the October 7th uh reading select board meeting to order. Tonight's meeting is being broadcast on RCTV um as well as Zoom. And the first item on the agenda is the pledge of >> allegiance. Algiance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. So, we have a jam-packed meeting tonight.
>> First, I will go uh over the agenda. And the first item is just an overview of the meeting, past and present. Essentially, why I put this on here is I just want to um typically it would be Melissa's turn in the rotation for me passing off the chair to
her to run this meeting, but I felt like I had to do this myself. um specifically that I've been running uh well I ran the uh as chair of the charter committee for a year and a half um and that me all those meetings went off without a hitch
um and it's clear and present that uh I cannot use the same style here at the select board um you know whether that's good bad or indifferent it's open to interpretation um so in that aspect I would just like to clarify a couple items uh just moving
forward Um that every select board member shall respectfully address the chair, shall not speak until recognized by ch the chair and shall speak to the question under debate and shall avoid making disparaging comments about individuals
and no speaker at a select board meeting shall be interrupted except by a member uh making a porter point of order or by the chair. Um, so hopefully going forward, um, we'll see how these rules end up turning
out. Public comment is, uh, two minutes as well. Um, it's going to be strictly enforced now. Jane and Maddie, Jane in the room for two minutes, Maddie online for two minutes. You'll hear some music when, um, your time is up. So, I'm going to, uh, adhere to the strict two minutes
for that. Um, and that is essentially it, I believe. I think Carlo, you had something. >> Yeah, I'd like to. >> Oh, thank you, Chris. All right. Um, want to apologize for some of the comments I made to last meeting. Uh, to
the community of writing, please accept my apology for the use of foul and inappropriate language that was there at the last meeting. As elected official representing the community, we are held to a higher standard, and I will continue to work and lead by a better example. After five years of lies and
false accusations, I lost my temper. The constant political divide is taking away from the work that needs to be done. I can only hope that all five of us will work together for the betterment of Reading and its residents. Thank you. Thanks, Carlo.
Anybody else? All right, moving on to the rest of the agenda. So, 705 public comment for any items not included on the agenda. Um I'm going to be clarifying that in the future within the uh agenda is being posted. That
means that um for other items we allow public comment, meaning on the proclamation for Italian Heritage Month at 7:25, you can speak on that as well. You have two minutes to speak on that. But if you speak during the public comment portion, then you can't speak on the um proclamation for Italian Heritage
Month if those are both your same comments. So you get one per um per agenda item. So after 7:05 public comment is 7:15 town manager report 720 community spotlight 725 the proclamation for a town heritage month 7:30 discuss
establishment of a commission on disabilities in reading 7:45 discuss and vote on designation of a special municipal employee status uh fire department 750 discuss and vote on fire department permit fee schedule correction. That's from the last
meeting. 7:55, a public hearing uh discussing vote on a new annual all alcohol restaurant liquor license for Reading Foro LLC DBA Tuscana Foro located at 45 Walkers Drive. 8:00 is discussing vote on a trash and recycling
contract. 8:15 discuss a lease amendment and memorandum of understanding regarding parking for the Reading Center for Active Living recal and the pickle ball courts with Reading Ice Arena Authority and authorize a select board member to engage in negotiations on behalf of the board. 8:20 is an update
from the MBTA regarding the proposed turnback track. Uh 920 is discuss and vote on appointments to the rec committee. 925 is discuss a vote on 32 Lincoln Street proposed roof repairs. 9:30 discuss and vote on an amendment to select board communication policy
section 14 uh an addition of social media and cell phone sections 950 select board leazison reports 955 future agendas and 10:00 approve two sets of minutes so hopefully we stay on time
thank you um double uh so first off uh public comments two minutes. >> So, um before you start the clock, um this does delve into something that is going to be on the agenda later. I will
not speak then if it's okay. I just prefer to do it now. >> Yep. Thank you. Angela Vinda Orchard Park Drive. Um I'd like to speak to something an article I actually read in uh writing recap. But first, I'd like to say um on September 10th, I received an
email from select board um Noveank Ice Arena Representative Mr. Carl McFaden, which stated in part, I don't know why as a taxpayer, I can't express my opinion on how we'd like to see the Burbank fund spent. My question is to
the town administrator. Um is that how you see Miss you see this, Mr. Cornell? Mh. You see the just as a taxpayer expressing an opinion on how Burbank funds are spent. Miss Wellman expressed several times
over meetings recently that she wanted to keep the Burbank and pick parking agreement as simple as possible and that Burbank didn't really want anything, just the ability to use town parking occasionally. But that's not what Mr. McFaden announced to the school committee the other night. In a fawning
piece in the recap, the editor writes about Mr. McFaden appearing before the school committee. Quote, McFaden revealed that the ice arena has reached a tenative agreement with the town to allocate 50% of its net income towards unified sport. What the article doesn't
say is that the arena that the town now receives 100% of the net income after the stabilization plan. So the town is not receiving anything additional from Burbank in this agreement. The town could actually lose
flexibility in determining how funds are spent in years. This agreement is a real lose lose for the town. There are better ways to fund unified sports and those options need to be explored. At the meeting, Mr. McFaden said to the school committee, "I am your representative and
I've been negotiating with the town." It was unclear actually who he was representing in those negotiations, especially as he was announcing this deal that the select board had not yet seen. Maybe if the select board had used
four to a batting cage, he might fall some into negotiations, but for now, Mr. McFaden seems to just want your signature. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? two minutes name and address. >> Thank you. Good evening. I hope
everybody Well, don't start his thing yet. I'll I'll look online in a moment. I think Jennifer said something, but I'll go to you guys after. >> All right. Go ahead. >> Good. Sorry. Good evening. Hope everybody had a great summer. Uh my name is Lucas Prao, 85 Hancock Street. I'm a member of the reading turnback committee
RTC which advocates for responsible rail modernizations and supports increased service for reading station. Our concern is not only the proposed turnback track location but the troubling way information has been presented to this community. MBTA project manners have
repeatedly shared sound study results that appear incomplete or misleading results that downplay adverse impacts on residents. These findings were presented to the reading delegation, to the RTC, to the 9:15 community meeting even after
concerns about their accuracy were raised on 99. This is not an isolated issue. Since the outset of the project, it has been marked um by inconsistent data and shifting promises. A few examples, idling duration for diesel
locomotives was initially 1 hour, now 15 to 20 minutes. Island time windows have shifted from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to now 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Road gate closures. On the 2:25 meeting, a 12% increase was cited. At the 99 meeting, a
40% increase was uh cited. At the 9:15 meeting, no percentage increase was cited at all. The pattern is clear. Incomplete data, inconsistent promises, and a failure to meaningfully engage the community most affected. We urge the select board and all relevant reading officials to recognize these issues and
ensure that any modernization effort is built on transparency, accountability, and genuine collaboration with a reading residents. It is the responsibility of town officials to safeguard reading residents. Our request tonight, my request tonight, hold an emergency town meeting at the high school to brief the
broader public on these concerns, particularly the voters in the entire reading community. Second, commit to a process that requires complete, consistent, and verifiable data before decisions advance so residents can trust uh that they are what they are being
told. Thank you. >> Just in time, >> did you want to go next? All right. Two minutes, name, and address. Thanks. >> Mackenzie writing Hancock Street. I'm following up on Lucas's comments and I wanted to say that it's the town's responsibility to safeguard the
residents, especially children, um, which many of us in the room have. Um, my I have a few questions that I'm going to lay out that I'm hoping that can be answered before any further discussion or anything gets approved for the turnback. Um, how will the peak hour
gates closures be mitigated? How can you promise prompt responses to an emergency? There are school shootings, which is a terrible thing to say. There are asthma attacks, and there are million other concerns that cannot the turnback cannot
take priority over community health. Um, my second question is, how will the town prevent intersection lockup and spill back into the neighborhoods because of more gate closures? FOS police and fire need to be part of all of these conversations. And finally, who is
responsible for creating additional parking if ridership increases? I have asked this question of the town multiple times and have not received a sufficient response. So, I'm bringing it to the select board to hopefully get a better clearer understanding of what this is
going to do to our community. And with that all said, does the town have a plan for developing this infrastructure that will have to support the turnback? And if not, then this project cannot move forward.
>> Thank you. >> Hello, Linda Russo, 55 Han Park Street. Um, it shook me to my core when at one of the last meetings at the library about the turnback, someone said that she was for this project simply because
it would be convenient for her not to have to look at a schedule. This con the convenience that some will gain will make life extremely stressful and some potentially dangerous for other residents of Reading. In my opinion,
everyone in this town should be aware that there will be over 60 gate down closings a day that will be significantly inconvenient for our emergency responders trying to respond to health and fire emergencies,
especially on the west side of town. As we have only one ambulance and it is located on Main Street, remember we have three schools on the west side of town. Parker Barrows and Joshua Eaton. According to this board's overseeing of
public safety, how will the town ensure emergency response times are not compromised given the projected increases in daily gate downtime and activation frequencies? Will Reading need another ambulance to keep us as
safe as we are now? I don't think we should be less safe just because someone wants to have a convenient schedule. According to your authority to coordinate inter agency operations, how will you, the board, implement emergency
preeemption when street crossings are blocked more frequently? Would it be possible to have communication between the train and the fire station to keep the gates open if an ambulance needs to respond to an emergency and have the
train stop? something similar to like what happens downtown when the trucks have to go out and there's a red light for everyone. Would it be possible um the the police department has multiple
vehicles that can be positioned in different sectors of the town? >> The the ambulance there's only one. We can't redistrict it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Well, good evening. >> Crowley, starting on Vine Street. Since
I have been coming here, I think since January on this subject, I have to ask why are we still here? Um given that the reading wants town of white reading wants to enhance everybody's life, I
question are we doing it for all the residents both the old and the young and certainly I have a lot of you that ask me when is this going to stop and why is why are they doing that? I'm here to speak really on the environmental
justice community and for those that don't know where that is in To those that are at home in the Tannerville, I apologize because they couldn't be here. It's they sit on the tracks virtually on the tracks of the old
Reading Highland platform. And that community also encomp encompasses more than just Tannerville. It's other homes in that area. According to the law
in 2023, the EPA empowered the state and local governments to protect residents from air and noise pollution. The residents of Channavville comprised 80 units in
nearby homes and they were never involved in any of the planning, any of the discussion of the MBTA. They were never consulted. They never received the notice of intent the first time. Our group informed them and gave
them the information. They were not informed of the recent NOI this past week. We informed them yesterday. They were sent a label to the housing authority, but none of the
residents saw it posted nor received it. appreciate that information. >> Sorry, >> it's two minutes. It goes by quick, unfortunately. >> Thought I had more. >> I should have got an email.
>> Couple more in the room and then I'll get to online. >> Awesome. All right. Good evening. Aaron Perry, 55 Hancock Street. I'd like to cover some topics related to data access integrity and transparency uh related to the term backtrack. So to kind of help frame these topics, um the state
auditors March 4th, 2025 audit, the MBTA and COLA contract calls the MBTA a high-risk agency requiring consistent oversight because of its budget size, operational complexity, and the risks of the service that it provides. That same
audit states in multiple ways that the audit was delayed by inconsistent and inaccurate information provided by the MBTA, prolonged waits for data, and data that didn't align with contracts and procedures. So, the audit clearly outlines issues that directly undermine
public trust. Residents have experienced these same exact issues. Repeat requests for raw data behind studies and presentations have continued to go unanswered. So why does this matter to Ray? Concentrated turnback operations affect public safety, emergency
responses, gate closures and schedules and local air quality. We need verifiable data, not just asurances so that the town first responders and residents can confirm outcomes. So in this vein, I am requesting that the town
take the following actions. I would uh recommend adopting a data access and transparency reporting framework that requires the MBTA and Polis to post public data sets monthly to the town's website. Implement a system to share real time gate closing data with a mod
uh emergency response teams. Adopt emissions and idling reporting transparency policies. implement a third-party independent audit and review system to validate emission and idling reports along with emergency response coordinations
and then finally uh explore establishing a reading transit committee. So these requests are all rooted in providing better service to reading and by making decisions transparent, data driven and focused on the health and safety of the residents. Thank you.
Um Jason Russo 90 Prospect Street. Uh so this is in relation to the turnback track and the 60 gate down closings that will happen in one day uh every day that this new schedule will be proposed. Um so in relation to emergency vehicles uh
and the impact on those vehicles from those 68 down closings, the police department has multiple vehicles that can be positioned across the town. Um and I'm sure that there's a workable solution for that. But with only one ambulance, it's not possible for that
fire department or for the EMTs to be able to be on both sides of that gate uh that's coming down the extra 60 times. So, I'm sure it would weigh heavily on that EMT uh staff and and their mission if they are kept from having the
quickest uh possible response time. So therefore, could you, the board, request that the META provide the fire department with a one-week simulation of the projected gate closings so that they can have a realistic model to follow as
opposed to just waiting until this is put upon them to figure it out after the fact um when it's kind of too big. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Karen Janowski 30A circle. I'm not speaking on the turn back. I
have another um something else I did want to bring up. At the last meeting, it was mentioned during public comment that Carlo in his role as chair of the Simons Way Exploratory Committee was quote continually promoting his interest as a pickle ball player and instructor
end quote and that this was acknowledged by a majority of the committee members. I want to be very clear that statement is not true. I served on swack as the council on aging representative and I can say with confidence that no such thing occurred. It would have been an ethical violation and it did not happen.
Carlo was elected chair at our very first meeting in December 2022. He stepped up to take the chairmanship and again unanimously reelected in the summer of 2023. If any of us had felt that he was advocating for himself,
there's no way he would have been reelected unanimously. It's time to put an end to the that repeated claim. I have heard him mentioned by other others publicly who did not serve on Swack. It's inaccurate. It's unfair. And as someone who served on that committee, I want the record to reflect that I
strongly disagree with that characterization. On another note, I'm very grateful for those who are working tirelessly to resolve all recal and pickle ball issues for the benefit of writing citizens and I want to thank you Jane and Matt for all that you were doing. I was going to
say something more about pickle ball but I don't just in case I want to say something later on during that conversation I will based on what you've said Chris I won't say it now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anybody else in the room?
Mark Agony Lee Street. Uh, last year the MBTA proposed spending $1 million to lay a mile of track to idle empty diesel locomotives a mile away from the train station next to a dense residential neighborhood and on top of the town's aquifer uh protected aquifer zone.
stationary empty trains idling in a new location for seven hours a day all in the name of cutting 15 minutes. As we said then this does not just affect the people who live next to the track. Reading police and fire chiefs expressed concerns about the significant impact of
public safety. Do the people of South Street know the impact to the time it will take for an ambulance to cross town because it's stuck at a gate that will close every 15 minutes? Do the people of Walnut Street know that a firetruck will be delayed for the same reason? What about the people crossing Route 28,
Wuburn Street, Willow Street or Ash Street? Over,200 people signed a petition to stop that project back in February. Today, the MBTA is back with the identical plan, hoping that everyone forgot how bad bad of an idea this really is. We expressed concerns about
pollution. This project emits so much pollution, it requires diesel made from used cooking oil, which is double the cost of regular diesel. Have the costs of the less available diesel been considered? Even assuming its implementation, the MBTA's own chart predicts a doubling of cancerous NOx
emissions. We expressed concern about noise. The MBTA performed a sound study in April by idling a train for 20 minutes for one day and claimed noise was insignificant because it was two dB under the allowable limit. Did the MBTA
model the actual proposed schedule? Has anybody even seen the proposed schedule? A few weeks ago, the MBTA questioned where we got the seven hours of idling, which was on their own chart. As the MBTA knows, there's a 10 decel penalty for noise before 7 a.m. Did you know
that the MBTA failed to apply that penalty to a diesel locomotive that will be idling in a new location at 5:30 in the morning? like to dismiss pollution impact April 7th. To dismiss noise impact is a deceptive misrepresentation by the NBTA.
>> We deserve answers and they can't be. We're just a railroad and the frequency is an operational issue. >> Thank you. >> I should be the last. >> Okay. Until we get online. >> Yeah. Till you open it up.
>> Ali Hitler. Alexandra more formally. Um I've been working with these guys since I moved >> you can. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um I've been working with these guys since last year. Um when I moved here and when this all started I was breastfeeding one of my kids. So I have
very small children that will be affected by this on Hancock Street. Um so thank you to my fellow residents for their questions this evening and to everybody that's here to listen. I'm a resident. I'm a weekly commuter rail rider from Reading to North Station and
a mother of two small children. I could stand here and elaborate on how this turnback track will increase traffic that will make morning drop off a nightmare. An unwanted pollution to the brand new conservation land. Pollution to our homes, the little lungs that play
in our backyards. The noise and disruption. You name it, we've explored it. but rather I'll post questions that were still looking to be answered. According to your authority to call special sessions, will you convene an emergency town meeting if key issues
aren't resolved by a certain date? What is the source of the funding for the turnback? Is there a deadline that needs to be met to have that to have that funding be spent? Will you establish a transit committee? We've brought that up time and time and time again because we
feel like we're the most researched probably more in the actual NBTA employees at this point. Um, and their data is just not matching up to what we're finding. If this goes through, I'm under the impression that it will because it seems like we don't have any authority. What is the measurement for success? Is it
one person per train? What if there is no increase in wrership? What then? Do we then tell them to decrease it? I ride that train. I'm looking for improved transit, and I do not think that this is the answer. Does this board at this present moment have the baseline data
and clarity on what the MBTA's KPIs are for this project? If the answer is no to any of those questions, there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. Thank you. >> Thank you.
Anybody else in the room? Anybody on the line if you want to raise your hands? >> Yes, but I don't know how to raise my hand here. >> Well, you can go first with name and address then, please. >> I'm Kyle Touro of 43 Vine Street. Uh, of
course, we're disappointed that any of this is happening in our town. Uh, one of the key things, not only the pollution, but the noise pollution. I would like it to be on your responsibility to ensure that if the MBTA is going to railroad us with this
development going through and it's not situated at the train station where it really belongs and they're going to park the train in the middle of the park where it does not belong that acoustic panels be demanded by this committee and
KNSCOM as a way of mitigating the acoustic problem that's going to occur. That sound barrier can be something that's not a stone wall. As an architect, I've worked on having designs that baffle the sound of high noise
creating HVAC systems when required to address the decibel levels in the neighborhood of a new project being developed, etc. This is a viable ask. It's something that could be the length of just the diesel train where
the oil pan tray will be placed. It can be constructed. There's no excuses in terms of the width of the train bed or and anything else. This is something that as a town board that is
acting on behalf of the constituents that in particular live close to the train tracks and will be impacted that this action should be taken and ensure that the MBTA installs that. Thank you.
>> Thanks Kyle. Uh Jennifer I think I saw your hand. You can unmute and >> um I'm Jennifer Allen. I live at 10 Hemlock Road, very close to Joshua Eden, kind of in the back backyard of Joshua Eden. Um, a few things. Number one,
obviously it's concerning about the emergency response time, especially because I'm very close to South Street in that area. I have a three-year-old that has had to be hospitalized about seven times for a significant asthma, and I have concerns about um the air quality, which I'll get into in a
second. Um, and I have a 5-year-old that is um severe nut allergies. So we unfortunately have had to utilize the ambulance um service more than once for both kids. Um so there is definitely a concern for me related to that. But the more the even the more significant piece
is the long-term um health effect of this and what the air quality component um what that looks like. Um I did swing by the board of health a few weeks ago and I inquired is there agreed upon air quality testing? who is going to be
responsible for doing that. And they were saying that the MBTA has not been very transparent with any of that. Um they haven't even agreed to pay for um testing. And so again, I think, you know, it's one thing. It sounds like we have no choice. It's just going to be
thrown in ratting regardless. But I definitely think they need to be held accountable and they need to be responsible for their actions and we need to make sure I you know I really appreciate um fellow residents here saying we should have a committee in place. How are we going to hold them
accountable? What if they violate it and they don't come through? Because the MBTA has been notorious. As someone that wrote the MBTA for 15 years working at Mass Journal, I can say they never come through on many of the promises that they promised over the years. um in terms of ridership and so again um
significant concerns with the air quality component um what are and maybe it's been discussed in other um meetings I didn't have the opportunity to attend but what are the chemicals that are going to be released um do we have studies on again what that impact would
be um >> thank you uh anybody else online Maddie in case I can't see anyone Is anyone raising? >> I don't see any more hands raised.
>> All righty. All right. So, we will move on to town manager report. Matt, take it away. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, a couple brief updates. So, reading the reading coalition held its time to gather, a
time to remember those lost to suicide and substance misuse um a few weeks ago. It was a very moving tribute um held right here outside of town hall. I was happy to participate and present the first ever reading poetry prize to
reading high school senior Aaron Sto who came and read his poem. So I would like to thank Erica Mallet, the reading coalition and all the guest speakers that made it a very successful event this year. Very well attended. I'd like to mention that the Reading Finance Committee is scheduled a
financial forum to kick off our budget season season that'll take place tomorrow night, October 8th at 7 p.m. at the library. Um, FINCOM will meet again on October 15th to actually vote on the guidance for the budget for the FY27
budget. So, we are getting right into the teeth of budget season uh beginning tomorrow night. I'd also want to mention that the Reading North Reading Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual fall beer garden this Saturday um October 11th from 3:00 to 7:00 in the town common. Um
this is a free familyfriendly event uh with live music and kids activities. So it should be pretty fun. Um and we're hoping for great weather and we'd like to support the chamber in this endeavor. Many of the things I've been updating you on the last few meetings um like trash and recycling contract and the
MBTA turnaround track uh are on the regular agenda tonight. So I'll be covering those during the regular agenda uh items. >> Thank you. >> Thanks Jane. Did you have some things? >> Uh thank you Mr. Chairman. I do. Um the Eastern Gateway Community Workshop is
coming up on October 20 uh October 27th. The workshop will summarize project feedback to date, provide active participation in small group design activities, share visual concepts for the district. Um the public's feedback is needed to help shape future zoning um
and can encourage future investment in private development that aligns with the community's vision. Our our SVPs are not required, but they're requested and they're on the time website that link. Thank you. >> Thank you. Right. So, we will move on to
720 community spotlight. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, last week, about two weeks ago, I think I spotlighted a volunteer. This week, there's a few employees that I would like to mention. So, I wanted to congratulate Reading Police Officer Kayn
Balbo. She has just recently been named the department's employee of the quarter, and she was very active this summer um with residents helping to foster positive community relationships. Um, Officer Below stopped by several lemonade stands, issuing many bicycle
helmet citations to kids where they get free pizza and ice cream. Um, and this is all during her daily patrol shifts. Um, so she's become quite popular with the children out there. So, I want to say to keep up the good work uh to the officer and we'll see her out there next
summer, I'm sure. And just another brief update also, now that school is back in session, I'd like to highlight two of our most dedicated crossing guards. Tina Lance, who's been a crossing guard for 31 years here, and Sydney Sydney um
Assig who has been a guard for 30 years. So, both are back working hard to ensure that our children are safing safely crossing the streets on their way to school. Um there's sort of unsung heroes out there crossing guards. So I would like to shine a little spotlight on them tonight. So thank you.
>> Thanks Mark. Um I'll just add to that Cindy. I know that um how you mentioned that she celebrated the 30 years um that uh the residents in the neighborhood that walked that route, Alicia Williams and a couple other ones
ended up giving her some gifts that they raised money for for her. Um, so it's good to see that happening as well because she used to work at Rathon and then answered an ad in the newspaper and I could write a whole story on this. So it happens >> perhaps. >> Thank you.
>> Thanks. All right. So we will move on to the proclamation for Italian Heritage Month. This was brought forward by Carlos. So do you want to go over it or what did you want to do? >> Do you want to read it?
>> I don't mind reading it. I don't know if you wanted to say something first before you did it or you know >> Oh, no. There's there's too much to say. I'm just going to read this. Um All right. >> Well, I guess it's good to note I I learned it by googling it that state
house. This is what prompted this made it a law in 1999 that October um every October is Italian-American Heritage Month and they have a big celebration and my uncle was honored two years ago. I wish I did this last year as chair, but I didn't. So, I requested
it this year. So, they have a really great celebration where they honor distinguished Italian Americans for their contributions to society and uh a lot of communities and states celebrate Italian heritage month. So, for the proclamation, whereas Italian-Americans
have made significant contributions in the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the United States and their influence continues to shape the national identity. And whereas the month of October is a time to honor and celebrate the rich traditions, history and achievements of Italian-Americans
who have enhanced the diversity and strength of our nation through art, science, industry, and civic engagement. And whereas Italian-Americans have contributed to the growth and development of our cities and towns, enriching our shared history with their distinctive customs, languages, food,
music, and festivals. And whereas we recognize the world of Italian Americans in fields such as education, politics, business, entertainment, science, and technology whose accomplishments continue to inspire new generations to contribute to the greater good of society. And whereas Italian-Americans
have preserved their cultural heritage through family values, community traditions, and the nurturing of future generations who continue to honor their heritage while embracing the diverse American embracing the diverse American identity. And whereas the month of October serves
an an opportunity for all to celebrate the history, contributions, and culture of Italian Americans, as well as the importance of cultural exchange and understanding. Now therefore, we the the select board of the town of Reading do hereby proclaim the month of October as
Italian Heritage Month in Reading, Massachusetts, and urge all residents to join in recognizing in recognizing and celebrating the many contributions of Italian Americans to our community and our nation. In witness thereof, we have here to set our hands and cause the seal
of Ready Massachusetts to be affixed the 7th of October, 2025. Thank you, Carla. Um, I I appreciate um the flexibility since this is being done on
October 7th and not requiring a special meeting or anything else at the beginning of the month. So, um, I appreciate you being flexible in and how you handle this. And, uh, you know, I I've learned a lot from Italian, uh,
Heritage Month, uh, myself, from reading the articles that I've seen pop up. And I believe I'm somewhat Italian, mainly Irish. I don't know. I know more about my dog than myself. So, she's half cavo, poo, cavalier, whatever.
Um but in any event, um you know, it's good to see these kind of things celebrated. Um and I was going to bring it up in my leazison reports, but we obviously had the pizza fest here couple weeks back. Um which was a massive success, I think,
in my opinion, and it's it's good to see um this coming after that. Anyone else? >> Anyone from the public? Thanks. Two minutes name and address. All right. Guy Mangalo Richard.
I want to thank Select Mini for uh bringing this to fruition. For more than 2,000 years, the genius of Italian nines has shaped the world we live in and deeply influenced the United States of America. From the ancient world, Cisero taught us
the principles of law and liberty that inspired America's founding fathers. Julius C's reforms and leadership shaped western governance. Virgil's and Dante's divine comedy gave meaning to duty, destiny, and moral courage. Lessons echoed in our own
nation story. During the Renaissance, the Italian spirit reignited humanity's pursuit of excellence. Da Vinci's imagination reached the art and science. Michelangelo's masterpieces defined beauty. Galileo, the father of modern science,
showed the world that truth is worth pursuing even against all odds. Macaveli explored the realities of power. She had been political thought studied in American classrooms to this day. In the modern age, Italian brilliance powered new worlds. Bolt's
electric batteries sparked the age of energy. Marone's radio united continents through sound. Enrico Farmy working here in America built the first nuclear reactor and ushered in the atomic era. Rita Malchini discovery of nerve growth
factor opened doors in American medicine and neuroscience. Americans carried the Italian Americans carry that legacy forward. Amade Janin founded Bank of America to give opportunity to immigrants. Charelu as mayor of New York redefined
public service and integrity and compassion. Tony Scalia shaped modern constitutional interpretation of the US Supreme Court. And through culture, Sinatra Deagio Francis scores gave voice to the American dream
through song, sport and film, telling stories that resonate with every generation. Today's innovators like Fagen, creator of the first microprocessor, Arnold, Nobel Prize winning engineer, carry that torch of excellence into the future. Thank you, Guy. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Anybody else? Yep. Two minutes. Name and address, please. >> My name is Jazeppi Guy Federa. I'm with G Street. That's fantastic guy. Thank you for the history. I would like to talk about uh and honor Italian the
Italian-American community. Um, we in the entire American community have three things that are embedded in our souls. It's our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our family, and our culture. There's nothing that on this planet or
beyond that can break that bond. And it's been so for thousands of years, and it will be so for thousands of years more. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else in the room? Anyone online? Maddie?
Not seeing any hands online. >> All right, Karen, do I have a motion? >> Move that October 2025 be recognized as >> second. >> Seconded by Melissa. Any discussion? >> Any friendly amendment? >> Sure.
>> Strike 2025. So >> be just October and that's fine with me. >> Karen of information to understand your amendment. Um you want it to be permanently >> annual thing like we do for other
proclamations. Yes. >> For the entire month of October. >> October is Italian American Heritage Month. >> So does this limit other proclamations for the same month? the atheists went a month or named after them. Like does it mean that we can only
have one month? Um >> I don't think so. No, I brought this forward. Anyone's welcome to bring anything forward. >> That clarification. I um I'm not sure I'm sold on this. I um
like our ability to display flags on the common. Um we have to be very careful about how we do this. and um not run a foul of of um not being able to say no when let's say the
atheists want us to declare December as um atheist American month. Um so I'm not going to support this. I'll abstain if that makes the court more comfortable. Um, I would just like to say I I was
under the similar mindset of Karen a couple years back um when I made the same arguments that she's making now. But the I don't want to say the catch in this scenario because I said I would bring forward anything any resident brings me because listen it's it's not
about me up here, it's about everybody else. Um but to that point it was um discussed that as long as it was a board member that was doing this it doesn't fall into the same scenario as a flag policy or something else. Um do I agree
with that? Not really. But that is what has uh stated to me multiple times and that's the way that I look uh at that going forward. >> Can I just add clarify? >> Of course. So, we've had a couple of months where
we had other um proclamations. >> Just for my own information, do we have to request every year at the same time for the proclamation? So, would this fall into that category? Like >> in August, we'll start planning for October or September. Is that >> It's not a It's not a written ask kind
of policy. It just Yes. It's been >> ask each year to do it. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thanks. >> I'm just following the state, Karen, but the state has done it. >> Oh, no. I just I just was curious. I didn't know if you know starting in January we could look at our calendar and see all the different things that we usually do just so they don't fall through the cracks and you had some kind
of fall through the cracks. So that's all I was >> Yeah. There's certain things that we do on a yearly basis or we have been doing DPW week, Pride Month, um to name a few >> and we're doing some proclamations for that. So you know I brought this
forward. I'm an Italian American. >> I have no problem with it. I just wanted to make sure. Okay. >> That's all. Yeah. >> Um, you were mentioning following what the state does. Has this been declared >> at the state level that the entire month? >> This is a law. Yes.
>> Yes. >> They're actually flying flag. >> So, I'm just wondering if we need to do this. They've already declared it. We just need to put the flag up. >> We're not putting the flag up. >> This is just a proclamation.
>> Just put the flag up. Well, I like that. Thank you, J. But unfortunately, we are not. Um, the flag is a whole different scenario. So, the way that this is >> Did you read it? I think it was the friendly amendment
>> he amended it. Is that okay? >> I'll second Carlo's amendment. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, any discussion on the amendment? >> Seeing none. All those in favor? Opposed? I'm saying
>> 401. Um, so then back to the main motion here, which already read, right? >> And Melissa seconded. Any discussion? >> See, all those in favor? Opposed?
Abstain. 401. Thank you. We'll pass this around. Carlo already signed it. Thank you to everyone who came. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So,
where are we? Uh 7:30 discuss establishment of a commission on disabilities and reading. Page six in the packet. Um Albert has a presentation to the board. You need to present it. >> Of course.
>> Thank you, Albert. >> Is it coming up? >> Maddie should be bringing it. >> Maddy's going to bring it up. Yeah. Um, >> do you want to just give it a sec, Albert? I know people are still clearing out. So, everyone can hear you. Thanks.
Seats freed up. >> Lara's going to handle our difficult job. All right, the floor is yours. >> Thanks, Chris. Um, so again, thanks for the opportunity to talk about the
disabilities condition. This is a good way to frame it as a discussion. Um, um, just before I just do some big thank yous again, thank you uh, our town manager for his overall. It's up to you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I hear you
>> overall support for this work. Um, uh, thank you Karen Herrick for bringing this issue to this conversation and to me and to and to others. Um, I know this is a conversation that has started in the past in terms of having a commission on disability. So, I'm just kind of
happy kind of in my role to kind of further that conversation. Um uh so kind of before I dive in again I just want to give an overall support and thank thanks for our support for the office equity and social justice um that's about three
years old now um next month will be two years for me and so it's been kind of great being in this role and kind of furthering along the work of um any community here in reading that feels like they don't have a voice or feels like they are are kind of left off of the the conversation. So again, that's
my overall work that I'm doing here. So this conversation, I think again is really about me just sharing um just some information about how it looks to create an office of disability here ready. You've created offices I'm sorry you created disability commissions
before. So this is not anything I think that's new to you guys. But I think my job is just kind of share with you a little bit around what I found in my research around this and then obviously decision is yours to kind of if you want to bring this on. So if you want to turn to the second um
so I think the context of this discussion kind of sense for me kind of four areas. One is uh you know as I was coming into this office they did a needs assessment about two years ago and that really I think highlighted a lot of the areas around the need of the disabled
community. And so I think those popped out pretty clear to us. Uh we put those links out publicly. So I think that's out there in the public domain for folks. Again, the core of the work that I do in the office again is really about addressing any marginalized community, but also those communities that really need extra attention based upon that.
Disabilities commission disabilities community is definitely one of those. And then finally, I think that fastest growing community here in Reading as we know it's 55 plus um which is um impacted tremendously by um um disability is impacted in that community
tremendously. So, and also finally u the reading public schools through their CPAC program um really I think highlights the work around the disability community within the public school. So I think those four areas I think really make this conversation particularly now um timely um to have
it. So next please. >> So this is a kind of texty slide but basically I want to kind of highlight two things on this slide. one is that um you this idea of what is a disability commission and also want to pioneer this
ADA coordinator which I have um now I've been for the town of writing for the last about four or five months thanks to our town manager for that assignment um so I speak about those two in this particular slide again very dense and also very small and text but for the most part this commission and its
function uh is kind of an advisory role um and the advisors our municipal government, you guys, on um the needs of disability community um at the town and city level. Obviously, we're town um also informs us um about the concerns
and best practices that are needed for the disabled community. So, again, those are two kind of buzzwords, advise, inform that center on this uh disability commission. Um, also I think it's important to state that um, the ADA
coordinator which is not always tied to the disability commission is something I think is unique. Here we have reading I'll share another slide later some other clear communities that have the same kind of function but that is something by law um, as a as a municipality we have to have an
immediate coordinator. Um, is that I >> No, it's No, this is being discussed >> later on in the agenda. We're discussing that out right now. Don't disturb. I don't know what happened. >> Appreciate you. Um, so this ADA role is something obviously mandated by the
state that we have to have for years. You know, here is sat in our clerk's department. Um, and so basically, um, this is something by law we have to have it. um it supports the disabled community and everyday activities that are going on with that community and the
coordinator is a municipal staff person again. I'm sorry Lord certainly in that role now me really I think is it really helps to ensure that we are compliant so it's a compliant kind of position also kind of handles disability related issues um there's a grievance policy
usually kind of follows this process um again I said earlier this has been kind of by default with our clerk's department since ' 84 since it's been a mandate by state so this opportunity now for the coordinator to kind of sit with someone like me who's kind of doing this work is kind of an opportunity if we
chose ble to go that direction in terms of having this you know be in my office and also supporting the commission itself. So, next um slide. Um Maddie. Maddie. Thanks. So, I think there's a few ways that this uh commission
supports the municipality. One is it, as I mentioned earlier, it advises us on how to stay compliant. Um, also it really partners, which I think is a key thing that we and the community should know. This partners with people with disabilities to make their voice be heard, which often times is not heard.
Um, also it really allows us to assist the town ensuring that we're we're meeting requirements based upon, you know, there's a link here, but really there's some requirements that we have to kind of meet as a as a municipality that really helps us stay in line with those, ensures that we stay in line with
those. also really helps um keep our this is a term we may not be familiar with is really making sure that we keeping up to date on this transition plan which is something again that we have to have as a state as a municipality we haven't had it um I think we'll be okay uh but I think we need to make sure that we have those two
components a transition plan as well as a um a um compliance policy that um we can um follow also it really helps us to share the concerns of developers so anyone we have two big projects happening right now a town, but make sure that we're reminding developers
that we kind of have, you know, this this um this commission in place and it could be a way to partner with them as well as they're coming in and doing their projects. Um also can review projects that are going on like planning and other town meeting projects really allows us to make sure that we're not
just compliant but really just making sure that we are being thoughtful about those spaces. Um and finally again it coordinates with um you know advocates and those like officials that are looking to uh uh within the disability around laws and regulations. So it's next but I just want to let you know at
least some key ways that this commission supports your involvement in technology. Maddie next. >> So again some of this stuff I think is pretty straightforward the way any board any any you know commission you have. Uh for this we can have up to 13 members.
Um and it's chosen by you to select board or the town manager. Um it's uh you know made up a majority of people with disabilities which I really think I love that. Um one member has to be from elected official kind of you guys. One member has to be a family member or
person with disability and members are initially appointed to stag one or two year threeear terms. Um not a whole lot of requirements on how you have to attend meetings keep records by report. So, it's not a whole lot that's different than probably any other commission or or board you have here,
right? Next slide. >> So, again, something you guys will love. I think there's a couple ways that finance has kind of come through um through this. One is there's this grant, misability ADA improvement grant that pretty much is guaranteed to any city or
town that has a commission. Um you can do upwards to 35,000. the average awards about 10,000. Um it opens up in May, closes in June. So, um this that's a timeline for it. And so, it's something I think that we can be mindful of in terms of um revenue for this particular
commission. Also, um you can receive gifts and property, you know, things like that to help support the commission as well. Um a lot of this is based upon what the town decides that or what the commission decides they want to do with their particular kind of program for the year and that kind of drives the budget.
Also the other pot of money comes from um something that I've connected with our our assistant chief police around parking tickets. So something that legal parking tickets and handicap spots that revenue source she set aside in separate fund to support um the commission again. So she was looking into that deputy
commission assistant deputy was looking into that to see kind of what that looked like for us here in Red. Um next slide may >> so quick dues again just uh you know what the commission commission does
advis and advises again um some examples looking at systemic things around bar are barriers and services you know looking at how to suggest some different policies that can support the disabled community what it doesn't do is help with specific requests from private business or individuals so that's a big
distinction I want to make sure that we're um um doing that and I talked to a lot of folks in my research around this a lot of you know folks that are ADA folks or folks running conditions and this is something I think there's some blurry lines there so I think we have to be very clear with our residents around
that these aren't kind of individual requests that are are taken around this next slide um again so that's how you started um again you kind of um propose members for adoption again I'm trying to tell you how to do your job this is more just me
just putting together this for you guys. Um you take a vote um have a group of goals um and guidelines for your commission and you get the members. Uh it's kind of pretty straightforward with that. The good thing and this is live coming up in a few minutes that we're not obviously last in doing this and uh
and there other folks that you know other towns or communities have done this. So I think we can kind of ball some similar models around what other um municipalities have done. But again this is something pretty much you guys have done before. So next slide.
So these are big communities. Again, these are hyperlinks, so you can kind of look. I mean, there's some great things happening. These other communities around their commissions. Um, some folks are being real creative. Some folks are just kind of there's some ways keeping the seat warm. My town and I live in Winchester, so we have a pretty active community. Um, you guys, we can battle
against STEM, but you know, we're um but yeah, some really great things that folks are doing out there. Um, I think, you know, uh, so these are some examples around I think what we could kind of follow around some of that stuff. Uh that's it for me. So just want to share some resources. Last slide. Um you know
then the state did does a really good job of giving us information about these commissions, how to support them, how to structure them, examples. Um so yeah, so I think they make it kind of easy for us to look at to kind of stack things up.
So um yeah. So any questions for you guys? >> Thank you, Albert. Board members, any questions? Melissa? Thank you. Thank you, Albert, for bringing this to us today. Um, I know this has been a conversation um that
we've discussed here, but never actually have gone, you know, taken this next step. So, I appreciate you doing that for us. >> So, I just want to clarify something that I think I'm correct on, but um to be eligible for the municipal ADA improvement grant, we have to have a
commission, correct? >> Yes. >> Yes, that's what I thought. Okay. I mean, for me, that seems like not only to try to apply for this grant money and just to, you know, make sure we're, you know, doing the right thing by all our residents in town. I completely support this. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, thank you.
>> You're welcome, Karen. >> Um, can you apply for the grant over here? >> You can. >> Yep. >> And excuse me. What is the transition plan? >> Yeah, I know, right? And I'm still learning. Again, some of this is I'm I'm still doing my homework. I was in school again with some of this stuff, you know.
So, >> you can say you don't know. >> Uh I can say that >> you can. >> Yes. >> We'll learn it together. >> No, I mean we'll we all learn together and and and I think what it really encompasses is that everything that you are doing in your work around um ADA
falls in that plan. Okay. And typically the plan is kind of I remember being updated like every five years. It involves like any kind of structures in your community, anything. So, it's all there, but it's Yeah. >> So, it's something we work on when the commission is start.
>> Well, no, they're separate. >> Oh, they're separate. >> Yeah. So, I'm sorry. I put two things in this partication together. One is I put some the ADA work. >> Yep. >> Which kind of ADA and the kind of which has these two big buckets which is grievance policy and the transition plan. Those are two things that come
with the ADA work. And then separate from that you have the commission. So essentially the commission the ADA stuff is by we have to have that be compliant with the state commission. You don't have to have a commission. >> Okay. >> You're not Yeah. You're not out of compliance if you don't have a commission.
>> Um I love this idea and I got caught so by surprise by thinking that the largest population is over 55. I just assumed it was all school age. >> I'm like wow. >> Yeah. >> Fall into that category. So um so do I. I love that and thank you for bringing
it to us. Thank you for getting in here too. >> Hey Karen, >> I was just about to say this is this is brought up by residents. I see at least two here who have brought this up in the past and I I I would love for them to comment this evening. >> Sure. >> But but I have to agree with you. I don't I didn't know anything about this.
So I I I appreciate you being here and taking the time to educate us and I'm fully supportive. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you for having the opportunity, >> Carlo. >> Yeah. Thank you. Um, so just so I understand that we're Lara is passing the baton to you.
>> That's already passed. >> It's already passed. >> We're running. She passed it to me five months ago. >> I've been running. Yeah, >> I'm running fast, too. Exactly. No, I mean Yeah, that that that is that ADA work that officially um through through
our our town manager passed to me, the ADA coordinator. So, I am that officially for the town for the last like five months I think it is. Is that pretty much the math here? Okay. And I and I think most of us know up here that this wasn't brought up because we're
lacking in ADA compliance or we're not doing the right thing. This is just formalizing a commission, a committee to help. >> Yeah. So, kind of separate again a little bit and I'm sorry again if I confuse folks by putting two things in the presentation. I apologize. So, the ADA work, I just wanted to reference it
because first you have to have a staff person that has to staff the commission. So um we have we would have that do this kind of role. Um we were out of compliance with the with the ADA work but just there was some well we slightly
out of compliance. So I think we really we didn't have a grievance policy and we did not have transition plan. Those are two like low hanging fruits things that we and we have to do it now have some two of those one of those now. So we that's coming out the pipe. So we definitely need to get that up and that's for the ADA work that has to get
done up on our website. Yes. >> Gotcha. Thank you. >> Thanks, Albert. Um, speaking of running, you don't have a cast on for the first time in two years. Is that >> Absolutely. >> First time in like two years at this point. Like >> I've been running. Yes. Yes.
>> Pay attention to people wearing casts. >> Um, so speaking with the the work that um that you're mentioning that we have to do, so who oversees the policies and procedures that you're currently doing? Would it just be you or does it get
signed off by Matt or like the grievance policy that you have? Who would be the sign off? >> So what I understand is that it's the town manager that would sign off on that grievance policy and transition plan. That's how I've understood it from talking to other from other colleagues
as well, but I can look into I can look into that a little bit more to find out that for sure um for you um both. Yeah, I'm just wondering if it's something we have to do or it's ends up being the the committee, but that seems separate. I
think you mentioned um so kind of the not semantics, you know, the parameters that that would have to go by and you said there was another policy as well. >> I think there was something else, two things, right? >> So, you have a transition plan and you have a grievance policy. Those are two
things that typically with the ADA work kind of up on your website. They kind of tell town residents here's the process for us actually having to file complaint or whatever like that and the town has its way of telling the residents this is what our process is. So it's kind of a
process document right now. Essentially up until this time I think folks would just kind of call Laura directly like I have a complaint and she would respond to it. And I think these these grievance policy kind of gives us a little bit of a it just allows us to kind of respond
when it works kind of us versus kind of on the residents time, you know, so helps keep us a little organized on our side. >> Excellent. >> And I'll get back to you about the transition plan. Sorry, I just got to get I'm getting speed at myself. >> I hear you. Anybody else before I open
this to the public? Anybody in the room? Yep. Two minutes. Name and address. >> Maria Morgan Lee Street. I hope this is a no-brainer, but I'm getting up in front of people looking like this just
in case it's not a no-brainer. Um, we really need this. Every directly accessible town um from Reading has one um Wakefield established there in May of 1989. So, we are behind the curve, I think, on
this one. I'm super thankful to Albert for spearheading this and doing this. Um, I think this really fills a void that we have in Reading that, um, I have like sort of discovered over the past couple of years and, uh, it's it's been brought up to me twice. Do you guys have
a commission on disabilities? You know, no. Well, you should start one. No, I don't have time for that. Um, but then it, you know, I do think that we really need one and I'm glad to see that it's starting and I think um, yeah, people people with disabilities um, need to
have a voice, but we're tired and we're doing a lot. So to have that established commission um, make sure that um, yeah, their voice is our voice is not ignored. So I hope it's a no-brainer. Thank you. >> Thank you, Melina.
Anybody else? Anyone on the line? Maddie um Michelle first I saw you two minutes in the address please. >> Thank you. I'm delighted that we're having this conversation. uh disability
commission would offer insight and recommendations to prove improve access and the mass Massachusetts office on disability offers a structure for these commissions to and how to function and
how to have the ADA resources and also grants. So, it's a very structured process and an open process. And I'm just going to say quickly that I've been listening to the community planning and development commission
regarding um Burbank recalc and parking and how much time they have spent and talking about this topic and they're very well-intentioned. However,
they don't really know where to go for as appears as a resident that they don't know about the resources. It's one in 25 spaces minimum. If the population such as a hospital or senior center, you
want to do more than the minimum and it needs to be close proximity. So, there's a lot of things that this commission could do as far as leg work to help inform. So, this group, well-intentioned group, and I was delighted to see how
much time they're spending, would have a group to be able to help inform them in making their decisions. And that would be the function of such a commission. And 25% of the American population is
considered someone who will be qualified under the ADA for accommodation. So think about 25% of the reading population and the majority of disabilities invis is invisible and mobility is the number one impairment
and only 1% are wheelchair users. I'd be glad to offer more information on the statistics of this as this is my passion. Thank you. >> Thank you, Michelle. Uh Jacqueline, I think I saw your hand. >> Hi, I'm Jocelyn Lee on Grand Street. I
um as a parent, a local resident, as well as a Reading CPAC board member, we just wanted, you know, first to thank Albert for bringing this um here tonight and everyone that's worked towards this. And just want to say that this
definitely is needed for um the community, not just the um children on special education and um you know the elderly population and anyone that has a disability. um you know to have representation and have meaningful
collaboration uh with the town and the community and anyone that serves on the committee would go so far to make this a safe and inclusive uh community and um we just wanted to voice our support. Thank you. >> Thank you.
Anybody else online? Maddie, >> not seeing any other hands. Matt, did you have something? >> Yeah, I just wanted to say so this would be a local option. So if if the sense of the board is we want to go forward with it, I would put it on the warrant probably for April and it's a town meeting vote to adopt that statute. So
just to be clear on that, um I wanted I wanted to say that and I wanted to say thank Albert for his work that he's done so far as ADA coordinator. It's only been a few months. I asked him to do it. He hit the ground running and you know brought this presentation together. So I just wanted to personally thank him for
his work. Thanks, Matt. Um, >> yes, Karen. >> Um, I, um, I understand we may be opening the warrant for again for invoking a special town meeting with any town meeting. Is there a reason and and I'd ask you and Albert, is there a
reason we wouldn't just include this adoption within that special town meeting if we're going to have to open the warrant again or address the warrant again? >> Yeah, that if we if we do that, it hasn't been formally decided and you'd have to vote on that. That would be just for the senior tax exemption. Um I I
think we may need a little more time to put together a fuller warrant article and get some background, get things together. So I think April's a little bit a better time frame for that, not to rush things, but that's just my opinion on it. But um it certainly could be done in time for April.
Melissa, >> I lost my packet, but do we even have vote tonight on So, I don't think we can vote on it tonight. And we're open. We're making the recommendation for the special town meeting tonight. Correct. >> No, we're not. We're gonna I'm going to have that for next meeting. I just found
out about it as I said in my memo to you. So, okay. >> I'll have something for next meeting on that. I I think the best course of action is I think you have our feedback going forward unofficially officially.
>> Um and if you feel as if in um in talks with Albert that you can make potentially a special town meeting scenario happen then we can put on the next agenda to vote and move forward with that. If not, if you need more time
to refine things, then obviously we can go that course as well. >> Okay. >> The point is we're going in the right direction. Um, and you know, that's the best that we can do. >> So, >> I agree. >> All righty. Well, thank you, Albert. Uh,
a lot of work to do >> and, uh, I appreciate it. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you, Albert. >> All right. So now we will move on to discuss a vote on a designation of special municipal employee status uh
fire department page 19 in the packet here. >> Y >> good evening. How are we doing on this beautiful Tuesday night? It's quarter south. I find people. My name is Rick Nelson. I'm the fire chief in town. Two quick agenda items I think we should
hopefully we'll get through quick. Um the first one is so our fire alarm system is managed currently by Lieutenant Brian Ryan who retired beginning of this year. Um he's still maintaining that but it won't be forever. So the goal of this is to get a
second second person starting to train up in the system to be able to maintain it. Um, in order to do that, um, we have to have a disclosure form signed by law and we need the select board to authorize, uh, Matt to sign that that letter so that, um, so he'd be
authorized to do that. So, this would be authorizing firefighter David Ferrer to take on the job as a fire alarm line worker. And, uh, just so you're aware, this is not an increase in budget. It's it'd be within the existing budget. It's just adding another person to help get
the job done. And that's u that's the basic thing. So take any questions board members. Any questions? Karen. Um so a clarification. So um well we're all here and if it's that straightforward,
why wouldn't we just offer why we need to delegate this? Is there something else we need to know about? >> Well, when we talked with town council, the advice of town council was have the board um authorize the town manager to sign the disclosure form.
I don't have a better answer. I'm sorry. >> That was that was that was advice from town council prior to coming this evening. >> Yeah. >> Haven't we done this before in with DPW?
>> Um I think so. Yeah. For filing. >> Yeah, we've done this before for other departments. >> Yeah. No, >> I don't think we are. I think we just have to vote. Anybody else? Anyone from the public?
Any special municipal employee? No online. Maddie, anybody? >> Not seeing anyone online. >> Karen, do you have a motion? Move that the select board approve the following employees request for exemption pursuant
to GL chapter 268A section 20F David Ferrer and to authorize the town manager to sign the associated section 20F disclosure form. >> Second >> second by Melissa. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor?
>> You can stay right there. >> Thank you. Second topic. Uh this is me publicly admitting that I'm human and I made a mistake. Um so when you guys voted last time on the perma fee schedule, uh three things happened. One, um there was a typo on my part that I
labeled something incorrectly. That's the first line. It should read kitchen suppression system permit instead of a sprinkle system permit. And then we went to implement this within the open gov perming system. On the back end, we actually found a couple of the things that was initially missed. So, we're asking to add two lines. A commercial
fire alarm system, a fee for $25. And then the license to store flammable combustible liquids, a fee of $50. So, the new vote would simply be adding those two and making a correction on the labeling that I
thank you for admitting that. Um, board members, any questions? I guess I just have one. So what is what's the residential fire alarm system? Is that that also 25 or so the residential fire alarm system is
Yeah. I'm asking for >> Oh no. Yeah. Resident file is $50. Yes. Yeah. And that what the difference in that is is the other ones are um 120 volt smoke detectors what most people have in the house or battery powered. The residential fire alarm system is somebody has a system. still have a
panel that maybe title security system may not. That's that's the difference between >> anyone from the public want to comment on permit fees. Anyone online?
All right. Over two. Uh so Karen, do you have a motion for this? >> Motion to approve the amendments to the fire department permit fee schedule as presented. >> Second. Seconded by Melissa. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? 5. Thank you. Thank you all.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. 7:55 public hearing discussion vote on a new alcohol restaurant liquid license for writing foro LLC DBA just do you have the
>> the application lawyer is here to discuss the petition? Yeah, if Karen can read the to read something open the hearing a public hearing. >> Oh, here we go. >> To the inhabitants of the town of Reading, please take notice that the select board of the town of Reading will
hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall 16 LOL Street Reading Mass. are also available remotely on Zoom to act on a new license application for an annual all alcohol restaurant license located
at 45 Walkersburg Drive Reading Mass from Reading Forno LLC DBA Tuscano Forno. A copy of the proposed documents regarding this topic will be in the select board packet on the website at www w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w ww.
gov. All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing in person or remotely via Zoom or may submit their comments or writing or by email prior to 6 PM on October 7th, 2025 to town manager at running ma.gov by order of matthew a kernelis town manager.
>> Thanks Karen and you may go ahead. >> Good evening. I'm attorney Josh Leam here tonight. I'm very pleased to be here tonight on behalf of Reading Corno LLC. Uh we are here as applicant for an all alcohol on premises restaurant license for the property 45 waters drive
you may know as the former location. Um as you may also know for declare bankruptcy. The site is now vacant and my clients are under lease to go into this premises and to open a new restaurant. So with me this evening I have Angelo Parina and Lucio Perina.
They are two of the three owners of Reading Corno LLC. uh their brother Valentino is not here this evening but he's also very active within the business. Uh Lucho is the designated manager on the application so he is here if you do have any questions. Um what I'd like to do is I don't want to take a
lot of your time. I'd like to hit the key points. You did submit a very wholesome application package which I know takes a lot of your pamphlet. Um and then of course answer any questions you might have. So from an ownership perspective there are the three brothers that are the owners. So this is not just a traditional investment. This is a
family business. It's a small business. Uh they are equal partners in the business. They also have significant experience in the restaurant industry. This is not a one-off. It's not a one-time trying to make a go of it. Um they opened their first restaurant, Tuscano Restaurante, in 2009 in West
Pee. They opened their second restaurant, Tuscano Bar italiano in Beverly in 2015. And then they opened their third Tuscana Forno in Peavedy in 2022. This will be their fourth location. I'm pleased to say every one of those restaurants is thriving.
There's a great success story here. Even better, their 17 years of business experience, they're from Reading. They went to Reading Memorial High School. They have a commitment to this community and they're very excited to be opening a restaurant back where they started.
So, I will talk about Luchu a little bit. Luch is going to be the proposing manager for this location. He hits all the requirements. He meets the statutory rules. He meets the town bylaw requirements. He will be there at least 40 hours per week as the manager overseeing all responsibilities relative to alcohol service and operations of
this location. He has significant experience with the other restaurant locations. This is not the first time doing this. And all three brothers are very active in each location. So while he will be the designated manager for this site, they are all going to be very active in
operating and making sure that this is a success. Regarding the restaurant concept, this is going to match the restaurant they have existing to scan Forno in Pee. I don't know if you had a chance to check the website, it's beautiful. It's a great location. I would say I define it
as a welcoming uh familyfriendly very accommodating full-ervice bar and food menu. Uh it serves this idea of authentic Italian specialty and rustic cuisine. They have a great bar menu. is the kind of location we want in town,
especially in the eastern gateway. This is exactly what we're looking for. If you look at the notes from the last meetings and and uh uh workshops we've had, they want small business over there. So, we're replacing what was a franchise, a national franchise with
Reading Small Business. So, it's a great success to there. The location itself, just to hit the metrics on it, is 6770 square ft. There's a 945 square foot square foot seasonal patio. Uh the interior is depicted on the floor plan
that we submitted. It's pretty faithful to what was there, but obviously it's going to be improved significantly. It's going to be renovated. They're putting a lot of effort into the renovation. If you look at the budget, you look at their financials, this is going to be a really nice result. And I would also say go ahead and look at the website for their other locations. It really gives
you a great sense of the quality that they're going to put into their restaurant, the pride that they have. Uh there will be liquor service on the patio, but they will fully comply with all of the town policies and bylaws relative to outdoor service. They will have the barrier, they will have the necessary signage, all of those things
will be fully satisfied. Um this entire use, the full renovation, everything will fully comply with zoning, planning, conservation, and health. So everything is an as of right use subject to, of course, getting the licenses that we need. And of course,
they will also meet the town's hours of operation. I will just note one thing they'd love to do would be to go and start doing brunch service on Sundays. The town bylaws don't allow it. Something that we might consider looking at in the future because that would be a really nice addition to the town.
>> They will do it. I will look into it immediately like we don't >> I will look at I have to require alcohol sales. I I would imagine counselors looking for alcohol sales. >> That's correct. The hours for alcohol service not allowed prior to noon on Sundays.
>> So, Bloody Mary and mimosas not allowed. >> We'll have a look at that. >> We'll get right on that. >> So, then going to the really the key question, safety and security. Uh we did submit uh their alcohol beverage service
policies. They fully comply with every element of the town's own policies. Uh they meet all statutory and regulatory requirements. They go above and beyond. They have an impeccable track record with their other locations. In 17 years of business, they do not have a violation notice. That's what's coming
to town here, and that's a great addition for that reason alone. All their service will be tip certified. They will have all interior public areas under video surveillance, um, CCTV, as well as key exterior areas of the lo of the restaurant. The renovation will
include installation of a new alarm system as well. Um they have zero tolerance zero tolerance policy. If you read the policies that we have, if an employee makes any mistake, if a customer, a patron makes any kind of disorderly conduct, intoxicated behavior, they will
not tolerate that. They're ready to come in and be a good part of the community. So then let's talk about what I think are the benefits to the town. You know, number one, we're talking about the Eastern Gateway District. It's a very important subject in town. Um and this is really a key piece. We're doing something tonight that we're hoping is
going to be a nice start to everything else we're going to do down the road. It adds a great dining option to the community. You know, we're talking about a great restaurant with a great track record. We know that it's going to be very popular with the town. And we're going to be bringing people in from out of town to this location where it's
located right off the highway, ample parking, it's going to have very accommodating environment. It's a perfect spot. It's a small business. That's who we want to support here. uh local employment, their other locations on average employ 50 to 60
people. So, think about the employment options we're adding by opening this new restaurant. Tax base. We're maintaining, if not improving the commercial tax base in town, which we don't have as much as most other towns. And lastly, community engagement. They're from the town. They
look forward to being involved in the community. They play football at the high school. They want to be part of everything that's going on here. This is their chance. They did what they did in a great job in Beverly and Peavey and now they're coming home. So with that, we respectfully request that you'd approve this application tonight. We're
of course happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you. >> Thanks, board members. Any questions? Melissa, >> um I just want to say thank you for coming to town. I've been to the location in Peody and I love it. So, I'm very excited for you guys to be coming
to town and I think it's um really appropriate tonight on Italian Heritage Night that you guys are here. So, um I will support this and I appreciate the hard work that's being put into this. >> Karen, >> thank you. Um yeah, no, I'd like to
welcome this is an extensive package. Um and I'm certainly glad that that location will no longer be empty. We could have also mentioned the meals tax revenue which is pretty important. So, um, lots and lots of benefits and I welcome and wish you all the best of luck.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Yeah. No, thanks. Uh, haven't been. I'm on your menu now. Many looks great. Thanks for coming to Reading. And, uh, to echo what Karen said, great to see that taken over pretty quickly. Sometimes those those locations stay dormant for a while. Route one in
particular has been empty for years. There's another bruis closed somewhere else. I forget. U, but thank you. Um, you guys can rock it. Thank you. >> Karen, >> when are you going to open? >> Through February 1st.
>> Okay. Thanks. >> Well, Karen stole my question. I thought no one was going to actually ask that, which is kind of ridiculous, but whatever. Yes. Yes, we are, Karen. Yes, we are. Um, uh, if you're looking for feedback from
me on the last four years serving on this board, this is the most well presented alcohol license scenario that I've been a part of. >> Yes. >> I mean, if I can grade you on a one of 10, it' be a 10. Not that everyone else before you has been under that. It's
different. Um, so it's good to see your passion. I know you're across the street here anyway as well, right? Um, so it's it's good to see that uh reading is going to be thriving. And I guess my other uh question would be how did the
owners actually hear about the Bertuji scenario? Like what made them did it just come up on social media or how did they find out it was closing and they said I'm in? That's just my one question I got.
>> I can tell you that we've been looking for a location. We we really had our eyes on that location for a long time. We I used to go there. Uh you know, we lived in Reading. I haven't lived there here in a couple years, but I grew up here. I moved out when I was like 28. So, um we've always I used to attend,
you know, go to that location. We always eyed it. And we started when I saw that they were Britis was having trouble, we reached out to the landlord and we've been in talks with them for about 6 months. And then we were waiting kind of for Britis to close because we knew it was inevitable. So we were pretty much
ready to go when once they did close. Okay. >> So >> So you've been married just since everything else you had. >> That's why we get open so quick. I have plans ready to go. We're going gang busters try to get open for February. >> Perfect. And there's a golf place
opening over there too. So maybe triple over. >> Yeah. I'm very excited about the location. We're excited to be back in Reading. So >> awesome. Super excited. And my favorite is chicken marsala. No mushrooms with linguini. >> I don't like mushrooms. I don't have an
allergy. I just don't like >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anyone from public >> any music? >> You just have to go. >> You got to go to >> Yes. >> Sorry. Oliver
Street. >> Any music? >> So, at our other location, we have live music on Thursday nights. So, we to sprinkle some of that in here. >> Okay. >> We have another minute and 45 seconds if you want.
Can >> I come back to my other sub? >> Yes. Thank you. All right. So, we uh anyone online? You >> No one online. >> You want to close the hearing? Karen, >> move to close the hearing regarding the new annual all alcohol restaurant liquor
license for Tesano 4. >> Second. >> Second by Melissa. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? 5 Z. Next. >> Move to approve the annual all alcohol restaurant liquor license for Reading Forno LLC. EVHO Forno located at 45
Walkers Book Drive. >> Second. >> Second by Melissa. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? >> Best of luck. >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. Thanks for your time. >> Welcome back.
>> We will see you in February. >> Thank you. >> All right. And next on the agenda is one of the highlights of the evening is discuss and vote on the trash and recycling contract page 125 in the Chris
Cole is going to be presenting. Yes. >> Daddy, can I share my screen? >> Yes, you should be able to, Chris. Is your microphone >> should be on microphone on >> speaking to it.
Okay. Well, good evening everyone and thank you for having us tonight. Um, I'm going to try to get through this as quick as possible because I got a lot here. Um, Okay. So, just a quick little background here. I'm just going to go through these
slides really fast because um you have a lot of this already. Um so, as you know, our current contract with Republic Services expires um uh on July 4th. Uh it's a the conclusion of a 10-year contract valued right now
at $1,253,000. Um so back starting last summer, summer of 24, uh town staff began meeting weekly and that involves um public works, myself and Mike Kesman, procurement uh uh Josh and Katie, finance Sharon and town management Matt
and Jane um to begin uh putting together what we wanted to have in this RFP. Um and to that end, we um were attending monthly meetings with Mass D staff and other municipal officials um from different communities around the Commonwealth. Um we discussed topics
such as like challenges um what they were doing for contracts um procurement issues and best outcomes to get feedback from these other communities on what we should be doing. And Mass D also helped the town develop this RFP for automated collection um which is representative of
industry standards. So, just a brief timeline here. So, starting back this past April, um we completed the RFP and we sent it off to Mass D staff and town council for review. Uh then back in May 27th, um the
RFP was um fully complete and made available to vendors. Then back on July 15th, um the final addendum was issued by the town for questions. And then on July 31st, um all the proposals were due back from the vendors and we received
five in total. Um so town staff um in this committee then got together and completed an independent comprehensive uh review of each vendor's technical proposal and once those were complete then um we looked at the price proposals
and they were um let's see then we had the evaluation criteria for the technical proposals. This is um just a quick uh summary of the criteria that we were grading each uh vendor on for a total score of 28
points. And then as I said we received five proposals and those vendors were in no particular order waste management uh which received a technical score of 26.6 uh republic services um a score of 21.2
2 Pella Waste Systems score of 24.4 Eel Harvey and Suns um 17.4 and Easy Waste Disposal 16.6. Then um for the cost, so Waste Management had an annual cost um of
1,976,850 uh with a um 5% uh annual increase. Now, Republic Services, and I will preface here that um Republic Services, this is their original proposal. Just this past weekend, they came to us with
a revised proposal that I will present to you in a in a short while. But this is their um price back then of 1,991,893 with um again 5% increase each year of the contract. Uh Cassella Waist Systems um had an
annual cost of $2,578,243 with another annual 5% increase. El Harvey was at 2,297290 with a 5% increase. And lastly, easy waste disposal was a little over $4 million um with an annual increase of 2
and a.5%. So now um based on the proposals then um technical and financial um waste management um came out with the best proposal um that's the one circled in red. So I
am now going to go through way some of the point uh the qualities of waste management's proposal and then um we'll also be taking a look at um republic's new proposal and some of those qualities as well. So for this so
a couple of options for waste management. So option one um the 1,976850 um involved weekly automated trash collection including dumpsters, bi-weekly automated recycling, uh the
leaf collection that we have in the spring and the fall including the Christmas tree collection, the um two recycling events that we have at the DBW garage each year and the separate paper shredding event that we have for town buildings and schools over the summer.
And then this proposal also would remove any bulk um payments um from the town and all um burnable bulky items, metal items, white goods, CRT TVs and monitors, sinks, bathtubs, toilets um
would all be paid for um by the resident themselves. Then this was option two. This would be for all the same options that I just described, but this would be for weekly recycling collection. It would add 300 about $375,000
to the annual cost of the contract. Uh bringing it up to 2,350,764. And then just a snapshot here to on the slide on my computer. There we go. Okay. Um just a snapshot here of how this how this would affect the the
overall trash and recycling budget. Um so you can see what the FY26 budget is there. Um now just a little explanation. So, as part of Waste Management's proposal, that 1,976
is technically a theoretical number because their true number is the 2,99,000 that you see there. Um, but their proposal includes disposal in all of the trash dumpsters. So, that is a savings that we can we don't have to pay
rework for. Um, so that was about 122,000 then that we can deduct from that $2 million price there. Plus, there is no processing fee for um the recycling dumpsters. So, that's another
$4,000 savings on that, which so which brings you down to the 1,976. Um and then as I said um unlike what we have to do now um we will we will have to pay processing fees for any recycling
that is collected um you know outside of the outside of those dumpsters um that I just mentioned. And there is a budgeted number incorporated into that $2 million um price tag there. Um, but just because
it's all based on market conditions and not knowing what the market will do, we wanted to give a little extra buffer. So that's why we just put $25,000 in there to give ourselves a little safety net, not knowing what might happen. Um, the trash disposal, and this is reflective,
this number is reflective of the reduction in the um the savings that we would have on the dumpsters is that 596612. And then the miscellaneous recycling of 35,000 uh would be mostly for um
processing the all of the electronics that we collect in the styrofoam at the DPW garage because we have to hire a company to come in and pick those up and you know take them away for us. So that's mostly what that $35,000 cost is right there. Um, so that totals 2
2,756,000. >> I think I just I just lost Zoom. >> I'm reconnecting Jackie. >> I mean, that's weird. Okay. go back. Okay. So, um yeah, so that $2,756,000
um is the total budget for trash and recycling for FY27, which would be a 25% increase over the current budget now. And then if you look in the following column to the right um that would be if we would to utilize
that the weekly recycling um proposal from waste management which would bring the budget total up to 3.1 million and increase the budget by 42%. So now just a few key advantages to waste management. Um so they had a great
um a detailed transition plan to ensure a smooth implementation um from timeline for getting equipment to getting the containers delivered um all the locations and transitioned over to the new contract and any other phases of the
contract um that would have to be done to um by the start date in July. Uh they talk about customer service. Um you know residents could call um on the telephone to customer service representatives Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00
pm. Um they would actually develop a customized local website for reading which we would then link off our own page um where residents could go on there and schedule um all their items for payment pickup. um they could report
any mispickups um or request repairs to carts because um one thing under this contract um while the town will still purchase the carts and any parts, the vendor, the new contractor is going to be responsible for making any of the repairs or doing any swap outs for carts
or delivering new carts and whatnot. Um there is also a live chat feature that will be available Monday through Friday 7 to 6:50 and um Saturday uh 8 to 11:50. Um
let's see. Waste management would also develop and mail public outreach program guides to residents. Um and under and the one thing to you know that you saw is the bi-weekly recycling
collection significantly reduces the annual cost of the town. As I said $375 difference $1,000 difference. Um so they would provide three new automated trash recycling collection trucks to be ordered for reading. Um two
there would be two uh new trash trucks and one recycling truck. Um the one recycling truck would still be in here every single week even though um it would be a bi-weekly recycling program, but they would just be focusing on half the town each week. Um
the trucks are their garage is right out of Wuburn. Um so it's only four miles from Reading Center, so very right next door. Um, and as I mentioned about the trash disposal costs and the recycling processing fees, including in the price
of the dumpster, they do this by putting all of their dumpsters on the um, commercial truck routes. And that minimizes the amount of trash and recycling that gets put in the regular curbside route so they have to make fewer trips to the um, the dump so they
can get the uh, routes completed sooner, more efficiently. And also they have truck mounted cameras combined with GPS that actually provides photographic records of service at each property. they um you know the cameras not only
show you know whether the trash or recycling was out when the truck pulls up um but it also identifies contamination through the use of AI because this camera is looking at what's being dumped into the truck especially for recycling and um if there's an issue
with a certain property it flags that property and then we can provide what they can't put in recycling or trash or whatever. Um, let's see.
Okay, so I mentioned the recycling processing fees and that um is based on market conditions. Um, there's also going to be fuel search charge costs again based on market conditions. Um, one difference is in this RFP there are
going to be 19 liquidated damages. um in the current contract we have there's only three. So there's more um you know keeping tabs on the on the contractor to do what they're supposed to be doing, you know, so if anything ever goes ary, you know, there's more um
ammunition from the town to go after the contractor and make sure that they do the right thing. Um I mentioned the bi-weekly recycling collection proposal. Um, and there are a couple options as I showed for, um, bulk
disposal, metal. Um, let's see. The trash recycling would only be collected from towns carts and waste management would, as I said, would be formed perform for four cart repairs and cart delivery swaps with the town providing um, all the carts and spare
parts to waste management staff. And then just a little snapshot here of some of the um residential charges that um you would see for the bulky items. So burn and
waste management has said that you know this is this can be negotiable you know they will work with us to come up with what fits in each category you know so whether it's you know a burnable bulky item is up to four kitchen chairs or
four chairs and a kitchen table you know that they're willing to work with us to see what fits into those categories. So, a burnable bulky item will be $30. Um, metal item would be 35, which is um exercise equipment. Um, a gas grill,
lawn mower, snowblower. Um, sinks, bathtubs, and toilets would be 35. Uh, white goods would be 45. Um, that includes like dishwasher, stove, range, air conditioner,
uh, washers and dryers. CRT TVs and monitors would be $60 each. And the other um option that Waste Management offers is, you probably seen it like Home Depot, I think, and I think Lowe's does it too, the um bag program. So, you
can get a bag at one of these um facilities and $300, but um it holds three cubic yards, maximum 3,300 lb. You can fill it with your construction debris. Um, whatever you want to clean out your attics,
basement, and a truck will come by and, um, and haul it away. >> Chris, could you just hold up one sec? Cameron, did you need a moment? >> No, I don't. I actually realized that I left my not that I explanation, but I am
taking notes for liaison reports because I accidentally switched binders and left my notes at home. All right. Well, it's been well over five minutes during his presentation. That's why I decided to mention it now. >> That's great. I did read the presentation and I am listening and uh
thank you. >> Okay. >> For your concern. >> Thanks. All right. You can go ahead. >> And then this is just um you have it in your packet. This is just a quick snapshot comparing the the bulky rates
for all five proposals that we received. So they range for the burnable bulky they range anywhere from $30 up to um $75 >> and um yeah. So
and then let's see. So we talked about the revised proposal that we just received by Republic Services. So this is a table comparing um their two proposals plus um comparing it to waste management's proposal. So
Republic um offered a bi-weekly recycling with no bulk um included in the contract. No metal collection included in the contract. Those will be both on the resident to pay for. And the annual cost will be 1,872,930913,000.
um would increase by 5% each year for a contract total of a little over $10 million. Um the other proposal was for again bi-weekly recycling, but this time including one bulk as as we do now with
your weekly trash and one metal item, which um the one metal item would be collected, you'd have to schedule with waste man uh with Republic, but um it would be collected every Friday. um all of all over town
>> and that's included in the price. >> Okay. >> And that's um just a little over $2 million. Again, 5% increase for a little over for a 5year contract total a little over 11 million. And then that's compared to Waste Management's um price
of bi-weekly recycling, no bulk, no metal for 1,976. Um 5% increase for just under $11 million. Um, a few highlights here of Republic's proposal. Um, so they would offer us two
front load trucks for trash, two side load trucks for recycling. Um they did reduce um their their burnable bulk cost from 80 excuse me
from 80 from $80 down to 75 and then all the other um items were $80. The uh recycling dumpsters um processing is included in the unit cost. Uh they have GPS enabled on the trucks um which
allows them to you can go on a website and they will um they have track my truck where you can actually see where the truck is in the neighborhood to see whether it's been by your house already. Um it'll alert you of service alerts, report miss pickups,
etc. So Chris, real quick, the >> cost reduced to $75 instead of 80 for the bulk item. >> They're still including one item for free, though. >> And this is an addition. >> No. No. One of their proposals.
>> So So it's one bulk item and one metal item included in this price. >> Yes. >> If I had seven, it's seven times $75. So I So I would assume then that you're allowed one bulk item free and then any additional bulk items you want to get rid of during the week, you just pay 70
$75 per item to get rid of. >> So our current trash contract is one bulk item, correct? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yes. So, as you can see from the pricing, you know, financially bi-weekly recycling is what is recommended for the
town because by us, by the committee because it just is cheaper. Um, you know, so you saw several options for payment pickup of the burnable bulky items and metal based on the vendor. You know, the resident can either arrange
all pickup payment pickup with the vendor or the other option is the resident is allowed up to one bulk item with trash, one metal item with recycling at no extra cost to the resident. Um, you know, all sinks, bathtubs, toilets, um, white good CRTs, uh, payment pickup
scheduled by the resident with the vendor. But um any subsidation of bulk by the town because that got mentioned at the previous meeting would definitely add to the annual contract cost because you know
the co the vendor still is going to want that um price paid to them per item. So you know whatever the resident doesn't pay the town's going to have to pick up. Um but while you know all these
different options are a sign significant increase to the town um it unfortunately is the reality of the times. You know the contract we have now we have a very good deal. It's 10 years old but those prices are
you know just very favorable to us right now and this is the reality of the times. Um so in summary um we need to award the contract to someone. A decision needs to be made now to give either waste
management or republic services ample lead time to procure new vehicles um and have them arrive by July. Um if the trucks are not ready by July, depending upon which vendor is chosen, um rental trucks um might have to be
used and it could be as much as $30,000 per month um the town would have to pay if the new trucks are not um ready by that time. Um so town staff would obviously work with the new vendor over the next several
months um to ensure that everything's smooth as possible. um develop educational materials for residents, including on the town website and social media. And DPW would also hold a series offormational sessions to educate residents on what to expect under this
new contract. I already have three different dates um scheduled um with the Pleasant Street Center to talk to the seniors about what to expect in this new contract. The first one being in November. Um,
and then lastly, what's requested at the select board? So, vote to direct the town manager to award the next trash recycling collection contract to either waste management or republic services, including what pricing options you want to go with. Um, which would commence on
July 5th, 2026. Now, we'll take any questions. Um, I will say that um, Christine D. Rosa from Waste Management is here on the room with us and um also we have Samantha Gray I believe is on Zoom from Republic if um you have any questions for either
one of the vendors. >> Thanks Chris. Um real quick I just wanted to mention that Chris Matt uh and Jane had a meeting uh and I had a meeting with waste management yesterday.
I wanted to um they advocated our price down and saved us I think close to $400,000 over what original proposals were coming in. So by no means am I belittling the significant effort that
they made. Um, I took into account the emails that we received, the comments that I' I've seen posted elsewhere and felt like I had to advocate for our bulk items to be reduced. That was a big sticking point at this meeting. Um, and
as a result of the conversation, we did get it from 35 to 30 for waste management. They also agreed to do two um at least two events uh per year for residents to bring all their bulk items
just like our paper events that we've always had. They waited a fall and spring cleanup kind of scenario. Um, and then I try to advocate the price increase from 5% to something down to um, four or four and a
quarter because once you start scaling, you know, $10 million contracts by that percent, that ends up becoming significant. Um, unfortunately, they didn't have any leeway on that. They did go down on the the bulk that I had mentioned. Um, and I mentioned also that
I thought this conversation could go sideways in which I'm now making it go sideways is that I didn't know about Republic's other option with the bulk item being included. And it seems as if all the work that I just did got negated
regardless by somebody else's proposal because it's much easier now to have one bulk item still being collected. I understand if you have two, three, four. Listen, it is what it is. if you pay more money or wait a minute, but like I don't even know what happens right now. Um I know this came in at the last
minute and you know it was put in our packet the way that it is and I'm curious to see what the board thinks regarding this but like I don't even know what to say at this point. So I'll open it up for board members. Clar.
>> Sure. Um, so, um, to the representatives from Republic and Waste Management and and Chris, this board didn't ask you to go in and represent the board. And I'm concerned, Matt and Jane, that you didn't bring
this to the board and Chris was taking upon himself to represent the board because it specifically says in our policies that you will only be representing yourself. You will never be representing the board. And we literally spent how much time at the last meeting
talking about who would be our internal designate to work on the contract with Burbank. So I'm very disappointed Mr. Chair and I don't so I wanted to apologize to Waste Management Republic because this board is a board of five
and no single select board member by our vote has been authorized to make any commitments or to negotiate. So that's um >> so Karen apologize >> there's there's no need to apologize Karen and firstly I did because
according there's no it doesn't matter the select board policies Karen >> Karen point of order Mr. have the floor. >> The only person that can interrupt another select board member is the
chair. It's in our select board policy. So, go ahead with your point of order. Mr. >> Go ahead. What is your point of order? >> My point of order is we have a policy that no select board member will interrupt another select board member
while they have the floor >> other than the chair. Other than the chair that is in our I have it right here, Karen. I have it right here. So unfortunately, if you want me to read, >> you do not get to interrupt other selectors. That's what
>> only the chair can and uh I rule that your point of order is uh uh not accurate. >> So what I'm going to >> rule my point of order. Go ahead. Have a great time. >> And I'm going to read what is on the first page of our select code policy for
you right now. >> Had her hand off. >> I'm going to call on you. Cut me off. You're out of order, Karen. You're out of water, Karen. >> I No. No. >> So, section 1.1.2 chair. The select board sh Thank you,
Karen. The select board chair shall nominate members to res represent the select board at appropriate functions, events, and meetings. And I represented us in the negotiations with waste management at after everybody was done with the final numbers that they had.
Matt, Jane, and everything. I advocated for them behind the scenes to handle my wishes and the town's wishes and everything else that I've seen the feedback come in and I advocated and put that on Matt and Chris and everybody to do it correctly. And when waste
management was not going to come back to the table and change their numbers, I then requested a meeting to be able to um attempt a lastditch effort of renegotiating better for the benefit of the town, which is in my purview, just
like I read here, that I'm allowed to actually do that. Um, and I didn't think that advocating for the town and trying to get a lower rate was controversial, but apparently in 2025 in Reading, that's the way that it is. Uh, but I want everybody to be uh on the up and up
and realize that this was at the end of the discussion. I didn't insert myself until yesterday. So, now that that's on the record, Melissa, if you had a question, >> I have several.
>> Thank you. Um, I have a lot of questions. Sorry. >> Um, do we have I don't believe we do. I asked this earlier, but I would love for us to get a weekly rate from Republic and recycling. Um, this is kind of a
sticking point for me. People pay taxes for public safety, good schools, and services like trash and recycling. I really would like to get weekly recycling. We've done things in town because we've had to with water rates
and um you know going down to the barrels, we're really restricting larger families. Um and my multigenerational families when we keep taking these services away or increasing their costs.
So I really would love to get a price for weekly recycling from Republic. That's one. Um the second is I'm really worried about the um in one of the or actually several of the charts that says
based on market conditions. That's concerning to me. Is that only with waste management uh quote or is that also with Republic? >> That was Republic's. >> That was Republic's. >> Yeah, Waste Management. Um >> Waste Management.
>> I thought they both have it. >> Oh, no. >> No. waste. No, waste waste management was 5% increase each. >> Not this chart. This is the one I'm talking about. There's another one. It's um based on market conditions for things like um fuel and recycling processing. I
thought that was waste management. Um, so I could probably find it. >> This one right here. >> Yeah, that's it. >> That's waste management, correct? >> Correct. >> Yeah. So that's concerning to me um because
the fuel costs can go through the roof. >> That that's actually all the vendors, >> but that is all the vendors >> on the fuel. Yeah. On the fuel storage charge. So >> what about the recycling piece of it? >> The the recycling. So that is based on um the reading had a composition audit
done of our recycling and the vendor will typically do more over the course of the year to see what the breakdown is recycling like how much cardboard, how much paper, how much um cans and so forth. You know you have and and each of that has a value
>> and together it combines to give you like a blended value of what your based on what the dollar rate is on the market for that. And then you take that and combine it with like a processing fee that you know that the facility that
processes the recycling gives you and you come up with a um >> like an estimate >> like like a like a per ton price for recycling. >> Okay. >> And that's constantly looked at and that's that's the processing fee that we have to pay for.
>> And both companies have that in their contract. Okay. um who on our side monitors it in case it goes down because I'm pretty sure they're not going to reach out to us if those numbers went down. Okay, perfect. Um I agree with Chris and I appreciate
Chris working to get uh waste management down from 35 to 30, but public adding the option of just having one bike bulk item a week is, you know, very interesting. That's only a $24,000 difference. and you know so we can take
that off residents so they're not paying for it I think is important. Um I it was interesting that you're saying that so waste management is saying that they'll repair the carts. Are we still paying for that repair in some fashion?
>> Well, it's included in the overall price of and that was a requirement on the RFP. So that's that's that's for all the vendors. >> Okay, great. Good to know. And then you mentioned something about um you'll no longer have to get um someone to do handle electronics and styrofoam. So
waste management would include that in their cost. No, I was saying that that budget price that you saw that 35,000 that is the recite that is the electronic um collection that we do at the garage and the styrofoam that we have to you know once once people bring that stuff down there we have to bring
hire a company to come in and you know take the take the electronics away and >> Got it. >> process. >> So is that an increase in 35,000 from what we do now or >> No no that's what we haven't paid. >> Okay. Got it. Um >> do I have any other questions?
Um, no. I think the biggest one for me is finding out a price from Republic on a weekly recycling just so we have all those numbers. That I think is really important. >> I have Samantha Gray on the line from from Republic. Um, Samantha, do you want to comment at all on that if that's
possible? >> Hi there. Um, can you hear me? >> Yes. Thank you. >> I don't know if you can see me too. I just turned my camera on, but I can't see myself. Um, I'd be happy to give you a a option for weekly recycling. Absolutely.
>> Um, I could uh get that over to you within the next week or so. Um, hopefully sooner than that. Um, I just wanted to make mention too, um, that our revised price would, uh, be a cost
savings to the town of, uh, over half a million dollars over the five years um, compared to Waste Management's contract. Um, also, we wouldn't need to order uh, or excuse me, we wouldn't need rental trucks. So, $30,000 a month uh would not
be something that would need to be considered with our proposal uh or if you were to award a contract to us because we do already service you all. So, there would be no need for rental trucks. >> Can I ask where you're getting the $500,000 savings? Um, so based off of
our year one price, um, one second. And my comparison, um, uh, price comparison was slightly different than, um, what I saw on the packet just based off of the bid price sheets between ours and waste managements.
Um, so year one, uh, we are $110,000 less. And then um with the 5% increase on both Republic's year one price and
the 5% increase on Waste Management's year one price, uh there's over $600,000 uh delta between Republics and Wastes. >> Yeah, the 100,000 is scaling
>> year over year, >> five years. Okay, I understand. Thank you. Um I did have one other question. um that I was a little confused by uh Chris is that at one point you mentioned that we um
you have these amounts in here but then there's the theoretical amount. So what you the amount in here is more than what you're quoting us is actually the price. >> So that was for waste management. So the actual price let me just find a slide here.
Um yeah. So this price here somewhere. >> So this chart right here you see the um trash recycling collection at FY27 at 2,99,668. Y >> that is the actual
>> price for um waste management's proposal when you add everything up. this when I when I was mentioning about how disposal is included in the cost of the dumpsters that's so what I did then is deducted
that savings which is like 122,000 that we wouldn't have to pay reworld for disposal from that price from the DBW yard. >> Got it. because it's going to be it's going to be an overall >> plus plus an addition additional 4,000
in processing fees for recycling dumpsters that we don't have to pay either. >> So when you deduct those two savings off of there, you get down to the 1 million 976 because those are costs that we do not have to pay. >> I understand that and I understand that's a savings. I just wouldn't have
liked it worded that way because that's a little um because their number is bigger because we could can't we can we not deduct that from Republics? >> No, because Republic um we have to still we still have to pay disposal for all adopters.
>> Okay. All right. Okay. All right. Thank you very much, >> Carlo. Yeah. Thanks. I just I don't understand the $30,000 rental fee. It just doesn't make any sense. I get vendors you
ordering a truck could be delayed, but why is that burden to us? >> Because um it's all about when we go to the vendor, you know, they need a certain lead time to get these trucks and, you know, we haven't given everybody a notice to proceed yet, you
know, for these trucks. So they need a minimum time to get the trucks, you know, built from when they place the order and we give them the go-ahead. >> So what is the minimum time to give the truck these days trash? >> Well, waste management told us that it'd be right around now that we'd have to
give them the notice to proceed um to give us the best chance at getting having new trucks for July. >> Okay. >> They were Mr. chairman with your permission. Um, they asked for an October 1st
notification um on their July 31st submission. So, um, that was not unreasonable considering supply chains and, you know, large equipment. So, that, you know, that's not unreasonable. They were optimistic that they wouldn't have to charge a $3,000 rental fee, but
if we take long to make decisions, that is a cost that we could be incurring just because it doesn't give them enough time to order the trucks. So, >> okay. So, thank you. So, my followup question would be if we let's say vote tonight or vote our
next meeting till October and something goes sideways getting these trucks is that we could potentially pay $30,000 a truck for a year. Look how long it took to get a fire truck. I'm using that
as an example. It's a unique more unique than than the trash truck, but it just I get it. You know, these are specially built and probably only so many manufacturers, but I think we need a if we decide to go to waste management, we
need like a a window of up to so many months because we can't be on the hook for a manufacturer's problem or delivery problem or whatever the problem is. >> Christine, do you want to comment on that at all or? Yeah, I think we pushed it out. >> You want to just come up, please?
>> Don't say my address. >> No, I mean, if you want to. >> Do you live in writing? >> I don't. >> Oh, >> I believe when we spoke, we pushed it out a week. So, we're confident if we can get a letter in a tent by tomorrow that we can get the trucks in by July
1st of 2026. But we did put the October one in because we know our lead time is at least a year out. But we can be confident. >> But, but right. But there's certain things out of your control. >> Yes. >> So if we get to July one and we pay a
month, okay, I don't like that anyway, but a month is okay. If it's three months, six months, and it's not your fault, it's the manufacturer's fault. Why should we be penalized? >> Well, we if we can get the letter attempt by the deadline, we can pull from our network if we don't get the
rental trucks in. We just need a we can't >> I know how municipalities work. We can't go to November to December. >> I totally understand that. Thank you. No, I totally understand that. And I just if I were to put a condition on choosing
waste management, it would be $30,000 a month. I want to wave it, but up to so many months, but >> um Mr. Mr. Chairman, with your permission through you to Miss Fulta. Um, is the town held harmless? If the town sends a notice to of intent to
proceed to waste management tomorrow at your word, does that mean the town would be held harmless for um the rental costs? >> Yes. >> Correct. So, we wouldn't pay we would be secured not to have to pay that whether they have it or not.
>> We're okay. We're good to go if if we we're not going to have to pay that 30,000. All right. That's all I have. Melissa asked a lot of great questions this live right now. >> Thank you, Christine. >> Kevin, >> I had a whole lot of questions, >> but I got thrown a loop today with
Republic. So, Melissa asked a lot of them. I think um from all the emails we've gotten, I think it's important that we get the one belt item a week in the in the contract. I guess I should be talking to all of us, not just him. Um,
do we still get a free recycle barrel for free or is that going away with if we go with waste management? You know how right now we can get a second for free? Is that still in the plan? So, we could do that if you have a big family. >> Yeah, I would I don't see enough. >> Okay. Because I think that would maybe
alleviate some of the larger families if you have two. >> That's on the on the town end. That's not We don't have to deal with the vendors for that. That's us. >> Yeah. >> Right. Two. Okay. which I think you know if we had to go every other week for recycling that is leaked kind of a
solution. Um what else? I I do think that we as a town need to visit other forms of recycling, repurposing, making us more greens into a green community.
Kind of working with with Black Earth to try and take our trash to another level. And it's too soon to do that for this trash contract, but I think by the time this trash contract is done in five years, we should have a lot of time under our belts to figure out other ways to use other resources so that we're not
just depending on waste management or republic or something like that. So either doing more at the at the DPW center or something like that. I think it would be nice to look into that moving forward uh for this contract. Um,
second trash barrel. I know we have to pay for that each year. Is that still something that's consider because that's a town thing? >> Yep. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Um, you asked a lot of the questions I have, but >> Okay, Karen.
So um thank you for this extensive packet and um I um I don't disagree with the comments made by two of my colleagues that we are getting a lot of push back and concern from residents about the exorbitant bulk pickup prices
we're being asked to absorb. Um and and and I share that sentiment. So that is a real concern for me. Um um I would love the weekly recycling and um you know I don't know how much wiggle
wiggle room there is and um I also believe I we're not specifically talking about black earth composting but I think we need to look at it to see what we can do more for the residents and and at the same time encourage more of it because
that is um there's a variable cost in our pickup as you know and we've had multiple great discussions with them and so hopefully I know this was a lot of effort on your plates. So if that's this is settled then we can really get serious about black earth confir that would be wonderful. Um I had some
specific questions. Um when Republic was in here I don't know a year ago. Um we were talking about electric truck plans that were being tested in Denver and so are either of the vendors um what kind of trucks are we going to have rolling through town? What are the plans to um
reduce emissions? We heard a lot of feedback about that earlier regarding um increased train service. So it applies to um waste trucks as well. >> Uh Samantha, do you want to comment on that? >> Yeah. So um we are currently uh using
electric vehicles across the country. Um our Fall River business unit is the first in Massachusetts that's been uh on set to receive electric vehicles. So, they're kind of slowly making their way to Massachusetts. Um, the proposal that
I provided, the trucks that we would be servicing the town with, uh, for trash, it's a frontload Curado truck. So, it's a front load truck with a Curado can on the front. Uh, there's a arm that extends off of the front of the can and
it tips the cart into the can. Um, and with that Curado uh container that we use on the front, we can also put the bulk items in. So, that's how we're able to do to continue with the one bulk item on the trash collection route. The
recycling um that would be with a automatic side load truck. And so, um it would be an arm that comes out of the side of the truck. It tips the cart up into the hopper. And um as for yard
waste, yard waste would continue uh similar to with the rear load truck um just because that is the best method for us to collect it. Um and those are the trucks that we would use. So uh
moving on to if there was an option for electric, there absolutely is. um in the future, not at this time. Uh but if there is more interest in the town uh to implement electric vehicles in in town, we can certainly look at that.
>> So do do we need to put that in a contract? Can the other vendor um comment as to plans? Similar to Samantha, we are we do have an electric truck in London area. We are testing out testing it out out there. It
is not something we bring into the contract the first year, but maybe something in the future. So, we will be coming into town with diesel trucks, but there is talk, no timeline yet of switching the Wuburn hauling site to CNG,
but I don't have the timeline on that. But it is something that we're talking about, but we would do three diesel trucks in July 1st, 2026. But electric trucks could be something we can start talking about. We do have in this area >> and and you know, CNG, that would be an
intermittent option. So, can wouldn't it be great if we could get something that I'm not asking for a time guarantee, but if we could get something in that whatever contract we decide upon that we're going to make a commitment to clean our vehicles and reading as soon as possible because that's important to us, that would be great.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, there was one more thing that caught my eye in unacceptable um items that go in the trash. Um, pet waste. Like we have a lot of pets in town. What what are what are we expecting residents
to do with pet waste? >> Well, pet waste is just one regular trash. It's to the um incinerator. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. For this was a huge presentation. I'm pretty sure I read in
unacceptable trash components. It said pet waste >> in the RFP. >> Yeah. Uh well, in the response, um I don't know what it was. This was huge. But it says unacceptable and it wasn't recycling.
>> Oh, it it's mentioned there too, I think, um, as unacceptable and that's fine. But if we go to uh, let me see if I can just Google pet not Google but search on pet waste. I guess unless voice management wants to respond and maybe you know if it's
acceptable or not or republic that might unacceptable meaning the recycling thing but the trash >> yes >> um let me just thank you um okay the only thing that jumps out at me is that it's great to have an app and um
my phone is um crushed under the apps that I have, but we have been working really hard to have the use of Cclick Fix. How much value is it to have another app? If Cclick Fix is working, can we not use Cook Fix? Are you going to need to go to two different locations to
resolve residential concern or commercial concern? Well, for example, with waste management's proposal, they would have that um dedicated website just for writing where residents go on to report miss pickups or whatever. They might need to report and that would actually replace the cclick fix option
because it kind of eliminates the middleman, if you will. You know, they they can go directly to the contractor as checkups. >> Yeah. So, that's my point. So, that's another behavioral thing or another step for residents to um to figure out. So, okay. Yeah.
>> Okay. Thank you. That's it. >> Melissa, >> um just a quick follow-up question. Um the deduction on the waste management um quotes that you took off for the dumpsters, did you take that off the weekly recycling one as well?
>> Okay. All right. Yeah. >> So, I guess where I'm at with this is uh I was also thrown for a loop. Like I said, I I was going into this thinking that, you know, waste management, uh,
getting these additional ask and whatever included, uh, you know, didn't get everything that we wanted, but, you know, you never do. But then Republic came back and just I never thought I would actually be saying the word Republic in Reading,
Massachusetts after what transpired in the past. Um but looking at the proposal for me it's it comes down to obviously money yes but convenience of our residents. Um and I
never put bulk stuff item uh stuff out. My wife sells everything on Facebook for whatever kinds of money. You know people show up all hours. Um but it's it's mainly about other residents obviously that you know enjoy this kind of
um not luxury that we have but kind of uh you move to reading for the schools the um uh safe community and you want your trash picked up and like the the the basics here. And I I feel as if
um we're getting a little away from the basics after everything that we've approved in in the town over the the past couple years. Um so that's a long-winded way of saying that I'm not entirely sure which direction I would go
with this, but I I uh much to the uh Matt, Jane, Sharon, and you, I kind of think that I want to go down the weekly recycling option as well. Um, and I know Republic didn't include it in theirs. And Waste Management was
like 380, 380,000, something like that. I'd like to see what Republic comes at for theirs. And spoiler, if it's more than 380, then I'm not having this conversation. Um, or whatever the the number was. But I don't know for me if
I'm ready to vote on this tonight. At least that's me personally. I kind of feel that there's some unresolved and if we have to have a special meeting just to to have the final answer then so be it. Um
but I I don't know what I want to do. So Carla I was going to I recommend that I think waiting two weeks would be a disservice to both vendors. Um how quickly can Republic get us a recycling price?
I'm sorry, the audio broke up. >> How quickly can you get us a recly recycling price factored into the contract? >> Um, I can get it to you by Monday, the latest. >> Okay. Thank you, Kevin.
>> Um, I think that one bulk item is more important than the recycling part. That's just my opinion based on what people have said. And um I came in here tonight willing to go the extra 400 grand or whatever it
was for the bulk item based on the math of well if I threw away one item six times in a year, it's going to cost me $300 a year. If you multiply that by 6,000 homes, that's like a couple million dollars. And so I'm thinking, well, 400 grand is a bargain compared to
that. and we're taking on as a community the burden of the charge as opposed to like an insurance company passing it on to the residents. So that really stuck with me as being much more important than every week recycling. So that's just my opinion on it. But I think every
I think the recycling piece can be quote fixed by having an extra barrel. Not that anybody wants an extra barrel, but I think that that if you have to pick one over the other, I think residents would much rather have a bulk item once a week than have to deal with the recycling.
>> Melissa, >> um I actually want both. And Republic's offering with the 2 million, they're offering the free bulk and now that's why I want to see what they're going to offer. We don't know what. Right. But to Chris's response of saying it's off the table, I don't think I'd want Lola to be
off the table just if it's another. >> No, I'm saying if it was high if they came in at 679 or some ludicrous I understand what you're saying. No, I think both are really important and I kind of did a um very non-scientific
driveby on trash days the past couple weeks. Most families that have more than three children already have two recycling bins that don't fall out every week. So, I just want to be cognizant of those larger families because I feel like we keep hitting them and I am one
of them, but we just keep, you know, hitting them with stuff. So, I really would love to wait until Republic can get us um a price on recycling and I would love for Waste Management to come back with maybe some >> improved pricing.
Carlo, last question. So, for both vendors, of all the communities you service, are they all two weeks for recycling? >> Um, they vary. Like every other week, they're right next door. >> Okay.
>> Bigger in size. They've always been every other week. Bedford's every other week for us. Arlington's weekly. It varies. >> Okay. It varies. Okay. There's no >> it's not it's not uncommon to do, >> right? But there's still a lot of people do weekly as well.
>> Yeah, there's some communities that still do. >> Okay. All right. I was thinking it was an industry trend to do every every two weeks. >> Okay. Except the community. >> All right. Thank you. >> Probably a money thing. Well, yeah, but I'm just wondering because, you know,
maybe going electric, you know, doing this first time I heard CNG, you know, so it's trends industries change over time >> and we went from manual to, you know, mechanical pickup obviously less work,
>> less workman's comp and all that stuff and less injuries. So, industry changes. So, that's why I was asking. >> Samantha, did you have something? >> Yeah. Um, I just wanted to add on to that. Uh, another one of my customers, they recently just switched to uh,
automated collection, trash recycle. They have weekly trash collection and every other week recycle collection. It's actually the town of Andover. And um, they have implemented second and third cart options uh, to help with the
every other week recycling collection. So, what do we want to do? >> I'm going to obviously open it to the public in a moment, but Karen like >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, the inacceptable waste, which
is in the writing RFP, it says pet waste was not acceptable waste. That's where the definition came from. Maybe that came from the state. That's where it is. Um, so as long as pet waste is okay in both of these contracts, we're good to go. And um, I would like to try to keep weekly
recycling and um, include a bulk item. A and frankly, to your point, I don't put out that many bulk items. I do try to sell stuff or recycle or give away a free cycle. So is there an other option to do um, bulk options once or twice a
month? Yeah. So, let's be a little creative, too. Um, just but I would like to wait and hear if we could do both. >> So, I'll open up to the public real quick if you have any questions, comments. Anybody online? Maddie,
>> somebody Chris Gro, just a quick question either for DW or the representatives. Obviously, we saw happen in Republic the catastrophe with the other facility. So, I do want to ask I assume both of your employees are unionized and during this 5-year
contract, will all the employees be under contract during that entire term? >> We're not unionized. shops all >> and Saman >> the location that services um the town of Reading our Habil location is
non-union and um the union contract that we just signed at our PD office that is uh a five-year contract. So uh that would be it's completely separate from any services that the town would receive from Republic. >> Excellent. Thank you.
>> Anyone online? Maddie, all good? Not seeing any hands raised. >> So I think the consensus from us is let's wait. We'll cut the pricing on Monday. If we have to have a Tuesday meeting, we can schedule it in advance just for this topic to make a final decision. Does that sound good for
everyone? A Zoom only, you know, still public comment, whatever we want to do, but real refined and we'll make an answer then. There's no let's wait another week or whatever. Yeah, I'm good. >> Yeah. >> All right,
>> Mr. Chairman, just for um open meeting law purposes, we'll if you want to call a meeting on Tuesday, we'll have to send out a packet on Thursday. >> Yes. >> Um and so I will ask Republic Samantha um please do what you can to get us uh
something by Thursday if possible. Um Republic did not give us weekly prices either in their initial proposal or in their revised proposal. they chose not to. So, just reminding the board of that. I look forward to seeing some new numbers. We'll ask both vendors to give
us their best and final offers on Thursday. >> Final final. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Thank you, Chris. >> Thank you both for showing up. >> Appreciate it. >> Thank you, everyone.
>> Do we want two minutes or we're moving on? How do we feel? Let's move on. All right. Uh 8:15 discuss a lease amendment and memor memorandum of understanding regarding parking recal.
Um not chain. Did you want to go over this? >> Um yeah. I mean this was on the agenda last time. If you remember, you know, you were talking about having a representative go and and help negotiate with this. I mean, I I think that that I
felt that we were, you know, we time was of the essence. We had CPDC last night, so we had to go forward and get some information first, which we did. That's happening. I CPDC dealt with it last night. They seem satisfied with the
assurances we gave them. Um, if you want to still appoint somebody to to work with us, that's fine. I'm not asking for anybody to work with us. Um, I think we've done a a good job on our own satisfying C CPDC and getting some some
original agreements together, but you know, that's that's where it's at. But if you want to take a second bracket tonight, you know, that's that's fine. >> So, can I ask a clarifying? Is there any work that a select board member would have to do on this or you just will
present the final one for a vote? >> We'll present the final one for the vote for sure. And so it will come to the select board. The lease amendment will come to the select board. Um you know I have the authority to negotiate and that's that's in the charter and that's what I've been doing. That's what I do on union contracts. You know there's no
select board member sitting with me in union negotiations. So I I mean I think I'm I'm fine to negotiate it with the team we have. I'm not asking for anybody to be appointed and we're we're sort of getting late in the game, you know, but it's the prerogative of the board
obviously. Um I'm not asking for it. Board member Taran. >> Um, so the announcement that was made last night at CPDC about revenue. So, um, CPDC that announced that was not their purview and they shouldn't have
been talking about it. And, um, and I understand that parking should be resolved early on to get the site plan approval. So um so where does that proclamation that has gone before the school committee and gone before CPDC
um by our select board designate where's that where does that leave that? >> Where where does the proclamation leave that? Yeah. Where he announced to our everyone last night in the audience that he has been working with the town manager's office and come up with a
revenue sharing uh I shouldn't say revenue sharing uh a plan to divert some of the rent if and when it's paid from Burbank to a program over at the schools. I believe it's unified sports. >> Right. So unified sports there was a instructional motion at last town
meeting to find a way to fund it. Um so one through the negotiations with Burbank on the parking they they originally asked for a lot and there were a lot we couldn't give them. We went back and said you know sorry I didn't want to negotiate it on the floor here. One thing that they wanted was
still to find a way to to fund this unified sport. That was one of the terms. So, you know, there's a lot of restrictions on that money because state law and whatnot, but we found out that we could do an account and that's would all we agree to is to bring that to town
meeting. So, it's going to be up to town meeting to decide. Um, that's that's their ask. So, we're asking for parking. They were asking let's, you know, bring this to town meeting. I said town meetings already said present us with a solution. Here's a funding source in a
time that we don't have a lot of funding. interesting stuff here if I may because the schools just got a tremendous increase in their budget this year thanks to the millionaires um tax. >> Um so we are being forced to face with
the probability or possibility of an override which is extremely unpopular. So if we authorize you the town manager because I'm sorry I disagree we sign this contract. This is a select board contract. We need to take and in the
past if has advised us to take affirmative action to delegate to you and we did it earlier tonight with the fire chief. So I completely disagree. >> Nevertheless, this is a really important home um really important project. So in terms of the parking, it's important to
that we have a a a way to move forward. Exactly. >> But what what we're talking about is this is So what would this be? Another amendment with Burbank. >> No, it wouldn't be another. So, we're doing a lease amendment for liability
mostly and then anou and theou would be something that I could sign and that would be theou portion >> regarding parking spaces and using >> regarding parking and going to town meeting and asking for this what I just explained. >> I mean that's
>> 10 persons can bring something to town meeting. >> Um >> yeah that's fine too. 10 people wanted us to bring something to town. That's why I didn't think it was a hard ask. Time meeting asked for it anyway. >> Well, time meeting didn't ask us to pay for it. I mean, you know, and
>> they said to find a way to fund it, you know, so and it's an important program. So, >> it's an important option to have and I understand there's demand in the community and I understand we are supposed to be in cross containment mode and the schools just thought
>> I I don't even have any data on what this would look like. Are we looking to find a position? It was so like unexpected and just announced a position hire an outside firm like maybe Saturday Night Lights provide programming in this area.
>> I'm not sure what I'm not sure what that's about. >> I don't know what it's about either and that's what I'm asking for. More information >> on the school department budget. >> Nope. I'm asking for more information on this proposal that our Burbank designate who's been running around town telling
he's accomplished with the town manager's office. and representing himself as a member of the board. I'm trying to understand and I'm trying to understand exactly the scope of this um if if as you just said you're we're just
responding to anformational um warrant article with town meeting we don't need a memory of understanding with no topic right I'm not saying that's not saying that's the only reason why we're doing it seemed to be a win-win they're asking for something that we've already said we
were going to provide to town meeting through the instructional motion process process and that's the only thing they're asking for. >> Well, I've been asking for a regular a regular rent contribution to that hound coffer and we're not getting that. So,
>> I don't know what we're getting out of this >> other than >> we're getting parking which we need to move these projects. >> Is there a draft? Because CPDC had something to look at last night. >> Is there a draft of the select board should be looking at? We we can give you that draft. That was mostly on just the
liability issues, but yeah, it was in their packet last night. Um I thought I circulated it to you before, maybe not, but I can give you the current draft on that. >> And then this liability issue, that concern that they have, honestly, they've had access to the rear parking lot for many, many years, and residents
have been parking there for really, really years. So, did this liability issue cover that as well? Like, this isn't really a new issue. Residents parking in that back lot. They've been allowing it, but recently they a new milkboard. >> It's better to formalize things on something like that.
>> Yeah. So, it'll be formalized across the board. Is that the intention? >> It'll be formalized to the extent of this agreement of this. >> Anybody who parks there, they don't have to worry about liability. >> It's town parking. We're using it for time. Any people could park there for whatever. I don't know about their
liability, but for actual the parking we're looking for that that's what it's for. Yeah. Um because I don't really see the difference. That's a parking lot. >> Yeah. >> They're like letting people park there. They're residents. They're using the
town ball fields and whatever else. >> And now we're like we're officially asking them, can we use some parking for some new amenities we're going to build over there? >> I would think they would want release from liability for that whole area. if
they're gonna it makes no sense to only ask us about five spots or whatever it is and ignore all of the residents and public that is already parking on that land. Right. >> I mean that's their call. I don't I don't know. I just know as it pertains to us. That's what I'm concerned.
>> Okay. So they didn't ask us to cover any of that liability. >> Yeah. >> That they already they have this new liability parks there. Okay. >> Yeah. So that's where we're at. >> Alissa. It's my understanding that us as the town want to cover ourselves with the pickle ball liability. It wasn't Burbank
worried about the parking. Am I confused? Okay. So, it's the opposite. >> It's the opposite. >> So, it was Burbank that asked us to cover ourselves with that parking. >> Okay. >> The liability. Yes. >> Okay. >> Karen, >> is it only are there going to be
assigned spaces behind Burbank that are specifically or is it just anywhere behind there, >> you know? >> Yeah. Um, so there's a designated area that's intended to be for park uh pickle ball when you it's
it's right against Range Road. There's tons of parking in behind Burbank, but basically we would ask the pickle ball community to park >> like this, not the building like this. Is that what you're telling me? The back of the building is this way, but Range Road is this way. So it would be So
forget it. >> We have all these drawings. We have so many drawings. Yeah. I'm like, I can't fall. Um, if you if you're if you're in Burbank, right, there's these long rows, sort of how people tend to orient their parking back there. Longer rows,
longitudinal on the axis of the long distance of the building. Okay. Yes. I know you're familiar with the building. I am. >> Okay. So, um, so it would be along there. So, if you're if you're going to play pickle ball, you'd pull into the back lot and you would park nose in facing the new courts, so to speak, or
facing range road. You pull in and you'd have your nose in that way. There's tons of parking there. We're looking for 28 spots. >> And are they going to be designated so that they >> they're not going to be they're not going to we're not going to put signs out. If we need to if there is a problem, we will we'll we'll take care
of that. We have staff that will be on site working at recal every day. Um that site is so unus that there are weeds growing in the gravel. Okay. So, it's it's not used. If we CBDC asked us last night if we need to paint or repaint lines out there if we need to. We we
don't anticipate that. Uh in order for people to put book the pickle ball courts through our system. Uh we can put information up there where designated parking is for pickle ball. So pickle there parking recal lot. Um we have members from pickle ball community here. Um we we will continue to communicate
that information and we'll have staff on site if it's a problem we'll address immediately. I just want to make sure I haven't seen it. I don't know who's liable for what, but I just want to make sure that we have a safe place for people to park for pickle ball and then if somebody
happens to be there for some hockey, dancing, skating event, that there's not a lot of crossover, you know what I mean? Like as far as that kind of stuff. I That's just what I'm getting at. >> Sure. I I don't anticipate a problem,
>> but we can review it if it becomes an issue, >> of course. >> But we will review it. Staff will review it honestly. We work very well with Burbank. They've they've been very good to work with for our trash contract. Um their their uh rink manager at Pluto has
been fantastic to work with with our staff, Chris, and with Mike Kesman. Um and with all the other sports that park over there. These are they're very immunable and >> I guess right now it seems like they're two very different topics and the most important immediate is the parking which
we really want to get resolved and the the unified sports thing is separate because it involves the rent part of it. So, I'm of the understanding that we're just doing an amendment for just parking. And so, can the other thing be handled separately or are is it
currently being handled separately or or are they trying to tie it together? Like, are they holding parking hostage in order to get the the >> I think that's an unfortunate characterization to say that they're holding parking hostage. >> Kind of jokingly, but >> do you know what I mean? like I don't
>> so there there have been uh both bodies have show expressed an interest in opening the lease >> um to talk about that okay >> and so Burbank had as Mr. Urenelis indicated Mr. I'm very formal, sometimes. Uh, as
as the town manager indicated, they had many asks. Um, and in the interest of satisfying our parking agreement, they eliminated their other asks and asked for a stabilization fund to be presented to town meeting for the purpose of funding unified sports. And that would
have that would require a town meeting vote and it would require a town meeting vote annually to approp town meeting to appropriate those funds into the account based on what the lease payment is to the town that year. So if the decision is still at the town meeting vote and if
it's on the lease amendment, this board still has the the right and the authority to sign off on any lease amendments. If the board were to have other matters they wanted us to open up for the lease, those could come forward. Um, there's nothing to preclude that.
It's getting they're getting late now. >> Thank you. >> The MBTA >> MBTA giving us the signal. >> Yeah. So, um, >> so you know, we think it's a positive thing.
>> We think it's a positive, right? >> I just think it's surprising because I wasn't here a couple years ago when they signed their extension, right? >> And so to me, that would have been the time to kind of make some modifications. So, this is I guess the timing is the timing, but um
>> yeah, I Yeah, I wasn't here at that time. I understand there was a request at that time. >> What other things were Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry. >> I'm done. Thank you, >> Karen. May I ask what other kinds of things they might be looking for? >> Right now, that's all they're looking
for is this. That's it. We >> You mentioned some other things that >> in the in the past during the negotiations they they wanted to make a longer term an extra 10 years things like that which would be too hard to do probably take town meeting. So you know we needed to move quickly on the
parking. So this is what come down to. >> So yeah to other Karen's point it's the lease negotiation that they sign that's their option every every 10 years. um it's in their per uh they can sign it or not and we have no say whether or not
they they uh >> renew or any input in changing things that requires commun like changes any modification there. Um and the other thing any with any kind of negotiation that Matt and Jane have been doing where
it's been mentioned you know a handful of items that Bergight wanted they have to get something out of this. It's not that, you know, if the something ends up being unified sports and as funding source, it's up for a vote and if it passes, it passes. If it doesn't, it
doesn't. But that is their only card to ask compared to a litany of other items that they originally asked, which would delay things and pickle ball would get delayed and the retail project and all of that. They've acquiesced and settled on that. So that is what um you know is
going to get presented to town meeting or you know if we have to sign off on it we do um but that's it like I don't know what else has to be discussed with it. Karen >> that's okay. So let me just say that
one of one point of negotiation is that this contract be a win-win for the town and Burbank and that we are not told take it or leave it. And that is you're correct. That is the way it's written. Every reviewed it. >> I I don't think
>> nobody's happy about that. Maybe you are. No one else is. >> One item. >> It's not It's not a win-win. It's not a collaborative. And that board over there is mostly reading residents. And that was the So the funny thing that I'm still struggling with is that they are a
501c. They literally can raise money or put aside funds to run their own unified sports program. They don't need to have anything to do with the school department unless it's somehow specifically a skating unified sports
program. So, I'm still struggling with why they're even asking for it. And I know you didn't like your characterization, but it kind of feels like that. It just doesn't feel like the two things put together. >> I don't think that I don't think that they're asking. I think that the fund
would go in and it's up to the town her view whether or not the school committee ran it. The rec committee uh gave money to Burbank for skating. However the town sees fit to run with the money that was put into the account is how that would happen. It's not specific to the school.
>> Yeah, they're giving it away. It's a give and take. They want one item and we want parking and pickle ball. Like I don't know what else to say. It seems it seems in the grand scheme of things like Matt knows of other items they've asked for. We're down to one one item.
>> Um, a couple things. I think the biggest reason that they would like to put money into that I've heard um in public comments is that you know Burbank was given to the towns by Mr. Burbank or built for by Mr.
and his, you know, whole, >> you know, >> legacy. >> Thank you. Legacy was the kids of this town. And we have this program that's been started by a volunteer who happens to be my neighbor and is a teacher in town and it's a basketball program that has thrived, but they struggled to, you
know, bring funds in for it. So, I fully support bringing, you know, Burbank to Reading residents. You may not think that it's a big deal, but I promise you Reading residents think Burbank's a big deal in that ice
rink. And I think that if we even spoke of not renewing a lease with them, it would be a big problem in town. And I know that all the kids that skate there, skate there, whether it's hockey or, you know, ice skating, I believe that most
people would really love to hear that whatever they're contributing is now going back into a unified sports program here in town. >> Karen, final point. >> So, um, there's never been any mention of not renewing the lease. There's the
request to discuss the lease which is typewritten and dates to the 90s and the answer that the last time it was signed was an absolute no which was not a great answer and didn't wasn't a good look for the board. Um we also Burbank gave a
million dollars. Burbank was very savvy financial person and never wanted this drink to be a burden on the town and he also gave money to the Burbank YMCA. In my mind, the YMCA and basketball are a better fit. So, I'm still gonna struggle
with why this board would feel like they need to do this. Um, I I I would rather it be if there it's a it's a great thing to have and if the residents want it, we should figure out how to do it. It shouldn't be coming out of an ice skating rink authority. That's where I'm
at. So the birding thing real quick for the YMCA, just like we gave ARPA money and ran the programs through there, the rec committee could do the same thing with this fund, it's not pigeonholed to just within uh you know, Oakland Road. It can
go elsewhere. Am I mistaken or am I just like creating this? >> So the unified sports program is through the high school uh sorry through school department. Um recreation helps out actively. It's it's great program and they're looking to expand it to elementary school students.
>> So, right now there are no unified sports programs for elementary school students at all. It's middle school track. It's high school uh track. There's a few other components that I'm forgetting at the moment. Um but there I'm sorry, basketball. >> Basketball. I beg your pardon. You did
mention that. Um and so they're looking to expand it um to have inclusive sports for the elementary school. That is I met with Dr. on that. Um, and it's something that there's a tremendous amount of support for in the community, but there is not a
budget designated. >> So, it's predominantly will be the school, but there's some leeway in other areas, >> right? And it's not my understanding um to um Miss Heric's uh question is that it's not to fund um a full-time position. They have um you know, a
record person that on the school side that administers this work. for um you know refereeing and and you know supervision and um equipment and things like that you know so there is some staffing time that's required but it's
not like a full-time benefited position in addition to what they're already doing but we can get more information on that if that would be helpful to the board be happy to get more information on that for the board as we go forward >> all right I haven't spoken yet I've been
listening I I appreciate everyone's comments comments. I I think we need to move on. These people have been waiting a long time. It sounds like we don't need a designate uh to help with the amendment and this will be up to town
meeting and town meeting can go any direction town meeting wants to go. So I think us discussing this at nauseium is pointless. We bring it to town meeting, let town meeting decide and then we'll figure it out from there. But that's
just my opinion. I I it's it's 10 o'clock and we need to we have a lot more to do on the agenda. So I I I everyone has spoken. It's my first time speaking but we need to move on and that's my two cents. >> Yep.
>> Um I agree. So Matt, you can you know work on things how you were and >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. So update from MBTA regarding proposed turnback track page 283 288 of the packet. MBTA no 288. MBTA is here.
Thank you. Waiting. Alistister you shut the lights off. You're here too. >> He wanted to be noticed. >> Yes. Do you have a presentation online that >> Thank you, Maddie. >> Y >> um good evening. Um, for those of you h
who haven't met before, I'm Sharon Cranston. I am the director of rail modernization delivery. That means it's my uh responsibility to implement any infrastructure upgrades required to support anything to do with the uh rail modernization program. So that's the
more frequent all day service across our network and the electrification. Um, so today I'm here, sorry, uh, today I'm here at the Reading Turnback Track because it's in Reading. Um, and I've been here a few times before, uh, in the
community. Uh, next slide, please, Maddie. So, initially the public beca or the community became aware of this project because of the notice of intent that we filed. Um, and we became aware that communication had broken down. We pulled
that notice of intent. We came to the select ward. We held a public meeting in February. We paused the project. Um and then we took the community concerns which were really focused around some alternative project locations. Um the noise, grade crossing, and emission
concerns. Um and we did some work. We hired consultants to help us look into those issues. Um and then we put together that information. And through the end of the summer and early fall, we met with the Reading Police and Fire Chiefs um to talk about the grade
crossing and we gave them the detailed data. Um we also had similar meetings with Wakefield and Melrose police and fire chiefs. Um and we met with elect officials um that represent uh Reading. Um, we held a special meeting with some
of the abuters who have been very vocal in their concerns to show them our public meeting uh deck and hear their concerns in advance of the public meeting. And we held another full public meeting. Um, we had that one hybrid because um, in our experience there's
some uh that gets us a better participation um because some people just aren't able to get out of their homes for one reason or another. Um, so we had that one hybrid um with the predominantly virtual but having that listening room um at the
library to make sure that we could have as much participation as possible. So we've done a lot to try to fix the breakdown in communication that we had. Um and uh tomorrow night we'll be at the conservation commission again with our
new notice of intent. Um so this is the project as it stands now. Um, I know some of the figures have been a little bit more representative. So, this is a technical drawing that is attached to our notes of intent. What you're seeing is on Willow Street's
a little bit faded on the left because it's for the notice of intent. It's a little bit more focused on the environmental items. You can see the dark line for the Ajona River. Um, the dash line is showing the riverfront setback. So the track will be uh
constructed 100 feet back from the riverfront uh setback. The last 100 ft of track is a safety buffer. So there's a bumper at the end of the track when you have 100 ft. And then we'll place the track pan. And that track pan, it's a metal um pan that we have a liner that
absorbs any oil um and that is maintained and replaced as necessary. that will fix the locomotive at that location um because it's got the track pan so the um engineers will know that that's where they're parking and we have
selected to be as far away from the homes as reasonably possible. Um the source of noise and emissions is the locomotive. So, we don't generally talk about the coaches in this conversation because the coaches will um vary, but
they also aren't the source of the concerns. Um, that's why when I we talk about things, we're really focused on the locomotive. Next slide, please. Based on the community concerns, we've added a couple scope elements. One of
them is the track pan I just described. Another is some plantings. Um, we are working with the conservation for appropriate native species. We want a species that is vertical growing and not horizontal. Horizontal is always a problem for us for safety reasons. Um,
arboriday is one that we've used um before in our uh in our projects, but it's not the only one. And we our environmental team has been in communication with the conservation commission to make sure that any planting is appropriate with the
conservation land because it's in the buffer zone. Um we are looking to do a privacy screen. So we're looking for something evergreen. So you're getting that screen for the year and only for the length of the locomotive. We are not going to be screening the whole length of the train.
Next slide please. So, the community has suggested several alternative locations. Some of them we had considered early on. We just didn't bring alternatives to the community when we first communicated. So, um we have
included those just to make sure that our community members know that we heard them. Unfortunately, none of the alternatives work for our objective um our operational objective of having that 30 minute uh ability to have 30 minutes
service. Um some of them were too far along on the single track section. Um and we have to clear that train single track section um before another train can go the other direction. So, it just isn't physically possible. Um some of the options required a full station
rebuild, which is a longer timeline. um when it's fun uh conservatively speaking when it's uh funded then we're looking at six years presuming everything goes smoothly. Um and that's because generally you're looking at two years of
design a year of uh permitting and um bidding and three years of construction. So that the six years isn't just a madeup number. Um, and some of the uh locations required property acquisition, particularly one location that we'd have to move power lines that had been built
within our right of way since the second track was pulled up. Uh, next slide, please. So, in April, we conducted a noise study. We um hired an acoustic engineer who is celebrated in his field. He is
certified and he actually has provided input to the FRA and FTA on their guidelines. Um he brought in equipment and calibrated it, placed three microphones in the area around the turnback track. We worked with Kiololis
to idle a train um for it ended up being 20 minutes because we had to balance not blocking any of the trains carrying our passengers. Uh our target for the time of day, we wanted it to not be during the peak periods when ambient uh car
traffic could be masking um some of the sounds. Um so but during the operational time of day. So noon was agreed that it would work both with our operations of our trains um in order to have a train idling there but also it would be
representative. Um so what we did is we had those noise monitors there for over 24 hours. We had the same time period two days in a row. One day with the idling train, one day without. And so I've really focused down on that 20 minute period because that's
your onetoone comparison. Um what we found from those noise monitors is that you were getting near near the houses approximately 5 to six dB difference with the idling train. That is um below
any regulatory limit. It's enough that you would notice it if you're in your backyard. You probably wouldn't notice it in your house. It's not going to stop you from be able to hold a conversation outside. So, it's not It's noticeable, but it shouldn't be enough that it's um
getting in the way of your life. >> Next slide, please. >> We um based on feedback from the community and I had a hard time communicating the gate closure data. This is the way I've found best to
represent it. Um, what we're showing with the yellow bars is your current gate closures on your busiest hour at each intersection. And then a representative of what we're proposing is the purple. So, generally what we're
going to see is more frequent gate closures. Each gate closure should be restoration. Um, at Ash Street Main Street, because you've got the two streets there, that is a fairly long gate closure. They have to close together and that's always
going to happen. But we there's things we can do to try to optimize that and shave a few cycles off each gate closure, which will add up over time. you are increasing about 20 activations per day um but per hour which is really
a more um more approachable time scale because you're not going to be going through uh on the road constantly throughout the day per hour you're going from three to four gate closures.
Um uh oh sorry last slide please. Thanks. at Washington Street. That's where we're seeing the um most reduction in the gate closure time for closure, and that's because we're moving the turns out of the station. Right now, we're getting a longer activation
because of that turn. Um some of that activation, I don't think the gates actually down, but our computers only record the activation. Um so, we're able to uh by moving the turn out of the station, reduce that activation. Um but simil it's going to be the same number
of activations and same activations per hour as with Ashme. Next slide please Maddie. At Wuburn Street this is where you're going to see the biggest impact because every turn train is now going to be going through Wuburn Street whereas
currently they're staying in the station. You are seeing a significant increase in activations. Um so you're get seeing about just shy of 40 increase at Wuburn Street. Um, so you're going from an average of 1.5 to per hour to
four per hour. Uh, Willow Street, you're seeing a similar rate ratio increase as you were at the others, but because you're not getting um more than the ones going out through Haveral, only going up from 1.5 to two per hour.
Next slide, please. for the emissions. We are going to be um spending more time in your community with our trains, but we have committed to incorporating renewable diesel on the haver line. Um the renewable diesel
uh for the same amount of time being used is significantly better on all emissions. What we're showing here in the yellow is your current um uh fuel and emissions and the purple is under the future schedule with the um renewable diesel fuel. So you'll see
that the NOx does increase. If it was one for one the same time, the NOX would be reduced. So the only reason you're seeing that increase is because of the additional time we'll be spending in your community. Um but even with that additional time, the rest of the emi uh
emissions across the board are reduced. Next slide, please. Um, we're going to be at the Conservation Commission tomorrow night with our environmental experts. So, given that we are over an hour and a half over schedule, um, I'll just Well, you can just go to the next
slide, which I believe is questions. Melissa. >> Um, the MBTA asked Matt for the board to give questions and I gave I believe six, seven, eight and I haven't received an answer on any of them. >> No, I sorry it's in my inbox. I was
going to answer you this evening. Um, one second. Let me see if I do you have them in front of you to ask directly or >> I do have some of them. Yeah. But I mean the most important one was the data like you you mentioned data on crossing, you mentioned data on sound and you
mentioned data on um emissions and as a town we've seen none of it. >> So we have provided to the police and fire chief the gate closing closure data. >> Not the raw data you have it. >> Yes. >> Oh you have? >> Yes. >> Has a town received that? >> Uh did it go through you Matt?
>> Went to the chief the two chiefs I think. >> Okay. just but it was embargoed when it went to them. I thought I mean I didn't >> I don't do the communication directly. Um so I provided I made sure that the raw data because that's an Excel format. I was able to provide that to the chiefs
and I was able to walk through the analysis with them. Um the noise in the sound data um I don't have the software packages in order to use the raw data. That's why I only get the >> That's actually a different answer than we were told recently. We were just told
that the consultant didn't get the raw data. So which is accurate? You don't have the software. >> The consultant has the raw data >> but the MBTA didn't get it is what we were told. >> The MBTA doesn't get the raw data from the consultant because we don't have the ability to process it. So they have the
raw data and they give us output but there's no I mean a file format that I have no way of reading isn't very helpful. But if the MBTA hired a consultant, why wouldn't you think that that consultant should be at these meetings to give the information to the residents and the you know us?
>> That's my responsibility. >> But you can't give it to us. >> I am giving it to you. >> But we want to double check it. Like I mean no one's going to take anything at anyone's word. We want to actually see the full data. >> I mean it's it's fair for the town to ask for the all of the data. the plots
that I provided at the public meeting that is the full data. >> Okay. So, you can say that, but what was brought to us tonight is that, you know, the state auditor just did this study that I'm so glad one of the residents brought up because I did a little
background check on it and that Massachusetts state auditor recently highlighted concerns with public trust and outlined issues with public trust with the MVTA. That's what you're doing right here because you're not being straightforward with the town and the residents. And there's no reason to try
to circumvent why we shouldn't see the data. No reason. And and the list goes on and on of why there's no public trust with the MBTA. That was my first question. My second question is um what studies have been conducted to
support the need for the additional trains for 30 minutes to Boston from Reading? So I mean we've had this we've discussed this in the previous presentations. This is the rail modernization policy as adopted by the MBTA and MBTA board. It
is our policy to provide more service to all riders. Um this was our response to the changes of our ridership during co you've we've previously given you presentations on this back runner. There is nobody's going to prove as we very honestly say as good engineers uh how
many people are actually going to turn up what day they're going to turn up but there is a lot of good data that a we're providing a service that people want which is more frequent which gives them more flexibility and we're actually attracted in lots of places including communities
around Boston so it is our strong belief it is all the best professional knowledge that this is what happens provid better service all day in both directions. And as I can say, I'm pioneer as a rider on this fine line and I've seen it including coming to the
Hong Kong walk walk uh up the site. There are people riding in the middle of the day on the kind of trains that people are saying are not being used. So >> there may be three people at the depot. >> It is not three people and we have counters out there and we've counted them and yes,
>> it isn't a huge amount. We shared in our original presentation. time and duration of day. >> One of the presentations, I believe it was you that said that there was literally zero people on a train. >> I mean, I don't understand how the MBTA can take grant money of $11 million when
there's no financial data to support the increase in the trains and the increase in the employees you're going to need. >> I can politely say there is. We have the employees. We have a contract with an
operator that can provide this. We have the equipment and we have the budget. >> And I can say that um I believe FY25 or 26 the MBTA is currently at $168 million debt. So there's also that.
>> So clearly there's not great planning there. >> Nothing to do with this particular contract which is contracted and fixed. >> This particular contract, my understanding is only for the track. No, this particular contract to be very clear, this is a capital contract we're
talking about about the training structure. You're talking about the operations. The operations is contracted with a third party that is funded. And as you know, public finance does tend to go year to year. So, it will be fixed next year as it was last year.
>> Nope. Because FY25 had $37 million in debt. So, I don't think it's going to get fixed, but okay. Um, so Reading was awarded over $2 million with an MVP grant to do Mallette SS. Has the MBTA reached out to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs who
gave us that grant? >> We have not. They are not a butter in this sense. >> Excuse me. Say that again. >> I said we have not. They are not also a butter in this sense. >> You're right. They're not. But they also gave Reading over $2 million to do that project. We acknowledge that but um we don't have
the capability to reach out to everybody affected by every bit of service we have. We run through 150 communities. It is very difficult. We do our best and we are doing our best with you. We're providing a lot of additional information and yes you don't trust us but it's very hard to get somebody to
trust you when you're saying there isn't data and we're just challenged that it's a lie. Um, we can't prove that data other than saying here is a report done by a reputable analysis. >> We actually haven't seen a report. We've only seen what you've provided us. >> That is the report
>> with MBTA writing on it. That's not a report from the person that did the data. >> Maddie, can you please give me permission to share? >> Yes. One second. You're Sharon, right? >> Yes. >> Okay.
>> Okay. All right, you should be good to share. There we go. So, these are the slides that we shared at the select board meeting. This is the data or the sorry, the public meeting. Um, this is the data. This is what is recorded on a microphone. The uh microphones are
calibrated before being put in place. No modification is made to the readings. This is what we said at the residents meeting. This is what we said at the public meeting. This is the data. They have a software program that reads this
off of the uh readers from the microphones. The acoustic engineer said that the um profile that he sees here is consistent with community like reading. He had no reason to have any concerns with this data. Um, you have spikes throughout the uh day. Some of them are
trains passing, some of them are airplanes passing. Um, you're seeing sound going down overnight. That's perfectly normal. Everything he saw was normal. This red band here, that's when the train was idling. And in that window, you can see there's
um some noise, but nothing extraordinary, nothing outside of what is expected. The white band is the overnight when uh outside of the hours of service um in that's the current service. So these are the same slides that we
provided already. This is the um plot for Hancock Street. We are seeing similar trends and this is the plot for Willow Street. I just wanted to confirm that these were presented at the ABRES meeting. I
recognize >> that actually wasn't I understand that I did watch the meeting but not the absor um I did watch that but I would like a full report not just these random slides and >> my understanding is when you have
someone come out and do testing like this there should be a full official report. That's if we commission a NEPA required full acoustic study. What we did here was we heard our cons the concerns of the community and we went and gathered data so we could then bring
it back to the community. That's a different level of effort because we didn't trigger me. So we didn't uh commission a study that had that kind of report because it wasn't what we
needed. What we needed was to be able to communicate to the uh community that we heard their concern. We went and collected data and we're showing the data. This is us showing and sharing you with you the information that we collected. So, if I could just real
quick on that point is that um I've been CCed on the emails from the MBTA for obviously months if not years at this point. Um, but the residents have been asking for the the raw data for uh months and I then requested it myself in
which I was told that I would be able to get it >> and now you're telling me that that is not going to actually happen. So I'm just wondering I'll chime in if I could chair if you could. >> Cam Dy, director of government affairs emailing you. So I said any raw data that we have we can get from the
contractor we will get. we will pass along. But I've said that I mean in my communications with Lucas, I've said the same thing. If we can get it from the contractor, we absolutely will. But and any data that I do receive will get passed on to the town and to be a butters. They're all I mean I know you guys are all the same threat. >> But it's it's more along the lines of
that people have been asking for it. If it doesn't exist, they don't have it or whatever scenario you want to come up with, then it should have been, you know, like sorry, we don't have this kind of thing, not just >> we'll get you what we got kind of. And then that's why I had to inject myself and ask for it as well because I'm like,
well, now I got to ask for it because they have and it hasn't been responded to. And if and if you can't get it from the contractor, perhaps you need a different highly esteemed contractor that you had. Um, I would think that it's part of their obligation to give you everything they have. And if you
give that to us and we can't read it, we can't do anything with it, you're done. But don't tell me you're going to do it and then don't actually do it. >> No, that's totally fair. I hear your hearing and I I know McKenzie submitted a a public request as well which is in
process and anything that you know we can get access to from our our consultants who perform the studies in terms of raw data will get passed on. Yeah, I I I would just hate to have it come to that point. >> I understand. I mean, to Mackenzie's point, it's already in question. It's already in process, right? So,
>> just a response for the FOY. >> Okay. >> There's no I'll take public comment at the end, but um I just wanted to point it out that like for us to ask for like I just told you like say we don't have
it. we we're gonna do like it the whole trust. Do I think you're hiding something? I don't know. But it it I don't know why. I don't know why I have to post a question. I know other board members and I have other questions, but I just wanted to chime in
on this that this could have been alleviated if we actually got it and like Cam just opened up and you know I appreciate that and you know I think we can move on from that one topic. So, did you have something else? >> No, you can. Thank you.
>> Anybody else? Cameron, >> anything. Um, what is the purpose of just having the greenery cover just the local motive section? >> Um, >> the community's uh concerned that um after you spent so much time and effort
rehabilitating creating that trail, they don't really want to see an idling train sitting there. And so the point of the greenery is to screen the locomotive. >> But you just said it just would cover the locomotive. Why would it not cover the whole train? >> Um partly because the train varies in
length. Um partly because this is in buffer zone of the conservation commission. So we're trying to minimize our impact. Um and though I mean if the conservation commission tells us no, you can't plant those, you can't plant them. >> Okay. And then what about one of the sound barriers like you see on the highway? Is that something that could be
put up there? >> We looked into it. Um it's difficult because the uh the co it's a causeway. It's steep slopes with pretty much the right of way at the top. Um to build a sound wall there would be technically
quite difficult but then you you run the risk of ricocheting the sound off the sound wall and amplifying it for someone else. And then my next question was a resident had brought up having a test for a week of like the lane the the
gates going up and down. I don't know if that's >> So the gates are controlled by the um PTC positive train control signals on the uh on the rails. We can't trigger the gates. We can't u we can't interfere
with the gates. >> They are in communication with the trains. Obviously, it's different when we take it offline to service it, but then it's offline and you cannot run a train, >> right? >> Okay, >> um so quick question. The best thing I
heard at the Abutters meeting is that instead of 10 years, we could potentially get a new station in six and a half years. Like >> that's once uh funding has been secured. So, unless there's money to pay for the design and construction.
>> Um, >> and am I um am I crazy in thinking that the SER tax that funds transportation and education is going to be sending money to the MBTA for these um capital projects? >> I I don't know that any of us are uh in
a position to comment on how the funding of the MBTA is determined, >> unfortunately. I mean, can we even choose all of the millionaire sacks to come to the MBTA? Well, I think that other people disagree, >> right? And and I'm really just asking because what I heard at the Better
meeting was that so it takes six and a half years to get a new station instead of 10 and I heard that if that happens, this goes away. So I got really excited because there's still a lot of concern in the community and personally I aside
from well so there's going to be some exhaust and there is going to be some noise but it's not going to be driving through the big project that we created. So you know this anti- flooding gorgeous project I was there yesterday so the train is not going to be in the middle of it but I I'm not discounting the
concerns. Um, so just really asking as a matter of how do we as a community get to the point where we're celebrating like Winchester? Oh my god, our new station is done. It's fully ADA. We're so excited. And then the residents are like, keep no more turnback.
>> Well, the turnback would just be happening in the station. You'd still be having a turn. >> I know. None of those people ever come to these things. It's so funny. The ones directly but the station. >> Yes. Um, We can say a bit more. So I mean as we've said to you before about
station uh it is still our plan. We're still working on plans for it and we have what should I say an innovative idea to accelerate the procurement but we still require funds even with that innovative idea. So it really is on one of our was that top 10 for replacement
stations at the moment. So I can't promise anything as you know trying to be super honest with you guys. we may not count as we're trying to be uh and we're not giving up on that station because obviously part of the reason for building this track is to provide better services.
>> So we should just keep on our delegation. We have three representatives and just keep reminding them that this is really important that okay all right thank you >> no >> no >> Carlo.
Yeah. Well, I just want to thank everybody that spoke tonight and all the effort that you've put in and I wish we had a say in this. I really do because I would vote no. But we don't have a say. We want to hear from you. I'm sure the
team wants to hear from you. I'm sure they're sick of you. Um, they found the notice of intent. Um, but I've been doing this for almost six years and the way you guys galvanized and got together and and did the research and just counterattack and
attack. It was amazing and keep it up. But I sound like this is going to go through unfortunately unless something crazy happens. But um and I wish we had a say because I think a majority of us found on here not maybe not all of us but a majority of this would vote this no in a
second because it doesn't make sense to me. >> I just had a couple other quick questions. So um uh so the gate scenario that you put up there, why can't you change the gate timing now? Why is Ash Street 74.6 and
you can take it off by two seconds? Um there's a couple small things we're still working on. Um particularly putting up signs um to pin where the locomotive is stopping. It makes them more efficient when they're stopping. Um we're also just working with COLA to go
through and optimize. We replaced a lot of the signal and gate infrastructure over the last couple years with all the work you guys suffered. Um, and so some of that is just with the new equipment you need to go through and optimize >> because I did sit at Asht Street um this
morning and you're right, it it it takes forever and I just thought to myself, I'm like, they're coming before us here and we're going to increase it. So >> that is a geometry issue. It's the same as when you're at a traffic signal that the amber light is timed based on the geometry of the tra of the intersection.
And it's the same thing with the gates. the longer the area that you're crossing, the longer the gates have to be closed. >> Yeah. And that's my biggest concern is the other gate crossing that's increasing by 40. I I understand that you're doing one and a half to 4x or
whatever, but that is fairly significant. And I don't know how we're overlooking it. I'm not sure what the the police saw or how you could heard 40 counts in that scenario. Like it's fairly significant. it is fairly
significant. What's important to um what's what I was trying to show with those plots that wasn't coming through with just the numbers is those increases aren't concentrated. They're spread throughout the day. So right now you're getting a little bit more concentrated
on the peak times and during the day in the middle of the day when there's less traffic on the roads the gates are closing less often. Um, so that those more frequent gate closures are spread throughout the day. So you actually end up seeing more gate closures during the
less busy times on the roads and fewer increases during the peak periods because we're going to have more regular and not so clumped around the um it's not very clumped around the peak periods, but is a little bit um so it's just going to be more smooth throughout the day.
I might disagree with that, but you know, like it's I don't see how you go from 20 to 60 and think that anything's going to be smooth, but you know, uh the pollution aspect, I understand that
you go into some other form of diesel. I thought diesel was diesel, >> renewable diesel. It's um actually not diesel at all. >> Is it more expensive than regulation? actually because we're able to get it delivered by rail, we are saving money >> because we don't have to pay for it to
be in trucks. So it's typically more expensive >> else it's more expensive if you were doing it in your dump trucks or your >> because I know you did bring up that maybe electric vacation 10 years from now whatever um >> that is the ultimate goal
>> correct it's the but as Melissa mentioned you're boatloads in debt I don't see where you're getting the money to do any of this anything at all ever like I would never financially make these decisions uh I went to college for a week at Boston University. The MBTA
was screwed up back then. MBTA is screwed up back now. It's not your fault, but like we got to be real here. Like if if the MBTA could be fixed, somebody would have done it by now. And it just seems >> fixed incrementally and this is one of the increments.
>> I would disagree with that because I don't I don't think it is a good financial decision. Uh I would invite Alistister or anybody else to meet me tomorrow at 10 o'clock. I think it's 10:11 and see how many people get on that train and get off at Reading at the Depot and I guarantee you the number
will be one zero. Guarantee and I don't care what studies you have, cameras, whatever. Someone else has a camera. Um, like it's it's it's my office window overlooks the depot. All I do is go like
this and I see nobody there ever. And my point ends up coming down to that I feel for the neighbors because if I could have it outside my window, um, I would, it's weird to hear that you would advocate for, you know, worst scenario
outside your window, but I would do it because I bought an office overlooking the train depot where trains are. That's like, you know, you can't argue with that. Um, but my big thing is the only time I hear these trains. Obviously, I hear them all the time, but the only
time that I hear them is when they're doing the changeovers 12:34 or whatever scenario when they're there for 20 30 minutes and these people are going to be listening to that all day. That's the only time I hear them in a double pane window up on the third floor. Like I it
after 5 10 minutes of hearing it, that's what I actually hear. I'm like, "Oh, cuz the train has been out here this whole time." And I it's going to be in their backyard. Um, and it's extremely unfortunate. Uh, and the other thing with how I brought up the the diesel and
all that is the nitrous oxide. I've had severe asthma my entire life. I had no clue other than your presentation that it was actually bad for me. And now nitrous oxide is going to be going over here. And it just seems wild to me. Like my goal would be we're not under the EPA
requirement by five milligrams or whatever thing you have in the chart. Uh we're under by zero. Just like zero it out. We don't want to have any pollution. I don't see how we could be a green community and simultaneously advocate for diesel chains trains in
Reading Massachusetts ever. Never give our green community plaques back to whoever gave them to us. It's Thank you, Governor. I I I just It's almost like I want to run for
governor. What Why Why is this kind of stuff happening? What world am I living in where we're a green community? Yay. Or whatever. And now we have double diesel trains going behind people's houses in conservation land with a bird sanctuary over there. And like
I can get five feet behind my house in conservation. You're right. Right away. like, listen, you don't like it, change the rules. And I can't change the rules. We got to play by your your thing. It's just everything is so messed up in Massachusetts and and for you to think
that it's going to get any better and you're going to have this funding and do whatever, it's all a pipe dream. It can happen. Um, and we better be realistic. Um, so Alistister 10 o'clock tomorrow, meet you over there and go to the last corner for dinner. It's fant breakfast,
cash only. I'll get you a pick an egg. Oh jeez. Melissa, real quick. >> Um, just two quick things. Oh, sorry. Two quick things. One is I think it's um it wasn't appropriate for you to say that those idling trains aren't going to disturb residents. They are. I was at u
everything but the dog today when there was an idling train. It literally shakes the ground like it's going to disturb these residents. So, I don't think it's fair for you to say it's not going to. Second, the one thing I still don't understand is the train service has not
gone back to precoid train schedules and rush hour. I used to take the train 2008 to 2012. I took the train into Boston. I had to fight as a reading resident to get parking. There is no no issue
anymore. We almost leased out parking. We have so much parking down there now. So help me understand why the first step in increasing service to Boston wouldn't be to go back to precoid peak time train schedules.
>> Okay. >> So because the riders, as you've just illustrated, haven't gone back to pre-COVID. So they're different people riding different times of the day. And there also people who are working from home who go in for a meeting, go and flex um and move around childcare shirts
and all kinds of other things. So that is the reason why we have moved away because pre-COVID was a lot of service commuters only badged as commuters for a very short period on peak at either end of the day and if you missed any of those you're driving and that is not
good and that is part of the reason it's that is another one that comes from everywhere around the world including here in Massachusetts. If you don't rely on your last train and you know if you miss that train, you're going to be waiting for 12 hours for the next train. Forget about it. You're just not going
to risk it. And I've been in that position myself precoid here in Massachusetts. Um but plenty of others have too. And is well known having the shoulder peak as it's called having no service is a disaster. So that's why we've gone to this approach which is
reliable frequent service. We were in Malden. I couldn't agree more with you. I lived in the city mo most of my life. Like I couldn't agree more with you. But we're not. We're in the suburbs. And I I do not believe that you are going to
have wrership that financially makes sense for you to do this program. like there's there you would have to have what 50 to 100 people on those trains to make this make sense. That's never going
to happen. >> So a financially it is a public service. So we are trying to provide a service to give people options. So it is not priced in a way that would be uh cost positive.
There are other places that do that and as a result having way higher fairs and have a very different style of service but they also have high frequency service too. Um a because reading is the end of the turn it is not just reading you talking about we're talking about all the intervening stations down the
line and b yes yes there are going to be some people in reading but there also be some people in Wakefield a lot of people in Melrose all those other stations that get to benefit from this. So we can't make a decision with just one place in mind. We're looking at a series
of people who would otherwise drive. >> And you've talked to the police chiefs in Wakefield and ready. I mean we fel >> and the fire chiefs. >> Yes. Police and >> Melro brought their ambulance as well. So, I'll open it up to the public for
people that didn't speak before and just please direct your questions to me. The T is not required to answer the questions. So, let me just preface that I can ask them after the fact or get an email, but just understand that they're
not required to and you know, we'll see what we can do with this. You know what I mean? >> Two minutes. >> Yeah, two minutes. Name and address. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Jim Riley. Uh, a lot of good information tonight. Thank you all of you. Uh, I've come to many,
many, many meetings. I know all of you almost personally now. Uh, I've lived on Hancock Street for 70 plus years. I've tried to stay minimally involved in various changes that have gone on in the town of Re.
It was interesting the guy that spoke tonight about uh disabilities. There are times when I force myself become an advocate for various issues. I feel right now one of these issues is the
impact of lives in 14 years, 18 years ago, I started to get involved in people with youth with disabilities and seniors with disabilities. At one point in time, I was elected to the governor's office for the state
rehabilitation commission and I busted my butt. This leads me to the MB MBTA proposed godly second backtrack which I feel has a major impact on the town of Freading as a community is and is being driven by
MBTA leadership who in my opinion are only looking at the potential business opportunities but are not looking at the impact of ready community as a whole which should include the health, safety and well beinging. being of my community. One last thing and I'm done.
There has been never a discussion about a sound study, the impacts of a sound study on abundance, home owned, environment, properties and our health and well-being. There was
not a discussion about that. Kyle come up earlier today and basically asked for a unique wall. I just want people again to see this is where the trains will sit
behind my house this close out my back window and they're going to be moving not idling in the conservation land but moving by my house. Thank you. >> Thank you Jim. of sorry I saw her earlier so >> thank you
>> it's getting too long >> yes >> um >> I don't know >> okay but lucky for me I live at 20 street >> oh I live at 20 street and I want to
know where sorry we started >> huh >> name Beth Stone and I live at 20 Hunt Street. I want to know where that sound study was done. In my driveway or was it in
the middle of the woods? There are five houses on Hunt Street that are but the train and that we're going to be impacted the most. I didn't even get a a notice about any of these
meetings and nobody on Hunt Street did. I'm more than 100 ft from the track the tracks, but I should have had a notice. I'm a realtor and I'm telling you all our property value is going to go down
and I'll be the first one to come to town and say, "Hey, give me a reduction in my taxes. I should have it." Do they know the people don't travel the train into Boston to work anymore?
Because most of the buildings that they worked in, these people are working from home. You know, you don't see a lot of people getting on the train, but they want this every half hour. Are you kidding me?
You want And hey, wait until all of a sudden they have electric joints. They're trying to people get people to drive electric cars that they're going to full credit
>> with how many trains every half hour. Not needed. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Two minutes. Name and address, please. Thanks. >> Hi, I'm Margie Carlman. and 52 Hancock
Street. I also do not get a notice because I happen to be on the even side of the road. Um so, and I know that's true for all my neighbors. Um one of the things that has come up in other meetings, although not tonight, is that
um they based their projections of use on the use of the Fairmont Line. Fairmont line is almost entirely in Boston. It's not suburban. a poor comparison by ice. Um the other
thing is and I'm sorry this is big for me to get. Um the other thing I'm really worried about is the emissions. To me it's like we we reading saw some of the impact of WR Grace which was a toxic we
spill. this is spewing into our air that we're breathing. And I hope that gets measured on a regular basis and that there is a point that they say, you know what, this can't happen because this is too high.
It's going to impact all of us. Um, and cancer became rampant but took a while to identify. >> Thank you. Yep. Y thanks.
Two minutes, name and address, please. Thanks. >> Uh, so my name is David KDo. I live at 21 Woodward A and I've lived there for 48 years. Last meeting we had at the library, I asked a question about the sound study. You all have two kinds of
engines. One that's very loud, absurdly loud, and one that's not so loud. And I want I asked which of the two engines you used when you did the sound study, the loud one or the not so loud one? Because if you use a loud one, the whole study is
invalid. Excuse me. You use a not loud one, the whole study in my opinion is is is perfectly invalid. So I'd like to answer that question tonight. >> If the MBTA knows, yes. >> Yeah. >> So um we heard your question and we
checked with Kolas. We are uh we made the request for it to be the loud engine, the DP40. Fuel is fairly certain. Unfortunately, when the request was made, the GPS data no longer existed because it only is retained for a
certain amount of time. >> So, I can't confirm and I'm I apologize. We >> So, don't you think you should do another one then? >> Yeah. Like on honestly like I understand you owned up to it now and and I really
appreciate that because it you could have said something else and you didn't. So you know that goes to your character Sharon. So I appreciate that but like I got to do another one right like honestly
I I know you can't commit to something right now to me but like you know how this looks. It's not >> I we and we are when we realized that that information hadn't been reported by Cless, we were frustrated ourselves. Um
because uh I mean I put in specific requests for that equipment. I would I was expecting it to be confirmed. >> Um so I I can appreciate what you're saying and I just cannot make a commitment. >> Correct. But shouldn't shouldn't the
vendor so if it was Kolus is the one that you put it into shouldn't they have to redo it um or like >> so only idled the train for us. The consultant did it. We hired a consultant to go out with the noise.
>> So the sound person was good. It's good in airports. It's you don't know the train from Kolis that was used. We can't confirm. We >> So this is more like along the lines of I get a refund, you redo like the kind of scenario like because his point is
valid. If you had if you I saw in the chart it can't go over this certain amount and if it did it would have been bad but like you don't know which one you used and to me it would seem like the study was rigged but I'm not accusing you of rigging it. It just seems as if
this has to get worked out before something happens, right? Like just call idle the train. You did it for 20 minutes, right? >> Was not quite that simple. The reason why we had to order in those microphones. So, we had to have uh we had to pay the consultant to come on board. He had to order in the
microphones and work it around the schedule when those microphones were available, calibrate them, find a time when he to put them out. This is why the MBTA is in debt. I mean like the decisions like it's not you who made this decision.
>> It's late. >> Karen, I have the floor. Please. Thank you. Uh I just think that the residents deserve a doover. I think you in your heart of hearts know that you kind of have to do it over. So maybe you know you can touch base with some people
tomorrow, make a follow-up and see what we can do. Like we got to be honest here and fair. And if you can't do it, I mean, then own up and say we can't do it again. You know what I mean? So, the best that I can ask you for is just to please make the request. So, you know,
we we can put this thing to bed and perhaps your numbers are correct. Um, and then we're all good on that aspect. But like, you know what I mean? It just doesn't sit well. So, >> so I have two other questions about the sound study. number. Uh so the second
question is did you use a pen decimal penalty for uh prior to 7 a.m. Um because that's a period of time that um you know quiet is is I believe call for. My last question is if you do if you
redo the study, can you put the microphones where people live within 10 ft of their house rather than in the woods? Because if I'm going to carry on a conversation with somebody, it's going to be in my patio or it's going to be in my backyard. It's not going to be uh near the train tracks uh in in the
woods. It's going to be where I live. To me, that's the relevance. Otherwise, uh you know, it's it's it's it's studying the effects of of caffeine and using decaffeinated coffee uh as your subject matter. So, that that would be my suggestion on the sound study.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes. >> So, we we placed the sound monitors at the ends of Hancock and Hunt Street as close as we could to the turnback location. So, that was um capturing as
much sound as possible from the idling train. Um and and it also allowed us to put them on public land rather than at a specific person's residence because we can't put them at every residence. So, we tried we put them in locations that
were as close as possible to the um idling train to capture as much sound as possible. I'm sorry, what's the second piece? >> 10 penalty. >> Um I'm not I I brought that question to our acoustic engineer. He said that that
um the that is uh something that gets applied to the data. And um >> I I'll explain it to you. If you ran a train between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m., you would apply a 10 decel penalty to that train. If you only run it at noon, your
consultant's not going to put that penalty on. >> So, I asked our our consultant about it. He said that that is not or that what he did was consistent. I'm trying to remember exactly phrasing. Essentially, he said that that doesn't change the
results. Yeah, that was the point because the point the 10 decimal penalty can be applied at a time when we're not idling the train and not the 24 hours later. So the two bits that actually give the answer you want to call it that
are not affected by that policy saying that that's same thing doesn't affect that measure. Did you model So, I guess my follow-up question is, did you actually model a train prior to 7 a.m.?
>> You can't model the sound because it has to be recorded. Otherwise, you're synthesizing data. So, we recorded the train. >> Yeah. >> And the uh adjacent day. >> And you were two decable limit without modeling the train idling
at 5:30 in the morning. 5:30 to 7 a.m. You are idling. >> The turn service. >> Yeah, >> these answers are just unacceptable. >> Turn service is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. >> We don't model the noise. We record the
noise. >> I'm a vice president of engineering for an aerospace company. I would have fired every single one of you if you ran that test for me. >> All right. I like I said just please direct your questions to me and and Lucas you wanted to ask a question but
you already spoke before so you're going to have to get somebody else to ask it so um just two minutes payment address just please address me because I suso 55 street um on August 30th at 9:19
a.m. an MBTA train parked directly behind our house about 50 to 60 ft away. So, I just did a little recording. Put it up to the microphone.
If I can get it to play. Even I have technical issues, so I can appreciate that. >> It's fine. >> Sound isn't coming on. tonight. So,
>> it's not playing. So, bottom line is my wife and I could not have a conversation standing at the back doorway of our deck and they were it was 50 to 60 feet away.
So, whatever the MBTA is saying about it will have no effect is not true. Second thing I want to I want to have put on the record, where is the MBTA getting their money for this particular project?
And what is the actual construction engineering cost, design cost that's put into it? Is that public information? Because it is. I think they should supply it to the town of Re. >> Do you have the answer to that? Do you
know how much Um, so we have received a grant of $10.9 million from the NO. Um, any shortfall, we have to secure an alternate um, source of funding in order to cover the remainder. Um,
>> we don't anticipate a shortfall though. So, it's roughly 11 million. It's not going to be >> There's been a lot of effort put into addressing community concerns that weren't in the original budget. Um, so those funds are no longer available for construction. And so we need to identify
alternative sources of funding from within our budget. >> Okay. Um and then just real quick, the uh I think the issue ends up being is the slow trains that are idling from the station as opposed to
uh because that's the consistent noise that's going as opposed to just staying stationary. You know what I mean? Uh in terms of the sound, >> the slow moving track. >> Correct. Yeah, that's what I meant. The slow moving is >> going through now. They're moving pretty
fast. >> Yes, >> that um the I mean the trains are going to move. They uh it's I mean it's inadvisable from an emission standpoint for a vid uh
train to get up to full speed just to break again. >> Yeah. >> Um so I understand what you're saying. Um but that is passing. It won't stay at that slow speed in one spot. It will get to the turn track park and go down to
the uh the idle which is lower and as far away from the homes as we can manage. >> Anybody else? Blue Sharp person. >> Two minutes and address. >> I'm sorry to be quick. I have a comment
and just a couple questions. Uh Bryce Sheini 1500 street. So I actually live across from Beth. So um first and foremost like it's it's been nice kind of attending this particular meeting tonight. I've been to one probably a year ago when this is first started when this first came out. But uh when they're kind of talking about commission with
disabilities are also talking about having trash trucks with um clean energy and then we're sticking this diesel train in the back of our yard um in our communities. One of which I've been to these meetings. I haven't heard a word
from the MBTA the entire time, a letter or anything else, even though we talked about how we really screwed up and letting everyone else know what's going on. So my question is after hearing all the conversations and hearing some of the conversations with other residents, the fact that we wouldn't do another
audio study, the fact also that it's in April and not in January or February when there's no leaves on the trees and is extremely loud. That coupled with the fact that I have young kids and I'm having a diesel train now that's um going to be having emissions in there that they're, you know, could
potentially impact them as well as all other um younger kids in our community. So, I I think this is a terrible idea. I think it's a waste of money. Um at no point have I heard, you know, I know we're going to we're going to provide this service to folks, but what is success actually look like if we offer
this to everyone? I've heard maybe we'll get two or three people attend in the middle of day. We want to provide that service, but we don't actually ever talk about what does success look like? And if there are one or two people, Chris, as you mentioned before, or zero that actually take the training, are we still going to be offering this every half an
hour? I just think that we talked about that. We talked about the commission with disabilities and the reason why we're not doing a new station in town is the fact that it costs too much to be ADA compliant. That's not good enough to me. I think the fact that we offer that, we then increase some of the businesses
that are in and around Haiti Street and all the rest of that area, I think it would be a great service to this community. Um, but by doing a $12 million turnback track that no one wants, that these fine people here have been coming day in and day out to um voice their
concerns. I think it would the META or would be doing them a disservice if they didn't clearly hear them at least adhere to some of their concerns they have already redoing some of these studies. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I don't I don't think I have to answer that. I
already broached the subject. The sound study they can we'll touch base at another time. Sharon's going to find out if they can do. So all I can ask >> we talk about what does success look like? I I I don't think it's going to be successful at all. I don't whatever
metrics they have, >> but I'd like to hear what that actually looks like as far as ridership is concerned. >> I they offer because we're hearing these pipe dreams that are coming, but I've never actually heard what the numbers need to be to justify >> having that service. It's not about
rership. It's about adding $1 million to their balance sheets automatically. >> That's all it is. It's not >> John 11 million asset constructed >> refresh John. Thank you.
>> Hi uh John Watson 10. Uh just a couple of points. One uh right so um just to to be upfront this is what I do for a for a living. I work with the D on commuter rail jobs. Um I'm I'm employed by Mass.
I run big um uh transit uh commuter rail extension projects. So I I've been in this business for a long time. Um and and used to actually run a noise one of the top noise uh and vibration companies probably probably was the boss of
whoever did your your analysis. the f first point the 10 dB uh discount for or or addition for uh for for nighttime noise that's when you're calculating a um average noise over the course of the
day. What they did right was what she what Sharon showed you was the noise at every one point. So if you were to if they were to take that and calculate one number, right, one decibel number which is an average over the the whole day, they would use that 10 decel. But
otherwise, >> would it be representative? >> But otherwise, that 10 decel is just right because people are more sensitive to noise during that time. That's one point. The another point I wanted to make was about um you know these guys
they're they're not going to say it because um you know it would come off as a threat but you know I don't work for them so I'll say it. You know if if Reading doesn't approve this you know they're still going to move forward with this approach and they'll just turn back
in Wakefield. So the all the whole stuff maybe that's fine. Maybe that's fine for you guys and I I appreciate right like the the neighborhood that's an issue but but I guarantee you threequarters of the people sitting in this room move to
reading because of the location and the access and that includes the commuter rail and so if we don't have that same level of of ridership the same level of service as our communities to the south you know we always talk a lot about
economic development we will start to lose out and the town the livability of the town and the economic the town um will start to um subside. >> Thank you John. in the back please. two minutes name and
address >> and just please one at a time like I understand you want to respond but like we just it's 11 o'clock I to quote Karen it's it's late and it is actually >> we spent 45 I agree with you
>> priority is this that's going to affect our entire community >> I agree with you >> so prioritizing what is going to have the most impact on our community is far more important in this moment than talking about trash. >> I agree with you.
So, can I have two minutes name and address, please? >> Yep. Uh Chris Calibies at 17 drive. So, I just wanted to hopefully don't make any enemies here. I appreciate everybody's uh passion for especially if you live near where the trains are. Um I guess a couple points I wanted to make.
just one of the things that um right on in terms of ridership things that have kept me from riding the train right I would be a zero on the train because the train timing does not work it doesn't take a lot to push you over for that train timing number two
regarding when I moved to reading I've been reading for about three years now helping coach soccer my kids go to Wooden they're seven and nine um I moved here I paid an exorbitant price for my house because of the location. That is the reason I would if I could have moved
closer to um Boston, I would have. I could not afford it. I could not find a house. So, the things that are keeping the house prices up here are that location to to Boston. As you go further away when I was looking, you're not on the rail line, houses are cheaper. So, I just like to say those. And then the
last thing maybe I'd like to say is in terms of the pollution, I know it's acute and you're right next to it. um where you get the the diesel um that you smell. But in terms of I noticed uh um Mr. Ellie there that where you mentioned
unaware of knocks um maybe unaware of some pollutants. We have down Main Street we have cars going all the way. We have all the highways around. They're throwing particulate pollution all over the place. We've got gas. If you're using gas mowers, gas blowers, they're
producing a lot of knocks right next to you. There's a lot of pollutants around and things that can get rid of the cars. I my son played um my son played baseball over at Huntfield this this weekend. Walked over to Capaniro. Walked
back. We had to wait a minute and a half at each crossing across Main Street as pedestrians sitting there with the car pollution right next to us. Things that can drive down car pollution will also benefit. >> Thank you. >> Thanks.
Anybody else? Is there anyone online, Manny? >> Yes, we have two hands raised. I don't know if either spoke before. >> Uh, who is it? Because I can't see anybody.
>> Oh, it's Kyle Touro and Alicia. I don't see a last name for Alicia. >> I think Kyle did, but Alicia did briefly. I brought up the issue of the sound barrier, but I was also want to just mention that the town should be asking
for monitoring of both the service in the future, the pollution and the sound levels post installation of this train turnaround. >> Thank you. Um Alicia, go ahead. Two minutes name and address.
>> Alicia Williams, Mara Lane. Um this is not Field of Dreams. If you build it, they still will not come. Um, the MBTA is trying to find riders between building homes and adding tracks and train ties. My business is near the train station. I literally look at the
train platform and every day I watch the train pull in, drop off two people, and pick up maybe five. More trains is not what this system needs. Uh, the truth is the MBTA is really stuck in the past and they are trying to push forward hoping
to garner more riders. I feel terrible for the neighbors of the project and the MBTA is pushing through and they will not gain any new riders by bulldozing the backyards of our friends and neighbors. I for one will never ride the train again if they do this to my
neighbors. Um the MBTA's problems aren't minor, they're systemic. I tried to take the train out of the garden once and after a concert and the train leaves before the concert's over. When I asked the MBTA about this, they told me that it's uh Koalis that won't run the trains
past midnight because it triggers a new day inspection. And that's not efficiency, that's bureaucracy. Um, as a side note, my sister came in from uh Boston last week and she literally lives next door to North Station. She came to
an event at the train station in Reading and she took an Uber. If that doesn't tell you there's a problem with the MBTA that a new track will not fix, I don't know what will. Thank you. >> Thank you, Alicia. >> Um I I think we've, you know, we've
spent a lot of time on this. I I know uh that people are heated. Believe me, if we could, we'd vote with you. You know what I mean? I I think that the best that we can do potentially in the future is get the answers to our questions that we had asked the raw data. Um and if I
have to call a special select board meeting and have the board of health and conservation there um at the high school, then you know I'll call it and see who shows up. If the MBTA doesn't, they don't have to. That's not on them. Um neither is other board members. We'd
still have to have a quorum. But I mean I think that we've we've gone over a lot today. We've got a lot of answers to questions that we might not have liked. I think that the tea house has definitely some homework um to do. Obviously, they're going to conservation
tomorrow. Um but I I think the biggest thing out of this is is just getting our data getting potentially a new study done on the data that would be irrelevant in the first place. you know, it seems like um but like I I understand
that the Alistister, Sharon, Cam who answers emails all the time. Like I know it's not you per se. Um, so, uh, what I can say is that I appreciate you showing up here and knowing what you're up
against and, uh, against, I don't want to say a hostile group because I I agree with them, but I I think that I think that that she's making a massive mistake, but that's that's not your job description. You're just doing what you
you're told, and if you don't like it, like, what are you going to do? this is what you specialize in. So I sympathize with you. I understand. I understand the resident's purview. I just hope that we can come to something that's going to be amenable to everybody that like I don't
know if that exists. We all like to think that it does, but like I don't know. It's disheartening and I know that people would like to change things if they could, but you know, we have to do with what's in front of us. So I appreciate your time tonight.
Please go to conservation, get us our answers that we need and um we'll go from there. >> Thank you. >> We're we've already got >> not a just there's a lot of questions that are being asked. Is there a place where you can see all the answers whether it be from MDA or some of the
questions have been asked just a central location for this information and not relying on support? >> I'm not sure that there is. I guess maybe the town could put something up with what's transpired, but like presentations, frequently asked questions, a lot of emails being sent, I
think, by the res. It would just be great to see it. I think a lot >> I agree with you. More more transparency, >> but also for other folks that aren't in this room in the town. Be great to like point them in that direction. >> I'm fairly certain some of the presentations are on the MBTA site.
>> We're supposed to be >> so uh what after a public meeting takes some time for us to make the presentation accessible. Um, >> the February 25th one I have not verified, but I know the one from September I verified uh is up. So, I
will check >> the February one waso hosted in on your facility. So, that may have been a problem. We may not have had the recording if you hosted it because whoever has the Zoom link owns the recording.
>> So, we might have it on our RCTV. um just YouTube page >> but I'm not positive that but it should be there but um >> also just think if you if like the court is getting a lot of questions and then sending it back to MTA if there was just
a central location for folks to see that versus asking same questions over and over again you folks answering those >> I agree with that >> just to put everybody on record since March we have received nothing since March we have received nothing in written answers
That's seven months. >> I I I sympathize. I I agree that, you know, when I say that people are just doing their jobs, that I would think would be part of your job, but maybe there's other things behind the scenes that we don't know about, but like you've got the feedback tonight, the
questions, the study, like you really got to do whatever you're going to do to get this study done again. Like I know you know it. It's whether or not someone else is gonna say to go ahead and do it, but I know that you would do it if you could >> instead behind houses.
>> I They have to do whatever they can do within their reason. So I >> Okay. Thank you, Sharon. Alice Faram. Thank you. >> Thank you very much.
>> Got his So, we'll give a little >> put it up with the speaker. >> I also just want to say that I'm incredibly disappointed by the from the town manager. >> We have asked for dozens of questions to be answered, things to be gone back and
forth. We ask that you please share your concerns with conservation committee. >> This is what it sounded like standing on the exact same question. >> That's going to be 20 minutes. My kids are going half hour of my life.
>> But I don't even care about that. What I care about is my grandchildren's lungs. >> I understand. >> I know. I heard that at the meeting loud. >> I guess I was concerned. Sorry. >> We are in a terrible position.
>> No. No one gives a I don't give a I I just asked you two kids with asthma and spend. >> All right, we're gonna >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. I think anything regarding votes we should be skipping >> unless >> All right. So now >> Mr. Chair, um could we um as a board talk about what we want to get done
tonight and what we're going to need to do another night, okay? Because I can tell you the communication policy I would that's going to be a lengthy discussion >> and it should be a discuss and then vote on another. Jonathan was not here skipping everything else. But
>> Jonathan, you are >> okay. All right. >> Jonathan, you are important and uh I'm going to have to recuse myself for that part of the discussion regardless. So, um, if it's up to the board, if we are only going to take one other thing up, I
will turn it to, um, Melissa to run the rest of the meeting and then, yeah, I'll sit in the audience for the next item. >> No, we're not. We're we're skipping and I can't I can't recommend to skip something that I can't
>> do. We I think we need a motion to like table for the this meeting like certain items and >> Yeah. I mean if if >> do we we've skipped over other things other nights and we haven't >> the appointment will take two minutes I'm sorry I was go to historical for the
moment >> well we can take people out of order if that's what you want to do and we're done. >> I think that's the most appropriate. Um so let's go to I believe it's the 32 Lincoln Street group that you're here for. Okay. Um,
>> just let me real quick. It's because I own two haven which overlooks this is my recuse. >> Got it. Um, I've read the letter. Um, I don't know if uh do you have anything that
you'd like to add before we vote on this or talk about? >> I was expecting Mr. Demo here as well. So, I don't know. Oh, Domo >> uh the owner of the building who's >> all we all we had said in the letter is all I >> would I'd be happy to answer any
questions but >> Maddie no one else is online correct >> there's still a couple of participants online I'm not seeing Mr. me go though. >> Okay. >> Okay. All right. Well, um my impression
this would be a quick agenda item. It seemed like the um property owner and historical commission had come to a a great decision and are ready to move forward and just wanted us to do what we need to do. >> I can't represent what his position was. He came before us. We we made our
recommendation. I'm not sure what he has presented to you. >> Just what's in the packet. >> Okay. But the only thing was in the packet was the letter. Correct. and and the P and the preservation restriction. Yeah. >> So, what you saw in the pack is what the historical commission agreed to.
>> Yes. Our position is represented in in the letter. >> Okay. Perfect. I just wanted to clarify before we vote. Um >> do we have a motion? >> Yes, >> we do. >> Move to approve the renovations to 32 Lincoln Street as presented.
>> Second. Um any discussion of the board? Any discussion? Public comment. Maddie, any public comment online? >> None online. >> Thank you. Um, all those in favor?
>> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you for coming down. >> And good job you guys. >> Thank you. >> Glad it worked out. >> All right. What else? I guess I'm good now.
>> Um, so I guess uh so direct committee appointment we only had one. Does anybody have an issue with this >> or we just >> Can I just ask a question? >> Failing. Of course. >> Of course. >> Okay. Um, so for VAS, is this how it
works for future members that want to join throughout the year or do they usually go through VAS and then they come here? It's onesie, twoozies. Typically, like an upgrade from somebody from associate to full member would not technically have to be reinterviewed.
So, that's the that's the catch is that's why we can just do this if it was one person. That's why it's on the agenda because it doesn't require fast inter. >> Absolutely. >> I got is this a switch an up non voting
to voting? >> Yeah. Okay, thank you. >> But it was advertised for 14 days or whatever and it's one applicant. So then they can advertise a full position after this. I mean an associate position, but they can advertise an opening as opposed
to whatever happened, right? Matt, we're all good anyway. Okay. >> Does anybody have any questions on this? >> T uh anyone from the public? Anyone online? >> Nope. >> Thank you. Uh
Karen, do I have a motion >> for? >> Yes. >> Motion to appoint Jeppi Federa as a member of the recreation committee. Term beginning immediately and ending on June 30th, 2028. Second. >> Any discussion? Seeing none, all those
in favor? Um Karen wants to table the policy. I think that's fine. Learn reports. Same scenario. >> Future agendas. Same scenarioish. I don't think we have anything new. Minutes. Uh we can do them
at the next one as well. I assume I have to >> second. Seconded by Melissa. No discussion. All those in favor. >> Sorry, I was waiting for you.