Hey, Gail. >> Hey, you got home in time. >> I did [laughter] a little bit of juggling. I didn't know there was going to be that long. >> I had a shorter route. >> Yes, you did.
Well, we'll see how that goes. I definitely have an opinion. >> So do I. >> Yeah. And uh >> and we won't talk about it. >> No. Especially since you're recording, which I'm staring, just for the record,
I am staring at it. It says recording. >> It does indeed. >> So I don't know where it goes. It doesn't come to me. >> At one time it went to your computer. It it did. Um, and like two meetings
ago, >> I couldn't find it. And so I like I reached out to Bren Brennan and I said, "I don't know where it went. I can't find it." And he said, "Well, let me look." And, you know, he he looked into it. He set it up for recording to the cloud and he locked it because he's like
the ultimate admin. >> And so it's But since then, I haven't tried to mess with it. And you turned it off at the end of the >> You don't have to. When you end the meeting, it ends. >> Yeah, but you have to stop the recording. >> Yeah.
>> Oh, >> no. Because it starts automatically and then it stops. It goes It I see it on the screen. It says converting the recording. >> Yeah. >> It says where it goes.
>> And this was the old days. I was told to make sure that you signed out so that the next committee could pick up that same URL. >> Signing out not well you have to >> you have to close the URL >> for the meeting not for the recording
like you have to end the meeting because I log in meeting. >> Yes. Yes. Okay. And that automatically stops the recording. I see. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, hi Nate. [laughter] >> Hello. How are you? >> Good.
>> Hey. >> Hey there. >> It's just it's just starting to do weather outside. >> We just decided to do it. >> Yeah. On the way home it was like it's it's it's going to be ugly. >> Do you have the taxi run tonight, Nate? >> Yes.
>> Yeah. Got hockey practice. But I think it's okay. It's just to Mullins and back. Um, so I can take it slowly. I'm a little more worried about tomorrow morning. >> Where are you going tomorrow morning?
>> Oh, not me, but um, just like school buses and it seems like more of a freezing rain situation overnight, like into the morning. So, >> I think it's more parental worry that it'll be a late start. >> That would be my guess, you know, in the
in the old days with um oh goodness I know when Maria Garrick was superintendent she used to do this but she would drive around to all four towns in the region like whenever it was going to be a bad
weather in the morning to find out like what it was like or >> you know because because all the superintendents talk at like 3:00 or 4 in the morning to figure out like who's doing what >> and I was I was all impressed because you know if you're in Amorest you totally different weather. >> Yeah. >> So, you can't make the call
>> from, you know, sitting in your your home in Ammerst. >> And I thought it had a lot of credibility to actually drive a little insane, but to drive around >> us. >> So, well, why don't I call us to order and hopefully Greg will join us um at
7:03 >> and uh Oh, is Greg supposed to take minutes or did he do last time? I can't remember. Greg was gonna do it because he missed it last time, but let's see. Well, let's just let's assume we're recording.
>> Let's do that because I know for planning board Matteo doesn't come to the meetings all the time and then he does the minutes afterwards. So, and there's always a transcript. So, I'll say if he >> Okay. >> If Yeah, because you guys, you know, you guys step up a lot. And if for some
reason the trans the recording doesn't happen, I'll I'll work off the transcript and I'll do it. So, and and it should be a short meeting. It's not like massive stuff. Um so, uh let's see public comments. I don't
see any public. Um so, we'll just jump over that one. So, I think most of the discussion is updates. Um the big one I think is doing the clean energy funding which Gail you weren't part of the the the
joint I don't think you were come to the joint call did you or were you I can't remember those before Christmas with FinCom and the buildings committee and all that. >> Yeah. >> Were you were you at that meeting? Are you talking about the various
meetings about the the school? >> Yeah, you were there. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, it was just Greg that wasn't >> I was out over my skis which you pointed out. >> Yeah. [laughter] So, I think just following up from that
and I mean I have I have two updates I shared with Nate already, but um one of them is that Frank I saw Frank over the weekend and he arranged for Mass Save to come to the school on the 13th to do the energy audit which is
great. So, that's very cool. I don't have the time yet but he he was very responsive about that. And then the other two things is he I think at the meeting he might have mentioned but Tom Seaffort's
brother has a has some company an engineering company that just got bought out by um GZA who's the company that's working on the dam and so Frank reached out to G gza about would they come and check something out about geothermal. So
there's nothing yet. There's nothing yet, but he he's he's doing the outreach actively. And then Jeff Quagenbush um reached out to his contacts at UMass because they're doing this huge geothermal stuff at UMass to figure out
um and he al Jeff also reminded me Ammerst is doing it and I know Mount Holio's doing it as well. So you know his his only you know he set the expectations. She said, you know, two things. Most likely, anybody who's doing the colleges is going to be a huge eastern mass-based firm, even if maybe
not even Eastern Mass, but bigger than anyone who would want to do Shootberry. Um, and so he said it might not be quick, but he's he's going to work his networks to figure out like if he can sort of find somebody. So, I was encouraged since they're both on the building committee, they were taking it,
you know, very seriously. Whether we could pull it off in time, I I not sure. Um, Gail you were going to talk with schools around here who had done it retrofit. Did you get any interesting information from that?
>> I haven't ga uh been able to obtain much useful information. Um a lot of the projects are um kind of in in the development phase. Uh, one thing that,
uh, both myself and Anna Herd, uh, my partner who's on the school committee, we've been trying to get information about the folks that are, uh, uh, doing the, um, the Fort River um, uh,
>> oh, >> project, right? So, that's a large geothermal project. Um, and we're we're hoping to get information. We we have the name of the sort of the large contractor, but the folks doing the HVAC
are specialist subcontractors, and we have not yet gotten a name to that uh group. Um, so I unfortunately don't have a lot to report back on that line of
inquiry this evening. Um but we we did get a recommendation for uh an organization that would be able to develop like um
some some estimates. So uh we had received a quote from Western Mass Heating and Cooling and Plumbing. They do residential uh ground source heat pumps and they suggested or recommended um
uh a group called LN consulting. Um, so one of the questions that I wanted to bring to the to the group tonight is um like I'm not sure how you if we I know that we want to get multiple
bids or perspectives on a project of this nature and the uh whoever if a project were to go forward you know there's a that public bid process
But I I'm less clear on how we dot our eyes and cross our tees around um getting multiple or um [clears throat] like estimates if you will, particularly if that involves some outlay from the
town. Um, so I just see like a need for some some more meetings [laughter] on on this. Uh, so >> get an assessment even on feasibility >> before >> someone might come and say, "Oh, no.
This this will never work." Well, given the given the building, given the infrastructure, given the heating system that's there, given all of that, is it even >> makes sense to look at for it? >> Agreed. Yeah, I think there's there
seems to I think there's a step before you get to detailed mechanical drawings, right? >> Yeah, I should think. like like this is why I think I mean it's sort of a bummer but I do think the the group discussion
was helpful in terms of like getting being ready for February is impractical in terms of like oh >> get getting there but what just came to mind based on your question and you know this is sort of like Nate you can informally tell Anna but so
the fincom starting you know, in January, if not earlier, sometimes has meetings with each of the committees to find and departments to find out what they need so they can build the budget. And, you know, the school always has a turn at the table and they're usually talking about how there's cuts and this
and that and the other thing. But I think that would be the time, you know, for the school and, you know, when they have that meeting, we could come, the buildings committee could come to basically say the school needs to look at, you know, the
heating system in the long term and we need to start now if we're going to address that, you know, and just talk about the finances. I mean, my jaw dropped when Nate talked about how much they just spent. I think it was 47 grand in oil, right? I mean it's No, I think it was Nate Longco who said it.
>> Yeah, other Nate. >> Oh. Oh, the other Nate. >> Yeah. And uh you know like so the fincom's eyebrow should go up when you hear that kind [laughter] of stuff. So, so it seems like making, you know, if it gets into the budget, >> you know, my the thing that I was really
I can't remember who I was talking Oh, I was talking to to Jeff and Frank and I said, you know, the best outcome of that last meeting was that we have multiple committees and if we can as a town say this is something we need to achieve. Maybe it's kind, you know, we can't do
it immediately, but if we're all saying this is the next big priority now that we've gotten a library, um that that's, you know, it's a it's a shared goal and then it's a matter of bringing everyone's, you know, expertise or role to play. Um and so I [clears throat] and I can imagine that, you know, if that
was a warrant article and the if the school, the Fin, the buildings, and ECAC all sponsored it. Um >> you know, let's put the budget line. Oh, well you could do that, but I think I think I think it would grow the school. I'm >> not gonna get to
>> No, no, no. Just for like the assessment part, the feasibility study. Um, you know, because that's always our challenge is the feasibility stuff. >> Um, >> isn't that what Cop said was tens of thousands? >> Oh, you you're talking about I think it
was Jeff who was talking about the expense. No, I think it was the next part like the >> Okay. Yeah, I think someone's got to, you know, >> so so it might be realistic to consider the feasibility study as shared by a number of committees.
>> No, I'm I'm thinking it should be well the school the school is a department, you know, so they actually have a budget. So I would say the if if there was a warrant article or it's actually just a maybe a warrant article going to the budget where to do this assessment
it would go to the school budget but like any other warrant article it could be supported by different committees. So you know the the fin you know fin could support it we could support it buildings could support it but it basically creates this consensus of like various parts of town think this is a good idea
for the school. Um >> but where's the money come from? from the budget, the town budget. Do we get voted in June? That's what I'm saying. Or whenever we have town meeting. >> Well, that's what I'm saying. Do we >> Okay. >> It's up to Fin comp to figure out where
to pull the money from, but it would go it would go into either it would go into the school budget or it go into capital planning. I don't know where it would live. I think that's a Fin decision. >> A separate line and it would pull from bits and pieces from Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. is like we have no money to
contribute but you know coming from the general pot of money for the town they could figure out um you know and >> it's sh it's a shared interest in town so yeah >> yeah so so I think that that would be
good and so I don't know when I mean Anna can probably easily find out when the school committee is going before the fincom but the school committee can probably talk about it and then >> I mean I So, I'm assuming we would be happily to go, but I'm I'm assuming Frank would be willing to come as well
for buildings committee. Um, so the the slow choice in terms of your other question, I mean, I think for the multiple bids, we would just have to do an RFP. Um, you know, the only thing that I'm a little unclear of because I
think it's played out in different ways is if you have a vendor who's done the some pre-work. >> Yeah. >> There's some situations where they become disqualified from bidding >> because like they sort of gave you
enough upfront information. So sometimes they don't want to get involved because they want to bid once it finally happens. But I don't Haley might know the circumstances around that. I just I feel like it's gone different ways >> when you're disqualified and when it doesn't matter.
>> Okay. >> Yeah. Would you have any objection to my inquiring from my installer that was 17 years ago um where to get some suggestions on where we might turn
to get um a feasibility study? >> You should go for it. >> Would that be okay with you? Okay. >> Yeah. I think the more the more irons in the fire, we might actually And uh >> yeah. >> Yeah. It's I mean it's sort of
interesting. You know it's an emerging field but it's still but because of that it's still new >> and you know it's not like you call up a plumber and like there's a gazillion plumbers out there. So figuring out how one does this at a school especially. Um
it's a different deal. >> Well I'll see first if they're still in business. [laughter] >> Yeah. Did you guys reach out to Dandelion at all? >> Excuse me. Uh I I didn't um I I don't
think that that it would be their um it's like their main line of business like um I think they they really specialize in the home retrofits and >> what was the question? >> Did they reach out to Dandelion which is the installer that Nate and I used? So,
when they were doing mine, I was talking to the guy doing the I think it the drilling, but I can't remember. But, uh, they basically said they were shifting to commercial and they were doing a big job in the Midwest, >> right? >> And I think they're going to commercial
just because, you know, there's so many residences and they're all small and pesky. But if you do one big job, >> it's probably easier, >> right? >> Could ask. I can ask. >> Okay. >> Let's take that. >> Cool. So other, you know, so I think the
others based on that this conversation and the one we had with everybody else, it seems like, you know, the the green works thing is if we could pull it off, it's still an
open I saw, you know, I saw Haley because I was the police interviews and before the meeting, I asked her if we had a date for another meeting and she said no. Um, but it seems like that's still possibility until the deadline passes. Um, right. >> And if the deadline passes and we don't
apply, then I think it's a question of we'll find out about climate leader certification this month and then we all either on ourselves or with the town can figure out what we want to do for an August application. um
>> you know which is a a million dollars tops but I'm sure we can put that to good use in one way or another. So and I do that one I do think we should you know we shouldn't apply for something and then not be able
to use it and max leverage something else but I think applying for something sooner than later while there's less competition is beneficial. So, you know, once we get clarity about the school project, we can figure out like, okay, what would we prioritize based on the
road map, maybe talk to the our the buildings folks, but um that would be very cool if we can do something. And I'm assuming we'll find out. I don't know. I mean, now that Chris is retired, I'm not sure who's going to tell us, but
um hopefully we'll get an email from somebody at Green Communities. >> Chris has retired. >> Yeah. Oh, you didn't see that email he sent to us. He he technically retired at the end of December, but he he actually stopped a week or two early because of sick, you know, vacation days and that
kind of stuff. >> I didn't see that. >> Oh, yes. Chris is retired. >> And is there somebody new? >> Not that I know of. I haven't. >> Oh boy. >> Yeah. So, I'm assuming someone will fill
in eventually, but I have no idea. I haven't I haven't gotten any like, "Hello, I'm the new person yet an email." >> Was it written to ECAC? >> I think so. I I don't think I was the only one. Hey, did you see it? >> I do not recall seeing that.
>> Okay. Well, if it was to me, which seems odd because I don't think he always writes to me. Um, I apologize, but he he definitely >> Would you forward it, please? >> Yes, I will. I will. Yeah. And uh
>> yeah, I wrote back to him. He's happily living in Monu trying to find things to do. >> It wasn't that long ago that he came in. What, three, four years ago? >> Yeah. Yeah. I I I forget what he was doing before, but yeah. I don't know if
this was a different stint in state government or if he joined, but in any case, um, so if you want to shift gears, CCA, you want to do the update, Nate? >> Uh, yeah, I'm happy to do the update.
So, um, we were, I feel, think, feeling quite ready to send out this postcard to, um, Eversource households. Um, but, uh, Colonial had a couple of questions for us. Um I think
some of the questions were like do you want us to use um our return address uh you know maybe not necessarily rising to the level of a question for the whole committee like um but um you know they
they did ask uh and you'll recall that u Eversource customers uh although the basic service rate for Eversource is lower than what we're able to offer through the aggregation which is why we have not um you know folded
them in um uh with with national grid folks uh Eversource households do have the option to opt into the 100% wreck product >> right >> and you know we decided that that might
be a little too much to put onto the postcard but Colonial has offered to prep the website um to accommodate those households. So if folks on Eversource household want to go to the website and um uh opt in that
they would that that information could be present there for them. Um and it's I think it's something that we could fold into our FAQs and just kind of create that glide path for them. Um and I I I think that would be a good thing um to
do it in like simultaneously with uh the postcard outreach. So um I see nodding nodding heads. >> Yes. >> Uh the other the other update is that national grid basic service rate is on
February 1st. It's going up to drum roll >> 15 something right >> 15 cents 15 cents 15.372 cents um so I think we did a good job uh
locking in the lower rate because uh electricity prices are actually not going down on their own. So we're going to be that delta between our locked in rate and what everybody else is paying is going to, you know, diverge diverge
more and more. >> So >> that's good news. And I think they're they're uh Colonial will be offering us reports on number of households and I think like how much money the town is saving in aggregate. Um, [clears throat]
which I would really love to be able to work into our communications to the town in our annual report stuff like that. I think I'm really excited about that. >> Spreadsheets here I come >> there. But I think >> definitely
>> that's the update for CCA. >> I think the other one just I think that Denise said because she did give us some enrollment numbers originally and she said we're doing very well compared to other towns. >> Yeah. like for people opting out like
not not that many people opted out. Um >> so >> yeah, I can I will I will make sure to forward that to the whole committee because I think that you're right. Um that is great news. >> It is. >> Yeah. >> For us. >> Yeah. And I gotta say like I mean I've
been following the whole state and national discussion about you know rising electric rates >> um you know and affordability and data centers is all one big giant ball of stuff and I keep thinking we don't have to worry for three years or just shy of
three years like that's pretty cool. >> Uh yeah it's it takes away that vulnerability which is really pretty cool. So, we did do good. Thanks for starting this, Nate. [laughter]
>> And I think after we finish with the the current project, multicommitt project, I want to go back to Colonial and their talk about the community electric. >> Yeah, totally. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I was just talking to someone this weekend. I think that would be really
cool. >> I agree. That's it's got that's got huge potential. Um, do you want me to put it on next month's agenda for us to talk about? >> Sure.
>> Okay. >> Can we do that and be working on this other thing at the same time? >> Well, I think we could just we could talk about it. I mean, >> okay. you know, if if we actually do a project at the school, then we'll probably have to figure out how to, you know,
>> because that's grant writing and all that stuff that Yeah. >> Yeah. That's bandwidth. I mean, the really nice thing is we now have a town administrator who can write grants. So, you know, it's not always going to be on us or we can do it collaboratively. >> Well, and there's who has a history of
helping us write grants, too. So, >> yeah. So, okay. Okay. So, the last thing I think we we're not going to get an update on because well, actually I have a short update. It's on the stormwater committee. Um I what Haley
told the select board tonight is that they they still don't have all the members. They're still waiting. They got some interest I think from a community member, but the other committees that were supposed to designate people have not designated people. I saw the FinCom's doing it at their next meeting,
which I think is next week's. I mean the concom um so I don't think anything's going on yet um is my sense um but we get gold star for having made a recommendation and get getting that done. Um
so and so I think the next discussion which I don't know I don't know how much we can get into it but in terms of next steps sort of Gail you sort of just went into it. So, like we're we've mostly ticked off CCA and we've ticked off climate leader. Um, so
it seem it seems to me like, you know, if if there's a school building project that that would obviously be something we'd want to tackle. The community, you know, solar would be another one. And just sort of like I don't know if there's anything else to sort of sit
back and say, okay, we did we we actually achieved a lot for our little committee. um what's the next step now that we're where where we're at? So, I don't know if if you guys have immediate thoughts or if we should just have this be an ongoing conversation, but what do
what do you all think? >> I think he just said it. >> Okay. >> You you think so [clears throat] too, Nate? >> I agree with that. Yeah. I think uh >> there's a potential that we'll have our hands full. um
you know but yeah it can be I mean I think one of the nice things about this committee is if any member has an idea um you know people people can suggest it and run with it and um you know
yeah >> cool okay yeah and I mean and who knows with the storm water stuff I mean it's not going to focus necessarily to core of what we do but I'd be really intrigued because Gail pointed out in some email I read recently, you know, it deals with
municipal vulnerability and the hazard mitigation like it's important. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It's it's core to our charge. So, um it'll be interesting to see how that shows up. Um I am glad the town's focusing on that and they made a townwide. I think that's really great.
Um so I guess we'll just have more information on that discussion like based on next month we'll know what's happening with the school and then we can sort of go from there. Um and this will be a really short meeting. This is cool. You can go like
>> I like it. >> Yeah. So minutes which I G what's the date of the minutes? >> 1209. >> 1209. And thank you both gentlemen for your substantial and excellent edits and comments.
>> Sure. You did really good g being that you were counting on a recording that you didn't get. [laughter] >> So anyone want to move to >> the transcript is wild. It has every or uh yeah beep.
>> We have to watch our language. Um well I I would like to move to um approve the minutes from 12:09 I think it was. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. Any other discussion? Okay. Let's see. Gail, how do you vote? >> I. >> Nate >> I. [clears throat] >> And I am an I. So the minutes for 12926 are approved. Um, >> build 925.
>> Oh, 25, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. Careful. >> Usually it's the other way. >> I know. I'm I'm intentionally trying to remind myself. >> 12 steps ahead of yourself. >> Yeah. >> There was something I was going to say unanticipated. Oh, I know what it was.
It was just a small thing. Um, I did a little bit of recruitment. Maybe a a fifth member. So, um, I was, >> yeah, I was I was talking to Charles Gillum at the library event this weekend. >> Charles Gillum, he lives on, uh,
I think it's Pum Hill at the very beginning. But, uh, we had a whole conversation about clean energy stuff and he's looking to get involved and I said, "Well, Charles, this is opening." And, uh, so I invited I didn't I actually couldn't remember when the meeting was, but I was talking to him.
So, I'm going to invite him next February to the February meeting, see if he wants to come. So, and if he doesn't, we should probably do a town announce or do something to sort of get our face in front of people again. >> Smart folks. Yeah. >> Yeah. And uh but that's my only other
announcement. Do you have any anything else you want to share, either of you? >> Um I'm going to set another meeting time. >> Yeah, I was just about to say um let's see. Um,
I would, you know, I would say the 3rd or the 10th just in case there is something to do around the school. Better do it sooner than later. So, if we can pull if we can pull off the third, if you guys can make it,
maybe we just do that. >> I can. Okay. >> February 3rd. Why not? >> Okay. February 3rd, 2026. >> Correct. The window >> at 7 o'clock. We will do it.
>> Okay. That sounds great. I'll let Greg know um the next date and the fact that he missed the shortest meeting we've ever had. So [laughter] um cool. So before we journ, we just have to have really positive thoughts that the video will show up somewhere
that we can find it whether in my computer or online. It's the great mystery of the day. Um >> do you have a chance to save it someplace? >> Well, you know, like I've had I've
>> it well it doesn't ask you. It just says it's converting and I've looked, you know, like when programs save, they usually save them like in program file blah blah blah, right? >> And in some directory I've looked for that for Zoom on my computer, figuring
if it's not in the cloud, it's somewhere in the bowels of my computer directory and I can never find it. You know, like there's just no obvious place. I think I've actually once, not this time, I think last time did, you know, an explorer search of my whole computer
looking for something. Um, >> did you explore the extension? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> You know, just like any video file. Um, so >> we'll see. >> Yeah. >> But anyway, anyone want to move to ajourn?
>> I would like >> Go ahead. >> And I I will second that. You mean me too? >> Okay. Cool. Assuming no conversation on this one. Gale, how do you vote? >> Gale, how do you vote on adjourning? >> I, >> Nate,
>> I. >> I am an I. >> We are journed at 7:34. >> We are so efficient. >> Nate, drive carefully. >> I will. I'll take it easy. And >> yeah, enjoy your evenings. I >> Happy New Year, gentlemen.
>> Oh, yeah. Happy New Year. See you all. >> Take care.