I will hereby call to order this meeting of the Sunderland Select Board. Uh the time is 6:32 p.m. Our first order of business tonight will be to approve the minutes from uh the 9:22 and 106 meetings. Do I have a motion?
>> I motion we approve minutes from 9:22 and 106. >> Seconded. All those in favor? >> I >> I two nothing. Thank you. All right. Um we will be also just to mention this now uh having finance committee joining us
around 7:15 um for joint finance committee select board business at that point. >> All right. So first order of new business will be to discuss the South County Senior Center. >> I would recommend that we delay that. >> We will wait until Dan is back. Yes, that's a good call.
>> All right. Um so let's move on to reviewing the appointments for assisting TA. >> Okay. So this is um I have an upcoming medical issue that I will be dealing with over the next three months. Um I
will be having a series of surgeries about every 3 weeks. And because of that, I would like to have the flexibility if we start if I find I'm not keeping up um to bring in um
Margaret Nardawitz >> who was the interim town administrator a year ago when I um when I applied for this position. And Margaret is um very familiar with Sunderland. She's maintained a relationship here. She
works at um our annual town meetings or and elections. Well, elections, not the annual town meetings, but she is um served the town even after she left. Um although she's not a resident, so I think it would be um a good choice. And
I would like to start her um I want to recommend that we pay her the same rate I'm being paid. Mhm. >> Um the hours I'm going to keep to a minimum. So for her to jump in for uh for a week here and then a week there, I
think um making sure she gets paid um fairly for jumping in and out. Um >> yeah, >> and and we will be asking for money um to help cover this at the special town meeting on next on the 14th of November.
I've we've estimated we've put out a figure of $5,000. We haven't, you know, it's likely to be far less than that. Um but you never know, things could things could change and we want to be prepared. >> Yeah. And we can always return that money to free cash at the end of the
year, but don't want to have to have another special town meeting just to ask for more. So that makes sense. So that becomes my question here is again because we need to just be transparent. >> Will 5,000 be enough?
um 54. Let's just look at >> or you know I think we need to you know know >> how many solid how many weeks would that provide >> right exactly or how many yeah how many hours of work whatever would that provide
>> hours of work are >> just so we have >> yeah know that's smart >> because we you know if it's better to ask for 6,000 >> we need to know now >> we need to understand that sooner rather than
Okay, >> just in my short crunching my head, I'm looking at about 2 and 1/2 weeks at 5,000 would be full like full-time weeks >> in that region. >> That's not very much.
>> No, it's not. Um but um >> well I came you said two weeks. >> Two and a half is what I came up with. [snorts] >> Oh my god. It's 92 and 1/2 hours. >> That sounds about right. Yeah. >> Yeah. That's only >> 80 hours is two weeks. Well, we don't
want to we don't want to spend more than that. >> But you want to be prepared. We we don't we don't want to spend more than that, but we also don't want to be in a position where we need we have services the town is not being able to provide >> because again >> we don't know
>> we don't know and you're >> sorry just we have dear filter enter the waiting room. >> Okay. And we just want to make sure we have enough that you know your health is you
know important here and >> y >> you know you shouldn't be worrying that oh well you know we only have two and a half weeks worth of coverage I've got to rush back if you're not capable of rushing back or able to rush back. Yeah.
>> Yeah. I'd rather prepare for worst case scenario and then be happily surprised that we only spend a third of what we asked for or whatever. >> Correct. Cuz that's just not a lot. >> Right. No, it really isn't. >> Um I would be of the mind of go hit 10,000 to be honest. Um cuz that ends up
being a month. It's 4 and 1/2 weeks because it's two and a quarter is what you came up with. Four and a half weeks is a month. So we would be able to, >> you know. >> Okay. Yeah. No, that makes sense. >> Um, and we can we can bring up the finance committee later when they're not
going to be if you'd like it. But, um, I think >> they're going to decide whether to recommend the article and then change the figure. >> Um, so let's let's sort of table that conversation until finance committee, but bring it up with them. Um, cuz yeah, two and a half weeks is awful. Goes by
awful fast if we need it, you know. Yeah. >> And you know, and again, will Margaret say, you know, she only needs Yeah. Because Margaret won't >> the fill-in person will not have to do every single menial task.
>> Yeah. >> Right. And and we she did ask me, do you want me to do all the big thing everything? And I said, "No, you you know, the stuff coming in the door, unless we're in, >> you know, should be." >> So, you know, there might be some things
that, you know, can wait or can be, you know, given to other people to do that could extend that, you know, if she's only going to do 25 hours a week or 30 hours a week. But
>> because it might be because my with the schedule I'll it'll be like it won't include Monday. I I'll be available on Mondays and then have surgeries on Tuesday. So it and Monday's our biggest day.
>> Yep. >> So it might be she would pick up the shorter part of the week and maybe the next week if I >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And a little bit of the next >> Right. If there's four surgeries, >> we would want for each one of them, you know. So
preparing for a week surgeries if that was what we needed, >> right? So, >> okay. >> I I think we really need to >> and again, we will present it to town meeting committee that ideally we don't spend even a fraction of that, but that
we would prefer not to an alert where we need it and don't have it. >> Right. But again, she's looking at four surgeries and that's only four weeks. >> Oh, yeah. >> So, >> you know, once we hit the 10,000 mark. >> Yep.
>> All right. So, we will discuss that further with the uh finance committee in a minute. Um, up next is an update on the BUB's appeal with the ABCC. >> Um, we received um a letter from the ABCC.
They have set a hearing date of December 2nd. And from what I understand, from what I've learned, if the only way that can be removed from the calendar is if Bubs
if Andrew Garlo makes a request to remove the appeal. >> Gotcha. Okay. >> Um and I have not heard that he has done that at this point. Um, and we'll we'll have to wait and see.
>> Okay. Yeah, keep us updated on that. Um, >> um, I have spoken to Michael uh, Dior Tenzio, town council. He outlined for me the amount of work potentially uh, it takes to respond. And we are also
looking at um, want to look at it from all sides. Mhm. >> So, I have another call into him to talk about um you know it potential repercussions if we weren't to um we're just finding out all the information. >> Yeah. No, in order to make a informed
decision on all that for sure. Okay, great. And and at this point, you don't need any action from us just dates and >> Right. I just want to let you know what is transpiring. Um I [clears throat] don't believe yeah it would be the lawyer that would respond in this case.
>> Yep. >> It's not the select board and potentially it it might have been me but I will not be available at that time. >> Y >> so um so we do have to rely on town council. >> That's why we have town council you know that's that's yeah
>> and hopefully they're available. >> Wonderful. Okay. Um thanks for the update there. keep us updated obviously and um yeah we'll discuss it further in the future we have more information any anything on that before we move on
>> all right um next up is a review of the town administrator's remote work schedule and the select board's meeting schedule >> so um I was just wondering if you know through this period if we'll need um I wanted to talk to you about maybe
not meeting every single week meeting uh numerous weeks especially once we hit the finance committee department head schedule. But and you know for the next month if if it doesn't look like a lot on an agenda um moving things to the
next agenda till we have a a fuller agenda. Um and so there wouldn't you know if we can not have a meeting here and there um it if that's acceptable to the select board it might be good for um for my schedule. So from my perspective,
legal hierarchies aside, I feel like the board works for you in terms of we meet so we can do the work that you need us to do in order to move the town forward. And so like and this is what we said about the the the extending the summer schedule is if you need us to meet,
great. Tell us even if we're not scheduled, that meeting, you know, that we will meet because we want to we want to like respond to town business timely fashion. But there's no need for us to meet twice in two weeks if there's going to be a 15-minute meeting and a 20-minute meeting or if you know you
don't need to make work just in order to is what I'm kind of getting at. So, um I'm certainly >> going to take my lead from you on that respect in terms of if you're telling me we don't need to meet a week because there isn't anything too repressing, >> great. >> Okay. >> All of us can, you know,
>> take our time back and and be happy about that. Um, but you know the the caveat being that I gonna have to trust that you're going to be honest with us about whether you do need this or not. And as long as we can do that, which I feel we can, then >> I don't have any problem. I don't have any problem with it because
again we have had multiple meetings where [cough] we were here for less than 20 minutes covered one or two items and they were not critical to be dealt with
at that particular moment. So, >> and that's really the key part there is making sure that we that as long as there isn't something that like we're going to miss a deadline or you know if there is an urgent the necessity to do so we can meet we can also >> um you know we we in the past if we need
to meet for one specific item we can meet remotely or we can figure that out you know if we need to. Um but yeah, I think I think we should be able to accommodate um accommodate that. Really, it comes down to budget season and getting to that. And
so as we move further into the into the fall winter, it might get harder to do that every week. Um right, >> but I think you know in the beginning parts of all this, which >> you know should be better. >> Okay, great. And then the other >> the other concept I just wanted to run
by the board um was my working remotely uh for a stretch. Um I'm in a situation where that's um been recommended to me and um so I want to start off at least taking
you know making sure I have that flexibility to work remotely during potentially what could be a three-month stretch. Um, so I think that one thing that I would like to consider to be important would be making sure there's somebody in the building. And so working
with the assistants and with um Margaret to make sure that if there was going to be some overlap between the two of you's time out of office that that be when we are using some of our hours for Margaret. Um, and it given that we only have four weeks if if we go with
$10,000. Um, if I would see you being working part-time remote and Margaret working part-time as a way to be able to bridge that gap. Does that make sense to you? If we can get away with 15 hours of Margaret's time in a given week because you're doing 25 hours remote, that might
work for us in a way that lets us stretch that money a little bit further. Y >> um and also not even to stretch it further, but potentially be able to be good stewards of that money and return a chunk of it to the town because we didn't need to go to the full four weeks of her, >> right? >> Um
>> so the need to keep the building open during open hours. Um, I also would like to throw out there potentially in some ways uh also utilizing um the person we
brought in for Moren Nichols, Dana Romer potentially if we like if it it seems like Margaret's on vacation for a holiday or something, she's not available >> if at least during that open period if we're really limited in numbers at town
hall for for whatever Is there any time during the week that you are typically the only person here? >> Um, Thursday after noon after 4 for sure and sometimes earlier when there's
>> But what what are the what are our posted hours for the town hall being >> not posted hours? We're we have currently we have coverage during posted hours. My concern is I want to make sure we maintain it when other people's
schedule, you know, if other people are not. >> But if right now there are no posted hours that you're the only person here, >> right? There are none. >> All right. So >> then we would have at least would Heather or or Wendy or somebody else
would be in the building for all those hours. So that was that was my main concern was just making sure that we have some physical here >> right during those posted hours. Um, and also not that we we shift all your responsibility off to the already other hardworking other people in the building, you know, make sure we don't overwhelm Heather or Wendy or whatever.
Um, >> that's why I was thinking if we have the flexibility to bring >> which we already have because when Moren's out, she can come in anyway. So, that's already covered. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> I feel like there is a tapestry of small
pieces that we will put together to make this this fall work. Um, and I'm sure we will figure it out. Any other questions or comments on that one? >> No, I, you know, I just think, you know, again,
just letting, you know, everyone know, you know, that that this is going to, you know, that there's going to be the this period of, you know, a little bit of upset here.
And you know, just if you you know, letting people know ahead of time if you're going to be needing vacation or taking vacation time, things like that. I know things come up where you can't >> you don't know ahead of time, but you
know, holidays coming, all that starts getting >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> using a lot of, you know, using vacation time and stuff. And as long as everybody's aware and you know understands that the goal is to have somebody here to keep the building
open during the posted hours and you know letting people know ahead of time. I think we should have no problems, you know, maintaining that. >> Great. >> Yeah, we've got a great crew. >> Yeah. >> Yep.
>> All right. Um, that is all of our new business except for the South County EMS update, but I'm hoping the boots on the ground I hear outside of our door is Dan. Um, so we're going to wait a minute. Hey, perfect timing. [clears throat] >> All right, we were just to our last item
of new business, which is the South County Senior Center update. >> Okay. >> And just in time for you to join us to talk about that. >> I don't have a lot to say. I mean, for >> Well, I think we're repeating what we said about summarizing moving it. Okay.
So, we know that uh we're not doing the fall stuff, right? >> Right. We've been pulled out of special town meetings for the senior center project. >> Right. >> Until annual town meeting. >> Until annual town meeting and um basically we're just taking a little
more time to get all the ducks in a row and get ready for it and um work with 112 just to make sure we've got everything in place. >> Sorry. Oh, we shouldn't [clears throat] put off. >> You're right. Um, so and we would be
potentially on schedule for normal time meeting this spring. >> That's um I think we're going to have to push him a little bit hard. Hi Josh. Um I should He's in. So um
the special I'm sorry I lost where we were. annual town annual town meeting. We will >> be the first to have annual town meeting as the last Friday in a in April. Um the others don't
>> don't start meeting till May and June. So I think we're going to have to push them to make sure everybody's ready at the same time. But I'm sure the that Jennifer the director will be very um anxious to keep moving. So
>> yes, >> um >> but we'll have to get on track because it's going [snorts] to be here before we know it, right? >> It's really only three months of work. >> So, and this is sort of a big picture question, but um we are very early in terms of other
towns in the area. Um and I know that there have been t years in the past, at least in the last couple years that I've been here, where trying to get all of our ducks in row for for our budget stuff for town meeting. We had a year where we almost had the pushoff town meeting because we weren't we didn't have free cash certified yet. Um that
that was a whole other thing. But just um is there >> free cash in >> this was before our [clears throat] before Pontia Ponty our old our old accountants didn't have free cash certified until I think it was April something. It was bad. Um >> Oh >> yeah. No, it it was it was a problem. But I guess my question is is there an
advantage to us having it so early? And if not, is there a reason why we wouldn't potentially bring that to the town this year if pushing it back to a later time? Um especially because we have a bunch of services like South County EMS and South County Senior Center that are con in conjunction with
towns that aren't clustered later in the spring. Um and so just >> not to mention the regional school >> regional school and it's it's also a burden on Darius and um you know Franklin Tech and whatever to have to come to our meetings so early and have everything ready so early for us. Um and
then we also push Darius like to to get us budget information even earlier because we have to have oursel ready. I'm just asking I don't know if there's even really a a driving mechanism behind changing that or not but it would >> I think it's select board discretion I
mean it's your review of past town meetings and what the date how the dates impacting your ability to hold a meeting. >> Yeah. >> The first year I was on we didn't have the meeting until May.
Okay. We have moved it before but that was >> unusual. >> Yeah, it was due to other reasons. So I think part of it is when is the election for like >> you know the select board member you know >> it's [snorts]
earlier isn't it >> correct? So that's what happened to me. I got elected to the select board a month before town meeting. So I had >> oh my god >> no time to prepare for it.
>> Usually that election and town meeting >> coincide like Friday is the Ktown meeting and then Tuesday is the election is often the way. So >> imagine coming in in April. >> True. That's true.
>> Yeah. the beginning of April and having or come what >> and and you don't even budget so you don't know >> correct. So that that I'm sure that is a a big chunk of that reason because
>> I sat there just like >> that's a very compelling that's a very compelling argument for keeping it the way it is anyway and we don't >> well it's just you have to change both move them both >> you'd have to change them both if you change it >> um I have a Shootesberry story um the
year before co Shootsberry changed their annual town meeting date to the last Saturday in April. Well, five years later, six years later, after never having it on the last Saturday in April because COVID meant we
ended up um two June town meetings, two main town meetings, and then some it but we never actually did that date and now they've changed the date again. But it, you know, you do what you can, but I
think in those COVID times, we really had to put things off trying to figure out what was going on. >> Yeah. I mean, we did them outside in the in the backyard here. >> Yeah, that's hard. But it could be um
there were comments made at a meeting today that next by next year the budgets are going to be very very difficult. Um, >> yeah, we see that. >> Uh, the financial picture hasn't started sliding off a cliff yet, but there's
precursors. >> Oh, yeah. >> All over the place. So, it [clears throat] might be pushing it out. I mean, having the foresight this year to think about changing it next year till the third week of May or something. See where when all the other towns hold
theirs and then the select board review and see if you want to change the date. >> Yeah. I mean, it it just has to be, >> you know, they they have to match up because it's >> Yeah, >> it it was horrible. And does Josh know
that finance isn't coming till 7:15? >> I think I told Josh, did I text you that? >> No, but I got the message now. Thank you. >> All right. Oh, I just, you know, in case you wanted to go off camera and grab a coffee or whatever, you still got 15
minutes, so closer to 20. Just wanted to let you know cuz I feel bad that you're sitting there listening to us. >> I'll check back in with you. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Sorry about that. >> So, maybe what we do is we put it on,
you know, give give ourselves a chance to chance to get better a little bit. Um and then we put it on a future, you know, like board meeting agenda in two weeks, let's say, um to discuss again. And at that point, we'll have had a chance to let it sort of remarinate a little more. Um I just know that >> and I can find out the dates of the
other towns. >> Yeah, that'd be great. Um, we also want to try to avoid having it on like the same date as Deerfield for example or whatever. So we don't, you know, >> you don't have a a huge >> Shootsberry used to have it the same day as Lever every year for a long time and
the superintendent would have to run back one time. I think all three towns had it the same date, >> right? And we just have to figure out the the term, right? Like I'm sure there's
wording in there that you know about the your term as select board member as assessor as whatever that you know >> right moving forward. Yeah. >> In Shootsberry the terms start July 1st.
They don't start right after the election. >> So you have the election going the meeting. >> Yeah. But ours start >> ours start right away. You you get elected on a Tuesday or whatever. You get signed in or you >> Monday. Yeah. >> Yeah. Um
>> that's a good that's a good question. So maybe we need to >> right cuz if the ter you know what I mean if >> again I I am not sure cuz I can't remember you know when you get sworn in if it
states a term of three years or if it states a term until >> next person gets sworn in. >> You know what I mean? I just don't know. So >> I can ask >> when doy >> yes you can check with um
>> you know again I as long as it's all coordinated and whether we have to do it incrementally you know a couple weeks here couple weeks there. >> Yeah. If there's let's say you know anything less than a month of of extension is okay then we do it three
weeks for the next couple of years until we're where we want to be or whatever. >> Yeah. >> Um that makes sense. Okay. So yeah, if you can find out from Wendy um what the deal there is. >> I just know that you know this is my what my fourth year here and every year's budget we've been scrambling to
get in under the line. Um and then other towns are got two months left still. So, >> well, I have to say when we having it done and when everybody else didn't, I was it really gave me time to focus on other things, >> which is fair, but >> which is fair,
>> but it it's it is important because sometimes that information you get, you know, in February or March is really critical when they they close the budgets. >> Well, they don't close them, but >> the house the three town two different things on the three towns. Is there some benefit to having things closely? I'm
just trying to think a lot. It makes a big difference. [clears throat] >> I just I'm think using this as a as a use case, right? Like because we're the whole project has to be ready to move forward at that point. >> If we were closer to the rest of them, the whole project would get another month or
>> we're asking for people to have their budget information in by December 16th. >> Yeah. >> So we could start our process. >> Yep. The other towns haven't even picked a date yet to have their budget stuff in. So,
>> okay. >> You know, when you do a shared South County EMS, South County Senior Center, >> you want to kind of all go together. >> Well, they've got to have that information in now, >> but it doesn't matter for GEL or Whitley
until a couple months later. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Um, so they can absorb adjustments to the budgets, but they can't adjust their budgets because they had to be set for us, >> right? >> Yeah. >> So, just grouping them together makes sense for us, you know. >> Okay.
>> Um, >> but it but the big thing is getting that date out if it does change cuz Sunderland has always had the same day. >> Yeah. >> For a long long time. So you we really
want to figure it out a couple months ahead because people make vacation plans and >> yeah well it's also something where I mean ideally we would have it moved for this year so we can give the this project more time if we can't if we find out that we need to have more notice or
or we need to incrementally do it or something like that. Um, we could also, you know, make it clear at this town meeting to the people who show up who are likely going to be a very large overlap with the people who are going to show up to the next town meeting that we would be able to give that heads up next year is not going to be the [clears throat] same time and at least
theund whatever people there at that time would be able to get that information. Um, and then as we get closer, we can put ads into and that kind of thing. Um, but first let's find out if you can move it based on the on the um term limits or you know the term width.
>> Okay. or what impact it they would have on it and how we >> it might take it two years to change it. I don't know. >> Yes. And also if we put it on a on agenda for two weeks that also gives people in the general population as well as other boards and committees a chance to reach out to be
like hey I have an opinion [laughter] on that um before we start getting really deep into the weeds on that. Um so okay great. So we'll we'll have that on a future meeting to talk about. Um all righty. any other South County Senior
Center stuff that you want to go over? >> I don't think so. We'll have more to more to say obviously for the next meeting. >> All righty. So, we still got about 10 minutes before our finance community folk join us. Um, any reason we can't do
like select word updates, old business and uh town administrator update kind of stuff now? >> We can move ahead to those for sure. >> So, we're going to do that. We're going to go um is there any old business? I don't see anything on the agenda, but any old business that we need to deal with. Perfect. Um, select board updates. Crystal, do you have anything for us
this week? >> Hey, well, Josh will be speaking soon, so I don't have anything as of right now. >> Okay. Anything else? I >> No. Okay. Um, I also don't have anything. Man, not by as much time as I hoped it would.
>> I had something I just have to something new I just um Yeah. While we're waiting for you to be ready for that, did you have some public comment for us today, sir? >> I'm the new member of the board of finance. Just >> Well, welcome. You're you're here a
little early, but that's okay. Um, >> are you Aaron K? >> I am. >> Welcome. >> Welcome, Aaron. >> We will be talking with you much more in about 10 minutes. Sorry. Um, see, we had we have I've had a phone call from Elai
um who are our new pot dealer in town. >> Yep. >> They are um preparing for uh a grand opening. They've just done their soft opening. Um and they just left a message. I have to connect with them and we'll I think they are want to invite
the select board to their grand opening. So, I'll get you that. >> Yeah, please let me know about that. I I drove by the other day and saw they had the now open sign. I was like, "Oh, okay. Good to know." >> Yeah, it's been >> Yeah, I think it's been a couple weeks, hasn't it? >> Yes. >> Y
>> I got I saw the phone call the morning after our last meeting and >> Yeah. Yeah. So, when they say a grand opening, is there any significance to that? Are they having >> I don't know if they're going to invite
people to come. >> Okay. No, I just, you know, cuz again, if I think it's wonderful that a new business wants to do a grand opening and I think it's a wonderful thing for them to do. It just I think we all know that's a tricky stretch of road at
times. That's not a gigantic parking lot. I didn't know what they were planning on, you know, like an outdoor tent and a band and a >> Yeah. No, >> that type of grand opening or >> Well, if they were, I hope they would come to us for a one day and a [laughter] license. But
>> but you know what I mean? That's when you hear grand opening, you just you don't know what >> what the the plan is for that. And if there's Did they >> agenda >> and feel free to say no? You didn't say
so, but did they mention when they were planning on doing the the grand opening? >> Um, they just referred to the grand opening and I haven't gotten through to them to call them back. >> That's what I assume. Just if you can let us know. >> Oh, yes. I will let you guys know. I'll text you.
>> Wonderful. Anything else from you? >> Um, something. It's not clicking. Sorry. >> Yeah, it will come. >> So, I think we're just going to uh take the next nineish or so minutes to just kind of relax and
>> pause for the finest committee. >> Yes. >> Very good. >> Yeah. Um >> and this is like you to introduce you to Aaron Coop. >> This is Val Bor. >> We've talked on the phone. >> We were eyeballing each other thinking we were probably each other, but we
weren't sure. >> I had to break the iceberg. Um Aaron, you get to sit up here for a moment. >> All right. Is there a smoothie? >> Uh not the order, but the table. This is the finest committee table. >> Thank you. >> And we're five now. So we might have to really use the table. I don't know if
everybody's going to be here, but we need >> three for corn. So here >> I don't know if we'll have five. I think we'll have four is my guess, >> which is good. Three will do, but we'll take it if we can get four.
Sorry, we can leave a little earlier. I have a I made a commitment for five weeks of dance classes. What? I this is my second one. So I only have three more weeks and then I won't schedule for but for you know I won't take any ballet classes during five week season
>> anymore. >> Well that sounds fun. >> Dancing around the numbers instead. >> Exactly. >> That is good for my body but good for the brain. >> Although dancing is so hard for the brain. Like it's like to make [clears throat] your body move in different directions and like arm up and
then arm up and then legs go the opposite way. I don't know. I'm like, what are you doing? >> I tried out for um the Ammerst Community Theaters production of The Wizard of Oz. I haven't forgot for anything in a very, very long time and did not really pay close attention to they're going to ask
me to dance and do a little number with a whole bunch of little steps and now go to the left and twirl around this. It did not go well. It did not go well. No. No. >> It was fun. Come on. >> It was It was actually a lot of fun. I just kept thinking like, why am I facing
backwards and everyone else is facing forward? [laughter] >> Well, that could have been on purpose. You could have been trying to get their attention. >> A scarecrow, you know, clumsy. It was >> exactly >> um for the frontier musical where um the
choreographer is offering dance classes leading up to the auditions >> so that everybody people don't feel like freaked out by the dancing part. >> That's nice. So, you know, if you want to try out for the Frontier Musical, there would be preparation for you. I think they
wouldn't let you, but you know, >> I think everybody involved dodge a bullet by me not getting into the play, but >> you a dance classes might be the trick. >> Here you go. There's yours. >> They could be fun.
>> I remember yours. Sam took some. I I have danced before. Not so much with the hand eye foot coordination so much, you know. >> Yeah. >> I bet I would dance when the versus when there's balls involved. So tennis is
worse than dancing. >> Cuz at least if I miss, there's not a ball, but I also missed. Like it's like I'm a little off. Who cares? Having fun. >> That's fair. >> Tennis, you kind of don't get the ball over the net if you mess it up. And those are consequences and your partner's mad at you. Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> With dancing, if you get around, you don't lose. >> Although I'm sorry. Did you make you did you get a part? >> I did not. No. >> I'm sorry then. >> Oh, no. It was I was primarily trying out because my wife wanted to try out
and I wanted to support her and she got a part which is >> Oh, great. >> So, >> so your work your work worked. you were successful. >> Oh, it it without being too uh you know too much information, it worked out perfectly
because she wanted to do it. I got to support her. >> We are in television so watch out what you're saying. >> Oh, I know. I'm trying to be as dramatic as possible with it. Um but no, it actually what's really lovely is that the they they ask the people who do get parts to also volunteer hours to do set design stuff and help with the sets and
costume that kind of thing. That's my my area. So, I'm going to help with the set design stuff and stay behind things. We are almost there. Um, do you know who else is coming tonight? Do we have You had two more people.
>> I probably know. Alan, I mean Ally and Dylan are both coming. I put those names together and Alan, but it's Dylan and Ally. >> Okay. >> So, I think they're both. There's Dylan. >> Look, thank you for joining us. I can
move down this Dylan. Aaron. Aaron. Dylan. Hi. >> Nice to meet you. Good to meet you. What's up? Did you guys Did anybody bring a copy of their warrant or did you need a warrant? I brought one up from downstairs.
>> I have an electronic version. >> I brought one downstairs. >> Okay. Um, >> mine seems to have disappeared. >> So, you guys need some Dan, did I give you a copy of that?
>> Uh, yes. Yeah. Uh, do you feel it one? >> No. Two minutes early. >> [clears throat]
>> Hi, >> I'm Alice. Nice to meet you. And this is >> I do have one of those. >> He just wanted to >> make sure you don't >> see what you're signing up for >> smell or something. >> I did just go to dance class, so maybe I
should >> the truth comes out about how my >> Monday commitment. >> It was ballet this week. Wait, with um is Milani in that time? Is it at Pineapple? >> No, it's at Chaduk.
>> Oh, okay. Hudson's on the Vuk right now. That's show week. So, we had the adult class. We had to show the little kids and the ballet dancing like high schoolers. >> Yeah. >> Really awesome. [laughter] >> They look really good. And we're like,
"Okay, here's the adults trying to do what you're doing." You're like, "This is great." >> Roma like, "You just got, you know, it's okay. I'm just going to make Could you give me the warrant? Go make more copies."
>> No, I think it's >> this one. nine copies. >> Uh there's at least two coffees on the table downstairs, so you might be able to just grab those if that's all you need. >> Yeah. >> Uh both of my like my parents and my grandma's were here for my older son's
birthday. >> Okay. >> And it was like there's a lot to coordinate >> and all staying with you. >> No, they left all yesterday morning, but then Max had his paintball birthday party. So, I've just been like driving
people all over the valley or coordinating like >> grabbing more copies of a second. >> Yeah. >> I don't even remember what town. I know where I stayed. There's so many
just like there is here too. >> It's probably like a 287 area. >> Yeah. >> My younger son's name. >> There you go.
[snorts] We're just waiting for Becky to come back upstairs and then we'll get started. >> Probably we shouldn't start with her. I don't think >> might make sense since she's the one taking the the meeting minutes and all that stuff for, you know, >> um I assume that we'll get explanations on why this is coming up and what it
means and your like >> Nope. We're going to make you guess. >> Okay, that'd be awesome. >> Let's stick with the usual. Is it like an all of the above? Is there at least a multiple choice? >> Oh, yeah. We will go over we will go over all of them. >> Awesome. >> Um there is one primary driver and then
some like oh we're having one. We should probably deal with this stuff because of ECW kind of things. >> Yeah. So I think that was the original was the South County Senior Center >> and then there was other stuff that came on >> and then you know since that was happening and then that one got removed.
>> In the meantime you found new work. No, we would go into detail on all of the the warrant items. >> I'll know Joe. >> No, Joe. >> Joe never responded. >> Thank you.
>> So, um, >> and I didn't bother him giving that. I thought he said no joke. I'm like, >> no. >> No joke. >> No. >> And I didn't harass him because I knew where people come from his corn. So, I was like, well, he's busy. whatever. So
I >> didn't press but you know >> did someone need a copy because we had you know we had to do >> you want these people. >> All righty. So we're going to pick back up.
>> So we need to call committee is joining this lovely select board meeting and we still call the finance committee meeting to order. Perfect. Wonderful. Welcome to the uh the party. Um so what we're going to be discussing today between the two committees is the special town meeting
um that we have set for two weeks from this Friday tentatively. Um and the items that are on that special town meeting and the justification behind them and whatnot. Um we are also going to take a little bit of time to go over the budget request forms that we'll be sending to all our department heads. um
as well as um capital improvement forms for capital requests. So, starting off with the special town meeting discussion. Um everyone should now at this point have a special town meeting warrant in front of them. There are five articles on here. Um and if it makes sense, Becky, I'll
just go through all five of them and questions feel free to stop me. >> Yeah. Um so the first one um is and this is sort of the again the driver behind why we're having this is um >> oh we really should know
>> yeah he's not there >> you >> well Josh we're um ready to meet again if you can hear us >> but we can also move on to two and come back with Oh perfect perfect timing. All right. So, we are going to discuss
>> Thank you very much. We're going to discuss this um item now. So, um as many of you may remember this past year or maybe it was the year before, we um at town meeting voted to authorize the purchase of a new ambulance. Um the the
South County South County EMS has three ambulances, all of which are very very old. I think like 10, 15, 20 something year, something along those lines. Um so they have they have one that's been ordered takes quite a while for it to arrive between then and now. Um another
ambulance became available um that doesn't have that kind of a lead time on it. Um and that would be um you know in a good position to meet our needs of our agent fleet. Um, and so the ask came from South County EMS and their board of
oversight uh to have the three towns um call a special town meeting to vote on authorizing the use of retained earnings. Um, and so what this means is um their retained earnings are much like free cashes for us where that's the money that they have left over at the end of the year. Um, and so the idea
here is that they have the money in in their retained earnings to to purchase it. So we wouldn't be we are authorizing actual expenditure from the town but it means going into the subsequent budget seasons [clears throat] their retaining earnings would be substantially lower and thus the assessment on the
individual towns would be higher because less of it is being offset by retaining earnings. Um big picture-wise um the the hope is to be replacing the ambulance on a much tighter schedule and so every couple years we'd be replacing an ambulance with three of them in
rotation. Um, and so having them do it at retain earnings as opposed to having it be a special article every couple years and that meeting levels out the budget cost a little bit better over the long run because what we're seeing is going to be more money per year, but
steadily that not just lower, but then every couple of years, oh, another $300,000, another $300,000. So allows it to be more of a amateurized budget in that way. Um, so any questions at this point before I keep going?
>> I think this is obvious that so it's a new ambulance, but instead of getting the one that we were ordered that was going to be a long time, we're not going to get that one. >> No, we're still going to get that. So, we're going to have two. >> Yes. So, the one we've already ordered has already been ordered and paid for and appropriated the money and all that stuff. That's still happening, but we're not taking ownership of it for I think
for another year or something like how long I mean Josh is here [clears throat] and can answer these questions I'm sure much better than us but it [clears throat] is hopefully coming in 2026. >> Well, that is the plan. Um that was
fantastic by the way. You you did my job for me. So I appreciate it with your uh description. Uh this was ordered in 2023, fiscal year 24. And uh typically they have about a
three-year turnaround. So uh essentially what this does is we're able to find an opportunity to get a brand new um ambulance which meets all of our specs uh with a very rapid turnaround. if ordered this, we would be seeing this
one delivered, ready to go in service and on the road before the one we've ordered a couple years ago even shows up. So needless to say, we have a new method of preparing ambulances in the future. And uh this puts us in a really
good position to do just what was mentioned uh with a uh capital improvement plan where we can look to replace ambulances on a rolling basis every few years. Uh, as far as when the previously ordered one arrives, uh, I've
heard everything from spring to first quarter meeting after July 1st to we don't know. [snorts] And just to be clear, it's not necessarily late. Um,
they haven't not fulfilled their contractual agreements. Uh, they're still well within that. However, uh we need ambulances. Uh the ambulances that we're currently utilizing as our
frontline vehicles, uh through a decade of of no preventative maintenance planning have fallen into disrepair and they need replacement. So, as frontline vehicles, I do want to keep them as spares.
Um and then just another point I wanted to address uh about the retained earnings is this will reduce the amount that we can put towards the next fiscal year's budget. That is correct. However,
you'll recall that uh we didn't put much towards it last year either and there's still going to be some um revenue coming in. So, this should actually put us in a fairly similar place
um as we were going into this year. That's the hope anyway. Government shutdown and all of that, Medicare reimbursement um potentially being impacted, you know, that's another story. >> Great. Thank you very much. Any
questions from finance committee on this? I know this is your price first pass on this one. I have two. Um I I'm curious how we went how we go from no new ambulances in 10 to 15 years to a
new ambulance every two years. I don't know which one of those is right. That's just a really big shift. >> Yeah. So I think his plan is every 3 years to get into that rotation that every 3 years a new ambulance. And again Josh is here. Let him talk instead of me yapping. [snorts]
>> Yeah. So, uh, I I apologize. I I hope I didn't misspeak. Uh, we've had u about 10 years of no good preventative maintenance. We have purchased ambulances since then. So, our current frontline ambulances are a 2017 and a
2019. Um, which in ambulance years is fairly ancient. Uh, these things are abused not because people are mean, just because that's what they're there for. uh is to be used and
uh you know the typical lifespan of an ambulance the these are at their limit. We can keep them for a few years to come as backups uh which I would like to do.
Uh but the plan is through a capital improvement plan to uh what what I want to bring to the Deerfield Town meeting um or spring for the new fiscal year is I want to get on the warrant a new capital stabilization
fund. I'm working with the uh town of Cotton Holly um to uh start talking about that and get it set up so that we can you know move forward with the plan which is in addition to taking some of the retained
earnings each year and putting those towards the assessment. I think it's equally important that we put some of that money aside so that we're not in this position where I need to come to each town every five or six years and say, "Hey, can I have half a million
dollars um appropriated to buy a new ambulance?" We want to avoid that situation. We already um you know assess a tax and we don't want to take it further than that. So by creating the
stabilization fund and adhering to um an improvement plan, what we hope to do is save amount uh save an amount every year that we can then apply towards the purchase of a new ambulance every 3 years. Doing that will put us in a
really good position where our frontline ambulances are never greater than 6 years old and no spare vehicle is greater than 9 years old. Having these two new ambulances arrive uh in calendar year 2026
would put us at a really good head start for that. Um it would be nice. It doesn't make it quite as tidy with the three-year replacement plan, but the reality is we need ambulances to perform our job. And right now our ambulances
are in a bad situation. And that was one of the concerns that I had had when we first talked about this was if we get two of them at the same time and they have a six-year lifespan, does that mean six years from now we're going to have two that already need to be retired at the same time? Um, and you
know it how what's the plan to, you know, make one of them go 9 years or is the plan to make it to replace one of them after only three years? Like what's the plan for um when this cycle comes up? Um because I just want to make sure we're not either going to borrow too
much from a a vehicle that's that's going to be out of spec at that point or >> buy a brand new vehicle, use it for three years and be replacing it because we want to get >> or trade in something with a higher value, you know. >> So yeah, I mean that's that's definitely an option also is that if we can get,
you know, this is a $330,000 vehicle. If we can get 200 back at for a three-year-old vehicle, that's different than we can get 20,000 back for a three-year-old vehicle. So that would also be useful information to have as well. >> So the the return um the trade in value
on these uh is very low. Typically um the the plan here is that uh I'm saying every 3 years but uh what I mean is really this first year I want to do and I haven't discussed this with the
yet. This is our next meeting in early December. Uh the idea here is I want to start that saving with this next year in a lower amount so that we can put a greater amount out towards the assessment and then on a three-year
cycle replace one at a time. So that's going to put us at we have two new ambulances in 3 years. We have two three-year-old ambulances and we buy one more. One of those vehicles becomes a spare.
In 3 years after that, we buy another ambulance. Now, we have a brand new ambulance and a three-year-old ambulance as our primary trucks. And we have a six-year-old and a much older ambulance as our spares. And
ultimately, we'll catch up to where nothing is greater than 9 years old and we're always running a brand new and a three-year-old ambulances are primary. >> That works out pretty well for us. >> But I think you touched on sort of what
my concern is, which is that after 3 years, a brand new ambulance is only 3 years old ends up becoming the backup ambulance and not getting a lot of use. And then three years after that, it's going to get replaced by another new ambulance that's going to be coming, the backup ambulance. And so that
>> No, that is in that is incorrect. The three-year-old ambulance will still be in service as a primary frontline vehicle. >> We run two ambulances. >> No, I mean, >> what you're saying is that three years from now, we have two three-year-old
ambulances and you add a brand new one. Brand new one and one of the three years are are your frontline ambulances. that you're saying that that the other three-year-old one becomes the backup ambulance. And all I'm saying is I don't know that 3 years of frontline work and then backup work is enough life out of that ambulance.
Like what what we're saying is we should be getting six years of frontline life and 3 years of backup life and this one ambulance we're only getting three and three. That's that's the concern there is that we are losing 3 years on that ambulance or we have an ambulance that's wildly newer than we need it to be for
the backup ambulance and then after those additional 3 years it hasn't gotten much wear and tear it's still kind of new and we're back to trying to figure out how to make that 3 369 year schedule work when we have a machine that's not being used that's my concern
>> well yeah sure it's a big concern but it you know what a horrible problem to have that trucks are too nice. Um, you know, I look forward to such a problem like that. Uh, ultimately what will happen is
by continuing to replace these on a threeyear cycle, we will catch up to this point where 6 years is the useful frontline service life, right? It's only going to take two ambulance purchases to get there
and we're in business. It puts us in the situation now if we don't buy the new ambulance. We're going to get this when we ordered a couple years ago. That's going to arrive sometime next year. It's going to be after town meeting.
It'll be after the start of the fiscal year and all likelihood. And now I've got, you know, now I'm in a far worse situation. So, to me, having a three-year-old vehicle
as a useful backup, and by backup, what I mean is it's going to be used all the time, right? There's always a detail. There's always one of the primaries going out for some type of service, some type of equipment change, some type of,
you name it. So these things are uh at this point we have a very robust preventive maintenance schedule for these and they're always being worked on and having those backups is very useful if they're all in good condition that
just puts us in the place we want to be. >> Could could you tell us a little bit about this opportunity where instead of waiting three years, we're able to get one so quickly. Is this a new track that will be repeatable or is this a one-off kind
of thing that's come to us and so we should think about it in that context? >> Yeah. No, that's great. So, this opportunity, as I put it, is a kind of maybe opportunity isn't the best word, but it is a break in mindset from the
way that South County EMS has historically ordered its vehicles. Uh what the agency has done up until now has been to order very customized ambulances from a couple of different
manufacturers with long lead times. They've thought about it by purchasing a chassis separately and then that chassis goes to the ambulance manufacturer. It sits there for a period of time. the uh
ambulance box, the patient compartment is then custom speced and built. Um, and this is why it takes three years. What we're doing with this is we found a manufacturer out of New York uh who uh
is on a um uh uh what's the word I'm looking for? They're on a um a purchasing list that we can use through Town of Deerfield and the ambulance is spec nearly identically
to what they have been custom ordering. However, it's not a custom unit. It is a stock unit. It's a very reputable manufacturer. They've been around a long time. They're well regarded. They're very affordable. Um, it doesn't have a
lot of the bells and whistles that our folks have become accustomed to, but the good part of that is those bells and whistles are the things that always break. So, uh, I, for one, won't miss them. Um, so it's a fairly stock unit.
um you know, we don't need to concern ourselves with paying an extra $10,000 and having an ex extra year of production because we want the floor and the seat cushions a very particular color. So, you know, the idea is moving
away from this ridiculous uh ridiculously expensive customization of our vehicles and getting something fairly standard that meets all of our specifications. And so, that's the idea moving forward
is that we continue with the stock unit and there is some wiggle room for uh some of the things that we need um that make it unique to us. Uh, but the basic layout of it, the truck itself, you know, all of the locations of the
cabinets, all of that is standard and that's what makes it so rapid to get. Does that make sense? >> That does make a ton of sense, I guess. Then wouldn't we consider trying to line up
that more rapid acquisition in line with our ideal procurement plan? or at least even if we're going to double up in the next 12 months, bring it to a full town meeting. I guess then I don't understand why it would go to special now if
there's not some particular urgency or >> the urgency is that we have to move on this if we want it. If not, it's going to get sold to somebody else. >> But are there more of these available? >> That's a very solid question. Um,
>> so I don't need >> to speak to that. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah, to speak to that that is correct. Um, we could, you know, look to procure this at town meeting. The the problem is this is available now. I can get it now. It's got our name on it. And
the urgency is really we need ambulances that aren't out of service and being repaired uh 2 weeks out of every month. uh the vehicles that we have are simply inadequate to perform our job and they
need to be replaced. So waiting uh an additional we don't know how long is less attractive of an option uh versus a sure thing that we can obtain now. >> So it's jumping at a chance to put us in
a really good position. So if we move forward with this, this one would be in service in how many months? >> Uh theoretically January, February possibly. >> And the one we're waiting on is somewhere first quarter, mid next year.
We don't know. >> We don't know. >> Okay. Thank Thank you for answering those questions. >> So the way I see it, there's really two things that we're we're doing here. One is we're dealing with the fact that we have really old ones currently, and the second one is we're trying to get onto this new schedule. Ideally, we would do
it in a seamless way where, hey, we bought one 3 years ago, we're buying one now, we're buying one 3 years, and it all just works out that way. Um, part of what we're hearing from South Ken EMS is that the other ones are already so out of spec that waiting three more years for the second one of the frontline ones is not a great idea.
That being said, the way that we are introducing this new schedule with these two, if we buy another one in three years, from my perspective cuts the value on one of these two by 3 years, and we lose out on, you know, 3 years
out of a 9-year vehicle is $100,000 worth of [clears throat] worth of value in that vehicle that we're not getting by doing that. If we bought two right now or we we have one that's coming, we buy this one and we didn't get a third for six years. >> That is five years or something or yeah,
four and a half even, whatever. We we find somewhere in the middle where we stretch one of them a little longer. We have the other one a little less than we want, but we get back on the schedule versus losing three years on one and not gaining anything on the other. I'd much rather gain a year and a half on one, lose a year and a half on one, be in the
middle, and be happier there. So, um, from my perspective, may not sound like it, but I'm actually all for getting this ambulance cuz we need it. I just want to make sure that we're putting in place the policies and opinions that we're are transmitted to South County EMS to make sure that we
aren't losing value in the long run. That's my real main concern there. >> Right. And I think one thing to keep in mind is those that when we when they refer to it as a backup ambulance, it's actually still a high visibility vehicle. That's what's sitting at the
football games. That's what's sitting at Treehouse Brewery. You know what I mean? They're still performing as an ambulance. They're not, you know, something that's sitting in a garage
waiting for another vehicle to go in for maintenance to be used. They're they're used and they're used in some high visibility, you know, public areas. Um it it's not just sitting there waiting for
a vehicle to break down and say, "Okay, now we use the backup." >> Mhm. Just even even if we were to consider all three of them to be frontline vehicles, we would end up with two of these having nine years of frontline use and one of them having six years because 3 years from now we have
another vehicle. Three years from now have another vehicle. Then that one that's only has six years, three frontline, three backup. That one gets retired at that point because we now have a new vehicle. We don't need to have four. We only need to have three. We're not going to maintain four. We're going to maintain three. So again, I'm just trying to make sure that if if
we're going to get >> the next three vehicles, we're looking at 9, 9, and six. I'd much rather nine, 10 and a half, and seven and a half and having it, you know, worked out in a way where like it's still going to be a heck of a lot better than it had been in the past with our old vehicles when we kept them for extended periods of time.
>> And I mean, there's a lot of money getting spent on maintenance >> that obviously with two new vehicles hopefully A lot of that work is covered under warranty work or what, you know what I mean? There's always going to be tires
and gas and oil change type maintenance, brakes, whatever. But, you know, I'm guessing there's nothing covered in warranty any longer on any of your vehicles, is there, Josh? >> No. No, we're long past that. In fact, I
overspend on my vehicle maintenance uh and repair line item uh the last couple of budgets since I've been here last year. Um uh you know, we're looking at almost double the line item budgeted to repair
these trucks. Um, I just want to kind of go back to what Crystal was saying, um, about how these are vehicles that are highly visible, but on top of those details, those football games, treehouse, um, the marathon, all of these things,
these are used very regularly in our primary rotation. These do become ambulance one and ambulance 2 as those other vehicles are being serviced. So it is necessary to maintain a very high quality fleet of vehicles. And to speak
to the point about the three ambulances, my plan is to keep four. Um I would like to keep this at four because that's the situation we're in. On occasion, we do need that fourth ambulance, not only as
a uh spare or backup for vehicles being serviced, but because we simply need more ambulances um to uh offer at certain events. So, having that capability is absolutely
fantastic. We don't have it currently, uh but this would get us there. And you mentioned that the preventative maintenance was sort of lacking on some of these older vehicles. Is there I think you mentioned there's a a plan to
to have a a maintenance schedule so that they don't fall behind with the new vehicles. >> Yeah, definitely. and that's been started. Um, a lot of credit to um, one of our paramedics, Zachary
Badestone, who's really put together the bulk of this program. Um, and I'm really indebted to the work that he's done. Uh, essentially what we have set up is, uh, we've done a lot of work in the
garage. We have a mobile repair and preventative maintenance person coming to our station very regularly um doing uh major work, doing minor work, doing alignments, doing uh you
name it. And the the capability they bring is just unbelievable. and we're spending half the money to do this than we were by taking things down to the vehicle to pay for uh kind of ad hoc repairs uh as they come up. So, it's
really been outstanding. On top of that, um we're just not running into so many of the problem the small problems because we have somebody looking at them. Um so the hope is that with new warrantied vehicles and
really babying them and taking care of them under this program um well as much as you can baby an ambulance anyway um that they will be in a position where after their 6 to9 years
um we can sell it, we can trade it in as part of the replacement um and it will retain a higher value, right? And hopefully we decrease the uh line item budget spending for vehicle repairs and maintenance. And hopefully, this is the
most important thing uh to me is that we have the vehicles out of service um fewer days out of the year uh so that we can use them. Unfortunately, what we've been running
into the last year or so is we've had it come up on a handful of occasions where I've got a crew coming in to work and I don't have an ambulance to put them in. We've always had one. We've never gone
down entirely, but we've had to find creative uses. Uh so I don't want to be faced with that situation. Sunland especially um has been fairly busy for us and if there's a second call it's
always in Sunderland. So I don't [clears throat] want to uh >> I don't want to lose that ability to respond. >> I just want to ask what was the cost of the the previous one or the one we're waiting for? >> If it was 10,000 more than this one
>> I think it was yeah 10 to 15,000 more than this one. It's a very very comparable but it was hot. >> Okay. >> Any more questions from the finance team on this item before we move on? >> No more questions. I just say Josh, you know, thank you. I I really appreciate the revisiting the procurement. I think
trying to cut down that timeline, even if it's not saving money, saving time gives us more flexibility. That's really good. Um I share some of the other concerns about stacking, but I think that's a future problem, not a present one. So, I'm supportive of this. I just know it's a little I was surprised to
hear that it will then take the fleet from three to four. I worry a little bit about where that leads. You know, if there's now should we expect to see expanded services and future budgets or future additional things we can do that we're not really contemplating with the cost of this. But I just note that as
something I'm thinking right now. Uh it has no bearing. I'm supportive of of moving this forward. Yeah, this is sort of that like almost exactly my thinking is like today I'm happy but in three years if you come asking for another vehicle we might be telling you to push it off in a year or two down the line. So just be prepared for that for that
push back in a couple years. Um but no I think for for today for what we need getting to the ambulance in service faster and having two reliable good vehicles be our two frontline vehicles that don't have all these down times is the goal here. So >> let me have one last question. Is there
room for four ambulances indoors? >> No. building. >> No, there's not. There's um Well, we could talk about procuring some new garage space if you like next. I'd be happy to. >> I'm just had to ask [laughter] >> if if you want to, you know, if we want
to remain on future problems. Uh I'm working uh with Pete Kaine and the town of Wheatley um to utilize some of the space that they're building um to store the fourth vehicle. Um, it's not ideal,
but uh, it's the best solution we have at the moment. So, it meets all of our needs. Uh, it's easy to get to. It's close to the station. >> So, that's the the the working plan. >> Thanks. >> All righty. Thank you very much. We're
going to move on from this article, unless anyone else has any last minute. Perfect. Um, to article two. Article 2 um is about transferring $5,000 from wherever it's coming from um into the select board/count administrator line
item. Um for those on the select on the finance committee, if you're not aware, Becky is going to have to have a series of surgeries this fall. Um there's four surgeries and for each one she's going to be out for a little while after them. um is in an attempt to try to maintain the consistency of the offices and
having people in here and having support we need for like board meetings, financing meetings, all those kind of things. Um we're looking to um hire Margaret who had been our interim town administrator before Becky um on a very temporary part-time basis um to help out
and fill in the gaps when possible. Um we put $5,000 down on here as a random number. Um, we actually talked about it earlier and did some math and $5,000 is about 90 something hours worth of someone's time. So, two and a halfish little less than two and a half weeks.
Um, with four surgeries um >> at with the four surgeries, we would like to try to budget for worst case scenario being a full week after each surgery. So, four weeks, which is $10,000 instead
of five. Um the idea being that none of us want to spend any of that money or most of that money or any kind of part of that money. We're going to be as conservative as we can about it. If we don't do something like this though, we don't have any way of being able to do that and then we're just in a position where sorry, we're going to have to
close down the the town hall for a couple days or there's just no administrator availability during this week or whatever it is. Um and so that's what the the ask is there. any surplus that doesn't get used by that effort would be then returned via free cash to the the general budget.
>> And it's hard to predict at this point whether Margaret would be able to pick up those duties, you know, the necessary duties, right, in 25 hours. >> Mhm. >> In some weeks, she might need 40 in other weeks depend.
>> We just can't predict what's going on. So I think we were kind of planning, you know, worst case scenario being four or five weeks. >> We're not hoping for what worst case scenario. >> What we're saying is we don't want to call another special town meeting in
December because we we end up running to >> our article 2 says 5,000, but you're saying we should see we should, >> right? >> We're really voting on a 10,000. Okay. >> We we tabled it earlier because we're like, well, we're going to have the finance be here anyways. we should talk to them about it cuz obviously that's
what you guys think. Um but that that was our thinking behind that and that's the the purpose for that five $10,000 is to give the town the flexibility to again be able to maintain the services that we want to be able to maintain. >> Um so questions from the community on that one
>> just structurally like let's say we couldn't do this and then we had to come up with that money. What would be the other than special town meeting are there not is there not a reserve account that you could fund that out of? >> You were in charge of it. I that's what I thought and that's why so >> how do we think about the interplay
between using a reserve account for unexpected things that come up throughout the year which this is >> versus but I guess this is where we have a special town meeting anyway >> if we would call a special town meeting just but since it's there is like let's not tie up the money we'd have hey it's
most likely going to go back to the town at the end of the day I would just hate to see us take that money out of the out of the reserve fund and then it's a really bad winter and George says, "Hey, I need extra money for filing or anything like that." You know, so >> so since we're having a meeting anyway, let's >> say we're having a meeting anyway. We're going to make it a little bit more of an
official transfer of money than having to come to you guys and ask you. It also >> big picture wise means the town's voting on it. It's not just your committee deciding where the money goes. And so it's a little bit more democratic in that respect, which I think is not a bad thing.
>> And I I just want to bring up the funding source. So, the accountant sent out uh everything to do last week to certify free cash. We don't know if we'll have it back for special town meeting. >> So, when we're putting the motions
together, the balance and stabilization is $386,000. And at this point until unless free cash is certified, I'm thinking that's you know and the motions most likely will specify stabilization which will require
the two/3 vote. >> Um but the motions can be changed at town meeting if that free cash is certified if the you know but I wanted to have a discussion with you guys >> if you have a preference between the free cash and stabilization. >> I I would prefer free cash if possible.
>> Yes. Um, and if we do stabilization, I would want us to make a mental note of that for making sure you almost every year we transfer some free cash stabilization. Anyways, I would want to make sure we add the 10,000 on top of that. So, we are replenishing what we took out effectively. Um, but yeah, you
know, it's one of those it comes from this, it comes from that. At the next town meeting in in the spring, it's all going back in one big pile before it gets ded anyways. Um any other questions from >> do you guys have a any preference between free cash or stabilization?
>> I echo because >> yeah I think free cashified but otherwise >> good. Yeah just wanted to hear hear you say >> sounds good. >> And the and 10,000 sounds fine if that's the recommendation. Understand we're not exactly sure >> and we're hoping we won't.
>> We hope it's right. >> It'd be wonderful if we don't need it. That means everything, you know, went way better than planned versus as planned. >> Yeah. All righty. Um, next up is article 3. Um, article 3 and article 4, I'm going to kind of lump them together a
little bit because they're basically the same thing. And that is that the both of them are prior year bills need to be paid. One for the amount of $105. Oh, sorry. One for amount of $15 and for $35 for two different things. And then the next one is for $1,300.
Um, >> and I it's $1,300 and something I'm waiting for uh to get the bill from the chief. >> Okay. Um, so one of the things I will point out on these, and this is a surprise to me cuz I didn't realize this, is that for a special town meeting, um, prior town bills are a
9/10enth vote, which basically means that we got a pretty much unanimous or it's not going to pass. Um, wouldn't be the end of the world. If it didn't, it would mean that we would have to deal with it during a normal town meeting, which is a 45ths vote rather than a 9/10 vote. So that's slightly easier to do. Um, that being said, I haven't been to a
single town meeting, I think, ever, where we haven't been nearly unanimous on everything every single time. So, >> so is this is the reason why article and three are coming to town meeting rather than us the finance committee just saying do our little leftover bill thing
because this is different like these are small numbers. Usually in July we meet and move >> the year's overse. But that we do that in July usually when years old too. >> But see the problem with these bills, you guys can't pay them with your finance reserves.
>> Okay? >> Because these bills, two are from 2023. >> Yeah. There's several years. >> They're they're And then the other one, I think the third the 1300 is 2023. And I believe the $35 one >> um it's from an event you went to.
>> Oh boy. Sorry about that. >> And it was [laughter] it was in 2024. >> Okay. So we can't do it's not it's not the moment we had extra bill at the end of the fiscal year catch up. This was this is older stuff >> and if people had Yeah. If they at least
the 24 one if I had known in 24 we fiscal 24 we could have paid it. But >> this is catch up for us and >> hopefully once this is done we're >> no past baggage hanging over. >> So this would have still had to go to
regular town meeting if we were to >> Yeah. Yeah, they would have had to be articles and the department heads brought them to me when I said we were having a special town meeting. So, >> the main advantage of doing it now versus in the spring is that the bills get paid sooner. So, the people waiting on the money the town's owed them for
multiple years now actually get the money back as opposed to waiting even longer. So, >> it's not a huge deal. I mean, we wouldn't have called a special town meeting for just these. >> Um, our last one is a >> make
>> our last one is a slightly larger one. Article five is um we have a PAS issue um up on the northern part of town and um Tai and Bond uh their estimate for is it estimate or is it a final rule?
>> This is an est um well they usually stick to their estimates. they don't go over. So, it's not to exceed >> not to exceed that amount. Um, and this is for remediation for that PAS that we as a town are responsible for doing. Uh, we don't have any choice about this, just to be clear. [laughter] Um, so this is that's what this is. This
is just we have to make a transfer to be able to cover the ongoing cost of that. Um, we will um as we budget for future years, budget better so that we have the money available for this kind of thing. Now, we have a better idea of what the scope could be. um we just were not
prepared for this much money this year. So, >> and um it's also we're hopeful that this potentially could be a final cleanup of this issue, but we don't know >> for this particular
>> for this particular um how you know the way it's come out around the landfill. >> Yeah. >> Right. But there will be ongoing testing and this could >> Yes. It could keep up, but the there's two separate things. We have the
landfill in off of Reservation Road and there's a number of properties on Reservation Road that are tested annually or bianually. And then um one of those tests last year proved positive
in a residence. It never reoccurred in that residence. And three [snorts] more tests or two more testings >> and then and there's This is to do additional testing just to confirm that none of these houses have
come live again. Um but it's we're you know with PAS you never know and um what I'm trying to work towards is I believe there you know there could be cause to have
testing in the spring but we don't know. I was considering asking you guys to round it up to 20,000 for more lab work um because it's potential that that will happen. But I think we should stick with
the estimate as it is and talk to finance committee or take it to annual time. We can come back for annual town meeting and have a better idea at that point of what our spring needs are going to be. >> Yep. >> So am I right that all of these articles come out of the same stabilization fund?
>> Yes. Unless we get free cash freed up. So you're saying the stabilization fund has about >> 386 in it and these together come as well at 350. Am I not wrong? I'm not wrong there. >> Stambul not st not stabilization. Okay
is a retained earnings from South. Sorry. Thank you. It's not going to be any any assessment to the town >> and even if it was it would be our portion of that which as Sunderland I think is worth 30% or something like that of the of the so it would be >> so the stable of the ambulance so just
articles 2 through six are the >> stable I think it's if we have the 10 we're looking at about 25,000 total for the three items which is you know not an insignificant amount of money but it's not >> you know blow a hole in the town budget kind of money um and that's all money
that we should be able to return to stabilization in the budget in the spring. >> Josh has a question. >> We will. >> Josh is >> Yes, Josh. >> I I apologize for interrupting. Uh there was one other item that we uh failed to bring up and that is uh another request
for capital expense on this warrant for the striker power load loading system. Do you have copies of that? >> It may be mixed in with the ambulance. Good. >> I don't have it here.
>> No, I I don't. This is the form you gave me, Josh. Did you email it separately? >> Um, no. I think it would have been there. I'm going to forward it to you right now. Uh, but basically what this is, this is
a request for $74,866 also from South County EMS department retained earnings. Um, and this is for the Striker power loading systems. Um, which uh let us use our stretchers. So, one is
for the ambulance we're hoping to buy and the other is for the ambulance that we're waiting on already. Um, that money was never uh appropriated or that project never funded. Um, they left that
to a later date and here we are. So, uh, this kind of tacks on to that. Um, let me just, uh, >> should ambulance, should it be added to article one?
>> I, I would lean towards making it a separate article. Um, because there may be appetite for the town. In fact, >> I might I might separate it out as >> two separate >> ambulance, the striker system for one for one ambulance and a system for the other ambulance because if the town
decides not to go ahead with the the new ambulance, we still want to get one of the systems. So the ambulance be all we know we're getting their system total. >> So I would put in a two and a three after one, shift them all down and have it be for each individual unit. >> Everyone else agreement on that?
>> Yes. And Josh, you emailed me the specifics so I can break out the cost for one. >> Yeah, it should be coming over, right? >> I mean, you could tack one of them on with the ambulance. >> Yeah, one can be ambuler and then one striker for the other one
that we ordered that we're hoping to get some soon. >> There's no point getting a new ambulance and not getting the striker for it and vice versa. So, one of them can be tied together, but the other one should be a separate article for the existing one. Josh, these these ambulances are not usable without these systems. I guess I don't I don't know what these systems are, but >> they get the
>> I understand. >> They're essential for >> Okay. >> Yeah. What helps get the people into the back of the ambulance without breaking the backs of the >> Yeah. Years ago, you used to actually manually lift up the stretcher and shove it in the back of the ambulance. This is >> But we don't have any of these now.
>> They're on the existing ambulances. >> They're custom. They're custom ambulances. >> Yeah. Okay. So, yeah, they're they're an add-on. Um, >> and again, there Josh knows way more about it than I do, but there's a life expectancy. There's a you know, they
can't be >> You basically get a new one with each new ambulance. >> Yeah. >> And >> very much so. >> Yeah. So, yeah, putting one with the ambulance and saying it's for the ambulance and the system, and then the second one say we need the system for the one that's coming
>> that we already pay for. How is this not on last? >> Thank you. >> Because they didn't know when the ambulance was going to get here. >> The system takes a lot less time to order than the ambulance itself does. >> So we didn't pay up front for it. >> So paying for something that would be
then just sitting in their warehouse for 2 years or whatever until the ambulance is ready. It made sense whether we were talking about the second ambulance or not. Right now >> this coming town meeting we would be having a discussion about adding bills. last town meeting would have been even better time to do.
>> I don't disagree. No, I don't disagree. Um, yes, it would have been. Um, and again, >> yeah, because honestly, this what you don't want to run into with this is a uh end of life of technology and they push
something new to market and now all of a sudden we're working with incompatible systems or uh technology that they won't service any longer. So in in a sense it kind of does make some sense um to wait
uh till closer uh to the delivery date. Um but yeah it is frustrating to be sure. Um >> but on that should we wait until actual town meeting for the other one then since that isn't even going to be
happening until after town meeting next year. Well, you could, but I've already got it on the town meeting warrants for two other towns. So, >> um >> Well, and also we don't know when this other ambulance is going to come. He said that it could it could be, you
know, further into the year, but it could be Q1. And so, waiting until after if we wait, we we risk having the ambulance we ordered 3 years ago arrive before we have this techn before we have the this component that we need. And then we're waiting on the new component.
And I have no idea how long the pump takes to to arrive, but I would imagine it's a non nonzero amount of time. >> So, um Josh, for you said this would also come out of retained earnings for these two systems. Um and before when you were talking about the ambulance, you said that um it shouldn't
drastically, all else being equal, affect your budget for next year. that retained earnings usually like you know that you that you did you thought you had enough retained earnings that it wouldn't you wouldn't have to be like okay because we used up our retained earnings now we have to ask
for more money you don't think that's the case likely for next year's budget even if you use another >> yeah I I wish I could predict that um and I don't know I I don't see us level funding I think we'll have to go up some
whether we buy this ambulance or not Um, you know what what I suggest is uh this doesn't completely wipe out our retained earnings. Um, although it does a good job of it. Um, but we will continue to earn revenue and I think this should put
us in a very similar starting point. Uh, it's >> okay. Um but yeah, I I could absolutely I I'm not saying I'm not going to ask for more money um come budget season um
because in all likelihood uh you know costs continue to go up for everyone >> I guess you know just on that track like you know so 350 and then another what's the total for two of them another 150 or is it 70 for both of them?
What is the total amount for both of these two? >> Yeah, that's for both of them. It's >> 74 for both. >> Yeah. So, you know, 48 74. Yep. 866. >> 420,000 is a lot to absorb in retain earnings without causing price
increases. I'd almost have concerns either way whether next year's budget is higher or if it's not. That's that's a lot. >> Well, and back to what we were saying in the beginning is that it it's going to be an increase. It's going to decrease their ability to offset the budget for sure, right? >> But it's doing that every year for three
years versus the first two years looks artificially lower and then we the towns are paying $100,000 of a new [clears throat] that third year. You know, we are and and Dearville pay their chunk and so it's really just a question of over a 10-year period, it all washes
out assuming we go ahead with all the the ambulances. Where that money comes from really doesn't matter at that point. It's either coming out of retain earnings and we pay more for the service or retain earnings lowers the service and we're paying for capital expenditure for the vehicle. The town's overall out
outlay is the same in either one of those. Um the reason I like doing it this way is because then we have a more consistent yeartoear and we don't end up having that third year where the ambulance is coming in be the same year we had a 20% increase to the health insurance or something like that. It
just makes it a little bit >> smoother for the town to absorb. I agree with all that. I just think I think the fact that it's happening at a special is not awesome. Like part of the normal annual budget cycle conversation for something this big would be especially now with it being bigger would be
certainly preferable, >> right? And I think that, you know, there was initially we were going to have the special town meeting because the South County Senior Center wanting to move and and that was the original
on this. >> So, we weren't going to have it because of this. >> No, this was not >> we didn't Well, >> we didn't know about this when the initial talks were for having a special town meeting for South County Senior Center. Okay.
>> And then the South County Senior Center, the scope of overall has changed and it's being pushed back out enough that we can deal with that at special town meeting >> at annual town meeting >> at in sorry at annual [clears throat] town meeting. Okay, that's
>> when we knew the special or when it started talking about the special town meeting the this was another one of those things that you know kind of came up in that s same time frame as South County and it was
like oh you know it I'm trying to stay supportive here like >> no I know I think the door got opened and now many other things are going through the but not the original thing that opened the door. That's not the
best fact. >> Yeah. Well, that's >> Yeah, there was discussion. >> That was the truth of it. I mean, I'm not going to >> Yeah. The select board was like, well, we don't do special town meetings. And I was like, "Oh my god, >> this might not happen at all." But to
work regionally with these groups >> and and that's I think the key to it is that if we were driving this special town meeting just for us for this, we probably would just cancel it. We have two other towns that are already going ahead with doing this. Coordinating it between three towns is a nightmare to
begin with in general. So being able to do this, if >> we don't do it, >> if we don't do this, the other two towns don't do it also and it falls through. And not that like we need to like peer [clears throat] pressure on that or whatever, but just that like, >> you know, >> we're one part of a larger moving moving
machine and we're trying to to do our part and not hold the whole process up. >> So you may not know this, but so how did their special town meetings get initiated? >> For the exact same reason as ours because both of them are regional towns. Right. >> So, and then same thing happened with Deerfield and Wheatly. They opened up
the door and now they have a full docket of things that are like, "Oh, great. Well, we can do that with also." So, now all three towns have already decided to do it. Have all these things on here. And there's other items on here which, you know, many of them we could push off the the town administrator thing. Kind of can't. So, you know, believe me, we
went back and forth on do we cancel, do we keep going forward with it? What do we do here quite a bit ourselves? >> A lot. >> A lot. So when you're on the select board, you can just [laughter] >> That's why they paid in the big one.
>> They're physically large but not worth very much. Um, >> okay. Was there any other questions? We kind of at the end kind of got veered off there. Any other questions on the PAS thing? Anything on that? >> I have a question on that. So I'm sure this is all that needs to happen. I
don't know a lot about this. What would have h what would happen with this if we weren't having a special town meeting? What would we do? When would we do it? When would the town vote on it? >> I'd be searching for other money and coming to your door. >> So the finance committee, >> this is unfortunately one of those
things where we required by the state to remediate it and there's a lot of requirements and it's very particular and very >> yes important. >> I want to make clear this is not a we like this money. This is a we have to find this money one way or the other. If we don't we're out of compliance with
>> so other that other than the ambulance this article five could have just come to finance committee >> for >> yeah we could have come and ask for but we would be taking out of the reserve account which is not ginormous and >> again leaves us in a position >> early in the year
>> but you know like that's what it's for >> right >> it is >> right >> and if it needs to be bigger because we consistently have things that come up I think that's a much better path than when we have a special town meeting hey let's get all this stuff out ahead of time. Like I I I get it. Like we don't
want to run out. But to me, variances and surprises, like that's part of every year. And I think seeing what those are and reporting back on what those were is good budget practice, not bad budget practice. >> We actually did discuss this past year, increasing the amount of the renewal
fund. Um because sort of in pursuant to we're talking about the $10,000, if you don't spend it, it goes back to the same pool. So whether it's sitting in in nebulous free cash that's uncertified and unusable or it's sitting in a reserve fund that is usable, >> you know, the the the flip side argument
to that is >> the town at large doesn't necessarily want to give us a blank check for too much money >> because then the 1 2 3 4 seven of us >> can do whatever we want with it. And so it's it's a it's a balancing act between having enough money to do whatever we
need to do and not taking so much that the town feels nervous about handing us that check. Um so yeah, I agree. I think that especially next couple years with what's going on at the federal level filtering down to us soon, we're going to want to shore up as much of the
reserves as we can and put ourselves in a position where we have that flexibility. Um unfortunately we didn't last year, so we are here. Um >> yeah, we were trying not to go on a full boat override last year. So
>> yeah, last year was a very tight year. Many of you were there for it. Um and we ended up having to sort of borrow from everywhere we could in order to make it all work. Um and so I don't remember this discussion exactly, but I'm pretty sure the discussion about adding to the reserve fund was well, we just don't have
>> the wiggle room this year without having no free cash, which is not a good place to be. Um, yeah. And since we're getting ready to start putting season soon, just be aware this next this year maybe not the worst, but the next couple are going to be
interested. >> Okay. Any other questions about the the items here? >> Is this going to be the 12250 you had mentioned? Maybe a bigger number for additional lab work or things. >> Yeah, I I think I'll double it. Well,
I'm gonna leave it at 12250 because you guys if you don't see it again unless you want to Yeah. I was I I think if we just go with this, we'll be okay. >> Okay. And we'll have an opportunity in the spring,
>> right? We have more than we have April >> and also establish a more realistic amount of money. >> So, there is money that goes into an account or a budget line for PAS every year. No, >> no. It's just wandering, right? Wandering,
>> right? No, there there was a small amount of ARPA money spent. >> That's what it's ARPA money. >> It was all ARPA money. So, we haven't budgeted it at this point. And >> so, the money right or the line item is for PAS testing only. There's no money
getting built up there for anything that could happen greater than testing. >> Right. But in the spring we may want to establish that >> establish and we don't know what the annual cost will be. It'll still D will >> well that's what has been very
positive. I brought in we brought in a new we brought in Ty and Bond. Stantech had done the original. Tai and Bond had a much longer history with PAS than than the individual I had been talking with
and they are very strategic in looking at things. they have worked with the landfill folks at D um to sort out the difference because it's it's a very different thing when it's just in the landfill than when it's coming near residences and you have to
be really careful when it's approaching any of the residential properties. And so anyway, so they they didn't I had the Stantech proposal for $75,000 reviewed and um then we hired Tai and
Bond for about I think it was about $20,000 um where they reoriented the work to be strategic about the landfill where it comes towards the residents, not just the landfill in general because I think
we're most concerned about it moving towards towards the residences and um and I also they did a good you know so it's been reoriented the test results have been surprisingly non-detect in the last couple of rounds so we're just
doing some more testing to see if it stays that way um potentially it could potentially it could show up in another part of town at any time >> but >> and it's big picture wise it's a huge X factor for all towns >> yeah shootsbury a number of years ago.
Becky, you remember this? Um, had a huge issue with DEFAS. Um, and it can be a giant budget buster for a town of our size. Um, luckily so far this one doesn't seem to be quite as disastrous and widespread as it could be. Um, very excited about the last couple of tests
going back non detect. Um, but sort of the point is that we don't know. In the spring they could detect two more houses that need remediation and then we're looking at $50,000 more dollars or something like that. Yeah, we don't really >> um Yeah.
So, question for you, Becky. What do you need from us today in terms of the two committees and this >> I need the finance committee to decide if which articles they recommend. >> Mhm. >> And if you recommend them all, great. I need to indicate that on the final
draft. >> And >> so, you need to take votes. But article 2 is now so there's an extra article there's a new article article 2 is a new article that's just the so article one now is changed from 325 to >> about 360
>> add another 37 to that >> 360 and then there's another 37 and article two >> mhm >> for the second striker system and then article two is three article three is four >> and article >> and article three is going to be 10
>> 10,000 Yes. >> Y and article three is four is five. Article five is six. >> Also, I will just mention this. We have already noticed that all of the wording on this says board of select men says select board and we'll be changing that
before we submit final drafts of this. >> Not that it really matters a whole lot to your board or not, but it does us. So, >> and there's a date of 2016 on the final page that will be corrected >> that as well. Yes. So a little bit of housekeeping on this. Um
>> so we'll look anything like this but [laughter] >> but other than that please vote for it. >> So and then the other step too is tomorrow legal needs all these updates and changes. >> Yep. I'll try to get out tonight. Yeah.
So the lawyer might come back with some changes too. But the select board's going to since they do the final approval of the warrant, they're going to vote it contingent upon the legal
review. And if they have questions on anything in the legal review, I'm going to schedule a meeting so that they can ask the lawyer. And if anything like that comes up, I will forward to all you guys, too. >> But if anything like that that comes up, then our votes won't matter anymore.
Right. Well, that's why we'll have a new meeting and you can review it. >> Is there a magic date about when the special timing is going to be other than as soon as it can be? Like does if like I guess >> why wouldn't we get this to the final
form it's going to be and then vote improve it. >> I know we'll lose a week. >> Well, the the the concern is that we're trying to avoid Thanksgiving and like all of the all the stuff that goes around then. We're trying to get it in before that. That's why we >> So, the special town meeting is
scheduled for November 14th. >> Okay. >> Friday is the last day this can get posted >> this coming Friday. >> Yes. >> What day of the week is the 14th? >> It's a Friday. >> That's a Friday. >> Yeah. So, so this Friday we have to post it. So, that two weeks from then. So if
if there's if there's changes then the finance committee will just be blank >> because we can't vote again on our recommendation before >> next before the meeting. So it's just blank then from us >> that vote by Friday >> or we or you'd have to vote again for by
Friday. Um so yeah I guess let's say he comes back and says I have a problem with article 6. we could potentially see going into the special town meeting with your guys recommendation on everything but article six. I think that's probably more realistic just to you know hopefully
most of us will be at the you know we can talk about it but why is there why is there no recommendation because it should have a chance to vote >> on and exactly you guys will be some contingent of you guys will be available to answer the questions from the the people who attend um on most of these I doubt they're going to ask a lot of
questions but there may be some questions on some of them so you know we'll have an opportunity >> and and I I hear what you're saying and I would have liked to do it that way too Dylan the urgency I apologize guys for me was um I had I last week, the end of
last week, I was given a surgery date of the 11th um which put me out of commission very quickly. So I needed, you know, that's why >> I'm sorry apologize. >> No, no, you don't have to apologize for
that. or even if it wasn't that it doesn't like >> that's why we're I think >> I think it's important that we put out a good work product and a good work process and everybody here is making really good points and I'm supportive of
what we're trying to do but we came in with article one missing $36,000 and article two that wasn't on here and article three that wasn't the right size article six that maybe was going to change then didn't and then a bunch of other erratic you know like dates and Like I think it would be better to just
do another turn if like when could we meet again Belle to approve or support re >> so the lawyers will get back to you? >> Um maybe tomorrow or Wednesday. >> Yeah, we're planning on meeting Friday morning. We're planning on scheduling a
meeting for Friday morning. Hopefully the lawyer say, "Yeah, you're good to go and we don't need to do anything more." In theory, you guys could also schedule a meeting for Friday morning, a remote meeting to >> And you can we can do it on Zoom, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I can do a Friday morning. >> So, we could join your meeting on
Friday. What when is that? >> A joint meeting. Okay. >> What time is your meeting? >> We haven't scheduled yet cuz we were going to talk to [laughter] you guys about that first before you. Um >> so but again let's address too is are we
in a better off to postpone the meeting until >> there's the special town meeting? >> Yeah. >> No, I don't think we should do that. >> Okay. >> Just because you know Thanksgiving and then December just becomes all kinds of crazy for everybody. Um and
>> that's fine. I just you know >> does it have to be on a Friday? Uh, tradition has town meetings on a Friday in this town, but it doesn't have to be at all. In this case, the Friday date worked >> and it becomes availability of the
school of that path >> or some people and I agree that that when you get into December, things start happening. I just looked at my calendar. >> And the goal here is not to to have a special town meeting that's not attended by anybody. The goal here is to try to make it so such that as many people as possible can actually attend because we
want this to be democracy, not four people show up and three of them vote for it and we go, >> you know, so like we're trying real hard to have this as outside of the holiday season as possible. Um, and that was the date that we came up with. Um, so what I would like to see happen if you guys are
comfortable doing it is both sides vote to approve this contingent on the lawyers wording. And if you guys decide you don't want to do that and you just want to meet Friday either way, that's fine. Um, but we would vote for it to be contingent on the lawyer's wording. If the lawyer comes back, says everything's
fine. We're not planning on meeting Friday morning if there's no if there no changes. If you guys don't feel comfortable moving forward right now and you want to meet hell or high water on Friday, that's perfectly fine. Or you can do what we were doing, which is vote contingently and then have that meeting
on the books for Friday to be able to to come back together if there was concerns or whatnot. >> I mean, I guess given that we're on Zoom, given that I already have two or three Zoom things on Friday that we may not be able to work around depending on people's, you know, people are working that day, right?
>> You know, people call, our bosses call us into meetings all the time for no reason. So, we might actually have to miss a meeting which would be bad. So, I feel like we should vote tonight and then contingent and then and if the lawyers change something, we just either >> try to get a last minute meeting or or
not have a vote on like we don't have a position like it comes to that happens all the time where the finance committee doesn't have a recommendation. >> Yeah. >> You know, >> and and if um because some the language could just be grammatical or putting in different terms that but anything I get
I will be sending out to you guys when I get it. >> All right. So on that note, um we're going to start voting from the select board position on the articles in front of us. Now you need a separate vote for each article. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> So can we go article by article and do you guys us guys you guys us guys?
>> That sounds perfect. >> Is that allowed? >> Y. >> All right. Uh so starting with article one. Um I would entertain a motion to uh contingent on our legal review approve and put forward article one. >> Okay. I motion we put forth article one
with the change of adding >> the >> $37,000 more to the P the 325 >> to include the striker power lifter. >> All right, we have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> I
>> I three nothing from us. >> We need someone to make a motion. [laughter] >> Motion to move article one. Same same motion to move article one. >> Same motion >> with the amendments. >> And do we need a second? >> Yes. >> Second. >> Okay. >> So that was Aaron and
>> Ally. All in favor? Opposed. >> So 31. Okay. Now you guys can move to artic. >> So thank you. So at this time I entertain a motion to move article two not listed here which would be for the
striker unit for the ambulance we currently have in production. >> All right. I motion we move article two for $37,000 for the striker powerlift unit for the
ambulance that is currently in production >> contingent on the lawyer review. >> Yeah. >> Second. >> All right. We have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> I I >> I three nothing on that one. Over to you to
>> entertain an article a motion on article two the striker unit $37,000. >> Move article two. >> Second. >> All in favor? Opposed. >> Article three back to you.
>> All righty. Um article three which will be for the amount of $10,000 not $5,000. I would entertain motion or I motion we move article three um with the amendment of changing the
dollar amount to $10,000 for temporary support staff. >> Second. >> We have made a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> I >> I three nothing. Thank you. >> Over to you. >> Motion for article three substitute wages for our town manager.
>> Motion for article three. >> Second. All in favor? >> Opposed. >> All righty. Article four. This is the first of the two prior year ones. I would entertain a motion on article 4.
>> I make a motion for article four for the time to vote and transfer available funds or otherwise some of 105 for one bill and 35 for second bill. >> Second. >> We have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> I I >> I three nothing. Thank you. for you.
>> Entertaining motions on article four old bills. >> Motion to move article 4. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Opposed. >> All righty. Next up is article five,
which is the second of the two uh prior year bills. I would entertain motion on article five. A motion we move article five $1,300 for prior year police service. >> Second motion made and seconded. All
those in favor. >> I >> I three nothing for us. Over to you. >> Entertaining motion. Entertaining motions for article five more old bills about $1,300. >> Motion to move article five. >> Second. All in favor?
Opposed. >> All right. Last up we have article six. This will be for the $1,200 sorry 12,250 for Tai and bond for the PAS work. I would entertain a motion. >> Motion to pay uh 12,250 for Tai bond for
PAS work at the Sunlandfield area. >> Second. >> We have a motion made seconded to advance article 6. All those in favor? >> I I >> I three nothing. Entertaining a motion on the last of the articles, article six, the finance committee, the PAS
rememitation. >> Motion move article six. >> Second. All in favor? Opposed? >> All right. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much everybody. And we will um be in touch with you about what the lawyers say and hopefully it's
nothing. All right. So, the other half of what we're trying to do here today is um to approve the letter that we're going to send to our um department heads asking for um budget information as well as um our lovely little capital expenditure request form here um for
those >> department heads to make requests. >> Thank you. >> All righty. Does the select board have any questions on the wording or these items in general? >> Sorry. um bringing what we did last year
forward and looking for edits. >> Mhm. >> One of the things we changed last year is that we really asked for them to be due on December 16th and people were bad and they didn't have it by December 16th and we were very upset about that. So is
there anything we could put in here that's more sticks instead of carrots? Like please do your job. How about like you get the worst day of the week. >> On the budget side, >> on the budget side, we don't have quite as many options, but we could put a hard
cut off on the capital side and be like, hey, if you didn't get your capital expenditures into us by that date, >> not happen this year, you can talk to us next year. Um, we kind of have to fund the budgets of departments. We can't just tell them, "No, you got no money this year if you don't get your budget to us." But we could put a limit on the capital side of things. Um, whereas,
nope, that's the that's the hard deadline. If you don't have it to us, ask again in 27. If capital requests are not received, they will not be considered. >> Exactly. Which to be honest is not unfair. >> Just to say this is pretty, you know, we need to look at this stuff. We need more time to >> Yeah. >> You know, you all need more time to
balance the budget. We need more time to get >> So you guys weren't here earlier. We actually had a discussion about possibly because Sunderland does their town meeting at the end of April. Weightley and Deerfield aren't doing
theirs until May and June. And is April the right date for doing ours? Do we want to consider moving it out so that people have a little more time for getting that budget? Because they're
preparing it for us, you know, especially when we get to these combined services like South County EMS and South County Senior Center. they're having to get it two months earlier for us than they need to do it for Deerfield.
>> And then also if something were to change in in a period of time, we've already voted on it. They can't they can't change it. If we're clustered together a little bit more, then we they have more time to bring changes forward. Um and just in general because we have so many things that are frontier south county we have all these things that are
these three towns or four towns it makes sense for us to be a little bit more clustered with the other towns in that all >> we just don't know what logic you know if we can really do it >> all very early and we're just getting we just brought it up today and we're just starting to talk about it but that is one of the things we're thinking about
is if we could align better there that put takes a little bit of pressure off of our folks to get it in by the 16th of December. I mean, we really do need it then if we're going to be ready in April. Um, but if we were if we weren't going to be having town meeting until the middle of May, for example, we could
still be the first to do it. Um, we would just be two weeks before Deerfield rather than >> Do we know the dates for the other towns exactly? >> No, not off top of my head, but >> I was going to get those tomorrow. >> One one's like the third week in May and the other one's I think the second week in June. >> I mean, direction of this makes sense,
though. Yeah. Details need to be figured out. >> Oh, yeah. Absolutely. We're not voting on anything. bring it up for you guys, >> but just in general, it's something we wanted to talk about and the answer might end up being no, we're happy with where we are and that's fine. Um, but it made sense at the very >> somebody has to be first. But
>> but does it make sense to even move the December 16th deadline like if they're still going to be late, still give them that same deadline, right? Like buy us the time that we need. you could still, you know, potentially entertain a capital request that came in afterwards
if we, you know, give a little grace period, so to speak. But if everyone's going to be late, we don't want to give them till January and then they're going to show up in February. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And last year, way more often than not, I don't know how much more than 50% of the time, like I was getting an email
at 5:30 with budget sheets who were going to go through six. Yeah, >> I don't need to come if like like if I'm not even be able to look at this like then you know there's no point, right? So like I feel like in order to be on the agenda to come in and present your
budget, we need to have it x days before separate from this deadline cuz I think that's important also. But for those who don't meet the deadline, I think the stick is if it's not set to Becky to all of us whatever it is X hours or X days before when you're on the agenda, you're
not on the agenda because otherwise there's no point. Like the school last year that was really tough. Like all of us cracked it open for the first time in the middle of like a few pretty big surprises on the biggest line item in the budget. Like not awesome. >> Yep. >> And if part of that is because we're so early, then that's even more reason to
get us closer. And that was part of our thinking was that like we have all this rush to get done by April. Why why are we forcing our department heads to to you know move too fast? And part of it's also that it's it's hard to do budgets before the year has ended. You know like it's hard to start >> and even when I mean actually overall
our department heads were better at getting to meeting the deadline. Not that they were perfect but they were earlier and we didn't have as much catch up usually with our own people. I.e. not not that we have special people but people who are just Sunderland is what I
meant. Um so you know it's difficult to even have those conversations when we don't see the big ticket items like the schools until later. I would argue that we should have a later meeting. I just wonder if the town
has traditions that they like to keep and is that going to cause more problems with people like >> So that was he had actually that was one of the things we discussed earlier is that it's always been that week in April. So there's going to be people who are assuming it's that week in April who may
not check their email, may not check their mail, may not check that recorder, may not check the Daily Hunter Gazette, may not check the town website. And >> I don't know that we're going to save everybody though, right? But we could make an announcement, a bigger slash like, hey, by the way, the town meeting change is going to be like it's going to
be changed this year. It's not usually at the end of April. This time it's going to be in the middle of >> somebody standing there in the third week of April. Whoever shows up, you tell them that. >> Um, one of the things we had discussed is that if we end up not either not getting our ducks in a row for this year to make that happen or just make the
decision that it's this is not a we make we we we decide this for this year decision. What we would do is we would decide before this town meeting and announce at this one next year's is going to be on this date so that at the very least we catch all 150 whatever people who are probably going to the
same people coming next year. Um and that would give us a sort of jumping off point there. Ideally, we can make it all work for this year so we can, >> you know, >> but we have to change like the election dates and stuff, too, because we can't have the election in April and then the
town meeting in May because like I I could get voted out, right? And then whoever replaces me would be doing town meeting with less than a month or potentially only a month, too. and we would had one of the people who was involved in it no longer like available
for question. what's the process for the change if >> so that's >> and that's what we're like I said this just came up tonight about how that election date is set because it's set the election date >> but yeah and again just being transparent it's something we're talking
about we don't know that it's going to happen but >> but I think if you want to make the change you'd want to make it by January so you could start advertising >> yes >> um I think we would still either way we would still stick to the the December 16th date for this and still maybe have
that stick of capital requests that aren't sued by this, you know, >> that may will not receive first consideration at least. Yeah. We'll never receive first consideration. Makes sense, right? Like >> we could also even put in a a penalty where if you don't make it this
year, next year you have to have it by December 1st. Like and then the next year is November 15th. You want to keep going, we'll have you, you know, in July. Um, we have options in terms of like taking some kind of, you know, incentive board. >> You know, I don't know that.
>> No, I I think that the people that had the biggest problem were the superintendent and the South County EMS and South County Senior Center. they h they have the biggest trouble and they will and the schools always will because
they don't even start getting their um state aid numbers the first crush of them um till the end of January. >> So they have nothing to build on. They're just spit and wind. >> But it does give us time and opportunity to go through everyone else while we're waiting on those. >> Yes.
>> And I think that's key. >> But it would be nice and then and then when we get those say hey you can't you didn't make this meeting this week. We have to wait. You have to wait till next week. So hopefully you won't don't wait till the end of April to do this. But I'd rather have a week where we have or
at least three days or four days to look at stuff before we then have to meet on the next Monday. I'd like a week, but you know, and I'd rather have an extra meeting >> in the beginning in the beginning of April or at the end of March, like you know, we're going to like I know right
now the plan is we generally the finance committee meets with you every other week and then you do other stuff. But if it means like the middle mid-Marchch to, you know, the end of April is just all we're doing is this the budget stuff, >> you know, I'd rather have more meetings but with better with more time and for information rather than saying, "Oh, you
missed the two week window. Now we got to wait for two weeks. I'd rather have more time to look at stuff and have more meetings that were useful meetings. >> Yeah. No, I I think we're on the same page on that there. Um >> so yeah, I think if you guys are cool, we'll go ahead with telling them the
date of the the 16th of December. Um we will add a a note that um capital requests received after that will not be considered >> will not be >> given first priority. >> First priority. Yeah, >> we can say not be considered and then we can always
>> Well, no, actually I think you're right by saying not give priority because what happens if like the school comes in and says like >> the roof fell in, you need something in in March, we might have a position where like well but sorry we told you you can't we don't want to start >> we're not going to throw the kindergarters under the bus.
>> No. Um so let's let's let's do it as um >> just cuz your girls are out of there >> as we we will not get high priority is is what we'll we'll go there. Um have and have you guys had a chance to look over the other >> well everything other thing else is the same as last year right so we asked for
a level services budget >> we level service is not the same as level funding although it's very related and then we also asked for if there was anything else that you wanted to add in there >> one or two priorities >> right one or two priorities and and the one or two priorities and the cost of
those priorities >> is that do we say that projected cost Okay. >> Yeah, this was well done. >> We changed it a lot last year. So, you'd like to think that we didn't completely screw up last year. >> And obviously, we'll go through and
we'll update dates and all that stuff to be 2025 instead of 2024 or whatnot. >> And the one thing I need to make sure is underscored here is to um to email or
send them all to the administrators email because I had a number of them go to the select board email last year and I didn't learn about them until like it was I don't know why that happened but >> well can we tell them to send them to both send them to the town
>> because the town the select board email actually doesn't go to the select board it goes to our um administrative person >> okay >> so >> yeah they just need to figure out I just need to make sure I get and now I
know to ask Mel if she got any and get them because >> but I also think we can stay in here. All proposals need to be sent to and then put I mean that's not in here but put the put it in the in here add the email I'd say. >> Yeah. And I I just think this year
when we start getting that gigantic Excel spreadsheet, it needs to get renamed every time there's edits to it instead of being overwritten because sometimes there'd be a change in
a line item, >> but it got overwritten and if you didn't print it out or you didn't save it, you didn't know what that >> keep having new versions of >> the good version control would You could also just do like the date for the tabs >> so
that the same document but each tab >> Yeah. something so we can see the changes. And I know last year was you know >> the first time we a lot of us were dealing with some of this stuff and it just I know that got real confusing for
me not being able to see if I hadn't got it printed out. >> Okay. I couldn't tell what the change was. >> No. And there were some times where we were going through our emails and oh, which one's more recent? This one more recent, that one more recent, which one the one from last week. >> So, yeah, I think that would be good for
us to have even just the date on it. >> If it's in one document with the tabs at the bottom, then I think it's easier to go back and look at things and we're not all looking for different documents in our emails. And >> yeah, it it just >> it it got
at least for me, it got confusing. All righty. Um, any more discussion on the letter and or the the capital sheet? If not, at this time, I would entertain a motion from >> We don't need to vote on this.
>> Uh, I think we need to vote on sending it out. I don't know about you guys. Do they need to vote on that? >> You guys need to vote on it. >> So, we also >> So, we'll vote first and then I'll throw it over to you to vote second. Uh so at the time I'm going to entertain a motion to approve with minor edits to the dates
the uh budget request and capital uh override request forms. >> I motion we approve the budget and capital request submission forms with the minor edits we've discussed. >> Second. >> All right. We have a motion made seconded. All in favor?
>> I >> I three nothing for us. Over to you guys. >> All right. Can I get a motion on the fiscal year 26 >> 27 >> fiscal year 27? >> So that's one of the things we have to change. >> All the dates
for >> um I'd like to um someone please motion 27. >> All in favor? I >> was wonderful. >> Yeah. So, I think that's all of our joint business that we have. Uh, we took the
opportunity earlier to go through all of our other stuff. Did you have any public comment for us today? >> Nope. I'm just testing the waters. >> Just making sure >> that he's really interested in joining the finest comm. >> Oh, wonderful coming and joining us.
>> Ian Raphael on Russell Street. >> Ian Raphael on Russell Street. I got >> Well, welcome. Hopefully this was interesting and you know I looked over and saw you nodding quite a bit so I'll take that as a good sign. >> Yeah. >> So the process if you're not completely
turned off by this lovely process um is that you approach the town you can email the town moderator. >> I've already told Ian how to join and I was like do you want to? And he's like can I come check it out? I was like sure we're meeting on Monday at 7:15. Don't know exactly what's going on. >> David Pierce, right? Yeah. No Tom
moderator >> and [clears throat] it's gonna people are still gonna be confused because Tom is not going to be here for this special town meeting. So David Pierce >> but in terms of finding getting appointed to committees it's still
>> and everybody has to be extra nice to him >> on that it's his birthday. >> Oh David Pierce's birthday that's tough. >> Oh let's not sing to him. That's that would be What about David Pierce's birthday?
>> The the special time meeting we're having um November. So >> Oh, that's wild because my birthday is the day before and I'm actually not going to be at the special time meeting. >> All right. So, who will be at the town meeting? Not that we don't we don't need a quorum, but in terms of asking
questions, I can be there. >> I think >> we think I couldn't be at the last one. So, I feel like, you know, and then I'll talk I'll let you make sure Joe knows. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And Joe, by by the way, he did email me. He emailed me that was a family thing tonight. He couldn't make it. So, he did hear it.
>> All right. At this time, I would entertain a motion for the select board to adjourn. >> I motion we have a motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> I. >> All right. Can we also >> Nothing is 8:50. Now up to you guys. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> All right. Bye-bye.