All right. I hereby call to order this regularly scheduled meeting of the Sunderland Select Board. The time is 6:32 p.m. All right. Do we have uh minutes to approve this one? Yes. Sweet. Sorry, I didn't print them
out, but we had the minutes from um 8:25. Okay, there's the agenda if you want. Give me one second to get the one. All right. Um, our first order of
business will be to approve the minutes from 8:25. Do we have a motion? A motion we approve minutes from 8:25. Second. All right. We have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? I. I. Three nothing. Wonderful. All right. Uh, first order of new business is the
assessor's assistant assessor's admin hiring process. Do you want to give us a overview where we are in that, Becky? Okay. Um, so we had put out an ad on the MMA website
um in the recorder that ran about 10 days ago. We put an ad um on the town website. And um I believe that's all. There's one more place.
And we um had a remarkable response of five individuals. Um the assessors um have um met with um one candidate who they have
um had a very good positive response with. is um he has experience in municipal finance having been serving on the finance committee in Bernardston for 10 years as well as um
he's continuing I guess you're going to he also has an interest in the ZBA so there's ongoing concern and care for municipal government and so those assessors having reviewed all five of the resumeumés
have confirmed again that their recommendation is for Stephen Nest and Power um from Bernardston to be the new assistant assessor. Wonderful.
Um does the board have any questions on that process or No. Cool. Um I'm glad to hear we got good response. So glad that we found our best candidate and I'm glad that have you with us tonight. So thank you very much for coming in tonight. Um it's
lovely to have you here. Um I'm largely going to take my cues from the uh the board of assessors because they know their their stuff a lot better than I do. Um so I will I will defer to them largely. But um no, I don't have any questions myself. Becky, do you have anything else you wanted to ask or add
to that? Well, I think um I think what Steve has and the assessors feel very positive about is that there will be a um an active presence at town hall to um communicate um with assessors and the
assessor's issues that the town's people have. they'll be able to come in and actively have somebody um five days three days a week uh 16 hours a week to re um to respond to their concerns. So
that's and um I think the other thing that was stood out about Steve is his real concern for public service and his commitment that people need um to have their answers met. Um, and I would love to hear a few words
from Steve if the select board would wouldn't mind to introduce himself background. And yes, um, I began my administrative life in healthcare. I would I worked my
way up the corporate ladder and um I ended up um in the largest mental health clinic privately owned in New York City.
Mhm. you saw us 1,500 patients per week, had 330 analytical um professional staff members, and we had a full training program as well. And um
in order to uh prepare myself for that 22-year career, um one of the companies I was working for paid for my MPA, I have a masters in public administration with honors. Um and after four and a
half years at the institute, it was time for a change. And so my wife suggested since I came from a family of teachers, why don't I try supply
try teaching but begin as a substitute teacher which I did um the mentor I did most of it at Veterans Memorial Hospital uh high school in uh Warwick Rhode
Island and that principal became my mentor. and he suggested after um working as a substitute teacher for 7 8 months I go back to school full-time and we could
afford it. we had a portfolio and so I went to the University of Rhode Island and obtained my second masters in secondary education again with honors and um I taught for 22 20 years um in
New Bedford High School um and I taught alle honors level science courses the main one being forensic science as well as honors anatomy and
physiology. And I retired in 2014. And um last July, my wife died of sudden cardiac death at home
right after the dead went down to keeping room three steps down. And um I heard a thump and by the time I could even get to the top of the stair she was and so for the last year I've
um spent crawling out of the black pit and rejoining the light life. And I suddenly realized um several weeks ago that
being busy was interesting but totally unfulfilling. It was like busy work. And so I saw the ad um and I figured what do I've got to lose?
And um I sent it in um to Becky and um that was Monday and Wednesday I was interviewed and they offered me the job last Wednesday and today's my
and I've spent my priority um I h we had our first meeting at four o'clock today with with Mike And um Jim, he doesn't like James. I don't like
Steve. I like Steve. And um they know my priority. Uh having been on the finance committee in Bon and having been approved, I can't do
anything legally. Yes, you are. You're gonna appoint me. But as far as do is concerned, until I am certified by them passing 101,
I cannot sign any legal doc. They will not accept it. So, um, what I've been doing is, um, I spent, um, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and this morning going through the cost description and
making notes. And, um, so halfway I'm over halfway done. And now that once you appoint me tomorrow, I will go down to the uh clerk and have her remove Nikki's
name and have me because until she does that, I can't I don't have active access to DLS. And I'm hoping that on since I've gone through the first five modules, I can take the first five exams.
and I promised them that I'm going to get certified um ASAP as soon as possible, as quickly as I can do it. And um I've begun looking through
some of the files and and it's frustrating for me because I can't there are like three or four um motor vehicle abatement requests. I I can't do anything and I don't want I I I don't
want us to get behind so far behind that I'm there 24/7 to work through. We're also pushing against the end of the fis the annual year. Yeah. So I've got I have to get up to speed as
quickly as possible and that's my first and only priority at this point to get it done. Wonderful. So that's who I met and I'm a bird Estonian your sister good people.
But I will say that we when we first moved up here we discovered the blue heron. We Saturday was our dining night, not our eating night. Eating is entirely different dining and we loved it. Um,
and it's just a shame isn't around. Although there's a great French beastro in Sheldon Falls called the Gypsy. Mhm. It's lovely. To check it out, huh? I have to check it out. Oh, please. You'll need a reservation.
The um chef and owner is a Haitianborn French trained chef who I grew up in the Bronx. He grew up in Brooklyn. So, think about Jello is his name. You would um It's really nice.
Okay, great. Wonderful. Um any other questions from the board? Becky, do you have anything you wanted to add? Uh thank you so much for um coming at this so quickly and and being willing to get your certifications and
getting everything all running. I love your background. to I have to feel that I'm doing something worthwhile rather than just being busy. Yep. I can do anything. And if I had to stay in the house and I
have a fouryearold spruer spaniel and his father was a golden doodle. um being with him all day long after a while gets tired because it's got to be
tug of war. It's got to be catch the balls. It's got to be done around the yard where he jumps and plays. I got to I love him to death, but I I I like to feel I'm useful to some. Yeah,
I mean I I can't speak in in public service, healthcare first teaching. I can't speak for the whole board, but that's a big, you know, we're not here for the money. You know, we're one of the main reasons why we're here is because you also want to do
I have my full social security from my healthc care days and now that a web has been repealed. Yeah. I my my full social security has been restored. I got a humongous check.
I guess lots of people got a very nice and um and so it's I'm not money in this case. I'm not money motivated at all. And um I know your superintendent Dick Martin because sitting on the board on the
finance committee for 10 years when he would come to present their budget. Great school. Oh wonder. Both my kids go there which is why I'm wearing the shirt. He's wonderful. Absolutely. He is superb. Yep. We're very lucky to have a regional school like that in this area for
and you think vet school now airplane maintenance. Oh yeah. It's unbelievable. The guy is um and that's why you're pulling out so many of the regular regular school students.
Yeah, it really is a great great school. No, we're we're our family is very happy with it. I know the students who go there would really appreciate it existing. Um it's really a wonderful a wonderful program. So do I have to make sure we remember to
vote? Yes, we have to do both. I was about to get that. Um so at this time I would entertain a motion. Um I motion we appoint Steven Nesten Power. Yes. As assistant for the assessors.
Second. All right. We have a motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Not hearing any discussion. All those in favor? I I I three nothing. Vicki, welcome aboard. Thank you very much. Thank you. Look forward to talking to you more soon. Yes, please. Doors always open except
one of the locks is where except the door that's always locked. Yes. See you in the morning. See you in the morning, guys. Thank you so much. And I'll give all your paperwork to Heather. So, I have it on the desk. I have my Just leave it on the desk for tomorrow. Okay. Okay.
All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Good night. Good night. Good night. All righty. Our next order of business is the Civics Plus ADA upgrade contract. Um just to bring everyone back up to speed, Civics Plus is the contract for our town website. Um they're moving off
of an old um framework and into their own proprietary framework. And so um this new contract covers both the migration to that new platform which they are very generously raising a substantial chunk of money to do so um as well as the cost for the rest of this
year and also for next year for the service. Well, they're going to be upgrading even in this year. The migration will take about 13 months starting um in October go end of September going through November December. Um the
upgrade will also so it's paying for the the upgrade this year and then um there's a bigger debt discount this year than there will be next year. So it'll go from about 6,500 to 8,200 next year.
Okay. Um and and my understanding is that that this isn't just um apples to apples. This is also that we're getting um some work that they're going to do to make sure that we're compliant with the ADA and to make sure that um a lot of
the work maintaining this doesn't fall to Mel. Um and we're have them do a lot of that because if it were if we were to take it on, we would have to go through well we will be taking on some of it. um going through we'll be talking to the department heads. They'll have to look
through all of their documents because and decide if they want them to move forward or if there's stuff that's on the page that's outdated that you need to change. So, we're going to be talking with all the departments and making sure that changes are made before everything
is migrated into the new platform. One note I would like to just add um for both them and us and whoever's working on that if they can keep in mind the change of name from board of selectmen to select board there's still a number of documents on our website that refer
to board of to board of selectmen rather than to select board um and given that we made that change you know and we're already going through stuff if we can just make that clear to the department heads and to this company that while you're doing these changes if you come across stuff that uses the old language,
please. Um, flag it for No, that's a big one. So, some things too I think would be nice to, you know, and again, just notes, whatever because we have regional services. It would be really nice if
right on the homepage there was a link to South County Senior Center, South County EMS, any of these things that aren't necessarily just Sunderland, but you know where a Sunderland resident
might want, you know, maybe even like one of those hover over drop downs that like something like partnerships or something like that and you go there, it shows South County MS, South Yeah. And or even just, you know, right on our homepage where we have, you know,
that's how I meant to board apartments. It would drop down all of the different ones there. We also have ones for like the the um the trash district that we're in and um fur cog and whatnot. It been good to have all of those partnerships highlighted. Yeah. It would just, you know, because I
think people sometimes want to know how to get a hold of South County Senior Center or, you know, or maybe not aren't even aware that of who it is that is services us for those services. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Okay, that would be good. And then I was
learning that the police have a separate website and so does I think the school and the library. So they branch off of our main website which is interesting. So they'll give us a chance to talk to the different
departments about you know why they do that and if their services are best presented there or some or should some of them be better represented on our own site. I'm not sure. I've seen well but just in my experience out everything's migrating the trend is
to migrate to one but to bring it but they're still separate. I mean like the schools where I am in they're separate and the but the trend is definitely to try and try and bring it or at least provide good connection to when you go to Sunderland you can you
just click you know you hit library and then click for the official website for Sunderland library so same thing you know you'd have the school and you know whether you want Frontier Franklin County Tech or Sunderland Elementary but it all to be
on that one page would be really nice. Yeah. And and that's the homepage. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Read services on homepage. And as we go through this, I'm sure I'll bring other questions to you, too. I'm sure we'll have lots of opinions on
many many things. All right. Did you need um a vote on accepting the new contract? Yes, cuz um Yeah. All right. Um, and just to reiterate, it's approximately 6,500 for the rest of this year and then 8,200 for the next
vote for both tonight. Yeah. Yeah. The contract for both. Yeah. So, I would entertain a motion. A motion to uh sign contract. the Civic Plus Civic Plus ADA upgrade contract 6,500 for this year
and annual maintenance and annual maintenance of 8200 going up to 8200 for one year FY27 for through F through FY20 for FY27. Yep. Okay. Second. All right. We have a motion made and seconded to accept the Civics Plus contract. All those in favor? I
I three nothing. Thank you very much. All right. Up next, we have an opioid task force update. Okay. So, um, let me just make sure I can get off the right.
We go. So, we had um a new national opioid settlement from secondary manufacturers come through and there was a listing of
I think eight settlement agreements, new settlement agreements. I don't have information on the money, but these were signed in most all April 4th of 2025. And now they've been this the funds are
being um collected into the settlement to all the municipalities. So um I got the contract in today. This is a printed copy of it. Um if you would like to read through it, it's it's
mostly just about the it's about all the obligations. It's about the municipality not suing any of those uh secondary parties in the future um as a in response to receiving the funds. These um documents were through
um docu sign and um all go into a central location. So I I did print out a copy if you'd like to read it. Um Jeff was the signer previously. Um, so it required that it came to the town
administrator and I was able to go in and change from Jeff's name to my name um, pretty easily and it was accepted. Okay, great. Any questions on You said you don't have information about the settlement amount currently.
Do you have an idea of the time frame of when when that would when the funds would become available? Um, not much of the language talked about the funds themselves, just about the towns not suing them. Um, so I don't have that information
yet. I will share it when I get it. So, this is nothing we've planned for. This is just something new that we'll have some funds, but it's in a continuation. We've had we've received some of the funds and those funds are flowing into the cso
um that the town I I believe some of the grant for the cso is coming from these funds as long as well as the um conglomerate that out of Greenfield. So the these funds tend to be like small
amounts like $1,000 or you know a few thousand dollar. So, the towns have pulled their funds together um to try to make them meaningful enough to have medical programming. That's where our um public
health nurses come from and and programs like that. So, and if I remember correctly, these funds have to be spent in some way that is in a response to the opioid pandemic epidemic. And so that'll be, as you
said, the town nurse, the the CCSO grants, that kind of stuff. Yeah. Responds to um people with continuing issues with opioids. Okay. And you know, this is the source of funding that provides the Narcan on the
table downstairs. Gotcha. Okay. It's not a big lifech changing, but piling all the little incremental pieces together, the the communities are able are making a program. Well, it's allowing us to offer these
services without it being financially a burden on the town to do so. So, that's it's a win-win for everybody. Yeah. Um, wonderful. Thank you for the update there. Um, given that that you are the the signatory on that, do you need a a vote from us or just is this a
um I guess it'sformational just Okay. support. Wonderful. Perfect. All right. Uh, next up is South County Senior Center update. How is that going? I I I don't I checked in with you. I mean, basically the only real news I mean I know there's things going on, but really the main thing is the EDM
contract is signed and they're beginning work on that. At some point they'll roll out. We'll find out what they find and uh that'll that'll keep moving along. They're trying to get that done by the end of the month. They are. I know they're trying to push forward. So, you'll be hearing something soon and then I think there'll be some kind of outreach and such following
that. But the as far as fall dates, I don't know if that's I heard uh Deerfield has scheduled early November special town meeting. Do we have Okay. Do we have and I think we were already discussed this so I apologize if I'm asking a question I've already asked before but um do we know
our lead time for one is it 8 weeks is it how many weeks do we have to be able to give in order to have one it's two weeks okay so it's so we have plenty of time to to move forward with that okay good um so yeah I would and I think this is what we decided before but I would like
to wait to see what happens with the with the contractor you know and once we have those details we'll have a better idea of how we're moving forward and we'll be able to schedule a special town meeting and and I want to apologize it's one week for special. It is okay. Yeah. Okay. Great. That's even better.
Okay. Um thank you update and we will look forward to hearing for every week. We'll learn about that. Yeah. And I think at some point we should schedule a tenative date just because I think there will be people interested in attending.
Sure. Um, you know, do we need to do it now? No. But we need more one a week. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just wanted to make sure we weren't going to get to that point where we're like, oh, we wanted to do them this week, but we needed to increase and now
we've only got seven. We have no choice but pushing to Thanksgiving or something like that. I just wanted to make sure we we had we had our production room. So, it sounds like we're we're good there. All right. Any other discussion on that item? Uh, one other thing. Um, Wednesday night, uh, Dan and I and Lauren are
having a walk through of the 112 Ammeris Road building. Wonderful. That, um, Jennifer set up for us. Wonderful. Great. If if I'm sure if you're interested in going, you could join. I will What time is that?
6. Yes, I think so. I think so. And I may be a video guy, but yeah, I I will check my calendar after um 6:00. Um, Wednesday, the 10th. The 10th. Yeah. Okay.
I think it is 6. I will I will see what I can do about being able to be available for that. Wonderful. All right. Next up, select board. Um, revote of capital stabilization for recap.
Is this just our voting the 2 and 12% increase for this capital stabilization? Um it's let me get you the correct document. So what happened was
the amount that is sorry listed on the recap was $8.50 50 cents different than the amount that I had calculated going back
from the time it was uh um voted at the 2016 um override vote the actual vote. So I did a chart going forward and do came back and said well
you're off by $8.50 and you're over so it's totally illegal. So I had the auditor on one side saying $8.50 you don't have to worry about that to do telling me that you know we it would
totally fail because I had gone over the 2 and a half by $8.50. So their read is that it really matters. So, we have eliminated um sorry the
I just saw it a second ago. It's right here. Okay. So, I'll just take one more minute instead of doing up. We'll have to go with this one,
Nathaniel. So, this is the vote at the bottom. So, maybe Dan or Crystal will run and read it. So, we're voting an amount of that bottom 4 I can't remember. 420,000.
It's 420,122. 12187. Yeah. 122. Okay. That's what it was before. Yes. Okay. And they said no. That $8.50 puts you over the top. So, you have to vote it. We have the select board needs to revote
the lower number. Okay. Um, at this time I would entertain a motion to reapprove the um, capital stimulation override amount at an amount of $420,122. All right. I motion we approve capital stabilization of
$420,12187. round it up to 122. Okay. We can round it up and be 13 cents over, but we can't be $8 over. Correct. All right. So, I I think the the thing is you have to round every year. And
anyway, so that that's the difference. All right. And this is for fiscal 26. Fiscal year 26 capital stabilization of $420,122. check. But the critical the other critical part is you have to separate it by overrides.
So the the 2015 override we have to you know list that number separately and then add them together. Say that. All right. Yeah. Did you do her? I recommend or move to assess an
additional $420,122 in real estate and personal property taxes for fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025 for the purpose of funding the capital stabilization fund to be extended for municipal capital purposes
included in Mass General Law Chapter Chapter 44, section 7 and 8. The amount of the 2016 override being $128,08. Nope. 128,000. It's the number on the
far right. $128,000. And the amount of the 2024 override being 288,92787 for a total of $420,122. Oh my lord. Second.
All right. Motion and second. All right. Any discussion? Not hearing any discussion. And all those in favor? I I three nothing. Thank you very much. Glad we solved the $850 problem.
Oh my goodness. Yeah. And now I like that we could be 13 cents over. Not a problem. But $8, that's a Starbucks coffee. Oh my gosh, that is a Starbucks. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you so much.
We'll get um this into the recap tomorrow on Gateway and uh it'll be a wonderful thing. Wonderful. All right. Next up, we have a request from Mike's Maze for five one day liquor licenses uh for their annual Mike's
Maze. They have their lovely little beer tasting thing there. Um this is something they've asked every year for at least as long as I've been here. Um it's a wonderful event. I' I've done it once. I I lots of people have spoken very highly of it. I have
not actually made out. I think this might be the year I have to try to make that happen. Oh, that would be great. But it's a it's a lovely event. I don't have any concerns or any questions. Um concerns. We have all the paperwork we need for it and from what I hear, he does an
excellent job putting the paperwork together. It's he's a pleasure to work with. Wonderful. Love to hear that. All right. Um we'll jump right to it. I will entertain a motion to accept and approve the five one-day liqual licenses for Mike Maze. Motion to approve Mike May's request for
five one-day liqual licenses. Second. All right. Motion made and seconded. All those in favor? I I I three nothing. Wonderful. All right. Our last item of new business is discussing the select board's upcoming meeting schedule. As many people are probably aware, during the summer, we
move to a bi-weekly meeting schedule due to a lack of urgent issues that we need to discuss beyond that. Um, and so that folks can take vacations and whatnot without having to miss meetings. Um, that being said, we are starting to move back into budget season. Um, budget season hasn't officially kicked off yet,
but it is as you know tonight, we are starting to discuss things around that. Um, so it's time to discuss when we would want to return. Um, just for context, going in next Monday, regardless of whether we decide to meet or not, I will not be available. I have a thing I need to go to. Um, so I would
prefer to wait to start back up for at least one more week. Um, but I guess the big question, at least on my side, is it's not really about the three of us as much as it is about what the town needs of us. So, you know, do you feel the need for us to start meeting again
sooner rather than later? Um there's just one open issue about um uh ABCC license that might necessitate meeting next week. Okay.
And Methaniel's not available next week. So which is is fine if you guys need to meet without me. Yeah, that's that's fine. Um but it and it might not it might be that we can it can be handled in a different way without a meeting. So I will check in with um
I'll check in with you about Okay. Um so let's make So let's not Yeah, let's not try to meet this week, but we can decide by Thursday if we need to. Okay, we can we can still post it and we just won't announce it tonight and we will
leave it as we will post that um as we normally would post meetings online. And um so my suggestion would be just to make things easier that we start back up weekly in October. That's fine. Instead of Yep. So we would do essentially the 22nd
would be our next meeting. Yeah. And then the 6th and then the 13th, 20th, 27th, so on. So the 6th would be our our first meeting in that month and it would just be every meeting. Yeah, that makes that makes sense. That works for me. um with the understanding that if we need to end up having a meeting this coming Monday, we
will make it work. Um I may also be able to join remotely. So I will Yeah, we'll we'll we'll be in touch because of scheduling issue. We can we can discuss openly um via email. Yep. Wonderful. So um let's plan for our weekly meetings to start up as of
October 6th. Um September 22nd is for sure a meeting and um we will announce via our normal posting um if we are going to meet next Monday if uh the need so requires. Okay, sound good everybody? Yes.
Wonderful. That's it for our uh new business. Um on to old business select board updates. Uh Becky or sorry uh Crystal, do you have anything? I got nothing. Yeah. Nope. That's wonderful. Um, I don't have anything
either myself. So, wonderful. Next up is town administrator updates. Becky, you have anything for us? Um, we have that. Just looking through to be sure we covered everything.
This is this is a problem. Help us tonight. [Music] I found it. Okay. So, on we had a notice from I think Natalie Ble
and Joe Cmerford's office that there will be a public hearing Tuesday, September 16th at 1 to 5 on the Sunderland vote uh for voting rights for re Sunderland
residents aged 16 and 17 years old at the state house. Agreed. So, it'll be in hearing room B1. It'll be virtual, so there'll be a hybrid hearing. So, I imagine um people
can attend remotely, too. But I wanted everyone to know since it's a Sunderland uh question that's been brought forward to the legislature. So, it's specific to our to our Okay. Yeah. It was remember a couple years ago we had the the petition in the past.
Yeah. Um, I believe there's also a handful of other towns who are also doing a similar Weightley, uh, Conway, Northampton, I believe. I've heard Oh, Somerville.
I I thought I heard Ammerst and all of these are at the same It's all at the same hearing. Um, I don't see Ammerst here, but a there's like four. There's Weightley, Sunderland,
Conway, Somerville. They are the only ones at this hearing. Okay. Okay, great. Thank you. Mhm. That's all I had. Wonderful. Um, all right. That is it for town administrator updates. We don't have a correspondence. I don't see
anyone online or in person for public comment. No executive session tonight, which means it is time to adjurnn. I would entertain a motion. I a motion we adjourn. Second. All right, we have a motion made and seconded to adjurnn. All those in favor? I I I 3 nothing. It is 7:12 p.m. Our next
meeting will be on the 22nd unless we schedule one between now and then for next Monday. Thank you everybody. Thank you.