Okay. All right. I'm going to call the FinCom to order at 6:30. Hi, everybody. Hi. Uh, so I think we ought to start by saying hi to Molly Moss, our
our new members of the committee. Um, and uh, we we got a chance to meet Laura last last meeting, but not Molly. So, Molly, maybe we'll do a sort of a quick round of intros just from from us, and
maybe you could uh share a little bit about yourself as well. Um, so I'm AJ Cashew. I'm uh the the chair of the committee. Have been doing that for a couple years now. uh was a member of the
committee for I think three years before that. Um anyway, uh and uh happy to be a part of this group again. Uh maybe I'll go to April. Yeah, I've been on this I I've been
doing town politics since the 1990s and I the pay has been phenomenal. I just to say that's why we're still in our starter home that it worked. Um, but yeah, I've been on this round. This is my third year on this round of the the
finance committee and I I love this committee. Uh, let's see, George. Um, I'm George. I've been living in Shootsbury for 40 years. It'll be 40 years in September. I've been on the finance committee off and on three
times. This is my third stint and um various other committees, but uh I agree with April. It's my favorite committee. It's uh we got our fingers in everything and we really got a sense of what's going on in town. It's it's it's a great committee to serve on. It is also a challenging committee. Um as you can as
you will learn. Okay. So, it's nice to meet you both. Nice to meet you. Uh, Susie. Um, I met with um Molly and Laura, so they already know who I am, but we don't. It's the mustache.
Uh, Laura. Oh, I think you're muted. Or at least I can't hear you. Unmuted. Let's see. Try that. Oh, your your audio is not working. Uh, looks like Yeah,
may need to pop out and pop back in. I'm not sure, but Okay. Uh, and Molly. Yeah. So, I've lived in Shitzbury for 17 years now. Um, like in a week or
something. Uh, I've been I was on the library trustees board um several um 10 years ago and then I've been on the library building committee and we're finishing up our work thankfully. I'm excited to have that happen. Um, in
my work life, I'm on um a finance committee for the Forbes Library where I'm assistant director and then I'm also treasurer for CW Mars, the um library consortium. So I I have a little bit of finance stuff happening in in my professional
life as well. That sounds like a lot of financial stuff. Yeah. Uh Laura, any better? Let's see. Sadly, we cannot hear you. Um I guess maybe worst case scenario if uh
if you're not able to figure out the audio on your computer. I don't know if you want to do the phone thing. I know it's not ideal, but um that might be another option, but we're we'll just proceed and you know, feel free to like there's chat anything you need to put in the chat. Is
do we have access to chat in this version? Let's see. Yeah. Yeah. Uh I think so. No. Wait, what do we have? We have notes. What's that? Where is it? You know how like sometimes Yeah, I don't see the chat option.
All right, let's see. Come and see if that share. No. Close. Okay. Do you guys see this note thing? Did that pop up on your end? Technology. I know. Uh,
let's see if that worked. Oh, yeah. Is there something there? Yeah. Start collaborating. Yeah. All right. Maybe that'll work. Uh, okay. So, um, let's see. We've got a few things. Hi, Netty.
Uh, for those that don't know, Netti is our awesome town moderator. did a stellar job at our uh at her I guess her first annual town meeting as a moderator, not as an attendee. But anyway, um Netty, I know I you had sent
an email that I circulated um about um a potential request for uh some support for I guess um child care and at future town meetings. Do you want did you want to talk a little bit about that? I was that might be why
you're um here tonight, but uh just wanted to give you a chance to update us because I know you were doing a little bit of research on what other towns do. Yes, that's right. So, what I would I would like to um think about for spring
Yeah. a request at the next annual town meeting um to have a line item for town meeting child care expenses. Um, and I would like it to be just if we could have an account that we sort of just bring up to the same amount every year
so that we can it would be small. Um, and it, you know, and it would depend on we'll be doing some, um, having people sign up so we know how many children we need. That way we know how many adults we need to hire. Um, so we have the appropriate ratio and everything. Um, yes. So, I'm in touch with other
towns and their um after school directors and things like that that provide child care. Um so, I'm I'm I'm guessing like uh Oh, did we just lose her either?
Oh, I guess that's it. All right. Uh All right. So, it sounds like we'll get like a more concrete proposal at some point with a dollar amount on it. It doesn't sound like it'll be um too significant an expense,
but I mean I think you know my I I've I've personally have often been concerned about like just how Hey Netty, sorry about that. No, no problem. Um yeah, I mean I I I
think it sounds like you'll have a kind of concrete ask at some point. Um, and I think our what I think what we'll need to do is just make a decision about like whether that um is something that ought to have
its own line in our budget or if we might want to um you know uh allocate some funds for this purpose on an existing budget line that maybe sort of fits like
I know there I I I know there are obviously other town meeting expenses that get charged to um a budget line I think some in the clerk's sort of area of the budget I believe but I can't no I can't remember but anyway so we'll have
that conversation when um when you come back um and have a sense of what um what that you know what that cost might be but yeah I'm thinking I'm thinking it be I mean relatively small. And I
we want to think about is um just the number of hours per year of town meeting that we tend to have both special and um the um annual town meeting and think about it on an hourly basis um that way. And so if we could put together um I
mean it would certainly not exceed $1,000 for the year. So, we put a small pot for hiring staff and then maybe a little pot also for um supplies because we don't want the school to feel obligated to pay. That's not going to happen.
So, okay. I'll just I'll just Oh, go ahead, Netty. So, a thousand would be the top. Okay. All right. Um and um I so I think what what we
probably would have to do for this year is we I think we'll have two choices. One is that there's going to be a special town meeting. We could um you know I think we could
do um like uh uh you know allocate um we we could do it as a sort of finance committee reserve transfer for this year and then build it into our FY27 budget. I think that would be one option. It's
probably I mean given the size that we're talking about maybe that's the the obvious thing to do and then I guess the other option would be to use special town meeting as an opportunity to have a warrant article where we
transfer funds for this purpose from some other source you know and it could be one of our other reserve accounts but um I'm not sure we have to figure that those details out right now. Yeah, sure. And this current town, this special town meeting that is being
planned is for September. That is too close. Yeah. So, thinking outward for the spring, but that's helpful about um talking about that special town meeting. Yeah. So, we'll contact the select board about that and see what they say. Okay. Um, and then yeah, I'll just I
mean the only other thing I'll say is I you know I think I've been I've I've sort of long been concerned about the you know at least what I perceive to be a lack of or some kind of barrier to participation
among you know parents or you know families with school age children. you tend to they do I mean just visually they seem to be kind of under represented at at certainly on committees that's kind of
understandable just given the the time constraints but um but but even yeah just as as participants I always applaud you Netty because I always see your kids there but uh but I know that's not the case with like a lot of families it's not that's right and our children are a little bit
older so we have that ability but you know when I went to Levertown meetings Levertown meeting this year they had child care available and there were so many families there. Yeah. And do they use like I think you mentioned after school providers for that? Yeah, they do. They do. So the the providers
already know the children and the family. That's good. Okay. So we'll come back to this at some point, but I should sort of keep this in mind as something that we may want to build into the budget for for FY27.
Great. Thank you so much. Sure. Thank you. All right. Um, and then let's do let's look at our minutes from July 8th. All right. Okay. Um, I just looked at these kind of
quickly before we started. I didn't notice anything. Uh, anybody have any questions for George or requests for for edits? Nope. Looks good. Uh,
yeah, George, I think I appreciate you sort of including this like this table in here. So, I think that's a good I know I think you've done that. Um, I did in the previous one, too. Yeah, it's easy because it's just a cut pace from the, you know, because you're
sending this information beforehand. So, it makes it really easy. Yeah. No, I think it's helpful to do that rather than have you like have to type out all of these um bullet after bullet basically providing the same information. I'm always trying to be efficient. Yeah. Or is it lazy?
No, it's efficient. All right. So, I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from July 8th as written. Second. Okay. George. All right. Uh, we got to remember. So,
Molly, we always do these roll call votes in uh alphabetical order, but of course, look at the most AJ, you're second, right? All right. So, it's me. Yeah. Cashew and Moai Moss Upstain.
And is waving her hand. Is she waving her hand? You want to give us a thumbs up? Okay, great. That's an I. An andstein I. All right. So, minutes are approved. Um,
let's see what's the next. Okay. So, I was I thought we might see Haley tonight. I tried to call her earlier today. Um, I think she's on vacation. She's on vacation till Thursday. Yeah. Got it. All right. So, um, Susie, I know
you were at at least yesterday's select board. So, was there an update on this Hampshire County Insurance Trust um kind of update on their assessment or was that at a previous Well, all we know is that they voted to
do that last Wednesday. Okay. Um, so the towns that are members got to vote. I think there was somebody that voted against it, but it passed and um I've been back and forth with Ryan and
because the 20% increase that we will face as of October 1 is on the FY26 aotment altogether, it's basically 44% increase over last year. Right. Um,
you're saying because our our budget had already increased by 22% for by 20%. 19 point something. Yeah, it's the 20 on top of the 19 compounds, right? I see.
So, that's pretty big. Um I've um Joe Cummifford and Jared Freeman, her aid, attended the Wednesday meeting and I've been in touch with them and they and Joe met with the insurance
group the day after as well. So people are trying to sort it out. Um and yeah, go ahead. I saw there was some discussion I think from Brian I'm sorry Brian Ryan that maybe there there might
be at least the beginning of a search for other options as as an alternative. Is that is that Yeah, he he did say he would do like due diligence on looking at other things. Um the the rule would be that if they we
left Hampshire um group, we would h have to do 90 days notice. Um I've been hearing from some people um who are in GIC and they're pretty negative about that uh the restrictions
and blah blah blah. And um what I think Ryan's going to generate is a chart of expenses. Um it's not clear to me what other companies are going through right now. Um when I went to the Hampshire
Group um website, they have fiscal reports. Um and the last fiscal report posted there was 2023. So did this sneak up on them? Was it a issue of audit getting an audit done? I
don't know. But I find it um for me the hardest part is because in February and March when we were talking about this, we figured out a strategy to deal with that particular 20% increase. If we knew it was going to be 40% or 44%, we would
have done a different strategy. I noticed that Hadley um maybe today is having their override vote and they increased their override to include handling the insurance lump. So everybody's dealing have to deal with
it. Um I don't know that anybody's leaving the trust. Um but at this point um figuring out what's our next best step. Yeah. And that is what that is why the select board called a meeting a special
town meeting for September 23rd because the um the increase starts as of October 1. I'm not sure that we need to have the special town meeting before that increase because we have a whole year's
uh payment ready allocated. So, I'm not sure they I didn't I don't know what the uh select board's process was to make this decision to have this meeting a special town meeting on the 23rd and the warrant
for that will be posted on the 9th. Yeah. And so if we have any other financial issues that we're thinking about, we need to be able to um work on that or even the way we decide to solve
this uh $100,000 deficit, we would need to probably write something up. So now the deadline for that is September 9th because of the choice to have a special town meeting on the 23rd. September 9th is the Warren article deadline. Yeah.
All right. So, um, April, I see your hand up. And, um, I don't think the town the select order is aware that that um is uh during Rashashana and that that's the 23rd this year. It's the 22nd to the 24th.
Oh, yeah. They didn't know that. Is that date posted already or is it No. No. Um, so Netty was at last night's meeting and she actually was trying to coach them to pick a Saturday, but that
was resisted. So, um, so the anxiety is that we have to be in have it done by October 1. But I think if if we talk about how we want to solve it, we might be able to be flexible about that date because I I don't think that that's
really what we're up against. But I don't know like what Hampshire Group has to have from us like in blood first born. I don't know. But um we're going to we already have a lot of money allocated and it doesn't all go out at once.
Right. Well, let me I I have a couple of follow-up questions. Let's see if others have. So, one is I I was a little confused by an email that I think um you forwarded to me, Susie, from from Haley,
which it it sounded like there was a question. I thought there was a question about like would um would would the Furcog absorb some of this increase for
participating towns? and and so so and so the response was we can can will absorb the costs within our existing budget. That's Furcog's response. So Furcog is one of the group one of the units that's in the insurance group. So Furco's
employees are insured by them. And so when I saw the list of the groups um I wanted to know our our retirement fund people have that insurance group and so does Furcog and Furcog's response is that they would absorb the increased
health care costs in their budget. Okay, got it. So the question was about whether we would have to absor as a member of FURCOG would have to absorb some of their organizations. Okay, I understand now. And it's also interesting to know that
Pelum and Ammerst do not they're not in this insurance group but Leverett Shootsbury New Salem all of our other friends Wendell facing this how about the regional school so that that's why Ammerston Pelum are in that
other group and I don't even know the name of that group. Somebody oh somebody thought it was MIA or AI. So, I um there are other insurance groups and I do believe Ryan is doing due diligence, but it would be
good for us to get back to him if we want some more specific information. And do we actually have a a precise dollar amount that um represents the increase above and beyond what was allocated at
G did not have that number because they were talking about whether they needed that for the warrant, but we need it. Yeah, we need it. How much do we have allocated now? I don't have the budget in front of me. 500.
620, I think it is. Hold on, I'll bring it up. It went up 99. Yeah, it went up 99. I'm almost there. 619. So, we went from 520 to 619. And now if you're saying another 20%
right that's going to be 743 7428. And so 7428 that's 200 228 223,000 more than fiscal 25 which is 43%.
Oh no that's okay. No I'm just saying it that's what this is showing. But I thought it was 44 too but it's right. We had 19 not 20. 20 on 20 is was 44, right? 20 and 19 would be 43 still whatever.
So, but we are but I guess for for in terms of our business, we're going to have to make a recommendation about how to fund essentially an additional 120 to $125,000 we think. Right. Yes.
Okay. And so I mean do we have a choice other than um you know our um free cash reser reserve fund? I mean is there is there really any other
um yes strategy? There is. Okay. So let's hear them. What what what are you thinking? Well it's it's it's crazy. It's new OPED. So, you know, the way we were thinking about OPED was we haven't really we didn't do an analysis of it
this year, but the analysis that we did in the previous year, we were looking like it was going to be fiscal 20 fiscal 2031 that we were going to start drawing on it. Mhm. And I think
this is a lot of money and our our our reserves are getting hammered and we got a million dollars in OPED and I'm thinking outside of the box fund a portion of this increase
with free cap with with reserves like maybe half of it and then the other half with OPED And I know it's sooner than we were hoping to start using OPED funds, but I would then propose that we increase our 50,000 a year that we're
funding OPED with to 75,000 a year. And actually, I think we should continue to raise it over the next few years and get up to a h 100,000. Pelum is get putting 220,000 in theirs a year. And wait, say that again. Pel puts $220,000
a year in OPED. Is that based on a similar kind of analysis that is I don't know how John does it. Alls I know is that's the number they've got in their budget. You can look it up online and I knew that I I heard that somewhere and so I checked it the other day should as I was thinking about this.
That's huge. Yeah, it is. It is. But you know, I'm thinking we're looking at $120,000 hit here. 124 I think it's going to be. And I'm thinking if this OPED fund is a source of revenue in
the long run, it's going to be one of our re um funding sources and it's going to be on the revenue page and we're going to use it every year once we start using it because we're going to get to the point where the increased cost for the retirees health insurance is going
to be so great. That's why this is here is to take the edge off of that so we can maintain a s we can maintain a sustainable budget. And so I'm thinking maybe we raid those funds now and we
think about what's an extra $25,000 in our budget with all the other stuff that's going on if we can ensure that we can make this fund stable and analysis has to be done. We have to sit down bring this spreadsheet up in front of everybody and
talk about how it would work and look at how it works before we went down that road. But I would offer that as something we should at least consider. All right. Uh Susie, I see your hand up. I just want to give some background for That's what I wanted. Background.
Yeah. So for Molly and Laura I um this OPED is a fund that we've been um essentially building a contribution to every year in our budget for at least 10 10 years.
Does that sound right, George? Or is it more? Yeah, you know, it's probably longer. Okay, there's a spreadsheet we have that pulls um that actually I think George developed, but anyway, it stands for other post-employment benefits. It's basically a fund that we've been
contributing to in anticipation of the future um kind of cumulative expense and obligation that the town is going to have for retired employees. And so um um
you know th that obligation just is going to continue to balloon and balloon um to a point where it's it's going to be um very difficult to manage just using our kind of normal budget sources.
And so we've been building this OPED fund and making a contribution of $50,000 annually to and you know that fund is invested and is been you know growing in interest and there is a point
at which we will actually we anticipate actually drawing from that fund to partially pay for these post you know these retirement benefits that are owed to to uh retired employees. And so we
hadn't really been anticipating tapping into that fund until what was the year you cited, George? 31. Okay. 2031. Another five year, four years. Five years. Um, and I the only other thing I should mention about this by way of
background is there's um there's essentially a financial auditing firm that has that does an analysis for us. we think every three years. um I believe um and and as part of that analysis they
make a sort of projection of kind of how this fund will grow um over time um based on decisions we we you know we make in terms of what gets contri what we contribute every year when we might
start drawing down on this and at what portion because it's not as if there will be a switch where all of a sudden we're just utilizing OPED to fund all of our retired, you know, retirement benefits. It'll it'll be something
that'll that'll be more of a blend of, you know, we'll use OPED, the OPED fund for a portion of those expenses and, you know, other uh sources. Um, you know, anyway, so that's that's the that's the the background on this. Is there
anything important that I've left out? It's a state it's a state requirement at some level, but they don't have the numbers. They don't and it's been kicked around politically back and forth. Yeah, I if I Yeah, please go ahead, George.
Yeah, I think there's some confusion about whether it's state required or not. I don't know that we know that it really is. We thought it was and then we found somebody told us it wasn't. Um, just to clarify what AJ was saying, another way to look at it is you're probably all aware that pension funds
and being a municipal employee, I think Molly, you're you're a municipal employee, um, the state is required to make sure funds are available to guarantee the employees will get paid. And so there's actuary not not a financial um analyst but a
actuary comes in and calculates what those needs are and tells us how much we should have in cash right now to meet those future obligations. So that's that's that's like the example of how it it is. Um, I would say that the analysis that we have
is based on the last actuary report, which is two years ago, and this year we'll have another one, year three. And I can only imagine that those numbers that we're using in our analysis are 40% low. In other words, if we do this
analysis before September, I think I have to jack up all the numbers that were in his in their report, Parker's report by 40% because I think the interest earnings you're saying? Yeah, because OPED is 95% of what OPED funds is health insurance. And we just found
out that our health insurance cost is going up by 43%. So you're saying the the the obligation the the anticipated obligation is going to be has is is going to need to increase. Yeah. Well and you know we we don't
focus on what the actuarial amount is that we need. Now what we do what we do in our analysis is just he has a table of the anticipated costs year-over-year for the next 80 years some crazy number and we just drop that into our tables. And so that's what I'm talking about.
He's got the annual health insurance for the retirees and it's 40% short at this point I would say. Um we know we'll update it when we get another actuarial report hopefully in January or February but until then I have we we'll have to bump that up. So that's going to change
the analysis and I can easily do that if we want to go through this exercise AJ just let me know. Yeah and I'll prepare the spreadsheet for that. And then one final thing I want to say outside of the O oped option is there's a bill in the house for single
pay health health care in this state and this is a prime example why that analysis that they're showing is actually cheaper for you know corporations and probably municipal governments now given the numbers that
we're facing. So, I hope that this catches some kind of traction at the state level and certainly when we meet with Aaron the next time the next time Aeron's in town, I'm going to raise that. I think Aaron supports that bill, but we really need to get No, he doesn't. All right, well, we need to get
him to So, he doesn't support anything we want. Geez. Anyways, um you know, we definitely need to to get it be that birdie in his ear and we, you know, hopefully all the communities that are affected, people are going to start rising and making the general population
aware of this issue and why singlepayer health it could be so beneficial to us. And by the way, living in my dream world, if that were to happen and that bill was to pass and insurance was fundamentally changed in Massachusetts, we wouldn't
need the OPED account, right? And so we'd have a million dollars. Wouldn't that be nice? Yeah. Uh, April. Yeah. Just just as we're as we're talking about this, um, is there any way we can push back and how is the
insurance company justifying this huge rate increase? I so I I I was under the impression that um the growth of the weight loss medications are responsible for some of
this this increase. But well that's yeah I thought they were stopping that though on October 1st. Is that right? That's what I read. They're changing changing the benefit October one. Right. You're going to limit it to people with diabetes, not just straight weight control. Oh, so you're saying it's it's
not it's not going to be a covered expense as of October 1st, right? Only for as Susie said, diabetics, which was like what one in 10% of the people who were getting the GP GP1s. All right. So that presumably that was
factored into this whatever analysis that went into So that's that wouldn't explain it then, right? Okay, Susie. So, we did know that in March or April they were talking about that, but we didn't know they didn't know where they were economically that they
had used it. And and I remember Gabe saying they were deep into their reserve fund in February or March. So, I think the leadership is going to be something they're going to go after them to pay attention in a different way. Um
the other thing I feel is part of this picture is that when this health insurance um premium goes up 40% the part that employees pay go up 40%. So this is this is affecting lots of people
in lots of ways. Even just that they were going to get a 20% increase in their premium part was significant. Now it's 44. Um the other um aspect of this is
we might get push back because only 50% of the 20% was covered in our budget by taxes. So we already chose to use 20 um 50% where it was $50,000 out of cash
reserves. I think that was a wise decision. But now in light of where we are, I don't know if we should figure out what would be the tax increase to cover some of this because if we use OPEB or if we use
cash reserves and it rolls into FY27, we have a pretty big hole and some people may um react to that at town meeting. We still can make the best financial recommendation that we can, but we have
to look at it as a whole at this point. Yeah, it's a good point. Um, Laura, I see your hand up. Uh, I also see a question from you. I think I think that's from you right in the note. Yeah, that's from that's for me. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you now. Great. Yeah. Okay.
It's been restored. Yeah. So, I mean, I know there's kind of the aspect of I mean, like the actual actuarial uh you know, kind of projecting probably low on costs, but I mean like I feel like a lot of the boards like I've been sitting on elsewhere. I mean, we've been having
greater interest returns like the last few years than we had predicted. So, I mean I mean it's not going to fill the entire gap, but that may get us at least some piece of it. Yeah. The only thing I'll say about that is I remember we had a conversation
um when the last report was prepared and I think there was some thought that that the estimates were pretty conservative um and and maybe unnecessarily so on the anticipated interest earnings.
Yes. Um they do they actually in the actual report do provide um a reinvestment rate. I think it's 5.65 that we're using. Um, that sounds right and it is in our analysis. So we do that million dollars that we're at now. I think it's a million4. We're adding
5.65% of that and we roll it each year and we're always increasing. So when you see the OPED model, you'll see that that is is being considered and you'll see how it affects it. So you'll we'll all understand it much better. Yeah.
uh Susie and municipalities are restricted for the way they can invest money. It's a more conservative model. So although some people were complaining about their conservative uh investments, that's the law. Yeah, the treasurer has restrictions.
Yes. Susie, real quick, while I'm thinking of it, what was the name? Who who's our insurance? It's the Hampshire Insurance Corporation. Uh Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust. Group Insurance Trust. Okay. Thank you.
So I I'm going to ask um uh my colleagues from on this uh fiscal sustainability group from Ammerst and Pelum about
what kinds of increases their plan has um has required um for this this budget year and if they've had any anything similar like an updated request unless people unless somebody
here has that information already. Okay. So, and and if I heard it correctly, it's both Ammerst and Pelum that are on this other group plan, not not the trust that we are. Okay. So, I I'll ask them see if I can learn anything about
um what their increases were for for FY26. Okay. So I in terms of like I guess without having um a a concrete number and um I I don't
think there's an action for us to take tonight but I think we probably ought to think about at least I think there are sort of three options that have come up during this conversation for how we're going to fund this shortfall.
One would be just strict straight free cash transfer that gets voted on at special town meeting in September. Option two would be to split the increase
um between um a free cash reserve transfer and a transfer from our OPED fund. Um this is what George was suggesting as a possibility. And then I guess there's a third option which would be to
um modify our the operating budget that was approved at annual town meeting. Right? That's that's an option that's available to us, right? if we wanted to actually increase the
um you know the insurance budget line and obviously that would have a corresponding impact on the estimated tax rate. But um and and the amount of yes either the amount of levy required
or the amount of of um you know uh excess levy capacity we use. But like we're going to have to do we would have to do something, right? Um so I guess that would be a third option that is potentially available to us, right? Uh yeah, I would just say about that,
April, tomorrow we should check with Leslie and make sure that we don't have an issue with, you know, clogging up or affecting their timeline. I think that's plenty of time at that point before the recap is done and the tax rate is figured. But we certainly should make
sure that the assessor's office is aware that we're talking about this. Okay. Susie, I think we need some professional advice on this. Um, and you know, we know that u Becky might be able to answer this question
because how what is the process for going back into the tax the budget that was passed at annual town meeting? That all has to happen by June 30. So I I don't know what it looks like to use some tax increase. I think we should
probably get that information right away. Um because it another option is to do all three to use a little of this, a little of that. And I think that that would um make people feel that we are
balancing issues if we try to do a little of this, a little of that. if we raise taxes that affects the people who are paying their insurance premium increase. Um so and George has generated the chart that says if we want to raise this much
cash or this much money for our budget, this is would be the tax impact. But I think because we're looking at FY27, we might need to think a little bit about the tax increase. But I want somebody like Becky who who would know
what that process is. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, because it's like there's something that makes me uncomfortable about the idea of having our budget passed at a special town meeting, which we know is going to
have a fraction of the representation as a annual town. It might not even be allowed. I'm not sure. That's why I feel like Yeah. Right. Even if it is allowed though, I'm not sure. It is allowed. I'm not sure it's a great precedent. You do or don't, George. I do think it's allowed because if we
have a special town meeting before we you can adjust your budget with a special town meeting. We've done it before. This is huge. This is huge. But the the point about sustainability and to some extent we probably do need
to increase the taxes. I mean, we'll ask Leslie tomorrow. She might know. I don't think Haley will be there, unfortunately. asking Becky certainly not a bad idea. I'll take that initiative. Great. Thank you. All right. Um yeah, it would be good to
know. It sound it sounds from from what George is saying that it's probably something we've done in the past. I'd be curious what the context was for um for doing actually I should I I'll have to think about that. I should put we spent cash reserves at special time.
Yeah. Well, LA, we use cash reserves. That's true. But um and we increased operating budget lines, but if the tax rate hasn't been set yet and you know, I think then there's still time to do it. Okay. I'll
I'll check with Leslie tomorrow. I don't think David's around anymore, so hopefully Leslie will have the answer. If not, Haley's going to have to research it. Or another question for Becky. Well, that's the question you were gonna ask, Becky. So, or maybe Donna. Is that is it a legal uh
question? Actually, you know, probably the person. Yeah, it's the assessors. The assessors are the ones who should know. Yeah. Yeah. So, see what you can find out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. But those it sounds like it's
it's some mix of those three sources, right? I mean, there's nothing. And there's fin Reserve, too. I mean, you could take nickels and dimes from here and there and and you know, cash reserves 40, reserve 20, you know, and I'll put his cash reserves
in the minutes, but that's not out of the realm of We're going to talk in a minute about end of year FY25 transfers. And it sounds like our fincom reserves are going to potentially get tapped by
pretty large amount. We'll get to that in a few. 50 for fiscal 27. Uh 26 25 26 25 it's 25. So it's the end of year. Yeah. Yeah. So I but we'll get to that actually. I
think that is the next uh Yeah, that is the next item. All right. So any other discussion about the uh increase in the uh increased assessment for insurance before we move on? No. Okay. All right. So, let me um let me
pull up I got uh was actually kind of curious about this there. I got a an email from Haley last week about the final
uh proposed reserve transfers. Let's see where is that. Um just Oh, here. Yeah. Okay. And it sounds like this may have been discussed. No, this wasn't last night's select
board. This was uh the one before July 29th. Okay. Let me share this. All right. So, this is what Haley sent me. And this is a little bit of a different process. Does it sound like because I think usually these endofear transfers sort of
start with us and then we we sort of make a proposal about how to you know transfer funds from one account to another um for these overdrawn accounts and then it goes to the select board. But in this case it looks like they
actually took this up. So maybe you guys can kind of interpret this with me. What I'm I spent a few minutes looking at this earlier today and I think what it's showing us is there are um
five expenses on this left hand side that are um essentially uh need to be accounted for because th those lines have been expended for FY25.
Uh, so highway materials and then legal, which we knew was was coming. And all of that totals $11,81924. and they've proposed um to essentially transfer those from
these five lines. Highway superintendent, sanitary, landfill, select board, secretary, town administrator, land use clerk. Okay, so I guess these are the amounts that are coming from each of these lines. Okay, that's my reading of
that. But then there are these three, one of which is a huge whopper. There are these other three lines that are over spent. And I did confirm, I looked at the last expense report, and these
match um what's there. At least the snow wages and snow expenses match what's in in the last expense report. And it sounds like they made the the decision or recommendation to to transfer those
from the uh Fincom Reserve Fund. So those actually total $35,8189. So total between those two kind of categories is $47,621
13. And this will this I was told in this email is the final um for fiscal. Yeah. The final year end you know transfer that needs to happen. But so I was a little like I have to say I was a little surprised
to see this and I maybe it's a function of just timing and um but I was a little surprised to see a the select board to sort of like take action on uh um a transfer from the
finan reserve fund like it usually happens the other way around. I don't know whether that's Yeah, it's it's ours to approve, not theirs. Yes. Right. But I mean, I I guess I wasn't at the meeting, so I'm gonna I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and imagine that what they were discussing
was, well, let's let's preemptively approve this and, you know, but obvious but obviously it'll be pending approve. Yeah. Contingent on us completing it. Yeah. And obviously we we so we we're we're going to have to take action on
this tonight. But um I'm not sure um like I think I think the 11,819 like those seem pretty straightforward. I'm I'm assuming those are based on recommendations from our accountant. Um so I don't I see those as pretty
non-controversial. question is is do do we want to um is this how we want to deal with the snow expense in particular? Um so George, what do you I
Yeah, I mean I don't think it's controversial. I think basically what they're doing is they have 47,000 plus in expenses that they need to cover. They know the finan balance is 35801 and so they funded
as much as they could with the reserve fund and now they have 11,08. They're just picking funds within the budget that have excesses to cover that. So to me this makes complete sense. Okay.
Uh yeah, the thing is just one other note, if we don't fund the snow expense and snow ages, which we don't have to cover at year end, that's going to roll into the tax rate next year and it's going to end
up increasing the tax rate because it will have to be funded. I don't think we want to do that. So by doing this, we're actually, you know, keeping it out of the tax rate. All right. So, so I guess the implication for our reserve fund is that we won't have anything roll over
from FY25. And so we would essentially have is it 80,000 or 75? I can't remember. I think it was 85. Was it 80? Yeah, because we we upped it. I I'll tell you because we upped it at special time meeting last year. Let's
see. And we brought it up to um where am I? I think we upped it to from 75 to 80. Yeah, that that's what I'm seeing. Okay. Or 25. And then and then we have the same You're right. I see the same thing. Yep.
Okay. All right. So, I guess that that's what we would be dealing with um for for FY26 is we we would have our normal $80,000 to to utilize. Susie,
I um am not clear on the process George said. I thought that snow um wages and stuff. Um the recap sheet they took it out of whatever free cash
was there. I didn't think it showed up in the tax rate. Okay, I can check with Leslie tomorrow. But that you know what actually that's why I don't really like that the um select board did this without talking to
us because we'd want to talk about it. Um and if it just comes out of cash free cash before they certify the free cash that's okay that would work. Um, I guess it doesn't matter if it comes out of the
res the rest of the reserve fund because that would just be going to free cash. So, it's it's just a wash. Just a wash. Um, but I guess I I feel like we are in a time when the process of of doing town administration is not
very developed yet. It's not very informed. And in order for people to know things, they really need to talk with each other and make sure that we're getting the advice we need. And I feel like this kind of action doesn't make
that clear to me that that's what they did. Maybe that is what they did, but it's not clear to me. Yeah, George. Yeah, I would I I agree with that. And I think the 11,000 portion of this, the 11,810, whatever that number is,
yeah, historically, FinCom and Select Board were in the same room together because and we voted at the same time because to do line item transfers, which the 11,000 is, both committees have to approve them. So, we always had that
communication. I think that's a conversation we should have with Haley and for the future. I'm okay signing this now, but I think Susan's point is important. We should sit with them and everybody should hear the same story at the same time. Yeah. You know, you're I I have forgotten that. You're right, George. We used to have a joint
meeting where we would where we would do these transfers, right? Um always Yeah, that was historically what we did. And I think maybe we just lost that because Haley's not, you know, doesn't have that. Well, I think it's partially that too, but I think the other difference this year is that these
these these year-end transfer requests have been coming in sort of dribbs and drabs like as opposed to I think in the past we like we had one joint meeting where we dealt with all of them at one time and whereas this time I think this will
now be the third meeting where we've discussed you know a year end transfer probably based on whatever bills you know Gail is having to to to pay, right? And and so like um so I think I think I ought to probably do a couple things.
One is I I think maybe I should have a conversation with Rita as well as Haley um and and and kind of update her on whatever action we take now about this, but also suggest
that we go back to that routine, that process where we we have a joint meeting in July or or early August, whatever the appropriate time is. And we we deal with all of the transfer, end of year
transfer, needed transfers in in one shot. We discuss them together. Both committees um vote and and we deal with it that way. All right, Susie. And I think that it's very possible that Haley did not know
about chasing this all down and getting it all together as the year began to end and get it into one form. And that's that's going to be true for a while that if she's not done it before, she probably didn't know to be looking in this direction. So, you know, we're
hoping that next year um she'll have gotten through some of the firsts and have this together. But um the idea that it didn't get talked at a joint meeting is more on the um on the select board and that we want it to be a joint
meeting and maybe that would help focus these expenses to be all gathered together instead of three different times. I'm also going to complain that the legal fund is um significant and it you know when they when they talked at
annual town meeting they um did not have these kind of numbers in front of us and I think that matters. So I'm going to just complain about that. Okay. Okay. Um All right. Well, so for I guess
for the purpose of this batch, I'll make a motion to approve um how should I say this? To to approve app approve the series of transfers, line-to-line transfers and transfers
from the fincom reserve fund as detailed on this form. Second. I'll second that. I I have just one question. is is that we don't have any of the figures there about the highway superintendent the the
line items that they chose and how are we sure about the accuracy for the source of the funds so so I I believe we do have them so in other words see here is that you know but how it's the middle section
I so for this 1556 no coming from the highway superintendent. And are these numbers verified? You know, did this go through our accountant that that I believe that I mean, at least the
first two rounds of this that we that we've discussed, they came from Gail. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So, I I think this I think she prepared. Well, I would say two things. Yeah. I I'm sure Gail prepared it, but even if she didn't, if they're not right, Gail's going to catch and she's going to make us think about it.
she's going to stop it from happening if these funds are not available in these source funds. And so we'll find out. So I expect that this has already been vetted. Uh Molly. Yeah. So we're assuming then that the
highway superintendent fund is has an excess of the $1,500 in it and and no more. And that's what that amount is coming. Well, it it it may have more and we can actually let me let me pull up uh it could have more, but probably it
doesn't because the number is so first. Well, we hired a new highway superintendent um at a lower salary, right? Uh so I'm gonna actually pull up uh let's see moved.
Yeah, it moved. Right. Budget and expenses. Uh, it's under town government. I see it. Okay. In the drop-down menu. Yeah. I'm going to share a different document. So, um, actually, maybe I should show this to everybody in case
they don't know. Uh, okay. So, all right. Um so there on on the Sheetsbury um government website there is uh a page it's under town governance
no yes budget and expenses and our accountant uh pulls up uh I'm sorry posts our the periodically the most recent um uh expense reports
uh on here. Um and so what we're going to look at is the last FY25 one. And so you'll see here for example the
it's only through the 15th. So you'll see here Yeah, it is through the I guess I guess but it does the numbers don't show up. So you'll see here the snow removal expenses for example was according to the last expense report that's been posted was
over spent by $32,674. That's the number that's were you know has been proposed to transfer from our FCOM reserve funds. So, we can see that that highway superintendent
line is under spent by $6,935, but that could be um you think payroll may not be in there. Yeah, it's possible. So, there there isn't right now transfer report that's like through um June 30th,
right? So, uh so you're right. But but I guess to answer your question, Molly, all all we should assume right now is that there's available um budget uh in for those lines that are
getting are used as the sources for these end ofear transfers that um but there may still be some additional unspent amounts to those lines which would typically from for Most of our
lines in our budget would then roll over to free cash. Okay. Okay. So, are there any other questions about We've got a motion on the floor to approve these end ofear transfers. Any other discussion or questions about that?
Okay. George overnight. I cashew I Moer I Moss Ito I Stein I Okay.
All right. So um I think we will have to sign or at least a quorum of us will have to stop by town hall to to sign that form that we had up on the screen. So, I'm guessing it's already there since the select board already signed.
Yeah. Okay. Uh, next on the agenda is this an update on this school finance sustainability group. So, I don't know what to say here. Okay. So,
this is already not off to a great start. I was say that. Um so I think the sort of key updates for me to share are that um that as part of this sort of background and the process here the district had
has actually contracted this organization called MARS which is the Massachusetts Association of Regional School Committees I think or something something or or regional district I don't know something along those lines and um they provide a service um
actually while we're talking about this I can I can pull up a sample um uh where they basically on behalf of a district will do some analysis
on essentially sort of like the fiscal status of of of the um member towns for regional school district. I think they also may do this for for sort of single, you know, districts that are not not
regional districts. Um, and uh so let's see. I think uh right I may have to forward it to you, but um they uh Okay. Yeah, here it is.
So, uh, the superintendent shared a sample report from, um, the town of Mend. All right. So, I'm going to share that just so you can sort of see what it looks like. Uh,
all right. So, it's a Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools. Okay. And basically, I think you know this What what what Mars does is they kind of tap the I guess the the
do database and you know look at available data um and for desi and they you know provide essentially a bunch of
tables and some historical information and see excess levy capacity override capacity, free cash balances, uh stabilization balances,
uh municipal budgets in this case for 10 years, what you know for a variety of categories. Um and then desi data on enrollments. Um,
can you pass can you forward that to us J? Yeah, I'm going to forward I will. Yeah. So, so far what you're showing us is information we all have, right? Exactly. So, here's here's the thing. So, this so, so, so I think the superintendent was kind of keen on
having Mars kind of maybe as a sort of an independent group. May maybe her thinking is that you know this this is even though this is like publicly available information it'll be there'll be a sort of I don't know um
kind of credibility um having this come from uh you know a third party I'm not sure what the exact thinking is but this this group which happens to have like this four towns
group that has been meeting and has been planning and has been trying to sort of start this kind of process that um would would begin in August. Um it it the group has a few data nerds that are like
already a part of these conversations that are happening and like they're they were sort of feeling like this was not anything particularly special that Mars was offering to provide and that in fact
they were starting to pull a lot of this data and in some cases like better more comprehensive data. I'll show you a table that um uh let's see. Okay.
So, and like one of the people sort of did like a little bit of a crosswalk um of what they already had started to compile here for towns data versus what was in
this sample Mars report. And so like it's just there's like a lot more historical data. Anyway, the context for all of this was like an email was sent from Lynn Griezmer to the superintendent and the and and also the chair of the
regional school committee. And the sort of gist of the email was, hey, last time we spoke about this, you had mentioned that Mars was going to be working on this report and that there was going to be, you know, um a a
request to share the cost of of this report because obviously Mars is not doing this for free. um among the four towns and I think there was some confusion about what that cost was and it turns out it was a larger cost like
instead of I think $800 and some dollars it turns out it's more like $3,200 and so I think the group I wasn't actually at this meeting I was on vacation last week but um apparently I think the the sort of the sentiment of this four towns group was you know we're
not totally comfortable like paying for this when we're already doing some a similar process that actually um has is going to be significantly more information and more comprehensive. And I think the email I think was attempting
to say like in the interest of like sort of um successful collaboration, you know, like we think we can bring a lot of this information to our first meeting, which by the way is not on the 11th. I think that was a date that had
been circulated before. Turns out the superintendent is not available then, so it's going to be on the 18th. Um anyway, long story short, the superintendent responded and it was clear that she was upset by the about the email and I think
she felt like it was um I'm actually going to pull the email. Uh let me first forward this while I have it here. I'm going to forward that mend sample report. Uh okay. Uh
one second. Okay. All right. So, it's greetings four towns group. I must admit I was taken aback by the beginning of your email and would great would appreciate some clarity around it its intent. From my perspective, it reflects a significant breakdown in communication and a missed
opportunity to seek clarification for taking action. Once that action is taken, the message seems to shift towards issuing directives rather than engaging collaboratively. There's some discussion about the cost that clearly there was a breakdown, some
miscommunication about what the cost was. Uh the goal of this work is truly to move forward toward a sustainable and equitable solution for our shared school systems. Then I ask that we remain grounded in collaboration and transparency. At present, the tone and framing of recent communication do not
reflect that shared spirit. Also respectfully request that we schedule a brief reconnect prior to August 18th. I will not walk into a meeting to be blindsided or to navigate misaligned understandings in real time. A short conversation in advance will go
a long way to in ensuring our continued partnership is built on mutual trust, clarity, and respect. So anyway, I I all of you know I think I've been sort of concerned about like just I think there's a lot of history
that um sort of informs kind of how like how this is perceived. Um uh I don't know what else to say other than the group is going to meet on the 18th. It's not going to be a large open
meeting that like all four towns are invited to because I think the thought was that um we're not kind of ready to do that. So it's going to be a meeting with the this you know four towns kind
of informal sort of advisory group that has been meeting um that from Shootsbury that includes um Melissa from the select board um myself Rita has been participating in
some of them Haley um I may rope Suzie in uh just given her um engagement in school issues and um anyway uh we are going to meet on the 18th with the superintendent and the regional school
committee. I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but I I do know that like a lot of this data that uh some me that that that I think some people are working on and are compiling is going to be shared at that meeting. And I think
there's probably going to be a conversation about what what how do we want to proceed this year and kind of what is the what is this group going to work on and how are they going to work together with the superintendent and the
regional school committee. Um and I don't know how it's going to go but I mean I think that's that's uh that's kind of where things stand right now. at some point, I don't know when that is, the idea is that, you know, this is going to there there's going to
be a larger more like representative group that is going to sort of take on this work that I think, as I mentioned at a previous meeting, will consist of at least five representatives from from each town. Anyway, that's that's that's some of the
updates I have. Uh George, um are is this group subject to open meeting law? Uh uh no. That's why that's why Lynn can make send memos around outside of meetings. Yes, correct.
Yeah, that's that's that's a slippery slope. Yeah, that's tough. Um for me, if they're going to put together this data and compile this data, Yeah. They really need to I would ask
you to ask the group before we even get this data, how are we going to use it? And you did allude to that. I I heard you allude to that. But an environment like this, what I what I fear will happen is people are going to see the data and everybody's going to load up their guns with the data. Look at the
excess levy capacity in that town. Look at the cash reserves in that town. And people are going to start I I don't know what they're going to do. I'm not predicting. But I can see without a mediator Mhm. with you know real authority to control
these conversations. I fear that the data is just going to be used. You know, historically it's, you know, I guess maybe I'm shell shocked from my experience 10 years ago, but I see the towns
end up not coop not cooperating and end up, you know, it creates divides and I think everybody wants to avoid that. So I think it's really important to set some kind of limits or boundaries about how this data is used and how it should
not be used. My two cents. Yeah. Yeah. My April I have 12 cents. Um you know I I had thought that the the consultant was going to act as a mediator because in these last you know
goarounds around regionalization and all of this stuff that has been happening over the last decade that really would have been helpful to have somebody mediate that and I'm not sure if that's the charge of this organization. Yeah. I mean my feeling is I I kind of
thought that too. Um and I think I actually think that would have been a more useful role for Mars to play than this data gathering sort of exercise because I think as I think as has been discussed there's there's nothing
particularly um special about the actual data that's being pulled by Mars. Um, so I would rather like to the extent that they're going to be, you know, contracted to
provide a service that the district is going to pay for, I think I think, yeah, a more of a facilitator role would have been a better role for them, assuming that that's something they do, which I I have to think they do, but um I don't know. I'm gonna push for that.
um when whether it's them or I don't know who else but somebody from the Donahghue Institute or something I'm not sure who but uh some some yeah some independent party that's not
like a representative of one of the towns but we'll see Susie um let's see you asked us to send in some questions from as a result of reading what was put out by um the task
force and in looking over that um memo I I feel like there first of all getting the data really carefully so it's apples to apples is um something I don't really know
um how well an outside group can do that or even an inside group um so Um, I hope that some of the questions we we wrote in will be addressed um in this process and the data will be gathered to
meet those questions. So, we're talking facts, not um feelings. I know that George did, I think, at least two summer investigations. Summer is a breakdown time. People are not around. It's it's very hard to pull it off in the summer. So, it doesn't surprise me that there
was a breakdown in communication. um that's the nature of starting something in the summer. Um but that it generates bad feelings, that's too bad. Um and it's also maybe important to appreciate all the ongoing issues the region is
working on. Um so how how the data is um recorded and analyzed I I feel if Mars did it and they made a mistake then I would be feeling differently than if some volunteer from
the re from the task force did that and get into sort of the the nitty-gritty with them. Um, but I know um like I'm looking at this, I don't see um
the um charter um this particular list. Charter costs um are an issue to me and I bet they divide up by towns differently because some parents will drive their kids there, some parents
won't. So, um I also know that um new growth um is probably they think it's in this chart somewhere, but Shootsbury will never have the kind of new growth opportunities that Amoris does. So
weighing factors like that seem really important to me and I don't know whether an inside or outside group will figure out how those factors weigh because like George said people are going to seize on something and say you have all this
money. Well, we don't have new growth. I can see this discussion spiraling. Um, so I'm hoping that at least the data will be solid enough for us to refer to it that it won't just be used as ammunition and that somebody puts
thought into it beyond sort of the obvious um categories that Desi um ends up compiling. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I guess my thought, Susie, is that like the sort of more obvious categories are
kind of uh a foundation to sort of build off, right? Like we have to sort of start somewhere. And the the the re at least this is my perspective. The reality is is that this this as four
towns we've been working on, you know, the the regional budget since the region has existed and there's really no real information sharing that has happened between the four towns, at
least as long as I've been on the finance committee, right? There's just there's in our four towns meetings, right? The only data we ever see is a budget basically from the region and you know but we never we we so so you know I
think I think the process of sort of having a kind of shared common data set that that all four towns see can respond to have access to and at least to the
extent best extent possible includes sort of apples to apples kinds of comparisons. That's the goal at least. You know, we start with something that's going to be kind of crudder and more simple, but like through the process of
meeting and and discussing and reacting to that data, the the some of the nuance that you're talking about gets, you know, gets added into that and gets contributed. That's that's what's that's what it's going to take, I think, is is
people like us looking at this data really carefully, not just like passively consuming it, but like actually asking the follow-up questions. And I know you've already started to um drop. So, yeah. So, if the energy is that we discover together,
yeah, what the data is telling us and what we need to know and what it means to all of us, then we'll get somewhere. Yeah. But I think it's a pretty complicated picture and people need to sort of hold open the idea that we're discovering this together,
right? Yes. And I think to speak to a kind of earlier point George made, I think there are sort of two ways that this can really kind of go off rails. One would be the one that George stated, which is that that this becomes just ammunition
for towns to sort of advocate for a position that's advantageous to them, you know, to to their fiscal circumstances and and it just becomes a way for them to say, well, you know, town, you know, A and B should be doing
more of this because you have this. So that that is one way I think this can go badly. I think the other way is that it it could be like the focus could be then sort of pointed towards the regional school committee and there could be a lot of
discussion of well you guys aren't doing an effective job sort of managing the district and you're spending money in um you know in imprudent ways and and so like you know and in both
both scenarios. I think what what happens is like people sort of have like predetermined like positions that like they go they're going into it's not this process of discovery that Susie's describing but it's more like people have a a kind of
predetermined view like you know the the district spends way too much money relative to other districts and so I'm just going to look for ammunition to support that position you know So, or like you know, well, we're the only town
that doesn't have excess levy capacity. All the other towns have excess levy capacity. Why? Why do they have excess le? Because they should be using that to fund the school. So, like that's I think we're gonna have to just be I think aware of that potential and sort
of be pushing people to like not to not just focus on these these sort of predetermined conclusions. And what was what was the second concern you raised? The first concern was that they'd use the data against us. What was the second
way? Second concern was just that like you know like I I'm not going to mention names here but like I just know that there are people who you know we hear them at the four towns meeting right who are convinced that Ammerst um overspends
um on education right that that that we are a maybe the better way to say is that we are an out our district is an outlier in terms of the amount it spends on, you know, uh, on education relative to
Northampton or Long Meadow. We we hear it at the for people say, "Well, I pulled this data down from the DESIE report and their per pupil cost is this and why is ours $10,000 more per student? That must mean we're not
spending appropriate wisely or appropriately." So like that kind that kind of a conclusion that people have already kind of have already drawn and come into this process and just use this as a way to just sort of I don't know defend that that position.
Well, this is exactly why it needs to be mediated. Yeah. You know because this is like family therapy in some ways and you really need somebody neutral that the other challenge will be that that neutral person has to be agreed
upon by other you know that that everybody buys into that that has credibility. Yeah. Yeah. Susie and George, wasn't there a time where somebody laid out I don't I think it was about regionalization and so they brought in an outside group and they did
a lot of charts and pictures and I think in the end nobody paid any attention to it. So, you know, I don't know whether they had a a goal in mind. Um, but you know, having having a a neutral party, they
they I they have to have careful instructions about what they're doing because that whole group had a ton of not information and it ended up just snowballing into no no. Well, I I one I think one you might be thinking of this. One of the um
assessment groups that I was on, we hired somebody Yes. to compile information. He wasn't really a mediator. So, you know, he kept his head down when this when the accusa, you know, when the arguments started, but um he did bring in some options and some
ideas on how to assess the budget to the four towns. And ultimately, yeah, none of his ideas were satisfactory to the to the majority. And we ended up coming up with our own thing, which I think is pretty good. You know, it's what we're doing
now. Uh uh Laura. Yeah. I mean I think I mean you can collect I mean data ad nauseium I mean kind of aspect. I mean so it seems like there's a a piece of like I mean trying to reach like what are the shared values or like what are the shared principles I
mean you know types of things that then inform you know like if you don't know what it is you're looking for like then what is the scope of the data? I mean like having you know 20 years of data on these particular topics you may not be relevant if that's not answering the question that we need answered. So I
mean yeah I think like better trying to scope what the problem is we're trying to solve so everybody's on the same page for that I mean is a helpful piece of it. Yeah. Great. All right. So I'm just making a note for
myself. So, I I think I'm going to reach out uh to I already have to call Lynn Griezmer to find out because as I read to you in that email, the superintendent wants to have a a check-in before this
18th meeting. So, um I was going to follow up with Lynn to see if that because I haven't seen any mention of a date. And I think I'm gonna also sort of press on the need or what what
we view as a need for a mediator or facilitator for this process. Um, okay. Any other questions or Susie? I I would like to know if you got other feedback from other people on our fincom
and I want to know if the committee is getting that feedback because all that feedback shows is we're trying to think about it and and they can know what we don't understand or what we are um concerned about it now. They don't have to answer the question. They have to
understand what we're thinking about. Yeah. So I just have the the list that you shared Susie. Um, I haven't received any other questions or responses or suggestions to the um the
draft memo. What I'll do is if it's okay with you, Susie, I'm going to forward your list y to the rest of the committee and that may um sort of prompt some thinking uh about it. I'll include the original memo as
well as part of that. and depending on well let's see uh I was just wondering when if we're going to meet again before the 18th uh probably not right because
that would be less than two weeks but okay um but yeah if folks have like you'll see from Sus's list that some of them are like very specific kinds of questions and then in other cases
they're sort of pretty big issues. Um sort of almost like kind of new kind of categories of information that um we that that you know this group ought to consider. Are you going to send that to the task
force? That's who I was thinking. Yes. Okay. Yeah, I will. Um, I'll see if I get some more feedback from the rest of our group and then but I will share that. Yeah. Okay.
Um, yeah, here we are. Anybody else have anything on uh ARPS group? Okay, I think next up is um so anything on onboarding? I know
some of these onboarding sessions have have started. Um I just want to sort of see how that is see if how that that process is going and uh anybody actually sort of actually have one of their
sessions yet? I think at least one of Susie. Yeah, I haven't. But I'll send an email to Molly and Laura um in the next day or two and we'll find a time. Okay. And then I'll bring the annual report and the budget and we'll meet at town hall. All right. as I will as well. Okay.
Too much fun. Well, I just it's, you know, summertime. Yeah. But I was also waiting for us to meet Molly and have this conversation so that Molly's aware. Yeah. So, I filled in Molly about sort of the
um kind of proposed process of do doing these onboarding sessions. So, um Okay. And I'm gonna So I offered to do one on sort of regional school finance and um I think for lots of
reasons it makes sense to wait until after August 18th uh to to do that. But um but I will schedule something uh either in August or maybe more likely in September. Okay. Uh I think next up we were going
to um assign liaons for each of the departments and um I think I can't remember Laura if we talked about this at our last meeting but um for but for both you and Molly
this is a role that we've had for the last couple of fiscal years where we have one member of the fincom essentially volunteer to serve as a leader on to a um a department and that
person becomes sort of like a point of contact for that department head. Um the liaison also sort of updates them on process. So like you know we're you know how's your budget going? Um you
know do you have questions about it any problems? Um, and it also becomes like if we as a fincom have a follow-up question for a department head, the the sort of logical person to bring that question to the
department head is the the liaison. So, um, we I believe have had six people. So um we have a liazison for the highway department, the elementary school, the regional school district, the fire
department, the police department, and the fiscal team which consists of the treasurer, the accountant, and the collector. Um
I don't think I'm missing any anybody. Uh, so I guess maybe the way I'll do this is I'll see if anybody wants to kind of volunteer to serve um as a liaison uh to any of
those departments. And this could be for the members that are just carrying over like if you if you're particularly keen on continuing to sort of serve in that capacity um you know you can you can let me know. So does anybody want to get the ball
rolling and volunteer for a particular department? Well I was I was thinking I'd fill in for Bob on the highway. Okay. All right. So anybody to the elementary school. All right. So, George is volunteering
for Highway Susie carrying on as our elementary school. Anybody Anybody else particularly keen on one of those? Yeah, I I'd like to continue with the police. Okay, that's fun. All right. So,
April Police, Susie Elementary School, George Highway. So I guess one question is was anybody particularly keen on one of those roles? All right. So that leaves um you know I
probably would uh like to stay on as the regional school liaison just because I kind of follow that those issues pretty closely and been part of this group. Uh so unless
somebody else is keen on taking that over, I'll volunteer to carry over there. Uh that leaves fire and fiscal team. I'll take either. I don't have a preference.
Okay. Uh Laura, do you have an interest in either of those? I mean, I'm fine with either. I mean, fiscal would be I mean, just to make it easier, I could pick that one. Okay. Sure. All right. So, what about um Molly
for fire department and Laura for the fiscal team? What about Jim? Yeah, we don't have one for Jim. Oh, yeah. Jim, we need to Yeah, I think we need to wait to find out what's going to happen to Jim.
Okay, got it. All right. Um All right. Well, let's let's uh let's see what's what's happening with Jim. And um uh there'll be plenty of roles. One of the things that
is will undoubtedly happen this year is there'll be like another group formed um like maybe a contract negotiating group for example and they'll need a fincom representative. Um so there'll be
opportunities working on. So, should I like reach out then to the fire department or do I wait until the budget season kind of starts and then who I am or Yeah, I think what what you ought to do is so we are going to draft um a letter
and a budget form, a blank budget form for each of the departments that will probably go out in early October if memory serves. Does that sound right? Yeah, roughly. Um, so I think we send it out earlier than
that. Okay. In September with an October, end of October deadline, maybe something like that. Let me look. That sounds right. All right. So, what I would say, Molly, is is that let's You're probably going to want to wait for that letter to go
out and then and then a sort of good opportunity to introduce yourself and say, "Hey, by the way, you've probably seen this letter and the form. let me know if you have questions about it. Um, the form
will likely have their FY um 26 budget sort of prepopulated. And one of the things we're going to want to make sure is that folks actually fill use the form that we're going to be sending to them because it's very
helpful for us to actually be able to see what their proposed FY27 amounts are compared to their current FY26 amounts. So, so yeah, I don't think you don't need to do anything immediately. Um, but around the time that that letter goes
out, we asked them to have it to us by the end of October. And so I think we sent it out in uh the beginning of September. Okay. I I know we met at a meeting in August, the end of August and drafted it. So I
think we got it out in September sometime. Got it. Okay. So AJ, yep. Question. So, for the minutes, we've got the elementary school, the highway, the fiscal team, the regional school, the fire department, and the police
department. And so, um, and so Laura's fiscal team, I'm highway, your region, Suz's elementary, Molly's fire, and April's police. Correct. Okay. And then, do we need to have a vote on each of these or is this just
I don't think so. Okay. So, just these are the assignments. Okay. Yeah. All right. And um and my other question my final question is should we have somebody who's a leazison at the library? Yeah. So, this is this this is I mean um
I'm not sure why we haven't this actually came up because Molly before last meeting Molly had sent me an email saying you know given my work might make sense for me to be the liazison to the library and then I was like you know we don't actually have a
liaison for the library and I'm not sure why that is. Um yeah, remember yeah. Do anybody have any memory as to why we why we don't? Isn't it because they have their own trustees and they're sort of a more separate entity? I think that may be the
rationale over the years, but I think but that's no reason not to have a you know. Exactly. Right. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So we can make the decision to to have one and appoint somebody. Well, and we know we had a problem one year
because we didn't have a liaison to that department and we ended up having to go to special town meeting and increase their budget because of a communication issue. Yeah. Yeah. And I know all about the MAR already and the ME and all the things that libraries have to do. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, I think we should have Molly be the liaison also to the library. Okay. Keep track of it. And let's ask Jim Walton if he wants to do fire department. Yeah, we can.
Yeah, let's do that. Uh, does that sound good, Molly? Okay. Yeah. And I mean, I don't think the library is going to be a very um heavy lift. So, if you need me to do both of them, that's fine, too. Okay. So, let's let's see how Jim's
doing and then move aside because Laura also is doing capital planning, as is George, and April's doing personnel. So, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Uh, so, sorry, I'm just updating my So,
Molly is gonna be on library and what do we say? Jim's going to be on fire potentially. Okay. All right. Got it. Okay. Um, so I think we got all of our assignments sorted
out. Uh, I don't have anything else. Any other updates or uh business that folks need to discuss tonight? Well, just a a a committee up update. The personnel board is working with uh
Haley at this point to uh go over the draft proposed personnel board uh policies, personnel policies. Um, and that's meeting is starting on this Thursday. We're going to the the plan is
to have our edits completed by September 1st. Yay. Yeah. Yeah. Good luck. I know. Thank you. It's been going on for a long time. Well, yeah. I think yeah the issues around the composition of uh hiring and
contracting is is very central and that has not there's it's it's um in flux or there's a it's being discussed. Good. That's great. I hope so.
Uh, Susie, we talked I I proposed that we consider having um three meetings in person over the course of the year because I feel like peopleto people is an important piece. That would be like September,
December, and March, something like that. Um, we can consider it. We don't have to decide tonight, but I want to continue to bring that up. Yeah. um the technological challenges are there but uh we might be
pioneers at solving them in yet another way. And then the other thing that I can report on is that the school, the elementary school was having a pretty big problem with their boiler gumming up, which meant water was getting into
the boiler fuel and gumming up the nozzle. They spent $16,000 with Jamro, which um an um McIll called Jam Rug in and sat down and went over what that whole process was because that
was an inordinate amount of spending. They also tested the tank. The tank is not leaking in water. George U. Frank McInn figured out that when they re-roofed it, they didn't put the cap on the vent pipe that goes down into the
boiler. and so water was getting in there. So he figured they figured that out. Um they have a temporary solution. They can't do the solution themselves because it would violate the warranty on the roof. They're talking with a roofing
company. But the news that it's not time to dig the tank up and put in a new tank in a different way was a great relief. And what I saw in the meeting with the school committee um was how much an
McIll put into figuring this out and working with the different um people and how much cooperation there was and the great relief they all had to get to the answer. For that $16,000 worth of late
invoices, the school used some of its unspent circuit breaker money, which would go back to the state if they didn't use it. And they also used money out of school choice, which is not uh the best choice, but they felt like that
was a way to solve this particular problem. Um, there was some talk about just firing Jamro, but I feel like Ann went down a different path and sat and talked with them. It's like, look at what happened and look at how much it cost and look at how many people came
and look at the travel time we were time. So, I don't know who the town's uh plumbers are right at the moment, but what I saw is that they um those people, the building committee and the school
and the superintendent and the financial director all worked to solve the problems um the best they could. And there was a pretty clear awareness that this town has been having a difficult year. And they did not they
figured out a financial solution for the 16,000 right? What was the 16,000 specifically for for jamro for all the times they came to ungum up the nozzle and get hot water turned back on at the school.
Okay. Thank you. Um, one question I had, I don't know if anybody here has an answer, is if if there's um, an update on what the plan is around the police department leadership and what
the sort of financial impact of that might be. What I understand um, is that they're putting out an ad for a new police chief. uh that they're also asking the personnel board to look at a you know
have recommendations on a an application form that everybody would fill out in addition to their resume. Um and as I understand it, there's going to be a search committee um formed. All right. Well, then that answer because I I I guess my one of the I had
been wondering if there was um if it was a foregone conclusion that they were going to be hiring a a police chief. Um uh because I feel like I'd heard some discussion that there were
different sort of options for for staff in the department, but it sounds like that's the direction that Okay. Well, all right. because I was wondering, well, maybe there's some savings there uh that we could tap into for this um insurance shortfall, but that's not like
it. Okay. Uh any other updates? Yeah. Okay. We should make a plan for our next meeting and then we can journ. So, um I was wondering if the 26 might be a good option for folks.
Well, we want we want to be we have to make our proposal of how to pay. Oh, yeah. So, let's work backwards from that. So, the the the warrants are need to be posted. What was the date you said? September. September 9th. Okay. So
can we have an estimate of what that increase will be by then by August 26? I also think the select board should be made where that is Russia shame falls right in the middle of that. Yes. 22nd to the 24th. Uh
I could I could send that note to Haley and the select board. Okay. Also, I I' I've also liked um Ned's um proposal to have the meeting on a Saturday. I I don't know if if we want
to make a recommendation um as a committee to support that. It does it sounds like that was not really the direction people wanted to go. Um but it would opened up, you know, it's the whole idea of bringing younger
people into the into the fold. Okay. And also the 19th is our regularly next scheduled one and we are balancing with select board. So the 26th would be the select boards. Okay. Next. So the question is is are we going
to have so if we met on the 19th in two weeks that um well we'll have um we'll have an update on this school sustainability group because they will
have met on the 18th. Um, but do we think we'll have some plan or some some the information we need to make a decision about the insurance trust? I guess we don't really know. We have to we're gonna have to then. All right. So,
what about meeting on the 19th then in two weeks? Um, I have something that's every other Tuesday that is that. Okay. Tuesday. I don't know. So, is that um and is that is that just
an ongoing commitment that you'll you'll have like for the for the future? Yeah, it's like a standing Yeah. Like I'm missing it tonight. Okay. All right. Um then we have to coordinate with the select board to switch it and this might
be a time that that works. They also probably work off of the warrant schedule. Okay. So, I think there are two options. One is we can try to yeah swap the sort of dates with the select board
for for the future. Maybe not for this next meeting. Um so that the um so so that we don't have this conflict for Molly. I guess the other suggestion
is is we we could move our me, you know, our standing our standard meeting night. Doesn't have to be Tuesday. It's just what it's been. Um but uh I don't know if other people have sort of built their schedules around around
that. I'm flexible. Personnel board meets sort Thursday is generally the third Thursday of the month. We're meeting a little more frequently right now, but it assessors meet on Wednesdays,
right? But, you know, we could once we know the fin schedule, we could probably work around that with the assessors because we don't meet that frequently. No, we could maybe do that on Tuesdays. Oh, but Wednesdays are bad for me. I work
work I work in until the evening and All right. So, Wednesdays are not a good option. Uh, I, you know, I could do it. I'm done usually by 6, you know, so I'm free at 6:30. I have a conflict the first Wednesday of every month. Okay, good.
What about Mondays? Uh, Monday. Monday. You're going to break into song there, April? No, no, no. I'm flexible. Monday would probably be okay. I could do Mondays. I mean,
generally speaking, would Mondays work for people? Yeah. Yes. Yep. So, what if we met on the uh 18th? Nope. That's the Fordtown meeting.
But I don't know that the I don't know that they for town meeting is No, that's your meeting with the the task force task force. Yeah, the task force. We've been meeting sustainability group like during in the morning. So, it's possible that I I think since this is not the larger meeting that will be
happening in the future that I think it's probably likely that that will be during the day. Oh. Um, so yeah, I I think I think we could potentially do Monday at 6:30. Okay. And and if we we could still be alternating with the select board so
that because I I'd like to have Haley attend our meetings, too. Yes. Right. Yes. That's important. Yeah. All right. So, I'm gonna have to talk to my community. We've been having Monday night dinners for the last 48 years.
Oh, that's we can maybe move it to to a different night. I don't know yet. But, and that could be the way it is because I wouldn't miss all of them. I just miss some of them. Yeah. That's okay. Um, George. Yeah. Yeah. So I hate to go back to something
we thought we had done but it hearing what April just said and I was thinking about it earlier anyways I we forgot I forgot to raise when we talk about liaison I think one of the liaison that we've really been weak about is an
liaison to the select board and I think oh wow that's naturally Haley's role and I think we need to talk to Haley and I would recommend that we talk to Haley and ask her when she's at select board
meetings to take notes that she thinks should be presented that would inform us about things that they're talking about that could eventually reach us. Yeah. Kind of give us a heads up. It's something I asked Becky to do kind of like last year, but there was a lot
going on and I just talked to her about it briefly and Becky thought it was a good idea, but then you know things kind of unraveled there. But um I that's something I just wanted to mention and maybe in the next time we meet with her I won't ne put this in the minutes AJ but you might want to ask her you know
or however you want to go about it whatever but I just think it would be a good when I like the idea and then that and then that becomes just like a standing agenda item is like you know updates from the select board that Yeah. It's almost plan on you know
sharing uh whatever she attends. Yeah. And actually, and maybe it's not the liaison role, but it's the department. It's like um April on the personnel board and Susanna's Yeah. school committee giving reports about what's going on with those committees. And maybe Haley can just give us a
report. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, um I think that's a good idea. I'm kind of getting back to the sort of meeting schedule now. I'm starting to think what what we maybe should do is
just go ahead and meet on the 19th, but try to get in the for meetings beyond the 19th, try to get on um a schedule that we can essentially swap with the select board so that the
the that our regular meeting night becomes the Tuesdays that Molly can attend where she doesn't have this other conflict. Yeah, I like that. It would help it help if you write down the dates, Molly, so we start working on a real number.
Yeah. Is it um Yeah, I will double check. I mean, I know Yeah. Every once in a while it gets shoot me Yeah. Yeah. Shoot me an email. Um, and uh, so I think what it what what it'll probably mean for the is for the
19th we won't have you, but we'll hopefully we're meeting beyond that. We'll get on a schedule where we meet on Tuesday nights that don't conflict with your standing every other. Okay. So the next meeting of this group is the 19th.
Yeah, I think so. Okay. Yeah. It just looks like there just too many complications with the other Nice. Another another night. Does that Does that make seem to make sense to folks? Yeah.
Okay. All right. Okay. Anything else? So, I'm going to get that information from Becky and um and then I'll also let the select board know about the conflict with the Jewish holiday. Um, and I'll
send that to you. It's okay to send information, just not ask for opinions. Yeah, I could I could take on the letting the select board know. You don't have to do everything. Let me just let them know. I'll do the other one then. Yeah. All right. And I'm going to touch base
with Rita and Haley about sort of end of year transfers, like kind of getting back to our old process of doing joint meetings. Um, and I'm also going to contact Lynn just to find out if there's going to be
a meeting with the superintendent before the 18th. Susie, I'll let you know um when that when that's Maybe I should check with Ryan if it's actually possible for the town not to have the special town meeting before October 1st. It if there's a way to look
at that in a bookkeeping way that doesn't force us into that box. Yeah, I'm not sure if they thought about that. Yeah, that's right. Because ask Ryan. We've got enough funds. If they raised it, we'd have enough funds to get through probably March, right?
We don't have to pay the bill all at once, right? Okay. I'll check with Ryan on that. Okay. All right. So, I think I'll uh make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second that. All right. Arganiz.
Cashew. I moer I. Moss. Bye. Okay. Thanks everybody. Thank you. Have a good night everyone. Good night. Night. Night.