Good evening late F you all set everybody. Okay. Good evening. This is the meeting of the select board for June 16, 2025. It is 6 p.m. We are in the Linduse hearing room. This meeting is being recorded. If anyone else is recording,
please let Clerk Russ Anderson know. Um, go around the table. Nicole Parker, CEO. Diane Gail, chair. Doug Moin, Russ Anderson. Thank you. Um,
Jessica, would you like to lead us in the pledge of allegiance to allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. Thank you. Is there anyone here today with public comments? No one in the room. Anybody online? Looks like no. Okay. So, moving right into business. We
have a joint meeting with the planning board uh for a couple of appointments. However, we need one more person from the planning board to arrive in about 20 to 25 minutes. Um, so I just want to
acknowledge that. And is it okay if we move that on the agenda a little bit? All good. So, we'll come back to that shortly. Thank you. Um, and then then we jump
into Uh we're going to do a couple of appointments here. Uh we have Bob Sullivan who is a he is the current assistant building inspector. Yeah. Deputy
building inspector. He is from Granville. Um so we have the opportunity to appoint him in the interim as the building inspector while we search for permanent replacement. So he he'll be taking the place dayto
day or as needed as as needed which is many days. Yeah. Did this before I think before Kyle Scott Yeah. was hired. Yeah. He filled in for a while now. I'll make a motion to appoint. Second.
Roll call vote. Diane Gale. I Doug Moin. Yes. Russ Anderson. Okay, then we have the Hillside Road and South Luma Street paving bid. This is what we talked about. I'm sorry, we did not talk about this one. We talked about
this one some time ago, I believe. Um, do you want to give us the synopsis on this one, Randy? Yeah. Randy Brown, DP, DPW director. We opened bids for paving Hillside Road and South Street a couple weeks ago. Uh you have the I think the
bid tab in front of you. Uh so we're looking to award the contract to low bidder and respond paving. The bid price was uh 975 $756,000. Yeah, I thought that just went up for a
second. So this is a project identified last year. Uh the work on Hillside Road, the drainage work was wrapping up that might be done tomorrow. Uh, and so these roads are now ready to have paid. So I I
expect that this work done this fall. Randy, on your you bid them, right? We don't use any group purchasing for that. That's correct. Do we have that avenue available or not? And I know some of the counties, you know, will bid as a county when you get up in New Hampshire and
Handler Ham Hampshire County and Franklin County, but I didn't know Hampton County, we have any kind of group through Pioneer Valley Planning or No, I I like to bid them individually and you talk to a contractor, they would rather see them bid individually as well for a project. I think we get much better pricing when we do that. When you
bid a global contract like that, you don't know where you're going to go. Contract has no idea where it's going to be bidding. A lot of variables, a lot of unknowns. You see that you see that bit price is going to go up. So it's much more dated
uh with with a no scope. Okay. Does that mean instead of giving them a group of our projects a a bidder a group of our projects or what does that mean? No, we're talking about uh co-op bids where like Franklin County has a co-op bid where they they
do paving, right? So any any community in Franklin County and piggy back on this contract and there's even a price for you know per as okay right anybody in the county but then they can charge you for additional work on top of that well if
it's beyond the scope for the the bid then I suppose they could I guess the only plus side to what I've heard is their predictability that that you can then lay out your road work knowing how much it's going to be by yard and etc. So that you have a little bit better
predictive rate going forward, but if the county doesn't have it, there isn't much choice. Okay. Okay. Um, you also mentioned that this had 905 available. Where was that source from?
I have this spreadsheet with me but so over the years um so we have money from this is the next item on the item but we have money from Ty appropriation and money from chapter 90 there's a couple of extra
supplemental funds for fair share and rural roadway so we've used up um a lot of those funds and you know I like I like to estimate high with my estimates but the vids so these usually there's money left over so we reallocate those.
So it came from all of those sources. Okay. So the I do have a spreadsheet which has you know where these funds are coming from. I don't know the front of me but Okay. Yep. So the 148 excess we'll call it can be reallocated
into this year's work. Yes. Okay. Yeah. I think last year we it was like 700 or 720 for Hillside and
South Lumis was half a million dollars. Yeah. So that that included the drainage work as well. So I think there was like $1.4 million allocated for these two streets a year ago. Presby did drainage work on both. That work is now complete. So we know what those costs are going to
be ending at. And so the balance is what we can dedicate towards the pay the payment and that rolls forward into next fiscal year. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right.
Seen need a motion to award the contract to uh Palmer Paving for Cold In place Paving on Hillside Road and South Lumis Street for amount of $756,580. Is that a motion? Yes. Second. I'll call
vote. Dang. I Doug Moin. Yes. Sanderson. Okay. Thank you. and then you can continue that discussion to the 2026 projects. Yes. So you have a list in front of you
with first summary of available funds for this upcoming year. So there's a million dollars allocated at town meeting. Thanks for your support on that. I did put a two determined for chapter 90. The state hasn't finalized their budget yet. So the chapter 90 funding had not been finalized. So, uh,
last year we got $371,000 just for reference, but that number is not set. So, I'm setting that aside for now. We also have some supplemental funding from uh the fair share program, $83,000 and $122,000 from the rural
roadway funding. Uh, the fair share was actually quite a drop from last year. Last year we were $215,000 for rural road per fair share. this year 83. Uh the rural roadway didn't change all that much. Uh we do have some car
care carryover funds from chapter 90. Uh and then also some carryover funds from the fair share that were not used. So those sources minus the chapter 90 there's about $1.45 million available for the next round of projects. So
further in the letter I gave you a list of 45 separate projects. um all I would say are well need and deserved to be on the list but uh the 1.45 is not going to go that far. So we
need to have a discussion in terms of what projects you want to advance this stuff coming here. We have discussion every year. So I highlight I highlighted or I old projects that I recommended uh and those total just over $1.2 million.
But I'm also love to hear feedback from the board how to allocate these flows. Guess I'll start. Um, so how are they determined? Um, one of the questions when I see the roads that were highlighted,
it doesn't seem like our busiest roads. I get some of them around. I get hope from those that we look on is have some major stuff going on. But when I look at, you know, if you look the road up, it's basically from the town, it's basic with 90% of our our population traveling
the Bing Hills, the the the Granville roads, the South Longards, etc. North Longards. Seems like those should be priority based on traffic counts. But we're working on South Lumis is is highlighted here, but not by any hill. We did we've
done half of it and we did Mort binding. Wouldn't we continue that? I'm just trying to We do have a pavement program which we try to follow which identifies projects and and it does prioritize them partly based on uh the traffic volume
also the condition of the road as well. So I would say you know South W Street is one that you know the road was pretty poor condition. Mhm. Um it is we consider our main road you know just like binding milling hills
may not be as well traveled but it's considered in our mind in my mind it's a main road. So that's how we've advanced these projects over the years. Um the roads that I that I recommended here. So An Hulcom road was phase two. So last year we allocated funds for drainage and
retriever work and this phase two will complete the project to pay it which that road's fairly passive. Yeah. And I'd recommend so and again that's not a main road, right? I mean that's probably the worst condition road in town. Uh Gargan Terrace. This is the third
phase of this project, right? We did we removed the sidewalk one year. We put a new sidewalk in this past year and then this is the third year which I hope that we can finish the street and and pave the road. Um yeah, it's a dead end road, but but certainly it's deserved to be to
be paved. Um the other project those are the only two paving projects I identified. There's other gray matches and crack ceiling and some drainage work here but those are two that I recommended to move forward now. And then there is a little bit of money left over uh the $200,000 that
still available in these dollars plus the likely 370 plus or minus for chapter 90. And I would recommend using putting those towards the next like a phase project. starting drainage on one of the main roads you talked about south Lumis
or depot or hill um drainage and then and then paving work you know put that into that may be a two-year project fortunately the dollars don't go far so we have to I like to spread the products out a little bit as well all over town so that's why we've done it this way so
we get you know you're on the west side of town you see some exhibity on the east side of town you also see some activity you're not putting all your dollars into one street that not everyone's going to. And are we looking at different processes to, you know, is it always are we always getting the best
or is there cheaper ones we could do that aren't maybe aren't quite as good, but last us 10 years instead of 20 or Yeah. For the pavement program, we we've identified different types of treatment type different types of paving repairs. So, the most extensive ones are the reconstruction where you're basically
replacing the whole road and the road base. Uh Crack Seal is a good one. We do crack every year. I like praxial. It's a very cost effective approach, but you're going to do crack seal on roads that are still in in good condition. You know, a road like an open road, you're not going to get crack, right? Um, and we have
done other surface treatments called micro seals, cape seals, which are also very effective. Uh, they they're a wearing surface. They they protect the ass underneath it. And we've done a lot of roads with micro seals and cape seals over the past couple years. I would add
more to the list, but I think we're kind of capped out right now where we can do those projects. Those roads still need to be in pretty good condition. Uh, but the roads that we've done, if all we need to do is crack seal those roads, that's a win-win since it's very little dollars to maintain those roads. Once you get
into that condition, really go fully if you can roll a doll up into a you know a good condition road and then you just crack seal every three, four, five years and it it becomes a very cost effective type of thing. But the problem is we have these roads like at Oak like Davis
that are biting hill that are all very deteriorated, right? you know, you have to do the more costly repairs. And you're talking, you know, if you're doing full drainage and full paving, you're talking well over a million million half dollars per mile of road.
We have 80 miles of road and we get one half million dollars a year of paying average. So, go a car. Are these all of the drainage improvements that you know of right now
or are there others of that as well just further down the list? These are ones that I'd recommend advancing right now. There are other smaller scale projects that we could probably add to the list, but these are just start. Do you still want to do the drive around
and see those? And absolutely get an idea. I think you're right. You know, you have to focus in some spaces on the on the busy roads, but there's also roads in town that are getting bad that have been there since the early 50s that
we haven't been paying much attention to. last few years especially uh Gargon being the lone exception um we've spent all our powder on major roads Hillside um South Lumis this will finish off South
Lumis um Feeding Hills Road and Feeding Hills Road was down that was a ginormous one it needed to be done I get it but you know you get over here in the Bernwood Birwood area right those are original construction roads from when those subdivisions went in and they're starting to really need attention over
there. In my opinion, we should take a look around and see where else we should be. Look in there and kind of have a balance of of where we're doing that work. And like I said, there's $30 million worth of work. You could spend that in 20 minutes right now. If you really
wanted to go do it all, but uh No, I know. I just talking with others. There's other processes that are a little cheaper and sure, you know, like gains. I asked what do they use in in Alaska to keep their roads up? Are we using 12 inches? Are we using that? Yeah. I don't know. But I know there's
different types of seals. You mentioned some of them and different towns use different things. Do we do any grinding and pavement in house? Like a lane or in house? No. No grinding. We have a we have a little milling machine which can we get like a three or four foot wide
mill like on on a gutter line, but we're not doing travel lengths. Is that something that would be worth investing in or I think we struggle with the work in front of us with our with our staff and
resources for the equipment we have. The milling is is actually pretty cheap. It's the paving is the expensive part, right? And things like sheep pasture, south longard, these are 10,000 ft, 16,000 ft.
Those would likely be broken up into sections. You could do that for sure. Okay. Okay. So, you want to schedule a little drive through again?
Yes. When would you like to do that? You want to give us some dates and send it or Okay. Sure. Dates on those. Sure. and we'll come back to this. Give me a warning. I heard I got to buy
the coffee. That's true. Thought I was getting one coffee before it drops. I like mine hot though. All right. Um, no one else has come into our um waiting
room. Okay, great. Okay. Then uh we can go on to appoint special municipal employees um which is on page five of your additions that were sent today.
This will be for the period 71 25 through 63026. Um, so I just need to read the positions on these. All right. So, let me read that list and someone can
make a motion to appoint one or all cemetery ston and council on aging director park and wreck and council on aging administrator boards. Board of appeals and police
department of public works. What is sic? Sewer Implementation Committee. Sew and sewer implementation committee. Thank you. Town Planner and Economic Development Director, Conservation Commission and Community Preservation Commission.
Any objections up to that point? Any questions up to that point? Okay. All part-time police officers, reserve and traffic control officers, code inspectors, call force, firefighter, EMTs, emergency medical
technicians, planning board, park and recck commission, CPC committee. So far so good. Plumbing inspector, alternate building inspector, clerk of the works, electrical inspector, assistant wiring
inspector, alternate electrical inspector, alternate plumbing inspector, alternate plumbing inspector 2, park and wc commission and wallally computer. This was under vendors if I did not say that. Sorry about that. Uh, park and recck commission and Wall-E computer,
park and recck commission and community preservation committee and Wall-E computer. Uh the town's attorneys and automatic special town employees are board of selectman, chair, vice chair, and clerk.
Motion to uh make the f those named as special municipal employees for fiscal year 2026. That's interesting. This is for 71 20
5 through 630 26 still. Okay. If you split them apart, no problem. But if you're doing the first one first one took them all. Yeah. Okay. So, I'll second that. Roll call. Vote. Diane Galla. Doug Moan.
Yes. Russ Anderson. State. Okay. All right. Okay, then we're getting close, people. Then, uh, Chief Stanowitz, you have a request for the select board to support
the safer grant application. Um, I do. So the department has applied for the safer grant which is funding from from FEMA um several years and there are certain criterias and benchmarks that
need to be met in order for the grant to be funded and even though we applied and were pretty diligent about how we applied, we never received the grants. Um and the grant was for adequate staffing for fire emergency responses.
So this year with the addition of our recent three new people on the department for full-time staffing gives us three per shift um the grant would be to look to add a fourth member to that shift. Adding that fourth member then
meets the NFPA standard of four firefighters rolling out for a fire on the first apparatus and that would be uh within four minutes would meet the threshold of the requirement. So it probably makes it a little bit more likely that we would receive the grant because prior all of our applications
probably wouldn't have even met that criteria. So it really wasn't meeting their goals although it would been helpful. What's changed dramatically in the last year is the safer grant always covered 100% of the costs for the employees in the first year, the second year and then 50% in the third year.
This year the big change is that it's gone to 25% of the first year. 25% and the second year is covered by the federal government and then the third year 65% of it. I'm sorry I take that back. 25% is required by the town in year 1 and year two. Year three would be 65%.
So the timing is poor because it falls right in the middle of a fiscal year where we didn't anticipate that change in the grant. We talked about applying for the grant and even adding new people, but this is a little bit sooner. So I'm looking to just at least get permission from the select board to
pursue the grant. there's no guarantee that we're going to get it. If we get it and it's still not feasible, the we could decline the grant as well, too. So, that's kind of where we're at. I just if the select board is is in the town says we're not ready for that just
yet and rather not go for the grant and maybe wait till next year. However, we're not sure every year we're not sure how much is going to be available for for federal funding and if this grant is even going to be available in the future. My thinking is this is probably going to
be our last chance for this grant. So, I'd at least like to apply and see what happens. You don't know unless you ask. Why would it be our last chance? Because I think the funding is going to go away. They say they say not, but we'll see. Yeah.
Again, it's I just don't know. There's a lot of variables involved in it. Um and it could be here for another 15 years. I just don't know. But I, you know, some of the people I talked to said that this could be the last one for for that type of funding. I think the assistance firefighter grants would probably still stay intact, but I think the funding for
the staff may might go away. And when would this be awarded? Um, it would be probably late summer, early summer, early fall. So, um, go September was what they were looking at. And then you have 180 days after the award to hire the people, which still keeps you in
this fiscal year. Chief, what's the the 25% town commitment? What's that dollar amount? So, I'm still working on that right now because of the new contract that's changed and benefits and things, but I'm using $80,000 as an average. Not with
benefits, though. That's So, you're just That's salary. Yeah. But the problem is it all depends on what benefits they they accept. So, so I believe that the grant has a $17,000 cap cap on it. That's worst case $17,000. That would be the loans that you could ask for. And you're looking for four for four. Yeah.
But so you'd be covering the cost of one in the first year, one in the second year, and then two plus 15% in the second year, in the third year, right? Is there typically a fall meeting or is that give or take? We don't know. We don't
know. We try to do one a year, but that hasn't worked out the last few years. Well, first got to get it first. Yeah. Yeah, it's a tough grant to get. I would tend to support it just because I think, you know, it's a natural progression of where we're going and, you know, we can
crunch the numbers and figure out if we can actually do it if if we somehow get it. We have not been successful getting it to date. Right. Um, and you know, I think it's a, you know, the progression of the department as to where we're going, but
I would, I would certainly support the application of a grant. And then worst case is I'd hate to turn it down because you'll never see it again. But, um, even when it was free, many did. Even when it was 100% down said, "Nope." Yeah.
Because they got a at one point they had a guarantee in year four that you're going to take them. Correct. But then they dropped that. But I you know I I I think we should support the application to see see what the result is. I agree. Mr. Danny, did you have any thoughts on
that? I have no thoughts. Not today. I have funny, but I'll keep my mouth shut. Okay. All right. I have no I wonder what would happen if you turn it down and you get to apply
again if it is a demerit or not but it's top secret they never tell you so you just don't there's they when you're declined they don't tell you why you declined they give some hints you know what you need to do better next time that's that's just structured and that's
the way it's been for years I have no objection to giving it a go so I put forth the motion to support the safer the grant application. Second. Roll call vote. Dian Gail I. Doug Moin. Yes. Russ Anderson. Yes. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Alex.
Okay. Good luck. All right. Uh then we have a one-day liquor license application for the Southwick Inn for 62825 for their block party or one of these.
I'm not on that page. And 104205. This is difficult to flip. Uh Madam Chair, I'll just go on the record. I always do on these these applications. So, uh I work at Wall-E computer and there may be some tangential ownership interest in the Southwick in from owners
of Wall-E computer. If anyone has any objection to me voting on a one-day liquor license for the inn, I'll be glad to step aside. Not I. Thank you, putting it out there. Thank you. So,
the 6:28 Saturday 6:28 for the block party was from 12:00 p.m. to 1000 p.m. Hours of entertainment 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. And alcohol being served 12:00 p.m.
June 12 a.m. Do you want to do them both together? Grant them both together. And for October Fest 10:4, Saturday time of 400 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Hours of entertainment 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. And
alcohol from 7:00 p.m. to 12 a.m. And these are all outdoor of course. And um I believe everything else from my look seem to be there. Yep. Signed off. Make a motion to open. Second. Roll call
vote. Dian Gale. I Doug Mogan. Yes. Sanderson. Yes. Okay. On the next item, um we I think we have to invoke the rule of necessity on this as select board members are part of the Rotary members and I actually
participated in this event. So So done. Uh, so we need to acknowledge and approve $2,221 donation from H Highen, M. Guaro, Pablanc, the Rotary Club of Southwick, and Southwick Insurance to be deposited
in the animal control gift fund and Southwick animal control medical gift fund. So moved. Roll call vote. Diane Gai, Doug Morgan, yes. And we are acknowledging a letter of resignation from library trustee
Jennifer Belden and mentioned this at our last meeting as well. And this is another elected position that we will have to appoint someone. They haven't brought anybody to fill. Well, actually, uh there was an applicant I was going to
ask the library trustees um if they had anyone in the wings. Uh there was also an applicant who submitted on the portal last week. Um did you have any parties? Traditionally,
we always told the person Michael McMahon just person that's that's leaving to file a resignation with the town clerk. Typically, town clerks in the past have notified the two political parties of the opening and then maybe a
name comes forward from one or both parties. And again, typically we've had a joint meeting with the select board and the library trustees full point and typically it's only one
name maybe really lucky to find two just one name and include the person that the current person resigning is moving out of Okay. Um, we can also share the name of
the applicant with you. We'll do that. Were you looking that up? Her name escapes me. Yeah, I saw it the other day. But that's also Mr. McMahon raises a good point. That's generally the process when there's a vacancy in an elected position is to notify the political parties before you any board
moves to make an appointment and I don't believe we've done that in any of these cases so far. Okay. All right. So, we'll share that with you as well, that application. All right. And then uh we are going to
acknowledge Carrie Bradbury's resignation from the South Fire Department. Unfortunately leaves you in another opening. So um I received a letter of resignation from Carrie Bradberry who's been with the department since 2004. In 2004 she started as a call member
December 2004 and was hired as our first full-time firefighter uh EMT in 2007 and November 2007. Um, Carrie definitely paved the way and was a true pioneer for the department as well as EMS and fire services when they were joining forces,
but more importantly is a female firefighter in an era when that was unheard of. Um, so I applaud her efforts and the courage it took to do that. Um, Carrie has had some interest in some other avenues for herself and she's going to be pursuing some of those going
forward. So um, she'll be working this week and she'll last day will be the 29th of June. I'd like to echo that. I mean, um, she truly was a trailblazer in town and elsewhere. Um, I believe if she's not the longest standing employee of the
South Fire Department, she's a close second. Um, so kudos to her and um, congratulations to her on her future endeavors. Great. Okay. then uh
discuss the owner contractor agreement for the elevator project here with Worcester Elevator Company. And again, Russ, you were on this project a little bit and uh I guess we're just looking for authorization to sign the contract if no
one has any issues with it. I think we discussed that last meeting. Yeah, this is just make a motion to accept. Uh, I think it's to have me sign it, right? Is it motion for the chair to sign? And if you
agreed. Yeah. Yeah. Somebody roll call vote. Dang. I should move on. Yes. Ros. All right. She's here. Okay. You just the meeting dates. Did you want
to wait for the Excuse me. Our other planning board member appears to be in the waiting room or online now? I'm here. Thank you. Okay. Thanks. So, yeah, you probably should and open
your joint meeting. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Diane Jessica Thoron, 352 Granville Road, planning board chair. Jason Gwald, 57 Granville Road. Planning board chair, planning board member. Yeah, I will call that. and Diane
Diane Jazpo 145 Feeding Hills Road planning board member evening chair. So our first one on the agenda is for the full open spot that was recently um left by Mr. Udzinger. That term would
run from now until the next election cycle. And I believe we have one applicant completely unknown for the rest of us. Mr. Phelps, would you like to Sure.
Marcus Phelps, 28 depot. Nice to see you again, M. Good evening. Long time no see. All right. So, as we said, as Jessica said, this is to fill an open vacancy. um unfortunately uh vacated after the election. So, no
time to um put you on a ballot, I guess, if you were so inclined. Um does anybody have any questions for Mr. Phelps? Kind of a legend in his own mind. Yeah, sure. Well, I'm grateful that you step forward
to to fill this role. Um very helpful. I'm just curious are some of the ongoing projects were you involved with them? I don't know how fresh things are. Is it's been a long time. Some of them keep coming around again, but uh we heard about 159 Bergkshire just
Yeah. How long have you been off? Uh let's see what's the resume say here. Two years. Yeah. Yeah. Two years. I was uh last on in 2023. Yeah. Two long years.
Yeah, two short years, but we have a full-time planner now. It could be interesting being able to work with a full-time planner. And uh I guess you still need an administrative
assistant. I heard Samantha had Yes, we have vacancy there as well. They just keep popping up here. Um but I I'll echo Dian's gratitude for Mr. Phelps willingness to step forward. For those
um listening who aren't familiar, uh Mr. Phelps has a extensive resume in many areas, but most especially in planning as well as within the town of Suffach itself, both as a former town planner
and planning board chair and vice chair. Vice chair. Vice chair. Never made it to chair. Never made it to chair. Okay. Um he also was integral part of our master plan process and chair there. Yes, chair there. And I look forward to having um
that expertise back on the board. Questions? Any further questions from I would just like to thank you as well for stepping forward and um your interest in in rejoining the planning board. Um I'm very thankful.
Okay. Looking for a motion. I just have one point of order. Is there a reason that we didn't follow the normal convention of notifying the political parties of a vacancy for them to put forth any candidates that they saw fit? No disrespect to Mr. Phelps. I've known Mr. for heard of it. 30 plus years not
aware of such a um practice of such just not aware. Okay. Um personally I've been recruiting like heck. Is that a bylaw or something? No, it's just past practice. We've
always done it. No, I wasn't asked. I didn't even know until I saw the agenda tonight that this was on the agenda for this week. So I didn't really get a chance to get in front of it. did not know. Well, barring any objection, I will make a motion to appoint Marcus Phelps to the
open position on the planning board. Roll call vote of the planning board. Jessica Thornton. Yes. Jason. Yes. Do we make a separate motion or do we go with that? No, it's a joint appointment. So the motion's made and seconded. The
roll call vote of the select board. Diane Gall. Doug Mgan will abstain. Russy Anderson. Yes. All right. Good. Thank you, sir. Thank you. See you next Tuesday. Good to meet you. Thank you. And of course you need to get
sworn in. Oh. Before you get sworn in. Yes. Never. All right. Maybe some other persons. Next we have John Giovani Alop. Can you join us?
This is for This is for an associate position which is a non- voting, right? It is non- voting unless one of the regular members is unable to participate in a particular application for a special permit whether because of abstension conflict
of interest or not attending enough meetings to hear the entire special permit. Y but in the past we've always operated with the idea that the associate member is there at every hearing at every meeting and participates and asking questions and
being part of the deliberation process and the two longest serving associates on the planning board are sitting at this table right now. She being the longest serving. Now you're that second why did I guess?
So this is uh one of two candidates for an associate. Okay. So um Mr. Alup, what would you how how do you go? John. Okay. Um please um I don't know if everybody knows who you are. Can you
just give us a little background on information about yourself? Um my name is Joanie Alsa. I work at Bergkshire Bank down the street here in town. I heard about this position from some friends who thought maybe it would be a nice way to get to know the
community and volunteer. I moved here a year and a half ago. Um, at my job I deal with a lot of rules and regulations. Um, reading things to make up a solution for customers. You know,
maybe they want to do something some way, but you can't do it that way. So, you find a solution to do it a different way. So, I'm used to solving problems and um you know reading regulations and procedures,
laws. So, I thought that it would be a good way to get into community and offer something. Okay. Um have you attended any planning board meetings in the past in person, remotely, or watched recordings? I
watched some on YouTube at um I think it was last last week's June 3rd. So it was interesting. I never seen a planning board meeting before. So okay. You're aware of the times they
meet? Tuesdays. Every other Tuesday. It generally runs every other Tuesday, but that every other gets spread apart and changed due to all sorts of calendar issues between school vacations and holidays and whatnot. So, we kind of
just say Tuesdays at seven. Okay, questions. You know how you see somebody and you can't figure out where you know him from? I'm glad he said he worked at Ferg because I was having a hell of a time trying to figure out where I I recognize you from. So, thank you for clearing that up for me.
I don't questions. Um, is there any other board or commission that you've had experience on where you've been a voting member? No. No. What community did you come from before?
Springfield. Okay. All right. Do you have any issues that you're aware of that the planning board has been dealing with that you look forward to working on or are you just kind of an open book at this point? Like I can see what's what. I mean, I read I
listened about um the restaurant tea house. Um cooking outside and um I think that's the one I remember the most. But cooking, you know, that's interesting. You don't think it's a
look so much to it but there is right um the storage space and I don't know anything about them but that's what I was listening to and see how it goes I mean during a meeting you know the laws the rules and things
well that's kind of the biggest part of the planning board is we have to follow all those bylaws and rags and state rulings and court rulings that go back to the 1800s. So sometimes it's it's a lot less of an opinion than trying to
follow the laws and write a defensible decision. So and my job too. Yeah. Lack of passion in the banking, right? There's not not a lot of passion in banking. It's all reggg c and reggg e. Yeah, I'm familiar. Diane,
did you have any questions? I do not at this time. Thank you. Okay. All right. All right. So, if you want to take a seat, we have another person on line to speak for a view. All right. And then we have Jason Peron.
Hello everyone. Jason Peron, one Noble Seed Crossing. Hi Jason. How are you? Wonderful. So, you want to tell us a little bit about yourself and why you're interested in the planning board associate? Well, I don't know if
anyone's familiar with me or not, but um so my plan uh for the planning board was as obviously that's just being inest after the three years on the select board, um I've wanted to stay involved uh regardless of whether I ran or not.
Um the planning board has always interested me um with the impending upcoming zoning uh review bylaws for the zoning reviews um and my time doing my research and investigating and stuff
both on the board and in my current uh professional aspect. Um I think it puts me in a good position to to to be around um you know gives me a unique perspective that uh others don't have. Like I said, when I was on that board, I
jumped in with head first with no water in the pool. This time, at least there's a little bit of water in the pool. So, uh um it's just my way to get back to the community to get just to stay involved. Questions?
What was his name again? He looks a little familiar. He does look a little familiar. Any questions? I don't know if that's a good thing. Uh, how do you uh feel about the scheduling? I know that sometimes
in the past there was some difficulty for you making it to the select board meetings or changing the schedule a little bit. um in particular some of the uh special permit hearings that we have coming up, they're going to necessitate the
associate member being available and present. Do you foresee that being an issue for you going forward? I don't foresee that actually. You know, um it's I I guess our select board is very unique. It's interesting that a lot of other boards and councils, we meet a lot
more um when we were on the select board than a lot of other boards and councils that I'm aware of. But um no, I don't see any problem at all. Um unfortunately, I'm going to need another surgery, so I'm going to have plenty of time on my hands. Um I'll be having that
in August um for my shoulder. Um but I don't see any problems at all whatsoever. Actually, what's good is these the planning boards are later starts. So, it's a lot easier for me to make it actually on later starts.
Later starts, later endings. Well, Mr. Morgan said that I I dragged out the select board meeting, so I'll try not to do that if I get involved with you guys. Yeah. Questions? No questions for me. Jason, all good. Miss Jesa.
Uh, no. My question was already asked. Um, and my question was just going to be what will you bring to the planning board? So, thank you. Thank you, Dian. John, make a motion. And we real quick, we double checked. Jason, I know we
talked about this informally and you were going to double check with um the relevant folks regarding the requisite amount of time that has to pass from leaving one board to joining another. Correct. Yes. It's 30 days. So, I would not be able to start until the 23rd.
Pretty good sign. Sworn in on the 23rd to then act on the 24th. I don't know that we could even make an appointment then until that at that at that time. I don't know. And I would air on the side of caution if it were May. Is that a motion? 30 days from the
election or 30 days from his term officially ended at the close of town meeting. So, I would assume that that would been the date. I was running the math in my head, right? As and in that and I know we had talked about it informally. Yes. And I and I I said double check because that was what I had
thought. But yeah, that would just my recommendation. I wouldn't want to put either any either of the boards in jeopardy of of I don't know what that is if that's an open meeting law violation or some other other violation of something.
Um actually is that one was yeah is that you agree right that's that was my understanding as well was there was a 30-day oh yeah there is a 30-day just it's the very minimum
correct and then when was town meeting May 23rd 23rd so it would be at least the 24th of June before we should Okay. I I would I'm looking at the regulation right now and it doesn't say as far as it says I can't start for 30
days but it doesn't say as far as the appointment. So um sorry y point right. So it would be the 20 first five days from now.
Yes. I wouldn't be okay I've got it right here. Not eligible for appointment to another town until after a 30-day waiting period. So, we couldn't make an appointment unless we were going to nominate appoint Mr. I I mean I I think Jason should be eligible when we discuss
it as a group and and then make a motion to vote. I don't want it to be a foregone conclusion here at all. Right. I think um that'd be my advice. That would be my my position on it. I agree.
So, do we reconvene a joint meeting next Monday? Uh, that would be the 23rd, which would have been 30 days post. When's your next meeting? The 24th. So, he would who whoever would need to be appointed would
be need to be appointed Monday evening to then make their way to town hall hopefully sometime during the day on Tuesday. If not, we ask Christine to or Christine or it's today with an effective date of 6:20. I think the the
board members are suggesting that we can't discuss and make that decision until the 30-day cooling off period. So, and I can't argue against that either.
Nor can I. I believe I actually sent that to you, did I not, Jessica? A screenshot. Yeah, the AI answer. We are meeting. Oh, yeah. I know. AI general after. Well, I was going to say
I mean in fairness to Mr. Al tooid, correct? We have another candidate. Absolutely. You know, I'm not here to hold up the board by any means. I would make a motion to appoint Giovanni Alop as the
associate member 61725 to 63025 and then 7125 to 63026 since we do like persons who have never served on a board before and are interested in
bettering the town and I think his skills with the banking regulation legalities, um, evaluating projects all fit this as well. Is there a second?
I'll second. You want to call a roll call on your side? Planning board roll call. Jessica Thor and I. Diane. Diane. Jasper. No. Jason Jason
select board Dian Gale I Doug Moin yes I hear someone we have to math that's not enough it's 3 to three right 3 to three so yes so we'd have to come back to we'll have to come
back on Monday redisuss and potentially Mr. Christina will be available to attend at that time as well. And if there is a stalemate or a decision to meet, then we'll have enough votes to have a super majority. Do my board members have availability
next Monday before we confirm that? I do. I do. Okay. And do you think David does? I'll have to text him. And if not, we'll we'll be back here, but we'll have a perhaps a different perspective with it being after the time frame. I don't
know. That may change some people's hopes. I think that was the process here% some of it. Yeah. Or we could need a different day this week if necessary. Not before the 20. Yeah, it can. You couldn't until Monday would be the
soonest anyway. Yeah. With the holiday. Oh. Okay. So, we need a motion to continue this week or Yeah. Just carry under old business, right? To close this down. Have to do anything. It's not a public
hearing. Okay. It's not a joint public. It's not public. So, then you would just Is there anything else for the planning board with us this evening? No. Wasn't that enough? Why not? You want more? Sure. There'll be more coming, I'm sure. So then you
would just move to adjourn the planning board meeting. Okay. Do I hear a motion to adjourn the planning board meeting? Motion to adjurnn. Second. Roll call vote. Jessica Thornton. I Jason.
Diane Ja. I thank you. Thank you. See you next week. Got you. That's fine. We'll do it. Thank you. So, Mr. Alap, we're going to re reconvene next Monday, right? I guess we're going to be next
Monday now. Next Monday and continue the discussion. Thank you very much. All right. And then we left off at any other new business.
Okay. Under old business. Um, Doug, you want to continue discussion on did we skip the calendar?
Oh, no, that's coming up next. Sorry. I'm sorry. You want to discuss? Just simplified. Just we put it on there. You know, last week you talked about, you know, just to be able to carry it through. Yeah. Yeah. So, I'll give you the brief update for this week. Um, I was supposed to have a meeting last week
with um the contracted provider and we couldn't all get our act together. I was a little jetlagged. They were they were a person short. So, we're going to get together this week to decide or to discuss if um there's even a viable project within the
parameters that we have in front of us and then what next steps could or should look like and then I will come back to this board to figure out how we should figure a way forward. Okie dokie. Okay. than the calendar.
Are there any dates that anybody is unable to be here? Did I mention say in past we we did every other for summer? Yes. Um and around holidays there actually the holidays are not on here.
Those holiday weeks weren't even on here. Was there a need for every week through the summer? I guess is the question. Not usually. We can always call one if there is something do every other and then call if we need to. I have nothing really on
my calendar right now that was in contrary to those dates. I was going to suggest maybe we don't meet on the seventh. Seventh, right? Yeah. With the the fourth being on a Friday. Correct. Fourth is on a fourth this year. Um,
here's the first. So, that would be the holiday week, right? Then July 21st, no meeting. August 4th, no meeting. August 18th, no meeting. So, basically, you're doing the second and fourth Mondays.
Yeah. Until the holiday messes it up. And then Labor Day, there is no meeting scheduled. So, it go We would meet August 25th. There's a week off for Labor Day. Then that's the first. Yep. And then we usually go right back to every week
right after Labor Day. Um beginning there, right? We can skip Labor Day and start the 8th. Yeah. Yep. So we will meet June 23rd and June 30th. Something comes up.
Okay. Yeah. And then we go back to every except for holidays. Okay. You want to meet on the 30th too? I mean 3rd and 30th. Yeah. We're going to skip the week of the 7th for the holiday. Okay. Y
um Okay. And then other old business master plan um climate change prioritization. You guys got that? I got it. had finished. Okay. And are you did you get
to the select board priorities? Just reviewing it. Okay. All right. So, I'm just going to bring that up every week because eventually we're going to put this on our agenda to carry out
what ends up being our priorities based on our input. So, one question I have as far as priorities is, are you basing the board's only priorities on the master plan for things within the master plan?
What do you mean? It's a good point. So, does does the master plan become the foundation for what the board wants to work on or accomplish? No, it's what is in the master plan that we would prior on our lead actions. what is in the
master plan that we would prioritize as our that's okay as our top priorities and and we did it individually and it will be weighted and we will discuss that and we could change our minds based on discussion but do we pick one and two and then go
completely separate. You know, I think if I may, I think the master plan, we should set goals and objectives as a select board for things that we want to work on that may or may not be part of
the master plan. The master plan does not tell us how we run the select board. It's it's an overarching goal of, you know, yeah, pure vision for 2040. But there's other things certainly we should and um we'll never get to 2040. I I had it on my list of of things. I'm glad you
brought it up because I think it's something we should bring forward either at our next meeting and kind of We used to have a list of goals and objectives. We haven't probably looked at it in a while. probably send it back out and then as a board discuss what our goals
and objectives should be um for this coming year including what includ one of them is sure is some there's going to be some master plan priority items on there but there's other things that are challenging the town that are not in the master plan
correct correct no that's that was my we didn't run without goals when we didn't have a master Of course not. Yeah. Okay. But there are other boards and committees that are waiting for us to establish some things so they can carry out theirs, right? And we can't ignore
those either. Yes, ma'am. No, I mean I could also create something, you know, with um different categories for you to um you know, things that we do on a daily basis or, you know, that are the responsibility of the select board
select board office to try to come up with um other goals and objectives specifically for us and for me. Um yeah, because that's another phase of the that's Yeah, that's the next logical step through that too, right? Absolutely. Yeah, great. I can work on
that. I have been already. Okay. Um, and I'm sorry I didn't ask you. Did you have any other new business? No, thank you. Any other old business? No, thank you. Did you have any new or old business? I have um
a letter to me and the select board members and I'm sending an appointment to emergency management. And you have my email. Yes. and um discussed that with Nicole and we were
going to address that when we go through the rest of these um normal appointments. Well, right there that's why. Right. So, I was just making sure we were meeting next week and the week after so that we that's where I want to schedule those remaining appointments.
So, I know Ian's here and Jerry's here. I don't know if you want to take advantage of that why they're here or if we could if it wasn't posted we can't can we well things that aren't anticipated by the chair you can as long as you weren't you
didn't expect this at all is that appropriate if we didn't well I think have you resigned as the emergency management director yeah I emailed um back I mean you can certainly make an interim I my opinion, you could make an interim
appointment to a date certain so that there is a emergency management director. Lord, we can't schedule emergencies for goodness sake. So, um, and then thank you. Thank you, Mr. McMahon. I do appreciate that. And we could then revisit this as part of the
regular process that we go through. This was emergency management director is a stipened position. It's not a regular appointment. the appointment to emergency management is part of the regular appointment but the
emergency management director is not. So I think if there does that fall under the direct the um chairman like you know not a department head or is that it is a consideration department head? H I don't know it's got director in the title.
Yeah probably is. Probably is. Well and your resignation was June 30th correct is effective June 30th. Yeah, because I figured it it would coincide with the appointment process, but if you need to move it, we could, too. I I have no objection. Give me a pen. I'll do it
immediately. No, I think this is um Oh, it gives us No, it gives that gives you time to carry it to next at least next meeting on the agenda and then it'll give you time to to to have a an orderly transition, right? We
could make an interim appointment or an appointment for July 1. We can carry this notice it for our next meeting. I mean uh Mr. White's done yman work as the vice chair. He had applied
to be the chair deferred to uh yep select board member Anderson now it was Anderson at the time right to to um based on experience which was a couple years couple three years ago right so
and in my letter I did express that I'd like to be the leazison to them so you know he expressed an interest in helping oh 100% so I'm I'm all in favor of that you know just to keep consist consistency help need some this will get us through
motocross and that so and the block party the block party so is that a resignation today and we would appoint today to 6:30 I think you I think it's fine to go to I I think it sorry I I was out of I think it would be
fine to go to 6:30 6:30 and then this way you can but next week since that takes a little bit of pressure off you could then carry this as an agenda item next week. We meeting anyway. We could make the appointment if we'd like to um
next week, correct? Which would have an effective date of, you know, July 1, but that gives you opportunity to put it on the agenda, which probably alleviates some of your concern. I did see Mr. White was raising his hand over there.
Ian White, 13 Richview Terrace. Um wanted to thank you for considering me for the director and also to uh raise the uh issue of Jerry Samberrook needs appointment. I believe you can do that but not this time. We did that. Did we
not? I don't before you were I know his name came up and there was there was something with the pat waiting till July 1 to was that it under the the July I know there was I think we appointed him effective July there was
yeah we had a little mixup on something okay we we did and then we only appointed him to June 30th so we're going to pick him up again the next year July yes Jerry Samberrook 104 for South Lima
Street. Um, how it was read to me was I have a temporary appointment and I am supposed to meet with you folks again prior to July 1st and then after July 1st get sworn in again.
That's how it was. Correct. We we did it for the remainder of this current year. Correct. And you're interested to continue to serve beyond the end of June? Not if it's with him. you after our debacle of getting you on. Okay, that is correct. That is how I
understand it as well. I'm glad someone had it right. Okay, so so you are you are active through 6:30 7 we start a new year and reappoint you
for a full year. Yes. Okay. So, okay. Then the question becomes some of the question that was part of all that was do they have to come before the board as a new member again. He didn't come before the board. I don't believe he just did. He just qualifies. I'm all for
it. Then we know he's a live person. It says love on his shirt. I like I like less. So just move with it then. So yeah. So just the only advice I would give you is go on the portal on the select board web page and indicate your
interest on that portal to serve on SEMARES for I'll send you the link to it's anyone who's on that board should should that that's up for reappointment should put put their names in that way we have it and we don't mess it up. I'll
send that to the whole group. Okay. All right. Very good. my guarantee. All right, that's it. That's it for you. Yeah. Okay, good one. Um, okay. Then we want to acknowledge
payroll warrant number 2526 dated June 3rd, 2025 in the amount of 314,26363 and acknowledge payable warrant number 2530B dated June 10th, 2025 in the amount of 758,53466.
And if no other business, is there a motion to adjurnn? So move. Second. Roll call vote. Diane Gai. Doug Moin. Yes. Sanderson. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.