This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. Okay, guys, we'll get going. All right. I'm going to call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for November 10th at 6 PM. If we could all stand and say the Pledge of
Allegiance please. Pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
>> All right. So we will have our public hearing with Eversource at 6:05. So let us start. We'll take a few minutes. I think we can fe if there's anybody here for citizen speak before that. We'll try to fit in those that have something to say and
then we'll start the hearing as is stated in the agenda. Robert. Yes. >> Hi. Good evening. Robert Floyd College Highway. I'd like to bring some awareness to an event that's coming up in November. Uh the theme is art for food. It's going to be a silent auction.
It's going to be at First Congregational Church of Southampton. Uh Saturday, November 22nd, 1 to 4. I'm co-hosting with the church. There's over 15 photographers, over 42 fine artwork,
and approximately so far over $12,000 value of artwork. All the proceeds will go to the Southampton Community Covered and the opening bids are really low. $25$50 something for everyone. So I hope
everyone can come. >> And what day is it again? >> 22nd November >> in time. >> 1 to four. >> One to four. Okay, good. Thank you. >> And I understand wine will be served. >> Oh, okay. There you go. >> It's at the congregational church. Sure.
>> Correct. Okay. Very good. All right. All right. Anyone else citizen speak? Anyone? Okay. Now's the time. All right. Um I've just have one one or two items. Just
following up on Robert. Um you've all seen I'm sure on the various news news accounts and social media and whatever. Um our community cupboard is doing a fantastic job. um you know getting donations in and thanks to everybody around the community. I know we have
tomorrow the Lions Club food drive. So if you haven't already done your donations for the community covered or if you want to donate again uh by all means uh out here in the in the parking lot I believe um and the uh Lions Club is is shephering that. Um I know the
SYAa and there's been uh various other things I believe at Norris. We've had boxes here at town hall. Um, so there's there's lots of different groups around town that are trying to do their best to collect donations for the community cupboard. And I heard uh yesterday, I
believe, that just on Saturday when they were open, uh, there were 30 families that came and they gave away a,000 pounds of food. So everybody, you're making a difference and thank you. And unfortunately, we don't know what the future's going to hold in terms of SNAP benefits and all of those other things
that are just still in limbo. Um so please um do what you can to help out. But thanks to the community cupboard for even existing here in town to make that a little bit easier for a few people. Secondly, just another thing uh that
happened on f Thursday or I think it was Thursday. Um there was a Veterans Day brunch organized uh by the veteran service officer Michelle Murdoch uh that was well attended um by some of the veterans and their families. And uh just
to shout out a a big shout of appreciation to Michelle for organizing that. She put together a great slideshow of some of the veterans in town and that will get up on our website soon if it isn't already up there. Um so I would just encourage people to look at that. She did a great job and these will be many of the veterans in town and their
families have signed on for this notion. I think you've seen them in East Hampton. These remembering our hometown heroes and our banners that exist in East Hampton. Southampton is doing that too. They didn't arrive in time for Veterans Day, but they will be here for and up on the polls before Memorial Day.
So, we'll have to wait until the spring unfortunately, but there's a number. I think last I knew there was some 30 veterans that had um wanted to participate in that. So, we're really thankful for the work that Michelle has u put together on on just supporting the veterans here in town. It's a big
difference since she's been here to do that. And uh the brunch was well attended and of course tomorrow's Veterans Day. So do what you do to honor a veteran tomorrow. Okay, with that I think we need to open up. I would like to take a motion to open the public hearing. >> Move to open a public hearing for the
Instar Electric Company pole insulation to serve. >> Is that enough? >> Yeah. Okay. We'll open them open the hearing. Yeah. Second that. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I Okay, so let me just read this. So,
this is a petition for a joint or identical pole location. This is coming to us from NStar Electric Company doing business as Eversource Energy and Verizon New England. They request permission to install a line of poles, wires, cables, and fixtures, including
the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures to be owned and used in common uh along and across the following public way. uh location to install one jointly owned midspan pole on East Street approximately 50 feet westerly of
existing Eversource pole number 14-9 uh 14/50 and the reason is to provide electric service to a new customer at 116 East Street and future service to a house at 118 East Street. And so they
are asking uh that after due notice and hearing as provided by law, they be granted joint or identical locations for and permission to construct and maintain a line of poles, wires, cables together with such fixtures as they may find necessary said poles to be erected
substantially in accordance with the field plan um that they will show us tonight and uh marked uh as number 21359520. 20-80382566. And they're also asking permission to lay and maintain underground laterals,
cables, and wires in the above or intersecting public ways for the purpose of making connections with such poles and buildings as each of the petition petitioners may desire for their distribution purposes. Quite a bit of mouthful there. So, I think I've said enough. All right, let
us have the uh Yes, sir. Does this cover every single pole relocation? I think we'll find where it says pursuant to >> this. This is East Street. >> This is >> roads bylaw. >> This this one is not I believe this is beyond the where the scenic roads bylaw is. It's not the full amount of East
Street. >> The question because I was unclear why it doesn't come to a public hearing. >> Ever source always has to come to public hearing for every for Yeah. for any kind of moving polls or adding new polls for
new services. as far as I know. Yeah. >> All right. Yeah. Our Eversource representative, come on up. Uh, introduce yourself and I've kind of read the whole letter that you all sent us. But um >> Brandon, I'm here on >> behalf of Eversource, uh, representing
a new pole location for the customers here on East Street. Mhm. >> Um, so pretty much in between that car and the mailbox is where we're proposing uh
a new pole to come in on town taking and then it would proceed back to the two lots on East Street to provide them with electric service >> in the future. >> Now is the the one on the left has already got service. Yes. The one that
one and the gray one. >> Yes. So, what number is that? >> I believe 118. >> Yeah, >> that's 118. >> That's 120. 116 is going to be in there. >> Okay. >> 118 is up at >> Excuse me. >> Wait a minute. Sorry, >> please.
>> 116. >> With with it being their residence, they're uh you know, I I didn't know what the the actual addresses were going to be, but yes, that's all correct. So, in that that field right now,
>> to the right of that mailbox, >> pretty much where your cursor is, is where the new pole will be installed. And then there'll be a line that goes up to 116's driveway. And then continuing on when the next resident decides to
build and request electric service along that shared access road. >> Okay. So this this is not just a driveway for this property here. >> That's a common access for all three lots. Yes. >> All right. This just want to be clear. >> Okay.
>> All right. And this is just standard new pole. >> Yeah. Just addition. And then there'll be a an overhead line servicing both lots >> in the future. >> Mhm. Okay. >> Along along their property. But we need to just because of the curvature of the
road, we need to as a utility install a new pole right to the to the right of that mailbox. >> Okay. All right. >> Not compromise the integrity of the >> the lines that we have there. >> Got it. Okay. And as this is indicated,
this is going to be shared between Eversource and Verizon. So both will run their lines on the same pool. >> Yeah. We'll notify them when our final goal is set if approved and they'll come and transfer their infrastructure and remove the old.
>> Mhm. There's one further thing that was mentioned in here and since I have the folks here from the fire department um also that um you agreed to reserve space for one crossarm crossarm sorry at a suitable point on each of the poles each
pole at this point in time for fire and police telephone signal wires belonging to the municipality and used exclusively for that purpose. So that allows for our communication with fire and police out there as well. Okay. >> All right. Uh thank you. If you have nothing, I I gather we have one of the homeowners
here on >> both of our Okay. All right. Homeowners here. Uh do we have any questions for the Eversource gentleman here? >> I do not. >> Okay. I think so. >> All right. Don't if you folks would just like to say anything, you're welcome to come on up. Those that whose whose
current or future residences will be affected. Um >> I'm in the process. >> Come on up, please. Sorry. >> Yeah, just introduce yourself and >> Sure. My name is Matthew Frame. I'm the owner of 116 East Street. I'm in the process of building that house and part of that process is getting utilities to
it. So, we've got all of our approvals for septic and for the water line, but we need power. >> Got it. Okay. All right. Very good. All right. Okay. If no further discussion on our part, then I would take a motion to >> move we close.
>> Mhm. Yes. >> The public hearing. >> All right. Second. >> Second. All right. All those in favor? I >> I >> I All right. Now, I will take a motion to act upon this request, this petition. >> I move that we approve the petition as presented tonight. >> Okay.
>> And I second that. >> All right. No further discussion. Uh all those in favor? >> I >> I >> I All right. Thank you. >> Easy done. All right. Thank you very much. >> Seems pretty straightforward. So, thank you very much. All right.
Okay. Uh, next up, I guess, uh, Scott, uh, town administrators report, please. >> Uh, I just want to give a a big thanks to Ron and Glenn from the building department. We had a backup last weekend of the the bathrooms. It was a not a
pleasant situation. >> Move your move your mic over. Sorry. Sorry. they they actually, you know, it's not in their job descriptions to actually do that type of things, but they were able to uh >> jump in >> jump in literally uh and do it. So, I mean, that was above and beyond. So, and
then Dave, our our custodian, had to clean it up. So, uh but yeah, I think it's just a matter just good um example of people going above and beyond and they definitely need to have some recognition for that, >> right? Um uh I also took part in the uh Western
Mass Chiefs Association uh legislative firefighter academy uh on Friday uh down in Springfield. Uh was attended by uh the state delegation, all the chiefs of Western Mass, um a lot of the different mayors. Um one of the things on their their priority list was again pushing
forward with a uh a unified Massachusetts um building authority for public safety complexes. I guess over the last year it's kind of evolved a little bit more to um perhaps taken to other public uh
municipal building um buildings like libraries and council on agings. >> Uh but that's still one of their their biggest priorities. So it's pretty relevant. Um >> so hopefully something >> encourage a little bit our state. >> That's a bill that's been this is at least probably the third year chief if
I'm thinking that's been introduced down there but it never gets traction. And so this would be a a um a fund that would allow for some assistance to municipalities for funding public safety complexes in particular, similar to like our schools have a separate building
fund. I think they'd like to model it after that from what I've understood. But their challenge down at Beacon Hill has been to figure out all the mechanics of that, let alone the funding of it. And so it kind of gets momentum and then it dies and then it gets re represented, reintroduced again the next legislature.
And uh so >> yeah, >> we'll keep following it. >> I want to thank Chief Fully for inviting me. Um it was actually a really good good experience. Learned a lot of things. Um for example, it's at a minimum for a new firefighter cost at least $25,000 to outfit them. >> You know, the pants are $4,000. The
jackets are a couple thousand. The SCBA is like $9,000. Um so it's very expensive. And then the new regulations coming in in July 1st, everything has to be PASF free. So, not only is it more expensive, but it also shortens the lifespan of that type of equipment. Um,
then, you know, we also got a demonstration on like the jaws of life and a few other uh interesting things. Um, and a lot of the equipment that public safety and fire departments have now are getting outdated year after year because of the the car manufacturers.
Um, just with the strength of the car that they're using, different building materials. you know, something that that hap, you know, last year that they could cut through the um the A-pillar because it was just, you know, folded sheet metal. Now they use like boron and different things to make it a little bit more structural, but now the the old
equipment can't cut through those types of things. So, there's just this constant need of having to upgrade uh the equipment and that's going to impact our our capital projects going forward. >> So, um you know, thank you, Chief. It was it was a great experience. So um the other things you know we had a
lot of grant administration uh the park grant um there was some required workshops I had to attend the mass DOT um we also had the mass DOT greet meet and greet at the uh WTO airport a week and a half ago. Um
the head of mass DOT was there as well as local area mayors and the state delegation representatives and senators. Um it it was a good meeting. um not too much substance but I think it was you know outlining their priorities and and their emphasis on reaching out to lo
local municipalities and taking into their you know consideration any of the decisions that they make. So >> um and then there was also a good uh push for more chapter 90 money. So >> good. >> It was a good start but we need a lot more. >> Yeah for sure.
>> Um and then um I have started meeting with the departments for just a preliminary budget. Um, one of the things we have to start this year is seeing if there's any going if there's any going to be any major impacts to any of the departmental budgets so I can at least present a basic number to the
fincom and the select board uh in the next couple weeks. So um I did initially ask for three budgets to be prepared um a level funded level service and uh something that would continue with the efficiency a little bit more uh moving
forward. But I think I might actually just trim that down to level funded level services and then um the wish list type of budget as well. So most of our departments are so small that a level funded and a level service is exactly the same thing. >> And we've already cut so much over the
last couple years. There's really no difference. I already met with, you know, the town treasurer today um and the chief today and all three budgets are looking the same. So I might just trim that down. >> Mhm. Okay. So, you haven't put out the full schedule though for the whole budget yet, but you're just doing the
preliminary discussions with >> I Yeah, we just need to get a number together to see what it's going to look like on our side. >> Okay. Right. And we'll be having the a joint um fin early early December with select work. Right. >> Yeah. >> Following on our quarterly meeting idea.
>> Yeah. I was it January or December? I think it was >> I forget. I think it was December, but I could I I don't remember exactly, but >> Okay, good. Any questions of Scott? Anybody? >> No. Okay. So, select board report. Stephen, have you had any meetings lately? >> Um,
I'll defer to you to talk about the inaugural meeting of the housing trust. >> Uh, the end of last month and an upcoming meeting with a couple new people to be incorporated. Other than that, the housing authority met on the
5th and we continue to anticipate a bid opening for the parcel. the town acquired with CPA funds on College Highway. >> Mhm. >> That will um the RFP was for a unit of
affordable housing in perpetuity to be owned by the resident or managed by the um nonprofit, not to be an obligation of the town going forward. Um, so we're looking
forward to that and continuing to understand the issues around developing affordable housing. >> Mhm. Okay. Anything with assessors yet or anybody? >> I missed a meeting. I must confess you added me. Um, Wednesday night is the
open space committee. The 12th that's open public meeting. Join us if you wish. And Thursday the greenways committee. >> Okay. Very good. Good. All right. Ellen, anything? >> Um, Thursday met with community preservation and uh most of the topic of
the meeting was uh were two things. The uh the park grant for Conan Park and the spray pad project going forward and walkways and uh everyone was was very supportive of that that project in particular. Um, we also took up the
uh purchase of the Zipa property on Glendale Road and tossed that quite around quite a bit. Let's do >> whether we wanted to uh whether that was something that to look to pursue. >> Um, I'm sure everyone was
much one way or the other on it. So, I think uh where we left it was that uh we would put in a bid to the sellers for it. Um see if they accept that. Um the barn on the property um is an issue that needs to be taken down
>> and um so we uh do u put in a bid for that and um see how that goes and take that up in May. >> So maybe earlier depending >> earlier. Yeah. But uh but definitely uh going forward on the the corner per project
>> for sure. Good. >> All right. Any other committees at all? No. >> Uh I didn't miss conservation was my usual. >> Okay. And yeah, I'm not sure where board of health is these days. >> I was going to ask about that. I don't know. >> Um
going to have to double check on our assignment on that one. >> I bet it's me. >> I think it might be you. But uh I don't know that I've seen a meeting scheduled for them lately though, but I could be wrong. Um, okay. On my end, uh, couple things I guess we've been involved in. Um,
let's see. Um, so bylaws committee, uh, met again this week, uh, just to review the final version of what the bylaws uh, review advisory committee was recommending for a a revision to the, uh, financial committee bylaw. And that will be discussed a little bit further
later tonight. Um, and then uh, we will still be working on the scenic roads bylaw. We haven't um had a chance to get much further into it than our last meeting. So, we have to do some more work researching other towns what they're doing with their scenic roads bylaws. But our intent is to get that
one done for May town meeting. Um as Stephen mentioned, we had our first meeting uh kickoff meeting of the affordable housing trust, which is something we've been trying to stand up for a while. Uh we authorized it in uh in a town meeting and and by law uh probably a year and a half ago or so
there now. And we finally do have um four people who have been appointed to it and one more who is interested. So if that person um comes to the next meeting and would like to be involved uh and the committee talks about it um we may very
well have a full group for the affordable housing trust which would be great. So, they will get going uh with another meeting before the holidays, but then probably do a lot of research um about what they have to do for their roles and responsibilities um some legal
things that they have to take care of, etc. And probably won't really get super going until January, I would think, offhand on that. But that's at least great to see that um getting stood up finally. Um the uh attended the uh COA board meeting
uh this past week uh as Scottwell knows. So we've had a challenge down there at the other end of the building with some horrific smell odor area uh which has now finally been figured out after many many months of trying to figure it out. Uh some level of I guess it's basically
septic gas, right, Scott? That was seeping into the offices down there. Um, so that has been uh I guess the pipe has been capped or something that should have happened a while ago. So that has at least taken care of that. Uh, they're still frustrated a bit with um HVAC
issues down there. This building, as you know, when it was retrofitted. Um, various things may not have happened all the way that they should. So the HVAC when it's on down there, you can barely hear yourself talk. Uh the um cooling system is um not terribly um I guess I
would say stable in terms of its reliability. Uh one minute it's hot and then the next minute it's freezing cold and then the sound of the air conditioner is so loud you can't even hear yourself talk in the room. So it requires unfortunately Scott to do a lot of reprogramming I think of the HVAC
system to keep that working. So that's a constant challenge down at the other end of the building. um grants committee. Uh we're not having another grant meeting right away, but maybe in the next couple of weeks. Uh there's a couple things coming along, I know, from open space committee that they were talking about
and a couple of other groups are looking at possible grants. I just want to put a a note out too for for folks that I think are not totally familiar with how this got started. The ad hoc grant committee got started, grant search committee got started probably about
four years ago now. um and basically is in charge with looking at opportunities for grants, be they state or federal grants. Um right now it's a little bit more federal, sorry, a little bit more state than federal. Um and then trying to then figure out, you know, we what
kind of projects are there that the town has been wanting to do that the departments or other committees or commissions have wanted to do, but they're looking for outside funding. And so this group of volunteers works with those individuals to try and look at the eligibility criteria for the grant
program and puts together sometimes very very complicated applications to get them in uh to the various state and federal programs uh for that. Most all of these grants are ones that um are reimburseable. So we have to put money
up front for the entire cost of the project but then if a grant gets approved the money comes back to the town. Um most of our match uh for some of them for example are 25%. I think the biggest one I've seen is around the 34%
uh thereabouts. So 66% has been kind of the maximum amount of money I think um sorry the 34% is the maximum amount of money that I've seen us have to approve uh for uh a match. So some have no match required whatsoever which is great. Uh
and so all of this ends up being um money from outside sources that help us get projects done that don't come out of our daily budget here in town. So we're keeping an eye out for things that happen. sometimes are in the transportation field, they're in recreation, they're in conservation, uh
a variety of sectors, housing, um that come up. Um we're still looking for those construction ones for public safety and senior center and those the construction ones are really really hard to find. Um >> and a pumper truck. >> Yeah. Well, that one has already been applied for twice. the the fire truck,
the pumper truck has been applied for. Um that we should have >> that the total of outstanding grant inquiries is well over 1 million. >> Well, we we well, we've put in close to a million dollar worth of requests this year.
>> And we've received about $800,000 worth of positive response. So, we are waiting on the biggest ones. Actually, the big one is the federal one from the fire the assistance to firefighters grant. Uh so we're waiting that that should have been a probably August and September normally they would be announcing that but with
the federal shutdown and so forth FEMA has not been very forthcoming. Um so we're still keeping our fingers crossed but yeah there's been about a thousand um sorry a million dollars worth of grant proposals put forward to various agencies and we've been very lucky in getting uh several of those funded. So,
um, you know, there's there's a lot of ones that we don't bother to go for because, again, there's some of these that have got so many strings attached that you don't want to put your name on them. Uh, it ties the town into too many different things. And, uh, we try to find the ones where we are the most
likely to be competitive. As a small rural town, there's sometimes carveouts for uh, towns like Southampton that have a low population, less than 7,000 people. uh we have a little bit of an advantage when it comes to competing with other towns for grants. So, it's
it's statewide or it's federal, but sometimes we find a little niche that makes a lot of sense. So, we keep our eyes out for that and try to find things that meet some of the quest requests and and needs that we've heard about from various committees and departments. So, we'll keep on that. There's nothing
right now on the horizon. I know Mass Trails is opening up again for the spring. Uh and that'll be we'll wait to hear from the greenway committee where they're going with that. But um things are moving along anyway in that regard. I think that's it. No other meetings uh are scheduled right now. So we'll keep
on watching the schedule for new meetings that are scheduled for the various committees. Um okay, I think we're up to new business. How about special town meeting? Scott, you want to pull the >> Yep.
>> information up on that. We do have this special town meeting scheduled. Let's make that nice and big so we can all see it. I had my copy that I marked up and I promptly left that at home. So, I'm going to have to remember my brain here, but um go ahead.
>> So, article one is the transfer to the health insurance. We still don't have the amount um from Hampshire Regional, but this is um some of the funds that we would be taking it from. We did close out our remaining capital expenditures. So, we did have a pool of money about $275,000 left in that once we closed out
all the old accounts over the last 5 to 10 years. Um, so we were able to combine that. Um, we take 150,000 from the operating. There was a few thousand left in the ambulance stabilization fund that we closed out last year to balance the budget based on some interest. And then the general highway wages will be
$50,000. So, um that should cover us until um for the rest of the year. We might need a small adjustment um at annual town meeting just for the uh retiree for the Medicare Medicare eligible uh plans and then once we get some more information from Hampshire
regional, but this would cover our immediate costs to uh balance the budget for this fiscal year. >> Right. Because the the Medicare is coming due in January. Is that right? >> Mhm. Yep. It was a 20% increase for January 1st. >> Yeah. >> It's not as big of an impact. It'll be a couple, you know, maybe about 20 $25,000
worth, but it'll still be an impact. >> Okay. Maybe just a tiny formatting thing. I don't know if we can put the the 2185 over to the right a little more so we can people can add it quickly. They might mis mislook at that and think that's
just make a little space here just easier for people to read. Okay. So, that would be getting us through this fiscal year with these costs that are due now. now. Okay. All right. Uh and I think yeah, we've already talked about this being an
increase of another 18 uh 20% in addition to the 18% we already have. Okay. So, we will wait to hear more about Hampshire Regional, but we know that that's a couple hundred,000 worth as well. >> Yeah. >> But not yet budgeted. Right. >> In the summary. >> Mhm.
>> Says Hampshire Country Group. >> Yep. County. >> Yeah. >> Where? Yeah. >> Yeah. That's why we'll have a couple of sets of extra eyes tonight and try and correct anything we see. Uh, okay. >> Article two, that's um for the salary for the part-time conservation
administrator. Uh, it's being taken from the land use coordinator position, which will probably be left uh vacant for the rest of the fiscal year. Um, this would allow uh the concomm as a part-time basis throughout the year. >> This carry us through the end of the
fiscal year. >> Mhm. >> Okay. we might want to just mention that because I think it does in in the next one. So if you wanted to add that but >> um then we have the let me just take um transfer for health agent uh Claudia was hired after the budget was formed.
Um so this would just make up the funding between uh what was budgeted for and what the position was filled as. Um, next is the uh the bylaw, the amendment to the finance committee. Um, originally back in September, it was to
uh transition it from being elected to an appointed uh board um which would align with most other municipalities in Massachusetts. Uh there was a few other uh things that were added uh in the last couple months since September. uh mostly just outlining um more specific their
duties and responsibilities. >> Yeah, let let's kind of go through those though, Scott, a little bit just so we can see because it's first time that some folks have seen them. Just just one thing that so this is bylaws committee has gone through and and made these recommendations. So everything that's in
bold is a new um new wording or or new change on that. Um but just the one thing I'm just going to point it out at the end of uh 33 351 we thought the last sentence was kind of redundant that we or was it necessary. Um so I'm speaking
from the bylaws committee now that um we thought it could just end coordination between those bodies and the finance committee and then just just stop right there um and not have that last sentence. That was our recommendation. But maybe when it goes to our KP law
people, they will look at it differently. Um cuz we didn't see where um finance committee usually is not as finance committee so far has not been appointed to very very many other other boards or commissions. There's only two
that I can think of right now. So um >> Madam Chair, >> no. Yeah. What if someone to be appointed to the finance committee uh was known to us through their good service on say the conservation
commission? >> Mhm. So a a devil's advocate mind saying, "Oh, if you have a member of the FinCom, you've got some special authority now um from
the conservation commission or wherever else >> the incumbent or the new appointee might be sitting." >> It's we >> I'm not worried. >> No, no, no. We we've debated it quite a bit in in the committee and the only thing that we were able to discern from existing committees and commissions is
that right now in the in the um bylaw I guess of CPC itself of community preservation it does stipulate that there's a member from fincom that is to be there and they are therefore a voting member. Okay. And the same right now with the current charge
of the public safety building committee. There's a note that a fincome member is also um a voting member of that committee. >> So dual members various others don't is not unusual. >> Well, it's pretty rare. >> Um well, I mean there is that stipulation that that was added about
being elected. >> Yeah. >> The prohibition from being an elected official, >> right? which I think is good because we've had other positions in the last couple years that have been elected um like the PQB for example, we had employees elected to the PQB which would
be um most likely a conflict of interest in a lot of instances. So we might want to start looking overall about having some prohibition on those types of things. >> So I think you know basically what this does just for anybody who's listening here the current finance committee bylaw
is is very very light. doesn't go into any kind of detail. So this if you just scroll up just a second. So write that duties and whatever there uh number there 35 whatever 355 um those things were added explicitly to give more
detail to what the fincom's duties are. So uh reviewing expenditure and commitments of the town departments quarterly meetings with select board treasurer colle and accountant etc. Uh working to help us prepare the annual budget. Um, and then they obviously have
control over the reserve fund uh per MGL. Uh, and so those were those are ones that were silent in the current bylaw. And we thought it was useful to be able to point these out more more directly. Um, and then just down in the motion, I think it is Scott, we have to
add 356 right in that part. Add 35 35 and 356 I think. Y >> and then the date of the town meeting is the 6th. Yeah.
>> A little too early. >> Yeah, there we go. I think that was what came to our brain anyway. So, just that was our only comment was that, you know, we were, you know, helped draft this, but it, you know, we just thought that that
one thing in the first section wasn't really necessary. >> Okay. Go ahead, D. Uh, next up are the the changes to the PQB. U, the first article would resend the previous and anything previously adopted. Um,
establishing the PQB, so it goes back to 1988. Uh, let me get rid of these hyphens. >> And you said that that had been researched by the town clerk as to when that was actually >> Mhm. So PQB, for everybody who's listening, that's our abbreviated name for Personnel Policies and Procedures
Board. So PQ P3 times we just do it the short way. Um so >> and then the second one would just uh transfer basically everything that was done previously by the PQB uh officially to the psych board
>> and just talk about that rationale a minute. >> Um so one of the things is you know the PQB is to me an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. Um, we have approvals by the FINCOM, by the PQB, by the select board, the town administrator
to even post a position. And that can take sometimes months for everything to get done if there's not a quorum, if there's not, uh, enough people on the committee. Um, if they miss the monthly meeting, it pushes everything back. Um, and realistically,
um, a lot of this stuff is just, you know, administrative work. You know, posting a job description, posting a job advertisement is not that big of a a deal really. Um, and really doesn't need three layers of approval to do that. Um, so this would just streamline everything. Um, according to the PQB's
own bylaws, um, they're really a advisory committee because everything has to be technically approved by the select board anyways. Um, so this would uh streamline everything. >> I think you had a September there. Right up above. >> Another September.
>> Yep. Uh, sorry. >> I'll do a word search before. Yeah, >> there's another one. >> Yeah. >> Um, next one is the um acquisition of the Transeri property. Um, so there was in the September one there was two
motions, one grant dependent and one not grant dependent. So uh or is that the other property? >> Other the other one. Sorry, sorry Mark. Um, so this is for the $50,000 um for the Transeri property. Um, it's not I originally made the mistake of
saying $100,000. So, it's actually $50,000 that's going to be reimbursed uh once approved by the town um from Kestrel. So, this would um allow us to move forward with that and this would be through the CPC.
>> So, Kestrel is putting forth the 50,000 not CPC. >> Right. >> Right. Right. Well, uh reimbured. >> They will come on. Sorry. >> Mark space committee and CPC. So they
they said they would come up with the funds for the purchase. So they're going to work with other groups to make sure they provide the town the $50,000 for the purchase. So in essence, we'll be reimbursed. But this says the town will put the money up front and then get reimbursed. >> Right. But this is not a CPC. This is
not CPC and does not require a conservation restriction will be protected under chapter 97. >> And then next is um the floor property and this one was contingent on receiving the grant which um since September they did receive um so there is confirmation
of that. So the other one that was non-contingent was uh deleted. So this would move forward with the 27 acres off of Fulmer Road. And then just there's one thing in there, Scott, I saw. Sorry. Uh in terms of the uh uh somewhere there was an
amount mentioned of 271. >> Oh, and yeah, I fixed that in the motion. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Down here. >> 281. Yeah. Okay. >> Yep. That was >> so again this is partially coming from CPC but then the majority of this is
coming from the land grant that has actually been received now. Is that right? >> 66%. >> So the land grant so we have to put forth the full amount of the value of whatever is being asked for for this property. Excuse me. But when we get the if that passes then the land grant money
reimbures the community preservation account. >> Okay. Um, next up is the unpaid accounts from uh prior fiscal years. So, there's two things that were added. Um, there was the environmental monitoring
for the um landfill that was um Claudia just got a prior year bill from that. So, >> so that was added to that and it should add up to the 58.98. >> Yeah. And these are because the bills didn't come in by what by June 30th or something. So, anything after uh June
30th that we don't receive needs town meeting to approve. >> We might just add another sentence in the summary just to note that that work was done but bills were not received or something like that. >> Yeah. >> Just so it's clear for people. >> Um then we have the uh $60,000 uh from
the water department for the 22 water main grant that was or grant that was awarded that um the town ended up paying. So this is reimbursing the town for that. >> And just quick question, sorry. The retained earnings is from the water
enterprise fund or water department's budget already. >> Uh yes. Yep. So they have two accounts and they're transferring it from one account to the other to pay the town. >> Can I raise a question? >> Yeah. Come on. >> I find this summary confusing. It says it's returning to the town and the other
accounts look like the water department account. So you want to clarify for the final presentation. >> Yeah. I mean the transfer is is between between funds managed by the water department right now. Yeah.
>> Yeah. I wasn't sure which retain earnings funds we were talking about. So So from retaining earnings fund. Yeah. So maybe just that the um in the motion in the summary just or whichever where where it's where it should be clear just to say where that
we're essentially just transferring money between line items if you will right within the water department budget. >> Yep. >> Essentially so >> that would allow them to pay the town, >> right? So that might just be a little clarity in the summary. Maybe perhaps just double check maybe just just we can
avoid questions. Okay. Um we we are a little bit light on our street lighting account just from the budget process. We didn't carry everything over. So this $12,000 would let us scale for the rest of the fiscal year. So when we did all the combination, we didn't include uh some of the street lighting accounts. So
>> from where from when we did combinations of what? Sorry, go back. >> Um for when we did with the new budget process when we consolidated a lot of the items, we didn't carry over some of the street lighting accounts. So this would carry this is for this fiscal year to pay some of the uh upcoming um
lighting bills for the street lights. >> So this gets us through the entire fiscal year now. >> Good. >> And this comes from um our previous year incumbrances. So Bradley was able to close out that account um earlier this year. Um so we use that money that was
set aside for last year's fiscal year's invoices uh for this year. So >> I see. So now they just basically have to transfer from fiscal year to fiscal year for us to use them >> the incumbrances. Okay. >> Um next up is the uh the park grant and
um this >> you're going to fill in the uh account number up there. Yeah. >> Got to get that from Bradley. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Um go ahead. >> Next up is the park grant. So, this is the one that the uh town received the $99,000 uh dollars for for the um improvements to Conan Park, which
included the uh um not splash pad, um >> spray pad, >> spray pad, and uh the walking pass. Um so, one of the requirements from the state is that the town fully fund this and then once it's expended, they would
get reimbursed for uh the $99,000. Um so, it's a 60 60% reimbursement rate. So, if the town um is up to so if the town uh spends $150,000 on it, we can get reimbured up to that $99,000. Um
this this language was had to be approved by the state ahead of time. So, it's a little bit of not my not what I would word it, but it satisfies the uh the EOEA. >> So, this is a state approved language for for the wording of the article. Okay. Yep. So they required things like
um the actual deed transfer of the um the property for the park as well as who applied for the grant. So >> um >> I mean the property is transferred to the town back in the 50s, right? So yeah. Yeah. >> And so just for people so this this had been voted one one time earlier. We had
applied for this grant a couple of years ago, got the grant, were able to buy the equipment at toward the end of the grant. We' done a bunch of studies at Conan Park uh about location and things like that and then were able to buy the actual equipment but the grant timing
ran out to do any work and they wouldn't extend the grant. So unfortunately um that we never used the money that they had put aside for us and so we applied again and they are willing to let us use money now to install um this facility. So
>> Chris, could you describe the equipment that was purchased with the prior grant? >> I could I'd have to think about that. So it's basically going to be >> is it inaccurate to say that a splash pad is a new design um that is what
water efficient and better health for the kids. >> Yeah, it's a so it will replace the fun function if not the decorative purpose of the other fountain. >> Yeah. is actually called a spray pad rather than a uh sorry spray deck rather
than a splash pad. Um because we decided to go after investigations last time to go with a low flow uh to avoid drainage issues, also to avoid water use. It'll be a kind of I got to look at the dimensions of it. I can find it in just
a second here. Um a small area that'll be a basically a cement pad that's going to have four or five structures on it. Some will be misting features. so that kids, adults, anybody can walk through on a hot day and just they have to push a ballard to activate it. Um, but there's no standing water. There's no
septic issues on this. It's it's all um piped in under into the culvert, I believe, that's there. Um, so we we've gotten through all the other thoughts about that. And then we're going to just double check again, I think, uh, just on location and and other things that have
to be, you know, filled out in terms of, you know, where things are at the park now. Uh, how close is it going to be to the current playscape relationship from Kona Pavilion, uh, the park pavilion over to it? Because the idea of this park is to get it slowly by slowly to
make it an accessible park, which is not right now. So, I believe there's going to be a pathway from Konet Pavilion toward the pathway toward the pad itself and the pathway. I'd have to >> I think it's really important to remember all of that prior planning work
>> and to explain why we have a splash >> spray deck >> spray pad >> spray deck >> pump with no plans to install it because we had we were forced by the state to think it through as an entirety >> with accessibility in mind. So,
>> right, >> um, a lot of good work has been done so long ago that it's out of mind and the questions keep, you know, legitimate questions about water use and so on keep coming back. But, um, it's really really
reassuring to know that they've been addressed >> going forward final stages. >> Definitely be double-checking everything too. I mean, we're not, you know, >> well, we need this approved to town meeting because we're already approved for the reimbursement, >> right? And so this will be an accessible walkway too. So it'll be not cemented.
It'll be able to be um it's like a stone dust um permeable surface, but it'll be able to take wheelchairs, strollers, um whatever. Um >> if I can find the dimensions, I do that, but go ahead and maybe I'll find them by the end. Go ahead, Scott. Sorry.
>> Uh just one thing to emphasize, especially on this one, that this is a community preservation act fund, so it's not coming from the general fund. And these types of projects are important because it's the CPA isn't just for land preservation, >> right? That's true. >> Um, so there's a lot of quality of life things actually come from the community
preservation act. Um, and this is like this is a prime example of that. >> So, thanks for the CPA for that. So, >> can I ask a question on the screen? >> We don't usually take questions during this time. We'll take it afterwards, but
Okay. But not during the public meeting usually. Go ahead. And then uh finally um the latest one was the purchase of the Glendale Road property. This was the um little bit less than two and a half acres uh over off Glendale Road which was originally part of the Zipa Trust that was um
acquired by the water department back in the '9s I believe. Um so this would be a uh combination of two sources. the the first one being uh $50,000 from the CPA and then the
remainder uh from the conservation commission um with some additional funding to cover closing cost uh phase one environmental um exploration uh as well as any costs that would uh be required to take down the barn that's on the property.
So, this hasn't been accepted by the sellers. Um this would be their bid. So, in the next week or two, hopefully we can come to an agreement with with the land owners. Um, this is essentially what the the town would be proposing to them. They could say yes, they could say no.
>> So, we don't really know at this point. >> So, if they did not agree to this, then this would go off the warrant. >> Okay. Or it could be on the warrant and we would just pass it over at town meeting. Okay. >> Um, just to Yeah, go ahead Mark. Just because you're part of this open space craziness here and whatever.
>> Open space committee. Mark has this. So, an idea came up that the possibility of excluding the barn from the parcel and actually maybe selling it to the uh neighboring person. That way, it gets rid of the liability without really a change in the conservation value. I think the language should make sure we
include that possibility. >> And there's specific wording in there says um contingent of current owner would remove the barn prior to purchase or transfer the um barn to an an off of the parcel. I think the main
thing was that we felt that the barn structure was pretty unstable at this. I mean, it would possibly create a problem for the town. >> Maybe more likely the family would sell if they can just give it to the neighbors, take it out of the >> who does have a barn next door anyway.
>> Yeah. So, that is maybe a more it's another option we want to keep over. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um >> Okay. Maybe we can meet with Scott afterwards and talk about that tomorrow. Tomorrow, the day after. portion of >> I am not a lawyer but I play one on TV.
You just insert the words all or portion of >> Mhm. >> in the legal description. And if you want to talk fine art of >> legal editing, >> I'd make clear the um
>> Hampshire district or Hampshire registry book and page is ahead of the town's assessor's reference book and page >> because that's the way you do title.
Mhm. >> But it it describes what's envisioned and it took many many people many nights deliberation to get to this >> formulation. And I think the main thing here in terms of it the interest is
because this abuts the current zip to conservation property which is close to 100 acres I believe when you count both sides of the road um both sides of the highway and the property there of existing conservation land and this was a couple of acres that was held out by
the family for the family's use and now the last person in the family has passed away uh the direct family uh member has passed away. So this has become available um to consider at least. >> Yeah, Mark,
>> I would possibly leave it on the um warrant even if they refuse our first bid because there's a chance that 6 months from now it will not want to have that option. >> No, I I don't think we take it off now. It's just if if nothing has been
concluded by town meeting, then I think we when we get to town meeting, we just make a motion to pass over. My question is whether it's worth leaving on the warrant because there's a chance that six months from now the family still hasn't to come back to us and will have that option at least. >> Yeah.
>> We don't have it on the warrant. We won't have the option. >> Yeah. >> But I think it's fair to disclose to the public >> whether or not it's under agreement. >> Right. Exactly. Yeah. All right. Well, we'll consider that over the next day or two here. Okay. Um, so that we still
have to just maybe tinker with the wording a little bit on that just to get a little bit more clear on that. And then, um, so is the next step for you to contact the realtor, Scott, or what is the next step? Yeah, we we do have I
would informally put forward this offer to see what they say and if there is some and and if there is a likelihood that they would accept it then we would go forward with a former uh PNS. >> I see. Okay. All right. Just to answer
the question on the um the spray deck. I just found it. So it's it's called the vortex. This is sort of the name of it. It's um a spray zone is a slip resistant concrete surface about 25 ft in diameter. So it's a circle about 25 ft in diameter with about 3 to 5 gallons
per minute. Um so up to 10 I believe play features. So some are mist missed some are like little statues like a frog that squirts water and then others are misting features. So, it's a lot of um more misting as a cooling station uh
rather than um lots of water just continually running. So, it's only there for the short amount of time that a kiddo would go by and push the baller to go and run through it for 5 minutes or whatever. So, um we've chosen the least um voluminous I guess um in terms of
water usage um that we could find. Okay, that's what I know. Okay. All right. Any other comments about the warrant? Are we I know we still have to tinker with the language and it's not going to be posted right yet, but at this point we have no other articles coming forward that we know of, right?
>> Nope, it's closed. >> So, I think we need to take a motion to close the warrant for the special town meeting. >> That's congruent with what Scott just said. >> I think so. Yeah. Okay. >> I move we close the warrant for the special town meeting to be held December
6th 2025. >> Okay. Second that. All right. And that doesn't, you know, that means it will still tinker with, you know, any typos and and get, you know, dates and everything synced. And then especially that last article to get that clear. >> Yeah. We got to proof this a few times. >> Uhhuh. And proofread it. Yeah. Again, a
couple more times. I don't know, Scott, too. I I'd mentioned before that sometimes we've always had the the CPC articles toward the end as a group. So whether it makes sense to reorder those last couple because I know the the Eversource one or the lighting one came in at the last minute. So >> yeah, I'll reorganize those once once I
put everything into the the regular format. >> Sometimes it's easier to have those as a group rather than split up all over the place. Okay. All right. So we have a motion and I don't think we did we did we vote I'm sorry. Did we vote? >> We did everything but voted. >> Okay. All those in favor >> I
>> I All right. We have closed the motion the warrant for the special town meeting. All right. Thank you. All right. Uh, next up, Scott, uh, adding consent agenda on warrant. >> So, this is just one of the initiatives I wanted to look at. Maybe not for
special town meeting. I did propose this to, uh, to Robert. Um, he thinks it may not be appropriate for a special town meeting, but I am looking for ways to streamline, uh, and make, you know, things more accessible for town meeting. Um, things like the QR code for downloading things, the uh, the Facebook
live, any Q&As that we might have, moving it to Saturday uh, to accommodate schedules a little bit more. So, um, anything that we can do to, um, increase participation from the public, um, I think is a good thing. Um, what a consent agenda is, it's basically taking
a group of articles that are non-controversial and that have generally been, uh, approved and grouping them into one article for for approval. Um, it doesn't mean that they'll automatically be approved. Anyone can anyone at town meeting can raise an objection and have that part
taken out. So if it's an unpaid bill from last year and people want to explore that more and it's in a group of three or four different articles, someone can just raise their hand and and knock that out. But um it it's it's a useful tool that other town meetings have had in the past. So it might be something that we might explore for uh
annual town meeting. >> Okay. So no action at this point in time, but and the the idea is just to approve efficiency and that's about it really. I mean Okay. Yeah. >> Okay. I mean, I can see that in in large
communities where you've got lots and lots and lots of articles, but then again, we at our annual town meeting, we do have >> sometimes 30 articles. So, I guess that's true. But depending on how many are actually related to each other. Yeah. Okay. So, we'll explore that for the future, but we don't need any >> no
>> work on that tonight. Madam Chair. >> Oh, sorry. Yes. Robert, please. Robert Floyd tell moderator College Highway. The three articles that were proposed in the past the addition generally what works for a consent agenda is articles that have been
annually reoccurring. >> Okay. >> Everyone's familiar with routine, no explanations necessary, non-controversial, >> um predictable. >> Okay. The third one presented with the
invoices for a former fiscal year that generally requires a 9/10 approval. That's something in the consent agenda. All the other articles in the consent agenda need a 9/10 approval. I wouldn't have set the time up to do that. >> Yeah. >> And um it works better at an annual
meeting. >> And we had the consent in practice at our last annual for the budget. And what I'll modify for the this coming annual is when someone yells out hold, rather
than pulling that article out of the consent agenda, I the moderator will ask you have a question or you want a debate and if it's a question, we'll address the question immediately. >> If it's debate, we'll pull it out and take it separately.
>> I see. Okay. >> Okay. Well, something we'll have to explore for the for the next >> It works. Um, historically I felt I was faster than the cons explaining a consent agenda, >> but I'm I'm under the belief that it we're ready for it now. >> Okay. All right.
>> Great. Cheers. >> Okay. Thanks. All right. Go ahead. >> No, I just wanted moderator an opportunity to speak. >> Thank you. All right. Okay. Okay, I know this has been a bit odd with committee chairs and our moderator
interacting with us, but they're the ones that are bringing these that are forming these opportunities. >> Yep. >> Okay. Next up, um public safety building committee next steps. Want to take a lead on that or I know we
had uh we had the chief come in um was that last meeting? I guess it was >> give us a a bit of an update in terms of what the thinking was of the public safety building committee, but you want to pick it up a little bit. >> So, I I think that the you know, we're looking for some general guidance from the select board. Um, at the last
meeting, the public safety building committee recommended moving forward with a a different type of project, which would have been a fire department being built first and designed alongside uh the community areas and the police department. uh but focusing on building the fire department first and then doing
it in stages. Um I think I think it's up to the select board to kind of look at which direction do you want to go? Do you want to go forward with the recommendation from the public safety building committee? Maybe form a new committee and a new charge. Do you want to go forward with the original HKT
plan? Do you want to do nothing? Um do you want to do a police station first? So there's a lot of different options, but I think you know some general guidance on on where the select board is on how to move forward with the next steps um and whether or not you know you want I think ultimately do you want to adopt the recommendation from the public
safety building committee. >> I wish we had the actual motion that was made. I don't remember the exact language. Do you have anything? I mean, I think it was basically to say put a hold on the HKT plan as is largely
because of the cost is what I recall. Um, and move forward somewhat in a new direction, but giving priority to the fire station, >> but making it an inclusive I think still making it an inclusive
plan with the idea that it could be expanded to the police station in the future. I I don't have the right wording in my head though. >> Right. So everything it would be designed as a complex um so that we don't make a mistake in the design of it and put you know the bays right where the police station could connect or we
don't put the fire station right in the middle of the piece of property and there's no way that we can expand it in the future. So it would essentially still be designed as a public safety complex but it would be designed to do it in phases. So, you know, we could do the fire department and the community
room and the training aspects first and then in a few years once that project is a little bit closer to completion, we could take the next step and and look at filling out the police department part of it. >> Okay. I don't think I've heard anybody talk about, having been on the
committee, anybody talk about having the police station go first. So, I'm not sure that that's even a a question. I think everybody on the committee that I recall really felt that the fire station is is the highest of the two priorities given the the state of the the building
and the the working conditions. But um I think there was definitely and I'll put it for myself. I know I was concerned that we needed something with enough teeth in our motion that we are not forgetting about the police station cuz
whether it's today or two years from now that has got to change too. that is an absolutely nonfunctional police station for this size town and there's the renovation for that building would be not a good a good use of money in my
opinion. Um I think it's also hard when you think about a build station if we were to do fire alone then you're not having any economies of scale. So this idea of something expandable is more attractive. um how we actually do that
or word that I'm willing to hear comments from my fellow colleagues here what you're thinking here. Anybody Stephen anything? >> Um I'm trying to separate what I heard from what I believe. both. Mhm.
>> Um I think you've summarized it accurately that the consensus of the building committee since as chief wants to speak um we're
speaking for them was to go forward with the fire department design and police department integral though we might build them one time. That's what I heard. >> Mhm.
>> Um, >> what about the HKT plan? I think it's really important for us to put a fork in that. It's dead. It's for old people who put in many hours of good hard work
supporting that effort. Um, I think we really need to divorce ourselves from that plan and to take another hard look at um, you know, facilities and um, costing and get local
help this time. >> And I don't mean to disparage HKT as a firm, but we're at a place where that is toxic in this town. Okay. >> Personally,
>> I want to see the thing built. >> Oh, sure. >> All at once. >> Got it. Yeah. >> Well, sure. I want to make sure that everyone here >> I've heard you before on that one. So, >> I want to see it all built at once. And I believe that um it will help us drive synergies so that the park piece can
happen. >> So, the mixeduse, commercial use has a chance of happening. access to the greenway and affordable housing could each follow their own development and permitting path. We hope they all
succeed. But the first piece piece we're talking about tonight is public safety building and I don't want to build just fire station. >> Yeah. Okay. Ellen, thoughts? I'd hate to see the we talk about the
energy moving forward moving energy moving forward. Um while we have the energy of pushing this project forward um I I I'd hate to see I'd hate to see the police part of that fall fall back. I we've it's been a number of years
we've been trying to push both of them and and racking our brains and going through studies and trying to see how we could move them both forward and have not made a great deal of progress to move them both forward >> at the same time. Um,
so I I guess I I would accept the the idea of sort of breaking them down um into the two and working on the plan if we're going to move forward with the fire. I I think that police has to be piggybacked on that um on any idea that
we have and moving forward with it to make sure that if we're putting this together down the road that it's not too far down the road and that we're not that we're not cutting off our opportunity while we have it now to
>> actually actualize these in our lifetimes. >> Yeah. I think along the way or at the end we need to present to the voters the cost comparison about doing one the second one 5 years 10 years down the
line. >> As compared to doing them together >> together >> we don't have that data now. >> Yeah. No, we don't. >> We need the experts to help. >> Yeah. I mean all that all that has been talked about I think in the past at the
public safety building committee meetings through our meetings with the consulting architect HKT is the amount of the percentages of increase in costs that have been for the last few years and that trend that's been going still forward unfortunately uh
it's not necessarily getting less and less I mean a lot of that prior to this was due to COVID issues due to supply chain issues price of steel, etc. Some of that has changed, but all in all, we still have not heard solid arguments about how anything we do is still less
than the amount of cost per square foot that we've been told, which is around the $1,000 mark. Um, and I think that's that's our challenge. I mean, I think the HK I I really do want to I don't want to I feel like I need to stick up for HKD a little bit because I think they they've worked really hard with us
and I think they've presented a very good plan based on needs assessments and and work that that we've all done together. I think we're where we're all reticent and recognizing that the issue is it's really related to cost. It's not so much the design
itself, but the cost and therefore there's, you know, the um the cost per square foot in particular. Um, and so that's that's really the challenge. Um, whether that can be sort of a similar footprint but scaled down, I'm not sure that that's going to get us, you know,
we've got I mean, you know, we look around this building that was retrofitted to be a from a school to a town hall. I mean, the hallways, you look at the wasted space in this hallway right out here. If you were building this today, you would not have that kind of a hallway, right? You wouldn't have
that extra wasted space. So those are the kind of things I think we've already tried to do with HKT and kind of narrow narrow things down to make it, you know, logical. So I'm not sure how much more can be done to lower the footprint, I guess I would say, is make it smaller. But Scott, I
>> I mean, I think there also has to be a real realistic expectation. We're at 16,000 square feet right now between the police and fire, and we don't need less. We need a lot more. Um, and when you look at the last 5 years of public safety building or police or fire projects over the entire state,
literally from Province Town to Linux, you know, Province Town's new police station is uh 14,000 ft² and that came in at $17 million. Um, if you look at Auburn, theirs is 30,000 ft. It's coming in at $31 million. If you look at Linux,
which just opened up this weekend, uh, they're at 20,000 ft at $22 million. Uh, Lawrence is about a little over 50,000 square feet at a little over $50 million. Some of that and another 10 million state subsidized and we'll get
into that. Princeton is about 18,000 ft at $15 million. Uh, if you look at Warren, it's 30,000 ft at $30 million. Williamsburg was, you know, a little under 8,000 ft and that's right around5 to $6 million. So that $1,000 per square
foot, you know, that's a consistent thing throughout the entire state. And if there was a magic way to get that reduced, I I mean, I think it we not only would take advantage of it, um, but the reality is building in Massachusetts is more expensive than building in New Hampshire or Vermont or Connecticut. So you have to look at the minimum amount
of square foot that we need for any facility and multiply that by close to $1,000. Well, and I think that you know the 16,000 square foot actual is what we have for both police and fire right now. And I believe we're asking for we trimmed it down to 21,000, right? I
think it was. So from 27,000 ft or something to 21, but some of that you could still maybe trim a little bit, but not a whole lot because again, just even the fire trucks that we have now barely squeak into that fire station.
the apparatus itself has gotten so much bigger that you you got to build enough for that. And so, you know, we I can't see >> place park pumper truck. >> Well, you're hoping that we get it. I do, too. Um, but I think, you know, the the notion of having anything less than
16,000 square feet is is to me that's kind of a non-starter. I mean, we we've got that's what we have already. So, how we do that is the question. Um I think so what I'm hearing you say is that you want first for us to make a decision as to which option to
flow follow and then that would allow you to take some next steps talking to whomever HKT builders engineers. Yeah, I think it's important to to get some ideas and actually go to the different architects just to see, you know, what's
feasible, you know, what are the current trends and this isn't just an HKT issue. I mean, what I rattled off was all different types of architects. It wasn't HKT and it wasn't other one. I mean, that literally across the entire state >> um and different cost estimators too and how they and different building companies. So,
>> um it's not just an HKT issue alone. It's lit it's literally everywhere. I mean, that's what the cost is. Well, and I think one of the things too that we we always forget until we go out to bid is that we've got to have prevailing wage, right? So that's that's something that I don't even know what the percentages that may
add to a regular cost. But when you've got to go for prevailing wage rather than what you would normally find in the local job marketplace, it's a totally different animal that adds to the cost. I mean, I I think we've probably experienced it, you know, in some of our
other projects around town over the years, but I mean, that's something that we don't have much control of because it's a it's a mass general law that we have to put out prevailing wage, right? And so, they put out a list that we have to abide by. So, >> I I mean, the good news is Megan just sent me the um the current rates for
municipal um borrowing right now and they are going into the threes. >> Oh, yeah. So, you know, when we looked at the total cost and total impact on the taxpayers, we were right around like four four and a half% knocking off another percent from that is going to have a pretty big impact on what the tax bill will be.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. >> Mhm. Okay. Well, I know we've had, you know, we had some comments at the public safety building committee about some other ideas of approaching um uh someone had talked to an architect and an engineer, I believe. And so I
think that would be a next step after we give a a thought about, you know, direction I guess I would say for where we think the select board would would want to go. Um, so, um, I think I'm, well, I don't want
to summarize, but I'm thinking I'm hearing we're sort of in line with this notion of what public safety was recommending of looking at the entire police and fire, but starting with fire and making it ready for
>> police. Is that what I think I heard? >> I think it's fool's error. I I I think you can predict that that would be 25% more expensive, 50% more expensive. >> Mhm.
>> And I'm not willing to sacrifice the police. >> Mhm. >> I mean, if you've taken a tour of the police station, it is not safe for our staff, let alone the public that may come in to have business with the police.
It is not protective of victims where an asalent or an alleged asalent is in the holding pen in the same hallway. It is not safe for the public in the sense that evidence and other dangerous
things are secured as best they can be, but not at all like what a normal police station has. Um >> so yeah don't disagree but I mean so are you saying >> I would say um revise the charge to
reflect the good work done but send back to uh pursue further um refining costs and projections for the entire thing not as a two-phase >> but project
>> but I'm not sure about sending it just back to HKT that's what I wasn't hearing Scott >> no send back to the committee. >> The committee. Yeah. No, a new charge would have to be developed. That that is true. A new charge because we the charge that's there has they've gotten to the end of >> it supposed to do today.
>> We're not making the charge today. We have to start with the directions so that Scott then knows >> what the next steps are and then that leads us into that charge. >> Stop talking. >> That leads us into the charge is if we say we want to do fire station only then
that's one description in the charge. If it's we want the whole thing designed but give priority to building the fire station that's a little bit different in terms of any discussions that Scott can have with engineers or architects or HKT or whomever. That's all I'm saying is
that >> I think that's the level of clar that's what I'm hearing you say that's the level of clarity you want from us. So >> yeah and then I can develop a road map from that. >> So it's I mean out of the what three or four choices. So stick with HKT as is,
which public safety is not recommending. I think they all voted not to stick with it as is, but again, primarily because of cost, knowing that that would not pass the voters. Um, nobody has talked about a standalone police station, so I
think that's off the table. So I think there's two options, right? a standalone fire only and then a combined design of a public safety building that has both fire and police
but priority given to constructing the fire station but not forgetting that we want to go for a police station. >> Yeah. >> I mean everything would be designed all at once. It's just essentially it needs to be designed specifically that we
build one part of it first and then in the future to expand onto it. >> Okay. Well, that's that's okay. Would somebody like to try and make a motion? Ellen, >> Steve, anybody? I move that the town
administrator >> to explore value engineering options and approaches with local engineers and builders and based on the findings that we update
the charged. Well, we'll take that later. >> We'll get there. But I I think you we still need to Are we saying >> I think I just pushed two off the table. I push police only off the table and I push doing nothing off the table. I think there's two choices that we have to decide on.
>> Do them both together or we do >> we need a motion. So, are we going to which do we like? Do we want fire only or do we want design everything but build fire first? That those are the two choices that I'm >> want research before I vote. No.
>> Okay. Research on what? that >> he without that he doesn't know which way to go in terms of what we want him to do. >> One facility, >> one facility. So that's that's the combined. >> That's what I will. >> Okay. Okay. That's what I'm I'm saying.
Combine, but okay. Somebody make a motion, please. Ellen, go for Yeah, >> I will make a motion uh that the we have the town administrator uh explore the options um uh open to us to
uh going along the lines of building one facility um uh integrating for integrating is the right word integrating the the fire addressing needs of both the fire and police um into this in the facility uh perhaps
with the the intention of uh having fire as a first step um police as secondary. Does that >> cover that? >> Sort of clear. >> I understand. I'll second that.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. All right. Let's take a vote then. All those in favor of that motion >> I >> I >> I Okay. So I think that's what we would like to see happen that
>> one facility is still the desire um however we call it integrated combined whatever we call it >> but given priority to the fire station side of it first. >> Okay. All right. Good enough that get you next step down
the line because I think that that then allows you to go and talk to people whether you know it's HKT. I mean I think we have to >> involve HKT just let them know what's going on obviously but then it allows you to be able to open up to other >> other entities at least just have an informal discussion about you know what
here's where we are. We're kind of stuck. You know what what can you help us think through and just see what we what we hear. I I think the goal would be for annual town meeting because we're going to need additional funding for any future studies as well. So, >> um and just get some cost estimates on
>> a more we don't need another 400page report like HKT HKT did. There's a lot of great work that they can do and a lot of it's still valid. So, it's a matter of just taking that and then just kind of um refining it to what we need >> into that. >> Yeah, I'm hoping that I mean there's a
lot of work that should still be relevant I think no matter which way we go. I mean there's a there's a there's a body of of research and so forth that's been done that I think should still serve going forward into anything else.
I hope because we've definitely spent a lot of money on feasibility studies. So, but that's good. So all right, next up moving on. So um we usually don't have audience
members participate in this part. That's what the open time for the public is all about. Um committee members, would you like to entertain one question? If I do, it's going to be only one. >> We're not we're not going to have a debate on this. I mean, this is the the
select meeting, but Okay. >> Go ahead. Come on up. Address your address at the mic. >> Very good. >> I'm just trying to 11 Old Harvest. >> Yep. >> I'm just trying to clarify. >> Name and address, please. Name and address. >> 11 Old Harvest. >> Okay.
>> So, the question I have is you were reading something about $30 million for I'm talking to him here directly. >> Scott. Scott. >> Mhm. >> Okay. I don't know if you were paying attention. I'm sorry. Um, you were mentioning what was it? Auburn was $30 million. Can you read that again to what
you were Well, you were clarifying that or clarify that for me. >> Um, yeah, was around 30,000 30 million. >> 30 million. >> There was a few of them. Can you can you read those again, please?
>> Um, Province Town was a police station for around 14,000 17 million. Auburn was 30 and 30 >> 30,000 ft. >> Yeah. Linux was around 20,000 22 million. Lawrence was uh in the 50s. Uh
Princeton was 15 million and about 18,000 square feet. Warren, I believe they did the 3030. Um Williamsburg was 8,000 and they came out to be 5 to6 million. >> So my question is from what you're you're basing this off
of like Auburn $30 million. What was their tax base? Where were they getting the money from? We're not even we're just saying that all these facilities are basically still coming out at something that is much closer to the $1,000 per square foot, which is exactly
what we've been hearing even earlier than these current architects and but that's the figure that people have told us that we've been working with. It started less than that 10 years ago. It's gone up over time. So that's where we are. We're trying to figure out and again a large part of that is the
prevailing wage that I mentioned. So a lot of that gets factored into that cost per square foot. So that's that's part of the challenge that we have to deal with. >> More questions, but I know >> I know. So thank you. All right. Okay, let's move on. Um, next issue, budget and capital projects.
>> Um, so I mentioned that we're doing work starting preliminary work on the budget just to get an idea of where we are with most of our town budgets. Obviously the big question marks is going to be health insurance, the regional school system and north school system. I think for the most part, you know, the town municipal
side of the budgets are going to be relatively the same as as the previous year. >> Um the one big introduction I do want to start working on uh probably for December is unveiling the uh the capital um plan that we've been working on. Um,
it's going to be a little bit unique than what we've done in the past couple years, but I'd like to kind of get a a joint meeting between, you know, the police fire highway school department, the capital committee, the select board, and the fincom to kind of do a quick presentation on where we are,
>> uh, with everything. Um, I think ultimately we're going to have to look at some consistent funding sources for our capital needs and and trust me, there's a lot of them. I've been looking at the archives and some of our previous capital plans. There's still the same equipment from 10 years ago that we need
even today >> that we haven't replaced >> that we haven't replaced. Um so we are talking in the millions of dollars but we also have to look at some you know potentially alternative funding sources. I mean nor school alone is in the millions of dollars. um we might have to start looking at, you know, the MSBA,
you know, school building and and looking how how we look at the entire facility of Norris rather than, you know, $80,000 on painting and $100,000 on carpet and then sidewalks and windows and peacemealing. Um when we can get, you know, the state to provide, you
know, 30, 40, 50, 60% of, you know, the reimbursement, >> but that would be a grant kind of thing from MSBA. >> Through the MSBA. Exactly. They have a uh expedited uh program for renovations. I don't know much about it, but I think it's time that we start maybe exploring that and looking at the entire facility,
for example, because >> um just vehicles alone um we're in, you know, several millions of dollars >> uh just for highway, for example. >> Um >> so I I do have a basic plan. I'm working with Megan on that to just look up some
borrowing. But ultimately we need a consistent source because right now we either fund our capital projects through debt debt exclusions. Um and the other way that we fund it is just through our annual free cash with the 35%. And as we know over the last, you know, 5 to 10 years, it's our free cash has been like
this. Um it's been inconsistent. You know, we get it late in the year, so we're not able to really plan around it. Um and it prohibits us from making any of those bigger purchases like an ambulance, you know, like a fire truck or a dump truck or things like that. So, um ultimately I I think doing a plan
where we can show in the budget year after year and and actually borrow against a uh a number would would be the best bet. >> I agree with you in terms of certain certain things. For example, I I do think of of Norris with peace meal kinds of things. I mean, I think that is true
when you look at, you know, replacing the lockers or whatever or carpet or, you know, just there's there's the small things that we've been able to handle because we haven't had the money for the big things, right? So, that's been part of our challenge with all of the departments. But, >> I mean, we're talking like half million dollars for, you know, HVAC, you know,
generators. Um, the big ticket items just haven't been addressed. >> Okay. So, you're putting something together now with the department heads and you'll >> have it. >> Yeah. But I think it's important to get all the stakeholders together and, you know, unveil it just to, you know, get everyone's input. I've been talking to
everyone individually, >> right? >> U, but I think everyone kind of needs to agree because there there's going to be some things that are deferred, >> some things that are just not going to be funded, some things that can be moved into our operating funds that really shouldn't be capital. And there's other areas that we need to look at alternative funding for that's going to take everyone to kind of go
>> and most of the capital's got to be at least a $5,000 value, right? Mhm. >> And over I forget is it five five year lifetime or >> Well, I mean it for example like the school department put in a capital request for $30,000 in laptops, but that's really something that should be
into their operating, you know, every year to replace a certain amount. Um it's not really a capital project because it's all these little pieces. >> Yeah. >> Um so that's that's really more like an operating than a capital expense. >> Got it. Okay. So when do you think we might try this kind of a meeting? Is it before the end of the year as we're
Yeah, >> hopefully. Yeah, right before um you know budget season kicks off. I'd like to get everyone together at least have some preliminary talks and and some ideas. >> Okay. Okay, sounds good. I mean, I know you were trying to put together a new kind of book, per se, with photos of the
various equipment and descriptions so that people knew what what we have currently and how old it is and when it might be scheduled for replacement. So, >> we've got that. That's a good start. >> We just have to figure out how to fund it now. >> Well, yeah. Yeah. Well, and that's where again I mean I I I know that you know
there's a possibility of debt exclusions here and there, but there's, you know, it's rare that we're going to find a grant money necessarily for some of those big ticket items, but some of the smaller ones, >> you know, those are where some some grant money could possibly fill in the gap, too. So, that's why I think, you
know, looking for grant money is is always important. Um, and um so we'll keep an eye out for things like that. But, okay. Uh any comments on that? If not, we'll move on. Next agenda item. >> Yes. Land use planning
>> enterprise please include >> sir >> I'm a water commissioner >> and although the water department is >> enterprise >> enterprise fund it's not independent entirely of the town we're looking at
the same people paying the bills >> and I'd like to see the capital schedule include their existing and planned debt the commissioners are working on a 10-year capital plan right now. So, >> it's very timely,
>> right? Because I know they were going to be replacing the water mane, right, from from Clark Street up to East Street and then East Street up to Pomeray Meadow. That's what they intend to do. And they did get some state money for that at one point in time. So, the part of this that has already been funded already done was some state money and then some ARPA
money as well for an extra 60,000. We just are going to take care of that at special. >> That was a different different project, but yeah, but then we we filled in with the ARPA money, which isn't there anymore. So they they had gotten some money from the um asset management grant or something they had that helped do
some >> right there. Two more very expensive stages, >> right? That's what I'm saying. >> Before we do anything with water storage. >> Yeah. No, exactly. Yeah. Huge. >> So Clark to East and then east to Pomeray. Yeah. Right. >> Oh. Um and just speaking of capital, I just forgot to mention we're having a
kickoff meeting for the highway department um heating system next week. >> Oh. So that >> you're gonna kick it. >> Kickoff. Kickoff meeting. Is >> that how it starts? >> I mean, we might have to kick it to keep it working. >> So this is for the winning bidder. Is that what you're saying? >> That's right. So they're going to be
coming in and coordinating with Randall next week. Okay. >> So we're going to have a meeting with that. So >> Okay. >> Just I forgot to mention that earlier. >> Okay. And this is for the new heating system at the highway department. Okay. Good. And what is that again? Is it a boiler? Is it a What is it?
>> Uh replacing the current system. Okay. >> So, it's the old fashioned type and it's not going to be, you know, mini splits or anything like that. So, >> Okay. All right. Okay. Let's move on. Uh, land use planning update. >> Um, I I did reach out to Dodson and Flinker and PVPC just to see if we can
start uh narrowing down a date for the um formal presentation of of their results. So, um hopefully I can hear back from relatively soon. >> So, they are pretty much at the conclusion of their work now. We think >> um for the vision part of it. Um the next phase we did apply for some grants
or at least start the application process but there's a much more technical part of it where you know once the the select board kind of adopts their vision. Uh there's going to have to be a lot of you know the actual land division and right >> um looking at the different measurements and actually splitting things out and
how can we fill how can we fit in the commercial property with the public safety building and actually having someone go out there and survey the land um into a much more technical. So, you know, it's much broader view what they're doing. But now we're at the point where in the next year or two, we're going to have to start getting
into the technical phase, >> right? Okay. Because they've been looking at the the use for the entire parcel. I mean, everything that we've been talking about. So, >> the structures, but there, you know, we we had talked about commercial property along the along the route 10, which, you know, that still is
>> part of a plan. It's just a matter of how much and where and all of that to my knowledge was never surveyed out right yet. We haven't done that yet. Right. >> Right. >> It hasn't been surveyed out. >> Well, it all depends on what the vision, >> right, >> will will be. So, >> okay, >> Madam Chair, >> yeah,
>> I think it's critically important piece that's very poorly understood by the public >> and I don't want to belabor it, but I invite people to go online,
fire up the assessor's GIS database. Very easy to use online. The town has acquired three parcels. The big one that has frontage on Route 10. A smalish parcel at the end of Lynn
Drive of about 3 acres and a indeterminant size parcel between the Greenway and the Manhan River. the big parcel fronting on Route 10 and the actual frontage on the state highway
is where that commercial thing that fervent expectation that can't we fund the whole project by selling some commercial lots. It never did exist. It does not exist.
It is for us to plan and decide how that lands. >> Well, just to clarify, it's zoned commercially though. If you look at the zoning, it is not a traditional zoning boundary that ends at a parcel line. >> The commercial
village district ends with a dotted line >> that is some dimension back from the center line of Route 10. >> It's a fuzzy, poorly written zoning bylaw at best.
So as we get more tangible understanding of what we as a town would like to see happen there and how the pieces interrelate, we will have to adjust the zoning. >> Mhm. >> Yes, there's a commitment to exploring
some commercial development. There is a firm commitment to exploring commercial development. We need help doing a needs analysis, a business, a market plan. You know, we can say, "Well, we'd like
to >> Yeah. >> frequent, but we have not a clue >> who might be a prospective buyer and how small box we could put them in. Oh, we don't want a 10story building. We don't want 10,000 square feet." But I think
part of part of what will happen through the land use planning, right, is is allocating where that will be on that parcel and roughly roughly how much it will be. Even if it's not >> and if you want to talk similar sizes, we're looking at something like four,
five, six acres, maybe a bit more. It's hard to say, >> but there's a commitment to doing that. While the status quo ante today is there's a very fuzzy zoning notion on the frontage.
>> There are no commercial lots >> because it's 6 acres out of 45. >> Mhm. >> It's a very poor construct to split a parcel that way. >> End of lecture. I think the parcel
across the street is also commercial and residential if I'm not mistaken. >> I can't speak >> I think so but anyway there so it's it's a challenge but I think the we'll know that more once we hear the land use planning land use planners report and
presentation right and then then a step would be to figure out how we go about surveying out certain areas for all these delineated >> uses on the land. Right. >> I can say I'm pretty excited about it. I think uh Dodson and Flinker did a really
great job with PVPC on it that met, you know, most of the needs of the community. You're not going to have a perfect design. >> Sure. >> Um you know, because you have people that want the huge 300 units, you have people that want to keep it with no development. So, you got to find somewhere in between. But I think once people actually see the visual uh
concept of it, I think people will be pretty excited. >> And so, what what is the you said you don't have a specific date yet, but are we looking again December? What what are we talking about? It is. >> Mhm. Yeah. I would like to get it by the first of the year. >> Yeah. >> Um we we'll probably do it maybe
non-traditional, maybe do it online and uh make it easier for people to log in and ask questions rather than, you know, be the Nor school, but I think it's more of like a presentation type of thing um where we kind of unveil it. >> So, they'll get back to us in terms of when they're ready to do that. >> Mhm. Okay.
>> All right. Well, let's hope we can get it done before the end of the year. I think that everybody's been kind of waiting to hear what the theory is now that we've participated in a couple public meetings and moved little buildings around on maps and >> tried to talk about what people's priorities were. So
>> I think Stephen would probably agree that a good public design takes time. >> Oh yeah. No, absolutely right. >> No, it's not Yeah, it's a big step. I don't think we want to rush it by any means, but I think >> you know the level of patience I think people are just curious to know where
where it is. So I think that's >> doing a lot of self-help, the inexpensive and free things like we petition MD dot to do a traffic count in front of the property for a week. So we have a baseline. We don't need it today or
tomorrow, but we'll need it as we think about adding tripends on that highway. >> Um we have planned for going out and doing some more soil analysis. In fact, we have date to do that so that we will have
more specific understanding. Uh we do from all kinds of published studies and one hole dug on the property. We're going to go out and dig as many as we can dig in a day and verify that the soils are as capable as as we think they
are. So, we're building the database. We're doing the self-help and uh we'll we'll fill that out as we go. >> Good. Okay. All right. All right. Next agenda item, the ADA evaluation. Yeah. Do we
>> um >> we've got that report. I know you shared it around. I have not had a chance to go through it in detail myself. >> So, if it's okay with the psych board, I could have um the company come in on the 10th of December to do a presentation on it. Um both virtual and in person. I
know one person is in Worester and one person is in Western Mass. So, uh we could do kind of like a hybrid meeting. They would be willing to go through everything, answer any questions, and kind of unveil it to the public. >> That was that'd be good. And they, just to remind people, they did that ADA evaluation on all of our main town
buildings. So, it includes not only here but >> everywhere >> and some of the parkland and some good. Yeah, I think that'd be good. So, the 10th maybe. Yeah. Okay, let's put that on the agenda, then. Sounds good. All right.
All right. Um, next one. I guess I'll take 250th anniversary. Uh just very briefly um had a great evening yesterday. Uh we did our sweater weather musical bingo. Uh so thanks to Tin Can Alley for hosting and for both Puzza's
Pure Food and Westlake Gourmet for donations of food. Uh it had a large I think we were filled to capacity at Tin Can Alley. So we had a good 60 65 people probably and had a good couple hours of fun and uh so yeah it was a good uh
event for the 250th and our next one will be on the 23rd which is a Guinness Sunday uh and it's going to be over at the congregational church. Um it' be basically a service of gratitude but focusing a bit on the history of the town and the church the relationship of
the town and the church um in terms of how the settlements had to get started here in Massachusetts. Uh and it's also the 10th anniversary of the community cupboard. So we'll be celebrating that and asking people to bring a donation of some item non-p perishable item for the
cupboard as well. And then we've got a couple of events that are in the works for December. And so we'll get those out um as soon as we get more detail on them. Uh but there will be a yard/porch holiday decorating contest beginning right after uh I'm going to say right
after Thanksgiving. Um and go until um go till pretty much toward the end of uh right before Christmas and then we'll have a a few judges and so forth that will go out and judge the various um lighting displays, shall we say? And uh
we'll have a couple prizes in that regard. Uh Lucy Dalton is kind of heading that up and we'll have a a flyer out on that very soon with a a way you can register to be part of that. So we'd like people to sign up who want to be part of that. Um so we'll make that a little bit more detailed and known in
the coming days or two. All right. Uh any other business that can't wait for the next meeting which is going to be on the 25th. So, we're a day off early today because of the holiday tomorrow. So, we will meet again on Tuesday, November 25th. Any anything
that >> um I think we should be able to have the tax classification hearing on that date. >> Okay. >> I think they they will be all set >> on the 25th. >> Okay, good. That would be good. Yep. >> Good. All right. Okay. So, then we do
have a couple of PCFs tonight um for the highway department. Uh, Stephen, you're here. >> I move that we approve PCF for Steven Re. >> Yeah, Stephen, go ahead. >> I move that we approve PCF for Steven
Renak. >> Reg. Okay. >> A resignation effective November 21st, 2025. >> Okay. Second that. All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. And for the fire
department, um, PCF for Julie Badcker, >> Bad Decker, >> Bad Decker, a new hire, a paramedic as needed nonbenefited $25.96 per hour. >> You want to say anything? I'll have a
second, Ellen. Okay. Yep. Chief, why don't you fill us in a little bit? >> Uh, this is a uh paramedic. She's also a paramedic instructor over in Chabe. Uh she recently moved to town. Uh so that's
a plus. Uh she she sent a uh cover letter for the full-time position. >> Um so she's interested in that, but she wants to start out. We both agreed it's a perdm just to make sure it's a fit for both of us. >> Cool.
>> And I I I believe it will be. Um but so she's going to be hired per DM and uh see how it goes >> and she'll fill the open shifts that you've got. >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. >> So she's employed elsewhere now. >> She uh currently works for Hilltown
Ambulance. Uh she was a supervisor for National Ambulance in Springfield and again she's an instructor at the it's called the EMT Academy in Chabe. >> Great. So that's day job. So, she's very knowledgeable in paramedic service.
>> Okay. So, she'd come on as as you need her to fill in on a shift. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Good. All right. All right. Um Yeah. >> Hi. >> Was that a motion? >> You have a motion and a second. >> There we did. Yes, we did. All right. All those. Yes. Okay. I All right. Good.
Yes. Thanks, Chief. All right. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. Glad you got approval of minutes of October 14th. >> Glad we have a good candidate there. Okay. minutes of October 14th. >> I hear a motion from Stephen. Did you see any
>> errors? Anybody? Ellen, did you second that? Sorry. >> I'll second that. >> Yeah. Anybody find anything that needed to be corrected? I did not myself. Um >> relying on you. >> My eyes are giving up. >> Um yeah. No, I didn't see anything that needed correction on that.
>> Keeps us legal. >> Okay. So, with that, let's have uh a vote on approving the minutes of October 14th. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. Minutes are approved. Thank you. Uh anything under old business? Uh how
we doing on the 24 audit in particular, Scott? I think that's probably our biggest question. >> Um so, I did include um the latest bridge. >> Yeah, it was a little tiny to read. We >> Yeah, I don't know. It's long.
Even even the big big magnifying glass didn't really help that one. >> Not sure. Yeah, it's it's generated by uh the software, >> the financial system. >> Um yeah, the best, but it gives you just an idea of what um we're working on. Um a lot of it, especially with the treasures just closing out the last
fiscal year as well and rectifying those books. So, um Megan's working on that part. Bradley's got a few things. Um the assessors is mostly done as well, but obviously the biggest thing is just getting that together. And um we're about maybe 40ish 40 to 50% of the way
there. >> So once they once we get all the information and dig everything out and get it to the um uh C biz, uh they'll be able to finish that up. So maybe a couple more months. >> And then we can start working on 25. >> Mhm.
>> But we are slowly making progress. >> Wow. And how does this does this imp this has nothing to do with our getting our um free cash submitted in December like Bradley was talking about or does it? >> Right. So that's a that's a separate thing.
>> Okay. >> So Bradley's still on track for that. >> He's on track. So that should help. So we could have our certified cash long before town meeting next year. >> Um that's the hope. There won't be much of it because we have a lot of obligations. But >> I understand. But at least getting it on on a schedule and getting it on track is
a major improvement. So a lot of the I since this is really hard to read it just what are the kinds of general things that we're having to that Megan is having to deal with. I mean offand there you go >> it is it is >> able to be bigger. Okay. So, a lot of it, you know, just literally just Excel
sheets from the general ledger. Um, >> ambulance receipts, a lot of different things >> and maybe half or more of them say fulfilled. Well, fewer now, but >> yeah. So, >> yeah. And so, all this is just these
these are not responding to questions that CBIZ has already asked. These are this is the core of what has to go in for them to start doing some of this. >> Just providing the information. Yep. >> Yeah. A lot of it like for where's the assessor section. This this column is um everything that's
been up uploaded so far. So there's quite a bit. So you know Dave was able to get all the tax recap for 24 all the abatements things like that for the assessor's office. >> Okay. Wow. So, you think another couple months to
get through this? Really? Wow. Okay. Is there any other I don't know any other assistance, any other help that anybody can be to >> Um, no. It's it's really Megan just sorting everything out over the last couple years and making sure everything, you know, the information that they need
gets to them. Um, one of the main issues especially in the transition is going from um the soft right to the vadar as well. So, it's going from that. So, they're going between two different systems. I think once we get past that, it's going to be a lot easier in the future because we'll be 100% on radar.
>> And Megan is still coming in basically twice a week or maybe three times depending. >> Yeah, she's still around 19 hours. >> 19 hours. Okay. Yeah. So, that makes a difference too to not have a full-time full-time treasure collector. Um so, but we are very grateful to have her here to
help us get through this craziness. So hopefully >> this is a big question for the spring. >> Yeah. No, I know. Uh keep plugging on here. Okay. >> So we're in a transitional phase with that position, >> right? Exactly. Okay. All right. Any
other questions on that? >> Um >> yeah, Stephen, >> I was wondering about that very issue. Are there I'm sure there must be a list of to-dos and time deadlines that you're watching for. >> Mhm. >> Uh for the transition of position. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Um so by matching a lot has to be done at the annual town election. Um and then at the annual town meeting. So that's going to be the first step. If if we could have done it um earlier um we certainly could have done a special town meeting but it would have required a
special act of the legislature >> to do it which probably would have been more than the 9 months town meeting to get done. So >> uh the quickest and the quickest way to get that done is through annual town meeting. >> Okay. All right. Unfortunately. >> Well, >> all right. Well, hopefully
>> Megan will hang in there and keep on keep on plugging away here so we can get this information into so that the audit can get underway here. All right. Uh more fully. I'm assuming that CBiz is able to look at certain things already from what >> you know what's been submitted, but they're obviously missing a good chunk
of it. >> So, I got a lot of the emails especially over the weekend. Well, once we submit everything, they do send a verification that they've reviewed it and looked at it. >> Okay, good. Okay. No, but it's just just pieces of the puzzle until they get everything. There's only >> So they're they're not waiting for everything to come in and then say, "Okay, now we're going to start on
Southampton." I mean, they're able to look at stuff as it comes in. >> Okay. >> Well, that's helpful at least. Okay. All right. Uh just last anything else under old business. Uh it's just something we put on there kind of as a tickler to remind ourselves on the prudent investor role and trust fund
commissioners. We've got to get that all written up and and started as well. uh recruiting for trust fund commissioners for the uh prudent investor rule plan that we have uh approved. Uh so that's that's a whole work thing to do is I don't know if we got any news on it yet
because we haven't really put it in in practice yet. We've got work to do to write it up and get that underway. uh that was approved at town meeting to go with a prudent investor rule that would allow our investment company to take our investment funds, not our general fund,
but our investment fund and invested in other than a list of about 25 things that they are allowed to do right now. So, this would expand the opportunities for them to invest and hopefully um earn a little bit more on the funds for the town. Um, so we've got to get that
written up for what it would take to make all that happen. All right. Anything on East Street? I don't think I've heard anything about any new news on the expansion on East Street or the renovation. >> Um, and just this the greenway, I think we're aiming for 25% uh design target uh
come July. So >> Okay. All right. So So even though 25% sounds like little, it's it's a huge milestone with DOT. Yeah. Yeah. >> It's a lot. Yeah. >> Huge. Yeah. Okay. Yep. All right. Good. Um, and we've got a couple other things. We'll we'll keep bringing them up and
adding them to our list of things to to do. And we have a kind of a tickling to-do list that we try to keep track of, too. Um, okay. So, I think that's it. Our next select board meetings are November 25th, and it says December 9th,
which is our town meeting, and then special town meeting, and then the 23rd. So, I guess back on the ADA evaluation person coming in, Scott, that wouldn't be the 9th probably before town meeting. >> Um, >> or is that after town meeting? I'm sorry. >> After town meeting.
>> That's after town meeting. I'm sorry. Um, let me special town meeting is December 6th. Okay. And we do we would have a a town meeting. I'm sorry. Gosh, a select board meeting on the 9th. Okay. I was wrong. My mistake. I'm looking at the wrong calendar. >> I'm sorry. Yeah, the 9th. I meant >> the nth. Okay. So, it' be the night that
the ADA evaluation person could possibly come in and then on the 25th of November, then we'll have Dave come in and in the uh on the tax classification hearing. Okay. >> All right. That makes sense. All right. I think that's it, guys. Uh if there's
nothing else, we'll take a motion to adjurnn. >> I so move. >> I second that. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I I >> All right. We are adjourned at about 7:55 I think it is thereabouts. All right. Thanks everybody. Thanks
media.