WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=HT0RswRSnfY

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: HT0RswRSnfY):
- 00:00:00: Meeting Start, Pledge of Allegiance, New Board Introductions
- 00:01:05: Town Administrator Report: Election, Beach Stickers, Customer Service
- 00:03:43: HR Update: Union Bargaining, Intermunicipal Agreements, Police Exams
- 00:04:48: TA Follow-Up: Fisherman's Beach, Pine Street, Stabilization Fund
- 00:06:56: Public Comment Begins: Request for Building Permit Fees
- 00:07:42: Weekly TA Updates, Police/Fire Reports, Budget Freeze Inquiry
- 00:10:37: Public Comment Begins: Cedar Hill Parking Concerns
- 00:11:25: Public Comment: Albert Williams Discusses Cedar Hill Issues
- 00:15:02: Public Comment: Jim Sweeney on Cedar Hill Congestion
- 00:18:50: Public Comment: Allison Arnett on Cedar Hill Dangers
- 00:20:05: Public Comment: Dr. Daryl Smith, Dentist, Cedar Hill Parking
- 00:23:58: Public Comment: Bill Walthile, Bay View resident, Alternatives Needed
- 00:25:57: Public Comment: George Allen, Bay View, Street Safety Concerns
- 00:27:58: Public Comment: Eugene O'Brien, Fuller Avenue, Dangerous Situation
- 00:29:02: Public Comment: Barry Greenfield, Mission on the Bay Redevelopment
- 00:31:10: Public Comment: Mr. Deimento on Cedar Hill Issues, Police Department
- 00:33:22: New and Old Business: Select Board Chair and Vice Chair
- 00:38:24: Beach Sticker Artwork Presentation by Becky Brandt
- 00:42:26: Discussion and Planning: Cedar Hill Parking Solutions
- 01:51:33: Celebrity Chef Meal Idea for Senior Center
- 01:52:20: Consequences of Aging; Senior Center Growth Needed
- 01:54:18: Senior Center Asks: Staffing Plan, Clark School Use
- 01:55:59: Understanding Senior Needs and Prioritization Strategy
- 02:02:39: Environmentally Preferred Procurement Policy: Grant-Related Changes
- 02:07:15: Implementation and Coordination of the Preferred Policy
- 02:10:11: Energy Savings in Big Blue Bargains and Recycling Dividend
- 02:13:54: Fiscal Impacts Policy Details and Implementation Timeline
- 02:18:46: Town Clerk's Election Update; Turnout Statistics
- 02:24:13: Election Statistics, Results, Accuracy and Transparency
- 02:28:52: Town Meeting Warrant Discussion, Amendments Anticipated
- 02:30:13: Recycling Bin Cost and the Impact on Free Cash
- 02:34:50: Free Cash Alternatives and Negotiation Strategies
- 02:49:24: Funding for Break/Fix Paving and Vendor Negotiation
- 02:53:40: Northshore IT Collaborative: Update and Strategic Support
- 03:00:14: Regionalizing and Cost Savings With Cost Savings
- 03:07:52: Employment Contracts: Approval and Discussion
- 03:15:12: Future Meeting Dates and Summer Schedule Discussion
- 03:22:51: Consent Agenda: Removal of the Minutes and Hawkers License
- 03:27:16: Select Board Reports, Liaisons, and Term Expirations
- 03:34:04: Motion to Adjourn


Part: 1

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Ready? >> Ready. >> Ready. >> Okay. >> Okay. Uh, welcome to the new and exciting select board meeting on uh, May 6th. This meeting is going to be recorded. Katie's running a little bit

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late, so she should be here in a couple minutes, but we're going to start and get things going. And if you would please rise and join us in the pledge. >> Algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation

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indivisible justice for all. >> Okay. I did say that the meeting is uh being recorded and this is a uh a new era for us. We have two new select board members, Mr. Douly and Mr. Spritz and

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we're going to start off with the town administrators report. >> Thank you very much. Um first I want to welcome the two new members to the board here tonight for your first meeting. I'm looking forward to working with each of you. I've had the pleasure to work with you in your previous roles here in town and other appointed and elected boards.

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So, I'm looking forward to continue to partner with you to make sure we can be working towards great outcomes for the community. Um, as we welcome the two new members, I also want to w or thank uh Katie Deupont, our town clerk, and her team who ran the election um that we had

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last week. It was Katie's first full election here in town with us, and I thought she and the team did very, very well. And I want to recognize the effort of all the volunteers and staff and senior workoff staff that supported that effort. So, thank you very much, Katie. Um, next I wanted to highlight that we

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have also kicked off the beach sticker program with the sales this week. Uh, we will be uh shortly introducing the artwork and the artist a little later tonight, but I wanted to highlight some of the effort that's gone into it this week again with our senior workoff staff uh the wreck staff as well as uh

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customer service. Just from Monday until today, we've sold over uh 300 stickers so far. There was a particular rush Monday morning which I think uh you know if you've been in town hall it was buzzing. Uh we were working very hard to balance the folks that were in town hall for transactions other than beach

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stickers, phone calls, emails, the whole nine yards. Uh and I thought the team did a a really great job. Again, it's a credit to the staff, specifically customer service and the senior workoff staff that are out in the lobby doing everything they can to move those as quickly as possible. Um so thank you

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very much for all of that. after the initial kick kickoff on Monday. Tuesday was also really busy because it was a great beach day. So hopefully uh this will continue and we'll be able to get as many folks as possible their stickers going forward. Um one additional item related to the stickers that I just wanted to highlight that's been flagged

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to town hall is that at Fisherman's Beach, the parking restrictions that were put in place last year are now coming back into place where the sticker is required, I believe, between 5:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. if I have it correct. Um enforcement will be coming shortly. right now it's a little opportunity for

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everyone to get their sticker and and sort of make sure we're we're following all the rules. But that is uh something to just be aware of that with May first that has kicked back in as well. Um one other item related to customer service is uh as a topic that I wanted to highlight is Chrissy Reposo uh

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celebrated 20 years last week with uh the town of Swanscott, which is a great achievement for anyone. Um but we're particularly lucky to have her as are all of the dogs that come to visit town hall with her treats. um because of the effort that she puts in on a on a weekly basis. Uh she helps keep things moving

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down there, keeps it light. We're incredibly lucky to have her and we got together as a group to celebrate her at town hall last week. So I wanted to highlight that. Um on sort of the HR front broadly, I wanted to update that we are in active bargaining with the fire union, the DPW union, and the library. Uh we've had frank discussions

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and productive discussions with each of them. I anticipate getting together an executive session with the full board so that we can make sure everyone has sort of a baseline of where we are and where we intend to go. Um, and in addition to that, I wanted to highlight on the HR front that I've had some initial

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exploratory very broad level discussions on a potential intermunicipal agreement to look at a principal assessor that would be a regional uh resource as well. I will be coming back to you all with more information on that. we're really not at the point uh that there's much to report beyond the fact that I'm having some initial discussions, but I wanted

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to flag for you all that that that that's out there. Um and then finally on the HR front as well, the police department has completed their promotional exams and I'll be sitting with the chief in the coming week uh to work through his recommendations and then also do interviews of my own. So, I'm looking forward to talking about that. Um, [snorts]

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one piece that I just want to highlight broadly is, uh, in an effort to be as consistent as possible and make sure that we're updating you all weekly, um, I've asked and this has been sort of an ongoing discussion with, uh, Shannon and others on the board to make sure that we

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have sort of a parking lot of lists so that there is nothing that I am missing that we either talk about here in the TA update or that comes up in the course of your deliberations in any given evening so that we can make sure that we are as responsive as possible to you all. Um, in that regard, there's a three quick items that I just wanted to highlight

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that couple were from the previous members of the board that are no longer with us, but I wanted to share with everyone and share with the community. The fisherman's beach study was talked about, a request for more information from um Doug Thompson. I've talked to Gino about that. I think our best path forward is to actually have Kleinfelder

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do a full presentation to the full board rather than me giving a brief update. We'll have them here to be able to answer technical questions and provide an update on where we stand. Uh there was also a discussion about the creation of an account for the proceeds of the Pine Pine Street project. Uh where we had initially been looking I think end

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of 25 beginning of 26 uh in the minutes and in the um agendas in further discussion with KP. It was identified that the discussion happened at the July 22nd meeting last summer. There was a unanimous vote to talk about uh a

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special authoriza a special authorized uh stabilization fund which would put the money directly from the transaction into an account that was meant to be spent just on improvements to 89 burl. That is something that uh that money or those monies will not be coming to us until the CO is certified. So we will

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have uh a topic for or a warrant article rather for the fall town meeting to make sure that it meets that request and that the board had put forward as a recommended article and you all will be able to decide on it. Um but the previous board did vote five to nothing in favor of moving forward with that so

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that those monies were set aside for improvements to 89 burrow. Um and with that I am happy to to take any questions. >> Danielle, >> um I don't have any. Wayne, >> not at the moment.

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>> Mr. Douly. >> Yes. Um I was wondering if every month when you give your report, I think Gino did this when he was acting TA, give a report on the um permit fees that were being collected by the building commissioner's office. >> Sure. I >> was hoping you might be able to update us every month or maybe every quarter on

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um the fees that are being collected through that office. >> Sure. And I think if Patrick's here, I think it might if I can just speak to each of you maybe today or after this, we can either do a full year to date for any fees that are collected or if there's other things you guys want to

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identify, we can just make that part of the report. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Well, we're supposed to be getting quarterly reports on everything. So, that will be covered in quarterlys >> as soon as we start getting quarterlys. >> Perfect. >> Um, I have a couple questions.

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>> Sure. Um, historically, uh, we would get weekly updates from the TA on what's happening in town, such as there's an issue with the pier or negotiations are here or there or um, contracts are being worked on, whatever it is, but we use we

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used to always get a weekly report and I'm just wondering is could you could you get us a weekly report? Is that possible? >> I can and if you would like I can also include it in the packet so that it is posted along with the rest of this information going forward. So, meeting.

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>> Whatever you can do will be great. Um, >> the other question, oh, also including anything coming out of the state house. Um, at the last select board meeting, you actually uh said something about sending out updates on police and fire, what's going on? Just when when would

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those be? >> I did get those reports this week and they will be included this week, Friday of this week. And the fire chief said that he was going to be I I had requested with the fire chief to give us the update on how many tickets were actually written on uh yeah street.

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>> Yep. So I actually have that I was going to mention it during the Cedar Hill portion because that was where it came up but I can give you the rundown right now if you'd like. >> Whatever works for you. >> It's up to you. >> Cedar Hill is good. >> Great. >> Um do you happen to know do we have a firefighter retire after 30 years? Do

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you know? >> I do not know to be honest. I Okay. Can you just find out if we had had one? >> Um, >> also are the budgets frozen or >> Yes, >> they are. When did they get frozen? >> Seven weeks ago. >> Several.

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>> Several weeks ago. Okay. >> And the only um I just could you speak to the chair of the board of assessors because I think that they have some ideas on what they're looking for. Um, >> of course. you know, possibly adding a

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part-time, you know, board of assess assessor in there or >> a second parttime assessor. >> Second part-time assessor. Yeah, I think that they had some ideas on there. I just want to make sure that they're communicating that to you. >> Yeah. And I had a a brief discussion with Paul as well to make sure that if we were to do that in the the way in

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which they're currently suggesting, which I would want to post it and not just have >> Yeah. a name suggested to me, but in the way they're suggesting it, we want to make sure that it's complimentary to Paul's skills, >> right, >> and skill set, >> but also with uh these initial discussions that I've not even gotten to

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the point of having a an idea to sit down with like a job description with Neil and Charlie and uh Rich on what the description should look like, but they would absolutely have a role in both the interview and any planning around an intermunicipal agreement as well. >> Okay, that's perfect. >> All right, that's all my questions.

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>> Thank you. Katie is back. >> Has anybody else been asked if they have questions? >> Yep. >> We're all done. We're on to public comment now. >> Very good. >> Unless you have any questions. >> Unless you have a question. >> Why people can't drive correctly in the

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rain is the only question I have. Um All right. So, public comment. Thank you, Marielen. Um as we all know, public comment is three minutes. Please state your name and your address. Um Nick will be keeping time for us. Thank you. And

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um uh we can >> can I ask one question? >> Are we doing public comment separately for Cedar Hill? >> Are we segregating that part? >> Um no. Traditionally, we have taken all public comment in the beginning and then

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we talk about the topic. We have our own conversation about the topic, but we do not have the public talking about each of the subtopics unless it's a public hearing. >> Okay. >> Is that right? >> Yes. >> Yeah. That's how we've been doing it. So, if you're here to talk on Cedar Hill, then this is also the time for you

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to speak. Please approach the mic. Your name and your address. >> I was selected. My name is Albert Williams and I live at 11 Cedar Hill Terrace in Swamp Scott. I've lived there all of my life. Um, basically I'm here

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just to um talk about an issue that's gone on for quite a while. The parking on Cedar Hill. Um, it's really congested there and it's a residential street. However, there's every day there's [clears throat] two to three employees

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from the um uh from the dentist office that park on the hill and there's multiple cars. It actually the upper left part of the hill is basically used as a junkyard at times for the garage on the corner that there's several um

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companies in that garage, but basically that garage. Um and um over time it's just gotten to be ridiculous. I mean, like I'm sure a lot of you have come down to the bottom of Cedar Hill and there's cars on parked on both sides and

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it makes it one lane and depending on what car is parked on the on the uh right hand side, you might not be able to see the traffic coming from the other way. It's just really dangerous situation at the bottom of the hill that really needs to be addressed is one

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thing. Um, a few years back, for whatever reason, they put a curb there at on the bottom. If you're looking up the hill, the bottom right, there's a curb stone put there. And not sure the reason, but to be honest with you, it probably makes it a little worse because

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the cars don't go over the curb to park and it narrows the road even more. But that's just a an observation of living there and, you know, over time and and seeing what goes on. I mean, other issues, um, like just getting out of my

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driveway. I have a boat. I commercially fish part-time and getting in and out of my driveway with a trailer. If there's cars parked across the street, there's a garage across the street from me. And there's doors in the garage and, you know, they park the cars in front of the

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garage doors. So, for me to try to make the swing in and out of my own yard to to get my boat out, it makes it extremely difficult. Um, and um the I I saw the I saw the plan um

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[clears throat] that I believe the police came up with. I just to get a little history I had and on 10:28 to 24 I had started a conversation with the police email conversation and I sent them a petition of the people from the

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corner of Cedar Hill um Humphrey Street all the way up to the Sweeney. So there's one, two, three, four, five households that are really kind of on Cedar Hill the you know the main part of it. >> 30 seconds. Sorry. >> Oh okay. Um, I guess if I want to get to

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the point that uh uh was important was I don't understand the police um or I believe they came up with the idea of having no parking on the if you're going up the hill on the left hand side. It's red and I just really don't understand

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that uh portion of it. Um I think that portion should be made residential and um that's my feelings basically on that. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you.

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Additional public comment, please. >> Hey everyone. It's not as tall as Ali for me. Uh my name is Jim Sweeney and um we're two houses up from uh from the Williamses. Um so uh our family's been in that house for over 50 years now. So,

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um, uh, over time, as Al said, um, on the, uh, particularly on the, um, going up the hill on the lefthand side, it's really become a parking lot for the businesses down the street. Um, last, it's increased each year. Last summer, there were some cars that were there for

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not just weeks at a time. There was a couple of cars that were there for literally from Memorial Day to August, two or three months at a time with out of state plates, many of them not registered. They're really just using it as a storage area. and it becomes it makes the street very narrow. Um, and so

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it's really that's for the kind of apart from the bottom part of the street which is a safety problem. That's a bit of that's a safety problem too and that it makes the street very narrow and they're there for literally weeks and months at a time these last few years. Um, and so

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I wouldn't have any problem with it being resident only on that side. Um because a cup a car or two over there isn't a problem, but it's just it was the whole length of the street really all summer except for the mid- winter really the last um last couple or few years. Um and so it makes the street

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very narrow. Cars come around that corner quickly. Um some of them stop at that stop sign from Bay View. Some of them don't. And it just it becomes very narrow. Little bit hard for us to to back out sometimes. Not quite as much as as as a little bit further down, but it can be a little bit um can be a little

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bit tough. the bottom of the street is really a safety problem. Um, as Al said that, um, it really becomes one lane. Um, because cars park on both sides. Um, mainly they're the ones from the garage, too. Um, many times big ones from the from the garage and you can't see. So,

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if you're if you're coming down the hill and a car is coming on Humphrey Street and taking, say, towards Fisherman's Beach and taking a right, if they're coming around at all quick, they're they're right on top of you beforehand. And so I've been down there and the cars like it's coming. They're like, "Dude, stop before you because they don't see

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you necessarily because this car is parked right there." And it's really hard to see cars coming from the fisherman's beach end because cars parked along Humphrey Street there all day right up to the corner. So you're kind of edging out all day like inch by inch and hoping that they're trying to

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see around so so a car doesn't come along. So I know I have and I think probably others in the street too. um we much as much as possible avoid kind of going down the hill to get out and going up and around just because of that safety issue. So um both both for the

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you know for that side being kind of limiting it to residents I think would be would be great and then to not have parking down at the bottom so that there's the two lanes there. >> You have 30 seconds left. >> Okay, I think that's about the only other thing is that I don't know if there's a a town bylaw or anything on

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this. I think on the other side there's a like when you come to a corner there's a um there's usually a certain amount of feet that you have to park back from the corner so you're not like right on the corner. I think on the on the side where that where the florist is um there's I think there's a sign or there was that

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you have to park like you know so many feet back from there but there isn't in front of those garages. So they park right up to the corner. That's what makes it hard to um to see cars coming down Humphrey Street. So if if they could even just park, you know, whatever the whatever the regulation is, like 20

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feet back or 30 feet back, then you could see the cars coming and I think that would help a lot too. Thanks. >> Please. [laughter] >> Uh, okay. Hi, I'm Allison Arnett. Uh we live at 21 Cedar Terrace. We've lived

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there almost 50 years. We raised our kids there. >> Competition. >> Uh that hill is very dangerous for families and children. There are children going down that hill on bicycles and it's a big it's a zare, you

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know, because it's steep. There are people going down with baby carriages. you you can't see around the cars. The cars, as Jim and and Al said, turn that corner and come up the street without

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being able really to see anything. Often too fast. People come down uh Bay View and turn without stopping enough. It's it's really it's it's both a one-way

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danger and it for for drivers and it's also really dangerous for families and there are many more families with children living on our hill than used to. I mean we were always kind of the only we were the youngest. We were the only people with children. Now there are

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lots of children on living on Bay View and Fuller and Cedar Hill Terrace and you know you just you don't want something really terrible to happen just because we're protecting the car dealership down the street. The car

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dealership down the street. Thank you. please. >> Hi. Um, I'm Daryl Smith. I'm the dentist [laughter] and I've been in business in the town of Swampscott for 33 years. And um

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our dentist our my office is on Puritan 26 Puritan Road and also butts on to Humphrey Street. I'm across the street from the car dealer. Um I didn't receive any notice. I don't know if businesses receive notices for

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things like this, but I never got notice for last your last meeting or tonight. Just want to state that. Um, some of my staff does park on Cedar Hill Terrace. They park at the top. I've told them to only park at the top along the

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trees. Um, the bottom is definitely a mess. There should not be cars parked adjacent to the car dealer because it's tight corner, visibility, all the issues that

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we've heard. >> [clears throat] >> Um, I'm not opposed to that. I'm not opposed to the residents if they want to keep parking to themselves in front of their houses, but it's very uh I have elderly patients, patients in

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wheelchairs. I need my parking at my office so that my patients can access my office. We're essential service. Um, we provide great service to this community. Um, and I don't let my staff park in the

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staff parking areas because my patients need access. A couple can do it each day, but I need at least 10 spots open for customers. Um, and that works out pretty good. So, occasionally myself or some staff will

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park at the top of the hill on Cedar Hill alongside the brush. Now that brush is encroached, totally overgrown the town parking or sidewalk. The road gets wider there. I don't see any good logical reason to restrict

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restrict parking to my staff. You know, it's daytime hours. We're already restricted from the beach, which is a hardship because uh I don't get any resident permit

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parking. Maybe I can, I don't know. Um that would be helpful, but my staff sometimes has to walk from blocks away. So, it would be helpful that that spot stay open and available to parking. That top part on the south side of Cedar Hill

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Terrace. So, thank you. Hi, I'm Bill Walthile. I live at uh 23 Bay View Avenue, up around the corner from my good friends and neighbors. I've only been here for nine years, so I'm a newbie, so you can shout me down if you

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want. Uh I'm also a client of the uh wonderful dental practice and I promise I will walk instead of drive. What I'm worried about is if we just do a residentonly parking um

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solution to what is obviously a problem, especially at the very bottom of the hill. It's it'll take sometimes four or five minutes to take a left out of Cedar Hill Terrace, which is really dumb. Um, so I think there's probably some other approaches in maybe in combination with

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uh residentonly parking. Here's what I think would happen if we just did resident only. Everyone would just come up around the corner in front of uh in front of my house and all sorts of other houses on uh Bayiew Avenue and then we'd be back next year to do the same and

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then we will become a less and less inclusive town. I love it in those few days like July 3rd when we have the fireworks and people from all over town will park along Bay View to walk down to watch the fireworks. Love it. Love to wave to him. Love to say hi to him. Invite him onto our deck. But not every

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day. The real problem is the car dealership. They should not be allowed to park along any city street. They should have a lot where they park their inventory. Um, so I don't know exactly what bylaws might

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be necessary or are currently available to the police to enforce that, but we should one have no parking at all near the intersection. It's just it's just dumb. Um, they don't allow that in New York City. Um, so

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as much as I want to support my good friends on Cedar Hill Terrace, I just wonder if we can have a more robust solution because I completely agree with the problem. Thank you. >> Thank you.

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Please, >> George Allen, 27 View AB. Uh, first of all, a big welcome to Ted and Wayne. We're glad to have you on the board. Uh, and yes, this is about Cedar Hill parking. Uh, and there certainly are issues on Cedar Hill. There's no doubt, especially down near the bottom near

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Humper Street. I don't support residential parking on any part of the street. uh in part because it would increase start street parking on Bay View Avenue as we just heard from my next door neighbor Bill. Um I do have three suggestions primarily aimed at increasing the safety for cars coming

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out of that street onto Humphrey Street as well as cars turning onto Cedar Hill Terrace. First, and this is a fairly obvious one to me, make the first 100 ft of both sides of Cedar Hill Terrace from Humphrey Street all no parking with those white striped hash lines on it

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like Marblehead does. That makes it really clear you're not supposed to park there. Okay. This will get you your sufficient clearance and the line of sight for traffic turning from and onto Cedar Hill Terrace. I think that's critical regardless of resident parking issue. U the next thing I would do is

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make the first 25 ft in front of the Four Seasons Motor Group on the Humphrey Street uh at the corner of Cedar Hill Terrace. No parking again with those hash lines. Uh again, this is about clear sight lines for oncoming traffic when you're turning especially turning

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left the or the east onto Humphrey from Cedar Hill Terrace. Uh so that these are all safety issues. Um, and I also I would uh hope we can ensure and enforce that cars that are owned by Four Seasons Motor Group, the uh company on the

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corner, are not parked on the street at Cedar Hill and Humphrey Street and Bay View AB and they're not exceeding any permit limit if there is one for the number of cars on their premises. Thanks. >> Thank you.

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Additional comments please [snorts] good evening. Um I'm Eugene O'Brien. We live at 11 Fuller Avenue. Uh we back up to uh Cedar Hill Terrace. Uh I'm here I suppose to just echo pretty much what

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everybody else has said. Large numbers. Want to make sure that you know that this is a dangerous situation at the bottom of the hill. If I have to bring my boat down, which I do regularly, well, four or five times a year, trying to get out onto Humphrey Street is already a problem without a boat. Try it

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with a boat. Thank you. >> Okay, see seeing no additional comment online or in person, I will read public comment which was emailed to me. Um, this is from a resident by the name of Barry Greenfield. Good afternoon. My name is Barry Greenfield. I'm currently a resident of Swampscott and a former

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selectman. I am 61 years old and an empty neester and hoping to stay in Swampscott for a long time. I'm catching up on an issue of how to redevelop the town owned land next to Mission on the Bay. I've yet to hear any proposal that gives anybody in the town a win, but there is a solution that will accommodate everybody's needs and give

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the taxpayers a break. After raising two children here in town, I agree there's a need for community indoor play space and that is and that is available for residents throughout the non-outdoor play months. This has always been an issue, although I was hopeful it would be resolved by the new elementary school

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gym. It would have seemed this would have helped alleviate the issue. At the same time, a community space, whatever its makeup, would be incredibly positive for all residents to have access for workshops, classes, and events. Additionally, there's also not enough space at the current senior center, nor is there enough affordable housing,

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senior housing, or appropriate condominiums for those people looking to downsize. Nor is there enough parking or retail at the entry corridor of Swamcat. Lastly, my property taxes when I moved here in in uh 2006 were $7,000. They are

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now $20,000 annually. Any proposal for this parcel that does not speak to the issue of cost of living in this town will be dead on arrival in my humble opinion to most of the residents. The solution, the land currently owned by the town is being studied for use next to the mission on the bay could achieve

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all of the above with a mixeduse project. Smart towns and cities are no longer myopic when it comes to development. I highly recommend the select board pack this type back this type of effort. Bringing in two to three developers to discuss the cost of the project that would provide an entire floor of a building to community life

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center, senior or affordable housing, and multiple floors of condominiums whose revenue would support the cost of the entire project as well as much needed revenue to the tax base. Retail on the street side with parking in between that that and the main structure is an ideal option to revitalize that

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part of Swampscott. Mixed use is not a new concept and it's one that will give every resident in town a win and make any project uh that much that much more likely to be accepted. Thank you, Barry Greenfield. >> Oh, it looks like we have one more

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comment. My apologies, Mr. Deimento. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Go ahead, Mr. Deimento. >> Good evening. and welcome to the new additions. Uh what I would like to comment on is the

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process uh relative to the issue you're going to bring up on the car dealership at the bottom of Cedar Hill. I lived on Bayiew Drive for 30 years and the only selectman I ever encountered that cared about anything on

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that was Peter Spellellios and he tried very hard to get them under control and begged for police enforcement. In my opinion, this is not uh a problem unless the police department which is only a 100 yards

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away ignores it. And the fact of the matter is they have ignored it for 30 years. And it's just simply there's plenty of laws available relative to that what they're supposed to do. Their license is controlled. Peter fought hard

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to get that. How many cars they have, the use of the back lot. Everyone on that hill knows the history and how difficult it is. A little not more than uh a lot of enforcement. Just a modicum of enforcement would cure that problem.

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On the process issue, I'd just like to ask if it makes any sense to have people get up at the beginning of a meeting and give public comment when the issue isn't even been raised yet that and the idea is that you're going to hear from the police department and what should be

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done there. Don't you think maybe you should be rethinking that position and call them public hearing uh when you're going to have an issue that obviously the neighbors are very concerned with. A lot of these neighbors uh Sweeny's uh Jack Sweeney lived right behind me for

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many many many years and he and I and Steve Morance would talk about all the time. It's a continuing problem and maybe this is a good time to have the police department do something about it. Thank you.

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>> Thank you, Mr. Tomento. All right. So, we will move on to new and old business. First item on the agenda is discussion and appointment of the select board chair and vice chair. >> Take it away. >> So, this is the process by which you all

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will be reorganizing. Um, you know, new board uh go through the process of identifying a nominee for chair and vice chair. It is something that you all will handle with nominations and in a vote. Thank you.

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>> So, would anybody like to make a nomination? >> I nominate Katie Failen for chair. >> I'll second that. >> Okay. Would anybody like to make a nomination? Should we talk through that one first? >> Sure. >> Okay.

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Danielle, do you want to start? >> Well, I think you've done a great job and I think you should continue. That is my two cents. Um, yeah, I think that you've you've led us well the past year and I'd like to see you continue down

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that path. Thank you. >> Anybody else have a comment? >> Danielle, this isn't something that you're interested in. >> Nope. >> Thank you for asking, though. No. >> Well, generally we rotate. That's why I didn't want to >> Yeah. >> leave you out.

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>> I politely decline. Katie, are you willing to accept a nomination? >> Uh, well, sure. >> Okay. >> I could always choose to ask for help if I need it.

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>> You can. >> So, yes, I am. >> Sharing is caring. >> That's right. Um, are there any other nominations or should we just move to a vote? How do we want to handle move to a vote? >> Move to a vote. >> Let's move to a vote. All those in favor of appointing Katie

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Felen as the select board chair. I >> I >> Okay. Opposed? None. Very good. All right. The vice chair. Uh would anybody like to make a nomination for vice chair? I don't I don't normally make a uh

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a motion, but I would like the board to consider a motion to make Danielle ice chair. >> Would you be willing to do that, Danielle? >> I I could do that. Yep. I I suppose. Yeah. I'm not uh really twisting arms here. [laughter]

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>> Marilyn, are you interested in being vice chair? >> Um, sure. I don't care. I mean >> asking. Okay. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> Okay. So, there's five. >> Would you like to nominate Danielle? I

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can nominate Mary Ellen. >> Sure. >> Okay. >> So, we need a nomination and a second. So, Ted, uh, I take your nomination. Is there a second for Danielle? >> Sure.

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>> Okay. And then uh the motion on the floor to nominate Mary Ellen is Wayne's. >> Sure. >> And then is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. So now discussion. >> I just

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I feel that either one would be perfectly fine. I just wanted to give both an opportunity that they're both well-deserved positions. Danielle, I wasn't sure if you were willing or wanting to, so I didn't want to put you in a position either. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Okay. So, [clears throat] um, uh, I

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think the most important is the chair at this moment. Um, the vice serves as the backup should the prior not be able to serve. And I I this is

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I I know there's tensess. I don't want that to be there. I can see it in everyone's faces. I just >> Okay. So, um I'm happy to support uh at the happy to support Mary. >> Well, >> anybody else?

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>> Yeah, I'm happy to support Danielle as vice chair. >> Okay. >> So, >> should we take a vote? >> Sure. >> Okay. So, all in favor of Danielle, >> I >> I >> Do I vote for myself? >> You [snorts] sure do. I did.

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>> Okay. >> All in favor of Marion? >> Well, I think we just had three. Okay. So, that will pass. Carries. >> That's fine. >> There you go. Thank you. >> So, um here we are then, I guess.

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Um moving on to beach stickers. very exciting topic. We have um the wonderful artist who developed our beach sticker for this year with us, Becky Brandt. Thank you for joining us. Maybe um >> they're beautiful. Thank you.

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>> Come up now. >> Thank you so much. >> Um do you guys want to come up to the mic and then we have a little presentation? >> You don't have to. >> Yeah. >> Okay, great.

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So, real quickly, we'll for those of you who can't see the screen, stickers are already on sale. They've been on sale since May 4th. Um, make sure when you come into town hall, you bring your driver's license and your car registration. They both must match or

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you don't get the sticker. Um, it must be registered to your Swamp Scott resident. Stickers are $25. Residents over 65. They're only $10. Uh, we accept they accept cash and check payments. The hours are 8:00 to 5:00 Monday, Tuesday,

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Thursday, 8 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 8 to noon on Friday. And Becky, do you want to tell us a little bit about this beautiful image? It's the blue muscle shells, what we find on the beach every day. And I'm just trying to highlight some things that we see every

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day and sort of magnify them a bit just to have some appreciation for things you walk by every day. But I wanted to say thank you for letting me do the sticker to Charlotte. Um, thank you for all the uh, positive feedback. I really appreciate it. And um, lastly, say hi to

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my mom. She's selling stickers at the town hall. [laughter] Say hi to Priscilla for me. She's like probably going to tell everybody, but that's all. But thank you so much. >> Really nice job. Really nice. >> Wait, can I ask you a question? >> How How did you even know to do this design?

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>> I have done a lot of paintings and a lot of ceramics with muscle shells and it's just something I've played with. So when I when I submitted a few images to Charlotte, she picked or I don't even know who how many people looked at it to pick it and so they she just chose that. >> I liked how it kind of looked like a

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heart. Yeah. >> I've done ones that are like yingyang. I kind of like that idea too because a lot of the times the shells are dark on one side. So >> that's that's just things I played with. >> So >> it's great. >> Thank you. I really appreciate it. >> Beautiful job. And if you don't have a chance, if you haven't had a chance to

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look at Becky's beautiful ceramic work, she is typically at the PTO fundraiser in the um at the yacht club for the holidays and also she does a lot of other events at um well, she used to be at Reach Arts, but a lot of other

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places. So, make sure you check out her wonderful um wares. >> And here's the official presentation of sticker 0000. So, the first sticker. the first sticker to our artist. >> Very nice. >> Thank you, Becky. [applause]

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>> I think we should also mention that this is a project that Peter Spelio started a long time ago. And um he would always comment on how he hated going down the Linway and seeing these little tiny stickers and it he used to always talk about this and I used to think what is

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the big deal about a little sticker? But now you do drive down the Linway or wherever and you just you see you know, artwork, swamp Scott artwork. So, this is this is just Peter's project and um I hope nobody forgets that.

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>> Thank you very much. Also, Becky is a Swans grad, so in case you didn't know that, she's hometown proud. [laughter] >> All right. Well, thank you very much. And make sure you go down and get your beach stickers. And I uh Nick, beach chairs are also being offered to

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employees, correct? >> Yes. >> So they're buying them, right? >> Correct. Paid for, not free. Paid for. >> Paid for. >> But that is something that we wanted to extend uh not just residential community members, but community members at large, which includes our employees that they

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should get to enjoy the beaches, too. So, appreciate that. All right, moving on to the next item of the agenda. It would be the parking at Cedar Hill. So >> if I could just >> please >> jump in quickly before you all

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deliberate. As you know, this was raised at the last meeting. Uh Captain Cable and Chief Katada spoke to it a little bit. The recommendations as discussed at that meeting are really focused on sightelines, uh access for residents, and then safety for both pedestrians and

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vehicles with the idea, some of which were highlighted today, that uh folks park up on the sidewalk on both sides. right now when both sides are actually full, it becomes a real issue for uh safe transiting both by vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic. Um and

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so the proposal that was put forward is up on the screen there just so folks can sort of reference it again. Uh at the the bottom portion up to the corner of Four Seasons, it is no parking. There's a one hour section going up almost to the garage that's on the left and then no parking again with the idea that the

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sight lines from Bay View down uh and pedestrian access in that side although overgrown uh would be protected and through traffic would have enough space. Um I know the question was raised about notice. We did go doortodoor within a 300 foot sort of center spot which I

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think might have been El's house. Um so it included a couple of the businesses although it did not reach um to the dentist's um point across Humphrey. So we got folks on Bay View uh I know Four Seasons in the business to the left and

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I think the first few houses on the right on Humphrey as well. Um if I'm mistaken please correct me Shannon. Um but it was we went through the same process that we would if it's a public hearing notice with that 300 foot circle on GIS then put on the doors. I believe they went out on Monday. The original

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plan had been Friday, but they were delivered on Monday. Um, so that was done. Uh, but we did not reach across Humphrey Street. So, that's a a reasonable expectation that we can be sure to sort of extend beyond the 300 ft in any similar circumstance going forward. Uh, but this was the proposal

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that was put forward last week by public safety that we wanted to gain some feedback from the community and also give you all some time to consider uh in advance of making a final determination. So my first question is who is going to police one hour parking? >> It would still fall to Swampskut Police

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Department. And can I just answer one other thing that we raised during the TA report? The the tickets that were issued >> in March it was 45 parking tickets, four of which were on Humphrey. In April it was 76 parking tickets, three of which were on Humphrey. in April 27th to May

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3rd, which is only obviously there might be a little bit of double counting there because you gave me the week as opposed to from May 1st to May 3rd, there's been nine parking tickets, one of which was on Humphrey. So, >> all right. Just so in Can you just How many parking tickets were on Humphrey Street

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>> from March to present? >> In total, >> eight. >> Eight. >> From March to present. >> Eight in in total. >> Correct. >> In total, >> eight parking tickets >> for the whole time. Not like in >> correct. That's April, March, and the first week of May.

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>> Okay. So, I I'd like to know exactly how they plan >> to police 1 hour parking. I want to know their actual plan because I don't have a lot of faith with the numbers you just gave me that anyone is going to do that. So, that right away crosses off that little green line for me because I don't

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think that's it doesn't make any sense to me. That's my personal thought. I could be wrong. Um, but that's my my first I I really want to see what their plan is, how they who is actually I'd like to know the shifts. I want to know exactly how they're going to man that

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because I don't have a lot of faith that that's actually going to be policed. That's my first comment. >> And Humphrey Street is two-hour parking. >> Yes. Two-hour parking. >> Yes. >> Eight tickets. My second comment, my second concern and I've raised it before is what somebody else referenced in that

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that business that >> Four Seasons. >> Thank you. In the one to the left, I have said multiple times here that that business concerns me and and their limitations in terms of how many cars they have parked on Humphrey Street. And

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I'd like to know who is going to speak to them or maybe they we should have them come here and speak to us. I don't know. But they definitely have to be a part of the solution because they are the problem primarily. >> I think that ideally we would it would both be enforcement but to have them come here because it was it is a permit

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or license rather that was issued by the town at the end of last calendar year. So >> I think it's perfectly within reason that we would ask them to come down and make sure that if we have specific concerns that we are addressing them with them >> in addition to working with both building and community development to make sure that >> have we had the opportunity to pull

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those licenses and see what the capacity is for the business. pull the license >> that we gave to these businesses to operate >> a single-digit number of vehicles that they are allowed to have for sale at any particular time >> which is you can see by this picture that >> and if you were to walk by or drive by

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which different folks I'm sure have done including myself there's like a yellow medallion that is the for sale >> right so I I would be curious to see what the what the fees are for for being over your allotted >> um number of spots there So, but that

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business, those businesses, we need to we need to talk to them because that is really to someone else's point at the heart of this problem. And I'm not sure that was ever done or when it was ever done, but it's time. >> It was definitely done. It was not I

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would say when the permit came around this time and we the site on Paradise Road did not renew. Marielle, you remember, we talked about it a little bit. >> The site on Paradise? >> Yeah. You know the one across from you know we have because there's three of them there's three of those permites and

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>> the sicko I think it's >> yeah we didn't renew that >> we didn't renew the one across from the sicko so we renewed the sicko and we renewed this one so we definitely talked about it contextually >> well it's not that we didn't renew they >> they did not renew correct it was not renewed because they did not apply is what I mean to say but in the context by which we have normally been talking

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about it is and correct me if it's this one or the sicko but there is a portion of the business that is for used car sales and that is regulated. There's a portion of the business that is for repair >> and that obviously creates an influx of cars going in and out. >> Now, I think there should be far more

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enforcement on these on this especially this corner as to where they're parking close to the close to the actual corner. There's no parking on Cedar Hill Terrace on this, but we don't show no parking on Humphrey Street. So that the line of visibility so when you're coming down

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you can see that when you're taking a right-hand turn you could see where you're going. >> Um that needs to be if it's there fine. It needs to be enforced. It's clearly not in this picture enforced. >> It makes a very narrow road even

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>> it's but it's not it currently it is not no parking on that on that corner on Humphrey and Cedar >> here on the bottom. Yeah where that car is. Well, we need there needs to be >> so that would have to be a change >> hatching or some sort of

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>> no parking there. >> So that alleviates part of the issue and I agree with Danielle. We we need to have a conversation whether it's Marzy or they come in, they understand. >> I think it would be both to be honest. >> Okay. Yeah. Great.

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>> I I also I also want to one concern that I have is the Four Seasons. They're not here. Um, I do happen to live in this neighborhood. I come to that stop that stop sign a minimum of twice a day,

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sometimes five times a day. So, I don't I don't experience the parking. I I really don't notice uh cars there without plates. Um, and I did look, especially after having a conversation with Peter two years ago. So, I'm not

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seeing as much as what other people are seeing. And my concern is that the Four Seasons and the businesses there are also getting a a fair representation of what's going on because we have to remember that businesses are very important in this community and that people have a fair opportunity to talk

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about what they're experiencing or what they're actually doing. So, I'm just wondering if we should be kicking this back to the police department and to Marzy and having a a bigger conversation about how to make this h how to make this work better, especially with some of the recommendations as far as making

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it no parking in the front, you know, the first 10 feet in the front on Humphrey Street. And, you know, just getting a little bit more into the weeds. >> I agree with Mary Ellen on that. And to Danielle's point as well, if we're going to vote on parking enforcement, whether

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it's no parking areas, resident only parking areas, or 1 hour, we have to have a little bit more confidence in the way it's going to be enforced before we should vote on this. So, I think we I would suggest we get a little bit more information on parking management, parking enforcement, and then from DPW,

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how they're going to erect signs or hash marks or whatnot for the no parking areas because, you know, we've all seen people park in no parking areas [clears throat] because there's no hash marks and nothing happens, >> right? >> So, we should get this more holistically understood and >> before I'm comfortable voting on it at

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least. >> So, should we kick it back to the first? >> I'd like to make a couple of comments. Okay. So, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Williams um and go down to Cedar Hill. I kind of wanted to see this in person and one of my questions was, you know, usually what spawned or spurred

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the activity here. Um and I just want to recognize that he had been actually asking for this over a year ago. Um and it was only until recently until he brought it to the um to the select board that we've started to take action on it. So this issue is not just all of a

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sudden popping up. Um secondly, I think you know from his description also there is there's new parking pressures that haven't been there in the past. There is uh uh between new drivers and new um there's a new apartment going on next

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door. So there's more parking pressure. So that aside, I think everyone's in agreement, agreeance agreement with the danger at the bottom of the hill. >> But what I want to address also is some of the things I noticed going up the

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hill and right now on the upper left side, it's currently 1hour parking. It's a faded sign from 8 to 5. I'm trying to remember. Um, in talking with the neighbors, uh, I don't think they were in favor of

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making that no parking. Um, what I did notice was, and I think this was brought up by one of the residents, that that area is so overgrown. There's no defined sidewalk. There's no defined kind of property line or perimeter. So, it looks

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like it's an extension of the road. And so, people just park there. There is no safe access on the that left side. Now, this is where I'd like to see a little bit of better understanding coming back. Is that something the DPW

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needs to take care of? Is that something that we need to better demark? Okay. Because it is taken back over. So, it looks like again it looks like the street. And if if effectively we've granted that to be a part of the street by default, then that extra that extra space is

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actually not so bad. if you had to if you treat it as truly as a sidewalk and you pulled it in, the street gets narrower. So that taken also into account on the blue side on the right side as you're going up the hill. Um

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there is concern I think residents are liking to park closer to the property boundary line just to keep their cars from getting hit, which I completely understand. But there's also the balance of the community need to have safe

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access because I that that is a reasonably concerned or a I have reasonable concern about the safety of that area particularly as cars come around they come around fast. I think what's different than 10 years ago is a lot more distracted driving and um based

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upon a lot of the conversations and and and you know I I could reasonably expect us to pay more attention to maybe demarking spots, physical spots so that we can both make just like on Humphrey Street how we have physical markings of where you can literally park so so it can be

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more a little bit more organized, a little bit more structured. Um, and to your point, I I agree with the enforcement wholeheartedly that if you know, there's no point in in mandating something that's not going to be enforced. So, um, with that, I just, you

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know, want to recognize key points, demarking, um, maybe even if there's a concern coming around Bayiew on Cedar Hill that if that stop sign is not being um,

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uh, respected, perhaps there needs to be a summer speed bump at that point so it makes them stop so they are taking a view around the side. I'm just I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that ad hoc here is just an idea. I certainly think

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this needs a little bit more push back particularly on that area whether or not it becomes let's say one or two hour on I'm talking about the upper left one or let's say one or two hour and resident parking so that you have an option for potentially both. I just think this needs to be thought out a little bit

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more. Um again I think we're all in agreement at the bottom of the hill that that is an absolute safety mess. But I'd like to take a little more thought and deliberation on the on the top and how we manage the resident parking considering that is that is that a new

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sticker if we have we talked about giving guest passes. Is that you know is that something I mean I could direct that to you Nick. How would we go about managing that if we made a policy >> on the resident side? They're issued by the police department. The police department would also provide a resident

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I mean a visitor along with the resident parking sticker so that they would have one handy. And this is true throughout town. There's one available to the >> So you put it in you put a sticker. You'd have a emblem a >> placard that you can share with a a guest that's at your property.

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>> Okay. >> The other question is some of that area of overgrowth I I think is on private property from my understanding. >> So that might be a question for Gino. I don't know. How do we >> I think where it's overrowing the public way in the right way. I think that

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there's obviously an opportunity for us to get up there and do mechanical education management. >> Yep. >> Uh I will talk to Jo about that. If you all are I know you've sort of said we're in agreement, but if you're in agreement on the idea of doing something at the bottom as well, we could work with them

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to do the hash lines. if a decision is made by you all tonight on that and also we're not kicking the can down the road but come back to have a deeper discussion with both Four Seasons um and ask public safety to take a second look at the ways that they would like to do it and how they would enforce it. But I

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I I don't want to make a change like the hashlines without you all voting on that >> because the point of of this and Mary Ellen rightly saying let's do two meetings on it was to make sure it's feedback and informed decision by you all on what you want to do. Um, so if we're talking about the hashes at the bottom and you want to take action on

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that tonight, that's something that we can then get into the work plan with DPW. >> I think we definitely should take action. Why not? We're all in agreement on that red portion and it's, you know, it's a hazard. So, let's not kick the whole thing down the road. Right. So,

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>> so what we're saying is >> that red >> take a motion on the what is that 100 ft there. >> So, we're looking for a motion on the bottom of Cedar Hill Terrace. the no parking on the modern >> as depicted. >> And in that motion, are we including the

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corner right there on Humphrey and Cedar Hill? >> Yeah. The problem is I don't know I don't know what's the appropriate amount of space. So I think that is maybe >> should we discuss that in the next round with >> on Humphrey? We're saying on Humphrey.

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Yeah. I think if you're comfortable, we could defer to Gino to rely on >> hash and appropriate >> just >> no parking from the current corner >> to the actual we have there is a >> isn't there on positive it's like 10 ft

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or one caring corner >> I I I trust Gino's >> Yeah depth for that >> based on the based on the >> appropriate rules and regulations at the >> Okay so the motion that would on the

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table right now is to support the no parking on the bottom portions of Cedar Hill Terrace as depicted on the image >> and to allow Gino to create hash uh no parking on Humphrey Street from the corner of Cedar Hill going in front of

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Four Seasons Motor Groups uh property line. That's the motion on the table right now. Correct. >> Yes. >> Yeah, I'll second that. >> You have to make it >> or I I support the motion. Yeah. >> Okay. So Wayne is making the motion. >> Second. >> Danielle seconds. All in favor? >> Hold on a second. I just have one question. I I'm just a little concerned

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because having no parking on Humphrey Street is going to affect the businesses there. I just And if it's Gino, I don't want Gino to turn around and, >> you know, just take X amount of space. I think it's it's got to make sense. >> To Nick, your point though was just to

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the appropriate level under Mass or US dot regulations. >> It's like 10 or one car length. I think >> that we will actually be able to point to where we made where we got that. >> We could adjust. Yep. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> So, >> amended. Yeah. >> All in favor? >> I >> I

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>> Okay. All right. And then we will come back to discuss um the additional suggestions. We really need to have police here to discuss enforcement. >> Yep. [clears throat] >> And Four Seasons. >> Yeah. >> And Four Seasons. Yep. >> I would suggest the parking conversation

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about enforcement. You know, we can talk about it for Cedar Hill given what's going on here, but we might want to expand that conversation to be all on Humphre >> because I know that comes up frequently and I think the statistics you cited are >> abysmal, >> troubling. Yeah, that's a better

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description. >> And then what about the um the tree the landscaping? I as I I will talk to Gino to see I assume if it's in the right of way when it hangs over the same tree hanging over private property that we can go sort of to the line >> and so we'll talk to him about

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mechanical vegetation management for that which is you know >> and just I think the neighbors are the neighbors are sensitive to that for discussing to them maybe just make sure you have the conversation with them I you know what I think the import the important part is demarcation just to

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understand where it is right and yeah the vegetation there are some definite trees is growing like right in the middle of that area. I don't know what the legal minimum width is for a sidewalk. >> Gino will >> I will know. >> I don't know that Gino knows off the top of his head. I do not. But we can

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certainly research. >> All right. >> To reflect that. >> Okay. >> In our zoning bylaws, just to throw that out there. >> There we go. Ted knows it. Um all right. So, we will bring back the conversation for Cedar Hill um either at

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the next meeting or the following meeting depending on um because the next meeting will be town meeting. >> The next regular meeting I think is a better way to say it so that it's not that just before town meeting one. >> Yeah. >> And we will again notice and we will make sure we include the businesses

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along Humphrey as well, not just the ones on the side that are within that that circle. >> Thank Thank you for that note. Okay, moving on to the Council on Aging presentation. Thank you all for joining us. Happy to have you and thank you for the

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reschedules. I know there were a couple of them get started. Good evening. My name is Susan Civam. I'm a member uh serving on the Council on Aging. I'm here with my lovely colleagues. Uh, I'll have them

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introduce themselves as well. >> Hi, I'm Heidi Weer. I'm the director of aging services for the town of Swampscott. >> I'm Sabrina Clapton. I'm the assistant director of the Swampscott Senior Center and the outreach social worker. >> Cheryl Evansson. I'm the vice chair of

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the Council on Aging. >> So, we are honored to be here tonight representing our senior residents. Uh, and we thank you for your time. Our chair of the board of the council, Bob Powell, is not here, unfortunately. He's

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on a flight at the moment. However, he is uh gracing us with his digital presence. He uh recorded a message for us and uh he will beautifully set the scene as to why we are here tonight. So, we'd like to play that video right now.

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And there is Bob. [laughter] >> I'm Bob Powell. I serve as the chair of the Swamskot Council on Aging. I'm also the co-chair of the Swamscot for All Ages Committee and a member of the Swanscott Retirement Board, the Swampscott 2035 Master Plan Committee, and the Swampscott Community Life Center

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feasibility study task force. I'd like to thank our town administrator and the select board for giving senior center stakeholders the opportunity to present today. So, why are we here tonight? We're here to answer a straightforward question. Are we staffed and structured

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to meet the current and future demand for senior services? The answer, as you'll see, is no. That conclusion is supported by data, peer benchmarking, and documented community need. At the same time, we recognize the fiscal

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realities facing the town. We understand that current and future budgets may not fully support what will be needed, but we also have a responsibility to plan for what we know is coming. The demographic trends are clear. The demand is not speculative. It should not come

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as a surprise to anyone. Our goal tonight is to begin that planning process to be proactive rather than reactive. Ultimately, we aim to align documented community need with the measured responsible path forward.

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>> Thanks. Right. >> That was uh >> Oh, can hear it again. So we've done a lot of work looking at numbers to understand um you know how we've grown as a center serving the senior residents uh where we

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are today. We've looked at peer benchmarking. Um we've looked at demographic trends and uh so we would like to share with you the insights that we have gained from that. Um and then um towards the end uh shift towards

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recommendations we have in terms of how to continue to provide the services that we do and to meet the demands of the growing demographics. So, I will kind of go go over the numbers and then I will um yeah, if you can get

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to the agenda slide, that would be great. The next slide. Perfect. Um so, I'll go over the numbers, the growth strengths, uh etc. Uh Heidi will then talk more about the um operations of the center especially focused on

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staffing um as well as some of the gaps in terms of uh unmet needs. Um Sabrina will cover more >> [snorts] >> uh in terms of the services offered, what it takes to do it to give you a sense of sort of daily happenings with

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the center. Um and then Cheryl will talk about um uh the consequences of inaction. If we do nothing today, what are we going to be faced with going forward? Uh and then we'll wrap it up with a summary of our asks of you. Um

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and and um that's our agenda. So in terms of numbers, as you can see, over the last four years, the center has grown tremendously in so many different facets. Uh and that's really thanks to a

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great deal to our exceptional leadership from Heidi and Sabrina and their team. Um they've done a boatload of work um being such a small team as well. And you can see across the board it's

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tripledigit growth in terms of number of members, in terms of daily attendance, uh the outreach contacts that are being uh that are taking place, meals served, transportation rides, um and and

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including volunteer hours. And as we all know, volunteer coordinating volunteer activities um is pretty administratively intense as well because we need to make sure the safety and and um well-being of not only the seniors being served but

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also the volunteers. So altogether um all these activities have shown tremendous growth. >> Could I ask a question actually on that slide? >> How do you define membership? How do you literally how do is there a

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listing or how how do you how is one defined as a member as opposed to someone that just comes on occasion? >> When an individual comes to the senior center, they're asked to fill out a form. >> Membership is free of charge, but we do collect information specifically because we need information in case of

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emergencies. And so we keep all of that on file and they are added to our roles. When we know someone is deceased or they've moved from the area, they get removed from the membership. >> And do we have So is the membership com is this number comprised solely of Swampscot residents?

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>> No. >> About 52% of this number is Swamcot residents. >> So less than half of that increase is Swampscott resident. >> Well, 52. So more than half. A >> little more than half. >> 52% equals Swampscott

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residents that have increased. Okay. Okay. Wait. Is the 52% current membership or the increase? >> Current membership. >> Membership Scott resc one's growth number the other. >> Well, the other thing is you forgot to

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add that swamp swamp seniors can go to any >> uh council on aging, any senior center in the commonwealth. So, it's an open door policy. It's >> and vice versa for other towns. Yes, correct. Yeah.

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>> And you're welcome to. We encourage it. >> I just think that's an important distinction when we're talking about thinking of, you know, adding things that ultimately come from the Swampscot taxpayer. We have to just be cognizant of how many Swampscot residents are

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actually bearing that burden. So, but thank you. So, one compelling number that uh wasn't on the previous slide is actually the growth in staffing hours. The commensurate growth, it's a single digit

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and it's only 3%. So, you can see with only a 3% increase in staffing, um the center is meeting uh and and really succeeding in in the growth um of the services offered to the to the

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residents. And is is that primarily because they're subsidized by volunteer hours? Like you're meeting what you need on the volunteer side because you don't have the ability to staff it. >> So it's a heavier burden on the volunteer side. >> Oh yeah. >> To meet that need. >> Yeah. Of course. >> Wow. 278%.

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>> 270%. Exactly. >> It's not sustainable. >> Yeah. >> So essentially to to summarize what the data is telling us is that the growth is broad. It's not just in one particular area but across the board.

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>> Um what it's also showing is that it's not just a blip, right? It's it's structural. We all know that the the boomers, the baby boomers are moving through the decades. Uh the majority of the boomers sit on the younger side between the you know from 60 to to

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mid70s. And so as they move and they get into the older uh ages and the vulnerable ages categories. over time we're going to have to provide even more administratively intense services the outreach and so on. Um so the growth is

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definitely systematic, it's structural and so we need to prepare ourselves. Um the bottom half of the slide is essentially showing us um that you know with growth comes growing pains >> definitely. I mean, you you've already

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recognized that so far. Um, and so we know where we stand today, the current model or we're making it work, but it's not sustainable, not even to meet the current needs, let alone the future growing needs as well. Uh, later on in

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the presentation, we will talk more about the demographic shifts and how do we look at these age categories that I just talked about. Uh, but overall, this is the picture. This is why it's it's a compelling ask from us that we do need to do something and if we don't there

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are consequences. So let me hand it over to Heidi to talk about staffing and operations in general. >> So we currently have three full-time staff. Myself, Sabrina, who's the outreach worker and assistant director, and then the program volunteer

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coordinator. um our part-time staff. We have actually three part-time administrative assistants that cover the front desk in some of the work. Um two of them are grant funded and one of them is part-time is funded by this budget. And

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then finally, the van driver. [clears throat] We have about 20 hours of van driving funds for medical rides and for um grocery shopping and for bringing people to the senior center, etc., which is u you'll see extremely

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low. Um we have 115 volunteers this past year with over 2,000 hours of volunteer work. 20 of those are tax work off volunteers and then we also have the student volunteers that have come from the high school to do the programs with um people living

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with dementia. Seaglass Village is on the bottom there and it's mentioned because it somewhat relieves the pressure from what we do. It is a nonprofit that we started here in Swans got based from our needs assessment that was um that was

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conducted in 2019. And just to give you a clue, last year, Seas Village between January and April provided 115 rides. This year between January and April, we provided 318 rides

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>> in just this small um time frame. the senior center we've provided um at the same time frame we provided 289 rides last year and 273 rides this year the we we we don't have any additional funds to

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increase the number of rides 289 that it's very very much the same but all I'm saying is that the we are relying on heavily on volunteers to create and to to get people to their doctor's appointments and things >> can you just so sealass village the

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nonprofit organization. They're providing rides like in their own cars, things like that. And they're providing that free of service or how does that work with the >> That's a membership organization where they pay a fee to belong. It's about a

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dollar a day. So, they pay $360 a year. And we also have a a a grant fund from the women's fund to provide scholarships to people who can't afford it. the people um have the membership and then the volunteers drive themselves in

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their own cars. The membership fees cover all of the additional insurance that needs to be had to to cover to make sure the volunteers are safe as well as providing um staffing. We have a one part-time director. >> All right. And you said the town is

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providing how many rides >> in that time frame? We've provided >> 289. >> 289 over the course of 40 52 weeks. No, just over the first three months. January to >> Got it. Got it. >> It was 318 from January to April, you said, right?

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>> Um, January through April 15th. >> And just to be clear, it's not the volunteers who pay the 360, it's the participants. >> Yes, the members. [snorts] Yes. >> Yes. And the the the interesting piece I think for me is that we got this grant

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to provide the services for people living um below um poverty level and a lot of the housing authority people are getting me becoming members which is wonderful but they're exceptionally more needy than the average person who

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belongs to the seed bless village. So, someone's a cancer um going through cancer treatment and they're getting rides, you know, one ride up and then someone else is coming and riding them back. And these are our volunteers, a lot of them behind me. So, >> how many people do you turn away for for

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rides >> at the senior center? >> Yep. >> So, um >> well, people in people in the community calling, especially people who live alone or >> who who are older adults or disabled. Okay. So um well I think just to clarify the two numbers here I think are

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significant in that you know we are providing a tremendous amount of rides at the senior center but clearly the rides at seaglass village is pro the ride the number of rides that seagass village is providing combined with our number shows the overwhelming need for transportation. So Seaglass Village is

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doing an enormous amount because I mean we've you know largely maxed out our ability I think in my opinion. Um, so I'm really proud of our transportation service. Um, in terms of unmet need over the past four months, I've been kind of observing that and um, documenting that

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and I've turned away 31% of um, requested rides in the past four months. And that's largely due to um, you know, conflict with another ride um, a request being on a day that we don't provide the service >> um, or sometimes you know out of bounds. I mean we don't go to Boston so that's

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you know that is a decline that we have to and staffing >> staffing and do you work with the Bertram house and the residents in do you have a combination service with them they have their own vehicles and the Michan I just wanted to know what else you work with the Michan

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>> so the Michan to my knowledge doesn't have a vehicle we transport many members of the who live at the Michan um who don't have their own transportation um if you live in Swamcott Um and you are um over the age of 55 actually um or

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well it's over 60 60 for or 55 with or dis disabled 55 55 with a disability then we'll provide transportation so you have to be a member of the senior center um and we have um we provide uh rides to um local errand shopping on Mondays and

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Thursdays and um medical transportation on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So part of that 31% could be somebody calling for a medical appointment on Monday though. >> Correct. Yes. >> So it would be great if that was broken down a little further to understand, you know, is it people calling for Saturday

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grocery shopping? Is it people calling for Monday medical or is it actually like we cannot meet it because the funds don't allow? >> The 31% is specific to medical. Um so not to our errand shopping. Um, and

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totally I could I could definitely dig deeper and and probably exact. >> Yeah. Just curious like if you offered them obviously on more days people don't coordinate their medical appointments with your schedule maybe they do now that they know what it is but maybe if

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they do not know they they're not able to do that. So >> Right. Right. And I would say that um I mean there are a there are many members of the senior center that really rely on our medical transportation and do coordinate their appointments based on our schedule.

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>> Um just today I went back and forth with a member. Um I couldn't meet her need um at the designated time. I suggested that she call and reschedule her appointment. I and shout out to all the local providers that are willing to kind of work with um our older adults to reschedule to coordinate with to align

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with our transportation service. Right. Um, including Dr. Smith. I don't know if he's still here, but he's present. [laughter] >> Two quick questions. Can you explain just for the public what Seagalass is and what it does and how it is basically a supplement also to the existing

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services? >> So, so Seaglass Village is um an organization based on a model that was developed 20 years ago in Boston called the Beacon Hill Village. It's now a movement throughout the country. There are about 300 villages in throughout the

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country and some international. Each village is different. It's a zone 501c3. >> Um, what was the rest of your question? Sorry, Wayne. >> Just in how does it supplement the services that you would have already been giving? Well, >> in addition to at the senior center,

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>> we have and I and I mentioned it very proudly, but we have this memorandum of understanding between the village and and the senior center so that if someone can use the senior center transportation to go do grocery shopping, then that's what we try to steer them to do. Um, now

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mind you, the village covers swamps, Marblehead, and Nant, and so Marblehead doesn't have transportation to go grocery shopping when they want to. So, it's um we're playing with all these different things all the time. But I

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will say that right now this in the same 3 month four month time frame we uh were not able to meet 11% of the rides the needs for Seless Village just because we need more volunteers. And I wanted to add about the transportation is that if there is a

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commitment to take somebody to a doctor's appointment and we either don't have a driver or whatever, you can sometimes see Sabrina driving driving people to their their medical appointments, which then takes her out

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of the facility and decreases the staff that's there to help. >> Just the general program. Has there ever been a full-time van driver? >> 40 35 hour a week. No, >> always part time. >> Always part time. >> Yeah, we did have more money for for

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transportation in the past. >> So, we we the town provides about $20,000 a year for right now for van drivers. >> And we pay for the van drivers through another fund when um when they're going on a trip to

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the park or the zoo or whatever. Yeah. >> I just have to ask real just to get some clarity here. A AARP considers a senior 50 years old. What does the senior center considered a senior? >> So, okay, I know that I was a little

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fuzzy on my because I think that for us, we don't we our our favorite saying at the senior center is that we don't card people. Um, so >> I'm just trying to figure out how many seniors are at this table right here. >> No. >> Oh. Oh. If it's 50, it's three. And I also prefer the term older adult. But um

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yeah, so um I think that you know most of our membership is 65 plus. >> Um we don't turn anyone away. >> Um and our if that helps the at the state level is 60 and over for for older

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adults and and our formula grant is based on 60 and over for which there are 4,320 60 year olds and over in And does that if you had every 60 plus individual in Swampscott register at the senior center, would that increase your

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>> your funding from the state? >> No. >> Okay. >> No. We get $16 per person the age of 65 regard. >> So they just know that they know that from the census. >> Yes. >> Membership. >> Okay. So just to be clear, just to follow up

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on that, you get the funding you get from the state is based on census data for how many residents are over 60, not membership or anything. It's just that >> correct. >> Understood. Okay. >> Yes. Um and this is just the budget over the last um six years. And basically the

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the point here is that it it has not increased significantly at all except back in 1920 um 2021. But right now we get about onethird of 1% of the town's budget. Um or about 36%.

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Um that means we get about $84 total including the formula grant. So we get 16 from the formula grant and about 68 from the town which means that we're each individual our budget is about $84 per person over the age of 60.

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So the reality is that um we're doing more and more at the senior center. Um we have more and more members um being um brought in all the time. We've had phenomenal programming which is really

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kind of exciting for for us. Um, but we're also stretched. So, we're we don't have enough space at the senior center. So, we've been moving into Clark. We started programs there two weeks ago at Clark uh where we started uh beach ball

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volleyball chair volleyball. So, if you ever want to come down and play with us, but we're also working on starting a um a makershed at Clark. The issue though is that if we start doing something at Clark, we're taking staffing away that we are already stretched with. And so

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how do we continue to to expand and to meet the demands of the town without increase? >> Have you discussed that with our recreation director like how to >> Yes. I mean I think that I I I mean definitely using volunteers would be is something that we're discussing. I think

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that um I mean she has set up a really great model and given us a lot of a lot of really good ideas. um just implementing that with a senior population, an older adult population, a vulnerable population, um has some it's nuanced for us.

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>> So, I'm going to be honest with you. >> Yeah. >> When we talked about we talked about using Clark School >> last year, >> it was a no. Then finally this year, we get a new recreation director and it's a yes. And she just makes things happen

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nonstop. It's >> she does. Yeah, >> she's amazing. She's amazing. >> She's here tonight. I'm not saying because you're here tonight, but it's just the facts are the facts. And I think that >> one concern I have is I'm constantly hearing how we're busting at the seams.

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We have no room. We have this and that. And you're just starting to use Clark. And I think that if maybe you work a little bit more with Charlotte, there's ways to really get into Clark a little bit more. >> Yeah, agreed. I'm I I think Charlotte is

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a fabulous person to collaborate with. We've done some really great things with her already this year. Um >> she just makes everything happen with the smile on her face and it's a home run every time. >> I think that might be part Now I don't want to say part of the problem, but I think the

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>> the accessibility for you guys at Clark creates the double-edged sword of now we have another location to service. Yeah. >> And we still have the same Thank you. we still have the same number of staff. So that to me is what >> while it's good to have the second location. >> Yes.

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>> If you don't have the people to you can't be running back and forth between both, right? >> Precisely that. >> So I think that's where it's coming in. Maybe >> it's so exciting to have the extra space and extra programming. But I think yes, it's >> exactly it. >> It's a staffing.

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>> Okay. >> Oh, okay. So, um I'm going to talk a little bit about the documented unne um the documented unmet needs in Swampscott that I see at the center. Um I think a big mission of our center um and all senior centers is to address loneliness

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and isolation. Um we're a place where people can come and connect socially. Um I think that um the the cohort that is most at risk for isolation are our older and vulnerable adults. and in a couple of slides we'll describe what you know

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what we mean by that. Um we've touched on transportation gaps. Um I think that um as a social worker at the center I really feel like um uh the transition to retirement um and then kind of beyond

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that um there's there's a lot of there's significant adjustment that people need to make. Um you've you're losing a social connection through work that you used to have. um you are, you know, losing friends. Um you know, you're there's a lot of loss and then there's the loss of the ability

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to drive and that is um you know, that feeds loneliness and isolation and it contributes to poor health outcomes because you're not able to get to the doctor. Um you're choosing maybe not to go to the doctor because you don't want to ask somebody for a ride. Um so that's all cumulative. Um uh I've seen a

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phenomenal increase in um the need for caregiver support. um about 170% increase actually in referrals that I've made to memory care programs both within our senior center um and in the broader community. Um so that's a growing um and

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I can only imagine the unmet need there. So yeah. Um so I think that I want to contextualize um kind of what we mean by active aer um older aer vulnerable aer and and our

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caregivers. Um our active aagers are kind of the members that are on the younger end um coming into the senior center. And um you know I from the social work perspective um this is where we're providing um you know some psychosocial support. Um, I said

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assisting, you know, assisting with the adjustment to transitioning to retirement or this phase of life. Um, I also see this as a really preventative stage at the senior center where I can, um, you know, kind of educate people, connect them to resources, maybe get some conversations going about housing,

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you know, prior to a crisis happening. Um, it's like a really good kind of like that's the the preventative proactive side. Um, moving into the older ages and vulnerable aers. Um this is where there's like more of a need for case management referrals like referrals to

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GLYS um you know more of a need for um just uh things like durable medical goods um medical transportation um and there's a lot more um crisisoriented needs in this kind of as you progress through the older ages and vulnerable ages um a lot more reliance

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on emergency services um as well as you know memory care needs and caregiver um support. So, so um as we've discussed and I mean it's not a secret that we're growing older and that by the age of 2030 we'll you

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know have a significant surge in you know and we'll we'll have more older adults and a significant surge in in need for services. Um I feel like that this slide says demographic pressures and demand will continue to grow. I'm going to say the

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demand is already growing. Um, and I would say in comparing like I just kind of ran some numbers comparing last fiscal year to the year before and um, in outreach I saw and I just wanted so just a couple of trends that are popping up. Um, a 200% increase in um, housing

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related um, contacts and evaluations and consultations at the senior center. Um, and a 200% increase in um, contacts that I've had at the center related to emotional crisis and behavioral health needs. So, um, you know, those are pretty significant trends that I'm

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already seeing growing. I'm only going to, you know, hypothesize that those are going to continue to grow. Um, I feel like this is a point where I can like really I can't underscore enough to the work that, um, our town's emergency services, um, police and fire are doing,

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um, kind of behind the scenes to prop up our older adults, um, in our community. Um, I also feel like some unseen heroes are neighbors who are looking out for other neighbors. Um, and that really does supplement like what we do at the senior center. And um, you know, I think

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that but it also touches to like the broader need. And I think that, you know, more collaboration with town departments, recreation, emergency services, um, for a more coordinated response, um, I would hope would, um,

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kind of help us, um, deal with like the the present need, but also, you know, maybe prevent some more crisisoriented, um, situations. >> Do you work with the veterans agent, too? Is the veterans agent at the senior

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center every week? Yes, he has hours represent. >> He has hour or they I don't know if it's a he or they. >> Sometimes it's Mike and sometimes it's Deb. >> So they're there every week. So if I'm a veteran, I know I can go in on a certain day and >> scheduled. Yeah. >> Great. >> So this slide just kind of compares um

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Swampskit with other communities. And my understanding was that the select board had been asked for communities to compare with salary ranges etc. of of towns that are comparable. And this is the list that I got. And this is the list that we compared with. And so we

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were just comparing staffing patterns with full-time and part-time staff. And you can see that Swampscott is the six um out of seven. And so if you were to do the peer average at 100%, Swamps gets at about 86% of of um in comparison to

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their other communities. when when you talk about comparing against other communities like >> I mean obviously we talked a little bit about the collaboration between other communities and that all senior centers are pretty much open door policies right

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what are we doing to synergize the work that is happening in the communities around surrounding us so that if we can't provide everything we are making sure that we are directing seniors to a senior center surrounding us so that the our lack of ability to

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provide is not their lack of ability to receive. So like are we checking in with Marblehead? Are we checking in with Salem? Are we checking in with Lynn? Are we checking in with NAT? And then trying to work in a collaborative fashion so that not all five of us are offering everything, but that we're offering a

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variety so that the senior's needs are met >> in our area. for activities that seniors come to the senior center to do and to engage in like ma or or canasta or um exercise programs. Those are all

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collaborative and and >> we know that um we had to stop the maj class for example for three months because we were doing a AARP taxes. Well, they went over to Salem instead. And so we do that kind of collaboration all the time. >> As far as uh Sabrina's work, which is

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much heavier is she really tries to zero in on providing those services just to Swans residents and our transportation is for Swans residents. >> Yeah. Okay. So the transportation is solely for swamps residents. >> I would the swamp transportation is like the is the one service that we really is

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only for you have to be a swamp scout resident to use our transportation. >> Okay. >> Except >> except for seaglass because they're >> well so they're separate >> or they're in addition. >> Yes. Yes. >> Separate. I got you. >> And Seaglass Village is a great resource that I can refer to um just from a you know social work perspective.

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>> Um >> so I think to Katie's point is you're talking about Yes. If we're collaborating for attendance and membership and activities, is there the same collaboration for resources, right? So, is is that not something that's been developed or explored or maybe it has

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and maybe it just hasn't got there? >> I think it's an opportunity, a huge opportunity and I think that you know that I would be willing I would be so happy to be a part of that like broader discussion. I think that there are many ways that we could do that. I mean, um, Heidi and I have dreamed about, we we

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run on Fridays a social day program, which is a 4-hour respit program. Um, we service six community members, um, who live with memory loss. We've thought about how wonderful it would be to regionalize that. And, you know, maybe have a day in Swampscott, a day in Nant, a day in Marblehead. I mean, that would

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be a huge that would be a great goal, right, to work towards. >> Y, [snorts] >> we share botchi courts and those kinds of things when they're doing tournaments and and whatever, but other than that, um, It's mostly >> that's Yeah. I I think I had a conversation about a year ago maybe

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about like I know in Marblehead they offer a lot of like behavioral health services and like they have more available there but there's so much of a need that they can't offer it to residents outside of Marblehead because the need is so great in Marblehead. And

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so I guess that's the the drawback of regionalization is that they have to be we have to be willing to sort of pull some resources and then figure out how it's going to work and how it's going to pattern out so that everybody's getting the benefit they bargain for. But you know maybe there's a way we can

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facilitate some of the things that we aren't able to provide more wholesomely just as a swamp scout um resident >> and not just at your level right. So at Nick's level, right, that's a conversation that, >> you know, like we've had with Nant or,

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you know, in different areas. This is probably one that's never been explored, right? And could be >> certainly. >> Do we have any data that determines other towns or cities that are receiving swamps residents and giving them services? >> Yeah, like reciprocal.

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>> I've never asked no, but we could. >> I bet it's Salem. I'm guessing love to know what they're going there for. also like what service we're not providing that they're going elsewhere. >> That would be helpful to understand or to know where we could potentially regionalize or collaborate with if

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they're receiving our our residents, you know, that would make the conversation more logical. >> Do you keep a do you keep data on when people are coming into our senior center where they're coming from? >> Yes. Yes. >> So on a daily basis, you know, that 28% came from Lynn, 30% came from

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>> If you Yeah. You could pull it apart if you need wanted to. We just used it more I mean that's the jumping off point Marielle and to your point like to call what is the highest other population we service call them first and say hey we we service 30% of your population what are you servicing for our population how

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can we collaborate to provide a service we don't already provide maybe it's one you provide like maybe we're able to work that way >> but I'm going to guess the transportation piece is still going to be the biggest >> you know pain point right and and we

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still would need to augment that if where if we deal with reciprocal relationships with neighboring towns, that's going to come more into play. >> But I would also venture to think that transportation is the least costly over the programming, right? Like it's it's probably less expensive to bring

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somebody to a neighboring town where a program is happening >> than it is to make the program happen here >> if you can pick a few up at a time. >> Right. Okay. >> All together. Is there a consortium between directors of local >> consort? So do you guys talk to each other on a regular basis?

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>> Regularly monthly. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Some senior centers are more engaging in those kinds of activities. >> Sure. >> Depends on on the director. Um and we have gone after regional grants and then they have not been funded

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>> for regional transportation grants. We've worked on >> Yeah. Transportation. >> Does NA have a do they have a director over there? Do they have center over there >> part time? >> And yes, part of the problem with people having to go to other communities is

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because of our space limitations, we are constantly having to turn people away if they've signed up for a class and we no longer have room. >> And so then they might go to another class and then they might continue because they know that we're such a small space that they may never get into

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the program. So that's and that's part of the that's part of the problem. >> So this just kind of gives you a little bit of an idea of um how um sorry that got out of order. Um what an

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impact might be on um increasing some staffing. And there's you see that there's no years or anything put on here, but pretty immediately it would be helpful for the senior center to kind of restructure the administrative. So maybe taking the two part-time

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um two of the part-time um staff administrative staff and combine them into one FTE. So you have the continuity of the whole week and that person knows what's going on in the whole week. Um and then maybe immediately increasing some of the

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driver's hours. Um and then later on in the future, maybe um hiring an outreach worker, which would be a full FTE and transportation coordinator or maybe you take the program manager and the volunteer manager and split those two.

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And it will depend on how things kind of unfold, but the net cost over this this expansion would be 68 to 102K, which is a real estimate, but you can see comparing it to the cost of three

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unplanned hospitalization readmissions. Um it's it's kind of staggering if we're keeping three people out of the hospital through Sabrina's work with getting them the services they need and making sure that they're connected to um care and

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caregivers and you're you're helping them stay at home and not being readmitted to hospitals. And this is um again ju just talking about the immediate need with the changes in um staffing and then near-term and future need. And we know

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that it's not going to happen today, but we do really that you hear this call. >> Yeah. Have um have you discussed any funding through Big Blue Bargains? >> Big Blue Bargains has been a big supporter. I mean, they've um they've

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definitely I mean, not exactly specifically that, but we've um been a recipient of, you know, uh they've given us um I I I'm blanking on the name of the scholarship that or the their days of giving. Yes. Um they have donated um

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a craft class to us and um they've been, you know, very supportive of the senior center. So, that would be a great partnership. I mean, I I would love to talk to them. >> Okay. Yeah. I just um 20 to $30,000 is real money, but it's not that great an

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ask. >> Um so I just wonder if you found a partner who would cover part or part of like partial payment of that annually for this year that maybe it would be more realistic >> to come forward with it for the next fiscal year or something like that. So

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just a thought. >> That's a great thought. >> Thank you. What what are the opportunities for state grants when it comes to this? >> We are looking at another grant right now. Um but they're mostly um what they call SIG grants. So it's um trying out

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new activities, trying out something different to see if it will work for funding, which is where came from with the that project. It's where the Forget Me Not program came. It's the the conferences that we do. It's more of those >> oneoffs and see if it works and

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continues. So, um, we've sort of touched on, uh, a lot of the consequences that we face, but to be a little more specific, for example, on the rides when we have to turn people away because we're either

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not going to Boston or we don't have the staff. We don't have the staff to then find out what happened to these people. Did they get a ride to the doctor? Did they get to the doctor? Did anything happen to to them? That's that's a big

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consequence. Um the programs, as we talked about, having to turn people away. The meals, we only are able to offer two meals a week. For a lot of these people, that may be the only good meals that they have the whole week

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because we can't offer more than that. And they're only what, $4. So, it's not a big cost, but we don't have the staffing to offer more meals. >> So, how frequently do you have someone there to pro What is the schedule for

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>> two days a week? >> Two days. >> Two days a week, >> right? Two days, Friday. >> Is it just dinners or lunch or lunch? >> Lunch. Chef prepared. I mean, we we source our all of our ingredients. He buys and prepares. It's it's a high quality meal. >> I can attest to that. I I I participated

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yesterday. [laughter] So why do you only offer it two days a week? >> Staffing money. >> We don't have the money for staffing to pay for it. >> Does the $4 itself cover additional? >> I don't know how. What is What is the

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the minimum you need in order to self cover and self-und >> to cover the staffing and the food or just the food? >> For the for the food? >> That service that part of it or for the food and the stuff to make to make it? Well, this the staff is oh my gosh, I can't remember what his what his line

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item is. What we pay for him for the staff person, it's about eight hours a week that he works to to prepare the meals. Um, but the food costs probably are around seven to eight dollar >> per person >> per person and Anchor there's no opportunity for anchor to do anything

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with that I wouldn't assume, right? or has there is there a collaboration that ever was thought of or something in terms of what they get for grants and you know is if if that has ever been tapped or worked out. >> Yeah, we've definitely explored grants or you know maybe partnering with the

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CSA um with like a a local CSA to get some ingredients but >> you know it's it's possible for sure. Okay. >> Yes. So would you say that that would be a priority like additional driver and because I have to be honest with you I

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cared for um one of my parents for many many years in in his senior years and one thing that was very serious was nutrition. And what I noticed was many of his friends uh landed in the hospital constantly because they weren't eating,

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you know, they were eating foods that were high in salt and that landed them in the hospital and it was something that was pretty profound that I saw and then you see so many seniors that don't make food for themselves or whatever. So I always recognize it as a serious issue

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and a serious preventive um issue. So to only hear that we're only offering two meals a week, that's pretty concerning. But it is that a priority for you or is it the driver? Like what are your priorities?

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>> All of them. >> I think all of them. >> We can't have all of them. Just give me We can Let's If we can get something, what are the priorities? >> I would say transport. >> I think transportation. >> I would think so. That's what it sounds like.

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We we can be a congregate meal site. We used to be a congregate meal site. That means that Trio somewhere out in Worcester makes that food and they cook it and then they put it in a bus at 8 at 4:00 in the morning and they bring it. And so the broccoli when it gets to the

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senior center and gets in the steam steam table is mush. >> And so people were just plain not eating it. And so after COVID, we started with different volunteers and we just tried so many different iterations that we we got school food from the high school and

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we brought it over and we paid them to for the food >> and it was still not this the a way to attract people to come. You you want to have a meal that >> is acceptable and I and I think it's respectful. >> Well, now you have a really a really good chef over there, too. >> We do. Yes. [clears throat] And he's a

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draw as well. >> The Uhuh. >> I would also argue that the >> He's a draw. Yeah, he is a draw. And I would also argue that like the social and emotional connection that occurs with um when you're sharing a meal and when you're eating is also so positive

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and um and preventative and it prevents I and and it and it just to create more of that culture would be great. I I think that transportation is a priority but honestly that is too. So what is the supplement from Mass Health and or Medic

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Medicaid Mass Health? Um and do they provide funding sometimes through their own insurance will provide funding to doctor's appointments? I only say that because my dad did but that's how that worked out for him because he was on his own. I don't know how that works here.

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Mhm. Um so Mass Health does there is a transportation benefit for you know those that um have I mean Mass there is there is that component but that's very different from kind of what we do um at the center and the and the transportation that we provide. Um I

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think that um there are members that utilize that resource through Mass Health um but uh our transportation um is is is separate from that. >> Okay. And what about meals on wheels? Um, so Meals on Wheels is um in in our area is coordinated through Greater Land

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Senior Services, not through the senior center. Um, and many of our members at the senior center um participate in Meals on Wheels. Um, and we have a great relationship with the nutrition coordinator at Greater Lind Senior Services and um and actually just, you

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know, Yeah, I but >> they deliver they deliver about 80 meals a day. >> 80 >> 80 tok residents. Yeah. What about um for if we wanted to increase by even one

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day a month having it subsidized through restaurant tours or other volunteer programs. >> Yeah. >> Like I know for example like Spur, my family has um given our time to Spur before and they produce um >> You're laughing because I think that we

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>> we've [laughter] been trying to work with Spur. >> You have? Okay. I know someone. Let me help you. I will try. No, in a good way. In a good way. No, we're gonna No, we are doing a like a a lasagna event with them. So, >> yes, I've done that particular event at

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Sherat and my family has gone and made like hundreds of lasagnas which then go out for preparation like they're they're not pre-cooked. They they go to the >> um families or people who want to eat them and then they cook them themselves. But they I know they also work with like

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so many food banks and and they offer so many other services like if they could become part of a even a 12 once a month rotation where one month it's spurr one month it's dockside one month it's mission one month and like I'm sure we

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could find Sam Walker I'm sure we can find people who once a year would be willing to subsidize a meal for our seniors rather than the commitment of a monthly commitment >> I agree yeah like a celebrity chef >> celebrity and then that is a draw right because you're coming and having a meal from doside at the senior center

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wouldn't that be nice so um and they might not have the opportunity to be able to go out and enjoy a meal at a restaurant um for either cost or whatever other problems. So, just something to think about >> and we would need a staff person to do with that. >> Yeah. And I think well this cuts down

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your food cost question and then only brings into question your um >> uh no not transportation because it would be at the senior center, right? So then it would only be the staff to coordinate chef cost. >> Yeah. >> So you'd at least reduce the cost to

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just uh would the four would the $4 per person cover a partial cost of your coordinator? Then would that then what would that look like for a subsidy from the town? So something like that. >> I I love that idea. >> Thank you.

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>> So um getting back to consequences that we've because I could go on forever about the consequences. [laughter] Um, you know, in the in the past, if you, you know, you can go back very far, you know, if you were not able to stay

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in your home, the only other place you could go was a nursing home. There was nothing in between. That was And how many people ended up in nursing homes that didn't belong in nursing homes. So now we now have assisted living, we have um independent living, we have memory

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care, we have all of these facilities that have popped up and they've popped up for a reason because people want to be able to be independent. People want to be able to try and stay in their homes. Um and the senior center has to grow with that. And we're what we offer

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there really allows these people to stay independent, to stay in their homes, to know that they're not alone. Some of them I know that I've just seen some people come maybe not for a program and they just sit there and they talk to people and it's a reason to get up in

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the morning and to get moving. And this is probably why our seniors are living so much longer. So, as it grows in the outside world with all of these facilities popping up, the senior center

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needs to grow with it. And we can't not in the space and not in the staffing that we have. Now, I'll shut up. [laughter] >> Um, maybe if you wouldn't mind, we get to the uh or we could go through the slide, but then quickly go through what

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the asks are and then we can. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Great. So to come back to the the summary of our asks here, um and to use some of Bob's word at the introduction, it's a very measured path forward. Um

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the staffing is our biggest pain point at the moment. So we'd like to request endorsement of the suggested staffing plan. Um the combination of the part-time admins um to create a full-time FTE as well as um increasing

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the driver hours. We would also like um to as noted to uh mention again that the Clark school use uh has begun and we will continue to do that. Uh but as mentioned, we will it'll

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create some staffing constraints as well. So, um as we increase the use of that school, we'd like to be able to come back and talk about increasing staffing to support that as well. Uh and then lastly our um thoughts on the

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near-term and future to meet the needs of the older aers and the vulnerable ages. The outreach component uh definitely has to keep pace with demand. Uh and so we would come back and uh at some future time to talk about how to

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meet that demand as well. So to be clear, the request in this presentation is not in the current budget. >> Let me just say that that the request is more for you to listen and understand and realize that the future holds that

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what we really need something in the future. We're not asking for anything today. >> You're not asking us to move any numbers around in this budget. >> Not unless you want to. >> If you want [laughter] to. Yeah. But No, no, we were not going to tell you not to say no. We're not going to say no in

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particular. We were asking for time so you could hear it and understand it. >> Yeah. And I'll I'll speak for myself, but I think I feel confident that this is the whole board. We want to be able to help, but we have to understand what the hierarchy of needs are. And it can't

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be everything because we know the financial constraint that we're in. So I think what would be helpful is if we came back with some statistical or some asks and then some statistics behind those asks. So we're asking for a driver because the statistics you

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already gave that makes sense. You know we've gone through big blue bargains and we've gone through the grand cycle and we've had no luck and this is what the request is and that is request number one. So like we I don't know how to fill your needs. You know how to fill your needs. So come back and tell me exactly what those needs are. Is that what that

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is? So the staffing thing, the recommended staffing plan is combining two part-time employees, two part-time administrative assistants into one FTE. What >> that's the outreach director >> that No, that's our front desk admin.

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>> It's creating 2.5s to a 1.0. >> Where is that in the >> Yes. And it's to provide consistency across a weekly schedule as opposed to splitting it between two individuals. >> The negative part about that is then we go into benefits and things like that. And so we're taking >> there's an additional

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>> financially I didn't hear >> they did highlight that that it's like that that there's a benefits cost a fringe cost once we do that but that that was part of the this year when we did talk to Heidi the idea was level service as we said we went back and forth a little bit about figuring out if

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we could anticipate grants or do anything and our on the grant side at least when you and I and Patrick were sitting down there was concern number one would we get them um or using the formula grant for this when we've relied on the formula grant for other expenses. over time >> and we didn't want to get in a situation where we were getting onetime revenue to

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cover a real need >> but with no expectation or plan for what we would do in year two. And I think Heidi advocated strongly to get to what they're suggesting today. And I think it'll be a discussion with our future >> um >> in the future with the COA, not just the

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board, but the director. And it just wasn't something when we're looking at level service that we could say yes to this year. Yeah. Responsibly and know that there was a plan to pay for going forward. >> Right. >> Patrick, do you happen to know what line item they put their chef under? Because

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there's no chef line item. >> It's part-time the part-time person. It just doesn't say chef. >> Part-time staff. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> What is that? 1484 and for some reason your part-time staff

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is going down. Went went down. So that's I'll look at this. So part time I I'll just look at it later. >> Okay. >> On some numbers. >> I mean so underscore that ask of the of the front of that front desk

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administration. Um you know a full-time admin person um would be so highly beneficial to our daily operations at the center would make an immediate impact. >> Is there is there an existing staff

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member from rec department over there at any given time >> from what? >> From the rec from the rec department >> at at the senior center. No >> I mean in Clark. >> Oh >> specifically that's what I was alluding to. Sorry I didn't I wasn't clear on that question. Charlotte and a partime [clears throat]

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the staffing at the at the Clark building when Wreck has um programs. It's not it's not always you that's there. No, it's it's a volunteer or >> tax senior tax writeoffs. >> It could be a senior staff instructor of the class,

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>> right? >> Okay. I was just trying to see if there's any way we could take advantage of staff that may be already there if it's only for check-in or or any type of other >> I think the other problem is there is a little bit of offhour usage. [snorts]

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>> Sure. >> Like a lot of Charlotte a lot of the recck department's programming is not the same time as your programming >> so the synergy isn't always there. So mo most um and I know this is more about what we've discussed on our community

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task force, but most towns the rec department and the senior center are in the same building. So it's like a light switch goes off around 3:00. The seniors go home and then the kids show up. >> I think in this regard and what we've discussed and what we've started doing is there are some times where like

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during chair volleyball that we have um I think one of our canasta classes overlaps. there are people in the building, but at the moment we haven't had staffing. Um, it's not to say that we can't. Um, and most of our staff is senior workoff staff that unlock and unlock and lock

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the doors. Um, and essentially they don't actually check people in Wayne. They essentially say, "Oh, you're here for Maang, that's upstairs." Or, "You're here for yoga, that's >> also upstairs." >> I will say the staffing at the senior center is incredible. I mean, they're

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not they're really trying to to do more than physically possible with what they have and there's al always a risk of burnout from the from the staff. So

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helping them out with helps everybody. So you'd say Sabrina your your primary focus would be that admin restructure that the two administrative assistants that's the biggest thing >> I I I think for right now >> if we're talking about if we're talking

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if we're talking about immediate impact that would make an immediate imp positive impact in our daily operations. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you so much for letting us be here and we we promised 10 minutes

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and it was a little bit longer. >> Well, that was partially our fault. So, we'll take the heat for you. >> Might have broken the solid waste advisory committee's record. >> Well, we'll go back and check that. >> But I also want to say huge shout out to Bob Powell because he really pulled all this all of this together.

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>> Yes. Thank you, Bob, for all his hard work and for all your work. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Appreciate it. >> Great job. All right, we're moving on to discussion and approval of the town of Swamscott's environmentally preferred procurement policy, formerly by recycle

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policy. And we have >> so Jeff is has joined us tonight. He got new information from D. I believe today was when that was forwarded. This is to fill you all in on the changes between

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the previous policy and the current policy. Last when we last met it was in consent. Jeff's here to walk through it and answer any questions that you all may have. >> Was sorry Jeff was there a red line to this policy? >> I did not receive a red line. This is

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the new policy. >> Is this the environmentally preferred policy that we're >> This is correct. >> This is what we're looking at but I just last time I had asked >> Well, I have something different. Well, this is the >> that was what was provided today >> by D to Jeff and we wanted to print it

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out so it could inform the discussion. >> We did not have it in advance. Jeff didn't had not received it from the Department of Environmental Protection and so he's here to speak to it, walk through it and answer questions that may arise. >> Okay. Go ahead, Jeff. So this is really

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>> Can you move the mic over a little bit? >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Uh so this is really grant related. Um we have a grant that we get from D each year and um they put certain of course um wants that they want from the town.

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Um so previously that was a by recycle policy which really just dealt with um paper recycled paper and stuff like getting that getting the content quality um higher. So uh so what's saying the same is the commitment to purchasing products and recycled content remains

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central. The cost reasonleness principle which is favoring environmentally preferable products when price competitiveness continues. uh paper reduction strategies such as double-sided printing and electronic communication remain best practices. Uh collaboration between departments on

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purchasing orders is still encouraged. So what the new is in this um policy [snorts] the environmental purchasing policy covers all municipal procurement from office supplies, cleaning products, vehicles, furniture, contractor services. This reflects the full

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environmental footprint of town operations. The new policy introduces a formal waste hierarchy. Before purchasing new products, departments should consider whether needs can be met through reuse, repair, or donation. The state surplus property program is encouraged as a first resort for

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equipment and furnishings. The sustainable the excuse me, the environmental purchasing policy should prioritize durable, longlasting, reusable, refillable alternatives explicitly over single-use products.

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Conserving natural resources including energy and water is now a named goal. This affects purchasing decisions for appliances, vehicles, lighting, HVAC equipment and any energy consuming products or services. Minimizing environmental impacts from pollution,

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greenhouse gases and hazardous toxic toxic materials is a new explicit goal. This is particularly relevant for cleaning supplies, pesticides, paint, solvents and maintenance materials. The new policy directs departments to use the

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operational services division environmentally preferable products and services guidelines as a standard procurement reference. This provides departments with prevetted environmentally screen products and simplifies green purchasing decisions.

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The federal comp comprehensive procurement guidelines, I'll say CPG for now on uh establishes minimum recycled content standards for a wide range of product categories beyond paper. Adopting CPG as a procurement standard extends the recycle content requirement

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across building materials, landscaping products, transportation products, and more. So, long story short on EP, prioritizes reuse and donation before disposal. Encourages use of refillable and reusable products. active goal to conserve energy and water, minimize

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toxin hazardous products in purchasing and use state surplus property program. And and final um by expanding the scope beyond paper products, incorporating waste reduction and resource conservation, aligning with state and federal guidance, the empowering employees to act as sustainable

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sustainability champions, the town can build a purchasing program that is fiscally responsible, environmentally sound, and well positioned for future D grant eligibility. Do you have any questions? >> So, this would if adopted be a policy

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that as last year with Gino, I will communicate out. Um, it will be applied to all procurement. Uh I'll work directly with Natalie as well as the chief procurement uh official in town to make sure that this is something we are not only asking folks to do via sort of the memo and department head meeting but

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that we're asking it you know as a actual an actual part of the procurement process when something's coming to Natalie that people have to affirmatively coordinate or confirm to us rather that they are complying as best as possible and can demonstrate that they tried to do these things whether it's the surplus property or

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anything else in advance of making a procurement decision. So one of the things that came to mind [clears throat] is that when we dem when there's demolishing happening whether or not it's private property or government

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property i.e. let's say the schools >> and old school um historically I've feel that we've been challenged to work with de the deconstruction efforts that the state has been trying to make. Um this is anecdotal only. I don't know if

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we've actually actively done that. I don't know as part of planning if that's ever been discussed, but there is an active historically there's been an active work group at the state level with multiple communities to find ways even at the building material level, the bricks, the big beams, they don't just

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go to scrap, they actually get resold, >> right? >> Yeah. So, I I just wanted to keep that in mind as we're moving forward and we see any potential future demolishing opportunities, which I we will at some point. Um, and we may even want to take

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um a stance and I'm not ready to even have this discussion, but whether or not we um we we create or become informed, let's put it that way, and inform private entities of their options for

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deconstruction. Not to make it a mandate, but to make awareness, let's say. >> Yeah. I I think certainly if we are reselling anything that would lower our costs demolition and um disposal of

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material. So it is completely worthwhile. I'm happy to if there's someone that you can connect me with or even >> the agency where that sits >> happy to do that. Um and then from there once we have a better understanding of those opportunities available to us >> you know it's certainly something we can put together as a a memo one pager thing

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for sort of Marzy and Rich specifically to have available. Again, not that it's a mandate to a private entity, but that here's some information if it's a a path you'd like to pursue, but I think step one is if you could help connect me to the the right state level agency and

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from there um we can sort of do both as demo opportunities present themselves with us and there will be some um or on the private entity side, we can certainly draft something up. One other quick comment. Um, as we're talking about environmental and uh,

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particularly maybe it's not covered here under maybe energy and water. Um, I wish Charlotte was here. Um, I stopped by Big Blue Bargains uh, a couple weeks ago and it was like 80 80° in the building and there was no one upstairs in it and I was just trying to wonder

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maybe you can look into it. It just I should have mentioned it before, but I just came to mind and I'm trying to figure out, you know, I know that the heating bill of that place is pretty high. >> And to be honest, I'm not familiar. I assume there's some BMS that was part of the green communities program at some point there. Did we never make

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improvements? >> I thought we did lighting. >> No, I I thought we I thought we changed the steam traps, but this was 10 years ago. But I can start with Max to see if there's a way just to manage that remotely, but also make sure that Charlotte, Big Blue Bargains, Senior Center, anyone that's in there, if they do walk into a situation that is more

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sauna that it should be that we know and we can make sure that we address it. >> Thanks. >> Um, so I just want to be clear the policy that existed prior was just regard with regards to paper waste. >> So everything every other paragraph is an addition. >> Okay. And then have we vetted this to

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understand? So this is just things that go through the procurement process. But is it a policy that we're asking things that even are outside the procurement process are going to follow these guidelines? >> So I don't What do you mean outside the >> What do I mean outside the procurement process? What does fall outside the Is

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there anything that falls outside? >> There's nothing that I would think of immediately that would be outside policy. >> Everything falls into it >> because we're using state or uh municipal funds to purchase. >> Great. Um >> what about the schools? That's a good question. Does this apply to the schools

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as well? Yes. Okay. >> Do the schools know that this applies to them? >> Just bring it up now. >> So the memo went to department heads last year. So I will check with Gino to see if it >> I mean only because it's such a large impact. Is it going to >> You're the bigger consumer.

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>> Yeah. I mean the school is the bigger consumer to us 100%. So what I would hate to do is pass a policy whether it's it's having to do with grant funding or statemate mandated that the schools can't manage. >> So I think there really needs to be some

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collaboration before this comes to us that the schools are understanding of it understand its impact. Is there a monetary impact to this policy? Of course there's going to be one. So what does that look like? Right. Um, so not just at town hall but for the schools. I I worry that we pass a policy that we

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don't even understand the impacts of that. >> So I I think some of this also applies to the schools in particular regarding their food service and um >> I think it's much bigger than food service but yeah >> well it goes to single contain it goes to no food service is actually a significant amount of waste. Um so I

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just wanted to you know keep that in mind that should that probably has to be covered under single use products right encourage use of refillable >> it's outsourced they don't so it's doesn't matter by chart wells so is that then passed on to them in their contract or

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>> the initial step Jeff and I can start with Jason >> also I want to discuss some of this hazardous waste material or that what's the um impact on DPW W. So there's a significant number of things here that I

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would think that affect Gino and his trucks, maybe the fire department. So >> it's going to affect everything. We're even talking. >> I understand we want to tell department heads after we enact it. But I just feel like if there's a fiscal liability to the policy that we should know that in

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advance and I would like to know that before we vote to support it. >> Certainly. >> And do we have the ability not to support it? And if we don't support it, what's the fiscal impact of that? >> Yeah, certainly. >> Jeeoff, this is connected to recycling dividends program or no? Yes. Okay.

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>> So, recycle so recycling dividends program is a mass D program that provides um categories to which you have to check off and even to be eligible for different amounts, you have to at the base level um pass this policy. And I

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think how much did we get overall last year? >> Uh just over 5,000. >> How much? >> Just over 5,000. >> $5,000? >> No. RDP funds. We got way more than 5,000 >> last year. No, we only get we only get certain amount every year. >> I thought it was more like 12 13,000.

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>> You know, P is there another fund >> RDP? >> I thought it was higher. Okay. >> Sorry. >> Okay. So if it costs us more than $5,000 to implement the policy, we need to think about whether the policy makes sense is all I'm saying. >> Absolutely. >> I agree. >> At least you know it's not $50,000. You

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get you have >> maybe we just talk about >> now at least you understand >> supporting the policy. But yeah, but I think I think this touches so many different >> we need some additional details and if we >> an alternative when we get that could be that we agree with the sort of framework, >> right? >> It's not a policy we're adopting that

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can then be punished by D foring. Right. >> So, yes, >> we're going to live by the rules as best we can. But >> I just have a quick question. So, on on the policy that we received in our packet, town of Swampscott environmentally preferred procurement

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policy, is that a policy that we have in place right now? >> No. So, it's the >> by recycle policy that's in place current. >> Okay. By recycle. So, and what we have right here is we have two things here, but the the one question that I had is

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it talks about composting half ton per week, anything greater than a half ton per week. And I just one of the things that really stands out is the concern that I have is that are we composting in areas that we could be composting and

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specifically the fire department? And I would really like to have some type of conversation or I'd like to see you have a conversation with the fire chief because my understanding I spoke with um >> the admin >> okay >> uh Diane Marches today because someone

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said they don't compost. I'm like of course they compost. It makes sense. So I thought well let me double check and according to Diane Marches nope they don't compost. And some to me that's that to me is pretty simple. You just at the end of the day, you take your excess

495
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food and you just go to the police department or go up to the dog park and take the excess and put it into the container. It's it's free to get rid of. I don't I don't understand why why that wouldn't be happening, especially with a rodent issue and, you know, it should be

496
02:16:39.359 --> 02:16:56.000
a community value composting. So, I would really like to see that get into place. And I don't I didn't know if this was already there half ton. I would just say that we do composting everywhere we can. >> The solid waste advisory committee for the last almost three years has asked

497
02:16:56.000 --> 02:17:12.240
for additional composting uh bins both um somewhere in the neighborhood around where town hall is between Elmwood and Burl and also one possibly down at the bottom of the middle school. Um >> maybe the fire department can host a bid. So the reason I was bringing that

498
02:17:12.240 --> 02:17:27.599
up is that if there is one in the general neighborhood, perhaps the fire department could also participate in using that. >> Yeah. >> The only issue around the schools are they did have a rodent issue in there. So >> we have a big conversation around they

499
02:17:27.599 --> 02:17:42.559
have a composting club. >> I think what we need to look for the most secure opportunity. It's the same, right? >> The feedback I've heard, and it's only anecdotal, and it was probably when Diane was still working with me daily, >> was the idea that we're worried about putting it at town hall or at the fire

500
02:17:42.559 --> 02:17:58.080
station because of the dense residential area. >> But it that could be a behavior thing where we make sure that we're closing it up. We make sure that it's the most secure way to do it. You know, that it's not just throw it in and some nights it's left open and all of a sudden in the morning you have a significant problem. Um, so happy to work with both

501
02:17:58.080 --> 02:18:15.439
you and and Wayne on that and come back with feedback and you all can give us further direction if the feedback and our plan is not sufficient. >> What's the timeline on having this policy enacted? >> Um, >> good question. >> They were looking before July.

502
02:18:15.439 --> 02:18:30.960
>> Before July. So, okay. >> Plenty of time to get together the >> Yes. Great. We have plenty of time. All right. So, then we will table this discussion till additional information is provided. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. >> Could we also, Nick, just get the history of the grant funding we've gotten for the last five years?

503
02:18:30.960 --> 02:18:46.240
>> Yeah, it'll just be a chart of where we've been. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Okay. We have an update from the town's clerk's office following the annual local election. >> Um, so HD is here with us to give a

504
02:18:46.240 --> 02:19:03.920
brief update on the effort, the numbers from the election, make sure everyone just sort of understands how it went and what went into it. So, >> thank you. Yes. Thank you. Good evening, Madam Chair, member of the select board, members of the select board, excuse me. I'm here to provide an update following the election. Um, most importantly, I'd

505
02:19:03.920 --> 02:19:20.319
like to thank all the volunteers and the election workers and the senior workoff people that worked with us and on election day. These are dedicated workers. They show up. They're amazing. They provide great support. Everybody always says, "What can I do next?" or "Where do you need me?" So, that that's

506
02:19:20.319 --> 02:19:35.679
great having that for the elections. We really appreciate that. Congratulations to all the winners and the candidates that put their hat in the race. Not only do we need people for turnout, we need everybody getting involved and putting their hat in the ring as well. So, that doesn't go unnoticed.

507
02:19:35.679 --> 02:19:52.000
The election workers truly make elections work and that was proved during this election. It was very successful. The day ran smoothly and operationally as expected and as of this past Friday, we have certified and published the results on the town website.

508
02:19:52.000 --> 02:20:07.600
Unofficial results were released on election night around 10:30 p.m. after the polls closed. And those numbers came directly from the tapes printed from the tabulators that evening. And standard practice for most municipalities is un unofficial election

509
02:20:07.600 --> 02:20:22.800
results do not include the handc counts or the finalized writings. It does take a lot of time to get through that stuff. And this year and moving forward, we hired tally clerks to come in at the end of the night. So we have two people per precinct. So, one team per precinct and

510
02:20:22.800 --> 02:20:39.200
they sit down and they go through all of those handc counted ballots and then all of the names that are written on the ballots as well. The tabulators are not designed to read the names on the ballots. They only read the bubble. So, we have to go through and hand record all of those votes. So, since the

511
02:20:39.200 --> 02:20:56.319
election included two write-in races and many write-in seats for town meeting members, that significantly increased the amount of time required to do the volume of write-in ballots, our tally clerks recorded every write-in name appearing on the ballots and tallied those votes to determine the final votes for those races in each precinct.

512
02:20:56.319 --> 02:21:12.080
With the final team leading the high school at 9:30 p.m. once they finished, I got back to town hall and started doing all of the tapes and putting those into the unofficial results. And that's what was posted that night was those raw tape results. The tally process was public and even though nobody stayed, we were there and

513
02:21:12.080 --> 02:21:28.399
we welcomed people to stay and watch all of the tally clerks. So up until 9:30 p.m. myself, Mike Bryson, the last two tally clerks and the police officer walked out of the building alto together. We brought everything back to town hall and to prepare the official results after. So Wednesday, Thursday,

514
02:21:28.399 --> 02:21:44.479
and then Friday morning, I published them. I reviewed the hand counts and tally sheets for the write-ins for all six precincts, verified eligibility of all of those people, make sure that they are registered in each precinct correctly, they're actually a registered voter. Um, and those went into the

515
02:21:44.479 --> 02:21:59.760
official results. So, we incorporate everything and we get everything right. So, it goes up once and then when it's when it's official, we don't change anything. That gets posted as it is and the voters can have confidence in that. So, that was something that I wanted to go over with a fine tooth comb before we

516
02:21:59.760 --> 02:22:16.000
published it for anybody. Just going through my notes here. Sorry. Um, I wanted to mention accuracy and transparency remain one of the top priorities for the clerk's office and we wanted to ensure the results reflected a complete and verified count before the certification. And then we have some

517
02:22:16.000 --> 02:22:34.399
numbers for you. We had 1826 voters who casted their ballot. Out of those 399 voters were during the designated early voting hours at town hall. So Tuesday the 21st through Friday the 24th, we had 399 in-person early

518
02:22:34.399 --> 02:22:51.439
voters at town hall, which was pretty good. It was a steady flow throughout the day. We were fully staffed for that. Um, three early voting workers on shift at each time. We were fully staffed. We didn't have any gaps and all of our workers really did great during that time as well. Prior to the early voting

519
02:22:51.439 --> 02:23:05.840
hours, from the time that we have ballots delivered in our office, people have the ability to in-person absentee vote. So the day that we got ballots, somebody came in and they said, "I wanted to vote." I said, "Oh, well, we have ballots. Just wait a second. I can go get you one." And that was up until

520
02:23:05.840 --> 02:23:23.359
noon, the day before election day. So even though we had those early voting hours, you were still able to come into town hall if you weren't going to be around on Tuesday to vote in person absentee. We mailed 99 ballots by mail to voters in Swampscott, a couple out of state,

521
02:23:23.359 --> 02:23:39.120
and out of those 99, we got 72 back to us completed. >> Overall, that made a 14.6% turnout. 3.1% being early voting,.5 was vote by mail, 2 was inperson absentee voting, and

522
02:23:39.120 --> 02:23:56.240
10.8% on election day. So, we did see a very large turnout on election day. Even though the 14% is kind of small, we had a pretty steady flow. For some of you who saw when you were there in the precincts, we did have a steady flow of people in there. So, that was great to see. We really didn't have too much

523
02:23:56.240 --> 02:24:13.439
downtime in the in the precincts. That was good. Overall, it was a great day and a smooth election. Uh, thank you for your time and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. >> Thank you, Katie. >> Please go ahead. >> First of all, thank you for all your work. Um [clears throat] it was uh

524
02:24:13.439 --> 02:24:28.399
seemed to be executed flawlessly from what I could tell. Um I have a quick question in terms of the statistics. What is the breakdown by precinct in terms of participation? Do you have those numbers or could you provide them? >> I don't have them on hand, but I Oh, you know I could look them up. They're on the official

525
02:24:28.399 --> 02:24:45.399
>> results. >> They do go higher in some precincts. Three or four was definitely the highest. Um one and two is pretty low. >> Yeah. >> And then what I was >> What did I miss? Five and six is somewhere in the middle of that in the 200s I believe.

526
02:24:45.399 --> 02:25:03.680
[snorts] >> Yeah, it's I was really just looking for the the the target area of lowest participation which would be precinct one and two particularly because of the low count that I think everybody noticed for town meeting. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. So >> yeah,

527
02:25:03.680 --> 02:25:20.080
>> precinct one 12.49 precinct 2 7.41 41 precinct 31 19.33 precinct 4 18.21 precinct 5 15.24 24 precinct 613.99.

528
02:25:20.080 --> 02:25:35.280
>> Yeah. So, precinct 2 is the outlier there. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Thank you. Good job. >> Thank you. >> I have a couple questions. One is how do the numbers change on uh so on I noticed on the select board

529
02:25:35.280 --> 02:25:51.760
race the night of the ticket you had numbers and then when the official number came out it might have changed by like six or seven you know voters in there. So, how does that actually happen? If the if the ticket if the tape comes out with a number, then how does

530
02:25:51.760 --> 02:26:07.520
it change later on? >> Sure. So, when a ballot can't be read by the tabulator, so say a vote by mail ballot, somebody's at home, they mark big X's on what they want to vote. The tabulator can't read that. So, we put it in a secure bin on election day that's called the handc count bin.

531
02:26:07.520 --> 02:26:23.520
>> That's also for voters that are going quick to work and they get to the machine and it says, "Oh, we can't read your ballot." and the warden says, "Oh, well, you can fill out another one." And they say, "Nope, I'm late for work. I just want to go." We say, "All right, you can put it in the hand count." So, it stays anonymous, but at the end of the night, that's one of the things that

532
02:26:23.520 --> 02:26:40.800
the tally clerks do is they hand count those ballots. So, they go through, they hand count every race onto a tally sheet, and then I get those tally sheets the next day, and then I take those and incorporate those into the full results. >> Great. And then the only comment I do have is I thought you your folks, you

533
02:26:40.800 --> 02:26:56.399
and your folks did an amazing job. I just think the clerk's office always does an amazing job, but you know, this is your first time in Swamp Scott and you you did terrific and I really appreciate everything you did. But I also wanted to add that historically over the last, for example, five years,

534
02:26:56.399 --> 02:27:13.040
at the end of the night, the clerk reads off the tickets. And I was just wondering if you would consider that in the future only because you have a night, there's a lot of anxiety, you have people who've been working all day and when things get hung up, especially in a dark area, it's very hard to total

535
02:27:13.040 --> 02:27:28.720
and count it. Whereas it's easier if somebody, you know, whoever it is just reads off the numbers, especially in contested races, if if you would consider that in the future. >> Sure. I think it's something um in the future to definitely be considered. I'm not totally closed off to it. Um,

536
02:27:28.720 --> 02:27:46.000
specifically the election that night and what I see for the next couple elections is the tally clerks, it was their first time. So when I was at the be at the front of the room and as somebody asked me to read off those results, my first instinct was I have to shut this place down. I have to get everything in order. I have to make sure these tally clerks

537
02:27:46.000 --> 02:28:00.960
are good. >> And also in the defense of reading the tapes for selected races, I wouldn't want to read just one race necessarily. I would like to make it even across the board. That's something that I'm very big on is if I'm going to do it, I'm

538
02:28:00.960 --> 02:28:17.840
going to do it fairly. So to read one tape from beginning to end, it just would have been very timeconuming for the amount of work that I had to do that night. Like I said, definitely not closed off to it. Maybe I could designate somebody else to do that job. >> Um but that was just the reason for not doing it that night. But yeah, I

539
02:28:17.840 --> 02:28:35.439
definitely appreciate that and I'm open to it in the future. Yeah, I'll make note of that. Thank you >> and I appreciate your comments thanking me as well. Thank you. [laughter] >> All right. Well, appreciate the work you've done as are Danielle, are you good? >> I'm good. >> Okay. Appreciate that you've made it

540
02:28:35.439 --> 02:28:52.240
till 9:00 tonight. >> Thank you. >> Um and all the work the town's clerk's office does and um thank you for coming tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh we will move on to a discussion and vote of the annual town meeting warrant. really this is a focused discussion on

541
02:28:52.240 --> 02:29:09.359
the um >> so >> amendments >> the idea was there's two amendments that we anticipate and we added this to the agenda on Monday I did not get it out to you all via email I tried to reach out to folks so that folks would be aware that is 100%

542
02:29:09.359 --> 02:29:25.840
my fault it was posted in time but I did not communicate it directly out to everyone so I want to acknowledge that um the idea tonight was with these anticipated amendments, the colored sheets that we would be seeing on uh town meeting night. We thought that there was a real benefit to having at

543
02:29:25.840 --> 02:29:42.000
least the first discussion. You all do not have to make any determination on what you would want to recommend, but we wanted to talk with the board of selectment tonight and com tomorrow about the ones that that we anticipate being there. And so this was a chance to do that well in advance and not at that five o'clock or six o'clock meeting on uh town meeting night here in this room

544
02:29:42.000 --> 02:29:57.520
and upstairs with Vincom, but to give a little a little more time, a little more um >> preview >> preview and and opportunity for for deliberation discussion. So here here in front of us are the ones I'm going to go into a little more detail on each of them. Um

545
02:29:57.520 --> 02:30:13.359
so there's two in article three which is the current year appropriation. uh we are recommending the use of free cash in order to purchase recycling barrels. Uh that is a condition of all of the contracts that we are currently uh you know engaged in discussions around uh

546
02:30:13.359 --> 02:30:29.760
with with every vendor. Um and so it is an opportunity to and I will get into why an opportunity to potentially avoid additional costs in the year ahead. The second one is the finance committee has already decided that they wanted to put $50,000 into each the water and sewer

547
02:30:29.760 --> 02:30:44.800
enterprise accounts in order to support paving. Uh and I will go into more detail on both of these uh as well. So let me go to the next slide. Uh here's some more detail on the recycling bins. So the free free cash appropriate appropriated this year would allow us to

548
02:30:44.800 --> 02:31:01.920
limit potential service costs in the coming fiscal year by purchasing barrel or putting the order forward and starting the third the 30 to 45day window for delivery or 45 to 60 depending on who we go with uh in advance of the end of the fiscal year and not waiting until uh July 1st. I

549
02:31:01.920 --> 02:31:16.080
want to acknowledge that this means the free cash does fall below the financial policies as written and as you can see here the policy itself is 3 to 5% um of the budget and free cash this appropriation would put us at 2.75 if it

550
02:31:16.080 --> 02:31:33.040
were adopted uh which is $193,000 below that lower end. The idea with this is that we know there's 400,000 in free cash that is coming that we'll be closing out to free cash because of the article that rescended um the

551
02:31:33.040 --> 02:31:48.640
appropriation of last spring's meeting uh back in December. So, this is not one of the times that we're looking at free cash saying, you know, a hope and a prayer is that it will be there. We have an identified source that on June 30th, we know it closes out. It will be certified early fall. So that time that

552
02:31:48.640 --> 02:32:05.280
we spend below the threshold of the policy is necessarily limited and we also understand how how that those funds would be replaced. Um and I'm going to sort of give the background on both of these unless you would like to stop here and ask what let me yeah why don't we I think what might be best in this one is

553
02:32:05.280 --> 02:32:22.319
to ask any questions you may have now and then I can move to the second uh from here if that works. >> This has not been vetted through fin yet. >> We are talking to them tomorrow. I spoke to the chair about it. They have the entire warrant on their um agenda for discussion. So this is something we will

554
02:32:22.319 --> 02:32:38.560
be speaking to them about tomorrow. >> And if we were not to fund it through free cash, how would this be funded? >> The opportunities would be capital uh which would require borrowing for something that is you know on the back end we hope it would last 10 years probably. Um, but it's really a seven to

555
02:32:38.560 --> 02:32:54.160
10 year window probably. And as an individual expense, it's between depending on if we access grant funds, if we get uh advantageous pricing from our potential partners, it's somewhere between 50 and $65 per barrel. So, it's, you know, a lot of barrels obviously, but

556
02:32:54.160 --> 02:33:10.160
>> 5100 barrels on 5,100 residences >> residences. Um, so the the idea being that >> dollar amount 5,100 times >> between 50 and $65 is the range. And in the discussions with vendors, they've everyone has told us how great the

557
02:33:10.160 --> 02:33:24.560
pricing is that they can get below combis, but we're still staying towards that the combis price which is in that range >> 65ish, >> right? >> On combis. Yeah. >> So it would be borrowing in the end >> $331,500

558
02:33:24.560 --> 02:33:43.120
if you took the high end. >> So the other option is also tying it in with whoever the vendor is. So it's vendor it's making a vendor deal leasing through the vendor capital free cash >> and

559
02:33:43.120 --> 02:33:59.760
>> wait can you what I don't >> you can lease from the the hauler so we would be paying the hauler and either lease to own but we are paying a premium because they are >> obviously making a little bit on it as well >> of course

560
02:33:59.760 --> 02:34:16.399
>> um they have indicated each of the conversations we've had have indicated that we could purchase through them because they purchase at scale on a regular basis. That would be the advantageous pricing which would be a pass through. Um and then in some cases the manufacturers of barrels would also rent or rent to own. But again we don't

561
02:34:16.399 --> 02:34:30.960
at the end of the day you know depending on how it's structured within the contract and in the proposal and one proposal that we have reviewed it is a portion of their proposal that they say if you guys buy it on your own we take that out. >> Y >> if it's in there it's that plus their

562
02:34:30.960 --> 02:34:49.080
escalators year after year. So it from our recommendation this would be it but obviously from our recommendation by rank ordering it would be this capital and ideally not do a rent or lease to own um because of the costs that would be added to that process.

563
02:34:50.880 --> 02:35:07.520
>> Okay. So it I I think one of the questions I think is important to discuss is whether or not do we I [clears throat] think the short term first of all being the new guy. >> I don't you're not new on this topic. >> Well, no, but on the on the finance side

564
02:35:07.520 --> 02:35:24.080
on the finance side, um I just kind of want to just box in what the risks are, right? So on one side, you know, we do we take uh we fall a little bit below the free cash for what, a couple of months, >> right? So, you know, I'll leave it to

565
02:35:24.080 --> 02:35:40.800
our, you know, our finance experts to determine whether or not that's an issue or risk or if you guys want to opine on that. The other question is if we did have to put it through capital, we have the risk of going over the 10% mark,

566
02:35:40.800 --> 02:35:55.439
>> right? >> That or we pull something else off of capital to put this in. Then the question is, I don't know how much it would cost in interest to do it that way, right? as opposed to spending all the free cash. God forbid we have an emergency later on in the year in the

567
02:35:55.439 --> 02:36:10.880
next 12 months, we put ourselves at a disadvantage. I think maybe you guys want to will find differently in terms of the risk. >> Yeah, I guess I mean this is all the this isn't all the free cash. This is the free cash that we're aware of today, right? So, I think that's important

568
02:36:10.880 --> 02:36:28.399
contextually because while we won't be getting free cash in at the rate that we had been in the past because of certain line items like healthcare and obviously they've increased so the budget is much leaner. I would assume that there would be some free cash. >> We anticipate that there would be free

569
02:36:28.399 --> 02:36:44.399
cash. In addition, this year we are not using it. >> Okay. >> To balance the current fiscal year which has been done in the past. We are instead moving between and among lines to make sure that >> y >> the rest of this article 3 is all funded within the right >> budget. It's just moving appropriations from one place to the other rather than

570
02:36:44.399 --> 02:36:59.680
adding free cash to last year's budget total. >> I would think the the third option of leasing through the vendor. I would think our triple bond rating makes us in a better position to le to borrow through capital than it would be to pay

571
02:36:59.680 --> 02:37:15.760
the premium that the vendor is charging. >> Is that fair to say? Yes. And I think the vendor would certainly >> there be a markup. >> Yes. So it's like they're making a portion and then So to me the vendor option is not even really an option

572
02:37:15.760 --> 02:37:31.520
given the situation we're in. No, I think the vendor option is is still an option only because of their buying their buying leverage and their leasing leverage and also there might be there might be a vendor there might be a vendor >> who wants to work with us like it is

573
02:37:31.520 --> 02:37:48.000
it's still a tool and it's still a negotiating tool. >> Yes, >> sure. Absolutely. >> We're not taking it off the table, but I'm just saying with the facts that I have available to us, it would just seem like >> someone might want your business bad enough that they >> That's right. and they're going to it's it to me yeah it's it's still a tool

574
02:37:48.000 --> 02:38:02.880
it's it's a serious tool in the toolbox when we're negotiating things out >> so that's the delta right we don't really know where we are yeah >> in the negotiation process because that could still pan out to be more >> exactly exactly >> so what's the I guess the question is

575
02:38:02.880 --> 02:38:19.840
what is the ask tonight is it the >> it's to socialize this idea >> okay >> you all do not have to opine today we anticipate preparing one of the colored sheets for an amendment at town meeting for this topic. That was our recommendation and we would obviously be talking to Fincom again tomorrow. You

576
02:38:19.840 --> 02:38:36.240
could wait for their opinion as well and any discussion that takes place there. Um the the I just want to give the feedback and we're going to talk a little bit with article 4 about sort of where we are in trash as best we can and Wayne and I touched base a little bit on this

577
02:38:36.240 --> 02:38:51.920
earlier. Our goal in looking at the pricing for the service is to get as low as possible. And so I'm not entirely certain that having an additional cost that we >> another one that we're trying to

578
02:38:51.920 --> 02:39:07.840
negotiate in addition to transportation or tipping or ACR on recycling that that is part of why this was our recommendation. It it is not I just want to give that context that should not necessitate anyone to change their mind but I wanted to understand why you know

579
02:39:07.840 --> 02:39:23.680
we did this and and why we wanted to at least have the discussion in advance. >> Yeah. >> So you want to take that out so you don't have to you know that's not part of your negotiation and you want to focus on other areas. Is that what you're saying? >> That's one opinion. I'm sharing the opinion that led to us coming forward

580
02:39:23.680 --> 02:39:39.439
tonight. Yes. Okay. >> Doesn't mean that anyone has to agree with it but that's certainly What is the definition of free cash? Free our percentage of free cash needs to equal 3 to 5% of what? What was the number on there?

581
02:39:39.439 --> 02:39:54.399
>> So we track 3 to 5% of the general fund budget. >> General fund budget. Okay. So our general fund budget is going to be increasing meaning our in order to stay within those parameters of 3 to five um that number is going to get a little bit

582
02:39:54.399 --> 02:40:10.720
higher to stay within. Right. So my my worry is going below these numbers or even getting close to those numbers because we never know what could happen. And so that's that's you know my only

583
02:40:10.720 --> 02:40:26.080
reservations at having to make a decision about this at a later time. >> But it would be replenished. Correct. Is that what you're saying? So we would go down to 2.75 and then you you're projecting it would go back up within how much of a swing? How many months?

584
02:40:26.080 --> 02:40:42.319
the even at the high end of the dollar number, it's $331,500 and we know that $400,000 is coming to free cash at least, >> right? >> 400,000 was what was rescended at a town meeting in December. >> And so that is money that as of December, we all know that it closes out

585
02:40:42.319 --> 02:40:57.760
on June 30th free cash. The certification of free cash, right, >> is late summer, really early fall. So I would say >> So you're talking about a couple months swing of it dipping below. >> I would say three to five, just to be safe. Three to four, >> right? Yes. And just for context, if it's helpful, we started this fiscal

586
02:40:57.760 --> 02:41:14.880
year with 3.3 million in free cash, which was 4.3% of the budget roughly. >> So, we've obviously appropriated over $900,000 at this point throughout the course of the fiscal year, which draws down, and that's been the steady trend

587
02:41:14.880 --> 02:41:31.680
the past few years. Okay? >> And then it'll replenish. And we also used we also use the free cash at times to offset the tax bill. >> Yep. >> And we talked about we weren't going to do that. >> Well, that's what we say every year

588
02:41:31.680 --> 02:41:47.600
>> and then we get to it and we have to, you know, we look at it. >> So, when do we anticipate knowing a little bit more as a result of this trash negotiation? How how much further do you think what do you anticipate timeline

589
02:41:47.600 --> 02:42:04.399
>> wise? We are having our second or more meeting with everyone. >> Okay. >> Um there are some tomorrow. We had conversations today. My goal is that we would have a real strong you know specific price in mind. We our goal is

590
02:42:04.399 --> 02:42:22.000
to have something it would be this is number four you know an amend or article four there would be an amendment to make up the delta between what we're carrying and what the final number is right >> for town meeting. So a week from Monday uh we've got refined pricing from more

591
02:42:22.000 --> 02:42:38.640
than one vendor. We have kind of and I'm trying to be as >> delicate as possible right but we've been engaging conversations to understand to make sure that the proposal they submitted our understanding match theirs to push them on specific items that we thought were high to explore opportunities where we

592
02:42:38.640 --> 02:42:55.120
thought you know can we do something where a cost is a pass through to us so that we are not >> uh paying that five or whatever percent escalator is um in a year-over-year uh increase you know so it it is active and ongoing there. There are meetings

593
02:42:55.120 --> 02:43:11.680
this week and there will be meetings at the beginning at the end uh beginning of next week. So, we're engaged in it. Two of the members of the board have been in just about every discussion that we've had. Uh and then there's been a couple that Gino and I have had as well to try to continue them

594
02:43:11.680 --> 02:43:26.479
sharpening their pencils is the phrase that keeps getting used, but doing everything they can to get the the actual price down. So I just I have two I guess comments slashquests. Number one, I still don't understand why it

595
02:43:26.479 --> 02:43:42.880
would and maybe Fininkcom can touch on this tomorrow, why it would be financially prudent to lease to own because as the value of the barrel is depreciating, the cost to us is increasing because of the escalators every year. So, I don't I don't

596
02:43:42.880 --> 02:43:58.720
understand that sort of financial philosophy, but maybe they can talk to that tomorrow night. The second thing I have is if we're not paying for I mean to me, and again, I'd be happy to be proven wrong through fin or otherwise to

597
02:43:58.720 --> 02:44:14.720
put it through capital, it's going to affect the taxpayer. Correct. >> Everything's going to affect the taxpayer. >> But I mean, this is already money we have. So isn't this the least affecting >> it has already affected >> it's already affected the taxpayer. It

598
02:44:14.720 --> 02:44:30.479
is not an additional burden. >> So this is 400,000 that would be sitting in the bank bringing in revenue of 3.25%. >> Bringing in uh like uh >> interest right >> every every decision every decision we make affects the taxpayer. So

599
02:44:30.479 --> 02:44:44.720
>> I know but I'm saying >> the interest that we are getting from this is it is it going to offset the interest we're paying in capital? I would say probably pretty close. If you're doing a ban right now, bans are

600
02:44:44.720 --> 02:45:02.319
going for what? 347. You're making 325. >> Yep. And if I could just add to something like a trash barrel >> does not in the eyes of, you know, what we look at for borrowing have a long useful life. So we have limitations we drop into, right? >> With the state and I would call that

601
02:45:02.319 --> 02:45:19.120
departmental equipment, you know, solid waste operations. You can probably borrow for five years. So that means >> so you're pulling, you know, $80,000 or so, >> which is no different, >> which is no different than over a fiveyear contract, >> right? >> Yeah. >> Right. So I just don't see a I don't see

602
02:45:19.120 --> 02:45:35.439
a financial benefit to not spending the free cash and if the detriment doesn't outweigh sort of a net conversation where we're taking free cash and it just seems a little bit like six one six dozen wait is it six of those. Part

603
02:45:35.439 --> 02:45:50.399
of it isn't I'm feel like I'm echoing. Part of it is a negotiation strategy. >> Sure. >> So I'd want to just keep that in mind that we have that as a tool. >> Yep. >> Okay. But understanding the preference one way or the other I think is >> Yeah. They're all just

604
02:45:50.399 --> 02:46:05.040
>> they're all good factors and good topics. So as a rule of thumb you often look at cash is king and you want to protect your cash the best you can. So if you feel that, okay, we have

605
02:46:05.040 --> 02:46:22.479
this cash and we can spend it, that's one thing. If you say, okay, we've got this cash, I'm going to hold on to this cash as long as I can to increase my financial policy or to make sure that, you know, we are leveraging out the vendor in different ways. You

606
02:46:22.479 --> 02:46:38.479
just want to look at everything in different different components. for where I come from is cash is king and you want to you want to protect your cash and if you have a better position of leveraging out a purchase use that position

607
02:46:38.479 --> 02:46:55.120
>> but I think these are these are all important factors and we we just have to wait until we're done negotiating and pull the plug >> Patrick did you have a professional opinion at all that you wanted to maybe offer out >> um I think in terms of considering free

608
02:46:55.120 --> 02:47:13.279
cash free cash is is, you know, best practice used for one-time purchases. This would be like a one-time, okay, we're deploying all these barrels at once to all these households, similar to what was done, you know, with trash barrels >> years ago. And um so that that's

609
02:47:13.279 --> 02:47:28.240
certainly a suitable option to consider. >> I would just put that out there. >> Okay. >> Is it is it consider Okay. So, we have a major we have major expenses and I'm I'm

610
02:47:28.240 --> 02:47:45.040
not trying to flood the conversation, but we have, you know, millions that we're paying over the next six years, right, into the um the the um pension fund,

611
02:47:45.040 --> 02:48:01.840
>> right? If we were to stretch this burden across five years, Does that impact anything at all in terms of >> instead of paying it all in upfront, I'm sorry, >> debt service, does it impact anything? Is that what you're asking? Just just in terms of general future budget looking

612
02:48:01.840 --> 02:48:19.760
over the next 5 years, >> does it make sense to stretch this over a 5year capital >> bonded or >> I'm just asking, you know, I think there's there's a benefit to what um Mary Ellen's been saying in terms of

613
02:48:19.760 --> 02:48:34.479
making sure we have as much gas cash as possible on hand. I when you look at paying for the debt over five years that is money that's coming out of operating and like we're paying it's >> it's part of the balance of everything that's going to be paid >> just goes to our debt burden service

614
02:48:34.479 --> 02:48:51.279
>> debt burden right so like and there's a million levers there with projects that move forward don't move forward yeah >> come in less than we don't borrow as much as we had authorized you know but just very simply the debt services paid as part of the levy out you know it's like we're all cutting that same pie for

615
02:48:51.279 --> 02:49:07.200
operating Do you need us do you need a vote from us today? >> No. >> No. >> Okay. >> And that's I this is something that I think this brief discussion certainly shown. I'm sure there'll be more discussion tomorrow. I think it's worth socializing in advance. So that it is

616
02:49:07.200 --> 02:49:24.399
again the idea that something would be coming to you all that night without any discussion at all like this is >> yeah no this was helpful >> but >> yep >> opportunities to improve on our side communicating both of these >> um the other evening. >> Can I go to this one? Okay.

617
02:49:24.399 --> 02:49:39.680
>> So, this was one that Fincom already opined on. Um there was a discussion that they had about some of the cuts that Gino provided when we asked him to sharpen his pencil and we were going through the budget process. Um as I think Gino has done a million ways in uh

618
02:49:39.680 --> 02:49:55.279
support of this community over years. He looked at his budget and said, you know, sort of the break fix paving, the work that's done when there's a water man or sewer issue that we emergency cut it open and then go back and fix it after the go back and fix the roadway after the fact. He said he could reduce that

619
02:49:55.279 --> 02:50:12.319
number and he will find a way to do it. And you know with a lot of discussion and certainly a a huge shout out to Liz Smith who looked at this specifically you know this is money that is important for Gino to have and so in the course of

620
02:50:12.319 --> 02:50:27.279
discussion they wanted to put in it's 50,000 both for water and sewer and it's that break fix paving his goal you know repeated again today when I talked to him is to not have to spend it all if he doesn't have to um in which case it closes out to free cash um But this is

621
02:50:27.279 --> 02:50:44.160
an opportunity that um they highlighted as a need and you know I wanted you all to be aware of it because this will also be uh an amendment for that night on one of the colored sheets. This is in article four which is next year's uh it's the budget that we're operate that we're voting on for operations. The one

622
02:50:44.160 --> 02:50:59.760
that we talked about for is article three so that we can do that if we decide to move forward with the purchase before July 1st of the barrels. Um this is also another one where we could we we should expect to see and this is Wayne where you want to jump in anywhere. We

623
02:50:59.760 --> 02:51:16.080
are actively engaged in negotiations. We are carrying a number um in our budget that we've discussed here several times. Um we do not know exactly what the final number will be. Don't know if it'll be that a little bit higher or what. Um but we are working with all of the

624
02:51:16.080 --> 02:51:32.080
interested parties that have responded. everyone is still engaged and we're asking we're at the point of basically asking for best and final pricing uh with each of them. We think we've gotten to a real good level of understanding uh on the one that we did the deep dive introduc uh deep dive meetings with so far and then we have another one

625
02:51:32.080 --> 02:51:48.240
tomorrow with one of the uh respondents. So we anticipate a similar discussion that really helps us under understand all the nuances that they had. We can ask very direct questions and very nuance questions to get a full understanding of what each offering is. Just to kind of remember, there's the

626
02:51:48.240 --> 02:52:04.880
multiple parts of this contract and each part of the contract is bid a little bit differently. So when you're comparing all the numbers, it's not just like you're looking at one bottom line number. >> It's not Well, it ends up eventually that it is sort >> but not the way you bid them.

627
02:52:04.880 --> 02:52:19.920
>> Okay. >> Yes. >> Yes. So, while it's transparent to the resident, there's the hauling charge for recycling, the hauling charge for waste, there's the tipping fee for waste, there's the tipping fee for recycling, then there's the part that you want to

628
02:52:19.920 --> 02:52:37.200
be able to get back if the recycling has value to it, >> right? There's contamination >> questions and all of that. >> All of these pieces are in play. So that's why it's kind of difficult to say

629
02:52:37.200 --> 02:52:52.960
just give us the bottom number, right? >> Because it's just that's how complicated these contracts have become over the last 10 years. >> And the parts of it too are that this contract is going to be different than our last contract as far as um we did not participate in a program where we

630
02:52:52.960 --> 02:53:10.080
received money back for our recycling, >> right? >> And that is one of our options now that you know it's just an option that we're looking at right now. um as far as what benefit that'll be to the community. >> All right. Okay.

631
02:53:10.080 --> 02:53:24.880
>> So, those are the ones that you can anticipate. Those are the items that I just wanted to make sure that there was at least a brief discussion on. Happy to answer any questions throughout the process if you all want to reach out to me, but also Marielle and and Wayne on the trash stuff have all been very actively involved throughout the

632
02:53:24.880 --> 02:53:40.560
process, too. I think it probably be a really good idea if the three of you did have a conversation with Nick just so that you're really updated and you have opin you can put your opinion in there. >> I have good. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Okay.

633
02:53:40.560 --> 02:53:57.279
>> Thank you. So we'll move on to the discussion on the Northshore IT Collaborative. >> I just wanted to give a brief update where we are. Uh we've talked several times about this. This was explored before I even started the idea of looking at this as our alternative. So, um, we have pricing. We're at the stage

634
02:53:57.279 --> 02:54:13.840
of discussing discussing what the intermunicipal agreement would look like, which would ultimately obviously come to you all as well. It's a standard agreement that they have with each of their eight communities. The way it works is we're basically applying to be a member when in talking to the folks in Danvers, there has not been anyone who has not been welcomed when they've

635
02:54:13.840 --> 02:54:29.680
expressed an interest. Um, so we've certainly been moving forward uh with the understanding that we will, you know, ultimately get to that point. um the annual payment to the collaborative is part of that. So there's a sort of membership payment that provides us with strategic support that we do not have

636
02:54:29.680 --> 02:54:45.840
now. Uh right now we just have the manner service provider which is uh our current vendor. Something breaks, they fix it. There's not a lot of you know future proofing or planning. Um and part of what the collaborative does in because of the the process and the team that's been built up in Danvers is to

637
02:54:45.840 --> 02:55:02.720
think about municipal government and how uh technology can be better leveraged. They've been working on everything from AI agents to making sure that we're getting the best pricing possible for managed service providers. Um the support the IT support day-to-day is with a firm that they they negotiate

638
02:55:02.720 --> 02:55:19.200
with a scale that we could not get with our 125 employees on our own. >> That allows us to have a much better price. They have three tiers uh within their service options. We are likely to start at the top tier just to get them onboarded, get us on boarded, make sure things are working. But we can switch

639
02:55:19.200 --> 02:55:36.399
throughout the year if we anticipate or see a need or if a need develops we can go from being for you know first second or third tier. Um but certainly as we get through the onboarding there will be a time that we have you know more time on on site and more regular access to them. There's also a one-time hardware

640
02:55:36.399 --> 02:55:52.479
upgrade for fire the firewall which is a onetime payment every five years. It's to make sure from their end that everyone has the same technology and hardware. So that working with primarily the team that's based out of Danvers, but also with our managed service provider, it is consistent across the board for them, both their access and

641
02:55:52.479 --> 02:56:09.680
and our protection. It is also exceeding the standards that are required by our insurance for liability. And that's part of their sort of ongoing goal is as they see those needs, as they see things that are coming up in liability insurance, they are addressing them in advance so that we're not getting a message from either our insurer or from our managed

642
02:56:09.680 --> 02:56:25.520
service provider saying, "Hey, there's an expense coming up because you need to worry about X." That's part of what the collaborative looks to do on our behalf. Um, so that is like a very high level update of where we are. Uh, as I said, you know, we have budgeted for and anticipate them being on board beginning

643
02:56:25.520 --> 02:56:41.359
of the fiscal year. it will be a reduction in our managed service provider expense. Um, and I think we could anticipate going forward and I've actually had a couple of residents reach out directly to look at at on the town hall side, the town operation side, making sure that in future years we do

644
02:56:41.359 --> 02:56:57.120
come to FINCOM and to you all with uh infrastructure needs in advance because you know right now there are a lot of old machines, old laptops um and even on the server side things that may require replacement but when we've talked to our current provider about it we said you

645
02:56:57.120 --> 02:57:13.760
know what can be cloud-based now? what needs to stay on premises. There's not a lot of that sort of higher level strategic thinking and that will be part of that future discussion to say can we get onto a cycle that you know every five years even we we are looking at replacement of hardware and then also

646
02:57:13.760 --> 02:57:30.000
what can we move from on premises to the cloud uh appropriately and with a cost savings. >> So those are things that we anticipate. >> Does any of this cover the website? The website is Civics Plus and is operated by town hall staff.

647
02:57:30.000 --> 02:57:44.800
>> And so the website itself was I think two or three generations behind when I started. They had already engaged with Civics Plus to get up to the most up-to-date version. One of the things that we want to do and I've talked about this here Wayne previously is to get people on the notification side.

648
02:57:44.800 --> 02:58:02.160
Certainly we would keep on solve as our sort of reverse 911 until the end of that contract and look at that more holistically. But email notifications, notifications around agendas or meetings or things that are changing on the calendar. This new version of the Civics Plus website allows someone to go in and

649
02:58:02.160 --> 02:58:17.680
say, "I want to get notifications when everything happens. I want to get it just for the planning board." Like every time there's a new agenda, you would get an email >> or I want to get everything that happens on the calendar or something like that. >> I think we had that before if I remember correctly. >> I do not think that it was >> maybe not functioning

650
02:58:17.680 --> 02:58:33.279
>> used or functioning and it's one of our goals going forward. So when we have this is I mean I see this all the time the community is seeing this I get feedback my you know about the fact when you obviously Google something all of the links changed I this is common I think everybody's aware of this the

651
02:58:33.279 --> 02:58:48.319
question is >> is is this something we're dealing with on our own >> we have requested support from civics plus to >> okay >> to ask request that the site is recrolled by Google >> that was what I was going to ask >> the difference is is not that the

652
02:58:48.319 --> 02:59:04.399
information is not there yet broken link then you have to search on the town website search >> yes >> um >> whereas the old link used to be you know >> sponsor node selectboard now it's selectboard like

653
02:59:04.399 --> 02:59:22.560
>> there's a significant but not big change that's happened >> Google needs to do its intentional rec crawling out so that it connects the search with the end result instead of the search with a previous end result >> do you have an idea of how much longer longer that will take if if if someone

654
02:59:22.560 --> 02:59:38.960
was to ask me when will this be resolved is this weeks >> I'm happy to continue to tell you here at each meeting they even the going live was a >> not swift process we have >> is this a civics plus problem or is this

655
02:59:38.960 --> 02:59:55.359
a Google problem like if we have a contact at Google do you want it >> it it's a change that needs to happen on the civics plus side it needs to be requested and there also needs to be in addition to there's like two spots on the page where language needs to be added into one of the links that when

656
02:59:55.359 --> 03:00:14.080
we've tried to do it we have not been able to do it. >> Okay. any IT related qu and as I said I think you and I have discussed the collaborative my question to you is always first can we regionalize where can we have cost savings can we have better services

657
03:00:14.080 --> 03:00:29.279
>> and this is an instance where we've actually been able to to >> it appears all of those are true >> it appears all of those things are true so this is like >> a little bit of a unicorn situation and I don't want to lose the ability to be able to go forth and execute on it we

658
03:00:29.279 --> 03:00:45.439
will actually be getting better services because we will be getting services that look for are forward facing. Yes, >> they're not just present day fix it break. It breaks we fix. It is looking forward how we continue it um services at town hall

659
03:00:45.439 --> 03:01:00.560
which are future for forwardlooking in the sense that we are able to say like okay we'd like to be able to do this and now we have somewhere to go to to direct us to how to facilitate that what the pricing looks like whether or not it's yes feasible or not what other towns are

660
03:01:00.560 --> 03:01:17.600
doing it in the collaboratives um what is the feedback from those towns and so this opens a door that we h haven't had before and I appreciate that this is available to us and excited to see it come to fruition. >> And the other piece that we'll be able to further implement is we had uh sort of EOTS which is the state IT. They do

661
03:01:17.600 --> 03:01:33.840
work with municipal and school IT departments. They did their security audit which we had requested early on >> uh this calendar year. They listed a bunch of things and some of it is like you know active directory hasn't been cleaned up over time. So people are leaving they're shutting off access but we're not

662
03:01:33.840 --> 03:01:49.600
>> removing the profile. So the profile exists as a risk >> because it's still another one to try to get into. >> Y >> um so there was that stuff. There was some hardware stuff on site, you know, the server room. And so I have talked to highQ about that. They're sort of chipping away at some of those things.

663
03:01:49.600 --> 03:02:06.640
But in talking to Colby and the folks at the collaborative, they were excited because that's one of the first things they offer they ask each community to do. It's a free service EOT, >> right, >> will provide to us. And then we have a roadmap to work with the new managed service provider to make sure we're addressing individual risks.

664
03:02:06.640 --> 03:02:21.760
>> What does EOT stand for? >> Excuse me. EOTS. It's like the executive office of technology. >> Technology. >> Oh, >> yeah. >> EOTTS. So technology >> technology and security services. Yeah, there we go. >> I knew it was in there some. So it's it's basically the state IT that was

665
03:02:21.760 --> 03:02:38.160
consolidated under Governor Baker, but this is a service they offer to municipal and um also to school IT departments. >> So when does this are you do we >> actively engage? There is not a vote. I wanted especially the new members to know and to say where we are. We've been

666
03:02:38.160 --> 03:02:53.359
>> we have been talking about this for a while but we've been talking to Colby and certainly since Shannon came it's been really useful because we've been running down individual questions and use cases in Danvers not only from her experience but from her context. So it's been really helpful. Great. >> So this will go before the collaborative. The collaborative we

667
03:02:53.359 --> 03:03:08.880
hopefully will not be their first rejection and then we will vote to >> it's an intermunicipal agreement. So I would bring that back before you. >> Right. >> Okay. Great. >> So we did do we did do business with them in 2024 and they were really >> on good terms. >> We well they were great. They were just

668
03:03:08.880 --> 03:03:24.720
really amazing and yes, we did leave on good terms and they could have they really could have the vendor that they put in touch with could have really taken advantage of us financially and they I was shocked and amazed at how great they were with us. >> Fantastic. >> So, but I do have a question. Do do

669
03:03:24.720 --> 03:03:40.720
other municipalities do they do any combination with their schools? Like is there any possibility of >> I've asked about that certainly on the procurement side just at scale. Um the the initial reaction not just here but in general is there on

670
03:03:40.720 --> 03:03:55.920
the hardware side there's concern about jeopardizing their e- rate which is they get a significant discount from the federal government or subsidy from the federal government for hardware >> the the sort of demand on staff is a moving target that many communities

671
03:03:55.920 --> 03:04:12.240
including us have wrestled with because the need on a daily basis in this building with in this building with this many users is way beyond ours right >> so it's almost like is there a way and it might be after we spend some time with them and get our our stuff together that we say can we come to some

672
03:04:12.240 --> 03:04:28.160
agreement where there's a portion of a full-time employee that we are getting a town hall because the demand here is like the keyboard some someone lost a letter on a keyboard that is a type of thing they would fix but it's also up to Wi-Fi is not working anywhere like there's just >> the full demand here is much wider than

673
03:04:28.160 --> 03:04:43.120
us and it's always been a question of like >> if we need someone and they need someone who who's the priority and it's it's a it's definitely something to explore. I think this would really give us an an opportunity to go from a current state

674
03:04:43.120 --> 03:04:59.279
that is not great although working to something that has a pathway. We're making improvements. We've addressed things. I mean, one of the things they talked about is like it's really they're looking to build a zero trust environment so that we are much safer across the board and we don't we're not exposed, right? But then when we have

675
03:04:59.279 --> 03:05:14.560
yachts come in, we have a couple of hundred active directory users that needed to be turned off immediately because over the course of years, employees have come and gone. Emails have been turned off. >> No, they actually pointed that out to us and we they pointed that out to us and in return, we gave that to our company

676
03:05:14.560 --> 03:05:31.760
to shut these things off. So, it's a little concerning to hear that it wasn't done. >> I agree. And we we did have a they looked high hiq looked at the report with us and I also called attention to some of the physical cleanup and things that needed to be done in town hall a little the physical stuff has been done

677
03:05:31.760 --> 03:05:47.760
some of the technology or the software backend side has been done but not everything yet. >> Does this cover the phone system? >> No. >> So right now our phone system runs off the server in town. That is something that we would need to look at as a different procurement if we were to move

678
03:05:47.760 --> 03:06:02.399
>> beyond that. And I think that is a good example of something that we can move off premises. Um both our email and phones are running physically off a box in our building that I like during one of the snowstorms I had to come to literally unplug and plug it back in.

679
03:06:02.399 --> 03:06:18.240
And so ideally although it becomes it goes from a you know once every however many years hardware cost to a subscription I think there's some real benefit and it also provides us the opportunity in the future if we were to ever look at something like co again where you could have soft phones and

680
03:06:18.240 --> 03:06:32.960
availability to be answering from wherever if for some reason something horrible happened. Um so that's that is something we've talked about. So we're not we're not voiceover IP >> currently >> it it is it's running out of the we have instead of >> server

681
03:06:32.960 --> 03:06:49.200
>> instead of a subscription cost >> we're voipe but we just happen to be running internal instead of that's all I wanted to understood misunderstood >> n I didn't ask the right question it's okay >> but that to me that's the idea that like

682
03:06:49.200 --> 03:07:04.720
I've literally two or three residents have said I'd love to talk about the hardware needs not because they sell but because they want us to be planning for future IT and what we should be doing. They're residents that are not engaged with, you know, in any way in sales. They they work in IT somewhere. And

683
03:07:04.720 --> 03:07:20.640
>> the only reason I bring it up is last year we had a ton of problems with the phones. They're always down. It was a real real problem. So, I didn't that's kind of why I led to this to ask >> I think we have a lot of old infrastructure and there's cost associated with all of it. But again, it will probably make sense to look at a

684
03:07:20.640 --> 03:07:37.279
subscription model that's off premises as opposed to >> a significant hardware uh expense inside that then needs to be supported in person there by a single individual or single man service provider. Whereas if we have a subscription >> to someone voice stream, windstream,

685
03:07:37.279 --> 03:07:52.800
whoever like a large firm, there is expense to that, but they also are 99.9% uptime. They have multiple places to route things and make it work. So that's part of the longer term discussion for sure. >> Okay. Well, we will come back. Oh, sorry. Did you have me? >> Nope. Good.

686
03:07:52.800 --> 03:08:09.680
>> Um, so we will come back to this conversation hopefully when the gates open and we can walk through them. >> Great. >> Um, let's move on to employment contracts. >> So, for the employment contracts, we have uh a number of uh department heads that have both been out of contract or

687
03:08:09.680 --> 03:08:26.160
uh are new that we wanted to bring before you. I just wanted to highlight especially for the new folks and I've had some brief discussion with them the list of peers and super peers that we've been benchmarking against for a number of years here they are um they are demographically similar geographically

688
03:08:26.160 --> 03:08:41.359
similar there's you know a number of different criteria that went into this in the past but these are the ones that we have been looking at uh for each of these contracts uh obviously for the three new employees we had discussed uh with the previous board at least so for the three members that are here the

689
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range everyone is at the lower end of that range on their contracts. Um and then on the the two that are renewals which have been out since Gino was acting actually. Uh so it's Genos and Marzy's are the two that are before you

690
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this evening. Those are you know comped to peer communities. Uh and again well within what we think is appropriate for their experience, expertise and the role that they play in town. >> Okay. >> I'm happy to answer questions. So, I'm just a little bit confused because I

691
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thought that we sat we had meetings and we talked about we talked about all this. I actually thought that all of this was resolved. So to see this on the agenda, I was a little surprised. And then I don't I don't have any of the I didn't get any of these contracts in my

692
03:09:29.279 --> 03:09:45.760
packet on Friday. And I can't open I I've been out of town on Monday and Tuesday. So I haven't been able to look at anything here and the fact that Gino Marzy

693
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and the library director isn't here. These are >> the library director is not in here, >> right? These are people we talked about and now here we are in May and they still don't have contracts and I don't know do these contracts are these contracts based on our previous conversations executive session.

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>> So we're in that we're in that ballpark. >> We are at the numbers that were discussed in executive session for >> each of those and then for Patrick. So for example, if we do not see a contract, then it's because it has not been >> settled in prior discussions that have occurred.

695
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>> And we're saying that Patrick and Liam, two individuals in the finance department, they were working without a contract. >> We hired them, >> right? >> I'm asking to put a contract before you for a vote. >> Got it. >> One question. Sure. So, [clears throat]

696
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it's my understanding that the pension board that the that I don't know it I don't know if it's Patrick or his position he gets a stipen as well. Is that correct or am I misunderstanding that? >> I am not receiving a stipen for my work

697
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on the retirement board. >> Retirement board. Okay. >> And I do not believe it was in the previous finance director's contract either. >> No. >> Okay. >> Thank you. She received a stipen. >> I I can go back and check the contract again, but >> she did, but I don't believe it was part >> wasn't in the contract, but she received

698
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separately >> with the board. Yeah. >> Can you say it one more time, Marilyn? >> The past the previous town finance director did receive a stipen from the >> retirement board, but that stipen was

699
03:11:23.279 --> 03:11:39.520
not in her contract, >> but it was paid by the town. was paid by the >> pension board gate would advance that money to the town and then the town paid the director of finance >> and that and it wasn't detailed in her

700
03:11:39.520 --> 03:11:56.080
employment contract. >> No, >> that is not standard practice. That's very strange. >> Only reason I know that is I had a meeting to better understand the the pension system and I caught that was >> explained to me that way. So I I just that's why I'm asking the question. So

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if we receive any funds from the retirement board, >> yes, >> we would amend Patrick's contract. >> Happy to. >> In order to facilitate those funds to get to Patrick in a transparent fashion. >> Happy to. >> So what it was was the retirement the

702
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retirement board was subsidizing the contract. >> So it wasn't >> It's not a statement then. >> It's not a statement then. It's a subsidy. >> No, that's totally different. they would have been subsidizing the town >> but a stipen means an additional benefit right so

703
03:12:30.240 --> 03:12:44.640
>> it's like a bonus >> so in because of the work that she did for that board she would receive compensation that would be provided by that board through the town to her >> but this is but it sounds like what it's actually saying is her contract was what it was right

704
03:12:44.640 --> 03:13:00.640
>> and that it was a portion of it was paid for out of the funding that came through the retirement >> that's my understanding but Patrick should probably look into that give us real clarity Sure. >> We could Oh, sorry. >> Either one of us. [laughter] >> Well, he's he's on the retirement board.

705
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Any >> He's on the board. He's right. >> He's on the board and he's >> I'm off to the side, but I mean, we're in the building, so we can figure this out. >> Compensation is voted as part of the retirement board's budget for their expenses. >> So, that is voted on in that budget >> and they may have said we're not giving

706
03:13:16.399 --> 03:13:33.439
a stipen anymore. >> Wasn't discussed, but I am not receiving. >> We will speak to Nancy. >> Right. But the way the contract reflects right now is our understanding of the the way that Patrick should get paid. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> So then I would entertain unless there's additional questions, you vote to

707
03:13:33.439 --> 03:13:50.640
uh approve these employment contracts. Um >> and then we would sign them. >> I will make >> Yeah, we have sign they've signed with the expectation. >> Great. >> Or hope rather. have all been signed already by the employees >> and the library director is a continuing

708
03:13:50.640 --> 03:14:06.880
ongoing negotiation. What we had spoken about in executive session >> is subject to future ne further negotiation. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I would make that motion. Okay. >> Okay. So I have a motion and a second. >> Just ask a quick question clarification. >> Accept Ted's second and then uh continue

709
03:14:06.880 --> 03:14:21.279
discussion. Go ahead. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. So >> as the new guy again >> Yeah. [laughter] So these were conversations obviously that happened in executive session. Okay. >> Y >> So because I was not privy to those

710
03:14:21.279 --> 03:14:38.640
conversations, I'm going to >> Well, I I feel I'm abstain. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. So, uh there's a motion and a second on the table. All in favor of supporting the employment contracts of Patrick Ley as finance director, Liam Brail Brily as treasurer collector,

711
03:14:38.640 --> 03:14:55.200
Katie Dupont as town clerk, and Mars Marzy Galaska as director of community and economic development, and Gino Cresta as director of public works. >> Say Iain. >> Abstaining. >> Okay, so that's four with one abstaining. >> Thank you. Um, now we move on to the

712
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ominous future dates. just wanted to give you all a discussion to an opportunity to discuss if you want you. >> Yes. So, we town meeting obviously is um forthcoming. There's, you know, for those of you who haven't been so lucky to be on the board, uh we typically meet

713
03:15:12.399 --> 03:15:29.520
right before town meeting. Sometimes we schedule uh even the second night we schedule a select board meeting in case we need to meet and it's duly posted. Um and then because of the way May falls, um

714
03:15:29.520 --> 03:15:45.760
the question is do we meet again after that or do we just go right on to June? We have we would then meet you know the third probably the 3rd and the 17th. We also need to discuss in the summer we typically move from Wednesdays to

715
03:15:45.760 --> 03:16:01.920
Tuesdays to support the summer concert series on town hall lawn which is happens on Wednesdays. Okay. Um, so if there's a conflict with Tuesdays, we can discuss Thursdays with the new board. So just want to get some of these things nailed down so that everybody's we're

716
03:16:01.920 --> 03:16:18.800
meeting expectations. So um the first question would be if everybody's comfortable with town the meeting before town meeting being the m the second May meeting or if people want to have another meeting the last week of May. You want to do it like the night the night of

717
03:16:18.800 --> 03:16:35.040
from like >> Yeah, we typically do it right. We do hold it the Monday that town meeting begins. We hold it at 5 or 5:30 right before town meeting. And then again, we would post another one for the second day also just in case. But that would be the only other meeting in May.

718
03:16:35.040 --> 03:16:50.080
>> Okay. >> So that's okay. So that's fine. We'll do that. Um for June the tentative meeting when does the wreck um begin? >> I believe there it's July and August. >> Okay. So great. So for June then we

719
03:16:50.080 --> 03:17:05.520
would keep Wednesday which would be the 3rd and the 17th. Um, I would also propose at some point in June, we have the last couple of years held a like a workout session or breakout session for the select board

720
03:17:05.520 --> 03:17:19.279
members, not including town staff on a Saturday, which we discuss um Paula's like our own hopes and dreams of what might happen on select board. >> Sounds much better than the workout session. >> Yeah, the workout session. That's Charlotte Saturday [laughter] after

721
03:17:19.279 --> 03:17:38.479
before the farmers market. Um, so we I would propose one sat like one Saturday in June to do that. Um, preferably not the 20th because my birthday is the 19th and I don't want to see you guys on the 20th. No offense. Um, but maybe the

722
03:17:38.479 --> 03:17:54.960
morning 13th or the >> it's usually >> just at all really. I would just, you know, love not to have to do that. So the 13th or the 27th um would be the two dates. You don't have to say now, but we can get back to Shannon if people would email her. >> 13th or the 27th, >> the Saturday the 13th or Saturday the

723
03:17:54.960 --> 03:18:10.319
27th. It's generally like we've done it from like 9 to 12 or something like that. >> It's still an open meeting. The public can join, but it's a little less formal. We've are at town hall in the in the conference room. >> We've put up like sticky notes all over

724
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the walls in prior years. We've wrote out our own goals. We've >> collaborated. So, we should pull those goals out and see, you know, what actually going to be accomplished. >> Um, what's left on the list, what can carry over, if they align with our new members.

725
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>> Um, so I would like to do that on either the 13th or the 27th. So, if folks can give feedback, that would be great. >> Okay. >> Um, finally, in July, we'll move to Tuesdays unless that is a conflict for anybody. Um and then we are going to

726
03:18:41.760 --> 03:18:57.120
talk to try committee about getting something on the books for July on a conversation about um financial guidelines. >> Yep. Great. >> So that is the plan for the next and then this will take us through August

727
03:18:57.120 --> 03:19:12.479
meeting on Tuesdays. So it would be the 7th and the 21st for July and the 4th and the 18th of August. And um if people have planned vacations, just let us know. We can always bump it

728
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a week and do the two out weeks instead of >> Wait, what was August again? >> The 4th and the 18th. >> We could always >> decide for May. What did we come to? >> May we said we're just going to do town meeting the two meetings before town meeting or or the one and the one extra. And we're not going to meet again until

729
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June 3rd. >> Okay. >> Do people go to the concerts? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> No, I did last year. It's just I noticed >> there weren't a whole lot of select board members there and I'm just wondering >> Do you want to share a blanket? >> I only went to the ones that [laughter] like the music. >> Oh, no. I I'm on the board. >> We can chase.

730
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>> You're at Cathy's house. You're not even at the >> I'm having dinner. >> She I mean >> I'm I go to a party. >> Yeah, that's right. You go VIP. >> I go Tuesday night party. >> We're sitting in the common section just on the blankets. >> I'm in VIP and I went to Harry Potter last year. Yeah, that was so on Thursday

731
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nights there's generally movies and that you'll find maybe >> Ted Danielle and I will be more frequently at those. >> Depends on the music if I go. I don't like country typically but >> so um but yeah I mean they're very well attended. I think St. Walker is still going to be subsidizing some of those

732
03:20:16.080 --> 03:20:31.680
which is great. >> They do movie night. >> They do the movie night. Yeah. >> Um okay so that is >> after Labor Day you go back to Wednesdays. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That's the plan. >> Okay. That's the plan. And and listen, it's all up to us. So, if that doesn't if Wednesdays don't work, we can

733
03:20:31.680 --> 03:20:46.640
>> we can switch gears. It's just the traditionally how we have scheduled. >> Just we need advanced notice. So, we're going to do Tuesdays for the summer. So, if we want to discuss going to a different day other than Wednesday, let's do so before. >> So, so when we do Tuesdays, that just

734
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means you got to break out the the plan and the the obviously the agenda has to be done. you don't get that extra little >> by Thursday. >> It's post it's posted Friday >> publicly and you all will get everything earlier probably >> my goal would be Wednesday. >> Yeah.

735
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>> Right. >> Okay. >> So it is a um additional constraint on town hall but >> just a different schedule. >> It's a different schedule. It's not a constraint. Thank you. Yeah. >> Yep. >> Good way to put it. Yeah. >> But Nick has already committed that he'd be happy to make sure it happens if

736
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that's the will of the board. And so here we are. All right. So I think that's it for future dates unless anybody wants to discuss anything else. >> Uh the only question I have is on the on the warrant. Do we have to >> do we have to say who's covering what

737
03:21:33.520 --> 03:21:49.040
articles >> in terms of the motions and speaking? >> Right. >> Yes. >> So the we're doing the motions meeting with Ryan um town council town clerk on the 13th or 14th rather. So that they'll have been drafted and circulated, but we'll

738
03:21:49.040 --> 03:22:05.120
all be talking. But yes, I can coordinate individually or with the chair on who from your board would like to speak on each article. >> I nominate Ted and Wayne to speak on all >> Well, Ted has a lot of experience. >> Too much. >> Um >> I don't even know if we really have to

739
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speak. I mean, we haven't had to speak except for >> we have I guess >> we did special. We just have to say a couple of them we do, but we just have to say >> at least the one >> board's in favor. >> Yeah. So, why don't why don't you have that meeting on the the 13th >> 14th?

740
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>> I'm sorry, the 14th and then we can chat and then [clears throat] >> um if there's anybody who's uncomfortable speaking, let me know and I will not add you to the list. Otherwise, we'll just rotate. If you have a passion for one of >> Speak on the fires, >> please tell me and I will make sure you

741
03:22:35.680 --> 03:22:51.200
get assigned to that one. >> Fires. >> Um >> that's a citizens position, so we don't have to talk about >> Well, we don't even need to. >> Um, okay. The consent agenda. You take out the minutes because I didn't >> I just got them today. >> Sure, we will take out the minutes.

742
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>> Hawker peddler license for Joseph Sanchez. >> Yes. Do you want to talk about it or you want to >> I just have a question on it. >> Oh, go ahead. Will you ask it now and then maybe have to remove it from the consent agenda? >> Perfect. Um does need board of health to sign >> I have doing food and they're doing

743
03:23:07.040 --> 03:23:31.840
temporary food establishment selling tacos and t-shirts. >> Has that been >> Shannon? >> I can speak on that. Um so Jeff question whether he needed to fill out an applic >> so if we were to approve it it would be conditioned upon that meeting

744
03:23:31.840 --> 03:23:47.600
>> it's only for those location it's only for >> the events special events >> he revised location [clears throat] >> nobody's at the beach >> but we really should have some type of policy right? Outlining what we what our goals

745
03:23:47.600 --> 03:24:03.600
would be or what our guidelines would be for people that >> Yep. >> you know inevitably like that hot dog one from last year and stuff. And what I had suggested last week which we would have trouble implementing for this year would be actually doing some sort of RFP for right service in and around beach areas right

746
03:24:03.600 --> 03:24:20.399
>> so that there is a benefit to us and it is not simply someone that does not have brick and mortar coming and >> driving a professional or business benefit >> uh without something for the community. It would also give us a better opportunity to make sure that if there are multiple folks there it's not sort of first one into the spot. It's that we

747
03:24:20.399 --> 03:24:36.640
can come up with >> a process where there's a rotation >> type of guidelines. Yeah. Right. >> I I found it interesting and I I asked Shannon this a couple days ago. I was just trying to understand generally, you know, when you go to the farmers market, you don't have to have a hawker license. >> No. >> Right. It's just it's embedded within

748
03:24:36.640 --> 03:24:53.279
>> by a table or right. And then I'm thinking, okay, are the recreation events the same? >> No. >> Or do they require >> I think they I think they I think they require a hawker's license and like if it's a food vendor, there's a whole separate set. But the farmer so the farmers market is

749
03:24:53.279 --> 03:25:10.479
its own kind of unique entity. So anything outside of that this would cover >> is the hawker pedal. Yeah. >> I didn't know if that was a statement or question. So that when you're serving food at the farmers market, you have to file certain, you know, rules and regulations from the board of health.

750
03:25:10.479 --> 03:25:25.279
>> Okay. >> Is that thoroughly answer your question? >> Thoroughly. >> Great. I love that for >> some. >> All right. So this is the consent agenda as amended removing the minutes. I'll take a motion to approve. >> Motion to approve >> and a second. >> Second. >> All in favor?

751
03:25:25.279 --> 03:25:41.520
>> I I Okay. And we will move the um minutes to the next meeting. Um we should be cognizant of how often we're moving the minutes just so we don't get into a situation. >> We wouldn't have had to move the minutes if I had them.

752
03:25:41.520 --> 03:25:55.200
>> That that's fine. We move these. I think >> we'll have them. >> Doesn't matter. >> They can be approved tomorrow. I also think we need to set up an executive session to discuss our six-month re review of our withheld executive session

753
03:25:55.200 --> 03:26:12.640
minutes. Um, so this is KP's uh what is required y >> by us is if we are withholding the minutes under an exemption, we need to review them every six months and reertify that exemption. So, um, like to get that on the books sometime, maybe

754
03:26:12.640 --> 03:26:28.800
right after town meeting. >> And do you have a preference if that's in person or virtual? Because it would also be useful to give an update on collective bargaining and any outstanding contracts. >> I mean, I prefer in person just because I don't have a space in my house to

755
03:26:28.800 --> 03:26:44.479
calmly and rationally speak to you guys without my children being around, but happy for anybody else to be virtual if that's their choice. So it we'll coordinate and look for a time that's mutually convenient for everyone and it would be both. It would be to do that housekeeping on the minutes but also give the CBA update wherever we are at

756
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the date we all get together. >> Great. Okay. Select board report. >> Can I just note one thing too? So for meeting minutes it will be these two sets and it will be on the next one for the 15th and the 27th. >> Great. Okay. So, it'll be four sets, but

757
03:27:00.640 --> 03:27:16.960
I'm not sure if they can vote on they can [clears throat] they >> we can't vote on the ones >> not the ones in the media. >> Can you just separate those out of the consent? >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Okay, >> that's not a problem. >> You can do it as a separate agenda item as opposed to >> Perfect. >> Perfect. >> Just wanted clarification. Very good.

758
03:27:16.960 --> 03:27:34.800
>> Um, select board reports. Oh, so uh before we go here, um select board leaison, >> um what generally we have done in the past is if Shannon, if you could send a

759
03:27:34.800 --> 03:27:51.279
list out of the currently held liaison positions, the ones that are open now because Doug and David no longer hold them. Um, what I would ask from each of the select board members is to get back to Shannon, maybe your top three that you would like to participate in. We

760
03:27:51.279 --> 03:28:07.120
will do our best to accommodate everybody's top one, hopefully top two, maybe top three depending on how you know the dice rolls. Um, my request for the boards and committees that I were on this year because I took the chair role and it was a lot of work to take on the

761
03:28:07.120 --> 03:28:23.120
chair role, I was less available for the boards and committees I was on. So I would ask that I rotate so that they are not getting the short end of the stick again next year and that some other non-chair member is taking them on and

762
03:28:23.120 --> 03:28:40.160
um that I you know I can certainly look to some of the boards and committees that don't meet as frequently and don't have as great of a ask like Andrew's Chapel and things like that like I happy to still be a part of that and poet Laurette because that sort of spurned from something that um I took on so

763
03:28:40.160 --> 03:28:56.880
that's fine. um but would just ask that we try to respect the boards and rotate in somebody who's a little bit more able to be um more engaged than I was last year on these the the boards and committees I was on. Um so Shannon, if you wouldn't

764
03:28:56.880 --> 03:29:13.520
mind or Yep. >> if you would mind. >> So will you put just put you'll see a list of what who was on it. Yep. >> And then who opening >> Yeah. Yeah, just so you have all the information when you're ranking. Like for example, you know, if I've been um Danielle's been wreck for however long

765
03:29:13.520 --> 03:29:29.040
and we Rex's your number one and like we'll try to do the best we can to rotate around. >> Um but want to make sure that every boarding committee is getting like the best person for them out of the five of us. >> Okay. >> And to that end too, I guess we need to

766
03:29:29.040 --> 03:29:45.760
look at um members terms expiring on each committee. That's also >> because that'll come up end of June. So we need to know if there are any open seats for you know each committee you know who's expiring if we a reappoint. >> Have the boards been notified?

767
03:29:45.760 --> 03:30:02.479
>> So it is a work in progress right now. My hope is that on the 17th you're going to have it a lot sooner than that for June to know which ones are open. Um I think I just got three who just resigned while >> I know there's one on poet laurette and one on concom.

768
03:30:02.479 --> 03:30:19.439
>> Yep. And then there's a few others that I've gotten as well. >> Yeah. >> So one of the terms on one >> are they year? >> Say again. >> I want are they year is conservation commission yearly? >> I don't I think it's 321 maybe.

769
03:30:19.439 --> 03:30:35.760
>> I'll take a look at what Diane has. She does have a spreadsheet. Um, from her time though, there's been a lot that have resigned. So, it's just going back and confirming with the chairs of who is still participating. >> Yep. >> Roughly how many roughly how many active

770
03:30:35.760 --> 03:30:51.680
committees do we have? >> Almost 20. >> I think this I hope so. >> Okay. >> And I think there's more than that listed on the website. >> There's 51 listed on the website. >> They're not active. That was so many. >> So, just to let everybody know, I did deactivate that site today. Um we are

771
03:30:51.680 --> 03:31:08.239
hoping to um launch something after town meeting. Our focus right now is on town meeting and making sure that it goes off with a success. So after town meeting you'll be seeing something brand new >> and we will have I think my vacancy from

772
03:31:08.239 --> 03:31:24.239
Harvard Waterfront to fill. >> Correct. And I did talk about Oh, perfect. Yes. Okay, great. >> Great. Um, so that will be on the the June first June agenda. >> Second June. >> Second June agenda, >> June 17th.

773
03:31:24.239 --> 03:31:40.160
>> Okay. Um, great. Does anybody have any select board reports or comments? >> Um, I do I do have uh well, a couple things. One is I want to thank uh Milliano and Danielle and Joe for

774
03:31:40.160 --> 03:31:55.359
running the show tonight. I want to recognize um the accident of uh Kevin Trainer, trooper Kevin Trainer and um I want to give an update on the my committee for retirement committee.

775
03:31:55.359 --> 03:32:11.200
Retirement committee had brought in new adviserss this year and their returns on their retirement in the first quarter have been really excellent. So, they've also been working to clear up some issues with uh data entry that affected the police department and that seems to

776
03:32:11.200 --> 03:32:28.000
be working its way through um you know, they're just doing a really great job and we we're on target of being um being completed by 2031. Right. Right. So, I think as long as >> I know he doesn't get paid for it

777
03:32:28.000 --> 03:32:42.160
anymore. >> I'm just kidding. >> No, he's he's >> I'm just kidding. I'm just joking. >> Right. Um and uh so also I want to uh thank I want to thank um Mr. Patios, Mr.

778
03:32:42.160 --> 03:32:59.359
Godfrey for running. That took a lot of work. I mean, we all know what it takes to run in the select board race. Um and I want to thank Mr. Spritz, Mr. Douly. Um I really swear I'm the happiest person at Swampscott that you are here tonight and I want to thank you. Um and

779
03:32:59.359 --> 03:33:14.479
I wish you the best. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Danielle, anything? >> No, I just want to congrats to Wayne and Ted and look forward to working with both of you. It's going to be great. I can already feel it. So, thank you. >> Thank you.

780
03:33:14.479 --> 03:33:30.479
>> Um I just have one comment. I um in thinking about what I volunteered for in the beginning of this meeting, which was to be chair again. Um I'm going to try my best to be more uh to allow you all to be more helpful this year than

781
03:33:30.479 --> 03:33:47.520
last year. Um, it wasn't easy and I was just learning the ropes about what chair meant and how it worked and we had a new TA and lots of changes and so this year I'm hopeful that we can spread this out a little bit and the burden isn't just

782
03:33:47.520 --> 03:34:04.080
um mine alone and in doing so it will actually prepare all of us to take this role on should we need to. Um, so that's my hope as chair this year and I'm sure it will be great and thank you for all entrusting me with that. um with that role. Appreciate it.

783
03:34:04.080 --> 03:34:20.319
>> Thank you. Thank you. >> All right, Patrick, what I forgot one thing, Patrick. Congratulations on your contract. I'm glad you're here. You're doing a great job. So, >> thank you. >> All right. Shall we? Motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjurnn.

784
03:34:20.319 --> 03:34:28.120
>> Second. >> Second. >> All in favor? I I Thank you, everyone. Can you all see me because I need