WEBVTT

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

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: RikjqtvBpNE):
- 00:00:02: Meeting Start, Approval of Minutes Delayed Due to Errors
- 00:06:12: Technology Struggles, Alignment Study, and Upcoming Town Meeting
- 00:12:18: Personnel Bylaw Changes: Remote Work, Bereavement, Holiday, Vacation
- 00:27:08: Voting on Proposed Bylaw Revisions for Town Meeting
- 00:30:07: Town Meeting Discussions, Clickers, Remote Work Voting Concerns
- 00:31:30: Stock Responses, New Town Meeting Clickers and Voting Freedom
- 00:36:12: Town Meeting Attendance and Scheduling Meetings With Employees
- 00:39:10: Employee Meetings Discussion: Individual vs. Group Approach
- 00:45:51: General Employee Meeting, Subcommittees, PAF Updates, Adjournment


Part: 1

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Who is that voice? So, we're all here. Let's call the meeting to order or disorder, whatever we choose. So, I haven't How many weeks of minutes have we not looked at

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yet? It's two, maybe three. Well, I didn't do them for our last short meeting yet. >> Okay. >> So, it was the one just before that, which was um Oh my gosh, >> I know.

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>> I remember the date. Um January 15th. Does that sound right? >> Yeah. >> Sure. Uh, I don't h I I don't know how to uh

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how do I not I do not know how to share my screen even though I should know this by now. Um, if you go to the bottom taskbar, there's a little button that says share. >> Okay. >> Oh, look at that. I could pick stuff. So

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then I have to figure out where the document is. It would be in my Okay, this looks easier than it is. >> Do you have it up on your screen already? >> No. So, why don't I see if I can find

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it? That makes sense. Sent mail. Wait a minute. Wrong. There it is. Okay. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. H. Where is it?

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Uh, I am going to do this. I will up. No. No. No. Okay. Well, let me look. I'm looking in scent. That's the problem. Okay, we're getting there. We're getting

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close. Okay. Is this it? Yes. Okay. Now, what do I do? Okay. I go back to my thing. >> Go back to share. Let's see what's shows up.

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I'm not see is this. Oh my god. I think I got it. >> Oh, wait a minute. No, the day. I'm sorry. Um March 2nd is the day. >> January too far. >> That's what That's what I I did this.

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>> All right. Okay. So, have people had a chance to look at it? Was this the one that you said was funky? >> This is the one that um I thought I wasn't sure AI got some of the stuff. You know, I highlighted that one line in

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particular, but I wanted everybody to really look at the numbers. Although they, like I said in our last brief meeting, it may be moot given that we kind of went back to the drawing board. >> Yeah. you know, so if that's the case,

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um should we remove all of the stuff that we voted on related to alignments of wages um in that meeting, keep the rest, you know, the conversation about um >> um Ellen's hours and all of that,

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>> but just agree to accept up the minutes once that salary stuff is removed. Does it do that? >> I think that makes sense because that is confusing. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And we still have to examine it a little more closely.

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>> Yeah. The numbers are >> I can go back. I can go back to that and and unless you can do it on the fly, April, and pull out >> I know that's >> Let me see.

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Uh I don't I can highlight it. Uh I don't think I can do that. I got it. >> Okay. >> I can go through and do and take out any of the the stuff that relates to the cola and the salaries and just leave in

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anything else. Um and then is that a legitimate way to handle the minutes from that meeting? >> That would be >> you might just want to put like a paragraph in that we discussed it but that we came to the conclusion that we needed to revisit just so that it's in

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there. But >> I don't want to Yeah. I Yeah. >> Yeah. I was the history of the conversation, but >> yeah, similar Haley because is if there's a recording, isn't there a recording of the meeting online? >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> So, the minutes aren't going to match

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that, >> right? >> So, I don't even know if you want to make a note, Kathy. I don't know what the legality is, but to say that no >> or to just strike through all of it, >> you know, keep it there, but strike it out

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>> and and and I like Hley's suggestion that we just say um that we discuss cola and uh um salary alignment. >> Yeah. Or, you know, one other thing we could do is maybe just is put like an addendum at the bottom and just say

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that, you know, more information came out and we need to revisit this because I just wouldn't want someone to look back on this and think we agreed >> for this. >> Yeah, >> we have to change it. >> Okay. I like that even better. Thank you. >> I'll do I'll do that and send it back around.

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>> Okay. So, we'll hold off on approving this until that editing has been done. >> Yeah. And then at the same time, I'll do the minutes for that little short meeting we had as well, so we can get both of them reviewed and approved. >> Okay. Thank you.

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>> Sure. >> Ah, there's got to be a way to stop sharing, right? >> Stop share. Oh my god, I did it. Thank you. >> You did it. >> I can do anything. It feels so good when we tackle technology as boomers, doesn't

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it? >> Well, I have to say this is where I feel like Haley is is bringing this whole new thing and I really appreciate it a lot. Um, it's like I feel like I'm from the horse and buggy era in some ways.

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>> I'm right there with you, April. >> It'll be me. That'll be me in several decades. >> Yes, you will. >> I'll be saying the same thing. >> Yes, you will. remember remember us fondly. >> That's why she's patient with us now. >> Yes.

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>> All right. So in terms of the alignment study, I I have been going over the numbers and I I do think we need to sort of this can be a a project a later in the spring project um because I was

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taking the numbers that we had in the the um alignment study and then I brought it back and tried to compare it to the actual numbers that are in the budget and they do not line up at all. And I do not I don't know

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what went wrong. So I sent these off to the the guru of spreadsheets to George Arvinitis to take a look at it. Um and he we did a little discussion about it today, but we haven't come to a conclusion. Um, but my my sense is the

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best thing to do is to go ahead give everybody the 2.59 cola and let's pause on if if we can sort of earmark the alignment study for the special town meeting that will happen in

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the fall. Um, and by then we'll be able to have met with all of the uh I was going to say the clients. No, that's not right. with with the employees and really get a sense of because I I think after the conversation with Ellen it's pretty

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clear we don't you know we have had established numbers for people and how close are we and we really need to be paying people for what the hours that it takes them to do their job. Um,

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and for example, we were also looking at like the accountant at 20 hours a week, but she's working 10 hours a week, you know. So, it's so I I think that there's probably more like that. Um,

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and and sort of tying up, if that makes sense, is is it just isn't quite lining up. You know, the numbers on the spreadsheet and the reality numbers are quite a ways off. A couple of positions were not that far off, but most of them

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were by like $10,000. Some of them. Um, so I if we could maybe we should make take a motion a vote to to go ahead with the 2.59 cola

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and to put a pause on uh salary alignment so that we will in the summer or after town meeting you know get a s get those numbers really hard and fast. um with the idea that this would go

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ahead at a special town meeting that we have will have in the fall. I guess that's a long involved motion. Um is there a way to simplify that? um

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that we'll go ahead with the 2.59 cola and pause for the fall for the for the fall town special town meeting that we will have to correct um and make sure that all of the salary alignment is

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accurate. >> That is that what we did in the last meeting already? Yes, but they're not. The the numbers on the spreadsheet and the numbers on I wonder if I could do that magic. Um,

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>> no. Kathy, are you asking if that's the motion we voted on at the last meeting? Yeah, I thought it was too at that short meeting we had. Didn't we vote on it? >> That'll be that. Okay. >> Okay. >> I'm sorry. I should have done those minutes and gotten them to you today. I just didn't have a chance.

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>> Not a problem. Okay. So, we're done with that. I think I'm just finding myself obsessed with it because when you know I'm not a mathematician, numbers are not my friends that I they just are not lining up and we need we need to get that

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aligned which also goes to the PAFs for um fiscal year 27 that they're the personnel action forms and this will I think this will dovetail with that

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um that um you know the action forms should you know accurately reflect what people are being paid per hour and how many hours a week they're working and Haley and I took a quick look and I I think that that step got missed for the

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last f fiscal year you know there a lot happened a year ago in you know switching and I think that that we just need to go back to that part to make sure we have the um all of the personnel

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action forms accurate signed. They're signed by the employee and the um uh select board. And something Haley mentioned at the FINCOM meeting is is you know is hoping that we

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can get a um get more and more of our um uh documents uploaded so that everything is digitalized. And we're not working with paper. And that I mean I was thinking how that would make this whole process so much

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easier. >> Yeah. >> So that makes sense. Um I think what we also need to finalize the the changes to the personnel bylaw that Haley had suggested. Do you have

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copies of that that you can pull up? And can I help you? >> Um, you you should have gotten one. I think I sent it out. >> You're You're going to make me do that. >> I know. Sorry. Um, >> I can find it.

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>> But you know what? I I can send it to you again. >> Oh, >> okay. Um my question is are have people been approached yet about keeping track of their hours? >> Yes. So we did do um like an all staff

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meeting and I had specifically asked folks, you know, please >> if you know what you were supposed to be doing and what you're actually doing, I need those numbers. And most people did respond with that. Um so I feel pretty confident that we have a little bit more accurate information.

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>> Okay. Oh, look at this. March 11th, they got here. It's a miracle. Okay, watch this. You're going to get blown away with this one. Uh, share.

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And it is No, not that. Wait a minute. Where is it? Oh, documents. No, it's Wait, hold on. I can do this.

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Okay, it's on the screen, so it should pop up. Uh, is that it? Oh, yeah. I think that's it. Nope, that's not it. >> Some nice pictures, though.

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Where'd that come from? Okay, go away. Stop that share. That's what I'm afraid of. It's like, what are you going to see? It's like you're looking in my drawer. Make this. Oh, I'll download it. That's what I'll do. Make sure it's downloaded.

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See if that works. Okay, so it's downloaded. Let me check my download. Uh, wait a minute. Where's that? Okay. Recent downloads. Okay. I'm

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opening that somewhere. Oh, my computer's all screwed up today. Okay. No, that's not going to work. But let me see if it does work. Everybody should have a chance to do

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this. Let's see. I did it. >> Yes, you did. Excellent. Hey, I'm gonna cry. Okay. So, this will this should we should be able to get this on the annual town meeting,

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>> I think. So, so um so we like I said, we did that staff meeting and that resulted in two additional bylaw changes which are at the bottom. The first three are the ones I talked about last time. you know, being able to grant additional um

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or extend the review period, >> codifying um a remote work policy, and then being more inclusive with how we grant bereavement leave. And um >> so I can definitely we can dive into those if people want, but the new ones

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um you know folks really felt like you know there there's something in the bylaw about how the select board can grant these additional days and the consensus was kind of well why don't they just do it? Why isn't it just in the schedule all the time anyway? >> Um and that's pretty typical for for

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other towns I've worked in. Um, so the two additional days that would be granted would be the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. And then we also felt like, you know, if you're you're a police officer, if you're DBW and you get called in for a snowstorm, you you might

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be working those holidays anyway or you may not celebrate those holidays. >> So offering two floating holidays >> um just for people to take if they have a different tradition or something else they want to do. And um you know one of

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the big I don't want to say complaints but I think one of the biggest pain points for our employees is our vacation policy. You know if you I I should have put to contrast it that the current policy which is basically after a year you get one additional day for every

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year that you work up to like 20 years. >> And you know that that's not really competitive to what you could get in other communities. It's kind of yeah I you know it definitely I think it has some flaws. So what um you know what

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we had kind of devised was making it like a tiered system. So you know the the same vacation acral for your your 1 to 6 months and your 6 to 12 months but then when you get into 2 to 5 6 to 10 it's just a lump category.

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um you know cuz I think practically speaking you know if you work 3 years what's the difference between having 13 days and 12 days you know it's kind of um it's a little hard and then one employee did say you know once you hit that 20 year mark you don't get anymore

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and she's put in a lot of years >> so what did Ellen say >> um that we you know that there should be something in there for that and my suggestion would be you know an additional an additional day or you know you could fine-tune it. I I don't think

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you're likely given the job market and how it's changed over time. You know, people aren't really staying in one place their entire careers. Um so I don't think you would run into this as much but you know obviously it has happened.

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>> So currently you get how much after you have to work a full year before you get any vacation time? Uh, no. You work after six or one to six months, you're five days. Let me pull up um let me just pull up our policy so I

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make sure I'm quoting right. But um but the policy there's no change in the policy for the first two increments. So that um the 1 to six and the six to 12.

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>> Okay. Yeah, I'm trying to think how would other towns >> is this for full-time employees only? >> It would be for any employee that's eligible for vacation, which I think is

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most if not all of our employees. >> Is that 20 hours a week? Is that also or what is the the cut off for vacation acral? >> Um I think you could only roll over like a week maybe two at the end of the

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fiscal year after a certain point. Um, and that's pretty important. You know, actually we had also talked about comp time because there there were some thoughts about that. But, you know, one of the difficulties of having a comp time bank actually this is happening in a community right now is this person has

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like 200 hours of comp time and they're retiring >> plus all their vacation time. So, you know, those amounts can be really hard for small town budgets to absorb. So it's why it's important to have a cut off for the rollover. But okay, here I

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am. Here I am looking at the personnel bylaw as it stands now. So in two years you would get 11 days. In three years you would actually get 13 days and then in four years 14 and in five years 15.

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So it it gives a little extra benefit. You know we we know our wages can't be competitive. So, we know a great way to compensate for that is to allow more flexible time off. Um, >> and so what right now if if somebody

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leaves um do they take uh you know or rolling over from year to year, how many days can we roll over that? >> Um should say it here. Uh earned vacation time, earned vacation

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days which are not used in the year um may be accumulated to a maximum of the employees annual allotment of vacation time or to a maximum of the number of hours equivalent to 20 days whichever is

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smaller. That's our current policy. So I would imagine that that means you would only be able to like roll over say if you were working two years 11 days is how I would read that. >> So actually we don't really accumulate

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very much past or fiscal year to fiscal year. >> Haley, I'm sorry. I should know this, but vacation days and sick days right now are separate. It's not >> they're not separate. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yep. And then so like legally we would

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have to pay out vacation days. We don't have to pay out sick days or personal days >> if the employees >> Oh, there's personal days too. Okay. >> And do you know off the top of your head with this extra holiday time how many holidays there are per year?

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>> Um I can count once I find out on the page. Uh this um so currently we offer 11 holidays. This would give us 13 plus the floating >> 15. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. And so when when you look at

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the current one, um it does say on an annual basis, the select board may decide to grant extra time around Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. >> I think it's just much nicer to have them in there so people can plan too, right?

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>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And and again, how is it worded as to who >> who um gets vacation time just because I mean if somebody works 10 hours a week and they're going and they work, you know, it just seems how do they take

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those days? You know what I mean? >> It's confusing. So it would be um so it's it's any employee who's eligible for benefits which means a paid person who works 20 hours or more per week is the benefits. >> Okay, that makes sense.

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So with regard to vacation acrruel is the time actually acrewing or is it a given that if you've worked one month you can take five days if you worked six months you can take five days it's it's a pot of time

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automatically granted not not that they have to acrue over that period of time. Um trying to see if there's anything >> because for sick time they probably do have to acrue according to a

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>> state formula right so but this is more vacation aotment maybe more than acral >> that's how it looks in here it doesn't say anything about like acrewing vacation time oh no I'm sorry I hadn't scrolled up uh vacation time occurs from

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the beginning of the employment period but may not be used until the end of the review period. So even if you had the 10 days during your one to six months, you wouldn't be able to take it until you pass the six month mark. >> Okay? >> So this is going to be blended into the

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current bylaws. >> Yeah. You know what I I like about this processes is that you know with your staff meetings you're getting really good input

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and we can't pay a lot of money to people but giving more time >> so people have it's you're saying 15 holidays a year >> and yeah and so that was um like in

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Ammeris we had that we had the day Well, we had the day after Thanksgiving and it was always a half day on Christmas Eve and then for for just apartment heads, you had like a floating holiday to be used during like October through like January.

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So, it's pretty similar, but people didn't people were more interested in the day after Christmas than Christmas Eve. >> Everybody needs that day off. >> Yes, absolutely.

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Okay. So, am I scrolling too fast? Uh, so we need to vote on the proposed bylaw revisions. Uh, what should we call these? Well, they're the proposed personnel bylaw

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revisions. Uh, the remote and hybrid work. uh flexible review period, more inclusive bereavement leave, codifying extra holiday time, and

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expanded vacation time. >> So, what we're actually voting on is to okay this going to town meeting, right? >> That's correct. Yeah. The town has to vote on this, >> right? And you know, as I'm thinking, are there

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other things that have popped out at you, Haley, before town meeting? Is there anything else in our bylaws? Because I think we wrote the the bylaws in the 1990s, as I remember. >> Yeah, I think I think the last time it

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looks like the personnel one was reviewed was 2006. >> Oh, okay. It wasn't that long ago. >> No. Not in the scheme of things, huh? >> Um, you know, there there might be a few

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more in here, but that's what kind of stuck out to me the most. And well, the the first three is actually what stuck out to me. And then in conversations with staff, it was the latter two as well. So, um, so I feel pretty confident. I think that's a good starting point. You know, I don't want

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to throw too much at voters. You know, sometimes it's like, well, you know, my job's not giving me the extra vacation days, so it's hard to it's hard to explain the justification for that, you know, when you're when you're thinking about an employee benefit package for a municipality.

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>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, do I hear a motion to accept um putting the the proposed personnel bylaw revisions on the warrant for the annual town

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meeting? >> So, moved. >> Seconded. >> All right. We have to do a roll call, don't we? >> Brigham I. >> Recctor I. Salvador I

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>> and Stein I good >> and who made who made the motion? >> Uh Veronica did no capital >> I did. I think >> I seconded it. >> Okay, >> because that has I think that has to go

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on the warrant. So should I get >> So sorry. Um when this comes up at town meeting are people is there going to be discussion for every single one of those items? you. Well, I've only been to one,

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but last year. >> Yeah, there's usually like an explanation like we talk about, you know, why is this on the ballot? And then >> you never know what people are going to ask. This can be a free-for-all. But >> so, right. And so, Haley, you are going to be the person that is going to be

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responding to any questions. >> Yeah, I can definitely take the lead on it. I might ask other folks to to jump in. they have something to add, but I can definitely explain why uh why we brought them before the voters. >> Yeah, I >> perfect.

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>> And it's as with most of our town meetings, you just don't know what's going to trigger a lot of It could be >> I know two hours. >> Yeah. No, I was just thinking about that, April, and I don't know if it's the purview of this committee, but I

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wonder and and Haley, you can certainly say no, if it would be helpful at another time to try to spitball questions because like for that hybrid remote thing, I could imagine someone saying, "So, you're telling me that all our town employees are going to now work full-time remotely? that doesn't you

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know like >> so you could have some stock responses ready to >> I don't know like you said I don't know if that would be helpful but >> I think we could maybe um do that at our next meeting >> that'll be April and town meetings a

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couple weeks after that >> right >> yeah because I could see that too and it's like is our police department gonna work remotely >> right >> it's not every case >> I know it's just Like you know there's always one person, right?

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>> Yes. >> You know that. You know that better than any of us, Haley. >> Yes. When you see Yes. Yeah. It's the process and this is the purest form of democracy you can find. So >> yeah, let >> And I Yeah. And I loved it Haley when you said about the vacation, I mean

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about the holidays like this is generally what's happening in the area towns, you know? So giving that kind of context too is really great evidence to have. Um, >> hey, I didn't go to the meeting where

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um, clickers were practiced. Did any of you go to that? >> I did go. >> How was it? >> It was good. It was good. there was a lot of um uh people there from other towns who used them and so they were

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able to way some of the questions that were being asked by people. So that really that was a um a you know very positive thing I think. >> Yeah. Was it well attended? >> Um no I'd say there were 20 25 of us I

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that were there. Maybe 25, 30. >> Yeah. >> Not not counting the people who were talking, you know, but so some people went, but >> that seems like a pretty good turnout, Veronica. >> You know, cuz we used click we used those clickers at my last job. So for

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voting, so I bet some people are just familiar with them from >> Yeah, that could >> other contexts, but >> I don't know. Doesn't seem like a bad turnout. No, it I mean and it was explained that the reason that

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they're looking into it is because Ammerst gave us their old clickers, but we can't use those, but the company will take them in exchange. So, uh it's a lot less cost um than if you were buying it new from

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either them or another company. So, >> Oh, good. It's another one of those changes and I I think the part that I will miss but I think it's the most important part is watching people who's raising their hands and you know

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>> that's the part I dread >> that's that well that was discussed at length and um and it was very well explained that um everyone should be able to vote the way that they want to

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vote without feeling you know. So, yes, some people want to see how everybody votes, but that that if somebody's uncomfortable about that, that's taking away their right to vote. >> And um it was also explained that in a

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lot of towns there is never a unanimous vote anymore because people vote what how they feel, >> you know. So, that may be it may be a large majority, but people at least feel like they can vote how they feel. So

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sorry got on to a different topic here but >> no it's relevant it's it's sort of part of the changes that are happening you know remote being able to officially to be able to work remotely you know >> who would have thought of that a few years ago

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>> and right >> you know we just got we were getting more sophisticated little cardboard cards all the time and now and I would always lose mine I was it's like that feeling But there is that that you know that we

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want people to feel free to vote the way they really want to. >> I just remember how divisive the the library uh voting was >> and that ended up being handled in a way that people could vote the way they

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really wanted to without alienating anybody their neighbors or orbody. But it took forever because it was a written ballot. And that's another thing they brought up with the clicker. You got the number when they say time is up. There's the number. You know, you're not

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sitting there, you know, a half an hour waiting for 700 votes or whatever. >> So, >> but that was always a nice pause in the meeting, too. >> Yeah. But some people don't want to stay for 12 hours.

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No. No. No. >> So, who who here is going to be able to go to town meeting this year? It's uh May 9th. >> I'm planning on going. >> I'll be there. >> I'll probably be there at least for a

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while. Yes. >> The fun as usual. I think that generally the select board tries to put like the main like the the main budget early early on to get the most input and I don't have any idea how many warrants there's going to be. Probably more than

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you can imagine. >> Really less than last time though. >> I hope so. Last one was >> long. >> Fortunately, it was a lousy weather day so we didn't mind as much as we would on a sunny day. >> It's it's usually the first sunny day in

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May. That's correct. >> Okay. So, do we have anything else we're actually voting on tonight? I'm trying to think. >> Yeah. Is there anything that I didn't Haley? Is there anything that I didn't pick up on that we need to do? >> We want to set up right for Did we want

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>> Yeah, I think >> I think the only thing that you had on the agenda was just scheduling meetings with employees. I don't know if you're ready to do that or if you want to wait, >> but >> I I I think the sooner the better if

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people are are up for it like uh maybe at our and what time works for people because I know Ann you have a a job thing you do >> uh a little job

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>> thing job thing >> and I I do too but I I'm I only work a few a few days a week now, but So, what what works generally for employees, Haley, that we would really be able to, >> you know, it's tough because some people

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only do Tuesday, Thursday, and some people only do Monday, Wednesday. Um, but what I can do is I can send out a doodle poll, which I think is what I did like when the FinCom wanted that like um that fiscal summit. I just did that because it's way easier and I can

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include all of you on it. And for you Ann, what days you know if we look after town meeting and say miday might be a good time to do this. >> I mean are we thinking we're going to be able to do this in one meeting?

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>> That's the thing. I'm not sure. It might end. >> Yeah. I mean I can do I can do flex time. So it's not it I think the doodle poll is great. April, thank you for asking. and I can just look because sometimes it's like a Thursday could work but not between this particular

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hour because I have a meeting. So, um but I mean it's we're going to meet in person, right? We're not going to meet on Zoom. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. But it's just a five minute drive. So, I'm sure I can, you know, I'm going to use flex time so I can go to one of the library focus groups so at noon. So,

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>> my job my job isn't you know heart surgery. So, >> so these meetings these meetings with employees are are going to be kind of like what we did with Ellen. >> Um >> Oh, that's we're doing individual

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meetings. >> Is that what we're talking about? >> Is that >> No, I thought we were talking about Well, maybe >> I'm not sure now. You know, the individual meeting with with Ellen. I I think as you mentioned

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that I think all employees are really owed that kind of attention. Um uh but I also think the idea >> yes it will take a lot of time. >> Yeah.

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Maybe groups like group them into like >> um you know like jobs and you know group them like that and have a few and even if we have to invite them to our meeting for a part of the time or something you

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know maybe we could do it like that. >> So like do fire and police at the same time >> right? and uh highway department. Maybe those three. >> Yeah, I think that makes sense. Would

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you want So the highway I don't know highway fire is funny because they mostly have call force. So would you just want Lenny or would you want to try to do the call force because they all have their own job? I don't know.

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Maybe only the ones with um like Stew's a captain, you know, invite the ones that have, you know, st titles or whatever. I just sorry I really don't mean to throw a wrench into this, but will

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people >> be comfortable talking about what they think they should earn or how many hours they think they should have if they're in a meeting with other employees or would they prefer oneto ones? >> Yeah, that's why I thought it was going

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to be like what we did with Alan. >> Yeah, Kathy, as soon as you said that, it made me think about I mean, it's sort of like what you were just talking about, Veronica, with the voting, right? And you want it to be private, so you can vote how you I I would hesitate, if we're going to put

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the time into this, >> to have employees feel like they weren't able to really fully speak their minds. So one other option could be you could form a subcommittee and maybe just the

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members of the subcommittee like and myself do private sitdowns with people and then we can just report back on on what we've heard because then also they wouldn't feel pressured in front of like the camera like if it was a regular.

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>> Right. Is our ultimate goal to determine whether we've got the right number of hours for the jobs that these folks are doing so that when you're looking at budgets with the fincom and then voting on a budget we it's more accurate. That's what we're trying to accomplish,

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right? >> That's a major goal and probably just making sure that the job description is accurate. Unless you've done that recently, I don't know. No, I I have >> a few, but >> yeah, it's been intermittent. I've got a list of where you know, yeah, some have

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been many, many years. >> I mean, Haley, I loved this idea when you brought it up because I personally, as a member of this board, would love to have the opportunity to talk with some of the employees. So, my only hesitation against a subcommittee is

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that I don't know. I I'm not going to speak for anyone else on this committee, but for me it would be valuable to meet >> I would I but is it and I don't know if this is legal because I know when we used to interview you had to make sure you had the same interview committee for every candidate, but if we Kathy So what

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I'm going to say is probably illegal, right? Where it's like Kathy and Haley could do some of them and Right. Do we have to have the same composition of >> the >> I don't believe so. I'm happy to double check, but we're not hiring. We're just

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revealing, >> right? >> I don't think it has the same pressure. >> Okay. Because we could do it that way, right? We could divvy him up a little bit. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, like a Well, like like Haley had said, a subcommittee.

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>> So, it it doesn't have to be, you know, videoed or there's no minutes and it's it's private, >> right? Well, it would be the same. >> Oh, okay. There would be >> the same people on each subcommittee, April. I guess that's what I was getting to. >> Yeah.

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>> So, so does that work having different people? What do people think about that? >> I don't know that you could form subcommittee like that. I mean, I guess you could do it like if you had

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trying to think um like say say the subcommittee was Kathy, Ann, and myself like we could probably divide them up between like, oh, Kathy's available Tuesday, so she'll do these, and then Ann can come in on Friday because that's when she's available. But I don't know

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that we could like sub out other people. Do you know what I mean? So, I think you kind of have to stick within the whoever you've chosen. Um, >> right. >> But, you know, maybe maybe we're putting the cart before the horse a little bit.

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Maybe we do just do a general all employee meeting and say, you know, what do you think about this process? Because there are some folks who might just say it's fine. Like, I don't need to change. Like I have a feeling like our accountant will probably say the job description hasn't really changed. It's

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more or less the same. And so um >> I like that idea. >> I like I think that's a good start to kind of weed out the folks who are perfectly content and their hours are what their hours are reported to us and >> you know and then we'll have a much

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smaller group to have to manage. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, what we're going to do is after town meeting and and I I think not too far into the summer, but like say yeah

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>> the end of May um >> that the personnel board meets with all town employees who are available to come >> right >> as many and and the Google poll will find out who's when's the best times and

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we'll make it happen. Okay. >> I like it >> because I think this I Haley I think this just fits into that whole idea like the fincom has been meeting with the employees now. You know it's really I think this creates a better work environment for everybody that you know

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there it's not them versus us. It's like it's we're all in this together. >> Exactly. >> And how much we appreciate our employees. I mean I think we're we're really lucky. We've got a group of people who do an amazing job and they get a lot of crap, you know.

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>> Yeah. >> Highway department or the police department, you know, all of the above. And uh >> or the town, >> they're dedicated. >> Yes. Yeah. The town administrator. >> You have to take off your lightning rod. That's the problem.

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>> I don't know if I can. And Haley, just, you know, to say this, I mean, you should you also need to have the opportunity to report on how you're feeling about your job hours and compensation and all that, too, right? We don't >> you're an employee, so

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>> and yeah, that's true. >> Don't forget. >> Yes. >> Don't forget. >> Okay. So, I think we have a plan. So, we're looking like, you know, the after town meeting. Okay, >> in person as many people as we can.

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We'll try to make that work >> and then take it from there as we can have a choose a small subcommittee to actually meet with employees personally. I think that makes a lot of sense and I think this dovetales into the idea of getting PAFs,

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>> you know, up and running. Um, >> and then everything's going to be digitalized, which >> I think that's miracle. And this and also the the job descriptions, >> right? Yeah, some people will be, you

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know, could be prepared to talk about your job description in the subcommittee and um how many hours a week you're really working and how, you know, >> and then we would bring back the what if they want or think there could be

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changes, we'd bring them back to the committee and as a group we'd go through all the ones that I guess, right? >> Yeah. Oh, this is a good plan. I think we're on to something.

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So, we'll figure out the numbers for the alignment study. >> I think that's my father telling me from afar, long a far. >> Got to get your numbers straight. There's that. Um, I think the the

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personnel the changes to the personnel bylaws, I think they make a lot of sense and we'll prepare that. Um, and we can all meet with the employees after in May >> and I think I think we're doing right by the

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employees. >> Yep. I agree. >> Yep. And so can we just confirm our next meeting is >> uh 23rd. Is that right? >> That's right.

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>> At five uh third Thursday. >> Yeah. >> That's the >> 16th. >> Oh yeah. Wow. There's five. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's a lot.

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Do we need to look at a time change because of Melissa's change? >> I know. >> Um, yes. I was >> Yeah, I was gonna >> I was Yeah, it's actually good you brought that up because I was going to say um I can talk to the select board at their next meeting if they want to

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appoint probably I would say Eric at this point since Rita is not going to be on the committee passed um into the fiscal. >> That's right. >> Right. >> Oh, so switch out Melissa and Eric. Is that what you're saying, Haley? Okay. >> Yeah,

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>> that's that way you have that flipboard connection. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. No, I Yeah. Okay. >> Didn't fail completely. It was just a half hour later would be a better start time because of her work schedule, right?

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>> Was it? >> Yeah. But I have That's true. She said 5:30, but I have a hard stop at six o'clock now on Thursdays. >> And Okay. >> So, so do I, actually. Okay. >> As a matter of fact, I'm gonna have to scoop pretty soon, but

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>> close. >> It actually, you know, I really enjoy having Melissa on the committee, but it might be easier to have Eric join the committee than for all of us to find another time to meet. >> True. >> And I don't think Melissa is bored in her life right now, not having enough to

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do. >> She's been a wonderful addition to this committee over the years. Absolutely. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> I'll check in with her on that and just say that it would be really hard, I think, to move it very much past 5:30. So, >> okay, >> I'll confirm with her if that works.

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>> You guys rock. >> Thanks, Haley. >> Yeah, I think we got a plane. So, if I don't see you in the woods or wherever, we'll see each other on the 16th. Okay. >> So, do I hear a motion to adjurnn?

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So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call vote. >> Brigham I. >> Rtor I. >> Salvador I. >> And Stein I. All right. Off to your busy lives. >> Thank you so much everybody.

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>> Thank you. Bye bye. on the chair.