##VIDEO ID:ulI3jg6_RN4## this this is the towns and finance committee uh Tuesday December 10th and called meeting in order at 6:04 p.m. just in case um Sam comes in I guess we'll still do the roll call General Walker James Carol hus and Don Hayes um and that's five members on board so we have a quorum so we are good to continue um the meeting is being recorded um and um it will be playback on Channel 9 and it's also available on the town YouTube channel for do there um on demand item four preliminaries addition to Del um um there maybe it's going to come under correspondence I have nothing nothing nothing to add um the oper projects will just touch on when we when we get there um there hasn't been action on that that's be at TH meeting with the board of sele um that called the meeting to Thursday to discuss it and um changes are planned for that and and how it uh responds um with that um I have two um meeting minutes um that I put in the the packet for tonight to youw um and if they're could approve and get them uh so we'll start with Ember the minutes from November 12th I'll make a motion to accept the minutes from November 12 oh second okay we have a motion to um approve the minutes for November 12th and a second any additional discussion of questions none being heard uh We call we call vote J is yes Dave Walker yes Mary Jane Churchville yes car yes unanimous I to share them next next is the minutes from November 26 make a motion to accept the minutes from November 26 six and I'll second it okay had a motion in a second um there's no changes recommended so we'll accept as is a roll call vote J is yes Walker yes mayy Jane chille yes car yes thank you for putting the dates in I appreciate it down the bottom okay yeah and what I thought I would do is add to that and create table list of coming in okay and if in advance we have their if we in advance we have questions for them we can get them to them in advance so they can be prepared in the meeting um so we have the their budgets first we have their budgets first um it is on theend um okay no sorry it's um so um I'm G to share and put it up just to um have um so what I what I was starting to do I had started to see um some of the information coming through this is not the official spreadsheet maintained by the ATT um administrator this is my notes that I had prepared um if I hit the page down um and get down to the my understanding is that there's going to be three three additional proper requests um for equipment and other other items that are going to be added added on Thursday equipment what um the copers is is on here soop yeah they're looking at replacing and updating the two copiers the main copers that we yeah so just to be clear on the same page mhm is this what up there no no no no oh okay so with the 87,000 is that the offer yeah funding That's Thursday yeah that I I didn't receive a copy from anybody I was just putting it together that's for Thursday yeah yeah so the the oper pieces we don't have we don't have finalized because the vo Selectmen have not voted on the changes or anything but again what is trying to be done is adding the rate they were going to check with the company that um manages the oper get get them because these oper numbers are assigned by them and managed by them and so you can't just add something to the list without having it verified and and who's that that third party outsourced uh I think it was GSS or is that a state regulator state approved it's it's a state approved company yeah and again in a lot of cases oper is uh Federal so it's kind of like so they also report back into the federal funds part of it too to make sure that we're in compliance with everything um so those those they're adding three and I didn't get a title for the third um the rer 27 was going to be for the trying to cover the deficit that trying to cover the deficit we made in the ARA fund no the the deficit is in the operating budget for the town so it was a deficit so so so um the deficit we have is not is not oper funds we're looking to use oper funds to cover the deficit in The Bu are we allowed to do that the company will let us know let us know I'd like toize okay question my question is now that you mentioned the 87 deficit I guess that would be in the tax Lev for 2025 is that how you say it I'm not sure right so they um we put together the spreadsheet for the year um and they and it happened to be it was the modified one that came up at the uh special town meeting on August 20th um they put together the numbers and when they put together the numbers everything worked out with the transfers and things that were approved however what happened was there was a sell in the spreadsheet that was not accounted properly in a in a subtotal area and so $131,000 was missed in the transfer as being required money is that including the $887,000 in there it it's part of it so we so yes so that's what it comes down to if it was 131,000 for the tcam uh pay access transfer because I was concerned about the 87,000 because I had heard someone attended the B SEL meeting I heard that number yeah and from my understanding I mean sounds like I'm wrong that it was not known where the 87,000 it was not known at that time we we have since narrow down narrowed it down and um if we want to jump to that I can I'm sorry no no no that it's it's part of the offer and we're going to cover it um but I it's on everybody's mind it's on everybody's mind um and so I'm bringing up the this is the master spreadsheet it may not be the most recent and updated because I I know there's there's values in here that are not did you send this to us in an email um no this this was this was uncovered very late it's kind of like um I I found out about 5:00 last yeah I have a question about finding out about this deficit in December mid December yeah how did that actually happen you think so it it was discovered because they were putting together the numbers for the state and the do so that we could get our budget certified and so oh when they were doing the numbers for the state we were coming up $887,000 short of a balanced budget if we don't fill that 8 $7,000 we can't set the tax rate if we don't ta set the tax rate we can't send tax bills in in in January to be paid in February if we don't get bills out we're not going to have money in the treasury to pay bills for I understand that so it's kind of like so this this one's kind of critical but that's the timing wise is V at in the November time frame certifying the but bfy 25 budget and that's when the deficit was uncovered and so they backtracked into finding out where where the problem was so I remember distinctly two woodis Leon meetings that I attended because of the position I was in and the arer discussion wouldn't take place they kept not discussing it so now it's coming up well it it's coming up but it's not arer font it's it's it's not the offer we're using offer funds to bail us out on this do they know what the 87,000 87,000 okay it's 87,000 is the deficit it is caused by a line that is 131,000 in the or in the regular theer F the deficit is not offer deficit is the regular offer and they want to use offer funds to the deficit and they're not quite sure if that's they can if they can do that right they're looking at it um on the salaries line lines and uh balancing it that way so I've I've got the screen up now and if I'm looking at it I'm going to highlight the line the ATM article 10 TM payment this is the um so that's highlighting the the line of 13,140 um when I click on the subtotal the total Appropriations to be raised when I highlight this line the cells come in and it highlights the total operating budget the annual to meeting articles and the special town meeting votes it's missing that 130,000 line we have to add that F9 into this to come up with the total that was due so we so the 130,000 to tkm transfer is is required it's part of the PID access money um and so but it was missed in the formula on that subtotal and so that so when we say 87,000 in the number that's the number because when you take out the rest of the money is in the general fund is is that would be 40 $43,000 was on the positive and that's what we thought we balance that but taking 130 out leaves you with your 87,000 out of balance so is this a numbers mistake or is this this is a formul this is a Formula mistake so yes it's a real money a real money mistake that we did not address in the August 20 our meeting because we we thought the numbers in this spreadsheet were correct correct yeah yeah so so how do just I'm just trying to learn we're we're all because I thought it was an fy4 mistake so was an fy2 it's an fy2 okay are we in fy2 right now we are we are so what happens if we if it's determined that we cannot use these AR then we got to find money somewhere else yeah it's kind of like we we are um so we have to cut 87,000 from someplace else from places most likely we would we would have to yeah that would that would have to be um the case does this include the bag sale um different subject um but it it's different but the same it's kind of like so if I scroll down to the bottom will we start talking about the revenues we're getting um they they have in here somewhere total the local receipts estimated for trash what was 131 they they they estimated in$ 550,000 and they' receiv received how much um I think the state was going to allow about 325 or 275 so we so we overestimated so we overestimated what the well well there right so that that that may be a January a January yeah so is 130,000 in that 550 no no the 130,000 is straight it was an just plain error it was it was an error an error in the formula in the cell that it was omitted from the total do um so we have the $550,000 deficit and now plus an $87,000 deficit about 225 because if the state's allowing 325 of the 550 that what does that mean yeah um so I mean so they looked at the receipts that we have transferred in from weight zero to this point in time and they estimate for the full year that we would likely get 325,000 for a full year for a full year for the nine months based on B they already based on what's there already they estimated out the rest of the the rest of the six months in this be wise to air on side of caution and drop that down a little bit to maybe 275 it could be yes and that's the discussion right now is they looking to determine what what what that number is going to be especially with a lot of people bought hoarded bags at the beginning so I'm assuming that as time goes on your revenues it's not gonna stay the same it's in September because we all had to have them for the first of October when it went live so there was a spike in the that's a false that's a false R it's it's a false read but you can average it out you can you you could you could use it to average it across right and that's that's what I you know if I would assum it it's kind of like but I I haven't seen the num have you seen the actual numbers of how much we've sold in bags I I have not seen the actual numbers it's kind of like so we're asking that we trying to who that um Katie would probably provideed Prov for us Board of Health Department yeah yeah they have to give us their budget um they have yeah they will yeah Board of Health has to that'll be in that budget right um would it be we have to see right now the money's going into the general fund and it's being paid the the trash contract is being paid from the general fund at this point um so so it's not going into a board of health account it's not going into the Board of Health revolving account at this point before before October that the revenues the revenues for weight zero because it was all over four bags was going into the revolving account oh because it was over it's not a requirement by the Min right yeah so that was that was a shift in the way sh oparation so are we to be concerned with ARA right now um I no that's that's the at this point it's it's actively being pursued by um Board of Selectmen in conjunction with the Department of Revenue and the GSS people yep it's it's kind of like all all those and the Town Administrator so they're putting together Thursday morning at 11 o'clock is going to be the meeting to go over all ofay so as residents can we rest a little bit assured that we have some oversight over the board of selectman or let's not the present but what the prior ones have it's um all of as far as the oper funds it's kind of like so the oper funds are definitely all managed all the policies are written and the bo of selectman has the three policies around they have to be adhered to they have to be adhered and that was um apparent on the December 3rd selectman meeting it was brought up because they were discussing the moving of the money and the um had brought out Poli because she written so she she's in familiar with the policy and wanted to make sure that they were ADH to in regarding any changes and shifting of any money so the 87,000 that were have to take yeah could have been used towards roads how about roads how about thece roads would be nice i' like some Stripes BL out white stripes White Stripes Road Safety Road Safety Safe Streets um well it um there there is one that was on the oper funds which was um doing South hoer Road I believe um that was for 25 um well that was um it's confusing as to what year were well yeah confusing about this arer fund versus taking the arer funds to balance the budget that was that's kind of scary to me it we have to be very concerned with it going forward because I would say so and we were so one one of the requirements we put in um was the multi multi seeing the mul is following the budget process and procedure that is defined and when you say that Don are you talking about the fact that there is a procedure in place and that the finance committee is very much a part of that procedure um we are we're going to make sure that um it's kind of like this year we we've been we've been trying and asking um but the last four years have always been year toye budgets try to get through the budget get it get something balanced for the year forward that's so reactive it is kind of like and that's why um the policy that was put together is to come up with a fiveyear plan fiveyear is aspirational as far as I'm concerned because I mean any of us could put together something and it can break if if you have if you have a major break but you buil you built some kind safy net into that into the into the five years so you you can't know exactly what may break down or need correct corre in those five years but you can you can build you can build a budget sure and and and and especially with oper funds being used to fund our general our operating budget we have to make sure that we're not going to get hit um they're going away 202 right um the yeah December 26 they have to all be used which is half of FY 27 so we have to that's we that's why now the right question because you mentioned bags um I Heard a whisper this just kind of get my bra to think in here I heard a whisper about perhaps that that we might be eventually responsible for own trash other than having shots I don't I'm jumpe no we weren't really necessarily going to talk about it because we only have a contract for this year um we don't know where it stands I I am not part of a cont finance committee isn't part of the contracts I don't know what it would take to break it and get out but I think at this point our best bet would be um to see what a FY 26 this the contract that that were working with with sha sh was put together because we did not let the Selectmen sign a 5year contract which Char for trash so you're allow to say it's outside the I would say very possible it you know I mean other than that you know what cover milon I don't know [Music] I know State residents do their own there's no town there yeah so the town I mean the town would be saving a lot of money but by the same it's kind of right and and that that's that's but would my tax rate go [Music] down the tax rate the tax rate is is where it is right now based on the revenues that are expected from the sale of the trash bags if that Revenue goes away now the tax they the tax where we are with taxes won't cover that so why are you saying that that $900,000 sha contract would no longer be on the plate and we as individual residents would be paying our own tax but we wouldn't get the money we wouldn't get rebate no re dumpers or something yeah whatever it's really the board of we can go down hit the meeting ask them they're meeting right now yeah that's okay John if that did happen just say the scenario that she brought out and and the $800,000 no longer goes to Shaws it goes back into our operating well it's elimin from the operating budget and so that's a lot that's an $800,000 line that you don't have to you don't have to fund fund it would just relieve a little bit of pressure it doesn't necessarily solve 800,000 would oh because 800,000 wouldn't be added I see okay so it's it's not it would not be part of [Music] the it would it would relieve some of the budget pressure but I don't but depending on depending on on what else needs to go up it wouldn't necessarily solve exactly and when when we read into all the different pieces of a Bard Health has um has to work with SH us now and come up with a multi-year contract presented to us as as part of the budget that we look but they should the bo right the select one did it instead yeah yeah well there you go I mean I yeah I I don't know we need be in our own lane here um right it it's kind of like um but the August yeah the August 20th was was the key in that we knew we didn't have enough money to fund everything in the budget then the schools budgets got passed by the other two towns so there was a you know an extra 100,000 that was that was put um I think if they had presented that correctly though we would have been all right I I think so and and that's the piece it's kind of like that's why my my thought is providing a multi-year plan of these are the numbers this is where we are if if it did require an override that there's a complete story that the town's people would say kind it's not this well transparency might work yeah right yeah so we also can we learn from our mistakes I mean so next year or whatever Year we're in FY right yeah we we're planning for FY 26 in the FY 26 budget that we try to have a contract and and again part of where we were in was the timing the budget for Shaws was or the contract for Shaw um I I think we had a March special Town Mee meeting where where the contract the 5-year contract proposals from charge was wrote it down well March is passed except I just want to if if the state only allows us a three-year contract then well yeah well why why why do we even bother with the trying to put through a five contract we can't do it's three years is the standard but if you have a motion in a special article that says 5 years and you allow and the town's people allow the selectman to sign a 5year contract you can sign a longer contract really did that happen no it was wrote it down no was it presented it was no it wasn't presented well no it wasn't none of it was were two articles presented I think this is a real issue for the town residents because they really don't know what's going on because no one ever talks about it right I mean the rumor Facebook blah but I mean the real hard facts are not this closed to the that's parency as you said right along is the important why I sent my I sent a little brochure to Dawn okay so if if we can do a fiveyear contract by to V right we might be better off with a fiveyear contract what the Board of Health their work I did look at his cont his fiveyear contract um I know he doesn't know the Tipping fees but whatever the Board of Health does a pretty good job it seems yeah let's let them do their job get back to us and'll yeah right we just know the numers not going down yeah the number went up year to year um this year I thought was a really good rate now the other part of it that we have to consider is I don't know if we're responsible for picking up recyclables so that's always going to be there I don't know another part of the contract is all of the dumpsters that are around at all the other Town facilities that they pick up so there's still going to be a piece of trash pickup it may not be in the border of Healthline it might end up moving around to everybody everybody's individual wether or border Health pays it and and gets transfers from the other thing is what about choices if if we decide to go pay our home pay own way come how do we get I caught like five different places they don't pick up in towns right I mean why are we taboo are we like end of the world um I don't think so um some of its capacity I think if if the town would to go in you you might find more vendors willing to come out oh it's it it's not the whole the whole town is not in play at this point because we still have the curbside pick up um so we are kind of remote it's kind of um and we remote ASP is remote but some of our we we have a large area that they would have to cover that they they have to pick up going from the New Hampshire border all the way to blomberg is is Miles and Miles of road so it's kind of like right so Sor um yeah um yeah yeah bus oh the bus don't get me start bu so it's kind of so trash trash is there is going to be on our FY 26 radar and we're going to have to watch it and we're going to have to I'm going to flip back to that other going we're definitely going to need to be continuing to watch um what the what the number is for revenue and like I know you mean the revenue coming in for yeah oh just oh you're talking about just bags yeah it's kind of and we do need to you know continue to watch the other Revenue you know if people go out and buy new cars the excise tax revenues are going to be higher than anticipated but y $50,000 that's estimated receipts y current year deficits is that what it is what is and then it says what is it $825 trash contract yeah Will fee so okay so so yeah it's canot so so is that estimated 50,000 from September to now is that what that is for the receipts no no they that was for the for the for the nine months when we started on October 1st oh okay so so you're right okay so there's only I I should build it out and look at it the total bill for the trash is 825,000 were anticipating 550 of that to come from the revenues for the bags we transferred an extra $100,000 from ambulance fund into the general fund for the trash no no you can't do that you can't do that it has to be for Fire EMS services so they transferred an we started with 700 in May and they upped an extra 100,000 at the August and so that 100,000 went into cover Fire EMS salaries and and expenses which freed up a 100,000 of general fund that we could use for trash so now at 550 now you're up to 650 then there were some small lines where we um the new Administrator salary was $110,000 less and and car allowance was a little less and there were a couple of other lines and there was 475 for the police to push out the they started their lease to December instead of um July their car Le their car leases yeah so so there was that little bit of money still the money but we still have the money the 47,000 right but no so it was 95,000 they had 95,000 and we reduced it to 475 but we split it right7 no they they did they delayed getting cars so they didn't owe the money overs they okay okay now and it was an incorrect assumption because they're getting him in December which is 50 it's seven months not 6 months so it should have been about 50 53,000 that we left in there but we we didn't and okay and but so saying weit it's not us no the finance Comm recommended that we leave money in the budget for those cars because we have seen how hard it is to get a quorum in in fall and winter special in terms of residents that might be different this year so if we talk it could be I'm thinking it's G to be if if we took all of their money out they wouldn't be able to get the lease and get them in the second half if we didn't have that special town meeting so that was the recommendation from finance committee was leave the leave half of the money in there so that we weren't counting on a special town meeting so how long does it take to play catchup on this so we're not like reacting reacting reacting and and making bad decisions is there a time line on that um well the timeline's going to have to be our start of ffy budget it's kind of like we we have to see there and and moving forward okay and and the impacts of um other things that have happened in town potentially like so and and again this is something I will I will add into um some of our budget questions for some of the Departments oh okay well when we it's kind of like so but those are those are the things and those are the questions I um ready they're starting just kind of like we'll we'll hit that maybe later on when we start talking more on the on this but I thought it was important that everybody really get get the grasp on What's the total other amounts to be raised um okay hang on okay so let's scroll and see the whole 455 oh 495 hang on let me are you yeah hang on let me let me get it displayed and get the whole thing oh you don't have it um thought this was you this this is me so I but I I didn't have my mouse turned on so I couldn't 123 total other amounts ra yeah okay so when we look at this um from line 13 yeah to line 23 is the lines we're talking about so um we were trying so going into the fy2 year budget we had a couple of bills left over from 2024 um originally they had estimated 10,000 and it was reduced to the 65611 um when we were there so like the current year overlay there were no current year deficits or overlay deficits the snow and ice deficit we did vote and we transfer 181,000 is that's your only budget that you can really deficit spend in that the S ni and then we found that the highway cap loader had an extra or had a leeks payment that needed to be in it was not in um the capital plan for that year $133,000 um yep 13,000 to for that leak payment um and then the Cherry sheets from the state uh State assessments um and then the total the total other amounts to be raised is just 424 and you can see the full plot filled in and all of these this this is the total so the 120 656 181 13 2782 total the 42453 Y 424 531 and the formula the formula works and because when I highlight them all down in switch to see the screen up there um down here you can see the sum total matches the cell oh I didn't it okay so it is it's just the way when you when you highlight cells it starts cing and adding them up and so you can validate your formulas by highlighting the same things that you think are in now are the formula set by the state or is that something towns and sets um which formula yeah which you're coming up these these are all town the these are the people that create the Excel spread sheets these are are not standard forms that you fill in like so that's so i' say time administrator and and in this case it was the interim Town Administrator that was oh got it so that's why I yeah we we have we have phone and question numbers in the cells and and we're going to do that right we're going to question that we're going to make sure correct okay good good good that's that's up to us and and we we do we do double check now it's kind of like um but that that one was was missed in August it was it again try that day we didn't we didn't know we were going to have to pay the school until 15 minutes before we hit it in the middle of town meeting because Ashby had a special meeting to vote and they approved the budget they started it I don't think we should allow that kind of stuff I well you know you have to it's kind of like it's the school it's how the schools operat 15 minutes before well we didn't know they were having a special town meeting to either override or vote down right they voted to to accept the school budget at that point that is the trigger that town and had to pay the schools the assessed values so that's why so they didn't like plan for that in advance they they just like went with it's all a matter of the towns I mean if sometimes peil and and towns in an asby might schedule a couple of days in advance but this was compressed we were in August we were six weeks into but wouldn't you think they would have like Plan B in case Ashby did vote it I they would have to yeah yeah the school would we should have had Plan B no the town should have had a plan the town should had a plan B in case Ash didn't go the way they want him to go I think going forward you got to have to have plan B's for for things like that but I'm not should be voted that way is surprising one single I I thought I should be usually voted that down yeah I I thought they might it's kind of like because but the point is we don't know so how can we base what we're doing on something that we really don't know that's crazy then that's when you have plan B so so if if if you do your whole thing and and then the schools W 11% you say if we have to you could have a budget that says okay worst case this best Cas we have brought it up you robing Peter to pay Paul not find not having a well we went to the school meeting we found out who was robbing us and it's the state well but but you know that's another thing that's a why aren't the residents rallying and being proactive about that if the governor is not is holding back money from 121 writing campaign to the governor well that's not going to work you got to get on a bus and go to Bon you got to clog the streets call the police call the TV people and do it up because can get all the town all the school 21 people on the bus will'll work on that J okay okay okay okay are we still on it's kind of like we we sort of did jump around I was looking at the calendar on here we've got Janu January 23rd which is a Thursday and yes and 25 is that the workshop with the we also had down the 25th twice okay um we were alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays on 25th is a Saturday are you sure yeah got it right front me what month janary so it's I get a we get January 14th August January January 14th and then January 25th okay so 23rd 23rd 23 January 23 the 25th 23 January 25 it's that's the date this is the year oh for God's sake why am I meeting on a Saturday okay I got it oh we can meet on a Saturday if you want Saturday right now the the budget Summit is scheduled for Saturday March 1st what's a budget sum is that um budget Summit It's the final time and we line up all the Departments that we maybe had question questions with pieces if there's any stragglers that we haven't to that's our opportunity to okay so when is it the budget Summit budget Summit March 1 sounds like all the event is it um um it has been we they try to do four hours but then they they go to six Mary Jane on that piece of paper that you're writing down could you take a piece would you mind if we took a piece of paper out of that because we need to have you sign in no I already did they did yeah right here Sandra and Cindy it's another Cindy King now we have two cind oh boy okay interesting they live on the same street you're [Music] kiding okay budget summer all right well that's in March that's next year that's Yeah March we have to go through all those budget meetings with all the department heads and do we have a checklist oh to ask questions of them and say what did you do last year with the money how did you spend it over well they'll come in and present their budget right then we can ask questions there you question but um should we have like a checklist standard is there something the state puts out that we can there something wa minut maybe there's a cheat she one of those one of those columns maybe organized you do maybe because of all my years working for the federal government paper with my friends um somewhere in here there is something there is some kind of a what is that actually is this something you made up yeah yeah because say I I pr print I went on the State website and printed all this crap St stuff out inform information out but you know what I'll look through it I took the little classes but I didn't I didn't I love class I just wanted to read up so I'll I'll look through here and I know there's like a little check checklist and I'll I'll type it up and stick it in the minutes or something yeah okay I I'll I'll do that action item that help us move things along because you know we can't just so where where are we um we had do we move off yeah so it's kind of like I I haven't been so we the minut we looked at Opera for a couple minutes we um we took questions from the floor that's a big deal right and and we don't have um get the budget schedule right we have the budget schedule the warrant articles for special town meeting I wanted to make sure that we put um two items on there so I um I'll get them in writing and and send them to us personally yes us personally because we want to we want to see I I think us personally we want to see once the um we have free cash certification I think want to see one to repay the stabilization that we transferred in August and then also put money into the capital stabilization so there's money for the capital stabilization it's kind of like so you're assuming we have money left over that we could do with this um and again I I have that and the reason the reason why we think this we thought sold three properties last November so so when I say November 2023 yes we doing an au this year too right um because the board s had like five or six properties or more don't you think I I was confused about that John were they talking about your prop the properties that we already proper Comm yeah that's already Okay so this there there there not five new ones well well there's there's a recommendation from the properties committee um from the October meeting uh presented to the board of selectman and again they couldn't act on it until there was a operating so five more properties at least five more it's kind of like so we had we had gone through that the list of all the properties that the town owns and recommended so in in addition to that is still 182 War Road and there is the um once the water department moves out of um the Main Street location that has already been approved to go to AR the water department little brick building no no no no no that that stays as part of that's the Ping House beyond the other Brown building that they're in that they operate out of today oh well actually they don't operate out of right right right Brown building it's further up Main Street on yeah just just by the um oh that used that's so that building that building is being I won't say abandoned but it's it's up for sale it will be up for sale because um they they're moving into the new Harbor Trace facility and they should have completed that I believe it was December 2nd I think they have some kind of opening soon aren they right so so it's quite a facility out there I don't know why they residential area but that that wasn't necessarily on the agenda but it it's budget budget it's good to know thank you Jerry for bringing it up yeah so so yeah the you know the properties committee went through every property there were a lot that were just reassigned very small pieces of um thousand square ft and things that were assigned to Conservation Commission they said neighborhood's fine know I thought the program was pretty good um the only thing about the pries is once they're gone they're gone so we're GNA have to but we're we're hoping that they come back on to the to the tax r tax rolls it's kind of like that weing you know small ones that you can't sell okay see I just clearly don't understand why they've been sitting there for 500 years not earning tax dollars but that's okay um I just don't get it I mean I yeah the properties the properties committee um it um didn't necessarily have review them so it's kind of like there been you know this pushing pushing to do things but yeah and and I think that's a very important thing and I don't know it's our and our lame to do that but if the properties are not on the roles earning and they're just sitting there owned by the town right because I get the delinquent the way they run here why aren't they doing these sales on a yearly basis until they clean it out and put them back on instead of waiting 10 15 they they're all cleared out this this oh this is it the the October meeting was every property that the town owned so now there'll be no more property for sale well that the town owns today that the town owns today okay there are several properties in land court that the town will take in the future so there are other properties in the tax taking process that that are ongoing but we can't do anything with them until such time that we get the the deed is transferred to the town of town at that point they can be listed for auction again they those those will be recommended and again it's it's a it's whether if it's a value to the town it might be transferred to to a town Department um if it's in an aquifer and you don't want building on it um you're going to transfer it to the you likely transfer it to the water department so it's not necessarily Revenue it it's not necessarily Revenue but there there are properties yes Mr chairman thank you for recognizing me I have a question speaking of is that like the wellis hill um haes Road that's one yeah that was all done years ago yeah okay I have a question about that because Because by the same token we're talking about in this town about keeping open spaces and everything yeah than okay it is because it's beautiful out there we're I don't the land the bus but and it's beautiful out there there's Wetlands it look kind of grout but there's a lot of like nature there that I would hate to see destroyed right now everything was dry this year so some stuff veral pool that might be there normally would not be there my concern is that you go ahead and sell it and development all that natural habitat you're G to get yeah some of will fall L use and openes it's kind of so good well we had a great department and send it off this right but um you know in conservation if if it's Wetland and things we we have the other the it's kind of like and if it is a proper um and conservation were we transferred I think 12 or 13 properties to conservation in that meeting so they were properties we didn't want developed conservation didn't want developed and they were transferred to conservation so they'll be listed as town of Townson with with and they did mention that the mean they said somay we're going to go to conservation some they wanted to offer to the state actually I guess we have tried that Warren Road was one of them they want wanted the back half of the Warren Road um property but in the end they didn't want it so now it's going to be that whole Warren Road property is will be available for sale so that's going to be part of I would anticipate that's part of the next group that we go auction that's good to know right now there's only two which isn't very good for auction and it's kind of like and it does need to be auction you can you know is the rules and regulations that the state come over um and Again Properties committee has and it's not the properties committee themselves but the town has new regulations about how you record information and how you get paid back from the sale of these properties um so it's that well um once we had taken tax title before all we sold the property 100% of that sale went to the town and went into our general fund now the state has changed the rules you have to keep ta track on your unpaid taxes lawyer fees every your expenses you can only be you can sell a piece of property but you can only take the expenses that you have related to that property and the rest the money goes back to the original owner of the property John I know of one piece of property that's going for sale now that has been in tax whatever since like I want to say 1935 yes yep it's kind of like I the state doesn't differentiate it's kind of like there has to be a will that go up that yeah it is it's going up it's going up this time yeah should be yeah so how do they determine what the tax Bas is the tax who the who the last folder was and who the relatives may be I believe there's another expense associated with doing a search for so it again it's kind of like all of those will be the Tre the treasur is responsible for tracking it and keeping C on what so we might not that's not real good source of Revenue anymore it no and it would it should never really be considered a source of Revenue tax if you have those if if you have those that's good for projects like the fire truck and the onetime expenses but you know personally I don't think that you should let it go 101 15 years I think you should have like a threeyear they haven't paid and get it out and put it back on the roll yeah no it's kind of like um the properties that we sold in the last sale other other than the one that was to condo um they were it it's a long drawn out process all of the driveways were grown over you couldve any of these properties um any that existed had total growth over them yeah because they waited so long to foreclose on yeah it's it's it's not it's not that it's the process it's not the the town if if the town had had the ability to do it they could just go in and take it but it's not it's a the long process of the courts before you can you can actually take it no see yeah I just it takes a while a lot of things kind of like it's like turning that cruise ship it's kind of understand but other states don't have that long process oh that's massachusett Massachusetts has if it be made hard involuntary Elation I get it um on the agenda back so we it has reviewed the meeting schedule but that was really part of the meeting minute so we we saw them and prend did we do the recomend did we do the I print one out I just want to make sure um if if you want I can call one out yeah what is itation she did you give it did you send it to us I didn't I will send it I brought my computer in anticipation of using it like a real like Corp [Laughter] person you look good it look good yeah sorry and I brought an extension CL you the plug so I wouldn't like ruin the T yeah unplugged okay yeah give me a minute back to the paper and Pen all right now what we're looking for the previous recommendation sheet I'm just looking for a recommendation sheet anyway when did we do that did we do that right um we do that um I don't know that you were on in in August yeah no I wasn't no I wasn't I was not no Noe I was still trying to become you know [Music] what you it tell you so I'm in in recommendations let review budget guidance oh yeah let's do that yeah so so we we generally are bom recommendation sheets start with a with a general statement about everything going on with with the particular with the particular one and oh one is IND oh we really want to see these these are the things that we're going to use right to give to the residents yeah so this is an example of what we have prepared this is important okay um and again we can we can change it modify it this was pretty much just a form um so we would we would hand this out when we would get them printed and when they receed the the warrant list they would also receive the finance committee recommendations in a separate handout um but they do them individual en so every article so so this is yeah so this is just our general introduction then we get down into the Articles okay now is this like the one the state does it was red and white this year it similar I yes yeah yeah it kind of with where they talk vote Yes and this will happen vote no and that will happen and we haven't done that but I I've often considered whe whether we should have a pro and a con you know what you vote on that let's see what did these well the the articles are I mean you have to say you have to write the articles that way right right because we all we all all this is doing is saying this is the article this is what the article says the finance finance committee feels that you should vote Yes or you should vote no on it that's right yeah oh finance committee vote four to zero in favor right so and that okay we have to make that more clear though so that was something that we had not done in the past is the reporting the vote because if we had something that we voted for to three on it it would just say recommended but in this case I wanted to start including the votes because I think it's important for the to to see that maybe we're not unan you know right right should we well me should we put down okay uh Carol voted yes Mary Jane voted no should we actually put down who voted what we could how does that feel to everybody um well it just FES it it gets a lot of word get wordy and then it's like yeah this because you want to make it you want to make it so people don't look at it and say oh no we want to make it concise cun Cliff Notes people dis over they're not GNA read that way too much reading I wouldn't read that we GNA do some kind of a an explanation of why we vote in favor of or um yeah so this this one is you know it's kind of like this one was um moving the stabilization funds at the time see but then of course you have to tell people what stabilization funds are so they would know right yeah not all of us you know that be a good thing to hand out as to what what this word means what this glos yes and I don't think that's being too primary I really don't I think we can I something like that I would say post it on the post on the finance committee page and say I I know I mean we can't print out everything what about I understand that this my daughter's always on some Facebook page where she finds out all this Finance stuff and then sends me stuff and then I ask and then I go and ask joh what does this mean because I don't know so I don't know if we can post I think there should be like a GL on there should be a glass rate on the finance commit I agree a th% all 10 yeah well it wouldn't change no so let's ask the people who are going to vote do you think that that should happen oh a gloss or yeah oh 100% how about people just don't know I didn't know but but in the back here is the glossy put good we can just copy and paste it does that appendix G page 132 that start but um oh oh Little Steps little St perfect oh yeah oh yeah sorry I think that's an excellent idea because when I was at the time meeting I trying to ask questions and it's like the felt like I wasn't well received for asking that's what we want to avoid we want to embrace the residence come and ask that's what I say look how great that is it's and it's big it's nice yeah y okay okay do we vote on this um but do we need all of it wait a minute take it andit edit certain ones that that you know what break it into common and obscure a lot of it's obscure yeah I don't think I've ever seen this word arbitrage I don't think we have to worry about boat excise well maybe do we well people with boats do well here I guess yeah um but again the common common ones I just clown ones people really want to know the ones that we use typically at meetings at meetings right yeah I me here's what I bet nobody knows cup cusip what is it the stand so the standard Securities classification system developed by the committee of uniform security identification procedures of the American banking association yes see we don't need that we don't need but there are much bigger this this book is put together for small towns and large cities yeah I would I would they use that in Boston but not in towns yeah because if you're in Boston discat you need the Boston thing you need the boat thing it's discriminatory yeah they have boats they have we should just you know really people would really the top 20 top 20 yeah the most common the ones that are most commonly used meting that's all we need abbreviation you a lot of times they'll say well have AFC oh just right here mgl so you know that if you're in the no but if you're not you have no idea and people talk like that in those acronyms and you're saying I'll tell you working for the Department of Defense all we ever did was tet AC the worst thing is if you went from one one project and then went to a different project and they use the same acronym but it meant something different something different and they you'd have to use now we get now we get what's going on out there Federal Federal level I think this is great okay so we we'll take the glass for and condense it to and put it on the website brilant brilliant more work no it's not more work because we don't have no more work for the the people doing doing the posting but isn't that what they get paid for yep they have let's get them working all right next okay so um where are we I think we do have to tweak it a little that's is that okay with you yeah in what way well I personally think it's a bit wory well but if you go you go up to some of the it depends on the article some of the articles some some of the Articles might have like that one's not worthy at all wait let me look the impact could be negative negated negated if other articles returning money into the general fund cast prior to this article yeah that was a little that's kind of a confusing short but it's kind of confusing yeah but if you want to you know I think that's as concise as you can get on that I mean I don't know I don't remember what that article was but I'm sure the article well the the article was was um this particular one was um did it relate to another yeah it does obviously was and usually if it relates to other articles it was referenced to what the other articles right were that's not in there right no but this isn't this isn't we don't want to restate the article here no I I get it I get it but the other thing if we get the article soon enough and do this when they print it it can have the article and a recommendation on the same page same page yeah yeah it can yeah if if we get the article soon enough and and AR aren't the rules about when we're supposed to get the article there there are it's kind of like and I spoke to um Nelson on that and we are going to get them in the timely fashion correct yeah yeah the hope is yeah it's the Hope great the word was yes so go with yes go with positive thinking recognize me I have another question I'm pretty new to all this um articles except for the the meeting the town me that we need to discuss right yeah so that if there's a financial article the finance committee will make a recommendation on it if there's something like zoning the the recommend we have it doesn't have a fin if it doesn't have Financial impact we don't we don't recommend it or not or we we don't make a recommendation on that article because it's not in our guess what article's not in the dictionary I wanted to ask you one question because I wonder if that refers to the the uh the big issue of the schools and if profites that refer to that if that would pass um no there were other other articles adjusting money in into the general fund reducing line and if there was more money in the general fund you didn't need that if so so if if let's say article two and article three were so article 3 was the one it it may be negated if if article two failed to pass if article two wanted money and it didn't pass there might be money for article three and it might be not necessary at that point they might make a motion not to to consider it yeah they um table it yeah um I I think all the ACR should be explained exp because I don't know no it's crazy it's crazy but it's almost like created obscurity so that you don't understand it yeah and again we we talk about that learning verb that some of them is is the acronyms so used to using them that we just I know you're right and we forget that other people right aren't sitting here yeah anyway that I I just wanted to show that you know because you you had the ones from the other town so we can certainly change it we were talking about um modify what we done in the past good so do we want to do like an explanation and then a recommendation that's what this is this is pepp well that's that's that's what pepp does yeah they explain it and then they do a Rec do they explain it or they or they write it out yes see we we put our recommendation first on that on the article so it it's right at the article and then and then you explain it then you'll explain I want to see the Departments present their own articles this year and if the people have questions I want them to be able to ask those questions to the department not to the board of but to the department well can we can the people come to these meetings when the department anybody all open meeting so if they came to this meeting when we talked to say just sayy help just say then they could ask Bo to help themselves absolutely or and I like that idea we may have to the meetings would go on likely go on too long it's kind of well we can you can judge that I mean we have four people yeah a minute each you know can't give them five minutes repeat question same time different yeah yeah yeah but I think that the more people know in advance the easier it's going to be for us to get the message out and that's our responsibility I think to get the information well but know we can get the information up but you can't make people take it no I understand that but you can feel better about our effort yeah because here to before it hasn't been done da I mean I I have never seen it done I mean excuse me that's not true when I was younger they used to do it all the time but then there was like this Spate and it hasn't been done at least since I've been back here so somewhere along the line it got dropped right when the selectman stopped greeting the people at the door and saying thank you for coming and took their seats at the top of the Kingdom they used to do that absolutely they at the front door and they saying hi thank you for coming good to see you and they knew almost everybody that walked through the door just like John Barrett does we we moved in yeah and well no no no no no I mean knew people too I mean they knew everybody right it's they made a point of knowing they made a point of knowing okay theow it is it is but that's what people want to know yeah instead of you're not allowed to talk no question I email emailed out the um gu the guidance that are from oh now you say we get the email if I put my computer away yeah no no no it's kind of and there's a oh is this is the one from yeah dated nove December 4th dated December 4th yeah okay this letter is intended to initiate the FY 2026 budget process and give guidance to department heads in their budget prep yeah based on the budget okay John what's this mean based on the budget the town is close to the maximum Levy limit okay yep Levy limit what's that whole that's a that's a whole course if if you were doing College we have a whole College course okay Cliff Notes that's proposition two and a half so the lby limit is 2 and half% above your taxes um hang from last year yeah with with growth so let me let me call it this with growth here's the key word right so two and a half but we didn't vote for two and a half no if you can keep the increase at two and a half or below yeah you don't have to then then then you can just do that it's when you want to go more than two and a half you have to do the override okay so two and a half two and a half is the limit two and a half is is exactly that so if your if your taxes were one they couldn't go up to three and a half so if we if we take a look at the spreadsheet I I have it up the ly limit calculation you start with the 2023 was 18 million and then the the two and a half this is this is 2 and a half% of the 18 okay 459,000 yeah and then the new growth was 21,000 and so the levy limit is for FY 23 was 19 what's the new how do you get the new growth how do you get the new growth the assessor the the assessor provides it like what's that new growth based on housing housing housing um is that based on like new housing or just housing value can't be new housing don't have it's not the housing value so much it's it's the value of the property that was improved or built from scratch um and on the tax roll for that for that amount that came in during the year what would be the annual base okay okay so so if I add a structure to my house then that then that change in value gets added as new new growth if I don't do anything to my house this year I have no new growth contributing to that to those so do we know what the new housing starts are in town um I I don't have that off the top of my head I don't think hug see that it's it's not huge but But it includes um like Dave said additions oh that's right you thank you for contributing to the new growth so so yes it's kind of like so so it's it's add additions and um now would that includ and and so that would include these properties that got sold if someone put something on them and now they're back on the tax r that would be grow right okay very good okay all right yeah that makes sense yeah okay that's good so that's that's that's number and then you can see they just carry it into that's the starting number for FY 24 right okay with the 2 and a half property gr is is now off the higher number um so we get a little bit more in the two and a half but you can see the new growth in 24 was not significant not at all it was half what it was in 202 now again it probably has to look at 2025 um it's lower still it's about well um it's an estimate it's an estimate so far it's kind of like um going in but in 23 we were probably on the tail end of the uh Co builds everybody built a lot of additions and things oh that's right instead of selling their house they yeah is just little pieces the 130 is about what I remember from from the years oh that's like the the sustainable number that yeah it's kind of like and that's that's the piece but so we're starting out with 20 million 265,000 times two and a half no no no no no so we started at 19 so the number at the end of 20124 was the 19644 that's our starting number and then we do 2 and a half% so you're at 4 91,000 and so then that's the two and a half increase and then the new growth and the new growth so it's 20 Mill 265 720 is the number we're we're working with because we're doing that's the number we're allowed that's our that's our allowable budget we don't have to go that high right we don't go less than that right but we're in 2026 aren't we no no no this is no we're we're entering fiscal we're in we're in fiscal 25 no we're in we're in fiscal 26 we're oh we are we're budgeting for fiscal 26 yeah we're budgeting we're going to be bud the 26 so we can we have to add something to that number right but does in fiscal year 26 start July July one but we're working on that budget R so so it's the 20,25 starting the starting point for the 26 26 yeah so this this was put together because we were working on the F year 25 buget so we know the 2265 720 times 2 half right right will give us 500,000 something and then the unknown number is the 130 for the new growth we don't know what that's going to be so the budget yeah okay so it's going to be around 22,000 $22 million does that sound better you get the 22 million because you're gonna take the 20 no it's gonna be 20 almost 21 almost 21 yeah oh that's not bad okay so so you're in increases 500 56,000 the estimate bags the estimated bags could bag how many how many bags yeah how many bags kind of like but but again it's kind of like we have salaries increasing we costs are going to increase so um all all those different pieces but yeah we got to get that under control yeah salary is increasing I yeah well you know I mean the real world they don't goow up every day I know that's what I'm saying you know some people work for 10 years and never get a race that's right that's what I'm saying we got small business owners work their whole life practically I'm not going to say k because this was the original spreadsheet so I didn't want to modify it right I'm not GNA save that but just for our discussion that was I was able to throw them in then that's good that's good day okay give you away and then in addition we do have that that's excluded from 2 and a half like when we voted the schools that money is is not part of two and a half a two and a half exclusion was voted for that um so it's exclusion is different than the override so it's kind of like so um here we go no but this is this is the part that we don't necessarily dig into is Proposition two and a half says yes 2 and a half is my maximum Ral right but if you voted an article or had a we have to vote a town town meeting and then have an election and we can vote an exclusion to two and a half so you can charge like the school we said the school will pay for but we exclude it from our two and a half so that's what this number is is when you're in addition to the two and a half override you've excluded a couple of things so that is your budget necess does your number go up that you need yes like well it it doesn't go up more than the two and a half would that's the override amount that's the over so this is the override amount so we had the the 20, 265 we had overridden 1,448 for the schools um so that we said we don't we we knew we were going to pay for it but they're excluded they can be in addition to the two and a half yeah that's what so you're saying not does not become the basis for the next two and a half in you just voted to raise your taxes 2 and half% no more than 2 and a half% right because that's what the override does is raises your tax no the over override is different it doesn't raise your taxes override is on that that the top lines here 55 56 57 and 58 that's where an override would come in oh this is excluded from the override so we raise raise our tax with this and this is the the two and a half line is line 57 right um this says we voted to not include the cost of the schools um that we were paying for so you just subtract it from what the 19,000 being added to as you set your tax rate oh so your taxes go up even more well so no what he's saying is the tax rate is based on the 21, 714 of but the basis for next year's 2 and a half% is staying at the 20 million 265 we basically said okay here's a one time 1. 1448 that we're going to add but it's not going into the base for next year excluded from the base yeah until the schools are paid off then that line goes away the schools there is a place where the schools get dis appoint years yeah thing oh when the debt the debt oh that's what that's all about I'd say there might be one or two other little ones in there but those those are the big ones to stick in my mind okay excuse me Mr thank you um regard the 2025 budget U I'm just trying to get a sense of things so is there another override going to be put to the town again to see if we can not close two schools um that's for FY 26 the closing of the schools is not fy2 oh I'm sorry it's kind of like I'm sure there's other questions out there like that close next week well thank you for entertaining my questions I really appreciate it but this is what we want we want the residents to ask questions that's what it's the way the fiscal year runs it's a little weird it goes from July to July so we're in fiscal 25 right now now oh okay next July even though it's be July of 2025 we're entering 26 we G have a little 20262 I don't know what year it is yeah we we have to get like a little sign that we put up 2025 2026 so there going to be a um one of the things the summary of full-time equivalent it's kind of like um I'm thinking I want to also let put out the question um is benefited positions it's kind of like so fulltime if if you have you skipped you skipped um sorry where are you just tell me where you are I know you ski it four from the bottom fourth from the bottom third third from the bottom please include a summary of full-time equivalent y oh here we go FTE yep y FTE y fulltime equivalent full time equivalent Personnel that means people that full let's see they work 40 hours um that that's what if okay so if you have two people that work 20 hours that's one full-time equivalent okay that's how it's that's how it's just a simple math thing math yeah yeah if you have four people that work 10 hours that's you know Al so it doesn't matter how much they make or any of that business just hours how many hours they work you a single piece of information is is a 40 based on a 40 hour it's based on a 40 hour plus or minus a little me this no 40 or not okay so you SPL a 20 hour job okay I of 20 hours could be um could be Insurance funded and that's why I say so 19 and a half hours is they right they cap you at they want they try to try to cap because your insurance package for everyone's how much 26,000 I know but you know something just doesn't work for me when we just do that on purpose to people no it's kind of like but no but you know when we see the budgets from the Departments we don't see insurance so where're with insurance is a whole separate sector oh why don't we see Insurance don't they pay it we pay it but it's not doine item in each department comes under where does it come from well we can ask that question well it comes from an insurance line it's kind of like so oh but we don't know who's in that line right don't know really doesn't make any difference why not because if if his department has 20 people in my department has 15 people and all of his are funded and all mine are fun what I mean if it's over so many hours you don't have a choice yeah right but so I can't say I'm not GNA hire you because I don't want to pay your insurance but that's what they're saying if they only give you 19 and a half hours well they don't that was just an exam oh yeah no no no they they set the hours on the said the hour somebody could work 20 hours and somebody could no somebody could work 10 hours and somebody could work 30 right right you have different obligations right between the 10 and and not everybody Tak Insurance your FTE one that would be one because it total suppor week but you have one benefited position not two but a lot of times husband wife carry the insurance right right A lot of people just insur yeah yeah okay so please include a summary of fulltime we can't count on that you have to budget as if every employee is gonna it's eligible to take it other than that you'll have an insurance so when you say level funded that means the same as last year correct so level yeah level funded from FY put isn't it so let's say that somebody makes $4,000 insurance $5,000 for the employee yeah y yeah so and then there's the um and what is the percentage that the do we know the percentage what they pay here of the people do we know we can find out you know it's kind they're doing another contract I think I think it was 20% it sounds what was your what was your question how much how much do they how much does the employe pay compared to what we're is it 30% 25% insurance pay for the insurance oh they pay a portion pay 100% no usually they don't they don't most places don't no big Industries and then on his last one he said trash following he's looking to see if they can go to um save any money by going to a b pick upek every two weeks yeah yeah trash calling disposal expenses with a weekly and bi-weekly option biweekly t a we I think he means I think he means by monthly by monthly hope never knows that's yeah that's probably mistake so that's for the town departments though that item right um no I think that's specifically for bard of Health okay to say go to sh and say let's if we change schedule rather than doing it weekly if we do it only once every other week what does that do to mon the buy is a pref like get your paycheck right you don't know when you're getting it okay let's get the option [Music] to I mean I get my track on Thursday and pick up Tuesday I'm Tuesday M's Wednesday here every day yeah right right so oh they hear every day Monday through yeah but they wouldn't come next week they'd only come this week and then if we did it by week that doesn't always make it cheaper have some people no that that doesn't always make it cheaper it could actually make it more expensive so you really have well that's why you that's why you're saying let's let's look at it let's look at it because and again it's kind of like it's more about the tonnage that he's going to be dropping and it's going to be the same amount of tonnage right it's G be no I thought did you listen to Irene she said no because recycling was going to increase yeah and trash was going to D okay hang on I tried you know how much the Tipping fee is for trash I you know how much the Tipping fee is for recycling I don't know what Tipp fee is to start okay so a tipping fee is the cost per ton of the refuse on the truck in the recycle okay so to tip it off the truck is that what you're saying like you you measure the truck the weight of the truck with stuff going in and then you measure the truck empty coming out oh just like MJ Metals yeah right yeah exactly that so that that difference in tonnage is is then you calculate the Tipping okay trash is 105 recycling is 105 yeah so really then why cont it's kind of like we have to see the contract it's see the contract um but when the one at see the now when you say the contract the old one you want to see the new one the Tipp new proposal for either one and they don't should we have the old one to give it like eyes to see what they did or does that not matter what said on the we are going to look at the contracts correct I don't know if we no we won't because that's that's um water Health's job right I mean we can we can see what they're presting how are we going to know they'll come to us they'll be on the list to come to us but we can send them a letter that says we wanted we would prefer we would really to have the hard evidence in our hand to St ourselves because some people interpret things one way and other people in yep and we want it you know pieces of the money that we're yeah try to try to provide so so where are we now so are we looking for anything specific that's a red flag on these budget proposals yeah any increase soon as you see an increase beep beep miscellane miscellaneous miscell there going to be miscellaneous another but this has to be descriptions of descriptions of miscellaneous not in the spreadsheet like so so no other other's not gonna fly without could be there with an explanation with an explanation explanation I mean I don't want somebody ask for 150,000 under miscellaneous I want to know right yeah that makes sense yeah I mean they can categorize it because miscellaneous to um fire is going to be miscellaneous to um bard of Health it's going to be different kath's yeah so as they just say what it is yeah then there's no problem with really that okay so nothing we just don't want a lot of miscell so an increase is a red flag right it right it needs to needs to be backed up and and increases the salaries that they talk about any increases over the over that and again this is we have to watch there there are department heads that have individual contracts and then there are areas like police and fire that have their own contracts with separate um to police what about unions well are they Union police and fire they are they they have their own they have their own Union we have Union here for Town Hall to town hall people have a union right yeah there are some unionized people mostly a un just is kath's not right so Kathy's elected position right but I mean a lot of see I just guess I have the wrong definition of union I thought that they protected you from physical harm and things like that but apparently not Municipal unions basically suck money out of taxpayers I was exactly I didn't want to say it that way but yes exactly you gonna break your nail go down towns and you have girls right down there and get them bandaged and fixed yeah you said it well Dave thank you Dave but I have another but I have a question you know okay so we go to they get the two and a half let's say okay but then they get cola for another two which is now up four and a half wait who who who we talking about here Coler the base the step no but do we discussed that earlier about not everybody gets across a living increase just because they live well but these are probably the Union contract well usually well if it's done like a lot of places you'll have whatever right your thing and then as each year goes you get a step increase depending on your service whether a good worker or not you're gonna get pretty much longevity so but see that just but you know okay so that that's how the government works and I guess we are government we have to consider but in the world of business and corporate they say okay what's the bottom line oh I'm sorry we're not making enough money so you can't have any well that's we have we have to we have to try to take that tack when we read when when the next contract comes up yeah because I think that's an important how long how long are the are the contracts I I think three years I think they all three years and they stagger yeah so that everybody's up the same time and it's not that that we want to scare anybody and say you can't have money it's just that the town doesn't have money and and everybody has to chip in a little bit and if you want to continue getting money it's kind of like from the town it's kind of like I would prefer my taxes not to go up not even one cent even though it's going up 1% because of CPA I would and the bags well and it's G to go up two and a half% next year because it goes up to so don't you think that 4 and a half% is if we don't need it to cover the budget then it can go less than two two and a half I mean two and a half is is Max is the max that it will go up before yeah then we get CPA well CPA is is a whole different that's and we're paying for our trash so I mean the reality of the money coming out of our pockets is going up is going up immensely I I think B based on the assessed value of the property and so those are the pieces and I think all of the options that are available to people with CPA need need to hit it um not anybody qualifies the options lock down not not everybody does but it it's kind of like but it has to be clear and we should another tutorial to let everybody know it's blah blah blah and I mean even maybe open Office you have a have an open meeting day yeah open Office day would be great I think yeah at the senior center they sold the CPA as only $40 mhm right that your taxes R going to go $40 but you know that not absolutely true and I know it's it all depends on on your tax bill and and the house you live in so it's not it it has really nothing there's no you can throw out averages and things like that U but I you know what's really sad about that delivery was it the it was definitely gender driven like a lot of things in this town but the other thing is that they didn't talk about the um circuit breaker tax break oh the community pres the electricity no no no no this is this is a tax for seniors well actually I is it for seniors no it's for people whose taxes exceed a certain percentage of their income and they get a reate on their taxes and there is a specific one for Sen the town gets their taxes but the individual gets the rebate on their tax return next year the circuit breaker they got to kill out the form but you know they're not telling you what the braks are they're just saying I want I want I want they're not saying well if you do this maybe you can be benefited by that okay that's yeah circuit breaker look it up put it on the definition okay okay okay now I had next on the agenda is correspondence we had an email in they are if it's time for concast contract pick them up again concast concast has a contract um having the cable committee get together and they're looking one of the the options one of the requirements is somebody find somebody from Finance or somebody related to finance about you da feel so it's it's the cable um is it a state is it a state committee no it's it's a it's a town committee commit for Town contracts with contest well it today it's with it's don't you find it strange though that I mean we have in in down we have um the concast but in they have I don't know what they have over there now remember they have U we can't we can't we can't get we can't want children from pepp we don't because we don't get spcer there's no there's no channel in between what do you mean there's nobody else we can go to except Comcast if if you want to go if you want to go cable I mean I thought there were rules of the United States government about that wasn't is spectum the cable I mean yeah yeah that's Charter I work where we made bullets and weapons oh okay you w talking you weren taking prisoners like the last meeting for the school committee they said that we' be able to watch it on channel incling Gat because it's it's on Charter channel so what was the difference l so Comcast has a contract coming up with us and we can actually negotiate that there's a two-way street is talk it out yeah I would I would say and you know pieces of it it's kind of like and um is is clast option or when this come when their contract like ends did we go out to the cable world and ask oh Spectrum it's probably like the lines are owned by or something yeah lines sell the whole works like it would be you you could change cable companies but it would be difficult because because Comcast owns all the cable that's running through the town so they're not going to just let Charter jump on their cables Charter would have to come in and lay their own cables buy the cables or buy the cables from Comcast nobody's gonna do that nobody's gonna do that because really the best the best option would be to have them both right and then you have a choice and then you'd have a choice comptition but yeah okay I get it you know I mean Charter does Comcast pay us or do we pay them as a town as a town we we only pay for the services we use from now okay so we pay for the local access channels um but we have money back from them okay so that when I say we pay for the services the internet and everything we're using for now okay just just like a home we're paying we're paying business rates for the services we use okay so the contract the contract with them is the ability to sell to Residents in town right and so they get the revenue from the town and they will put together a fun um um Peg access the peg access account so out of their revenues they put aside money that comes back to Townson with that money it goes into the team so we can't put it into trash no we can't put it into trash it is it is specifically for the money that they give back out of their revenues is specifically the T for the which is the cable access which is more cable access which is really giving it to themselves like roundabout way of getting it back well it gives the you know it gives tcam the ability and the equipment to be okay our systems so is tcam a town entity or is it a private entity I'd say private entity it's kind of like it's it's not necessary um it is related to town town but it is not under it's supporting it's suppor are they gonna give a budget maybe that's my question no they don't usually give the budget the money and and again right now the with the access money um we're just an intermediary of taking it in holding it and then giving it to them oh we might the next one do we want to get out of the business of being in between teamp and and let them just oh working out themselves well rather than the money come into the town and then we have to have an special article a special right to disperse it like added service local Services okay that's interesting so the contract with Comcast doesn't cost the town money right and it also doesn't gain the town money right it it's the ability for Services maybe come up if with with the amount of seni we have is there a way to put in a discount for seniors on the cable bill um they should be yeah it's kind of like you know that and and again depending on income you you have the Broadband access uh discounts that you can apply for so it's kind of like oh income driven yeah yeah yeah there are some income driven on you know is is there the opportunity for additional you know just um between did you say yes no I did not say yes I heard you but but again it doesn't necessarily have to be somebody here if we know somebody and want to appoint them as being the finance committee representative and you thought you wanted to come to this you get for showing up she won't be back yeah how do you feel about that you want to think about it okay we can get you a little little more information um but I think yeah that's sort of a low um low time investment probably I know I guess I'm trying to think I mean what how often and what what no what what as a finance committee Representative no matter who that is right what are they really what's the stakes what's the stakes of being there really is the stakes really only trying to limit their cable cost increases that they levy on the town I think so being part of part of the team but uh I mean I get you know what I'm saying I mean I mean I'm not negotiating any money that that the town is giving out or that the town in yeah but you're probably going to look at Services it's going to be negotiating services so it's negotiating service is negotiating pay rates basically cost rates has a question okay sorry I was just looking up looking up the posting y it would definitely be I was just wondering if you want my email for put down get Cindy k C advisory committee and and again I think there's even somebody oh there it is a vacancy on the cable advisory committee oh has five vacancies five VCI to assist the cable licensing process terms froms set up contest and so are they negotiating constantly the next contra it's almost like doing the open space plan that's been going on for like five years now do not ever ask me again I I will never be on that again that's about all I had it's gonna be established by 15th of January 15th of January what about it 15 this we have to have our member assigned by then then oh okay by the 15th so you have Mr chairman Mr chair if I may this is your friend hi Don you're doing a great job um I I just gonna explain in this uh particular uh committee it was voted almost five years ago but not acted upon maybe was four years ago this is what was explained at the board of selectman's meeting when reaffirmed the appointment and the difference between this one and the first um motion that they had made to create this is um there was originally a school board Committee Member but because they are no longer um into to the school they used to have a studio in the school so they had more interaction then that has that stopped actually before the five years probably before they actually came up with this yeah so we have the contract is going to be up in October of 2025 we originally talked about having the um Representatives by February but when we saw that it was October versus December then we moved it to January um I I'm thinking that Dave um foli will be on as the tcam representative and so he can be very informative to the committee there's also an atlarge member um Library trustee we oh that's what we replace the school with the library trustees so that they could have some input from the senior center and the library so I don't think it's going to be a lot of um heavy lifting once the committee gets put together yeah I hope that helps yep yeah I totally forgot about the school part that was Sandra appreciates that yeah that's good so Dave's on it that's yeah yeah I I would expect it's kind of like T um T cam I I believe Steve Sheldon is oh was he on it too he's he's part of the tcam and and we on I think part we can we can find out likely one of one of those that have been part of it but Dave has a wec of knowledge on on on the cable on the cable working and he's being on well watching us here kind of um so oh my goodness you came to the end of it yeah we we came to the end of it I just and we didn't take one vote um we did not take a vot today like um I don't is it okay it's kind of yeah so the last one um I throw out here because I'm on the audit committee and the properties committee so I'm already on on a couple and um it's your fault have a sign ass sign to yeah and okay just good to know yeah Carol is doing planning board in open space and you had accepted our oh that capital capital Improvement you're on Capital improvement too you you're from you're from public you're from general public so Carol car financial position um would you like here the CH committee I want to be on that I don't like cast I would good representative I was going to say we we had we we hadn't voted but with everything you've been doing um we'll bring it up next meeting because that's not on the agenda but would you consider we we don't have a vice chair just in case that Vice chair for what for this committee for the finance committee I know you're are you the vice kind of so we we'll talk about so yeah I mean we do lunch everybody's okay so um but I don't miss many but if there's any that I happen to miss the vice chair would speak okay would speak call the meeting to order to the agenda do we have um did youve get an update on the on the the Excel file that you sent emailed us um in early November that had that had September and October is actually expenditure I had just received one yesterday the assistant Tomas came in last last evening that was the Excel that we went over that was the Excel we went over which is similar to the bva so the BBA the BBA right so can you send that out then when you get a chance yeah bva again budget Varan yeah very good kind like practice na so other than the the do we have another meeting in December that we're planning or not um actually and sorry um I skipped over that we there's we we had posted an agenda for th yeah that's the board of s at 11:00 in the morning I'm SC I can't make that one because work some people have to work no I have to work too you have to work too actually I'm taking off how long is that one goingon to be you it could be a while seven hours yeah can't take seven hours you know they um Nelson is working on a very specific set of changes but it could be could be a while before so can we I show up I um and again this this this meeting and we're using the um select board uh Zoom link just so we're in the same meeting this was to cover Us in in the event that we have a quum there if we only have three people there it's not a quum I'm going to be there I'll probably go but I might not be able to stay if they go for hours and hour no we can leave it any time right does that break the Quorum um it would break the Quorum but if we if we but if we never have a quum to start don't have to vote right as long would there's nothing on here that um it says F may be taken on the oper project but we're not voting on the Opera project that's that's all so this is an information so it's just informational for us is to cover us on the open meeting I get it we did that with the HTC for the ments right and and it you know we we don't want to violate anything so it's that's what is there for so that's a meeting the 12th that's the 12th and then the next time we meet is well well it we had oh are you g to come in on a meeting on the 11 Jerry supposed to silence your phone I'll call you back um the next the next meeting is the 14th of January so we do get it in just before um the warrant closes well oh no the warrant closes December 18th right yes yeah yeah the warrant closes on the 18th but we we only had a meeting schedule for the 14th of January I was I was thinking for the C advisory committee oh but yeah we we we need to um review that the warrant articles that are being presented okay so so when do you want Oh So when the warrant closes how far how long does it take to get the warrant articles in our hands to see them um well actually I'd like to see them before they close because if there's any changes that we would recommend it it's too late to change them after the fact although oh oh although we we have made we have seen them and made recommendations for changes and so the motion on the floor is a little different than the article is presented so the the warrant's open they're working on it right now they're trying to get the language all down for all the Articles how how does that work if the articles are being written now but we're not getting to see the budgets until well this is articles for fy2 this is not FY oh fy2 yeah this is up all at125 so they're pring so this is a winter this is like a special town meeting in the winter in the winter it's a fall town meeting yeah in the spr yeah they generally call it the fall even if it's oh so it's not anything to do with the budget well the 2026 budget it's not to do with the 2026 budget these These are 4 25 these are supplemental items for the for 25 right so and the idea is that we're going to have free cash certified so we can have these articles and know how much money there is won't the free cash be certified by and generally it's it's mid December um okay so pretty soon yeah pretty soon it should be it's kind of like but next week um well that that's the typical but doesn't mean every every year is going to be the same um the latest I've seen has been the end end is December so by doing doing this we're probably writing War articles in anticipation oh that it will be um they'll close the warrant they'll post it two weeks before the meeting but the Motions on the floor generally support um the warrant articles that were written so so we we still have the ability even even if we see them after it's closed that we can impact what the motion wording is so do we want to have a meeting earlier than the 14th just for the laen adct um well um Mr chairman we have the warrant oh I'm sorry if I may regarding the the warrants the close is going to be uh uh the 17th at at the board of selectman's meeting so a lot of those a number of things that are coming up are going to be placeholders like a bylaw change which may not have all of its verbiage yet but again before and of course there there will be public hearings on January 13th for any of those bylaw changes other than that the financial ones should be before us um I think Tuesday night you know the 17th and then it closes on the 18th after we get to discuss on the 17th right it doesn't mean that we have all the verbiage yet okay they just need to place holder and so that's how we'll line it up but there'll be a hearing before and an explanation before the actual meeting on the 28th yeah thank you is that the special town meeting on December 28th uh January 28 January 28 oh January 28th okay yeah so we just need a clarification on all that timeline yeah yeah um and again we can dial in or come in person to the S do you have to post it or can we just go as individuals um if you have a to well but you won't know if you have a quarantine well again we're not we wouldn't be voting on it it's kind of like it' be there as questions at the general public at that point we we we want to be there as the finance committee with a joint for select so it's not join okay on Tuesday I don't it on the 17th I expect it to be all right so you just covered it with that post I can't be there on 17 so okay December 17th yes it's kind of like you can watch that on YouTube or on Channel 9 catch the sequel tell my wife maybe she'll watch oh there you go she can can't she Tye it or whatever they call it now what they call what do they call I don't know um yeah DV You' had experience with it I don't know if you can I don't know again chair does the channel does it'll be on YouTube yeah YouTube but not live it's not live on right Cindy King will be there they'll be live she put she puts hers right up but it's not live then is live within the next hour or so but it's not live live yeah Oh you mean stream [Music] oh days what okay sorry um so I think on the 7 and we'll have an opportunity to re review them and then we'll be making the recommendation sheet before the 28th the 28 okay um I've gone through the agenda anything additional or future agendas we want to touch or I know we we have a couple of items for working getting that glossery out of the book and getting getting posted kind so you mean a workshop for the gloss um no we can we can um I'll take it and working okay let us you have it electronically I have it electronically oh you do oh okay well yeah it's kind of like um yeah that's how we were able now I sent you a little yeah okay so correspondent you sent me a letter I sent you a letter okay was well well yeah okay letter it's kind of like and it didn't have a chance but under General correspondence it's it's in there so but I didn't um share it with anyone else okay okay so you want my put back oh no I want you to share it I want you to be the deliverer okay I can do that I'll will distribute the um email from Mary Jane and I'll take a look at it and discuss it than now it's just a rough draft it's just a rough draft it's it's an idea generator it's an idea generator y a bra we can do it okay sounds good thank you okay move that weour the meeting yeah1 okay and we have a motion to adjourn at1 and a second um roll call Vote Yes a walker yes Mary Jan Church yes car yes Don yes it's unanimous weour