This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. All right. Calling to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for April 29th, 2025 at about 6:05 p.m. If we can start by standing and
saying the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
All righty. Good. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So, do we have anyone here for citizens speak? Nothing. Okay. I have just one announcement. I think I'll do it right now. Um, our town clerk, Lucy, was going
to be here tonight, but she has asked me to let everyone know that the um the um I think she said the the warrant for the election. I think she means the ballot for the election, right? You got it right here. She means the ballot.
Yes. Okay. Um the ballot. So the ballot for the election, the draft ballot is is posted online already um for the elected um positions that are open. But um there will be early in post in sorry early inperson voting which starts on Monday which is May 5th I believe through May
8th and then May 12th through the 15th. Uh, so people have um people can start requesting their mail-ins for those that want to uh get their ballot by mail if they're going to be out of town or just want to vote from from home and not come into town hall. Uh, she has the ballot
so people can start requesting those um as of now. And the election itself is going to be May 20th from noon until 8:00 p.m. So those of you that would like to not wait for the actual election day, but come in and and uh or put in
your note for getting a an absentee type ballot or mail-in ballot, please do so. Okay. All right. Next up, Scott, town administrator report, please. Um, thanks. It's been mostly budget the last week and a half, but um I just want to
let you know, I talked to Bradley. Free cash has been submitted to the state. We've answered all the questions. So now it's just a waiting game. Unfortunately, our representative was um on vacation all of last week. So, uh but we hope to know within the next day or two. So, there's all the questions have been
answered. Um our health director, Jeremy's retiring this week, so I just want to give her some recognition. Uh Thursday is going to be your last day. We're um all the site board and town moderator. We're having a little little event over at Pyandos at 1:00. uh if you
want to stop by. Um I'm going to be doing a um ask me uh any questions about the budget on Facebook Live on Monday at 1:00. If anyone has any questions or anything like that, they can log on, ask me a question, and I can uh share my
computer screen and go over any any um anything that people might have. Uh we'll be starting the restarting finishing up the uh FY23 and 24 audits next week. Um, FY23 is almost done. Um, there's just one or two things that we need to
finish up and then we have to go on to 24 and then 25 again. Um, for bargaining, I just have to finish up the contract for highway. Uh, just writing it out. And, uh, we just had a quick meeting with the police just to set ground rules and, uh, um, what potential
scheduling could be in the next couple of months. Um, cannabis. I did hear back from their attorney, so uh I haven't had a chance to review everything yet. And the budgets have been posted online under um uh town government and an FY26
budget. So both budgets A and B. Budget A would be um without the override and budget B would be with the override. Uh essentially it would impact the Norris Elementary School. That's the biggest difference between them. Um, and there's
also the summaries and motions that was post that was posted earlier today. Um, so that'll be updated a little bit here and there, but um, that'll be printed out as well for annual town meeting. Um, but I'm going to have some QR codes for people entering. So hopefully people will save some paper. I'm only going to
print out maybe like 50 or 75. Um, so if you want to bring your iPad or tablet um, to get a better view, I think that that'll work well, too. It's probably a good idea. It's a sort of it's it's about 30 30 articles I believe on the on the warrant, but um it's a lengthy
warrant just because of all the bylaw language. Uh especially we've got some three large um zoning bylaw amendments in there and the way we I don't know I'm hoping we could change it in the future, but the way that we have been having to do it is to put in the entire amount or
the entire language of the the existing bylaw and then note where the changes are. And so this sometimes you go for pages and I'm sure Robert figured this out the other night when he read a couple of these bylaws ad nauseium. Uh you can go for three pages without any change. So it'd be a whole lot more
efficient if we could figure out through lawyers and whomever else state whoever tells us how we have to do these to just put in the change paragraph and not um the entire bylaw if that's possible going forward. But that's uh I think a great idea. So, we'll have a QR code so people could um maybe look at that
differently that night if necessary. So, good. All right. Thanks, Scott. Any questions for Scott? Nope. All right. Anything from your committee assignments, Stephen? Anything off hand? Oh, sure. The open space committee met
looking at a variety of priorities uh with an intention of putting in a land prop a proposal to the state for the land grant program. Um but it's the question of which andor how many
properties to pursue and who's going to help put that all together. Um so there are a number of active possibilities in town. I see one is on the agenda. Um suppose the only other thing to add
is that a realtor representing heirs of Zipa on Glendale Road uh came to the open space committee and presented the uh fact that the realtor is representing the family property of about
3 1 acres is on the market and um there's preliminary information available. Right. Town has preliminary interest but can't fully evaluate it until more due diligence. Very good. That's
the open space committee. Okay. All right. Yeah. Um I haven't had any meetings in the past since last we were gathered here. But Thursday night um I have all district committee meeting and the primary topic will be um Dr. Peron's
uh annual evaluation. We hope to release it Thursday night and close it on May 15th and then it would become a public document shortly after that when we have the hearing. Great. Very good. Okay. Good. And that reminds me, we are a
little bit off schedule, but we have our own evaluation. I'm hoping you folks can get me that very soon so we can tidy up uh the evaluation for our town administrator as well. So, if you have any questions about it, feel free to shoot me an email. Okay. All right. Uh
no particular meetings I think on my end that are of any great importance uh at this point in time. Um haven't uh got anything going right now for these various committees that I'm in charge of. Uh trying to just keep on top
of some of the things that we have submitted here. Um so let's go to the new business. We have a couple of items on here. We have some chapter land. One land that is uh right of first refusal. This is uh withdrawing land
from chapter. This is from uh the uh the parcel owned by Jeffrey and Carolyn Floric on Fulmer Road. It's 3.19 acres to be withdrawn from chapter and I believe they're going to use that for personal use, building lot, whatever.
and we have gotten the necessary approvals from what I'm seeing here. They have an appraisal done. They've done their they have a uh um a value on it. They've got the writer first refusals have been approved by the planning board, the board of assessors,
and the conservation commission. So, everything seems to be in order. Everyone is recommending that we not exercise our right of first refusal and uh let that property go the way that the landowners would like to do that. So if everyone is
in agreement, I'll take a motion to approve the uh motion to approve the release or the to refuse the first red refusal for former road under the Floric name. Mhm. Okay. Second. All right. If
no discussion, I'll take a vote. All those in favor? I I I All right. Motion passes. Thank you. Um, Scott, just an update, I guess, on the railway sewer, where we are with that study program that's going on. There has been going
on. So, we a few months ago, we completed the initial study for putting sewer from East Hampton underneath the greenway all the way to about Zero College Highway. Um, the next step, that was only really the first step in the exploratory phase. Uh the next step
would be to have to contract with Tai Bond again to do a little bit more technical drawing as well as figure out funding structures and also to reach out to the public to see if there's an appetite for that and if potential homeowners would want to connect to it.
Um that would require more funding for another study. Um two of the things that are really at issue with the railway sewer is time and money. If we had more time, I I don't think the money would be an issue. If we had more money, I don't think time would be an issue to be
honest with you. Um, realistically, we we have about two years to get everything done. Um, as well as mass DOT approval to put underneath the greenway uh before the the project starts.
Um it would be a before the greenway project before the greenway project is breaks ground. Um so it doesn't mean that the project I I mean it's right now it's it's looking very difficult to overcome those two obstacles.
Um I don't think you know the project itself isn't necessarily dead but the cost savings that we would have received putting it under the greenway um would pretty much be evaporated at that point. Um so it's a matter of you know do we or next
couple years do we want to still pursue that um you know get funding for the next phase of the study or is that something that we should maybe look to the future more on? So not not contemplating continuing
action right now is perhaps that is the recommendation I'm hearing. Mhm. Yeah. Um I sat in on that meeting with Tyen Bond and but for 50 or
$75,000 we would move forward with the next phase of exploration that would put us in a position where should those stars come into alignment, we'd have the engineering and the public case
statement for why we be pursuing that at what price, what benefit. So if we don't spend 50 or 75,000 that we did not have in the 25 budget,
it will pre-ordain that we do not have sewer. Mhm. Okay. Not in the greenway, not for a long time, not without a lot of disruption. But I noticed and didn't want to jump ahead. The
greenway committee I recognize has an item on the agenda. Right. It is still possible that these stars come into alignment. They might. I It's It's a little a little hard to tell. Right. Right now it is hard to tell and I've been tracking it deciduously through the
regional planning and the tip program. We'll circle back around on that. But um the I think the challenge is you know having that $75,000 you know finding that to be able to do the next phase of the study which is certainly as Scott apparently quiet for
definitely a challenge to to be able to do that. So seems like we are kind of at a standstill at the moment and if we can pick it up sometime in the future we've at least gotten some of the preliminary work done but I think you know would ask the adhawk grant committee to keep an
acute eye out for that type of although I've just heard of a couple that have just been cancelled through the feds but anyway the brick program and a couple of others. So there's a lot of those things that we may be feeling that a little bit more coming forward. I don't know. The state is still trying to do their thing, but anything where they're relying on on
money from the federal government, I think is going to be a challenge for sure. Well, if I might respond to that, in the meeting with the um transportation the uh Thanks. Thank the Metropolitan Planning Organization,
the transportation planning for our region. um the state and federal representatives who are going forward with more than half a dozen different federal funding sources on a year-by-year increasing basis for the
next five fiscal years. So, they're closer to it and that's how they're proceeding and that's all I can say. Well, and and in some ways in some ways you kind of almost have to proceed a little bit because you don't know what's going to
happen, but at the same time, I think you've got Thank you. You made you made my argument. You got to be realistic a little bit. And what came out of that is they are being extremely strategic to try and hang on to and move projects
ahead. And yet still that's where we not directly but um all the tip projects are cascading forward a year or two. Yeah. Including our greenway. So yeah, we'll come back around on that. Good. Okay. All right. So I'm I'm thinking we will
say that there's no more action on the railway sewer sewer line at the present time until we let a couple of these other projects get underway and see where we're going and where we have any money to do anything uh that we would like to do too. Uh, next up we have a
vacation carryover request from our highway superintendent. Motion to approve 40-hour carryover for Randle Kemp Highway Superintendent to be um used in the next fiscal year. Second. All right. Any question, discussion? All right. All those in favor?
We Okay. I Good. Yeah. Thanks, Dan, for Oh, joining us. Okay. Um, next up we have a little bit of discussion about the ATM. Scott, you want to Um, so the summaries and motions
were posted earlier today. Um, and I just have to recheck all the links as well. Um, also the school budget materials were reposted as well to make sure that they're up to date and over uh everything that needed to be posted. So the FY26 budget should be mostly up to date. Um, obviously the big one's going
to be article one, the annual operating budget. Um, with the two A, budget A and budget B. Um, I've been asking people around town hall what the best way to explain it in the summary is and there's no easy way to to do it. Um, so I guess
it's the best it's the least worst way or the least confusing way I guess, but it's going to be a little bit confusing. So, um there are some things I added I'm going to add in already uh to what I submitted um today. Um just to emphasize
the what the cost of the override is going to be and probably something um about what would happen if they're, you know, kind of expand on the no vote a little bit more. So, Mhm. It's not
tonight, but at some point, are we going to are we going to speak to um having a particular order and not necessarily? Yeah. I mean, we normally go 1 2 3 4 5 up and down the line because I mean, I think there are certain key questions that unless
somebody else wants it to, I I'd prefer to go up and speak, be the first person to speak in favor of it from the select board's point of view. I'm fine with that. I think Scott's going to do the overall presentation of the budget, right? you're going to be the first one sort of presenting the whole thing. I mean, if if I'm the first one, I can
read the motion, but then Scott, you would actually present the details and John would be following up, I think, on that. So, I know Robert's going to also talk about maybe, you know, grouping it up in like traditionally doing it that way. But, I plan on going over all the different
line items for each department and are you you're going to go down through the sort of the summary. So, does it does it make I don't know. Is it is it possible before article one motion is read that a general summary overview of the budget and the booklet and all that is
presented to the body cuz you've got the huge right do theud the educational piece this is new this year we have a 96 page budget whatever the number is and you talk about the whole thing and all that no questions it's just here's the budget here's everything then we go to
article one you do have a budget book for the first time ever which is incredibly complete that shows every every level of detail for all the different departments which people will this is new for people. So I think we have a lot of new new things that people will not have seen in
previous. Could a chair inquire the town moderator if that would be even possible. I could certainly inquire that the town moderator. Yes, Robert. Well, I care. Yes. No, that's fine. Yes. Since Robert is here, thanks for thanks for joining it. Robert Floyd, college highway town moderator. That's the question. So the question
would be because because of how we're doing the budget this year where we're providing a x page like 86 page or 96 page it's going to be a handout. Right. Right. That's going to be a handout to people. Is it possible before we get to the first article if if the town
administrator could walk the members through because this is the first time they're seeing the entire book and just explain the process the transparency a little education and then you know maybe 5 minutes and then we move to article one and read the motion to to answer
your question we can't discuss anything unless it's under the umbrella of an article. So the article would need to be announced first the motion and then discussion Okay. So, so no, so the article first and then then describe the budget book is
possible to do and I'm still believing that we need to divide the question since I last spoke here. I've received a lot of phone calls. Article one is very confusing and this is from town officials. This is from
people that I don't know. This is people that I trust. I think there's a good portion of people that are going to be confused. I believe the safest way is to continue with our tradition of 15 years
and dividing the question talking about each item and then talk about sorry then talk about the override. I believe if we put it all together it leads to confusion which is what people protested 15 years ago when they wanted it to be
divided. So, how how would you I I would walk us through the question. I would I would do what I've done last year and the years before. I would take each department. Do you have a copy of this? I do. Okay. I just got it. Is this this gets that that's every level of of
department. I know. But I would take the the departments that we looked at, public safety, li whatever the 10 or 11 are them. I would open it up and normally every single one has passed
unanimously without debate. People have more opportunity not to be intimidated to weigh in, not to pressure them to burst out with something. They can think and take their time and
they're very happy with that process. And moderator's authority is about process. not outcome. So are you thinking like the first well first thing listed is the elementary
school with an option A option B or would you just do Norris option A we go all the way through and then we go back Norris option B and go all the way through or how my thing would simply be option A and talk about the budget all the different
categories and vote on each one. Once we vote on each one, we don't have to vote on the whole budget in its entirety parliamentally, then have a discussion separate about the override on option B. And that's how we've done it historically. So, we would first vote
option A and then we would vote option B. Yeah. And I believe strongly that people don't like surprises. You nor I nor the people, the voters, and they're used to this system. And many of them, I don't know, most of
them don't have any idea about this discussion or the budget. They're going to show up and that's a lot of material, new material, new concepts to digest and that just roughs ruffles the feathers and shakes the water and I really don't
want that to happen unnecessarily. So, this would have to be reformatted. I mean, I think the level of detail is not it not bad. Having it reformatted would be beautiful. It doesn't have to be reformatted for the moderator to divide
the question. And these are in Well, maybe they are in order. I'm not sure. Are they all kind? One thing I'd ask Scott to consider is we discussed this the other day is to put the different categories for the people to have. That
would be wonderful, but at least I would have it. So I would say safety, whatever the figure would be. Is anybody wanting to speak on this? Anybody opposed? Hearing none. And I exaggerate because generally we're we're to use,
you know, call the question twothirds. I try to avoid that vote. So I take my time, but that's been the most peaceful approach. and select boards historically and people have loved it and approved of it. The first time it wasn't so. Five
select board members stood around me in a semicircle and yelled at me. I was quite intimidated. I decided not to split the question. Somebody in the audience called for the motion and the audience the voters voted unan no near
unanimously to divide the question and that's is what we've been doing ever since. So if you said public safety for example, if we still had this, you would need to know the total of say whatever it is, fire department and police department and say, well, at least public safety, it would help if they
knew what it was, but at least I would have the total for public safety and not the breakdown for fire. If somebody asked, they could be told, but the within the handout that'll be within the the membership body, so it's available to
everybody there. There is a page that runs this way that has everything. It's not going to be it'll say police and then next would be fire. Yeah, that's what but it doesn't have cumulative numbers. It it's only divided by department, not by Yeah. Okay.
Historically, I've taken the summaries. Correct. But I'm say I'm just saying I mean if you're going to do it that way I would say use the by department for because that's what everyone's going to have in the in the audience versus if you're doing the math over on the side
to create I I I I I believe it could work but I feel more comfortable in doing it the way we've done it. So were you going to put out the you that that page that John is talking about the department level one is going to be part
of the one of the early pages in the budget book itself. Mhm. It's going to be the second page. Second page. Yeah. Second page is A. Third page is B. Is that the general overall budget? Yeah. That's the first page of the budget book for both of them. Mhm. A and
B on the same page. No. No. It's two separate Yeah. Yeah. Budgets. Yeah. going to throw it up. Can you find it? Just curiosity. Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out I mean, it's interesting. I mean, I I hear what you're saying. I mean, I think, you know, we're trying maybe we're trying lots of new
things, but we're trying to be much more transparent, I think, than we have been in years past in terms of how our town runs, what it needs to run. Um, and I think the the the book Scott has proposed and is creating is is
wonderful. It's more than we One of the one of the objectives, Robert, is also that in doing it this way where it only shows I can't even read it up there. Oh, uh, very clear payroll cost and non-payroll for the department, there's two items. So then if this passes, that department
head is free to move that money between those expenses where the old way was like you had fire gear and then SCBA and then they're limited to try and smooth and that can be explained up front, you know, uh, in a general statement.
And I think, and sorry for interrupting, I think just slicing off information, the salami method, people digest it more. They're coming in for 30 articles. Their brain is is busy. And I believe putting it peacemail, it's easy for them
to digest. It's palatable and it's more acceptable. And it's worked. So like in this particular case, the first five or six lines here are under the general general fund budget, right? Yeah. So I think we would we would do
the summation on the general. That would be one. They can look at the breakout. They can ask questions about if they wish, but at least they have the information. Having more information is less questions. Nothing wrong with questions.
Okay, Stephen, you had a question. First of all, we don't want to confuse people. Yeah, we want to reduce confusion. I think it's also important
that we step up to our responsibilities as the finance committee and the select board with the incredible assistance of our town administrator to put forward all the
information in a way that draws the voters's attention to real choices. And I think that if we go department by department by department, that's not where the meaningful choices are.
I respect your history with this town in particular and the prerogatives of the moderator, but in that context, which I defer to, it's really important for our town administrator or member of the
board to express our goals, which is to be more responsible to the voter and to give them the choices that really are on the table for them. And so I think each slice of the
baloney, that's what we've always done, but at some point we might recognize that we're voting on the whole baloney. And that would be in a way that isn't confusing. This article was confusing. I've been receiving more phone calls
than I've historically received in 15 plus years on any article. And I'll appreciate that you and the citizen moderator put a lot of time into putting this out. We have the the categories as I I just pulled up the one from a year or two ago. General government is one of
these categories. Yes. Public safety. Yes. Education. Yes. Health and human services. That's four. Culture and recreation. Five. Employee benefits. Yes. Six. Debt service. Seven. And debt service interest. Eight.
There are eight different ones. I think there's 10. There's a There's smaller ones. I can't think of them right now, but I believe there's 10, but that just could be memory recall at the moment. Okay. But eight is fine. I'm only eight as long as it covers up the total
budget. But I guess the question would be I mean it's more presentation in a way that I'm hearing. Um, I'm just trying to think if if you still had this level of detail, but you still took general government and put a a total figure for general
government there. Yes. But the detail of what pieces go under general government because these are kind of alphabetical, are they not, Scott? I don't know how these were the outside of the first four. Yeah. So, these are the the detail would be in the handout, right? um as it always has been, but you're
presenting it differently, right? So, you're giving them information, you're giving them more information, but the vote is custom as to what we've been historically doing last 15 plus years.
I mean, what this would do would be under under public safety for let me just take that one for example, if I find it. Um so that's basically police, fire, EMD
and actually building is under there too. So those are the categories that have been under this in the past. So, I'm I guess I'm wondering rather than alphabetical if this were rearranged to say, "Okay, here's public safety and we pull out here's the fire
total. Here's the public here's the but this has already been posted." Um, I mean, as far as the article goes, the article has been posted. You I mean, I think we can change whatever you want on the booklet or the the backup information or additional information. Yeah. No, that's what I mean. Yeah. I mean, the article itself, I mean, is
Yeah. I mean the all the Yes. Okay. You have already posted this level of detail. It's already up there. This level of detail is is out on the website now. That's on the ward. Yeah, it's on the ward. Okay. So, it's our backup detail that we would need to have as part of the handout then is what you're
saying. Okay. That hasn't gone to print yet. Correct. Right. That has not been printed yet. Correct. Right. So depending on there's probably not the form you have because I'm sure it's tied to Excel workbooks, right? All over
before you start slicing and dicing the summary page. Uh well, I can I can change the order of that. That's not a problem. If you want I I can redo this part and do it by category. I can do general
governmental administration, finance, public safety, public health or inspectional services and then assume assuming so if we do that culture and then Robert goes through it or divides opts to divide the question and goes through it that way. That's budget A and
let's just say for sake of argument every there's no objection and it passes. Then the this next piece, the only difference between A and B is the Norris Elementary School, right? So we wouldn't have to go by section all over again. We could just point out that that
was that's the sole difference, right? And is it is everybody is there a yay or nay vote to push that forward to the ballot? Right. And to acknowledge Steven's point about change and accepting change and the concept, I
believe absolutely that fine, but you're now including an override. If you didn't have the override, there would be a whole different story. But you do have an override, which can be emotional, and I believe one need not splash on the other.
Mhm. I guess my question is on the on the motion the way we have it written here because the motion itself I don't know if you have this Robert but so move the town appropriate which would be the the budget a non-contingent appropriation
and how the funding is raised and move to further raise and appropriate from taxation. So this would end up being two I would I would divide the question. one, we're going to be talking about the budget and only the budget. And then when that's finalized and voted on, then
we will open discussion and then vote on the override. The override and I would not allow a discussion on the override during the budget debate. [Music] What kind of six have there? I mean, definitely we want to make we want to
make it clear. We want to make it transparent. We want to have the best chance of success. Um, so I don't think we need to shoot ourselves in the foot by complicating things. Um, and I guess the question is how to I think we just change the summary so that
the math is there. Mhm. Right. So that when you when Robert divides the question, you can see what the what the cumulative number of that group is. People will have it in the audience and it goes through you know. So maybe that first line up top is whatever that is general fund and then you're going to list under there,
you know, that's a big bold general fund category and then you're going to have the various departments that fit in under general fund and that total, right? I would probably move building into maybe inspectional services with health and uh public safety, but yeah, I'm not
sure how that ended up there. But and if we if we have the um Hampshire regional updated budget and the North budget, we can break out the personnel cost because right now that one's there showing zero. Uh yes, I
the Norris because again along with transparency I mean personnel costs at Norris and Hampshire regional well Hampshire regional is a little less but at Norris it's almost 90%. So, this would break out just like with
all the other other departments, right? Yes. Breaks out. And you're saying you would want that in that front page, though? Well, again, we're showing expenses and personnel cost. And then when you get to the schools, we lump them all together. So, A, I believe we should be consistent and
and B, I think it's relatively easy to do. Mhm. Now that uh Don has sent down the um the updated numbers and all that. Are these Excel sheets, Scott, or these charts? What are what are these? Uh Excel sheets. Yeah, exactly. Okay.
Well, what do you think? You're the one that has to do the rent work. No, I I can make it anyway. That's not This is not a problem. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. I I talked to Robert a couple days ago about that about at least doing a cheat sheet for him anyway. So, uh which I was going to do. So, we were working closely together, grouping things. Mhm. The
numbers won't change. It's just, you know, how we present this fun. Okay. Well, is everybody generally Let's give it a roll and see how it goes. We'll do a combination. It's kind of a hybrid, right? We're a little bit of how we've always done it, but we're presenting a whole lot more detail and information
behind it, which yes, people have never never really had access to. And Scott, you confirmed that KP Law will be there in attendance. If anybody raises a legal question, either Michelle or Brian are will be there. No, that's fine. Thank you. Thank you for what if questionair
yes thank you for the cooperation teamwork looking forward what if the minority of county voters who appear on a Saturday morning at a at a meeting decide to deny it's
Tuesday night it's not Saturday morning sorry go back to Tuesday it's still Tuesday night until we're not changing next next year you got your mic turned around we're really not trying to rock the boat here. No. No. But but the the what if
what if the voters at town meeting whenever it's held deny the entire population of voters the opportunity to vote on the override? Is that not the implication of
a no vote on the B call and that we would be the holdup on the regional budget, not just our Norris budget and therefore a no vote on B would deny voters the
opportunity to see the ballot question and it would put us at with our fellow communities in the region. Is that correct? If we do not approve any part of the school budget, whether it's Hampshire Regional or
Norris, then the educational budget as a whole fails because there's this $400,000 piece in Norris that is central office. I believe there's a strong likely I know there's an override
in another community. If that community was to also vote it down and not pass the override, the entire educational budget fails for all five communities. Whether that happens at town meeting under your scenario, worst case scenario, or at the ballot box.
Mhm. And then we'd go into an emergency. There's a process spelled out emergency which which for since you asked the question I will answer it. That emergency process is not a 112 budget. The budget would then be sent to the
commissioner of education who would set the rate and tradition traditionally when this has happened it's not going to be the 4.05 number. Then that comes back and then the community is forced to look at the figure figure out
where the cuts are going to come from because that school budget takes priority over everything. Mhm. So it's not final until budget B would pass at town meeting and the ballot question.
Correct. Right. So my concern is what happens if minority role in person at town meeting denies the larger public the opportunity to weigh in and it's a domino effect with
neighboring community. Well, I think that's part of the education process at town meeting and and and we're going to have to be I'm going to suggest we're going to have to be careful with this because the general rule is you can only talk three times on a subject, twice on a subject. So,
unless to answer a question. Oh, right. Um the I mean that that'll certainly be part of my my message is that it passing here does not automatically mean this is happening. It's just merely getting it to the ballot, right? So all eligible
voters have an opportunity to weigh in, right? Which is again the intent of having it before a larger population group to to vote on that. So that notion of having it on the ballot in the first place. Yeah. And the only complaint I've Sorry, friend. The only complaint I've heard
historically about town meeting is the few people who didn't understand an article or understand a motion and they came unprepared. they sat down. But we've done wonderfully together as a team and I'm really proud of our voters.
Um I I don't like surprises. I announce ahead of time if there's anyone who has a severe amendment or a large amendment, let me see it beforehand because if I somebody hands me an amendment at town meeting and I'm confused, I hand it back
to them because the voters are going to be confused probably and that's has happened. So, back on back on this, we would do the motion first, have Scott, then he would be able to present the budget book overview. Is that the idea? I would have
Scott read the motion, then I would divide the question. Somebody would read the motion. Whoever would read the motion. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, not Scott. Yeah. Whoever would meet the mo I would then divide the question and then Scott would rise and speak only on the budget. Uhhuh. and we would only talk
about the budget and we would vote on the budget. When that's done, then I announce we're now going to talk about the override and we would talk about the override with with Scott presenting the overall sort of reorganization and budget book. Then we definitely would
want John to speak on the whole issue about the school budget. Oh, you all can speak. That would be on the second piece. Oh, dividing the question. Um, somebody can speak twice on the budget and twice on the override. I think, but if we're
going down a and we get to the educational piece and I get up and I speak to support Norris's budget, you're not going to let me Yeah. I'm going to let you speak one more time on the But you're only going
to let me speak on the 4.05. I'm going to let you speak on each item. No, twice. twice on each each division of the budget. But at the time I'm speaking about Norris without the override. Yes. I'm not going to be allowed to mention
or reference. Correct. So, but would I be so then later you can come back and speak on because it's a separate issue. But if okay I'm my wheels are turning now. So I
get up and speak to that. I can speak to and this if this 405 passes it does represent a reduction in 10 FTEES at school not put a dollar amount on or anything like that which could potentially encourage people on that
line item on a to vote that line down say no we're not approving that which would then imply they'd be in support when we come back over on the second part of the question right I'm not following you there I'm sorry but I but speaking on the first
option of the I think it's a 4.05 I might be misspeaking because I can't it's 405 4.05 05 increase percent y percent increase year-over-year um represents whatever $228,000 increase. Passing
this will be have the effect of 10 full-time positions being eliminated from the Norris budget in budget a budget A. So now potentially so that means when you call for the vote
there hypothetically I would vote against that to kill that one section. Okay. Now if we come around right we go through everything else and now we come around option B we don't have a complete budget yet because the school just got wiped out. Option B that's pretty much
the only question. Then we talk about what the o the override and this would keep those positions in there. I mean you can refer to it. You can refer to it. The idea is not to have a debate on it with the audience. This is the impact of this flexibility. This
flexibility. So yeah. Mhm. Okay. Does that make sense? Yeah. Well, good. Thank you. We'll give it a try. So we'll leave it to Scott. There is no try. Only they do. The only thing I would say is the the the uh moderator does always ask is
there a reason to take an article out of order? Mhm. Would we want to take article one throw to the end? Yeah. I don't think we've ever had the budget as the first article before, but we don't want to do that. We want maximum. We want to kind of get it. You're all good. You're all good. Seven.
So, I want to try to keep it one day. Yeah. We want to keep everybody there. Right. Exactly. All right. So, Scott, we'll leave it to you then. You may have to do a little tinkering in terms of the wording on the on the summaries and and motions still. Right. Um, even though you've got some posted there, that that still is a little bit
of edit job, but I think this whole notion of just re reformatting, if you will, the sort of the first page of the of the summary budget. Um, if you will take that on. Yep. Okay. Any others that you wanted to draw our attention to on what you handed out?
Just as a couple. Um, um, Nope. That's that's about it. And again, just just to reiterate, we're trying to, you know, because we have a couple of new things um from the trust funds to um salaries on elected
officials, etc. We want to have as as much clarity in the summary so that people really understand what it is that they're voting on and that, you know, we eliminate confusion. That's that's certainly the goal. Okay.
So, all right, let's see where we are. Um, any other thoughts on I mean people I think what we'll normally do is we've got I guess we have 30 articles so we'll go down the go down the list as usual. Um, you can kind of take a gander at
where you probably will be depending on where you sit obviously. But um, do we anticipate meeting having a public meeting ahead of time or Yeah, I think we might need a short one but I probably not terribly lengthy I wouldn't think like 6:15 I'd say so that we can get into the room by 6:30 6:45. So, let's
say about 6:15, we'd meet at the library, the library of the school, uh have our short meeting and then get into the um cafeterium area. Okay. Okay. Any questions? Okay. All
right. Super. All right. Um well, gone to a lighter moment. Maybe the 250th anniversary. No. Uh things are moving on. Um the uh committee has a couple of events on this
Saturday. Um so two big things. So first of all the little league SYAa is doing their little league opening jamboree parade games etc. most of the morning uh and into early afternoon down at Kon Park. Uh so that is always quite the event and draws a number of people. I
think I saw somewhere they have maybe close to 300 players this year which is pretty amazing. I'm not sure how many teams I saw listed, but a number of them. So, hope that all goes well. Um, in the afternoon, so starting at 12:30. Oh, good. Dan didn't shave his beard
yet. Good. I've been waiting. No. So, starting at about 12:30. So, on the other side of Ko Park around at the pavilion side, we will have the famous beard reveal for the fastest growing beard. So, those that have been entered into that contest will have the
opportunity to actually shave. Uh, I believe Ian has got the shavers to give you and, uh, he's going to measure way. I'm not sure what he's doing, but something along that line. Uh, so those are for the few that Ed Ed entered the um the the fastest growing one. Um,
there are three other categories. People just show up. You didn't need to register at all. Uh, so that is, I believe, the longest one, the most artistic, and the uh, mountaineer. So spread the word. come on down. We'll
have some fun just to have a little panel of judges. We've got some nice 250 pint glasses for the winner. Uh very colorful logo on the pint glasses. So, uh we'll do that. So, that'll be like 12:30 to 1. And then at 1:00 there is a combin competitions actually cornhole
and tugof-war both at the same time still around that that side of Konet Park near the pavilion. You do need to try and register because we wanted to get enough equipment there. Um, so it's a team of two for cornhole and a maximum of five for tugof-war and it's on the
town website. Um, just to that's a QR code as well as an email address. It's on Facebook as well. So please talk to your neighbors, grab a friend, grab a family member, uh, come on out and just have a little bit of fun. And then after that, the big culmination of the afternoon, 2:30 on by the time the
little league is done, we'll be over on the ball fields and it's going to be the battle of the badges with the fire department versus the police department softball game. So, um that should be kind of fun at 2:30. So, please spread the word. Come on out and join us.
Hopefully, the rain will hold off. Um and then on the 4th, uh the following day, there will be sponsored by the Greenway Committee and the Friends of the Greenway, I believe, um a bike walk to celebrate National Bike Day. And they're going to meet at Coleman Road entrance to the bike trail at 2:00. So
feel free to join in. They're going to have a few few things there to share uh with people that come and uh take a few walks down uh walks or rides down the bike path. So please uh do join in. So that's what's happening. All right. Uh, again, trying to make
opportunities for various age groups. So, hopefully we can find strays on the street and bring them in. Please do sign up and come on down. Um, any other business? I can't wait for the regular meeting. We'll have a a mini meeting
right before the town meeting, but are we taking up the tip project timeline? We will. I guess it's way down. I get it's dumped at the very end, but on my agenda, it's We'll take it there. Right after the 250th anniversary. Oh, well, mine didn't have it there. Okay, I have a different view. Okay, sorry. Yes,
we'll we'll take up the the tip thing. Um, so the tip um transportation improvement program. So, this is where we have all of our projects listed on the uh on the schedule for Mass Department of of Transportation. And we haven't gotten
any official not Oh, we we've got to Yeah, we got to come back to something else anyway. We haven't uh gotten our official notice on this yet to my knowledge unless you've seen it, Scott. I don't think we've gotten anything. So, we have a copy of a draft that PVPC has uh been working on. I know uh and we had heard about it through the greenway
committee as well, but this is looking like so far our um we have three projects that will be under the DOT jurisdiction. So, the whole renovation, rehabilitation of East Street from East Street here to
Whispering Meadows. Uh, and that looks like it's on the uh on the tip list from I believe in 28 starting in 28 28 and 29. Need to find that right now. Uh and then um the um the one that was the uh
roadway to the um Norris school which is going to be changing the uh the sidewalk there to a shared use path. Uh that is um try to find this thing. Where'd it go?
Um oh I know where to put it. uh is on the tip I believe also for 2028 um as well to begin at least this means to begin work there and then uh so those are two big ones and money has been at
least temporarily allocated to those. Um the one that is a little bit challenging for us unfortunately is the greenway which has already been postponed one year. Uh last year it had been on for 27 I believe. Uh it got
bumped off to um 28 and now it looks like it may be bumped off to 29. And one of the reasons for this I think is some level of concern my understanding is about the uh trail head down at Sheldon's and just in terms of parking
and turnaround place and people apparently on the committee had raised some questions about that. So, I know Tyen Bond is is dealing with that with Mass DOT people. Um, and there's a a meeting coming up in a week or so to um that should be t Monday Monday uh to
talk about that. Um about the local design or peeling the tip uh local design I think was right. So, this was one of the safe street consultants for Mass DOT wanted to reduce the size of the greenway. Yeah. uh because they
didn't want it to come out at Sheldon's. Um which I don't I personally don't agree with because not a lot of people are going to go get to the end and then go on to college highway to go back. They would just turn around and go back on the on the greenway. So um I we time
bond has come up with three different options that would avoid that. So we're going to be presenting that to mass dot. Okay. So that's going to be on on Monday probably that meeting to talk about that. So that's one thing that Tyen Bun is trying to deal with that and try to get it better understood at the DOT
level I think so that we don't get pushed off to 29. But in the meantime um the U Greenway committee has asked us if we would write a letter of support to the um the chief executive on the uh on the tip committee I believe it is as
well as copy Senator Vis and and Rep. PS to try and have them weigh in and try and keep us on our current schedule for the greenway which is fiscal 28. So they had presented a draft letter which I circulated to you all which if you're in agreement with that we can move forward.
Last month's greenway committee and subsequent to that I've participated in the PV pioneer valley planning commission metropolitan planning organization that reviews the tip which
is now out for public view. So I fully support the efforts of the greenway committee and it's particularly and specifically timely. Therefore, we shouldn't miss the technicality of submitting it through the public review
process in addition to elected officials CEO uh because our colleague communities are expressing themselves about um the fact that many projects have tripped out or split between years. Right. And I'll
leave it to them to explain their reasoning on that. They have plenty. Mhm. Um but um you're right to raise it and we're right to be sure that we're in the public process. So I I I took the um the suggested draft
and tweaked it a little bit and forwarded that off. So I'm happy with either version. Okay. So, I would make a motion to authorize the chair of the select board to sign on behalf of the select board one of those versions or a version similar to and cause uh copies
to also be sent back to the greenway committee letting them know that we did it. Our state senator, our state representative, and the governor. Mhm. Okay. All right. And then Stephen, you would and I would offer an amendment
amendment that would be PVPC entered into the official common process only tip. Okay. Out for public notice right now. Okay. Cuz I have we have not been notified of any of this officially to my knowledge at all. We're hearing all this secondhand. We haven't gotten any tip
notice, nothing to comment on it that I'm aware. I think it was at the very end of last week. Okay. So maybe that's coming. But when when we get that, we can certainly add it to that. And these three projects are hard to follow because each is in a separate category. They are. Yeah. And not everyone even
knows that there are three categories. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. So again, you know, the the bike trail, the the rehabilitation of East Street, and then basically I think I stopped myself in mid mid-sentence if I did, but just the refurbishing of uh basically renovating the whole walkway from Pomera Road up to
Gunroad extension, which would get rid of that very narrow slab of asphalt that is not bike or walk possible. Uh, and this is through the Safe Roots to Schools program to try and make that a um a a better sidewalk, per se, so we
can encourage kids to walk and bike to school. Calming of parents. I'll accept the uh the amendment if that's your second. Sure. Great. Okay. We'll have a second on that. Second. All right. All right. I will take a look at both letters and we'll tweak it and uh get
those out to those that are involved. Good. All those in favor? I I All right. Perfect. Thank you very much. Approval of the minutes of April 3, if we're up to that point. Second. Yeah. Okay. Anybody have any comments or questions on them? If not, all those in favor? I I
All right. I move that we take up without objection the following two licensing permits, both being one day wine and malt. Uh first one for Alisa Carney, Conit Park, Sunday, May 5th, 2025 from noon to 5:00 p.m. for a birthday party. And the second one being
for Christina Hamill, uh, UMass 5 Credit Union, Conentit Park, Saturday, May 31st, 2025 from 1:30 p.m. till 7 p.m. for a picnic. All right, no discussion. All those in favor? I I I All right, both of those pass and we will sign those tonight. If
you have those, Scott, the originals before we go. And then we are up to our famous category of warrants. So we'll let Stephen dramatic reading talk about how much money we've been spending lately. Right. So these are all warrants pending
approval. W25-37 in the amount of $662,842.92. P25-38 the amount of $350,62164. PD25-38 and the amount is $57,564.85. PD25-38A the amount
is $233,714.39. W25-39 is in the amount of $192,246.94. P2540 in the amount of 353,182.76. PD25-40 the amount is $656,56.99.
PD25-4A, the amount is $39,585. W25-41, the amount is 517,2214.34. P25-42, the amount is $356,16,912. PD25-42. The amount is $58,658.71. Lastly,
PD 25-42A. The amount is $237,54343. Right. Very good. Thanks. I think some of those were insurance payments as I looked at some of these that some of these larger ones this time around. Some of those are quarterly withholding including insurance. Yes. Okay. All
right. And I think we have a sticky key on the typewriter. Yeah. Must be. Yeah. That last one is is 25-42A, not 256. Yeah. I don't think any of them are three digits. There was a prior type of Okay. Under old business,
if there's anything uh and do we have any news on the HMP uh remediation plan and we might see that? Um, still waiting on Mimi. I did I did put in the quarterly report last week, so that's taken care of. All right. And I know we
got some uh repairs done at the front door by tearing up the rug and putting down some tile, which is a nice I think uh entry now rather than that rug that had been so uh salt stained it was beyond cleaning.
Um, but where are we with the um ADA door opener? Have we tried to install that one yet or? Uh, I have to get an account with Home Depot. Dave needs some tools to to do the installation. Dave's going to do it. It is in. It's just we have to do that part. So, okay. Um,
anything on stormwater enterprise fund or any of these others? Uh, broadband committee charge. We need to pick that back up for sure, both of those at some point here. We've got a pending list of things to pick up after the town meeting, I think, and after the election and get back. And I know the broadband
committee is kind of um waiting waiting on us and trying to figure out, you know, what they're doing. They don't have any particular projects in mind themselves at this point in time. Um and then we do want to get back around to our capital asset planning and try to work on that a bit more in the summertime, too. I think you were
talking about some sort of a um kind of like the bud the budget book but not not really a budget book but that kind of planning exercise to really consolidate the various inventories that we have from the departments and and try to look at that going forward so that whenever we do have a capital expense on town
meeting voters will will know it way ahead of time they they won't be surprised again with the intent of improving our communication and our transparency to the voters. Um we talked about the tip so I think that's it. So, we will have our brief meeting at 6:15
at the Norris Library right before the uh annual town meeting on May 6th. And then we have our regular select board meetings. We'll go back to our bi-weeklies on the 13th and the 27th and town election we've already announced. And don't forget to request
your ballots from Lucy if you need them ahead of time. All right. So, with that, if there is no other business, I will take a motion. Move to adjurnn. Second. All right. All those in favor? I I I All right. Thank you. We are adjourned at
710 thereabouts, madam chair. Thanks.