Good evening. I'd like to call the select board meeting of August 5th, 2026 to order at 5:04 p.m. Roll call. Laura Shiffren here, >> Sarah Logan here, >> and Valerie Goodrich here.
>> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I'd like to thank all of our veterans
and all of those currently serving both here and abroad, as well as all of our emergency response individuals here in Townsen and all of our staff, all of our appointed and elected officials for
making us a better community. Thank you. >> Thanks, Lori. Um, and I'd like to announce that the meeting is being recorded and will be uploaded to YouTube. Is there anybody else recording? None here. Um, review agenda and announcements. Um, I think that
the only thing that we might take out of order is the first executive session with the road 47.13. Correct. >> I can't remember what that is. >> Before we talked about the Oh yeah. >> Yep. So that's later in the meeting. And
then also if the head of conservation pops in, we'll move up the conversation. >> Oh yeah, I chatted with him earlier. >> Oh, we're all good. Not going to be here. >> He may he may pop in. He may not. >> Okay. >> Great. Sounds good. We'll kind of fit up here. So moving on to number four.
Approve meeting minutes from July 7th and July 22nd, 2026. >> So moved. Second. and Laura Shiffren. >> Any questions, comments? >> No, I was fine. I didn't whatever. >> You good, sir? >> Yes, I'm good. >> Roll call vote.
>> Laura Shiffren, yes. >> Sarah Logan, yes. >> Yes. Um, moving on to five 5.1. This is for town administrator, procurement, road closings, and grievances. >> This is just something that you guys,
it's within the confines of the TA role and the TA contract. Um, I think it's also within the charter. So, you do have to officially appoint your town administrator to work through those things as they come up. >> We can do that. I, Sarah Logan, move to appoint town administrator Kieran Mian
as town's procurement officer, signatory for road closings, hearings officer, and designate for handling grievances. Second, Laura Shiffren. >> Any questions? Comments? >> Roll call. >> Laura Shiffrenas. Sarah Lunas.
>> Salary. Yes. Um, 5.2. to appoint Benjamin Smith as cemetery and parks and labor. >> You guys actually did that one, so that was just an error. >> Duplicate and move in >> probably >> William.
Um I Sarah Logan move to appoint William as cemetery and parks intermittent laborer with effective start date as outlined in the employee action form and contingent upon successful completion of all necessary onboarding. >> Sheriff second. Important to note there
just before you vote um the superintendent Mr. Roger Moses said he had chatted with FINCOM or connected with FINCOM so they had approved this position you know when we think of our different policies right now with hir increases >> any further questions
we'll call those >> and also didn't we just have a um somebody resigned >> uh different role but yes >> okay all right sorry it's okay yes Sarah Logan yes um 5.4 4 going down to board and
committee appointments at the end of the agenda. Before we go through that, there should be a little discussion probably because there's more people listed here than we have spots. So, um the first um is Cindy King, planning board representative. We're
actually going to do that at our next meeting. >> Okay. So, that can be removed from that list because we did not properly close the joint meeting with planning board time for that. Um Correct. No, that one's I'm sorry. I'm
incorrect. That is fine. It's >> CPA should be fine. >> Yes, I'm incorrect. It's your temporary your um alternate status. That one that has to be the joint meeting. I stand correct. >> The CPA doesn't have to be joined. >> Y my bad. >> But I don't like to say
>> no. So that one, sorry, Cindy, that's one I should not have removed. Um so, um Sandra Lord to the Heart Library Restoration Committee. Um 805 to 505 2027. >> So moved. Second. Laura Shiffren. Any
questions on that? >> No. >> Congratulations. Yes. >> Yes. Bring it on. >> And so that now brings that now brings the heart library restoration committee to four people. And there's an appointment that the historic district
commission can make. We're not involved with that. It's an appointment. Okay. So the horse historic district commission can now appoint the fifth person to that committee. >> Did they do that? >> Pardon me. Did they do that? >> So they didn't take a vote on an appointment
for that. There was a volunteer that came forward, but we needed they they get to vote at this point for that person in the case. So I think I responded to the chair of HTC to do that and she's going to bring it to the HTC.
Um so in related to the Wester meeting room so we have five spots again one is an HDC appointment so we actually have four spots technically. That that HDC appointment could be anybody though. They could appoint someone who's not on HDC.
>> That's true. It could be anybody. So, um, we have four spots and we have one, two, six, three, four, five, six volunteers. So, >> this is for the heart. >> Yeah. No, this is for the west.
>> So, we have six volunteers, but four spots. Um, of those six, one could be appointed by HTC if they so chose, but So are the six listed right here? >> Yes.
>> But there's five spots. >> Five spots. But one is for each seed point. So we only >> of five. >> Out of five. >> So we can only do four. >> Four. >> So his name's in the basket. >> I'll bow out. I'll bow out. >> Okay. You sure? >> Yeah.
>> Okay. >> So that still leaves us with We can only do four. Yep. And so who would we have left on the list here? We have Kim, Jane, Kathy, Gerine, >> Cindy, and Cindy. Correct.
So, I would do names and just pick. >> I think they're all equally interested in serving on the committee, so >> Oh, sure. That's a hard hard decision to make. Four out of five, right?
>> Let me show you any wipers with them. >> This one there, done that. I just like remember. Good luck to you guys. >> Do you want to put Do you want to the easiest way and that's nobody's fault? >> Yeah. >> Put the names in a half. >> Pull out the names. We'll have the chief
pull out the names. >> Okay. I do want to add you needed a representative for the reading room from West Townsen and I think the only person on there from West Towns is my sister and oh there too. Oh
>> yeah, she's in West >> No. I mean, personally, I hope her name gets pulled because this is she wanted to do this right on on town meeting floor. So, >> I already started. >> I was going to cut them so they're all
the same size. >> Oh, I have the big eyes. Yeah, I'm good. >> A few guys football draft. >> I think everybody's equally interested in hing. I've never done this at a party before.
>> No, >> I don't think I've ever seen >> I've never seen I was just going to say the same words. I've never seen it done either. >> But hey, what the heck? >> Your ideas are fine, right? >> Here we are. >> We're not hurting anybody. >> Not yet. >> Not suing anybody. >> I'll take it.
>> All right. Chief, is he are you going to pick four or you just going to pick one out? That's going to get at a time. Does this mean people are going to get taken out of the hat or is this >> just one read it? >> Okay, just go read it. >> Okay, Kim Craven.
>> That's okay. Thank you. >> Kathy Spford. >> I like the shaky though. That made it. >> Now we get a 50-50 chance. >> Mary Jane Churchville. >> You get a 50/50 chance. >> I'm sorry to anybody that didn't get >> and Cindy King. Okay, congratulations. >> There you go.
>> Sorry, Jaren. >> Jaren, we we still do need an appointment from HDC. >> What? >> HDC still has to make an appointment to that committee. >> Yeah. >> So, >> you may find a way can't get you out of here. >> Be surprised.
>> So, I'll take a motion. Go ahead. Be interesting since somebody's already on from the HTC. >> Yeah, I think as long as there's not a form. >> Right. Right. There you go. I would say whoever's not on it, go to HTC and say I'll happily take even if you're not on
HTC, you can still be a >> So the last we were told there won't be a meeting of HDC until September 13th. >> But that so the Heart Library Committee and the West reading room can meet. >> There's a forum. >> They only need people. So both those boards can serve.
>> So do you want to make a motion with the >> Yes. I motion um to appoint Cindy A. King, Kathleen Spaford, Mary Jane Churchville, and Kim Craraven to the West Towns and Reading Room Committee at O from the um August 5th, 2026 to
May 4th, 2027. Laura Shiffren second. Any more discussion? >> That was fun. Roll call. >> Laura Shiffren, yes. Sarah Logan, yes. Yes. Thanks, everybody. Um, and last but not least, we have an
election worker on this agenda. >> Um, I move to appoint Michelle Dodd as an election worker from 8:15 2026 to 8:31 2027. >> Second, Laura Shiffren. >> Any questions? >> Laura Shep, yes. Sarah Logan, yes.
>> Okay, moving on to resignations. >> Um, yes. So, unfortunately, we had three staff members um share the resignation notice with us. Um they include our assistant foreman or foreman, Mr. Andrew Funk of Cemetery and Parks. Um he has
resigned his role with the town. Um Mr. Joseph Toshi of the fire department also shared um their resignation with um the fire department. And lastly, land use um conservation agent Mr. Colobby Streer also shared his resignation notice um
with the town. um you know we will look to discuss you know two out of three of those roles in terms of their um sort of uh future with the town. Um the fire department one's a bit more boilerplate um for the purposes that Mr. Toshi
served that community. So um that's all we got for now. So >> what what are the effective dates? >> Um one of them was I don't know them off the top of head. I have 85 727 uh sorry 85 and 813 and then I think it
was 727 for Mr. Toshi. So the letters are in the share. >> Yeah, I saw them but I didn't remember my head. >> The effective dates are also tricky because many a time a staff member may be trying to work through their vacation
time. So we're not just cutting them a check at the end or things like that. So it's respective of their role in their PTO and approvals. So >> I take a motion. >> Um I Sarah Logan acknowledge the resignations of Kobe Strereer, Lambuse,
Andrew Funk, Cemeterian Parks, Joseph Tachi of Fire Department, and wish them luck in their new endeavors. >> And I'll second that. Laura Shiffren call. Yes. >> Sarah Logan, yes. Yes. And thank you to everybody for um being a part of our
team. I think we were all better for it. >> All righty. So, moving on to unpreisted business 6.1. Um, do we want to take conservation out of order because no >> 6.1 should be quick. Um, this is related
to the properties that were voted. >> This is the updated agenda. >> 6.1. I just sent you that an email with what the change was >> been a day. >> It has. So you have it in your email
actually if you want to pull it up because that's how much it's been. So um there was a little bit of a question that arose when we designated the website as the official toasting location. Can you pull it? No, I just sent it to you.
And um essentially the official posting location is the town website now, but it's on the agenda page where you have all the boards listed and the agendas are there or the official posting location.
So um I think it would be helpful if the select boards specifically called out in that policy. I'll play the sentence that um for the ease of public use now that that's the official posting location there has to be a link to the agenda from the calendar so that people don't
have to go and click through everything meeting agenda >> correct so if you look I just added one sentence to the policy that we originally signed just an update and oops first paragraph all meeting notices
will be added to the town website's calendar with a link provided added to the posted agenda for clarification because apparently there was some confusion. >> That really makes it crystal clear. >> So I will take a motion to update the
official posting location as so indicated. And can we do that just in one meeting or does it have to be the reading and then a second and then Okay. >> Okay. I Sarah Logan move to designate website as official posting location for
required posting um per mass general law chapter 3A section 20 open meeting law >> and to update the notice of um requirement for posting off of the website calendar. >> Yes, what bell said to that please
amended second as amended. >> Any questions? I think we just have to be very specific because the website needs to be easily meeting agenda needs to be easily accessible and if that's a requirement I think it'll be helpful. >> Okay.
>> Um we can sign out a session that also >> print great. Yes. Sarah Logan. Yes. >> Sal. Thanks so much for that. Um 6.2. No. Sorry. >> Oh yeah. >> Jumping right ahead.
>> That's right. Um 6.2. two was the auction um and the list of properties that were approved at town meeting. Um with that sort of emotion, we have had a few residents ask us, you know, hey, when are you doing that auction? Um our treasure collector believes she needs
about 60 to 70 or so days to get it organized, prepared. Um so with that in mind, I'd like to work with them primarily, and it's a little bit of the assessor's work to set a date and then bring it back to you guys to approve that date. You know, my guess is we'd
want to be, you know, the latter part of October if it's avail if it's an option. And if we can't do then, then I would wait till after the midterm elections and after Thanksgiving and do like the first week of December would be sort of timing of this. >> So my first question is since it was
voted at the town meeting, why didn't they start working on it then so that it would be 60 to 70 >> select board? You have to tell me to go and do it with the treasure collector. >> So June and July are gone.
>> Yeah. >> So you just have to say you're okay with me working with the treasure collector to find dates that work and come back to you and give you those dates. I, Sarah Logan, um move to allow Kieran to work with the treasur collector to
come up with dates for um >> the town meeting approved. >> The town meeting approved auction properties second. >> Any more questions? Roll call. Laura Shiffren, yes. Sarah Logan, yes.
Yes. 6 West the meeting title five. Now they have West meeting room committee. >> Yes. So, I'll bring this online so everyone can see this. Um, we do have a quote for the work to be done um >> and inspect. Um, it's a title five
inspection and um board of health fee for title 5 report review um from a local organization um aeroseptic $950. Um, the town still owns the parcel. So, we'd have to approve >> 925 >> 950
925 for the inspection and 9 and $25 for the board of health fee forwarded. >> Oh, which they may wait. >> Which Yeah, maybe they'll wait. >> Yeah. >> Um, this, you know, it's it would really be the committee's sort of support of this effort. It would be the town that
signs it. >> Um, because it would be expended from the trust funds for this parcel. So that's the business of that committee, >> right? >> So they need to meet. >> Did you have a question? >> Yes. Um Sandra Lord Walsh Hill Road. Um
my question is um we're going to be in the purview and responsibility of the the newly formed committee to work on this. as far as uh number one get someone like Arrow Septic out there to
come for property to vote on you know to do that and then proceed from there before you jump to title five. >> So I think I think the if you look at the way the committee has a very everybody should read it. It's very specific and the one important point is
is there is that the financial aspects still at least have to run through accounting. So the town administ has to sign that we approve of the use of those trust funds. It doesn't mean the select board has to be involved. It just has to go through the appropriate counting processes.
But could we could it be started with the pumping of the septic system and then wait and see you know proceed from there because this is the committee's responsibility to see what they can do with the reading room what needs to be
up and how it needs to be up and running and I believe that this is a part of their responsibilities number one get the uh septic person to go out there and take a to pump the pump the separate.
>> So, normally I do a lot of title fives for different properties. I I don't do them physically myself, but I mean I order them >> in um typically that number is includes the pumping. So, generally they pump first and then
they inspect. So that so that will go to your committee or the committee for the West Townson reading room and they'll have that discussion and decide what they're going to do. >> Okay. So so they they'll be the ones handling the discussion of how to
proceed. >> Yeah. >> Because um my point is it's not like it's a regular house where there's a you know you have a lot of you know someone's there every day. You would don't have a whole family living there utilizing the bathroom. >> Um it's sporadic. I think the important
thing to note and you can look really look read through the the committee's charge >> it it still has to be able to pass appropriate insurance so that it can be used because that's the town still carries that responsibility
for occupancy and usage for whatever it's being used for. So read through the guidelines if you have questions. >> Well I I guess I guess uh the torch is passed on to the committee to discuss this. >> Yeah. Okay. Thanks. So, me too. I have a question
and I know it's delving a little deeper into this title five issue, but uh what was found to what was the issue with the septic to begin with? Do you have something to dig in with? >> Yep. So, it it freezes in the winter time. >> That would tell you that your distribution box is too close to the
surface. So, it literally ices up so that when you try to flush the toilet, the effluent just gets stuck in the debox. And then the second report was that there is a large root ball that has crushed part of the leech field to the fact that the soil is no longer a nice
um sandy color. It's gray. It would tell you that the septic is failing based on their >> So good luck. >> Yeah. The other thing so I guess that that that would be addressed perhaps in the with a consultation with board of health and then with the title five is
that how the the go? >> Yeah. So these title five inspectors are, you know, managed by the state in terms of whether they pass or fail a system. They go through it's a quite a long lengthy document. Um so they have certain criteria they're looking for. Um you know, a group like Arrow is going to
come out with that form and um to Val's point, I suspect that $925 includes a pump of the system because you can't really tell if the tank's cracked if there's stuff in it. >> So one begets the other. Um, but you know, these folks will go in, they'll they'll drain it out, and they'll look
at their little flashlight, their little camera, and say, "Oh, that's cracked right there." Like, "Oh, that might be able to be fixed. Oh, that can't be fixed." Um, and then after that effect, then you've gotten a report that says the tank is cracked, but the leech field's in great working order. Okay,
that's what this will cost. It still fails. Um, if it's a distribution box issue, it becomes it it can pass conditionally upon replacement of the distribution box, but it has to be again, you have to have enough soil covering above it. So, it doesn't freeze
in the winter time. You see that a lot in northern New Hampshire. They'll freeze because they're put in, you know, 30, 40 years ago and they just they don't meet the thresholds these days. Things have gotten colder up there, I guess. So, >> thank you. Yeah, but I I I imagine that 925 includes the pumping of the system
because they can't tell you if it's working or not um without that. So >> So the committee does have access to that trust and how but it still at least has to go through the town's accounting process. >> I got it. Thank you. >> So it's all there in the description of that committee. It still has to have the insurance on the building. So it has to
have all there. Good luck. >> Thank you. >> Um can I make a motion? >> Go for it. I Sarah Logan approve to move forward with the funding of the title 5 inspection for the west towns and reading room to be paid out of west
towns and reading room line item and to approve the west towns and reading room committee to approve completion of the inspection second discussion roll call yes saran yes
>> moving on to new business um 7.1 north middle sex um negotiations >> yep So, um, North Middle Sex Regional School District, um, has their almost all their contracts coming up for their staff, including teachers, you know, all the other workers that are
critical to the environments there. Um, and all, I believe, I don't want to misquote it, but I believe all those contracts are up come the end of this fiscal year. Um, when that happens, you previously had Eric Slaggel represent the um, TAS and select board on behalf
of Townsen as well as other communities. Um, and currently, uh, Mr. Andrew Mlan of Peril has volunteered as tribute for this year, um, to try to get us a good, uh, financially responsible deal, um, you know, working with the school
committee and the superintendent, um, for our three regional committees. Um, with that caveat that the TAs, we met and I'll touch on this in my TA airport, but the TAs met earlier this week and almost wants to provide a, you know, once a month update or, you know, a
bi-weekly update in terms of how things are going. Um, as someone who's began to build your budget for next year, I can tell you it's pretty grim. Um, I'll be beating that horse for a while. Um, so I think it'll be great to have Andrew at the table um to represent not only PEP
roll but also Townsen in Ashby um to try to get a good deal with the U Mass teachers association and and all the other groups that are involved over there. They do have four or five meetings scheduled already with those groups. Um, I sort of gave, you know,
Andrew my impression of the financial marching orders in terms of how tight our budget is, um, just from my perspective. And, um, he felt the same from Ashby with Mary sharing her numbers as well. Um, so, you know, I think Andrew is a good resource. Um, he's
certainly more seasoned than I am in terms of, um, you know, the petrol petrol side of things. Um, and we have our own four unions to negotiate with next year anyways. Um, so we uh we have a pretty busy >> year to pass the torch on to a different kind of
>> Yeah, we'll have a busy, you know, early winter and late late winter this coming year. So, >> support or >> Yeah, I think a motion for support would be good and then um I'll craft a letter saying, you know, dear Andrew, we you know, support your advocacy for the
communities and go from there. Okay. I Sarah Logan um move to support um Andrew McClean the Peppertown administrator to negotiate on behalf of the district towns with the um North Middle Sex Regional School District.
>> Laura second 7.2 Jake >> Chief Sartel >> Police Department request to appoint officer Dylan Sylvester. Is that correct? Okay. >> Yes. Yep. >> To the position, Sergeant. >> Sure. >> Have the floor.
>> Sure. Thank you. I appreciate it. Uh, good night. Um, so, a couple things. I first I I trust that everybody has read the correspondence, but I figured I would, uh, go over it real briefly. Um, what we did and kind of how we arrived at our recommendation. First of all, we we began this process in March. Uh, four
qualified officers participated in the process. The process is is pretty well healed at this point. We've done it a number of times. We have a written examination that is validated through an outside vendor. We we proctor the exam. Then we send it out for scoring. It's returned. We take that score. We add it
to the person's packet. Then we have an independent oral board that happens that comprised of command officers from other communities. We had three chiefs that sit it sat in on this one. Grten's chief chief from WA Massachusetts and a chief from Weston Massachusetts. Um at that
point we get feedback from them relative to qualifications. We don't ask them to pick our candidate. We ask them to rank the candidates in terms of whether or not they are qualified or not. At that point, I take that packet back and all those data points and then we conduct an administrative review of their
qualifications, performance, leadership, that type of thing. Um, we had an exceptional candidate pool. All four officers were qualified. So, we feel as though the leadership there is in in good hands as far as career development goes. Um each of the officers have invested a pretty significant amount of
time preparing for both the written exam and the uh the oral exam as well. Competitive process for sure from start to finish. Um so based on what I base my decision on is overall readiness to serve in that position initiative, independent judgment, leadership,
communication, organizational awareness um and decision making. Um we felt at the end of this process that officer Sylveves had consistently demonstrated those qualities throughout the promotional process. Um as you as you well know he is currently assigned as
the school resource officer. So I have been in touch with um Mr. Morgan to to kind of inquire as to the next steps of naming an SRO in his place because um obviously that does not that position doesn't require the services of a police sergeant. U we're going to work with
some dates. We do not feel as though it will interrupt our having a school resource officer in time for the beginning of school. Um there is some education in between that's required of all school resource officers. We've got that kind of set up and looking at that. I've solicited the department for
candidates. We have had some officers express interest. Period ends on Friday. I'll coalesce after that and determine who's there and in conjunction with the school district pursuant to our memorandum of understanding we'll develop a process to select a new school
resource officer for the fall >> and he'll be missed over there. >> Yes, he will. Yeah, and so will the dog probably more than he will, right? >> I'm sure he'll come to visit. >> Sure. So I'm I'm very confident to present to you um I believe that he possesses the uh the leadership, the judgment and the professionalism
necessary to serve the department um in this in this role. >> It's within the budget which is important for those parameters and >> question. >> Yeah. So the budget was constructed with the promotion in mind. Basically what I
ended up doing is taking a top step trollman, a bottom step sergeant or a sergeant's wages and kind of budgeted that delta in it in my salary line. So it is there and they're getting started late which means that we've got a month of benefit from for not filling that
position. So there's a little bit of a of a surplus in that one line. So it is uh it is budgeted. I don't see any any issues in regards to funding that spot. >> That's exciting. >> Any else? >> Yeah. Congratulations, sir. >> It sounds like a good match overall and
the process seems very thorough, which I always appreciate. >> We ready motion, sir. >> Yes. I, Sarah Logan, move to appoint officer Dylan Sylvestri to the position of sergeant to the police department with effective start date as indicated on the EAF form. >> Laura Shiffren second. Any further
questions? Roll call vote. Laura Shiffren, yes. >> Sarah Logan, yes. >> Valer, yes. Congratulations to Sergeant Sylvester. >> Thank you very much. >> Um 7.3 Police Department request to reclassify administrative assistant to executive assistant grade D to grade E.
>> So again, pretty robust packet that I sent you for that one, including a a revised job description. I figured I can give you a couple bullet points and and take questions if if I don't answer them in my presentation. But uh important to note, this is a reclassification,
certainly not a new position. Um the request really kind of recognizes how the position has evolved over time. The administrative assistant has taken on responsibilities well beyond clerical duties which was really the lion share of the administrative assistant's
responsibilities. Um the proposed title executive administrative assistant more accurately reflects the duties currently being performed. Uh she helps me with my preparation for collective bargaining for discipline within the department for policy development and promulgation. It
makes sense. She's also taken on a an increased role when it comes to payroll. Payroll at that department. And I I I um I ask you to to ask around. Don't take my word for it. Super complicated. Varying degrees of pay, FLS a rates, non
FLSA rates, you know, shift differential, non- shift differential changes, Quinn bill. I mean, it is ridiculously complicated. At this point, I think we handle, and Karen can correct me if I'm wrong, we're about to handle the entirety of our payroll with very little done by the treasur's office. I
think we are doing the entirety of our payroll and I think there are even plans to manage our time banks as well to reduce the errors in that area. So, as you can see, that position has grown in scope and responsibility. Um, so these increased responsibilities justify the change. I can I can certainly elaborate
if that uh if that is necessary but the the scale was created under Collins. If you look at the original Collins Institute's study and you look at the departments um that have positions in there already, it aligns with her responsibilities. I think there's an
entire grade difference. I do think for purposes of full disclosure that entire thing needs to be reviewed, but as you had mentioned, we've got some collective bargaining coming up this year that will certainly shine a light on um any sort of market adjustments that may may or may not be needed. That said, I think
this is a wholly separate decision. Get her on the grade and then figure it out from there. I don't think it's outrageously low at this point looking at it in a very anecdotal way, but I do think a much more comprehensive market analysis is needed for the entirety of
the of the departments through the town's pay scales, which uh Mr. Mi and I have talked about extensively over the last year. I do look at this scale as comparable to other communities. Lunenburgg recently hired one for this very spot. Boxboro, I think, had one. If it's if it's not already filled, that is
in this same kind of realm. I think air was in there as well. Don't hold me to it, but um enough that I know that that band or that grade makes sense, is not outrageous one way or the other. Certainly not an other outlier. Uh no additional funding is requested. This is
not a request for additional appropriations of any sort. Uh this again can be absorbed by our fiscal 27 budget. I don't find any problems with that. if I need to throttle spending in other areas, I can kind of make that decision on the fly as as we continue to roll through the fiscal year.
>> And I will echo that, you know, the police, you know, working 12-hour shifts and there's all these considerations for the the detail oriented work and I think the person in the role right now, she's there and I think that means a lot that
she can quite easily track it a lot more closely than our treasure director's office has all of us. And I think with Jess's support over there, um, it'll be a great sort of synergy to work together. We're going to offer her a little training with Anthony, who does our payroll now, and then let Jess run
with it. I think it's a great opportunity for her. And I think it'll make um, you know, some great strides in relationships from building to building because you could always improve those and always enhance those and um, allow one of our great staff members to grow their career.
Um sometimes it's more expensive to lose people um because you got to do the training and you lose the village knowledge and I know um she does a great job over there. I've had you know many great conversations with her. So >> just a simple example of that is we have details that we run in the community that we have to build for we have to
collect for and we have to manage that entire thing through the uh through the accountants office. We build and collected $170,000 in detail funding last year. 100% of that was collected. That type of success rate is not doesn't happen by accident. There's a lot that
goes into that administratively to make that happen. This board made a decision to have a fund set aside for us, a revolving fund for the admin portion of that to support that apparatus. That's a pretty significant job in and of itself
per week and seasonal. And the seasons do not coincide with easy seasons. that doesn't allow us to kind of pump the brakes and close and reorder while it takes place. It just gives you an just an understanding of what goes through that office is not just clerical issues. There's a lot of of skilled things that
happen including collecting funds on behalf of the town and making sure that that's done. I want to say it might be three years in a row we've collected 100% of our details and they and they always knock on a couple hundred,000 a year in billing. It's a pretty significant thing. We use those bills to help maintain the cruisers and now we
have a revolving fund to support the administrative cost behind providing special details for for companies in the area. >> So it sounds a little bit like >> there's an inclusion of human resources. Is that your position? >> It is. Yeah, most definitely.
Particularly in in light of not having it centralized here at the town hall. I have her often times researching all kinds of human resources related issues whether they be what does the contract say about this? what is the past practice about this? What does the H handbook at the town say about it? So yeah, she's involved up to her eyeballs
in our human resources issues as well, which makes it very important that it's a confidential position because again, I need to be able to counsel with her without any, you know, without any understanding that there would be, you know, a violation of that uh sensitive information, medical information she
cartels. If you saw the amount of medical information, psychological tests that we get for our police officer candidates, it's very sensitive record. So it's it's very important that she has a handle on quite quite a bit in that agency. So it's only befitting that it it's reflected in the rate of pay to be
frank >> and she knows it better. She's there every day. So it's really a it helps helps the town as a whole. So >> yeah, not to mention the person in the role is fantastic. Yeah. Um irrespective of who sits in that role, I think if we were to put that on the open market, I'm
demanding a very uh it's a difficult job no matter who took it to be honest. Uh the skill set is varied for sure. Um, so the fact that we have a rock star in there is a is a bonus for sure. Valuable. >> Any further questions of the chief? >> Take a motion, Sarah.
>> Um, I Sarah Logan move to reclassify administrative assistant to executive assistant grade DE start date as indicated on the EAF form. >> Laura Shiffren second. Are any further discussion? Roll call vote. >> Laura Shiffron, yes.
>> Sarah Logan, yes. Yes. Um, thank you so much. All right, I think that concludes my business. Excuse me. >> Thank you. Thanks, Jay. >> Sorry for not recognizing at the beginning, J. >> Oh, no worries. No worries. >> Uh 7.4 authorized time administrator to dispose
of surplus personal property with an individual estimated value of less than 10,000 in accordance with MGL chapter 30B and if the pool holds. But this one is more just for keeping our meetings streamlined and um you know sometimes
it's plates from the senior center like they have a hundred sets of plates and I can get those up on municip and we may end up having no one take them. So perhaps they end up just being taken by the folks that visit the center you know little batches. Um, but I just don't
know if if it's worth um it's something I can do quickly for you guys rather than have to have it come to a meeting, wait for a vote, and then get it back out. >> And this um in my mind, this is also related to a further agenda item I'm going to talk about, which is the administrative overhead of this office and the select board and the
communication that goes up and back down to the departments. And if this is a case where the law is straightforward, nothing's changing, and we can authorize this, I think it could help with that whole process. I heard from department head like that would be wonderful,
>> but I have old tables that are sitting there waiting for the >> heard about the tables yesterday. Yeah. I was like, >> so any questions about it? >> No. Can I make a motion? Thank you. I Sarah Logan move to authorize town administrator to dispose of surplus personal property with an individual
estimated value of less than 10,000 in accordance with Mass General Law Chapter 30B and applicable applicable town policies. Lisha second. Any further discussion? >> I will say that I'll note these in the TA report when they come up. So like, hey, we successfully got, you know, the
dishes out of the senior center or like >> the tables out of the library. Well, there's also like 10 or 12 year old TCAM equipment down in the TAM storage. >> I was just going to say it's not worth anything, but like let's see if we can donate it to Nishoba Tech or someone so they can put it to good use because I
don't think there's any dollar value. >> I don't know. I don't I >> and we get more space >> more space or is it put it on I wish I could put stuff on Facebook Marketplace for like 100 bucks, but we can't do that. So, >> there's rules. I know it's okay. >> Okay. Any further discussion?
>> No. Roll call vote. Laura, Sarah, yes, I get it. Yes. Uh 7.5 similar. >> Yep. 7.5 is um you know, contracts that are um less than $10,000 um for the town. Um again, I would include in TA
reports, but it would be, you know, day-to-day items that we need signed in a timely manner that get services to the building done. Whether it be like a plumber for the broken pipe, you know, down in the the lady's room down the first floor and facilities was on vacation for a couple weeks. So, could I
have just signed the contract to have the pipe fixed, you know, rather than >> town operations? >> Yeah. Rather than have an out of order sign on the door um we had it with the pest control um contract. There was a lot of ins and outs on that one. Um fiscally for the town, we were able to
save $2,000 on the contract. So, you know, we we roll from there because the contract was up on June 30 and we need to move forward and there's wasps and mice and all that fun stuff going around. But really, it's about, you know, these are small contracts in the
procurement world. After $10,000, you have to go through 30b proper procurement. By nature, within myself, I work with the department heads to get a couple quotes so that we know what the baseline is for the market and go from there. So, >> sounds good. Can I make a motion?
>> Okay. I, Sarah Logan, move to authorize town administrator to execute contracts and purchase orders with a total value of less than $10,000 for routine town operations in accordance with Mass General Law Chapter 30B and the applicable town procurement policies.
>> Can second for discussion? >> Absolutely. >> I think it's too high. What would you like to say? Five. That's my personal opinion. >> I work for the pleasure of the board. >> I'm fine at the 10.
>> The board >> I'm fine with these circumstances because again master sets that kind of limit and I just think we have so much stuff >> that this board has to sort through right now that I think it's the right move and this select board can do it. But I I respect your opinion too on
that. So 100% Take a roll call vote. >> Sarah Logan. Yes. From upstairs. >> Next one. 7.6. >> Yeah. Was like >> kind of a big topic, so it may take a
little bit, but that's our review. >> Do you want to jump around to the other items first? >> You know, why don't we move this to um Yeah. toward the end so we can get through the other stuff first. This could take a little bit longer. So we'll move 7.6 at the pledge of the board to the end of new business if that's okay.
>> Yes. Does that work? >> 7.7 trueward in position. >> Yep. So we um Dom Mazuko retired as of June 30th. Um we've had a few um balls in the air in terms of uh some storms,
some tree issues. Um recently we've had a few residents reach out about who is the resource for tree guidance arborist and stuff. um you know, I've been sort of you just it hasn't been a a huge um priority until recently when we now have
like three residents looking for some guidance. Um I do have two staff members um that are interested in the role. Um I don't I haven't really spoken to them about like a co-sharing or anything like that, but um your highway superintendent's interested in the role
as well as your cemetery and park superintendent interested in the role. Um, we don't have a huge number in the budget there for this year. I think it's about $6,800ish. Um, you know, there's a world you could say, "Hey, we just split it between the two gentlemen." You could tell me, "Go
out to find a local tree company that's less than $10,000." That could just be the person we call when something comes up. Um, few different options before you. Um, >> so if I can, there are individuals in town that are interested in doing this
job in addition to their existing roles. >> Correct. >> And this would have to be an additional with the union for those individuals that go to graduate. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Are the individuals qualified to diagnose if a tree needs to come down or the health of a tree?
>> My suspicion is there depending on the tree and it's really going to be driven by the location. >> Okay. Um, you know, if it's on a in a right of way on a roadway, the highway superintendent would probably be the one to say, "Yeah, that's on the road. That's on the right of way. Okay, >> we should cut this down." If it's on town owned land, but the trees leaning
against the person's private home, but it's on town land and it's leaning over, I guess you I suspect you'd need an arborist to say, "You know what? Maybe we can trim it back rather than have a huge crane come in and really cause a >> a disturbance in the in the ground." Um
there's a lot of things to consider when it comes to this stuff. Um you know, Don Mazucha was wonderful. He was, you know, resourceful and he went out and he sort of knew the guys, knew the people at play. Um so his sort of parting words to me, and I'm just trying
to remember this because it was so, you know, a long long time ago was, you know, a don't make a big fanfare about retiring. Um and b, you know, he goes, you know, you have some people in your group that can do some of this stuff. I think he was reflecting on highway superintendent and the cemetery and park
superintendent because sometimes they're the ones who get called anyways because they have some of the equipment. Um it's not always calling, you know, 123 Treeworks. It's sometimes just calling, you know, Jim from Highway to say, "Hey, can you bring a couple guys down with some chainsaws to clean this up?"
You know, the requests we have before us from a couple residents, I think is a bit more detail oriented. Um, one of them is a town-nown piece of land and the tree is bending, you know, kind of leaning up and over their fence line and they're nervous about their house and any given storm. Yeah,
>> I'd be nervous, too. >> So, I don't really have an answer for them. >> And then our insurance becomes responsible because it's our tree that fell on their property. >> There are some implications. Correct. Yeah. I would just make an observation that I had recently
of some trees coming down near my house and unlike the state forest where the trees you could hear them shake the way they dropped them >> down the road. I can't even imagine the people that were right next to it.
>> Mhm. >> Um there wasn't a peak. >> They use ropes. There's three or four guys. You don't even >> They do it without disturbing the ground. >> Yeah.
>> And I was like baffled because I've had some done in the back of my yard at one time and I heard every one of them come down. >> So I think where there's a will there's a way of doing it correctly. >> Yeah. >> Where you don't have to worry about
that. But certainly if there if it's a tree on town owned property that's leaning on a resident's home, we should make sure that that doesn't happen. So I guess you need support from the board to um consider
this position with the two existing place. >> Yeah. >> And to make the appropriate MOU as necessary if if so applicable. >> Yeah. >> Both those supervisors have experience with working with the tree warden.
>> Yeah, it's often who Don would call sometimes for a second opinion, especially on the ones in the right away because those are a little simpler on the roadway, but um you know on people's backyards on, you know, when it comes to town own property or a question about conservation, you know, sometimes you have to check with the agent or the
commission, you know, is this tree in a area that I could cut down or do I have to, you know, what do you have to do? So, um there is some leg work there along the way. So, >> I think Mr. Gates is behind us. >> Yeah. James chair 73 turn.
>> Um so typically it's one two three trees that are um a danger to property um or life. It's just approval um deal about it. It's you know there is a
concern about um damage to the ground you know uh permitting something like that during the winter is how we proceed but typically a couple trees that
you >> and I think that might be why Doug who might be one of our residents has his hands up if I remember correctly. Is that you Doug? >> Yeah. Thanks. Thanks, >> Darren. Introduce yourself, Doug, and give your address. >> Um 12 Willow Drive on Towns and um the
it's a lot next to us. It's not conservation. We spoke with Beth and conservation. There's no protection on it. So, just to clear that. Um and yeah, there's a giant pine leaning in our towards our yard. It's about 100 foot tall. Um,
and it probably made a 15 degree angle. We've had three companies come and take a look at it. Um, so we're just waiting for a permit to be able to pull it down or or or you guys are going to pull it or um just just trying to get up to
speed here. That's all. >> And and that's what I don't I don't know the mechanism of does the town foot the bill there or does the town >> is it a town tree? It's on town property leaning over a fence. >> But this is where
for the tree or the tree warden. >> Yeah. I mean, can we can I >> can I can I be so bold as to ask for an acting tree warden to get this figured out while you're figuring out permanent solution? >> Oh, you want one?
>> If you know someone, >> I mean, >> one of the recommended >> one of the recommended >> I could tap you know, like I'll probably ask Jim first because I think he's the one who's really um like shared a letter with me in terms of his interests and
Roger verbally shared interest. So, I'll tap in first and say, "Hey, >> Doug, can you just email me and just say I'm at 12 Willow and I'll link in Jim Smith, our highway superintendent?" >> Sure. Can he can he do permitting? Is
that really like the issue? Because if that's all we need, like we can pull the tree down. We we just really want to be able to take it down >> for safety. >> There really is no, >> you know. So, and if there was, I'd sign it right away. It's a danger. Um,
>> but it's outside of all that. It's a matter of commission agenda for >> Yeah. >> I can't I can't really hear him very well. Didn't catch all that. But I'll talk I'll talk with Karen. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So essentially you it's not an
agenda item for us to vote to allow your tree company to have permission to access the town owned land. >> Okay. >> We would have to vote and approve that. >> However, in lie of it being a danger to your home, I would likely support a letter uh for an emergency protocol to
have the tree removed so that it does not hurt your home in the event we get a nasty thunderstorm tomorrow night, you know, hypothetically. Um, so if you send me an email, say you're 12 below, um, maybe just include a picture of the tree. We'll get back in touch with you quickly.
>> All right. Thank you. >> Okay. >> So, >> do we need a motion or we just to allow the town administrator to explore all options internally for filling the board position and to report back to the board. >> So move second. >> Any further discussion?
>> No. >> Thanks, Doug. Roll call vote. >> Lower ship. Yes. >> Sarah Logan, yes. I go to Jess. Um 7.8. James, you want to come up for this? Exception to the hiring freeze, conservation agent, and cemeter.
>> Y Doug, you're muted, but I'm guessing you're saying thank you and you'll email us. So um um so again, Mr. Streer resigned um a short time ago. um his technical last day is the 13th of
uh August. Um you know, sort of burning up some acrruels, which every employee is entitled to do. Um in the meantime, that leaves us without a real plan for moving the conservation agent forward and finding someone um to really step up for some of the paperwork,
administrative roles, um that, you know, are part of that department. You know, I alone today, you know, had three people stop by, you know, asking conservation related questions. um a couple of dropped off you know file folders so that the commission can review them at an upcoming meeting. Um I think Mr.
Gates as the chair and um and that commission has been um sort of jumping on some things that were outstanding to get resolved for the commission as well as for the residents and it's sort of leaving us in a spot right now for conservation that what's our short-term
plan um to find someone to really help with the admin work um and making sure the files are ready to go for a meeting but also um you know looking at going out to do wetland delineations with the commission or you know reviewing an NOI or you know order of conditions for the
group um so that they can keep um business moving forward for the residents and the the property owners in town. >> So we don't do wetland delineation um that's not for us to decide that's for a professional to do. Um but it's yeah it's a matter of keeping everything
organized and having us um ready in a meeting to hit the ground running. Um something we pride ourselves on is um you know trying to have a quick turnaround. Some of these things do get dragged out. Um and it's just part of
the process but overall um you even look back at uh town reports with our permits. Um you know and we've had had more permits throughout the last four years, five years since I looked. Um the
last year we've had a huge drop off. Um but it also seems there's been a lot more um issues that we've had to try to resolve. Um so >> so in the past I know that the board has had to work through other transitions.
What has worked and what hasn't worked? >> Um so when we had the last transition we had uh Serena helped us um and she was a huge asset. She was cut and dry, you
know, straight to the point and she helped with the administrative side of things. Um, you know, there are things that I was able to, you know, answer remotely over email or sign. Um, you know, to keep everything moving. Uh, but
in terms of getting meetings ready, agendas ready, and minutes uh completed, she kept us um up to date. Is she willing to do that? Yeah, >> I think that's a conversation we could
um entertain um with her. We also have to be respectful of it's a clerical union position. Um so we're allowed to do temporary and contract type work. Um specifically, um Jane from MTC specified
that it could be contracted type work or a temporary placement into the role. Um, so we'd have to make sure we honor that and we're respectful to the ABS folks on that side of things. Um, >> she could also give you feedback of how much time she spent doing things as well.
>> Yeah. Um, you know, and that might be Yeah. So, I don't believe the planning board and zoning boards admin interested in the role. Um, they recently reduced their hours already. Um, and I, you know, I don't want to speak for her, but
I think folks are coming in just sort of handing stuff off to her and that's not really fair to her and her role. >> Um, and, uh, you know, they're making their way down to this side of the op building, which is fine. Um, you know, I chatted with a gentleman from Disoy
today about, you know, big packet of plans, which, you know, chat with James about, you know, something that'll come up >> and I've already talked to them, >> right? So, you know, that's all said. We'll put it on the agenda for the second meeting of the month. >> Yeah. >> Um so, you know, in in the meantime, I
did also reach out to Oxbow Associates, who is a local um land steward type group, sort of float the idea up to them like, "Hey, is there any interest in just doing four to six hours a week >> a week, you know, for someone or or remote type work."
>> Um but, you know, >> we don't really need a we don't need a wetlands person. Um, but you you do need someone to make sure the paperwork's organized and stuff. Um, in the event that we don't have an internal asset for that capacity. Um, I checked with the
other TAs in the area, notably PEP and Ashby. Ashby doesn't have an admin or an an agent per se. Um, they let the commission do it, but a smaller community. Um, PPL's conservation agent also serves as their storm water um
resource and she um backfills a few other details in that building and uh andrew didn't think she had the capacity for more hours of work. Um you know we could have brought either
Oxbow or Oxbow Associates or Apolla from Pepperel on board as a temporary placement just for three months to keep the lights on. Um, but Pepro didn't seem like they were interested and Oxbow Associates said, you know, break down exactly what you're looking for in this
role. And I think right now we're kind of a moving target, if you will. Um, because the commission is sort of retooling after um, >> I'd add to this, too, that we do have a hiring freeze. >> So, we would have a hiring freeze, but with somebody leaving, there's money in
the budget. Oh, yeah. Of course, to get somebody part-time if we need it. So, but I guess the question is is are we um making an exception to the hiring freeze to hiring new conservation because that be every week? Yeah. But so that's part of the goal of that hiring freeze is to
address how does this affect the budget? How can it be handled? Is this a position that we just have to post? >> What about Lunberg? >> Haven't had a chance to catch up with them. I have a few other things to catch up with the Lunberg town manager town manager. So,
I want to be recognizable. Go ahead statement. Thank you. >> Were you volunteering? >> You know, I could use the money, but I'm not qualified. >> Um, but anyways, Sandra Lord Wilson wrote, um, I was just wondering how long
did it take? It's just more of like a timeline. How long did it take last time to get like a fully entered the position? Like what was the time? >> Fill the position. Months. >> Months. >> It's a hard one to fill. >> Months. I was just curious. >> No, it's a fair question. It's months.
>> Okay. >> So, if you get someone that's temporary for 3 months, while you have it posted, >> um but again, I Yeah, >> if I was qualified, I would do it, but I I'm not think there's no way, shape, or
form I'm qualified. >> It's why I lean towards um just in the interim a contract company because they may have two or three people. So, Kieran's not on vacation. they can still have, you know, Sarah who's in the office, keep keep the lights on.
>> That's sort of what nice about contract work sometimes is no matter what, someone's going to answer the call. >> Um, >> would that be a better solution long term? And >> that would be an effective bargaining question. >> Okay. >> That's why you could do it in the short term just to say we're we're trying to hash this out, figure out what the job
actually entails, but in the short term to support the commission. Um, >> and you could also ask Sabrina or someone like Sabrina. So, um, this is two parts and I'm fine putting it both on this. There would be a motion to make an exception to the hiring freeze for conservation agent and then separately a
motion to allow the town administrator to determine the best temporary solution while we were hiring that position. Is that okay here in the two parts? >> Yeah. >> So moved. Well, let's do the first one. I'll take a motion to make an exception
to hiring freeze for the conservation agency. >> Okay. So um um I Sarah Logan move to approve the exception to the hiring increase for the conservation agent second. >> Would you like us to pause on that? >> Yeah. Just thinking of like timing wise
like do you want me to post this come tomorrow or do you want me to careful what you wish for? I'm going to share share with you guys the budget in the next hour or so. We take contract. >> We can we have a meeting two weeks. We
can bring that part back up. Yeah. >> I take a motion to allow the town administrator to pursue temporary arrangements to fulfill the needs of the conservation agent while we're addressing the bigger picture. >> So moved.
>> Second. >> Karen tried to hand me paperwork today and I said I don't want this. So that's where we're >> we need we need something while we're >> Yeah. It's you get folders that are this thick. You see >> you just
>> if stuff doesn't stay organized it it has to start organized so it can finish organized and if we don't have that especially in such a sensitive area of um you know >> municipal governance. >> Yes.
>> Okay. I'll take a roll call vote. Laura Shiff, yes. Sarah, yes. S just make sure Jane and Ashley are involved in that whole process. >> The other part of 7.8 was the cemetery and parks foreman position. Mr. Funk is
resigning um and finishing up shortly. >> Um, you know, more >> that that's a really tough role to fill for the town. um they were working about 32 hours a week and so about four days a week and um the superintendent of that
group is um he's really concerned by losing that employee. >> You know, I won't speak for him, but I sort of got the impression that was the air apparent if you will. >> Um but I think uh you know, again, Mr. Funk found an opportunity elsewhere that was hard to say no to. Um, so I wish
them all the best, but in the meantime, um, we probably should consider, you know, an internal posting maybe for that role. Currently, um, >> has to go first. >> It does for the first seven days. We may
have an internal candidate. Um, but there is certainly a deeper discussion to have with Cemeterian Parks um, in terms of uh, how it all shakes out. Can we put a hold on that one as well? Well, if you want to post internally, we
can't. So, >> you could just put a hold on it for a couple weeks because I did have a late email from I can't remember if it was Roger or Jim saying, "Hey, why don't we all sit together for an hour?" >> So, two weeks we can bring back. >> Yeah. Take no action. Okay.
>> Um 7.9 Memorial Hall meeting. Um, I Sarah Logan move to approve the rental of the memorial hall for Historic Society annual meeting on November 8th, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and approved to wave the fees and security
deposit as requested. >> Laura second questions public. Yes. >> Sarah Logan, yes. Yes. 7.10 collector department request to eliminate return envelopes and state personal copy and excise tax.
>> Yep. So, do you want me to summarize this one? So, our treasure collector was looking at expenses and um ways to save money. Um she believes we can save about I think it was $1,600ish dollars a year by not including the return envelopes in
your um you mailing personal property real estate. >> And $1,600 to me is a lot of money for our budget. >> And I think it will, you know, she is going to put it on the you know, one of the tax bills. We'll put it on the website. able to put it on the door down there, you know, in that office. And it
really truly encouraged people to use online resources because you can pay your taxes that way. >> Um, but uh I didn't think it was a bad idea for saving a few bucks. >> I think it's a good one. I always return the envelopes that I get. >> Yeah, >> because I don't use them. >> I always use them for something else.
So, >> at least I get mine back. >> I'm always like, "Oh, I could send that bill in." Hello, Bill. Um I Sarah Logan move to approve the treasur collector department request to eliminate inclusion of return envelopes with real estate personal property and
excise tax mailings as presented. >> Ship has a second. >> And I I'll add that it was helpful to have that whole analysis laid out for us beforehand if anybody's curious. I'm sure >> it can be shared. >> Yep. >> Um roll call vote. >> Laura Shep. Yes. Sarah living. Yes.
>> Val yes. Um 7.11. Patrick Higgins requests for copy of all meeting minutes of the towns and select board for the calendar years 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 2023 2024 2025 and 2026.
So I put this on here for the purpose of informing the board and the public that um this is a request that came to us by open meeting law. So it's required to be filled within 10 days. It's not a public records request. It's a legitimate request. Um, and just so people
understand, I think this is I would like to continue to bring forward examples like this because I respect that sometimes again that communication going up and down can take some time. And in this circumstance, our administrative
staff this week today is photocopying meeting minutes or scanning meeting minutes from the 1970s of the select board to answer this request. It's required and I'm not complaining. I just want to explain to people sometimes what administrative staff has to be
immediately directed to do >> if they don't feel like the response is quite as prompt as they would like. >> So, >> and he's from Alabama, isn't he? >> From Alabama. Alabama's a place you can file companies and stuff like Delaware.
>> Yep. Same thing. So, the request will answer by August 9th, which is Sunday. Hopefully we get it done by Friday so that we don't have to do it every week. >> Other things don't get done. >> Yeah, true. In some communities, in another state, in the town that I used to spend time in and grew up in, they
don't answer these requests. They just say the file will be available for you at the town hall. >> Why don't we do that? >> I don't know. But I'm >> I think Mass like Mass kind of needled us a bit on that one because in Connecticut they're like it's at the town hall. You have all day with it.
They leave it on the table for you. >> Mr. Higgins is well known by council and other towns in Massachusetts. Anybody can talk about Massachusetts. There's other towns select boards boards of health conservation that know Mr. Higgins well. So, thank you Mr. Higgins for that request and it will be answered
by Sunday. >> And thank you Valerie and Sabrina for uh >> we should figure out what the cost is. >> The sword here. >> Uh we should figure out the cost of that to the town. >> It's not a cost we could cover. No, but we're paying staff to do that. It costs
the taxpayers dollars when other stuff is not being done. Just pointing that out. >> And volunteer board time >> and volunteer board time. So whatever >> ballpark 10 hours at about 30 bucks an hour, 25 bucks an hour.
>> All right. >> Council with response and so and eventually work backwards, but we'll get to that later. 7.12 email accounts for volunteer boards. >> Yes. So, this is um one that we've had a few of our board leaders recently um
reach out to us to say, is there any chance we can get an email address for our account? Um because you know if you're a a parent at home and you use your email address to correspond you know um on conservation matters but then you're also you know getting your
child's physical or your access to your my chart at Beth Israel Ley. They all sort of blend together in the event that there's an open meeting law or records request of something of that nature. Um, so we've had a few leaders from boards and committees and volunteer groups say,
"Is there any way we could get an email address?" So I dug into this a little bit with Sabrina, we figured out that the cost is about $20 a month per email address. >> Oh, >> yeah. So they're not in a they're not free. Um, my first thought was, and I said this to the staff yesterday in the
department meeting, like, can't we all just create a Gmail address? It's free. >> But we can. Um, >> we can. >> We cannot. No, but but so I'll just talk about this from someone who was a chair of the board for a long time that I used
my personal email for our library trustee information. I kept it all in a separate folder. The way it was explained to me is yes, someone could go through and look at that, but it would be a person dedicated to look through that account. It wouldn't all my it would only be pulled the library
specific things. Everything else in my email would not be accessible to the public. an individual a neutral third party might have to go through that but they can't release my child records in the end someone else on that board created their own email address I know
Veronica had one before she had a select board specific account like veronica bossgmail.com or something like that so you give that email address it's a different email address for your specific work on the board you can create you know I know Don
Don Hayes has Don Hayes fin at >> whatever it is. And so he created that email account >> and he uses that email account for his finance committee work >> just giving other options. >> I never had a town account until select
board and I have been on a lot of boards for decades and it was always my personal >> and you could you can create your own. >> I didn't even think about that. >> But that is a possibility if anybody's concerned. You can open up an Gmail
account, you know, Laura Shiffren pools and resident on boardsgmail.com. >> One idea that one of our staff members because, you know, I brought it up yesterday, they suggested, you know, why not make a chair at conservation
townsmma.gov. I actually thought that was a pretty crafty idea because then >> if you win Powerball and you decide to go to Inguila or Alaska >> then whoever the next chair is could just be reassigned. >> Get it?
>> And I actually thought that was pretty >> and I checked with a couple of the folks that were asking about this and one of them was like, "Well, that's spot on because I I'm not going to do this forever, but like for continuity purposes, >> yeah, >> it actually kind of made sense." Um, so
I'm just trying to give you ideas if you if you think >> I think that's a good idea. >> Yeah. If we had 20, let's say we had 20 volunteer committees and boards times 240, it'd be $4,800 for the year that that would cost us,
but on a $30 million budget, if it meant better continuity for our volunteers, >> that could be a part-time staff member. I hear you, but I'm just >> just saying that is literally that fractional employee who's keeping the library open on Saturdays for three months.
>> Just so we're aware of the cost >> and I know I was excited about saving $1,600. So, I'm just giving you the full map of >> Yeah, I'm not okay with spending money on email addresses. >> So, I would like to know what others are doing if people are okay with me just asking that question to some other
select boards before we make any motion on this. I I would like to do a little more research to know how other towns are handling this. If across the board I'm hearing yeah the chair of the board or I mean obviously you can't get every board member. I mean what are we talking
about? >> Again I think it's about 20 groups or so and not all of them want it >> but yeah but they but if we start giving it they could request it. >> Yeah because you have to if you're gonna do one you have to do it for everybody. But we do have a few leaders of
different committees that have an email address and they're aware. Those folks that have one, the ones that don't know that, >> of course. >> So, they're feeling a little inequity. >> Yeah. >> Way. >> Agreed. >> I think that probably
>> I mean, what you're going to do for one, you should do for all. >> That's I agree. >> Either one way or the other. You know, it's >> either yes or it's a no. >> Yeah. That's it. >> We bring this set back up at the next meeting, you know, reach out to the board MMA boards and see what people are
doing. >> So, next meeting >> actual 712. >> Um, all right. 7.13. We're going to move um 7.14 authorization for use of grant funds subject to confirmation from.
>> Yes. So, the town was is scheduled to receive two approximately $226,000 um for winter recovery assistance uh program, which is a program that's run by the state of Massachusetts. Um in particular, they call it WAP is the acronym, and it's for helping towns
after really heavy winters. Um our state representative, Miss Margaret Scarsdale, secured us again approximately $226,000. Um I've chatted with our highway superintendent. I've looked at our budget for next year and I sort of came up with some ways to separate the funds.
Um my suggestion would be um the library apron um entry point there. If you visited there recently, we had a meeting over there, so you may remember there's a cone. The ADA pads are all but destroyed and there's almost like a little trough to get in there. Um so we
looked at the replacement of the concrete apron out there. It was about $9,700. Um that's a a group that gave us a local quote. Um we checked with a few other folks and they weren't in that ballpark. So we thought that might be a good use for winter recovery type stuff because
you can really tell the winter really did a number there. The second would be taking about $90,000 and um offering that to our pavement folks. So the folks in highway to continue paving and pothole treatment.
Um there are countless potholes in town. There are countless areas that could just use some real hot top, you know, pavement to be sort of placed on there. Um, and that that gets you right to about 100K. The remaining funds I would suggest about $117,000
um be earmarked for fiscal year 2027 snow and ice um plowing the usual stuff. The stuff that we used $312,000 approximately of free cash this past year, fiscal year 26 to keep the budget afloat.
>> Any questions? So you correct me if I'm wrong, but I think MOO I would take a motion that um we allocate RA funds as follows. 9,700 for library concrete repair, >> $90,000 for road work through the
highway department and $17,000 for the FY27 snow and ice budget. >> Remaining funds for snow and ice. Yeah. >> So moved. Laura Shiff second. >> Any questions, discussion? It is just pending you full confirmation from
Scarsdale side. So I don't want to put the cart before the horse but um >> pending confirmation from the state and I thank you to all our state people who advocated for these funds after this last winter. >> Yeah, let's have you enter. >> Any other questions?
>> No call vote. >> Laura Shippen, yes. Sarah Lean, yes. >> Yes. Um okay, I guess >> and we went over 7.13. Um we need to do an executive session first before we go back to that. >> Okay. >> So we're just taking that a little out of order. Sorry.
>> We still So now we can go back to um 7.6 administrator um and board goals. >> Okay. >> So um just so laying the ground for this um this is something that we have to set
by the town contract. the measure by which administrators agreed every year and it also sets the you know steers the ship for FY27. I would have been nice if it happened in early July but we were a little bit busy.
So um a lot of towns have done this in a lot of different ways. Some do very elaborate amazing presentations which I was entirely jealous of have whole day work sessions to set goals and um so I
pulled together >> what little village was it that >> I have no idea many people do. I pulled together kind of a loose list based on what we set up with the town administrator contract. I know things we've talked about in these meetings and
have we should just have at it. Delete things, take them off. Um, if you want me to just go through the basics and you guys can just >> You sent it to >> It's on the screen if that helps. Or we can we can do live edits if you want. >> Yeah. So, um, and we're not in a rush
with this. We should take the appropriate amount of time to go through this. So, um, why don't we just go one at a time and you can say this makes sense, this doesn't make sense. etc., etc. The town manager should weigh in here because you're the one in the day-to-days. So, uh, select board uh,
goal number one, improve personal management and planning, evaluate town staffing needs, organizational structures, regional collaboration, and personal matters to ensure effective municipal administration while continuing to deliver core services. So I think this is something that Kieran when he was interim town administrator
realized it's has been a little lacking in all the challenges of changing between town administrators and interim town administrators and we can see some of that in our agenda topics and um longevity and staff coming in and out and also this relates to goal number two
which is budget development for FY 28. Um, I know hearing that you mentioned reworking personal policies and I don't know if that's our bandwidth this year. >> Yeah, that that's a it's a we have a lot
going on in this community. Um, you guys are exceptional at what you do because of um the expectations that residents have and and a lot that is going on to put it simply. Um, so I think it's it's an admirable goal. I think
there is opportunity for personnel management and planning to occur. I would think reworking the personnel policies handbook and manual for all our staff and employees would be way at the end after we've you revisited with our absentee groups and gotten more than a
one-year agreement under our belt. Um it's tough to determine which one should come first. Should those agreements come first and then the the policies or should the policies come first and then the union agreement? That would be my question back to you guys.
>> Well, I guess that also probably to some degree is related to the human resources seminar management. You might have a better feeling on that after you've completed that training. >> Yeah. And having looked at the agenda for that and like the schedule of learning curious. So
>> maybe maybe not. Um, >> does anybody have any thoughts on that? >> Not at the moment. >> Excellent. Um, >> I can't find that document in the SharePoint. >> It's in there under um
>> seven >> seven. It doesn't have to be approved today. We just have to start it >> new business and then it was so we can everybody on it. And then >> I mean 7 times
sorry 7.6 7.6 >> okay I could part of it. Okay. >> So new business and then 7.6. >> We'll probably keep this on the agenda for a while. it my I mean I think the
hope is to go through it today get a feeling for how people feel tighten it up and bring it back next time to approve because it is something that we have to get goals set >> within the first 60 days of the town administrator contract >> so >> you got 30 more to go
>> time's a tick yeah 35 more to go >> um so in terms of the town goals within that personnel um it would be evaluate staff in those across town. I think the budget as you're going to discuss requires that. >> Um >> would it be are you looking for me to
evaluate all staff or just supervisor staff? >> I really think it's the supervisor's role to supervise their own constituents >> in consultation with department leaders. >> Some of the department leaders are
actually your committee people. So like >> well no staff staff >> okay >> staff just so we can this is going to come up later too just so we can clarify committees and boards are here staff
falls under the town and the town administrator committees and boards work with that stuff very very very closely but the town administrator and through the select board contracts with those individuals >> so yes we have this very cohesive relationship between our boards and our
staff members, but ultimately the select board is the appointing authority for the employees. So, we're not talking about committees, we're talking about just staff. >> Oh, I know. >> You got me to clarify that. >> Want everyone to hear it.
>> Does that make sense? >> It does. I think it it would just be evaluate supervisors across town departments. Got it. Okay. Noted. Um we do agree >> because otherwise it's it's within the understanding of if you're a supervisor like
>> I'm the one who supportive select board evaluating their core municipal services the administrative effectiveness and civilian service delivery like but that may not all be reflected in the evaluation spreadsheet in terms of what I learned from the HR seminar or I have
my own personal staff evaluation tool. Yeah, that's fine. Makes sense. >> Um, organizational structure. I think you mentioned this Karen is inherent kind of in the budget discussion.
>> Agreed. Yeah, that'll come up a few times. >> Um, and then regional agreements. We started that last year. I know Lori, that was one of our goals last year and it didn't really go anywhere >> because >> and it may not
>> Yeah, >> you doing other things. It may not be within it might be or it might be who knows what. in a couple instances and just for education on what I learned having chatted with the pepper and Ashford one you know I think they were
approached once and then maybe they had an idea it sort of died on the vine and they went elsewhere like in particular there's one role that I thought we could regionalize with those three communities and they already went different directions to do it and it's working out really well and I'm like ah we just kind
of missed the boat because >> I think we just didn't have the leadership that we needed to be >> yeah but I I think we have to every time a position is open we at least have to reach out to the other counts and see based on our budget there but we're all connected by the school
we have to keep doing it whenever possible even like you did this time of conservation like we've done a couple is there any way we and obviously ask me has to be involved too anyway we can >> for mutual benefit of taxpayers >> so um
goal number two would be financial management and FY Y 28 developments. This is I think every year type of goal. >> Monitor current year spending develop and present balanced budget reflecting
the town's official realities with meeting the required service needs and long-term responsibility. I think the required is kind of important this year. >> Yeah. And within that share goals would be monk spending reporting back to us and
the departments um especially because you can speak on this our free cash going. >> Yeah, there won't be much this year. >> Prepare and present and budget for FI28 balance and um not relying on a
proposition two and a half override. You at least need to know what that looks like. Obviously the community we may hear back from this board may decide otherwise but we need to know what that looks like. >> Great. >> Um airlines services needed to maintain
essential operations revenue possessions and long stability supports budget bill. That's again I think the important part there is essential services. We need to know what that takes. Um be training.
I'm most excited about SL or goal three. Just kidding. I don't know if I want to know. It's been a long time since we had a long range financial plan to look at. And I think with adding two additional members to the board and a lot of really important budget decisions that we need
to make this year, having some grasp on that is important. What's your thoughts on it? >> Sure. >> At the pleasure of the board. I like Lor's line sometimes. >> Can't can't wait for a bigger board.
And this did there is, as we've discussed, there's out there for it. As much as some software would be great, >> see, >> there's some boiler plate things out there that can take care of. >> Yeah. And the the great part about this is once we get update for this year,
next year it's just adding a year and adding a year. Every year you just add once we've got that groundwork for it. doesn't take. Okay. Um, Sarah, Sarah, communication. Any thoughts? This is your favorite
topic. >> I know. Just getting as much out there as possible. >> I know Karen's trying >> one man. Um especially with the um I think with the coming and the budget that we're going
to have to present giving as much noticed residents as much ample opportunity to look at it ask questions beforehand and then to work with our other stakeholders particularly the schools I think we're I may
already way ahead of what I first experienced in my first 16 months. Um, and that Karen is doing a great job and I've heard good things about him as
a TA. >> Um, I'm just saying telling the truth. um and the your reports um the notices you put online the
department head reports we didn't have that >> we didn't have that and I think that that alone is giving the residents more communication than they've had because we haven't had
anybody in their position that has been doing that before. >> Yeah. >> Um, so I think a like when do you I know we talked about doing like coffees or stuff at Starbucks or like do you think that's like a fall thing? I know things are
busy with the summer and vacation. >> Put it on there because I wanted to get feedback on that or is it a next year thing? >> Yeah, because right now they're busy scanning >> indeed. >> You know, so you can >> Yeah. Yeah. It might be more of um kind
of aligned with the school year kicking off would be my guess. >> Yeah. >> My hope is to get to like after Labor Day we >> if we could have a schedule so that we could like rotate like I could only do evenings or possibly Fridays. >> Um and then also um
I think we had talked about doing a public comment section or public question >> um section on on agendas. That would be 100% >> something that was a goal of mine. We kind I got way laid by everything that went on in July, but um let's plan on
doing that in September that >> if everybody's good with that. >> Yeah, >> that could be one of the goals. >> Yeah, you could have like a timer, >> feedback, a feedback schedule, not a debate. >> No. So public comment is is is exactly that. It's like if you look at the TA
screening committee, we did it and I think it would work pretty well to continue to do it that way. You can submit email the chair. I'll read it out loud. You need address and your name full name. >> It's going to be brief. You know, 90 seconds. >> We limit it to maybe five. I don't know. We'll figure out the logistics.
>> Five minutes. And then you have you literally have the timer like on the shared screen. So people say, "All right, like >> Sarah's got to talk about, you know, the fact that it's you all group payment pavement out here and it's frustrating because your car gets messed up and you get >> two minutes. We really need five minutes for that." >> Some people do.
>> Can we do two and a half? >> Yeah, I need you. I can. Yeah, you can figure out the logistics of that and I'll put it in. If anybody wants to change it, please tell me. I'll just try something to start and see how it goes. I >> say after the first time you do it, what you're going to do
>> on this is the board. >> Okay. >> Right. There's no battle, no anything. >> Thank you for speaking up. Have a great >> Yes. And I'll say this too. I >> we may wind up trying it at the
beginning and at the end. Communities do it both ways. I've seen communities very successfully at the beginning. Some communities have put it towards the end because people who come for public comment sometimes they don't stay. And the other part too, not that I would discourage that is that sometimes their
questions are answered in the course of the meeting. >> So try it out. See what works. >> Yeah, I've seen that on other the boards and oh, you know, my question through the course of this meeting. um some other tablet.
Yay. Blackboard some sort of open office thing. >> Yeah, I think it would be um >> I think getting out into the community I think is better because some people don't want to come down here. I mean maybe nobody will show up and it'll be a bus, but >> I'll sit there at my computer and >> I would dunk it down. >> Me too. I can, you know, if it's an
evening one, I can just rotates. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> comes along based on availability and >> three and there'll be five. >> And then I mean can we do some sort of like post afterwards like we were down here, we met, these were some questions
that came up. This is or no? >> You can um >> just so everybody gets the benefit. >> Yeah. It'll depend on the the tone of what was achieved. >> Okay. Yeah. Or maybe it just goes into the next TA report like that with seven residents at
Dunkin Donuts on Elm Street. >> I'd be fine with that, too. >> Duncan looks great. It's been remodeled. Top five things. >> If one person's asking the question, there must be somebody else that maybe has the same question in the community. >> Yeah. >> And also that can come back to the board as, hey, I have an agenda item. Can you
put it on the agenda >> through the TA or through a board member? Like this seems to be coming up to me an agenda. And that's not a problem. If if it keeps coming up, let me know. >> I was just thinking about some calls
I've gotten lately. >> If if it if it is something that the board can address, I should say >> remember no dayto-day administration. Um so within that, we can clean up that a little bit. And so um this is specific to this year with the five member
transition. So if anybody's looked through the town administrator contract, there is some sections that sort of acknowledge this five member transition and I think it's important for us to say this is going to happen this year. It's going to take a little bit of effort to
adjust to the way it works. It might there might be a few policy changes maybe legal that we have to think about and access to the board. There's a couple things that are probably going to have to be evaluated. We don't know until we get there, right? And with regard to that, if you look at one of my
thoughts was is that I think for the past couple years through no fault of anybody's own, we've had a little bit of dog squirrel problem like oh look, you know, like we were on these goals and all of a sudden this thing comes up and like because of the lack of leadership, right? You know how it is
>> and we just we get like >> that's life. >> Exactly. But by putting out that as much as possible like you get too many new members coming on these are the goals that we still are working with for this year >> that's in the TA contract that's it will
be communicated to those two new board members through the contract through these goals and it gives support to the town administrator if some other really cool idea comes up that sounds amazing but is not at all related to the goals it gives power to the town administrator saying you know what you probably should
bring to select board because this isn't really within their goals for this year. It might be amazing, but it gives you the ability to say, listen, this is the really some of these things are really critical for the town. We need to focus on this. Does that make sense? >> Rain in basically. >> Yeah.
>> Like obviously things happen. You can't plan, but it does give the town ministry if some board had this amazing great project they want to do. Like maybe this isn't the year for this board or the town ministers's office to really take that on just because of the budget and the
transition. New town administrator, five member board personnel policies for union negotiations. >> I'm sure whoever is coming will have their own ideas. >> Absolutely. Within the goals that's in the insurance contract. We can't be switching them in November. That's not
fair to no and that's why the content was and the goals are set for the year. So, >> okay. >> So, do you guys feedback? >> I have that this is take no action and it's going to be on the next agenda.
>> So, I can clean this all up and then we can vote on it on the next agenda. >> Okay, great. >> Does that work for you? Does that work for you? >> Yep. >> Wonderful. So now we need to do executive session come back out correct. >> Yeah, it should be a quick one. But um
yeah, >> so uh Tam, we're going to take a quick It should be 15 minutes and then we're going to come back out to talk about um >> Thanks. Thanks, Jame. So >> thank you very much for allowing me to speak.
>> No problem. >> You can we'll be we'll be back in 15 minutes if that's okay. Thank you. >> Um yeah, we'll back >> I need to make an announcement for executive >> and you got to declare it but um >> sorry. Um so I val move to 10.1 which is
executive session pursuant to opening law chapter 30A section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining where an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the broading position of the public body and the chair so declares ask me local 93 supervisor union I val so to declare and
will be returning to open session to finish up the rest of meeting. Is there a second? >> Second. Laura Shiffron call. >> Sarah Logan. Yes. Laura Shiffron. Yes. >> All right. Tam, we'll be back in 15
minutes. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> All right. Can you guys hear us? Okay. Um, we're going to enter back into open session at 7:08 p.m. We will recall the reference here. Sarah Logan here. And we would
like to go to 7.13U for board of health administrator bewast enterprise fund. >> Um, I Sarah Logan move to approve theou for the board of health admin by its solid waste enterprise fund. >> Subject subject to town council >> labor council. >> Labor council approval
>> to be signed out of session. >> To be signed out of session. Thank you, Val. All righty. Subject council approval. Laura Shiff and second. So, just a brief overview on this. I think we're pretty
much all set. We just had to um you know, make sure that labor council approves of the wording that um the board of health one put in and so we'll communicate that back. Ask me and the employee and the board of health accordingly. But we do support I mean
we'll take a vote to the use of the funds from the sales enterprise fund to go to this employee for administration of this base program. >> We'll get it going. >> We'll call Shiffron. Yes. Sarah Logan. Yes. Yes. And now I think we're all done
with new business. We go on to reports administrator. >> Yeah. So I'll take a couple moments to bore you guys. Um do you want me to start with the TA report or the department head meeting presentation? Which one do you think is better to end with? >> We'll go with the TA report first and then >> that's what I thought you were going to say.
>> Yeah, that seems that's a little bit more dry. Um, so TA report. It's been a little while um since we had one of these, but I'll get this online. I also found a cool program for kind of dressing this up a little bit to make it a little bit more graphically pleasing. >> Love it. >> Um, so I'm going to take a couple tests
on that and then I dare to ask people on Facebook to do a survey to rank which one they like best. But I'll ponder that idea in terms of a poll to say, do you like version one, two, or three? Um, but we'll get to that. >> Well, just a survey type thing is
>> innocent, I hope, >> and you're interacting with them, but just >> have a little >> you're asking their opinion. I'm good with that. >> Yeah. So, um, you know, operations and facilities. We had a contract with
Armored Pest Management to begin pest control services for town facilities. >> Oh, yeah. Sorry, I should share this online. Um, the town had long been with a great local vendor. Um, for the a handful of years, um, this is purely a
fiscal move that, um, I signed to a get the buildings treated and b, um, you save us a few thousand dollars. Um, we'll see how it goes for the one year with armored pest and figure it out from there. Um, facilities is also continuing work with impact fire to address
sprinkler system deficiencies. Um, I believe we have it up and running now for Memorial Hall. Um, it's worth noting that the fire alarm panel, which is right near the land use office here in Memorial Hall, um, is about 25 years old and replacement parts are it's like an
old Honda Civic, like they're really not available anymore. You know, think of when I was in high school that Honda Civic would last forever, but you could always go to like auto value to get the little pieces for it. Um, that's not really the case anymore with these fire alarm panel systems. Um, so it might be
something that a future capital request arrives for us next year or the year after, um, the gentleman that was here that's a panel expert, um, said he only has a few more years left, so he wasn't sure how many more years he'd be able to service the unit for us, which is always ironic.
>> Institution of >> It's like my parents had that guy who just knows how to fix the old Canadian furnace that they don't make like that anymore. Um, it's always a bummer. >> Um, some infrastructure and grant projects. Um the Brookline Street sidewalk project is substantially complete. This is the um section of new
solar lights and a sidewalk that you know meets the ADA um guidelines um you between it's basically Dudley Road where the um police station is down to just past a few residences before the bridge
uh coming into town center. Um a few check marks to finish there is uh finally moving the poles where you'll see some like gravel and base pack and they're going to get moved with unitil shortly. Um and then once that's complete we'll come back in and we will you put the concrete in there to meet
the standard that's necessary. >> Looks really nice. >> It looks nice. You know there is a temporary sort of workaround almost like a half moon there. So we are ADA compliant. um our building commissioner who's our ADA coordinator worked with um Towns and Highway to make sure that we were um you know enabling folks for safe
passage there. Um with that project will also be the final completion of phase two our contract fiber optic connectivity in town um which will connect Dudley Road to with the police station and will enable the long run up to the west townsen um side of the
community where the recycling center is. Um, so that'll be um nice to have those network hub locations um sort of identified on the polls. Um, it won't affect the buildings, but it will add um fiber optic resources in those areas. Um, I worked with our commission on
disability um over the last week or so to submit a mass DOT shared streets and spaces grant application. Um, you know, the chair of that group had shared a Canal Street uh route 19 Westm intersection report that had been done by MRPC many moons ago. Um, I think it
was 2020 or 2019 that or 2021 that report was done. So, I reference some of the the areas there in terms of sort of the the dangers that that intersection really brings um for both those that are walking in the area, but also cars um
slowing down for pedestrians and communities, you know, community members who are on bikes or K, you know, children trying to get over to the Squan Creek Meadow side of canal so they can run up to the soccer field. Um so, we'll see how that comes together for design and engineering work for that section of
town. um also shared a mass cultural council planning grant to evaluate Memorial Hall. Um this includes building condition, design improvements, and longtime pres long long-term preservation opportunities for town hall. Um it's sort of an
all-encompassing envelope. Um it's about $150,000 for an ebal this building with some of the funds being eligible for um permitting and um various accessibility compliance things. Um it's been a little while since we
touched on labor relations, but um we did close out those agreements and the integration uh with ABS is um being worked on right now. For those um one-year agreements, we had a modest uh compensation adjustment and some benefits for our um employees under that
one-year agreement. U planning for 20 fiscal year 28 um labor negotiations will begin shortly as we continue to evaluate our budget. um police agreement is a two-year contract. Um and fire negotiations will kick off in the spring because their agreement comes to um
expiration shortly. Um I'll dive deeper into financial updates shortly, but um with fiscal year 27 underway, um staff of all walks of life are processing our annual dues, memberships, reoccurring contractual obligations, and other fiscal year
expenditures. you know, think of things like MRPC's funds, um your once a year planning board, you know, dues, uh MMA dues, our, you know, insurance for the buildings. You know, those are some big checks that have, um, you been siphoned out of our budget. Um, so we'll keep a
close eye on those management things. So, >> except you also have to think about what we get back. >> You do >> is more than what we give >> sometimes. Well, not always true in the insurance, but I'll take that. Absolutely true there, but that is not what I
>> when I saw the insurance line, I was like, "Holy moly." But I'm like, "Ah, we got to pay it." So, um, >> yeah, we have to, but MRPC, we always get more back. So, >> we got to weigh that. >> Yeah. And, you know, a lot of, you know, we also have MACC for conservation, so I know we have some new members there. So,
hopefully some of the education will strengthen that group. Um, which would be wonderful. Um, I know we touched on the winter wrap uh money, but I just wanted to, you know, reiterate my recommendations and thank you for the support there. I'll catch up um with those groups to get the concrete going.
Um, let uh highway superintendent know about the paving. Um, and you know, we'll put in the back of our minds the 17 or so thousand dollars in the back of our heads for that snow and ice fiscal year 27. Um, >> thank goodness. >> Yeah, that that's going to be an
important one. Um the topic of communications and public engagement. Um we've continued to use the Facebook tool. Um it seems to be um getting a lot of shares. I know there's been a lot of interesting topics, whether it be, you know, the real smoky day we had here, which was really cool if you saw the
purple air sensor monitor, which we have on a variety of buildings here in town. You could see sort of how in the red the air was that day. Um, and you know, if you you had asthma or if you had any, you know, respiratory conditions that day, you almost felt it. You could smell the Canadian wildfire smoke, right?
>> Um, and >> you had the orange haze. Um, >> no, the sun that was bright orange. >> Um, which was beautiful. Yeah, it was different. >> My friends on the West Coast are like, "Oh, we deal with that all the time." On the West Coast, though. >> Um,
>> alarming. What was really unique was that purple air sensor, you know, for those that were concerned about respiratory wellness, it actually would say like that's a day you shouldn't be out, you know, walking your pup more than really 30 minutes. And it had these ways to sort of see where you could go
if you needed to get outside to walk a dog or to stretch your legs. Um so we did have some good um interaction on Facebook for that. >> Um >> that was all through a grant, correct? That was all through a grant other than we paid for the outlets on the buildings to get those in, but those were modest.
That grant will also open us up after one year of reporting for cooling corridors opportunities. So, park tree renovations, um finding ways to take really large parking lots and then put trees around them so you're not getting residual heat off the pavement back into
the atmosphere. >> Yeah. So, basically, they'll pay for the pavement and then they'll also incentivize you to put trees around it and to keep it cool. um which is nice. Um conservation commission recently approved an ecological restoration um
project near 72 South Main Street, South Harbor. Um this is a one-pageformational graphic that I use some of AI to sort of clean up. Um I'll be putting that on the conservation page um probably in the next few days. I'll link it to Facebook
and it just sort of shows hey this efforts going on people in the public this is why it's going on. for getting rid of invasive species and it's it's been approved. You know, conservation commission supports it. They're following the right protocols. You know, the work will be completed. I think it was by August 30th because I think they
have an event down at the society after that point. Um, but it's something I'd like to continue to do um when time allows. And it's I won't give myself really any credit because you essentially take the paragraph or bullet points and you ask a canvas or a chat
GPT to say design a conservation memo for this. >> It's really cool. I wonder if I could find it. >> Um, >> it could be it'll be exciting thing to go to. >> So, I know I have one on my desk. I'll sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh share it with you guys afterwards, but um it'll get online shortly. Um we also have the
installation of blinking signs um on either side of the Canal Street Bridge. Um I know that's a spot that has reportedly um we've had some accidents, we've had some incidences uh regarding speed management there. It's a narrow bridge, so people are not always, you
know, aware of the bridge, especially if you're Oh, yeah. out of town for for a soccer game up there and then you come through that bridge and you see a pickup truck and a pickup truck. Yeah. >> You know, we got to slow people down so we're not having any accidents there. >> Um those signs were free. They're like those blinking ones that say slow down.
Um they were free. They're solar powered. Um not a ton of maintenance. Highway Townsen Highway will install them. Um nice to have that from NASDAQ. >> Um regionally, um I met with a variety of folks at the Patriot Dispatch. um
annual meeting. Um we met with folks from Ashby, Dunstable, Groten, Peril, and Townsen um for its annual governance meeting. Uh we have great representation there with Chief Sartell, Chief Shepard, and um Captain Rimley from our side of
things. Um that group, Patriot Dispatch, um was talking about the upcoming year and organization um as well as the recent almost $2.6 $6 million grant they received for the renovation of their dispatch center which is on the third
floor of the Pepa Police Department. Um that will really broaden their abilities to roll other communities in. So Littleton is curious about joining that group. Um you know Tinsboro may fall into that. >> Gr is already in there.
>> Gran's already a part of it. Um and what happens there is you know for your first three years the expense for the town is all but covered by the state grant and then the first year the fourth year you're paying um 75% of it and the state
covers the other part and then it's 50/50. Um you know because it's a regional agreement the state's really emphasizing regional cooperation on these. um look forward to hearing more about what they have planned and um hopefully some drawings or pictures of
what the renovation project may look like at PEL town hall police. Um governance reminder, it's busy time of years. Um for those that have meeting agendas and such, let's make sure we get those on time to our um clerk's office.
Um including minutes. I know I'm responsible for some uh housing trust minutes and um these tasks are important in supporting our volunteer groups. Um I shared that with department heads as well. So um a quick summary of the staff update, you know, and I'll I'll share
with you guys the PowerPoint that I shared with them. Um FY27 budget outlook. Um beginning of the new fiscal year, um employee wellness. So um I'm sort of the HR person for the town now, so encouraging folks to use PTO. Um, you
know, a couple departments are interested in seeing if we would be willing to continue summer hours into the fall. Um, so maybe it becomes year- round hours. I asked each of those groups that were interested to sort of give me a breakdown of why and what it would mean to the public and to their
day-to-day operations. Um, and also continue to remind folks of uh be respectful, be professional, and um, taxpayers are our customers. So, be kind. I was responsible for not I was a little grumpy, I guess, when I answered
the phone one day, and I guess the uh, the person at the line didn't hear me, you know, say, "Good morning, Towns. And I was like, Townsen," she came in. She's like, "Hey, you got to be more be nicer." And I was like, "I've never heard that in my life, but thank you for reminding me." So, I took my, you know, took my lickings. Um uh and I I was like, "I thought I said good morning."
She's like, "You didn't." I was like, "Okay." You know, but uh usually I try to put a smile on my own face, but um it was a good reminder to be kind to other other folks in the town because you never know who your customers are. So um that was me talking really fastly. I
will quickly show you the department PowerPoint and then I'll dive into just the recap sheet of the budget. Um just because I know we've been here for a while. So >> I I love this. This was fun to make too. Let's see if it'll let me in from the
beginning. Yeah. Um, so I try to pick a different theme every time we have a department head meeting. Um, summertime, so looking at a pretty beach. Um, the agenda with um the department heads and staff with schools, contracts, revenue,
um, summer hours, PTO, approvals, and longevity. Um, I called it the TA TA crockpot. Um, and you see staffing and Q&A. Um, I'll touch on this more in depthly when we get to the budget part of the
show. Um, but this is sort of the draft budget on the horizon and what components are really consuming the majority of uh, taxpayer dollars. Um, no surprise here, like most communities in rural Massachusetts, it's about 6040 for schools and education. um you see the
other components and how it's made up. Um you know the real sore spot to me is insuranceances as we just touched on >> and you know what type of support is there from the state you know the country to re these costs in because >> right now
>> there's it's debilitating um >> this is a big topic conversation at the MMA conference. Yeah, it it's tough. Um, you know, the when you can only raise taxes 2 and a half% but your insurance goes up 12 to 15%. How do you make any
headway? Um, so this was um shared with the staff and a lot of heads nodding and a lot of heads kind of grimacing too that this is kind of the reality we're in. Um, you know, your expense drivers. Again, this isn't I haven't asked department heads or any departments to
give me their expected costs. Um, but I sort of ballparked a few of these. Um, you know, myself, I always like to throw myself under the bus, but, um, my contract has a 2 and a.5% raise, like a few other department heads. Um, that is a it's a it's a $4,000 increase. So,
that's a substantial increase for, um, any line within our budget. Um, legal, um, we're currently at about 120, just a smidge under 129,000 in the omnibus budget. Next year I increased it and for those listening at home the reason why
is because of the union situation. We have four groups um that'll be up for negotiations. I don't know if you know >> run into the next year. >> It'll run it may run into the next year but um you know fire is going to be a new negotiation cycle with them. Um you
know we do still have day-to-day administrative things that I lean into council for guidance on along the way. you know, a couple union folks asked, "Do you have to always have town council there?" And, you know, I kind of pondered it and then I said, "Well, you
know, if I'm sitting on this side of the table by myself against three, it gets really odd." And then if you involve a select board member, as I know we've done in the past, it becomes kind of unfair in the day-to-day management of it. Um, so I'm not sure how that came to
be. >> It's really challenging. So, um, and that, you know, the the folks that asked agreed. They're like, "Yeah, I can see how that get that gets tricky." Um, but maybe we can find a way to mitigate the costs or be ahead on
proposals, some other way to um, you know, try to find an agreement with those groups in a more timely way. Um, schools, you know, I had input a 5% increase in their line items for their total assessment, not for their deck
number. This is just like a just looking at what it could look like. >> Yeah. And this is just a placeholder, you know, to say what happens if the budget goes up 5% on $14 million or $14 million in change versus what it was last year. Um it's a it's a substantial
hit. Um you see here, you know, you're at $819,000 um which is a real hole in our budget. um with growth only being two and a half% and the reliance on some snow and ice money along the way and
>> that could be 2.7 could be three anything >> it yeah and it's um you know having had a chat with Brad Morgan superintendent of North Middle Sex Regional School District and a couple of his colleagues um you know Val and I chatted with them
quickly just to reintroduce me as the TA for Townsen and sort of say hey here's what we're kind of projecting how are you guys projecting um they start their meetings with the unions um in September and that's where we'll have Andrew from Peril. I made Andrew aware of this as well and so did
Mary from Ashby just sort of how precarious a situation this is for us. You know the the Mass Teachers Association is looking at I think 5% is the floor for their group but I I don't want to speak out of hand for them. It's
just what I'm seeing in other regional communities in terms of their agreements and the timing. Um so I'm I'm hopeful for our region in our budget. >> Why doesn't the state lift the two and a half? >> It's a fair question. Um one that's becoming more and more common and I
think will be a focal point of MMA this coming fall or this coming winter because it's not sustainable. >> No. >> And >> and it hasn't been. >> No. It's a 19 what? 1980 1990s guiding parameter >> right and never changed.
>> Yeah. And inflation >> crazy inflation 7% a year. So you know how do you want us to handle it? >> Doesn't make economic sense. >> Yeah. Um so you know you can see you other expense drivers that I ballparked with the staff and it's only fair to
them and and to our residents and to you guys our volunteers to say this is what's going on. Um, so I think we got to continue to have this be a once a month topic until, you know, the rubber really meets the road in the late u late fall, early winter. Um,
>> I tried to kind of reflect what you had sent us, Karen, and some of the goals that I put in there, like seeing how this is and being like, okay, this these goals have to meet >> some vague sense of this. Just just being a guest of it, but >> that's legitimate.
>> Yeah. Um, you know, revenue-wise, our taxpayers who own homes know this well. It's really on the shoulders of those that um own homes in in the community and own a vehicle and, you know, get a Starbucks coffee or Dunkin Donuts coffee and it's a 25 cents for
taxes or whatever it might be. Um and then the sli small sliver of state, >> you know, we've had some uh permits go out and some new construction >> has occurred and so that's going to increase a little, but I don't think
enough to make up for the expense of the increases >> and to go back to the goals or the other towns that have had more consistent leadership where economic development can be a step forward goal, you know, >> but I just don't think we're there. Yeah, >> right now.
>> Um, so this is sort of the bisc fiscal year draft revenue projections. Um, you know, just because I like history. Um, this is our free cash for operating expenses. This past year, we used $239,500. We are not expecting a lot of free cash
this this goound. Um, and so you can obviously see the reliance from 23 to 24 to 25 was good. It went down and then it ticked back up in 26. We ticked back up again in 27. >> Keep that in check.
>> Yeah. Um as of a couple days ago, um this was um the budget assumptions. Um I was budgeting a 2 and a half% wage increase for all staff except those under a compensation or an employee agreement
already. uh 15% assumed increase for insurance costs. Um 5% increase for the school. Um and I was banking on the fact that your select board um goals may be to have a budget without an override in
it. Um and we were negative $713,000. I will caveat this by saying that we just had a debt meeting with our debt group and they said, you know, that number's off by about $280,000ish
dollars because the debt's being called and that's just the schedule of how the debt went and it's year four of five and so the fifth year you've got to pay your bill. >> Yeah. They may stretch that out to 20 years,
which my first thought was that's irresponsible because it's like a credit card. If you just keep extending it, you're going to pay an arms length worth of interest. I don't know if we can afford not to stretch it out, >> right? >> Um so I and it's um >> we don't have to decide on that.
>> No, but >> we'll just get proposals. >> No. >> Right. And I just want to keep this is part of the story here um in terms of what it looks like for us. Um so then I asked the staff for ideas. Um, and uh, there wasn't a ton. I said, "Hey, let's
work on these. Let's have this think of ideas over the next month or so and come back come back to them." >> So, just curious, what is our total total salary that we pay town employees?
>> Off the top of my head, >> 2.5 millionish dollars. >> Okay. So, who do we get rid of for a million dollars? Nobody. >> Yeah, it's it's the conversation. >> I mean, you have the schools >> that you're not going to do you're not
you're not going to get away with anything they're going to tell you. Well, insurance. >> That second point is possibility. >> Well, yeah. I thought that was our only possibility >> was a 2.5. >> We may not even be able to afford 2.5%.
Just want to throw that out there. Um, so that's why I said to staff, no ideas of bad idea. >> Level fund. >> Yeah, but they're under a contract, they're going to ask for it from somewhere. >> Well, that's the same for any contract
we're in. If we go level fund and just get whatever 2 and a half% isn't it? We don't even know if that would cover insurance. >> It may not, >> which we have no control over, >> right? So that you know >> or snow >> yeah health you know health insurance is
something that health insurance could probably go out to bid >> you know you >> outside of MIA >> yeah there's not a lot of options outside of MIA but >> that's the other one >> GL GP or something like that and I know
PPE got toasted on it so PPE's thinking about going into Maya for next year um it's also um you have to consider our collective bargaining groups and what it means to their representation in terms of you try to
you know massage insurance costs at all you know they have to be in agreement with that. So it's something you got to sort of consider in the full scope. Um you know continuation of hiring freeze go back to the schools um use of one-time funds to offset reoccurring
expenses. Again a terrible practice but um >> we are where we are. >> Yeah. All ideas are on the table. um you know regionalization with neighboring communities, continue that effort, continue that exploration. Um so that
was um you know more the sad part of the department head meeting. Um summer hours discussion which I know we touched on in my TA report was you know our departments utilizing it? Most departments are most people are very
appreciative of the opportunity. Um, some folks love coming here on Friday because it's quiet and maybe it's just a day away from home. Um, so I respect that too. >> Yeah, I noticed people are here on the weekend, Friday at night after people
are gone. >> Yeah. Um, >> meetings and that's okay. >> I mean, everyone has a key fob. Uh, you the whole intent was either remote work on Friday or do an extra long day on a Wednesday and a Thursday.
>> Uhhuh. and then have the day off. Like that's not how I treat it. But sometimes I'm here on Friday because I can they can be a bit quiet. Um but some folks, you know, have their own they have their own department and they either check with their supervisor or they are their own supervisor. >> Um and they may not feel they want to be
a part of the uh the exercise. So um I did ask folks to check with residents and customers and see if they want to continue this options or find ways to improve it. um a ta crockpot. Um everyone thought I cooked that food. I
did not. Um this was things that you guys gave me some authority on earlier tonight in regards to surplus items, contracts. Um HR I touched on um which has me as the primary HR manager. Um I've begun processing CRES. Um you know,
the required drug testing and EAF signing. um you know does collaborate quite a bit with payroll to make sure that we have the proper documentation for enrollment things like that. Um I did give a brief sort of ethics lawsuit update to the staff. You know we have a
few matters before the town especially this week. I know there's a lot going on in the news um in the select courts and others are facing some litigation. Um the ethics matter will be worked through you know via the state and those specific personnel. Um there's a process for that and lawsuits will continue to
be managed with the legal teams um in hopes of getting to a resolution. Staff updates. We talked about these um but this is what I shared with the staff. Um there is an internal posting for a highway department position
currently. Um that'll go external shortly. That was a a budget approved position. So and thank you. And >> thanks Dar. >> Do you want me to share with how the recap sheet looks?
>> Don't want to see it. >> We'll get to We'll have so many meetings about it. >> Okay. >> Um noted. >> We'll put it as a big old topic for forever and ever. Um 8.2. >> I would like to report on something.
>> You have the floor mad vice chair. So that's this is the first time that I've gone to the cultural council >> and um I think this is down on the bulletin board downstairs but I would like I told them that I would announce
it so I will that there will be um uh art in action meet the local artists on Thursday August 16th from 4 to 7:30. So, it's a Thursday, but it's going to be done before the band concert,
and it's at the Townsen Meeting Hall at 14 Dudley Road. >> Is that the 13th? >> August 13th. >> August 13th. Thursday, August 13th from 4 to 7:30. And I'd like to request that you put this on our Facebook page and
our our website, but there's a it's downstairs posted, but if you could put it online. We just created the cultural council web page. So I will scan it. >> This is awesome. >> And then put that there and then link it to Facebook. >> Well, yeah. I was on the the I was
actually went on the page to see all their officers. And what I didn't know was that it's state funded, kind of like the CPA, but not not worked in the same manner, but they take applications for
different things. and um they had $9,600 that went out in this year's budget. But this event is the first time that our local cultural council is putting this on themselves versus then just
supporting all >> I know it's fun to go to other artists or creators and stuff like that. >> Yes. or if anybody is interested. This has it on here right here, but Nancy French is the um uh coordinator of this with Laura Dole
and their emails are on here if anybody's interested in even joining them. I'm sure they would be happy to. >> Um so it was kind of nice to learn something new about what they do and and how many events and others. In fact, one
of the um concerts this summer was sponsored. >> Oh, nice. >> So, they were short, you know, they were short money this year, but they were able to >> and this list is on the website for people to see >> what they did. So, thank you for letting me
>> tell you about that. >> Any other fun. >> Yeah. You can just leave that with me and I'll scan it to myself so then I can put it on the website. >> Okay. >> Well, I'll just I'll I'll do it and I'll give it back to I'll scan it. >> You can do that. >> Yeah. >> I was the only thing I was going to
bring up as leaison is I did Kieran and I did meet with superintendent kind of to kick off permanent TA and help to establish that relationship and give them kind of an overview of what you had just kind of >> looked at. So that went well I thought and I hope that there's a lot of back
and forth open communication over the next year as that process goes up >> with the school. >> Yeah. And they they seem to be I think it was a really good productive you know start and that
good to hear um set date of next meeting. So, >> going back to Tuesdays, >> this room is taken on the 18th >> for a town clerk. Um, I think that's an
election training night. >> Okay. So, we can do one more Wednesday and then we can go back. >> I don't know if we would in order to do that permanently, we would have to talk to conservation, >> right? >> Well, it depends. They don't meet every
week. Yeah, >> we could do off. >> Well, I'm not that's not a decision that has to be made now. >> Yeah, but so why don't we just do the 19th? >> What time? >> Sure. >> What time? 4:35. What do you want to do? >> What do we think we have coming up for
executives? >> Who knows? >> 4:30. >> 4:30. >> Sure. >> 4:30 on the 19th. >> 19th at 4:30 sounds great. Um and with that I think we have a couple executive
sessions and then we will be um joining. Oh no I never mind going to say it's on the agenda. >> I have made a request to with Karen to look into something that should go on that agenda.
>> So we can and you're you know if you want to just you're you said >> he has to find out an open answer first. >> Okay. Um, as always, if it's a Wednesday, if I can, if we can just have it by
>> Monday first thing in there, >> or I see they get revised anyway. >> Oh, that was Yeah, it's >> And you're not the only one that does that. I see it quite often. >> I try not to do it unless it's something I really unexpected, right? If we all knew about it, then
Okay. So, um, I guess we'll make some motions from executives for executive session. and then we will be adjourning from executive session TAM. Okay. >> Yes, ma'am. >> So, um yeah, I'm just going to make the motions and then we're all set after we
adjourn. We're joining from executive session. Um 10.2 executive session pursuant to open law chapter 3A section 21 A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel and contract negotiations with non-union personnel.
Water superintendent 10.3 Executive session pursuant to open meeting law chapter 3A section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with respect to pending litigation where an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the town and the chair of a deference may intervener
versus town of towns in Middle Sex County Superior Court docket number 2681 CD01140 so do executive session to pursue to open meeting law chapter 30A section 21
A3 to discuss strategy with respect to pending litigation where an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on litigating position of the town and the chair so declares Carson Cat versus Townsen at all middle county superior court docket number 2681 CD01747
I so do declare >> second >> what's your name >> I'll take a roll 12 >> to adjourn at 7:46 >> out of >> section into to go into executive session at 7:46.
>> Laura Shiffren >> Sarah. Yes. >> Third. Yes. >> Yes. >> Laura Shiffren. Yes. >> Yes. >> Thanks Tam. Thanks everybody.