Uh, yep. All right. I'm going to call the meeting to order. You join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all. Good evening. Thank you. Um, this is the Monday, September 22nd meeting of the Westport Select Board under Mass General Law, Chapter 38, Section 20F. This meeting is being recorded. Our next meeting is going to be held on October
6. Um, we are scheduled to have an executive session tonight, um, but we might not, um, need it. It depends on how the conversation goes on an earlier topic. Um but we'll talk about whether we're going to come back after the executive session once we decide that.
Um I just wanted to um somebody pointed out that we did not previously acknowledge the passing of Kendall Nicholson. Kendall Nicholson was 79 of Westport, passed away on Monday, August 5th. He was a retired firefighter for the town of Westport, a profession he
began in 1973 and truly loved. He volunteered his time as a boy scout leader with his therapy dog, the late Casey from the Westport Council on Aging, the Mackomer School, and the area nursing homes. He'll be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather.
And I know his u family still continues to be very active in the town of Westport. So, our condolences to family of the Nicholson's and apologies it took us this long to acknowledge him. Did anybody want to say anything about Madam Chair? didn't know the deceased,
but I know his family and they're very wonderful people. Yeah. All right. Thank you. So, we don't have any public hearings today, but what we do have on the agenda is licenses and permits. And so, for 2A, actually, let's
skip that. Let's do the because we have Let's do the appointments first and then the licenses second. Is that okay with everybody? All right. So, I'm going to take out of order then. We're going to do three. Um so we have 3A is a request from um Rob
Delgio of cultural council chair to appoint Karen Long to the cultural council. Move we accept the recommendation. Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I I that's uh four in favor and one absent. We have a request from police
off uh Chief Christopher Dunn represented by Deputy Police Chief Robert Rebello. The first one is to appoint Evan Thomas as a full-time officer pending successful completion and prerequisite screening, training, and testing. Welcome.
Thank you. Good evening. Um, so on behalf of the chief, I'm just here to speak about the contingent letter off for employment for Evan Thomas. In an effort to fulfill the upcoming full-time police officer position, I respectfully request the board consider appointing the following candidate pending
successful completion of a background check, physical examination, psychological testing, and requisite training. Evan Thomas is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Curry College. He currently works as a security guard at Charlton Memorial Hospital and serves in the
United States Army Reserves as a radio equipment repair operator. a resident of Somerset. He has expressed interest in eventually relocating to Westport. I'm not requesting any additional funding to fill this position. Thank you. The chief and Mr. Thomas is here. Did you want to say anything? You don't have to, but
excited to be here. I'm excited to start working for police department. Thank you. Move to approval of the appointment subject to all the conditions that the deputy chief specified in his recommendation. Second. And just for clarification for the board, so this kind of changes what
happened previously. Now due to legal requirements, we had to have a condition of letter of employment before we start doing background checks and things of that nature. So this is why it's happening now first instead of last. Okay. Just so you know. All right. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I I that's four in favor and one absent.
Welcome. Board. Um all right. And you have another one for um Sean Monzing. Two more. Sean Monzing and um Luis Verentees. Do you want to talk about those? Um, they're just outstanding members of the department just here for annual reappoint.
All right. So, we have Sean Munzig for September 8, 2025 and Luis Verentes on um effective October 6, 2025. And these are just re reappoints. Correct. Right. They're both in good standing. Move approval subject to recommendation conditions.
Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I. That's four in favor and one absence. Those are I think those are all yours. Is there anything else while you're here? The only thing is we do have an update on the uh coffee with the cop October 1st. That is happening at Le Market from
8:00 to 10 a.m. And then again October 19th the Halloween happenings with the recreation department at the Adamsville Conservation Area. That'll be from 12:00 p.m. to 2 p.m. We'll be there as well with our community outreach unit. And that's it. That reminds me that I forgot to mention the rabies clinic on on September
20 27 27. I wrote 29. So on on Saturday the 27th from 9 to 12 there's a rabies clinic at the Hicksbridge Fire Station. So Saturday the 27th 9 to 12 the rabies. Um October 1 cop coffee with the cop and
then October 19 is the Halloween happenings at Westport Woods. Yes. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Have a good night. Thank you. Thank you. Um 3E. We have a request to appoint Carla Vieiraa to the administrative assistant confidential clerk position
effective October 14 um 2025. So this is we promoted Paula. So this is the position to take Paula who's um who interviewed or who was on the screening committee. Yeah. Do you want to talk about um the selection process?
Sure. Um we had uh again pretty good uh number of resumes uh that applied for the position. Um, we ended up interviewing a couple candidates and uh, Carla with her background here in Westport and her um, kind of forward-
facing roles in the town clerk's office uh, with the general public um, was helpful in in our decision. I think that was uh, that was very key uh, for us to to kind of come to a decision. It was not an easy decision. Um we we spent a
lot of time and actually a couple days um going over it and and and you know hoping we're making the right decision and I think we are with Coller. Uh she does a great job right now and I know Kristen is uh a little disappointed to be losing her but uh I think this will be great for the select board.
Thank you. Anything to add? Only that we did have a lot of resumes. We only interviewed two in-house candidates because we felt they were both qualified and only if that did not prevail would we go with the outside candidates. So we did have a great interest in this position. Great. Okay. All right. So what's the
pleasure going to move it? Motion to approve. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? I that's four in favor and one absent. Welcome aboard. Thank you. No speech. No thank you. She don't want to give speech. I just
talked about how great you were with the public, Carla. Come on. Um, before I I'm gonna I want to do the permit um approval, but it's going to be long and boring. So, just before I do that, I just want to check if anybody's here for a particular topic. Okay. All right.
You're you're welcome to stay, but it's also fine if you leave. That's fine. Just don't talk in the hallway. That's the only thing. All right. So, I'm going to go back to the regularly scheduled programming here um for licensing and permits. Um so, 2A we have the 2026
preliminary license permit approvals. So, these are yearly approvals um that um what we do is preliminarily approve them subject to the appropriate um paperwork being filed. Um that way um
Paula or or Carla can um just go ahead and issue them as they come in instead of waiting till the end of the year. So this would be at the end of all this when we name them all um we will I'll entertain a motion to um approve subject to the receipt of the appropriate
paperwork or documentation. Um so what I'm going to do is just read them all. Um or Jake is going to help me out because he volunteered. Um so I'm going to read them. If there's any that you want to put a hold on for any reason, um, just just say so that you want to hold on it and we'll se we'll
vote on the bulk of them and then we'll vote on the hold separately. Okay. All alcohol club, the coaxit club doing business as a cosit club, Inc. Holy Ghost Club of Westport, Inc. All alcohol hotel inkeeper. Packachuk in
doing business as Pacchuk in all alcohol package store 787 Liquors Corp. doing business as State Road Package. Gulf Resources, Inc. Ean, Inc. doing business as Country Liquor and Variety. Raj P, Inc. doing business as Westport Market.
Siri, Inc. doing business as Westport Wine and Spirits. Supreme Westport Fuel um Inc. doing business as Supreme Gas. Trail Inc. doing business as Lee's Market. Then we have All Alcohol Restaurant. Badkitty Inc. doing business
as the Back Eddie. Bittersweet Restaurant Inc. doing business as Bittersweet Restaurant. Bootleak Barbecue. Westport LLC doing business as Bootle Barbecue. Hicksbridge Hospitality doing business as 10 Cousins Brick Oven. House of Chew Inc. doing business as
Oriental Pearl. JNS Restaurant Enterprise Inc. doing business as Cozy Nook Restaurant. Lefrance Brothers Inc. doing business as Whites Restaurant. MS LLC doing business as Pores de Sad. PNG Bowling W Inc. doing business as Holiday
Lanes. The Bayside Restaurant doing business as the Bayside Restaurant. The Westporter Plantation and Cookery Inc. doing business as the Westporter. Westport Club, Inc. Then we have All Alcohol Veterans Club Writlet Post 8502
doing business as BFW Inc. Farmer Winery Pouring Buzzard's Bay Brewing Inc. and Westport Rivers Inc. Wine and Malt Inkeeper. Lefrance Hospitality Corporation doing business as Hampton Inn. Westport Town Hospitality doing business as Town Place Suites.
Wine and Malt Package Store. Cumberland Farms of Massachusetts doing business as Cumberland Farms 2234. J Murgga Inc. Noel Inc. doing business as Village Market. Pineh Hill Gas and Convenience Inc. Starport Corp. Doing business as Star Country Store in Delhi.
Wine and Malt Restaurant. Compton Clamake LLC, NCES, Inc. doing business as Village Pizza. Seasonal Wine and Malt, a co a Cooxit Club doing business as a Cox Club, Inc. doing business as the Pro Shop. PBS LLC, Partners Village
Store. Seasonal All Alcohol, Bay Breeze, Inc. um doing business as Westport Sea Farms. Common Victual, uh Cooset Club, Inc. doing business as Pro Shop. Alice Ar Primary School. Bad Kitty doing business as the Back Eddie. We have a
hold on Bakers Beach. So, that one we're holding. Bay Breeze Inc., Bittersweet Restaurant, Inc., Buzzard's Bay Brewing, Inc., Compton Clam Bakes and Catering, Country Liquor and Variety, Cumberland Farms Inc. 2234, Cumberland Farms, Inc.
2273, Delano's Daily Grind, Dunkin Donuts, Edible Creations by Jerry, Gooseberry Natural Foods, Handy Hill Enterprises, Harry's Country Store, Inc., Holiday Lanes, Holy Ghost Club of Westport, Inc., Honeydew Donuts, Cathy's Coffee
Shop and Crearyy LLC, Cozy Nook Restaurant, Lee's Market, Lexi Lou's Place, Lexis Roadside Dogs, Lickety Splits, Nick's Homemade Pizza, Noel, Inc. Doing business as Village Market, Noacho Call Association, Olympia Pizza, Oriental Pearl Restaurant, Our Lady of
Grace Church, Paradise Hill Farm, Partners Village Store, Perry's Bakery, Inc., Pinehill Gas and Convenience, Inc., Portis de Sedad, 787 Liquors, St. John the Baptist Church, Stacy Cakes Tea Shop and Cakery,
Star Country Store and Delhi, Supreme Gas, 10 Cousins Brick Oven, The Bayside Restaurant, The Headtown Londoning Country Store, The West Porter, Teeos Pizza, Village Pizza, WA and Rlet Post 8502, Weatherland Farms LLC, Westport,
Westport Club, Inc., Westport Council on Aging, Westport Country Day School, Westport Elementary, Westport Fair, Inc., Westport Gas, Westport Junior Senior High School, Westport Lobster Company, Westport Market, Westport Meets, Westport Point United Methodist
Church, Westport Rivers, Inc., Westport Rine and Spirits, Whites Restaurant, Wild Honey Cafe, Windgates Cakes. Now, Jake, I'll be taking over the remainder here. Uh, the entertainment licenses, uh, first Coxit Club, Inc., Bad Kitty DBA as
the Back Eddie, Bittersweet Restaurant Incorporated, Buzzards Bay Brewing, uh, Incorporated, Holiday Lanes, Holy Ghost Club of Westport, Inc., Oriental Pro Restaurant, Port Dad, 10 Cousins Brick Oven, W&R, Olette Post, number eight,
number 8502, Weatherlo Farms, Westport Club, Inc., Westport Rivers, Inc., Whites Restaurant. Uh we have amusement licenses that's Holiday Lanes and Oriental Pearl Restaurant. And an inkeeper is a Coker Club Incorporated,
Hampton in Paco Chuck in and Westport Town Hospitality DBA as Town Place Suites. Now we're moving on to class one licenses. Class one motor vehicle. Class one motor vehicle licenses. Uh Bulldog Performance Plus, Hold Co. Inc.
Amaral Bus Company Incorporated. DBA is Amiral Ammoral Bus Truck Sales and Service. Auto Plus Motorc Cars, AVR Plus Incorporated, Belu Garage, Charlie's Auto, Dan's Auto Sales,
Distinctive Auto Body Refinishing and Sales Limited, Ferrer's Auto Body and Sales, Ferrer's Auto Sales and Marine Annex, Frank E. Brighton Jr. Auto Sales and Service, Inc. GNS Used Auto Sales, G Suza's Hillside Motors Incorporated,
Glennwood Auto Sales, Greenwood Park Motors, Inc., Hala Auto Sales Incorporated, Hilltop Motors and Equipment, Hometown Motors, Horseneck Auto Sales Inc., IIcars, Inc., JNL Pond
View Auto Sales Corp., JBS Towing Services Corp., John Sors Village Garage, Inc., a second license under John Sears Village Garage Inc.'s Auto Sales, Newway Auto Sales, Prestige AutoMart Incorporated, RNR Auto Body,
Richard Mendes, DBA Mendes Auto Sales, Rob's Auto Care Incorporated, Soma Imports Incorporated, State Road Auto Sales Incorporated, doing business as State Road Auto Sales, State Road Auto Sales Incorporated, DBA, State Road Auto
Sales, Annex1, Sue Auto Sales, Tech Autoorld LLC, Thaz Auto Salvage Incorporated, Top Quality Auto Sales. There are three licenses for that. So, Top Quality Auto Sales and Top Quality Auto Sales. Upstate Remark Marketing. Westport Auto
and RV Center. Windmill Cycles, Westport Auto and RV Center, Windmill Cycles. Class 3 licenses is Atlantic Salvage Inc., Mid City Scrap Iron Inc., Robert J. Desmearis
Thads Auto Salvage Incorporated repair licenses Adamsville Garage Advanced Motor Sales and Service Ammeral Bus Company Incorporated DBA is Amarill Bus Truck Sales and Service AVR Plus Incorporated Barry's Mobile Automotive
Boo's Garage, Bulldog, Charlie's Auto, Distinctive Auto Body Refinishing and Sales Limited, East Coast RV and Auto Repair, Ferrer's Auto Body and Sales, FiveStar Collision Incorporated, Fourquare Village Garage, G Suzers Hillside Motors Incorporated, Glenwood
Auto Detailing, Granite City Crushing, Hala Auto Sales Incorporated, Integrated Street Performance, JBS Towing Services Corp., Joe's Auto Repair, John Sors Village Garage Incorporated, LSE's Custom Exhaust, Martins Auto Repair,
Menddees Auto Repair, Newway Auto Sales, Prestige Auto Incorporated, RNR Auto Body and Sales, Rob's Auto Care Incorporated, Rogers Automotive Incorporated, Route 6 Gas, Salem Enterprises, DBA, Westport Tire, Inc.,
State Road Auto Sales, Thaads Auto Salvage Incorporated, Top Quality Auto Sales, three times, Top Quality Auto Sales, Top Quality Auto Sales, Westport Auto Clinic, Whailing City Transit Incorporated, and Wilford's Garage.
Okay, so that's everything that was on the list except for Bakers Beach. Do I have a motion? Move approval of the recommendations or the applications? Second. Any discussion? Madam Chair, um
I may have just missed this, but I see Harry's Country Store Jurgger Inc. should have been DBA, Harry's Country. Okay. Okay. All right, then. When we got that covered, good. All right. Anything else? All in favor?
I I That's four in favor and one absent. And we have uh Jake wants to abstain from the vote on the common victual for Baker's Beach. So I have a motion to approve the common victual information Baker's speech. So move second. Any discussion? All in favor?
I I that's three in favor, one abstension, and one absence. [Applause] Okay. Um we have a request from the Holy Ghost Club at 171 Sodom Road for a one-day all alcohol license at 179 Sodom
Road for a fish fry on Friday, October 3rd from 5 to 10 p.m. And the paperwork's all in order. Yes. Okay. Move approval. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? I I That's um four in favor and one
absent. We have um 4A a request to approve the letter to Mass DOT regarding Kirby Bridge. Um so we had uh the letter in our materials, but Jim, do you want to just summarize what we're what it said? Yeah. Based on the discussion at the
last select board meeting, um there was a vote or a vote to not go forward with the design as proposed and the letter just notifies Kristen Rebello, the grants administrator at Mass D. That um based on the current
design, Westport does not want to move forward. Um, we kind of explained in the letter that we had concerns about the aesthetics and the overall design and the impact on the neighborhood and kind of left it a little bit open. If they could address that, then, you know, we consider it. But overall, it kind of
says we're out. Okay. Craig, I know you were the one I had thoughts about that. So, did you have anything? Are you okay? I think that expresses what I was trying to get across. Okay. Um, so, uh, so we have a request
to approve the letter to be sent. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? I, I, uh, it's four in favor and one absent. We have a request from Chris Gonolves, the highway surveyor, to approve the Massachusetts Department of Transportation funding application for
2026 pedestrian and roadway safety improvements on Samford Road between Briggs Road and Benois Street with an approximate value of $500,000. Do you want to tell us about this one? Yeah. So, this is a the completes program, the complete streets program, which um
is administered through Mass DOT. It's a grant program. You can um apply for grant funings. I think it's a one-time funding type process. Uh it's they're looking for complete streets. So, when they're looking at funding, they're looking at sidewalks, pedestrian access, they're looking at bicycle paths, um as
well as the streets itself. Um this is set up for Sanford Road where the sidewalk in that area has been in poor condition for the years. So, it's it's a grant application. There's no guarantee we'll get the funding, but if we don't apply, we'll never get it. So, it's a four almost a $500,000 grant. Um, you
know, I think it's a good grant. I think we have a shot at it. So, I would recommend the select board um approve the submitt of the application. All right. Thank you. So move, Madam Chair. Second. Is there any discussion?
All in favor? I I That's four in favor and one absent. So 4 C is a request to approve the contract amendment for the town administrator, James Hartnet, interim. Um, so you all recall that Jim's uh set
to retire on September 26, Friday. Um, but um, he has agreed to stay on under contract amendment. So, he would retire officially from his full-time job, but is willing to is coming this uh, contract will be an amendment to
bring him back as an hourly employee. Um, it's approximately the same rate. He's not paid hourly now, but the math works out that it's basically the same as he's getting paid right now um for 40hour work weeks. Um the contract does say to the end of December, but when we
have our new town administrator start, we can amend we can end that earlier. Um the um there's no benefits. Like I said, it's very close to what he's being paid right now. We have an executive session if we want to talk about strategy um
without Jim present or without the public hearing it. But um if we just approve it now or just have some discussion now in open session, we we might not need to go into executive session. To me, this appears to be pretty straightforward. I and I think that um in the interest of
just expediting it in transparency, I would move that we approve the extension of the town administrator's contract subject to the specifications put forward. But it would understanding that it effectively amounts to paying him at
the same rate he's being paid now. Yes. Do I have a second? I second that. All right. Um, so do we have any discussion, Madam Chair? Go ahead, Dick. Uh, you had mentioned if we, uh, do not if we get the, uh, new town
administrator, this contract might be amended. I was wondering what happens if we don't get a new town administrator by December the 31st. Um, if the incumbent would be at least open to discussion about extending it further, I'll pose that as a question to the
chair to Jim if you're inclined to to answer, but if not, I I I'd be open to anything. I there's um there's pension requirements and other restrictions that we'd have to look into. So, it may or may not be possible, but yeah. Um, yeah, my thought is I'm I'd like to
uh Westport's been good to me. I'd like to be good to Westport and finish it out the best I can. So, if we can have a good transition, that's my goal. Through the chair, um we're in the process of with the um screening committee that was set up here in town
for for a new town administrator. Uh the deadline for resumeé submission submission was this last Friday. Uh résumés have been distributed out to that steering committee and we have meetings scheduled for this Thursday. So, uh, hopefully we should be on track to to get a, uh, new town administrator
in here within, um, a fair amount of time. I think it's good that it's flexible. Um, just clarification on this, there's no issue if, you know, let's assume we got somebody in here November 1 and we had a nice transition, it wouldn't matter if he if Jim wanted,
you know, it would end at November one or whatever that time would be. Correct. This is a 14-day each time. Okay. you know, I'm like, so I'm fine with that. So, 14-day notice, but we would plan that to overlap. Yeah. Okay. All right. Any other discussion?
Um, all in favor? I I Any opposed? That's um four in favor and um one absence. And we are be um because this executive session was to discuss the strategy and the minutes, what we'll do is we will not go into executive session tonight and we'll just
wait on another session for the minutes in the future. Yep. Good. Okay. 4 D. We have a request from Jennifer Bell Humer, owner of Kadamanka Nursery School to hold a trunk or treat event for their students and families in the back parking lot of the town hall
annex on Friday, October 10 from 4 to 5:00 p.m. Um, do we know did we check the is the space available? Yes. So, recreation is aware of it. Okay. Um, Dana, she she actually recommended that it go to the select board for approval. So, she's they're
aware of it. Okay. All right. Any discussion? Do I have recommend to approve? Second. Um, all in favor? I I um that's four in favor and one absent. So, this chunk or treat event for students of the Kotamank Nursery
School October 10. Um, and then E, we have a request from Kristen Stinson, the town clerk, to post the assistant to the town clerk position inhouse and then external if needed because we just stole her assistant town clerk. So, um, she wants to post the position. So, this is
um, would we post it internally and then externally? What do you recommend? I'd like to leave it open so we could do it simultaneously. So uh we do it simultaneously but consider we still have to wait the seven days for the in-house applicants but if by the time we get it posted externally. Okay.
I move we do a simultaneous posting with the understanding that there's a 7-day uh window for in-house applicants. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? I I four in favor and one absent.
Didn't have anything on discussion today. Um, so how about the town administrator report? Do not have a written report, but I will give you a brief update. The HVAC system here in town has started. Um, the units on the first floor have been placed in the proper location. They've cut out the
radiators. Um, they've mounted a number of them on the first floor. They're hoping up on the second floor to start work up here. Um, they are moving fairly quick. They still got electrical to do. Um, they're aware of the time time frame that we have to get these things up and running before the the cold weather
comes in. They do have alternative provisions in case, but um they are planning to get it done before before it's needed. So um yeah, the units look pretty units look nice. Um so far it's a little noisy, but uh people have been
cooperating and uh it's getting done. Um Route Six Water Line, we're looking to pave towards the end of October. Uh we're working on a letter now that we'd like I think a draft was in your your your correspondents that we would like to get out to the neighbors just letting them know that paving will take place
the end of October thanking them for their patience throughout the process. Um paving will be on Osborne Street, Gford Road, Greenwood, Eastbriggs on Route Six. It'll be patching. We're limited as to the requirements of Mass DOT. So we have to follow the
requirements that they put in front of us and um it's going to be more permanent patching. I think they uh cut out the patches one more time and do a finished patch on those. So, that should be done again towards the end of October. Um we're working through the punch list right now. There's still some
um I think there's four or five connections that have to be done on Route 6. That'll be done over the next couple of weeks. Um it's moving along and there's some people that are very excited to get some some new water and um hopefully we can get that that done
by the end of October. Again, paving is conditioned on weather. So, if we get two weeks of rain, it could push the schedule back, but we're doing everything we can to get it done in October. We don't want to wait too long into the season. I just have a question. Yep. Go ahead.
Jim, I know obviously the stuff that people see the most in the north end right now obviously are the roads and and the impact of that. Some people have brought concerns up with the patches that are currently there. Have they been compacted down? Will they be
an issue with you know paving over it and maybe having sink holes in that area and then um you know have they done that or or address that before we go into the winter time? Yeah. So so that was one of the reasons right they usually like to let it sit through a season. So we started last
winter we got most of the trenches in. So most of those were open at one point last winter they went through the spring rain season. So the settlements are pretty much done. Um I haven't seen any drive by that on a regular basis. I haven't seen any uh significant settlements over the last, you know, 3
or 4 months. It's possible there was one or two out there if they have it's been patched. Um but this is typical. Uh they will do some milling and then um do a full full width overlay of the street. So these are never I I will say it's
never perfect. Um but you know I I think it's going to be as close as it's going to get. Just one more question. Um who is doing is doing the paving? I believe it's Keading. They're subcontracting with Keading. Keading just did the paving over here on Main Road, Sanford Road, and Old County. Um,
yes, they they sub it out, too. Keing has done a very good job in town. I know there's issues with traffic, but the the the work they've done, they're very professional, and they've done a very good job. I was on the main road site um when they paved it uh last week. So, I'm glad they're going to be
handling uh fixing the roads on the north end. Yeah. just the point they they did my road and the road nearby and um there was no disruption to traffic coming and going, you know, except, you know, depending upon the time of day had to go out one way my driveway as opposed to
the other way, but I know there was a little bit of backup at school for like one day, but I think they did a really good job of that. No, I I thought o overall and it's um you know, it's it's needed. Yeah. you know, the roads are getting pretty bumpy. And we have had those patches tested
throughout the contract for compaction. Um, and the asphalt has been out has been tested as well. And so it does meet those requirements. Thank you, J. Yeah, that's all I have. Okay. Uh, so we have minutes of September 8th. No, we don't. Okay. So, we will skip
over that one. Report on the bill warrant. Yeah. I don't know if this is in the package, but regardless, it's uh everything in order. $2.3 million. Nothing out of the ordinary yet I can find. So that's the way we like it. Non-controversial.
All right. Thank you very much. Um so next is um liaison committee reports or suggestions for future agenda items. We'll start with Dick because I usually start on one of the ends. Yeah, that's u I'm honored Madam Chair. Well, or maybe it's punishment because
last time I said I don't have anything to report but one of these days this is going to change. Well, it changed. Okay. So, things business picked up. So, I've been to a few meetings and we've got a couple more scheduled pretty soon here. I'll talk about that. So, the Council on Aging, I attended
their monthly meeting. It was without controversy and they handle routine business. Uh I did attend CERTA. Um they already passed their budget. So, this was uh I'm sorry, I take that back.
uh assert is coming up Thursday. It's Bristol County. Uh I attended that meeting. This is the Bristol County Commissioners Advisory Committee. Should have done that once. Uh and we passed the budget. The
increase we're particularly interested of course in Diamond although the entire budget affects Westport. It was about I don't recall the percentage of increase of the entire budget in which we will participate. But from the last meeting with Diamond had a an increase of 7%. I pass
that on to the finance committee and Karen Rouse thanked me for that. That was actually good news although seven is a number higher than inflation because in the past two or three years and particularly related to the construction project they were running
some very large increases in core services like 20%. So this is a return to normaly more progress to be made but that was that's a good report. The rest of it was without controversy. Um as I mentioned there is a meeting of
certa on Thursday that should be routine. We already passed that budget. The capital improvement planning committee we think might be meeting next week after Jim checks with everybody. Uh and there's a landing commission uh meeting tomorrow. I am the leazison
from the select board of course. So I'll attend that. So those are my reports madam chair but this also gives us the opportunity for future agenda discussion items action items whatever. Uh the old high school I can't help but ask seems that it's like a hiatus here going on
and I know where we left off but we've heard nothing since. Is is this something we want I also had that on my list. All right for Craig I think because you're our representative on the long-term building. Yeah. We have not had a meeting since the last time we discussed it. So, um I I think we're still I think they were
hoping to be have a public meeting uh after Labor Day, which it is now is, but I don't know if the chair has scheduled a meeting yet. So, Paula, will you please invite um the chair of the long-term building committee to our next meeting? We're going to we'll put a discussion topic for to just get an update on uh where
they are. Yeah. Right. Thank you. So now that I'm going go ahead um wait almost affordable housing trust we are still looking uh for property uh to um uh do
something on the scale of what we did with no choke village uh in terms of uh a number of units and how that will uh uh sort of work away at at the affordable housing u shortfall that we have in terms of what what u
expectations are where we are and what we have done. Uh it's been probably um seven or eight years since we completed no choke village and so um and then and
part of the expectation when we get funded by the um uh uh community uh uh CPC committee is that we continue to try to produce units of affordable housing. and they would prefer that when when uh
when they're giving us the money because we are now we never currently have a fair amount of money that that's available for land acquisition. And so the amount of money that we can use towards land acquisition, reduce the uh cost uh in terms of of of the property
makes it easier for us to make it affordable without having to get into um um exotic housing subsidies which are not necessarily available to town communities like Westport. So um that's
where we are. nothing new to report, but that's what our focus still is. Right. Thank you. Any others? No, I think uh I do not think that the opioid settlement advisory committee has met since I think we're coming up on a
meeting time probably within the next week or so. Okay. Hasn't been posted yet, so I can't say when. Okay. All right. Thank you. Um Jake, uh thank you Shauna. Um the only meeting we had over the past uh week was the
economic development uh committee which uh now has full membership on it. Uh we we um basically elected the chairs. Mory May will remain as a chair and then the vice chair Steve Olette. Um good meeting uh good to have you know a full house
there and the new members there. a lot of discussion, a lot of new ideas as to how to move forward the economic development committee. Most of it in the past has been focused on the farmers market um at the annex, but there were some good ideas percolating. I know um
Keith Das is on as well and he's got some ideas he's going to um explore. So um that's what really came out of of that meeting and uh we're looking to have another meeting in the October time frame. Right. Thank you. Um I attended a meeting of the school building
committee. Um so we're still trying to wrap up the projects. There's a couple of um kind of big items on the list that still need to be addressed. Um but they're mostly working through the punch list. Um there's there was discussion at the last meeting about the participation
of the owner's project manager, CHA. Um CHA has had a number of project managers turn over and um but we really need them in order to close out the project. So, there was some discussion about um that and um I know council was involved and
their council was involved, but they're back um participating on the project again. So, the goal is to try to close this out after the the big the biggest thing is the it's not the roof, it's the guttering, I think, for the roof, the down spouts, redirecting some of the
water on the roof. Yeah. Um, so then, so we need a the close out will mean we get the final installment from the MSBA, which would be nice to get that. Um, but we're probably um, you know, a few months out from that. We're hoping, we were hoping
to wrap that up before Jim um, came in. Um, they are looking at some additional improvements like um, to the auditorium in particular. So, some of the um, sound damping and uh, something with the mic. there was they they understand there's
audio problems in the in the room and so they're making several improvements related to that. One of them is sound dampening tiles or something and then another one is the just changing audio improvements and then there um changes in the PA system um overall. So um but we're close
we're getting closer. Um anything else on that meeting that we talked about that was I think that's Yeah. Okay. Um I am gonna um ask on a future meeting that we dissolve the internet advisory committee. The the committee hasn't met in quite some time and there's not really a proposed
project on the table. So we're going to um I'm going to recommend that we dissolve that one. And I think and like yeah like I said I wanted to an update on school building project too or what we're doing with that. All right. Um is there anything
anybody forgot or mentioned? I don't have any public in the area. Just one I I forgot. I probably should have mentioned at the beginning. Westport River Wershed um held their e- recycling event here at the town hall uh last Wednesday from 9 to 11:00 a.m. Um
actually volunteered with it and it was non-stop from from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00. It's pretty surprising for a uh for a Wednesday. Uh basically non-stop. I think they're backed up down past the town annex dropping stuff off. Uh the joke with that is I told my wife the day
before is I'm just gonna pick up some laptops. She goes, "Oh, no you're not." There were dehumidifiers, air conditioners, anything that plugged in was was recycled. But uh thank all the staff at Westport River Wershed for putting it on and and doing it and all the volunteers that were there. Um very successful event. They're going to be
doing another one in the spring. I think it's going to fall on Earth Day, but I don't hold me to that. Thank you. Thank you. Anything else? All right. So, we're not going to go into executive session. So, I think we're done. We have a motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn.
Second. All in favor? I. I. That's four in favor and one. Thank you, gentlemen. This may be the shortest since