This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. All right, looks like we are live. So, I'm going to call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for November 25th, 2025 at 6 p.m. If we can all 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. Do we have anybody here for citizen speak? Yes, Robert. >> Robert Floyd, 166 College Highway.
You'll be speaking wearing two hats. The first one as a resident, I'd like to share the news about the success of the silent auction for the Southampton Community Cupboard Saturday. They've raised uh $2500 so far. Uh the remaining
items, 10 out of 42 will remain at the church Wednesday afternoon, Friday afternoon, and especially on the afternoon of December 7, Sunday, there'll be photography reception at the church. >> And there's about a couple hundred dollars that was raised by the sale of books
>> for the special art program for children. >> Nice. Very good. >> So, everybody was not too shabby. Everybody was pleased. I thank everyone for their support and participation. now wearing the moderator's hat. The special town meeting information session will be
held Thursday evening, December 4th, 7 o'clock right here. >> Okay. And that'll be televised, right? >> Yes, it will be live. >> Okay. Very good. >> You want to mention Scott's availability?
I don't want to interrupt for the world, >> but it's very very much on topic. >> Yeah. No, he he'll get to it. So, okay. Anything else? So, that that'll be just going over the articles for the special town meeting >> later >> on the December 4th. >> On the 4th and now we've had it earlier,
but Thanksgiving I figured conflict of interest. So, Right. Yeah. >> We have it a couple days before at least. >> Sure. No, that's fine. Okay. Okay. Good. All right. Thanks, Robert. >> Anybody else here for anything on the that's not on the agenda? anybody? All right. Uh just a a couple announcements.
So, first of all, happy Thanksgiving to everybody. A little bit early, but um just a reminder that town hall offices uh including the library and especially also the transfer station uh will be closing at noon tomorrow Wednesday. So, make your plans accordingly, especially
if you need to go to the transfer station. Okay. So, with that, um I think we are about ready. We can open up the tax classification hearing. So, could I have a motion to open the hearing, please? >> So, moved. Second. >> All right. So, in accordance with
section 56 of chapter 40 of the general law, we are holding a public hearing on the question of adopting the percentages of the total tax levy to be borne by each class of real property, residential, open space, commercial, and industrial and personal property for the fiscal year 2026.
So, I'll invite our assessor, Dave Zagorski. Hi. >> Um, so the, uh, vote before the select board is to determine whether to do a single or split. >> A little louder, Dave, so we can all hear you.
>> Can you hear me now? >> Go ahead. >> Uh, the the motion before the select board is to determine uh whether to do a single or split tax rate. Um, and to grant any open space discount, residential exemption, and small commercial exemption.
Um the board of assessors recommends um doing a single tax rate um as we've always done. Um it is typically recommended that communities have at least a commercial base of at least 20% in order to do a split tax rate. Um
so we recommend doing a single tax rate. putting um doing a split tax rate would put a burden on the commercial properties that are in town. Um especially the small commercials. Um the
uh adoption of an open space discount. We don't have any uh property that qualifies under uh open space. Um therefore there are no properties in this class to adopt an open space discount for uh the adoption of a residential
exemption. Um that's typically for towns with um high vacation home second home base. Um so uh no residential exemption uh is recommended and a uh small
commercial exemption. Um again we don't have the uh commercial base in order to uh go with that. So um the the motions before you are to
do a single or split tax rate and do no open space discount, no residential exemption and no small commercial exemption. >> And your actual recommendation, if I heard that correctly, is to do a is it is to do >> do a single single tax rate. >> Single tax rate. Yep. We've always done it, >> right?
>> No reason to. >> And just maybe just to review for people >> just while people are listening just cuz they may not be able to see the screen which is certainly >> terribly not good when it's televised. But just to review this. So it looks like uh a residential
uh percentage is about 94% in town and then commercial is 3% industrial less than a percent and personal property 2%. So >> basically around 6% is all of our CI CIP uh categories, commercial, industrial and personal property and 94% is the
residential. >> Correct. >> Okay. Got it. >> By value. >> By Yes. By value. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Anybody have any question? I want to speak to anything about the valuation or anything or >> Well, just before we jump into motions and and move to our next item, can you talk a little bit about the the new growth
>> that is in your report because >> I think um >> um well, we were we were under our average uh three-year average for new growth for this year. Um there just wasn't any uh too many new homes being
built um or at least not too not completed. Um, and there just a lot of times we'll get new growth from uh, Eversource or the um, public utilities and again there just wasn't any new growth in there. >> Do do you happen to know roughly what
what our average our threeyear average is? >> Um, you know what? >> It's right around 200 >> somewhere around there. Yeah. >> Bit less than 200. >> Yeah. I think >> Yeah, because it I guess one of the the important points out this report is it looks like it's only going to be $118,000.
new growth that gets added to it. So >> yeah, >> you know, the likelihood of having any >> significant additional funds is zilch, >> right? I mean that is that would basically account for more renovations or >> that doesn't even cover the health
insurance increase of 250,000. So >> So that would be more just renovations and and additions to people's homes, not bu not building new homes necessarily. I mean that's what >> the new growth is is all the renovations, new homes, >> right? you know this figure
but it's it's $8.3 million in new growth >> but when you calculate out the tax >> right no yeah but I mean it's still less than what we've had before because we've had >> probably more homes being built in the past couple years is that what I'm understanding okay >> y >> that's why I just wanted to clarify that >> and so procedural wise if we act on the
recommendation of the assessor and take that vote um all we're doing is approving a number yet to be identified as our mill rate >> yeah all Well, all you're doing is to to um basically determine the burden of,
you know, between residential and commercial. So, you're just voting to do a single tax rate, whatever that may be, split tax rate, whatever that may be. >> And what's the um what's the what's the next step that triggers when do the taxpayers find out what the mill rate's going to be? >> Um so, our accountant is still working
on the tax rate recap. Um so once um he's finalized his numbers and we have it entered on the uh department revenue website then the uh tax rate gets determined by those computations
>> and the state certifies it. >> Yes. State certifies it. Yep. >> You anticipate to be less than what it is currently 1417. um our typically when um you see a seesaw effect. So when values go up, the
tax rate goes down. When values go down, tax rate goes up. So um it I don't want to speak as to, you know, an estimate or anything, but I would imagine it'll probably go down. I don't know by how much at this point. >> Okay. And >> Scott, do we have a sense of where the
accountant is in terms of doing the tax recount just off hand? >> Uh he just has to finish up the debt service with the treasur. Uh, so it should be probably middle early next week. >> Okay. >> Okay. Good. >> Technically though that I mean they are on schedule, right? We're not behind schedule on this particular issue.
>> No, we're we're we're we're out in front of it. >> We're ahead of where we usually are, I think. Yeah, >> that's great. Glad to hear that. So good. >> Well, when the department starting with the A assessor is on track, perhaps we can >> start going to building and grounds and custodial.
>> Sounds good. All right. I think unless everybody else has any questions. Could we have >> I don't want a motion. I have a question. >> Well, go ahead. I wanted to give everybody a chance for questions. >> And I apologize. I'm the liaison from the select board to the assessors. And
not only did I have a conflict this past month after I finally realized I have conflict this coming week after the holiday. Um, but this is an issue that interests me a lot and it may seem
apparent, but how many owner unknown lots do we have within the town? Therefore, we have no one to send tax bill to >> that. I'd have to look up. Um, I don't I don't have that answer right now. I I
can run a report for you and have that tomorrow >> because along with some other issues we've given ample ventilation to like playoff water company. >> Yeah. >> Um
I want to make sure that every land owner is paying what they equitably should. Yep. >> And if there's a unknown owner profiting from the property and its resources, we want
to be on top of that. I just flag that and I'm sorry if it's cryptic, but uh I'm with you. And I don't think we have too many owner unknowns cuz you know usually something will come but nothing really pops out. So
>> we have few that are out of state for sure I think. >> But >> well I mean if they're owner owner unknown then we don't know who the owner is. So nobody's getting a tax bill on it. You know nobody's >> people don't live here but they own property. >> But there's there's still an assessment being placed against that property
that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. >> So Okay. And then >> there are tax title properties that are still in the name of the um delinquent prior owner. We'll get that claimed up.
>> Yeah, that's the tax collector's side. >> There we go. >> I'll make a motion motion to set the um plot rate. I make a motion to set the uh uh that's not the wording the assessor used though. >> Single >> single tax rate
>> single tax rate >> and and uh not adopt any of the exemptions. Second >> okay have a motion and a second. No further discussion. All those in favor >> I >> I All right. We will take that recommendation and to hear what the tax rate is. Thank you.
>> Thank you and happy Thanksgiving. >> All right. Thank you. You too. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay, let's have a motion. We have to close the tax hearing, please. >> Move to close the public uh the tax hearing. >> Second. >> Okay. All those in favor?
>> I I All right. Very good. Thank you. Okay. Uh next up, Scott Town Administrator report, please. >> Uh I just want to thank our highway superintendent, Rain Kemp, uh for the additional visuals over on Pomeroy Meadow Road >> uh bridge. Um, I do want to just say
that we are currently working with town council as well on a strategy regarding ownership of the bridge. I won't go into too many more details. Um, but we we hope to have some movement in the next, you know, month or two. >> Um, so I don't I don't want to go into too
much detail because it could end in possible litigation. >> Um, I do want to also point out that we received the memo from the Financial Management Resources Bureau that I forward to everyone. We're going to be meeting with uh DLS um probably the first or second week of September just to review everything. Then we'll make
the memo public uh by >> December. >> December. >> Did they say November? >> I think you said >> Oh, I'm I'm sorry. Um December. Um it's all kind of blurring at this point of the year. Um so we're going to sit the finance team is going to sit down with DS kind of go over everything. Um I did
forward it to our uh co-workers over at Hampshire Regional. Uh so part of it does include them. Uh but then once we have our meeting with DLS, I'll make it public and um probably have a a few meetings about that and send to the school committee and other stakeholders. So, >> and these will be recommendations for
improvements, I take it from >> financial Yeah, focus on financial improvements. >> Okay. Yep. >> Thank you. >> Um uh in regards to the special town meeting which is coming up on Saturday the 6th uh at 10:00 a.m. Uh if anyone has any questions and they're on
Facebook, feel free to join me between 2 and 2:30 on Facebook Live and uh I'll try to answer any questions. No guarantee. So what day? >> Uh that's going to be Monday. >> Thank you. And then we have the the ADA plan has been posted on our website. Uh
we will have a presentation um on se on December 9th. >> Um we'll probably have them go first, but we'll also make it available online as well. So >> um it's quite a lengthy uh evaluation, but so if anyone has time to read
through it, um again, it's it's recommendations. So I'm going to let the expert experts kind of explain a little bit more. >> So this was it was an ADA evaluation of all of our town buildings. Is that correct? and some of our outside resources as well. >> Okay. All right. >> Good. Yeah, it's already posted on the
town website, so you can find a link to it there. >> Good. All right. Any other questions? Yeah. Yeah. >> Um the Well, first a suggestion I think because we have the uh fiscal management resource bureau report that we should
post that on the website to start the education process. And two, I was going to bring this up later, but since it's on the agenda this way, I'm I want to address the uh bridge on Primary Meadow Road. Um I know recently in the past 30 days, there's been two accidents there. It's my understanding that in in both
cases for different reasons, um both drivers were impaired. And that's not to say that both drivers were under the influence of alcohol. they were just impaired cognitive um issues that uh
led to the accidents. But the second thing that I'd like to do formally because I've mentioned it before, but I guess I want to formally request on the record, I I want to understand as a select board member what um our ability is to abandon that section of the road
and close it. depending on where we go, it may behoove us just to put up jersey barriers and shut that down. So, I don't know if our highway superintendent has enough information or if we need to ask KP Law or something, but I think before
we go too far down where I think we're going. That's a data point that I would like to have. >> I think that's part of what Scott was referring to in his report though that he's >> I heard uh ownership. I That's what I heard from Scott's report. They're talking about ownership. I'm talking about wherever that Southampton line is,
you know, do we have does the select it's a town road. It's not a state road. >> Does the town the town accepts the roads. What's the process to not accept the road and to close it? >> Um >> if we're going to be potentially dealing with a1 to3 million price tag. >> Yeah. I'm going to I'll ask Katie on
that. Um whether or not we can actually close a bridge to another community. I think that that's going to be part of the discussion we have with town council. >> Yeah. If we can, we can. If we can't, we can't. And if we can't, why? >> I'm sure there's some 175y old >> Yeah. >> rule out there. >> Yeah. >> Yep.
>> Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Joe. Yeah. Stephen, >> I think that's a critical bargaining point because it's a huge expense and our neighboring community, whatever you want to say about our
mutual obligations, is denying any responsibility. So, if we got to a 50/50 agreement, I think we'd have an agreement perhaps, but it's still a lot of money. It's on
top of the operating budget and every other need in town. So, we need to have clarity about the cost, but we can only get there by asserting our rights. >> Correct. And I and I also believed there's at least one other similar bridge within our jurisdiction
>> that this is going to pop up on as well, if not two more. And I and I know the highway superintendent knows which ones we all get them as select board members. We get the the report the engineer reports. >> Yeah, we we have similar bridges that were constructed in the same manner around the same time. >> Yeah. No, but there's
there's one that I I would have thought that one would have closed first based on the report that came from the engineer's office. Mhm. >> So >> has not yet >> enter town. >> It's in town. No, it's all in that bridge is all us. >> Right. So all the more reason for us to
ascertain our rights. >> Mhm. >> Yep. >> So that's why Scott has already reached out to legal counsel. So we'll let him pursue that and see where we go with that. >> And to call your state rep and state senators and request additional chapter 70 money. >> There you go. Yeah. Exactly. >> Good luck with that.
>> Okay. Uh all right. How about uh select board reports? Anybody have any meetings coming up? Ellen, anything from your department? >> Been quiet. Hopefully coming up soon. >> Okay. >> Have more. >> Yeah. All right. >> Quiet. >> I think there'll be a con meeting at
some point in uh >> maybe the second week or so of December. And I don't know about board of health, but those would be couple just to watch out for. >> Hello. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Again, apologies to my colleagues on the board of assessors.
um open space committee has been working on three warrant articles, three acquisitions using a variety of funding. It's covered elsewhere. I won't belabor it now. Um but then beyond that um there are many
properties that are coming to our attention that need to be evaluated and prioritized for available funding for conservation and um natural resource value and there are
excellent grant opportunities. So, I'm going to bridge from open space to ad hoc frames. Um, now I'm going to bridge out to housing. I'm on the housing authority and they
continue to drive forward with um research and education about how they might advance an affordable housing component at uh what we now call officially. Write it down. 125
College Highway, Southampton Commons, whatever it's going to be. Um, Housing Trust, U. Kudos to Chris for driving this forward and housing authority. Um, I'm delighted to be a
part and we're still trying to get our organizational documents together. >> Okay, John. Uh the uh as far as schools go, the um we're well into the uh early stages of
negotiations with the MTA. That seems to be flowing nicely. >> Health insurance. >> No, no, no. The three-year contract. Yeah. Which health insurance is one of them. Um and uh it's been represented to us that um central office is on track to
get the uh the first round of budgets in >> good. >> Which will be in January >> um for central office central office and Hampshire regional then everything flows down. >> Yeah. >> So things are >> moving along nicely to move. Okay. That's good. Good to hear that. Okay. >> Excellent. >> Good. Uh on my end, not too many
meetings this last couple weeks. Uh there was a meeting of the senior center building committee about um I think it was last week uh the end of last week. Um they're kind of uh recognizing that they're not be going to be going forward very soon. Uh certainly not before the
public safety building committee most likely, but um they do still have a concern about the space uh and the programming that they're dealing with already in the in the current senior center and the overflow that they use this room for. Uh so at some point in time um they're going to be meeting
along with the COA board which I think is meeting next week if I'm not mistaken. Uh and they're probably going to be I would expect them to come before the select board at some point maybe in January with some ideas about how to rearrange some current space and make better use of their space. Um, so we'll wait to hear what they come up with, but
I think they're they're feeling like they're um in a situation where they're not sustainable with the kind of classroom exercise stuff that they have in terms of their space and the the workshops and everything that they do. So, they're trying to figure out ways to accommodate
everybody that's there. Um, they had a huge lunchon for Thanksgiving and had about 75 people uh for lunch uh lunchon, Thanksgiving lunchon, which was great. Um, so that's really the the maximum capacity that room can hold. So I expect they'll be coming to us at some point.
No other meetings yet, uh, grant committee or anything else. We've been silent for a week or two. So we'll pick it up again in December if there's anything on the agenda that we need to deal with. >> Okay. All right. Other than that, we'll move on to new business.
All right. Very first thing up um is a reconsideration of the alcohol beverages control commission application for pure food market. Um this is something that we had dealt with a while back. It had gone through
various um steps. It gotten to the final stages we thought and then there had just been a few issues um at the ABCC level. Uh, and so this is actually a re um, what shall I say? A revised application. It's still the same issue
of going from just a wine and beer permit to an all alcohol permit. It would classify Pure Food Market as a package store uh, to do that. And um, there were just some issues because the former owner, dad uh, dad uh, Don Don
Puzza, when he passed away, there needed to be some documents dealt with in probate. And so there were various things that have gone back and forth with all that legality and now we finally have a real application um that we will we signed it once before but
this has got everybody's names fully in their legal parameters but we need a a motion to um also look at the change of manager and the change of officers because the officers and directors obviously changed when uh Donald passed away. Uh and then there's a change of
the category 2 um from all alcohol and wine uh from wine and malt sorry to all alcohol. Um so I think this is this is basically you've got the documents before you. Um we should be able to get this hopefully submitted next week
sometime and hopefully this will make it through ABCC. They're they've been very um very much a stickler I guess I would say in terms of things like it's instead of you know just having the names consistent. So like Vicky Allen versus Victoria A, you know, it's like, okay
people, we'll we'll make all these corrections. So there have been a a lot of just small correction things and it's more just being sure that every document reads the same in terms of the names of the directors and so forth. So that's kind of the scenario here. Um, so the um
the current uh or the the new president, I guess a president treasurer is Victoria A. Puzza Allen. Um, the name of the vice president is Terresa Puzza and the name of the clerk is Joshua D. Puzza and he is also the manager. I'll make a
motion to accept the the documents submitted to us as being genuine and of the body that had the authority to vote the change of directors and officers and accept them as stated on the documents >> and the change of category as well. >> I was going to do that as a separate vote.
>> Okay. I'm sorry. So change of directors. I'm sorry. presidents and officers as stated on the forums that we accept them to be true and accurate. >> Okay. Fine. >> Second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I >> I make a motion that we approve the change as voted by the citizens of this
town three years ago. >> Mhm. >> And that we ratify the actions of the town citizenship by supporting this change and urge the ABCC to immediately act upon it. >> Okay. I have a second, please. >> Enthusiastically. Second.
>> All right. Ellen second. All right. Thank you. All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. Thank you. Okay. Well, we will hope so. And we I think we ran into a bit of a buzzsaw with with people uh in Boston, but it seems like things are working now. And the um we've had the uh
governor um sorry, Governor um Senator Beas's office has been helping out as well, uh trying to push some things through for us. So, I think we've got got people working on it. So, everybody's got eyes on it and it should hopefully keep us moving. So hopefully by the time we meet by the end of
December, we might know something uh on that one. So thank you. Um next up, I guess plumbing and gas fees. I >> Is this a change? >> This in our package, I guess. Uh it's on I've got a hard copy, Scott. I don't
know if it was in our electronic copy. >> Yeah, it is. >> Is it? >> Well, there's a sheet in here, but it doesn't indicate if it's a change. >> Yeah, I'm not sure what the change was. Um, I don't have it on the It wasn't in my electronic packet, I think, Scott. I didn't see it, but I have the hard copy here, but
>> So, this was a fee schedule for plumbing and the gas inspectors. Is that correct? >> Uh, that's correct. Let me page 23 of the packet. >> Okay. Page 23. Did I miss it? Maybe I missed it.
do a side by side here. >> Hold on. >> Oh, yeah. It is in the package. Page 23. Sorry. But I don't know. Um, as John mentioned, I don't know what the old fees were that we were looking at. Have we And it might helpfully indicate at the
bottom when the prior set of fees were adopted. >> Yeah, I can. It should be up on the website here. Hold on. Have you got it, Scott? >> Was that the old one or? >> Yeah, this is the old one. We just uh >> I move we table this till our next
meeting. >> Well, let's make sure he finds it first. Right. Why do you want to table it right away? Let's give them a chance to find it. >> We just get it so you can actually view it. >> I'd like to have a clear presentation to our public or paying the
fees. >> We can put it off until the next meeting if you want to. I'm not sure we have the old one handy. >> Great. I don't want to put anybody under undue pressure. There was something that was approved just last year, but that
may not have been that was >> that says August 19th, 2012. >> Those are those are building fees though. Those were not plumbing and uh >> Right. >> Yeah. Let's Okay, go ahead, Stephen. With your motion, go ahead. >> Just restate again. >> I move we table it to our next meeting when we can look at the differential
between the current and the proposed. >> Okay. >> I'm I'm not opposed. I just don't want to >> I I don't I don't object to tableabling it, but I guess I would ask if the inspector >> Lynn Rita could give us a paragraph or two.
>> Yeah. on and what they're >> would help to have a little bit of a written right >> piece of information about what it's >> I'm I'm assuming this changes to keep up with the neighboring communities and yada yada yada but it'd be nice to have something
>> and the fees go into a retained income fee or no >> a general revenue >> they go directly >> yeah right um please bring it All right. So, all those in favor >> I I >> I All right. We'll pick it up on the uh
December 9th meeting. Let's just add it to that agenda. And if somebody can speak to it, if not in person, at least give us something in writing about that just so we understand this. Um we did have a building fee revision in 25, but I don't see
offhand when that was done. The other ones were done. the uh the previous version was 2015. >> Yeah, the the following. >> That's a good fact. Bring it all forward. >> Okay, sounds good. >> Next time. >> Good. All right, perfect. We'll hold off
onto that for next time. All right. Uh special town meeting. Scott, any further things to talk about? >> Uh nope. The summaries of motion should be finished probably tomorrow or Monday at probably the latest and I'll post those up and distribute them to
everyone. Um the warrants online has been posted in the seven different places throughout town. Um as well thanks to our constables and again if anyone has any questions I'll be online or they can always reach out to me through email or phone anyways but
um and then I'll be joining Robert on the 4th for the reading and it'll be the Saturday the 6th at 10 a.m. in North School. >> Okay. >> Uh just for my planning purpose, are we meeting at 9:30? It was a special meeting first or no?
>> I'm going to schedule it and if it's needed. Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. So, plan on being Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. We don't know that we have that much business cuz we'll be meeting again on the 9th, but let's just schedule it for the 6th and have it if we usually we usually do have a short meeting before the town meeting. So,
we'll just aim to do that anyway. Okay. Good. Um, yeah. So the um everything is findable on the town website. Hopefully you can take a look at it. All right. Um 250th anniversary.
Um things are proceeding. Um been been busy. The committee's still coming up with ideas, but I think we're we're winding down. Um so we will have um there are two two ongoing things for this month. One is the holiday slash
porch decorating contest which um our town clerk Lucy Dalton is kind of heading up but there's been a flyer out and you need to just look at the QR code to sign up on that. If you don't have the ability to use the QR code just check in with Lucy at town hall. Um but
people should enter that so we know how many houses will be involved and we can schedule a time to go around and take a look at that. And the entry date is up until December 20th. So really up until the last minute. Uh and then there is a town scavenger hunt that has been put
out. Uh this is related to the new revised points of interest map that the committee has worked on. Um this was a map that was originally done back in I think 1967 then revised once and now has been updated and some of the older points of interest unfortunately have have gone by the wayside because a lot
of them were old seller holes and things that are really pretty much not findable anymore. But the committee has done a great job pulling together a new map and uh just a little bit of a a fun activity, a scavenger hunt to eight different position uh eight different um locations in town just to get people out
and looking around and having a fun time maybe during the holidays. Um and there'll be uh there's instructions online and um you basically go look for these eight locations and there's a little notebook where you sign the note saying that you've been there, the notebook, and then uh stamp your little
paper that you were there. And then eventually when you've gone to all of them, you'll turn that into the town clerk as well. And we'll look to have uh those entered into a drawing for the big party on New Year's Eve for some sort of special prize on that. Uh and then uh
right now we're planning on uh Santa coming uh and the tree lighting out front um on uh December 13th, probably around somewhere in that 5:30 to 6:00 time frame. Uh and prior to that too,
there will be already I know the Lions Club is doing their toy drive. Um and the stuff a cruiser police stuff a cruiser is also uh that same day 1213. The Lions Club I believe is the weekend before John or the weekend after. >> There's three of them. >> Three of them. Okay. >> So there'll be various toy drives out.
So keep uh keep that in mind. I know the community has been incredibly generous for all the work for supporting the community cupboard. Um there's been a lot of food drives around town and various organizations participating and donating to that. So, thank you for that. And uh hopefully we can keep up
the holiday spirit and uh do some some things over the holidays for for the kids that uh this will benefit both Southampton and East Hampton kiddos, I believe. Okay, that's all we have for 250th. Uh we will end up the year on the celebration with a New Year's Eve um
bonfire. um to be determined. I think it's looking a little bit more like Conet Park um just so that we have wide open space and not any risk of causing any other problems. >> So, we'll we'll we're still working that out with the fire department.
Okay. Uh any other business that can't wait until the next regular select board meeting on December 9th? Anybody? Anything? All right. >> Be kind. >> Okay. If not, we have a couple of uh personnel change forms. John, I'll let you take the first couple. And Stephen,
I'll let you take the water department one. Okay. >> John, you want to take those couple? >> Sure. >> All right. >> Missed the old days when it was just John Smith. Uh, first one. PCF Highway Department.
>> Oh, yeah. I gave you a tough one. Sorry. >> Mr. Nicholas, I can't pronounce the first name. >> Henrik, I guess. Nicholas. New hire effective November 26, 2025 PT non-benefited plow truck driver $40 per hour as needed for storms. >> Okay.
>> Second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I >> All right. >> Uh take the Well, I'll take them separately. The fire department PCF uh Richard Aldrich resignation effective November 17th, 2025. Good job.
>> Second. >> Second, John. Uh Stephen. Okay. All those in favor? I >> I >> and then PCF fire department for Kenyan Mcoligan new hire firefighter effective November 25th 2025 part-time non-benefited $15.50 per hour
>> Ellen want a second >> second. All right. All those in favor >> I >> I All right. And then Stephen >> Sure. uh for the water department, Merrick Panko, um apologies for mispronouncing.
A new hire, water tech, effective December 1st, 2025, full-time benefited $2516. And as water commissioner, I hardly endorse this. We've gone many months
with a short staff approved um hiring plan and um scores scores of applicants who did not have the credentials >> and um this applicant has demonstrated
real ambition and relevant background in the pharmaceutical and biochemical uh industry. So they are not yet fully licensed. They need a year of active participation
with a system uh to be fully licensed. So, that's a slight departure from the um from our aspirations, >> but um we think we've got a great candidate who is a important um
compliment >> uh to the staff that we have. And >> so, he's working on his credentials through the New England Water Association. Is that right? Uh he passed the two tests uh last week that are for the water treatment and water
distribution license and after 12 months with a actual utility then it ripens into a full license. >> Got it. Okay. >> All right. Any questions, comments? Um,
not necessarily the advocate, but it just I mean I know the answer to this, but the um >> Good timing, Brett. >> The man that just walked in, uh, that's the only that's the only one that um has a U town vehicle 24/7. Correct. Is the water superintendent.
Water superend is the only person around. >> Oh, water department superintendent >> and the water department is the only one that has a vehicle 24/7. Correct. Mr. Commissioner. >> Uh, just within the department.
>> Yeah. >> I I'm new. I was just elected. I cannot speak to that. >> Why don't we have the water superintendent pop up and just answer that question. Since you're here, Brett, thank you for coming in. And I assume that this might be our our candidate over here. Perfect.
>> As far as far as the water department is concerned. >> Yeah. >> Right. You you are the only one that has a vehicle available to them 24/7 and takes it home. >> Yes. >> Thanks. >> That was your question. Okay. >> Okay. Could we since we have our our candidate here, uh Emer, would you like to just pop up and introduce yourself
and say a few words? Come on up to the mic and just give us a little introduction. >> Uh hi. This is my first time here. I actually knew I just moved out to Belchure Town. Uh I did a interview with uh with you and uh I do appreciate the
kind words. It was a It was a lovely interview and I'm really excited to start. >> Mhm. Okay. Very good. So, you'll be commuting from Beluretown then? >> Yeah. Yeah. About half an hour. >> Sounds good. All right. Perfect. All right. >> Okay. Did we have a motion? >> You do. >> All right. And we have a second.
>> Uh second if I didn't already. >> Okay. No further questions. Uh all those in favor? >> I >> I All right. Motion's approved. Congratulations. You have your new hire. >> I know you've been waiting for it for a long time. So glad to glad to see we've
been able to find a find a good candidate for you. So that's good. Very good. >> All right. Uh we have some >> Thank you, Brett. >> Did we have some minutes to >> Scott? Are the minutes in the package? I
don't know if I saw those. Um >> I don't see them in the package. >> I don't think I saw them in the package. Did you have them? I don't I don't think I have them. I'm going to I'm going to say let's hold off if they were in the package. I'm going to suggest we hold off on those
minutes until we meet on the 9th. I don't believe they were in my package. I >> Yeah, it doesn't look like we received them in time. >> Didn't I don't think we got them in time from our transcriber. Um so we'll hold off on those. Um so those are the minutes for October 28th. We'll put them
off until December 9th meeting. >> Okay. Very good. Uh Stephen, if you want to go through the warrant list, please. >> No, I don't. I know it's a long one. >> Um, there are 16 warrants since the last time I reported. I think I believe that
to be accurate. And I apologize. This is the boring part of the meeting. And I'll read as well as I can. W26-9A in the amount of $45.56.
W26-13A. [Music] The amount is $25250. P26-16, the amount is $351,8789. PD26-16, the amount is 57,84424. PD26-16A
the amount is 36,58320 P 26-16A $900 even PD26-16B $18483 W26-17 17. The amount is $114,000
for $114,35251. P 26-18, the amount is $349,84126. P26-18A, the amount is $72,584. P 26-18
A PD 26-18A The amount is $170.77 PD26-18 the amount is 578 $84.78 W26-9
the amount is $299,4280 W26-9A, the amount is $184. Even P26-20, the amount is 349,586.38. And finally, PD26-20,
the amount is 57,52857. >> Okay, that's a lot. So, for those that are listening that may not understand all of our jargon here, um, basically, uh, P stands for payroll, PD is payroll deductions, and W is basically our vendor warrants for various businesses
that get paid by the various departments in town. Um, so these all get invoices submitted, reviewed by the treasur and accountant and also coming to us and Steven >> and the warrant >> takes care of them for Yes. And the >> goodness >> takes care of them. Very good. All
right. Thank you. Um, there seem to be a lot of smaller ones this time. There's a couple of must have been some additional bills that came in at the last minute or something. Okay. Uh, other old or pending business? Anything on how we're doing with getting information in um for
the FY24 audit? Just a note that the FY23 audit is posted. That is on the website. >> Thank you. >> But the FY24, we're still working on getting all the information into them. And how are we doing with that from the treasur's point of view? >> Uh, good. We're we're trying to schedule their field work for December to have
them out and uh they for it to take a few days and they actually meet with everyone and they go through all the paperwork. So, uh we're looking to schedule that uh probably mid December if everything works out with timing. >> Okay, that sounds good. Okay, good. Uh any updates on anything? We we know that
we just have this on the on the list of things to to look at and to add to our list of things to get done. This uh acting on uh the prudent investor rule as well as uh any updates from the East Street uh future construction thing. Nothing happening there yet. No.
>> Okay. Okay. Anybody have any questions on that? No. Okay. All right. We have select board meetings. So, we will have uh we'll schedule a meeting for December 6th, just a short meeting right before the special town meeting. Uh but then we'll have our regular select board meetings on uh December 9th and December
23rd. And that pretty much ends us up for tonight's meeting for the agenda. We will have an executive session, so we'll be going into that. This will be per master general law 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 health insurance. So I will take a motion to close our current session here at about
7:46 and we will move into executive session and we will not be coming back after that meeting. So moved. >> All right. All those in favor? >> Lumber I. >> I. Okay. Okay. We are officially adjourned at >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Sorry. Uh I said wrong. At 6:48. Sorry, got the wrong timing here. At 6:48 we are adjourned. Not 7:48.