Good afternoon. This is um Tuesday, May 5th, 2025 time and finance committee meeting called to order at 2:56 p.m. Roll call attendance, please. Mary Jane Churchville here. Sam Grant here.
Gerald is here. Carol Huffs is here. He's here. We have we can continue. Um, this meeting is being recorded for playback on channel 9 and
posting to the YouTube channel. I do see some people online. Is anybody else recording? Don't see anybody with video on additions or deletions. Um I have
none at this point we're moving into the work session. We were going to continue working on the on the bus on the bus
budget. Were there any changes to it from last Thursday and Wednesday to the peach budget? Yeah. To the peach budget. I think I think we took out I think we
added um my computer. I think we did something with facilities. What facilities? Did I not send you an email about um the exit sign lights that was um
Yeah. So you you had sent the exit line site site um and asking if if that was a reserve fund. What number is that? It's not a number. It's Yeah, there was just an email requesting um the request
came in about um would that be considered an emergency repair? Um wouldn't it be for Well, it it is if the accounts are that would normally support it are zero and don't have the money to fund it. So if the if the accounts still
have a budget available then it should be submitted by the department in just as they would a regular express expense. I'm sorry. Um, so the last BVA, if you want me to call it up,
I can see if I can share 25 TM, if you're listening, would you line? I think it begins there too. Yes, this is 225. That's facilities.
Let me get that right. 225 29 5240. Oh, okay. So, that's that's this one. Is that this one? Okay. I'm getting so confused. Are you looking at the BBA?
Yep. I was going to look. Okay. All right. Okay. Okay. Hello. Yeah. Yes. She's trying to get on. Yeah. There are several people on I do
see something iPhone. someone's talking. [Music] Okay. So, I'm looking at facilities and repair and maintenance, which is
um currently says there was 21,21 at the end of March as a balance. Which one was that? Is that 53 or 5240? Um, that one is 5240. Okay. And how much was left over? 21. Well, at the end of
March, 27,201. I'm sure there's still other things planned for maintenance, contract payments, and things like that scheduled to come out of that account. Yes. Um, but that mom should uh support a repair
like that. So, they don't So, you're saying no. Well, not needed. I I would say it shouldn't be needed for this because it it appears as though there's a balance to to carry that. Mr. Chair. Yes. What happens if
department has been told that they can't spend is there a process for them to go to get spend authority on remaining balances? I I would think they would they would um in a case like this if it's an emergency exit sign that needs to be replaced or repaired to to safely
exit people from the building would um appear that that should be one that I haven't anything we don't really have to go back on. So we don't get communicated to I know
Yeah. for the [Music] 5240 amount on it for that 27,000 on the end of the line. So, um it does if So what you're saying is no reserve. Um I would say unless we know what's
happened between now and then March B. Um right um the next BBA will be out in about a week. Um usually so the April the the end of April BBA will be here.
So um I would think that there there is money in that account. If not, professional services has about the same amount of money. So either either one of those two will be likely to handle handle repair. So Mr.
If the facilities department chair was planning on using that for other projects by the end of June income separately if those funds are needed if if those funds are needed from the reserve fund. Yes. But it at this
point we don't um we we'd have to see the the accounting of where where the funds um before it was appropriated. Are we going to go over the rest of those
um war articles? Um do we do any of them pertain to us? We got to stop. Okay. Do we need to do anything with 11 or six? I think 11 the budget. Yep. 11 budget.
The peach budget. Peach budget. the peach budget. So, okay. So, what are we doing? Okay. The town budget is in the war process is is being replaced with the override budget. So, do we want to look at the
peach budget or the proposed override budget, which we do? Whatever they want to do. I mean, we should probably both of them, but yeah, we know that the town budget did salary cuts that we don't know of what they were. We don't know the
details of and there were some expense lines cut also. So, if we want to go over that and we'll get the we'll get the lines that were cut, right? Um in executive session, we can do that. What do you mean executive session? like in
the executive session of of the board of select when they went into executive session came out with the changes to the budget. Okay. Yeah. And um I just to that I I understand there was a challenge to that meeting. Now if
that meeting was a violation of open meeting law and the state declares it such does that change what the vote was or does that not matter? Do you know where I'm coming with this? Um I I think so. But if if if I
understood it it related to just really one section of the budget that was cut not the other. So I mean it may not have an impact on what we see. Okay. So, so, so
again, the pieces that were cut had to do some of it has to do with negotiations with union with the unions. Those did need to be in executive session. So, it would appear that um a couple of the expense lines and the
trash would be the the main thing because trash was not necessarily a union discussion. Correct. So it doesn't negate the whole thing. I don't think it negates the whole thing. I think it's
it again I I haven't ever had an open meeting law violation. I tried very closely. So I I don't know. So you don't really know. Yeah. I I don't know what this All right. So all right. Might
as well go and look and see what the what it is. Did you send it to us? Uh, I believe I did. Yeah. What did you send? Oh, well. I don't have it. I haven't had a computer for a couple of days and No, it was probably
the last one, too. Yeah, it's I had to go buy a new one. They could they they it was it crashed and I took it down and they said no just I So they have to switch everything over from my old computer to the new
computer. I know. Yeah. So you putting that up is Oh no, this is um I going backwards. Okay. Um it's it's up to you. [Music]
Um, what did I do? Flood insurance. How do I get this stuff in the middle of the budget? [Applause] Flight 26, April 30th. Okay. So, we don't need yours. Okay. No,
it should be should be the same one. Okay. Okay. Oh crap. Okay. What happened to the rest of them? Oh, okay. That one from the original to the
peach one. I'm going to go on the website. Yeah. What are we going to do? take a look and understand the budget proposal from May six. May six. I don't think it's
changed. No. Do I have the file open from after the meeting last week and after our meeting on the 30th? Do we want to just look at the changes that resulted from that meeting? Yes.
If we look at H&I 26, what number is it, please? On the side. on the side. It's going to be starting subject line 37 accounting. Okay. Okay. Everybody
I do now. Yes. In column H where the budget was previously, it has three lines. The accounting salary, the uh
certification, and um the wages for the support staff with a total of 87,000 and $1,000 longevity um for a total of 87584. We can see after that line is
sitting at 81,648 call. So the difference is that section of the budget has been reduced by $5,946. But we don't know what it's for. Right. Correct. Because there was no no discussion yet. And that's why the
other three lines are blank and it's just a total for the line to give us the total. So the total salaries for that department are going to be the $81,638. That's what's been presented. So five So somebody lost
$5,000 worth of pay, right? Close to six. Yeah. 5,946. Okay. So that's that's all we have. I get it. Yep. But they I wanted to um and you can see I did highlight it um
with the with the Amber. Mhm. So just just to highlight where it came in. So going through all these it's going to be the same thing. The budget's going to be reduced by X because someone's salary is cut and we have no information on it. It would be the same for that. Um I will
also just to highlight it one where multiple and and it gets into the pieces there. Um we highlight 662. We can see there
are a batch of lines um associated and the note in the FY26 says C line 662. So they when we go through it's board of board of health the board of health landfill engineering and council and agent
all of those lines total up and are reported now in the budget on line 662 662 662 who is So, is it on on line 662 on what I'm
looking at that's on the towns and website? There's nothing. It's a blank line. Yeah, it's all blank. Nothing's there. Go. Oh, you don't have to. No, you're telling me. Yeah. So, yeah. So, line 662
was a personnel total. Um, yeah, but not on the not on what was I'm sorry. You're right. It says C line 662 and what I'm looking at is 664. That's not a blank line on the budget that's online.
Oh, what are you looking? So, there's been a consistent difference between the far left and the second to left column. Yeah, far left. The all the But my but nothing's on the line. Should there be something on the line? Um, I'm looking
at it now and I see I see something. You're looking at your version. However, it's the only thing I did online. Oh, okay. I printed I'm looking at whatever Don had sent out once upon a time.
No, it it didn't say from Nelson. So, maybe it said it maybe you forward it from Nelson because I'm seeing numbers on 664. Well, here Carol, here's Do you have the same thing I do? Yeah. Am I not looking at it right? So if you go to the one that's on Okay. Yeah. Okay.
662. Yeah. It's blank. Okay. So there's online. Yeah. All right. The 662 line is except for here's what's online. 662. It's not the same. Yeah. So it's
not the same. So Okay. All right. So, I'm looking at something different. I really think we should all be looking at same. [Music] All right. So, whatever. Okay. So, whatever you have up there all
the way. Yeah. But what what are the people saying? What what are the taxpayers saying? Isn't that who we're doing this for? Yeah. I I don't know. I don't know any I don't even I don't know what I'm looking at anymore. You're looking at the one with the override. If the over has
passed, if you go down to the bottom link and it's on the must budget without the need to be without the very bottom one that was added.
I hate that thing that pops up on that same page. Yeah, there was a new one added at the bottom last week. Yeah, yeah. And this one has the line 662 and it should say yes. If you go all the way
off here, it should say yes or right. That's right. [Music] Sorry. [Music] So, it's the annual town meeting, right? No, not the wine.
Um, I bought a one that says on the bus, no override. All right, you're going to have to tell me where it is cuz I see special town meeting. I see annual town meeting. Okay, go back to the Okay, go back to the front page of the
website. This one down here. Oh, the second one. So, we go to the no override column. Correct. Um, right. Correct. Okay. Now, what are we looking at? Okay.
So in in column I I I there are several lines that say C line 662. Okay. I don't know how to read this. I don't have a I Yeah, right there. H. All
right. Never mind. I'll just K I. Yeah. So, so it so it's across several several departments having several different codes for the projects. So, you see border border health border health and field engineering council on
aging and line 662 is a is a new line just for this and the total on that line. So everything in column H which been had been in the budget before um is 2
258,000 total. Um and that becomes the 243,158 So, so again, we don't know with there. There's no total in there. So, we we just know the total on those lines is 242,000. Yeah. So, we don't know. Yeah. So, what
are we going to do about not knowing? Um, it's very difficult to make a recommendation without knowing the detail of a budget, isn't it? I would say it's impossible. I guess my question nothing is impossible. I'm going to go a very different
I mean my question is what do you know from that? Not what don't you know but what do you know from that? What does that tell you? is lots of assumptions that could be made to it's left for interpretation at this
point. But what do you know? What what has changed between one column and the other column with those loans? Well, again, it's the difference of the the 112,737 has been reduced those lines,
but there's no details behind what it is and and it's a combination of um expenses and and personnel. Yeah. So, I do know that there is a cut in those songs. Well, yeah, we know there's a cut, but we don't know where.
And that's our question, but we're not going to know. That's what you're telling. And do you understand why you can't know? Well, um, no, because there's expenses and Mr. Chairman, there's expenses and personnel on that line item.
Yes. Maybe that's why. Well, I mean, what we're being told is that it's all about negotiating with the union and and that's a big secret. I understand that completely, but we have to vote on this before we know it. I mean, it it
seems like we're doing it backwards. I think we should know what the what the Yeah, we need to know what the what the balanced budget looks like. I would think so because we're voting for a balanced budget. If we don't know I mean
if you just bring a number down say okay we balanced it now vote on it. That that just that's not transparent I guess which is the butch word this year. And again, this is this is this is just a piece that I highlighted on one on on this particular one, line
662 to show it. Let me let me go back because there are there are notes from Nelson in here that um for me. I'll leave my comment in here, too. But but the notes aren't going to help us know. No, but it but
they don't they they help us understand how how an attempt to balance the budget was made. Um and we can look in this and just um I I had seen on the town clerk um the assistant town clerk um the line
previously had stated that $19,000 of our money was being used and that note is no longer there. So questions um with it, it's kind of like is 19,000 with our birth being used in
addition to the other fines that are going to be listed here on the highway salary is 61,500 our funds being listed there. Um and in snow and ice on the personal
line, it's kind of like it didn't obviously highlighted. I only filtered on on the line with the note and the note says 38,500. So that that is an additional $100,000 worth of opera funds that are
being used um to fund salaries. Um the other two lines um that are highlighted here, the cemetery and parks, 5,000 on one line um on the support staff and 20,000 on the other line being
done by cemetery trust funds um being brought in. So details how how that money is and does it appear so we're taking the money we we've dropped the drop the salary line but we have not
um generally when we supplement it's usually the full amount that's showing in the salary line um and in the recap we see the amounts that are being being brought over the one example I have is the assistant uh recreation director had
a salary of $7,000 and there was 10,000 that that was transferred from from the revolving fund over. So this appears to be a change from from that format and how we've gotten there in the past. Um those monies used to
show up on the recap sheet. Do they need to show up on the recap sheet? I know the answer is no for our birth just from the experience. I don't know because it's on the other two because the cemetery has not transferred money over two labor lines previously, but I would think it needs to show on the recap
sheet. Um, and the full salary should should show up here rather than the part salary because then that helps us going into next year as we take it. then we would see the full salary that's going to be the in the FY27 budget and
know how much money we're going to need in FY27 um and whether whether this you know we what we have for for one year budget that we're trying to get through for FY26 and what's going you know what the
potential outlook in FY27 is going to be I just can only speak for myself. I don't feel comfortable recommending a budget that I would I I feel the same. It seems like there's there's holes in this that we can't we can't answer.
So I guess can I talk for a minute? I guess it comes down to we need the reduction. We will go to the unions where we need to. the reductions could be different after the um the collective
bargaining process within that area, but it's the budget for those specific um functional segments that we're looking at reductions the the results of
the union. It's it's we can't say and and labor council advised us to wait until the functional segments were voted at town meeting before going to the unions. So it's impossible to say ahead
of time and if the negotiations don't negotiate it down to the level that we have and it's higher and we would then no longer have our balanced budget. No, we we would have to look at other places within that functional segment, but we
are confident that that there will be a mutual um discussion when we are able to do that. Well, as far as I see it, I don't know if there is going to be a mutual understanding. If you're cutting certain
people and giving raises to other people, it's not across the board. I I think that there's been an awful lot of stress regarding this at the staff level at at the um I know fin speak for
myself I'm ready to take a project. So I'm telling you that transparency is key right now. We're in a balancing spot with our town. We can't keep sustaining this kind of spending and bandating and spending and
bandating. We just can't do it. It's not fair to the taxpayer to not know what he's getting his money for. We're dropping services. I I just don't think that's a right approach is to say trust us because I don't think people are in the mood to trust anybody. So, I think
we should really recommend that this budget not be accepted by the town as the finance. That's our job. I seeing any other I agree with Mary Jane because I can't even follow the budget where we
are, what we're cutting, what we're not cutting. I'm so confused. And if I'm confus and I'm And I'm so confused. If I'm confused, every taxpayer out there is going to be confused. Exactly. And no disrespect, but um Select, you told us
you had no intentions of sharing information with us on television a couple days ago. So, yeah. Yeah, we could probably find that if we had a minute. And I think that that raised a lot of red flags with me saying, "Wow, why wouldn't we know?" And when we
talked about the constable, I'm so glad you're here. And you told us point blank you weren't going to share with us why that decision was made. And we're supposed to be the watchd dogss. Well, maybe not the watchd dogss in terms of a pitbull watching what
you're saying, but a watchdog for the taxpayer. And I get the feeling that we're being, I don't know, circumvented. Maybe not. This is the probably the kindest way I can say it. And I don't think the taxpayers like that. I mean, look at what happened at the boat. 1,100 to 400.
That was a statement, I think, by the town. So, there's a disconnect somewhere. And I I feel that I joined this board because I believed that there was reckless spending in this town and I wanted to know where and what it is. And
I'm beginning to see this is a lot of stuff that FinCom to this date has not been able to be shared with by the select board and the town administrator. I go ahead. Okay. I was just going to say on the
$625,000 override, I think as a taxpayer who doesn't know anything and I'm trying to vote on an over and I'm just going No, I'm just going on back up because you are on the finle. No, I'm saying before I joined before I
joined the finance committee, when I when I would vote on an override, I wanted to know what made up that override. And I think that's what the taxpayers are looking for. So that $625,000, I never got a good feeling of
what made up like is it, you know, 20,000 for the library? is is 30,000's going to the senior. What am I voting on? And long before I came here and I'll give you the trash. I always thought
when I voted the $800,000 for the trash, it actually went to the trash and I wasn't going to deal with purple bags. So, I think the taxpayers, who I'm privy to a lot of how this works, when that when you're presenting an override, I think you got
to like actually explain what is it? What's in that override that what makes up that override? How many of those dollars go to the school? How many of the dollars go to the library? How many dollars go to the council on aging? How many go to the police department, the fire
department? I think that's what people looking for. Not just uh um when you read some of these Warren articles, they don't really explain anything. Um, and for a fact here, the warrant articles here on the Hero Act, I
have no clue what until somebody told me that was a Hero Act, I had no clue what that Warren article even said. So, I'm just saying from a a a a taxpayer who doesn't really understand budgets, they
just want to know where their money is going. And it's just so so our funds have flown the coupe. They are all allocated or there there's nothing else as of the end of the um day tomorrow.
Correct. Yeah. Once you submit the report so not a topic of discussion at 10. I don't know. Correct. person. I mean people can talk about it but nothing can be done because we've
already submitted our report and this is you know these are the areas that somebody clip I know. No no no playing the clip. Sorry D. Who was playing the clip? Don
Priest. We can talk about the art of funds if you want. You know, the I think we have to focus on what we're going to do tomorrow night. I mean, it's 24 hours almost away and we don't have a
plan. Is there going to be any type of information given out to the public? Well, that we were going to do some kind of narrative per the budget. Um, right. So, what you and and we and finan has worked on a second budget that I think
we should be prepared to present tomorrow night. We can we can take what the work is going to Can you present that peach budget? Sure. It's doesn't I don't know. I mean, do we know that it
has all the actual by that it's balanced? We need to look at it and and make sure that um what we would recommend is is feasible. It's kind of like so we we have to make sure same thing that well we're not cutting a
line. Not any less feasible than them saying we're going to wait and see how the union negotiations go. I mean again this we should not be making cuts without with why are we having the meeting if we you know we're kind of putting the department has we are if if
we don't have if we don't have the money it it's kind of like in the right places to to hit it. It's been like um in in the budget even some of the some of the lines we um we looked at um on the special town meeting the article for
combining some money for um the repairs on Memorial Hall. We kind of um the the quote was 68,900 and we were putting together 53,000 and change um to fund it. So what's what's the plan that you
know? Um again, you know, that's just a piece. The rest of it we have to look at. Um we have proposed some things um with with some assumptions and we we we need to go back and visit it and make sure that
we're not um undercutting the department that needs those. Oh, you mean on the peach on the peach? On the peach. Okay. So, it's kind of like that's that's the piece we we can't go in. We we have to have the conversations, right? And and I do think that the peach budget makes a
lot of sense when when we compare it to the budget that we is on town website because I think it's critical that we try to save the salaries of the people who work for us. I mean this is not going to be a really great year. We all
know that. I mean it's already started and to have half not half but a lot of people getting raises and a lot of people getting cut. I don't think that's a good move to to keep yourself in a happy
little community. Yes, I looking at it. Everybody should get the same either go it across the board. End of story or don't do it at all. I agree. But to do this pitting one person against the other is not going to work for the
community being happy, working together, collaborating. If you want to split it up and you want hostility and you want Facebook to go wild, do it. But I'm saying I don't think it's a good thing for the taxpayer or for the people who work and they will leave if they can. I mean,
they might not be able to. Well, that's that's the the other is um with the cuts, we don't know um we haven't heard from department heads what the impact on the department is, whether it's hours, what I've spoken to three different department heads at different times
being moving around the building and they have all three of them have said to me that they spoke to the town administrator and they told him that if it was going to be across the board, they would do what they could with their unions. if they were going to pick and choose and reward some and penalize
other, they were going to fight for their people, which is their job. So I I'm assuming by then, I hate to assume, but I'm assuming that the administrator and the selectman never offered the straight across the board for everybody. For everybody. Yeah. You
know, whatever it is, 2 4 6 8 10 I don't care. But but straight across the board. Yep. And I think that that's a dissenting thing in our community and it's a real bad time to do that. Yeah. Yes. So I think that this we should spend a minute and look at the peach
budget because the peach budget does not cut anybody except for one position. We all know and um I think we should make sure that the peach budget is going to be funded like
you said. Right. Yeah, because I personally, I'm not speaking for all of you, but I really believe the peach budget is a better situation for the people who work here and the people who pay their taxes.
They want they want their people there. Even if it's for three days a week, they want them there, you know, closing up the No. Does anybody else want to talk? The only cons the only concern I had about the peach budget and I think you
did a wonderful job is just I just want to make sure that we're not going to be recommending anything that's leg you know could put the town in legal jeopardy because it's say legal jeopardy or or and I think that's why chief's
here. So okay so he wants to talk. Um, Kim, um, yeah, one of the things I listened to from your meeting last time, Mr. Chairman, was about some things that were under contract, but I asked the town minister explicitly and they were
not under contract. That was just line items that they thought were the right amounts, um, and looking at some of them, some of them were not fully utilized in a previous year. So, there's definitely some thought there.
I did say that as a community member, I would certainly appreciate you going back to folks that they were working with. Yeah. Um and going to say I don't feel what our bid thresholds are right now for professional services.
Um if they would need to go out anywhere,000, right? Yeah. Yeah. They're over 20,000. They they need to go. Um, so we can look at that. Do we want to switch over
to the peach budget as it's going on this committee? I would I would like to feel more comfortable with it. Um, okay. Because what are we going to talk about with this one? I mean the one that's the ones that's on the warrant article
the one on the warrant article would be replaced by this at yeah okay okay so I don't know how many people can read this one I can't so if we replace the peach budget at town meeting with
this budget are are we absolutely sure we're not violating something. That's what we want to talk about. Okay. That's that's my that's my biggest concern is that Yeah. Then then again
with this just Yeah. So I can chief I'm assuming that's why you came in. You saw I can ask Yeah. If there's any we can go back and forth on Let's go to that first then. Right.
That's that's what I was thinking. It's kind of like a serious I'm sure there's one or two things that are going to be deal with us. Please. Okay. Yeah. Oh, I see it. It's two It's 269.
255. Oh, I'm sorry. 256. We start at 255. 255. Well, that's where it starts. Where it stands, oh yeah. So, $5,000 from energy. Yep.
Well, those were just thoughts, remember? Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. No, we know because we never got to this part when we had our discussion. We never got this far. Just so that so that everybody out there remembers where you guys were pointing in time that even though you're looking at certain line
items, you were saying at the end of your meeting that you would just give the total amount, right? And I don't think he's in the TVard. Okay. So, tools should be Well, this is listed out too. I mean, as well as the um
place I want. [Music] Oh, here's police. So, the So, the fin cuts were $46,000, right? I mean, I'm sorry. The um Yeah.
Yeah. That was It's on page. Is that online? Okay. Okay. This was going to be printed but no no it depends. So I am I am sharing it like so you want to go line by line
or I think maybe for the police because we have the chief here I think. Yeah because the original thought on the peach budget was the department would be cut X whatever it is and then the department head would make their decisions about where Right. because we
weren't going to tell the department head what to do. Right. Yeah. that that was what we had talked about going that was like the premise coming out but yeah and so the doesn't seem like much of it doesn't seem like I'd have much to add to that conversation if these were
specific if I got marching orders that there was a certain amount of money I could make that work I the issue here is where the the suggested cuts were I didn't get informed and I think just there's no intention about it there's an intention but it would have been pretty significant
where I think I could coales and figure it out another way. I can't can't say would would not involve personnel because again my expenses lines are extremely tight and very very lean. So for me to talk that kind of money I would have to co less with the
administrator more to kind of figure that out but I certainly where they were proposed would and that's what we we they had originally proposed that and and that was our piece before I did it right. We came back to it was to conversation go
back and say this is this is what we looked at but instead say that the total and and this is the total for the police. Can you you know what can you do on these lines? Yes. So my understanding
is though that you are not looking for cuts in personnel yet the chief is saying with that amount of cuts it does involve personnel. He said it could. So it's up to him. He said it could. It's up to him. Yeah, it could. It could. So So it could not. So you are or you are
not in favor of personnel cuts? That's my question. We're We decided when we worked this that we were not in favor of personnel cuts, but like the chief said, marching orders across the board. We're not
really able to do that because we don't know what the needs are of the department nor how the department head wants to allocate any funds. So the suggested the line items were suggested cuts.
They weren't they weren't marked in gold. No, but they weren't right. Right. No no no authoritarian move here. But but the chief, for example, we use him because he's here. He would know better. Maybe he does have to cut somebody a half a day or something, but we wouldn't
know that and we don't want to dictate that. But the but the town budget dictates salaries gone as opposed to any department head move the money wherever they want. Maybe that's all it is is
a miscommunication or not an understanding or not. We're coming from different sides of the aisle. Right. Yeah. We we we were looking at strictly strictly expenses as a way to cut additional expenses. Yes.
Rather than go into a salary because I think Right. No. And did that answer your question? Yeah. I just was here to inform the decision if there were decision or you needed to know what was in those lines or what was
the issue for me. I'd be more than happy to share that with you. But suffice to say this just save some time and I want to relate to the point. I understand the macro way that you looking at it and I appreciate the effort and that that was yeah again that was just a start and
that's why if if we look at it if well I appreciate you coming in and raising that concern because other department heads might have the same concern and no one said anything to us. Yeah. So of course we didn't ask them either. So I guess that's we went back and that was
this was the piece that we did on we said what were the cuts that we did and what's the total by department and that was the piece that I thought we were going to look at is based on these these amounts that we have in each in each of the areas is it something that is is it
something that can be fixed well what we try to do is to look at the different different pieces of the puzzle and decide that you know if we had taken a little bit from this and a little bit from that maybe we could come up with this but in the end of course it's
your budget. It is your budget. And the other thing that you should know is that we looked at prior years to see what was there and what wasn't used and sort of moved pieces around pieces around. One my one comment about that if I could was to be careful with that information
because it is information for sure. But we have been given marching orders the last previous couple of of fiscal years to stop spending later in the year as there were other departments that were having balancing issues. So that doesn't always tell the whole story. it exacerbated things for the following
year because I didn't have to. Equipment is a good example. If I didn't spend it, that doesn't necessarily mean it was an expense that I budgeted and didn't need. But maybe we were told, hey, look, it's getting close. There were overages in other lines and even in other departments. So, sometimes we're not even at mercy to our own department. Sometimes it might even involve other
department. So, that is information and I think it's it's worthy to look at that, but there are sometimes more information that you might need to look at before you made it. That line might not be right. That's helpful. And I think that this year we're we're going to work more closely with the department so that we can get a handle on that. I
guess earlier Yeah, we've talked about that that historically income's been brought into this at the end, you know, mid mid year, but we would like to really work with the people say September 1
and 17. What are these phantom voices? Yeah. No, they like I'm going to turn it away. I don't like those eyes. The line the line that I look at is the 53,000 for 53,000.
Those are 52,000 for 53 785. 785. I'm trying again that that line comes from capital planning which is the full what was it 27 for the the lease for the lease for the year. So yeah I
believe the lease payment is 102,000. So however we arrive at that that's the cost of it and again that's another challenging aspect to budgeting this year was if you look at my year it's difficult because suck something out next year I put it back in it shows a
growth that really doesn't exist. This year will be particularly challenged because we're being told by the auditors and by the accountant to place our SRO in there which is going to make it look like my salaries went up an entire position which is not accur accurate at all. My initial budget submitted for
fiscal 26 was 2%. Right. We saw that. Yeah. So when you add things back in that we're taking out it gets to be foggy math and sometimes I just like to be here to clarify that but that yeah where that comes from I again it's a macro issue for above my pay but that
said but that said it does have implications for me following year when there might be a citizen who may look at that and say wait a second we have 53 in that line and now he's coming back for 102 what is that becomes difficult for me to explain not a problem I usually clear that up for folks that have worked with me before in my budget memo. that
is I put out with my budget every year and I think those things are I articulate those in that but sometimes the clarification is uh is necessary it it's kind of like it and I remember and it's kind of like you're cutting cutting the the cruiser amount in half last year
and delaying that. So this is a catchup. This is a catchup. This this one's a catchup because last year when we in that August time frame when we were looking to try to get money for the full budget and funding everything. Um, the chief
said he would delay getting his new cruise lease online. So, he held on to the older older cruisers a little longer, which reduced his ask last year for for the cruisers, and that's why it was at the 475. Yeah. See, now the new ones, we didn't know about that. Well,
you did, but you didn't tell us. But, and again, um, so that that's a piece of it and the 80,000. It's kind of like we'll see a change in the recap. The 80,000 had been a revolving fund for the police last year. The money would come
in to a revolving fund from the school and they would use that money and pay the the SRO, the school resource officer from the revolving fund. That's where the that's his salary came for. The change this year is to add his salary
into the police line salary. And so we're not going to have revolving fund for the 80,000. It's it's coming in when you look at the recap sheet. It's it's an $80,000 line on the recap sheet now, right? It's not a one for one either. That $80,000 needs to be unpacked and
put in its proper line, which is a bit of work in and of itself. Probably affects five lines, right? Officers, uniforms, [Music] so is that revolving fund being terminated? Um, I believe it is. Yeah.
Yeah. It's kind of it becomes revenue. Yeah, it it's now it's now revenue on the recap sheet. So when we see the recap sheet difference, um we'll see an $8,000 line and it will reference it. Oh, okay. So yeah, we false growth going
on in there. It's difficult. I have I have eight budget I have eight budget notices in the front of my budget book, which is all the budgets I've worked on since I've been here. And I was told level or 2% every year for eight years. Yeah. So to look at mine said is a 9% growth. It
it's makes a hair on the back but it stand up a little bit because it's inaccurate and it's it really is it's the macroeconomics going on for sure and that's what that is. But sometimes it can be thought of as an increase in the department really over year over year. Right. See and that's
information we need for the taxpayers to understand. Right. when you when you see the police budget these dynamics have gone on this year. Well, I think we're starting earlier next year. We're gonna have a better handle. Well, again, that in this case, we we had set up we had
done the the school resource officer as we had in the past. It was the town accountant came in and changed how we were accounting for it. So, it was a shift after after the initial budget. Yeah.
So, um, article three, the monies that the capital planning committee has voted to combine and apply towards the town hall, you guys are recommending that it be put towards the cruisers. Is that what you're doing?
Because that's what I heard at your last meeting. But now I'm hearing you're no longer making the recommendation to put that 53,000 towards the cruisers. That's true. We are still in preparation. When we had
reviewed article 3 last time, we we didn't come to a vote because there was a gap between the amount of the quote and the amount being allocated for it. So, we wanted to understand what the action was. [Music] Um, at this point I don't I I'm not
recommending it. I don't think we have recommended that that go to cruisers. No, for article three. Yeah. For the special. Okay. Um, we said no recommendation for further information received. I think we
were looking at [Music] um the estimate was 68900 and the article is for 53784. So I think we wanted to know
where what where would the difference was going to come from if the estimate was 689 and the article is only for 53 where's the balance coming from? Right. That that's what that's that was
Yeah, we didn't really talk about where where it was gone at that point. No, we just wanted to know were you going to get the other 10 or whatever $15,000 to fix the roof. Well, windows
windows and stuff. That's all. We weren't recommending it for the cruises. We're just saying where's the additional money coming from? because the estimate was for that $15,000 more. So, it's kind of like
Oh, no. That's um No, no, we were just looking at the estimate that came from Arsenal and Sun and then looking at what the article was and it was like a $15,000 difference and we just wanted to know how that was going
to be paid for. Or is it dropping something from the list or or Yeah, it could be dropping something from the estimate. If I look at the tab on that peach budget that says fin cuts, I see um police cruiser lease
payments 53,785 from unextended articles. Is that not the case? Unexpended articles listed in article 3. I guess I don't see that.
Where is that one? I know you're just staring [Applause] at this. These articles were voted by capital. Yep. They were
February 26th. We need to reconcile the two sheets and uh see so does that mean we can't it doesn't matter because we're just giving the amount right and the department head can do what they want with yeah but in this case this
this sheet is saying that 53,785 goes to cruisers and the and the articles in the town say the pair of town hall for you I Very very sorry. How you doing?
[Music] Um, we're speaking going to go on mute, please. Okay. So, we Yeah. Okay. We We need to be clear. It's kind of like um the cops. It's kind of like if if we take and don't fix down hall and use
them for the cruises. We we have two needs for the 537. Well, can we find can't we find funds for their Wow, that's terrible. That's like cut the baby in half. It is. It's kind of like it. And but um there was something that
we hadn't considered um that stabilization. Not the stabilization yet. It's kind of like um but there was 100,000 of opera that came and was part of the select board. I know, but I thought the opera funds were off the
table. If if they're able to be used to Were they assigned? Have they been assigned if in in the I thought they were assigned They they were everything was assigned but during the audit they they found the 100,000
was not um processed 100%. So it came back to the town. That 100,000 has been used in highway and snow and ice in the select board budget for um to subsidize
salaries in highway and and snow and ice. the 400. the 400. If we use that 100,000, that would free up you use that as as a piece. That's a 100,000 that we could put back in use use that same
number on those salaries, but that would free up more money from into the general fund that could Yeah. Can only be used for salary. Correct. And it was already reported to the US Treasury. Correct. And what I
said was that the salary has been assigned to highway. Yes. And snow and ice and that frees up $100,000 to be used somewhere else. So we could take How does it free it up? Well, if if it
wasn't if it's not that has not been cut from the peach bud budget as we've been calling it. So if if we update our budget and reduce salaries by $100,000 that says $100,000 can be put back into some of these lines which could include
the cruisers. Yes. Um just perhaps for everyone um might you be able to share Mr. Chairman the total amount of cuts that the select board made on the budget? Um is that something that you can clarify for everybody?
I think we can because and there's a combination there's cuts and there's increases. All right. So, I took it back. I took it from you. I took it back.
Yeah. Do we or do we not have a an extra? Not an extra, but do we or do we not? We have extraund,000. Yeah. I don't know. Um, if we were to apply the ARPA funds to the same two lines, we would have an
extra $100,000 that could be put back into some of those lines. Is there anything preventing there's nothing to prevent us from doing that? We are we are using what has been proposed with our fund and sticking consistent with what the select board has done. Okay. by
putting $100,000 685 into highway and 385 into snow and ice. Okay. So, by doing that and being consistent with them using where the upper funds are, we're not re
reallocating upper funds. We're not using we're reducing the same lines that we're Oh, so it's Yeah, we didn't get extra money. We just Yeah, it right. It's kind of like it's extra money, but does that say that that's that's 53,000
for the cruisers cruisers, right? Yeah. Exactly. So those those are the be that's that's what I was saying with that piece. Um Okay. They have to understand this because isn't it the department heads
was it is he he or she is going to make those decisions about where they put that money. But you're saying it's got to be available. It it has to be even though it's not a line item availability to us. It's got to be a line item available. It's got to be. But if if we were looking at and and the bulk of the
um since chief is here in the room, if we if we said the cruiser of line is off off the list, his 94,000 goes down to 45 45 I to the 46 whatever. Yeah, a smaller amount. Yeah, that's that's what that's
all I was thinking. It's kind of like um and again the rest of it might go to say veterans benefits because those are the two big lines that in the veterans benefits not hero act veterans benefits line in in the budget.
Okay. Um so um I think those are good pieces for us. That was a good practice run because that Yeah, I see what you're saying. So, the ARPA funds So, yeah, the ARPA
funds where where where did the ARPA funds go? Okay. With with the original budget from the town, where where was the 100,000? They were applied in highway and in snow and ice. Oh. Oh, because snow and ice can
come back with um free cash next year and the highway lines um we hope to get those back as well. Okay, I get it. Okay. And then additionally, I guess
there's 25,000 if the cemetery trust money is going to be used to um to fund those up. And and again, the line that I didn't see in this budget was the line for um assistant Tom Clark was
um the note in the prior budget has been 7 19,000 of that was proper funding. So that's why it's highlighting in the follow. So I have it on 120. Yeah. Was
120 and the peach bud 120. So yeah. Was the town clerk's assistant always operating? No. No. No. This this was something that happened this year. I mean, how?
Because there was there was money that came from the community outreach position and was assigned there. I believe when you say this year, are you talking FY25? FY FY26. FY26. Okay. So, this change was made in 26. This would
be an FY26 because historically it was in the it was it was in the FY25 and even the earlier version FY26 it was at 46,715 right so that didn't change right that that
has not changed at this point but I it because it didn't say AR funds this gets into my idea favor of let's look at what next year is. Yeah. Do we have to plan for 19,000 in addition to for 2027? For 2027. Oh, yeah. Yes. I just wish we
could stand. Well, I know. But I know. I understand. I understand. If we don't understand where we are. Yeah. We're not going to know where. I know. But I think that's how it's been. But why are we cutting if why we're using opera funds for a salary for a salary that we've
been paying all along? And that that was we needed to try to balance the budget and we didn't have money. We don't have the money. I know. But I don't know about that. Well, we keep on going. What you're saying is to keep the salaries as they are and show the
true salaries, but then everything else is offset through recap or income. Um un because otherwise to the chief's point all of these positions if they're shown cut in half that then they
would look that way and that there was a huge increase next year which isn't true and I can't recall someone could you know u help my recollection of this when the arbor funds have been used in different years to apply to the
salaries. We didn't see differences in their salaries was applied in the in the back side in the accounting side. No, you you didn't you didn't see it in the budget, right? So, why would we see it in the budget now? Why would we change our I'm not I'm not saying we want to see in the budget now.
I'm saying we need to it needs to be visible to us in the in the budgeting, right? We we can't make it invisible. So, it's going to be invisible to to the to the town's people and the budgets at town meetings. It won't be there because our money can't be in your operating
budget. That was something. We did have it in one year at town meeting and and we posted it and in um August or September, it was taken out and reverse reversed all the money at that point. So, if I'm
just following this along, pretend someone's salary was $10 and it's still $10, but $1 is going to come from ARPA. You're still going to show $10 of salary. No, you're going to show the lower. You're going to show Yeah. Yep.
It's kind of like that's what we have to show at town meeting, but it's going to be made whole by moving the upper money in and paying the full. But all the opera money goes away in 26. At the end of 26, which is halfway through So when
we do FY27, all that up, we're going to have to make up all those shortfalls in 27. Correct. And be reappointed. We need the visibility. Oh, yeah. Well, that's true. That's true. Yeah. So our our
company is to be 100% used by December 31st, 2026, which is half of FY the first half of FY27. So yes, more dates, more confusion. So one question, Don, yeah,
if all this we we've been moving this AR fund here, there, and everywhere for a couple years, what happens next year when there is no ARPA funds to move around? Then do we think about that now? Well, not tonight, but I mean,
well, we're gonna have to start thinking about that. Yeah. Right. Pretty soon, right? Because, you know, it's kind of like, and again, that's why there's got to be a version of this budget that has the full salaries in here that we're working to move forward in into the next year.
If it doesn't show that, if the 19 doesn't show, then it looks like it won't come back. So it has to show I it has to show somewhere. It's kind of like which is a budget to us and the select board that says this is the full salary
for this position today. But maybe it'll go away. Maybe that position will go away. Could this one never know? We don't know. Okay. approved for clarity at town meeting and I know there's a lot of work to get things um available for folks but I
think it would be very confusing if the select board has said that $100,000 from housing is going to go to salaries for highway people are going to expect to see the cuts in the highway but it might also help the community to
see that these are the actual salaries that would be paid and what stays in the budget so that people do not think that highway is going away because that would be a catastrophic for right and and it's not it's it's highway it's cemetery and
parks and it's assistant town so they yeah all the positions that are if I were a guessing person Mhm. voting on that rolled out. Yeah. As the select board has it is probably not going to be helpful.
But if knows that there's 100,000 in salaries being allocated to highway but if income's budget show that somehow I think that would be oh we can it this there's a notes column. We can always put notes
beside an item. It's kind of like, you know, like full salary is actually this. Well, I think that would be a good thing to do besides otherwise it's going to be cut and that's it. Yeah. It's almost like
showing your recommendate. Yeah. Extra credit for showing the work. Yeah. You're going to get a raise. Are we meeting tomorrow? We can't. We can't. We don't have a time to post. This is it.
Can you not continue your We can continue it. Can we continue it? Well, not right now, but I mean, when it happens, don't close meeting. We're going into a recess until tomorrow. Have to go to the Yeah, not right now, but we have another You got
another meeting. Drama meeting. It's going to be horrible. You got to be out of here by drama. Drama. We have to be out of here by 5:15 because we have to be there at 5:30. Let's try to do it earlier because usually we go one extra couple of minutes. So, I'm going to say five
o'clock done. Oh, that's nice. Say four. No, you should 17. Okay. So, um does that does that make sense for us to do is take a look at this 125,000 apply it into the peach budget and then
the 125 from where did you find that? Okay. So right now things that are different between the prior to selectman budget we have $100,000 in proper that we had talked about and there's $25,000
in the cemetery park right um so it's a combination it's not an additional 25 no it's an additional 25,000 so okay that amount if we if we apply it to the same lines in in the peach budget Like I
say, that just takes 125,000 that we can start looking at our peach numbers and possibly reduce some of those lines. Cemetery. We're going to cemeter
if you want. But it's kind of So, um I do have the lines up here. You want to see the whole cemetery and parks? Where is that at? Um I've got it around. We got to have it line 592 in the budget line 592
592 4912 592 parts repair maintenance equipment I see it right here okay little difference can't get oh I see what's going on
cemeter wasn't cut though um It was Well, are you looking at you're you're looking at the older version, you need to be looking at the online version. Oh, sorry. Um, so we'll see.
Sorry. Um so when we look at the ed and following um so you can see that from yours you'll see $10,000
10748 and it's reduced to 5748 and that says $5,000 are coming from cemetery trust fund. Yeah, they can build that back up. Well, but see that's the thing. If if we take and apply this same thing into our
budget, that 25,000 is available for us to reduce some of the peace points. We do know the department has agreed to these numbers. So, they're in the select, right? That's and I'm not talking about changing anything. That's that's why I'm
saying change, you know, keep keep puts in the select pool, apply it into the peach, and then that gives us the Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. The 25,000, correct? No. Yeah. Yeah. 25,000 into Cemetery
Park. I'm just going to see reduced from 31 please. Yeah. Now, we're not going through these line items tomorrow night like this. I bet you will. Oh, yes. I bet you will at this point.
Really? Gener generally they do the groups, but you can get to line item because it's within the group. When they say to approve the group, they're going to say lines say 1 to 200 or general government any questions. Then you have the ability to question every line from
one. So a taxpayer can get up and say, "Could you please do every line?" Yeah. Okay. We'll be ready. And the budget. Yeah. It's going to That's That's the piece. All right. So, okay. We have two budgets.
We're going to make a decision. Oh, maybe tomorrow we can do that. 11th hour. All right. This won't happen next year. No, no, no, no, no.
Um, so those those are applying the same two. So that was again Oh, admin and what was it? Temporary health. Oh, yeah. There's a peach. All
right. Relax. Well, snow and ice you can't Oh, wages. I'm sorry. Yeah, we can't really I [Music] understand. Okay. Okay. And the other
bottom line 53. [Music] No, 517 Okay. Oh, 486. Okay. So we have we have applied the same it agreed to do um say that again. I I just
added the the full the the full lines that with the changes for some parts here. I guess I guess I have the working version of this now. Um, we can we can update
it. Do we want to go back in and change the police lines to remove the cruiser deduction? agree on. Well, I guess to be clear to to make it
clear, we do, right? Which would make it more clear. I think I think by by putting it back in, we we can then um so it it was at 102, we're
saying it's 102520. there's no deduction. Um and then on the pincom cuts that that will continue to allow us to use the
um money in article three for repairing the town hall. Town hall. Yeah. So, so is your goal on this little exercise to make it so that we're not going into stabilization?
No. No, it would not. It would not be that at all. I think what you put together would was still there. This is potentially reducing the amount that might be needed by stabilization. Oh. Or reduce the num number of cuts that other
people would have to make. Okay. It it's not it's not about the stabilization. Okay. I don't know why I'm so hung up on stabilization. I guess because it's scary to use it, but but yeah, this is a another again a one-year thing. If we
can put it together and plans that we're going to put together a budget that going forward from FY27 forward, we try to put into stabilization that so we have to be very diligent next year to work with the department heads. very very very and and and the town's people
I think the town's people and the town's people because at one point I'm so sorry I have to say this but our taxes probably will have to go up some point yes we we need we probably hard everybody is looking there and then
the other piece that was a big amount after the tariffs go away um was the veterans oh the veterans And is this the heroic act? No, this is not the Hero Act. Hero Act because you said
the Hero Act can't be in the budget. It can't be. It It's not going to be in the budget no matter what. Like the Hero Act is more abatements. So you're going to see it in the recap sheet. So does it work like So it's an abatement to your
property tax. Correct. So So you just collect less property tax. So revenue is less really I guess there's a piece it's kind it's a reduction in the revenue for the property tax because it is but and that's whatever in the recap sheet by
the so it just show it doesn't does it even show so like say my property tax is $1,000 and because of the hero act I only pay $800 that's how it works and then so you
don't really see They get a credit. I'm not sure. You don't get My brother-in-law gets it. Oh, what do you like? He gets a credit, I think. I don't think I don't get money. Oh, you No, you don't get money. But it off your taxes. Off the taxes.
But who gets it off their taxes? Okay. Disabled veterans. Thank you. Oh, and other and others, too. I just know about the disabled veterans. What are others? People that are blind, spouses,
disabled spouses. Yeah, but not disabled veterans. They could be blind people. Regular blind people. No, because we have blind people. If you're a veteran, you don't get it
veteran or some form there. I think yeah, there's a whole packet of who gets what exemptions on excise taxes and property, but like right now it looks like 54,000
reimbured to the municipality. Oh, and increases in I'm understanding it correctly that increases are not going to be correct. They will still be the same. Yeah. 54,000 still
673 down 673 673 Oh, okay. That's not your P, is it? No, not no. And and again, we'll look at the
budget from the most recent cuts and right now that says 48,850. Mhm. So, if we use that number and round up to 50,000 is going to go put in the
veterans benefits. Keep it keep it as a balance. But but still Oh, we did it. We go to the end. Well, that that's that that was just a few. Those were the big ones. The big ones. Yeah. Now, one of the things that I'm going to show you on the screen with the
pivot table because we just changed data in in the raw file. Okay. And so if we look at public safety and we see the police and it's still at 94,000. And then the last one is human services, the the veterans agents at 76.
If I then just hit refresh on here, you'll see that we have the reductions in police 40,000 from 94 and the veterans agent reduced by 26,000. That's to me the beauty of this. You can change the data and then come
and see a summary. And beauty, it's easier. Yeah, we're not going to do that right now. Not doing that. Be here forever. Yeah. Yeah. I know.
Um but I Well, we could. Do you want to go back in? I mean that's I was going to say that's that's the start we So do you feel comfortable the things we went over this afternoon that they're allowable legally and everything else?
Um I think so and and this starts maybe get getting us in in that collaboration with select board where we used a little bit of what they had done integrated into what we had been doing and we're we're starting to to mesh and come up
with a two it's a start I we still have more to look at the the solid waste is in Um, we're going to again that. Um, and I did not go on Friday because I didn't want to have the course. So, it's kind of
like No, Don, you didn't go because you didn't want to hear it. But I did. It was painful. I didn't want to hear it because that's you know that that's a point it it's it's still it it's going I think it's going
to end up being I don't know. It was cut in ours and it was cut in board, but the board of health is trying to work. I think they're being real cooperative. I mean, I would say they're they're trying to work with a solution that allows
curbside pickup still. See, now that's the bottom line here, though, isn't it? It's the curbside pickup. It's the curbside pickup, I think. Yeah, I I know is important to people. Uh but it when I look at this, it looks like we cut it from our budget too. But
that was because we were leaning to leaning on board of health to come up with a solution. Now, do you think that when we when we present if we present how do you think that the Fin should make some kind of statement that the the issue is
curbside pickup? It's not that we're not going to have trash available. It was disposable. We'd have to go to the dump like Pepp, right? Yeah. Or or arrange for for your own curbside pickup or arrange for your own. Right. And so board of health is is
working on a solution to pay a fee. And I I look at it like a collaborative or a group of people getting together put money into a fund. Yeah. because it's very difficult to um and we have been talking to people right
oh yeah so one of the things I know they had mentioned the 125 fee should the over not um passed and obviously there's concerns for folks that might not be able to explain that um but at to um
I've talked to you know folks and just like we do assistance with other utilities that would be ineligible sort of utility for the two members. So they would be covered for Yeah. And so if someone wasn't a
member, you just call and sign out. It's pretty easy. So the um the trash the 19,000 is the municipal part of the trash. Correct. was either 16 or
19 and it includes um other things in the landfill, not the engineering, but that when they say trash is going away, I mean that's not going away. No, there's the the landfill
$19,000 bill to the trash collector and it was our vote on the s functional segment that removed trash, right? remove trash. We have $10,000 there for the town dumpster or you still have you still
have to pick it up. So there was 10 so of the Okay. for the for the office for the town. It still needs pick up, right? The town still needs pickup. So there was $10,000 left in the budget for the town's portion of of their pickup at all the facilities. But you're not going to
renew the Shaw's contract for curbside pickup. If if it goes away. If it goes away. If they if the board of health works on a contract, it doesn't sound like it's the same contract that we have, which is curbside at every house. It's kind of like that's going to be a different
contract. Oh, okay. Well, you don't have too long before the contract expires. It's and and everybody there's all sorts of things that have to happen is the logistics in working with the people that are selling the banks, the um the
retailers that are that are buying them and paying for them. zero by having extra excess inventory which is 30,000 would get 30,000. So, Don, I know you weren't able to go to the meeting on um Friday, but they were talking about the
sort of hybrid program like you guys were talking about, that seemed very acceptable to the board of health to have that fee. Yeah. The fee the bags. Yeah. And to have those people that are opting in um Yeah. to do that. So, it
seems like the curb side can stay. People would just have to join the program. It wouldn't be every household would get, right? You'd have to opt in. It's not like you opt out. You would have to opt in, right? Yeah. You would have to pay your fee. You can get the
sticker. Get the sticker. Yeah. Go on a barrel. So that Sean barrel. You have a barrel. I don't have a barrel. You will. Oh, you won't. You get a hand barrel. What? Yeah. He doesn't. I'll give you a barrel. There you go. Thank you. Don't worry about the barrel. surprised how
many people don't have barrels. There's a lot need a barrel. I mean, it all goes in that purple bag, this bag, whatever it's called. You can you have to put the sticker on and then it gets put out on the I don't want to go too far down. I'm not doing trash.
The trash is off the table. It's going to continue to be worked, but it's it lying around. You do in the back over by the barn. Sure. There's one. I bet. I mean, I would bet that's where it is. Well, you from
It's just to identify who is a member of the program. I understand the reason for it. What if we put it on our recycling barrel? It's recycling supposed to say recycling. I mean, just a barrel that sits right next to the purple bag on the
tree. Sure. Yeah. They would just need to see it. They just need to Yeah. The recycling bar goes out every week. Trash goes out every couple of weeks. Yeah. Fine. I want to work with you. I know. But it's so trash is our big thing.
Yeah. Yeah. Is our big thing. Yeah. Trash was a big savings on both. It's kind of like by removing it from here. We removed 238,000 from the operating budget. I know. Um excuse me. Finance committee. May I
speak please? boy. Yeah, it it's Carla Walter, the health administrator for the board of health. The board of health does have a presentation that they will be presenting tomorrow night at the town meeting. Thank you very much.
You're welcome. Thanks. Does it'll be the same on our page, right? More or less. Yeah. Um, okay. Do do we want to look at any more individual lines or do we want to continue on
um with um the other articles beyond beyond the um beyond 11 beyond 11. Yeah, there are a few more that uh will require. Maybe we should maybe we should look at them
because if we're going to go back to numbers at the second part of the meeting. We better get this out of the way. We have to share. See, I'm sorry. I can read. This is the one I was doing. 39 pages.
No, I thought you had a garbage out. Oh. is the holy one. This is the garbage. That's number 11 there. All right. So, we got to get to number 12, right? Yes. Yep. Article 12. Yes. To see if the town will vote to fix the salaries and
compensation of all elected officers of the town as provided by master chapter 41 section 108. Um this pretty much rel relates to one one salary and one position which is town court which is elected have to
compensate elected and compensated. So what happens if they don't vote on it? Well it we voted to keep it well we we voted to keep it as the elector but this so if they don't vote does it stay where it where it is? Well that's it it's no it's
not funed oh it's not funed. Okay. So that if it's not voted, but all right, we we have to have a presentation that tells us how much the town um let's see. So this does not say that if we recommend this that the town clerk
salary will automatically drop to $48,000. No, it I don't I um right now there's no salary in that position. It's open. So yeah, I I I think if if we vote this, it's it's set
after the fact and we don't at this point, we don't know what that is in the in that in what would be voting. Can't tell you what this is. Okay. So what are we doing with this? We're we are going to get more
information. So you're saying that if we vote for this Yeah. The salary amount is set is set but at what it I would have selected oh it would have
okay because we don't have a salary line in the budget that was just presented would have been just presented what we have is blank on that line for Because we don't don't we have to recommend it because if we say we don't
recommend it then it gets fully done. There'll be no salary, right? I haven't seen the motion to see if they put in motion what the salary is. So maybe we'll wait till motion. Okay. Or will they tell us
they I don't know. Do they have to tell us? Um, if we're going to vote for it and let them set it, then they're gonna they're going to come in. I When do they set it? Usually it's set in the article before and they tell you how much the
salary is. That's easy. If we were to see it now, we we would see it at 70, 387. And so maybe the motion sets it at that. We should have to wait to see the motion. We just can't vote on something
like be voting on a blank line and you don't. Okay. So, we're not recommending. We're just going to do no recommendation at this time. Yes. So, Mr. Chairman, what you're saying is the line is for the clerk that's blank
and the operating staff that's blank. There's a total salary. It is that if town meeting doesn't vote on it specifically, leave it up to the board to allocate how they see how they would split that. Yeah. So, if they don't
follow and Oh, but they don't if they don't do line items, they won't know, right? So, so how do we how can we word this? Okay. Um, we'll work on it. It's something for tomorrow. All right, work on it. We can Yeah, we'll come back to
Oh, the water people. Okay. So this article is um they general every every year after um after the budget um we are approving
their budget their budget of the 2,169,35962 that that is their budget as they defined it. Um of there there's going to be an intermunicipal transfer of 444,65162. Okay, that amount is coming into the general fund for the purpose of
offsetting the expenses that the town takes on behalf of the water department like um um life insurance. Um so only water department issues only water department. So it's like the benefits and the
salaries, benefits, salaries, the hours spent doing the work and the journal entries by accountant and things like that. Okay. So yeah. Um and so items in support of the water department items items in support of the water department um have been defined and kind of work done
between administrator and um the water superintendent and that's that's the number that it is and you'll see that number in the recap sheet coming in. So I'll make the recommendation that we make the motion to recommend article
13 be passed as is. Okay, we have a motion for 13. I'll second it. Thank you. Any further discussion? [Music] Thanks. Roll call vote, please. Mary Jane Church. Yes. Grant. Yes. Yes. Carol
Hoff is yes. D is yes. Sorry. Unanimous. Um I think we should note um one absent but excuse because he's got a board 50. Yeah. Okay. Just just so that
don't question why five today and six. Okay. Article 14 to see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate borrow transfer from available funds in the treasury and the water enterprise fund the sum of
245,620 any other sum for the purpose of funding a portion of FY26 capital planed by the capital planning committee details bel it's the fourth year of the highway capital 31,100
memorial hall fire suppression at 40,000 both from capital stabilization. Um the police cruise cruisers lease the 102,520. Um that funding source has been the general fund. So we're not taking
any out of stabilization for police for these cruises. Correct. Yeah. It would straight strictly come from the general fund. And again, if we did anything, if we were going to take a piece of it from stabilization and put it there, it would go to the general fund anyway. Anyway,
it's kind of like I understand. Um, so in this case, it's straightforward to say it's coming from the general fund. Um, and then the last is um this two, I think it goes on to the next page. U number four is the water department master plan update for
$60,000 coming from water enterprise learning. And last one in the water is cyber security assessment for $12,000 again for water enterprise retained earnings. I guess it's pretty much what you have
to do, isn't it? I'll make the motion to accept that to recommend second 14 as written. And I'll second it. Okay. Second from Carol. Any further discussion,
questions? A roll call, please. Mary Churchful. Yes. Sam Gr. Yes. Yes. Carol. Yes. Yes. 15 to see if the town will vote appropriately borrow transfer from funds
and access some of $295,000 for any of the sum for the purpose of funding a portion of the FY26 capital plan. Um this one is for the highway department six plow and sander for
$295,000. Um the funding is borrow with the first payment coming from the capital stabilization fund. So that means next year when the highway department for their debt there'll be whatever the payments are for this borrow. It shows up under the total debt
the the debt section on the bottom all our debt is brought together. Do we know what the first payment's going to be? Yeah. It doesn't doesn't have it. Okay. Good question, too. Yeah, we it's around 14,000 plus or
minus. It's the interest. Okay. She did the whole thing for us and it's in that chart. I just don't remember the I bet I have it. I'm sure you do because I have all the notes. You have all the stuff that Melissa gave us and that she
presented. Yeah. So, okay. To do that, now that you say that, I kind of remember. So, that's fine. Okay. Article. So, we're going to recommend this one. Oh, yeah. I'll make a motion to
recommend. Okay. And I'll second it. As written. And you just heard details. We're replacing what? A 2002 or a 2000. This is from that. It's it's like a 20 year old truck that we're
replacing or something like that. We saw that Starbucks. [Music] Yeah, we we had the motion. Do we have a second? Yeah, I second it. Any further discussion
question being heard? We'll call vote, please. Mayor Jley, yes. Sam Grant, yes. Boss, yes. Carol Hop says yes. Yes. And I know we're all here, but it's it's just we've had remote so often that I go
with the police. We'll get back to being in person. Article 16 to see if the town will vote raise or appropriate or transfer from available funds in the treasury with sum of $10,000 or any of the sum for the purpose of funding the assessor's FY26
periodic inspections and property data verification program as beingated by Mass Department of Revenue Bureau local assessments. So, this this one I did I did not see show up. It's it's not on the omnibus
budget. I expected it to be on the recap sheet. Um, so I'll work with um Nelson just to make sure it's on because if if we're going to pass this article, then we have to make sure we have the $10,000 somewhere that is going
to be paid either from the free cash. Oh, in past years and uh I think you requested it and we authorized that but you'll have to talk to Nelson to be certainly um okay so the overlay overage from prior
year or this year's overlay I think it's the prior year. Okay. So then I would expect that to be check with Nelson. Yeah. So, but we have to we have to we do this. I mean, this is not like we get we we have to do it. If we don't fund it
this year, there's going to be a $20,000 bill next year. It's kind of like So, in order to this we we're doing this to try to level out the budget so that we're not constantly going up and down on a budget in two years with nothing and then one year with about Oh, is this the
two year with nothing? This is the This is Yeah, this is the second of three years for funding the assessment. Okay. Um and if we didn't do it this year, next year it would be higher. The amount would be double because that's the year
closer to when we have to get it done in that year of the assessment. So, but we don't know if it's in the budget yet. We don't we haven't checked We're going to check with Nelson. It sounds like we're going to have two amounts. We're going to have the overlay amount and then this amount. Yeah. So, it's a plus and minus
in the same, but it's in the overlay. It's going to move money into an account that that is not part of the general budget that doesn't go away year over year and become free cash and have to come back in. Okay? This this gets there's an account for this. Okay? And
this money will be transferred into the account and held until such time the assessor Do you know what account it's called? Do we know? Um, is it one of the ones we went over? No, it's not one of those. It's not a revolving account or anything. It It's
um like the money we're clawing back from some of those other prior special town meeting articles. Um it's it's similar to it. It's identical to that. Okay. All right. So, I'll make the motion that article 16 be recommended as
written. And I'll second it. We got a motion. Second. Nice. That's okay. Um, any further discussion, questions? Roll call, please. Mary J.
Charge for Yes. Grant. Yes. Yes. Carol says yes. Yes. Article 17, pay access receipts to see if the town will vote to appropriate from pay
access receipts reserved account the sum of $166,49067 funds equal to 5% of comcast grow annual revenue in um in town for the first second and third quarters of fiscal year 25 subject to receipt and availability and authorized the board
and town administrator ated to expand and distribute SID funds to towns in the community. Access Media Incorporated on a quarterly basis for the purpose of funding the production of broadcaster public educational and government paid
access television terms contained in this in certain grant agreement between town of town and town community access media effective September 152. So yes. So is this a contract that you
can say we like 7%. Or is this just what Comcast this is a contract? We have a contract with Comcast um that set up and is expiring in September of this year. Um and so it was set up at 5%.
um as the new contract is negotiated um the the amounts and and um will be negotiated in that contract. Um there's a couple of different so it could increase it it could increase or it could be
changes into the into how the amounts are returned to the to the town. So there's right now that there's a lot of negoti there's negotiation going on and changes in the cable industry because a lot now is not
is is not strictly cable revenue. It's a lot of internet and a lot of streaming, right? So, um how all that is being is going to be governed is some of it's being handled at the state right now, but we are in negotiation. We're we have
hired a lawyer um to negotiate the contract between cast and town. So, a question when that money comes back into our town, is it only for the PEG access for it's only for TAMP? It's only for teaching that one that that particular
part of it. Yeah. Now, what if they don't use all that money? What happens to it? Um I don't think we're ever had that happen. Yeah. It's kind of And again, part of it is upgrading their equipment, the changes in technology and things
things obsolete. That like more on the broadcasting side. Oh, broadcasting. One of the one of the items that they're going to have right now is they're working in HD um broadcasting in H in high definition which they can't today. We don't have to
you and that's why if you look sometimes you work and you go my glasses need to be clean when you're looking at the the things being broadcast on on channel 9 because I see it's not high. So um they quickly increased cost with that and and
and things. So that um it like like any you know our computers go obsolete all the time better struggle faster internet speeds and and resolutions. So um can I make
the motion to accept article 17 recommend it? I'll second it. Okay. Any any further discussion or questions? I I am the reason I I am the finance committee rep on the
cable cable committee. So, you're not voting. No, I I'll I'll vote on it. It's I mean, but I I just happen to be that's why why I know a lot of the You know about the contract? I know about the contract. Oh, we thought you were just up on
everything in the town in Lor. you remember what you will point me to. Okay. So, so that's that's that's a piece of why it's kind of like we're there. We'll have a new contract in September. We'll see. Okay. White
districts next year. Churchville. Yes. Grant. Yes. Yes. Teres approving the money that can get transferred to them. Um, okay. Article 18 and 19. Yeah. What
are these? These are the act these two are part of the Hero Act. Oh. Um, and one is adopting cause 22 I and the other is adopting cause 22J. Okay, good. So, what's that mean? Um, hang on. Let's
see. 22 A. 20 22 I and 22 J. Oh, I So it's at the end of the each of the first lines in the articles. Oh, oh, I see. So they will increase the amount of the
exemption, right? And then it it talks about that they um the refunding level is not changing. It's kind of like the level it is on and and the other one the the other is adjust the first one is
adjusting it by the CPI. So every year it it adjusts based on the consumer price index um what the increase can go up goes up to. [Music] Um and the la and the second one is
saying how much the reimbursement can be up to up to 100% by 100% of the personal exemption amount. I will get you a link to the DLS. Look, there's a DLS um
a little bullet and that gives you gives you little better information on exactly what it is. Should we vote do we recommend it on this or do we have to wait for the Hero Act to pass?
Um the these two articles as being part of the Hero Act have been addressed. They're in the they're in the recap sheet listed. So if it passes Yeah. So
yeah. So again, it it's kind of like it's account it's accounted for. You're not going to see it in the it's not the same within the strictly in the recap sheet. Okay. All right. I'll make the motion to accept articles 18 and 19.
And I'll second it. I cheat. Here you go, Sam. Thank you. We're gonna continue. No, continue. Oh, continue. A recess. We're just taking a recess. No. Do we have a time that we
want to get back together tomorrow? 7 o'lock in the morning. 7 a.m. Well, that works for me. But just tell me what time. What time? I'm pretty free except I just have to admit this. I have a hairdresser's
appointment tomorrow 2:30. Hairdressers. You might have to move on without me. John, if you do it in the morning, I'm happy to help you guys that you might need to hand out for me. Yeah. I have had a doctor's
appointment at 11:15. The earlier the better. Where where are you going to dock at? Oh, we're just going down the street. I could do as early as town hall has to be open first. Oh, that's right. 9:00.
Doesn't have to be a town hall. Yes. Later. Where will we go? Yeah. Where else will we go? I don't have chief raining anyway. Police department.
What time are you talking about? 7 8 8 9 to 10 10 to 11. That would give us two hours. And then if we have to print stuff off, General can leave and I can help you print. Okay. Okay. So, 8 a.m.
Police station. 8 a.m. at the police station. Oh, good. We'll have donuts, right? Okay. Make a motion to recess at 507. Thank you. I will second. Oh, I'll make a motion to recess at 507.
Yes, second it. Oh, okay. She's making a motion. She's making a motion. Sam said second. Okay. to recess at 5:07 p.m. Yes. Yes. Cam Grant. Yes. Carol House.
Yes. And we're going to meet at the police station. Police station.