This government meeting is brought to you by East Works and our local cable subscribers. >> Will you leave us? I'm going to call I'm going to call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for February 3rd, 2026 at 6:01 p.m. And we'll start by saying the pledge of
allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands under God, indivisibley and justice for all. >> We'll get there. Great question. Very
hard to do that in unison. >> All right. Yes, I know. Okay, so we have our meeting this evening. Is anybody here for citizen speak? I don't see anybody. Uh we are recording tonight
since we're upstairs. Uh so this will be up on up on our uh Eastampton media probably by tomorrow I would think or soon thereafter. Um so with that, how about uh let's start with Scott the town administrator report and go through a couple things for us. Um,
so tactical should have hit the mailboxes at latest yesterday. >> They did. I got mine yesterday. >> So they were mailed out on the 20th of last month. Something happened between um being sent from East Hampton to getting to Southampton. Um so it was
really I think it was something in the post office. >> I think they must have gone through the Hartford Road which is usually what happens. So >> So I think the difference is just you know we're we're starting to use this other mail service. Is that the idea? Yeah. So with them, yeah, if they mailed it from there, then it's going to go to
Hartford. Whereas >> we shouldn't shouldn't take that long though. >> No, it should take two weeks. No, I mean, we had a holiday in there and obviously we had snow, but still it seems like it was inordinately longer than one one would have expected. But yeah, >> and we always need to do a constant job
of communicating, especially with tax bills. But my experience paying online is as simple as can be. >> Mhm. >> Y and it doesn't require remembering my bill number. Just put in my address. >> Mhm.
>> And connect it to a credit card or a bank account. Even cheaper. >> Mhm. >> And it's done. >> Yeah. >> And it knows what you owe. At least current. If you're in a rar that's a problem, right? >> But I highly recommend it. online is a
great way to just get the money into the town with a lot of without a lot of discussion. >> Yeah, it's not very complicated and I think right now their tax bill is not technically due until the beginning of May, but I saw a lot of people coming in today I think you know trying to pay and I think people will at least pay their
February one because that's what they're used to doing, >> right? And I will confess I've not checked to see if that February bill is >> it's a combined >> Oh, that's what you see when you go online today. >> Well, not online. on my on my paper copy. It was it was I mean you can see
what the total is and that's it's >> there are many ways to give money to the town and that's all good. >> Yeah. No, that's fine. Yep. Okay. Scott, go ahead. >> Um so we have the zero college presentation on January uh February 10th. Um so if uh if you received an
invite uh please make sure to RSVP. Um >> a week from tonight on Tuesday, >> Mhm. 6:00 and um we are going to be having East Hampton Media cover it. Um so the full video will be available um afterwards and then there will be a um
uh much more produced uh highlight reel um talking about the project in a little bit more in depth. So it's going to be a PowerPoint presentation next week but there will be um that will be online once once Tuesday's done. Um but then we're going to release a lot more information on on that part. So uh I
think it's looking really good. I think uh a lot of people are going to be happy with it. Um, so tonight we're going to uh move forward with choosing a broker. Um, I finally got the letter um actually that's yeah the other um two in the packet.
>> Yeah. Uh so I hope Yeah. >> So um after tonight um once a broker's chosen I hope to kind of go out to bid as soon as possible for the insuranceances. Um I did promise to peck our our public employee committee that we would talk to them before selecting one. Mhm. >> Um, so once we kind of get all the
information in, talk to the pack, get their opinions, they'll bring it to the suck board. >> So, >> and their opinions would be on the kinds of insuranceances we choose. >> Uh, I mean, there's going to be a lot of choices like, you know, the best dental carrier, what the rates are, should we offer three options, two options, one
option? You know, should we do long-term disability, short-term, pet insurance, >> vision, who the carriers could be? So, there's little little nuances to each one of them. >> Okay. So do I infer correctly that agreement has been reached on basic
program and insurance that will be offered? >> Mhm. Yep. So we're just going to essentially replicate what's uh what we already offered with the um with the dental. Uh but then >> on the you know uh ordinary health and hospitalization.
>> Mhm. Yeah. That's the GIC. Okay. Yep. Yep. >> So um and then the next couple months is going to be pretty much health insurance and FY27 budget. Uh I did get the GIC letter approved this afternoon. So they they require us to send out a standard boilerplate very boring letter to
everyone uh as the first communication. So I finally got that approved. That's going to be going out to all the retirees and employees uh hopefully next this week or next week and then I can start the education process for all that. So um February 9th is Hampshire
Regional's budget meeting presentation. Um it's obviously going to be a big impact to the town. So, I'm going to try to attend that one in person. I'm not sure if they televis it or not. Uh, >> I don't think they usually I doubt it. I I'm maybe I don't know.
>> Is that a workshop kind of meeting or are they presenting their proposal? >> Um, I believe uh Veto and Don will be presenting it to the school committee. >> Uh, from John. >> Oh, did I?
>> No. Yeah. The process is it's the first public viewing to the school committee and then I believe that night or the next meeting they take a vote and that sets the ceiling >> on what could possibly happen. >> Okay. >> But they have to final the final vote
has to be by February 14th. >> Um and then John and I we met with uh Jay and Jay Barry of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools Consulting Group um to discuss Smith Smith Vocational. Um, so Smith Vocational, they're they're exploring
the option of becoming a regional school district. Um, mostly because it would allow them to take advantage of some state funding uh for a lot of the infrastructure needs that they have. It'll also correct um the way I understood it is they were originally
set up as a charity and they continue to operate as one and uh this would move them into a more traditional um government structure. Um and that would allow them to you know take part of the mass school Massachusett School Building Association those types of
things grants um which they which they actually are not part of. So, it's a little bit complicated, but um I'm probably going to ask uh the mcg to come in to uh maybe give a little bit of a overview to the suck board before moving forward.
>> I know we have a lot of students enrolled their tuition out or whatever. >> Do you have any sense of the financial implications one way or the other? I I did ask so the initial financial implications would be they need to do a
study and that's that's the you know we have a we do have a large population and it would be proportionate to the population and the study would probably be close to six figures you know five definitely five figures high five figures possibly. Um the other thing is
>> compared to the tuition we paid today >> oh uh our tuition is like is about 22, like700 >> per student >> per student. Mhm. times >> 46 plus the transportation. >> Oh yeah, plus
>> so it's around 27 per child. But an interesting note that came out of that meeting is Southampton is the second largest community to send students there outside of Northampton. >> Outside of Northampton, >> they have students from several several
towns, right? I think 10 or 12 towns 65. >> Oh, really? Oh my more than that. >> Oh well >> issue involved or is it kind of a annual operating participation? >> Is it which would we have a capital
outlay or responsibility? >> Yes, one way or another we would we would have to whether they stay as traditional tuition or if they look to do it as a regional school district. Um the way they didn't have any numbers, but the way that is it was expressed to me is uh their dire need of a lot of
capital projects. >> Well, how do they afford to rebuild after the fire? >> I don't know. >> Yeah, that's we'll get into that when they come next. They come visit us. >> A great institution. Obviously, our community will on it and yet the
financial implications of >> and I I for one had not understood that they were structured so differently that they can't even take advantage of some of the state >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And this is going to be a longterm process. It's going to be many many years >> before even if it does come to fruition. It's going to be years of a study. It's
going to be years for the voter approval. >> So, it's going to be it's a long long process. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I think there's been an evolution of tech schools anyway. Certainly in the the country the way it is right now more people leaning toward that to above.
>> Sure. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Good. Thanks. All right. Um how about uh any select board reports? Anybody had a meeting lately? Anything off the end? >> Quiet week. I'm meeting the board of
health I think on Thursday. >> Okay. All right. Good. Yeah. Um I don't have anything new on the board of assessors in this. Um open space committee got caught up on
current opportunities and grant requests >> and housing authority. >> Mhm. is uh I think I pre previously reported that they wanted the contract to Habitat for
Humanity to build a single family house for affordable uh on College Highway. >> Mhm. >> The one south of town 38. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. Down by the golf course area. >> Beyond the golf course going up the hill
towards Westfield and opposite But um other than preparing for our annual town meeting and the startup of the affordable housing trust which got rescheduled, um we're
firing on all the cylinders. >> Okay. All right. How about John? Anything? >> No, I just had the one that Scott already talked about. >> All right. Sounds good. All right. Uh and on my end, uh the bylaws committee had a meeting recently. We're still working on the scenic roads bylaw and
we'll continue that in a couple weeks. Um we have um with the uh greenway committee uh the grant committee worked to submit the mass trails application for probably the fifth year in a row. I think we are something like that right
now. Uh but this should be the last bit of the design phase. Um >> and sure what's the magnitude of this >> grant? So, this one uh the request this year is $240,000 >> and then it's on the lower side. >> Yeah, we we've usually been up to like
350ish somewhere in that neighborhood. So, we're a little bit low lower than and based on the needs that we have to finish out all the work that Tai and Bond has been doing for us. Uh and it does require um a 20% or so match. And so there's going to be a request, there'll be a request at the next
meeting, next town meeting, um, annual town meeting for the CPC match as usual, and that will be a request of about $60,000. So all in all, the the total project is around $300,000. Um, and that will get us through the
well hopefully to the 75% design at least, um, which is where we need to be. Uh, and that really >> That's right. the greenway committee postponed the meeting but announced that >> the 25%. >> So the 25% plan has has been completed
and submitted into the state. So that's a good milestone. Um all these things sound >> like they take forever and they do they they drag on but we are in the final design stages I think over the next year yearish. Um and um so that's a good thing.
>> We're checking the boxes on the revised schedule, >> right? And we're looking on uh a couple of other things that are coming up. Um the uh Echo OneTop has had a couple of webinars. Uh the the regular one-stop program had a webinar yesterday, then
that's open now. The expressions of interest are open, I believe, until March at some point. So, we need to probably figuring out what our expression of interests one or two uh would be this year. So, we can put in that uh at this point in time. But I think that's it for right now on on the
grant side. Uh the master plan implementation committee will be having a meeting uh next week as well. We kind of meet quarterly. We've been off bit off schedule with holidays and other things going on. So going to try and catch up and um just sort of get a synopsis of what's been happening this year in terms of some of the goals and
strategies that were laid out in the master plan, what the various committees uh that represent the master plan. um historical planning um uh uh housing uh namely are the ones that
are involved um concom/open space uh just what's been achieved on the goals and objectives that have been laid out for the master plan >> and housing and so >> and I know that they're all working on uh there's submissions from the annual report right and so that text might
provide great deal of what you're looking >> exactly yeah know timing wise yes and so that's the other I think everybody is hopefully working on their annual town report submissions uh for Judy. So, uh everybody's got lots of homework to do. But yeah, so I think we're committees are all meeting and and busy. Um just a
reminder, I think out to the chairs. Uh Lucy sent out something uh probably last month sometime just reminding people to double check and take their ethics training again and their open uh open meeting law training again. And there's a little certificate you're supposed to
sign and get back to Lucy. So, uh, just a reminder to the chairs to have your folks do that when you next meet. Um, okay. I think that's it for me. So, Scott, we'll turn it over to you. Our first thing is about our insurance broker presentations here. So,
>> so with the town leaving the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, um, there is a need for the town to now appoint a broker. Uh, because usually in the past, we've always gotten all of our insuranceances through the trust. So, there was really no need to have a broker. Um, so what a broker essentially does is it's is really no different than
if you go to homeowners or your car insurance and you have you go to your broker and they find the best deal for you. They negotiate on your behalf. If something happens, they provide customer service for you. Um, so it's really not that much different than what a resident would have with their, you know, regular everyday insuranceances. Um, with this,
so with the town appointing a broker, most towns will will do that. Um, it is exempt from chapter 30B, the uh, procurement law. So like like an attorney that you hire or something like that. So those are usually exempt. Um and the town doesn't pay for the services. It actually comes out of the
um the insurance side of it. So it doesn't cost the um the town anything. Um with with this, you know, in my experience, you know, I' I've worked in in municipal insurance for almost 20 years. I always tend to stay away from those.
There's a lot of larger companies. Um, I won't go into any details, but I always found the most success has been the smaller individualized people that that will actually be able you can text or you call if there's ever a problem. Um, a lot of my other town administrators
and managers, we we talk and, you know, I've heard a lot of nightmares. So, um, to expedite everything, I asked uh two people that I worked with in the past, um, Pete Roth um, who's got decades of experience. I worked with them uh when I was at city of Chickby, city of
Lawrence, town of Welssley. Um and Steven Cor Corbin who I worked with actually with the city of Chby as well when he was with Blue Cross Blue Shield and uh more recently helping us uh get some quotes for our our medical insurance before we determined to go to the GIC. Um so I you know we'll probably
have Pico first just talk about uh your experiences, your background. Uh I just have some basic questions for each of you um that'll be the same. But uh I think that you know I think you have a choice of two very highly qualified um brokers who who can you know offer the
personalized service um that Southampton really needs. So >> welcome with that. You got me? >> Yep. >> Yep. Loud and >> clear everybody. Good evening everybody. How are you? Thanks for uh hosting me
and taking the time. I appreciate it. Uh especially on these warm evenings, you know. Um my name is Pete Roth. Uh my my business is Group Insurance Concepts. We're employee benefits insurance brokers. Uh we've been doing this for
well over 30 years. Uh specializing in municipalities, uh public and private corps, small, medium, large, all different size of employers. Massachusettsbased but many multi-state type clients over
the years. It just it has become uh also associations um and nonprofits uh very much involved in those areas as well and their employee benefits uh and their programs. As far as insurance carriers go, what a broker does is we
represent the insurance industry and those those insurance companies i.e. being the Blue Crosses, the Etnas, the the Signas, the Metropolitans, the Guardians, uh there's dozens and dozens, and you've probably heard of many of them, Harford,
etc. Um our job is to go to the marketplace, gather your data, go to the marketplace, decide what markets fit your geographical area, fit your size, group, uh the needs, and the wants of what you think your employers in the town needs.
and we fit into a package to those carriers and we get their proposals back. We analyze them. We break them down and we bring them to you with a presentation laying out who we think would be the best fit. It's not always about price. It is driven competitively.
They all have to compete against each other and they get it. Um if someone's out in left field, I I tell them they're out in left field. If they don't do anything about it, that's their problem. But more importantly, we're very interested in a carrier that has a team
that can service you as the client. Um, and that's not just from a personnel standpoint. It's from their turnover uh that we see much of these days where we get ourselves introduced to certain representatives and they're gone as fast
as we get them. Uh, and that has been a problem with many of the carriers, especially as of late. So we try to minimize that as best we can. Um but at the same time uh we look for carriers that have the tech that have the enrollment capabilities
uh and are well aligned with any other third parties that may help us through the whole educational process with employees which is ongoing. Um to make sure the products that we're offering that the employees actually understand them, they can access them,
they know how to buy them. Um, and if there's a problem, there's a service area. Obviously, it's a quick uh a problem-solving setup. Our job as brokers is we're always quarterbacking everything all the time. Um Scott, uh
the way I've always worked with him is I've opened the door to say, "Yeah, I may be doing your voluntary benefits." Um and you know, in a whole, uh menu of items, but if you got a problem with your medical, if you got a problem with uh a specific claim, a specific drug
claim, call it. Um I'm not I'm a broker. I'm here to service you no matter what the question is anytime. That's kind of an extra service, but it's important because I had somebody recently that had a drug claim that over 250,000. You know, we call it the drug carrier. We
get it renegotiated directly. There's ways to do this. There's so many ways to buy prescription drugs right now that people don't know about that instead of $240, could be $14. Um, it's it's it's happening a lot, more than we've seen uh
in in the past. So, I've always said to Scott, you got a worker's comp problem, you got a a medical problem, you got a large stop-loss claim, um, pick up the phone, call us, let's talk about the details of what's going on. You got a lawsuit with a fire department, with an ex employee,
make sure we, you know, you know your legal ground, but make sure you understand the employee benefit side. So, that's a door we open also. So, that's enough of me and what we do and how we do it. Any questions with that? Go ahead.
>> Uh Pete, what do you see for the trends for um 2026 for a lot of the voluntary insuranceances? Where where where are people going? What's becoming, you know, more popular? What are some maybe some unique insuranceances that are being offered like pet insurance?
>> Okay, there are I'm going to give you kind of a three to four or five part synopsis to this and I'll keep it simple. There's a lot of economic volatility out there. So, a lot of the municipalities, employers are looking for other financial health tools, other
types of products to fill the gap. You're getting squeezed on your medical insurance. There's more deductibles. There's more gaps. There's more pressure on the employees. So, to break it down into, let's say, four or five areas, it would be one, it's financial, financial
wellness and security. We're seeing a lot of student loan repay assistance inquiries, emergency savings accounts, um, identity theft accounts, and legal services. Legal services had died off
for a while. Uh, it's back, it's back stronger, uh, than we had seen in the past. Um, cyber protection. So in this area of financial wellness and security, what can you do as a as an employer to
provide third-party options for people to fit their lifestyle needs? That's what we see as a very strong theme today. The second is supplemental health and protection, i.e. the voluntary benefits you now offer. um the
hospital indebtedly, the critical illness, life insurance, disabilities are getting a long and dor a long and short-term demand even more so than we've seen is the same for life insurance. But in addition to having
these to have portability for them, employers are looking employees are looking for portability of these products um more than we've seen in the past. Uh the third is mental and physical well-being. We're seeing a lot
of mental health app assistance. Um digital coaching, um financial assistance with therapy and mindful tools. Um that's very unique and kind of new that we haven't really been involved
with, but we're getting very involved with. um is to find out, you know, how other ways you can, it's not a lot of money, but things you can do to provide tools for employees to go do what they need to do and get the help they need. It's not always offered by the medical
carrier, and sometimes the medical carrier can be intimidating uh or they don't trust them. So, there are other there are other third-party programs now that municipalities, a employers are utilizing in a big way in
that area. um caregiver support big emphasis on this lately um you know where can we offer assistance and you all know what I'm talking about here in our generation we're getting hit uh in and with this in many different levels
uh so and it's it's tough it the caregiver thing is really tough there are a lot of third party services that are free but there's there's not so free anymore and the insurance carrier is not so well-rounded in that area. Um, they
get very limited. So, we have to look for other third party opportunities there. Uh, we're looking for, you know, fitness has always been a thing. Fitness is nothing new to you. Um, unfortunately, our insurance carriers are now backing off on what they're allowing for it. Um, so now it puts the
onus back on the employer. Um, and so we're seeing a lot of wellness snippets. um you know fixed allowance uh for creative ideas of things you can do in that area. Uh the other is
lifestyle and flex perks. Um you know the LSAs um you know money money for the fitness has been always there but now emphasize even more mental health uh benefits uh
home office but these things are really becoming you know a 2025 and and a demand in 2026 and going forward. Um, so, uh, commuting benefits, which I don't know if that's such a big deal,
um, for your area, you know, parking garage for us, but that's becoming a big deal. And then employee perk programs, discount programs with any and any other providers within your geographical area, you know, right down to the smoothie shops, you know, getting 20% off, 50%
off your smoothies because they want the town employees to go there and use it. We're seeing all of that really come back in a strong way. So to to sum it all down, financial wellness and security, supplemental health benefits, not just the critical illnesses in the
life and the disabilities, the portability of it, mental and physical well-being, and then the lifestyle. We're that's really kind of ringing through uh loud and clear in those areas. Um, as far as municipality
specific trends, um, pre-tax voluntary benefits, uh, a real big demand for that, long-term care options, um, and then the portability benefit, those those are real strong themes in
the municipal sector that we are seeing. Um it's personalization, it's flexibility. Uh it's a broader menu to fit uh the employees specific life stages.
That's really becoming an emphasized area to answer your question. So that's that's what we're seeing. um is uh kind of more customizing uh and it's just a lot more pressure
from your basic uh medical program and what it is not doing and what it is not offering and then the economic pressures they're just surrounded with every day. You are now being asked what can you do to help me as your employee and those are the areas that we're seeing
emphasis. Well, speaking of helping, so you you put you said a lot of things and uh in Southampton, we're I would say we're very uneducated because we didn't have a lot of options in the future. So, we literally just had our health insurance and dental as the only insurance options um provided through
the town at this point. Um so, now we're going to be offering the FSA. We're going to be talking about dental and vision and long-term, short-term disability and accident. Um, how would you recommend to a group that doesn't have a lot of experience in these like you know the tax-free type of uh
programs? How would you recommend educating them? >> Educating >> the work work uh workforce. >> All right. So, educating this group that we're talking to tonight. >> Well, our employees >> the employees
>> and the workforce as well. Um, your website for the town is a key HR instrument tool that's got to be up to par. Uh, and the employees have to be comfortable going on it and trusting the fact that they can they can go in and
roll in uh, and be tied into the insurance carrier that's providing the product that's available to them. So the menu of products that you're going to offer uh and the pricing of it needs to be easy, accessible, understand it in
easy terms. If the minute it gets frustrating, it's going to come back to your office. And that's the con of all this is that you don't want to cause more um overhead uh financially uh and never mind time management wise to to
the town or to your office HR offices HR people specifically >> you're looking at the HR office >> focused on that kind of assume so um I mean snail mail is still an item uh and And I do find this in
municipalities to be true today. Um, as much as we try to be tech, uh, the insurance companies are are wellprepared that we do these product with to make sure that, uh, that we we still communicate via mail. Um, especially to
retired populations. Um, as well as your HR site, very important. But then we're now we're in an email world. Um, and it's very easy to communicate in an email basis. Um, so it's it's a team effort, multiaceted.
It's it's the town, it's it's it's through the mail, it's through the email system, and it's like you're attacking them all at once with it. But we have to make sure the employees are educated on how to log in and see the menu of see
the menu of benefits and that they're, oh, this is easy. This is great. This tells me everything I want to do. They can sit with a spouse. uh they can look at it and understand it. Um and that's not complicated. It just needs to have the time and energy up front to get it set up.
>> Great. >> Those are the questions I had. Oh yeah, >> of course. >> Steve, >> so um back to trends, what are you seeing uh especially in the marketplace of small towns like ours, 6,000
residents? Um in terms of uh you've described a cornucopia of offerings and what the employee is interested in the employer opens the door to group insurance and a wonder yeah has
purchasing power but what do you see as equitable share between the employer and employee on the premiums? Is there a trend? Is there a market thing going on? Because I can understand
we've got, you know, uh what was Hines's 57 flavors. Um you know, uh we got 57 flavors of insurance, but what's what's the trend in paying the bill?
>> Hospital indemnity, filling the gap of the basic medical gaps first. um accident, critical illness, cancer programs. Those are the the drivers that seem that I get the most attention at
this point. Now, as far as cost sharing goes, uh I go back and find out how's the town's budget that's available. The employees only have so many much discretionary income to buy all these benefits. I and I and I get that. I see
your job, our job is to make sure we have a legal assistance product available to them. Um, so you know with charity that there is a fitness product available to them. But the core benefits I think what you're saying what are the core benefits? It's the hospital
indemnity. It's the critical illness. It's accident insurance. Accident insurance is is a real key. But those three specifically, then you get into the disabilities, then you get into the life insurance
because you probably have a basic life insurance. I don't have all the details of all your programs, so just an overview. Um, but hospital indemnity, critical illness, accident insurance, then disability, life insurance is in there no matter
what, depending on people's needs. Um those are the the the drivers and in my opinion you're out of discretionary income right there. People only have so much money beyond that. >> So what other creative things can you do that could cost
a 100 bucks a year or 50 bucks a year and there are patent shirts. There's legal benefits. But if you're selling one or two or three policies, let's find out what the employees want. Let's find out what the employees really need. that could be done in a simple survey.
>> Yeah. >> And we can do that with what I've just said of the five key benefit areas. And then we would add on the is legal matter to you? Does pet insurance matter to you? Does um you know caregiver
assistance matter to you? Are you utilizing your health, your fitness benefit? Pretty much you got to stop there. You've exhausted them. >> Especially in one. >> Yeah. and and everyone's budget times X. >> Yeah. No, for sure. Yeah.
>> The the municipal budgets and especially in the state of Massachusetts right now. >> Deliver a rate increase and you you are you are you're having a tough meeting. >> Um talk about adding benefits.
They look like they look like I just had a beer before the meeting. What What are you talking about? I don't have time to add any benefits. We don't have any money. We have a shortfall. We're Our budgets have been cut. Our federal funding's been cut. Our grants have been cut. That's
>> believe it's ringing loud and clear every >> and the numbers are scary. They're scary to me because I don't know the way we get out of this. >> Yeah. >> I don't know how. It's so much more work for you to go back to the mass government system and saying, you know,
maybe you ought to get along with everybody a little bit better. I don't care if you like them or not. We need the money. And I'm hearing that. Um it's a, you know, it's it's against people's way of doing things, but people are really getting pinched so hard
financially in the municipal sector, the state, especially in the last 12 months. To me, I don't I wouldn't even think about going out there and trying to charge a consulting fee. They don't have them. They don't have the money. Right.
>> So, Peter, you touched on a >> you touched on a couple things that um it it feels to me I I look back at my own insurance recently and it's like I've got benefits in there that I know that I don't use. I don't take advantage of. And so it's like, you know, I I feel
like maybe I'm I've over over purchased in a way that I I don't really need that thing over there, that shiny object that's part of my policy. Maybe I'll use it someday, but I haven't yet. So should I swap it out kind of thing. So I think there's a lot of individual choices that
people have to make obviously and as you you laid out, I mean, there's so many different options for choosing insurance these days. I guess I was going to pick pick the idea a little bit more clearly about the idea of a survey. I mean, it seems to me like that would be a first
step on our side on the municipal side to, you know, put out a short 10 question survey or whatever to the employees and just get a sense of what is the most important for the majority of them. Um, because there's so many, you know, different, you know,
lifestyles and and needs, you know, just within our own small community. Um, I can't imagine how we make a package that kind of fits, you know, the majority of everybody's needs without doing that kind of a survey. So, have have you had experience that that seems to be a a a first step that other municipalities do
or >> Absolutely. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. Otherwise, we're, you know, we're just assuming that we're going to go out and get all these benefits and we're going to throw them throw them at you and you're going to like Yeah. >> Okay. >> Just the wrong way to do it. >> I mean, a onepage survey, we can find
out if they're even using local health. >> Mhm. we can find out uh if healthy lifestyles mean something to them or you know or what came out glaring is that we got a high blood pressure problem. >> Uh we got a cholesterol problem. We we
people start to open up to us cuz we asked them to talk to us. >> So let's make it easy for them to talk to us um in a very super friendly way on a survey. Uh some there's been some teasers that out there. Hey, if you get
this back to us within 15 days, you know, you got a $10 McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts, you know, motivate people to want to respond to bring this thing back, >> right? >> Okay. Thanks.
>> We see that, too, you know. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Absolutely. The survey is in order. It's a one page. It's not three pages, >> right? >> Um how we do it me working well if it's come right now. >> Um we all hate stale mail because then
we have to wait for it to come back. Could it be done to be everybody's emails? Can we use them >> to send out a survey? >> That'd be great to get that back and we can compile the information and we can we can add on some extra things if if you like. Please tell us about >> Mhm.
>> Yeah. you know, do you use a health club? >> Uh, things like that. >> Okay. >> You know, are you are you suffering from are you challenged by a caregiver situation? >> Mhm. >> Do you think pet insurance would be something uh you know of an ideal? You know, you have your core benefits. Let's
get answers to those. >> We'll we'll put the others in to see if we get responses. Sure. >> You know, not mandatory. Yeah. >> But don't ask too much. You ask too much, you're gonna turn them off, right? >> I vote for vision. So
>> my daughter needs glasses. >> I need to be educated a little bit more on, you know, okay, well, you know, is it dental? Is it vision? You know, it's medical dental, it's vision. Um, and then you get to these other areas for sure. >> Okay. >> But there are certain core benefits that
obviously you're going to move us from. >> Okay. Great. >> And you know, I know your health insurance carrier may have vision benefits built in with it. Then maybe it's a gap. I don't know. >> All right. Uh, anything else? No. All right. Great. Cute. >> Thank you. >> Well, thank you, Pete. Uh, we won't be
doing solarics. I can guarantee you. >> That was the software that we we did, but yeah, we're a little too small for that. But so, >> yeah. No, you're that that's that won't be necessary. So Lar is a third party software company that you know 2,000 or
thousand or more employees you got to have third party software just makes uh the HR department's job a lot more fun >> again me >> yeah we had one >> thank you Pete >> yeah thanks >> thank you thank you everybody enjoy your evening
>> thank you >> appreciate if anybody's got any questions you can follow through that appreciate >> Very good thank you >> next up we have uh Stephen. Stephen. Um, I mean, I think they're pretty basic questions, so I don't think I'd let the cat out the bag or anything like that, but if you could tell us a little bit
about yourself and, um, you know, maybe what your philosophy is and what your experiences are. >> Yeah. No, absolutely. So, first off, uh, thank you guys for having me here. Uh, it's great to kind of chat. Um, you know, I would have I would have showed up there, you know, if if it would have
made sense. Scott sent me the link. It would have been nice for me to pop in. But next time, I guess, right? Cuz it doesn't look like there's too many people here. I'm just right down the road here in Belure Town. So, it would have been a an easy trip on on a night where it's not negative 20° >> for J, >> you know. Um, but no, thanks a lot. I
really appreciate it. Um, thanks for the for the opportunity. Um, for those of you that don't know, I work for the Dow Insurance Agencies, which um, you probably are familiar with. I think you know, we have an office right there in Southampton. Our our main location is in >> Oh,
>> oops. >> We probably now. Oh, there we go. >> So, um, am I freezing up a little bit? >> Oh, you're good now. >> All right, I'm good now. So, I apologize. I was lagging a little bit too couple minutes ago. So, I apologize
if that if that comes up. I was getting the little warning that my uh my internet is unstable. So, >> but yeah, so like I said, we've been in business for about 128 years. We've uh you know, have offices throughout the valley. Um and um also um we've been um
growing up in the uh Vermont area. Recently opened a location in Newport, Vermont as well as Bennington, Vermont. So um kind of growing up that 91 car all the way up there. Um I'm sure we got some more growth to to go this year. I know we have a few in in the hopper. So
again, you know, been a local agency, been a good partner with the town of Southampton on on various different occasions. Um a little bit about myself. Um, I'm a 26-year veteran of the health insurance industry. Um, getting my start at an entry- level position at Ethnodon, Connecticut. And then, um, where I had
worked with Scott was Blue Cross Blue Shield. I spent eight years as a, uh, a municipal sales executive. So, um, specialized in municipal sales. As a matter of fact, um, just about every city in town in Western Massachusetts, was a client of mine at any point in time. um actually have experience
working with Peter who that I was at Blue Cross Blue Shield and um he and I actually worked together co-rodued a couple uh um accounts when I left Blue Cross Blue Shield and got into the independent brokerage. Well, um but that's you know a little bit of you know
about myself um personal on the personal side you know I'm you know married out live in Belar my wife and three daughters so you know that kind of keeps me busy. >> Great. All right. >> Professional experience like I said um you know at the DOT agencies I oversee
the the employee benefits and Medicare sales division. um the you know overseeing you know not even just the relationships with the accounts but also with uh with the employees on the team. Uh we have a number of municipal clients um ranging from some some local regional school districts as well as um the city
of Holio as a client and most recently we've been doing a lot of um ad hoc consulting work for um you know municipalities like yourself who have been impacted uh negatively by what was going on with the Hampshire County Group
Insurance Trust. So we did a lot of analysis with um with some of the the local municipalities out here >> as well as ours. >> Correct. Yep. So we we we you know helped you guys out a little bit, showed you what options were out there and um you know helped guide you along that
along that path. So but yeah, so I mean that's kind of you know in a nutshell a little bit. You know, again, I think um you know, Peter really, you know, he did a good job kind of explaining what it is, what the role of a broker is. Um I
like to go, you know, a little bit deeper on that and think that um with with me, one of the most important pieces that I can play with all my clients is to have the the ability to kind of be hands-on at any given point, right? if something goes on, you know,
something goes up, you know, I want to be that person that they just can they feel comfortable with either, you know, reaching out to Scott and Scott puts me in touch with them or, you know, we have relationships with folks. I mean, where I have people just call me up um something's going on, you know, we're
representing you guys on the dental, even on the medical, like I said, I have um you know, just the depth of experience with municipal health insurance, municipal, you know, benefits as a whole. um have intimate knowledge of all those
products, you know, that are offered at a GIC. So, um you know, one of the things that you are going to realize um with the the the change over to the GIC is you're going to get that lack of um middle person to help your employees.
Um, and that's where we'd want to come in and fill that gap, give that that personal touch where you're no longer going to have that, you know, because even in the New Hampshire County, the group in Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, you had the girls in that office where, you know, sometimes people can pick up the phone and just have that conversation. Um, now there's
nobody at the GIC there, but regional hairs instead of um open enrollment meetings. So, um, you know, we'd want to fill that gap as well, you know, a little bit more than just representing you on ancillary benefits. >> Great. Um, so Stephen, what do you see
as the trends going up in in 2026 for a lot of the voluntary insuranceances, you know, pet and accident? Where do you see things kind of going in the next couple years? >> Yeah, I'm going to I'm going to answer that question really strictly focusing on on it from a municipal perspective. Um, because I don't think I'm going to
be, you know, you know, I'm kind of speaking out of line when I say that. um municipalities are kind of um slow when it comes to um innovation and when it comes to offering the new newer some of the newer benefits. Um and so
you know Peter, you know, kind of got got >> but I think really the most important thing that you want to make sure that you're offering you guys got me. I'm just I keep getting I'm so sorry about this. >> Go back just a second. the most important thing.
>> Yeah. Well, I think Yeah. So, I think one of the most important things that you you really need to be aside from like medical and dental is >> Oh, hold on a sec. Steve, yeah, I think I think maybe while you're talking you should shut your camera off. Conserve your band.
>> Okay. >> Might help. >> Is that better? >> I've been in that seat before. >> Let's try it. Go ahead. Yeah. Go back to the >> Yeah. Yeah. Now you All right. So, yeah. There you go. So, then you don't have to look at me either. So, it's a win. >> Not quite.
>> You get to hear me keep talking. You don't have to look at me. So, um but yeah. So to rewind, um what we really would need to be focusing on with you as a as a you know small local municipality is not um throwing out all of the
benefits like you know legal care and pet care and and long-term care. Um I think the immediate need would be to assess whether or not you know you're currently already offering a flexible spending account um dependent care spending account. These are these are areas is where um provide real savings
for your employees because they're allowed to put money aside on a tax-free basis. So um they're they're saving on average 25% on the dollar. Um and then they're able to utilize that money to help pay for some of the costs of care. Um, one of the things that you'll
notice, I mean, even with with the GIC's, there there are going to be um, out-of- pocket expenses that continue to creep up, right? Where, you know, the office visits, not a big deal, but you're going to start seeing that there are going to be products offered to your
employees that they may be taking where they haven't experienced that before. Um so to give them an opportunity to put some money on a taxfree basis to help pay for those services. I think something like that is is important. Um dependent care was starting to see become a little more
popular um as kind of you know you have the working families and they're allowed to put up to $7,500 into a into again into an account that's on a pre-tax basis to help them pay for qualified um you know child care expenses,
things like that. I think we're also like looking at, you know, Scott alluded to vision. Vision is an extremely popular um program right now. I think um it's when effectively communicating anybody with glasses in my opinion. You see, I wear glasses. I think vision
insurance is is spectacular because if used properly, it more than pays for itself. Um premiums tend to be pretty low and stable. So, I think that that's that's something you want to look at. Um I think um one of the great ideas that came out of that conversation that you
were just having um was the idea of a survey. I think putting it out there and having just a quick conversation allowing the the your your union members and your your administrative employees giving them the opportunity to voice their opinion as to what they think
important benefits to them are. Um and you don't want to overwhelm, right? That's the other piece. Um if if your if your thought here is to round out your voluntary insurance uh portfolio, what you want to offer your employees, um that's a little bit deeper than just, you know, medical and dental. It's
really a multi-year approach because if you just overwhelm them with so many decisions, they make no decision and then you just don't end up people don't, you know, end up enrolling in much of anything. But the the major portion in all of this, regardless of what you ultimately
do decide, is to make sure that your you know the union members and your employees understand the benefits of what you're offering them. Understand that you're thinking of them when you're putting these packages together. I think
that's one of the important things you want to make sure that you're doing. Um, and it helps again the union members and employees um, feel like you're not just thinking of them as, you know, just another employee. You're trying to put together a comprehensive package of
benefits that really helps them, that really is is something that um, shows that you think that, you know, that you know that they're important to the city, to the town. >> Great. Um, so as as you mentioned, there's a lot of great options out
there. In Southampton, we're we're pretty much going to be a clean slate. Um, so, u, you know, historically, we've only had medical and dental available, and FSA is just alphabet soup to a lot of employees. Um, how would you recommend rolling out things and kind of educating our workforce on a lot of
these, you know, new insuranceances and new programs? I think, you know, for you guys, for for you know, the town of Southampton, it would be um being available to to have um group conversations and and one-on-one conversations if if required.
um setting aside it, you know, the time. Um I'm sure there were, you know, you had or I may be making assumptions, I'm sorry, but um historically there may have been times where um the town had employee meetings where you know, your insurance, your health insurance was renewing and you wanted to be able to
communicate that effectively to them. Um perhaps um you know having something like that. The other piece is um again because cuz we're local um we could even offer open office hours, right? So I could just say, "Hey, listen, you know,
Scott, you know, give me a desk, you know, for half a day. Um you can let all of your employees know at any given point in time and during the day I'm available for, you know, any questions and answers, right? Um something, you know, these are the benefits that we're going to be offering. Um, Steve's going
to be here, you know, at at, you know, at the administrator's office, you know, Monday and Wednesday of this week from X time to X time. I think for a group your size for for um, you know, a close-knit community like like you guys are, I think that's probably going to be the
best approach and I would love to do it. >> Great. any any questions or >> Oh boy, >> I get it. >> I guess just following up just on the survey. I guess I'm hooked on the survey
issue myself, but I guess I'm assuming you've done that with other municipalities that that you've all been involved in. Have there been uh responses that have kind of surprised you that have been chosen in terms of options or things that people have said, I really need this that maybe hadn't
been thought about before? >> Um the one good thing I will say about municipalities in Massachusetts is they are predictable. you know, you know, my experience, um, you know, it may be, you know, there may
be some some uniqueness within the town setup. >> Um, but I think the the basic needs of what, you know, they're looking for. Um, you may get something a little out of, you know, you may get a handful of people thinking that pet insurance is is the next thing. You know, they they just
love the idea of it. um you know my experience with pet insurance as an employee as an like an employee benefit um I really haven't seen it picking up um you know legal services something that you do see um in and folks um again
I see legal services run secular because a lot of times people will enroll in it they'll go get their their will and then next year they will you know they'll they'll lap you know what I'm saying they'll just stay in it to do the documents that they need so um don't always see great value
especially in the municipality for that but I have no real major surprises. I think when when you throw it out there, you know, people are like dental, vision are the big ones. A lot of times I find that especially in just a blank like a blanket survey like which benefits you
would you like >> without the context of in even like the the base level education. Some people may not know what the benefit of a hospital indemnity program is. >> Right. Now, again, if they may or or
again, you alluded to the fact earlier that you see, you know, kind of your check and you're going, "Hold on a minute, I got all these benefits taken out. Do I even really need them?" >> Sometimes you have somebody that you sit down with and they try to, you know, tell talk to you about all these different benefits and enrolling some things that maybe you don't see value in
right anymore, >> you know. >> Um, and and that's and that's why I think kind of doing a bit of a bit of a vantage checkup, we'll call it, is always a good idea, too. It's just, hey, listen, if I especially when you start offering three or four different voluntary insuranceances.
>> Yeah. No, I think that does make sense. Yeah. I I think, you know, just speaking back on on my example is that, you know, things may have been important to me at a certain point, but they're not as important now as they might have been earlier on and or the person I was talking to was doing a really good sales
job and I was so overwhelmed that I just gave in. Right? So, um I mean I think there's there's both options out there that people can react >> 100%. 100%. I I I think you know my approach is always from an educational and and and less of a sales perspective.
>> Um it's just really telling them what the benefits of the product are. Um and if they think if they think it's the right way to go, then it's the right way to go. Um the other thing is too I do think that um you know personal leave products are or you know like the
disability um do you guys participate in mass paid family medical leave you know as a municipality you have the option to do so you have or not. So so then you know short-term disability would definitely be something to think about if you're not already offering something like that a short-term disability
policy. Um, also, um, voluntary life insurance, giving them the ability to purchase life insurance at a group rate. Um, so if you're not already offering something that that to me is also, uh, one of those extremely beneficial products to offer and you can typically
do that right through the the vendor that you're using for your group life insurance. Just add on a voluntary. Um, and the great thing about, you know, when you know I keep using the term voluntary, the great thing about that voluntary type benefit is there is no additional cost to the account. These
are 100% employer employee paid products. So if you're purchasing, you know, additional voluntary life insurance, that's something that's purchased 100% by the employee. you know, they're able to do so through payroll deductions and they're able to take advantage of
purchasing on a group basis. So, they're getting life insurance at a much more discounted rate than if they were to purchase it out on the market by themselves. >> Just one last thing you mentioned, you're obviously the head of the um employee benefits division here in Is
in Southampton equipped with, you know, a staff that is fully occupied for the benefits division? or are they more based on your other headquarters offices or do we have a a team of two or three or four people here in Southampton that are focused on employee benefits?
>> The Southampton's predominantly um uh personal lines insurance, so homeowners in um and you know, auto insurance, things that nature. Um our main office is in Holio. Uh but we do have the ability to, you know, again, if we're serving or having a day where we were
going to be open to the, you know, the the town employees, we would we could have the ability to have our benefit staff working from that location. >> Okay. So, there's more than you in other words. >> Yes. And we're right over, you know, and
we're right over the hill, too. It's not it's it's an easy drive to get to our Holio location. And you make a day trip of it. You come visit me, you go to the mall, >> fix little insurance questions, little mall shopping. So, >> there we go.
>> Good. All right. No, thank you. Yeah. >> Great. >> Well, thank you, Steve, and again, thanks for your help on the uh the health insurance. We we really appreciate it. >> No, it was my pleasure. I was glad to help. So, um Scott, you know where to find me if you have any follow-up questions. Um and just let me know. I
appreciate it. >> All right. Great. Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. >> Yeah. And I do ap I do apologize for the laggginess. I usually have a pretty stable internet connection. So I'm very sorry about that. >> No, it got better actually. So that that was good. >> All right. Win-win, right? >> Indeed. >> Stable connection and you didn't have to
look at it. >> Thank you very much. You guys have a great evening. >> Thank you. >> All right. Good. Well, thanks for bringing those two to our attention. Yeah, it's quite a challenging environment out there for
insuranceances and everything that's possible now. I mean, things you never would have thought about, I guess. >> So, what is our next step? We need to actually choose a a broker sooner rather than later, right? >> Yep. Yep. Um I mean, I can always get a third option, but honestly, I don't think you're going to get a better
option than Stephen and Pete. I think they're probably the the two best. >> I'm agree with you. >> Yeah. Well, I think we have to, you know, I think Scott's looking for a a vote tonight, uh, so that we can move forward on this. I think the longer we delay, the the harder it's going to be
and our timing is challenging enough to get whatever we have to do for the employees education wise and then open enrollment and get everything done by certain deadlines. So, >> for sure, >> if anybody has any thoughts in terms of pros and cons or where you're leaning, go ahead. Uh we have an awesome town
administrator who is unfortunately also our entire HR department. And so whichever way we go, um Scott is getting a pulse load of work. >> Mhm. >> Uh kind of just where everything else
pulse loading too. Uh but it's ultimately it's budget related and you just have to drive it through. So we got to get to the answer. Um the way I see it is um has Pete has this great strategic view
and perhaps has access to a thousand different markets that would potentially save us money and he understands that the personal touch. But because the default is you spending
hours, which of these brokers do you think is going to provide you the most useful backup? >> He can't vote, you know. >> Um, no, no, he has to live with >> it. >> Um, I mean, I think I think I would rank
both of them as number one, my number one choice. >> I appreciate that. Okay, different just because I I' I've worked more recently with Pete. Um, just I would probably put him maybe 1A and and Steven as one B, but that could easily be reversed. I think either one or are would be
excellent for the town. So >> many seem like perfectly perfectly fine choices like we said would be um definitely seem like different personalities working with with one or the other. Um
there's the connection the down connection that's you know close geographically to us and we live within the community. Um, I don't know. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. No, I think we have a a good a
good pair to choose from, quite honestly. Um, it's really hard to to distinguish what's there. I I think from what I was hearing and and obviously Pete gave the the big overview, I get a sense of
Steven being a bit more I guess I'll say down to earth in a way. Um maybe a little bit more tuned into a small town like Southampton. Um and I guess I like the idea that he's in
the neighborhood. Um it could be kind of on a quick call. I really like the idea of maybe having a day or two of him or his staff or someone being here at town hall and just you know having an open session of you know the doors open and you know schedule some appointments
whatever however it has to happen but to be accessible I think that's I I feel like people are going to have a lot of questions um just cuz it's going to be new and it's different and yeah I I I like the idea of that sort of
personal touch and I Guess I felt that more with Steven than I did with Pete. >> Would offer to come sit for a half a day, >> right? So that would be my my thought. But >> do we currently have an employee benefits portal? >> No. >> No.
>> Nothing. >> We have nothing. We're starting from zero scratch. >> Yeah. The other thought of having a website with everything that would be great. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> So I I think you're right.
>> Well, I don't want to, you know, world, but I that kind of my my own gut. I mean, I liked a lot. I mean, I learned a lot with what Pete had to say, honestly. Um, made me start to think of things, but I I feel >> I don't know. There was just something that felt a little bit more grounded to me. uh for lack of anything better to
say. >> Well, I think we would get more hours of direct customer support from D. >> That was the feeling I got. I'm easy with either one of them, but I am mindful that there's only so many brain
cells and hours and so on. >> Yeah. All right. Would anybody like to make a motion and we can take a vote? I move that we select D insurance as our insurance brokers for the medical and
ancillary insurance going forward. >> Okay, I'll second that. >> All right, any further thoughts or discussion? >> Okay. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> That's an I from me as well. >> Okay. And John, we're going to have you
just abstain, right? >> Okay. >> Thank you. All right. >> Okay. No, I think uh I I >> and the minutes should so reflect the people should not participate. >> Correct. >> Not only in the vote but in discussion. >> Correct. Right. And so I think um I think it's a close call. Honestly, I
think either would be good, but I I think um yeah. So at this point our our decision would be to go with doubt. So >> I'll get Stephen to work first thing tomorrow morning. >> You'll have your your marching orders on that one. Okay. Very good. All righty. So let's get into
the rest of our business. We don't have lots and lots on the agenda, but we definitely have some important things. So, FY27 budget update. >> Yeah. >> Um, so I do want to just point out that the the governor had released her budget um for FY27. Um, my own personal
opinion, I think it's a little bit underwhelming in what needs to be done for municipalities. Um, so when you look at the the this is just the estimates of the the state revenue from the cherry sheets, which is essentially the governor's budget, how it affects municipalities, it's really
only going to be about $115,000 increase over last year. >> And that's both the school chapter 70 and the unrestricted government aid total. >> Y >> about $100,000 more. Yeah, we had a little bit of assessments um more and it was about it came down to be like 18,000
in in general governmental UGGA unrestricted governmental uh aid and then it was like right around like 100,000 for for chapter 70 which is schools. So >> um um so just from those numbers cuz people probably won't be able to see those. So just to say that so the school
a chapter 70 that's an extra $35,925. Is that what I'm reading? Um, that might be a little bit off from last year. So, it's it's um I have to double check it. So, it was it was about 100,000 to get to that number. I can bring it up. Uh,
>> the problem is we're not seeing the column heading. >> What's the heading on the column? >> We don't know how the math is. >> Yeah, the estimate. Okay. >> Yeah. So, that's not the actual >> That's not the actual. I'm sorry. Okay. I don't want to disparage the governor's budget. >> It is online though. So, >> yeah. Right. Right. Okay.
So, uh, that's where we are with that. Um, the other thing is that we just got guidance from the DLS. Um, for, uh, the runout claims for Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust. So, the the legislation did pass. Uh, DLS issued guidance on how we can proceed with
that. Essentially, we can choose between starting in FY26 or FY27 to spread out our runout costs. Okay. >> And we won't know what those are going to be for well into FY27. Um, so we need to I talked to Bradley. We're going to start we have to figure out a fund that we can start putting
some money aside to eventually pay for that depending if it's it could be 50,000, it could be 300,000. We just don't know. >> But the the good news is on the health insurance side of the GIC are going to be releasing their rates. Um the preliminary
um increase is probably going to be right around 8%. which is a lot less than the 16% right now minimum for the HCGIT Hampshire County. So that's a little bit of good news. >> Yeah, that is good news. >> But we'll see. I mean, it could just
take a turn for the worse, too. We just >> we don't know until it's actually done. So >> yeah, but with the with the DLS decision and the runout cost, that means that we don't have to pay whatever that runout cost is. Say it's $100,000 for example, we don't have to pay it like now. Now, this is something that we can pay small
small amounts over time. Is that what I'm understanding? >> Yep. Exactly. Yep. We'll be allowed to run a deficit for that. >> Okay. All right. >> So, >> well, that sounds like a bit of a positive anyway, but uh yeah. >> Um and then we started scheduling the task force and the uh budget hearings um
today. So, >> okay. >> We'll televise those and and put the information up on the web. >> Great. Okay. >> Do you want RSCPS on each one of these 10-minute >> Yes. >> slots? >> Um you don't have to. more for your um
your calendar >> because those dates are fine. The window is fine. So it's a blanket. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. I Yeah, we assume. Yeah. >> Kind of just goes into your calendar. >> So you know which which ones come next kind of thing >> which is my calendar.
>> So basically that just to recap on the on the governor's budget right now, this is just this is just her first iteration of the bud of the budget, right? So she's at about 115,000 more for us than we were last year. >> Yeah, there a few things are more, some things are less. Our assessments are by
a little bit more >> total is around that, you know, the net on that. So it's still got to go through many iterations and whatever before we >> Yeah, it's going to go through the house, uh, then the senate and then a lot of state house stuff and then comes to conference committee to come up with
the final budget and the then eventually the governor would have to sign that into law. >> Yeah. >> So it's this is just the first step. in a long long process. >> Okay. All right. Okay.
All right. Um next up, if nothing else, um extension our on call professional civil engineering and support services. So, we had a few of those that we had done RFPs for about two three years ago now.
um that were uh out of various um consulting firms, engineering firms that had applied. We had an evaluation committee and selected which ones would be on call, which means if we have a task to be done that fits their
um technical profile and skill base, we do not have to go back out for bid for it. So, it's a long um a short short shorter process in terms of having to go back out to get some work started because we've already got these people already vetted and already online with
us to be kind of on call and on standby if there's something that we need them to do. >> Do we pay them a retainer? >> No, there's they they come on just when they get a when they get a contract. So, Tyen Bond has been with us. I know VHB has been with us. Um that should be GZA
actually. I'm not GZI GZA. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Um, so I think I we may have used >> I didn't know virtual design was available to us this way. >> Mhm. Yeah. They they came in on the um on the on call at that time. >> I mean I I wouldn't >> Mhm.
>> necessarily advise these five probably most of them but it's not time for a re-examination if we can simply extend these. >> Right. Yeah. That's all we were trying to do was just to extend the current contract. There's an option I believe to >> I move to extend for one year for three
years. >> Yeah. Whatever the whatever the contract language would have said originally. >> Yeah. And I don't know um CI and environmental partners those may be two sep I thought we had six al together 1 2 3 4 5 six. So I think maybe I think
environmental partners might be a separate one under CI. Uh CI is the one I know that the um the water department uses a fair amount. >> Um so I'm thinking there were six altogether. So, let's let's assume that whatever the ones that we get accepted on the on call >> uh before is what we want to just if
they're interested, we'd like to extend their contract for the time period that was listed in there. >> So, my motion is for all of those consulting firms with which we have uh a blanket service agreement.
>> Mhm. >> Uh to extend it to the maximum term that they would agree. >> Mhm. Okay, >> second. >> All right, any discussion? Anybody? John, if you want to chime in on anything there.
>> Yeah. Okay. All right. So, uh, all those in favor, let's do a roll call since John is on, uh, on remote here. So, roll call vote. >> Yep. >> John, >> eye. >> False. Okay. Very good. Thanks, Scott. Good. All right. Next up, uh, zero
college highway update. Um I already discussed that. So yeah, February 10th is is um right is the date. So um there's a lot of work to be >> going forward, but I think we'll be excited with the vision once everyone sees it. So >> Okay. >> And I think we're going to come out of
it with some really important communication pieces that won't be a oneoff. Oh, I couldn't make it. I >> I'm out of the loop. So they'll be available for people to refer to and they'll understand how this
complex set of ideas is coalesing. >> Mhm. Great. Okay. All right. Is there any other business that can't wait until our next meeting which is on the 17th? >> What's the process for inquiring about a
tax title situation? >> Um I would just uh contact uh Megan the treasurer. Um, with all that Megan has on her plate, I really hesitate. But she's aware of the particular circumstance,
taxpayer, and will figure the back taxes. It's >> not about getting rich. It's about resolving a long-standing >> issue that's just not getting
any satisfaction for the town or for the land owner. Okay. So, why don't you take that up with Megan directly? Okay. >> Um, I will again follow up with Megan. I don't want to wear out my welcome. It's been about 10 days and I understand there's priority in this.
>> Yeah. Okay. All right. Uh, if nothing else, we'll have our next meeting on the 17th. But in the meantime, we've got some PCFs here. Uh, if somebody would like to run through, I have them right in my hand here. I think I do. And
there are you're on your on your list there too on there. >> So these are all from the fire department. Let's see for um um fire department
resignation effective 11 2026. Um the fire department Timothy Growan resignation effective 111 2026 fire department Robert Dragon's resignation accept effective 1120 2026
in fire department Janette Pered's resignation effective 111 of 2026 >> second. All right, a second. And just a note here, just so the people don't wonder, um these are four resignations from the fire department. And this is
basically the chief um he has a a large on call roster. Um and if if after a certain amount of time, uh some of the folks have not needed to be called in, uh he tends to kind of clean up his roster and um let them let them go um
such as they were. So they were not needed, but they've been on call in case we needed them. So, this is why you're seeing resignations. There's nothing nefarious going on. It's just a >> administrative cleanup. So, okay. All those in favor? Uh, again, roll call. >> Lumber.
>> John. >> I faile. Okay. All the PCFs are Thank you. All right. Uh, old business. Uh, just FYI 24 audit stuff. Scott, how are we doing on this thing? >> Um, we're slowly chipping away at it. Um the last month has basically been, you
know, tax bills and free cash certification. We've been focusing on um the good news is the the school department's really our central office is prioritizing getting our our free cash certified. Bradley's getting about a dozen emails a day. >> Um so we kind of focus more on that. Um
hopefully, you know, they've been working really hard. Once we get the school department, uh it'll open up the floodgates for our side. So um we're just waiting. They're they're trying to get it as soon as possible. So it's any day now. Um, and then once that's done, we can focus back onto the FY24 audit.
>> Okay. >> All right. >> I would just underscore, I guess I failed to report on the water commission um the rather urgent need to reconcile past year's um indirect accounts. And I
think that um speaking as commissioner who's supposed to be overseeing this, I have no idea how indirect costs ought to be assessed and or reconciled at the end of a fiscal year for an enterprise
account. Uh I can find lots of tutorials for uh doing federal medical grants, but damn little that is relevant to Massachusetts municipality. Most most of it is uh actual costs. So
the minority is actual costs like health insurance, things like that. >> It's not figuring out grand ratios and planning ratios. >> Well, that that's the standard that we use the state standard. So, uh for example, like software support, treasur support, uh accounting support, that's
usually a percentage of the salary. So those are usually basic, you know, those are built-in costs. And then you have other things which is like um like health insurance, whether or not an employee did or didn't take it. >> Okay? So you would take health insurance as discrete cost and reconcile at the end of the year. >> Mhm.
>> Fantastic. Uh I think that if the chair of the water commissioners and the superintendent could meet with you, it would go a long ways towards building understanding and trust. I I met with
the superintendent over last year on this many times. So, but I just got to make sure that once we get the free cash a little bit further, then yeah, we can definitely have the meeting. >> And I understand priority is you have only so much time. I I think it's important to include Tim. >> Mhm.
>> Okay. All right. Very good. Um any update at all on um uh what do we have here? on the um >> these three dist and um yeah >> on track as far as we know.
>> Yeah, I I know Randall has just submitted some some things to PVPC on the um the tip uh he and you are the tip and check people on that and so he's um had some documents that he submitted just recently on the uh East Street
process. So, I think we're we're in line with that. And by putting in the uh the mass trails grant for the greenway, I know we're we're on track with that, too. And I believe we're on FY28 tip list, I'm thinking. Um >> yeah, >> for the for the greenway, I think that's
right. >> 29. >> Is it 29? Maybe calendar. >> Yeah, it might be calendar 28. Fiscal 29. >> Yeah. We'll also have some uh speaking of tip projects, we'll also have some information on the safe safe streets to
school project. So that one never is >> called out and that would be a good one out. >> Good to hear how that one is. >> They're in three discrete programs. So >> yeah. Yeah. Exactly. >> Their fate is not linked necessarily. >> Right. Okay. All right. Good. Um other
than that, uh we have selected meetings on February 17th and then we'll have three in March given it's a usual long month. March >> 3rd, 17, and 31. And uh I'm sure we'll be maybe having a meeting or two in between. Heaven knows with all these
budget hearings here, but uh we'll try to get through them as best we can and see how we can make some sense of this year's finances. Um at this point, we'll uh probably uh let's see, we're at a point where we will adjourn and move into executive session. And we will be
going into executive session and not returning. Uh and the reason we're going into executive session is per MGL chapter 30A section 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations negotiations with non-union personnel or
to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel. This is related to the police. And then MGL and chapter 30A section 21A3 which is to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a
detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating portion of the public body and the chair declares this is related to the Manhattan River Bridge on Palmer Road. Okay. So with that I'll take a motion to adjourn and move into
executive session. I have a motion from Steven. Second, second by Ellen. All those in favor, roll call, please. >> I John S. I >> f I. Okay. We are adjourned uh open session at 7:24 and we will meet in
executive session. >> This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers.