Welcome everyone. Today is August 12th, 2025. This is the finance committee. I would like to call this meeting to order. It's 6:35 I think 32. 632. Thank you. Um with a pledge of allegiance to start. So uh I pledge
allegiance to the flag of the of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice for all.
Under Mass General Law, Chapter 3A, section 20F, this meeting is being recorded. On March 28th, 2025, Governor Healey signed into law a bill extends the temporary provisions pertaining to open meeting law to June 30th, 2027.
Specifically, this further extension allows bodies to continue to hold meetings remotely without a quorum of the public body being physically present at the meeting location and to provide adequate alternative access to remote meetings. This language does not make
any substantive changes to open meeting law other than extending the expiration date of the temporary provisions regarding remote meetings from March 31st, 2025 to June 30th, 2027. All right. All right. Well, welcome everyone.
Um, let's see. I got to do a a roll call of who's here um tonight. So, we have Al Le. Yes. Hugh Morton here. Cindy Brown here. Duncan Law, Zach Leu here.
Christopher Thrasher is with us. Uh, and myself, Karen Rouse is here. Uh, absent right now is Gary Carrero. And Nancy Stanton Cross, our newest member, is not present. She was going to try to come in, but she is I believe she's not here
at the moment. So, whenever she comes in, we'll uh record that time. And Christopher, if you have to leave, just let us know when you're leaving so we can record your departure time, too, if you can. I will be I will hold on as long as I
can. All right. Thank you. All right. Um Well, hello everyone. It's been It seems like it's been so long. I hope everyone's enjoying the nice Oh, how I Oh, how I've missed all of
you. We were such weekly pals and then it turned into this two-month uh hiatus. So, well, welcome back. So, uh, we should have a, um, we don't have too much on the agenda tonight, but the
first the first thing on the agenda is to, um, give a membership update. Uh, so both Gary Carrero and Duncan Law have renewed their, um, their terms for three years. So, thank you. Welcome back. And
Gary's not here tonight, but thank you for continuing to serve uh, as a volunteer on the committee. And our newest member is Nancy Stan Cross. So we'd like to welcome her, but she is not here this evening. So um but she is our newest member. So now we have
nine members on the committee. All right. So uh the next item on the agenda is um to do our annual reorganization. So every year uh we get together and we reappoint we appoint a
chair and a vice chair to the committee. Um I have served on the current chair obviously and Cindy's the the vice chair. Um I would be um honored to continue to serve as the chair unless um
someone doesn't want me to serve as the chair, but I'd be happy to continue in the role. So moved. I move that you continue as chair of the committee. Thank you. Um um any any uh other
conversation on that? I we do need a second. We do need a second. Second. I think there were many seconds all at the same time here, but thank you for making it formal. All right. Um if if no other opposition
then I think we need to do a roll call vote to that. Is that right? Yes, I believe you're right. Thank you. I sometimes lose track of the the protocol here. So uh so that would be to to have me as the chair again for
serving for another year on on behalf of the finance committee. Um we have a motion in a second. So I'll do a roll call. L Eli, Hugh Hugh I Cindy Cindy Brown I Duncan
Duncan's lost his voice again. Thumbs up maybe. Thumbs up, thumbs down. Can you chat Duncan in the chat? Or can you do a thumbs up, thumbs down? No, now you're on mute. We can't hear.
Now you Now you really are on mute this time, Duncan. So you're you're mute. There you go. Yeah. See, you've you've lost your microphone. Can you do this or this? There you go. Thumbs up.
All right. Let the let the let the minute show that Duncan Law gave a thumbs up. A thumbs up. Okay. Uh, Zack. Zach Laroo. Hi. Thank you, Christopher. or do not we didn't catch I don't think any of us
caught that Christmas I thank you we got that nice everyone yeah okay I think he's really gonna have to go sounds like he's about to board and Karen Rosai so thank you all right
so the next next up is the vice chair um Cindy has done a terrific job with me again for um for a number of years. So um it's up to if anybody else would like to be vice chair or if not nope. So moved. So moved to what?
So move to have Karen I mean Cindy as the as the vice chair. Second. I second that. Okay. All right. We've got a motion in a second. So any other conversation on that? No. Okay. I'll do a roll call again on Cindy, vice chair for the year. And
thank you again, Cindy, for serving again. Appreciate. Thank you. Thank Thank you for your support. All right. Al l I Q Martin I Cindy Cindy Brown I
Duncan thumbs up. Thumbs up for Duncan. Thank you Duncan. Zack Zach Lew. I Christopher Christopher I. Thank you. And Karen Ross. I thank you.
All right. Um, so the, um, Christopher, I'm not sure since you're in and out, I'm not sure how much of a discussion we'll really be able to have on the um, the old high school study. Um, might be
difficult with you being not being here, but maybe Cindy can we can try to give a quick update. Do you want to try Christopher? So uh without having the uh documents directly in front of me, I believe I provided the
committee with the presentation that was given by the by RDB at the previous select board meeting and also uh some annotated numbers. Um and I I will say that I I think this deserves an
extensive conversation once this becomes a warrant article. So, that that's kind of my my thought on it at this time and and I think I am uh I'm I'm probably about 45 seconds away from having to hang up. So, but but again, I I do think it it's
appropriate to discuss this once it becomes a warrant article, which in my estimation should probably be within the next couple months. Um I think we can talk maybe we can talk at a further meeting. I I I would tend
to think that uh we should have a conversation and maybe with the select board as a whole as well before it becomes a warrant article. So yeah, so I'll you know so the warrant article can um hopefully get everyone to a yes as uh
someone had said. So, uh, but we certainly can't get into the conversation with the with you not, um, I I think one of the key one of the key factors that Christopher just brought up is that we have time. I mean, it's not as if we, you know, we need to have a recommendation in two
weeks. Um, so we have the benefit of some time to be able to um, digest this and and right get any answers to any of the other questions. There are certainly far more questions than you can even think of
that that will be raised about this. So, um, you know, I hope everyone had a chance to look at it. If there's some initial questions right now, uh, I'll be happy to answer them to the extent that I can. I know that Christopher met with the RGB
team uh more certainly more extensively in going over the presentation packet. So um there may be things but I mean I can certainly address any of the high level questions that you might have regarding
this but I I do think that having a joint discussion perhaps with the select board uh the long-term building committee and the finance committee would be very helpful um in the in the near future. Yeah, I agree. I think that would be
good. We probably will. Oh, go ahead. Go ahead, Christopher. I was just gonna say I do believe that that that kind of joint meeting is definitely going to be a good idea. So, with this time I appreciate your Okay.
So, Christopher left the meeting at 6:43. All right. Great. Thank you. Okay. Well, we'll um So, I think that's a good idea. And and I'm not sure, Cindy, if you know what the the select board's next steps were. It wasn't clear to me from their
their meeting what their next steps were. I don't know if Right. I mean, it that that certainly was my impression as well is that they did not say that they wanted to meet again and discuss this on a on a
wider platform. I think certainly if if we um we as the finance committee uh approach them with with an invitation or suggestion that we should meet um together as um the three committees uh
together I know there are several overlaps but with all the members uh that are possible to discuss it I think that would be very helpful. Okay. So we may need to initiate uh that but Al has his hand up. Oh, go ahead, Al.
Oh, no. I'm going to state the obvious that whenever this meeting comes to fruition, we should just clear all the decks on everything else regarding the finance committee and have just this one focused um
yeah, you know, discussion, but I'm stating the obvious. So, right. Yeah. No, no, no. Absolutely. It's a you know it's a you know as as it was now it's a it's a $70 million number right so that warrants some significant
discussion I think um to you know to to to have a conversation about so absolutely one one thing that I would just add is that I would I would include um in this meeting uh Sue Brighten
because it would be I think it'll be important for people, the general public, excuse me, to understand at the different levels of dollar figures what it's going to cost, you know, the the the the average
taxpayer, right? And I think in the past, no, two or three years ago, we've used $500,000 as a as a as a general assessment. And so what is this going to cost over 30 years? um you know so would we should
probably include Susan uh as well. So would would as a committee would you like um me to reach out to the select board to to try to arrange a joint meeting? Should I take that next step?
Is that I think the sooner the lateron the better. Yeah, I think so too. I mean, I don't know if the if the select board plans to, you know, make their take their own vote as to whether or not they approve, not
approve, do they want to uh call a special town meeting. I know that um Mr. Thrasher indicated at that meeting that he would take it upon himself to get the necessary signatures to um call a special town meeting if if
the select board didn't want to feel that calling of such a meeting was an endorsement. Um I but the select board really did not have a response to any of those things. So, right.
Uh Zach has his hand up. Go ahead, Zach. Um, does anybody know if this is available on the Westport website right now? Like I'm just wondering who, you know, has access to this report and um that's a that's a good that's a good question. Um
I think it's right on the homepage now. Um is it now? Let me go I'm going to look right now while we're Yeah, old high school presentation. It's right on the if you go to the town website, it's right at the top of Westport News and it's got the old high school community complex
presentation and you can click right on it. Hopefully, you know, majority of the the citizens will will look at this as far in advance as possible. There's so much to digest here. Um and like when we do have, you know, whether it's a special meeting or, you know, a specific meeting
just for this, I mean to do the due diligence to see the options and to think about it. I feel like it could be overwhelming, right, to have a special meeting without um a good background on on these options here because they're they're quite different. Yeah.
Right. And you know the the the debt you know as it stands as the numbers were presented here the the debt exclusion on this community center I think equates
to the debt exclusion on the new high school the fire station and the police station combined. Right? So this is a very big number. Um so it's it's it's a very big tax number. Um
but yes uh that should be in the presentation too. If it's not then um would you know Sue Braen or the select board should should get that added on there. I know there's a there's a table and I didn't see it as part of this
presentation, but um the T Sue Braen should really would be able to do it, but on the on the state website there's a um a a tax effect indicator and once you punch in the the
debt exclusion, the the debt service, which is the principal in interest, it would give you a very nice chart by by property value and so I think that's that's a piece that would be nice to have because I didn't see that in the presentation and
just Alice just as you had mentioned we I would I I would I would suggest that this is such a big big thing that we should have some type of logistics or structure for the discussion whether it
is us presenting ahead of time questions that we have uh so that we can we can organize and and get things uh kind of ducked in a row. And I I'll just give you two or three. And I look, there's no easy answers to this. So I'm not I don't
I'm not saying that I have a an answer, but I didn't see what we were really going to do in the presentation with uh the Earl School. I didn't really see what we were going to do with uh the the Reed Road School. I am still confused as
to whether all the town services from the town hall are going to move up there or only a portion of the uh uh you know the recreation for example and council on aging or whatever and I don't want to belver the point because there's
a lot of questions that everybody has. So maybe somehow if we can if we can as a as a group get together and organize these thoughts it may be and this is probably going to be more than one meeting. That would be my guess as well.
I mean this is this is a a big seismic shift. So anyway, not that's that's all I wanted to say is it needs some organization. That's a good point. So if if if anybody has those sort of questions, you can
email them to me and I can start to we'll probably have similar questions and I can start to put them in a list. Absolutely, Al. I think that's to me that's a a a real a a very important thing that if if all of the services are
going to move into this new community center, I think it's important that there's would be a plan in place for those buildings that would be vacated and that should be part of this. So, we're not dealing with this six years from now. What would three buildings?
Yeah, let's do a one and done, right? So I I I think you know having having been a member of of the committee I mean one of the tasks um given to the committee did not include what to do with those other buildings and when and you can imagine
that if we went through all of those steps of okay and then the existing town hall could then be X Y or Z we would be another three years you know in trying to get all of the ducks in a row. And
and I'm not using that as an excuse by any any by any means, but it's um it it's difficult to go through all of those combinations or possibilities
not knowing if there's much support for what you're trying to promote. So, if it looks like there's support for this type of a complex with all of the offices moving in, then certainly the long-term building committee could kick into gear
and figure out what to do with that, you know, building. But it's um it it it's it's difficult given the number of people on the committee and in to some regard the number of people that
don't show up for the meetings on the committee and um that the heavy lifting gets done by the same five people at every meeting. And just like this committee, we're all volunteers uh you know with evening meetings blah
blah blah. And that is not the the purview of RGB uh the consultants that was not part of their scope of work as to come up what to do with those buildings. they identified the um the uh operating costs
of those buildings uh that may be may or may not be vacated uh as well as the um uh lifeline uh that's left or the the the life expectancy that's remaining of those buildings. So, um I think that um
although it's a fair question, I think it was a difficult one to tackle unless I mean let's face it, this is a big ask, right? And um you know, if you're a betting person,
chances are you're going to think it's it's never going to pass in this particular capacity. So, I think that we we tried to save a little bit of our brain power uh in focusing on that building because that was the
charge to the long-term building committee and it was not so much well what are we going to do with the other buildings and I totally agree then we're going to be faced with okay now we're going to have another three five years of wondering what to do with uh those buildings you know that those buildings
do not create as much of a financial drain on the town as the current high school does. We're we're spending in excess of $300,000 a year to keep that building afloat and that includes
insurance and some very minimal upkeep. So, it costs money to let it sit there. Those other buildings would not cost anywhere near as much uh if they were mothball. So there is a sense of priority
um and getting a sense of direction then we can deal with the other buildings. But that that's kind of where it it flushed out. Um I know that uh Evan Evan is on the phone with us. He's a member of the long-term building committee as well. Evan, did you have anything else
that you wanted to add without you know I'm not proposing that we go into the whole plan, but is there anything I'm missing here? No, I I think you did a and uh through the chair I I think you did a great job of uh discussing the scope and what the
both the committee and the uh consultants were charged with. I think this was a very different look at uh municipal buildings whereas some of the other studies you know it's been referenced in the past uh and correctly rightfully so that there have been a number of times that this has been
looked into but this study was much more uh uh holistic in its approach to town buildings what it costs to uh not only maintain our current spaces but also the needs of of the departments which I think is a key part of what RGB looked
at uh you know the council on aging could increase programming more space. Um we know there's a need of of for town offices with the condition of the annex and some other buildings in town. So I think the key is that this you know and one of the reasons and I can't speak for
the committee uh not being the chair but what I will say is in our discussions which are all posted u on YouTube on the uh town's page uh is that the need for this uh you know sort of arises from the the need for town departments to to you
know look at the next 10 20 30 years and and identify what the issues are and I think RGB came up with a great uh proposal for that and I think that's why the committee went in that direction in terms of the recommendation. Uh so it solves a number of problems and I think you know uh what the report showed is
that financially you know this even though it's it is a obviously a significant number and it is a big ask um you know when we're looking at the alternatives with the current building the old high school that we have as it stands just for code updates is about 20
million. Um the adaptive reuse which keeps the current building footprint is still a significant amount more than that. Um, and then when you look at doing nothing, which is keeping it exactly the same as it is now, we're still looking at about $300,000 in operating costs in the budget every year, and that's not including any
capital uh changes that would have to be made uh as a result of say the the an issue with the well or an issue with the boiler system. So, um we're dealing with a very complicated issue um with a lot of moving parts as as I know everyone
understands. So, um I think you know I would certainly encourage I'm sure the committee has but uh also the public to look through the presentation which has been posted on the town website and to watch the meetings and I I look forward to you know continuing the conversation on this as we look at it deeper in the future.
Thank you Evan. Thanks. Yeah, I think you know it's interesting right? So just as you it's a very big project and and trying you know if it if it goes through at the recommended
uh the recommendation that that was put forth I think it's I think it it becomes important to to make sure the the voters understand the the building use for the buildings that are going to be vacated because I
think you know if you're asking someone to to increase their tax bill by whatever it's going to be. I think everyone deserves to know well but that means that you know selling getting rid of the town hall or getting rid of this or the
opposite may be true. Someone would be saying I didn't I don't want town hall to be sold or I don't want you know I didn't know that was going to happen. And so I think if you're asking someone for a vote, um I think it's important to have a comprehensive view of of what's
next. If only if if only the school building committee that put in the new school did that same thing, we would not be here today, right? Okay. It was such a a a shortfall on that committee for not
having space for the administration building, for not having addressed what was going to happen to that school. It has become such a big white elephant, right? And the amount of money that has spent over the last three or four years since the new school opened. I mean, that was
a travesty that that was not included as part of their comprehensive plan. So, and and and to that point, and that's what I hope we don't make the same mistake, right? I know. I I totally get what you're saying. Two wrongs don't make a right.
But it's um unfortunately that's what happens here, right? You know that um but here we are. Here we are. Exactly. Here we are. And um you know uh the long-term building committee has not addressed in any
meetings that I've attended or I've read any minutes of that. We have never really addressed the long-term use of I know the Council on Aging has expressed interest in maintaining that building on Reed Road um as part of their uh program
that there are certain programs there that they prefer to keep there. Whether or not that can be maintained, I I'm I'm not at a in a position to speak of that. the um the Earl school, the annex. I mean, you
know, the thing has seen, you know, better days. Um and it certainly has a water problem there. So, um I don't know what the future lies for that building. And those are the only two that we addressed because one of the options that was included in part of the
discussions was um putting an addition on to the existing town hall which is not really included in in the package. But that that would be an alternative if nothing were done with the with the existing school. That um
you know long-term use and long-term inclusion of the annexes being part of town hall is just not a sound plan going forward. Yeah. The the annex, excuse me, the Earl school needs to go. It it served its useful life. Yeah.
And and I don't know where it goes, how it goes. Um, I do believe if I if I'm correct that there was a uh there there was a uh two or three slides that showed an addition to the the back of the Earl
school. I mean, sorry, the town hall. The town hall. Um the the the mayor may And you know what? We're probably we're probably getting too much oxygen out of the out of the air tonight when we discuss this, but there's there's so
many options. Um, and there's so many financial considerations. Having the Council on Aging saying they want to move into the uh, you know, the old high school, but they want to keep the other building. To me, I that may not be right. That may not be
their decision. That may not be right. So, so that's why we need to have a comprehensive discussion of just this particular topic sooner than later. Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. Cindy, do you know or Evan, um, do
you know what what's prompting a special town meeting? What what's the urgency to try to do it as a special town meeting as opposed to taking enough time to kind of sort through all these things? Well, I think that part, you know, part of the
issue would be in an effort that if if there were positive movement in a special town meeting, then it would be ready for ballot in the spring. So, because then you would have to have a ballot override in addition to a special
town meeting override. So, it's just in the expediency of it. Uh, that the last I knew, the boiler is on its last leg. So, I mean, this can't be something that should be dragged out for yet another six months before we think about it in
the spring and then, oh, well, maybe we shouldn't have an election because it's summer. So, I think it's just if if if we have a recommendation, the long-term builder committee has a recommendation, if the select board um is willing or unwilling
to uh move forward with it, um then we we we need to know where we're going with this once and for all because we've been dragging our feet for so long. Thank you. Go ahead, Hugh. Go ahead.
Is that directed to me? I'm sorry. Yeah. Two things. I think I think a spectral town meeting is the right format because there's an awful lot of stuff to go over, etc. And having it as a warrant article with a bunch of other stuff floating around as well. I don't think
it's a good format. Timing is another matter and I think it has to be thoroughly thrashed out. A town hall meeting too soon. I Whether it's good or bad, I'm not taking a position on at this point, but too soon means it's it's
going to die for sure. And so you need to have enough time. And Cindy's right. It should have been waiting for a year or two, but it has to wait for people to be able to understand it and have an informed special town meeting, special
in this case simply being one to order to this topic, right? And and I think the time frame that that Christopher was referring to was October, November, you know, uh for a special town meeting, not not the week
after Labor Day, but something that would have an opportunity. In addition to that, prior to the special town meeting, it is certainly the long-term building committee's um intent, and Evan, correct me if I'm wrong, to have
another one, if not two or more other public forums prior to a special town meeting so that um so that these plans can be addressed in a public forum um with uh feedback from the from the
public to get kind of a pulse of where uh where people are at when it comes to uh this type of thing. It's um there is, as I think Karen, you started out saying, there's no easy answers in this because they, you know, as has been
said a hundred times, uh people are going to have to brace themselves one way or the other. It's going to cost money. There's going to be an override of some type. Whether we demolish the building or not, it's going to cost a significant amount of money. Um, so
that's where we are. Go ahead, Zach. Go ahead, Zach. I just want to make a point that, you know, if the town came together tomorrow and made a decision, we were all happy with it and we wanted to move forward. Realistically, you're not breaking
ground for three years on this between, you know, architecturals, um, you know, uh, mechanical, engineering, um, especially with the projects that call for more equipment. Um, never mind just the process of
bringing on contractors, reviewing bids. So, just to make a point, you're looking at another three years, you know, from the beginning of this year of upkeep at the school. We'll have a million dollars invested um in this school whether one of these
four options are chosen or not. You know, Zach, I was going to ask that same question and and then ask a second question to say, well, if the annex is on the verge of a meltdown, how is it going to go another four years while
this this whole project is if if passed and then constructed? How how how can that building survive four years? What what are the alternatives? I mean, what what's the alternative to that? Where where are they going to go? Well, that's the question. I mean,
right? Because it's the question and then there has to be budgeting that's going to support that because and who's who's thought through that financial implication and how are we going to pay for that, right? The
alternative is a a simpler there is alternatives, right? So, one alternative was what we just discussed. There could be an addition that goes on town hall and the annex moves over. That would be a whole lot quicker of a
process than a whole community center. So, I'm not suggesting one or the other. But, right, but it's not going to be accomplished in, you know, you couldn't even start that in six months even if you wanted to today. I mean, for the same reasons that right Zach
mentioned. Yes, a smaller scope project, no doubt. Uh but still I mean yeah if if if the building if the if the annex were condemned for whatever reason that it's not uh you know safe for for people to
be working there the public to go in and out of there every day. I don't know where all of those people would be able to go to work. It's not like we live in a town that has office space available right there. There's we don't even have, you know, large storage facilities that
could even put the uh the records and everything that are in there. I mean, there are some places here and there, but it would be very difficult um to uh to achieve that. No, no doubt. Go ahead.
Yeah, I was going to say and again without taking a position on these things, if we were to tear it down, if we're paying 300,000 a year and so forth, it say it takes a million to tear it down, that's a finite expense.
Well, whatever. understand whatever the figure would be that the figure to tear it down would be in a sense funded by the end of maintenance expenses kind of a finite end. I'm not advocating that at this point. I'm just saying that it
doesn't necessarily go on forever if this program doesn't go ahead as advertised. And I would I would I would add facitiously. I'll I'll I'll admit that for a number of years we stuffed our
kids into pods uh in in you know at at at the elementary school and or the middle school. So why not stuff the uh the people at the at the annex into pods? Yeah, I think these are all great
questions and we should be, you know, jotting these down as part of our conversation that we can have with the select board, the long-term building committee and and and kind of think through a comprehensive plan and comprehensively what are all the financial implications
to everything and what is the point, right? Enough said on that, but yes. So, We could go on for days and days and days and days. All right. Well, we'll uh we'll we'll uh I'll try to try to get something in the
works for a meeting and then uh we'll go from there and send send any questions that you have and we'll put things to I'll put I'll put the bullet points together. Okay. Okay. Um
so the next item on the agenda is if there's any other layon or update or committee meeting updates that um of significance. Uh Karen, are we going to at our next meeting are we going to go through the
um liaison um you know the committee uh choices rather? So I had that part of this agenda to to review our current committees because most of the most of them expired in June, right? So um as those meeting as those other
committees are meeting then our membership is expired. So um anybody who's on another committee technically can't vote um on any on anything that's on a committee since they're not an active member. So right do that next.
Okay. Sorry. That's okay. I didn't have the attend in front of me. That's all right. Um, did someone have their hand up? Hugh, go ahead. Yeah, I was just going to say you go. I have in mind talking to Chief Don
about the six hour source you see in the press, but I don't vote on anything. I'm just a a contact and information source, shall we say. So technically the appointment would maybe be in limbo doesn't
right. So if we um so I have the committee list up um so why don't we look at that and um so I have Zach is on the energy
committee and the tax incentive program committee. Both of those terms expired 2025. Um, we have Cindy on the personnel board, which I my notes had expired 2025, but
but the select board notes has Cindy's term expiring 6:30 26. Yeah, because I I think there was still some confusion there as to whether or not I am the the finance committee
representative or if I'm at large. When I was first appointed to the personnel board, I was first appointed at large. So, I think that's how my appointment cycled through. Uh because it's only been in this last year or two that um
Karen that you've been paying and rightfully so attention to the expiration dates of committees and people automatically getting rolled over into committees. So um
and so Gary was the p was the um fincom representative to the personnel board and then then there was some confusion. We thought that Gary left the personnel board and that maybe I got appointed as the fincome representative. I don't know. My initial appointment that was
how I met Gary was through the personnel board. I was appointed at large and that was kind of how I got introduced to becoming a member of the finance committee was through through Gary there. So um so I don't know. So that appointment I
guess for right now we can talk to Gary about this and see where he stands with it. Yep. Okay. All right. Let me keep going down the list. So Gary Gary is um rep for the personnel board, right? I have he expired 6:3026 so he's
okay. We've got Hugh Morton is on the community preservation committee and there's no expiration of the term that's indefinite. So, as long as life a life sentence without parole life sentence uh let's see I am on the school building
committee but that's appointed by I believe the school committee but and I'm not sure I don't think that's done by the select board so I need to get see when my term is on that. Um then we have Duncan on
the internet advisory committee and the infrastructure oversight committee. Both of those committees expired 6:3025. And then we have Al on the capital improvement planning committee and that one expired 6:3025, but the select board
automatically reappointed you for another year. But I asked them to hold because we were supposed to review these ourselves and then make the recommendations. But so that's where Oh, and Cindy is on the long-term building committee
and the audit committee. And the audit committee and I'm also um harbor advisory committee and the fire department. Yeah. And those
I believe I'm at the liaison to the assessors. Oh, we're just right now we're just we're not doing department. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Good point. So just the committees right now. So I I will I will say that uh I've been
on the audit committee four years maybe now, three or four years now. Um and the audit committee has come a long way uh as to the reason why it began. Uh so I am very um
very willing and and certainly I think it would be uh appropriate for another member uh if they have interest to um uh become a member of the uh audit committee. Uh I I will say that I am
chair of that committee. Uh there's a representative from the select board um that's on that committee, a representative from the school committee, a me and two members at large that are members of that committee. So
um I have I I I think it's it's interesting. It's a it's a way for you to look behind the numbers on the other side uh to see what's going on with the audit. But um if no one wants to do it, that's fine. But I'm very very much
willing to offer that up to um to someone else. So on that point, is every everyone that I've read that's currently on the committee or is everyone happy with their committees they're on and would like to stay on them or is there somebody that wants to get off a
committee so we can I'm happy with CIPC? Okay, great. CPC I'd say yes to the former as well. Okay. How about you, Duncan? Oh, Duncan, we can't hear you.
Thumbs up. Thumbs up. Thumbs down. Middle. Not sure. Right. So, let's see. So, let's do the first one for the thumbs up or thumbs down. Duncan, you're on the internet advisory committee. Would you like to stay on that one? I think Duncan's thumbs up is too
thumbs up. He wants to stay on the internet advisory committee. Okay. Now, the second one is the infrastructure oversight committee. Duncan, would you like to stand? Thumbs up. Thumbs up. Okay. Terrific. All right. Um, thank you, Duncan. And,
uh, so I think we've got everybody. Al said yes. Okay. So, so Cindy, maybe uh, well, we don't have Nancy stand across here, our newest member. So right audit committee might be an opportunity for her to get on that one.
Yeah. So that that we can certainly wait on that because there is no meeting uh pending for for that. We would not meet again perhaps until September. Okay. So next month. Um okay. The the latter part of next month. So um
it can wait until our next meeting. Okay. So I'll let the minutes reflect. Um, so Zach is going to be reappointed to the energy committee and tax incentive program committee. Cindy will um
be reappointed to let's see no Cindy, you're the long-term building committee, right? But that's already 6:30 26. So we're all there. So, it looks like Cindy doesn't need any new appointments
because the personnel board is 2026 already. We're going to hold on the audit committee. Yeah. So, Gary is all set. He his appointments through 2026. So, the minutes right now are Zach is the energy committee and the tax incentive program. Um Duncan Law
will be reappointed to the internet advisory committee and the infrastructure oversight committee. So those those two appointments need to be done. Um the select board already reappointed Al to the capital improvement committee
to 2026. So that's all set. Um okay. So it's just Zach and Duncan are the two appointments the the four those four committees for our minutes. I'll send over an email to um the select board so they can put that on the their next
agenda and then you I'll get letters and then you'll have to get sworn in. Terrific. Okay. Um, so the layan update, the layan appointments, we should wait until we have Nancy and Gary here at the next
meeting and there's no hurry to do the department layons. So we've got time on those. So let's hold on reallocating those. Great. Okay. All right. Then almost the So the next item on the agenda is to approve
the minutes. We have three meetings. April 22nd, 2025, May 6, 2025, and June 17, 2025. So moved. Do you have to do them individually? No, not if. No. Okay. I make a motion that we
approve the minutes as just described by the chair. Second. I don't remember the date. Second. All right. Any discussion on any of those minutes? Nope. All right. And I will do a roll call. Uh Hugh
Hugh Martin. I Cindy Cindy Brown. I Duncan. Thumbs up. Hi. Al El Le. Zack. Zach Leu. I
uh and Karen Rouse. I I think that's everybody. All right. Terrific. Um moving on. Um I have no correspondence. That's the next item on the agenda. Um so next item is meeting schedule and topics for next meeting. So um we're on
our once a month um time frame now. So the second t the second Tuesday of September would be our next date. Um and if anybody has any specific topics they'd like to bring up, you can email them to me. If not, we'll put it together a week before our agenda.
But I certainly will uh contact the select board about uh a joint meeting to talk about the long-term building committee. And lastly, I don't think I have anything else. I have no topics not reasonably within 48 hours.
We got nothing else. Motion to Motion to adjourn. Go enjoy the rest of the summer. Any second on a motion to adjurnn? Second. Second. All right, I'll do a roll call and good night everyone.
Good night. Thank you. Thanks. Just do a roll call. Al leaves. I Thank you. Hugh Morton. I Cindy. Cindy Brown. I Duncan's got a thumbs up. I uh Zack Zack Leru I.
And Cameron Ross. Bye. Good night everyone.