It works better. There you go. There we go. >> And the captions away. >> Hi, Melissa. Can you hear us? >> Hi, everyone. >> Hi. Okay, >> 7 o'clock. >> I'm going to call the meeting to order.
7 o'clock. Uh, welcome to the select board meeting of August 4th, 2026. Um, our meet we have in person Salante, Chris Haley, Karen Rose Gillis, and we have online Melissa Murphy. Um, our
meeting is broadcast via RCTV on Xfinity channel 9 and FiOS channel 31, Zoom, and live on RCTV's YouTube channel. Uh, now we're going to join and do the pledge of allegiance. Everybody's going to singledge 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. >> Thank you very much. Um going to do an
overview of the meeting. 7:05 will be public comment. 7:15 will be the town manager report. 720 will be community spotlight. 7:25 vote on overdose awareness proclamation. 7:30 we'll do the consent agenda draft meeting minutes
623 20226 and 714 2026. 7:35 we'll have a public hearing discuss and vote on traffic amendment 2026-3 placement of an isolated stop sign on Silven Road. 7:45 we'll have an override
discussion. 8:15 we'll discuss select board goals. 8:35 we'll discuss town manager goals. 8:55 we'll have liaison reports. 9:05 future agendas and at 9:10 executive session purpose two and purpose three to conduct strategy
discussions with respect to collective bargaining and collective bargaining with the department of public works union. We're going to start with public comment. Anybody have any comments? Anyone raise your hand. Was
that my cube? >> That's your queue. If you have a if you have a public comment, >> state your name, um, address, and two minutes. >> The mic screen, >> right? >> Good evening. My name is Albert Ples,
uh, director of equity, social justice here for the town of Reading. Uh good evening madam chair, members of the select board and members of the reading community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. The town of Reading believes discrimination has no place in our
[snorts] community or in any community, workplace, school, or organization. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness regards of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability,
age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, expression, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Recently, a resident uh seeking appointment to this select board
appointed committee contacted my office with concerns that they experienced discrimination by an elected official during the appointment process. While my office in the role of my as director of equity does not carry an investigative or enforcement authority, I met
individually with the person who raised the concerns and with other parties involved to hear their perspective and better understand what occurred. My role is to foster dialogue to offer guidance and support a resolution that is respectful and
constructive for everyone involved. I recognize this process is still moving towards a resolution that often the nature of these conversations that take time, patience, and goodwill. My door remains open to continuing to
support that process for anyone with ongoing questions or concerns. Discrimination, whether experienced or perceived, touches more than the individual. It touches the trust and sense of belonging that holds a
community together. Building inclusive reading isn't about one office's job. It's about a shared it's shared through all all of us. Each of us doing our part to treat one another with dignity, respect, and fairness.
I want to thank the select board for your thoughtfulness, attention that was given to this matter. Your willingness to listen, engage with with with care reflects our commitment to serving this community with integrity. And I want to thank our community, you know, for
continuing to engage and respectfully even in the difficult conversations this one. It's through this collective commitment that we build a reading where everyone feels valued, heard, and able to fully participate in civic life.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Albert. >> Anyone else in the room? >> Name, address, two minutes. Colorado, Mount Vernon Street. Um, the select board chair, Melissa Murphy, has publicly stated numerous times that she wants this board to be productive. At
the select board retreat a few months ago, she said she wants to focus on town issues. And yet today, Melissa Murphy continues her multi-yearlong campaign of harassment of Karen Heric by forcing staff to speak on an issue that's already been addressed and is a
distraction from more important issues. Karen Herrick made a comment about the lack of diversity on a board. That statement has been twisted into claims of discrimination discuss discussed multiple times at select board meetings as though diversity of representation is
a bad thing to strive for. Using these meetings and staff to berate fellow board members over their advocacy of diversity is offensive and a waste of taxpayer time and resources. Melissa is not only using her powers as chair to harass Karen Heric, but to distract from
the issues Karen has raised about the Burbank Ice Arena. Here's one example. Reading's town manager has a salary of $220,000. The superintendent of schools has a salary of $225,000. Together, they manage the town's $130
million operation. Let's compare that to the Burbank Ice Arena general manager. He runs a $1 million operation and has an annual salary of $225,000. He makes more than our town manager. And
yet she is responsible for an operation 45 times the size of his. And note that the state average for an ice arena manager is $60,000. The Burbank Ice Arena manager is paid four times the state average. So the next time you hear
Melissa Murphy attacking Karen Heric over something that seems frivolous, ask yourself why. Why is Melissa so hellbent on obscuring important issues that Karen is trying to bring to light? Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else in the audience?
Come on up. Angela name address two minutes. Angela Binda Orch Drive um pre five. I want to thank um Mr. pie for his
comments. I think that what he is trying to do is deescalate a situation that has escalated in a disproportionate way. The person who has brought this to the board
to Mr. Pie has stated that he has been discriminated against and yet the the person was reappointed to the position that they hold. [sighs]
I think that that is um I think that is disproportionate what has been going on. I thank you for fostering guidance. I would like to say that everyone should feel valued. everyone should feel needed
um in their positions in the town. When a select board member was repeatedly calling me a liar as I stood at this podium to exercise my constitutional right.
Ms. Murphy and and other select board members and town manager stayed silent on it. When I spoke to the the now town manager and the head of HR about this, I was told that it was a
matter beyond this. Miss Murphy has addressed this matter. Mr. Pie has addressed this matter. The person who is saying that they were discriminated against was reappointed. I don't see
what the harm has been there. Maybe there's harm in some way. I hope that this is taken out of this board and taken out of um this position and
um dealt with. I think it's been dealt with enough. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else in the audience? Chris game address two minutes. >> Thanks Karen. Um Chris Haley speaking as
a resident of 71 Tennyson Road who has sit here and listen to the town get gaslit once again by people in this room who are dismissing clear discrimination against another board member that was looking to be
reappointed. And I quote, "They're mostly men. They're mostly white. If you swap around the roles on that and apply it to me, uh, I am not only resigning from the select board at that point, there are news crews out my outside of my house and I'm losing my business as
well if I went ahead and said like something like that. Instead, what happens here in Reading, Massachusetts on a consistent basis is people sit and apologize and dismiss it and deflect on other people. There's a reason why Ed
Paduto uh makes 200 something thousand dollars a year. He's doing the job of four different people. He's there every single day, all the time. Not dismissing what Jane does. Phenomenal job. The dude works seven days a week, 365 days a
year. It's been spelled out multiple times, but people def deflect and deny and push stuff onto him. This is clear and uh concise discrimination that was also reported. Another instance from a former reading firefighter also was
trying to get appointed to the retirement board and he was denied because he was a white male. That is a pattern that shouldn't get sit here and uh excused. Once again, every single time I say it, it's an issue. Somebody
else says it. Parade 36 people up here to apologize for it. It's a joke. This is unbelievable. And his name's Albert Ples, not Py. >> Anyone else in the audience? Is there anyone online? Maddie?
>> Yeah, we have Lind. No doctor with her hand raised. Let me just ask her to unmute real quick. Okay. Hi. Can you hear me now? >> Hi, Linda. Yep. Name, address in two minutes. >> Uh, Linda Snow Doxer, Beaver Road, um,
precinct one. Um, and I'm unable to start my video, but I would have my behind my comments. It would be great um if the select board would invite Albert P to present all that he's been doing
behind the scenes to listen to the concerns of our staff, of our students, of our community. There are plans that I think the select board ought to know about. Um and there I also just also
want to say that there have been people removed from committees for less than the goal of integration um without any reason. So I'm not going to comment anymore on that. But it would
be wonderful, there's so much going on, to to support real conversations about how to move our community forward. It would be awesome for Mr. plus to be able to present those
programs, projects, and the progress that he and his office of equity and social justice are making. So, I'd love to hear the select board in your own time uh or sooner. Um, put him on the agenda for a future meeting, please.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak and thank you very much to Mr. class Albert for all the work he's doing to make this a community that all of us can be proud of. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Linda. Anyone else online? >> I don't see any other hands raised. >> Last chance in the audience. All right, it's 7:15. We're going to move on to the town manager report. >> Thank you, Madam Chair.
Um, thank you to the public for uh, attending tonight. So, all our staff has been working very hard on developing the budget for FY28, but particularly so our CFO Sharon Angstrom, as well as our communications team of Katie Gabriella,
Josh Don, Jax, Levery, and Maddie Baptist. Um, we'll talk more about public engagement efforts later in the agenda, but I just wanted to take a moment to highlight that this work is our top priority and to give the public all the information that we can. Um, I wanted to start with some news about the
link, which is a free regional microtransit service that's connecting Reading and Wakefield, um, with additional rides available to Ley Hospital in Burlington and Winchester Hospital. This is an ondemand all electric service. It's fully grant-f funded um with no cost to the town or
riders uh by Mass DOT's microransit and last mile transit program. The grant was applied for regionally in including Wakefield, Wuburn, and Burlington. Um as I said, the vehicles are all electric. We'll have at least one wheelchair van um available. If you can There's So
there's the map. Um that's one of them. That's one of the vehicle. Can you show the other vehicle? So that and that's the other vehicle. Um that's the one that is accessible, wheelchair accessible. Um we'll have three that run between Wakefield and
Reading. Uh we will launch this later this month around August 25th. I think it's the soft launch. Riders have to be 16 years old or older or riding with someone who's 16 year old or older. Um the rides are available by app. Um it
this the app is called Ride Circuit and um or you can the it's available if you call you can call their call center. So for people who don't use apps on their phone, um you can just make a phone call. Um we will be putting out all the information. Um these are ride share vans, so you get picked up, but they
pick up other riders and drop off along the route. Um and again, it's totally free. We are piloting this program for one year. We'll see how it works. Um and for Reading residents, they can ride anywhere in Wakefield or Reading. Um as well as the two hospitals. and then
Wuburn and Burlington, they go between their two towns. So, it's pretty cool. Um, again, totally free grant funded program to help people get around uh the community easier, and I think it'll be really great. Um, second, an update on
the downtown streetscape project. Maddie can show this image is from our police drones. Um, and I asked them to fly down and take a picture of it. So that if you can make it a little bit bigger, Maddie, um you can see the paving work that was done. So they did
the first two layers of paving and then the last layer will be when they're all done. But it's kind of a ne a neat angle. Um so the drainage work was completed at the beginning of the month. Roadray reclamation began July 13th. Overnight
paving was scheduled on July 16th. Um and it was quite an operation to have all that done. It was neat to see the business, the residents kind of chime in on Facebook about that experience. Um, local businesses have been engaged closely throughout the process to support their operations. High Street now has two coats of pavement. Um,
sidewalk work, which is phase 4, began last week, including new curbing to produce uh to improve pedestrian access. So, part of what we'll have this image online tomorrow. Folks can see it a little closer, but the the sidewalks are kind of getting a lot bigger and the
corners are getting a lot bigger. So, it makes the distance shorter for people to cross. So, it's better for mobility access. It's better for pedestrians. It shortens it and it slows traffic down a little bit. The big thing is in late August, this area, this intersection is
going to be closed at the end of Haven and High for about four weeks. Um because they're they're putting in a concrete raised intersection there. It's sort of like a tabletop. So, sort of like a big long speed bump. you go up
and you don't it's going to be part of what makes this downtown area really special. Um but it takes four weeks to cure. So just like the pickle ball courts or just like the basketball courts. So um so that's part of why that piece of it's going to be really painful, but we have pushed our
contractors to get this work done before they hit Q4 and move into their holiday season to try and reduce our impacts to our businesses down there. Um the project was fun funded partially through a massworks grant um with the remaining portion coming from stabilization fund
and unexpended project funds. The town did not borrow for this project. Um so just to give a little bit of detail, the mass works grant was $2.6 million. The smart growth stabilization fund had $234,726. Sustainability account is $400,000.
monies left over from the West Street Tip project, the $313,944 and downtown water improvements had $451,329 left over. So these are how we funded this project, which really
um I know Karen knows because and and Chris too, this has been 10 years of work. It's capping off 10 years of work to put all of the utilities, upgrade all the utilities in the downtown. So, we don't have to open that road again for 20 years. So, it's been our businesses
downtown have really gone through it with a lot of the construction and so forth, but this this is the end. Um, so it won't be finished in August. It'll finish in the spring, but um that these are the big pieces that people will see first. Okay. Um and that we'd like to
move on to community spotlight. Madam Chair, >> please do. Thank you very much. So, this month marks Detective Derek Holm's 30th anniversary with the town of Reading. Detective Holmes joined the Reading Police Department in 1996 and was assigned to the detective unit in 2007. He currently serves as the department's
liaison to the Commonwealth Fusion Center and the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board. He also previously served as president of the Reading Police Patrol Officers Union, and he served on the department's honor guard unit for over 10 years. Throughout his career, Detective Holmes has developed a wealth of institutional
knowledge and has served as a trusted mentor and resource to officers throughout the department. In 2017, he was named Reading North Reading Chamber of Commerce Officer of the Year. And he also has earned other highly competitive distinction as the 2015 Mass um Mass Cop
cornhole champion. >> These are important these are important distinctions. So, um, just congratulations and thank you, Detective Holmes, for your service to the community of Reading. Um, this one may be interesting to the board. You may have seen the
Conservation Commission social media post over the weekend that there you have eight new benches that have been installed across their conservation areas, all of them. Um, earlier this year, you supported funding to um for improvements at Mlette Psalms and Morgan Conservation Center. And so the concrete
pads were poured to stabilize the foundations and extend the life of those Polywood benches that were failing. Um, Polywood honored their warranty not only by just shipping us the replacement parts, which is what we anticipated because they'd done that on previous two, but they just shipped us new
benches, straight up new benches. So, um, so those benches have been deployed. Um, the commission thanks the, uh, valuable assistance of their volunteers, including NextStep Ministries, who supported site preparation and installation. I happened upon them at Mlette S loading up the trucks with I
like to, you know, take a little bit of time now and then and drive around and look, you know, drive around the community and check out projects and stuff like that. And so I happened on them at um at Mlette's homes and that was just that I'm sorry at at Mata Cabin and they were getting ready to load them up and take them over. So that was
pretty cool. Um the commission thanks uh the select board and all the volunteers and contributors for their support. Um, and visitors are encouraged to make use of new benches during their next visit. I just want to make a note that there is a new metal bench down there that was ordered last year, but it came in
recently. So, if you see a new metal bench on there, that's not a new expenditure. It was, you know, the previous spring. So, um, two community notes. Uh, Whiteland Books just wrapped up their Where's Waldo local? Uh, month-long scavenger hunt that included
the bookstore and 27 other local reading businesses. more than 500 passports were given out in Reading and it's a great family event for the summertime in the community and so thank you to Whitel Lamb for um for bringing that kind of fun into the downtown um and into the community in general in the summertime.
And then finally, I just wanted to give a big shout out to everything but the dog. Um like many businesses downtown, this pet shop at Two Haven has been mightily impacted by the construction on High Street and with the adjacent sidewalk. So, I just want to encourage residents to make sure to keep shopping at our local businesses during
construction. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you very much. Next on the agenda, it's 7:25. We're going to Wow, we're on time. Uh, vote on overdose awareness proclamation.
We have a guest, >> Erica. We have um >> Oh, hi. Thank our speaker. >> We do. >> Hi everyone. Um thank you to Melissa Murphy for um and and to Jane for giving
me just one or two minutes of your time to give you a little background on um why we asked for the proclamation. My name is Erikica May. I'm the director of the Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support at the Reading Police Department. I am in my 18th year of service here. When I came to reading um
as the first staff member of the coalition, the um the call from the community was to address opioid abuse. And that has been our core mission since the beginning. We have expanded over the years to address the fact that addiction
is a pretty complex problem. And so we look at addressing not just the issue of people misusing substances, but the roots of what leads people to do that. And so we address mental health, we focus on primary prevention, intervention, and connection to services. And so when we talk about this
proclamation, I want you to know that for the last 18 years, we have worked very hard to reduce the number of overdoses, the number of deaths, and overall the impact of pain on families. Um this is a really challenging thing to experience for people who are directly
impacted as well as the first responders that respond to the calls. Um the schoolmates, the uh friends, all of the people that love um those that might be struggling. So a few projects I wanted to call out that relate to um overdose awareness. Um, we have opioid settlement
funds which are dictated by legal settlements from um the um misuse of prescriptions that relate to opioids by major pharmaceutical companies and those funds are strictly designated for specific opioid related projects. And we have invested in four areas in the last
year. Um, one of the big ones to save lives has been airway management working in concert with the fire chief to procure new equipment to visualize airways quickly. So they now have a luridoscope with a visual camera that allows them to access an airway very
quickly. It increases their ability to access an airway from roughly 70% to 96% um with the appropriate training. The firefighters are going through their training right now. They are thrilled to have this tool in their toolbox. We also have been able to fund the supplies so that they can continue to use this
product. It's um something that many communities do not yet have and it really is at the cutting edge of airway management and overdose response. One of the things that's really important to understand is there could be multiple substances on board during an overdose. Fentanyl is is definitely a primary
substance, but many people are using multiple substances at a time and so someone can have a stimulant and an opioid on board which makes access to an airway more difficult. The second project that we've funded in the past year has been a health educator at the middle school. Um, our middle school
health educator partnering with the school department has been able to serve 900 students in grades six, seven, and eight at both Koolage and Parker in substance misuse prevention. We also hired a child adolescent clinician in a part-time capacity directly serving children, teens, and families working on
trauma. And then lastly, we have um partially funding funded uh connection to service program which allows writing residents to call and get matched to licensed outpatient providers. We have 83 families get connected to services. So I just want to share a few highlights if anyone's interested in more what
we're doing at the coalition. Um we are under public safety. We have our our link on the um town of Reading web page and feel free to reach out if folks have any questions. And with that, I'll turn it back to the board for the proclamation. >> Thank you so much. Thanks.
>> Should we ask if there's any comments or anything? >> No. No. >> Oh, I think Melissa has Melissa has a hand. [laughter] >> I do. I just wanted to say thank you, Erica, to you and everyone on the
coalition for all the work that you do for Reading Residents and especially the youth of our community. Um, it's it I know personally how far it goes. So, thank you for everything that you do. >> Appreciate it. >> Thank you.
>> Thanks. >> Oh, do you want to read ready? >> Yeah. >> You want to read? >> Oh, I have it right up. Whereas the select board determined that substance abuse disorders were profoundly impacting the town and our residents such that they helped
established the reading coalition for prevention and support in 2006 to improve community collaboration, reduce substance misuse, and promote mental health. Whereas we must encourage relatives and friends of people with mental and/or substance you substance
use disorders to implement preventative measures, recognize the signs of a problem, and guide those in need to appropriate treatment and recovery support services. Whereas the purpose of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st is for remembering loved
ones lost to overdose and those working with the community to reduce the risk of drugrelated deaths. Whereas the town acknowledges that the people affected by overdose are deserving of our compassion and support. Now therefore, we, the select board of the town of Reading,
hereby virtue of the authority vested in us by the laws of Reading, Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim August 31st, 2026 as Overdose Awareness Day. In witness whereof, we have here unin to set our hand this fourth day of August
in the year of 2026. Select board of writing. Do we have a motion? >> Move that August 31st, 2026 be recognized as Overdose Awareness Day in the town of Reading. >> Seconded by S Vermonte.
>> Uh, roll call vote. Uh, Melissa, >> yes. S, >> yes. Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Karen 5. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> All right, we're gonna
>> move on to 7:31. We're going to vote on our consent agenda. Do we move Do we have a motion? Do you have a comment? >> Um, I received some edits to the minutes, so I would like to pull them out of the consent agenda. Okay, we're
going to pull it out of the consent agenda and we're going to put it where should we put it >> now? I think now, right? Or >> or do we want to do it at the end when we usually do >> minutes? Is it >> Well, we used to approve them.
>> Uh why don't we put it after we reports? Is that all right with everybody? >> As long as that's good with Melissa. >> Melissa, is that okay with you? >> Yep, that's great with me. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. 7:32, uh, public hearing,
discuss and vote on traffic amendment 2026-3, placement of an isolated stop sign on Silven Road. >> Are you ready? >> To the to the inhabitants of the town of Reading. >> Oh, yeah. What am I supposed to say? >> Say that again.
>> To to wave move to dispense with the reading. the hearing notice. >> Sorry, I got the word friends with the reading. >> So moved. >> Do we vote on it? >> Second. >> Second. Um, roll call vote. Melissa,
>> yes. >> S, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Karen, yes. Hi, sir. >> All right. Welcome. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. Um, so we had a complaint come in to our traffic and safety officer um requesting a stop sign on
Silven Road at the end at um Pine Ridge. Um they have a picture they submitted. Um just a little background um Pineriidge is a pretty heavy cut through um road. So that road has a lot of traffic. Um Silvin also leads down um to
a smaller neighborhood. Um so they already traffic on Silven already has to come to a stop sign because it's the mountain road coming to a um not a major road but a heavier traveled road. So they have the duty to stop by law. So um
we are requesting to put a stop sign there just as a more visual aid um to have cars stop uh completely came in. There were cars rolling through the uh the intersection. Um, so just as a facial aid, put a stop sign on there
just to make it safer in the area. >> Makes sense. Anybody have any comments? >> No. >> Straightforward. Sounds pretty easy. >> Pretty easy. >> Pretty simple one. >> It's like one was always there. Yeah. >> But not really, >> right? >> All right.
Do we have a motion? [clears throat] Any comments online? I guess I should probably ask. >> No, nothing. >> Okay. >> So, move to close a public hearing regarding traffic amendment 2026-3. >> Second.
>> Roll call vote. Melissa, >> yes. >> S, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Karen, yes. 5. >> Move to approve amendment 2026-3 to the traffic and parking regulations as presented.
Roll call vote. Melissa, >> yes. >> S, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> did you want to ask if there were any comments before I finished voting? >> Are there any comments online or in person? >> No.
>> Yes. >> Okay. Karen, yes. 5. >> Thank you. >> Great. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. That wasn't Michael. >> Thank you. >> So sorry. >> Uh 7:35. Um we are going to have our
override discussion. And are you gonna start us off? >> Sure. I mean, >> thank you. >> You're running 10 minutes ahead of time. >> I know. Why? >> I'm just We could be done before the sun sets. >> I'm just saying. Um so, uh Sharon Angstrom is on. um remote. She'll um
Maddie if you can let her unmute and all that good stuff. >> She is able to. >> Okay, great. Um, so the request, um, Melissa, I asked Melissa kind of what she was looking for for this conversation and we talked with you a little bit about, um, the board talked
about phasing, um, originally, but we didn't finish that conversation, nor I didn't know if the board wanted to have any more conversation about it. Um, because I think phasing there was something we were talking about for a larger override, but the board decided to go with the 6.5 number. Um, so we
wanted to know if the board was interested in what phasing might look like that. Um, and then if the CFO or myself would recommend phasing at this, but the board should have some conversation about that because it came up in the public domain. Um, and then additionally, um, I just wanted to put a
kind of read into the record, so to speak, where we are with our communications that we have an override hub on our on our website. Um, and we are working to make sure that that information is always clear and updated.
Um, and we have a number of meeting dates in August, September, and October. So, these are on the website. People can register for a date that they want to. So, if there's a webinar or something like that, they can register for and then they'll get their their reminders. A few days before the webinar, we shut
off that link and you can just it'll just be a link that goes straight to the meeting. So, you don't have to register to come to the meeting. you can just go and join the webinar um or the zoom call whatever it might be but um we just did the the registrations because then people can you can sign up for something
in October but you'll get you'll get the reminder so I think you think that makes it a little bit more user friendly um so we have a lot of dates so and we've also included when there's going to be an override update at the select board meetings on this list so tonight's on this list on Thursday we have an
override webinar it's virtual only um the Thursday August 6th at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18 at 5:30 p.m. we have an override forum which is in person with a virtual option at the library and there is a Zoom registration link for
that. And then on Monday, August 31st, we have an override webinar that's virtual only and that's at 6:30 p.m. So the intention with these dates is to have different times of the day um different options for people so we can meet everybody where they are. Um, so
Tuesday, September 8th at 7 is the regular select board meeting. On Wednesday, September 16, we have an in-person forum with a virtual option here in town hall, and there is a link for that. On Saturday, September 19th, we have a 10 a.m. in-person forum at the
library. Um, on Tuesday, September 22nd, they'll have the select board meeting. And then on Wednesday, September 30th, there'll be a virtual forum at noon time um for people who don't want to stay up late or the middle of the day is better for them or it's lunchtime so you can you can join. Yeah.
>> So we think that's friendly. >> Um Tuesday, October 6, regular select board meeting. On Wednesday, October 14, there's an in-person forum with a virtual option at the Pleasant Street Center. On Saturday, October 17, there's an in-person forum. On Tuesday, October
20th, um I'm doing an a lunch and learn at the Pleasant Street Center. On Tuesday, October 20th, um there's a select board meeting at night. And then on the 28th is the final information session which is virtual only and there's a link for that one as well. So,
we will be everywhere doing all the things. Um but it's really important to give people an opportunity to ask their questions and as we go we think that sets of questions will change over time you know as people learn more have different questions so we want to be prepared and give everybody an
opportunity to hear it from us um and we've invited I think the board chairs and vice chairs from every um you know from the school committee from the select board from all are invited and we're posting for most of these meet the attendance may drop off a little bit as we go you know I think we have 50 people
registered for Thursday's forum. So, um that's a pretty good Yeah, it's a pretty good amount. Um so, that was that was the big thing that we wanted to kind of get in the record just let folks know. Um we have lots of information online where we're talking like you can go back and look at all the different forums and
and and listen to the conversation or read the minutes. Um and we have, you know, fact-based questions on here as well as some FAQs and we will continue to add to this as we see them come in. And um we're we're we're all about myth busting. We definitely want to have um
those questions brought forward so that we can make sure the correct information is in the public domain. Um and so yeah, so Sharon is on and her camera is on. Um there she is. Hello Sharon. Um so we spend a lot of time together. We are
besties. Um and it's great. Part of the conversation we're talking about was is a phased option um the right option for reading? Um with this particular override, what it would allow is the tax levy if approved would would increase
that $6.5 million, but we would if we were phasing it in would borrow less than that the first year and then the remainder probably in the second year with a 6.5. But what are the consequences of that? What would that look like? And so I've asked Sharon to talk a little bit more about how we
would if the board wanted to do that, how we would kind of get down to that five or 5.5 number um without going overboard on free cash and kind of still maintaining the discipline of keeping that tagged to capital expenditure. Um
so with that, Sharon, do you want to give your background there? >> There. Thank you. >> Thanks, Jane. I'm just going to share my screen so we can look at a slide. If I can see the share screen. Here we go. >> Can we all see that?
>> It's coming. There you go. >> Okay. >> Can you make it bigger? >> Can I make it bigger, >> please? >> Wonder if I put it in um slideshow format. Is it bigger on your screen? Like I can't I can see all of it I think on
mine. >> Yeah, it's a little bigger. >> Can you see it or no? >> Yep. Yep, we can see it. Yep. 6.5 over two years. >> So, I was trying to give some options if this is something that the select board is interested in. However, our structural deficit is so large that the
6 and a half million requires us to use at least $3 million of free cash just to fill the structural deficit. And we were planning on about 300,000 of kind of freezing positions or you know restructuring. So there's that six and a
half is kind of the lowest possible number we could go. So if we wanted to go with a um phased in approach, we'd have to be committing to make some changes whether it be we had talked about only using up to what we have in
capital for free cash. So in that case, we have about $4 million in capital um within this budget for fiscal 28. So if we stayed within that um realm, we could actually be somewhere in that um five
and 5.5 million like that first year and then 1 million the second or six million um the first year and half of a million the next year to break it down a little bit. I do provide the four and a half, but I do think that that would involves more conversation because that would be
really hard for us. At four and a half, we'd have to use 5 million to 5.3 million of free cash that year and then the next year we would get the additional 2 million bringing it back down. Um, but where we're at our limit with what our reserves are, I don't know
that that's a direction we really want to go. I feel like um the four and a half and the five really um are kind of maybe a little bit of a stretch. $5 million we'd need. Four and a half million. I think maybe five possibly could be done, but four and a half
absolutely would be hard. But I give you the options just so you can see what the numbers are. Um we can we can do a lot of different things. I mean in this budget for fiscal 28 we do have the new buildings and the additional expenses related to them for the full year so
that we have a baseline of a full year. It's knowing that there will be regeneration doing that because both buildings won't be in place for the full year and so we could use the pre-cash knowing um that we have a lot of regeneration built into that first year
because kllum and recal may not be in place for the whole year. I know Kllum is more likely to be there at the beginning of the fiscal year whereas I mean recal is going to be at the beginning of the fiscal year and Kellum closer to like the the middle of the fiscal year. So there's definitely
savings that would be there or we could even look at it and say okay let's try and figure out how much we would need for each one of them for what actual expenses and then putting additional expenses on in the next year. I guess it just a matter of
what does the select for board want to do? I guess we were hoping that the phased approach would be something that we'd be looking at if it the numbers were larger. However, six and a half isn't a small number either. So, I feel like it really is up to the board what they want to do and then we have to figure out how do we structure it so
that we're not using an enormous amount of free cash in that first year to make that work. I think the four and a half might be a stretch. All the others I think we could potentially do it. it's just going to be more free cash use and maybe some freezing of positions and not hiring certain positions until the
following year. So, that's what I envision and definitely would involve more conversations with Jane about what are we going to do in terms of what would be the most ideal way to structure this. I do see that the numbers look a lot better. Like a $500 increase, you
know, that first year is better than a $736 increase, which is what the total impact is. So spreading out may make sense. Although I will caution that that fiscal 29 that next year where we would hit them with the second phase, we would be
hitting them with the second trunch of debt more than likely as well. So that's something to consider as well. I mean the impact in the second year is very small and I would expect that second trunch of debt to be smaller given that
I borrowed about 60% of what I needed for both projects and both projects are coming in well below budget. So my expectation would be I'd be borrowing a lot less. Um but three years in a row having your um taxes go up5 or $600
it's a lot. So, I just I I want to hear from the board what their feeling is on this based on what you're seeing here. Do you think that this provides enough relief to where you do want to phase in or do you want to just have it just be six and a half and it hits in 28 and no phased in approach? And if you do want
to do a phased in approach, at what level do you think it makes sense? >> All right, let's open it up. Who wants to start? Chris, >> thanks Karen. Uh, and thank you Sharon
for that. Um, for me I I understand the whole 4 and a.5 million, you don't want to do that because it's it's difficult where then five and one and a half becomes, you know, somewhat manageable but kind of a stretch. Um, but I think that's more of
of where I'm at is the the five and one and a half. Uh, I'm not for six and a half all at once either. that that's just uh no thanks. So I think the five and one half kind of scenario um makes the most sense with me and then we don't
have to take the entire 1 and a.5 million. Uh is that correct Sharon? If we take the five then we don't have to take one and a half, we could take 1.2 if we decided. Is that the case? >> Yeah, I mean if if there wasn't a need we could leave some of the levy on the
table. Yes. Um, that's always an option here in Reading because we don't have a big commercial break base. I mean, we tend to have to tax to the max. We don't leave a lot of excess capacity. So, I I guess it's possible that we could do 1.2. Um, but where six and a half is
what we're asking to approve, it's very likely we'll use most of it because we do have a large structural deficit. >> Yeah. What I think, like I mentioned um previously, is that we have to see about still continuing to sharpen our pencils
on free cash use in general >> and just spend less free cash so we have more um in our reserves for this because um I know you mentioned Jane about having the FAQ and all this stuff, but
you know the questions are coming on what have you cut, >> what hasn't been cut, what is going to be cut, what's true, what isn't. It's all coming. So, I I think that we have to show, you know, uh the good thing is
the the health insurance that got renegotiated. Absolutely. That's a bonus. That's why the these numbers aren't even more super inflated. Big win in the win column. But people don't care about we could have got a hundred million.
You see the comments online just like I do. the town of Reading Post are getting ratioed to death and you have to stem the bleeding and your FAQ will help. I think whatever we have at the forums and all that every question that's done that's
nonuplicative kind of thing has to all get put into a working document. >> So, you know, you can say that, you know, this has been answered before, it's over here in our document and keep linking to that so everyone always sees all these questions that are going to be asked a hundred times. um and they
should be asked a 100 times and 101 times and so on. Everybody should just keep questioning both the positives and negatives u with this and make their own informed decision. Um so just update the FAQ continuously and what's the other
item I have written down? Oh um is there a difference between a webinar and a forum? So Thursday 50 people signed up. Are you accepting public comment or you're only giving some preset presentations and calling it a day? >> No, comments will always be welcome at
every [clears throat] forum. So, the webinar is just virtual only and the forums are in person with a virtual option. >> I think that you should just highlight that questions are encouraged in advance as well as you know during the meeting because it's easier when you have them in advance.
>> It we love them in advance and folks in fact we have a special email account. That's override at readingmma.gov and that goes to multiple people including Sharon and myself. So we we love questions. We've been getting questions. We respond to people with answers and we use those to help inform
our presentations. But yeah, you have a massive uphill battle. You have a game plan strategy with dates and everything already assembled before we were scheduled to vote last time. Um we will see how that ends up.
Anyone else have anything to say? Karen, >> thanks. >> Um, the third option I think seems the most palatable and the most meaningful. 5.5 million and 1 million the second
year if possible. Um, I'm looking at the the website which looks great. Um, a lot of hard work went in there and um I'm just wondering, I know you've been meeting with the superintendent of schools. >> We're going to need some more detail
behind this like we don't um lose student services that led to student academic success. Those are going to have to be flushed out. We can't like this fuzzy stuff isn't going to work. Um you know, you're like
putting on the town side three to five positions. um hiring freeze, which maybe you need to add that. You've already put a hiring freeze. I don't know if the schools have done that yet. I mean, there's other things on the tables, too. We're heading into union negotiations. I
want I don't want any of those unions to be surprised when we don't come be you don't come bearing bags of gold bullion. [laughter] >> We don't have that here, right? There's none of that here. Um, but yeah, I think the third option,
we also have the CPA on the ballot and I think that is a trade-off with the CPA with that amount. It it it is just going to be devastating to our community if we have to sacrifice that after all this work. But um if you guys could make that
option work, I think that's a meaningful um mitigation strategy which given what Sharon is saying, you know, then I could almost envision although, you know, given general inflation, this would be the biggest hit could be
slightly smaller year two, maybe slightly smaller year three, which is better than like 11% three years in a row. 10 or 11% three years in a row. I won't hold you to that because we can't we don't know what free cash is going to look like. And I would also of course you know we have this conversation now
and we have a plan going forward and if free cash the situation turns around dramatically in the fall of course I would expect you guys would want to revisit this with us. >> Sure. Absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Melissa, do you just I don't see Matt
Melissa. >> Thank you Karen. Sure. >> Yeah. just I just want to say that yes, I still support a phased in option. Um I think that we really need to be mindful of the increase year-over-year to our residents.
I actually support the first one um with the $4.5 million and then a $2.2 million um the following year if we even need that full $2 million. I understand that we may, but I'm hoping we can sharpen the pencil a little more and look and,
you know, maybe not hit them with that the second year. Just with the increases with the debt exclusion that first trunch, we know that the second trunch is coming. I understand it will be lower, but I still think that we really need to be mindful of the tax increase
year-over-year. So, I really would support that first option and just make um I just feel like it's just it eases people into it just a little bit more. >> Thanks, Melissa. S. >> Yeah, thanks Karen. I could I could go
get behind two or three. Um I think three is a little softer in the second year where they said what was coming in 28 that was going to be on top of that. The second trunch, right? >> Second trunch. >> Yeah. So, I I feel like that added with the second TR should be a little easier
the second year. Um, so I'm kind of leaning towards three in my opinion. >> So, just to shake it up a little bit. Um, of course >> you're going four. >> I'm going one. >> One. >> Melissa. >> Okay.
>> No, no, no. Not number one there. I don't want a phased in for 6.5. >> Oh, look at you. Off menu. >> Off menu. That's right. [laughter] >> Um >> I believe them when they say 6.5 is the base and that um the impact on the town
and the residents is going to be um felt by many no matter what we do. But I think that the impact felt by residents for one, two, three is going to be greater because of the services that we're going to lose or
the staff that we're going to have to manage and and possibly let go or or whatever's impact. I mean, I do believe that the 6.5 was the bottom dollar, and I don't think stretching it out over a couple of years um supports all the research and all the
work that the town did to come up with that number. So, that's why I would rather have it just be one year and have the second year be when the other tunch goes on and that's that. >> Well, okay. So, thanks for every
a different thing again. >> Can I add one more? >> Of course. >> Sorry, I just um so the finance committee will be talking about this very shortly. This increase the budget by 5.25%. That's not sustainable. We will be back here in two years. So, I I
have to imagine that your conversations, Jane, with the superintendent are also like that's not sustainable. Like, you can't can't do that. So, we got to figure out how deliver the best service we can. We're not going to be asking for 5.2% on the town side. We couldn't
possibly like it. I just want to mention that too. That's a really high number and higher than any of our budgets have been in the last few years. So, but oneoff's happen. I get it. I don't know all the details of what's going on over there. >> Thank you. I do agree with Karen as far
as um I think the town and you've been so clear and so concise on what is going to happen to our residents that I do would I would like to see that on the school side so that we know for our families and and children what it is that they're going to be facing with whatever changes there
are no matter how we decide to break it up. Um and I I assume that we'll hear more as time goes on, but I think we need to hear sooner than later. I will take that feedback back then and we're talking all the time. Yeah. So, and with and with um their CFO as well,
Phil Little Hale, has been great and we're working on our slides for the presentation together on Thursday. So, um they're great to work with. I'm really I think Dr. Turner is a is a great addition to reading. Um and so hopefully we can get some of this out
distilled and out there. So, I appreciate the feedback. Um, Fincom will be talking about this, I think, um, at their upcoming meeting as well. So, we have to make a decision tonight, but we'll bring it back maybe to see if the board wants to take a vote on how it
will be so we can communicate that as well with certainty. So, um, think about >> when do we need to make this kind of a decision? Do we have to even make >> in September? Okay, you don't have to make the decision, but if we want to explain to people that it's not 6.5 at
the beginning or maybe it is 6.5, like whatever >> it is, if it if there's um any sort of advantage to the the approach that we choose, we want to be able to communicate that with a lot of time. >> Okay. So,
>> you know, we understand that as you go through this process, you're also sort of building the ship as you're as you're sailing it. And we're doing that and that's why the FAQs will always update. The information will always update um as we go. And >> calculator been updated online. >> They're working on a calculator. Not as
fast as the running recap with their fantastic calculator they put up there, but our contractor has all the information and um we'll be building that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Is building it right now. >> All right. Thank you. Anybody else? No.
Thank you for that great feedback. Nice to see that you're all on the same page as usual. We usually are. >> No is here. Jay um [laughter] >> uh it's 7:59 and we're going to move to discuss
select board goals. Do I start this? >> These are these are your goals. >> I'm not in charge. >> So, we have some uh goals that we all submitted and um
uh does anybody want to talk first or how do how do we want to do this? I feel like um some are incredibly detailed with lots of action and some are not quite so detailed which is f there's no right or wrong. I think that there's so many that we kind of would be best if we could kind of narrow it down a little
bit so that we can have some key goals for the year that's achievable as opposed to a little bit here and there of all of them. >> I guess my question is who came up with page 22 in the packet starting there because I don't know who did it but it's the
most detail oriented thing I've ever >> Are we allowed to say who did it? >> Is it you? >> Yeah. No, >> it was not me. I believe it was Melissa. >> Melissa. Y >> I mean I I thought town staff put this whole thing together. >> No, that was Melissa's very detailed.
>> Thank you, Melissa. >> But after seeing that, it it makes me just say like I don't know why we need to do anything else. Just keep scrolling through pages of of lots of stuff. I mean, >> so do we want to narrow them down? >> Oh, of course. Yeah. Like >> I think we should opinion. >> Okay. Did you want to say something?
>> I did. Yeah. Just on your point. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um it's useful for the select board to you know three to five goals. You don't >> keep it keep it with themes broad themes and you know don't too many things makes
it hard to do. Do you know you you really want to focus on what what really matters because you can point back to it like this is a priority the select board has chosen when we're making financial decisions when you're making you know scarcity decisions like this is a this is something that we're pointing to as
an ethic or a goal that we have as a community so through your leadership. So that's why you know not not every goal presented should be it should be what is their consensus that you know the board all together say yeah we all agree that
this is a priority and just as a as a tactic moving forward. Thank you. >> So does anybody want to I think communication is a pretty big one. Anybody want to say something else or Melissa?
Yes, thank you Karen. Um, so my thought and I don't know what everyone on the board thinks. Obviously, we have a lot of um options that were put out there. I was, you know, thinking that maybe if everyone wants to go through the list and maybe pull one of their priorities
that we could put on, it might be a fair way to do it instead of like cycling through all of them. And we have many on there right now. um if everyone wanted to pull their biggest priority and kind of start the list from there. And I totally agree with Jane. I think three
to five is realistic. Any more than that, I just I mean I think we're just putting it on a list, but it's not going to get accomplished necessarily. And I'd rather have three to five strong um goals and objectives that we get through this year versus just, you know, a
longer list of things that, you know, we don't necessarily accomplish. That sounds good to me. >> Sounds good. >> Yeah. >> Do you want to start, Melissa? >> Sure. So, my my the first um
uh my number one would be my number one, the one that I'd like to put forward, which would be, you know, improve the public understanding of the financial talent's financial position. I just think that's extremely important important over the next year. I know that the vote will be in November. Um
but whether it passes or it doesn't, I think either way, we need to be very clear on how we're spending um the taxpayers money. So for me, um improve public understanding of the town's financial position would be my number
one select goal. >> Okay. Thanks, S. >> I would say the long range financial stability. Chris, >> I'm always with communication, transparency, everything that we can do
to just keep increasing that. Whether that's, you know, the select board getting their own Facebook page or something where all of our stuff gets put up, but that's going to fall on somebody else to kind of manage that scenario because I know the town clerk
just started a page kind of thing, but maybe there's some select board stuff. Um because there's always more ways to outreach people. Um you [clears throat] know, you just got to hit the the mark any way that you can just to
keep, you know, bringing that stuff up that a lot of people don't realize that, you know, we were supposed to have like one July meeting and then all of a sudden we had four or five. Um things come up, that's the way that it goes. And you know, we all try to be here and do our best for the uh community, but
anything that we can do to just keep, you know, better uh in improving upon that um obviously [clears throat] when I get into my town manager goals with AI and everything else, um that would be able to aid in this kind of effort as
well, but I'll save it for that. >> Okay, Karen. >> Um thank you. So, um we have two major building projects. Um, and this is where the rubber hits the road and um, we talk about long-term financial stability of
the town. We cannot let those walls drop. We have $150 million of capital on the line of taxpayer money on the line. So, um, I I the top three are getting this override so that we don't
create more chaos, getting the override done and and we get lots of bullets under that. recal and kill them have to be completed. That frees up staff time to work on the other things that we're talking about long-term financial stability of the community. Um
um if we had something else that could be worked on uh you know I know staff does a great job of um going after grants and us bringing into grants as part of the communication to the community that we've been talking about. I'd love to see more of a
a centralized easy to point at like you know yeah this is what's coming in we kind of hear them on a rolling basis but there's no place to go and track them down and just >> we did have Fidel do that one year we just said can you just come back and give us a summary for the the nine
months and that was like one effort but maybe that's something little that again I think that rolls under long-term financial stability and planning and um being thoughtful Okay. Um, I agree with all of them. I really have
had a lot of people say to me that they would like the sustainability officer position looked at, especially if we can have a grant pay for it. Um, so that I don't see that as being in the forefront for this year, but I would like to look at that in the background myself to
hopefully be able to expand on what the town can do in that aspect. But I think the financial part of it, the override and the projects are a pretty big part this year. So, okay. So, what I kind of heard were three goals. >> Sort of three.
>> Sort of improve public understanding of the financial position and um establish long range financial stability. Something along those lines. Both of those kind of go together. Um communication, transparency, and community engagement. um with so some
structures and strategies around um level you know upleveling that work and then um managing our major capital projects um to completion to bring them in on time and under budget there. And then you had sort of like a a
sustainability I don't know if you want to have like a green initiative kind of general green initiative. Um something yeah I think there's a couple of committees that can help us with that kind of start that rolling. Um so we'll talk to the committees on that and
perhaps maybe halfway through the year touch base and see where they're at. But I think that might be the right way to move it forward having them do the leg work. Not that I want to put anything more on their plate, but um they're pretty involved in that.
I think the communication piece is going to be huge because I do know that there's a lot of people that even have no idea we're going to have an override. So, I think it's if we can somehow I think that's going to be a big >> yeah big bite. >> And there's a lot that's come that you know can be done under communication.
You I've tens like how they can utilize tools to better communicate with their different constituencies as well. Um I know for example the council on aging is working on a survey um for what what they want to see coming down the pike. So that's something that they'll be
launching soon I think as well so other boards committees commissions can avail themselves of different tools that we have um in our communication Swiss Army knife so to speak. Um yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. >> All right.
>> Anything else? >> No. Melissa, anything else? No. >> No, I think those um that said is great to move forward. >> Okay. >> Okay. And it is 8:10 and uh we're going
to discuss town manager goals. So I put in your packet um also congratulations for being early. Um I put in your packet um a summarization of the goals that I presented previously. There are eight here. Um, you are welcome to whittle
down the list if you wish. Um, but this is uh these are these are suggestions or you can change them. Um, I'll read how about I read them into the record. That'd be >> Would you like to? >> I don't I mean the public can benefit. >> I beg your pardon.
>> They're in the packet. >> They're okay. They're in the packet. >> Thank you. >> And this is not the first time we've seen them. So they packet twice. So, >> most of these align with um the the things that you just said, the the goals that you guys established as well.
>> Um is our goal to check in on these, you know, halfway through the year or quarterly on all of us, our goals and your goals? Is that part of our >> It can be. I mean, I think it's, you know, nobody likes surprises, right? Right. you know, and I for one, when you guys do my review at the end of the
year, don't want to be surprised. So, um I I think we all want to go marching forth together with great success. But, um yeah, we can check in on these when I do my weekly updates and my monthly updates to the community. I'll highlight as these things go which goals they
align with so that you'll kind of track that or say like these are progress toward goals. This is, >> you know, different things that we're doing and how how it all kind of ties together. So, um, that's why I was I've got to get these goals together so that there's a little bit more, you know, nuance and meaning in some of the work
that we're doing, why how it's looking longevity. >> Great. Yes. And my dream, this is my seventh year of having this dream is that >> when we are sent to tell me evaluation form, it matches the goals that are on
this form because it doesn't. and you're like it it takes way too long. Make my job easy. >> I mean, if you want to give me top-notch, you know, rankings, I will make I will make it so easy for you. No, >> but I mean, I don't know if somebody in
your staff has the bandwidth. It's not a complicated form, but the goals do not match what we do, and they never have. And so the you're like trying to put um a hexagon nut into a round hole and it is it makes it painful. It shouldn't
take a half a day. >> No, no, it should it should be pretty straightforward. Yeah, I we can do >> the structure. Okay. Can we work on that? >> Sure. >> Make it easier for all all >> I'll just do it. It'll be fine. It'll be fine. >> Let's get an intern to help you out. >> Right. I don't have any interns. There
are no interns. >> Find one. Come in. >> We We believe in paying our interns. We don't believe in free labor. So we don't have We have paid >> Okay. >> That's paid work. Yeah. That's kind of an ethic that >> colleges. Well, you give credit. >> We do we do if there's credit. We will
do we will work with people if they have a credit program. >> Yeah. Yeah. There's some colleges around here that they're no pay. They just they want to do meaningful work. And I think that's meaning this is meaningful. >> Maybe >> something you can put on your resume. >> Exactly. Redo a Yeah. local management
resume. I think it's I think it's um definitely we can do an improvement on it to make it fairly straightforward for the select board and not an ownorous um task but then also as you do this work as you go forward you see also your progress >> right >> you know and and the community's
progress like we are making real progress every single day just dayto-day operations there's longitudinal work that's happening daily too >> okay >> thank you >> thank you >> thank you so all good with these goals >> Yep. Yeah, thank you for >> I can be busy
>> a little bit. >> Okay. >> Uh, thank you. >> Yes, sir. >> Did you want me to expand upon the AI portion that I put in there, Jane, or are you good with basically how I closed it? >> So, I thought the way that you worded
the AI goal, exploring the feasibility of creating um a municipal AI and digital services position. I thought that was interesting. I I thought about at first. I'm like, I'm not able to hire somebody into this role right now. We all understand that. >> Correct. >> But I can certainly assess the feasibility of it. What I was thinking
might be interesting is to make it um sort of a job duty of a role that we might fill in the future. So, I'll give you for instance, um when we were doing our interviews for the administrative services director role, um before I put
in the hiring freeze and decided, okay, we're not going to go in this direction um right now. AI wasn't part of that job description. However, several of our applicants asked about AI usage in town and how it's coming and and and talking
about how they're using it already. So there is a market there that we could hire into, but I don't know that it would be just a standalone job. I think it could be a part of a job duty um that somebody at sort of that level would take on. And so something along those
lines. So there I have already explored the feasibility of creating this work for you. Well, that's why I ended it would be just to take an inventory of the town's existing vendor contracts, technology related expenses to identify services that could be potentially
consolidated, brought in house, or replaced, and then we can determine whether or not the projected savings would benefit establishing the position. So essentially whatever you're paying for the tax calculator, consultant, whomever you have doing it,
>> that is done in five minutes. >> I mean that's what it is. I could be doing it right now while we're up here. >> Um so whatever you're paying them for that, like these are the things that can be all brought in house that you can have immediately done. Um, so I won't
hold you to whatever the number is, but if someone was paid 2500, five grand, who knows, maybe I'm way out of whack on those numbers, but those just get eliminated immediately. Five minutes done. >> Um, but there's other things, other
contracts. Obviously, we have to keep uh Microsoft for, you know, email and and those aspects. Uh, same thing with Word and all that. Um and you know like the security licenses for the cameras but anything else whatever Laser Fish is
charging us for all the document uh and inventory that they're keeping with that >> uh you know a couple hours and it's completely gone. Like these are the things that I know are capable of being done. And if you're telling me hypothetically if laser beach was 25
grand a year, I eliminated $25,000 in a weekend at the beach is all it would take. And these are the kind of things that the town has to be exploring when we have to be see about really sharpening our pencils and cutting budgets. We're not losing employees because of that. We are just adding
someone that's able to complement all these other positions as well >> in just trying to refine things down to take them in house because if we don't act on this now, you're just going to get blown blown away in the next 3 to 5 years like this is you know it's it's
just taking over. So just see what you can do about just taking stock of inventory with uh Kevin and just seeing like realistically what can be done because I know there's confidential information. All these other things have to be handled for legal reasons certain
ways but public documents that are public I mean that's the whole point. So >> Yep. No, that's great. >> I appreciate it. It be a challenge goal. Is that it everybody?
>> Well, we're going to move right along at 8:18. We're going to do our favorite section leaison reports. >> Melissa, would you like to start? >> I actually don't have anything tonight. I mean, I've attended all of our override discussions, FinCom, listen
back to school committee, but I don't have anything else to add this evening. >> All right, S. Haven't gone to any the past week, but I've been driving by the recal center and they're pouring a lot of cement there. Drive by almost every day. Um there a lot of action. The roads
closed, so you can just sneak squeak a sneak peek at it, but they pretty much brush you along. They won't let you look too long. Um but it's definitely coming along well. >> Nice, Chris. >> Thanks, Karen. Yeah, same scenario. We've been dealing with override stuff
this whole time. Um, so all the meetings that we've had um on that, but I just want to mention that the 11U boys beat Vermont and New Hampshire and they play Maine tomorrow for the trophy >> for the Reading Little League. So, it's good to see um
uh those great group of kids just, you know, uh lots of first here in Reading. And uh you know I don't want to drink stuff but it's looking bad like the scores that I'm seeing is just it's wild like >> so good for them. Um but yeah that's it
for me. >> Thank you. Um I attended the RMLD CAB joint meeting and um they spent a good couple hours discussing the road map to net zero carbon by 2050
and um Lots of policy work in there. Reporting um you know they need to report their progress back to the state talking about handling um certificates and managing the
portfolio. There was discussion about you know they they tell us they're about 50% green but a lot of that is cheap because we're playing Monopoly with the green credit certificates. So, you know, it's it's and you know, it's it's valid,
but one of the commissioners is like, I don't want to give people the wrong impression. There's and I think part of the issue is there's not that much green energy yet. So, the the the racks still like account for a lot of like Yeah, we're at 50% and that's how we're getting there. Um, we are all getting new meters and collectors are going out.
I'm not sure what the collectors are. Reading I believe has started and will be finished in early September. new um electric meters and then the rest of the four towns will start and they'll be finished up in 2027.
Um the financial update, the midyear financial report showed that kilowatt sales were up by 3.5% and interestingly the very cold weather in January and February kind of drove that but that's good news because our um
our return on owner's equity um formula is based on increasing hopefully increasing kilowatt sales. So, um we'll see how that goes, but that's promising. I mean, it hasn't it's it's budged. It was budging like a percent a year. It's not ex but still we'll take we'll
take it. We need it. And the Wilmington substation is underway. And um so I believe that is a $26 million project and they've expended about 15.5 million. There's about 11 million um remaining.
And that's it. Awesome. Um I attended the Commission on Disabilities meeting. They discussed um their reviewing other neighboring towns commission's policies and procedures so that they're not starting the wheel, you
know, all over again. Um community education. Uh they started discussing the snow removal bylaw and the impacts on residents. Um working on ways of getting their message out to the community. just basically letting people know they're here and they're willing to listen to people and their issues. Um
they're working on getting a lot of data from the other commissions so that um a lot of surveys going out to these and they're calling a lot of these people and emailing them. So they're doing a lot of hard work and uh they're working on a mission statement. Um town forest committee, I wasn't able to attend the meeting. It was a walkthrough where
they're having some professionals do the um uh invasive plant treatment. I hear that went well. um housing authority went to a meeting. They talked about capital projects. Um priorities including bathroom rehabs,
water heater, paving project. Um going to discuss the possibility of revisiting the dog policy. I'm going to meet with Katie this week to talk about some residents concerns for my office hours. Um recreation. I attended about 20 minutes
of my first recreation meeting and um they talked about the noise permits for the boys on the field on Huntfield. Um so I'm looking forward to the next meeting. Um affordable housing trust. We had a great meeting where we talked in depth about
um how to move forward with ideas on how to use the funds, generate funds for larger projects, discuss defining affordability for residents and what it means. Um, some see it as low income housing. Others see it with rental assistance and financial assistance and
emergencies. Um, Andrew and Olivia are awesome and have given us great guidance and ideas and they're it's a really good group. Um, food pantry current needs are laundry detergent, tissues, canned chicken, mayonnaise, and toothbrushes.
Um, summertime can be a quiet time for donations. So, please remember um you don't need to stop by and donate. They have a wish list on Amazon. So, if you go to the website, you can click on the wish list and it takes you right to the items that they're looking for and you just do your usual Amazon click and send
and it goes right to them. Um, and that's that. Uh, it is 8:24. We're going to talk about future agendas. >> I think we have minutes. >> We have minutes before this. We're going to talk about minutes. >> I had the arrow in the wrong place.
[laughter] Um, Maddie, you said they are amended. >> Yes, I received some suggested changes to both sets. Of >> course, I can't see. >> Sorry. >> No, it's not you. It's my eyes.
>> Everybody see? Am I in the way here? >> Is that better? >> The prompt gets in the way. I will chime in and I added the sentence that says the document can be found on page 42 of the >> Thank you. >> June 23rd select word packet. That was my edit, but the rest are not for me.
>> Okay. >> Yeah. Fine with >> I'm fine with it. Melissa, are you okay with that? >> Yep. Look good to me. >> Sound okay. Wait, I think you just passed one up top.
>> You just passed a wood, I think. I'm sorry. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Anybody have any comments? >> Nope. >> Nope. >> I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said. >> Oh, sorry. Any comment? >> Oh, no. All good. Sorry. Just couldn't
hear you. >> That's okay. Melissa. >> Yep. Looks good to me. I'm fine with that. Which side is that? >> Motion to accept the meeting minutes of >> Sorry, the one on the screen was just
623. I was just moving to the next set of minutes. >> Do you want to um approve those now or approve them both at once? >> Um we could approve both at once with everybody. Sure. >> So, everybody okay with it comments?
>> Looks good to me. Okay, Melissa. >> Um, sure, >> Chris. >> So, >> okay, I think that was it.
That's good. >> Okay, Melissa. >> Yep. I'm fine, >> Chris. >> It's fine. I just know that when we add stuff in the past, it's always an issue because it's becoming more than a summary, but I'm okay with what is on
the screen. So >> it was um it was notable. I didn't do that for any of the other meetings, but that was a big long discussion and it's relevant for the board. So I think it's good that we >> capture that we brought it up. >> All right. >> Is that the last one?
>> Awesome. >> Thank you. >> Motion. >> Okay. Motion to accept the meeting minutes of 62326 and 71426 as amended. >> Seconded by S. Roll call. Melissa, >> yes.
>> Z, >> yes. >> Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yep. >> Karen, 50. >> Now we're at future agendas. >> May I just make a suggestion for September 8th? Um, I think I think I
would like to see that naming policy be a discuss and then you can put possible vote. But I think that is going to be the kind of agenda item where we may hear from the community and they may have opinions and um and or we that'll be the first time we'll be discussing it
and we may have some thoughts that might percolate between the two meetings too. I just I don't and it's a pretty um it's a pretty significant thing that we'll be doing. We've never had a naming policy before. I it's got to be two meetings, please. >> Well, I would just say that that would
be three meetings then because we already had a meeting on it. So I would like it to stay discuss and vote. We had an initial meeting already and we were asked to send feedback to Jim already. Um and it will this will be the second meeting. So
>> I don't believe anyone actually sent any feedback except for myself. >> So um we're going to put it on for discuss. I'd like it on for discuss and vote on September 8th. I'm not sure if I was in the first meeting. I was it before I got in the
wood maybe. I don't know. >> No, when Jim came >> Jim for recreation came and went over the um >> had slides up there. No, you were here. >> Okay. >> I think it was the either the last meeting or the the one before that. It's
hard to keep track with overrides. >> It was a flowchart. >> Okay. >> Yeah, it was a big flowchart. >> It was a big flowchart. >> All right. Sorry. It was brought up at the rec committee as well this last meeting. >> Madam chair, if I may, even if vote is on the agenda and the board's not ready
to make a decision, you don't have to vote, but it gives you the option if you're ready. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, for so many years, we had the discuss and vote at a different meeting that for me that feels like pressure and I would not like to have that pressure. I'd like to get it right. That's all. >> Thank you.
>> Anything else? Um, if I may, I'd like to add um to the uh September 22nd meeting um the ACE committee is going to come and give us an update. So, if we could just add that to September 22nd, that would be great.
>> Chris, >> thanks Karen. Um the I I don't see the discussion regarding the Pleasant Street Center on here at all. And I know we had brought it up probably at the meeting that Jim was at about adding it to that. Um, >> yeah, it needs to be maybe the September
22nd meeting, >> whichever one you want to, but we have to have a discussion on that. >> Yep. >> And that is the that will include um like you can send the assessment to us and we can talk about the findings. >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> And the permanent building committee, will they have had a look at it before we get it. >> They Yes, that's why I said the second meeting. Yeah, it'll No, it's going to be at the beginning of September. >> Okay, great. Perfect. >> Yep. >> Anything else?
>> Um, actually, one more thing. I think do we need to adopt um the changes that were made in our charter? I have that on my list for the fall. Do we have to do that as um
>> we were major the majority vote we were told we needed there were at least one I don't think we needed to adopt all of them but >> okay so yeah I can follow up with yeah I can follow up with and Laura yeah just >> because we just did the alcohol thing
from the >> because it changes our voting as well so we it clarifies that it is the majority of members present Right. I know what you're talking about. >> That is a change for us. >> But I want I I think in our policies it ends up saying just majority vote and
was always return interpreting it based off what the charter said since the charter has now been changed. We are still interpreting it the way that the charter is read. So I don't think we have to change it but you can find out. >> But the practice might change for the board >> because it it was always like well is
this substantive or is this administrative? If it's administrative it's okay. If substantive. Then, you know, it was always like we needed three positive votes because that was the majority of the board and now it's substantive. If only
>> four people here, it'll be three. If only three people show up, it's two and that's okay. Where that was never okay before. >> She could refresh. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Yeah. No, we'll follow up on that. >> They took forever. >> Maddie, make a note of that. Follow up
on Okay. Anything else, Melissa? >> Um, no, I don't think so. I just went through my list. I don't think I see anything else that needs to be added right now. >> Okay. >> Are the override things on here, Jane?
>> No, we have to add in over part of the discussion. >> Yeah, every single spot. And then >> yes, I will when we do our agenda meetings, I always bring up override needs to be added just, you know, any updates >> and just make sure we're posted for
every single one of them. I know it's annoying because there's like 12, but is what it is. >> Better to be safe than sorry. >> Correct. >> All right, moving along. 8:34 executive session purpose two and
purpose three to conduct strategy discussions with respect to collective bargaining and collective bargaining with the department of public works union. Do we have a motion? >> Um yes. move to enter into executive session under purpose two and purpose
three to conduct a conduct a strategy session with respect to collective bargaining and collective bargaining with the department of public works union as an open meeting will have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the select board as declared by the chair to invite town manager Jane Wellman, human resources director Sha
Donahghue, assistant human resources director Annabella Batista, public works director Chris Cole, and executive assistant Maddie Baptist into the executive session and to adjourn from executive session and not return to open session.
>> Second. >> Thank you. Roll call. Melissa, >> yes. >> S >> Chris, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Karen, yes. 5 Z. >> So, am I adjourning? >> Y.
>> We're ajourned.