WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=ymSQ-BR5Es8

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: ymSQ-BR5Es8):
- 00:00:01: Casual Conversation Before FinCom Meeting Convenes
- 00:04:00: FinCom Meeting Called to Order: Quick Initial Updates
- 00:06:16: Discussion: Haley's FinCom Transfer Background Info
- 00:06:32: Considering Discussing, Voting on CPA Articles for Warrant
- 00:11:55: State Budget Updates and Potential Town Impact
- 00:15:11: Calculating Impact on Average Single Family Tax Bill
- 00:15:59: Possible PAS Funds and How Town Could Manage Costs
- 00:19:29: Creating Stabilization Funds and Potential Funding Sources
- 00:22:29: Two-Step Process: School Board, Town Approval of Funds
- 00:26:52: Creating a Spreadsheet to Compare Municipal Finances
- 00:32:36: Annual Town Meeting Preparations; Finance Income Transfer
- 00:33:34: Discussion on Override Considerations in Other Towns
- 00:35:43: Request to Transfer Funds Due to Increased Fire Calls
- 00:40:08: Motion and Vote to Approve Fire Department Fund Transfer
- 00:41:20: Minutes from April 17th and 23rd - Review and Approval
- 00:50:58: Discussion on Capital, Finance Team, Select Board Meeting
- 00:55:18: Need to Talk to Treasurer About Summer Projects
- 01:02:01: Determining Strategy Regarding Free Cash Certification Policy
- 01:10:56: Feedback from Laura on Town Meeting Guide Document
- 01:12:16: Discussion on the Pie Graph in Town Guide
- 01:16:51: Discussing Debt Service Impact, Bond Rating, Debt Tools
- 01:22:24: Suggestions on Town Annual Meeting Guide Document
- 01:26:50: Budget Document Summary: Tax Rate Effect
- 01:28:13: Underspent Budget and Discretionary versus Non-Discretionary Funds
- 01:36:11: Breaking Down the Budget Increase into Parts
- 01:39:29: Cola, Regional School Budgets Are Non-Discretionary, Or Are They?
- 01:46:44: Planning the Budget Info Session and Town Meeting Strategy
- 01:51:16: Key Themes and Talking Points for Budget Presentation
- 02:05:23: Planning to Attend and Pep Talk Town Meeting Presenters
- 02:08:56: Dividing Up Town Meeting Presentation Topics
- 02:21:50: Review of Various Spreadsheet and Document Details
- 02:26:28: Discussions on Potential Regional Collaboration
- 02:30:22: Adjournment Motion


Part: 1

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Oh, >> well, she's Yeah, I know. She's working at She's working in Stanford. >> That's where I had my son up at Stanford Children's Hospital. >> She's er doctor. Yeah, she's in ER. She does trauma. Yeah, my son.

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>> Wow. >> No, my mom has really That's it. >> Okay. You know San Francisco too? >> Yeah, I lived in Mountain View and CO like San Francisco.

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>> Yeah. So >> not that often three times. >> I need to get there more often. I got to go now. So the states have changed. >> Got it though. >> Oh yeah. Got it. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yep. >> And that's why we're going is when your birthday is Mother's Day. It's like two

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days after Mother's Day, but we're going to do a home. >> Nice. >> Annie's one year, so I couldn't get out of it this year. >> What town are you going to be in? >> Well, they live in LA. Her parents live in LA. So, we're going to be party in LA. And then Marty and I are going to drive up the

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LA because she was like an ecologist there. I did the AIDS ride when I lived there and so we from Saskia LA. >> Wow. >> So it was really great because it's a cover >> very long time ago. >> What?

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>> AIDS ride. >> She rode her bicycle from San Francisco to LA. >> Get out. >> That's five car. Is that up? Is that hill? >> Seven days you'll be doing up and down hills. 550 miles. >> How much up and down? >> A lot. >> Yeah.

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>> Wow. >> Yeah, that is something. >> Wow. >> But it was, like I said, a very very long time ago. A different a different ago. You still use team members. >> Okay. >> Yeah.

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>> Poor kids. >> Yeah. Things have changed. think of it. >> Yeah, I like being a grandfather. I'll tell you that. It is fun. >> We'll get this later. >> Beautiful.

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>> I know. Have you been out? Yeah, me too. Not I couldn't today, but I was out yesterday and Sunday. >> Great. >> Connecticut Washington DC. >> Oh, yeah. Where am I? We're in >> Iowa. >> Yeah, you guys are ahead of us. We're

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We're got a couple people that really slow on ours. I'm on three. So, we're talking about the Great American Ride. We have three different team. It's group of people, bike riders in town. >> Okay. >> And we have a group of people and there's like what? Eight people in each team. >> Up to 12. And like the mileage you're saying is like

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>> total the accumulated mile, right? It's >> Yeah. 3,700 mile road across the country. And we're my my team's like 1150 right now. >> We're over. Are you with us? >> No, I'm on the new team. So, and there's some lag on that team.

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>> Yeah, he wrote he's ridden 600 miles already this year. >> Yeah, he's a wild man. >> Yeah, El definitely a little. >> That's a healthy kind of >> It is. Well, I know I'm gonna be gone for 10 days, so I got to get it in now.

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What state are you in? We're we're in I think we're in Montana. I forget. >> Oh, I didn't get that part. So, there's like a virtual map. >> Washington goes to Virginia. That's >> so it's like 3,700 miles. >> Oh, that's great. >> It's not It's not short. And it's

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basically the route that Cliff actually rode a number of years ago. He's a wild man. >> He's Yeah, he's just driven. >> But it's funny. >> All right. So, I will uh call the FinCom to order at 6:39.

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Um take my video off here because I feel like this is scary. Big brother >> face. >> All right. Um so, I guess just a couple quick updates. So, everything's been posted. You guys may

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have noticed on the website. Um, did everybody get a town announce uh announce? Okay, so the budget info. Um, wonder if I should do like a reminder tomorrow, I guess. I mean, uh, wait,

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what am I saying? Next, no, no, probably like Monday, next week maybe. Yeah. >> Um, okay. Uh, Netti is all set to moderate. People are going to submit questions to

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her. Hopefully they'll do that. Uh, okay. We have George for the budget info session, but not for annual town meeting. One of the things I wanted to do tonight was sort of have a game plan of who's going to how we're going to

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sort of organize our presentations both for the for Thursday and at annual town meeting and see who's for kind of sharing a piece of that. I think it it last year we tried to have a few

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different voices contribute to that and I thought that that was helpful. so that we can get to that tonight as well. And if possible, I was hoping that we wouldn't have to meet again until >> Thursday, >> budget info session Thursday. So, see

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see if we can get everything done tonight. Um, >> all right. So, and then there's just a couple of um sort of housekeeping things that we've got to deal with. One are just there's this FinCom transfer. So

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Haley's not here, but Susie sounds like you have some background info. Do you think you'd be able to >> speak to it? Okay. >> Um because that's from the fire department. Um and then we have not discussed

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the CPA articles at all. Um, and you know, I think that's one of the things that's sort of fallen through the cracks this year is I I at least in the past we've we've

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had an opportunity to like have a very brief discussion about the articles and we've actually taken votes and those votes about whether to recommend them or not have been posted on the warrant. That did not happen this year, I think, in part because I didn't even get the

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articles until, you know, when we did our votes on our our articles. So, my question to you guys is do we feel a need to have that discussion and is I'm not sure like we don't obviously

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have anybody from the CPA uh CPC. Yeah, the group is the CPC. Okay. Yeah. Uh to to describe them. So all we would have is the um the language in the warrant articles itself. So So I

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don't know. I I'm I'm not sure I feel like a need to >> I don't think scope of what we do. >> Yeah. >> And they vet it. They have committee specifically to do vetting, >> right? Yeah. >> It's kind of like the same thing in capital planning. They do the vetting. We just have to figure out the financing. >> Right.

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>> We have the financing for it already. >> Exactly. So, we're not there's no funding decision that um is separate and apart from their vetting of learniness of those projects. So, >> I know looking at them myself, but you print out them. >> I haven't. I I printed out the warrant

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and I've brought them with me today just in case we did feel >> I I am interested in knowing what they are, but I can >> sure we just scan them and if and look just scan them briefly just to >> on our screen. You want the Would you like? >> Sure. Yeah. just the first one is not an

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administrative cost of community preservation. It's just a transfer I think. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Um the second one is rescending the community garden project grant. >> There's no water source for >> what's too there's not enough land. There was

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barely enough >> land for us to build a building let alone have a garden. >> So it's about resending because just the infrastructure is not there. It does. It's not going to work the way that we wanted it to. >> Um, then we have regional affordable housing coordinator

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>> to a regional coordinator. >> It's cool. >> So, that would be a new a new role >> of Elliot Park Structures Project Beach. >> Yeah. We have South Brook Conservation

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Area Expansion. >> Southbrook. That's down by Legua, right? >> Yeah. Yes. >> Looks like it says Wendel Road. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Then we have >> I think that's as well.

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>> Yeah, that's the big one. That's the one I'm waiting for. >> And it looks like this one is not a >> But there is one about buying. Is it buying land? How come I can't find?

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I don't think there was a purchase of land in that, but somebody's purchasing it. Sandy Castro is behind >> housing coordinator. >> Yeah. So I mean it is a undesired funds account for cost to purchase from

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Kestrel land trust parcel E2 approximately 9 acre property located between Fox PR. Seven acres would be added to South Brook conservation area um but under conservation restrictions and for costs associated with due diligence to explore

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potential development of approximately two acres of a parcel as an affordable housing lot. >> Which article is that? That's 29. >> I think it wouldn't be appropriate for us to try to jump in if we think that there's something going on that's

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fiscally I mean they have their own funds. Yeah. I don't feel like we really a role in this. >> Yeah. I would say not our money. It's the CPA then.

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>> Yeah. I'm not sure what the origin of us even taking like when we started actually taking votes on >> well it kind of leaks over to like the um MLP >> and again they have their own money

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>> right >> and they're actually used a lot of town money to get going >> um but now it's a self-contained thing that they respect No, not all of it. Deborra and I don't

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feel there. >> Okay, >> it's coming. >> So, I I think that we might want to consider not saying anything. >> Yeah, I don't think we need to. >> Yeah, I don't think so. Yeah, I would agree. >> Okay.

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Uh let's see. Uh >> so what' you say? You said prepare for the meeting and the hearing. Prepare FinCon transfer. How about you had state budget updates on? >> Yeah. So, I was wondering if anybody um

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felt prepared to just give us a kind of quick update on um sort of state kind of important state funding news. So, I think the house right um that we have a an updated cherry sheet from

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>> the house. Yeah, there's but the other um the other thing is in their process they just met again now I don't I didn't write down the number they just added a bunch to their um proposal.

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So, I was at the hearing uh at the meeting with Joe Cmerford yesterday and um it's just such a squishy process. You just don't get to know. >> Um and there's different places um

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different piles of money. So, I was surprised after being at her presentation to read today. There's a there's a website called Master List. you can subscribe to it and um they do a rundown on what's happening every day and that's where I saw that I can't even

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remember the freaking number. It's like 2.8 billion or something. >> I was added to theirs and they had come out with a statement saying you know we have to be tell we don't know and their budget was in the in the long run there were places significantly less than the

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governor. Uh so you don't get to know her. Yeah. It's really painful to me and um she's pretty hopeful, pretty positive about the Dwave money coming in. >> Yeah. >> And um >> so who voted who >> the Senate approved it >> and that was like a unanimous vote or

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close to it? >> Close. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> And so >> so it seems like a strong likelihood that >> I think so. >> Okay. >> Um >> so I had a question about this. So, so the the net impact on uh the impact on

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Shootsbury would be a a $50,000 um >> 25,000 a year. >> 25 a year. 50 years. >> I thought it was 50 a year for each year. That's the way I read it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And

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how would we and so the timing of that would would be like who knows when, right? Not not not >> FYI27 and FY28. That's the promise. So they could end up that could end up on the jury sheet or just come in. Okay. >> And actually one of the reason I'm feeling comfortable about our estimate

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of our average single tax bill because if Joe was right that's going to come in and that's going to lower the tax levy and it that gives us a real buffer. So that was my question is is is that going to come before the recap process? >> No, it should come. Yes. Yes, it should come before the recap.

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>> So we would be able to um to lower the the estimated tax rate. >> The the assessor's office will which means we don't want to lower ours. Well, first of all, we can't. >> Yeah. It just tells me ours is conservative. >> Yeah. Okay.

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>> Or it's one of the hopeful things that ours is conservative. Um, it'd be easy enough to do, but it it would be it would be maybe helpful to just know what that would what the impact of that would be on our uh

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average single family tax bill. Metro, believe it or >> Well, yeah, I can tell you. So, >> so it would be >> $55. >> Yeah. Okay. >> 50,55. >> Okay. >> So, that would get us on 420. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Do you think we're getting the same amount?

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If we get 50,000, it's it's 1.1 per thousand. So, it's it's that and we can all use that as kind of a guesstimate. >> Um, yeah. So, if that came in, we're telling everybody what 475 478.

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So, 55 comes out there. We could be >> 476. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, 420. >> Great. 421. So, >> would be nice. And who knows what else if chapter 70 comes in. The other thing is I'm looking at different funds that

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might show up and I think we might as a committee try to think about where that money could go, should go. I mean, we got a PAS. We're dealing with PAS. >> We're not going to say that at this town meeting, right? But I also don't want to make it sound like, you know, free

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ponies for everybody. >> Yeah. So, um, >> so what what what specifically do you do you think would uh lead you to believe that we might have some sort of PAS? >> Well, is there stuff going on? Yeah.

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>> So, there's a cost to do it every year. Um, and it's twice a year. >> Um, and we have that loan amount that we're paying >> and um, that's not an ending cost. That's an ongoing cost. Right. >> Funding for it fixed.

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>> That's the borrowing. But, you know, we might we might try to direct monies. >> I see what you're saying. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. >> And so mostly what we would say if you know people the only question they did at at the U candidates event that they

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only they did two questions for the select board. How are you going to lower our taxes? Yeah. >> So, we're not um money coming in doesn't mean that we're necessarily lowering taxes. Of course, we just talked about it. Yeah. >> So I think >> well that would be the effect though for

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>> Yeah. That's there's no we have no option. But we but we might couch that or say something like as our financial picture improves if our or as it improves we will be looking at how to um

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manage some of the cost of town phases >> right >> because these well so I guess mechanically when when these sort of late sources of funding come to the town. It can come

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one of two ways. One, it can show up on the final cherry sheet, right? Which would have the effect that you're describing, which is it it would lower the tax because we don't have we have no discretion. >> I don't know if it'll be in the cherry sheet, but it'll come in form state a because we also get state pilot money

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and that's not in the cherry sheet. >> Got it. No. So, I'm not sure. >> Okay. But that the assessors would see that they're getting this revenue from the state and they would have to >> Yeah. This year that's how it works. They just don't want people to um think

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that we're busy lowering their taxes. That's not what we're doing. Right. >> We're managing this and we're going to manage that. >> Gotcha. Yeah. >> The fact of the matter is we don't know if it's a sustainable source of revenue. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> Hopefully it will be. >> Yeah.

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>> Yeah. You bet we need it. But and if it passes we the what we could count on is basically two years of of that and nothing more to do with it. >> Yeah. Especially if we can our fingers are on the pulse and we start to get a

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better sense of how sustainable that will be as a revenue source. >> Right. Yeah. >> That's I think you can't make a decision about how you're going to use it if if you if it's beyond >> Yeah. Because I guess, you know, just as I'm thinking, we're talking and I'm thinking about this, we we've had at

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several points this year, we've had at least some preliminary discussion about either creating a new um stabilization fund specifically for uh

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special education expenses. That's one topic that's come up. Then I think there's been also just a concern that we have no mechanism anymore >> for putting money in capital stabilization because now that now that

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we actually have borrowing every year that exceeds that that level that that you know we had um there's no way for us to add to capital stabilization. >> It's definitely one of those summer projects we have to have and we have to brainstorm it now and get the treasurer

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in with us. So, I'm wondering if like any Yeah. If there are these these late sources of funding that come from the state after we have a approved budget that town has voted on and approved like

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is that is that one of the potential? >> We could have a special town meeting and say we're going to make a transfer to stabilization for 50 grand. >> Yeah. about the fire truck, right? >> And then it's an honest conversation that people can have about, well, what's

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more important to like >> lower my tax bill this coming year or put the town in a better position to deal with what we know are going to be some big expenses in the future. and we can sort of

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>> leave it to to residents to make kind of you know their an informed decision about >> and and one other thing is because the special town meeting will be in September the assessors might have more information about what a revenue picture is going to look like. Yeah. >> So we might be in a better position

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anyways we might find >> well we'll be in a better position and the estimate we're bringing to town meeting we might be able to refine it. >> All right. >> Right. And if it's lower, then I'd feel more comfortable taking the 50 and reapplying it. >> Yeah. Okay. All right. So, this is definitely a conversation we should flag

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for when this summer when you know when new when we have a clear picture of what is going to be coming from these new sources if anything and yeah if if we have a clearer >> sense from the assessor about kind of

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what our revenue pictures like. >> Yeah. power and you're done. I mean, >> and that includes the fact that we closed last year's ATM and immediately had um another 23% on the insurance. So, >> so the idea that the word is fluid.

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>> Yeah. And also um >> yeah, >> you know, there's progress on our representatives advocacy >> and and we are thinking of structures that we can create to hold that money

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for future needs. And and so um just to follow up, I did um find out the wording and sent it to the school committee so they can vote at their May meeting for creating the special um stabilization fund because their vote needs to precede

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our town meeting vote and they're not going to meet until late September after this May. Okay. >> So they have it. Um, I talked with Caitlyn to figure out how what it should say and they're going to vote on it and so they're creating that stabilization

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>> and we talked to them about ways to fund that stabilization. Have they talked about any of the funds they have available >> to help find that? >> We haven't gotten any farther than saying we're going to set it up, but she Caitlyn and I have been talking about rural A coming in late. So, and also

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circuit breaker being on a site and and the circuit breaker that we were counting on uh we're in and for FY 20 or they were counting on for FY26 came a little higher than they expected.

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So, that the um percentage changes. So anyways, this gives a cycle for that money because uh local school committees cannot retain money. This is a way for them to retain it. >> So yeah, that's

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>> Yeah. Well, I was the reason was is because we have the school choice money too around. So I wonder if we could use that. I know there was objection to that. the amount of school choice money in and the school choice money that's proposed is smaller than she

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>> and so you know they they may they have used school choice to help smooth this year so they that's still in their operating cart I think but I she's totally um and and

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Miguel sent me a a Great. Thank you for heading this direction. >> They're old boy. They think >> Yes, they are. And she sees it through Irving. Irving has this. This is where we got this process from. >> Okay. >> So, that's in her wheelhouse already.

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>> All right. So, just so I understand the this is a two-step process. The school board school committee is is approving this language here. That's step one. Yeah. And then step two would be at a future special town meeting

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>> the town would vote on this. Yeah. Okay. >> And hopefully September and vote of the fall one. >> Okay. And among other things, this would allow us to appropriate funds from the operating budget into this uh

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>> they can do that. So we she says the startup's a little different and then they can have a line item in their budget that I see. a school. >> Great. Okay. >> Oh, that would be interesting if there was like maybe even some kind of a match or something like uh like they have

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certain amount from their school budget and then is that awkward to basically have two different places in the operating budget to fund that. But hey, we can talk about that again. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> But getting in front of them and getting a vote is hard.

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>> Okay. And while we're on the state budget, Susie, um, have you heard anything about chapter 70 and the way the wind's blowing out in the chapter 70? >> Um, she explained it last night and I did not. I couldn't identify the pieces

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she was talking about. She talks about chapter 70 being a clamshell. I think this is the foundation part and this is the state part. And she says this has been dealt with and this is the part that they're dealing with. And I don't I

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don't know how she's saying the foundations dealt with unless it's the per pupil spending that went from $30 to something more. And I don't know what that more is. And I there's not enough numbers. So >> you said that they were working on this and that this is what they're going to

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work on next. >> Yeah. >> I didn't get the impression that they finished. Right. >> Yeah. I sort of had the same impression. So, >> so this states project their analysis of chapter 70 and will this have an impact then in 427 >> and

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>> the other piece of that is the whole uh student opportunity act took years to do this one she's talking like it's going to be it's opened and it's going to be dealt with >> and it's going to affect the treache

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okay that's what I'm >> the house has the chapter 70 has 8,000 more than the governor's. That's not >> right. >> And some usually the Senate Yeah. We'll see what the Senate does.

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>> Yeah. >> All right. Um I started to put together something kind of related. uh a kind of a sheet for us to keep track of

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other um municipalities. And because I think it this was useful for us to have last year to be able to sort of speak to kind of where our um h kind of how our we're how our

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situation our fiscal picture compares to other communities. Um, so this is going to be this is a spreadsheet on the Google Drive, the Fincom Google Drive. And I was going to encourage folks as

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you because now it's like every day in the Gazette, there's another article about another another town. So, like as you read stuff, um, if you would be open to sort of adding to this and I thought the kind of useful pieces of information

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are kind of what their FY26 budget was, what their proposed FY27 budget is, what kind of increase that represents, if there's kind of a few, you know,

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notes on kind of key drivers that are um, um you know driving the increase for FY27 uh whether there's an override in in you know in place and then yeah

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just like a notes column um >> the South one is that the update without with the rejected uh overrides. I think there's um >> there's another one that Yeah. that they're going to try try again with I think that's Yeah. >> Northampton is not going for an override

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in uh 27. Okay. >> They going to do it in >> trying to New Salem's talked about >> I think somebody Susie did you said you sent me uh something on New Sal.

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>> Yeah. 200 half of >> 196 to four, >> right? But that's at town meeting and they still need to do >> Yeah. No, they still got to do the ballot. That's when other people show up. >> Is there increase that they need? I don't know what the percent >> The reality is if you name the towns. >> I don't know what the percentage is.

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>> There's You can just name the towns that aren't having an override, you probably put that on one hand. >> Yeah. >> West Hampton lost theirs. >> West Hampton lost theirs. Southampton lost theirs. East Hampton is going for one. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. South South Hy lost two because they lost both the nine and the 11. And

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Beluretown lost one too, right? >> So it's like one to four. >> Lost one this year. >> Yep. >> Two weeks ago. Yeah. All right. >> It's hard to keep track of. >> Do we know what Pelum's doing? It's

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curious. I mean, they went up $1,000 per average household last year. I tried to I tried to I mean I I spent like five minutes on so I didn't I didn't do a lot of digging but it was hard to find any information other than I saw something

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about how they were um they were committing themselves to a level funded budget some some language around that um but >> oh >> it was they but two three years ago

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leverage Shakespeare and Palum all had large amounts of excess living capacity and I think Pelum is just dug right into it. >> So they I know for for a fact and this article did mention they are preparing residents for a an override in FY28.

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It's all but like guaranteed that they're going in that direction. Oh yeah, >> they had they're using some I guess school choice funds to um absorb the increase in their

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elementary school budget this year. But um and that's how they're I think that was as it was explained to me that's how they're avoiding it this year. But that's not something they're going to be in a position to do again next year. >> They level fund. They've got such a huge increase of >> Oh yeah.

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>> I thought they did say level fund. Yeah. I mean, I was wondering about that, too. Yeah, >> right. It's got to be some cut somewhere. >> Yeah. >> I'll tell you what was amazing about New Salem is they're using $400,000 >> of cash. Yeah, >> that's I mean, for their budget, that's a big number.

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>> Yeah. Um, okay. So, hopefully like it, you know, >> add to it. >> Yeah, we can we can keep add I'll spend some more time on this. >> Yeah. I think the only thing AJ that I might add to it and I know this is the one we've been using for years when I did this. >> If they're using cash that might be

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>> Yeah. >> good to put in here. >> That's a good idea. Yeah. >> Um has Tom Media on the same day we do and their warrant is going to be posted tomorrow. >> Yeah. >> Sorry, that was Tel. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I didn't realize they had media at the

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exact same time as we did. Does too. Okay. All right. So, that'll be good to have that um for uh for Thursday. So, uh let's talk about this income

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transfer just to get that out of the way. Uh >> so, what we just talked about that's going to be under our annual town meeting preparations. >> Yeah. Okay. That's right. All right, I'm just going to pull up uh I think I already put it on the

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spreadsheet, too. Okay, here it is. >> Oh, so sorry. I was looking at Pelum's finance committee agenda for their next meeting. >> Yeah. >> And on their agenda, they say discuss preliminary approaches to the override. >> Okay. Which time is this?

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>> Alum. >> Yeah. I thought I read in the paper a month ago that he would they were considering doing an override. I that's what I thought I heard. But they have not >> something has if that's the case something has changed because John definitely

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has maybe like a month ago was like we're going to be okay this year but we know for sure that >> well I thought what I read was my recollection is and this was a month ago that we're going to go for a level funded budget. what you said, but we're going to prepare an override and

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possibly ask for the override. I think that's so they're ready if they don't get one, but I think they are going to try and >> I mean, it makes sense to do an override this. I don't know. I don't know. Makes sense for towns, but it makes sense to go for a ride. I mean, if you know you're going to need it even next year,

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>> try and up that levy so that you can have an increase, >> then it'll be a smaller one >> potentially. Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, I I on the other hand, the way I look at it, and I'll be done real quick. You know, you can increase your levy and give yourself room for whatever might happen, but people might not like

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that you're asking for a lot of money versus we need this much to close the gap this year and just explain to people those dollars. I think people can think like that, but people don't like the concept. Just raise the limit because that's what South Audi was doing, right? We're going to raise the limit because we know in the next three years we're

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going to need that limit. And a lot of people are like, well, let's just take it a year at a time. Then they're against long range winning. >> They are. No, they are. >> Telling you win for losing. >> No. And to win things the right way is never works.

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>> All right. So, um, Lenny's asking for $5,500. >> Yeah. >> But I went see him and um because I looked at the expense sheet, it's actually the call wages that are overspent. They're already overspent,

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>> right? So then he um talked to Gail Weiss and she said um we can cover that with some the training money. The training money wasn't over spent. >> Okay. >> And so I said well so Lenny do you want when you go back to the other sheet that

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number that he got is the call wages account number. Okay. >> So I think it should say go to call wages. >> So the account number is correct but the >> training is wrong. It's not training. It's callway. Okay. Got it. >> So, I think we can just because I talked

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to him about it and he found it um that it should say call. >> Okay. Got it. But the amount was his math is correct. Yeah. Okay. Got it. So, here's his his um >> his calculations here. So, call salary

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spent year to date cover three more pay periods. So, that's the call wages. Yeah. very little. >> So, did he say specifically why they're over spent? >> Well, the call wages have they've been out a fair amount. I mean, you read the

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paper, the number of times they've helped do mutual aid responses. >> There's been a lot of fresh fires. They were out a lot last week. >> This week, wasn't there any? >> Yeah, there was four this weekend. Somebody told me the volunteer firemen got called four times this weekend from fires.

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>> All right. and we all and when he came to talk to us, he talked about the call wages um and we said yes, if they go up over, we will support you. >> Um we've gone around this on a couple times more on training

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>> um than on call wages. We've always said we'll pay the call wages. So now they're up and I don't know if it's a little scary to me how many house fires there's been. Like what does that mean? One of them is batteries. Um, the one in Leid in the people's basement was batteries,

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ionic ion batteries sitting on lithium ion batteries sitting in the workshop. >> Wilson's wasn't that, you know, Betty Wilson's house on Lick Road. >> Are they related to these Wilsons? >> Yeah, that's Betty. Betty was the mom for Russ. >> Oh,

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>> but she was she died this year. >> No, she died last year. >> Last year. Yeah. So, that >> it was that house. >> Yeah. Totally died. And then there was a fire at the Brandy Wine this weekend and it sounded like a big one. And then they also um oh the weekend of Betty's there

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was a brush fire that Shesberry responded to. Wasn't in Shberry and that's another aspect of um mutual aid. >> You know what are we going to say? Don't go to mutual aid. >> Um who wants to come here?

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>> Yeah. So apparently there's more fires right now and there is a droughty condition. There's batteries. I don't know what's all going on. >> So there So what they're asking for is >> Yeah. So here's the math. So So he thinks he needs just under $12,000

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for these call wages, but he has $6,395 unspent funds in his training wages. So he's asking for the difference which is $5,515. So I guess it's >> he loves it.

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>> He's going to eat the 15. >> Yeah. I see the math. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So basically he's three he's asked I see. >> Yeah. >> And this looks like this is to cover the rest of the of the year. >> Yeah. Yeah. He's he's done a calculation of how many more pay periods there are.

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Yeah. Needed. >> All right. So, um, maybe I'll pull up the There we go. All right. So, okay, great. So you put

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did put it in here, George. Yeah. >> Yeah. So what's the main total that I'm not looking at? >> All right. So I'm going to make a motion to transfer $5,500 from the fincome reserve account. >> 5,515. >> Uh I guess he's he's rounding

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>> $5,500. >> And this should say fire department call wages, right? >> Yeah. And then and you can use that account number. >> Guess we don't put the account numbers in this, but yeah. Um okay. Uh yeah. So

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to transfer $5,500 from the fincom reserve fund to the fire department call wages >> line. Second. >> Okay. Second. >> Any other discussion? >> All right, George. >> We could just say I

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>> All in favor? I Okay, so that leaves us with a current balance of $47,484 in the reserve account. We're going to need every penny >> snow and ice now.

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>> That's going to cover I think about half of the deficit in the snow and ice. So because I think there that's just over 100. >> Oh my gosh. >> So all right, but it'll help. It'll help. Okay. It's nice to not see any

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legal. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um >> minutes. >> Okay. Yeah, let's do minutes. All right. Um >> moving around. >> All right. So, we're starting with 47,

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right? That means it >> right. I think >> Susan did. >> These are the ones Susie did. Yeah, she sent them on. >> Oh, that's right. >> April 17th. >> Yes, you did. I sent it to you and you added a few things. That was the one

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where I was straining to listen to everybody. That was >> okay. I'll just do my edits. >> Well, I have one edit. I mean, I um on the very last section, section C, you added uh excess living capacity as one

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of the projects that we need to address after the town meeting. And to me, that's the long-term forecast. That's really why we do the long-term planning is to see what the impact on tax levy is going to be. So, I mean, we can keep it there, but I don't know what kind of a

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project excess levy capacity really is. >> You know what I mean? The long range forecast to me is why what covers that. That's why I hadn't put it in there. >> Yeah. >> Unless somebody has some other type of project that it really is. >> No, >> I couldn't think of.

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>> Yeah. I mean, the point is is what when are we going to run out basically having a sense of that? Yeah. >> Honestly, given what all the other towns are doing, We're not. I mean, 72,000 VEX athletic capacity is not that great. Yeah. >> I mean, if we didn't have it, we'd ask

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for a $72,000 override. Compare that to what everybody else is asking for. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, what just came up in my mind, how much living capacity are we using? >> All right. So, I'll pull up budget. So, I'll show you where we

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>> where we get that from or where you can get that. >> So, Well, I'm sorry to interrupt. Maybe we should pass some minutes, but I >> No, let's talk about >> All right. So, on thevenue

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>> revenue page, we can see that um we have >> this is the amount $533,000 and change. >> What number are you on? I >> Oh, sorry. This is line 14. Yeah. Okay. And you can see basically the difference between

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>> what we um end uh what's on our FY26 recap, final recap >> is and what we're what's going to be left after this budget passes

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>> is $83,971. for final column. So we can always look in that final >> right. That's the change year to year. >> Yeah. Yeah. Here you go. Right. That's the change not not not what's left. Right. What's left? >> That's the amount we're using this year. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

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>> So we have left 500,000. >> 530. >> And and so think and another way to look at it if I may. >> Yeah. >> Maximum allowed levy line 13. >> We can tax up to line 13 7,113. But what we're taxing is 6,580.

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So the difference is excess levy. >> Yeah. Yes. >> So that's why you see a full number even though it's in the revenue column, >> right? >> And the difference maybe hard to say that right now, but that's a pretty healthy number still, isn't it?

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>> Well, that was my point. Yeah. And >> certainly relative to our neighbors. That's >> And that's part of the fight we're going to have argument over the problem. >> I think that says a lot about how things have been done here for a number of years to still be in a position. Don't

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you think? >> Yes, >> I think there's some discussion I want to have around this. I I was mentioning something to somebody cuz she's looking in the valley and she's saying, "Well, you have some kind of trick, so you didn't need an override." It's like the

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side trick. That's >> I feel like I >> we need to be able to say some things and and um so one thing one reason we have that excess levy

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capacity is because for the previous years and and we have that chart we used less than the full levy because we had new growth. Yeah. because we had revenues that offset the budget costs.

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>> Yeah. >> Um >> because we had discipline cost but cost spending particularly >> there goes budgeting less inflation >> and we had less turnover all those things. It's not that we had tight

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budgets. It's because there are revenue fa features and cost features that weren't in those early years. We are in a whole cycle now that has we have aging out. >> Yeah. >> You're replacing people and the salaries are have risen a lot. I don't want to

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call the salaries inflated because people think then you can make cuts in them. But when you have those turnovers, every one of them has come in like at 20% more at least. >> Yeah, we actually got lucky this year. >> And then the new growth is flat right now. And when you have no other

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revenues, then you end up putting it on the levy. So I I think we need to understand that so that we don't misrepresent it. It's not just that we had really tight budgets. That's only a piece of it. And that piece is still here. We still have bare bones. And

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we're getting push back about like how come we don't put enough money in to do maintenance and stuff >> because we don't have money and we do buy new things to replace stuff, you know. So I feel like all of these pieces it may be out on >> we're talk we're definitely talk if

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we're talking about this at the wrong time because I think we need to have this conversation because it'll help us for the hearing. >> Yeah. >> So when we get to that conversation about the hearing let's talk about this more because I got things to add to that too but we're like you just said we're in the middle of >> but I guess I um >> No, what you're saying is we got

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>> can bring all these pieces out but I think we have to understand it so that we don't misrepresent and I want to talk about that. I I wanted to have this conversation. I'm just saying if we do that, we'll never get this minute done. >> And we got time dozen, right? >> Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

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>> Okay. Um, so just sharing this. Yeah. So this these Oh, we have Nobody's made a motion yet, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That was the only thing I had

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>> one to approve with the amendment. >> Well, it hasn't been approved yet. Have we approved? >> No, we haven't voted. We voted on the transfer. Just doing a final scroll here. All right. >> Oh, you're still looking. I'm sorry. >> So, I'll make a motion to uh approve the

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April 7th minutes as amended. >> Second. Okay. Any more discussion? All in favor? >> I I >> abstaining I was not here. >> Then we have

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I made one edit. It was just um sus a grammatical thing on one a it said we'll provide the budget annual report and to netti um and I wrote fin will provide the budget and annual report to

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netti. So >> this is 423 you're talking. >> Yes. Yeah. It's 1a. That's the only thing that that's the one feedback I got in terms of editorial. Jim gave me some feedback, but I don't know if you wanted to pursue that or not.

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>> Yeah, just to capture uh a little bit about the discussion. We had a pretty long discussion last meeting. Um but we didn't really capture much in the minutes. Um I I was thinking somehow to capture your three points, but you called your three action points for the summer. right

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>> in there regarding the minutes. >> Yeah. >> You know, regarding capital >> a finance team long range plan and then getting together with select board. >> Yeah. >> I I wrote discuss the need for future projects to address issues covered in

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the commentary and I didn't highlight them or break them out like we did in the last set of minutes we read. We had them listed at the bottom. >> Yeah. Am I backwards here? >> Well, I think maybe one thing that would be

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useful to to document because I want to make sure it actually happens is this idea of a joint committee meeting with the the select board >> select board and capital planning. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um so I thought we poo pooed that but okay. So I mean if you look at number

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four C >> Yeah. I can make um sub bullets and we can list all those things that we talked about in this context, right? Is do you think that's where it belonged? >> Right at the bottom of the screen right there. >> Yeah. So, so let's list them all because there was a bunch. So,

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>> I thought you were just talking three a bunch of what >> projects for the summer. Three, right? Three. >> Yeah. Two of them are ours and and one of them is is a capital letter. So um

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the fincom will um de uh develop uh long range planning tools. >> Yeah, they've been doing that. >> Yeah. >> Um yeah. So I I Susie's right. I should

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frame it as we'll continue. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. We'll finalize Yeah. development of >> It's never finalized. continue to work on it, but to bring it out. It hasn't been brought out yet. >> Yeah, that's

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>> continue to to develop and pres develop and >> well, we're going to do it as a group. So, at that point, >> right, >> we'll all be involved. >> Yeah, we're going to use them as a as a group, right? Okay.

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>> Three, the bullets change don't continue. It goes A through H and starts over at A again. Or is that Wait, say that again. >> If you scroll up to the first page, wrap up this one first. >> Yeah, let's let's finish this one first and then we'll jump to that.

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>> Yeah, >> this one doesn't like this one. So, >> the challenge here and so the capital plan >> updating there is whatever you want to call it. >> Is it a 10-year plan or

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>> Oh, it goes longer than that. Yeah, that's one of the conversations we have to have as a capital planning. >> Okay. And third was to meet with Fin, the select board and with and discuss these tools. >> Yeah. And and the capital plan. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.

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>> Well, I I'd argued against that. So, I don't know if we ever did decide to do that only because >> two of us and >> and Haley half the committee already shows up to the fig. the point for coordinating being there is to avoid these meetings.

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>> But I would argue that even that is, you know, like you would be you would have dual roles at that meeting. You'd be representing the capital planning committee and the finance committee. So even if it's just the two of you, that's still I think it is reasonable to call that a joint.

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>> Oh, I see what you're saying. Oh, okay. I'll put it in a minute. >> I mean, I assume you would want to give >> other capital planning committee members. That's exactly what I said in the last meeting. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> We'd let them know and I guarantee you. >> Yeah.

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>> Not all of them would, but >> they might. Is that uh >> um So, and then the third one >> to have committee updates at meetings. I mean, >> yeah. >> Yes, >> that that's right. >> We did talk about that. >> Yeah. Put that in here.

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>> Um >> well, so develop long-range plan, meet with capital planning. What was the third one? >> The capital planning committee is revising its >> All right. I had Yeah, I wrote review capital plans which updated capital plan

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which basically says that and meet with capital planning. >> One of the ones >> there's also the finance committee's long range plan. >> Yeah, that's the >> Yeah, that was the first one. >> And then what we were also going to meet with but we didn't talk about it this meeting. We're going to meet with

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treasur on that of that >> and we're also we need to look at talk about op we talked about that in the other meeting because we were talking about >> that one might not come till the year working in the year >> depending on when well it'll come as soon as we get the report

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>> actuarial report as soon as we get the actual when that's >> I thought that was being worked on this year but >> I did too I thought I might send Ryan an now asking him for >> is that Ryan's not not Haley's >> thought it was I think Ryan

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>> I'm so used to Beckling being on top of these things you know um I don't know what was >> I'll email Ryan and Haley's >> so under C we have four things now long range finance committee's long range planning tool cap plan update meet with

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select board finan cat plan and then treasurer and debt schedule >> how did you have a what cap plan. What was that? Do that wording again for the CAT plan. >> Um the capital plan update. >> Shouldn't that be long range plan update? Capital longrange plan.

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>> Well, actually, >> yeah. And it's that's by definition >> that's where it's supposed to come from. >> Yeah. >> So, we'll just call it the capital plan update >> as opposed to a plan for that for that fiscal year. And we really want to look at the long range plan.

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>> Yeah. what what they call their capital plan is a long range plan. Then we have the proposals that come in for the year. That's something different. So we're not looking at the proposals for the year which we've spent a lot. That's where we've actually focused. We're keeping the cap plan

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updated. >> I would try to I would like to put capital plan in one line. So review the updated capital plan and meet with the capital planning committee and select board. >> Yeah. So yeah, >> that's mostly the finance committee plan. Well, no, the whole thing's in the context of us. >> Yeah.

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>> This is our project >> with them. Yeah. >> But you say in context with them. We're also within that plan is looking at cash reserves for example long term and >> stabilization stabilization long term. What does look like?

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>> Right. Imm >> This is not just this is not just in the context of the capital. >> This is different. No, that's a different project. >> That's budget. It's looking at the budget. That's a long range. And how does what's our projected operating expenses long range? >> Yeah,

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>> that's a long range plan. >> Yeah, >> a long range plan is the operating budget. >> Capital planning is the capital budget for all the things we're going to be paying. Then we're talking about managing debt service within the operating budget. >> That's the analyst. And then we're

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talking about OPED, which is its own thing. And you're talking about one of the projects we said was we need to look at options for funding the stabilization accounts and we were going to do a special project for that. >> Yes, you're right because what we we we

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had this informal sort of strategy slashpolicy for how we uh funded capital stabilization from the operating budget. that worked for several years when we've had very little

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borrowing happening. And now that now that that we've exceeded that amount, whatever it was, 127,000, whatever the number was, um, since our borrowing has exceeded that, we're not we're not transferring any money into the capital

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stabilization account. And we I think we need to have a conversation about what is the right strategy to make sure that that we're slowly for I think >> funding that that >> right I would just add to that finding out what the options are and then

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determining the strategy because there's some options we haven't even talked about like a debt exclusion >> you can find stabilization through debt exclusion is that smart I don't know but >> we need to >> dig up all the options and then kick them around and >> yeah so here's another one like I don't

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even know I this this doesn't like this may not be uh allowable but if it were like when we When when we do the um the free cash certification,

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is it is would it be possible for us to set a policy where a certain percentage of free cash that is um returned right because of underspent

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line? Would it be possible for us to say x% of that is going to be used to fund uh capital stabilization? >> Do it in a fall town meeting and just make it one of our policies. So would it would look like something that's in the Joe Mararyian go these are things we do.

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Yeah. >> Um and and we don't once we approve of it, we don't have to spend a lot of time arguing. >> Yeah. So we would do an appropriation at special town meeting and the basis for that would be a calculation that we do

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that is made based on a free cash. So >> well just that flows directly into free cash. >> So that yeah so it has to come into free cash. So it goes into free cash first. Mhm. >> Why limit why do that limitation because

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you have that option during the process during the budget process to move out of free cash into this stabilization >> because we don't know how much right right we don't we don't know how much free cash is is going to be >> the time of the budget of the budget >> no because it's based on FY26 spending

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right so we don't know >> I guess I'm thinking the next years >> to flow it into the next year's >> right >> flow it into the next years once you know You've got you've got a new free cash number. >> So So here's what I'm thinking. >> In November, you have the new

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>> Yeah, you have the new free cash number. >> Yeah. >> And use it from that from that perspective. >> And that's exactly my my thinking is let's just just to make the math easy. Let's say there's $100,000 of unspent um underspent budget lines that you know

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this is after our year-to-year uh lineto line transfer process. It's after >> free cash certification. Let's say there's $100,000 that gets returned to free cash and we as a fincom set a policy that we're going to we're going

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to put forward to town residents at a special town meeting that 10 15% of that should be used to fund capital stabilization and that if that was a policy we set every year >> and I'm just obviously throwing out an

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arbitrary number but let's say 15% of that >> amount that quantity. >> Every year we ask voters to transfer that from free cash to capital stabilization as a way to still sort of slowly build >> those funds. Y

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>> um >> y >> you know like that would be one of the strategies we could discuss right >> for how to how to get back to funding. Yep. >> I did ask Gail, I pulled it aside last year, especially at meeting said, you know, it'd be really great if when

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certified, we had a little table to show what free cash was previous year and what changed like >> excess revenue, underspent, >> any unusual items. Yeah. And she forgot. I mean, I don't blame her. I didn't remind her, but >> that would be good. >> It would be helpful if we had that kind

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of analysis year over year for like the last five years. >> Yes. and actually seeing how >> because that's she sends us stuff day, >> right? It's just the bottom line. >> But yeah, it would be interesting to know like how >> what are the trends and what for one

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year and if it's never below a certain amount then we know that we've got that amount coming in and we might be able to reapply that. >> Yeah. >> But right now it's it's a wag. It's well guess you. >> Yeah. >> All right. So I can I'm going to show we're going to go over all the changes

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remain. So in section three A B CDE E FG K L sorry. >> So that's it. And then in the and then in the last one under C discuss need for future projects. Here's what I >> and I got the order right. One two three

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four five. Um BCOM will continue to develop a long range plan. Two review the updated capital plan and meet with the capital planning committee and select board. Three analysis of long-term debt. Four, explore means for funding the stabilization accounts and five, meet with the select. Oh, wait.

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No, that's four. >> Yeah. Did I miss Oh, I didn't mention OPED. Do you want to mention OPED? >> Well, did we talk about >> I thought I thought we did because we knew that the the PL we knew I I brought it up because I we know that the um actual reports coming out. >> Yeah.

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>> And it will have impact. We might be able to make money differences there. and we have been making decisions about OKAT funding two years in a row, but it's been two years since I've actually shown that to anybody on this committee. >> So, can can we just say we will discuss our

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uh OPED funding strategy? Uh >> yeah, I just put OPED analysis. >> Yeah, open. Yeah, that's great. >> And that's so that those are the edits. When's the actual real timing? >> That's the thing. We're not quite sure.

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I thought it was going to be this way. >> I thought I thought it was this year, but um so I'm I made a note to to email Ryan and Haley to see if they have an update on that. >> I'm I'm very fearful of it because >> Oh, the healthcare. >> It's mo it's mostly healthcare. Exactly. And where we thought we had we were

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doing great, well, the new numbers may blow us right out of the water. It may set us back many years. >> Yeah. On the flip side, we're probably doing well on the insurance interest income, the revenue coming in.

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>> Yeah. >> What? >> We'll see. >> Oh, on the interest that's earning. Yes. Yeah. And you know, just >> although they work pretty actually, I remember they're pretty conservative on >> the assumptions they >> on the assumptions they're using, but I

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think they can invest a little more aggressively than their operating cash. So I think they do get a better return to >> any idea what what the balance is for. >> Yeah, it's I can tell you it's I think it's like 1.2 million. >> So 5% that would be giving us

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>> Oh, I'll tell you. Yeah, I'll tell you based on Yeah, it's 5.6 I think is what they use. >> Yeah. Um give me one second here. All of this work will help our fiscal summit which we did this year and I

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think we found there was reasons to do it again. Um we lost a lot of time getting ready for the special town meeting. We basically lost two months because it pushed us into trying to draft back to farther

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out. So we we know a few things. We know that this will take time. We know that um planning for special town meeting will take time. Then somebody Oh, Haley said maybe we won't have one. Well, we actually have some plans for it already.

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You know, the whole stabilization is like we're going to have one. It might not be as hairy and she might have experience doing it, but um it will take our time and I think we need to be realistic about doing this work. One way to be realistic about this is to break

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it into small groups. Um not to have everybody try to tackle all whatever number that there are. Um and the other thing is classically um it's hard to find time to meet with people in the summer. That's just really

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>> um but the one with the select board can be pushed out. I mean it is a result of all this reporting that we would we should add but >> so in answer to Angel's question it's 1.225 so 1.2 2 million and earnings are

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roughly $70,000 a year that we're adding to it just in earnings. And so we're almost getting to the point where it's self-funding. >> This more than but depending on what the costs are. >> Well, we need to see that's that's why we need that actual list. That's going to make all the difference. The way

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things were based on this new number, we're good till 2067. We'll have plenty of funds in there and it depends on how we fund it. But the thing to remember is we have all this money for a purpose. And as our health insurance line continues to grow,

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there's going to be a point in time when we can tap this to control the budget. And that's what this is all about. Yeah. >> And so when you see the announce, I can show you how that looks. But I'm thinking in the in early two 2030s, we can start applying money. So, and

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basically when I did this analysis looking at how fast do we want health insurance to increase by using this cash, we can control that influence. And that's what it's here for. And we're getting to the point we got so much money. We can really do that. 2067,

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I mean, that's 40 years out. >> Wow. >> Well, yeah. >> The idea though that we're continue to into it at the same rate. >> Yes. 50,000 a year. That's what this analysis does. And we can definitely put it up. This is not a good year. >> Yeah, right. We've had we've had a

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series we've had a series of really good investment years and that's >> Yeah. No, interest rates been good the last three years. >> Yeah. >> Really have. And they'll always earn a better interest rate. >> That's not just interest investments in there, too, aren't there? Or is it strictly interest? >> I No, it's probably both. You're right. Both. I don't know. We'd have to ask the

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Treasury. It could be both. It could be multiple. >> Pretty strong investment environment for the last number of years, which is that >> I hope there's not much in stock. I think it might be in in safer instruments than stocks. I doubt there's any stock in here. >> Conservative.

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>> Well, I don't know. We'll have to ask. He uses a return of 5.65. So, he's not >> That's more than interest. >> No, but there's, you know, there's long-term investments out there that they can make. There's, you know, there are other things, other instruments besides stocks.

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So when maybe after town meeting this task and and give out real time figure out when we can really >> Yeah. I think it'd be good for us to have like a little offse work plan kind of later. >> Have a drink at the bar. >> Yes.

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>> Not recording. >> Okay. >> All right. So I got the I got the amendments in there. Yeah. That's why I like these meetings. being >> Oh, we are being recorded for >> Oh, >> we got to throw it away. >> I didn't post the uh

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>> Yeah, this information. >> We're not required to be board when we meet in person, right? >> Yeah. No. >> All right. So, I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from April 23rd as amended. >> Second. >> All in favor?

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>> I. So, um, you'll put a post them in the game, print them off the web because >> Yeah, I'll host them both tonight. The 7th and the 23rd will be on there tonight or tomorrow morning if I don't get to it. The Celtics, >> right? Um, >> but I like to get them out ASAP because

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I know there are people out there reading them and I don't want people to be saying that we don't. >> All right. So, I I'm just going to make a note. I have to let him know that we approve of the transfer. So, >> does Haley want to put that new transfer

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process in place where online? >> Yes. Yeah. Yes. >> That's a nice >> pretty slick, huh? >> That's nice. >> Yeah. >> Haley is definitely up on the technology. It's definitely a big uh one of things I can speak of, I got um

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>> I got some notes from Laura on the town meeting guide. I don't know if anybody else had any thoughts about that um document uh and wanted any changes or >> which one? >> So remember >> the one from Haley

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>> Haley. Yeah, >> I sent her a revision. You did. You did. Good. >> I just told actually she because she on revenue she didn't include state aid in the revenue. So I just add her asked her to add. >> She need you know I know >> um

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>> so probably I would think the end of this week I would think. >> So you know you can you can if you want to send it to me and I'll consolidate um you know what what I got from Laura. That's what you asked to do last week,

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isn't it? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh, the last Thursday. >> Yeah, I did it. >> Yeah, last week. >> I didn't do my homework. That's that nightmare you always have where your homework and you realize you never did it. >> I think I think as long as we get it. >> It's an email edited version, too.

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>> I think it's a nice document she put together. >> Oh, that's really good. Yeah. One of the um one of the I thought the end there's a bar graph. Somehow for me a pigraph shows that we're a whole. A bar graph

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looks repetitive to me. >> Well, they're different they're different purposes. What are you trying to do? So a pi a pie chart you want to show how something is broken up. A line graph you want to show trends. So what are you trying to convey? >> What's the trends in that graph? Which

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what's the graph about? >> Yeah. Break down of every $1,000 in property taxes. >> So it says $668 if I'm reading that. The numbers right on the line. So I have that's right here is on the screen. >> I did look >> I would say don't have the number beyond the line.

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>> And so I looks competitive or it looks less whole. Um and we often get people going like you know education. Well, what's interesting about this is we already did a pie chart that does this. >> Yeah, this is duplic duplicative and

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like >> this is what it's duplicative. I mean, it's the same. I mean, it's framed a different way. I mean, it's, you know, but it's essentially the same going, you know, >> it doesn't have the percentages, but visually you can certainly tell. You can't with the pie too. >> Yeah. >> Pie chart.

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>> I think Yeah. I I think to to the extent that it translates that pigraph into a dollar amount, you know, I guess is probably what she's thinking this >> but that that has it below it

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>> too like the if you page. >> Well, I tell you what the I think you know S something. You know what's really interesting about this is when you look at the pie chart you can see everyone's portion to the whole. Yeah. But this makes education look like it's the dominant and it is the dominant thing

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even on the bud chart, but this perspective makes it look it's more dramatic, >> right? >> And and we um so I've I've updated the um ones that we hang on the wall. And when I saw this, it made me feel

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this sets um departments against each other. Um and and when I do the one that's on the pie and you're making this really tiny sliver for culture and recreation um and I just had to expand our debt

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service in the pie, but it's still a relatively small amount and and they and I think I told you when the kids came in on Monday after our town meeting and looked at the piraphph they said, "Oh, we won because education was significant." And so you can see that

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it's significant, but it it feels less of a hole to me. >> I think I mean the one thing about bar graphs I mean like is is that I mean generally people like can read these better than than pigraphs because I mean just that angle type of thing. It's just not something like we naturally kind of have in our head of like how big is this

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angle versus this other angle versus like a length we can I mean >> I think length is something we look at a lot. I think for purposes of people trying to think now um and thinking how tax rates are going up um and they're going to want to look at

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well where what would we look at if we're looking at cost and yeah people aren't don't want to mess with education and u I think we've there's really not much that can be done there any any of the increases in education mostly discretion are non-discretionary >> except for except for listen to the

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override discussions that are happening all across the valley first of all the education budgets come in with cuts in them very clearly. And it's happened in our It happens in our regional budget. It comes in with a cut. It's not level funding. It's not level services. It's

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cut. And so when people start there, >> they often look at the biggest number and say, "Well, we can cut there because it's a big number." Well, >> unless you're in Northampton and they say, "Oh, we should save money by cutting the library. That'll give more money to education." I what I like about

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this next when people start talking about capital projects we can say look at this debt service is nothing reflect the effect of uh the changes we're going to see in the next fiscal year for debt service >> it does this is for the the

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>> next FY2 >> No this only represents the FY27 budget >> does this have the li the library increase >> yes as a track and track that's all in and it's not a big increase in >> that's all that's all in there a full

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right a full fiscal year >> that's why what's not in there is the fire truck and like AJ said you talk a big thing and people go berserka um and it will infect affect our debt service um when it comes online but some other

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things maybe we talked about getting out from under like um the PAS loan and blah blah blah so >> that $31.90 looks like looks small, but in previous years it was under $2. >> Yeah. Under $20. >> You're always under 3.8.

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>> We were too low. >> Because the bonds the bond companies want to see you borrowing money and and paying >> and paying them. >> That's how you get lower lower rates. >> That's that keeps your rating that keeps your rating healthy. >> So, we're probably at a pretty healthy

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place right now from a debt standpoint. You don't want to be too low and you don't definitely don't want to be high. Except for you have people like Bob Gro who and John Tricky who don't want to borrow at all. And there that's that's the sort of Yankee attitude that's out there. Why would you pay for having

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something when you just buy it with cash? So there's clearly arguments we're using the Joe guide. >> They grew up in the high inflation era when interest rates were really high. >> Going back to the beginning of time, there are people who are averse to debt.

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They think debt is bad. Islam they think interest payment they it's it's against the Sharia law but it's just people don't like it they >> pal is this way that's why they >> that's why they did that with the the middle school roof they >> can afford it >> well

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>> I mean there are line that really sort of capital budget and then an increase in that every year that the select board approves so >> what people need to understand is debt is a tool it's a financing tool and it can be appropriate in many situations

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And it can help us to manage our revenue and our operating budget over time. And right everybody knows what we've been doing with stabilization and we've been managing it. It's never been a wild fluctuating thing. It didn't affect your taxes. >> We know what our bond rating is right now.

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>> I I don't >> Well, that came up at the state conversation. >> Maybe a session for >> and the federal government >> when you're reaching out to for >> I thought last year heard it was very good. We had a very good rating. Well, I'm sure we do because if we didn't have

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one, I'm sure we'd know. >> Yeah. >> Well, maybe we just have that number or that that level mentioned >> and this this is part of it. And I think the other piece is that people can have their own private economy. This this is a municipal economy. This is how we do

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it. This is what we've been advised to do. >> Look at this. You know, we're not spending a ton in in debt service >> and we're following best practices. Using debt to finance long-term capital items is >> more than reasonable. It's >> and having debt at a certain percent of

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budget. I don't know what this translates out to as a percent of the budget. >> Well, it does. Those are other percentages. 3% 3.2%. >> This is as of $1,000. So, education is 5.7 57% healthy place to be. I think

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what what this is not designed to do is talk about um because obviously you know the debt spending as a proportion of our budget is small but in terms of what has

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happened to that category from FY26 to FY27 is a big it's a big >> yeah it's a jump >> so that's like a different story alto together than this >> well the only thing I would say about that is we do need to remind everybody that the the what seven 75% of that

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increase is the library. We all knew it was coming and we knew we were asking for it. >> It didn't wipe out our budget, >> right? We're not one individual. We all didn't just one buy the library. We also have revenues and part of

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>> it's partly a function we just we weren't in recent years. We haven't >> been doing a lot of borrowing. So it's just >> the nature of this this kind of cycle of >> right >> and and the select board's panic about

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it doesn't help um very and they wanted to have the expenses the net expenses spread out. Well they have been and they are and yeah we might have to project for the meeting what the cost of the

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fire truck might look like. Yeah, >> because that's sitting on the warrant and people are going to react and yes, it will impact this and >> if we could have some idea of what's going out in our debt service and what's coming in and what that impact is that

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might assure people. >> We asked that and we did ask Ryan for that. Can you give us the long term 28 29th by meeting because we're going to need I think we're going to need to speak. Yeah, I mean the way to spread it out

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would have been for us to build the stabilization account more aggressively than >> Yeah, we relied on it so much in these recent years. >> Um Okay. Uh

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>> so >> so should I get a hold of Ryan and say do you have that? >> Yeah, sure. >> Okay, >> that' be great. Well, are you okay with multiple people reaching out to Ryan and asking all these questions? All right. He doesn't feel like he's going to be over. >> He's not a volunteer person.

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>> Yeah. >> Okay. No, that's fine. >> Yes. Three at least. >> I think it is >> schools. >> Oh, district's like school. Yeah. >> Oh, so he's doing jobs.

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>> Like he's the finance director for >> not the director. He so what happens because of when Salem that's a region and they have a different bookkeeping piece and he's he represents >> so he's not doing cadence shot >> he does what >> he's not doing shot

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>> no no >> for that for that little region >> he's the treasurer for the um union I mean the region of New Salem >> does the union 28 have a treasure no they just have cap right okay region it goes like that

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>> so there is a difference So yeah, if folks have any other suggestions on the voter, well, not the voter guide, the annual meeting guide. Um, >> is that what this is called? >> Yeah, I think so. >> Yeah, town meeting one guy.

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>> One of the things that I I wonder in this meeting is >> there's a lot of information. Um, at Joe Commer's, I thought it was going to be an hour. I left that at Bernal with 15. I think it went on for at least an hour and a half. Budgets are complicated.

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They have a ton of information and so what we have and we put it out there. If people don't read it, they're going to walk in the cold. And so what part do we need to do? And that's so having uh another guide. I know you put up a big

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guide. Haley put up a guide. Yeah, we have a guide. >> We have some budgets. I I want to figure out what information is actually useful. You are probably speaking to a crowd that is maybe 80% hasn't looked at

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the stuff, >> right? >> I I think that's a pretty good >> So to to that point, I actually I I put together a table just to kind of have for myself. Um, which is this one on here

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just which basically kind of collapses our budget >> into you know categories rather than like all different lines because I feel I was feeling like you know what if somebody because I I I I suspect then like some

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people have this impression that departmental budgets are exploding this year because they just they have heard through the grape vine that you know there's going to be a increase in taxes. And so like I want to be able to say, okay, so you know, um

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yeah, police department budget is actually going down by 4%. Um fire department budget is increasing by 4%. That amounts to $5,177. The impact on the average tax bill is

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$4. You know what I mean? just just to be able to resp I'm not suggesting this this should be shared um but just to just have a kind of quick access to those kinds of of numbers >> and differences in your head answers to each question

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>> because I feel like I you know going back to the budget document for a general question about like a whole departmental budget is a little you know you got to find anyway so um I'll share this with folks in case it's helpful for you too Um, honestly, I I mean, not this

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year, but this isn't a bad thing to have out there >> to the public. Um, John Kerrion when he met with us said, "You guys are way too detailed on your budget." >> And he said, "If you can pass at your department level, Yeah. >> then you don't have to worry about all the the lines and have people come to

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you because they need money." >> Who said that? >> Joe Marian. So, if you're approving like if we approved it at this level, the budget, if this added up to the budget and covered everything, you know, at summarized level, Yeah. Then when a department is running low on money say well just keep spending out of your

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other lines until your so your total number here is passed you're okay >> right but we did I mean was that like two years ago or a year ago we had this whole discussion >> about this like alternative budget format and ended up not >> like there were enough people who thought it was important to see the

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detail that that we didn't move forward with it but >> I think I think as a communication tool like It's um may may be helpful. Um >> it's really good and I think we should print it. >> Um the question is

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>> can you show that what you've done here on the right? >> Okay. So this I think I I was just trying to think about like so what so so we we have an an increase

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in the single family tax bill of $47 is it let's say something like that. Anyway, so this basically breaks down that increase by like one of the one of

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the drivers and you know you could see elementary school that's contributing >> basically bridge from the average tax rate exactly tax bill from one year to the next shows it by category and the amount. >> Yeah. Yeah. And and then I just there are two categories that are actually decreases police and and retirement. So

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I just collapsed it together just to should drop that by $14. But anyway I this is this is not something I I I when I was looking I was like this is not something to share with but like you are sharing now with this

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>> well it's just data for us. >> Yeah just for us to have >> the report category. >> Yeah. Hi there. It's >> But um I don't know just just to uh so anyway that that that I was just playing. >> Yeah, I think it's excellent. That helps

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>> really show what's really happening from year to year. Yeah. How >> why not >> what's the effect? What's the effect on me and this is >> we just have to put a caveat in contributing to us. >> This is this is our best estimate. It's a rough forecast. People need to understand

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>> this is about scale. It's giving you an idea of roughly how you're going to be affected, but it's not exact. And >> too many times people see numbers just like when they read Instagram posts and it's fact. Yeah. >> And people need to understand. >> You talk about the translation from the

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actual approved final ATM budget to what shows up on a tax Yes. Tax. Yeah. >> Yeah. Because things can be very different. >> Yeah. The translation isn't always >> They usually are. Yeah. >> Right. is that it's it's it's showing that the um school is one of the biggest

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impactors, but it's not doing it at such a way that the blue chart at the end of Haley's does that makes you that makes it uh tougher to look at. >> Yeah, that's you know that's a different thing we're looking at. This also doesn't show

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>> how we're using cash. >> No, it doesn't. >> And you know, we're we're going to get reimbured by the circuit breaker. So, we're using cash for the circuit breaker. Yeah. >> So the 138, but still it's >> and the reason the reason it doesn't is because that $476

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increase >> is something that happens after we've actually >> Right. If I were a homeowner, I would think what's more important is not so much cash we're spending on something here, but um >> well, you were reserves look like and

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are they healthy or they not healthy? >> 4 12.4 I think. And and that means that in the capex plan, it's it's online now and it shows at the bottom what our cash reserves are. They >> and it's going to show that we're at a pretty reasonably healthy. We're lower

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than we've been recently, but we're at a reasonably healthy place. >> Well, we were measuring it against Mark. The reason we have that is Mark Harian said there should be 10% in free cash and five in stabilization. The two things added together right now are at

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12.4. And we've had a lot of push back by some people that those numbers were too high to aspire to. And so we um and the other piece is are we always going to be using cash reserves to get through

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this? We don't know. >> I think that's the piece I missed on your question is how much cash we use to fund the budget which we don't like to do. >> It's in our policy. >> Absolutely. It's in our report and some of it and we we mentioned somewhere that

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some of the what cash we're using is going to be reimbursed. So it's not all flat out. It's >> is it in the warrant? Is that included in the warrant article for the budget? >> It's in there. >> Yeah. >> It's in the warrant. How much cash? >> How much cash? >> Yeah. So it's there. >> Yeah. >> And it's in our report and it's broken

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out. But like again, people are going to come and 80% won't have read those things. Yeah. They're too they're too cumbersome to read on the floor. That's one of the reasons I like that chart. Um it's easier to read sort of instantly.

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>> Um not this chart is information for us, but I think is there any reason not to print the simple chart? >> This >> on the right. Yeah. >> Too much information other than what we've given already. >> I mean, it's covered. It is covered in

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the it's what you've got already. let you see what I read. >> I just don't want >> it's in the it's in the annual report. It's it's it's a it's just my thinking was for us all to have this as uh as we

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feel questions very specific questions about this department that department >> how much debt you know how much is our debt service increase the other thing I wanted to do >> granularity here versus what we're showing on the other so that's what you're yeah and if some more

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>> question yeah >> like a question comes up then we have this to refer to Yeah. Yeah. >> Those lines you're showing above, do they actually add up to the total operating budget? >> They do. Okay. So, you got everything in there. >> Everything's everything's represented in here. Yeah. >> Got it. >> Um, good.

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>> It's just nightmares. >> Here's the other thing I would really I know I've been talking about this for a while, but I just don't know exactly how to do that. I would love to be able to say our budget is increasing by $565,000.

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X proportion of that is for totally nondiscretionary items. I would like to be able to say that here's the ones the one the ones that we know are non-discretionary. The increase in the ARPS assessment, the ARPS debt, the

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school transportation, health insurance increase, debt service. There's a bunch of miscellaneous things. And then emergency service. I think those are all like required. >> Well, so in your other miscellaneous, is that the ambulance which 6%? Okay. You

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sort of those. >> So that's that's in there, right? Because I think >> Yeah, I think it's whatever's in emergency management, which I believe is, let me just double check, but um >> so AJ, I actually tried to do that. >> Okay. >> Because you said that in last meeting

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and I came up with a way to do it. >> Yeah. And I took the budget and I went down all the lines and I marked I noted the lines. I just want to show you this so see what you think of this. Yeah. If this would help you. And >> I found it hard to do because the elementary school hasn't left. That's

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that's where I got stuck because it's like I the >> it doesn't it doesn't feel right for me to say that >> this $164,000 is a discretionary because because components of that are

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mandated >> no >> expenses and and so is there >> is there a way to is there a way to cut slice those pieces up? >> That's >> do you think >> I put it in a gray area? >> Yeah. Do you think,

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not that Caitlyn is looking for >> work to do right now, but like do you think it would be possible for us to ask her like to describe this? What we're trying to do here, we're trying to say of this increase in the school budget,

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is there a component of that that we can describe as nondiscretionary? Meaning we the this represents the mandated expenses. Um because if I could pull

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some of that out and put it in what I'm calling here non-discretionary, right, >> school expenses, >> we all know what we're going to see here, which is that, you know, like there's a huge proportion of that budget increase are things that we have

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absolutely >> right >> no flexibility at all. Okay. >> I went about this different 60 $70,000 bet or maybe even >> Yeah, I mean the out of district placement is >> oncended Georgia. >> I could add I I don't know if AJ even

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wants to think about this, but u I I just put X's in the coms I thought were and I just took the budget amounts. So what I wanted to say is 17% of our budget is what I came up with, but that's not counting the school. >> And that's this is rough. This is real rough. I didn't know if you wanted to

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see this. I gave it up. I'm only bringing up because you brought it up. >> Yeah. So the difference that you're saying like when we look at the total budget >> Yeah. >> what proportion of the total budget is not >> right. What I what I I was where my mind

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was going is I feel like people are hung up on or concerned I should say they're they're reason it's their right to be concerned about it. They're concerned about uh half a million dollar increase in our budget. And I would like for us

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to be able to break that increase out by its component parts. >> It makes sense. >> And I'll tell you another thing in my mind. What's discretionary is what's not. You could argue that a lot. That's the other thing. That's it's really hard to >> Why why is OP why is OP discretionary?

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>> So it's because it's our decision about what we want to fund. I mean we're not >> ultimately OPED is not is non-discretionary. It's just how we fund it. Well, sometimes choose not to tell them. >> Well, that's the responsibility we we have the responsibility to to pay

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those benefits at some point in the future, right? What what I guess I felt was discretionary was our was our strategy of how to how to um how to fund that responsibility. Do we

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just and I would kick the can down the road or do we do we start to commit funds to it's a reasonable >> I I guess I would >> there's no I don't see why it wouldn't be in a non-discretionary >> there's no legal obligation for us to fund it this way you can just fund your

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oped cost out of your expenses just have it in the expense line watch health insurance go up year over year there's no law requiring us to create a fund and to use a fund we chose to do that and we thought there was a lot. One of the select boards said I went to a meeting

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and there's a lot and we found out years later it's not Joe McCarian said you are not obligated to do it by law >> right the fact that we didn't do it last year we didn't tell putting a gun and said hey you got to do that >> but you're right it's a gray area in the

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sense that it it it's it's paying now for something that is uh we know is an obligation responsibility for us in the future. Yeah. Um, >> again, we could go down up and down the budget. We could all argue about so many lines and we would all be on both sides

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of the argument. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> ways by having funded, we are saving future town meetings from having a huge bunk. I mean, that's really >> That's right. We are It's going to help us balance budgets in the future. >> Yeah.

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>> All right. The discretionary to be responsible. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Um, so if if Caitlyn has a response to that, I'll I'll I'll plug it in here going on from other places. >> But I'll also say Bernaki too. I forget

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your first name, but >> for the region, the regional also has some >> So I think I put all of the regional stuff as non-discretionary. We we're part of the region. >> Oh, that's what you got in the first line. >> Yeah. Like they're assessing us, >> right? But we could vote not to support

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it. We could argue not to support it. And you're right. I mean, we'd be the only one. >> Sound inter. >> Yeah. Like, >> well, what you know, two towns can bring down the budget. >> Yes. I guess. >> Yes. And I guess in theory, you know, it's like it's discretionary to be part

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of be part of a region. But like, yeah. I mean, to me, that's like that's an amount we're assessed. We don't negotiate that. We don't >> Well, then my 17% just jumped up. Okay. >> It went up to 30. >> Just went up to 35%. >> Yeah. Um, >> and what about like contracts? We're

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contracted with um union contracts and then schools are contracted. Our our um TA is contracted. Are those discretionary? >> Yeah, it is a hard it is really put your hand on. >> Yeah. >> I mean they are discretionary. >> So what I did was I

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>> fine. That's a great idea. >> Or don't give them an increase and watch them turn over and Yeah, that's not a great move. >> That was a bad move. So, I put um the cola increase here as and I think this is good to have this number because like >> Yeah.

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>> Yeah. >> If somebody gets if somebody gets bent out of shape about why are we giving >> raises time >> it's like $13,000. I mean >> that's the same number that's in the >> but also like we should double check that. >> Yeah. I will

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>> assessment. You look at that 12,000 the context of the total regional budget, it's like pennies. >> Yeah. >> Um All right. So maybe we will actually be able to do something with this table if we can get

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>> I got I got 15 grand. >> Okay. So I'll >> Well, I'll do No, I'll get you the number. Right. Yeah. >> Uh I don't have the most recent statute, but I'll get I'll get >> the argument the regional school being a not discretionary. I mean, I hear your

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points, but I would think it's >> But what could we do? What makes it discretionary? >> See, it's very different from the from the elementary that that's our school. We, you know, we have a school committee that's our school committee. They developed that that budget in in

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partnership with the the union and and but >> right we could hand them we could say to them our school we need a 2% cut and that's between us and them at the region that doesn't work that way. >> Okay. Well, we we have that discussion

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the the budget discussion with the region every winter, >> right? And that's an opportunity to weigh in on >> raising or lowering. Raising or lowering. >> We did that. But the one town can't flood it. Can >> we have

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we have we have a we have a vote and we have we have we have input >> and I just changed all the 259s to zero. >> Okay. >> And changing the assessment tool has really benefited us. >> Yeah. >> Absolutely. That's why it's only $12,000

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or $13,000 uh this year. >> Yeah. >> She have it was a flat fee per student per for everybody. >> Well, it's I think it's the demographics and it's demographics that are affecting it because we've been in the same method for two or three years. All right.

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Anyways, >> so we could be using this as a talking point for ourselves to say to them, you know, basically for for basic non-discretionary costs, it's this much of the budget. Yeah, >> I do wonder just another note about

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talking about if we talk about non-discretionary costs, it's really important and it's a it's a true thing, but I wonder if it's us trying to make excuses for the budgets going up. You know what I mean? We're trying to like temper what everybody's view of us is or view of what we're doing. It's like they're trying to blame

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somebody else. >> This is reality. >> It is. It is. That's just a tra. Well, if anybody if anybody looks out around them and sees what's going on all around them and towns everywhere across the state, >> and I'm not arguing against this. I'm

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just saying that's they'd see that this is we're in a pretty good place. >> People have non-discretionary costs in their lives. >> We have a bunch of them. >> Yes. >> And it's not an excuse. It's the reality. We all >> I'm just saying I don't want people to

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turn on us. >> I think that somehow people go from their what they want. >> Yeah, I know. Lucky me, huh? Most >> on the average person know what that non-discretionary >> I think we would have to >> I just want to be able you know that together.

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>> We would have to explain it right that and I think it's all we should all have the answer. Um, >> yeah. >> I'm just wondering. I don't know. I just question. >> Yeah, >> it's statement. >> If you if somebody if we say discretionary people, I think a lot of people >> Oh, yeah. We know what that means. Or do they not?

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>> Oh, there. A lot of people were upset when they saw their tax bills go up. >> Um, yeah, you're right. You can make all kinds of I mean, you could you could argue that, you know, it's we we choose to provide health insurance to employees. So I guess that's you know that's a discretion you can choose how

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much you know >> refund >> but um >> you know sure you could you could uh I guess there's a distinction I'm making which is that there are certain expenses in here that required department heads

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to make decisions about kind of expenses and and then there are other ones where it's like literally this is we're getting assessed a certain amount of money Like all those computer contracts, would you pull them? >> No. >> Yeah. And there those are like Yeah.

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>> And as soon as you get into a computer system, you're going to be assessed these fees and they are going up and up and up. And that's true, >> right? >> Yeah. So maybe maybe the most important thing for us to to have in in our back pocket here is

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the um Sorry. Uh you said 14. Okay. is is a because I I I I think there's a tendency when people hear about big budget increases, they assume that people are getting um that those are being driven

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by salaries. Like I they just think that's an assumption that that people make. So we can we can be transparent about this and say there's personnel board has a cola policy. It's 2.59% and that applies to most town employees.

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Not all of them, but anybody who doesn't >> nonun >> non-union and it is right and it is >> um the bottom line is that's contributing a little under $15,000 to the to increase in our budget. So

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knowing that number I think is important. We also have of those of those contracted negotiated salaries there's actually a decrease this year right because of police you know police chief successor

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so the net impact of that is that we're actually there's a decrease >> even with the administrator increase well >> yeah so this is not a like this is this is not about like yeah salaries >> the only thing I would say about the other salary increase decrease lines.

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Remember that does not account to schools. >> Yes. Yeah. No, that's that's >> and it doesn't point to the future that we plan to review it. We might end up not changing what's going on >> um in by September, but I don't want

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people to think that's the end of the story. Yeah. We we said we wouldn't be looking at that, >> right? Well, um All right. Here's what I think we should do is um pull up the annual report and talk about kind of what we

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want to say on Thursday. Um >> so we're going to do more research on the discretion here. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, I think in the past when we did have

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this this um letter and we just had our the kind of nuts and bolts of our budget report, we sort of divvied up this into sort of sections that people took responsibility for just kind of walking

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everybody through. Is that something we still want to do or I feel like I mean in some ways we have we have sort of better like messages this year and and sort of themes. I I feel like that we could we could approach I don't know not

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sure I guess the point being that we don't necessarily have to do this the same way that we've done the last >> well how do we feel about how it went last year? I mean what was everybody's opinion? I mean, especially those who weren't on the finance committee. Were you also last year? Yeah. >> No, I wasn't at town meeting last year.

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>> You were one of them. >> I was at the special town meeting. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. I guess we were. >> Well, because my son has graduated. I was like, why wasn't I there? >> So, really gets in the way, huh? >> All our presentations.

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>> Well, were you confused? You said, I better get on that committee and help. >> Well, I I'll tell you this. I've been doing the revenue for years. I was always the revenue guy. I've always have been. And I'm not going to be here for that. So, I think whoever is going to discuss revenue should do it at the hearing.

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>> And you know, and you got to practice it. And that's what I liked about the hearings because you always got that. >> I did the revenues at town meeting. And you must have done >> Oh, that's right. And we did split it last year. >> And you must have done the revenue at um >> I did at the hearing. >> At the hearing.

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>> Yeah. And I did the expense of the year. >> What did I do? I still spoke last year, Tommy. Here's here's one. I did something question I have about how we've done the budget info session, but it feels a little bit like this is we're

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just we're just repeating information that's there on paper that people can just can kind of read. and maybe they already done that before beforehand. Um whereas

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I feel like Laura's letter does a has is this more sort of high level kind of overview and I'm almost tempted just personally to say maybe we should do something like a kind of a spoken

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version of what's in this letter. talk about certain kind of key themes and then and then just you know let people know that you know that there's tons of information available very detailed information available both in the report

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and and the budget itself and and then spend the bulk of our time answering questions. Do you remember last year at the town meeting some they were going through the budget in sections and and there was no

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question in the section and you poked me like I was going you know should we talk about it some don't >> do not open that up because people didn't need to know. >> I still fondly remember the year when somebody was going through line by line

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and then somebody else said call the vote. >> Yeah. Oh forget that. Yeah. Well, that's implied and that's plastic. There are these >> beer show. >> There are these certain moments in town meetings in the 40 years I've been here. There are some real gems I'll never

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forget. That's one of them. That's for sure. >> I think it's a good idea to look at this report. I think it's been good to have different voices actually speak. >> Yes. >> Um but you know, you can see how it's laid out. Um, and so you don't have to

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read it, but you can um summarize the concepts. >> I mean, I think we could take I mean kind of the like the I mean I mean I feel like the the letter kind of mirrors what we did at the fiscal summit. I mean type of thing. And so you know I mean to kind of have those as kind of our main talking points. I mean I think it's always good I mean to kind of go over

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you know I mean I when I present my budget you know kind of to folks I mean you know going over the revenue kind of letting people know like kind of where the money's coming from and kind of give you know going over the you know spend and like showing where the money is going. I mean just on that high level type of thing not all level thing but

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>> yeah so maybe like um sort of talking points version of this letter and then like these two pie charts and and um and you know this the top section of

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of page one of the the budget report. Maybe that's enough. I don't know. >> Less is more. >> Yeah. Well, and >> let them ask the questions because >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. We're trying to guess what people want to know. >> Yeah. Just let them tell us. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, people are freaked

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out about the writing. >> Yeah. Property tax is going up and that's >> Yeah. Yeah. And you know, if somebody asks, well, what are the like are there any are there any bunch of lines or categories that are, you know, increasing by a significant amount? Sure.

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then we could just go to the section, but like we don't necessarily have to assume. >> Yeah, I would walk through. >> Yeah, that makes me And people feel good about that. >> And the pie charts are going to be up on the wall so people can see them and they can see them when we're in other parts

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of the conversation so that you know they can reference it. >> So basically, we're deciding to discuss the key themes, avoid pointing out um data that we're already providing and split the presentation and bug bug. >> Yeah. among those.

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So, what do you what do you think the theories are? So, I think it's pretty I mean, I think the letter, you know, lays it out pretty well. Like there's the the sort of bottom line like here's the budget like this is the the amount, this is how much

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it's increasing. Um I think that that's obviously we have to we we have to lead with that. Um, yep. >> But then I think, you know, there's a a handful of primary drivers

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for the budget and we should mention at least these three. Health insurance, debt service, elementary school increase. Um, so here is interesting. We say in this these are not discretionary items. They

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are legal. Yeah. Um, yeah. Uh, okay. Um, >> and and then discuss how we're going to fund it. >> Yeah. How we're going to fund it. >> Which actually gives me a subtitle of that. I mean the title of that how we're

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going to fund it because there's yeah >> the tax levy. There's basically so there's a tax levy component and then there's cash reserves and then there's this kind of looking forward and this is what

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we haven't really done a lot of >> right >> at these and I think I think >> I think it's important to actually do more >> especially because we've sort of gone through the same thing that we think we really shouldn't really don't want to be doing raising past the two and a half

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and using cash reserves. We need to say this is sort of the um this is how we these are the tools we're going to use to try to change it. We might not be able to but um we've we are working in

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these directions to get a better long view. So, so this third theme is the ways that we analyze the budget. >> Is that I mean just just to boil it down for minutes please. >> Yeah.

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>> Interesting to come up with a figure about ballpark figure how much money are we saving by using volunteers? >> That's significant. I mean look at this process. How many hours have we done?

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But I think that that yeah because it's not nothing. >> I think another thing um that I would like us to consider is discussion about >> growth >> and the need and how all our all our

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growth comes from residential hand. >> That's hugely >> in fact that was one of the projects we wanted to talk about right was a subcommittee to try and drum up new um >> economic development. >> The last paragraph there. Yes, the >> last two paragraphs, right? Uh no, the

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last one. Sorry. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, all right. How do we >> All right. So, there's the first theme is just bottom line budget. >> Second is how the budget's funded.

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>> Yep. >> All right. And then >> three was review the ways we analyze the town's finances. Yeah. So, you're going to talk to >> Well, there's two parts to how it's funded till >> Yeah. >> There's two parts to that. >> Yeah. So, there's property tax levy,

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revenue, cash, and then tax levy. Those are >> Okay. >> And and cash reserves. >> Yeah. >> Well, that that's why I call it the funding sources. >> Yeah, you're right. Uh state revenue tax

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levy. All right. State revenue >> part of the change. >> Yes. State and local revenue. >> Yeah. State and local revenue. >> Okay. >> So, one other theme we could, which is not wasn't appropriate if it's the

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letter, but we could do a little regional summary of like we're not alone. This here's the here's the context for our region. Um, and it might be I think we did something

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like that last year. >> Actually, I like the sentence more what it is, which is all municipal budgets right now are subject to these same pressures. So, so it's not just that we're not alone. It's >> we're all dealing with that. You know I

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it'd be interesting to figure out whether new growth is flat everywhere. I mean this is an economy where new growth is likely to be flat period. >> So um >> so I'm going to put provide state level

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effect uh perspective um and other town finances like that. >> Yeah. Um I mean there's that um what was the report the MIA was it? >> Oh yeah um mass municipal MMA

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>> MMA. So that we talked about at the fiscal summit like that message of that report I found very powerful and it might be worth sort of yeah kind of using some of that language. um that's

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sort of what they were describing as kind of a perfect storm, but like the components of it and then say, you know, here's what's happening um you know, across the state and this is what that's

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resulting in for our region. Here are just a handful of towns that are dealing with the same issues. And >> that that piece goes that's why that woman said, "What kind of trick are we playing?" because they have overrides and you can see those overrides being

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turned down. So that that's one aspect of this is that when it goes to an override, people can walk into a ballot and say no. They don't take any responsibility for what that no means in terms of what goes next. What we're presenting to them on town meeting

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floor, they could say no. They could say you're raising this too high. They've tried to fight off lines. They even tried last year to fight off a line. >> That work is actually not citizen work. That's why we work so hard to do this. We pull the whole thing together.

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>> But um I think I I was thinking about like this this budget could be voted down >> or this budget could I don't even I think you can from town meeting floor say um I propose we make a 3% cut in this budget flat. I don't think it has

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to be online. and they've always gotten tangled up in the lines and it's never been cut that way. >> I mean, the motion is a dollar amount. It's $8.3 million and there's a breakdown on it. Somebody can say, "I want to amend that to be $8.2 million." >> Right. So, in >> without the lines,

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>> I don't want to invite that, but I do feel that people don't understand where the giving is. If you have a budget, you have to fund it. And that's where the levy comes in. if you reduce the budget or if you don't have the override, you have to reduce the budget. So,

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>> um >> I don't want it to seem like a trick, but I don't feel like we have to invite them to cut this budget so that their taxes don't rise. >> So, is anybody getting a sense that that's what's rumbling around? I mean, I've I've had some intense conversations

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from a few people, but I'm not sure we people are sitting. A few people I've talked to understand and probably wouldn't give us an issue with. >> So I think you have to keep saying this is a budget that supports the services and the people in our town and people

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need services. >> Look at the educ I don't have kids in school. That's the argument that I would be in a whole town. Yes. >> Well and education is so important to society. Yeah, it >> I mean I I feel like we're quite

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fortunate in that I I my sense has always been that the town is comfortable with the component of our budget that's going to education like we we and and I think

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some ways the when people see how much of the increase is being driven and by the component of the school. Like I don't think they mind that. Like I think they they they think that's money well well spent. I think to the extent that

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people have a sense that like we're we're you know spending like you know drunken sailors or whatever. It's like that's not what they're thinking about. You know that they're thinking about I guess just >> it's also our tax but but I think it's because we're not on an override. If we

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were on an override, they'd just slam it. It'd just be like, "Nope, we're not paying that money." And then the town has to turn back to where you're going to get it from, right? >> This this setup with the excess levy capacity and all of our strategies, it's a hole. It's sitting there. And I think

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we can get this budget through. There's if there's no sense that somehow it's going to get better, I think then people might start digging in and say, >> "Yeah, >> right." I'm really >> I mean Philly people I mean are probably most likely to push back just on the capital stuff but

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>> the fire truck I mean >> the last time we approved fire truck it was a major fight I mean it wasn't a major fight but there was allowed to centers >> I mean there's >> but the fact that this is a 30y old fire truck that's >> on on this point c can I ask my view is

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I don't want to spend time Thursday night talking about >> the fire truck because that wasn't that that was not our responsibility to vet that project. And so I feel like some people might assume that that's a fincom >> project or fin decision. Our decision is

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best how to fund this thing. That's that was our response. Don't isn't it fair for us to respond to any capital questions by saying look that's there's a committee that exists to vet the worthiness of these proposed capital

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projects. Our role is simply to take the ones that they've determined are uh you know are worthy of going before the the town and to make the recommendation for how to fund it. >> Right. And the opportunity to discuss those items will be on the war article

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sometimes. >> That's part of the 80 million >> and not make our Thursday night go a lot quicker. >> It'll make our Thursday night go a lot quicker when we test when we >> we're not doing it. >> Yeah. Hey, we're just telling you the best way to finance it. I guess I don't

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want it to sound like we don't care. That's that was brought through a process that the town uses to review capital projects and it'll be on the floor of the town meeting to to hear the details and there are details. There's reasons for this course and and but

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that's the point. I want I want residents to hear from Lenny about, you know, his rationale for that and to make an informed, you know, uh, vote based on on those details that were, you know,

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available to the capital planning committee, but um I I I don't want to spend time in our session. I agree but I think there's a way of not dissing it. >> Yeah. So it's um yes that there will be an important discussion at town meeting

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>> and each Warren article regarding these items. You're going to get an opportunity to ask these questions and the sponsors of those warn articles will be there. Dave and and of course Lenny are the big ones. But Tom administrator will be there to talk about digital. Netty will be there to talk about the clickers.

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>> Right. >> And the school will be represented. And I'm sure Nate will be there. I hope Nate will be there. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> So I guess I want to point to that so that it's it's not just that it doesn't matter to us. We're not in charge. >> Yeah. >> There's how you do it.

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>> Yeah. No, that's fair. >> Yeah. I mean we can emphasize I mean basically the physical aspects of it. So like you know for instance fire truck I mean it's FY28 you know at least you know technically just because where delivery is or like you know this is the stuff we decided to pay the cash you know types of >> I think about the grater is not like

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visible >> uh well because the greater there's not going to be any vote option on >> I get it I get it just people don't need to thinking >> I thought the plan on that was he's going to hold off >> y

455
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>> until he gets a grant That's why it's >> so it's not going to show up on the capital spending. >> That's the point. That's their It doesn't show up anywhere because >> he's got a plan to get to get get a grant for >> he's got a plan to fund it. >> Know and so what they hear is it's over

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there like what's over there. >> What are they trying to pull >> thing? Yeah. I know that curtain. So I just I don't want to bring it up. I just feel like you have to know why those questions will come. Honestly though, it probably it probably should be

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discussed. It probably should actually be mentioned. >> I don't think it's any mention. >> It's on the capex doc. That's the only place that mention >> mention that the chief the highway chief is has applied for a grant. If he wins

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the grant, he is going to use that chapter 19. >> It also shows that people do their job. >> He might be he very well may >> he probably should. appreciate the encouragement. Yeah. >> Uh you know what? I'm going to call him because I was thinking as his liaison, I should let him know I'm not going to be there and just

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>> pump him up a little. Get ready for town meeting. Go out there, make sure you know you're you know what know your stuff and you'll be fine. Yeah, I'll call him and give him a pep talk. >> Yeah, he's pretty he's pretty certain he's going to get the grant. >> It's very responsible. >> Yeah, just maybe not this year. >> Yeah, I might say two years.

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>> And he's willing to wait, I think. Yeah, he does feel very confident. I don't know why, but he does. Yeah, I think you know the one thing I think >> that he might just just to give him a heads up is I I think >> you know his budget is increasing

461
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>> by significantly more than other but you know as we've discussed many times it's because his budget has >> like structurally underfunded >> for years now and it's just >> when when the finan goes and stands up

462
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and says it's inflation you know salt's going up blah blah blah it's one thing but when the chief is up there saying listen I'm buying salt and these guys are giving me quotes and it's like what you know what I mean I mean it's just more impactful when you hear from the guy who's dealing with it >> but he needs to know what we think and

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say so that he can build on that and he can feel supported we're coming at it from support >> yeah I will let him know that we definitely support him we're supporting his lines but he does need to be able to explain to everybody you know why he's asking for all these things and he

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should address um the greater >> well and you can say and I've I've found a grant that I've applied for it. I've taken the work and done it. >> I'm being creative. I'm funding these and and keep it out of the tax >> le,000. Yeah. Yeah. Did you see that flat tire?

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We sitting out there with a flat tire thing is always breaking. Um >> All right. Yeah. >> Can we So So here's what I have as a list of of of topics and maybe we can divvy these up. So budget bottom line, how the budgets

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funded. We'll go through property tax levy reserves, state and local revenue. Then state and regional context um including what's happening in our neighboring

467
02:09:11.920 --> 02:09:30.400
towns. um long-term work or long range planning work that we're doing. Okay. And then this economic development uh the need for economic development. Um does that feel like a complete sort

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of list of things that we want to make sure we message communicate before we take >> question long range. How are you? How do you >> So, I'm thinking like this >> because we really haven't done a lot of long range planning, but

469
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>> we're planning >> to guess the point is we we're recognizing that what we've been dealing with these last two years are not just like >> temporary >> isolated temporary problems. We we there's a trend. Yeah,

470
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>> there's um you know set of structural challenges that we're dealing with and we're aware of them and we're working on >> Okay. >> climate. >> I like that. Yeah, I agree. >> Um and then um

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and then I think you know there's this last paragraph about the the our feeling that there's a need to for the town to explore economic development opportunities more proactively.

472
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Um, is there anything that we feel like that's missing that list? Okay. Who wants is anybody particularly interested in taking on any of these topics?

473
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I think to Sus's earlier point, I think it's good for people to hear a variety of voices in >> How many topics did you list there? That was >> I've got five. >> Yeah.

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>> And you're thinking just five topics for five people. Is that what you're thinking? >> No, that's just that's how it worked out. >> Okay. So, one person could do all five or >> I don't think that would be good. >> No, that was one of the plans. No, >> no, I don't think that would be good. >> Yeah.

475
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>> So, >> budget bottom line. budget bottom line. Here's what it is. Here's how much it's increasing. This is what that translates to for the average taxpayer like three sentences basically. Yeah. Then there's how that budget gets funded

476
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and then you know a little bit of discussion about property tax levy, use of cash reserves, state and local revenue support budget. Um then there's kind of state regional context.

477
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Then there's >> economic development. I think when we do state and regional context, >> um, we'll run into the fact between those that look for overrides and those

478
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that don't. So, we have to be thoughtful about bringing that up. >> Yeah. So, and by thoughtful I mean is it basically just being explaining that the reason we're not facing that this year

479
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is because of the >> our plan >> planning that has happened over the last several years where we were able to build up >> levy excess levy capacity. Um

480
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and we are using some of it this year although not a huge amount. >> Yeah. Right. >> Um and we can just we can be transparent and get the exact number. >> Right. >> Um yeah. >> Yeah. I I I would like to do regional. >> Okay. State.

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>> You think you would be >> I don't doing the budget lie. >> Okay. >> Better people >> or music. thing should be good. >> George, since we only have you for Thursday, do you want to How do you feel

482
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about doing that? How the budget's funded? Uh, >> yeah, that's fine. I I I think honestly I think people should I would think that people who um are going to present on town meeting should also do it to hearing. Yeah. >> Because it's an opportunity to practice.

483
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>> Yeah. You're right. Okay. >> And you get a pass, George. I can do that on both. >> Okay. >> Great. >> Laura is going to do that. Um >> we have long range and trends and need

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to explore our economic development. bottom line finishing with that um >> finish. >> Yeah, the economics. >> So that means we have long range and what else? >> Basically just that um kind of what you see summarized in

485
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the >> who's doing this global perspective. >> Yeah. >> Uh that's C. >> Who's left? >> Oh, that's right. And he's doing the economics. >> Arm wrestle for the rest. >> I'm doing that. Sure. >> This is your chance as a campaigner to get out there.

486
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>> Well, talking about long range planning, I think is that's a positive. I think you know the talking about economic development is a little bit more of a >> Yeah. >> target area. >> Yeah. >> But I'm I mean, if it's already written

487
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down, I'm happy to to do it. So that's the to talk about >> that's like the second paragraph there, right? >> Yep. >> Right. That's great. >> So we figure that out. >> Yep. We got a plan for that.

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>> Who's doing long range? >> I'll go down the list for you. Budget increases. April funding sources. Laura. Um provide state and regional perspective. Susie review the ways we analyze town's finances along term Molly and then AJ's doing a compro

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>> unless you want him to >> I'm fine if you if you like to get out there that's fine >> I'm good with it >> either way >> do do we I mean so bottom line we're going to do the pie charts >> I really don't mind to be care and I feel like I'm >> well that's a good point um

490
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>> I'm happy to do it if you don't want to >> I'd be happy to do it >> explain bouncing between the >> I suggested arm wrestling, but that >> Yeah. >> Well, if I win the arm wrestling, I mean, I don't have to speak. >> Um, there you go. I think she just told

491
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you. >> Okay. >> I think um I think the bottom line could include just the the second pie chart, you know, the >> right this one here. Yeah. >> Does it strictly >> and

492
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include the revenue? >> Yes. NJ also though correct me if I'm wrong if you tap down the other thing that's important with that is this right here the significantly changes so this is >> no I don't think that that's covered in

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the bottom line isn't it >> I think this is where we're going to leave this one just for >> what are we talking about >> so we're talking about um kind of this o opening presentation I don't I think we're we're sort of moving away from like >> feeling

494
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redundant Yeah, >> I I hear it. >> But it is going to like just in the same way the letter points to you know a few of the primary drivers. I think we could we could articulate those >> but she can use it out of the pie chart. >> Yeah, exactly.

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>> Not out of ball and details. >> Right. The pie chart doesn't tell you about increases, I guess, is my point. It tells you what the budget looks like, but it doesn't tell you where your increases are. And that's what people are going to want to know. Why is it going up so much? But that's okay. You guys, you're going to get to it. It's

496
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>> unable takes through that paragraph. She might give some of the percentages, but then she go to the bioraph and show it. >> Yeah. >> Like I said, what we've sent out is slick. >> I mean, I think we did a really good job this year and what we presented to the voters.

497
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>> I think we're going to learn that people don't read it and we might come around to something that's simpler eventually. >> Some there are going to be people there. So, one of the things though that I love about this letter is people are going to read it during the meeting because it's a letter and it's like it's just it's

498
02:18:16.719 --> 02:18:32.960
plain language. It's not scary tables. >> There are a handful of people when they have that letter with notes on it when they walk in the door. >> For sure. And their hands, >> but even if they haven't looked at anything. >> Yeah. >> They're going to read this during the meeting. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um

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>> No, I thought about this. So I I I yeah I think um um >> so one of the other things that happens is we need to tell Netti how we want this to go because sometimes she'll she'll want some kind of presentation and then we do presentations from there's budget and then I think we

500
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>> maybe have a meeting you're talking about. Yeah. >> I think we need to understand um how this presentation fits into what the what um the process is on Tommy. >> Yeah. Yes, you're right. And I think the

501
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what the process should be is that we do this same kind of overview, maybe a slightly shorter version of it. Um, and and be I think before we actually >> read out the Warren article on the

502
02:19:22.800 --> 02:19:37.920
budget. Right. >> Right. So, there's two places it shows up. One is reports. >> Yeah. And I think that they've asked us sometimes to talk then, but and I think even last year we might have said, "Well, we'll talk at the >> Yeah. Before >> before the before the budget." >> Yeah. >> Article,

503
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>> right? >> Does that sound like the the right time for us? And >> I think so. >> Yeah. Because we're about to >> Maybe our report when they ask for reports from committees, we'll say how many hours we met at >> the end of that.

504
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>> Uh yeah, if somebody wants the chat. >> Yeah, I can find it. summarizing that first bit and we pre-prepared a responsible mass budget if you can go get it at the back of your room and look at everybody else. >> There it is.

505
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>> Um, okay. So, I think we've got I think we've got a plan. >> So, you said you're going to talk to Netty about the timing of our presentation. >> Yeah, exactly. >> And maybe in the budget bottom line should just noting that part of you know that we've have a significant decrease in new growth. >> Yeah. Oh,

506
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>> so Northampton's mayor prepared a budget thing in January and it had this new growth. So it doesn't have Shootsbury in it because sorry, um, so this is a bunch of surrounding towns and the dark green is 2025 and the

507
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light green is 2026 >> and those are new growth numbers. Yeah. >> Yeah. And almost all of them are going down except for Chapi and uh one of the long >> Yeah, it's just the first column is 25 FY25 and

508
02:21:00.000 --> 02:21:17.280
>> Hammers way down. >> Actually, could you send that to us so that we can use it as part of >> Yeah, >> it's page 25 of this very long thing. >> Okay. >> Yes. So for us it'll be it was $121,000

509
02:21:17.280 --> 02:21:33.760
in FY25 and 48,000 >> almost um the increase our signing tax 18,000 >> that's where >> right there

510
02:21:33.760 --> 02:21:50.560
>> yeah she does a very goodation polls don't you think >> we need a lot of new polls we need energy station to be done over for $12 million. >> Not going to happen. >> The substation. Oh, I mean, we had our opportunities.

511
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>> It's not going to happen. >> All right. Folks feel good about the plan. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Great. >> Did you hear though that my that Jim has said he'll do my part? >> Okay. >> All right. So, Jim will do kind of long

512
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range planning work. >> Yeah. last paragraphs the first couple of paragraphs session that section >> up to your up to your paragraph. >> Uh yes, exactly. >> So I cover those first four. >> Yeah. What do do how do people feel

513
02:22:22.319 --> 02:22:38.880
because I know we had an kind of an extended conversation about this and wasn't like weren't necessarily all exactly on the same page about this commitment to exploring opportunities to collaborate with communities. Do we is that a is that a point we want to make

514
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explicit? >> Which one are you talking about? >> So the second to last paragraph this one we it was described as the kind of regional I mean we really have no plans to do it at this point. We talk about as an opportunity but there's you know and we've got too many projects already as

515
02:22:54.800 --> 02:23:10.560
somebody pointed out. It's going to be hard to get together this summer as it is. >> I guess I I feel like >> this is this is just about active. This is just explore. I just don't want >> it's not about going out and being involved with a project. Explore the potential in which >> I just want people to to I don't want

516
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people to think that we're not thinking about it. >> Yeah. >> I guess the point >> there's also a really bad history in this town trying to regionalize. >> Oh my god. Talk to >> us. >> Yeah.

517
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>> Well, they did want us and we said no at the school level. >> Exactly. >> Exactly. and the police. >> But I think we >> but the environment has changed. >> Yes. >> Well, there's two things. The environment has changed and we can go beyond. We talked about other creative concepts and maybe go outside of what we've talked about in the past.

518
02:23:43.040 --> 02:23:58.399
>> Yeah. Like >> I think you can mention it just >> like capital, >> you know, capital equipment or whatever. We can do other things. >> Yeah. That thing's obvious. But you know the other piece and when we talk about our departments

519
02:23:58.399 --> 02:24:15.439
>> Dave has arrangements with other garages other town highway departments for sharing equipment. It's already happening >> and it happens as best it can >> and you know mutual aid we do mutual aid and we um I just looked at some facts on

520
02:24:15.439 --> 02:24:32.080
the fire truck and the the fire trucks used to pump out everything they had in a minute >> that it's empty. You need trucks to come when you go and go get more water and come back to the fire. And that's what a allows. >> Did you see what happened last?

521
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>> Yeah. At in UMass? >> No. At the Western Massachusetts Fire Association, something like that. Led by the East Hampton Fire Chief came out and said, you know, Hadley, if you're not going to put firemen in your department,

522
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maybe you shouldn't be a part of mutual aid. So, you know, we never talk about that because we haven't got that close yet. But we start cutting things to where we can't support towns and we need other towns to support us. I mean, I read about Southampton, I think, talking about if they can't they if they don't

523
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get the override, they can't have the police and they need to rely on East Hampton. Well, if I'm East Hampton, I'm thinking I'm going to start charging for this. >> Yeah. >> The spirit has to change and that's not healthy. That's not good.

524
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>> Okay. So, um, we got a plan. So, >> one small thing, one small, if you can go to the very end, it's just something I noticed when I was reading through the documents after they got sent out, >> and it's just the title I used on one of the charts. >> This one, yes, it says every single

525
02:25:36.160 --> 02:25:54.560
field. Um, >> Oh, yeah. So, so the title is um for local towns, but it's really not local towns. It's for the region, the towns in the region. Because I I the only reason I think that we need to point that out. Yeah, maybe we should change it. Is if

526
02:25:54.560 --> 02:26:10.960
people say, "Well, you didn't put Wendle or New Salem there and their tax rates way lower than ours. Did you just do these four towns because you look good?" And so I want to be able to say to people, "No, really, we did." And the truth of the matter is this is analysis I started when I was negotiating when I

527
02:26:10.960 --> 02:26:28.000
was on the um the analysis, the assessment analysis. >> It's a very small uh spelling error under capital expend expenditures. Number five is a spayer for highway department which is a different kind of concept.

528
02:26:28.000 --> 02:26:46.160
>> Um >> which one? >> Number four >> sprayer. >> Yeah. >> But the spare sprayer >> that's a good idea. All right. >> Oh, you. >> It's a spade.

529
02:26:46.160 --> 02:27:06.720
>> Oh, when we actually get online. >> Well, that's okay. It'll be little >> a little comic comic relief on Tom's floor. >> So, I don't think people saw this last week, but you added the proposed FY26 nodes, right? Oh, no. No.

530
02:27:06.720 --> 02:27:23.840
>> No. Because we don't deal with towns. These are actually >> Yeah, these are actually >> because we don't know what the other talents are. >> That's right. >> We know what our projection is. >> For some reason my head I thought >> you brought it up but we we then you realized >> we won't have >> and then in general we should probably figure out we want this each person's

531
02:27:23.840 --> 02:27:41.439
section to sort of be under what >> I mean I'm thinking >> there's five sections. >> Yeah. So like I feel like it's a 15minute presentation at the most. >> The whole thing. >> The whole thing. Yeah, three minutes, two to three minutes on each section.

532
02:27:41.439 --> 02:27:58.640
>> The only exception might be >> I feel like Laura's is a little bit more involved. Um because there's sort of the three different but I feel like mine is not a threeminut thing. So I I think I Yeah. Uh I think everybody should be

533
02:27:58.640 --> 02:28:14.160
under three minutes maybe with the acceptable if you need to go over that it's fine. Yeah. I also want to say that I think we made a lot of efforts this year that are are kind of invisible. We started out with having training sessions because we lock

534
02:28:14.160 --> 02:28:29.680
watched Kathy Salvador get underwater really quick and feel like she had nothing to offer. And then we had um two fiscal summits which I think it's a little hard to figure out what came out of that but I think we gained some um

535
02:28:29.680 --> 02:28:44.720
credibility and maybe cooperation. and you went down to the four towns and you worked with that group and that came to a meeting that was so smooth nobody could believe it. >> Right. >> So, I think we've done these pieces. Um,

536
02:28:44.720 --> 02:29:02.080
and I think that part my guess is that part of the reason Laura could write this letter is because she was involved the whole time. She did the November, December and January letter with us and we worked to make people understand and that I think made a big difference and I

537
02:29:02.080 --> 02:29:19.439
appreciate what came out of this because I I feel like we have a clearer idea. >> Yeah. >> And I think and and I think the the the communication work that happened this year was definitely something way beyond anything we've done at least for as long

538
02:29:19.439 --> 02:29:35.520
as I've been on it. Oh yeah. And that's and that's paying dividends. I think I think I think people >> So, are you saying that's something we should somehow flag at town meetings? Somebody should >> No, I'll write up the hours. >> Okay. All right. >> But I guess I want to appreciate our

539
02:29:35.520 --> 02:29:51.439
committee specifically for this, especially the new people and the work that everybody got done. >> I got to tell you though, the feedback I get from the community is you guys are doing a great job. Everybody really appreciates what we're doing and everybody thinks what we're doing is a lot and they I think the people there's

540
02:29:51.439 --> 02:30:06.960
a lot of people in our town who know how much we're really putting into this. >> That's the feedback I get. But >> and Leslie thanked the fist call it >> that was new. >> Yeah. >> And Ellen has thanked us specifically. Yes. >> I don't mean a lot of accolades. I want

541
02:30:06.960 --> 02:30:22.560
to figure out what's the work that makes it happen and is it I believe that we're in a different place because of this. move. >> Yeah, I agree with you. >> All right. Should we wrap up? >> Yes. >> Anything else we need to cover? >> All right. I'll make a motion to

542
02:30:22.560 --> 02:30:31.200
adjurnn. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> All right. Thank you rear lips Thursday.