This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. It's confused. So, let's uh call to order the meeting of the Southampton Select Board for March 31st at 6 p.m. And we'll start by standing and saying the pledge of allegiance, please.
Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thanks. All right. and we have two
members of our pincom and as soon as we have a third we'll have a have a quorum. Okay. So in the meantime would somebody mind handing me that paper over there that people signed in? Thanks. >> Oh well people that want to speak please do sign in.
>> Yeah. We usually don't have that many people. So it's usually you know it's pretty clear that there's like two three people two or three people that are here for sign in. So, I don't often have the sign in, but since we've had such a crowd, I decided to put that in place. Okay,
and we'll go through it. Can you bring it on up? Sierra. Sierra, could you bring us? Thank you. Okay, super. Super super. Get my cords out of the way here. All right.
Okay. We'll start off with uh citizen speak. So, first of all, thanks everybody for coming tonight. We are recording live tonight, I believe. Scott, are we on board over there? We never see the c the TV anymore. We never know that we're on for sure, but we are should be. So, this should be uh on uh
191 or should be also able to be streamed on YouTube afterwards. So, or as you're out there. So, first up, uh citizen speak. Uh Lucy Dalton, you want to come up to the mic, please? >> You just Yeah. Lucy Dent Strong Road.
I'm the town clerk. I just wanted to um make everyone aware of the citizens caucus next week, Thursday, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. um in this room. Um so if you haven't turned in your papers
and you wanted to be nominated for a seat, you can come next week and get nominated. Um I also wanted to just make a comment um regarding last week's meeting Thursday. Um, I just wanted to educate
the resident about public records. Um, when a public records request comes in, I do have to forward it to the appropriate office. I do make a note of and keep track of each public request that comes in. Then we send it off to
the appropriate office that deals with that and then we send them the information. I am not in charge of getting all of the information. the individual departments are in charge of that. So I just wanted to clear clarify that um for them. Okay,
>> good. Thanks. >> All right. Thanks. >> All right. Thank you, Missy. Okay. Uh next, Jessica McConnell. Sorry. >> Jessica McConnell, 24 High Street. I am also the co-chair of the library board of trustees. At Thursday night uh March
26 meeting the of the select board and the finance committee, there was a discussion about a subcommittee that would look at cuts necessary if the override failed and we had a basic slash I think you guys called it doomsday budget. A flippant comment was made that the library was going to if the library
was going to lose its accreditation, the town should completely defund and close the library and use that money elsewhere. That is a terrible idea. If we still have a director and can be open some hours, we may be able to apply for a waiver and do some fundraising. Most
of the libraries programs are through fundraising. There are no accounts of Massachusetts town library I'm sorry, excuse me. If you close the library, it may never reopen again, even if you pass an override in the future.
There are no accounts of Massachusetts town libraries closing due to budget cuts and then reopening. Libraries have always been considered a core service. If not everyone in town can afford the tax increases of a Proposition 2 and a half override, then not everyone in town
can afford the services that the library provides to everyone. So, please consider giving us a bone so that we can stay alive. Because if you close our library, I'm telling you, I I don't know that I'd be able to hire somebody who would trust us enough to come in and
start. We wouldn't know what paperwork we needed to do. we wouldn't know where to go. We need to maintain some form of library so that if this one if this override fails and people suffer for a year, maybe they'll be more willing to pass an override the next time around
and we'll get some funding. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jessica. Okay, Heather Pelrini. >> Good evening. Heather Pelini, 76 Crooked Ledge Road. Um I'm just here to uh express concern for the ongoing budgetary problems. I know we're all
kind of focused on FY27, but this is a problem that's rearing its head annually and probably only going to get worse going forward. So, as a select board, as a town administrator, what are your strategic plans to grow revenue in town other than continually burdening
the taxpayer with every year additional override requests? >> Is there any way we can incent businesses to come? I know we hear we don't have sewers. That's maybe an override that would redeem itself over time, >> right? We have to start getting creative. I think maybe some additional tiff agreements up above and beyond the
one we already did for an existing business in town. Something that can attract people to to bring revenue to this town. Have we considered a commercial tax rate? Why does Big Wise building valuation not go up to the same level our residents are? It's all falling on our backs and it can't
sustain. You're seeing that. So, we really got to think outside the box and figure out ways to grow this town. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, Kimsh shot. >> Um, pardon me. Point of order. Do you want them to >> Oh, I'm sorry. Come to order. >> Becky. Yes. Yes. Before you do that,
would you like to call yourselves to order? >> Call committee to order. 608. >> 608. Okay. Thank you very much. Welcome. Hi, I'm Kim Shot. I'm the chair of the local school committee. I just wanted to clarify um some information that was
shared last week at the joint select board finance committee meeting. Uh information from the department of elementary and secondary education um website was shared um that stated that the average teacher salary at the north
school is $94,000. That is inaccurate and I don't know why DESIE has that on their website. I checked with our central office and the actual average teacher salary at Norris for a full-time teacher is $83,243.
Thanks. >> Thank you. Okay, >> Caitlyn Rooks. >> Hi. >> Hi, >> Kaitlin Rooks, 189 College Highway. Thank you very much. I'm actually not here to speak about the budget, but
rather um to encourage the select board to establish best regulations. I did submit a document to Chris Fowls and have copies of it here if anyone is interested, but I really think it's critical to protect our water and natural resources to establish best
regulations uh as soon as possible and I'm happy to provide more detail at a future conversation. >> Okay, thanks Kate. >> We've actually got it on the agenda for this. >> It sounds like BEST. Could you unpack the acronym? Thank you. Mhm. Bes is
battery en energy storage systems. Thank you. >> Thanks, Kate. Okay. Um, Scott Dan Danick. Derek. Derek or Danick. >> Uh, Danick. >> Danick. Okay. Thank you. >> Uh, Scott Danick, 7 Montgomery Road. Um, hey, my name is Scott Danick. My family
and I, my family and I have lived in Southampton for 7 years and our two kids go to Norris. Uh, I became aware of the upcoming override votes for reinstating lost school funding as well as library funding. Both of these votes failing would be devastating to our town. Since
we've lived in Southampton, this will be the third school override vote. The first two of these failed. The proposed cuts to the library, if the override votes failed, would turn the library into a shell of what it should be. I came across an upsetting statistic
provided by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Since 1990, there have been 56 override votes in Southampton. Of these, four have passed. That is a 93% failure rate. What that means in practice is that by putting something to
an override vote in Southampton, it is functionally the same as cutting it. The outcome is almost always the same. To speak frankly, since my family has lived here, these repeated override votes and then failures have been a slap
in the face to young families living in the town. Without a well functioning school and library, young families will start to move away, and Southampton will slowly become less and less desirable. A school system that can't hold its funding and a library reduced to a shell
of what it should be are not abstractions. They are the reason families choose to live, where to live, and the reasons they choose to leave. My family has started having these conversations. To the select board and finance committee, I urge you to to
treat school and library funding as the baseline, not as line items that go to a vote when things get tight. Other areas of the budget should carry that burden first. To my fellow residents, I understand the property tax pressure is real, but voting down school and library
funding doesn't save this town money. It starts a slow decline that's very hard to reverse. And we've already and we are already headed in that direction. The kids in Southampton Art are its future. This vote is about what kind of town we want to be in 10 years. Please v vote
yes for these overrides. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Scott. >> Richard John. Come on up. >> Actually, what I'll say is when I was >> Can you get up to the microphone or unless you don't want to speak? >> Well, I don't really have anything to
say, but I was going to say when I came in, Pen was getting hand we'll cross you off. That's okay. Understood. Understood. >> Yeah. No, we usually just do it for anybody who really wants to speak. Otherwise, we don't have you sign in.
So, okay. Uh, Robert Floyd. Good evening. Robert Floyd, College Highway Town Moderator. Have a short announcement. The town moderator annual town meeting information session will be held Thursday, April 23rd, 7 o'clock, right in this room, BYOP. Bring your own
popcorn. And Scott and I will read the articles. That's it. Cheers. >> All right. >> All right. Uh Mark Cassus. >> Mark Cassus. Um I think that I wanted to speak to something that's on the agenda
later, which is I think there's a citizens petition about the CPA funding. Is that correct? >> It's on the petition as well as warrant articles. Both are >> um so I want to speak to that at some point. Should I speak to that now? >> Um probably later I would say, but we're not going to have a debate tonight.
>> I mean, just want to present some information. That's possible. Thank you. Thank you. We're not going to make make uh Sierra Simmons. >> Hi. Um I'm Sierra Simmons, 242 College Highway. I'm also the chair of the community preservation committee and I too am here um because I know that
there's the citizens petition coming up. Um and um I'll be happy to share any information, answer any questions. Um, but I just wanted to remind everyone of how much funding is matched and collected when we uh make our contribution via the search charge. Um,
not only does this result in the state match of our CPA funding search charge, but also we've been most of the people who apply for CPA funding is only part of their project and so that CPA funding is leveraged to get all sorts of other funding from all sorts of different
service sources land trust etc. So if we reduce our CPA search charge as is suggested in the citiz citizens petition, we're basically like driving by $100 bills on the highway and just saying no thanks, we don't need those. Like our money is leverages leveraged to
an exponential extent. And so just wanted to make that point real quick and also just say I'm here if there's any questions. >> Thank you. Okay. All right. That's everybody for Citizen Speak. Thank you very much. Oh, sorry Erin, one last thing. Sure. >> Yeah. Sorry, I didn't expect new people.
I thought I thought it would be the same crew as as past >> Aaron Sims >> Aaron Sims 42 Lead Mine Road. I wanted to just mention to everybody there is a group of people that's that's trying to uh get out the the vote. And so I hear
your point that hasn't happened in the past and we need to do it. It's on us and and we can we can do it for sure. >> Great. >> So thank you. Thank you. >> Say something too. I'm sorry. One last one. I really do want people to sign in. Okay, come on up.
>> Give us your name. >> I'm sorry. Eileen Boer, Pleasant Street. I think there needs to be more outreach to tell people about things. There's a little sign in front of the town hall. There's another sign in front of the fire station that's this big and it
still has something to do with holiday >> holiday drive. Like, can we use that to >> Yes, we can. We've already made a request. >> Giant things. That's what I >> We made a request to the Lions Club for that and we're trying to get the mother's club sign up at Pomeroy Meadow as well. So, >> thank you. >> Those are the main signs that we usually
try to get. So, in addition to however else we can get the word out. So, thanks for that though. Yeah, you're right. >> And a lot more detail on the town website. >> So, I think if you you know put something there every single day. >> We will. Yep. That's good. Yep.
>> Not holiday toy drive. >> Correct. I know. There we go. Okay. Thank you. All right. Uh, we'll just keep on moving on on the agenda if that's okay. Uh, Scott, anything in particular? Town administrator report something. >> I'm just new and >> exciting. >> Health insurance and budgets.
>> Uhhuh. So, wanted Well, I guess we'll talk about the health insurance a little bit in on the agenda, so we won't get into that in detail. Any select board reports for any meetings over the last >> since last Tuesday? >> Since last last meeting, which wasn't too many months ago. Um, uh,
>> oh, >> yeah. Go ahead. >> Oh, okay. All right. Um, regretfully, um, I am resigning from the board of water commissioners. The responsibilities of the select board and
the attendant committees that I'm also elected or appointed to are simply too much. And I've submitted the paperwork. But let me close by saying that we have
public utility that we depend on for clean drinking water. It is very small in terms of distribution and budget. It is even smaller in terms of staff and I regret
leaving the board of commissioners which is an important governance and fiduciary board but I simply could not devote the attention that it demands. And so let me put that out there.
there's an opening and if you have any interest or concern about the town's clean water supply, please consider running for the board of commissioners. >> Okay. Thank you, Stephen. And thank you for being on the commission. It's been
almost a year, is it? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Long year. Yeah. Okay. All right. Um I think that's about it for right now. Okay. So, let's move into new business and let's talk a little bit about the
budget. I think those of you that were here last meeting, which wasn't that long ago, saw the uh the options that were discussed uh a base budget and two different overrides. So, Scott, you want to take us through what is the
latest information in terms of where we ended up at the last meeting? Um, we had an override budget. Oh, sorry. we had a a base budget where you were tasked to go through and try to do more cuts on that to make certain things >> match up. >> So So two things I just want to point
out, especially going forward with the budget. The first one is that we're we're going to need a budget adjustment probably in the summer or the fall. There's a lot of um unknowns right now. >> Mic a little closer. Sorry. >> There's a lot of unknowns right now between health insurance, state aid. Uh we don't know what overrides going to pass, so there's going to have to be
adjustments moving forward. Um when we met yesterday to look at these cuts, I just want to point out that um these are specific to the municipal side, the town operations. It doesn't involve the school department, the town direct school spending or Hampshire regional.
It also uh just touches into a little bit of to into the fixed cost as well. Uh but basically the municipal budget is about 22% of our of our total $22 million budget. Uh of that of the 1.21,230,00 two $1,230,000
cuts that would happen. Uh that would be a reduction of at a minimum 24% uh on the municipal side. And when you look at the base budgets uh that I sent out earlier, um it holds Hampshire Regional um level funded from I'm sorry. Yeah,
Hampshire Regional with a $25,000 increase, which is their uh 6 point a little over 6% request. Um it restores u Norris's uh budget to um level funded from last year. >> Scott, just on your spreadsheet up top,
the first flipp sorry. >> Um so it does uh eliminate the fire administrative assistant in the fire department. Uh it also eliminates the police administrative assistant in the police department. Uh those are both two part-time positions. Uh it further
reduces the health consultant by $5,000. So it'll be a total of $5,000 uh for FY27. Uh reduces the highway general expenses. Uh so those are things like road salt and you know asphalt things for patching by $50,000. So that would go from
$250,000 to $200,000. Uh it would also reduce the highway maintenance budget from 144,000 to 119,000. So that's used to keep our trucks on the road. Uh turnout gear and for our fire department. Hopefully the chief can get some grants for those, but
those are never guaranteed. Those are things like the jackets and the specialized pants, the uh the protective gear, the helmets that the fire department needs to wear. Um it further reduces the runout claims for uh leaving the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust. >> Mr. EMS expenses, I think. Oh, I'm
sorry. EMS expenses. So, that's our ambulance expenses that we use to stock the ambulance and keep things uh for medications and things for the ambulance as well as a little bit of maintenance. Um, our runout claims. So, this is the uh amount of money that we may or may not owe to the Hampshire County Group
Insurance Trust. We're able to spread that over 5 years and I originally budgeted for $25,000. Uh, so this would reduce it further to, I believe, $5,000. And this is it's essentially kicking the can down the road. is just a way to at least start budgeting for it even though it's
much less than what we need. Um it would further reduce legal expenses to 20,000 uh $20,000. Um it would reduce our IT maintenance as well as our IT capital uh budget. So our um the services that we receive to keep
our our IT network operational would be reduced. Um as well as the amount of money that we use in case a laptop or a computer breaks. um a Medicare in our employee benefits, our Medicare tax that was reduced by $10,000. That's thanks to the treasur sharpening her pencil and
she thinks that we can get away with 150,000 rather than 160,000. Um one thing, the highway heating system that was reduced by $2,000. um not so much as a cut, but um our treasurer was able to go out to uh bid for our um more
recent borrowing for Zero College and our highway heating system, and it came in at 3.1% for our interest rate. So, uh we were able to take a little bit off of that. >> That's great. >> Uh next up would be the assessor's office reduction in their office
supplies and um operating expenses. >> That's not great. Uh same thing with the health office, a reduction in their supplies. Uh the town clerk tablets for the elections were reduced. And then uh unfortunately it looks like we we would have to dip into the stabilization fund.
Um I I think it's a matter of reducing the stabilization fund from 165,000 where it is currently to about 800,000. Um, and then hopefully some savings with the health insurance and some other items, we'd be able to uh
restore that. So, we've essentially cut to the bone on all this. Um, >> yes, that's in addition to the cuts that you presented. >> Yes. >> Last week. So, this is not all the cuts. I mean, I think so. At the last meeting, we had a a bottom line figure for the base drastic budget, if you will. Then
we were tasked, this select tasked Scott and myself to take a look at further cuts, shifts rather, not so much cuts, but shifts of funds to try and restore some of the money back to make um um h uh to make Norris at a at a zero level from last year. Norris will still have
some cuts, but not as drastic as they had a few days ago. So that meant taking from more from other lines to sort of repurpose that 275 that we had to find. So, this becomes a very long list. Um, sorry. Did you want to show those again?
I'm sorry. >> So, there's new people here that didn't see them last time, but that does take into effect a lot of the ones that you all are concerned about. I know. Um, so it's >> it is additive to >> It's added to Yeah. I mean, because we
needed to have a million two in cuts. >> Right. >> Right. And just to clarify, select board select board wages, we are not paid. I want to make that clear again. It's in there. We are volunteers. That is in there as a as a holding place because we are going to
be probably in uh having to work out our our police union contract. So that's a holding number for 8 thou $80,000 for uh mitigation, mediation, arbitration, whatever. And we've actually x that in the base budget. So that's that's huge, too. Um so
>> so Scott, if you can go back to the other screen for a second. >> Uhhuh. A long longer budget >> just to be Yeah. But just to be clear, it's it's H and E. >> So you got to look at column E plus column H >> if there's no override. Correct. >> Yes.
>> Yeah. >> Yep. So yeah, you're right. Yeah. >> About $1.6 million, >> right? All of that. Yes, you're correct. Yep. >> So there's a there's a lot that would be >> I think further cut. Yeah. >> Yeah. He went Scott, you just went over
the bottom line from that that place where the line is drawn. Sorry. on that right column right there. >> Yeah, these are the over that bottom. >> These are the new cuts from last year. >> Those are the new new cuts to what we >> If you could go back to the other one. Hold it up at top for a second so somebody can snap a picture. >> Yeah. >> Feel like I'm on a roller coaster.
>> I know. >> So there you go. >> It's up to the >> There you go. >> There you go. Hold that. It's a long list. >> I'll post it to the website. I just got to what we'll end up needing to do is kind of consolidate that so you can see how much is all together because they're split out in different lines within the
budget, right? Excuse me. So, we would consolidate, you know, here's all the cuts to highway, here's all the cuts to the various departments. So, here's, you know, all the cuts to fire to um whatever town clerk, whatever there is
accounting. Um so, we'll end up kind of grouping that so that it is more understandable. But this is this is the long list line item by line item at this point. >> So, the other two budgets will be uh all set by tomorrow. um just have to the accountant was only able to look at go
through one and I was able to input everything. So, >> so our baseline, just to be clear, there's no override cuts on the right side, the 22216465 that is right now matching our best estimate of revenue that we'll have with the stabilization funding. >> We we have to get it
>> yes >> to match, right? So, that's what that isuge and we're still >> drawing down reserves >> with those drastic cuts. We'd like to not, you know, have all of those cuts. None of us want those cuts. And so that's why there are then now two
choices for an override at the new budget figure for that at 249 24 and then the basically the full request budget that the department's put in is a 24684. Okay. So that's we'll get these tidied
up but that's still the bottom line figure that we're working with. Uh okay. Comments, questions, anybody? I mean, it was Scott and I spent a long time trying to figure out how to move that 250 275 I guess it was all around and uh that's what we came up with. Um
so, >> Madam Chair, >> yes, sir. >> Just want to reiterate what you've already said that this $1.2 million worth of cuts and it's not all line items. It also
involves a subsidy from stored funds. a little bit. Yes. The 60,000 or whatever that was in there from operational stabilization >> which is 50%. No, I'm sorry. It is a different
approach to solving the problem. >> I mean, honestly, I think we've tried to keep I think general public safety as in as intact as we possibly can. figuring public safety across the town
is what we are responsible to do I think for the citizenry. Um so that's combination of police, fire, highway uh in particular. We've tried to keep them as as good as we can. Uh there will be some cuts nonetheless. And so what we'll be doing uh we'll be talking about how
we can get more information out and I know there's a group forming as Aaron said, but what we're going to be talking about doing is some other outreach. We're looking to do a couple of outreach meetings, public meetings, just informational answer questions kind of meetings. And then Scott is going to be
doing some um video interviews with each of the half a dozen department heads. So for example, police, fire, highway, library, COA, and who' I miss school. >> Schools. Thank you very much. How can I
misto Yes. So I think uh we're we're looking at trying to program those over the next couple weeks and and do that. So that we'll be, you know, sharing information in terms of okay from, you know, I'm if I were Randall, for example. So you're going to cut me this amount of money for my whatever whatever
that cost was, which I forget what it was now, one of those maintenance costs or whatever. So what does that what does that mean? Or materials cost. What does it mean for my department? And then therefore, what does it mean for you as a citizen? So we're going to try and have some shortformational videos so that people can understand what it means
department by department. Um, >> so we'll be working on on that over the next couple weeks. >> So, so I think, you know, just to >> maybe restate this in a different way because >> Sure. >> Some of that sounded pretty cheery. >> You know, using using operation stabilization money one time, whether
it's 65,000 or the full 100 is just kicking the can down the road to next year because you got to replace that money. And if we're down on the bottom, which I think is like 22 million, you know, the worst case scenario budget, two and a half percent is maybe 550,000. It's not really that anyways because the
22 million isn't all coming from property taxes. Only 70% of it is. >> So failure of the override to pass and or a miracle to identify new revenue sources just means that yeah, we're going to save public safety this time,
>> but the next budget, public safety's calling because that's the only thing that's left. Yeah, >> you're quite right. >> You know, to folks comments earlier, I think everybody understands and appreciates that this is this is a financial issue, right? That
you know, nobody wants to pay more in taxes. I get it. I But, you know, it's what kind of community do you want? And where are we going to go from here? Because we kind of have a band-aid, but my guess is we're not going to have a lot of free cash again, right? right? We didn't have any last year because we had
to pay for the sins of the past. Now, that supposedly is all done, I believe. >> Um, but this budget says we're dipping into reserves for 60,000. >> That's money that is one time. It's not going to replenish itself. >> Usually, we put money in for free cash.
There's no free cash this year, next year, or and by this year, I mean 25 coming into 26, right? That's already happened. >> We should be building up free cash here >> for next year. It's not going to happen. there's not going to be any replenishments. So, >> if we don't if we don't do something now
with the override, >> then next year we're gonna have no choice but to slash the paramedics sl we already are some slash the fire department, pay down call, slash the police department, and then what do we have left?
>> You know, we still want the roads taken care of with with the highway department. They've been short staffed, okay, but now we're eliminating their positions. Um, at some point we're going to cease being a town because there won't be anything left here.
>> So, no, I mean our our revenue challenge is is definitely there. I mean, >> not that you weren't spending it in a bad way. >> Hey, I mean, you know, definitely I mean, state aid, we don't know. So, there may be a little bit of savings as we go along once we understand how the insurance kicks out and what plans
people are going to choose. We may have a little bit of savings, but I don't think it's going to be $65,000. Oh, and we and we still have to I mean we're not we haven't talked about it at all, but we still have the unfunded pension liabilities. I mean that that's >> Mhm. >> Oop. >> Yeah, >> that's got to be a multi-point. I don't know what the percentage is off top of
my head, but >> it's going we have be fully funded by 2030. We don't have a choice. >> I know, >> right? >> And we're Yeah, we've never really contributed enough to that all along, I don't think. So, we're behind the eightball on that. >> There's a hand up in the back in the back of the room. >> Sorry.
Uh, I'd rather not take questions if I don't mind because it's really the select board meeting. Okay, I would rather do that. >> Question. >> One question. No more. >> How solid is the Hampshire regional number? >> How solid? >> Yeah. How solid is it?
>> It's certified. >> Yeah, it's >> so that that's the certified assessment >> they voted. Yeah, it's all all done. Yeah. >> From their regional school committee. So, that's going to be what the towns vote on through appropriation. Um, so the only options really that the town
have under state law and the regional agreement is to approve the budget by appropriating the certified assessment or don't appropriate it. And that's a vote down for the Hampshire assessment. >> Okay. Thank you, Doug. Appreciate that.
>> Okay. Um, Select, any further thoughts, comments on this? All right. So, we're going >> going to continue to fine-tune the list and once we're feel it's fairly accurate within 92%.
We'll start sharing. >> I think I mean we've spent time fine-tuning it. I'm not sure that there's much more tinkering on the inside to do quite honestly. I mean, we were, you know, tasked to get to that 275 number and that's where we came out. So, um I think we're as close as we could get. Um
certainly we could Scott and I can take another look. >> Yeah. Well, just to the I mean when when you give the blessing just to the point of the sooner we start communicating I know >> here's the list, here's the details. >> Correct. Yeah. >> And that's why I say I think grouping some of these that this long list is not going to be manageable for anybody to go
out and talk about. So maybe do it by department. >> We need to get it, you know, more grouped together by category. I think in in many ways. Okay. All right. com. Any comments, thoughts? >> I I think to John's point at Well, my thoughts on John's point are that at
this point, you're you're moving $5,000 from turnout gear to another line item. And I think you you're at the point, at least from looking at Scott's numbers, unless you were to change a completely different approach, for example, you
know, take one department and leave it whole and shift that to other positions, which I don't think that I'm hearing intent to do that. >> I would, you know, I would recommend that you lock the numbers down in the base budget so that people can have
factual impacts that can be communicated. I mean, I think that was that was my my hope and my intent. I mean, we weren't asking for another vote on it tonight. I mean, I think we were charged to come out with how to how to make that bottom number work, and this is this is our our solution. >> I think just putting a disclaimer down
when the finalist is there, you know, obviously if we get news that Boston actually does something to benefit Western Mass that we'll adjust it and then we'll share that information. Well, and I I think you know some of that I' be surprised if any of that happened
before town meeting, but you never know. But as Scott said, we'll have to get together sometime, probably June, July, whenever for a special town meeting most likely to readjust these budget lines once we know what the insurance costs are going to be, once we know what the governor's budget really is. Um, you know, those are we've estimated as best
as we can, but we don't have solid figures on some of that revenue. Uh but we've been conservative rather than being too too extravagant I guess I would say. Um and just one thing with those cuts maybe just a final thing as as I think is going to be real. Somebody asked me about you know what does that
mean for services at town hall. So the way this would work is that many departments would have just one person. We've tried to keep the treasurers whole because that's they're the ones that do the payroll. They're the ones that take the taxes. They're the ones that do lots of things, right? But um basically the
departments of town hall would be severely shrunk uh as well as a library director and a COA director uh and some materials costs. So um what that would mean would be reduced hours probably not necessarily a Monday to Thursday closing
by any means but for example if I can pick on Lucy sorry but for for town clerk for example Lucy could be here Monday to Thursday but she wouldn't be open to the public every day like she is now. Okay. she would have to set hours and say, "Okay, I'm going to be open to the public x number of hours." So that
the amount of facetime I think for town town facing services would decrease just because of the level of manpower here at town hall as well. So just to put that out there is, you know, these are these are the kind of impacts that I'd like to, you know, we got to get more information out, but that's that's in
general what's part of what would happen. Madam >> chair. >> Yes, sir. We feel compelled to add that the board of assessors and our chief assessor are the funnel for our local receipts and we are highly focused
on providing good service to our citizens and every break that they're entitled to. elderly, low income. >> Speak at the mic a little bit. Sorry. >> The assessors are on board to maximize
income with compassion towards individuals and their circumstances. And so in particular that is well there are specific initiatives that I don't
want to get into right now but trust that we're trying to ameliorate the declining revenues by making sure that we're catching everything that we're entitled to locally. >> Okay. Thanks Steve.
>> Okay. And so losing an admin, >> I understand. But okay, >> I get it. Believe me, you want to find me another $25,000 somewhere? >> No, I just want to close the loop cuz I seldom do. >> I understand. Okay. All right. If
nothing else, let's move on to other agenda items. Yeah. Scott, you want to talk about the health insurance? What's going on with those kinds of things? >> So, the health insurance open enrollment starts uh tomorrow with the GIC. We're transitioning. We started doing some public outreach with the teachers and town hall. We we're going to have a whole month of open enrollment
activities as well. Um next week we have two sessions for our Medicare eligible retirees with the council on aging in the treasures department. We're going to be doing some counseling and a small presentation. Uh the other thing is we sent out the flexible spinning account information on Monday. Um so that's
going to be uh the same time as our open enrollment that's brand new for this year is the flexible spinning accounts. Uh for the other insuranceances that we're introducing from uh accident, long-term, short-term, uh new life insurance, uh IMED, and a new dental plan, uh we're going to have the open
enrollment from the 14th to the 1st. And you know, um thanks for Stephen at Down Insurance. He's done a really great job uh in such a short period of time. Um we're still gathering everything for our life insurance. Um but that's going to be probably unveiled in the next day or
two. So we're we've we we've gone out to bid, we've gone out to the market. um things like dental like Altus dental and Delta Dental uh very similar programs in Massachusetts there isn't much different but we've looked at going with Metife because they offer the best network the best similar to what we have now as well
as some additional benefits at relatively the similar cost to what we're paying now so you know we they you know Stephen did his due diligence he went out to the market there's wasn't a lot of options to be honest with you um so uh with the IMAT insurance the um the Harford is going to be looking at our
voluntary additional insuranceances as well. Um, we're going to be sending out all the information for that in the next couple of days. Um, so and with with that, um, you know, we do have a new website that we're going to be putting everything on on the town website right now. The flexible spinning account is up there and, uh, I'm going to be putting
the GIC pamphlets. They're literally GIC really waits till the last minute. They're literally coming in like right now. Um, they don't do anything until April 1st at midnight on April 1st. So, um, as soon as that's going to be on, I'm going be sending out an email tomorrow morning, uh, to all the
employees to let them know. >> And where are you putting that on the website under under government or >> government employee benefit? >> Making a separate page or something for that. Okay. >> All right. And how how is the open enrollment going to work? Is is Steve going to be here to answer questions or are you going to handle all this or
>> uh for the GIC? I mean, most of that's self-sufficient. um they'll receive a link and they'll have a uh online portal where they can review and decide which health insurance they want to get. I see >> the flexible spending account that's just a basic enrollment form. They can decide how much they want to contribute to that. And then with the dental and
the accident, that's just a traditional uh en enrollment form. >> Okay. But people would be around to answer questions if if they have questions. >> Yeah. >> Wow. Okay. That's going to be a heavy lift to get that done, but hopefully we can get people signed up by the end of the month, which is the goal, right? So
yeah. Yeah, Stephen question. >> Thank you. Um for the benefit of the citizens because we're talking about the budget and we've highlighted over and over and over again that benefits are the big
gorilla in the room. So, Scott, would you please provide us a little differentiation between what the town provides for benefits and what the town provides for access to benefits as a
service to our employees? Uh, well, the town's contribution to health insurance, which is the biggest part, is a 7030 split. Uh, without moving to the GIC, it should be, I mean, assuming which plan that people actually choose. I mean, for example, if they choose Health New England, which is the most popular plan
in Western Mass for municipal employees, it would save uh a family employee about $4,000 and save the town about $10,000 per employee. Um, for the other benefits, so the new vision insurance, um, the accident, the short-term and
long-term, that's voluntary. So, the employee pays 100%. For life insurance, there's a 3070 split for the first $5,000. And then we're going to be offering some additional voluntary life insurance that hopefully it'll be a good rate that people can get. It has things like, you know, up to like I think it's
a quarter million dollars pre-approval regardless of health condition. Um, as well as a few other incentives when you introduce new program like that. So hopefully people will take advantage of it. Um, the IMED program which is really good for people with contacts and eyeglasses. That's that's still 100%
voluntary by the employees as well. >> Great. So, while we're saving the town costs on the town support for basic health insurance by changing from the prior plan to this,
we're also opening up additional opportunities for employees to use their pre-tax dollars mostly towards a wider array of benefits that they may value. So, we're putting more choice in the
hands of our employees even as we're doing our best to reduce this um exponentially growing cost of health insurance. >> I appreciate that. >> Thank you, Stephen, for question.
>> Okay. Anybody else? Any questions? Anybody? All right. Okay. So, good luck with that. That's going to take up fair amount of time just in terms of meetings and education next week I'm sure with the employees but you've already had a meeting with the school employees. Is that what you said Scott? No. Okay.
Good. All right. >> Well, we'll schedule some others as well within the month of April. >> Okay. Very good. >> Awesome. >> Okay. Let's uh jump to what we have for potential warrant articles for the annual town meeting. Um, this is just a listing of articles that we know of that
we need to most likely include on our on our um on our warrant. We don't have the actual all the submissions in yet. The warrant actually will close tomorrow. Uh, so we're taking articles until tomorrow and then that closes and then we'll work on
uh writing the actual article language and the motions and the summaries. That's all another process that has to happen and get them also vetted by our legal counsel. So Scott, you want to go through the listing of the articles that we know of them? >> So the first one is obviously the budget
items and we put that as number one. Uh the base budget which is going to be what I presented as as the quote doomsday budget. That's going to be the foundation that all the other budgets are going to be based on. Um so we ask you know it's important that people evaluate this at town meeting uh because
this will be the bottom line budget that we go into July 1st with. Without passing this we would not have a budget on July 1st. So you can think about this as your foundation on your house. Uh the next thing would the next article would be a $ 1.9 million budget override
>> and the base budget is not contingent upon an override at the ballot. >> That's correct. >> Just wanted to finish that sentence. >> It's within the revenue sources. So it doesn't it wouldn't go to the ballot. >> Okay. >> What would go to the ballot is the $ 1.9 bill million budget uh that people would
uh vote on. Now, if the base budget is your foundation, think of the $ 1.9 million as your roof and your walls of the house. So, it's adding on to that. And then if you know that can be an up or down vote, but that doesn't have to pass technically for the next one. So, the next one would be the full budget of
$2.5 million override budget. Now, that would be like the furniture and your appliances and things like that within your house, the basic things that you need uh to live in any type of uh home. >> Those will all be separate questions at town meeting. >> Yes. individual questions and the idea
if I'm hearing you would be to try and vote positively if we can on on well at least certainly on the bottom one because we have to have a budget to leave town meeting with. Right. >> The next one would be the Hampshire regional full request budget. That's the same in all three budgets and that would be the 6.291
million. Um that would be a standalone article. Next would be the enterprise funds for our transfer and sorry about this is all the articles are all mixed up so don't this is all just a list right now. Uh the enterprise funds which would be our water department as well as our transfer station. That's a separate non-general
governmental items that that stand outside of our tax revenue. They're self-sufficient. Next one would be the elected official salaries for treasurer and uh town clerk. Um >> only >> only depending I would like to introduce a consent agenda if there is a need for
it and it might be able to move things. where you lump a lot of the articles that have constantly been unanimous decisions into one article to pass them all and that's to save some time. Uh the next one is a request from the town clerk to eliminate the town caucus
moving forward. The other one would be the um establishment of a ADA committee, American with Disabilities Act committee uh for the town as >> um the next one would be our highway heating. We have to um uh increase the
borrowing from last year. Uh we need a new vaporizer as part of the system. Uh so we' increase the borrowing by about $25,000. That was already approved at $190. Uh transfer of our oped funds from our >> whatever free cash we may or may not have. >> John was talking about
>> Mhm. transfer to uh for operating stabilization. Uh transfer for smoke removal. Um any capital requests that are out there as well. uh unpaid accounts from prior fiscal year. So from FY25 any accounts that may be outstanding
that would be taken up in that um the capital committee bylaw question about uh combining the capital committee responsibilities into the finance committee. Um I'm sorry that's to delete the capital committee and then the next one would be to consolidate it. Uh the next one would
be the scenic roads bylaw. Um transitioning from an elected to an appointed treasurer. the annual CPC budget and there's going to be probably about nine or ten additional items for the CPC on specific um projects that there would need um approval for. So
that could be another nine or 10 articles. Um the citizens petition um for reducing the CPC article and then the um potentially a bowling alley fee waiver. >> Yeah. Yeah. There's a license uh license waiver or something I think. Yeah,
>> this is just a draft list that >> we're just a lot of articles. Be a long town meeting, guys. >> Longtown meeting. So, a couple of those might fall off. Uh, for example, I'm speaking from the bylaw committee. We're still working on that scenic roads bylaw. That one I I want to get it
right. So, I don't want to rush it through. Um, and it may it may wait till a special town meeting. I mean, I think if if there's a couple like that that are not absolutely crucial time-wise, you know, we might alleviate the schedule a little bit by doing that. But, and just to clarify, the article 9,
the ADA committee, uh, that would be to establish a committee on disability for the town. Uh, and that's a recommendation of the ADA evaluation report we had of all of our town buildings in the park, etc. So, there's lots of recommendations about what to do and what to change to make most of our facilities more of our well, all of our
facilities more ADA accessible. But in order to do that, we have to vote to establish a commission uh and and appoint members to that to manage that exercise. So that's what that's all about. >> Okay. >> And Chris, if I may, with the ADA,
because it's a process I'm familiar with, it makes recommendations and it's a 20 year. You have 20 long It's a super long time because they know that how far back things are. So, and then the other reasons about wanting to establish one is would be designating Southampton is a
um dementia friendly community. You would have to have that ADA, you know, you'd have to have that type of committee to move those types of things forward and it's wonderful. >> Yeah. And there's some of in in there just to say the report is online uh by the way under the reports and plans on the town website if you want to read it
but and it went through every every department but just briefly on that the there are many that are kind of lowhanging fruit that are pretty easy to do move a move a handle or move a doorork knob you know to a certain height but there's others that are much much more complex >> and now the ones there's a 20ear
timeline attached to it because of the current fiscal I don't want people panicking like oh gosh you know >> no this is this is a longterm longterm thing yeah absolutely Okay. All right. Anybody offhand think of any that you have in mind that you haven't put forward? >> Can I just ask No. Could I just ask a
question about the base budget though? >> Yeah. >> So, I'm aware that we have to have a base budget at some point and that hundreds of hours have gone into what we have now. For argument sake, what would happen if
we if article one was voted down? It would be contingent. I mean, we wouldn't be able to move forward with both >> unless we had both a vote on one of the larger budgets at the meeting and the
corresponding approval at the election. That's a lay person's view. >> Well, let's put it this way. It's called the doomsday budget if it passes. What would we call it if it doesn't? Yeah, but to to Okay, but to to Becky's
point though, >> it is a 50/50 whether it'll pass or not. It could hypothetically it could fail >> and then procedurally the next step would be that this it would come back to the select board of FCOM. We would
arguably hear why it failed and then we'd have to have a special town meeting in theory prior to June 30th. Mhm. >> Otherwise, we end up on the 112th budget. >> When is >> and I'm not advocating for it, but I'm saying that's the process. >> When is the election >> for the town? >> For the town. Okay.
>> The election is when? >> May 19th. So, the for the ballot. So, in order in order to get this on the ballot, >> only the two are on the ballot. The one nine and the 25 would be on the ballot. >> So, that those would be the two. But in order to get them there, they have to
pass town meeting. Yeah. on May 2nd, Saturday morning. If either or both of the overrides are approved, we could still go forward pending a favorable vote at the election. It just
if both overrides fail, there is no budget. >> Correct. >> Yeah. On at the ballot to be clear, right? So a town meeting art the way this is listed here, article one could fail, article two and article 3 could pass. We'd go to the ballot on article two and
art article three. If one of those passed, we'd go with that. If both passed, you go with the higher one, >> right? Right. And then >> we're done. >> Well, Hampshire Well, Hampshire is its own. >> Yeah. >> That's a separate thing. But but you're
saying that we don't have I mean, >> I'm hearing two different things. I think >> I hope not. >> Well, okay. >> John say so if we line Let's do the timeline, right? We're at town meeting >> and article one comes up and article one
fails. >> We we keep going. We go to article two. >> Let's just say hypothetically article two and three pass at town meeting. Each one's got to get passed by 2/3. We then move forward and article 4. We do what whatever is going to happen on that. >> Yeah. Okay.
>> Right. So now we go to the ballot on the 19th. Right. >> The two questions on the ballot >> and they're two separate questions as well. >> There are two questions. Each one you can vote yes or no. If both fail, there's no budget. If one passes, that's our budget. If both passes, the higher
one wins. >> Mhm. >> And goes through. If they all fail at the ballot, >> special town meeting should be called. Well, it should already be scheduled to be called wherever our moderator >> um >> to be had the next day. And then we got
we got >> Yeah. And I think >> I want to clear up any confusion. That's exactly what I meant. >> Well, but I think I think what I was understanding from Scott was that the base budget is is just that that is your we would hopefully have at least a base budget to go forward with so that you
can build on top of the others. But this is saying >> a little bit different as I'm hearing it. >> Yeah. I'm just saying we >> the scenario >> we can't assume >> can't assume it >> the citizens 51% are going to vote for that base budget. >> Right. M >> but I think it's a matter of how it's
how it's also presented because the idea would be if none of us want that base override drastic budget but you got to start somewhere so that you can add to it you but >> I'm unclear I mean I know the sole reason why I would vote against article
one the way it's up there now and the detail is not there. I just I need to know I need to see how the Hampshire regional number is going to be. Is is the revenue source going to be because it would be part of article one, right? The 22 million and change all our revenues.
It's I guess in the Hampshire regional debit's not going to be there, right? The the expense isn't going to be there. That'll be in article 4. So if we pass the base budget at the full with our full revenue >> regional is in the base budget fully. No, >> no, it be it would be a standalone
budget. It be standalone. Yeah. So whatever >> you showed it in the budget tonight. No. >> Right. Right. But for the purposes of town meeting that would be reduced, >> right? >> So hyp let's just say it's 6 million I you know round numbers and we have 22 million in revenue. The base budget would be
whatus >> right and then with our expenses and this Yeah. Okay. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Okay. Madam Chair, >> just to be clear that it's got >> I think it's critically important how we present it, but I think it's fundamentally more important that the
citizens understand the trade-offs. And I think John put that very clearly. We can present it however we think is best for the community, >> but the actual process needs to be made scrupulously clear
because last year we screwed up. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Thank you. >> They need to know the consequences. >> Yeah. >> Of making those choices. >> Yeah. And how each plays out because this is fourdimensional chess. >> Mhm. We're trying to solve a very very
complex problem. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> So, yeah, maybe that was my rosie thinking that the base budget would pass so that we can build upon it. But maybe that's that's not totally totally accurate. But as long as we can still vote the other as long as we can still vote article two and three
irrespectively, right? >> I'm more confident that it'll pass if if it's clearly illustrated that Hampshire regional revenue and expenses its own standalone item. >> Okay. All right. So just to say we've got a long list of u articles uh we'll
see if some can be combined and uh we'll be working. >> That's what that consent agent is. >> Well exactly that's what that is. All right. Now with the uh so we will have the articles closed tomorrow at our next meeting on the 14th. We would have to have the actual draft articles written
out for us to approve the warrant. Right. >> Yeah. Sooner the better. >> Sooner the better. Well, yeah. I mean, if you need a a meeting before that, but by the 14th anyway, is our next scheduled meeting unless we have one in between time. Okay, got it. All right, fine. You have nothing else?
All set? >> Mhm. >> Becky, you all set? >> Yes. >> Okay, good. All right. Next up, citizens petition. So, is that Lucy or what's happening? Yeah, >> since you gave it to us to start with and then we have a speaker. Yeah, you
can. Lucy Dolington Strong Road. I'm the town clerk. Um, I am presenting the citizens petition, but can I say something about the article about eliminating the caucus? Can I speak on that or no?
>> Go ahead for a minute while you're there. >> Okay. Well, I just wanted to say that um we are like one of six municipalities that have the caucus out of 315
towns. And I've been at my job for almost 12 years. And um every year it just gets difficult to get people to come to the caucus and to want to be on a board. And I thought
about if we eliminate it, we could get more people to want to be on boards and committees by, you know, getting certified nomination >> nomination troopers. >> Yes. >> Now, now who's got the rosy outlook anyway? Well, >> I know
>> we can I that's Thank you for that. I think let's when we get to the caucus on next week, we can >> Yeah, the the caucus is next week. But >> yeah, >> um >> I have to think about we'll see how many people show up >> for next week. >> Getting volunteers in general. I I totally agree. Whether it's at the
caucus or, you know, to go out and pull papers is, you know, >> so um >> it's not an easy easy way to do. >> We'll see if that >> comes off the list. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. >> So, I am here just to present the select board has the citizens petition. I
didn't make a copy for finance. I'm sorry. Um this is being uh presented by two people from town, Tammy Wunis and Heather Peligrini. Uh the petition contains more
than 54 signature. No at 54 signatures. There was only 10 needed to submit this um petition. This is the legal document that had to be certified by the registars. the names were checked and
certified um and she submitted it within time to get it on the warrant. Uh the purpose of the warrant article is to reduce the current 3% CPA search charge to 1% in an effort to alleviate an additional tax
burden on residents in the hope they will be more likely to vote favorably on the fiscal year 27 operating budget override to be proposed at the annual town meeting. So, okay. >> Uh, that's that's it. >> All right. Thank you. >> You have the paperwork and
>> acknowledging it. We have it. >> Okay. All right. >> All right. Thanks, Lucy. >> Yep. Okay. And was it Tammy that was going to speak or No, you said you wanted to speak on it. Tammy, I'm sorry. Or is that not the right time? Sorry.
>> Lucy's pen. >> Pens are a premium. Yeah. >> Tammy Wunas 298 College Highway. I'm very sorry that we did not have copies for the finan >> um
really feel that this will help our citizens I mean 2% of the revenue is is a big deal and if we can get it
applied towards if people see that they have that to be able to apply towards an override I think that's great. Um, people are also getting fed up with money being spent on thing
other things that we have no control over. Um, so I think I hope that people will consider this and that or an override would be approved.
>> Thanks. >> Mhm. All right. Nick, >> yes, I'm co-sponsoring this Warren article. >> I just think um it's it's a critical time right now. Um in in the name of fiscal responsibility, this is just one little
concession back to the taxpayer. We're asking for a lot of money. I think the average last I heard was almost $800 annually for the average assessed home. If we could take $100 off of that, that would be that would be helpful. There are a lot of seniors in this town that, you know, they they're not going to be
able to stay if we continue with increasing the taxes so steeply. Um CPC's done incredible work. I I'm not saying they haven't. We've done a lot since 2001 when we adopted it. We've been at the max. The contributions used to be at 100%. Uh I think FY26 is
looking about a 47% match. that's continually coming down due to the fact that many more municipalities have jumped on the bandwagon and the fact that it's funded by deed transfers, which we all know the real estate market is tanked. So, the fund being allocated, those have come down as well. Again, I
know they've done a lot of great work, but when I see things like the cuts that are being proposed, but yet we're building a single family house for one lucky lottery winner, it just doesn't reconcile. Again, all of the burden is being put on the individual taxpayer.
This is just a way to give a little bit back to say, "Yeah, we understand it's tough. It's tough times for everybody and this is just a little way to give give a little reprief on the burden." >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mark.
>> Mark Hass is speaking as vice chair of the CBC. I want to make sure there's accurate information out there. I'm not going to try to debate, but uh we have received uh $3.5 million from the state CPC trust fund since we had started this. If we were at 1%, we would have
lost $3 million from the state free money to this. We've had over $4 million of grant money that we've been able to leverage with the CPC money that we would not probably have been able to get because we would have had inadequate. We're talking about decreasing
uh by going to 1% we potentially go from $500,000 a year to spend in the CPC to about $133,000 and would not be able to do many projects or put together any grant applications for leveraging funds. And I think it's significantly
not going to help the town with our vision of the town. It's going to decrease the quality of citizens. And I think we need to be careful with that decision. And if I have uh we can provide more information. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. >> Madam Chair.
>> Yes, sir. >> Questions of the Sure. proponent. >> Um I'm very sympathetic to the fact that the perceived burden of taxation and expenses generally is out of control.
It's hurting every single household. municipal government is not exempt from that. Hence the overright. So to the petition, I'd like to ask you if you've considered
instead of reducing the assessment to go to those who are most heavily impacted by an additional CPA tax. The law provides for reductions or exemptions for those who
are low income and elderly. Forgive me, I'm new here. I certainly wasn't here 25 years ago when you all passed CPA. It is my understanding that we have
adopted 3% and taken extraordinary advantage of financial leverage, but we have not provided the relief for those most impacted. >> Thank you,
Sior. >> Oh, go ahead. You want >> I Okay, go ahead. >> Tammy, 298 College Highway. Um the CPC CPA Community Preservation Act can only
be modified. Key details regarding revoking it and changing it and modifying the levies. Alternatively, municipalities can vote to reduce their search charge
from 1% or amend their exceptions. So that's why we proposed 3% down to one because legally we can only do so much. >> Madam Chair, >> Mhm. >> I was not challenging. >> Okay. >> I was absolutely and never have
challenged that that may be possible but for outstanding obligations against the income stream. I am trying to show you in sympathy with providing relief for the taxpayers
that there is an opportunity which you acknowledge to provide focused relief for the elderly and low income. And I'm sorry I didn't really want to >> Yeah, this is not a debate tonight. I'm going to let Sierra answer one more question and then we're done with this topic. Okay.
>> Okay, that sounds good. I was going to say I think we may already have that um in on the books that there is already reprieve for elderly or low-inccome residents already in place >> um >> at the assessor's office.
>> Well, there's >> okay cuz I forgot what I was going to say. >> All right. >> Give me a minute. I'll be back. >> Well, we're going to we're going to move out of here. So, >> yeah. It's true that on general real estate levy, we do have lowincome and
elderly exemptions per >> state law drawing from other authorities than the CPA. >> Okay. Can I sorry, can I say my one last thing? Um, which is just that any projects that are conducted with CPA funds, not only are they generally
brought by citizens or by people who are working on behalf of citizens, but that nothing gets spent without town meeting vote. So any projects that we did whether or not you know someone might think that they were useful those were all approved by a resident vote and they will be in the future as well. >> That's all. Bye. >> And there's parameters on what they can
be spent on too. >> Correct. Yeah. Yeah. None of none of the CPA money goes back to general fund. None of it goes back to help balance our budget. None of it solves the override. It is very dedicated to three separate avenues that it must be spent on. So
yeah, John. Well, so I I guess I look at it um our role right now on this is merely procedural. >> Once once we're provided a certified copy by the town clerk, we're required to assign it an article number, choose its placement, order it on the warrant,
and request town council review for clarity, not substance. The only thing that I would add because it wasn't said here under this particular section of law, it will not pass just because it passes at town meeting. It has to go on the ballot. It has to be a two-prong.
So, we should do a placeholder, but >> Mhm. >> I think. >> Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Okay. Uh, thank you. Um, shall we move on? Next. Next item up. >> What are we vote?
>> Uh, on what? No, please. >> Thank you. >> No, we we've accepted we've got a list of articles. We've accepted the articles. We will be voting on the entire set of war articles in a future meeting. Okay. >> Thank you. Um, next up, Warren, uh, sorry, water
department contract 2026. This is for the college highway water main extension project. Brett, you want to give us a little overview? And I think we've got some papers to sign here, >> Brett Simmons, Water Department. >> I know every time I come here, I got to stack a box of paperwork, but I swear
it's all contract stuff. Uh first I want to start out by there's a lot of doom and gloom on the uh general budget general fund but the water department um we're we're sitting in a good financial spot. We're fiscally prudent. You know we're net positive on this community. We're responsible
reactive and we have a positive impact on this community on this community. So just want to assure everybody that. Um so um onto the college highway project. Um project is starting soon. It's actually uh went out to bid uh went out to bid in
February. It was approved for uh $2.069 million at the town meeting in May of 2025. Um we actually combined this phase two and phases three of this project. You >> want to explain what phases one was because a lot of people don't even know what phase one >> Yeah. phase one was from generally about
former Fulmer Road to Conan Park. >> Wait, back up further. >> We're not talking about college highway zero college highway. talking about water main infrastructure improvement over a series of years
>> that happens to be in the town >> or state highway. >> Yeah. >> So from Fulmer Road to Conent Park is basically or Clark Street is basically been done that was putting in a new water man. So go ahead. >> Correct. So phase one was uh before my time here it was from roughly it took
off from the hazardous mitigation project that removed the dam over by Sheldon's. Um we got a new uh water man in that section area because it impacted our our water man there. Um so that was no cost to us for the most part. Phase
one was from Fulmer Road to roughly well to Conent Park which is Clark Street. Um this is phase two. Originally this project was going all the way from well it was set up to three phases. Uh phase two was go Conan Park to just
outside town hall here. phase three was some town hall out to uh roughly Pomemory Metal Road. Um we made a decision to combine phases two and three to uh save considerable amount of uh funds. Um and at that point also we were
considering USDA funding. Um and generally speaking is very difficult, a lot of paperwork. Um and so an interest to save mobilization costs um per unit cost per pipe per foot and uh the extensive paperwork for the USDA funding
paperwork. We combined it into two fa two phases into one. So this this phase is called phase two. We are we were approved into town meeting in May of 2025 for a $2.069 million loan.
Um that includes u engineering oversight and the construction phase. The we had seven bids that were out to um open bid public bid on February 25th. We had seven bids ranging
from $1.86 million to 2.5. The winning contract was for $1.86 million went to Gila her construction. Uh and then that combined with roughly about $113,000 for engineering uh oversight. Um we're
sitting darn close to uh $2 million. Um cash flow projections uh charts are out for we're going to be putting out our first well back up construction is starting probably first week of May. Um it's tenatively on for the 24th which a
Friday. Um I'm not sure. We got to we're still uh scheduling on-site meetings, constru pre-construction meetings. >> Brett, could you just explain a little bit of the water man? What what do we have now and what are you going to just for people that don't know? >> This is replacing 1932 cast iron that's
in poor shape. Um so it's going to be about roughly 4700 ft of 1932 6in cast iron with brand new >> diameter. Nope, it's going for 12 in 12 in uh plastic pipe. >> Thank you.
Uh funding for this project was like I said is going u private private funding. I'm working with the treasures collector's office on that. Um this is roughly um for the fiscal year about 11% increase to our operating costs.
Um construction uh like I said is going to start so it's going to be a rough summer out here on College Highway. Um when we get closer, we're going to put out some public information on um and I assume it's going to be a daily type of where we're where um where the construction is
at that point and where the where the um detours are going to be. >> Y >> um we're going to be, like I said, going from Conan Park all the way to Bounce House Party Patrol. There's a fire hydrant out in the front there. Uh all the construction is going to be in the northbound lane.
Um, and we are going to be tying into Center, Maple Street, East Street, and High Street. Um, so obviously when those intersections come out, it's going to be considerable more traffic >> or detours or something probably. Yeah. >> Yep. >> Yeah. Well, I think what can be helpful
is as you get notices out, we can get them up on not only on Facebook, but especially on the town website, too. And I think we can make that, you know, clearer. >> Yep. >> Through we have a news and events page on town website that can, you know, get that news there, too. Yeah. Y okay. You want to talk a little bit more about the funding? I have a feeling that might
have been Steven's question. Just clarity, you said you're working with the treasur on this. So, what >> treasure collector's office? Yeah. So, I spent um considerable amount of last summer um finishing up or the application for the USDA loan funding and it's a very extensive application
process and the hopes that we were going to uh receive a lower interest rate. Mhm. >> Um turns out we are uh not not able to uh be eligible for any loan forgiveness grant forgiveness um due to
the home medium income in town. So um it was determined with uh that going out to private bid through a through the town's financial lending opport. >> So the treasurer would be out looking for correct >> possible >> Yep. >> Okay. >> And it's
>> possible sources. Yeah. I just spoke to her the other day and it's actually yeah I read what I hear in the newspaper and and on online I was asking about um you know >> details about um interest rates raising and lowering but she insisted that the
town bonds are cheaper >> okay >> than home interest rates >> and it would be for this this amount the 180 866100 or more >> more um it's going to be plus 113 for engineering and overcost we're going to wrap that engineering and oversight into
the loan. >> Is there an action item before us tonight or is this just anformational? >> We have to sign the contract. Do we do we have a contract to sign? Is that >> Yeah, we have I have three copies of it. >> We Why is the select board signing? >> Madam Chair,
>> I'm not sure. Uh we were asked to sign. This is the uh you guys have done all the vetting at the um your three-year contractor, the uh comprehensive environmental incorporated, right? it. >> I don't know if we don't know if we signed before.
>> Are the revenues to pay the debt coming out of the water fees? >> Absolutely. Yes. We are rate driven paying no taxpayer >> and and the water commission has already approved this. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> So, we're not approving the dollar amount. We're authorizing the borrowing
under the town. >> I guess >> the contract signing a contract and making it official. I guess >> the town is ultimately the guarantor. >> Correct. after the water rates. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Right. So, if we default on our loans, comes back to town hall.
>> Has town council reviewed it and made recommendations? >> I have no idea. >> Oh, may I tell you what my concern was? >> Yeah. >> It's not private private equity funding that we're seeking. It's in general commercial banking as opposed to public
agency financing. Okay. just to be clear and I completely support it and I've watched it go through the whole process. >> Okay. >> All we have to do is sign up >> as the guarantor. So, so I what I don't see here is a cash flow analysis from
the water commissioners that they are certifying that they have enough funds to cover this for whatever the length of the debt is. >> We raised rates 11% last year to cover this was offering an 11% increase to our operating budget. Right. Point taken.
>> And favorable rates that actually might be slightly less than that. But >> Right. But our role here is to approve this with the understanding that we we believe that you have the water commissioners
have the financial capability in place now for the next 20 years to pay this debt so that the general taxpayers don't have to >> I think it'd be 40 I think it's going out to 40 years but that's not my y
>> from time I guess in the I guess In the past, from time to time, >> they've done an analysis where they usually have the 10 year, 15 year, like here's where our rates need to be. >> Do you know the last time that was actually done? >> Uh, about 2020. So, the rate study is about 5 years old and I'm not sure. It
took into account this project. Not sure. >> Oh, the phase one might have been already in the planning, >> right? Yeah, this project is I'm taking over this project, finishing up the engineering design plans and phase were done in 2019 2020. We actually had to have the design plans restamped for 5
years um cuz they were so old. >> So this is not a new >> 40 years from now I plan on being retired somewhere but >> plan on being somewhere too. It >> help to know how much buffer they have in retained earnings. >> Uh that could be a possibility. Sure. If
that would make people Yeah. Uh roughly 1.4 maybe 1.5 million in retained earnings. >> The borrowing of two You're coming before us to sign a note >> of $2 million. >> We're not signing a note. We're just
>> We're guaranteeing the loan. >> Yeah, but we're not we aren't at the note level yet because it hasn't gone out for >> No, but signing this contract, that's what it does. Yeah. >> Unlike signing the note we did the other day for the other property. >> Well, yeah. We don't have an enterprise account behind us, right? >> Or in front of us.
>> Yeah. I don't see any anything like you're talking about in terms of cash flow and all the documentation we got. There's nothing like that. Are you okay with that? >> We have an enterprise fund. We have to assume that the water commissioners have been managing the water. >> Oh, Madam Chair, now who's being rosy?
>> Well, that's why we have them here as as recently retired water commissioner. I will say that we did not do a cash flow analysis. >> I agree with that. I don't see the big one last time before it started. And I think it it um >> if it's 5 years old, it's it's probably
time for it to come up again. >> Um >> it's I'm curious how I don't really want it. My open-minded question is this is 11% increase and so we just did an 11% raise. So it sounds like it the last rate increase was reactive versus
long-term planning. And I know the water department goes up a little bit every year, pennies or whatever the case may be. >> The water department, you've got your capital plan, right? Is this not been this kind of been figured in your capital plan all along though, has it not? >> We have capital plan projects, but this has been on there for since I started
actually the price went up for this project by $400,000 and then >> and then one year that >> Okay. Well, >> so do we have the wording of the motion? I don't have anything before me except what I was given which is the contract
itself which I don't see anything. I don't know Scott would what would we have to do to >> contract 2026-1? >> Yeah, >> that's in the packet. >> Yeah. >> 300 pages if you're welcome to prove through it. >> No, no, we've got we've got
>> we've got the uh online version here, I believe. Um >> Yeah. 328 pages. Yeah. >> Oh, there it goes. >> I'll make a motion that the select board sign off as the guarantor to the water
commissioners for contract number 2026-1 dated January 28th, 2026 with Comprehensive Environmental, Inc. >> Is that good? >> And authorized. Are we all signing or just the chair? Uh, no. There's
signature spots for four three people in here. >> Okay. >> All right. >> All right. Okay. Yeah. And so, uh, we'll have a second, please. >> Second. >> All right. So, just clear, Comprehensive Envir Environmental, Inc. is your overall engineer on the on the sort of the supervising engineer. Is that correct?
>> Correct. Yep. On the project since the beginning. Well, they they were not in the uh JSG was a different contractor and I'm not sure who was the engineering contractor uh engineers on site with the hazardous mitigation project that took place along
the river. >> Okay. >> Before my time. >> All right. We have a motion on the floor and a second. All those in favor? >> Unless there's any other discussion, any question? >> I Sir, >> yeah, I guess it's just on page five.
right in the beginning. The owner is the town of Southampton. So, okay, I get the water department. The awarding authority is the board of selectmen, but the funding is local funds, >> not enterprise receipts. >> Yeah, I don't know who. >> Scott with the contract together.
>> Good with that. >> It's it's identifying local funds. It's not specifying that it's enterprise funds >> on page five. >> Yeah, he's got it right Yeah, I believe I local funds would qualify as enterprise funds. >> So, you're okay with us voting for this >> the way it is?
>> And what other choice would there be? >> Clarify the language. >> I mean, my question was whether or not the select board needed to sign it to begin with. I think my memory says that even though we treat the water department as an enterprise, their enabling acts aren't actually an enter true enterprise
that they have their own commission that reports it, but for the borrowing and things that it has to come back before the select board. >> Yeah. >> Was this a group? This was approved at a town meeting, right? >> Yeah. >> The borrowing. Yes. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> May 15th, 2025.
>> Yeah. I don't recall 102 to two. >> I don't recall whether we did the first phase. I don't recall. that contract coming to us. I don't know. Yeah. >> To the select board. >> I know, right? >> And this is due to start when? In May, you said >> with uh about a month.
>> Is it is it time sensitive? It needs to be signed tonight versus >> I was going to run one of these contracts to a trade show tomorrow in Wister and hand it off to the engineering firm that's going to be there. >> Save on postage. >> Yeah.
Well, is there what would be your reluctance about signing it? Then we're just putting our name on it rather than the enterprise fund. We're guaranteeing it >> whether the enterprise fund should be the ones to sign it. But again, that that would be the water commissioners. And now we don't even have a quorum of water.
>> No, no, you do. >> Oh, we do. >> Yeah. >> You just >> two out of three. >> Oh, okay. Fine. All right. I'm a quandry. I don't know, honestly. And I I think it's already a process. It's not just CI, right? That's the
minor part of the bill. It's also Giller, unless her subcontractors, too. >> Gillher is doing the actual work, but the overall supervising engineer is CEO. That's who the contract is with. >> So Gilhur is sub, >> right?
>> Yeah. Thank you. >> As far as I understand it. >> No, Giler would be he was the lowest bidder. He's a GC on the project and then he'll carry the subs underneath that I imagine. >> Yeah. Yeah. There were seven bids on the project
>> contractor. This is the engineering person who's the project manager. >> Right. >> That's >> Yeah, there were seven bids and that one came in the lowest. Correct. That's right. So, >> and I'm a procurement officer just so like I'm just you guys are speaking my language. >> I just run a water department
>> and indeed the board commissioners with three votes >> Yeah. approve this fit. >> Okay. So, it's all been approved. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I don't have any knowledge to say yay or nay on this. Honestly, I don't know. And
without checking if we should sign it, is there any reason that we should not sign it? I don't know. I mean, we can certainly sign it. We can approve it in contingent on getting some clarity from legal if you want to. And then we can, you know, if if it's okay to sign, then we can come in during the week or
sometime and sign it. >> Madam Chair. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> I'm not a lawyer, but I play one in television. >> Well, that is Holiday and Express. >> I really think this all conflates
>> and we're just following through on authority granted by town meeting, the board of water commissioners. And although there's an enterprise fund, the town, it's the full faith and credit
>> as the back stop. Yeah. Cuz you know, Uncle Sam's not going to backs stop us. But >> um I'm So I'll motion to specify in the wording for the minutes, >> okay, >> that the funding source is the water receipts of the enterprise account. >> Okay.
>> And then I'm good with it. >> All right. >> Motion amended. I thought it was assumed that was obvious, but >> second is not what it says. >> I get it. >> Okay. Motion amended and seconded. >> I didn't read off. >> All those in favor? >> I that came in. >> I I All right. I do.
>> Motion passes. Okay. So, you can uh leave those with us and we'll get to the signing of them at the end of the meeting. Thank you. Got three. >> I'm going to hang outside in the parking lot. Wait. Well, I need to run one to Well, the agreement was >> leave them there. We'll pass them down the line. >> We'll sign one right now and be done with one. So you can go away if you want
to. >> I didn't think this was going to be the most controversial agenda. >> Actually, why don't you start with Stephen down there? >> Go down the line. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Thanks, Kate.
>> No, that's okay. We've got all your emails. Thank you. >> And I have one street. >> I'll give you one after. >> Okay. So, we'll follow Steven's lead in terms of where he's signing here.
>> Yeah. >> It's all tabbed. >> All the tabs, I take it. Yeah. Okay. All right. Good. Let's uh keep on moving on. We've got a couple of more agenda items. Um, next up we have a zoning bylaw request. This is rel related to solar
generating facilities, particularly best battery battery energy storage systems. And I believe this is being brought forth by the board of health. Caitlyn Brooks, 189 College Highway, chair of Southampton Board of Health. Um, I have submitted a lot of
information and tried to pull together all of the different regulations that involve multiple town departments, zoning, ZBA, planning board, and I have spoken to and watched numerous other towns struggling because these B or
these solar companies are coming in before regulations are implemented and essentially potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in towns. because they don't have regulations in place. So, as an example, there's a proposed system
that's being um proposed over a zone 2 u water protection area in town. Um I'm also listening to all of the budget discussions tonight. And so, I just want to list I I kind of flipped to my front page uh the front page of what I'm I
handed you for the handouts. And I'm just going to read a couple of reasons why it's important to enact some sort of bylaws. um regulating best systems which are battery energy storage systems. They are largely lithium ion batteries very large. They can be large systems. They
can be you know warehouse size systems. Um there's a a risk of fire and thermal runway with toxic smoke that can impact the environment and also impact local water supplies. Um, I obtained a list of wells that are located in the area
surrounding Pleasant Street. And I'm thinking about how much money it's costing Brett to put in a small sub se segment of water lines and thinking about what would happen if any area of Pleasant East Street and Gun Road were contaminated and how we wouldn't have
the funds to remediate uh well contaminations, let alone do all the testing required. Um, so here's my few reasons why it's important to enact some best system regulations. Number one, it establishes tiers that allow for regulations to be catered to the size of
the system, which actually reduces administrative burden to um multiple town departments and it clarifies what would require a special permit and not require a special permit. It regulates as of right installations which determines what wouldn't require a spe a
special permitting process and therefore also would reduce costs to the town. It creates standards for community benefit agreements and community benefit plans which make sure that towns get money for assuming risk of installing these best systems. I went to a presentation um
about these systems at a Massachusetts Association of Health Boards uh presentation and they basically said that uh towns are able to get fire trucks or water tankers just by having this risk in town. So this is money that we could be collecting um when these
riskier systems are installed in town. Uh it creates a fee structure for site plan reviews and special permits. I believe the um Concom special site review was going to cost between $10 and $15,000. So, we need to make sure that those expenses are being
passed on to the installers and not being assumed by the town. >> Both con planning board. Yes, that's the current condition. >> And who knows if a site assessment is going to be required from the board of health for this particular installation. Um it requires operation and maintenance
plans and emergency response plans. Not only is this important for our fire department, but we also rely on mutual aid. And so we need to make sure that our region is aware of any plans being installed and how how to shut them down. I mean, toxic smoke can spread within one minute of a fire and can require
evacuation of a large number of people very quickly. And so the more work that's done up front to make sure there's emergency procedures will hopefully reduce the risk of contaminating water supplies. um uh water containment. Um so say there's
a fire and there needs to be water um water used to contain a fire. There needs to be containment in um plans to make sure that there's not water runoff that will impact wetlands. I'm not a person that can that's a engineer that knows how to do soil reviews, but I do
know, you know, in this best system that's proposed on Pleasant Street that 50 pages of the plans for that particular project were related to to drainage issues. Um, and so I think that it's important that we're looking at that as it relates to our water supply.
Um, it's also important that we're requiring proof of liability insurance and you can also require assurityity to make sure that when the system is at end of life that they are putting up a bond to pay for that decommissioning which I feel like is important. It also if there's a fire, someone's going to need
to remove that equipment. So, it creates expectations for that. Um, light pollution and sound are also major considerations for the board of health. Um, I also just want to like speak to the importance of having clarity around
what when permits are needed and what special permits uh will be needed related to specific sizes of systems and that can be determined by planning board based upon what's necessary for Southampton. And I really would love the opportunity to do that collaboratively
in a way that makes sense for Southampton. Um, I think it's important that we're thinking about our water supply and natural resources and you know what the actual risk is of these system installations over our water supply and I think regulations would
really help to provide clarity around um things that can be done to protect our water supply. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. >> Um, question. >> Not a question. I was going to >> Yeah. So I I was going to just add a
couple points. So at this point I know this this has been um the subject of public hearings at Kong which are still underway. Concom has got their own jurisdiction from my understanding in terms of wetlands. >> Point clarification >> not a bylaw. >> Not a bylaw the
>> specific project. >> The project review. Yes. I'm sorry. Just one thing. Uh Brett, just a note Brett. Sorry. That needs a town accountant signature. Yes. Which you don't have. >> Okay. That gets delivered at five o'clock. Okay. All right. So, yes. So, the the project, excuse me, thank you,
Stephen, has been under discussion at Concom and they have their own jurisdiction. My understanding with the um planning board is that we have on the books already on our zoning bylaws. We do have a solar generating facility um
bylaw. We have uh site plan um bylaws and we have uh groundwater regulations on our current books on our on our website on our zoning bylaw. to my knowledge they don't really very much address best systems because they were done kind of ahead of that. So the
request I think would be for planning board to take up a uh discussion and a modification an amendment uh for the for the current bylaws that they have in place to be able to strengthen the best portion of their existing bylaws based on the concern of
the board of health and I'm sure neighboring citizens. So, I think that would be the request of select board to be able to pass that on next to planning board for them to take the next step. They're the ones that manage all the the zoning bylaws and create all of your following your lead.
>> Well, that's that's as best I know. >> I'll make a mo I'll make a motion that we receive this on behalf of the board of health. The board of health voted in favor of this >> that we received this on behalf of the board of health. We forwarded to the planning department um planning commission. >> Planning board. >> Planning board.
>> Planning board. And we asked them to um take this up and um provide us a update within 60 days of next what the game plan is. >> Yeah. No, I mean they they have their own regulations and procedures in terms of when they have to start public
hearings. They have they have to do all of that. >> They can communicate back in writing and just keep the whole circuit communication. they just keep keep on with their procedures with legal notices and when they start public hearings and >> and I would just note that more than likely if this requires ballot action or anything like that it's not going to be
>> no yeah and this would probably with hope this could be something that would come back for example at at a special town meeting for an amendment to a zoning >> July that would be ideal >> well that would be ideal now the one other piece of information which I know you and I have talked about the state has been trying to put together model
bylaws on best specifically to be used by communities and my understanding and limited I will say is that usually when the state puts out a model bylaw it's like here communities we really do want you to adopt this >> so that is not well that has not been
that has not been concluded yet that model bylaw has been out since I think October if I'm not mistaken >> and it was supposed to be finished by March >> right so they were talking about that and we know how fast things move right so that is still in the works I've reached out to Senator Vis's office to find out if they have any clue about where this is in the process and I
haven't heard back. Um, but just to say that that that is ongoing and even with a model bylaw, there might still be ways for planning board to take a look at that and do some additional strengthening for Southampton. So, um, that that would be up to their their
deliberation and their consultant and all that kind of stuff. So, >> you have a motion second. And what I wanted to add to this is that uh it's really important to study the existing planning board regulations around site plan review.
>> They were just amended in the town meeting 10 months ago >> and the idea was to make it more feasible for residential use whether attached to the house or detached. And
so I will admit it did not address batteries. It did relax thresholds for the degree of review. But at this scale of system,
almost everything you're talking about in terms of solar review and contingency and fire department involvement, I can say from my time on the planning board is part of the site plan review. And if
you engage at that level when it comes to the planning board because it will be under existing regulations, you have a lot more concrete specific issues that map directly to your concerns.
>> Yeah. >> Although it's not batteries. >> Yeah. >> So I support this. I support your efforts. We need to educate ourselves. we need to do better. >> There's a disconnect between zoning and
groundwater protection, >> but um yeah, this particular project is almost certainly going forward under the existing published regulations.
Don't underestimate them. >> Exercise your citizen. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And I think planning board should be meeting. Normally they will meet uh I think the first and third Wednesdays of the month. So they should be having a meeting.
>> Okay. >> Sorry. Come on up just for a second. Yeah. I know you're one of the absorters. Yeah. >> The planning board >> yourself. Jeff Boater Pleasant Street Southampton. uh in looking back they had a meeting just recently but before then
the previous meeting to that was I think November 19th. >> Okay. >> So they went 4 months without a meeting. >> Okay. >> So I'm just to me this is fairly maybe urgent a little bit too much of a statement but it's fairly important to get a best bylaw out there.
>> Okay. >> Uh so if the planning board is the main governing body to do that and they're only meeting >> like tomorrow's a meeting. They had a meeting tomorrow. It's already been cancelled. >> Okay. >> So, if they had direction to do something tonight, they could have talked about it tomorrow. But no,
they're not meeting. >> Well, they wouldn't because they have to post their 14 hours ahead of time. I understand. But anyway, but this is this is the venue tonight to with this coming forward tonight. Then it's up to select board to formally notify planning board that we've received this. We've heard the concerns of of the board of health
and we will be recommending that they take this up as an amendment to their >> existing violence. The planning board through their chair ought to welcome communication from a citizen about their concern. >> Not saying he doesn't. I'm not at all. It's just I'm following a procedure and
a process to formally notify them once we've had it received here. We're going to pass it on to planning board with a note from me saying as chair of select board, we voted last night to move this to planning board's slap >> with with with the caveat that we'd like
some sort of followup within 60 days. >> Okay. I mean, so they've got to do something within that window. >> And again, I think yeah, there there's a time limit by when they have to start a hearing and I'm I'm thinking it's around that time actually at the outside. >> It might it might be the chair just motion
question. >> Yes, I will. Thank you. >> All those in favor? >> I I >> I All right. Thank you. We will get a note over to planning board and keep an eye out and talk to talk to the chair directly and just, you know, get on their get on their agenda. Okay.
Thanks Kate for all your all your work and all your research on that. Much appreciated. >> Appreciate you bring it forward. >> All right. Next up we have the uh request from Galvin and Sunsmasonry to wave um
some permit fees for the work that's going to be done at the old town hall with police station. They're going to be removing the ramp which is not ADA compatible and has not been used anyway. We're going to be doing some repointing of the masonry that was going to be funded or is funded through a grant. Uh
and so the entrepreneur is asking if we could wave the the fees for the uh the permit fees for the town of Southampton since he's working on a Southampton town project. >> I have a couple questions. So I guess maybe I know about this, but I don't have any memory. So did did we was this
job bid out and this was the low bid? >> Yes. >> Did did the bids include >> a lot So if if if we wave this fee and and he did not have it in his bid, but number two had it in their bid and
lost by less than 1,600. >> I'd have to go back. PVPC helped us with the bids. I'd have to find that. >> Yeah. I think we we said at during the um pre-bid conference um people that came or people that asked questions
during that pre- bidding time, I believe they were told that we would consider waving the fees, but we didn't have a definitive answer on that at the time. So, that was that was the message that went out that we would consider waving building fees. >> Madam Chair, for the purposes of discussion, I would like to move that we
wave the $16,000 and change in fees. 1,600, >> not 16,000. >> Just wait till I read the warrant. >> Much >> uh the fee for the ramp removal at the
old town hall currently funded by grants and CPC award. >> Not CPC, I think this one. >> CPC. >> I don't think CPC in this one. Just grant. >> Federal park. Yeah, >> it's federal park. Uh >> no match. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. Okay. Federal park. Okay. Well,
however funded I >> it's a motion. >> Okay. I motion. Can I have a second? >> Second. >> Second. Ellen, got to speak up there. I can't hear you. Okay. Uh All right. Got a second. Okay. Further discussion. >> So, okay. So, that was question number
one. Question number two is, it looks like they've already remitted $1,679.96 of which $44.96 was a fee. Are we able? Is this a third party? Are we going if we
abate this? Are we going to be able to recap refund the $44.96 or are we going to eat that? >> I believe we'd be able to refund it. I'd have to double check with permit link, but I think in the past that >> Well, this is us. This is our third party >> that collected the smoke. Okay.
>> Permit link would be Yeah. Yeah. >> So, that would be the the fee total. You mean the 45? Yeah, cuz the cost was $1635 and then there was a $44.96 fee. I mean, if if we are going to zero this out, I I don't want to pay an extra $44.96.
>> Mhm. >> Yeah. We would need to try and re recoup the fee if we can do that. So, you want to >> So, the motion is for refunding >> the eligible portion. the eligible portion of that which is recounted on
the subtotal line of the slide displayed. >> Okay, got it. >> All right. Any further discussion? Yeah, Jim, you had >> I was just going to say as a somebody that does this, that's what I do. I I would say that if it was carried as a
line item by because to John's first point, you're opening yourselves up for potential issues. if it was carried as a line item. So, if every bidder carried that number in their line, then you're okay if you were to do this. But if it wasn't, your point is super valid
>> in a bidding world. >> Okay. >> I honestly cannot answer that without trying to find all the different contracts. >> Um, further, >> not the contracts, but the bids that came in because they came in through through PVPC. So >> we could we could further amend the
motion under discussion that provided that it would not have altered the outcome. >> Mhm. >> Because that's the issue. >> Yeah. In terms of the the the difference between the first and second had they carried that close that close. >> The bids weren't that close. >> Yeah. I don't I don't have them at hand,
but I know PVPC helped us look at the at these things and and put the bid scope together and so forth. >> And I'm okay with Scott's representation. >> Yeah. Okay. As long as somebody >> thinks we're okay. >> Okay. >> You know, >> how about if we can vote on this and then I will for the next meeting I'll come back and just inform you all what
what those actual bid differences were. >> Sure. >> I can find that by then. >> Sure. >> Rather than do it tonight. >> Motion in a second. Call the question. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. Thank you. We will get clarity on that. All right. Is there any other business that can't wait until our
next regular meeting on April 14th? >> Hearing none. We do have a couple of licenses and permits. Uh we have an entertainment license. >> Move to approve the entertainment license for Bashisha's Orchard. Um has common vicular license adding 2026
entertainment license. >> Right. >> Second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. Move to approve the one-day beer and wine permit to Lindsay Labont >> Labonte >> Labonti HMA Mortgage Thursday, April
30th, 2026, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 15 College Highway, Unit A Southampton for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Okay. >> All right. And just to say this is a new business moving into Red Rock Plaza. So, uh, a some sort of ribbon cutting with a little bit of
>> liquid refreshment apparently. So, okay. All those in favor? I I >> You got the canvas right next door. >> Yeah. >> Motion to approve without exception uh the following minutes. February 19th, February 25th, February 26, March 3rd, 2026 as a package. >> Okay. >> Yep.
>> Those all look good. I didn't see any any problem with them. So, yes. All those in favor? >> I >> I All right. I motions are approved. >> Move to approve PCF Fire Department. Jose Morales. Madam Chair, >> hold on. Hold on. Yeah, if Tim K would like to I'm going to make a motion on
behalf of the finance committee to close our meeting. >> Okay, >> we're going to join adjourn. >> All in favor? >> I All right. Very good. >> 751. >> All right. Very good. >> These are just >> Thank you. >> Thanks. All right. Yeah. Okay.
>> Thank you all. >> John, you're on a roll. Go ahead. >> All right. Motion to approve PCF Fire Department. Jose Morales, new hire, part-time paramedic as needed, non-benefited, $27 per hour. >> Second. >> All right. So, this is a part-timer, no benefits. Okay. All right. All those in
favor? >> I >> I >> Okay. Move to approve PCF for a change in status for water department Andrew Shepard going to part-time watertech non-benefited $3145 per hour.
Um I believe the PCF states not to exceed 8 hours per week. >> 8 hours per week. >> Okay. All right. We have a second. >> Second. >> All right. Any discussion?
>> These are eight hours of work performed. >> Yeah. These this is this um weekend wellch check work, right? >> Yeah. So theoretically >> work performed for at physical work performed >> for work performed on the weekend in particular apparently. Right.
>> Yes. During the transition period. >> Okay. All right. >> All right. >> Second. >> All right. We have a second already. Okay. All those in favor? >> I I >> All right. I'll say I. Motion passes.
>> Can we wave the reading of the warrants? >> No. No. No. as they you can say as they need to hear. >> Could be 10 minutes, folks. You can say as they appear on the screen. >> Well, it's a very long list. >> Wait, no. Yeah, there you go. >> I'm happy to There you go. So, as they
appear on the screen, yeah. So, we have various >> listening at home move to accept the warrants as posted on the screen. >> Yeah. >> Second from Warren Clark. >> All right. Okay. Well, if that's uh these are all all been done and duly
signed by the warrant clerk and >> and by the treasurer and by the town >> administrator and I do in fact review um in a >> practical way, the piles of paper that come with each of these warrants.
>> Yeah. So, these are payroll warrants and vendor warrants and payroll deduction warrants for >> and payroll deduction warrants. Some of the biggest ones. >> No, you should have just read them all. >> Yeah. So, okay. All those in favor? Hi. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> All right. Warrants are accepted. Thank you.
>> Old business. >> Tough crowd tonight. >> How we doing on uh FY24 audit issues? Yeah, just leave them with Scott. We'll get them. >> Thanks. >> Um uh no movement yet. >> There's more more stuff that's been
going in. I mean, they're >> uh focusing on free cash right now. >> Yeah. Okay. All right. Okay. Uh, our next select board regular select board meeting is April 24th and 28th unless we need >> Is it the 24th or the 14th? >> I'm sorry. Sorry. Gosh, sorry. April
14th and 28th. Sorry, I'm ahead of myself. April 14th and 28 unless we need a special meeting for any reason. So with that uh we will be going into executive session and the reason for that is per MGL chapter 3A section 21A2
to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel and this is related to the police chief. So with that so move >> take a motion to adjourn.
>> All right and we will >> not return to public >> not return to public meeting. Thank you very much. And all those in favor, we have a second to adjourn. >> Lumber I. >> All right. We are adjourned. >> We are adjourned at 7:55 and take about
5 minutes at the most. Come back. >> Yes. And we'll have our executive session