expectation that we can keep spending that. We were worried about that on ARPA. Like, I think we're creating >> an expect it's great, but we can't keep
it up. And you're absolutely right when you talk about the expectations because the reality is is that we've been funding programming for free at the Pleasant Street Center with all this ARPA money and and it all that opera money had to be encumbered by December 2024 and then paid out and so it's
almost all paid out. I think the only thing we have left is in meals contracts that we that we um that we solidified. So, the staff have been working very hard to find other ways to, you know, reduce costs. Um, and they're returning to um a paid for programming model. And
so that paid for programming model is what's going to cover their programming. And we used to have a paid for programming model. >> And that was something also I I looked up also while they were speaking and like Stone, Amanda, Winchester, Tuksbury, Wilmington, Shelmsford, Lynfield all charge three to five
dollars per program. like I >> if Google Geminis is be to be believed and I went to their site. So that's >> it is what it is and that's what we used to judge. >> Yeah. And it's true and and you know the the the participants in the council on aging are not arguing that we have to go back to a paid for program model.
They've been they understand that. Um but it's still a huge cost, right? Because the the elder and human services expense line if you want to go down the next table is $51,000. It's 517. That's all the expenses to run
that including the programming and that is an increase over precoid numbers. But it's still with infl higher inflationary pressures and more people utilizing the programs. It's a it's a it's a challenge. So when people say that this is underfunded, yeah, it
probably is. But with the guidance that we have and the financial picture that we're in, we're not in a position to increase that line. You've heard tonight, you know, other departments. So this is where we are >> and VidCon members got an email just for disclosure to the public. We got a few
emails advocating for increasing money. >> We support we would love to put more money into the programming. We would love to put more money into a lot of other ideas, you know, areas in the budget as you're hearing tonight. >> Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. So we do have a we Yeah. Um so I don't want
>> So I don't want to get but that just to take you that's those are the expenses. >> Hand up. Is that >> we do have a hand up on Zoom. >> I noticed that pop up. I said >> um uh uh Karen Herrick on Zoom please. >> Okay, thank you. Can we go back one slide?
>> I'm just um trying to qu have a question about Okay, the I'm looking at wages and positions. Why want to make sure we're on par um with recreation and elder services? Um, and
one thing that was confusing as I was trying to do that, why does it say under elder human services wages, why does it say recreation administrator and coordinator? >> Is that a typo? >> Nope. The uh the bold elder and human services wages is the bottom of the elder human services. Recreation
administrator is held in the recreation wages, which is below that. >> Okay. So, um All right. So then I'm just looking at the individual salary levels and um I I heard a comment um a couple months
ago that um the posting for the senior center coordinator was probably not posted high enough to get like the level of expertise we're going to need for somebody who's opening a new building and um growing a population. Um because
you build it and they will come. they've already come, you know, once we had a great programming director. So, um I'm just wondering about those why are all the recreation positions higher than el senior elder services. So, what I remember seeing is that we tried to hire
our um first director of equity and social justice at a certain level. We ended up getting no applicants, so we had to go through the whole process again at a more competitive wage and we were successful. Um and then the other feedback I'll just share with the finance committee because I've been
spending a lot of time at the senior center is that uh um I am definitely not hearing that the seniors are very the 60 plus community that I hear from um and in this meetings are very sensitive to budgets and sensitive to an override and
hoping for the smallest or no override. Um, but one thing that's coming up that's interesting is that they are very much interested in a membership model of paying and also unlike like kind of the recreation clients if you will or
participants they do like to pay those Maryanne mentioned $3 to5 they like to pay it in cash. So, um, you know, there's some other things about, you know, the technology we're going to use to support them. Like, if we're using a recreation system to support the seniors, is that really going to work?
But, you know, they I think they're they understand that things shouldn't be free or can't be free and they are super sensitive to um our override discussions, but we just want to make sure that I I don't know how to solve the problem of this programming funding
gap for the rest of the year for the one thing. and and I know um I don't know what the email said, but they're looking, you know, closely just to make sure that um you know, these budgets also reflect inflationary pressures cuz I think there's recognition among the 60
population that Yep, we get it. Everybody's suffering it. So that's all. Thank you. >> Thank you. I think I think she's right on with what with everything she said. Thank you, Miss Eric. Um so a couple of things. There are some differences
between where the positions lie on the classification chart and that's something that I'm going to look to uh remedy in the spring so that there's parity between the lines. Um but the the the numbers that are reflected here are
based on the individuals. The classification for the um recreation administrator is actually lower than the classification for the elder and human services administrator. But that individual has a lot more experience and
that's why the salary is higher. Okay. Um there are other uh the senior center coordinator is the person who manages the programming and that position is classified lower than the recreation
coordinator. So that's you know a lot of detail but those are things that we'll look to remedy on the classification chart with the select board. >> That's helpful. Thank you. >> Yeah. So, so there's detail there. Um, other other things, what did I want to
say? Um, you mentioned the membership model. So, the membership model we looked at and in order to fund the programming the way we want to, we have to sell 200, I think it's 240 memberships. Um, and I can't remember
the value. Jenna is not here. She knows it on the top of her head, but that's a lot of memberships that have to sell in order for the mo the financial model to work and we're not convinced right now that
that will work. The cash model, we don't want to be accepting cash anymore. The model wasn't that the town took the cash. The model was the the participant paid the cash directly to the vendor. >> Mhm.
>> Which is a no no. >> We don't do that anymore because those vendors weren't there was a it was a cash only business. >> See how that works. >> What are all the other other doing that are running it this way? The only one that looked different was Andover wanted
like say pay $40 upfront for a series of eight classes instead of oh let me show up at $5 a class because then you don't know a snowy day no one shows up the instructor still has to get paid or something like that like what are other communities doing? Can we learn from our peers?
>> Absolutely. Absolutely. And our staff is working with other towns and has done that work to help >> maybe they can have a debit card that they can swipe to I don't know you know some kind of class. I mean I think one of the models that we'd like to be able
to do was sort of a class pass right so you buy 10 $5. >> That's what I'm thinking like with punch punch holes or something >> like a punch card. Right. So, um, in order to make that work, you have to have more staffing at the desk or a
piece of technology like a kiosk where with a key tag where you can check in >> a barcode. Yeah. >> Yeah. And because we have one person who sits at the desk who manages to check in and check out, there's not enough hands to manage that and check people in efficiently and make sure that people
are being charged. So, if we have weight lists um with the way that this works, then you know refunds are are fine because people will be on the wait list and replace the person that's leaving. Um and so we will get to that class pass
eventually, probably, you know, next year, maybe later in FY27. um the the software that we're using for both recreation and senior services. We're instituting it now because we have
to charge for elder and human services programming, but it will be the same stuff that we use at recal. We don't want to have one program now and then a different program later. When people move over to the recal building, they will know how to use the technology. It will be second nature. So, it's a big
new building. everything's different, but the systems will be the same and people the learning curve won't be there for that. Um, so, you know, that's that's part of it. We're we're working to get to where we want to be. We want to work with our Council on Aging and with all of our
elders to be able to um take the classes they want to, but there are some growing pains involved with making this move and um and we recognize that. >> Do we have some classes that are free at least right now? We have lots of programs that are fe free free there but there are some programs particularly
fitness programs that um the instructors cost a lot of money and some instructors cost more than others. So you know there are favorites they cost more money and that drives up the the price. >> Uh Karen I see your hands back up. >> Sorry one one more followup. Thank you.
Um I'm just going to share with the finance committee. So some of the discussions we've had are um or or that rather the 60 plus community and the feedback they've given is that um so they want to make sure that the the people that like to do fitness
aren't penalized financially. Um because some people might just go to the new center and play billiards and that's going to be free and or I I don't know what else they might do. But you know that's an interesting way of looking at it and that was one of the reasons that
they thought a membership was so popular or they thought a membership was like a fair way of doing it. um because you know everybody the all the services all all the services have to be paid for in one way or another and um they just felt
that you know there's nothing wrong with like being healthy and these are all good but um the people that are big fans. One woman is is estimated she's paying like $1,000 a year for like all of the classes and she's just passionate about fitness. So it's just interesting
hearing. And then the the other thing I've learned recently is that not all communities have elder services reporting into recreation or kind of lumped together because they're very different populations and a some communities have them reporting directly
to the town manager. So I guess and and these could be growing pains and just just that's why it's so important to have somebody who a strong advocate who understands um the 60 plus population and the elder population.
>> All great points. All great points. Um with the point I wanted to make a minute ago is that the software for this program is paid for through the recreation revolving fund. So it doesn't go on Kevin's budget. Um, so we did that for you on Kevin's budget. >> Did that for you. Um, but so recreation
revolving plan is carrying that. >> So Elder Services is benefiting from recreation's investment in the software. >> Correct. Yep. Um, so you know, there are benefits to having recreation and elder and human services together and you're going to see it in the recal building.
um we may be able to change the model so that all of the fitness classes are actually technically offered through recreation and the revolving fund would subsidize those costs. So instead of $5, it could be four or $3 which makes it a little bit more powerful. >> Can we have a breakdown of what
percentage of the seniors who use the center want the fitness classes versus just want the more mellow free stuff, the lunchon sessions? Is it >> I can probably get that for you 50%. Is it 20%? Because I guess the other thing is why why should seniors who just want
to come for little things have to pay a membership fee if they're not physically capable of the classes, right? This because there's some senior there's 60 seniors in their 60s and seniors in their 80s, right? Have different needs. >> 100%. Well, and also we we all pay taxes and we pay a fair amount of taxes and
renting and you want to make sure that you're getting value for service and everybody feels that. So as many things as we can make for free as possible in through you know elder and human services we want to be able to do um but that means that certain things have to cost money and it's those utiliz it's
that utilization but the fitness classes that we offer here are going to be more tailored to the people who take those classes versus going to a gym or taking group exercise class you know in a in a fitness model with you know all
adult-aged people if if you understand my meaning. So it would be safer um for for older uh folks to participate with our programs is our belief. So and we look to do that. We do require vendors to carry insurance. The town taxpayers should not be accepting liability of
somebody who is an unsafe you know provider. We don't cover them for insurance. Okay. So that >> is Can I just take questions? I know you may have questions about the cuts in veterans expenses because that is a
fairly large item and that's the only cut you're seeing in c in in in community services. And that cut is um we hold a fair amount of money aside because our veteran services officer
doesn't know who's coming forward to ask for services. And these are services that are typically uh reimbursed by the state at about 75% on an approved on an approved item. So these are you can see the utilization in previous years 69,000
61,000. We feel this is an acceptable cut that will not affect um individuals in the community. >> Okay, >> we have a hand up on Zoom. Uh Karen Janowski. >> Yes. Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yeah. Thank you. Karen Janowski Aelia
Circle. I am the chair of the COA. Unfortunately, I came to this convers to this discussion late, so I don't know what has already been said, but I um I do want to just um point out and I don't know if it has already been brought up that the COA does have some trust fund
money. Was that mentioned at all? >> Was not I was going to get there, Karen, but thank you for that. Yeah, we do have some trust fund money that we um that is possible to help cover any gaps that happen now as a result of the fact that
opera funding has run out for um the programs and for the fitness that's for the fitness program specifically. So if there is a gap, I I do hope that you know that that is something that the COA will consider helping to cover the gap. And I do understand that we do all
understand that this is a time of transition from three years of opera funding providing free programming across the board, free lunches, free um fitness programs and really some excellent programs that has really benefited the 60 plus community. But
this is a time of transition now and people do understand that we do have to go to a paid system and I'm hoping that we can work out something that will work out in the best interests of the 60 plus community. I do think that there is some room for flexibility and collaboration
in developing um an appropriate program for that. >> Thank you. >> Uh um on the veterans uh expense line, um has that line item ever been above 100K? It's been steadily declining for
years and it's it's been well below 100 for the last several years. Actuals I mean what actually gets expended. >> So the cut the 20,000 cut is it based on like the average cut over the years or is it just like a >> it's the fact that utilization is
extremely low and declining every year. >> The question probably isn't why is the cut that big. The question is why is that cut that small? >> That's what I'm asking. And I guess well I feel like you know like you said you don't know what might >> the population decreasing basically. >> Yeah. I mean we've been noticing that over the years that that it's been
declining. So I don't know if he's not identifying or veterans don't know these services are available um to those who need them. Um but it's been declining for years. So it's either that people are moving out of our area or dying or I'm not sure if we've identified all of
the veterans that could benefit from the programming. And you also have a new generation of veterans that will be coming up, >> you know, at aging. They'll be aging. Um, you know, sort of the Gulf War.
>> I mean, I could have taken more, but I would rather take it down gradually in case >> we're wrong and it starts to go up. >> I didn't I didn't even ask because this is how Sharon handles every line where we have a surplus at a previous year, which is to not go all the way to
wherever it was. No, I like I get that served as well. So, thank you >> because of that 20k because we have I have in my mind that 20k that conservation is asking. >> Okay, I see I see with that >> 20,000 Yeah, this is 20,000 just to get us where we are.
>> Yeah. >> All right. >> Um question. Um >> uh yes, please come to the podium if you have a question. This is a this is a public hearing so we take >> you know questions and comments at any
time. So but please go ahead. >> Um I have a question about the trust funds because I wish um unfortunately the people from the COA who were here before um didn't stay but I was told that the trust funds um
the purpose of them um is not necessarily this. So that so there's a possibility that that money might not go to this. Do you know about that? >> Yes. Well, there is restrictions on what you can use those funds for. Um it's been about I I used to serve on the
trust fund commissioners and I kind of used to know all of them but I don't recall right now what the restrictions but there's definitely restrictions in them and it's Shannon has most of them. I can look at them. >> Do you have them? I think it does for >> so so it's probably why to look at the
restrictions and see if we can >> so I can tell you that um the balance so so they do have restrictions and the ethic with most of them is to expend just the interest
income that has that has happened right bec but like the Burbank fund the Dorothy Burbank fund has $388,000 in it $388,700 $122 to be exact from that's the balance of November 30th
>> and that is all expendable >> that is not restricted to just interest but the practice has been to just use the interest that we got garnered in the previous year which would be >> oh according to the treasurer it was
investment income of 500 $5600 with a fair market value increase of 17,000 so it's not a realized savings because it's an investment. >> But what was brought to my attention was not the amount but more the use of it. >> Programming. Yeah. These are these are
allowed to be used for programming. But I the the ethic that's been adopted um by the Council on Aging is typically for trying out new programming um trying out giving them money to experiment um with
something new. and what we're asking them to fund right now staff has made the ask the council on aging um is to fund existing ongoing programming and so and so that's some of you know the the >> which some people might see should come out of a budget rather than this if it's
not so >> and and and we and we get that we understand that but my my response to that is you know it's raining >> and these are rainy day funds and there it's a substantial rainy day fund and so to get us to that point to buffer to
soften the curve going back to paid programming. Do you see what I mean? So that's that's the philosophy there. Um and I hope that answers questions. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Angela. >> It seems like it's for services programs
and outreach projects. That's what I have >> under one of the the Burbank Legacy. It says services, programs, outreach, projects, >> and it's under the discretion of >> kind of use it for this. >> I beg your pardon. >> You can use it for >> my my thought is that it could be used
as the seed money to build this pay by this membership they're talking about. It could be that money that is used to make sure that everybody can get paid, you know, while you're building up the revenues of that. >> It can be. Yeah. I mean, that's that's one option. Can can I ask a question that somebody that woman raised in
public comments that I I don't think it's fixable but she said um 80k of the se of the elder arpa went towards pickle ball take it back >> rosemary >> I can't do that because >> is it already been expended
>> it's already been expended but it's also been reported and I can't I can't change what have to be encumbered by December 31st20 the use of criminal work can use that money for >> either way past that time, >> right? I think I just wanted to clear
that up because the person raised it. >> No, that's a great I'm glad you brought that up because that it should be addressed. That $80,000 was originally put by ARPA funds to have the senior the elder and human services programming to to rent out other space because at the
time it was, well, we're outgrowing the Pleasant Street Center. >> We need to rent other space to do big programs, right? And what ended up happening is money went to fund a feasibility study and now we have recal. And so that $80,000 to rent larger space was never spent. And so we were running
out the clock with December 2024. So we used that money to fund the pickle ball design which we brought back in the spring of last year. That's where that's where it went. So it's been expended. >> I almost didn't recall it. That's why I had to ask you. >> I know where that
>> I got this. But at the same time, I've already reported the expenditure to the federal government as >> I mean, I knew the time ran out, but I didn't know whether they were asking for like, >> oh, now that pickle ball got a donation, take some of your donation and give it back to elders. I don't know what her
intent was. >> And we can't reallocate anyway because now I should have had everything encumbered where where it needs to be already. And so I can't change it now. So, >> right. And that's not going to save like >> I wish I could >> the long-term issues with funding those programs.
>> Pickable is a onetime project and though that generous donation from RPPA is is reducing the cost of the town borrowing >> which is fabulous. >> We have uh Karen Janowski on Zoom. >> Thank you Karen Janowski Circle. Um I
just wanted to remind people too with the 80,000 another um consideration at the time was that a significant proportion of reading residents who participate in pickle ball are members
of the 60 plus community. So was another type of fitness activity. So it does kind of you know it is something to to remember and consider. >> Thank you. Y great point. Okay. All right, >> cool. >> Um,
any other uh So, yeah, I guess we'll Any other questions? I guess we were we were on the public or this um >> veterans, right? >> I went through Yeah, I think so. I think I think I'm done. >> Okay, >> I think it's the fin. >> I think you're done, done, done, done, done, done, done, done, done, done, too.
And we can keep moving, >> you guys. Done with questions for her. >> Yes. >> Okay, we have finance up on the screen or no, that's page in the book. Is it? That's page 50 in the book. Just going off of that. >> Okay. So, for finance overall, the
budget's up 2.7. It broke It's broken down by division here, 3.2 for accounting, 2 and a half for assessing, and finance at 2.4. All of our staff are non-union staff, so they're getting a um step, and a 1.25%
cola. So, if we scroll down and look at wages, um wages are up 3.3%. Um based on those steps and colas and then the finance expenses, we did everything we could to cut down as much as we could. So, in the accounting area, I took down
like $1,200 of um 0.9 for assessing. Not a whole lot going on there, but we did tried to do our part even though do our part even though there's not a lot of expense money to be worked with there. Any questions? >> Uh I see uh Karen Herrick on Zoom.
>> Thank you. Um so I just wanted to ask so we've been I love this model. We're sharing the assessor and and hopefully we're not overworking him and it's it's a win-win. Um, but so the municipal empowerment bill, which I do not have a date of when they might get that over the goal line, sort of was going to
enable and encourage regionalized assessing activities. And I'm wondering is that going to be something that's going to how would that affect writing? Would that be an opportunity for savings or we already just doing >> kind of doing?
>> Yeah, I mean I think we're kind of doing it. Um, right now our assessor is shared with Wakefield and Lyfield and us. And so we pay a third of his overall compensation. So that would include his salary and all of his benefits. And so
we get a cut of that. And so instead of paying for a full-time person, we're paying a third of kind of what we would be paying, which I think is helpful and has worked out well for us because our assessor is very experienced and can manage this work fairly easily. he's
been doing it for years. Um, and so we really benefit from it. And I think that that model is probably spreading because people are trying to find in other municipalities areas where they can do regionalization that might actually help reduce their, you know, budgets a bit. >> We're doing animal control laws, too.
>> Yeah. Well, we were doing it. That's true. >> So, recently the animal control officer um agreement we have with Wakefield was terminated and so we have to figure out what we're doing there. But um but generally most of our regionalization efforts have been very very productive
and very successful. So um it just turns out that Wigsville was not happy with the animal control arrangement or the vendor and wanted to end it. And so we have to kind of figure out what we're doing now. I do think I have on the um I have on the um
the agenda for town meeting to move money from the expense line because we've been paying it as an expense to possibly a seasonal employee. That's what we're leaning towards right now to cover our animal control because we've had it be a wage and then as expense. I mean, we've been all over the place with
this animal control. Um but that's where we're at right now. I'm not entirely sure if that's exactly where we're going, but you'll see that I'll be moving money from the health department because it's now in the health department, not it used to be in the police department. Um, I'm moving money from the expense line up to the wages so
that we could start paying a temporary seasonal employee to be the animal control. So, but in most cases, our regional efforts have been very successful. >> Does that answer your question, Karen? Yeah, I I didn't know that we'd see any additional savings. I just wanted your
take on it. Thank you. >> All right. I don't see any other questions. So, um let's see. Does that take us all the way through finance? Does anybody have any questions on We didn't I mean, I guess we can zoom in on each of these if you want. >> If you'd like to. Yes.
Not a whole lot. On the other hand, it's also at 9:40 p.m. I imagine people might be uh uh we might pick up the pace a little bit. >> Well, if we skip is it next going to public safety like with fire and stuff? >> It would be fire those individuals.
>> You can skip me tonight if you want. >> It would be health and fire. Whichever one comes up >> health is first in the document. >> Yeah. So, it would be health first. >> That would be a day. >> Yeah, I see them all here. So, >> yes. No, I want to get these folks have been sitting here for going on three
hours. So hopefully give them a chance to do their thing. >> Good evening everybody. My name is Adis Luren, the public health director for the town of Reading. >> My mission at the health department is to protect and promote the health and
well-being of our residents and visitors. Um, as a result, our key responsibilities include, but are not limited, to tracking and responding to public health complaints, uh, leading public health activities related to disease outbreaks and surveillance,
administering vaccinations, managing establishment permitting and inspections, uh, collaborating with federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate public health responses. Um our department in conjunction with other town departments, fire, police,
and uh community partners provide a variety of public health programs to our residents year round. Uh some of the programs include bringing Dana Faba's mamography van and the vision I care van to our community. Uh we provide multiple
hearing screenings and vaccine clinics to our residents. We collect unexpired diabetic supplies and medical supplies for donation year round. Uh we host multiple blood pressure screenings and we collect used shops year round. Our
department has four full-time employees, the health director, the public health nurse, the health inspector, and the administrative assistant. We also employ the expertise of independent contractors such as the weight and measures inspector, tobacco compliance inspector,
animal control officer, and pest control contractors. In terms of the FY27 budget, we are looking at a total budget increase of 1.4% in the amount of $7,553.
Now, how did we get to this number? Uh, we proposed a $13,800 increase in our salaries budget consistent with scheduled step increases and cost of living adjustments. And we also made cuts to our expenses budget in
the amount of $6,247. Any questions? >> Quick one. road and mitigation 50,000 uh is I see that that was firstly entered in FY26 how are the expenses trending for that is that um a company or what is that
>> used to fund it through ARPA so that we started it through ARPA and then this fiscal 26 is the first year we built it into our budget but we had to add it like additional funds to arper to make that first year work so you would have seen at a subsequent town meeting ask for the difference this is the first
time fiscal 26 that we have it built into the base. Um >> the actuals are the actual trending trending close to that 50k or >> I haven't looked at it recently so I don't know that for sure. Do you know a date? >> It's around that >> around that >> a little bit over but
if it's over you should probably ask for more than just kid that line item or other mitigation. I would not save money there. We can reduce, you know, the number of boxes and I'll take it down. >> Okay. >> All right. Um, I don't see any questions
on Zoom. Does anyone have a question here? >> That was very easy. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Uh, so I believe Fire's up next. The >> police chief have been told to only ask if it questions and not speak ON
ANYTHING ELSE. IT'S GOING TO BE WORK for me. You're learning from his example. >> Yeah. So, he's those if you want to stop top page 68. Uh that little chart right there. Um you guys know we do big red trucks. We put out fires. We do emergency management. We run our advanced ALS um you know avalone service
here in town. You you've probably been hearing this for a long time. So, I'll spare you the details, but ask questions as you see fit. But I'll just call just wanted to call um a couple things out. So, uh, under the permits issued here, you can see in 2025, we we had a little
bit less permits 676 versus, um, 698. But you'll notice the fees received um, actually is higher. If you remember, we made some changes uh, in September um, to our fee structure. So, um, we are seeing an increase in revenue um, as far
as our fee structure. I think likely we're going to end up more on um, when we have a full year, it's going to be more like $30,000. we should pretty much double roughly what we were collecting. Um, and then as far as the um the ambulance fees received, uh there's a lot of things that that that affect
that. It's, you know, how many time how many people we transport, how sick are they, and uh what type of insurance they have that kind of affects all that stuff. Um that was changed in September. Also, if if you I don't know if you remember back to the to the meeting, we changed that to a different system. Um
so I've been following it. It's really hard though because collections can lag for months as far as getting it in there. So the data is really kind of ugly to use. So I didn't bother bringing in that data, but I will say it's trend it's trending upward. So we are seeing an increase in revenue. Um and then so
if we go down to u just go bottom page 68 real quick just in the summary before I get even deeper into it. I just wanted to call that last paragraph. Um you'll see in the expense line item expenses look like they're going down. uh we had that that onetime
$50,000 transfer for the radio system at the high school if you remember we came and spoke about um so that's that gets taken out of the extense budget in FY27. Um so just the reality is is uh the request is is it 8.3%. And I'll I'll talk about what those two things are
just to kind of remind you on those. Uh top of the next page real quick, top paragraph, just as a reminder because um a big chunk of this has to do with us collecting uh the fees for our ambulance billing provider. So just a quick reminder, what happens is we pay a 4%
fee on all the revenue we collect. So with the changes in how we're collecting revenue and the revenue increasing, we're going to be paying more fees to cover that. Okay. Um okay so if we could go down to the top of the next page the charts please.
Um so as far as the salary line items that is uh either contractual or the changes for non-union personnel. Um the one change in there is I I did request for some additional overtime. Our overtime we've exceeded it seven out of
the last 10 years. Um, in the last 5 years, there's only been a 5% increase in the overtime line item with a over a greater than 17% increase in salaries straight time. So, the numbers don't trend. So, I asked for a little bit of an increase so that we get a little bit
closer to the to the real num number. Now, of course, what drives overtime changes every year. Um, staffing, number of incidents, things like that. Um, but we're looking a little bit increase there. So overall, the the wages of is at 3.5%.
Now, as far as next next uh track down as far as expenses, so you'll see the equipment maintenance line, the $50,000 coming out, that's that radio um system at the high school for the radios. That's both police and fire. And then the two items that we're looking to increase, one is ambulance services. The
ambulance services is $2,000 increase. That's what funds our licensing. Um our we pay our medical director and um and all the other items that go around running the emerald service as far as licensing. Um we're seeing increases and coming out from the states and some
increases requirements and in the actuals you can see that we've exceeded the last couple years. Um so I was looking to bring that up to be closer to what the actuals are. Um and then then the big the big one is the billing services. So, uh, looking at the number
of calls we did and then comparing the type of calls they were and then projecting out under this new thing, um, we could get I'm going I'm going to say we're going to get anywhere between um $120,000 to $400,000 worth more of
collections. This number is reflecting the top end of it, so we can cover that in case we do get those those higher collections. So that $17,000 is to cover just those billing services. So the good news is mass of a 17, but you're def we're definitely going to be bringing in
way way more than that um due to that because of because of the way everything's changing. And I will stop there in respect for time and answer any questions you have. Joe, >> um you you mentioned the overtime and
you know it's been concurrent like you know um whatever half a million for 10 years, right? Have have you looked I think this came up before too like just adding like a couple FTEEs and fully loaded what that would look like. >> Yeah.
>> With that like the trade-off there versus paying the time and half or whatever the >> Yeah. So that that's a tough one. And I I know that we years ago, I don't know, probably 10 years or 15 years ago, we had added one person on top. So instead of having um 11 person groups across the
board, we went to one 12 person group. It was like a floater position for long-term injuries and things like that. And there was some benefit there. Um to be honest, I haven't run those numbers right now. I'm still trying to get up staffed just to get back to full right now. Uh and we're optimistic that we
should get there hopefully by the summertime. Um, everybody, please cross your fingers. Knock knock a little bit. Um, but I was, this board did bring that up and that was one of the things that I was going to look at potentially for the next fiscal budget to see if there was a
enough of a benefit there to justify it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah, >> Jeffrey, >> um, you mentioned the the number of permits dropping. Also, the number of fire inspections dropped. It seems like as we get more and more buildings in town, I would expect more fire
inspections. So, yeah. So, those those numbers are a little deceiving because we had some changes in permitting software. We had some changes in personnel and um how permits are being recorded. Um we found that we found that we were not recording some inspections
when we should have been and recording them in other places. So, that that number is a little deceiving. It's >> okay. this there's definitely a lot of inspections going on and we're working to working to get um a a single single way to do everything so we have you know it's standardized and those numbers
become more reliable. >> Very good. The other question that I I see come up every now and then and I know I've talked maybe not I think just Chief Burns um a question about you know all of these some of the responses where you send a big giant fire truck out
there but it's only you know somebody slipped in the kitchen or something and so you need the EMTs from the ambulance but you don't really need the fire truck but I think as Chief Burns explained one the fire truck might get there before the ambulance and and they can certainly help but also um in terms of staffing
like you don't want the fire truck there without enough. It was something about how the staffing worked um in terms of you don't want to have a partial crew, you know, arrive with a fire truck somewhere but not have enough crew to actually put out the fire. Um but I think it it kind of what I where I want
to go with this is if we go back to the fire trucks and how expensive the fire trucks are getting and the wear and tear we're putting on the fire trucks, never mind the amount of diesel that it takes to drive them somewhere. At what point do we find that adding a few more people saves us the wear and tear on the
firetruck because these firet trucks I mean we see that you know the expense we just had you know and we had to add to the budget because the the vendor said we can't sell it to you for the price we've signed for it you have to give us more money right that was that was last year um so I just I wonder you know are
there models where you can send fewer people in more efficient vehicles to go take care of the the particular things that aren't this big, you know, structure fire or something, but an e a medical response that really only needs one or
two EMTs to take care of. >> All right, that was a lot. Let me see if I can get Let me see if I can get it here. Okay. Uh, so first of all, why you know, you got to understand the why we do that. So, we have two firefighter paramedics on our ambulance. Okay. And let's say you're really sick. One of
those paramedics is doing blood pressures. Another one's starting in line. The other one's doing EKG monitor. The other one's doing, you know, uh maybe pushing some medications on you. So, they're committed to you. Well, we have to still move you.
>> So, we're run out of hands now, so we need more bodies. go. That's why the fire truck goes because while those two paramedics are treating you, right, giving you the dedicated care, the other people are moving couches, opening doors, shoveling, um carrying carrying the stretcher, carrying the stair chair,
doing all these different things, right? Going to get additional equipment because maybe you walk in and not what you thought it was and you need to run out and grab something else. But that way, we're not abandoning you at the bedside to go get another piece of equipment, you know? So, that's the why. That's why we need more bodies. And
imagine we have some My question then is can you get those more bodies there without the fire truck? >> I'm going I'm going there. So, okay. So, now if we're going to put more bodies there, we have to drive them there. So, more efficient. Let's speculate we put um a pickup truck together, right? So, we're going to drive a pickup truck to
the big red truck. All right. I put two people in the pickup truck. Where are they coming from? Am I taking them off the fire truck? I only have two people in the ladder truck most of the time. >> Yeah. So if I take them off now, the ladder truck is unavailable to respond. The ladder truck is not only a big
ladder to fight fires in tall buildings. The ladder truck has all of our specialy tools. So car actions, hazmats, what it has all those specialy tools and that's now sitting in the bay and they have to go from where they are, go back and get that. Same thing from the engine. I only
get a couple engines. My downtown engine most of the time is staffed with two people. So, if I put those two people off of that, now I've taken an engine out of service and a the average building fire, the first engine pulls up, they stretch a hose line, they start putting water in the fire using the 750
gallons they have in the truck that lasts about 4 and 1/2 minutes. The next one is the one that's bringing the big yellow line from the hydrant down so that we have a reliable water supply for the fire. Well, if I tooken two people off the engine, now I don't have an engine. So to do that model, I really
would have to up staff to have two dedicated people. So that's eight additional people across the board. >> Okay. >> So there'd be, as you >> are expensive, but they're not that expensive. >> They're not that expensive. Exactly. So >> yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So did I get
everything? >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you. >> Awesome. >> Every truck is an ambulance. >> Yes. And Yeah. Yeah. Every truck's class 5 ambulance. Thank you. around for any other questions. I am not seeing any. Thank you very
much. Thanks for having me. >> All right. If I keep scrolling, go past police and coalition. Uh, did we talk about dispatch? >> I guess we did under >> I think we're gets us to uh I
>> think facilities must be after works, which is weird. It's DP. >> Thank you. Public works DPDubs >> page 65. >> Well, good evening and thank you for having me speak to you tonight. I'm Chris Cole, the DPW director here in
Reading. Um, just to I mean everyone, you all know what DPW does. Um, basically we have eight different divisions. Um, it's a department full of 60 um very talented individuals. um comprised of administration, engineering, highway and equipment
maintenance, um storm water, uh parks, forestry, cemetery, um water and sewer. Um so now just to get into the budget here, um going to page 67, Jackie.
So basically um on wages overall department wages are down 1.2% but there's one driving factor um in why that is. So when the storm
water um fund was originally created um it was partially funded under general fund and the enterprise fund. Well, in order to um save as much expense coming out of the the the general fund as
possible right now, Sharon had the idea of moving um all of the general fund expenses and wages to the enterprise fund. So that amounts to $175,200
in um wages and $3,000 in uh expenses. So as I said, that put um the department wages atgative 1.2%. Um and then on expenses,
uh the operations expenses were at 3.1%. Um but overall the department expenses ended up being at 23% due to the trash recycling uh contract um that increased
that line item by 39%. Um most of the increases in expenses um were due in part to um equipment parts and maintenance uh fuel pothole um
money, sidewalk repairs, uh street signs and um police details. Um that's pretty much it for um general fund. Um did you have any questions? I can go through individual
line items if you want or I'm looking around for any hands. I'm not seeing hands. I mean that that uh >> I I did have one on the the rubbish carts. So my recollection was early on there were some issues where the carts were falling apart like the wheels were
coming off and it was question of you know had they been snapped on well enough or was the is the collector actually not being as nice to those? Yeah, that turned out to be a manufacturing error. And so the company actually came out um one week and followed a trash truck around and ended
up replacing most of the wheels on the ones that um they went around and checked them all and any ones that needed to replace, they replaced them. >> Okay, good. I hear that. And then we expect to see the automated collection truck starting this summer. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then I I think that might need some education from people to how how
far to >> Yes. And we we plan to put that out. Definitely right to make sure that thing can grab it. I saw one come over I think one Saturday that they had one came in and it >> Yeah, they've been they've been mixing them in there periodically when a another truck regular truck breaks down,
you know, they >> or they need an extra truck or something. >> Fascinating to see. >> Thank you. >> Can't help but snow and ice. I'm assuming that's up again now. >> Yeah. Yeah, I would say
>> it was good while it lasted. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, I mean, we're we still level funded at 675,000. Um, but um because that's the only account that we can run into a deficit. Um so, um we're going to keep it at 675
and hopefully next year we can hold it at that. But, >> where are we now? Like, do we any idea after yesterday? Uh we're we're we're over a million dollars. We're probably I would say after the blizzard close to 1.2 1.3
million maybe total. >> We're projecting $800,000 ask for April town meeting. So not as >> that's going to Kevin's budget. >> Yeah. Thanks. >> Sorry, I thought we needed a laugh. >> Appreciate it.
>> Do you hear the snow and ice deficit? You sure do. more question for Sharon. The move uh for the FDE from the general fund to storm water, does it impact the rate at all or we had a buffer in there? >> So when I if you look at the storm water
narrative, I put enough free cash in there or the the storm water free cash to cover it. But if if they wanted to cover that and not use free cash, they could just increase every it's like currently at $60 a year for most residential households. It would just go
up $20 a year. So it go to 80 if but it's a select board decision about rates and so it's it'll be a discussion later on to make sure it's covered. I put in certified free cash or the certified surplus as they call it for the
enterprise. So cool. Don't see any more hands. So, all right. >> Thank you very much. >> Do you want to go to enterprise fund now or >> Okay. Um, yeah, we can do go ahead and >> if you want to. Yeah. >> While you're up there. Exactly. No, I understand.
>> It just requires me scrolling for five minutes. One second. >> I think it's page 136 on the That's what it says on the bottom of the page. Yeah, it's um Yeah, which is >> right
>> because you got to get through the whole school committee budget before you the school department budget before you get to it. >> Yeah, >> there we are. Here >> at the back. Yeah, >> 143 in my PDF, which is the newer PDF. If you have the older PDF that doesn't have the extra memo in it, it would probably be 141.
Okay. So, um we'll start with the water enterprise first. Uh so, wages in water um were increased by 4.6%. Uh operating expenses increased by 3.7% and were mostly driven by increases in
copper pipe, brass fittings, and valves. um uh sewer enterprise um increased by the wages increased by 4%. Um operating expenses increased by 3.4%.
And those driving forces were mostly due to an increase in the inflow and infiltration prevention, which is um maintenance of the sewer pipes to um make sure there's no uh storm water getting into the sewer manes either
through um tree roots or bad joints or so. They basically go through and they seal up the um you know around all the joints to make the uh the pipe solid again. So there could be nothing uh uh coming through um
and uh let's see uh an increase in sewer station supplies um different chemicals that are the price is going up on those safety equipment um and then a little bit of an increase in the sewer distribution um maintenance materials. So um such as like sewer pipe and
anything needed for the sewer main repairs if um anything's needed on that etc. Now um we can move to lastly move to stormwater enterprise which this is where those wages went.
>> Yes. uh page 148 >> 148 in the page numbers and 155 in my PDF. >> So in stormwater enterprise due to the
shift in all of the um wages and expenses from general fund to the enterprise the wages in storm water enterprise are increasing by 143%. Um
the operating expenses are increasing by 2.7% and that included the $3,000 um shift um in supplies and equipment that was in general fund over to the enterprise.
Um yeah, and that's pretty much all I have. >> Um Jackie, can you back up to that? Um, yeah, this one, the line that says use of financial reserves, it says FY26 pending select board vote. Should that be >> It needs to be changed.
>> You got it on the first one, but not the second two. I think the water's okay, but the sewer and storm water was 26. I proofers I always need somebody else to look at it so they see. >> Absolutely. >> And what I noticed you mentioned wages
operational but the overhead expenses here particularly in storm water is up 32%. What's in that? >> Uh Sharon is that can you answer that? >> What are we looking at expenses? It's up 32%. >> In storm water >> here in storm water. >> Storm water up um overhead expenses.
>> It's um >> I can look at it. Uh, if you scroll down to page 149, bottom half the page, uh, it's our old friend health insurance. Oh, >> all right. Thank you. That ends the conversation. As soon as
you say health. >> Yeah, if you scroll down, you see the >> Yep. I just do it called out. >> It's not also. Ouch. But yeah. All right. He's kind of questions about uh any of the enterprise
funds. We went through all three of them which I think is fine. I don't see anything. All right. Thank you very much. All right. Now, we're all disoriented because we scrolled way down in the document. I have to go find out where we were. >> I think we're on the library, right? I'm
if I recall from previous years library. >> Yes. Right. This is I you know the later we stay the longer I want to get through everybody so that no one stayed the whole time for nothing. >> So you have the document. Do you have any questions? >> The library is great. Next we need to
mix it up so that like the library gets more questions than the police next year or something. Right. We really dug into the beliefs. >> I mean, I I feel like I feel like she clerk kind of signed up for that with his the way the nature of his presentation. He didn't seem to mind at the time, but
>> he's a dynamic presenter. >> That's accurate. All right. Um Yeah. Uh Amy, please go. >> So, this is um this is the budget. We're going up 2.3%. Um the majority of that is uh salaries, and we were able to bring our um
expenses down to one 1.5 >> five. Um, so just report what everybody else has done. We we're taking hits in some of our expenses that we think we could manage for a year and um all the
salary increases have to do with the schedule, the step increases and cost of living. Um, it's a net zero on we have no new employees. FTEES are basically the same and
that's about it. >> Yes. >> Oh man, >> just un it's not really in the budget but I understand that there's you know another group is doing the library landscaping >> yes >> project. Once that's in place do you
anticipate you will have to have any is it just going to be more facility for you to run programs? You won't need to add any staff or >> No, it just serves that. It's just an >> It's an outside amphitheater se style seating. >> Okay. >> So, you >> So, it would maybe just be added
utilities to light it or something. >> No, we did no lighting. We did didn't have to. Yeah, we did no lighting. >> They just terrace a hill. >> We just terraceed a hill. Put in a patio. >> I could I could see it from my front porch. So, I can tell you all about it. >> I followed all of the details. I know early on they had a lot of proposals about things. So, I wondered about the
lighting and things and stuff. Well, we don't anticipate it being used after library hours, so the existing lighting is is fine. So, >> if it's dark and the library is open, it's also too cold to go outside.
>> 3:00 in the afternoon. Yeah. >> Joe, Amy, just quickly, the um like on grants, whatever, you don't see any big deltas or changes there, do you? Based on >> I'm sorry, on what? >> On like any grants that you get or >> um No. I mean, we generally apply for them. Right now, the the the LSTA grants
that we get through this state and the federal government seem to be being funded. Um, so we are hopeful that those will remain in place. Um, they're, you know, they range anywhere from 5 to $20,000 depending on the project that you're doing. So, but they're the most
reliable source of grants for libraries. >> Good. Great. Thanks. >> Going once, going twice. >> No, I think you're good. Thank you very much. >> All right. >> I believe it's uh facilities. I don't
know. Joe's next. >> Go Joe. You got it. Joe, bring it home, buddy. >> So, I am now seriously thinking about Jeffy's suggestion that we do this like backwards next year or something. Just not I don't I might be the chair. So, don't
>> Thank you everybody. Um, so yeah, thank you, Jack. Let's see. So, we really took a a a hard run at the budget this year to try to um, you know, sort of get in line with the what the demands were. Um, the
facilities department is made up of two two separate budgets. M91, which is core facilities, which is the maintenance and upkeep of all the town and school buildings. And then we have M92, excuse me, which is um just the town buildings.
And the town buildings is more or less just made up of custodial staff and um the cleaning associated with cleaning the town buildings and outsource cleaning. So if you want to go to the um I'm reading off a little bit different version of
this, but that's okay. Um so our energy budget is basically makes up half of the overall facilities budget. Uh and that's like a big driver in our budget. What we did there was we dealt we talk with Sharon and we reduced
that 4%. And in some of the buildings we generate um usually savings in our budget due to all the energy work we've done over the last 15 years. So we did look at some areas where we could reduce the numbers a little bit to gain savings. And so that is down. The energy
is down 4%. Our core maintenance and repairs uh in the facilities budget is up. We're seeing, like everybody else is talking tonight, you're seeing increases in materials, uh electrical equipment, things like that. Um you know, copper,
piping, and things of that nature. So we are we are seeing we are asking for more money in that line right there. As you go down further, um plumbing expenses, like I just mentioned, we're we're asking for a 4%
increase there. And then elevator, um and fire equipment are also, uh we're asking for some small increases. And that's driven by cont outside contracts. Um we outsource a lot of outside uh services, uh elevator, fire alarm,
things of that nature. And it's a lot of it's driven by the cost of the materials but also by prevailing wage and increases in rates. So basically the core facilities expenses are down uh negative -2%.
Okay, town buildings buildings basic. Go ahead. I just don't understand why like town costs are going down and school costs are going up for these categories. I mean, is there a
reason why there's such big differences >> in and which line? Which >> well like like natural gas, right? You figure whatever it is where we have this do we have the same supplier for the town and schools like we do. So why is the
schools a 5.1% increase in T towns 7.4% decrease? >> It it it a lot of it is on use and a lot of the buildings on the school side are rented out. Number one um it can be driven by um
you know the seasonal temperatures and things like that. You know that can drive the increase or the decrease in the budget. >> Okay. I I guess I just was assuming it reflected rate and I didn't know why you know it would be comparable to both in both. >> Well, we did just what was our increase
in the natural gas last year? 30 was this new >> not last year but the year before was 30%. >> 30% increase. >> Yeah. And I went from 600 to 675 and so then >> also too the town buildings I I know that you know do we have as much going
on at night like I think the heat shuts off at a certain hour. >> Yeah. schools are the most of the schools are rented like every day after school. We have rentals going on till 10:00 at night. So >> yeah, but I mean this is this is nothing new. This is just consistent. So I guess
I just didn't understand the big changes with the natural gas and water and sewer. Why isn't it >> just consistent with what we had before? >> Yep. >> We don't have contracts. I thought we had contracts on the gas side. >> We do. We just signed a three-year
coming up next year. It's in 28. It comes back out again. >> But when that contract got signed, it went up 30%. And that was just a couple years ago. So, >> and that is a big increase. But other towns, I think we're paying like I want to say around $9 per decalities
are paying upwards of 12 to $13 a decorum. So, we locked in even though it's a big increase, we did get a good deal on it. So, um, any other questions on that? um town facilities is more or less level
funded. Um the uh expense side is level funded and then what you're looking at for wages is driven by um collective bargaining and I think that's >> makes sense. Yep. That's it. >> And again, we we maintain all the tool
everybody. I say this every year to remind people, but we have the town facilities, core facilities, and then the school department's portion that I manage also, but that falls under the school department. And that's all the custodians and the cleaning contracts
and everything. So, I'm looking around for questions. I am not seeing any questions. >> Thank you very much. Thank you very much. >> Did you make up as a real word? >> What was that? >> Did you make up? You made up. I appreciate that.
>> All right. Um, by my count, there are a couple of odds and ends. Enterprise funds. I don't know if we want to talk about them. They are in the budget at the end. >> The what? >> Uh, the uh PEG and landfill. >> Yeah, those are in the back of the budget as well as I think for whatever
reason when DEL reorganized it, capital and debt is in the back as well. But we did see tap in debt in the shared um >> yes >> area but there's a page that gives you like kind of a breakdown of exactly what we plan to do fiscal 26. So that's
another thing. So yeah there we are. You can see that we went with um 2,961500 um for capital for fiscal 27. Could you scroll down a little bit more and we break it out by the different categories. So 589 of that is for core
facilities and we say 50,000 for the permanent building committee, 300,000 for an elevator for um the main street fire station. We've got a pickup truck in there um an arc flash study and then 40,000 for doors and windows for the school. So that's breaking down that
number. Then we have 260,000 10,000 for the telephone system for the school and 250,000 for um technology large scale technology projects and then 205 for technology in the town
side, 125 for their large scale projects and then 80,000 specifically for servers for the town and school building security system. And then under um the next category we have 510,000 that is public safety. So you see 50,000 for AEDs for police and
fire because we buy them at the same time. Fire I think initiates those purchases for both police and fire. And then 60,000 for a rescue tool for fire, 30,000 for breathing bottles for fire, 20,000 for multi- gas meters, and 350
for turnout gear for fire. And then under public works is the typical stuff that we do. Um we have the 100,000 for a tractor, but we've got like the normal, you know, paving and curb curb work that we do, but we're doing a tractor at
100,000, a mower at 30, 6975. And that's kind of just plugging. It was a plug to get us to the number I was trying to get to. Um, and then 100,000 for skim coating, 120 for curb and sidewalks, um, and 50,000 for parking improvements,
50,000 for fence improvements, 100,000 for rock walls. These are ones that we have every year, 100,000 for field or port improvements, and then 50,000 for design for four street crosswalk improvements. So, that's kind of all that we're going to do with capital. And
then our debt budget here, we're talking about how it's up 250.8%. Well, that's because we've got this large ad of 5,195837 as our first excluded debt payment for kilum and recal. We'll pick that up.
That's the first tranch of debt. Um, and that's what's driving that. Um, we did issue our debt um at the 3.317. So we issued 50 50 million for kilum and 20 million um for recal but we got large premiums. So you'll see the amounts that
we actually borrowed are actually a little bit different. They pay you premiums up front and we use those premiums towards the actual construction costs instead of borrowing and that's how we get we end up getting to the same place but our effective interest rate is 3.317. Anything else worth mentioning? Oh, and
I did bring, as I mentioned to you, um, and we had talked about 4.75 at the financial forum as we always do 5% debt and capital. I brought it down to 4.75. With the changes in debt that the savings I had there, instead of doing any changes to capital, I brought it
down to four and a half for the one year to try and make things a little easier and bring that recash number down. Other than that, scrolling down, >> as I recall, we did five and a half% some number of years since the last override. How many how many years did we
do five and a half% for >> I think we did three years because I feel like costs were up significantly and we were trying to keep things moving. >> Like we were going to do it for two years and then like, you know, >> we ended up adding it for a third year. It was like $700,000 more on top and it was about 5.5%.
Um, so yeah, and then in this case, we're going the other way with it, unfortunately. But we're still >> I mean, I think that that's sort of, you know, >> I don't feel bad, right? It's like we we we knew in the beginning that we'd have a little bit extra money because we just did the override and the salaries were going to increase because of cost of
living and contracts and whatever. And so doing a little extra capital at the beginning, so we have a little more room at the I will say too is that in these tight budget times when municipalities are trying to like stretch their budgets, they end up doing less capital. The format that we have for our budget
is very disciplined. That 5%, you know, we might bring it down a little bit, but we're still spending almost $3 million on capital and and at a time when we're really struggling to make the budgets work. So, I think a lot of communities use their free cash that they regenerate each year to fund their capital for the
next year. Well, if they're not regenerating, they're not doing as much. We seem to have a very disciplined approach to what we're putting towards our debt and capital and it's worked well for us. Um but you don't see that in all the communities. They they sometimes are look because people will say you shouldn't use free cash for your operating budget but I'm like we built
into our budget capital that a lot of people consider that one time use that you use free cap. So you could kind of look at it that way. At the same time I still don't feel comfortable with the numbers that we're using but just but we have maintained a good level of discipline despite what we're going through.
Sharon quickly the 50k for the design work on forest street. Yes. >> Is that what is that again? >> It's for crosswalk work. >> Is that the actual work though or is the design the work that's to be done? >> Just some pedestrian safety improvements that were requested out there. We're
going to just do a design on it for the um for the road. >> Is it a problem? >> Okay. Okay. >> Drive. That's actually it's a it's a tight it's a tight sight sighteline because you're coming up overhill gassing overhill and you suddenly come down and it's a bit of a curve. It is
actually it's a tight sight line >> and there's a lot of cars popular during school hours and got it. Okay. >> Any other questions on debt and capital around and I don't see any. So it looks like we just went through the budget.
>> Well, we got peg and landfill. social. We about to say we those were those were before capital and we can talk about them. >> Did I actually go past them? >> I think they were. >> Yeah. She can show us quickly. They're not they're the same every year. >> So the PEG is kind of a we've always
done it as a kind of pass through to RCTV, but it's a declining revenue source. And so you can see that um you know we're kind of basing it on what we are seeing happening. And so we do a five and a 10-year average to determine what we potentially will get for the
next year. And we are projecting 507 for fiscal 27, which you know it's it's a decrease of $13,000. So we're steadily declining if you look at the actuals that are there on that chart. Um because I guess a lot of people don't think cable is necessary. They do a lot of
streaming and all of that. Um we kind of know that this is a declining source. So I wouldn't be surprised at some point that there has to be some other funding source that we bring into this because because the source isn't as it's not a growing funding source. It's a declining
funding source. I don't know that we have any requirement to add to it or supplement it. But it wouldn't surprise me if it would be asked of us. >> Wouldn't that have been clarified dur when the contract new contract was signed with RCTV? Right? If RCTV says,
"Hey, you you're asking us to do >> I mean, I think there were a couple of new I mean, at least the select board was asking for a few more things." Yeah. >> Right. And so, you know, that's that's then to RCTV to say, "Hey, your revenue is decreasing. The select board wants you to do more things." >> Right. So, I would expect the contract
would say, "Yes, we need 57 or we need more because you've asked us to do more things." The contract, if memory serves, has um fundraising targets in it, not numbers, but that they're taking actions and so forth. So, >> but they didn't ask us for it to
supplement it with a general fund. >> No, there's no there's no general fund subsidy. >> Okay. That's what I wondered if we would ever be on the hook because it is declining. So, it wouldn't surprise me if they would say, "Well, we're not getting we're getting less and less money." And yeah, >> I mean they've they're cutting their
garment in the shape of their cloth, right? They've gone to a less expensive u you know space located their space. >> I remember them looking but I remember one of the select board members saying hey we want they wanted to see that studio space back because he thought people should use it. So
>> um it was just you know like if you want it back then we got to pay for it somehow, right? >> Um yeah. So they they've they've you know made budget changes and so forth and they are I believe in the process of the search for a new executive director in that facility but um you know they they've
achieved some cost savings because they've had some attrition and um they're running with a far fewer people staff. So yeah they're they're and we're expected >> we're coming up with a bargaining a new contract. I was just looking that up
because I think um well again with Verizon we have to start the new >> and sometimes we're able to negotiate some capital ads. >> We we always negotiate capital in for the first three years of the contract we get capital infusions that we also get straight to our
>> Yeah. And we this is just kind of a DLS request that this even though we used to treat as a pass through that we need you to appropriate it. So that's why you see this now in the warrant book so that we appropriate it at town meeting because they look at it as our funds and we're paying another vendor.
>> Uh Chris has a hand up on Zoom. >> Thanks Joe. Um it's 10:30 at night which is fantastic. Um, I I guess Jane or Sharon, has RCTV inquired um recently
about using Pleasant Street Center potentially as space if somebody else only needs half the building or only one floor, that kind of thing. >> Um, >> I know a survey is out, but like have they >> It's out right now. Um, we had a
conversation with them a long time ago about that and it was very dimminimous. It was just, >> hey, it might be it might be available. Would you be interested in something like that? And I don't think they had really considered it at the time. Um, so we can go back and ask them. Um, I know
that there seems to be a good appetite for multi-use on PSC for the future of that of that building. Um, I know that there was some interest expressed on our I I I shouldn't be speaking for RCTV, so and I'm not speaking for RCTV. Um,
that they would like to be in a town building so that they wouldn't have to pay rent or they could have pay a lower rent. Um, so that would that would reduce their cost and, you know, they do they do a good job serving the town with their work. So, um, but to your answer to your question, Chris, I haven't had
that conversation lately. And I think that would probably be a decision for the next executive director. >> Okay. >> And board. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. if he could just keep it on their radar only because um you know if we're in that position where
something is available, you know what I mean? Then um I once again I'm not speaking for them either, but it's RCTV studios. You kind of need to have the studio. So that's my take.
Sure. >> Any more questions regarding Peg? Then we have the landfill I think after that >> which is same >> same sort of thing. It's almost like a performance deposit. We get money and in January 37,000 comes to us. They have
requirements to do monitoring. Um they send us their you know proof that they've paid um for monitoring and then we reimburse them from the $37,000 deposit that they gave us. So essentially we have to just it's a formality have to appropriate that at
town meeting because we're paying out of it but it's the same exact article every year. All right now the whole budget >> we have >> all right close. >> So in next >> the public hearing.
>> So thank you uh Marian. Okay. Well we'll we'll let people uh run and then thank thank you all so much for coming. Yeah the station called. They need all of us. >> Do they need >> Thank you very much. Seriously, thank you all. You don't have to come back next week unless you have a warrant article, in which case I'm sorry.
>> Yeah. >> Um, >> I'll see you in the morning bright and early. >> In my building. >> In your building. >> Yeah. >> All right. Thank you, everybody. >> Department meeting bright and early. >> Oh gosh. All right. Well, let's >> There's breakfast at the department
meeting. >> That's something. >> All right. So, we've had a motion to close the hearing. Uh, we don't have anyone on Zoom anymore from the U. >> Yeah, I guess was it last public comment, I suppose. Uh, Ed has has
disconnected. He he I mean, it is now in England. >> He's in London. Yeah. No, he's 3:30 in the morning. Um, you think we're up late. Um, >> that's discipline to be on. >> Yeah. No, he he dropped an hour ago or something. >> He's committed. >> Yeah. No, hats off. But anyway, for the
rest of us who are all here in person, so we no longer need to. So we have a uh so we can do a show of hands on that motion to close the hearing. So great 5-0. Um thank you. >> Um >> I didn't see minutes for >> Did you select one of
the you had to have on conservation? >> Okay, we're we're all talking at once here. Sorry. Um uh so there was um uh there's a question Slackboard. You guys want to take this opportunity to adjourn? I don't imagine you're going to have any comment on our future agendas
or our meeting. >> There's only two people on. So >> Karen knows Gillis is here too. So >> Oh, good. Okay. >> Oh, there she is. >> So, did you want to make the motion Karen? >> Motion to adjourn the select board. >> Second.
>> Seconded by Karen Rose Gillis. Roll call vote. Karen Herrick. >> Yes. >> Karen Rose Gillis. >> Yes. >> And Chris Haley. Yes. Thank you everyone. >> Thank you everyone. >> Night. >> All right then. Um for the uh Yes. for
us. So we had um so we have future agendas and we have uh do we have any minutes in the packet. I should know but there was a big budget in the way. I didn't get that far. I'm scrolling to the B. There's not minutes in the packet. >> It says approve prioritting minutes but >> but we don't have any to approve. So if they were which is fine. It's only been
>> next week then. >> Exactly. It's been a week. >> Um >> yes. I'm going to, you know, and and uh All right. So then in that case, future agendas. So obviously next week is uh the warrant for town meeting. Um you know, I had wrote an email about this
and I'm trying to find I need to find it myself in a hurry because there was we discussed uh agendas for this meeting, next meeting, and last meeting all in one email thread. Um I know we have a new agenda item that was suggested for
um uh next week that came out of uh that you know we received a couple of emails from residents on uh elder and human services staffing which uh didn't get to the committee as in the way that maybe everyone would have wanted because they go to the finance at uh ca writing mma
us address which currently goes to I think uh Sharon Jane I'm assum you get it now um and it goes to me. Um, and then it goes to our spam folders because it's there's an awful lot of spam. >> Uh, so, uh, you know, neither Ron Powell nor Kate Harrington are spammers.
They're in fact residents with legitimate feedback for their, you know, appointed officials. Um, and we'd like to make sure they get it. So, I was going to suggest an item next week about um, how we want to do email communications and we want to consider like some way that people can reach us directly or anything like that. Um,
>> let's see. I'm looking for any other Do other folks here have uh thoughts on agenda for next week besides of course the warrant and then then communication as well. >> I'm not thinking >> warrant's going to take enough time. We
had we're dependent on the select board getting the warrant done the night before >> but they they they're the as I understand it at the 10th is the last day they can close the warrant. So close to I and there's going to be discussion on certain
cabin one article one >> which was floated last week so it's the same >> I think it's the uni >> I don't want >> there's a question on on sports and burbank money and everything that's
coming and I >> no >> I feel like I want to ask a question but I don't want to create a violation there was an assertion made I think at our last meeting that Burbank hasn't paid rent in the past two years. Is that accurate?
>> They didn't pay this last year, but the year before I do think they did the same thing. >> But the assertion was with respect to last year. >> One of the biggest are they usually a year. How how far behind are they? Because I went and found >> No, I mean >> when does their fiscal year close? I
looked up their tax returns online on a nonprofit and the most recent one was 2024 and 2024 listed something like 117 as a delta in 2024 and then a loss in 2023. So I assume when they have like it
was like a 32k or something loss that they would not pay us in a year when they experienced a loss. >> Exactly. So they have a calculation um that they have to adhere to to figure out how much they pay us. And when they're spending a lot of money on
capital, they have to re kind of establish a capital fund for themselves. So sometimes they'll go a couple years and we won't get any money because they've done capital and they need to rebuild their reserves for capital and >> their roof. >> Yeah. And so it's not uncommon for us to
have years where we get nothing because if they've got a lot of capital work, they're going to number one, the year that they do the capital work and it might be a couple years after that that they build up to the level of reserve they have to keep on hand. >> So it's also building the reserve. So you're always aware. It's not like, oh
geez, this is on our balance sheets. They haven't paid us for a few years. >> We don't we haven't relied on the money like obviously for years because as soon as they started to have capital needs, they'd let us know. don't expect to have anything. We used to include it as revenue coming into our general fund and
then we stopped doing that because we just didn't know, you know, when they would be able to start paying again because they had some large capital needs is you don't expect anything for a few years. So here and there we collect money. I think the one thing that, you know, um it's not unusual, I guess, for
them to not pay anything because they're doing capital. They're maintaining the property. They're they're doing improvements to the property. >> Oh, no. and their tax returns show their expenses. So, I just was trying to establish when an assertion is made, oh, they're they're behind on their rent.
>> It's not that they're behind on their rent. It's just that we don't always get anything. >> So, if we were if we were if they owed us that, we've received it. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So, this this is um and this is uh we're doing the thing where we're discussing something on the future agenda when
we're discussing future agendas, which isn't quite how it's supposed to work. Um, this is absolutely because there was a public comment on this last week though, so I'm following up on that. >> And people can public comment to us all day long about things that are not on our agenda. Um, they could they could public comment to us about the, you know, whatever offseason.
>> I'll bring it up again. I'll bring it up again next week. >> Yes. Because next week we are discussing the warrant and there's a warrant article that involves >> we can talk about funding that will be absolutely on topic to ask all about the past, present, and future of our financial. But I guess I was just understanding how that reporting works.
Just like I asked about the um special special fund that goes to COA too that I didn't really even know about the that goes towards the salaries. >> Well, that was definitely on top of we were discussing the FI27 budget which has got some holes in it.
>> So yeah, totally fair question to see if that could plug a hole. But yeah, no, we'll definitely talk about that next week. Yeah, I did find my email which just says so obviously we will vote on the budget which is technically is one of the articles for town meeting but we'll do our usual dance um
>> and hope we have nobody online >> about say we let I'm I'm not so much >> I'm not above doing what we did last year which is if if we we can take the budget out of order at the end so that if anyone uh you know wants to vote on warrant articles from Zoom they can do
so and then they can sort of trip and fall over their internet connection and disconnect and then the rest of us can vote on the 37 budget line items or whatever the hell it is by a show of hands. That's what we did last year. I think it worked well. Mark Zero was able to remotely vote on pickle ball that he was you know had uh you know wanted to vote on and
then we got to vote smoothly on the budget. Whatever happens next week we can do the same similar thing. So there's a um All right. Are there um anything else for future agendas?
All right. We don't have any minutes, so I believe it's time for a motion to adjourn. >> To adjourn second. >> Thank you, Jeffrey. Thank you, Henry. Show of hands. >> All right. Thank you all. We got through it.