electric company doing business as Eversource Energy to install approximately 723 ft of conduit and three new MH's. I'm not going to read them. and 10 ft of conduit from new MH10267150
to existing pole 836 in the ride ofway of Horsene Neck Road. Um, so we I believe we have some representatives from NStar here. Thank you. Can you just introduce yourselves, please? Good evening, members of the board. I'm Jessica Elder representing Eversource. I
haven't even seen Oh, there we are. There you go. Jessica Elder representing Eversource. Hi, I'm Anthony Valu. I'm community relations for Eversource. All right. Thank you. Um, so you want to tell us what you've got going on here?
Uh, sure. I'll start. Um, so before we get into the actual petition, I would just like to take a little step back and give you guys a bird's eye view of the total scope of the project and what we're looking to do in Westport, uh, because we're going to come back with a lot of with a few petitions. So, I just want to make sure you guys understand
the the total scope. So, what we have in front of you tonight is about 800 ft going south on Horsene Neck Road of Underground. But the reason for this is um, we call it our group two project. We're upgrading Westport is fed by two substations. one on Crossroad, one on
Fischer Road, both in Dartmouth. Um both of these substations are being upgraded to increase capacity for new uh we call distributed energy resources, which is essentially solar. Um the Fischer Road feeds a large part of basically Southwestport. So, as you can see here, we're we're adding uh two new circuits
underground coming out of Fiser uh down Horsene Neck and then down Drift. So, we'll pick up the feed at Horsene Neck. Then that becomes overhead after this 800 ft and continues all the way down. Uh same thing with drift road. Uh once that underground is completed,
we pick up that circuit and come down drift. Um the benefits it's it's not just about increasing capacity for solar. We're adding two new circuits. Uh and this and you'll see it as like um it's like a bunch cable. It's it's really called a Hrix. It's three
cables sort of bunched together. But the top cable is a messenger cable uh that allows better communication between our equipment. And as part of these upgrades, we're installing a new switch gear, new transformers. So in literally in real time, if a tree limb falls on a piece of wire, uh it can literally shake
it off, communicate with the other switches on the circuit. If that problem's resolved, it switches right back on. Instead of losing power for uh large amounts of time, this this decreases the outages and decreases the time. It also decreases the number of people out as we
were able to switch between circuits and between pieces of equipment. Uh as for uh another big driver of this is cost. Um the solar developers are paying for a large portion of it over 80%. So the cost to the rateayers uh the
consumers is is at a very very minimal uh which allows us to do these upgrades and increase resiliency and uh reliability for all of Westport in the cheapest way possible. So, I just want to make sure you guys had that big picture uh because we I know it's a little um peace meal because I know
we're only petitioning for the 800 ft on horse neck now, but we'll be we'll be back basically from division to horse neck for the rest of it. And you know, we have to do our work in Dartmouth, too. So, um we're not going to start construction. Doesn't mean we're going to put shovels on the ground tomorrow. This might not be till next spring thing
uh construction time. So, I just want to make sure you're aware of that as well. And we'll have plenty of coordination meetings with highway and uh other town departments if necessary. Can you just clarify which color is it? You've got this color coded. Is this this petition align with one of those
colors you're talking about or is it Yeah, you see the little blue uh it's like green, orange, then blue. Mhm. Where the blue turns into red. It's that little corner. Okay. Anything else? Okay. Um, Jim, anything else we should
know about this? This little section is underground and it's a street that was repaved within the last couple of years. So, the highway department had some concerns about the restoration of the pavement. Uh, they had a typical trench detail. I I would only suggest that if the board
approves it that they approve it u subject to restoration for the highway department. I move we uh approve subject to uh pavement res uh res uh restoration uh to as suggested by the town highway
surveyor. Second. All right. So, we have a motion and second. Do we have any discussion? If you would mind. Um obviously in my time on the conservation commission, I've been pretty strongly opposed to uh solar projects specifically in
Westport with a clear cutting of acreage for that. I know me much of this is going in to benefit uh solar development along Souls Way and possibly over on Fischer Road. Um so again, I'm not a proponent of clear cutting 20, 30, and
40 acres to put solar in. Um I believe that destruction of the environment is probably funded by Eversource rate payers as your rates continue to go up. Uh just as an aside, state of Rhode Island has lost 141 acres in a three-year time period to solar. That's
open space to solar and that's uh 69% of all open space lost in the state of Rhode Island is to solar. Um so I will be voting against it. I just wanted to clarify my vote as to why I'm opposed to it because the constant destruction of open space. Uh the only project that I
probably would support in town and I did support was the uh gravel pit off of Old County Road. Thank you. I just want to be clear that this particular pet petition is the um the polls and the and the trenching for the is this not
approving a solar project. This is for the infrastructure that supports the the getting the power back to the main substation. Right. The infrastructure in order to support solar projects. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um so this is anything else from the board.
This is a public hearing. Is there anybody who has anything on uh this particular agenda item? You can go to the microphone right behind you. Hello. Uh my name is Joel How. I'm the owner of the property at the corner of Hicksbridge and Horseneck, 473 Hexbridge
Road. And I was just hoping to find out more information about um I heard the overall description of the master plan um but how this affects our property. We have electric lines and cable lines coming off those first two poles on
Horseneck uh to our house and our barn there. Um so I wasn't clear on whether those poles are actually going away or they're just being supplemented by the underground work and um whether we're going to have to dig trenches onto our property to connect to an underground
conduit in the future. Um, and I the second question I have is about the property across the street at 27 Horsene Neck Road, which is a farm property owned by my family. And we have um tractors and different uh vehicles
coming and going from the driveway onto Horseneck uh at 27 Horsene Neck throughout the day. And I'm just wondering what the plan is for um keeping access to the driveway so that vehicles can come and go throughout the day. you want to take them?
Yep. Uh, thanks for those questions. Um, it's we we don't limit access. We'll we'll make sure to have full access uh so you can get in and out. We don't block people in when we do construction. There'll be a detail, of course. And uh we don't this is we're adding two new circuits. So, there's no the poles
are going to stay there. There's no change to we're not going to have to dig a new trench for a new connection to your house. Uh these are just two new circuits. All those poles will stay there. All the connections remain the same. We're just adding another circuit. Is there anything else? Um, my name is Robert Lamur. I live at
20 Horsene Neck Road, which is maybe three houses down from the intersection south of it. Um, we have an underground service right now from a telephone poll. I think my answer my question was just answered there that the polls stay right. Um the other question I have is uh there's
a telephone pole with some type of equipment at the top and lack of a better word it's some type of switch so that people can service the five miles south of our home. So we're north of that. So we're we're protected from shutting the circuit off. So, I'm just
wondering if that type of protection would still be there or whether that is moving if you understand the question. Yep. Nope. All that stays. But that's a good point. We're adding more of that type of equipment the further south we go. Right. That's a little bit lacking at the moment. Okay. But the one that's there stays.
Yep. So, I mean with from personal view, we're protected from power outages. Like what happens 5 miles south of us doesn't impact us because you shut off the switch 50 ft from our house. if you understand the question. I I guess you're pretty lucky then. I know. That's what I'm saying. So, I
don't wantanna I don't want to hold up this town for my own little niche question. Um the other thing, and I'm sure this is being considered, but there's a very high water table there, and there's a lot of water uh surface flooding. So, I don't know who owns like the the gutter at the gas station
property that takes storm water underneath and then dumps it into the field and it runs across the field. So, there's a very high water table and there's a lot of surface flooding and I don't know. I just want you to consider whatever you're building underground. It might not be the best environment.
No, we're going to take all that into consideration. We'll have a bunch of uh pre-construction meetings with highway before any of this happens. Anything else? So, we have a motion in a second to um approve the petition um subject to uh
pavement restoration as requested by the highway surveyor. All in favor? I I opposed. Me. So, that's three in favor, one opposed, and one absence. Thank you. Okay. Are you not here for the next one? No. Yeah. Right. Thank you. Thanks a lot. Thank you.
The next public hearing we have is a request from Compton CLABakes LLC at 140 Charlotte White Extro Extension for the change of ownership interest to Jason Olivea and Nathan Brown. Change of manager to Nathan Brown and requested new doing business as backyard Westport
for the wine and malt beverage license at 140 Charlotte White Road extension. Is there anyone here for that? Good evening. Thank you. My name is attorney Walsh. I am uh office of Marky and Walsh in New York.
Good evening everybody. Thank you for having me. Uh Tim Walsh on behalf of Compton Clambake doing business is Backyard Westport. Um the two gentlemen who own the company, Jason Olivera and Nathan Brown are here with me tonight. Uh Nathan Brown is asking to be named
manager. Um we have several amendments to the liquor license. Uh Paula uh Paula Brown who's been very helpful. Thank you very much. Throughout this process, it's been a little bit of a process to get here, but we feel like we're in good shape now uh to have this before your board. We're asking for approval. It
would then go to the ABCC for final approval. Uh I did talk to my clients today. We need updated certificates from the do and DUA as those have gone stale. Uh but we will get those this week. Everything else I believe is in order. Uh and again, the town has been very helpful with the application. If there
are any questions, we're happy to answer them. Um, do we have we have all the paperwork is in order. I was looking I was looking I was looking for the police recommendation. Do we have police recommendation? Then we don't need one. Okay.
Okay. So, this is basically your changed ownership. Change ownership of the property. Basically the same thing. Is are the hours still the same? Everything about the operation is going to remain the same. It's this is really just cleaning up what uh the town and the state have on record related to the business. There was a slight change in
the ownership structure. We're reporting that to the town and the state. Um I think they're changing the name of the DBA. Um and that's it. Yeah. I move we approve the change in ownership sub uh pursuant to the way described in our package. Thank you.
Second. Uh so we have a motion to second. I just I'm in favor of this. I think you have a great place to make a great burger. Um but uh I do want to just point out that um it was it did take a little bit of a long time to get proper um communication going on with the town about what was
going on up there. So I want to make sure that there's no lapse again in the making sure we're getting proper permits and the proper operation in place. I hope that was part of the reason my office was involved. We've we've tried to stay on top of this uh and the town has been great to work with. So again,
uh I want to thank Miss Brown from the town and we will get those updated certificates and I believe anything else that the ABCC generally what happens in these the ABCC gives it to an investigator they will contact my office as the point person and we will work as quickly as we can and my clients I
believe understand how important it is that they work quickly as well. So thank you. Thank you. Is there any further discussion? Anything from public? Um all in favor? Oh, did you have something? I don't know. I think there's somebody there's some people back there. Yeah, you go to the mic, please.
Uh, good evening, Greg Herald, 455 Drift Road. Um, we are a neighbor. Uh, we're in the backyard of the backyard actually. Um the only thing my concern is in 2018 there were several uh the zoning board
had several requirements or conditions for um Little Compton Clamakes to um proceed and I just wanted to make sure that those would be still in effect for this new transfer of the liquor license.
So I think I think that this does not change because this is only the liquor license that we're ruling on right now, right? This would have no impact on what the town required via zoning. No, none at all. Yeah. Okay. So the conditions that were set in 2018 won't remain. That's my understanding. This particular
action doesn't change anything that was said. Not even not asking or addressing that issue. Okay. No, they've been great neighbors. Just thought I'd ask. All right. Certainly not the intention of this and that wouldn't operate this way legally. No.
Right. Anything else? All right. All in favor? I I opposed. So that's four in favor and one absence. Thank you. Thank you all very much. Have a great night. Good luck, gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you. Uh item two, we have a request from Cumberland Farms of Massachusetts, Inc.
to change the officers of the annual package store wine and malt license at 596 State Road. The request is to remove Carolyn Tatelbomb as president, treasurer, and director and to add John Kerry as president and director and Lisa Shannon is being added as treasurer and
director. Is there anyone here for that? Hi, welcome. Hi, good evening. Elizabeth Pazano from Upton, Connell, and Devlin, Council for Cumberland Farms. Uh, this application is just to change the officers and directors of the licency. There are no
operational changes at the store. Everything will remain the exact same. It's just a housekeeping to update the corporate officers and directors. So, we're still we're strictly dealing at the corporate level and not at the store level. Um, the lency level.
Yes. So, yes, just corporate. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yep. Um there are multiple locations in Massachusetts who that have liquor licenses as well. Um in the AB we've gone through hearings throughout the state this summer. This is one of the
last ones and the ABCC investigator who's getting all of these have have already um given approval in other towns. So, they did ask us to just make some minor corrections like clerical errors in our application package. So, I don't know if it's okay if I can give
you the updated ones just so that the ABCC doesn't have to ask us again for it. It's the exact same thing. It's just like minor clerical things. So, I'm going to give you this. Thank you. That's why. Yeah.
But all the paperwork is in order. You have everything you need. Yes, everything is in order. Okay, great. Is there any discussion? You just go to the mic. As long as there's somebody here representing corporate for Cumberland Farms, I would just like to say that I
have thought for years and even asked the people that work there why they don't do a better job with that particular outlet of Cumber of Lawrence. It's a mess. And it's right in the middle. I mean, it's right across from town hall. It must be a gold mine. They must make tons of money.
This is the different. This is the state road one. Oh, okay. Well, as long as corporate's here from Cumberland Farms, I'm just wondering, could you pass it back to corporate and say, could you do something? Could you make it look a little nicer? Okay. Yeah, I agree with you because
there's a vast difference in the ambiance and quality of the state road which recently went through a fairly substantial renovation and the one in the village. Yeah. So, okay, I will pass. Great. Okay, you'll see it on your way out.
I will. I I think I passed it. Okay, I won't. Thank you. All right, so do we have uh anything else? Um do we have do we have a motion? Motion to approve it as presented. Is there any discussion? All in favor?
I I um oppose. So that's u four in favor and one absence. Thank you. Thank you. Have a great night. Thank you. Um for 3A, we have a request from Police Chief Christopher Dunn to appoint Michael Fitzgerald as a reserve police officer uh pending successful completion
of a background check and psychological examination. Hello, Deputy Chief. Hello. Welcome. You want to tell us what this is about? Sure. So, on behalf uh in speaking for the chief, just wanted to address the
need for reserve police officers and he respectfully requests that the board consider appointing Michael Fitzgerald contingent upon his successful completion of a background check and psychological examination. Mr. Fitzgerald's Mr. Fitzgerald brings extensive experience having served in law enforcement for over 20 years and
retiring as a lieutenant with the Massachusetts State Police, serving as a station commander of the Dartmouth barracks. He is a resident of Westport, married and has three children. If approved, he proposes an effective appointment date of Sunday, September 14th, 2025. And he also noted that it
does not require any additional funding for this position. Great. Thank you, Mr. Fitzgerald. You want to say anything? No, ma'am. No. Okay. Was the pleasure of the board? Motion to approve. Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor?
I I welcome aboard. Thank you, ma'am. Anything else uh while you're here? Sure, if you don't mind. Um, so I just want to touch base on our first first national night out was a huge success and uh the chief and I just wanted to especially thank the community outreach unit in the department. They worked
feverishly to get this pulled together. All the departments within town that helped us out as well. Um, I named them all on Facebook. I don't want to name them here, so I don't want to miss anybody. Um, it was great to just see somebody, everybody from the community coming together and joining some familyfriendly fun. Um, a lot of resources within town were showcased
there, and I hope somebody got something out of that um, by seeing what was provided. As the summer winds down, we're grateful that we didn't have any um, and we had an uneventful summer, thank God, as it relates to emergencies in town. But, however, the police department and the fire department got struck with lightning uh, last week. We
did lose um some equipment and we're getting some stuff together for the insurance company for that. And then I just want to just add you guys did a really great job of continuing service to the town when there's a little bit of chaos going on over there. Appreciate that. Thank you. And just upcoming events, we have National Coffee
with the Cop coming up on October 1st. The location for that is yet to be determined. And then Halloween happenings with Dana from the recreation department. That's going to be happening October 19th at the conservation area on Adamsville Road from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. So, I just want to throw that out there.
All right. Thank you. I'll be there. Thank you for your time. Anything before I let him go? All set. All right. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Good to see you. Likewise. Thank you. Um 3B. We have a request to appoint Paula Brown to the assistant to the town
administrator effective September 8, 2025. I just want to do a little bit of explaining on this one because this one is some got some attention on uh on social media over the weekend. So, um this it had been characterized on social media as an HR position which is not
entirely accurate. This position um when we had the um retirement of Denise Bashard who was secretary to the select board and then the announced retirement for Jim Hartnett. What we did is we looked at the three salary the three
positions in the select board office. So that was the town administrator, the secretary of the select board and the administrative assistant, administrative clerk, whatever your title was before. Um so we took a look at those three existing positions and looked at what we would need going
forward to properly manage the town. Um, one of the things that we have been struggling with from town administrators since long before Jim came here is the number of hats that that person has to wear and the number of people directly reporting to the town administrator. So,
we have over a number of meetings, this is not out of the blue, um, over a number of meetings, we've talked about Jim's resignation, we've talked about Denise's resignation, we've talked about how we might rework some of those jobs.
We had a job description created for an assistant to the town administrator and I can let others speak more to that. Um, we posted the position. We interviewed for that position. We've talked about it in numerous meetings. The one of the things that we did do is we wanted to
make sure that that position could take on some of the HR responsibilities that the select that the town administrator currently had because sele HR isn't just hiring. It's hiring. It's um you know managing u performance evaluations. It's
um all it's there's all kinds of employee relations type things that go on grievances that happen. Um so we felt like we wanted to be sure that whoever we put in that position could be effective in helping the town administrator by having some HR experience or helping with some of the
HR functions. So I kind of got advertised around as an HR job. It's not an HR job. is an assistant to the town administrator that does have some specific responsibilities related to HR, but that's certainly not the only thing that that position is doing is shifting from what the town administrator is
doing or supplementing what the town administrator is doing. So, um we went through a process. We interviewed several c we had a number of candidates. We interviewed several. We um we uh advised to appoint Paula at a previous
uh at our last meeting. We um agreed to we voted to appoint Paula subject to a successful contract negotiation. We had an executive session that night that we talked about our strategy for that negotiation. Jim negotiated with Paula
and they came to an agreement. So what's before us today is a very lengthy process that was followed for a job that is not just HR, it includes other responsibilities. So, um I just want to say all that. I don't know some of you were more involved in the hiring process
than I want to add anything. No, no, very thorough. Yeah, you you've covered it well. Obviously, this is not a newly created position. It was uh a long-erving position of someone retiring. So, uh Paul is going to slide into that uh and
do a lot of the uh HR. She's going to obviously attend seminars and some training to get stronger in that background, but Paulo ended up being the best candidate uh for the job with her relationships here in town uh and here in the town hall. Anybody else have anything? What's the
pleasure of the board? Motion to approve. Second. Is there any discussion? Is there any discussion from the public? You can go to the microphone. Hello, my name is Keith Das. I'm a resident and small business owner here
in town. Um, so just to clarify is so currently there's three positions. There's a secretary, correct? Secretary is retired. Yep. There's a town administrator. Mhm. And then there was Paula's position now. Yes. Okay. So, are we creating a for like are
the other two positions plus the town administrator going to be filled after her appointment or is she one of those three positions? There will be three positions. the town administrator, the assistant to the town administrator, and what's the name of the position? Assistant, selectable confidential clerk. Confidential clerk.
There's only going to be three employees at the end of the day. Okay. Thank you for the question. There were three before. There will be three after. Thank you. Anything else? All right. Uh, all in favor? I. That's uh four in favor and one
absent. Welcome aboard, Paula. She hates being on camera. So I hope John I hope John did not just like make put the camera on her. Um uh we have 3C is a request from Keith Novo to appoint Nathan Alden to a part-time IT technician position. Is
anyone here for that? No. Jim, you want to tell us about that? Well, this is a position that's been uh in the budget for the last two years. We've had difficulty filling it. Um we did have an appointment at one of the last meetings and uh that applicant withdrew. Uh he spoke very highly highly
of Nathan Alden. I did not participate in the interview but um he is here locally in town. Uh he's agreed to the position in the rate of $30 per hour. This would be part-time under 20 hours per week. Um this this position would be working with the different departments
here throughout the day. Uh Keith is mostly nights and weekends. Um, but it's nice to have somebody here in day that during the day that can answer questions. We're also looking to have this position kind of go through some of the departments and give them suggestions or ideas as to how to be
more efficient with some of the software that we have. We don't have that right now. So, and and I might say that that was one of my concerns going way back that we didn't have a help desk available during the day. Yeah. I think this is going to vastly improve
uh the ability of town employees to get access to tech support. We have a good backbone in in the work that Keith does, but I think that from a service and an employee uh user perspective, this is this is a big improvement and we did have a similar position to
this about six years ago that was here probably for about I'd say at least five years and uh they went full-time to the school department and we lost that employee. So this is kind of filling that empty void. I think we're at very bare bones in it. This is one of the ones this is one of
the departments really um concerns me a lot um about you know the modernization. We we don't have sufficient support for our websites but more importantly we don't have sufficient support for the employees that need to use software more and more and the town um that wants to
provide more services online. Um so I think this is uh really needed. I think we're going to have I think this is a department we have to look at going forward about how do we shift more like when you only have one person in it it's a very high risk right it's very risky
and we saw this with um with the lightning strike at police and fire stations we only had we had ever was out there pretty darn quickly but um we only had one IT person to help them come back online and that's really a public safety issue so I'm glad we're getting another
person in there I wish we would do more Um, so what's the pleasure of the board? Madam Chair, I move to approve. Second. Is there any further discussion? Anything from the public? All in favor? I
I um oppose. So that's four in favor with one absence. Um 3D, we have a request from the Shellfish Advisory Committee to appoint Ron Searia to the Shellfish Advisory Committee. Do you want to say anything, Rick, or you just
Good evening everyone. Um, my name is Rick Smith. I'm the chair of the shellfish advisory board. Uh, Ron Sevaria has been on the board for decades. Um, and he filled in as chair after Captain Bordon stepped down as
chair and decided a year ago or so to step away from the shellfish. Well, he has since retired and he has a lot of time left in his life. So, he wants to share that with us. So, he's asked to come back onto the board. Um there are very few people that have the knowledge of the river and the shellfish
um business in Westport as well as being a lifelong resident of the town. So, we voted unanimously for Ron to come on board. We'd love to have him and we seek your approval and bring him back on the shelfish advisory board. Thank you.
You're welcome. It's the pleasure of the board. Wait, don't leave. Don't leave, Rick. Rick, don't leave. No, we're going to take up We're going to take up 4B, but we got to vote on this one first. Motion to approve. Second. So, we have a motion in a second um to
appoint Ron Sea to the Shellfish Advisory Committee. Any further discussion? All in favor? I I That's four in favor, one absent. I'm just going to bump up 4B because you're sitting here. um the request from the shellfish advisory committee to open the 2025 to 2026 Bay Gallup season from
on October 15 at 8 a.m. Do you want to tell us about that? Yeah, just briefly, every October, um, in accordance with the state, we we open somewhere around Columbus Day, uh, the long weekend this year, the board decided that Wednesday the 15th would be the day uh, to open
the base gallup season, and that will run through March, unless the state overrules us and extends it. A few years back, probably seven or eight years ago, they did extend it because we had such a great season. Um, we haven't had that season since. So, we're hoping that there will be some bass goups out there on the river that we can harvest and
we'd like to open on the 15th of October. Thank you. Any questions? What's the pleasure of the board? Motion to accept the recommendation as presented. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? I
I That's u four in favor and one absence. Now you can go. Now we can go. Thank you very much. Um back up to 3E. We have a request from the finance committee to vote to to appoint Zach Labro to the energy committee and the tax incentive program
committee, Duncan Law to the Internet Advisory Committee and the infrastructure oversight committee and Al Le to the capital improvement planning committee. So we move to accept the recommendations as presented. Second. Is there any discussion?
Madam Chair, just a question. Are these one-year appointments? Um yes, I think so. One year, right? Yeah, one year. Any further discussion? All in favor? I I um there's four in favor and one absent. We have a request a request from
Bonnie Strubble. Bonnie's here. Yeah, there you are. Um the library director to promote Ryan Farley from library aid 1 to principal clerk and to post the library aid position both in-house and external if needed. Do you want to tell us about this or you want
Hello. Hi. Um, I was here back at the beginning of June to ask for the appointment um to fill two positions. One was the full-time principal clerk and one was the part-time library aid one. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with the person we had hired as
principal clerk. Um, but we had hired Ryan Farley as the library aid one and she has been fantastic and we love her at the library. So, we would like to um offer her the full-time position. It has already gone through the in-house uh posting and there were no union members
who were interested and then you want to assuming we appoint that one then you want to post the library library a one okay any discussion any questions Jim do you have recommendation recommend approval
was the pleasure of the board madam chair recommend we approve this request second do we need to say the What date do you Oh, tomorrow. Okay. Effective immediately. Okay.
All right. Any discussion? All in favor? I I um that's four in favor and um one absent. Is there anything going on in the library you want to tell us about real quick? Yes. This week we are having our um used book sale put on by the friends of the library. It is um open every day during
the regular library hours in the Manton community room and we still have a ton of um really good shape used books. Most of them are $2. So, please come visit us through the end of um Saturday. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. So, action item we have uh 4A request
from the Westport River Wershed Alliance to approve the annual fall electronics recycle day on Wednesday, September 17 from 9 to 11 at 8:16 Main Road, which is here. Right. Yes. So, there'll be Wednesday, September 17 from 9 to 11
here for electronics recycling. Motion to approve. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? I I. There's four in favor and one absent. We have a request from Brock Cardiero um to support House Bill 2432, an act to
reduce incidence and death from pancreatic cancer. Welcome, Mr. Cordderero. U thank you. I appreciate the being able to come down a couple miles from Dartmouth and be before you today. Uh I did want to come to ask for your support
uh and for a letter of support for an act to reduce instance death from pancreatic cancer. Uh House Bill uh 2432, Senate Bill 1484. Uh as a bit of a background, uh pancreatic cancer is actually the second deadliest form of cancer in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. It's got a uh 5-year relative survival rate of uh only 13%, the lowest of any major cancer. Uh, and of the most common form of pancreatic cancer, the survival rate is only 8%. Over 70% will die within the first year of diagnosis. Uh, and that is why I'm
here, cuz that includes my father, Norman Cordderero, uh, who died back on March 3rd, 2014 of pancreatic cancer, thus leading me to uh, form and serve as the chair of the special legislative commission to study pancreatic cancer. and then uh co-authored the bill with uh
Mark Kimovich of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of B of Massachusetts. Um so what I what I'm really hoping for here is um I've reached out to the all the municipalities here in the Commonwealth. First the uh the town of
Dartmouth and then the mayor of New Bedford have agreed to submit letters. Uh I'm before you now and uh I may be running off to Fair Haven for the same request later on tonight. Uh because what I'm trying to do is marshall our our support for the past two legislative
sessions. We've earned a incredible number of co-sponsors for this legislation. Currently we stand at 90 co-sponsors this session alone. Uh we've IDed uh 113 sponsors overall. Representative Wulette is a co-sponsor. Uh, Senator Rogers has expressed his
support to me for the legislation. Uh, but the problem is we keep running into a roadblock with the uh, joint committee on public health. We've gotten the favorable recommendation, I'm sorry, joint committee of healthcare financing. We've received the favorable recommendation of the joint committee on
health care, but for the past two sessions, we uh, just get caught up in the log jam at the end of the of the session and where most bills of course end up going to die. Uh and as such, I'm hoping that we can build this uh coalition of uh municipalities to show
support to uh Representative John L, the House chair of uh healthcare financing and senator Cindy Freedom in the Senate chair that this is legislation that only has tremendous support under the Golden Dome at the state house, but also in the three as many as the 351 cities and
towns as possible here in the Commonwealth. Uh lots of cancers get their uh get their just uh uh re uh acknowledgement uh up in the state house. Uh but even the American Cancer Society tends to
overlook pancreatic cancer even though it is the second deadliest in the Commonwealth, third deadliest United States and is forecast to become number two by 2030. So uh it would have almost very little financial impact to the state. uh if anything it could have uh
uh financial uh savings for the state and local governments uh with imp improved uh uh health care and uh cutting costs. So uh it's uh to me it's it's a uh a bill that should have passed
a few years ago. We we this would fulfill the recommendations of these the um uh the study commission that was uh created back in 2015. We met 2018 2019 and uh of course hit the co uh uh
roadblock there but now we did off of it did translate our recommendations into actionable legislation and now I'm before you today and asking for your support. Thank you. And we do have a bunch of information in our packet as well as some of the letters from other municipalities that we saw. I couldn't support this more. I lost my
mother to prostate cancer. I mean pancreatic cancer and uh couple of good friends and it it hits people uh more touches more people than we can imagine. So I move that we uh support the legislation as presented.
Second. Any other discussion? So I also support this. I'm a cancer survivor myself and while I had a very highly curable cancer, I really feel for the people who do not. And so I anything we can do to support education and
screening I am all in favor of any other anything can anything from the public. Um all in favor I um so that's four in favor and one absence. Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate your support. Thank you.
We have an action item. I was thinking we after I saw this list I realized that we hadn't been accepting donations in a while. So there's a very long list because we haven't done this. Um so just so for those of you who are maybe not not so familiar with the process, um our departments can't accept money directly
in most cases. They have to go through us. So this is um people who have donated to the Council on Aging and we're just accepting the donations on behalf of the Council on Aging. So, we have $80 from Anonymous for best use, $25 for BettyAnne Mullins for best use.
$26. Carol Deont, best use $10. Carolyn Majowski, best use $26. Coffee Hospitality, best use $50. Eileen Rogers, best use $100. James Connor, best use $10. Kaden Kaggel, best use
$25. Lois Sha, best use $10. Nicholas Sonier, best use $15. Richard Manchester, best use $100. Jill Cooker in memory of Patricia Donovan. $50 Linda Leo in memory of Patricia Donovan. $100
Marie Pimemental in memory of Patric Patricia Donovan. Um $75 Patricia Donovan in memory of Patricia Donovan. Um $50 Simone Baresi in memory of Lillian Baresi. $150 Walter Rigo in
memory of Teresa Rigo. Um $1,000 the Friends of the Westport Council on Aging Social Day program. $50 Carol Scarbo social day program $2,000 the disability commission to stroke buddies $2,000 friends of the Westport
Council on Aging stroke buddies $50 Donna Latenville a tax donation for tax donation $15 anonymous for tech help $10 Louise Gerards for tech help $40 Melissa Gell for tech help Nancy be $100
Nancy Beal for tech help $10 for Susan Olivera for tech help. So that total is $6,177. Madam Chair, I move that these donations be accepted. Second. Is there any discussion? I I I can say that on the tech help that's a pretty busy aspect of the
confirmation. I was sitting over there was somebody in the in the the lobby this morning when I was there and uh uh trying to squeeze in the earliest possible appointment for for tech help. They can help you with all your technology online, I guess.
All right. Anything else on that? All in favor? I I that's four in favor and one absent. Thank you to all the generous donors. Um we have uh e a request from Chris Gonzalz the highway surveyor to approve
the contract for PJ Keating Company for the chapter 90 year 202526 paving improvement project 90 920,447.50. Um Jim you want to tell us about this? This was discussed at the last meeting. Um the select board approved the
authorization to go forward with the contract. This is for chapter 90 work for the streets that'll be done this year uh by the highway department under the chapter 90 funding. I'd recommend approval. Thank you. Um I just want to note that the um the note we received says the
roads included Samford Road south of Briggs, Main Road north of Charlotte White, Forge Road, Union Avenue, three locations on Old County Road two east and one west. The work should start midepptember through the end of October.
It's the pleasure of the board. Motion to approve. Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I I That's uh four in favor and one absent. We have a request from Donna Amarall, chair of the opioid settlement
fund advisory committee to approve the RFP to to approve the RFP to replace Lieutenant Glenn Nunes with firefighter paramedic Bob Prowski and to add an alternate police department member and to appoint Detective Michelle Donovan as the alternate member. If it's okay with
Donna, you can go ahead. Um, if it's okay with you, can we just do the appointments and then talk about the RFP? So, um, this would be for replacing Glenn News with paramedic with Bob Powski, add an alternate police department member, and make that be Michelle Donovan.
Do we have a motion for that? So moved. Second. Any discussion on that? All in favor? I I All right. So, let's talk about Welcome. Let's talk about the RFP or talk about the opioid settlement fund advisory committee and what this RFP is
about. Well, thank you very much. I wanted to start off by reminding everybody who we are and what we're about. Great. Um the purpose of the advisory committee is to advise um and the select board on appropriate use of
funds um to address the opioid crisis, support affected individuals and families, promote public health initiatives, and ultimately save lives in Westport. Um we are tasked with to engage the community to involve diverse
community voices in the decision-making process. Um and again to advise the select board um and stakeholders on the strategic use of the settlement funds. Um so we've been doing that. What we've been doing is we have as a committee
we've met eight times um uh and twice remotely. Um we have done a number of um outreach to uh get information from stakeholders in the community. Um we've
had six organizations come and speak to the committee about what they provide and how we can work with them. Um we've also had community input by a focus group with the residents in town. Um and we have had a at police night out we did
a survey during that time. We've also had a mailing where we mailed out um a survey to professionals. Um we have um attended AA and any NA meetings to find out what uh people in those meetings
would want to see happen with the funds. Um and we've also contacted agencies um to find out more about what they're doing and uh I attended a PTO meeting as well. Um, so, uh, we've been doing the work of getting community input. So, as
a result of that, we've developed an RFP to request proposals for services um, uh, to be provided in Westport to meet the community needs. Um, so that
um, in doing the RFP, it was first developed um, by D uh, Dr. Dorski um, and reviewed by our committee. We also um edit it, edit it, edit it a few times. Um I met with Jim who also made
recommendations for editing. Um and so we would like the input from the select board because we really can't move forward without um seeking out any kind of proposal to move the funds to help Westport residents.
Go ahead. This has been sort of a um uh we've had a lot of discussion on this one recently. I think that it's fair to say and um and and I've looked at other communities with opioid settlement
advisory funds and it seems that they sort of come in the door and in some places they get parked at the border health and no place else. In other communities they get parked at the police department and go no place else. And what we try to do in Westport is try to broker uh a relationship where um
we've uh invited a lot of the key stakeholders in terms of town departments and and and and uh citizens to be able to decide how best to spend this money. And so um
we're not this RFP doesn't suggest awarding it to a particular department to administer so to speak. However, there's this whole notion of having to administer grants and that doesn't happen u in a truly collective type of
way. You have to have somebody responsible. And so we've been going back and forth in terms of where the accountability should lie between uh the the town administrator's office and uh
the board of health. And what we have is sort of a what I'm seeing here um is a um is a is ch rather than trying to solve it tonight is to charge the town administrator and the health director to work together to put together a system
uh for administration of the RFP and that may be driven a lot by the type of response we get and the priorities that emerge. It may get revised for future uh rounds of it, but we are feeling some pressure to get this one going and
getting it uh and getting money out the door uh uh through the RFP process. So, we think we can do both at the same time, which circulate the RFP and then create a dialogue that will um create the and if I'm misrepresenting this
ladies, please let me know. um that's that um can do this equitably and and fairly in terms of the workloads of various departments and their staffs. Am I missing something, Donna? Um I also invited Val to pass it to come
up and she is the um vice chair of the committee. Um yeah, I was just going to add that I think the uh the idea of our recommendation of the RFP as well as the process um that Mr. Ducher described is to support the RFP in principle, not
word by word, um but the kind of priorities that it sets out based on both the state requirements and the input that we got from community residents. Um so and then ideally um entrusting the committee to work with
the key folks involved both legally and uh administering the town to to get the exact words right. So, I think it was just trying to make a distinction between approving every word and the principles as well as a recommendation for the process. So, I didn't see a copy
of the RFP in my packet, so I don't know if I just missed it, but can you just describe again what the RFP is addressing? Yes. Um, so it's in draft form, but it for the um it's called the opioid recovery and
remediation fund for services, programs, or initiatives that mitigate the impact of the opioid epidemic in Westport. And so, um, a lot of what's in here is based on what the state would like to see, but
we've also included, and I will pass those around. Um, uh, this is, um, the results of the survey from Police Night Out. Um, so that the select board can see how
we're basing some of our recommendations. And some of the recommendations are in um the RFP, so I could read a few of those, but they're also in there. Um reducing the stigma around discussing substance misuse,
mental health, and asking for and receiving treatment and being in recovery. Um there was a lot of emphasis on youth in the survey. um substance misuse prevention education, positive out of school time activities targeted to young people at risk, increasing
access to mental health and substance misuse treatment, especially in schools. Um and a school diversionary program to direct students with behavioral issues related to mental health or substance misuse treatment and support instead of disciplinary action. And for families,
support for families with members affected by substance use uh disorder. um and or grief support groups. There's a number of things that were identified by people in the community. Um one of the ones that um uh that was clear is
there's really no crisis place in Westport where people can go to and so there's a great example in um uh Fall River and in Providence called Safe Station and it's the fire stations. They have it set up where if somebody's in
trouble, they need access to treatment, um, or they're in a crisis, they can go to the fire department and the fire department will connect them with resources, um, connect them with perhaps a recovery coach. But there there are things that are already in place in
other places in the state that we could also try to duplicate in Westport because we have nothing available in Westport. there are lots of services outside of Westport that we're trying to bridge as well. So that's part of it is how can we bridge to those services
outside of Westport like at STAR. Um we have a relationship now with um um uh someone from the fast team who um told us that everything that they're doing in Fall River can be implemented in
Westport and it may not be any charge to our um already our funds but there may need to be something else in place that would um make it more easy for us to have that kind of program here easy for the residents also to use to get
so this RFP would be for um organizations or programs or people with ideas like this to put forth and then um ultimately to receive be evaluated receive funding from the correct right so correct so Jim your concerns were large like the administering of the grant is not a
small thing right and who owns that that's one of the reasons you want a little more time to look at that right yeah we want it to be successful right I think at this point um you know in checking with other communities throughout the state on our town administrators list We're actually ahead
of most communities at this point. Um mainly because of as your committee. The outreach is a big part of it. It's a requirement. Um the surveys is a requirement, but administering these things takes time and it takes resources. Um the health department I think has contacts in a lot of these
similar areas. So I think they need to play a role in it. And um how we do that I I think we still need to determine that. But um I think we can work towards getting something done. And then Craig, your preference is to go ahead and do both at the same time. Yes.
Uh because um it's the first time out on an RFP is always it's always going to be revised the next time. I mean, both in terms of what you're looking for and in terms of how you want to administer it. I mean, you know, you you we're not walking in
with a whole lot of experience at our back, both, you know, as a community and as a state. Um, so and if we're successful, I mean there's also the state has a lot of discretionary money that can go to localities if we're starting to develop collaborative
relationships with neighboring communities or if we're developing collaborative relationships with organizations that are funded by neighboring communities. So to the extent that we're doing this smart and well, it does not only allows us to to
maximize the money that we already have, but to attract additional funding because it's a a decent percentage of this money is still sitting at the state level awaiting distribution. And could I just again uh offer a clarification around timing? though it
would still be a couple steps before we even would make a recommendation to the select board about who to fund. So there is even if this RFP is approved in in principle, we'd have to finalize it, put it out there, get responses, review
them, and after that probably multiple month process, come back to this body with a recommendation about here's what we think you all should approve for funding. So a parallel process during that time could be you know the work of uh figuring out how best to administer
the grants. It's worth restating that the committee is an advisory board to us and we are the recipients and the um the legal entity that's dispersing the money.
Right. Thank you. Anything else from the board? Do you have a motion Craig? Motion approved recommendation as presented by the town administrator. Second and that is to move forward with the um
working on the staffing solution and to um approval of the appointment recommending that the time administrator and health director work together to see if it's a staffing solution can be finalized before the RFP. He recommended to finalize that before the RFP, but I think what you're saying
is to also support the RFP. Correct. So, so you're moving that we recommend that the I'm I'm I'm accelerating it just a tad in my my motion. Okay, got that. Do you have a second? I second.
Continue. Second. Um, is there any discussion? Anything from the audience? I'd like got to get to a mic. Not for us. It's for the people in the future. Um David Lumino 418D drift road. Um I have a
30-year background in child welfare and we do a lot of collaboration. My first question would be I think it's important to find out what everybody else is doing with the kind of communities that are similar to ours so that you're not working from ground zero
and figure out exactly what kind of structures already exist in the state and the commonwealth rather and then see if it plays out. And there is one interesting program that I heard about opioids. I forget where which part of the country
it was, but it was very unique approach to how they deal with opioid problems, which was they were using the public defenders office, interestingly enough, and people were going to court and the court system was shunting them off away from the criminal justice system. We're trying to figure out what were the what
were the problems that were were generating people to use opioids instead of using the court system as a cudgel trying to use the system. So, I think there's a lot of information out there that might help us figure out and I I I
understand Jim's intrepidations about this. This is a complex carbohydrate here and uh you know, we're going to have to figure out because this and I I think it would important to know the numbers. What kind of numbers are we talking about and what what what's the
um what's the age brackets that we're dealing with? Are we dealing with just, you know, 15 to 17 year olds? Are we dealing with 25 year olds to 40 year olds? Are we dealing with adult? I mean, we we I think you need a bigger picture uh to solve a problem. That would be my Well, I think the opioid committee is
doing quite a bit of work. Go ahead. I I answer that. It's all age groups. Um it is across the lifespan because um everyone is impacted. Uh there are grandparents raising their grandkids because um their child either had an
overdose or is struggling with substance use disorder. Right now in terms of funds we have $317,000 that has to use towards programming. Um we are anticipating receiving um over a
million dollars by 2038. So thus our um our efforts are to start letting this money work to help people. And we have been sitting on it for a little while. Um very little has been spent. The only money that has been
spent thus far has been um on administrative costs. And I would say if we've spent $1,000 on everything that we've already done, I'd be surprised. Um but it is um uh we we are anxious to help people. We are anxious to get this
money used to help people. And so we have looked at other communities. um we have spoken to um other people who are who are beginning to do this work. Um we will continue to do that. It's not a closed it's we're not a closed system.
We're an open system. We want to continue to receive feedback from people in the community. We want to continue to hear from other um communities who are doing the same work and maybe collaborate with them on on on a program um or initiatives. Um so and we're doing
that right now with Fall River uh because Fall River does have resources that can come into Westport and not pull from already the resources we have. So that's one of the things we're trying to do. We're trying to get the biggest bang for uh the buck for the town um to use to help people
and the the leadership of the committee has been very good at dedicating a portion of our meeting for sort of an inservice type opportunity and those usually involve guest speakers from other programs that are funded in other communities as well as other communities approach and and I think one
of the first meetings we basically had a presentation of the Fall River plan um and and in terms of the assessment that they did for their needs, we also immediately realized that there was going to be at a scale that we will never replicate, but we could learn, you
know, from the elements of it what we would do well in and and could emulate in in Westport. And I invite everybody who is watching now or is here now, go to the YouTube, the town YouTube site, and you can watch
all of our meetings. They're open meetings. Um and you can hear all the information that we have received so far um from stakeholders in the community um and from actually community members. Some consistently come to every meeting
uh to hear what's happening and to give their feedback and input because they're invested in this process. So and I encourage everybody to be invested in the process. We're meeting, our next meeting is um on the we usually meet the um
third Tuesday of every month. So I believe it's the is it the 16th? Yeah. So I invite everyone to come and and give your feedback. But again, we want to move forward. That's why we're presenting the RFP so that we can refine
it and then um have it posted so that people can begin to apply for funds to help the people of Westport. And we're working on getting information including some of the data that you asked about and the information the surveys that we've done up on our
website. So yes, well that's and that's what I'm working on. We have now have a web page and I've been slowly adding information um our minutes. Um I put a couple of the videos up there. I haven't done them all yet, but but that's part of what we're doing. We want to inform
the community. So we're putting some of the key um uh important uh policies and so forth on the website. All right. Uh so we have a motion and a second. Um any further discussion? All in favor? I I four in favor, one absent. Thank you
for what you're working on. Thank you. Have item G, a request to approve the lease agreement for 8:30 Drift Road. So, this is the apartment um above the town farm. Yeah. So, this um this goes out for proposals every 3 years. Um the
applicant here is uh was the u bidder on this proposal on this on this project. We had an old lease agreement that we've probably been using for years. Uh we sent that lease agreement to town council for review and they've marked it up and edited it and this is the edited version. Um kind of bringing it up to
date. Uh we did have some code issues with the board of health uh that the that have been addressed. We have one more item that we're working on. We're just waiting for the pot to be audited. Well, it's been a ordered for it to come in and we will fix that. But um this would be a one-year lease. It's renewable for the following two years at
which time we'd have to go off proposals again. Um, I'd recommend approval of the lease. It's pretty standard. Uh, again, it's just updated from more from the old wording in the old lease. Thank you. Was the pleasure of the board? Motion to approve.
Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I. I. Um, that is four in favor and one absent. We have a request to approve the FY27 department budget memo and
timeline. Jim, you want to tell us about that? Yes. So, requests for capital improvements have gone out and those are due, I think, next week. Um, this would be the yearly budget memo. We're sending it out a week or two early, trying to get some of the preliminary budgets in so we can get them reviewed and maybe
get a draft draft budget before hearing town hall. Um, it's a standard budget timeline. We've just adjusted the dates to correspond with the select board meetings. Um in the budget memo itself, we're asking for salaries uh to be level
funded with the um negotiated raises and the expense accounts. We're looking to be for the most part level funded. Any increase in the expense account requests from the departments would have to be uh supported with documentation and we would review each one independently.
It's fairly standard to what we've done the last few years and we just moved the timeline up a couple of weeks. So just because I know one of the topics that came up on social media is lack of transparency in the budget process. I just want to make sure that we understand the calendar so you can hold
us all accountable to it. We've been following a calendar very similar to this for probably 10 years now. Um so the department's um requests are due to the town administrator on the 10th of October. Um the preliminary budgets after the town administrator has
reworked those the preliminary budgets will be given to the departments on the 7th of November. Um then the town administrator um will be meeting with the departments. They will finalize the recommendation on December 1. On
December 8th um there'll be a notice to the departments and boards and committees of the article submittal deadline. Um and then on December 15 will be the recommended budget selected to submitted to the select board. So I think it's really important because it's we're probably going to have a different
town administrator that we end the budget process with when we start. So the um department requests on October 10. We're going to get the first budget submitted to the select board on December 15. We will spend the month of January and February probably every
meeting like we have on mist every other year talking about the budgets. Um the deadline for submission of town meeting articles will be January 26. Um the deadline for the select board to submit the budget to the finance committee is February 20. So February 20 we have to
finalize our recommendation of the budget to the finance committee. On February 24 we will close the warrant. um on um we'll finalize the warrant on March 9 and then we will approve the town meeting warrant for posting on
March 23rd and then the town town meeting is May 5th. So that is the timeline. We'll put that on the website. So did anybody have anything they wanted to amend or change with um the memo or the timeline?
Nope. N All right. Do we have a motion to approve? Most to approve. Second. Is there any discussion? Yeah, you can. You got to go to the microphone though. I was going to tell Jim to go to the next slide. Oh,
I I'm missing a slide here. So, I'm missing E through. Oh, he missed a slide. There's P. It's on paper right there. I tried to sneak through, but thanks for pointing that out, Weston. That's why I didn't have to go.
Um, all in Did we get a motion? We did. Yeah. All in favor? I I That's four in favor and one absence. Um, the next item on the agenda is a request to appoint Roger Fernandees as the town engineer subject to employment
agreement negotiations. This one has gotten a lot of press um over social media and a lot of discussion. So, uh, what I want to do is I want to talk about this in three parts. The first part is should we have a town engineer
position in Westport. The second is what's the process for selecting and hiring the town engineer? Should we move forward with it? And the third part is should we hire Roger Fernandes for this position? Mr.
Fernandees is not here today and so I do not intend to take up the question of whether or not we will appoint Mr. for Nandes. But I do want to talk about the first two, which is should we have a town town engineer position and what is the process that we should be using in
selecting a candidate because I believe where some of the stuff that people want to talk about about Mr. Fernandez specifically is things that you would like for the select board to consider when we are considering an applicant. Right? So maybe we have overlooked some key materials that we should go back and
look at um before we select a specific person. Madam Chair, I would like to um in in that light, I'd like to move on the third item to table the motion pending uh discussion of the other two items and any follow-up actions that may be engaged as a result.
Do you want to table the appointment of Roger Fernandez, but move forward with the other two topics? Do we have a second for that? There's nothing we don't have a second for that. Or do we? If I may, I I would second it, but we normally in a change in the agenda, which you pretty much
take care of for us on behalf of the select board, I don't think it needs a motion. You can simply do that. It's our prerogative as select board. But if if you there's greater comfort level with a motion, I will second it. I'm fine either way, Greg. Craig, are you
I mean, I I I I think it's the prerogative of the chair. We we do but I also thought that that so much of this has been about the appointment that I'd like to discuss the other two items now knowing that it it was my inclination
and and I'm trusting there may be others on the board that would share that. If not I I'll I'll we'll die for lack of a second to motion to move to table that motion uh and then that we would deal with the other two issues at the current time. I think Go ahead.
I think I would need some clarification as to we have the first two items, but the third item and what was on the agenda was to appoint Roger Fernandees as the town engineer. Does that mean we are going to or he will withdraw as that or we're going to continue to post that?
Well, let's let's talk about the other two first and then we can talk about that. Yeah. I just I I think if I'd rather just I'd rather just table it now and then have the other two discussions because we might shape what we're going to do. I think the other two will shape what we're going to do,
but we Mr. Fernandez is not here to withdraw, for example. Okay. I mean, if you're asking are we going to vote yes or no? Are we going to appoint him? No. I do not intend to take that up. Okay. Um, so I just so some of history because um, one of the things that seems to have
surprised a lot of people because I know it's very hard to follow the goings on in town and that what happens is something gets attention and then it just blows up and gets a lot of attention. But I want to kind of review some of the history of the town engineer
position and the conversations we've had about it. So, it would be impossible to count the number of meetings that we've had because we've been talking about it for over 2 years. This town engineer position um preeding the May 20 the May of 2024
town meeting, there were a number of conversations with the select board, with board of health, with highway department um about put this town engineer position. So on the May 2024 annual town meeting, town meeting
approved funding for a position and approved the personnel bylaws that created the position. So before it got to town meeting, it went to personnel board. It went to numerous meetings. It was publicized at the time. I was opposed to it at the time. Um but it
moved forward. Town meeting decided that we wanted this position. Town Meeting created in the personnel bylaws and town meeting funded it. Now we did not um hire anyone at that time. So after the annual town meeting um there were um a
new there were still some more uh conversations going on throughout that time period. Um it basically got delayed um mostly because we were worried about funding for the next budget. Um but then again in May of 2025, so this is the
most recent annual town meeting, the the position was funded in the town budget at $123,600. We also specifically had a bylaw um that eliminated the residency requirement for the position because it was originally
posted in the highway department. The town meeting uh town bylaws had a highway residency requirement. So in May town meeting we uh the voters approved that the position did not need to have um residency.
So right before the town meeting the on in April of 25 the select board approved the final job description the posting and the advertising of the position. So on right after town meeting, so once we understood that it had been budgeted in
May, um we posted the position on the town website, we posted it on the local kibble television and we posted on the Mass Municipal Association website. The primary source of u municipal jobs like these or the primary place that
applicants would look is the Mass Municipal Association website. Now I know because you all pointed it out. I looked myself. It isn't currently on the town website and that's because once we went through the screening process. So, so just go back here. So, it's not I
agree it is not currently on the town website. So, um the posting was officially posted on May 7. We received one application. So, we had had one applicant u Mr. Fernandes. And then on
um we were hoping to get some additional applicants, but we didn't get any. Um so we at a town meeting or at a select board meeting um in August we uh agreed that um Dick Brewer and myself would
interview the candidate along with um Jim Hartnett and Chris Gonzalez of the highway department. So um the position when we we closed the position around the same time that the new website came up. So, I'm not sure if the if it fell
off the website because when we closed it or because the new website just didn't have it on. It's a combination of both. It has not been on the new website. It's not It hasn't been on the new website, but it was closed um whenever the posting date said to close. It was I think it was in August it was closed.
So, um so that was the process. So, we talked about it in a meeting. Dick and I did talk with the candidate. We did um uh have a conversation with them. The the
process is we can't talk together. So we can't all decide, hey, what do you want to know about Roger? Hey, what do you want to know about Roger? Like we we can't all do that. We can only have two people or else we have a quorum. So um the the process is for we made the
recommendation. We're bringing it to the select board. So the meeting tonight is to talk about or was posted to talk about whether we should hire Mr. Fernandees for this position. So this is the process and how it works. Now once we posted this or even before we posted
this, we did get a lot of feedback from the community in various different forms that said, "Hey, you should take another look at this guy and here's some things you should take a look at." So I know I heard you. we need to take another look at this guy and there's some things the
community has brought to our attention. Um I think Craig, I know you've probably heard from people too about take a look at this person. So, so I think it's fair that we come to this meeting and we say we've heard from the community that we need to take another look and so I think that's what we need to do. So what I
want to talk about in kind of option in section two there or is is to talk about what else should we be doing to kind of screen a candidate? Are there other qualifications that we want or do we even want the position at all? So that's
kind of a mixture of one and two. But um that's what I have to say. Anything want to add to just kind of background before we like get into the meat of this? Yes, there was some conversation about a part-time versus a full-time position
and uh I think that might be worthy of further discussion. That's one that we sort of vacasillated on a little bit. We thought the uh full-time position was needed, but one could make an argument that it's not needed at this time. It
may evolve into that. So, I think that should be also part of the discussion. gives us an option as to proceed one way or the other if we elect to proceed at all. Yeah. And I know that I had been opposed to
the full-time position mostly because um it was uh a high cost. It's a high salary position and we're already struggling with the operating budget. At one point I had recommended that we use uh contractor that we use contract
resources so that we could it would probably cost more money to use contract resources. Um but um we could use one-time funds more easily with a contractor so that when you put it in the operating budget, you now have an employee who gets benefits and is
subject to the labor laws and legislations. It's a little harder to lay someone off than it would be to just discontinue a contract. So, I know that was something that we had talked about. It was ultimately we decided to go forward with full-time. Um, but that was another one that we put on the table.
Did you want to say something? Um, I think I'm probably the one to blame for the huge turnout here uh today with reference to the town. love to have people here, but my concern is without me posting
that agenda and pointing out this agenda item, would this board have gone through the hiring of Roger Fernandees based upon the background and I would say checkered past um there that that's my concern. And I know we're putting this on delay
and I will address the general nature of the town engineer position which I have opposed since I ran for the select board in April. But my concern is without any visibility on this agenda topic, would
we be here with a 3 to1 vote on moving forward with this individual? There were noation of that. We're not moving forward with a 3 to1 vote for hire the individual without the outcry from our constituents and from the public. I believe that we probably would be going in that
direction. Am I correct? That that is your assumption. Okay. Okay. I think um I think it's very hard to follow topics like this. Like I've I told you like we've had two years plus of talking about this. It's not new and we've heard
a lot of favorable support for this. We heard it at town meeting. we heard it at um so so when so you're right these particular people probably wouldn't have come out had you not called attention to it so I think it's good that attention was called to it but it's also unfair to
say it's been secretive or sneaky we have been doing this for a very long time with a lot of visibility so it's very hard to figure out the right way to communicate this so everybody feels like they're engaged all along so I appreciate your passion for this but
it's very hard to get that kind of attention all the time. My concern, Greg, I think though that we we did bring it to town meeting. We did talk about it. And when you think about the fact that this position passed through two
processes, it also voted down the uh water and sewer project on Route 6 in terms of raising taxes to do that. So it wasn't like it was a lockstep movement, you know, that that there was a recognition at the same meeting that they were voting against the a project
that he was working on. Um I mean they were supporting the idea of of of of having that position of of of a town engineer. So, you know, the town did, you know, give give the the town meeting members credit for being able to
distinguish one issue from the other and which which we did collectively as a town meeting. Okay. But they were not to, you know, married together. We have an individual that is and you say we can't discuss.
I'm not going to talk about the individual himself. Well, so that's why I wanted to table it. Yeah. And you you didn't recognize my motion. I recognize it. You didn't get a second. Well, I had a tenative.
What a second. So, we get this one. Put this one this this one to bed. So, but but I think so I'm I'm concerned with with You just said let's put this to bed. We are talking about an individual that if you went through and did a simple Google search should not be a viable candidate
for this town engineer position. I disagree. Well, I I I did a Google search. I looked it up. So, wait. I No, stop for a second. The person is not here to defend themsel. There is a news article. I read it. I saw it. I saw I saw the news
articles about the event. I read the investigative report that the town of Hingham did. I talked with the candidate about this specific issue in an interview and he adequately answered my questions about it. Now, I appreciate that we want somebody we have some
concerns that are real about is this an individual who could potentially have an ethical problem here in Westport? Is this a person who had an ethical problem before or is this a person that is not qualified for the position? Right? So
those are valid that we I think we can talk about in what we want for the position. What type of qualifications do do we need that maybe this candidate didn't have? Like do we inadequately describe the qualifications for the job? Now I want to be really careful with
accusations about a specific person. The work that I I just want to be careful about that Jake. That's why that's why Craig didn't want to talk about it. The title of the position is town engineer.
The individual that was supposed to be appointed this evening is not a licensed engineer and is not allowed to stamp projects. So So this is a requirement that was not in the job description that you think should be added. Right. That that would I also want to be really clear that this
is not about the water sewer project. I want to tell you why I changed my mind on needing a town engineer because I it's not about the sewer project. For me, what was really important is that we have a lot of background on
infrastructure projects, on planning projects, on work that is done that with the DOT and with the various state agencies, and we've had a very strong candidate in Jim Hartnett because he has a lot of experience reviewing these
contracts, negotiating with the state, doing a lot of kind of project management for some of these types of projects. It's unusual to have a town administrator that has that skill set that the the engineering type infrastructure skill set that Mr.
Hartnet has. So once we knew that we were losing Mr. Hartnet. I thought it was important to kind of move forward with an engineer so that we had somebody who could be reviewing the Kirby Brook Bridge diagrams and who could be looking at the
Route 177 roundabout and who could be helping us work through the culverts um and that could be helping us figure out what to do with East Beach Road. So, this isn't just about water and sewer. That's just how we have seen him here in
town executing his job. So, it's fair to say you don't want to hire the person, but and it's fair to say we want somebody who can stamp these drawings, but we didn't say that upfront. And so, we didn't know that to screen that up front. Okay. So, if we're talking about it in general
terms, um I believe that right now, I think we've laid out the timeline over a 2-year time period, but I still believe at this given time that the timing is wrong. Um, we're currently in the process of hiring a new town administrator. So, I think you would
hire the town administrator with who this person most likely, which I don't have an organizational chart and no day-to-day duties were laid out, would most likely be reporting to. So, I think you'd probably want a town administrator in place that would work closely with this town engineer and would have a good
relationship. So, I think we're a little bit putting a cart before the horse in that situation. Um the other thing I've seen is we're expanding the town administrator's office to an extent. Um Paula will be there as uh assistant to
the town administrator and she can take on many of these projects not in the engineering statement of it but this possible engineer was more as a project manager. And the August 18th meeting, we were told that the job description would
include Route 6 water and sewer, Route 177 roundabout. Now, I'm going to talk about each one of them. The Route 177 roundabout is a state highway. There's very little stuff that town engineers are going to do on that. Gford Road traffic signal, same thing. Chapter 90, which we have an outside consultant
doing that. So, are we going to still pay the outside consultant and the internal engineer along with the head of the Westport High Highway Department? Hicksbridge landing redesign. I don't know how an engineer is going to commit to that because there's it's specialized and that also falls under the landing
commission. Town dock study. We've actually built up our marine services uh division pretty well and I would believe they would have the expertise and the ability to outsource to a marine consultant on that old high school reuse. That's a long-term building
committee. Every single project that was laid out here was something that somebody else is working on. So, I never really got a full understanding as to what the day-to-day operations of this person is. Who is he reporting to? What's he overseeing him or her? Um, so
while I understand that the position has been approved, I still don't believe that the need, the urgency, and the timing is correct. And just as an aside, we talked about budgeting before. Um, this position right off the bat could probably, you know, wipe out a third of the artificial deficit simply by
delaying the hire for this unnecessary position right now. First of all, can people say most of those? Not yet. I just want to be clear on the process. The board exhausts discussion before we open to the public. I will open discussion to the public, but I am
going to limit you to 3 minutes. So prepare concise points, but the board gets to talk first and then we'll allow the public. Go ahead, Craig. Okay. A number of those projects you mentioned, Jake, would need an engineer or some internal expertise. These
committees don't possess it. Most of the committees you gave as an examples aren't even staffed. We do have committees that are that are staffed in town, but the long-term building committee is not staffed. They rely upon the talents that we have in the town. And you would probably need somebody
with an engineering background or a consultant engineer. The planning board uses and pays money. Mr. Burrus, how much money do we spend on consultant engineers is paid for by the applicants, not so much by the town, correct? But how much money is expended
on that? It's fairly considerable. And and uh so these these types of resources would be complimentary. Uh I've also thought and and and and it hasn't had enough support in the town but uh you know going back to when I served
previously that we needed a DPW that we uh have a lot of complimentary skills um uh within the cemetery department, the transfer station and the highway department that if we could be basically create a single DPW that we would get
some efficiencies of scale and of talents. Uh and this would fit very nicely into that matrix. So, I'm not willing to give up on the concept and I'm a lot more positive than my colleague is. But, um, yes, we you can't work in silos and and
and and even these committees that will need some engineering support should could you benefit from this type of position. Do we shape it differently? It appears to be there's probably some emerging consistent consensus that there going to be some additional requirements
that we're going to put into the job description and and we're going to have to have the should haves versus the must haves. That's the other thing you do with job descriptions. You don't everything doesn't have to be a mustave. There are some should haves and there are some must haves. and that I think that we're as we start adding some
additional um requirements or expectations to the job, we'll have to differentiate them between the must-haves and the shouldaves. A quick question on that. I think to get a larger pool of candidates, I don't think just putting on the MMA site or
Massachusetts whatever municipal association. I think putting it on a society of civil engineers and various other places where engineers cuz I have actually spoken to a few engineers in Massachusetts and we're unaware and maybe actually would be interested in that position. So I think maybe we have
to put a wider scope of of where we're putting that out there too so that we can catch more people. Makes sense. So that's to the process. So, it sounds like um it sounds at a minimum we want to relook at the job qualifications and we want to make review the job
description again and then look at potentially posting somewhere else so that we could cast a wider net. We we have had a second applicant I believe has come in. Um but two is not a lot to choose from, right? Um, I think we're going to have
problems um with a full-time position because the engineers that I work with make more money than that. And so, I mean, it looks like a really high cost position, but ci civil engineers who are out in the private sector make more money than that. And so, I think it's
going to be difficult to hire, but um I think it's fair that we go back and relook at it again. I mean I don't know what are you what are you what are your thoughts to and this is a question on process since it was approved at at the salary was approved at town meeting it it has
to go specifically to that uh town engineer it cannot be used for other it has to go within the personnel budget of the department that is is in the highway department in the highway department so it's in it has to go to personnel at the highway department so that's a perfect leadin to my next
plan which would be to take the $120,000, break it out into a salary of two people to work at the highway department, which impacts every single Westport resident and constituent here. All summer, we heard about people cutting grass, cleaning catch basins, repairing roads,
and we have a staff of four or five individuals over there. And I would say that it would go a heck of a long way further to get two people making $60,000 working for the highway department than one $120,000 uh dollar person sitting behind a desk. So, I think the reason that that doesn't
work is because we have open positions in the highway department right now. So, how many do do we have two We have two open positions right now in the highway department that we've been attempting to fill for over a year. So, we don't need more. We We don't have people to fill the open positions that
we have right now. Maybe we do need more. You may need more money. Change something there. There are union contracts, so we would have to go into union negotiations if we were going to change if we were going to change the the salaries. But yeah, there are union shop over there with open positions right now. Okay.
Doesn't mean we have to hire somebody, but that's it doesn't immediately work that way, right? Um, so do we want what do we want to do? Do we want to go back and think about this for a bit and then and then revisit Mr. Fernandees? Do we want to task
somebody with rewriting some of this? Do you want to hear from the public before we decide what we want to do? Well, Madam Chair, if I may, I there's no shame in looking at something a second time and saying we didn't have enough information or we had the wrong information or within information was
not presented to us. And if now that's made known and we want to take a second look, that's perfectly fine. Uh it's happened to me a lot of times in my life in business. We have to look at things again and again and again for whatever reason. And there are enough uh pieces of information and points of view here
that reflect that. So I think we should do that at a minimum. How we would do that? I think uh although Jim is limited time here, he could start with that and start working on it and then we go from there. But it's it might be worth another look, including the thing I mentioned earlier about full-time versus
part-time. Yeah. Um I I keep hearing that we're talking about this candidate. We're not supposed to talk about this candidate, but again, what's the pleasure one talking about the candidate? Dick just made a comment about re
reassessing. We want to reassess the qualifications. That's not talking about the candidate. He did make mention of the candidate. No, he did not mention. So, so it sounds like it's important to you that if we should go forward with this position that the person can sign off in the civil engineering drawings,
that was one of the things. So, I think if there are other things like that that are musthaves in the position, then um we need to kind of coordinate that. I don't hear anybody volunteering to coordinate that right now and I don't think Jim has time but I think that we shouldn't hire someone without doing
that. Um so uh we'll have to think about anybody have to kind of think about whether they want to put that to to not. Um and then come back and revisit how we're going to attack it. Okay. About restructuring the job description, the qualifications and then like like Jim like uh Dick is saying, do we maybe
make it part-time? Do we make it contract? Like what do we really need? residents of the town who may have some expertise, subject matter expertise that could assist us. Right. And there's Right. Exactly. There are people who may be able to help us. We we our fuel on a lot of volunteers and a lot of our boards depend upon
people with subject matter expertise to to make them effective. And so if there are some folks that that want to come forward and help us put together a job description and a process, I for one would welcome. I I think I I think people who have
something that they want to share about the specific candidate should contact us. You can you can send an email to the BOS at Westport Mass and it'll go to all of us. Um I think that if you have ideas for how we should better structure this or better do this, then we also want to
hear from you. I'm going to open up the floor to public comment. So according to open meeting law, I can't stop you from saying whatever you're going to say, but I can stop the conversation altogether. And so if this becomes an attack on a
specific person, I am going to close the the conversation. I just want to be very clear about that. I don't want to spend all time talking about rumors and innuendo and what may or may not this person have done. I don't think it's a productive use of our time. But I will allow you to talk. But I just want to be
clear. If I hear people disparaging this person, I'm going to stop comment. All right. So, I will open the floor to comment. I'm going to set a timer, but uh just because there's a lot of people here, but if you want to say something, you can go to the microphone.
Okay. David Reposa, 729 Main Road. For one, the position should have been voted by the people. It I I want to just stop you there. It was voted twice at town meeting and at the town meeting, but not by the people. I don't that town meeting is the people by the people not just this room or the
people in this room it should be by the people being a big position. The second thing is him whoever it may be should be voted by the people. He should be on a stand. He should be questioned by the people and voted by
the people not by this room and these people by everybody. We the people. And that's my complaint with things being passed here alone, even positions, you know, requested by others and done
here, not by the people. That position should have been the engineer at the highway department. He was the one that should have the qualifications for the highway department. He should be also an engineer because of the position. That's all I
have to say. Thank you. Thank you. How you doing? West Thirstston, 30 Osborne Street, West Pull. I have a couple different questions. So, I'm going to now more stuff came in that I heard you guys talking. So, I'm in support of the position,
but I want to kind of understand more of what their job description kind of what they're doing. Um, I've heard that, you know, they do culverts and roads and they can stamp, they can't stamp. Um, you know, we had the big project with the school, spend all the
money on a school and then it leaks, messes up different electronics in the school. So, is that positioning also going to oversee these big projects so that way there we don't have all these problems that come. I mean, we build big massive buildings in town and then we have issues that happen later on. I
mean, it's not money well spent. Um, the full-time versus part-time. I mean, we were just talking earlier about an IT guy. We have him part-time. We like to have him full-time. If we had this guy part-time, we could have four IT guys full-time, you know? I
mean, I know the health insurance and everything else is expensive. Um, but just if we have certain things, it'd be better off maybe using that money elsewhere instead of that. Um, and then I guess one other thing is just the um the
process, you know, I mean I know there's a whole bunch of stuff that came up online and everything else. Um, but I know you guys didn't have a big pool to choose from in the first place. So, I know you guys said you're going to work on that, which thank you. You know, as far as broadening the uh the fishing net to catch more in here. Um, then
hopefully we can get somebody from town that is from town that can do the position. I know it's not a requirement, but I'd appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. uh David Lima, Drift Road. Um I have three uh perspectives to offer here. One is it's um almost incredulous that in
the Commonwealth of 351 towns, we get one applicant and I I guess I would query how is that possible? With all due respect, Madam Chair, $130,000 is not a bad fee to live down here in in Westport. Just saying. Okay. So I'm just
curious as to what and why. I would be I don't know the answer to that. I just as a citizen I think one person is applying for this job. Makes no sense to me. The second issue is why would you preede that before you hire a new town manager
where these two people have to work collegially to work on projects in the town. It's cart before the horse. I agree with Jake on that point. it does it's illogical to me to why you would put one before the other. And the third I'm a senior moment here um is that
there are a lot of se a lot of I've I've said this I'm a broken record okay that there are a lot of people here who want to volunteer and want to help. Okay. And I don't know how you integrate the the the the vast majority of people who are
retired and live here who have unbelievable degrees and how and why we are enlisted to help even in the short term even in the hiring process. I mean we have people here who worked in HR. We have all kinds of people in this town and with all due respect you have a very
difficult job. the five of you have a difficult job and it doesn't seem to be a forum for problem solving outside that forum right there and therefore we're stuck with this and and I don't think it works. That's all I have to say.
Thank you. Hello Keith Das McKinley Street. Um so I just wanted to first of all I wanted to really ask the board to seriously reconsider this position. Um the topic got open today that obviously the money has to go to the highway department um
because it was town voted on. Um and I will echo the sentiments with the town vote. Part of the problem with that is currently where our town votes take place. Those auditoriums can be loaded sometimes to push a certain agenda. And as Mr. Reposa was pointing out, it's not always about the people actually being
heard. It's about a select minority of the people being heard because they want to push a certain agenda. I'm going to have to ask people to cut the comment. So, I just want to say that I think that's part of the problem is is how that got through two times in the first place cuz there seems to be an
overwhelming consensus that people feel the town doesn't need a town engineer or that position. So, I want to echo what Jake was saying there and just say that I would like to really ask the board as you go back to the table and reconsider this, maybe reconsider not hiring a town
engineer at this point. table that maybe take that money, put it into the highway department. There's still open positions. As you've said before, sometimes our town doesn't pay enough. Maybe those positions are not competitively being paid enough. So maybe we should up the pay and fill those positions. I think that benefits the town and the residents of the town a
lot more than that engineer position does. And as it's also been pointed out, I think we need to fill the town administrator position before we hire a town engineer. So I think the money's useful, but I think the money is useful for the highway department and not an unnecessary position. So, I just really
ask you to think about that as you guys go back to reconsider before just creating another, you know, listing for the job and putting it back out there and looking for a candidate. Just consider the job itself and whether or not it really benefits this town and the people of the town. Thank you. Thank you.
Anything else? All right. So, we're uh we're going to not take action on this specific um topic and we are going to regroup on how to handle that and come back with another proposal. Um so, we're done with that topic. I'm just going to ask you if
you're leaving after this topic, which please stay. There's other stuff that's going on in town and if you want to be informed, be informed about everything. But if you want to leave, please do not congregate in the hallway and talk because it's very disruptive to the meeting. So, please, if you're going to
chat, please go downstairs or to the parking lot. And I will just give you a moment for people who want to leave. Okay. Um, exciting meeting. I mean, look at this. They all stayed, too. They never stay. I
say that every time. No one ever. They know I'm not done. They know I'm not done. Okay. So, excuse me, Mr. Chairman. Oh, go ahead. Uh, Glenn Mock, um, Princess Pineway. I'm curious, could you make available the copy of the description for the
position that it seems like it's been withdrawn from the MMA site and a lot of material is not available on the new town's website. I think you might be aware of that, but includes this information, but I'd like to see a copy of the description that was prepared and submitted. Uh, I'd like to know where I
could get a copy of that. Okay. So, Paula, can you can you get that? Thank you. Thank you. Okay. We have a request from Patrick McBride, who I think is here. He's here. Um to reject the 25% design plans for
the Kirby Brook Bridge. Might take me away on my leg. You can you can come to this front if you want. We have such comfortable chairs out there in the audience. Comfortable chairs. We have pretty fancy chairs here. I don't
Oh, they're terrible chairs. Welcome. Thank you. Uh appreciate the time to address you and uh uh maybe first a little clarification. Um you know, I I used to reject uh maybe we could just uh uh say
move aside. Uh but um uh couple things I just need to recap probably for the audience here. I don't think a lot of people may be familiar with this, but we've been talking about the bridge and guardrails for 5 years. uh meeting in this room with many people uh and I think we accomplished a lot uh during
those 5 years but uh 5 years is too long uh we've been working with mass DOT and PAR engineering for about three and a half years uh and I thought we were making some progress we thought we were making some progress uh until we uh received the uh letter from uh Mass DOT
I think back in July uh we received a response from Mass DOT um And uh basically uh mass DOT said um yes we we we read we heard we listened uh and uh no uh they declined uh any action uh
that we had recommended uh working with PAR. So we worked with PAR for about a year uh after mass DOT said work with PAR make your suggestions come up with some solutions and present them to us. Uh we did that uh and they declined everything. Um,
we're not fighting the bridge. We're not fighting the guard rails. We're just trying to make it right and do it well. I think I heard that a couple times tonight. Uh, so we are just really heads down buried in this. We want to do this right. uh we have an opportunity to uh set a a standard here in uh Westport and
we can also be consistent with other covert and bridge work that will be taking place uh elsewhere uh with the uh Buzzards Bay Coalition uh three coverts uh design. Um I can get into detail
about um what why I think we should move to Mass DOT. Uh do you want me to do that? I don't know about detail. We've talked about this project a lot. Right. Right. But I think I'll hit some highlights. Okay. First of all, um in the letter that Mass DOT sent to us uh
uh in July, uh they stated uh and I'm quoting Mass DOT and this is uh PAR sent Mass DOT a letter and then Mass DOT wrote a letter to uh this town of Westport. In that letter, Mass DOT said, "Parr recommends that the design dated
October 6, 2023 should be advanced in favor of other alternative disc alternatives discussed with the town that propose aesthetic enhancements beyond chapter 85 bridge standards. Upon review of the situation, Mass DOT is in agreement with this recommendation and
has instructed PAR that it may no may only proceed with the recommended design. That is false. That does not exist anywhere in the letter from PAR to mass DOT. Mass DOT just fabricated that powerful statement and put that in the
letter. Okay, it does not exist. PAR engineering never said that. Okay, that's number one. And I think that's big. Um number two, uh the design work is incomplete. Uh that there's been no traffic study. The design speed has been made up. We've asked them several times
to describe and uh give us information on how you came up with the design speed. They have not been able to do that. There's been no protection of the historic stone bridge or mill foundation that currently exists on site. There's been no protection or plans to um uh ensure that that does not disintegrate
during uh or after construction. And there has been no historical review to date. Uh this bridge will be overengineered and overbuilt. It will look similar to the mass pike. Uh it will cost more to build and it will cost more to maintain. We have actually recommended uh cost savings in our
solution. uh wood post, wood blocks for guardrails which are much cheaper than the steel and the rubber. Um many other things that we proposed um are also just getting declined and ignored by mass DOT. Lack of sensitivity to rural historic areas, no landscape plan, use
of rip wrap in the stream bed, uh so on and so forth. No use of concrete uh stamp concrete or anything to beauty uh add some beauty to the appropriate uh site. lack of design build in continuity or consistency with the trip brook uh and the BBC uh covert work on Snell and
Lions Brook. So there's been no coordination or anything that's going to look uh similar to what's being designed for that. Uh the BBC is at a 30% completion rate of there's uh uh design for Snell and Lions Brook. And then just basically lack of renderings. We asked
for showing life uh lifelike threedimensional views of the bridge and stuff like that. We have not received that. Those are just some of the things that, you know, they're just ignoring and just moving on. So, um, we professionally request that the select board, uh, vote to, uh, reject the current plan, uh, as submitted by PAR
and Mass DOT and move on from mass DOT at this time. Thank you. So, we've talked about this a number of times. So, the um, Mass DOT has got this plan and they are looking for the select board to kind of say yes, please go forward, right? And so, that
they will continue with the design. um we don't have to we can reject it. If we reject it then we kind of stop our involvement with that with the state for that program. And I think the um the kind of concern for why you would go
forward with DOT is that the bridge inspection report has shown deficiencies. So there is a problem with that bridge. Um and if we don't move forward with the mass DOT um process, their small bridge um program, then it's
unlikely we would get a grant in the future from that program. We don't know if we would get a grant in the future anyway. But it would be very unlikely that we would get one. And if if we did, it would have to follow their design, right? So, I think um I think we talked about this at a previous meeting about
the implications of saying no. Um I you want to just remind us what the implications are, Jim? Yeah. Yeah. I think if we say no, we don't have any other funding source that would potentially fund a design, never mind the construction. Um we have a bridge that has been determined to be
deficient. Um, and it may be okay for five years, may be okay for 15 years in its current state, but at some point, Mass DOT is going to come down and say, "It's deficient. We're going to put weight limits on it." And what those weight limits mean could mean different things, right? It could be for heavy trucks. It could be for school buses.
And if if we had weight criteria put on that bridge for school buses, it would be a significant problem for our school system. Um, and it's got to be fixed at some point. I I just want to say if we we give this money up, we're not going to get it back. Um, and
I I went through the Buzzards Bay Coalition designs, and you're right, they're at the 25 30% designs. Uh, they're large. Two of those are relatively small. They're actually culverts. They're pipes. This is a bridge structure that they're building here. One of the culverts that they're
looking at for Buzzards Bay Coalition is a bridge structure, but it's 26% less smaller in size than what we're proposing, and they're already up at $2.2 million for construction of that one. And that estimate is about a year old. Um they haven't got into the design
as far as guardrails and protection, but from what I've seen over the years, it's going to be very similar to what Mass Highway is doing. Mass Highway is doing this design on all their projects. They're doing it at uh state boat ramps. They're doing it. They just did it at Deis Lloyd. Um it's a standard design.
It meets design criteria. Um if we had an engineer, that engineer, I think, would tell you the same thing. Um, so I, you know, if we don't go forward, we don't go forward. I think it it makes things uh, but I guess I just don't have an alternative solution. That's
there are there are other alternatives out there. Um, it's mass DOT is not the only one that can provide funding. There are Buzzers Bay coalition provide funding. There's other deer projects within Mass Massachusetts that will provide funding. So there are other funding opportunities out there. Mass
DOT is not the only place to get the funding for this. Okay. And that's I think why we're saying, well, they're they're dangling this money in front of us. We got to take it. If we don't take it, we're going to lose it. That is not the case. I disagree. Okay. Go ahead. So, we discussed this at the August 18th
meeting uh pretty extensively as well. Um I think the thing that have changed over the past 3 weeks is that there has been um basically from the administration uh in DC that they are cutting $32 million of federal funding from both Massachusetts and Rhode Island
uh for for DOT and for transportation projects. So with the cost of this bridge looking at 3.5 to 4 million that's right three and a half to a $4 million bridge on Drift Road. Um, you know, I just I just don't see the need to continue to go down the path path
with mass DOT. Um, we don't want to give the state the oversight of a small historical country road. Uh, and I do believe that and I know there are worse bridges in town than that one. I think that was uh a situation where guardrails were put up and it kind of elevated the
uh the image of the bridge and and others to look at it. But I I think there are many others in in town. So, I always look at this stuff as from a funding mechanism and uh to make a deal with the devil with the Commonwealth for a $4 million bridge that again, they
will not fund completely. We would probably have to come up with a million to a million and a half um to match that. And I just don't think that's feasible. Um and in this environment, we're probably looking at a build of maybe two to three years down the line. So, it's not going to be $4 million at that point. So, I would have to uh agree
with Patrick and and probably um try to disassociate from mass DOT on this project. Madam Chair, yes, I expressed some concern about uh ceasing and desisting last time for fear that somewhere down the road we would need the money to build the bridge and we wouldn't have it.
But I do think as I listen to people and I I think through it myself, abandoning this project and abandoning the bridge are two different things. Uh, I would be happy with what Mr. McBride has described that there there are or maybe
other sources of funds to take care of this project at some point in time. At what cost? We don't know. when we don't know. I mean, it's a bit of a wild card, but as long as we're committed to fixing that bridge in the in the reasonable
future to the extent we can, then I would be okay with not going forward with this 25% plan at DOT. But I do that knowing there's some risk either way. I tend to be with with Mr. brewing this point which is um
there's not a lot of um you know motivation to go along with a plan where you do seem to have a gun put to your head but we also um I think I agree with Jim on the point you know we if we we lose that as an artery for school buses um you know
we're we're it's it's it could be it could be problematic to say the least and so I think we have to keep the options. We have to keep this in in in in play in terms of something that we have to be looking for in terms of other
funding resources, in terms of other design concepts and we just can't walk away, kick the can down the road and just hope nothing happens badly in the meantime. Yeah. Well, Jim, what is the action that DOT is asking us for now? They're asking us
to approve going forward, right? They want to know whether they should move forward with the design as they're proposing or if we want to if we want to withdraw. Right. So, so we they they're looking for us to tell them please go keep going or no, please
withdraw. I mean, I I don't think we're not happy with the design, but we're not willing to abandon the project. Yeah. I mean, and if if Well, that's kind of what we the last couple letters have been, right? So I the that's kind of what we've been saying to them that
well I I I do have to say something different. I don't know. Are they what's the is there pressure from somewhere? Well, we can put it back in their court and just say we want to move forward with the design but kind of on our terms. Maybe not those exact words. I mean
I I just don't think they're willing to concede on a lot of that. We've Dick and myself have sat in numerous meetings with Mass DOT and PAR engineering and PAR was the most accommodating of anybody as as Jim knows. Um but when it went back and they push they got the
push back from Mass DOT. Um I do think there's a lot of uh state cover project money out there like you mentioned there was some new emails putting out from deer um along with Buzzards Bay. Um I think the concern about a weight limit.
I know the Forge Bridge uh has a weight limit on Forge Road there over the waterfalls. That does have a weight limit and uh but that is only restricted to tractor trailers and other stuff. I think you know half empty school buses go over the Ford. They do. Well, they're half empty and
kids don't weigh a lot. So, exactly. But half them aren't there. Well, that won't change. They will always be half empty. So, Mr. McBride. So, what what is the what is the rationale between instead of just um kind of saying, "Yeah, go
forward, but please change your plan." Why what's the what's the rationale for rejecting it or just saying no, we're not moving forward anymore? It it's just unacceptable to us, the town of Westport, as designed as and as I stated, it's not close enough to be fixed
or they haven't shown a willingness to they haven't they haven't shown a willingness to work with all work with us at all. on anything. So, uh, and I guess, you know, we've come a long way when we were opposed to guardrails 5 years ago to saying, "Yeah, we want a bridge. We want
to do it right. We're going to have guardrails." We've accepted that. We just said, "Let's just do this, right?" Okay. And and I think we know what we want. I don't want to speak for all the neighbors and butters here, but we know we want a bridge. We know we want to have a bridge that fits in and that sets a standard for the other bridges in
Colbert in the town. But you think that the way to get there is not through the not through Mass DOT. I mean, we we we want to pursue this and keep going forward. Uh but we don't want to do it with Mass DOT. Mass DOT was pretty uh adamant when in
some of our meetings where they said, you know, if you guys don't go forward or continue to move forward with this, you know, and and have funding sources, there's going to be a point in time here in the near future where they're going to ask, okay, where are you getting that $1.5 million to match whatever we're going to put forth? So then we're going
to be on the hook again depending on how far down the line we are. So I just I don't I don't like making a deal with the state. That's on a local local local road. Does anyone from the public want to say anything?
Hi W and Thirstston. Uh just wanted to be in agreement with the gentleman up there speaking. Um I mean the we have that old stone bridge that's right there on the side of it used to be a big heron run. Uh, I think that that stuff there needs to be really taken in consideration. Jake's on the conservation committee there. Um, you
know, that's those two things there alone. I would say don't go with DOT with Mass DOT if they're not going to take into account that stuff. I mean, they're not here in town living in town and dealing with all that. So, that's a part of our history. it's a part of our town to just overlook it and have it
detrimental fall in or whatever down the road because of their oversight when they don't even care to fix the guardrail physique or whatever else. You know, I think that we should look at another avenue. Thank you.
So, what's the pleasure of the board? What do we want to do? I'll put forth a motion to um basically decline moving forward with the mass DOT design phase. See if anyone seconds it.
Do we have a second? Madam Chair, if I may think aloud here, I'd like to second that but with the provisor that we would continue to pursue construction of the bridge through other means. Through other means. Yeah, I I I can I can live a great wording. Okay.
I I agree with that. That's fine. Then I second it on that basis. Do you want me to change the motion as a Yeah. Okay. Um so obviously Did you get that Paula? Do you have it? Okay. That's fine. Is there any discussion? Did you have something?
I thought there was a second. No, there was a second. I said, "Is there any further discussion?" Sorry, I was talking fast. Um All right. All right. So, we have a motion and a second to decline moving forward with mass DOT but can keep the project as something we are pursuing through other means. All
right. All in favor? I I that's four in favor and one absent. There we go. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. No congregating in the hallway. All right. Um, so K, we have a request
to designate select board members to participate in the administrative assistant confidential clerk interviews. So we have vacated the administrative assistant position. We just moved uh Paula forward. Um, and we have a number of applicants um already, right? So, we
have a number of applicants. So, does anybody want to be volunteering to participate in the interviews? I'd be happy to volunteer. All right. So, we have Jake and Dick. Is that okay? All right. So, Jake and Dick are going to sit in the interviews for those folks. So, you coordinate with
Jim. The draft barrier beach management plan presentation. Wow. We Sorry for making wait this long. Thank you for your patience. Been a long time since we had a meeting this long. Like we used to all be this long.
Can you introduce You like to wait for the other select board members to No, they'll be back. He'll be back. All right. I'm Michael Burrus and this is Connor Offlin from Woods Hole Group. I'm the town planner here in Westport. I think as you all remember in 2023 and 2024 there were a series of
southerntherly storms that caused a lot of overwash on East Beach Road as well as undermining the road and necessitating the reconstruction of that portion of the road. And so one of the things that the select board had asked the planning board to look into is how
the town should be or can be managing these barrier beaches in town that are really vulnerable to storm events, um sea level rise. And uh so we applied to a coastal zone management grant as well as a municipal vulnerability program
grant and we're awarded both those grants. And so we put out an RFP and hired WS whole group to prepare this barrier beach management plan and Connor will present that plan to you all. Yeah, thank you. Hi. So, this is just an
introduction to the project. Uh we want to put it on the Slackboard's radar, but this is a project that has been going on since about March 2025 and will continue through a permitting process in the near future. there's been a grant uh submitted grant application submitted by
Michael and his team um to continue that permitting process. So I will just give you an update essentially I hope to use no more than 10 to 15 minutes um but thank you for your time. So again my name is Connor Austin. I'm a coastal scientist with Woods Hole Group. We've been working with the town and Michael
Dia Chris Capone um really uh closely. We also have Sam Haynes and Rebecca Haney in the audience here from coastal zone management in case you have questions for the state. We've been working with MVP and the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District as well.
This project has two parallel um projects ongoing. One is the barrier beach management plan and that is going to be uh submitted as a draft and then ideally permitted um in the town through a notice of intent process and that is
for day-to-day management of the beaches that includes highway department uh commission um conservation commission even dog enforcement. It covers the whole gamut of everything that takes place on the beaches um that are within
this project. But simultaneously we are also performing a beach and dune restoration feasibility study and that is essentially looking at the mid to long-term prospect of roads behind barrier beaches. Um so I'm going to present a little bit first about the
beach and dune restoration feasibility study uh and the long-term prospect and opportunities and constraints there with managing these beaches on a large scale. and then we will end by talking a bit about the barrier beach management plan and the day-to-day approach.
So where are we looking? We are studying Atlantic A, Beach A and the Nubble and then East Beach Road uh along East Beach. And the reason these three project these three sites were put forward by the town in their RFP is because there are public roads um along
barrier beaches. Now a quick aside what a barrier beach is is a spit of sand that is u runs between two water bodies on the open ocean. So Atlantic a elephant rock beach club there is between the open ocean and then the inland bay beach have and the nubble um
between westport river and the ocean and east beach is between the ocean and the let and barrier beaches uh respond in a very different dynamic approach to sea level rise and coastal storms than you might have say a beach at the bottom of a bluff.
They're also they play a very important role in the town. They are the first buffer against storms and hurricanes such as hurricane Eric Aaron which we saw recently brush by. Uh they also provide essential habitat critical endangered species piping clovers lease
turn and then lastly and perhaps most importantly support public access and recreation. So I want to talk a little bit about the vulnerability of these beaches. We'll talk about that and then adaptation and then management. So, I think vulnerability is probably
something you all are more aware of than myself. Uh, the the beaches in Westport have been hammered by a series of coastal storms for decades. And the 19338 great hurricane uh New England hurricane was one of those storms which destroyed
several houses along East Beach in particular overwashed barrier beaches and uh destroyed native habitat. There was the hurricane of 44, hurricane Carol in 54. Those were on a scale that actually has not been seen since. So
those three hurricanes in the uh early uh 1900s were significant. However, in that time, since that time, we've had hurricane Bob and then Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Eene as well. Uh, and most recently, Hurricane Aaron, which was way
offshore and drove a a very moderate or minor actual storm surge, but still ended up overwashing the beaches. So, while we have seen historically very large storms here, we are seeing less extreme storms um at these beaches, but
they are doing similar damage. There is erosion, there is overwash, um, and there is undermining of the roadway. And I think Jim, thank you. You got the the video going there for a second, which is pretty cool. So, we'll see if we can get this to play.
Um, one of my colleagues went out on Thank you. on the 21st and just filmed a little bit of the process of Hurricane Aaron's storm surge and waves uh overwashing the beach. Now, this storm water level turned out to be about a one
or two-year storm. So, this is the kind of condition that will happen almost annually. Um, and you can see that cars are driving through the water. Um, there is sand being washed into the roadway. There's undermining of homes. The waves are washing underneath several of the
foundations. Um, at one point through the video, it's okay if you can't get a gym. That's right. Probably a heavy doc heavy video. Um you can see at one point a trash can gets picked up and you know washed away and and dumped and um all to say that even
minor storms are causing damage and so the the vulnerability of these beaches is um high on the priority of folks who visit and live there. It's also costly to recover from from these events. So January 10th and and 13th were one that
was documented um very greatly by the town. Um there was about 190 hours in staff time, 245 hours of equipment cost to the highway department totaling about $28,000. Uh and then there was $120,000 of
undermining and damage to East Beach Road um during January 10th and 13th storms. Now those storms again equated to a low-level storm about a four or 5year storm. So every four to 5 years, you know that it would not be crazy to think there's going to be another
$150,000 of damage to East Beach Road. Um we also in this process have done a quick value estimation of the public assets along this area along East Beach. There's about $28 million of of assets. This is utilities, roadway,
infrastructure. Um I I'm blanking on the other public assets themselves, public public property. I'm on Beachav. It's not very um developed, but there still is about $2.5 million of public asset there in Atlantica of 11 million. Um
so we just wanted to highlight that there is a vulnerability. There's a cost to that vulnerability and that there is still more assets there that are at risk. So we while it cost $150,000, there is $28 million of value at just in
the infrastructure alone. So looking to the mid to long term, how might we adapt to that? What many town coastal towns in Massachusetts are doing are nourishing their beaches. What that means is bringing in sand, sediment, cobble if
appropriate to expand the the the height and the width of these beaches to act as a buffer against storm waves. You know, if your b beach is wide and high, you can have waves breaking offshore. And if they're not running up and over top of your roadway, your maintenance costs are
going to be much lower. Same goes for a dune restoration project. If you can build a dune that is high and wide, it can pro provide one a source of sediment to that beach. It's a reservoir of sand. It also provides a buffer between wave
runup and the roadway itself. And then it also um helps protect against sea level rise. It's more resilient. It has vegetation that roots can extend deep down into and it can better stabilize your shoreline. So looking at these
nourishment alternatives, there are more than just is presented here, but I'm trying to you keep it concise. Um these are three of the main approaches that may be taken to build long-term resilience along these beaches with the aim of restoring um habitat, protecting
the road from storms, and preserving beach access. At Atlantic Gav, a beach and dune restoration project on the scale of 100,000 cubic yards could cost about $8 million. That project would be useful to Atlantic A which has seen
erosion over the years and we have data supporting that. Um and it would be able to protect against a moderately sized storm along Beach A. We've uh proposed a conceptual design of a 100,000 cubic yard um beach nourishment project again
with the aim of expanding coastal resources and protecting the road from erosion and undermining. And that cost because the project area is smaller is about 1.5 million. And then at East Beach where the uh condition is most severe and the need is probably
greatest. Uh a beach and dune restoration project could c for about 200,000 cubic yards. Twice the size of Atlantic Gav would cost about twice as much about 15.7 million. Now those projects come with a great
benefit. We have a coastline here that is sediment starved. So we need to be bringing sand in. If we want to maintain status quo at these beaches, there is going to be an absolute need for artificially bringing in sand. Whether that comes from offshore or from inland
can be uh considered down the line. Um but actually the reality of putting that into place is very difficult and I just wanted to you know present present that to you so we don't uh get ahead of ourselves. It is very expensive. Large
volumes of imported material and heavy equipment um costs, you know, upwards of $15 million. It's about $40 to $50 per cubic yard of sand. And that's a cost that many of the residents at East Beach are taking upon themselves as they
permit and construct their own beach and do nourishment projects. uh if the town were to go forward with a project like this and public funding were to be utilized that would require easements for shore parallel public access. So essentially if there's public funding
there needs to be a quote public benefit and how that is typically written in is through working with all homeowners along a private shoreline to allow for easements for public access. That doesn't mean folks can walk through. There's no um longitudinal access. It's
just lateral access. So you would have to enter the beach from a public entry point. Um but then you would be able to walk below the mean high tide line um from there down the beaches. They are timeconuming and to to fund and permit. So um at the moment coastal zone
management office has per has funded a few beach nourishment projects but honestly not on this scale. $15 million exceeds the the scale of a project that they've funded in the past. and state funding tends to prioritize um projects where there is a piece of critical
infrastructure to be protected. Uh not to say that these sites aren't incredibly valuable to the people who live there and use there them and Westport in general um but there are no necessarily um pieces of critical infrastructure to to be protected. And then lastly, I
definitely want to highlight and we can if there are questions about this, we have a model. We've done crossshore sediment transport modeling against various storms and sea levelized scenarios. Um, but these measures are temporary. So, putting in in constructing one of these projects would
provide you protection against maybe that one-year storm that we just saw um in August, maybe a 5year storm, a 10-year storm in many cases though would cause severe erosion and there would likely be a need to reconstruct. All right, next slide please. So, all of
which to say in the long term there is a lot to consider and we have a draft feasibility study that is going to come out at the end of this month. um along with the beach management plan to provide a lot of information and just be a basis of discussion so that the town can be informed as it starts to make
decisions of where it wants to go. Um however, in the meantime, day-to-day management of these beaches can work to maintain the resilience and maintain um the benefits that we all enjoy along these beaches uh as long as possible. So
the purpose and intent of the barrier beach management plan is to identify best practices. These are both state guidance um practices that we are now trying to document specific and and tailor to the town of Westport. This is
also coming out of our studies themselves and sediment transport modeling that we've done. Um the different hero erosion trends that we've seen. This also provides a framework for clear coordin coordination across departments um as well as clear
coordination to the public themselves. Um so this this document has many purposes and you know as we start to go into the permitting process it will be an open forum for for public comment and approval. A few of the highlights that that we
will be uh detailing in that report are storm preparedness. So, how can the town of Westport best be prepared? Best stage equipment to get out and respond quickly to erosion, to overwash. Um, how can roadway maintenance be um best performed
so that we are not damaging coastal dune resources at the same time as trying to preserve roadways? Um, you know, for instance, can we pick up overwash sediment and put it in a place where it is going to best serve the beach itself as opposed to, you know, just clear the
roadway. Um, beach grass and and fencing are another strategy towards, you know, day-to-day maintenance and and resilience on the near term. So, we're looking for opportunities. is this picture here is Atlantic A where they have planted beach grass, they have restored dunes and the result has been
better protection against storms. And then lastly, there is public awareness and we've held several meetings. Um we've had a coastal processes meeting in March. We've had a uh feasibility study meeting in June, a beach management plan meeting in July, and then meeting
specifically with East Beach Association and Beach AV and Elephant Rock Beach Club. All right. So, the last slide here I have for you is just what the select board can expect down the line. Uh, we are not requesting any input necessarily from you, though we would love questions
or or comments that you have. Um, but down the line, the barrier beach management will plan will come through an NOA process and there might be bylaw changes that are recommended in there that would have to be approved by you all. Um again, a lot of these long-term
mid and long-term solutions will require significant grant funding. So, input on do we pursue grant funding such as for those bridges? Do we work with DCR or DER or CZM or MVP or do we look federally for grant funding to uh
achieve those long-term projects? And then lastly, the allocation of town funds will be important both to the day-to-day management and the long-term management. Next slide. That is all for now. And I have a few slides in the back if you want to talk specifics about, you know,
what these projects can do in the face of storms and what they don't do, which is um maybe more of the point. But um again, this is my contact information up there and I'm happy to talk offline or right here. Thank you. As Connor had said, this is a draft
barrier beach management plan. So, we're planning on taking this forward to a full draft. Um, we applied to a coastal zone a second coastal zone management grant and we're waiting to hear about the results of that. That would take the plan through full permitting and we would submit it to the conservation
commission and select board for adoption at a later date. Thank you. Thanks. Have anything? Um, first Connor and Michael, thank you for bringing this forward. I think this is very important uh obviously to a
coastal community like ourselves. I have obviously uh a little bit more expertise in this uh managing a private beach along barrier beach um similar and we've had a beach management plan for over about 10 years now uh in place. Which beach is that? Baker's beach right next to Cherry Web
and Horseneck. So we have worked and actually you guys uh rent space from us. Woods Hole has uh facilities and servers down there measuring uh erosion and a lot of the the wavelengths there. So um I think it's great. I think it's it's great that you have the public input um
on this because I think this gets to be a contentious issue uh with many of the residents, you know, on East Beach and and other places that that feel that they're being kind of singled out on that. Um, the one thing that I just wanted to point out, and I know Michael's aware of it, is, and you
probably are as well, is that the Commonwealth is pushing a lot of retreat as opposed to spending the funds and spending the the money on nourishment and trying to fix uh, you know, the coastline. So, I just stress that, you know, in the direction that you go to
continue to go down that road on on the nourishment and not the actual uh, organized retreat that they're pushing. And the one last thing that kind of infuriates me is that we just dredged the river um this past year and
Michael's shaking his head and the materials from that would be the perfect nourishment and unfortunately because it was from the US Corps of Engineers and a federal contract and everything else that they basically took that said sand dumped it off a horse neck and it's already back in the mouth of the river
at this point. So, um, if there's better coordination and communication between obviously research, uh, groups like yourself and and, you know, federal contracts that we're working on that the nourishment would be a heck of a lot better going on the beaches and from that location, it could have gone over
to uh, Atlantic A or the Nubble and and and actually help to build that dune up because I think you see, you know, over on Atlantic A where you have breaches in the dune, that's where the washout's coming from. So the constant wear and tear of that, but you know that's a future thing and I'm sure we'll be
dredging that river probably in another five 5 to 10 years again when it's filled in. But appreciate all your all your work and and keeping the public informed on that. So thank you. Thank you Jake. Anything else? Anything from the public?
Just one thing real quick. I don't know if they'll be able to answer or not. Um, in regards to East Beach, has there any ever been any discussion or anything like that? Maybe like a paired nar style kind of bridge in that area that if there was another access of water into
the let that maybe that little bit of less resistance through there would maybe calm that storm surge down if it had another way of means into the river. Because if that was a study that got done, that would also be beneficial to the river itself, having an extra
cleanout to wash out the river, you know, that would keep the river clean also. That's it. Yeah, thanks. The question is, um, oh, actually, everyone has a microphone, so sorry, I'm just used to repeating those. Um, I think that's a great that's a great question and I believe the let has
um breached in that way once in the '9s if I'm not wrong. um and it did naturally fill in through lateral sediment sediment transport processes. So there may not be enough tidal flux between the ocean and the
Westport River on that side to naturally maintain an inlet in that space. So maybe there could potentially be a breach that connects the let with the open ocean at that at some storm. Um, but then maintaining that as an opening
that would need bridge abutments and and etc. Would that ease the pressure on other parts of the beach? I think that it may just it it would only in that spot exactly where you were to put a uh put the road up on the bridge would you really be able to
elevate yourself away from and remove yourself from any erosion risk. I think that your issues to the east and the west would maintain and that you would actually have just some some more complications with sand getting into this inlet and trying to maintain this inlet. Um because naturally it's going
to want to close off. So it's an interesting question, but it I think it'd be difficult to implement. Of course. Hey, anything else? We look forward to hearing more from you. So thank you very much. Thanks. Appreciate it.
Thanks for this opportunity. So 5B, the use of fields at the old high school. Craig, you requested this on the agenda. So you want to talk about this? Well, I think it's been taken care of. Um we had um there was a a a statement put out by the school department
regarding um um making facilities off limits to um that are under the control of the school during the school day. uh for the public to come by and and uh they've clarified that today. Said no,
they didn't mean that to be the old high school. Uh that was uh that out a little early. And so that after some conversation between the town administrator and the school uh superintendent, um they're simply concerned at the
present time about the the buildings and facilities during the school day where children are in school. This will not affect the use of the uh the building and the grounds of the uh old high school.
Okay. Thank you. It is it does affect the school properties including the tennis courts but not the old high school. Right. Yeah. Is there anything on that since Craig Pr got that answered already. All right. The town administrator report. Some of the some of this has been
discussed a little bit, so I won't go into great detail, but the fire department, police department had a power surge. Uh they had a lightning strike on Friday, August 29th, which took down a lot of their systems, communications, radio, phone lines, some of the
electrical stuff. Um, a lot of their lighting and HVAC system is on controls. It's not the old light switch. It's all uh controlled through panels, which will need to be replaced. Um, they're currently working on that now, replacing those. was they were able to get the system up and running on a temporary
basis to keep communications and the and the two departments functioning which was which was great. They they spent quite a bit of time there that weekend. Uh we also found that the well pump at the school um was hit and we believe that was through the same surge similar surge of the same night uh because they
also had some minor damage to some of the other electronics in the Westport Elementary School. They were able to replace the pump in a day but uh school was closed on September 3rd. uh the town administrator search uh I am aware they do have some applications that have been filed with uh community paradigm they're
looking to meet with the committee at the end of September and uh have interviews the first or second week of October um town hall HVAC system um can we just stop on that one for a second so um I was talking to Jim about this so you all know Jim has announced
he is retiring at the end of September and yet we will not have a new town administrator so um I talked with um Jim and what we're going to talk about at the next meeting is negotiating a contract with Jim um to continue for some amount of time um uh so he would
still retire and come back on a contract basis until we get our feet under us. So I want to my intention is to talk about that at the next meeting. Okay. Great. Thank you. Town Hall HVAC system. Uh we met with the electricians last week. I have a
meeting with B2Q, who's the main contractor for the work that's replacing the heating system here with a uh heat pumps that'll provide heat and um cooling for the building. Um it's a pretty fairly significant project. Uh the electrical upgrade should start I
was hoping they'd start this week. If they don't start the end of this week, it should be next week. Uh we're we're coordinating with the different departments. Hopefully we'll be able to close one room while the department moves to the other room. um you know so we'll keep things the operation of town hall going uh once the electrical work is done they will have to do remediation
on the asbestous uh the only asbestous that we're aware of is in the tiles that are underneath these tiles so when they drill through the floor they'll have to have precautions to make sure that that is done and mitigated properly uh we hope to have that work done within the next couple of weeks. Um they're still
on schedule to get the system up and running by the end of October. uh they do have temporary heating system if need be if we do run into a cold spell. Uh so they are aware of that and they are moving forward. So we should see some progress or some work done within the next couple weeks.
That's all I have. All right. Thank you. Um the minutes for August 18. I move approval. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? I I That's unanimous. report on the bill
warrant. Um, all is well. I there might be two in your package because we had three weeks off, but they were all in the more normal couple of million dollars each time. That does add up, by the way. But, uh, no complaints. Everything was done
properly. Was have a new system that came from Zobrio and that's the vendor that provides our software. So, there was some little girrations we had to do and adjustments, but nothing critical. actually talked about that last time. So, those reports are they don't need to be approved, but
uh they are in good order. All right. Thank you. Um we have liazison committee reports or suggestions for future agenda items. Um Craig, we'll start with you. I have nothing since the last meeting. Okay, Dick.
Well, I'm of a similar vein where I have nothing. However, that's about to change like a like a cascade here. Uh I am the leazison to the council on aging. We'll be meeting tomorrow. Certa the southeast regional transportation the buses will
be having a a meeting. Uh the budget has already been set but we have routine matters then so we don't all forget is the BIS Bristol County commissioners which includes Bristol Aggie uh regional high school vocational high school. Uh they're meeting shortly to approve the
budget including Bristol Aggie. Uh there is the open space and recreation committee which is recently formed and I'm on that representing the select board. We meet later this month as well. And last but not least I serve as layers on to the landing commission which meets
next week. So uh the party's over back to work. Back to work. So next time we'll have a good report for all. Okay. Thank you. Um I have not had any committee meetings since the last meeting. Nothing for me.
Well, I've actually had a meeting uh last week. We had the infrastructure committee meeting. Um and there was a decision because as as discussed before us uh that there was some grants uh coming forward to further extend the
water uh project on Route 6. Um I did push a little bit on uh getting that water extended to the Briggs Road Fire Station. I think it just made sense. Obviously, it's a fire station. They need water. Um especially given the fact
that they uh we had a pretty severe fire at Excel Recycling um on Charlotte White where we're basically bringing in water from Tivven through tankers that were coming from Berkeley and Ditton. So um that was kind of the decision. There will be a few uh loops off of Route 6
that will be a part of that and then uh extending that across to the Briggs Road Fire Station. So that's what came out of that infrastructure uh meeting. And then I have an economic development one this week on uh Wednesday evening. Thank you.
Right. Thank you. Uh do we have any comments or statements from the public? Yes. Virginia Graham, 65 Osborne Street. I just want to say that infrastructure,
if you have driven in my neighborhood, you can see what a horrific job was done when the water was installed. You take your car's life in your hand in its hands. Whenever you go up and down the road, I have no way to get out of my
home except to go through those roads. Mr. Hartnet has kindly spoken to me on several occasions, one of them being today, and assured me that it's going to be repaved the end of October, maybe the beginning of
November. But in the meantime, I just wanted to make sure that everyone here was aware of how bad the roads in that whole entire area are. The job done by the company who did it was horrific.
That's all I have to say. Thank you. Anything else from the public? All right, seeing none, I just want to remind people there's lots of ways to get involved. We need a lot of help around here. So, um, if there's a committee or commission or a talent that
you have that you want to share with town, come talk to someone. I'm sure we can find you a spot. Um, I don't I'm not aware of any topics within the 48 hour rule. Are there? Not that I'm aware. All right. So I think we are done. Our next meeting will be in two weeks from
today. Whatever date that is. September 22nd. September 22nd. All right. Move we adjourn. Second.