This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. Okay. Hey, I'm going to call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for September 2nd, 2025 at 6 p.m. If we could 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. Thank you. Okay,
we do have our quorum tonight. Uh Ellen is off on vacation. So, uh the three of us will hold the fort this evening. Um opening up with anybody here for citizen speak. Yeah, Robert. Robert Floyd, College Highway speaking as town moderator. Uh later this evening when
you address the special town meeting, could you mention the reasoning behind us meeting on a Tuesday evening versus a Saturday morning which we voted for in March, albeit for an annual town meeting. Special town meetings can be at any time, but I understand the 35day
rule, but just so that people know there's a little confusion out there, especially for seniors not wanting to drive at night for the meeting. Okay. Okay. Thanks. Yeah. Okay. Anyone else? Yeah, Kate. Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Good evening, everyone. My name is Kate Danto. I'm the director and shine counselor at the South Southampton Senior Center. It's officially September somehow and it's also National Senior Center Month. I'm here today to invite you and members of our community to join us for our upcoming events and to come
and see what the Southampton Senior Center has to offer. National Senior Center Month takes place every September and this year's NCOA theme is powering possibilities flip the script. This theme celebrates the dynamic role that senior centers play in fostering
creativity, connection, purpose, and resilience later in life. This month's programming features music, scams education, exercise classes, including our newly added chair yoga Wednesdays, information sessions, a free hearing and blood pressure clinic, and building
connections through art and various meal opportunities, including an ice cream social on Thursday, September 18th, and pancakes and coffee with Scott, our town administrator, police chief Illingsworth, and Fire Chief Fulli on Wednesday, September 24th. We are also the temporary home for Southampton's
stunning 250th anniversary quilt created by Norris students, teachers, and volunteers. We hope you can join us at one of our one or many of these events or try to stop by and say hi while while you stop and enjoy the incredible quilt. I would also like to let you know that
in conjunction with the timing of National Senior Center Month and in preparation of the upcoming winter and open enrollment seasons, we will be mailing our Southampton Senior Center welcome packet to households of individuals aged 60 and over. This brochure highlights all the resources,
activities, and opportunities the senior center has to offer, including public benefits, counseling, and application assistance options for Medicare, Lie Hap, or fuel assistance, SNAP, and transportation through our partnership with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority. I hope that even if
individuals might not need or be interested in the programming or services we offer now, that they will know where to come or where to send their friends, neighbors, or loved ones for assistance in the future. The creation of this brochure was funded by a generous grant through the Massachusetts Councils on Aging and postage for this mailing will be funded
by the Friends of the Southampton Council on Aging. I've left a few copies of the South or the September newsletter and the welcome bureau by the door um in case any of you want to check it out and I hope you can join us throughout the upcoming weeks. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Anyone else for
open speak? Okay. Well, let us get on with the agenda. Uh we have two um or one quick announcement. First before we get into the main part of the presentation tonight, which will focus on the hazard mitigation plan update in a few minutes,
I would like to uh acknowledge that in honor of our 250th birthday, uh we have two proclamations. And for those that were not at the birthday party on last Saturday uh at the park, I'd like to just read those. Uh, we have a proclamation from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts to the town of Southampton. On behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon the town of Southampton this governor's citation in recognition of its 250th anniversary August in the year 2025. And this is
signed by the Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Driscoll and Mora Healey, our governor. So, we have a nice certificate that we will put up. Scott will get this framed and then not to be outdone, we have u from the House of Representatives
um be it hereby known that the Massachusetts House of Representatives offers its sincerest congratulations to the town of Southampton, Massachusetts in recognition of their 250th birthday. The entire membership extends its very best wishes and expresses hope for future good fortune and continued
success in all endeavors. the 23rd day of August 2025 at the state house in Boston. And this is signed by Ronald Mariano, the speaker of the house, and it's offered by Kelly Pas, our state rep. So, these will be framed and put in a prominent position here at town hall.
And if you didn't see it as you walked in the door, you should have seen the small um quilt that was given to uh to the town uh done by the yellow quilt shop. Uh it was a gift to the town for our 25th anniversary. It's right there as you walk in the door, right next to
the treasurer's window. So, you can't miss it. Take a take a look. They did a great job on on that that quilt as well. So, there we go. And I think we'll get into the program. So, I think our first major uh issue tonight or topic is the hazard
mitigation plan update. Um, this is something we had done several years ago and every few years we're required to do an update and we have Mimi Kaplan here who's a senior land planner and environmental planner from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and she's been walking uh key officials of the
town through this process for the update over the last two three months. And so we'll turn it over to Mimi. Thank you. Thank you for having me tonight. Um, yeah. So we've been working PVPC has
been working with the town for yeah a little more than you said 8 n 10 months. Um this is the second public meeting and we are almost at the end of the process once this meeting is over and I incorporate feedback from this meeting
then it the plan gets sent to MIMA. Um so we are pretty close. Um, this is the hazard mitigation plan update and um, I'll explain in the presentation what a hazard mitigation plan is. Um, there's
going to be a little bit of repeat from the last time. Sorry about that, but it has been a while. Um, because I assume there'd be some new people tonight. Um, and Sean mentioned this plan was funded by FEMA. Um, and this uh, All right. So,
I'll go ahead and say thank you to the committee. Everyone that you see here who came to all of the meetings, uh, reviewed the plan, provided input, were all, uh, very helpful. Really appreciate their time.
Uh, so FEMA defines hazard mitigation as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards. And some examples of hazard mitigation are things like limiting development in
high-risisk areas like flood planes, retrofitting structures to protect them from hazards like flooding or high winds, drainage and flood control projects, uh, and education and outreach such as fire safety education would be an
example. Um so the plan was previously last updated um in 2016. It might have been finalized in 2017. The plans are good or current for 5
years. During that period of time when plan is current the town um is eligible to apply for funding from FEMA for various hazard mitigation projects. Um, so benefits of updating the plan.
Um, like I said, it makes communities eligible to apply for funding from FEMA. At the moment, um, the biggest grant program brick, which is building resilient infrastructure and communities, has been
the administration has decided to discontinue that grant program. I don't know if that's permanent. May come back. Um, so but there are a few other funding programs still available through FEMA, including the hazard mitigation grant
program that's available after a disaster is declared. Um, but there are other grant programs, especially state programs like municipal vulnerability preparedness, um, and other programs through other
agencies that can fund a number of projects. So the plan going through the planning process identifies cost-effective actions to reduce risk. Helps communities prevent future losses and save money on disasters. FEMA estimates that every dollar spent on
mitigation can save $6 on future disaster losses. I recently heard a higher estimate of estimate of saving $13, but of course it depends on the scale of of the disaster you're talking about. Um, it makes communities more
resilient to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change, increases, hopefully increases awareness of hazards and risks among homeowners, residents, um, and could save lives in the case of serious hazards and emergencies.
So there is overlap between hazard mitigation and emergency preparedness. So emergency preparedness includes things you see on the right hand side including about having evacuation plans, emergency shelters in place, um
emergency communication, doing response drills, tabletop exercises, etc. Um hazard mitigation is broader encompasses things like planning, zoning, regulation,
uh open space preservation, especially um preserving open space that can absorb flood waters and storm water. Um uh education and outreach as I mentioned earlier and infrastructure improvements.
So the main components of the plan were these five areas here. So identifying the hazards, the natural hazards that could affect Southampton. Um describing them, analyzing how um or assessing how
those hazards impact buildings, property, and residents in Southampton, especially vulnerable populations. Um identifying and mapping critical critical infrastructure. There is a map at the back at the end of the plan that
um shows where all of the critical infrastructure is in the town some somewhat relative to hazards such as flooding. Um assessing the town's mitigation capabilities. So what exists already in
the town um that helps the ability to mitigate hazards things like um administrative financial capabilities outreach and education um regulatory things like that. Um, and
then reviewing the previous mitigation strategies, looking at what was done, what wasn't done, why wasn't it done, what would the town want to carry over to the new plan, maybe revise, and then identifying new mitigation strategies.
Um, and the steps, um, there were five, actually, I think six meetings. Um, we had the first public meeting back in, I think, late fall or early winter. Uh we completed the draft plan. This is now the second public meeting. Uh one, like
I said, I will very soon submit the plan to MIMA. They may request some revisions. Um then I can do that quickly, resubmit it. It goes to FEMA. Same process. And then once FEMA approves the plan, the select board would adopt the plan and then it's good
for the next five years. Um, so I showed this at the last public meeting. So this was the natural hazard risk analysis where the um committee went through and looked at all of the hazards listed on the lefth hand side um and updated
um this chart from the last plan and some of them didn't change, some of them did change. So they identified so how big of a location could that hazard um potentially affect in the town? What is
the probability of it occurring? I mean you know not super scientifically but based on um uh previous occurrences, climate change data uh projections, etc. Only you're only looking into the next five years though.
um and potential impact from minor which would be very like minimal property damage up to critical or catastrophic which could be injuries and death possibly. Um and then based on all that assigned a number from one to five from
highest to lowest risk. Um and there were no ones. So um the top hazard I guess the only two is severe snow and ice storms. That's a two three. Um, and then a few threes. Um, severe
thunderstorms, hurricanes, wildfire, uh, extreme temperatures, three, four. Um, and then, um, earthquakes, flooding, four. So, low risk, relatively low. Um, and then the
only five was dam failure, which while it could be critical or even catastrophic, the chance, the probability was very low of that occurring. So that's why it got a five. Um, so climate change impacts all of those
hazards that were on that previous slide other than earthquakes. Um so uh causing either increased frequency or severity or both or I mean that's um you know projections and I think we have some you
know some data of it already happening. Uh so these are projections um from the mass climate change assessment from 2022 um showing that top graph showing that by the end of the century there could be almost 60 more days um over 90 degrees
in now that's state well inland um so that's kind of general for the state um but that would apply to Southampton and then on the bottom there the in by say 2030 summer temperatures could increase
an average of 3.6° Fahrenheit from the historical period which they this consider this uh this assessment considered 1950 to 2013. Um by midentury the 1% annual chance of river flood could be three times more likely to
occur. um by mid to late century there could be 65 fewer days below freezing which might not seem like that big a problem in some ways but it does cause issues such as like increases in tick populations um and also when you have more freeze thaw um incidences that can
impact infrastructure and then by the end of the century projecting the historical 10% annual chance of a daily rainfall event of 2.6 6 to 4 in could occur four times more frequently. And I think that's actually going to happen sooner than the end of the century
because we have been seeing just a very large increase in these numbers um of very he heavy rainfall events. Um so during the meetings and in conversation with the committee um some of the top hazard concerns that came up
were um power outages from high wind events um including you know severe thunderstorms and also snow and ice storms. Um and we did meet um with a representative from Eversource to talk about that. Um, and then the risk of
wildfire increasing with more frequent and severe droughts. I mean, last last fall there was an unprecedented number in the state. Luckily, nothing in Southampton. Um, and we we may be entering another severe drought. We'll see what happens. Um, and
then the impact of extreme heat on residents, especially, are we in severe drought now? Whatever the state says. Okay. I haven't The rivers are dry. Yeah. Yeah. That was pretty dry. Just like we know when we've lost
democracy, we've lost our hydraologic regime and we are in very desperate drought. Tell D. Um impact of extreme heat on residents was another concern um especially older
residents and other vulnerable populations. Um, and then localized flooding, especially in some of the flood plane areas. And the these are not a complete list, but these were some of the ones that were mentioned as happening more frequently. Riverdale Road, Fulmer Road,
Pomeroy Meadow Road, Maple Street, Moose Brook Road, Brickyard Extension, East Street, and Gilbert Road. So, this might be a little hard to read. Um but I also have handouts for you if you
want to read it on um paper. So um these were the um the hazard mitigation strategies um that are in the updates. So for the next 5 years um the goal is to you know
implement as many as the town can based partly on priority level and also ability to obtain funding um staff capacity. So these first five were carried over from the last plan. Um so
considering additional protection of flood planes, forest and farmland um you know partly to reduce flood hazards. um researching funding sources to set up and participate in a regional debris management plan.
Uh zoning bylaw modifications um for subdivision approval, including requirements um to utilize best management practices to handle drainage. So again, addressing I says hazards, that's primarily flooding.
um increasing visits by the fire department for potential tier 2 hazardous material sites. Um so even though this plan doesn't address man-made hazards, you know, if it intersects with a natural hazard, you know, you can include it.
Um and then looking at mitigating future on that, are there tier 2 hazardous material sites in town? I assume that's why that was in here, right? What was the question?
Are there tier 2 hazardous material sites in town? Oh, so Oh, for potential. Okay. I'm not sure if it's relevant.
Yeah. I don't know that we have any in town at the present time. I can't think of one off. Speculate, but I don't know. Not legally zoned. Huh. Not legally zoned. Yeah. Hey, we might want to check that the wording on that one at all. Huh. All right, that was carried over
from the left plan. And I thought we did discuss keeping it in, but we can talk about that. If that's not relevant or it's not necessary, then we can take that out. Um, and then um mitigating future losses by
wildfire potentially by regulating development in wildfire wildfire hazard areas. Um, so this is just something to um look at possibly doing um through zoning or like an overlay district of
some kind. That sounds expansive. And while I'm inclined in that direction, I have really big questions. So, do you have model bylaws that would explain how
this is done with respect to constitutional rights and all that? Um, I don't know that we have a model bylaw particularly related to wildfire hazard areas. I'd have to see. I would
imagine they're out there. I don't know how many in Massachusetts. any sort of citation to the genesis for this good recommendation. I would Yeah, I'd have to look and see what we Well, will we be able to provide and so part
of these were zoning. It was a zoning um a zoning district that was talked about right under this one too. And this one was it says use zoning andor a special wildfire overlay district to designate high-risk areas and specify conditions for the use and development of specific
areas. Um I could pause it that it's a good idea, but we need a resource to actually make it. So, our planning department has no staff, no volunteers beyond the elected
officers, and I have no clue what you're talking about. So, we could change it to something like research the possibility of this or, you know, if if it felt like something that was
worthwhile. If it feels like well you had participation from both the fire department and the planning it was really hard to get someone from the planning board there. He has that's what I suspected. So he has a job and he wasn't able to come.
I think this one is white. He did he did review it though. I will say the planning board did review this and they did not they did not flag that. They he had questions about some other things. Apple pie but really I don't know. Let's let's figure out a way to, you know,
just take a look at maybe rewarding some of this before you send it off to MIMA just in case we need to. If we're committing ourselves to mitigating something that we're not sure what we're doing to mitigate it, not sure what we're mitigating, mitigating future losses by regulating development in
wildfire hazard areas. If we don't know where those areas are in town, then I think we're committing to something that may be a little nebulous. I don't know. And I'd be happy to follow up with you because I think that there's a kernel of a good
idea, but it is not developed in a way that I can support. Um, well, so we can either just have further conversations about it. I could also just alter the wording and send you that
and say, "How does this sound? Does this sound better?" Or I mean, I guess that's up to you. how you well and maybe another chat with a couple people that were involved especially with the u you know related to that recommendation right I think there are higher priority things for the planning
y focus okay well let's let's keep going on I mean I know DPW really was interested in working with them on subdivision regulations and in terms of addressing flooding and I think yes he flooding he considered that probably a higher
priority this is listed as a low priority. Okay. So, sorry to take up so much time. We do. So, FEMA does require that you have an action in your action plan that
addresses every hazard. So, we should have something that addresses wildfire, but it doesn't mean you have to have both of these. And we can also okay change it completely or we can just you know revise it.
Mhm. Uh so and we don't have to we don't have to discuss it now. Commit some staff time to working with us. We'll we'll chase it. I think you know some revision of it. Yeah. But as you said there are probably
higher priority items for the planning board. So, you know, you you can keep it in here and it's listed as a low priority and if you don't get to it in the next 5 years, it might be something for the next update. You know, it's
But I think most likely in like in the past plan, we focused on the high and the medium issues. So, some of these are low and they were they're low and they're still low. They were carried over which is why they never got dealt with the last time apparently the way this is. But I guess you know the committee didn't want to just
they didn't want to get rid of it all together just completely get rid of them because like you said there was some sense of that's this is a good idea if we could do it you know. Okay. Um okay so then these actions um the
first four are high priority and then the last three are are medium and these were all new so not carried over from the last plan. So, purchasing a generator for the elementary school and also installing additional cooling in
the elementary school building, particularly the cafeteria. Um, I think to be used as a shelter slashcooling center. Um, assessing green infrastructure opportunities for storm water
management. So that would be something for the planning board and working with the highway. Um evaluating technology used for emergency communications and interoperability and that was something that the police chief
particularly um was pushing that one. Did did didn't we fund the purchase of all new radios? Those were tribands that we got during the CARES Act and those were very limited. So I I think we but I thought at the last capital we we
approved new radios at least for was it for fire? Fire and police were are you guys on the same same wavelength on the same band? I thought there was an issue of reporting of fire and police not being on the same communication band radios you're talking
about? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We're on two different but but didn't you just get new radios? We did. Yes. Four new ones. So, we bought new ones that still can't talk to each other. The I don't know if the police have gotten theirs though. Had Well, we're on different frequencies. Yeah, they're different frequencies.
I mean, we never we've never talked to each other. Yeah, but don't be too confusing to have fire on the police radio. Yeah, but your radio, you can't switch over to channel 2 or channel 3 and talk directly to the police. My radio I can I can uh switch over to theirs. Yes. Correct.
Right. Everybody on the department know. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I know it was an issue that the police chief brought up that he wanted to see something better done with that. All our vehicles have two two radios. One's on the police, one's on fire. So,
we can hear the police, but we won't go on their frequency and speak. We will go for dispatch. And and police does the same thing. They never talk on our radio. They'll go contact dispatch and say, you know, right? But in the event of an emergency
and the dispatch center is offline, right, you do have the capability to get on that radio in an emergency and talk to the police chief. I have it on my portable and every vehicle has police radio. Yes. Okay. This has been a concern of the
boards and we've tried to educate ourselves and be responsive uh as as we understand the needs. So, um, it may still be a high priority as we've shown in the past. Um, I don't think that should equate to
a deficiency necessarily, but identify the next steps and we'll fold it into the capital plan. Okay. Um, the next one was providing outreach and education on mitigation for extreme heat and cold, including information
about avoiding frozen pipes and mass save rebates. Sorry, this got cut off on here. Um, rebates for insulation. It's also should include um, heat pumps. Um, no, I because I printed out a new one that had the whole thing on it, but
maybe you didn't get that. Um, it's primarily for insulation and heat pumps. And then ensuring communication about drought conditions and restrictions, encouraging water conservation practices, exploring the implementation of a pricing program that would be
obviously through the water department. Um and then the next one also addressing drought require use of water sensors for lawn sprinkler systems and considering consider developing a bylaw requiring a permit for sprinklers.
Um okay these last two medium and one low priority collaborate with Holio Waterworks to conduct tabletop exercises for the Thai car dam if there were to be a breach. um ensure that emergency notification system is updated and feasible and we also had them come a
representative come to the committee one of our committee meetings um but uh I don't think this has been done unless it was in the past having table time if it's been done it was done quite a while ago there hasn't been a recent one that I'm aware of yeah
okay uh implement ongoing tree maintenance ensure regular communication with Eversource about priority areas for mitigating power outages. Um, and the last one is low priority, but we did have to have a uh an action addressing earthquakes, which is to evaluate
critical facilities for earthquake resistance, use a FEMA evaluation tool, which I do have that I could give the town um and seismic rehabilitation if necessary. Um, so that was it for the new for all
of the actions and that's also it for my presentation. Um so it's a public comment period or anybody um to ask questions comments about hazards the plan and can people still write into you with
questions or uh yeah my email is here just because we've got people listening on on our TV station here that are not here tonight but maybe if they have some questions and the full plan for everybody who is listening the full plan as it exists right now is on the town
website under the government category. And if you look down under reports and plans, the existing hazard mitigation plan is there. Um, so right, the draft plan. Mhm. Well, the old one is there and then your draft plan. Oh, sorry about that. Draft plan is there too, I believe.
Yeah. All right. So people could contact Mimi mcaplanpc.org if you had Yeah. few questions. Now, what is your deadline for getting this to Mima, do you think? There there is not an immediate deadline, but I would like to do it. Um,
I mean definitely by the end of September, preferably sooner. I would say I would say like September 15th would be a good deadline to get feedback. And how long do they usually take to review it before?
Uh, I mean probably the shortest has ever been maybe a month. Usually it's more like two to three months and then it still has to go to the federal then it has to go to FEMA. Yeah, it can be a long process for them to review it. Be nice if they could do it quicker, right?
Yeah. Okay. All right. Does anybody else have questions? Anybody? Yeah. Bruce. Sure. Why not? Yeah. Just introduce yourself and got a question. Hi, Bruce Bowman. 202 Pomeroy Meadow
Road. I want to thank the committee for all the hard work that they've put in on this. Um, uh, two areas of comment. the um the Thai car reservoir that is uh water supply for Holio. I understand
that's uh because of the size of the the dam that the state mandates inspections every two years. I just wondered whether the reports from those inspections go to the land owner or the town or both. Um, so I would encourage the, you know,
I don't know what the process is for the town to be sure that they're getting uh reports every two years uh of that uh inspection. The other thing relates to fire preparedness uh in light of climate
change and the um the action plan that we have uh we have a uh tanker pumper truck that is dysfunctional and uh in drought scenarios and greater wildfire
risk. I think the town uh is at risk by not having a functional tanker pumper truck and I would like to see some mechanism to include that into an action plan. um at least indicating that it is
a a medium or a high priority item so that if in the future funding is available from the government either state or federal then it's recognized the town sees the need for this just like we need a generator for the school.
We need a tanker pumper truck um and something to move forward uh to get the process done so that we could get one. I know there are lots of things the town needs but um uh we're in a drought scenario and uh anyway those are my concerns and thank you very much.
Thanks Bruce. I think just to just to answer briefly the um the um tanker truck um has been the subject of a grant application uh with Chief Visi uh to the assistance to firefighters grant. So um we should be hearing soon. Um we had
tried it last year and were not successful. So, but but to but to mention it as a as a as an action item to actually acquire um the tanker truck. Yeah. Tanker bumper. Improvement. Yeah. Sure. And you know the price tag
of those was I believe chief it was around 600 or $700,000 for the truck. I mean it's um it's 600 or 700,000 I think. Yeah. It was something crazy. So we we're waiting to see. Um I know that when I talked to the chief we we hadn't had a result yet on the um announcement
of any federal grants but hopefully that one is still in play and yet but it's an action item where we've taken action and we came up short once and it would be really good to be able to site the plan right in support of perhaps a third grant
application but I think that I think to add it specifically as a as an action we clearly are taking action in in that direction having identified the need. Yeah, I I would say if it I think one of the other thoughts was to strike the
tier two since there's no tier twos within the town that basically you're swiping swapping that out. And the first grant that we applied for for the fire department was from the feds. So if we print it in FEMA and FEMA approves it, it's another supporting document next year when the federal money comes out.
Yeah. If we can have this in our action items, then when it gets to the fed level, when they look at grant applications, they know that we're serious about doing something in have applied. Yeah. Okay. That would be good. Yeah. Yeah. That's great.
Mhm. Okay. Yeah. I think Yeah, just lack of clarity in terms of where there might be any tier 2 sites. I'm not nothing's coming to my brain at the moment and I don't remember what we would have discussed in our meetings. So, but I'm not going to. Yeah. No, that's fine.
And some I suspect have been resolved. Some may have been resolved. So, you know, these might have been carried over from like two previous plans. Yeah. May have been an issue back, right? Yeah. Okay. Is there anything else from your end, Mimi, that needs to get I'll
have you back up at the mic so you can get the our recording is kind of low here. Um, anything else that you need from us? I mean, any other questions? Before the 15th is what I'm hearing. Yes, I would say feedback
on the plan before September 15th would be ideal. Okay. All right. I'll make those changes that we talked about. Um, but I will also talk to the committee about that other wildfire planning related. Okay.
Item. any detail, any reference, any context for the fire plan. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And it might just be inserting the word research. Yeah. Instead of it maybe just a couple of wording changes to begin research, investigate,
you know, anything like that rather than actually implement something. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'd be interested in exploring the actually doing it. So, um, if we're done with that, may I ask a representative from Pioneer Valley Planning Council to
carry a request back to your colleagues? Um, he Yes. Sep separate issue for separate issue previously raised with Ken Kuma who's environmental chief planner. Um, and this is in response to
what I understand is a standing offer to all communities that participate in the MO to have one or two traffic counts done annually in light of a recent fatality in front of a property that we're very actively
planning for. I would reiterate my request that can boost this up on the priority list. Um I have not discussed it with our highway superintendent but he would be
well the police chief too. Yeah. Yeah. So it came up in different circumstances. Um but if we get two freebies a year we certainly have need to develop baseline at 117 to 125 college highway.
Okay. So that's channels. I apologize, but it's really important because we have had a number of serious car crashes and a very recent fatality. Do you want me to relay that address or would you read just saying that? Yes. What was the address again?
117-125 College Highway. Ken knows it as perhaps zero College Highway, which not very helpful. Okay. And yes, of course, coordinate with our highway superintendent and our police chief, but uh there was no there was no
contest. This is the place to do it and the time to do it. Okay. Okay. I will do that. And follow up with me if that doesn't make sense. Well, I I Okay. So, I'm not opposed to this, but I'm I'm I object to the
process. Okay. only in that I have no problem doing this formally, but I think as a board we should vote to do it, which I would support, but instead of one member acting through the chair to send a directive to utilize resources, which I'm fully in favor of.
I'd rather you make that as a motion under other business. I think that's very helpful and then it has weight and the town administrator could follow up on it, right? Yeah. And especially with that being a state highway, too. I'm not sure how that how that fits in with
Yeah. I I just I think we should speak. We've had we've had traffic counts and traffic surveys on our other side roads. I know, but I don't know lately on one on College Highway. I'm not sure of that. Okay. Okay. This definitely falls out of my purview. I mean, obviously, it's our transportation division. Sure, even if the request is going to Ken.
Okay. Sounds good. Okay. Thank you. All right. Good. Thank you, Mimi. Appreciate that. and uh we'll get you any further thoughts and comments within the next 10 days thereabouts and uh let you do your thing with MIMA and FEMA. Okay? Hopefully they can put their stamps of
approval on it and then that allows us to apply for grants because a lot of this does require any mitigation kinds of things obviously require money to do that and that's where the MIA and the FEMA exist primarily to do that kind of work with communities. So yes. All right. All right. Thank you very much.
Thank you. All right. Okay, next up we have Madam Chair, without objections. Yeah, without objection, I'd like to take up the first two bullet points under appointments and resignation and pass on the third as it will come up later. And I move that we accept the
resignation of Thomas Seir uh as plumbing and gas inspector effective August 18th, 2025. And I believe his note uh indicates he's going into retirement. And I move that we accept the resignation of Aaron Manard from Hampshire Regional High
School Committee effective August 18th, 2025. And the reason stated is uh personal reasons. Okay. Second. Okay. Motion's made and seconded. All those in favor? I I I All right. Those two motions pass. Resignations are accepted. All right. Um
reports. Scott Town administrator report, please. Uh, so I was out uh on a family matter most last week. Uh, however, I do want to just recognize uh Brett and the water commission for handling the Glendale uh pump issue. Um, handled it very well. I
think most people didn't even experience what happened. Yeah. Um, so unfortunately over, you know, our main well uh to the aquifer is over on Glendale Road is that little house that you see uh right off of um the highway or right off of uh College Highway. Um,
there was I I won't go into the technical details because I I have no nothing I have no idea about the technical details about what it takes to run a townwide pump, but um we were able to get some of the backup water uh from East Hampton. Um and this is actually,
you know, in relation to the hazard mitigation plan, it's important to uh plan ahead for these types of things, uh water, electricity, um or basic utilities. Um, so I think the water department has it uh very well covered. Is our water back online? Is that pump
back online or is that still um I didn't get an update yet from Brett. Uh Stephen, do you know? That's a good question. I'm not clear about that. Thought it was going to take a take a bit of time to well to get things done. But in the meantime, they were expand briefly on that. Um the failure
of the pump triggered the occasion of reconditioning the well which was previously identified as need and funded. Okay. And so when they pulled the pump which had failed for we don't know what
reasons. um that triggered the you know arrival of the crew that could do this reconditioning of the well which will increase our physical yield from the well. Okay. But the status of our pump I can't tell
you the status of our reciprocal relationship with East Hampton is good and I'm thrilled to hear that it was seamless for the customers. Okay, good. Next. Anything else? That's about it. That's about it.
Not not for public. Yeah. Right. We need negotiations and stuff like that, but Yeah. Right. Um and we've still got the ADA evaluation ongoing, right? Um and various other things that are happening as well. So, okay. How about any select board reports? Anybody have any meetings
this last week or two? I tell you, we're meeting quite regularly at the end and the beginning of the month. So, nothing here. Okay. John, anything with I don't have any. Yep. And I don't think I do either. We've got a couple of meetings coming up um with master plan coming up and a bylaws
meeting, but nothing nothing uh imminent and we're waiting on grant um grant results. We've had three or four applications that have been put in over the last several months and we're just waiting on on action from the various programs to know whether we've received
them or not. And this will be certainly by the end of this month they should be uh we should be notified on many of them. Um one would hope. So, we'll take it take it from there when we do. All right. Well, let's get into the new business then and talk about um
special town meeting. I believe we have to actually open the special town meeting warrant. So, do we need a vote to do that? I assume to do that. So, I move to open the warrant. Second. Okay. All right. All those in favor? I I I All right. So, Scott, why don't you
lead us through what we're trying to do here? Okay. Um, so for the articles, um, I've asked everyone to get everything in, uh, by last week, at least in the drafts. Um, we do have,
um, bear with me, 11 articles, uh, scheduled for the special town meeting. The first being the, uh, borrowing authorization for the senior center. Um, this is language that's provided to us for bond counsel that we have to legally use. Uh the amount that I came up with
was uh $1,970 uh,000. Uh that is not the total cost of the project. The uh the total cost of the project will be about um 14,170,000. Um that's a once we take out about $2.2
million uh from the Red Parsons estate, uh that would leave the town borrowing, you know, a little bit under $12 million. Uh, one thing I just want to point out is, uh, the Red Parsons estate has about $2.46 million in it. Um, we'll probably
need to have some cash available, uh, leading up to the year, two years of construction. So, leave us about a quart million uh, in case there is a need for any funds. Uh, if there isn't any need from those funds, then those funds can just be transferred into the, uh, the construction costs, and we would just
simply borrow less. Uh but since we don't have a lot of uh town budgets with flexibility, so if you had to do like a land survey or land maintenance or anything like that, um we simply just don't have that in our regular operating budgets. Um and I think most of the land issues were
were taken care of already. We've already had the the survey and the the land acquisition has already been done. It was like survey is locating the actual site. The actual site. Okay. And I think um so what you're saying the the amount from the red parsons estate if I'm
hearing you right would go toward the architectural and OPM costs. Mhm. So that would be the startup phase kind of thing. Right. So we have about um the A&E and AR architectural and engineering and then soft costs are about um $3.27
million. Um half of that is about architectural engineering. Um the other costs, the other part of the soft costs like permitting, you know, insurance, uh site preparation, furnitureures and fixtures, that'll all come up later,
but it's all part of the total package here. I mean, this is our total total amount that we're looking at right now to be borrowed. Total out the door price, but the amount to be borrowed should not be any more than that. Mhm. And when would you think that this would hit anybody's
tax bill? Uh we probably wouldn't borrow this for at least a year to a year and a half. Um you know it's going to be uh if it passes town meeting special town meeting in Septe in a couple weeks and then if it's approved by the voters in November
uh it's going to take a couple months just to do you know get the OPM on board. Uh the OPM is going to take a few months to get the architect architect and engineering on board. I mean it could take at least a year and a half um to two years before we actually start seeing uh impact to the taxes.
And again I think just for folks that are listening the the way I'm understanding this and again correct me but the OPM and the architect really are the ones that then have to take this feasibility study that currently exists which people are aware of and take that and make it more real. we've got a
conceptual plan, but it's not right down to the brass tax of what it's really going to look like. So, all these, you know, whatever um fine-tuning, I guess I would say, of the plan is what the OPM and the architect have to do for
us. And then also, um if this is approved, then I would recommend the psych board appointing a senior center building committee uh to handle like the daily activities. So, work with the OPM. Uh it would be a committee that would decide on the paint color or you know
furnishings uh fixtures things like that to keep also to approve and make sure the budget stays within budget. Um so generally you know most major municipal projects will have a committee like that that works with the OPM uh they approve the warrants they approve the spending. Um if there is a decision to be made,
you know, maybe something goes a little bit more money than expected and something's a little bit less, do we transfer money from the different line items uh to kind of cover that changes? Um so really it's it's um it would be a committee that works, you know, almost on a weekly basis with the OPM to approve everything, make sure that the
uh the project is on target um and on budget. Okay. Anybody else have questions? Yeah. So just on that line on that last note there I think that's a perfect use of the finance committee but then the uh other comments here I understand that
this is you can't word smmith this at all so that's fine but what you can word smmith is the supporting documents that go in and it's got to be crystal clear that we're not starting at 11.9 you're starting at whatever x is minus the
bequest that came man. And I understand the hold back of a quarter of a million dollars, but it should also be worded because when when you don't borrow the 11.9 million on day one, it's going to be borrowed over probably a 2-year period. So, it'll be phased in. Mhm.
And then you can and you actually don't have to borrow until 5 years after the project, you know, and then when it's complete. So, that extra 250 if not spent should go to reduce the final borrowing. And all that needs to be verbalized and spelled out, not just
we're going to because if I hear, "Oh, we're going to hold back 250." Well, then if 5 years from now when the project's done three years, when the project's done, no one's going to remember that, right? And where'd that 250 go? Or where's it going to go? It's better just to if there's if this has any hope of
actually passing. Well, I think it's got to be crystal clear and it almost needs a full page summary. Yeah. I think your comment though about you know in terms of the borrowing itself I think that has been confusing. I mean we haven't had a major municipal project underway here since the library.
So that's been 25 almost 30 years. So a lot of people have not been involved in any kind of municipal construction project. So just understanding how the borrowing goes. I mean when we had the East Street Bridge we had at least a couple years before we actually yeah went out to borrow for that. So, I mean,
it's not like I mean, it it will hit a tax bill. There's no doubt about that. But it's not going to hit it for a couple of years by the time we get going. But I think that phasing notion of how you go about borrowing um would be helpful to explain in more detail to people offhand. Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. So, this includes all the soft costs as well, though. It's not just construction costs, right? Exactly. So, more to the soft costs. Sorry. I to the soft costs. I imagine there's
not a draft RFP for these services yet. Not yet. We've got to get However, that's the thing we got to get going. Mhm. Right. I mean, what I'm about to say is that the scope matters. Mhm. And I would like to make a public
statement that we need to explicitly include value engineering and multifunctionality in this. Mhm. Next stage of planning with the with our agent and the architect
because I read the papers or read the bits and bites and I'm really disturbed. um that we need. It's incumbent on us to advance the conversation about this.
We've got years and years of committee work that have done exactly this. Look at alternatives, look at, you know, the most feasible options, but we're at a point where we need to put all those cards on the table again as well.
Well, and this is all related to the feasibility study that's been done. So now, like what I'm saying, you're going to go to that next phase with an OPM and an architect that takes that conceptual planning process and feasibility study into real actuality. And that's that's the step where we can't move forward
unless we get the town approval to move forward. Otherwise, we're just we're stuck. And so we need to be clear what we're asking the town to support. Yep. Exactly. Yep. Absolutely. Okay. Go ahead, Scott. Sorry, I didn't mean to take up all your time. Go ahead. Uh, so that's But I think that's that's got to be
clear. We we all agree we've got to be very clear and have as much explanation and handouts, whatever we need to to make that very clear to all the voters. Yeah. Um so the next article will be a transfer for health insurance. Um as you know, we were hit with a 18% increase on
July 1st and then we were just hit with a 20% midyear um increase effective on October 1st. Um right now this is basically operation blood from a stone. Um there's not a lot of money that's that we're available in this year's
budget without looking at potential personnel, you know, reductions or changes, which I'm trying to avoid. Um so it's really using um a lot of money that's that's been sitting around that's been available. Um talk a little bit more in depth about it in the September
9th meeting with the finance committee. Um but this would essentially uh get us to our annual town meeting. Um hopefully we can re-evaluate what our costs are going to be and we'll probably need a little bit more transfer at the end of of uh annual town meeting um to cover
the rest of the the two months at the year. Um we do uh anticipate um potentially in uh because this does affect Hampshire Regional as well. So there's going to be that issue that's going to be coming up. Uh we're also going to be looking at a pretty
significant increase to our uh MedEx plan, which is our Medicare supplemental plan, which we won't come into effect until January 1st. Um so Scott, this 318 is the town's portion of the Mi municipal side, including
Norris, the elementary school, but excluding Hampshire Regional, of which we're 52 to 54%. And our portion of the Hampshire Regional right now is anticipated to be a half a million dollars
on top of this 318. So this 318's us and then it's another half a million to Hampshire regional whether or not they I thought it was going to be closer to 250 for the Hampshire regional. I think it was 500,000 for So two All right. So 250 plus the 318. Yeah, I think it was five altogether maybe.
And the 318 is just to get the annual town meeting. No, I I understand this could be more this case, but this is going to this is going to come up because you're talking about a little over a half a million dollars that we got notified 45 days after our
budget passed. That means that these trustees and overseers up there knew. I don't know what they knew or didn't know, but in May when they gave us the initial 20%, what did they not see that 45 days later
they haven't had an emergency meeting and push through another 20% increase to towns and and um school systems that unlike the state of Massachusetts cannot just go into a rainy day fund. Unlike the gick, the legislators didn't bail
them out with hundreds of millions of dollars. And now we have to figure out where to do this. And look at the line items are being cut. I mean, the the police department, the truck, that's $8,400 that did not get spent on that last truck that we have. Uh that's from the annual meeting 23.
I'm not not quite sure, but this is all money that's available in the capital fund right now. Yeah. And that's what I'm saying. So all these other things are being criticized now. I mean, some of them is just going to be closed out, but the uh I don't understand how we're pulling $50,000 out of the ambulance fees when that money is
restricted to support the ambulance service. Now, maybe the fire chief's pay gets a portion of that, but it's not $50,000 to support that. I'm not sure that legally we can pull that money from there. And there was another one in there, too. the uh the ambulance fund that money is
designed is specified and set aside specifically to purchase an ambulance. How can we pull $1,200 out of there? And it's all it's fine $1,200. We'll figure it out in the 50,000. But we're being at because of what that group did, that consortium did. We have to come up with
a half a million dollars on a budget that again 45 days before this notice, we already failed an override that already cut a half a million dollars to $600,000 from Norris, right? But let's just pay the bill and that's not directed at you, Scott. Yeah.
No, we are we are taking pretty significant steps to evaluate our health insurance. Uh and we've had the executive sessions and we'll continue to do so. Um, I I I definitely would double down on on John's y
frustrations uh with with the process that just happened. Um, but unfortunately, this is one of the the situations where it did just happen 45 days ago into our budget and the bills are due October 1st and it would be it would take a miracle to do any changes at this point. And there has been a huge public
outcrying from all the communities. Yet, our attorney general does nothing. Our commissioner of insurance has done nothing or at least publicly neither one of them. the two bodies that have oversight over this organization. Nobody has lost their job. There's been no investigation at least that the public is aware of.
And a half a million dollars to us and there's what 80 It's huge. 82 members or 63 members in that group. It's huge. So this covers this would cover the October increase that we're being taxed with right now except for Hampshire Regional.
Yes. And it should get us to annual town meeting. there there is going to be a special open enrollment for people on the PO plan. Hopefully that helps a little bit. Um so, you know, I do expect another adjustment at annual town meeting um to get through the rest of the year.
Hopefully, you know, people might look at other alternatives if they have a spouse that might be on the calendar year and this is too expensive. They might look at other options. So, I'm hoping to have a reduction. So just for clarity on some of these that are listed as ATM or STM. So these were capital
funds that had been approved and am I correct in assuming the projects happened and these are the these are remaining balances. Yeah. Um the or like the library lighting didn't actually happen. Um it was actually funded through a grant instead. They got a grant instead. But in order to take it from the capital stabilization has to be a town meeting
vote. Right. Okay. But back to John's point about taking ambulance fees. Is that are we pretty sure that 50,000 that we can do that? Yeah. that goes into the the general fund. Okay. No ambulance fees. Are you talking about
the ambulance fees stabilization account? No, that that's a separate account that that we we almost zeroed out last budget cycle to help fund Norris. It wasund and something thousand. There's just a little over,000. We we've collected more than $50,718.86
above and beyond the cost to support and run that ambulance. and that and that's been declared surplus. No, I the the ambulance runs mostly at a deficit, right? So, we're just we're going to borrow 50,000 to pay this bill, but
we're just saying, okay, Mr. and Mrs. voter, we're going to come back to you because the deficit's going to be even greater for that ambulance fund. And well, the problem is where we get the 50,000 to cover what we have to cover for the October bill. I mean, that 50,000 is still part of that 318,000,
right? Mhm. And that was the only place that you found that you could take that amount of money. Yep. I mean, we did work, we are working with some other sources like the water department. Uh there's about $60,000 uh grant that that the town funded that we're looking to work with water commissioners to recruit, but that's
going to take a couple weeks and it's not going to be in time for special town meeting. So, we are looking at pretty much any anywhere that has available money um that we can take from, we're looking at doing it without affecting personnel.
And this is all money that I mean we could have used for capital expenditures. Uh I mean there's almost close to probably about 60 $70,000 that we could have bought a new police cruiser with. We could have put towards an ambulance fund. We could have did more Norris uh school improvements.
um you know, funding another, you know, public safety study potentially, things like that. And um I mean, it's got to go towards health insurance now. Yeah. And I don't want to dip into operating stabilization cuz I mean, we're already taking $150,000. We're only we're just
barely over a million dollars, which is only halfway where we need to be to begin with. And we're and we're not looking at a lot of free cash this year. Uh mostly because, you know, we have the Norris obligation of $150,000 that we have to pay out. um our capital stabilization fund is wolffully
underfunded. So if we keep those percentages, I mean we won't have much capital to to look at it anyways. Um so there might be a miracle with free cash, but I mean I'm not expecting a lot because of the budget transfers last fiscal year.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess my last comment is, you know, I mean, this is ridiculous to start with, but the fact is minus that 150 that you're pulling from operating, that means that we had $168,000 that was overcommitted in that bud and and available that could have
reduced the $600,000 impact to Norris and we we didn't take these actions here to free the money up I'm not following you, Joan. Sorry. Except for the first line, right? Because we we know the money that was in there in the operation. All that all those other line items,
we're being told that is available cash that can be spent to cover that 318. So 318 minus the 150 gives you $168,922.96 that could have been reallocated already to Norris to minimize the $600,000 or
the 18% budget cut in the layoffs and the reduction in staff. My my concern, but but I'm just but until it came to this catastrophe or natural disaster coming down the pike. Yeah. Um we, you know, we didn't spend the time
to do this exercise before, but now we don't want employees lose their insurance, so we have to find the money. Well, my my concern is especially with Norris, a lot of its personnel costs. This is a lot of onetime funds that we're using for ongoing costs. And I don't even think this is the right way to really look at it because this is
again, you know, this is blood from a stone. These are all just funds that we have available that are one-time um sources that we're using to balance ongoing expenses, which is a a difficult way to go, especially in the future.
Yeah, it's not a sustainable approach really. I agree. It's not sustainable, but we could have taken the hit in two steps instead of one year. Yeah. Well, we didn't know this one was coming down the pike, too, either. But yeah. Okay, moving on. Next one.
Uh the third one is uh the personal policy and procedures board update. Um I'm all in favor of this one by the way. Uh so this is a two-step process. The first one is to uh repeal the uh PQB uh bylaw and then the next article is to um
reinsert the uh the select board as as the authorized representative of the um the personnel rules, regulations, and procedures. Um this comes just from town council. And currently that's a fivep person volunteer committee of which I'm one by
virtue of sitting on this board and one from finance as well. Right. And we barely get three people. Well, we still have two vacancies and it's just it's an inefficient ineffective way to run the way we are right now. Uh the next one is to continue the
funding of the uh conservation agent um by September. I was looking to have uh this position um un unfunded and we would have been hiring a land use coordinator. Uh but with everything with the health insurance um
it's probably best to postpone at least a little while longer uh until we can fill this one and make sure that we're on stable ground. Um it would be a full-time position. So not only would it be a salary but also uh potentially benefits. So the land use planner though is going to combine both planning
functions as well as conservation into one entity. Right. Right. Right. Now we have a part-time conservation agent and no planning agent per se. Right. Exactly. Uh and then the next one again was the uh transfer funds for the health agent. Um we hired Claudia after
the budget cycle was already done. uh looking at the salary and and her experience, uh we wanted to make sure that um we're able to uh provide an adequate salary that's reflective of her experience and qualifications. And this will be just a transfer from that land use planner to the um the health health
agent uh line item. And that this number is just to to meet the obligation that when we hired her, right? It's not a increase in pay from when she started. Correct. Right. So, this gets us through the fiscal year covering salaries. Mhm.
uh the appointment of the finance committee. I'm waiting for uh pending language from the town council to present to the uh the fincom. Uh but this was we talked about it last uh budget cycle about potentially having the town moderator uh appoint the fincom members um from elected into appointed
and that's been done in many other towns. We're one of the few towns that still elects the finance committee. Mhm. That's correct. Um Mark, I don't know if you want to maybe speak on the next couple ones because you're you're the expert on them, but the next three are um coming from open space and
Mark has Fulmer Road and speaking as open space chair. I'm also on um CPC. Um, we've got an agreement from the Chinseri family u that they would sell 40 acres of land that's up the end of
Walcott Road um for $50,000 to the town for conservation purposes. We've gotten an agreement from Castro Land Trust that they will put up all the money for that and survey funds that may ultimately mean a there's a small amount of legal
cost for the final closing for the town. But um we and this is next to 50 acres of existing conservation property up there. So this is would be um just I think it requires twothirds vote for acquisition of property, but there's no
significant expense for the town for this and builds on existing conservation land. So the assumption is that the total price is $50,000 probably funded by Kestrel. But if Kestrel does not come through, then this would come out of CPC. Is that what I'm understanding?
No. The way this is worded is only as if we get receive um $50,000 from Castro Land Trust or similar agency. So there's no no CPC in this no conservation restriction. The this would be protected under chapter 97. Um but the total price is still 50,000 not
100,000. Oh, if the total is $50,000 and if Castro for some reason doesn't come up with it, we not buying the property at this point. If we if the if we does the 50 the 50,000 would go to the seller. Exactly. Would there may potentially be
an additional legal cost? There would the legal cost of closing for the town. That that is the as far as I know, you know, the survey work and the paying the owners would be covered by Kestrel. Whatever legal fees of
actually the town's signing papers would there would be an expense to the town. Any any idea? Are we talking over a,000? when we when they gave when they gave me a figure for um the other property, it was $500. I
think it's reason pretty reasonable. Yeah. I guess what was confusing me was the the way just the sum of 50,000 shall not be expended unless the town has received 50,000 toward the purchase. So, so I think that the way I read it, I was combining the two
again how how the whether the legal our legal council feels like it needs to be worded. I have to leave to them. But the the idea is that it would not be purchased unless we actually had the money in hand from or promise of reimbursement from Kestrel. And it may be that there's no actually town
expenditures. It may be just Kestrel sends a check to the family. So this would be another one like in the summary, the first sentence says we can't change this wording because the legal council says so, but if we if we don't receive a gift of 50,000 from Kesler, we're not buying it for 50,000.
Mhm. Yeah. I think that needs to be clear because that I read that as a $100,000 property. So that's what I was confused about. This authorizes the select board to act on the purchase. So it doesn't require the purchase to go through. Yeah. Okay. And should that one say like the next one does contingent on
receiving the grant up in the title? There is no grant on this one. This is just a gift from Kestrel is going to figure out where to I see. From their sources money from their sources. Okay. Got it. All right. Okay. Thank you. Yep. So the next uh two are
um Floric property which is 27 acres next to um Wolf Hill um next to Alder Pond. Um this is part of this was precipitated when they took property out of 61A that was in front of the board earlier. They
in the discussion said they'd be willing to sell some of the rest of the property to the town for conservation purposes. So, we were able to get a land grant in to cover 66% of the $420 $6,900. Um, and we'll hear about that
midepptember by according to what the state person told me, but it's very close to the town vote. So, um, this authorizes the use of the 34% of CPA funding, accepting the land grant, and
acquisition of the property. This does include most of the legal costs. Um, and the actual purchase price for the family is $415,000. The approximately 11,000 and something is for surveying, baseline study, um,
some other um, title search, things like that. And and the current reserves of the CPA fund are to cover this easily. Yep. Good question. The second one, next article, I don't know if you switched over, is we wanted to have a contingency in case we didn't
get the land grant. We think it's still a valuable property and the open space committee and the uh conservation commission had agreed that we should and then it went to the CPA that we should fully fund it through CPA funding if we do not get the land grant. Same question.
Yep. Adequate fund. Yes, there is adequate funding. There's $800,000 for available So if we know by the town meeting, special town meeting, whether we've got the land grant, one of these can disappear over. Yeah. One of these two can be assume
they've been slow on telling us these grants. So we um uh so the hope is that we will know and won't have to vote on the second one. Right. Okay. Okay. All right. Thanks. Y a lot of work going into this. Thank the
final one is uh unpaid bills from the previous fiscal year. Okay. So, that's all we have. That's all we're expecting for Warrant articles. Nothing else coming our way that we know of? No, I've asked about uh for the last month everyone to get them in on time.
So, that's uh what we've received so far. We received one or two minor ones that we can probably put off until annual town meeting. Okay. All right. So, we're not we're not waiting and we're not going to vote on these tonight. We don't need to vote on them
tonight. I would I would recommend um just calling a quick fiveminute meeting uh next Tuesday just to uh officially close out the warrant and uh get put you know vote on these. So and we have all the language in place because I think that's what we need to have. Yeah.
Okay. Anybody have any questions about what's on the warrant at this point? And we're still aiming at September 30th um at 700 p.m. I believe. Mhm. Uh and just to answer Robert's question before, we had voted at special town,
sorry, annual town meeting in May about changing the dates of our meetings, whether annual or special. Um special town meeting can be any day of the week if I'm correct. But we had not heard until I think it just came in. I saw
something flash up from Lucy. I think we just got the word from the attorney general just now about all the bylaws that we put through in May at the annual town meeting because we cannot act and implement the bylaws that were put forth at the annual town meeting until we get the attorney general's sign off. So that
would have allowed maybe for a Saturday meeting, but we've already got this pretty much set for the the Tuesday evening. Um also what process just for next Tuesday I I do have this as part of the agenda to discuss with the fincom. So hopefully get their support on the financial right on the financial parts of it.
Right. So at this point in time, we'll we'll stick with the the Tuesday evening special town meeting like people are used to, but most likely our May one would be a Saturday going forward. Okay. So we we had thought we would have the annual the attorney general's approval
on bylaws before now and obviously they've been very slow at getting them to us. Okay. I think that takes it for the special town warrant. Yep. If nothing else, we'll move on to the next topic and that is the group insurance commission discussion. And
this ties in with our earlier discussion about our insurance costs um with the Hampshire County um what are they? Hampshire County Entire Retirement Insurance Trust, whatever they're called. Uh HGIT. Um, this one is
GIC, which is one that is uh has written to us and they've written to many different towns since we know that we're all in the same boat of having to look at these crazy insurance costs that have just being that are just being imposed. Um, so they are reaching out to us
saying, you know, we'd be willing to talk to you about what's happening with your insurance and we would just need to let them know that we might be interested in having them come in later in the month or in October to talk to us about um an alternative option for our
insurance coverage. Um we obviously would have to according to this letter we would have to join a new plan by December uh if we were to switch but we are stuck with the current insurance my understanding right through the through the next through the fiscal year
basically. So even if we opted for a different change of insurance carrier nothing will still take effect until July 1st. Right. Okay. So maybe talk a little bit about GIC between Scott, John. Were your comments specifically related
just to the GIK? GIC. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So this is the GIC. Yeah. Right. Gick. Yeah. Yeah. I mean the good thing with this one is the state bails this one out. Sorry. The state bails out the gick, which they just did. Mhm. $380 million. Yeah. Oh my god.
Well, our legislators, that's where their insurance is. So they have they basically according to this letter, right? So they have a membership of 918 public agencies and 55 municipal partners. So they cover quite a quite a portfolio apparently. But
there is some um I mean with the coverage I was a member of the GIC and and obviously I'm a member now. Um you know I I think there there are a lot of different plan options um to make it worthwhile for the town of Southampton. We probably encourage people to look at the Health New England
plan which is the the most affordable. Um but they do offer other plans that have a broader network but for most of our employees I think Worester West is what H&D covers. Um one thing just to let you know so the December 1st is the deadline for notification of the GIC
that uh we'd like to join but there is a process under section 19 where we have to uh engage with our unions um about potentially entering it into it. It's about a 30-day process. Um so October, November, early October, we would have to send a a letter uh notifying them of
our intent to do that. Um there's also um our retirees get a percentage of the say on entering it. Um hopefully we could come to an agreement and if not then it could go before independent board uh that would review the cost savings and um allow the town to move
into itself. And and negotiations would be over the co what do we do with the cost savings? How much do do the union members get and how much does the town get to recognize? And you have to give notice by December 1st to go in on to have the open enrollment
in June to take effect on the fiscal year and Health New England is in there. But a parallel path that is being explored additionally is to go standalone with Health New England directly with them. And that is there anything in writing that we
that we can't give note 30-day notice to exit our existing plan if we have a independent fully funded through Health New England. Um well we have to provide 30 days. I think it's 90 days notice. I have to double check the um the agreement. It's
either 30 or 90 days. Um so once we provide that we would just have to look at our runout costs. There's about um $26,000 in our fund for that. But I'm expecting given given the way things have been trending, it's going to be a little bit more than $26,000 for those runout costs.
So just don't don't get confused with Health New England. There's right now we're pursuing two parallel paths. The one through the gick, which is better and is more suited for this area, and then just forget the GIK, forget HIGT, whatever it is,
and just go stand alone. Yeah. So, we got two other options that we're employing that we're investigating or we would have if we invite these guys in to talk to us. We'd have two options to explore in addition to I mean our current situation. Hopefully that that other option will be
um we're aiming to have the reports somewhat 90% finalized by September 8th so that you have it in time for the finance meeting or the joint meeting to discuss. Good. Okay. Well, what about what do we think about, you know, at least hedging
our bets and also inviting somebody from GIC to come in and talk to us at some point at a future meeting? I mean, so we have things to compare. Is that a good idea? I don't need any additional information on the GIC.
Well, you guys feel free. Right. I do I I I do think if um I think communication will be key that I think if we're I I'm not opposed to listening to somebody from the geek, but um I also think part of the report
that we're helping Scott generate is going to have some talking points on that and pros and cons and here's all you might want to wait for those recommendations to fairly soon. But if you do Yeah. And again, Stephen knows about the joint meeting and so I told him I want the report
ahead of time for that so you guys can look at it. But the uh and then I'll probably even well we'll see how it goes. Maybe we'll make him available because I won't be here and he can address the questions that come up. But um if we're going to invite to get we we need simultaneously or in advance let
the unions know because I suspect Yeah. there's going to be huge push back, right? Yeah. No, I'm sure. So, so we can we we at least know that they've they've reached out to us to want to talk to us. So, I don't think we need to decide that tonight, but I I
think we ought to keep that on the table as as an option, but let's get through whatever is being looked at as the first alternative and then, you know, at least, you know, know what we've got for choices. Um because I think it will mean some different different situations for different people on personnel both union and
non-union. I mean, you know, in terms of deductibles and all that kind of stuff, I'm sure would be very different between all the plans that we're talking about. Either way, we're going to have to talk to the unions. Um whether it is going, you know, fully insured plan or go
joining the GIC. Um it's a requirement that we have to bargain over it, right? Okay. But these guys need a definitive answer by December if we would Well, it's every six every six months. Oh, is it? So, if you miss that window, it opens again in six months. I see. Okay. But then we're out of the cycle of our budget,
right? Yeah. Exactly. Okay. All right. So, we at least know that there's another potential option out there as well. Good. All right. Uh, next thing up, I think, uh, open space and recreation plan discussion and vote. And so, I think
we'll have Mark come back up again. I think this was another mini update in a way. Um, actually, it's a vote. So, yes, it's a Do you want me before? Mark, 19 road, um, chair of open space
committee. Um, I took over chair not that long ago. I wrote to actually Mimi Kaplan to find out when we needed to start the process for the next open space plan to make sure that we were on target. and she notified me by email
that if we update the action plan and goals by September 30th, we can extend our current plan which ends in 2028 to 2031 and there's no cost to the town to do that except our work. So, we got working on that but did not have that
much time. I uh put I sent out uh old goals and plans to multiple people. Uh I will go over the list of who that is. And then uh also a rewritten set of uh action plans and goals and put together
an open space uh and recreation plan update uh running from 2025 to 2031 that includes this is with help of a lot of other people. Um what we've accomplished between 21 and 25. Um uh in reality our
overall goals have not changed at all in that time but the specific action plans and sub goals have. I sent a copy of that to Chris and Scott. I hope that got to the select board to look at. I also sent um a email to Chris and Scott
basically saying we need to get this by September 30th to Melissa um Cryan with her email address and I gave a draft of a cover letter that I may be best to come to select from the select board rather than open space committee and in efforts to make this as easy as
possible for the select board obviously for you to rewrite as needed. This is what it will look like as it goes through. This is I didn't it was like 27 pages. I didn't copy all of it. Um Chris recently than the actual plan. Was that just thinner than the actual plan? Thinner than the actual plan.
But I think it addresses well what we've done and why we're building on that. Um and if we don't get it in, we have to go through the costly process of redoing this whole plan in 2028. Even if it's not perfect, I think we should we need to get it in. How about just for people
that are listening if you wouldn't mind reading the five goals or just Okay. And and we did uh ask for input from select board, agricultural commission, conservation commission, greenway committee, highway department, parks commission, planning board, greenway committee, and water commission. So we were trying to get
input from everybody. So the five major goals, forgive me, let me just pull that up. Um, goal one, identify and preserve important parcels for ecological, recreation, cultural, and historical
value to create townwide green network. Um, goal two is protect Southampton's remaining agricultural lands, promote local farming, and create opportunities for residents to become involved in local agriculture.
Goal three is protect Southampton's water resources. Goal four is pro promote land use policies to protect the town's natural lands and rural community character. Goal five promote adequate recreational facilities to serve a variety of needs
for all residents of Southampton. Okay. There are many strategies and and there's the action plan is details of action strategies. Some of them are carryovers, definitely new ones. So, um, part of this I'm not going to be able to work on this past this week because of
personal things going on. So, I was hoping that the we would get a vote to approve this even if there's minor tweaks after more editing tweaks. Um, and that uh can work with Chris or Scott to have the select board submit the final plan.
Right. No, I think you've done a great job putting this together and especially the the townwide progress since 2021. That's a pretty impressive list of of things that have been accomplished already. A lot of help from other people. So, I think what so I believe what you're asking for is a motion that would
allow us to approve or allow this to be submitted to the powers that be right for the I think at this point it's the the letter was written was being submitted by the select board. If you don't think it should be that way and should be open space, that's fine. We can just have to decide. I think it should be a select board
letter. I think that would be appropriate. So, ideally, approval by the select board for submission. I'll move to approve it as presented um and to allow grammical changes as necessary and that the chair be authorized to sign the letter of
support on our behalf. Okay. to submit to submit it to the state to meet this special opportunity. Yeah. So, it's not just a letter of support, but it's actually a letter of It's the transmission, right? Exactly. So, transmission to the state. Second that.
Okay. All right. Um Yeah. Um all those in favor? I I I thank you for your support with grateful thanks. You identified a real opportunity and now enjoy your vacation. And I think too, uh, if you do make a
few tweaks before you depart here and there, just shoot it back to us and we'll put it up. I think we should get it up on the, um, once once it's finalized, we should get up on the website. The the existing open space plan is on the website, right? But even even just the part that talks about what you guys have achieved so far. That's that's that in itself is
pretty interesting because we don't know how long it's going to take them to approve this, too. So, even as a draft update, I think it would be good to get up on our page, but it can wait till you return to town, too. Can I address something I think that's later on the agenda which just cuz I need to step out. Yes.
About the tip program. The greenway is on the 2029 tip program. Okay. It's been approved for that. So the greenway is the greenway is um so that's good news. That's no bad news. That's and that's good news given everything going a year here and there, but we'll get
there eventually. Gosh, I think so it's out of order, but I'm just No, that's fine. That's good to know. Thank you. Thanks, Mark. And thanks to uh the open space committee for all the hard work on this and especially reaching out to the various departments and u various boards and commissions that are involved in
this. Thanks. All right, Madam Chair, I move to appoint Scott Zybeck, a town administrator as Southampton Franklin Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board member for the remainder of fiscal year 26. Second. Okay. And authorize the chair to uh sign fill out the paperwork. Yeah. Okay.
Yeah. Just to comment on that, we I guess I had thought that we had already done this, but that was a year ago, so that time already ran ran quick. Um why Franklin, Madam Chair? They handle both. They handle they handle us. Franklin Regional Transit Authority. Uh Franklin handles our senior van,
right? Where otherwise that's what this is partly. I mean, being part of that. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, that's part of what this We are otherwise in the Pioneer Valley transit region and we do not participate with them.
I think that's an important point of clarity. It blew my mind when I joined the board. PVTC you mean? Pioner Valley Transit or PVTA. PVTA. Yeah. I mean, they're talking about having a stop here in Southampton. Maybe if they have a stop somewhere they're
head because they go through here to go to Westfield. So there was talk about having a a stop in Southampton, but there never has been. Yeah, there's a train coming through too to Boston, but no, we we have been part of Yeah. If we want that to happen, we can apply some local leadership. Well, on the motion,
but just on the motion so that it's clear, this is for our senior ban. It was not clear to me and was manifestally confusing last year. So, second this. All right. Fine. So, this is a Franklin Regional uh transit authority advisory board member. All right. All those in
favor? I I I All right. And I will work with Scott. We'll get the paperwork submitted and I'm sure there'll be a meeting coming up soon. The way they're doing their things here. Okay. Um land use planning update. Scott, anything? So, this is a notoriously difficult time
of year to get uh more than two people in a room together. Um so, Dodson and Flinker and uh Piner Valley Planning Commission, they've been working hard on the um getting close to the final stages. uh we just have to get together for another meeting to kind of give them some guidance. So, we're
hopefully I think it was in about a week, week and a half that we're looking to try to get together. Okay. Um the core group and uh go from there and then we're still going to need another public meeting. Mhm. Which I think, you know, based on our discussions, it might be good to aim for a Saturday if we possibly can.
Yeah. And after special town meeting, right? You know, so it's early October whenever. So we can do that. That would be great. Okay. So that'll be your internal working group that will have a meeting. Okay. Got it. Um yeah, the internal and the the larger group as well, I think. Okay.
And it was in that context that came the question about at the end of the day, we're going to have a development program. We are going to create new impacts and we know that route 10 is not as safe as it ought to
be. And so it was mentioned at the the MOO, Metropolitan Planning Organization of the Pioneer Valley Planning Association, of which we are a member and an
associate delegate to the MPL. That each participating community is entitled to two free traffic counts perom. And where else would we want to do it but here? Okay. So, that's from the
peanut gallery. We obviously need a a police chief and a road superintendent if not the fire chief as well uh to say that's obvious and get the damn thing scheduled. Thank you. Okay. So, that was other business. And um I
would move that we send a letter to the Pioneer Valley Planning Association requesting a traffic count uh as part or assistance if you want to be more general in developing baseline traffic understanding for 117 125 College Highway.
Okay. And maybe another location as well if we have two allowed. No opposition. But I think we can, you know, reach out to the police chief. I haven't heard that we've claimed anything in years. Yeah. I don't know. Okay. Okay. So we can we can also reach out to the police chief and highway super and to see what else is out there for other
other priorities that they might have too that they had not focused on. Go ahead, John. Was that a motion? It was. It was a motion. Could you to reach out to reach out and Pioner Valley Planning Association request one of the two right
um free traffic studies be coordinated and done at that location. Right. Um, if I can offer an amendment. Okay. Subject to uh no reason not to by the fire chief,
police chief, and highway superintendent, i.e. it falls under the jurisdiction of the state highway and they couldn't do it anyways. But assuming no objection from those three individuals, absolutely that we transmit the request officially. Second. All right. All right. So, we have a
motion and a second. All those in favor? I I I All right. Good idea. Thank you. Are we under? We're under any other, right? Um just a two seconds on the 250th anniversary. Just to say thank you for everybody who came. We had a great birthday party a week ago Saturday. Um
probably close to 350 people, I think. Great music, great food. Um I think everybody had a had a good time. We've got a couple of events coming up in September. One is this coming Saturday, a talk at the senior center by Judith Miller Conlin on the West Park Cemetery
and then another one at the library on September 25th, also looking at burial grounds in Southampton. So September tends to be cemetery month for whatever, but we have two uh two good uh speakers for those events. Um so please uh follow your calendar and Facebook and whatever
else. We'll get the word out. There'll be some flyers around town as well. It was a fun event. Yeah, it was a great event. I think it was well attended. People had a good time. Mhm. So, I I have two things under any other business. Yeah. Um I will state and then if there's support,
make a motion. But I believe in light of the discussion that we've we've had tonight and we had previously and what's going to be discussed next Tuesday at the special meeting of the select board and the finance committee. I believe we should formally take a position to
implement a hiring freeze to all departments and functions that fall under the control of the select board with the exception that the fire department maintain its attempt to maintain its current staffing of two
paid paramedics if possible and that the police department maintain its existing staffing. I.e. if an officer was to resign, the police chief is empowered to backfill that position. But no additional and no other departments. So the two emergency departments public
safety public safety. Yep. Um is that a formal motion or is that it's up for discussion and we take it up next Tuesday or how would you like to handle that? Well, I don't know. I mean if if we need more time if we want to get in and say I won't be here next Tuesday. Okay, that's right.
Um but um in in saying that I realize that we have to deal with the gas inspector. So, I I would deem the inspector's job to be public safety and that job needs to either get back filled or assigned to another community. Um, but we need the service or there might be already a
solution there, but that mean any opening positions the highway department that aren't filled right now, we're not filling them. Not filling them without coming back to this board to be approved. Would it be appropriate before we move forward with filling any position to have the psych board approve it first
before going through the hiring process? And that just applies to any position, public safety or Well, I'm okay with that. I just don't want to. We have a uh you know, on the night shift there's two police officer. I don't want to go down to one police officer on the midnight shift. I don't I don't think it's good. Mhm.
Others may disagree with me, but I so I I want that carve out there. We We need the paramedics. I know we have one whether we're going to get that other one or not, but I I don't want to start stop that process if need be. everything else. I think it needs to come to the select board for approval before
why don't we make it that it comes, you know, whether we call it the hiring freeze or whatever, but at least it needs to come to the select board for preapproval before going out and doing any of these kinds of other other recruiting actions. Y I think that's probably a safe bet. We we definitely are up
against a a wall with this insurance cost and um you know, hiring other people is not going to be the name of the game for a few months for sure. I think unfortunately I'll make that as a motion. Okay. All right. I'll second that. All right. All those in favor? I I I
Second thing is giving, you know, I know it's early and we're out there, but we're going to have to deal with this insurance next year and we we've still got the deficit from the field override at Norris, which is only going to
compound, and we've got the um other issues that we have to come up with. my my my tally, we're going to need a million to a million and a half dollars from the existing budget and that's after our 2 and a.5% increase in growth comes in.
So I believe that the select board should formally notify all department heads that for next year's budget, you should prepare for a 10% reduction and a 15% reduction scenarios and and we can
go up from there. start don't wait till March or April to start thinking about it. Put them on put them on notice now where is it and also not only in the form of a reduction but is there a reduction that could happen because we could handle services differently
whether whether it's regionalizing or you know it I've said it before and I'll say it with a water commissioner sitting here. We have a twoerson department in town here. East Hampton's our backup. Why are we continuing to have a wire department? Why aren't we contracting
with East Hampton to do that? I'm sure there's reasons on both sides to do or not to do. But let's start doing the work now because we're going to h we're going to have best case a million dollar shortfall. Worst case, I think it's going to be more around $2 million shortfall in our
budget. And it's going to come out of staffing. And I would argue selfishly as as a school committee member that Norris already took their hit Mhm. of the 600,000. So, it it's got to be on the town side and we're $21
million budget. It's a 10% cut. Scott, any thoughts about that? I know when you were going to put out a budget call to start budget process for Yeah, I have it on the agenda for next week to start the u to talk about the budget calendar. Uh but also some guidelines as well as start discussing guidelines
for the town. So, yeah. Do you need the I mean, you've heard the discussion. I mean, do you feel comfortable just having it like that or do you want it as a formal motion or I I I think when you're looking at those types of reductions, I we have a small enough budget where we
can actually look through it and target it. I mean, a 10% out of our town clerk's budget is a lot different than a 10% out of our highway. Um I mean, and outside of, you know, salary, there's really not much that you can do except for salary. Whereas, you know, highway department, you know, they have several hundred,000 that you can do, like equipment and things like that.
So I I think we have an opportunity if we are going to look at such reductions to maybe do a little bit more targeted. So it would be reductions but not necessarily 10 or 15% across every department is what you're saying. That's right. I think it's Yeah. I I think it's
just a matter of looking at it and you know it may rather than a I I would look more of a target approach rather than a little bit out of a lot maybe you know places where we can take bigger chunks. Yeah. because I mean there's lots of
ways to look at it and not necessarily in favor but needs to be explored. I mean a while ago again back in what the 70s we went to a 4-day work week here at town hall. Do we need to go three days? And you know, benefits are
an option, meaning we're Hey, the assessor's office is open two days a week. Town offices are open two days a week, 16 hour employees. And you know, we're going to have to put a plan together because we need to we need to assume the worst. And the worst is that the
over there's going to be an override and that the override is not going to pass. So, we need to have that game plan. Yeah. As a worst case scenario. Good point. Okay. So, I think at this point I' I'd rather let you have the first foray with with the town department. You have a usually um a
department head meeting this week anyway. You'll have it on Thursday most likely. Actually, I have to cancel it this week. So, okay. For next week then, but I mean to to basically, you know, update them with what has been discussed at select board meeting. Um let you start there, but then we can bring it back and if we need to do a formal motion on that. Um, but I
think you got the sense of we're kind of all feeling that that need that we realize that it's going to be a tough year ahead and that budget cuts, however we can do them, need to be the name of the game. I mean, I think John's 100% correct. If you look at just the insurance costs, assuming nothing else happens, we're going to be half million in the whole
just for insurance costs plus whatever increases we get from there. We also have $50,000 that we got to pay for debt for the uh heating system. We have $130,000 in free cash from from the CARES Act. Uh we have the $150,000 that we owe to North School for the other um
stuff. We don't know what Hampshire Regional Assessments are going to be for the upcoming year as well. We also have contract negotiations for the police union. Um and I I'd like to at least, you know, contract negotiations for the teachers. Yeah. Teachers. Then I and I also think
that part of me bringing this up is if if we did whether we informally support it by not objecting to the number tonight but or vote on it that that message be sent
to Hampshire Regional and to the other towns at the meeting that they're looking to have that this is the direction that we're going in. We're planning for the worst, hoping that we don't get there. But so Hampshire Regional, we're expecting a a 10 to 15% reduction
in the budget. And on that note, with that resignation tonight, there's at least two, if not three empty seats from Southampton on the school. South Southampton has six votes there. We're down to 50%. We need We're going to need those seats filled. Yeah. For
this next budget cycle if Southampton's voice is going to be heard through that process. Okay. Good point. Otherwise, what good is 55% of the vote, right? If you don't have the bodies there to cast the vote, yeah, we definitely have got at least two vacancies and maybe a third now with this one. So, we definitely need people to be
stepping up to be on the Hampshire Regional School Committee. So, we'll keep pushing that one as well. Um, let's let's not let's not assume, but how about we make that an assignment for Scott to make the the the whatever the
um the gist of our conversation known to Hampshire Regional and and the superintendent and so forth that this is where we're going and so that they they're not caught unawares that this is how we're starting out as the biggest town that contributes to their budget and um other and maybe copy the
other town county town finance committees or administrators on it. Okay. All right. Good points. Thank you. Uh we have a couple of PCFs. Uh I move to take a PCF for Mackenzie Williamson Fire Department resignation effective May 17, 2025.
Okay. Second. All right. All those in favor? I I I All right. I move that we take up PCF for the fire department for a carry lang new hire EMT as needed not benefited 2163 and yield to fire chief Fulli
to make his case uh Rich Fulli fire chief uh I submitted this uh PCF two months ago uh the PPP board has not been been able to meet for the last two months. So, that's why here
tonight for Carrie Lang. Uh she's a 10-year EMT. Uh recently moved to town. Uh it'll be a PDM position. No benefits. Uh so, she just gets paid, you know, if she picks up a shift. Mhm.
So, great. And has she already started? Do we need to vote make this retro? What's that? Has she already started? Do we have to give this a retro date? No. To get paid. Oh, she hasn't started. She's been waiting the two months.
Sorry about that. That just compounds our our comments about the personnel policy procedures board. Okay. So, let's have a motion then. Uh, we have the motion. There's a motion. Second on the floor already. Well, you made a motion to consider and I would second a motion to approve. There you go.
Okay. All right. Motion made and seconded. All those in favor of Carrie Lang? I I All right. Consider that. I will sign the PCF tonight. Thank you. Great. I move we approve the minutes of the select board meetings held July 22 and
August 5, 2025. Okay. Second. All right. I think there's just a couple small typos and I can work with Judy on those. There's nothing major. Um so with that, uh all those in favor I I All right. Both minutes are approved.
Um old business. Uh, how are we coming on any audit issues, Scott? From FY23 currently for FY24. I know um we probably need to get our auditors on the schedule for coming in to talk to us on the FY23 one.
Yep. So, so I sent the uh the draft for the FY23 which we received last last week. Um I wasn't sure if we wanted to try to have them in in September or October. I think probably October, wouldn't you think? We got a lot going on for September. I'm going to say early October, maybe. Okay. And then we're
still going along with the FY24. So, yeah. And if FY24 happens to be done by then, they can do both. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And just giving Megan a chance to catch up on years of um Yeah, I know. How How is How is things going? Is she
able to get some of that stuff over to the auditors for FY24 or not yet? Are we um I I do know that some of the things I have to double check some of the things were updated in the program, but um we have made progress on some other things. Uh like we met with uh um the
superintendent and and the business um agent for the school for Hampshire Regional talking about um improving the processes for payroll and uh they they agreed to set January as the deadline for uh changing over electronically um as well as improving that process. So that that'll be a big help for the
treasur's office. Uh we are going to after that we're going to talk about um warrants and the purchasing of Norris school. Um but we wanted to set uh that as the first goal. So that means Hampshire regional business office would use our Var system
for payroll. Um or Harpers rather Norris would use Harpers. Harpers I mean right and right now it's all manual. How much time do we have? Um so I know it's convoluted but so yeah so Norris right now handwrites
or at least using an Excel sheet to do the payroll which they send to central office which they then convert into their own system of uh infinite vision uh as then take that and they send it to us and which we then manually enter into our payroll of Harpers.
Wow. So instead it's it should be Norris into Harper's Harpers electronically to the town. Town town approves everything as well. The acrruels. So right now the acruals is a separate system. So sick vacation all that stuff that's completely different. Um and then that would be generate a report that we would
just send to central office for their own bookkeeping. Bookkeeping. That sounds like a sounds like a simplified system which my gosh if we can not have to handle things five times over that should make the current system is impossible
to ensure accuracy time and I think that's part of it is just you know the level of you know picking up and touching and and moving again and doing manual entry. I mean it's inevitable that mistakes will make sure it's still better than what it was 2 years ago. Well I mean true slow slow progress. Okay good. I see
Edmon Scrooge, our famous ADA door openers. Um, just waiting for the the debit card. Um, I just have to work with Megan on getting that. She's just a little reluctant on such a large amount. They haven't actually been purchased yet. Not yet. Okay. Uh, any work on the stormwater
enterprise fund? No. And we heard about the greenway tip for 29. So that's takes care of that. So we have just on our calendar we have select board meetings coming up for the 16th and the 30th is the town meeting special town meeting on the 30th but we do have a joint quarterly for our first
quarterly meeting select board and finance committee on September 9th and that'll be also at 6:00 here. Um I think that's what there is for that madam chair. So we will go into executive commission uh sorry just want to remind you of my absence on
the 16th. 16th. Thank you. We're struggling with a short committee. Yeah. Thank you for Oh, and Johnny, you're out on the 9th, right? Yeah, I'm out on the 9th, but we don't we don't need to do anything for the
special town meeting. But if article one passes, that's going to trigger special election at which time the office of select board will be added. Correct. Okay. Yeah.
So, so um if it does pass on September 30th, we just have to do a quick meeting to call for the special election. For the election, right? Yeah. So, that would be a select word vote to call for the election. Right. So, the the I'm looking at my calendar
now that so the 16th I will be in Boston. So, it doesn't look like there'll be a quorum. Well, there won't there won't be a quorum. All right. When is anybody back around? I can do the 20 I can do the following week on the 23rd. But if we're going to be done 30th,
well, we're probably going to need something in between here. So, 23rd instead of the 16th. Mhm. Yeah. Maybe. Stephen, are you around the 23rd? Yes.
So, we'll have a little bit longer in between time, but so we would have to have um I'm I'm hoping that we can um board could prevote. Yeah, we've got to we've got to post by when? We've got that two weeks before. We got to post the warrant before the 16th, do we not?
Right. So, next week on the 9th, if you would close the the warrant and then I would post it. Um and then if we on the either the 16th or the 23rd uh if the select board could take a vote um if it is to pass special town meeting to call
for an election on the November date just so you don't have to do it right after. So but if we don't meet on the 16th the 23rd is too late for that. No, as long as it's done before special town meeting because it's we could take that vote for the to hold
the election. Yeah, I think it was November 6th or something, I think it was. Right. Right. Okay. So, vote at that time for the election on the 23rd. Mhm. Pending approval of special of uh town meeting. Got it. If it's approved. Yeah. Okay.
Okay. I think we got that right. So, we will not do a select board meeting on the 16th for lack of quorum. We'll move that to the 23rd followed by special town meeting on the 30th. Okay. But we will have this joint fincom meeting on the 9th. And Stephen, you are here for
that? Yes. Okay, perfect. Okay. So, with that, we're going to be moving into uh an executive session. Uh this is per MGL chapter 30A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental
effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body. And the chair so declares and this is regarding the health insurance. So I will take a motion to move into second. All right. And a second. Second. All right. Roll call, please. Lumber. I. Johnson. I.
Fowls. I. Okay. We will be moving out into executive session and we will not be coming back tonight. So we are out of public session at looks like 7:55 thereabouts. And we will not